CHAPTER 22

CC Babcock was not one to get much excitement in her love life in a year, let alone twice in one night. As she got ready for work, she leisurely sipped some coffee and nibbled on a salmon-and-cream-cheese bagel.

She had this nagging sense that something strange was going on - besides the fact that she was never up early enough to get ready at a leisurely pace. No, something else. Things were different. She felt… alive. She felt relaxed yet on edge. She liked it and didn't at the same time. Her nerves and sanity were not known to be very resilient even though the rest of her came across as such. She didn't feel the need to see Dr. Bort though… and that was the strangest part.

Damon McMann and Niles… um. Niles. Gotta get that man's last name, she thought. Oh, who am I kidding? I don't even know what names those Sheffield kids go by! Niles loved to remind of that. She laughed to herself.

CC put the dishes into her dishwasher and walked back into her bedroom to slip on her shoes and to brush her teeth. As she sat on her bed to do up the clasps on her heels, she noticed the dress she had worn the previous night. She had taken it off, flung it onto the chair at her vanity table and hopped between the sheets in nothing but her Chanel perfume and black lace underwear. She didn't often do that but she hadn't been feeling herself lately.

She smiled at the exhilaration she felt and was happy that she didn't have to see her name or picture in the papers to get that feeling. She felt wanted.

She picked up the dress and smelled it. There was a faint hint of cigarette smoke from the restaurant Damon had taken her to; there was also a bit of something she didn't like… something that reminded her of rich, old fogies who played golf and sailed yachts all day; and then there was a whiff of Paco Rabanne with a lemony twist. That she liked. She smiled at the dress and thought she had to decide whether to consider it a good or bad luck outfit. She also had to decide how soon to have it dry-cleaned… or, to be more accurate, how soon to part from the smells and the memories they proposed.

"Hello, hello!" CC sang as she swept through the front door of the mansion, slamming the door behind her.

"Hiya, Miss Babcock!" Came Fran's voice. "Before ya start screaming for Niles today, you should know he hasn't been feelin' good since he got up."

CC halted at that. "Why would I be looking for Niles?" She said, wondering how much Miss Fine knew and whether 'since he got up' was a sexual innuendo.

"I dunno, for coffee or to insult him or whatever you two like to do to each other." Fran waved her hand in the air. "I made a fresh pot of coffee and got some donuts this mornin' but, well, Ma's here."

CC rolled her eyes and walked to the kitchen.

Her heart jumped when she saw Niles standing in front of the coffee pot with his robe on. She recognized it from the night before.

"I thought you weren't feeling well?" She said casually, removing a mug from the cabinet.

He looked up. He hadn't heard the doorbell. She must have let herself in to avoid him.

"I'm not. Must have picked up something nasty last night." He looked at her and saw her try to hide a smile by turning away from his view.

"Mmhmm," She said. "Well, it figures, I guess. Your body isn't as young as it used to feel. BE! - Used to be." She frowned.

"How's yours feeling?"

Her head jolted back around to face him. What exactly is he asking me?

"M- my body?" She asked. He looked at her. "Um. Fine. Why?"

"So your old bones aren't aching after a night of passionate prostitution with Demon McMann? Oh, excuse me, Damon McMann."

She swallowed. "No -ne of your business, scrubbing bubbles" She looked down and took the coffee pot to pour some into her mug.

"No luck? Cheer up. Maybe he'll still let you go out with him to make him appear hard to get. Some women love unavailable men. Exhibit A." He gestured towards her.

"I'm not in love with Maxwell and everything is great with Damon, thank you for your concern!" She said with finality. She slammed the coffee pot back into its place and walked out. He didn't look sick until I said that. She thought.

Later that day, Fran was folding laundry for Niles while he got some rest in his room.

CC walked towards her in the living room. "Nanny Fine, I have your blouse and dress here. I had them dry cleaned after I used them. Thanks, again."

She handed them to Fran and walked towards the office once more but turned when Fran shrieked a "Hoo-Haaaah!"

"Miss Babcock!" She said excitedly, "Check out these babies!" She held up a pair of leopard print boxer briefs from the laundry she was folding.

CC felt butterflies begin to flutter.

"Think Mr. Sheffield could have a wild side?" She laughed. "Whose do ya think these could be, huh?" She held it by the elastic like a slingshot and shot it at CC.

CC caught it and, looking down at them with an evil grin, said, "N- Not interested, Nanny Fine!" And she threw them back at her and walked into the office, blushing.

"CC! I see you edited the papers. Niles said you couldn't find page 3 but don't worry, I found it on the floor under my desk. These pages were a little crumpled when I came in to work. You didn't leave them in Mr. McMann's hands, did you? Wouldn't want him to know every detail about the show until it's a little more polished."

"No, of course not, Maxwell! I must have sat on them when... I was driving over to bring them here." She lied.

Or when Niles lifted me onto the desk. I can't even remember if I had sat on anything. She shivered and bit the end of the pencil she was holding.

As CC and Maxwell worked through the plans for their play that afternoon, Fran waltzed into the office and perched herself on Maxwell's desk.

"Mr. Sheffield..." She said, reaching out to twist the hair at his temple and grinning widely.

"Mmhmm..." He smiled at her.

"Seeing as Niles isn't feeling well... I thought maybe we could go out for dinner? Ma ate all the extra leftovers of lunch that Niles tried to hide for us."

"Ah, I see. Well I am in the mood for a good steak..." He pondered out loud.

Niles walked in at that very moment.

"I used the last one to plunge through Miss Babcock's vampire heart but she just won't die." He deadpanned and then coughed. CC didn't look up at him. She didn't want to catch his eye and picture him in his leopard prints.

Fran laughed. "How are you feeling, scarecrow?"

"Still the same, Miss Fine. I'm sorry I didn't prepare more food after lunch. I wouldn't want you to catch my germs. That, and the fact that if I had, Sylvia would have eaten that too."

"Not to worry, Niles, old boy!" Maxwell said. "We'll be dining out this evening."

"Very good, sir." He responded.

"CC," Maxwell called to her. Her head bolted up in hope that he would be inviting her to eat with them.

"Would you make a reservation for me?" She was disappointed. "Niles, you should get back to bed!" He looked over at his butler, who was looking at CC, noting her disappointment.

CC left the room and Niles followed a few steps behind. He watched her flip open her cellphone and call to make reservations at a local steakhouse.

She reached the kitchen and went into the pantry to look for something to snack on. She wasn't in the mood to cook at her apartment tonight either.

Niles found her in there when he went to look for ingredients for his own supper.

"If you're looking for something with which to drug your next date, you won't find it in here." He teased.

"I'm hungry." Her eyes scanned the shelves.

Niles looked around at the shelves and then brushed against her to reach for a box.

"How about pancakes?" He asked.

Her eyebrows arched in delight. "Haven't had one in ages!"

"Pancakes, it is then!"

He held the door open for her and they walked out of the pantry and into the kitchen.

Maxwell entered and Niles hid the box behind his back. "Ah, Niles, we're just about to leave. Would you like us to bring something back for you?"

"Oh, thank you, sir but I think I'll just make myself some chicken soup," he smiled pathetically.

CC rolled her eyes at his overacting.

"Okay then. CC, when you've finished with the set list for the live orchestra, just leave it on my desk and I'll check that the conductor is happy with it. See you tomorrow!" He ran out of the kitchen and they heard the family bustling around the front door before it slammed shut.

CC's heart began palpitating. They were alone. She swallowed hard.