Max woke first the next morning, and the two of them were spooned up against each other, his arm wrapped around her waist. She clutched his hand in both of hers. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the daylight came in through the gaps in the curtain. As Max woke up more, and realized he was curled up with Fran, he smiled, then gently pressed his lips against her back. He thought over the weekend they just had, and over the work he needed to do that day, so he could hopefully take Fran out for a lunch date. He carefully tried to slide his arm out from Fran's grasp so he could roll over and look at the clock on his bedside table. It was just at six in the morning, so he knew there wasn't enough time to try to fall back to sleep with her, so he rolled back over and watched her sleep for a moment. She barely moved, except for the way her ribs rose and fell as she breathed softly, deep in slumber. Max carefully pulled the covers over her so she wouldn't get cold, then decided that he might as well go ahead and get up. He figured maybe he could get started on his work before breakfast and see what he could get out of the way. He really wanted to be able to spend some time with Fran that day, and not when everyone else was home and may need her.
Max slid away from Fran, careful not to disturb her, then got off the bed and quietly stepped over to the closet, got the clothes that he needed, and then headed for the bathroom for a shower. He hoped it wouldn't wake her when he turned on the water, so he kept the setting a little lower than usual, removed his pajamas, and then stepped into the shower once the water was hot.
Fran heard the bathroom door click and opened her eyes. She saw Max coming out of the bathroom, wearing a pair of slacks and his undershirt, his pajamas in his hand. He smiled as he walked towards her with his wet hair.
"Good morning, sleepyhead!" He said. He tossed his pajamas into the hamper in the closet, then came back and sat down on the bed with her.
"Did I oversleep?" She asked, rubbing her eyes and trying to look over at the clock.
"No, it's alright. You can stay here a bit longer if you want. I just woke up early and thought I'd go ahead and get showered. I want to go get started on some of that work for today, then maybe we'll be able to have that lunch date." Fran looked up at him in the dim morning light. His smile melted her, and he stroked her outstretched arm.
"Mmm… okay. That sounds good. But I better get up myself, make sure the kids get off to school okay."
"Alright, if you want. Hey, could you do me a favor?"
"Sure." Fran sat herself up and pushed her hair back.
"Could you come get me for breakfast? I still want to have breakfast with everyone, I don't want to get too caught up in things in the office."
"Yeah, of course. I'll come get you." Max lifted her hand and kissed it, then got up from the bed and went into the closet to get the rest of his clothes on. Fran looked around the room, then looked back over at Max sorting through his dress shirts, and smiled. It started to sink in with her that this would be what her mornings would be like, from now on. She moved the covers off of her legs and slid to the side of the bed, poured herself a glass of water, and got up. "I'll be in my room if you need me, okay?" She said. Max peeked his head out of the coset doorway.
"You mean your old room, don't you?" He smiled. "I'll see you in a while, darling." Fran smiled back at him and got such a rush through her it made her heart race. She headed for the bedroom door, unlocked it, and headed back to her old bedroom.
Max sat at his desk, pen in hand, as he scanned over each contract and then signed it at the end. He's made it through an entire envelope and was well into his second one when he heard Fran knocking at the partly-open door.
"Knock knock! Breakfast's ready! You hungry?" She asked, as she peeked around the door at him.
"There you are! Yes, I am, actually. Here, let me put this down," he said, as he set his pen back into its desk holder and closed the contract he was looking at. He got up and hurried to see Fran, and wrapped his arms around her. "Still in your robe?"
"Yeah, I couldn't decide what to wear today. I just figured I wouldn't rush myself, and I can just go back up after the kids are gone and see what I can find." They walked through the living room and headed for the dining room.
"Well, you might want to dress warm. It was pretty cold out there when I grabbed the newspaper."
"Good idea. Maybe some cozy slacks today." They came into the dining room as the children were just sitting down, and Max held Fran's chair for her as she sat. Everyone looked over at them with smiles. "How's everyone this morning? Get to bed on time?" Fran asked, and the children all nodded and mumbled in the affirmative.
"Well, that's good," Max said. "Oh, Niles- We may need the car today if I can get my work done by lunchtime. We'll be going out for lunch somewhere, I'm just not certain where yet."
"Very good, sir. Just let me know if you need me to make the call when you're ready." Niles smiled and turned around and continued filling plates and setting them on the table in front of everyone. Fran glanced over at Max and he smiled, then they tended to sorting out their coffees and began to eat.
"I like that book I started reading, Fran. I stopped right before the adventure starts, so I wanna get all my homework done right away so I can read some more when I get home!" Gracie said, wiggling in her seat.
"Well, good, sweetie! I'm glad you like it! Just make sure you still give the same attention to your homework, okay? Don't rush through it just to finish."
"I won't. I'll just work on some at lunchtime."
"Okay, sweetie!" Fran grinned, and tweaked Gracie's chin. Max adored their interactions, and watched them fondly. Brighton kicked Maggie under the table and she kicked him back, and they grinned, too.
"Will Ms. Babcock be in this morning?" Niles asked.
"Not for a while, Niles. She's at the lawyer's first. I'll try to get my work done before she gets here, but that might be pushing it. Though Fran did come up with a fantastic way for me to organize everything. And speaking of which, you'll be missing some shirt boxes, in case you wonder where they are."
"Shirt boxes?"
"Yeah, Niles, I thought they would work to help him separate everything so it doesn't get mixed up. Are you gonna miss them, 'cause I can go get you more," Fran said, looking over at him.
"Shirt boxes? Oh, no worries, Ms. Fine. We've got lots of those. In fact, sir, if you need more, I'll get them for you."
"Oh, I think I've got just the right amount for now. But we'll see if I get another pileup in the future. Well, actually, now that Fran's shown me this system, I'm hoping nothing piles up in the future," Max smiled at Fran again, and she patted his hand.
Everyone continued eating happily, and much more quickly than usual. Max wanted to get back to work, Fran wanted to go find an outfit to wear, and the children all wanted to get to school and see their friends and talk about their weekends. When the children finished and got up from their chairs, Max got up too. Niles took his cue and grabbed a couple of empty plates and headed for the kitchen.
"I'm going to go and see if I can get this all finished up, alright?" Max asked, taking Fran's hand as she stood up.
"Okay. Do you want me to stop by this morning, or will that be too distracting?"
"Um, I'd love for you to stop by, but yes, it would be distracting, of course," he looked her over, then back into her eyes.
"You make me wanna blush when you do that, Max!" She poked him in the middle with her finger and he giggled.
"Sorry. I can't help it. You're my girlfriend!"
"Well, go, then! Get that stuff done so we can have another date together! I'll come by later, okay? Before lunchtime, and see how far you are."
"That sounds good. Or if I finish early, I'll come looking for you." He leaned down and gave her a soft, slow kiss, and she tugged at his lapels.
"Mmm… Okay, now, get going, or that work will never get done!" Max smiled, pecked her lips again, then picked up his fresh cup of coffee and headed out of the dining room and back to his office. Fran just stood there, watching him as he left. Niles came back into the dining room and saw her standing there, spaced out, with a smile on her lips.
"Aw, Ms. Fine! I'm so happy for the two of you!" He clutched his hands at his chest and beamed. Fran startled back to her senses and looked over at him.
"Oh, Niles! Isn't it great?! Who coulda known that right now we'd be here, boyfriend and girlfriend? Oh, I can't believe it! And he's so wonderful, Niles! He really is!"
"Well, I'm sure he feels exactly the same about you, too. He's obviously very smitten."
"Aw!" Fran nervously wrung her hands and straightened her robe. "Well, I gotta go find something to wear! And make sure you don't bug him this morning, okay? I want him to get that stuff done so we can get out of here!"
"Oh, absolutely, Ms. Fine!" Fran took off with her cup of coffee through the kitchen and rushed up the back stairs, off to her old room to find an outfit to wear.
Max sat at his desk, hunched over the contracts in front of him, double checking the copy, then signing off on them. He had been so busy reading and signing and making sure everything was placed in it's proper envelope for the courier, that he hadn't realized he was just finishing up the final envelope, and it wasn't even eleven o'clock yet. As he put the last contracts on the stack, then reached for the envelope and tucked the papers inside, he looked around the desk and realized he was finished.
"Well, what do you know about that! I'm done! I'm actually done!" He clapped his hands and leaned back in his chair and smiled, then checked his watch and thought a moment. He remembered his brief conversation the day before with Mick Jenkins, and decided that he would get that phone call out of the way, just in case he may end up having a nice week with Fran and didn't want any interruptions. He dug out his large address book and began flipping through it until he found the phone number he was looking for, then reached for the receiver and dialed the number.
"Hello, Mick Jenkins," the voice on the other end boomed.
"Mick- Maxwell Sheffield here, is this a good time to call? I just had a break with work and thought I'd get back to you before things picked up again."
"Sheffield! Hello! Glad you called, yes the matter we discussed yesterday."
"Yes, you said something about a property, but that was it. So what do you have going on that you thought I might be interested in?"
"Yes, I do have something I hope you'd be interested in, if you've got an open mind." Max paused before responding. What did he mean by that, he wondered.
"An open mind? Well now, Mick, I don't know if I should be concerned or what…" Max nervously scratched his temple, and Mick bellowed with laughter.
"Ha ha! Sheffield! Not that kind of open mind! Oh, that's a hoot!" Mick continued laughing, and Max felt relieved. "What I meant when I said a property, I mean you may need an open mind when I tell you where it is." Max was still confused.
"Where it is?" He asked. "I'm afraid you've still got me a bit baffled, Mick. What are you talking about that is- well, wherever it is?"
"The property, Max. I have a vacation property that I can't use for a while, and I've been trying to find someone who can get down there and look after it just a little bit during the winter until my wife and I can get some vacation time to go back there. But right now, things are busy so it could be a few months. But it's the perfect time of year to be there, and when I saw you with your ladyfriend, I just thought, maybe, you know, you two might like to get out of town for a while, if you weren't too busy with work."
Max was quiet. He was offering Max a vacation property? To take Fran to? For the two of them? He couldn't get any words out.
"Am I mistaking what I saw with you two? Are you not together? Because you sure looked like you were together."
"Oh, ah, no, I mean- yes, we're together, but it's relatively, ah, it's still relatively new and all, is just- ah, well, I don't want to speak for her, um-"
"Oh, I get it, I get it. You haven't been together long, have you? But if I may say so, you make a great couple. So tell me, you think it's a good thing? I mean, you two? You think at some point she could be up for a weekend away from the city?"
"Uh, well, I, ah- maybe. I suppose it could be possible, at some point, but again, I don't want to speak for her. But tell me first, where exactly is this property?" Max asked, gulping hard.
"That's why I need you to keep an open mind. I know you're used to fancy European vacations and all that, or a nice place in the islands in the Caribbean. But I promise you, I got this place as a real getaway, away from all the tourists, but still has a nice beach to wander, and the weather's beautiful. And it's not a hotel room or part of any resort. It's an actual house, right by the beach, on stilts so it has a beautiful view. And no neighbors up close to it. The inside was done by an interior decorator, it has three bedrooms, but I imagine you wouldn't want to take your kids out of school at this time of year. It really is a fantastic place to get away, if I don't say so myself."
"But Mick- where is it?"
"Oh! Right! It's down near Galveston. In Texas."
"Texas?"
"Yes, warm Gulf Coast waters, huge beaches. Not many people there this time of year. And you know, uh, Valentine's day is coming up here real quick." Max hadn't thought about that. He counted in his head and realized how close it really was.
"Oh, yes, well. I guess I've been so busy with work that I hadn't even thought about that yet."
"Well, it doesn't have to be right now. Think about it. Talk to her about it. But I do need an answer pretty quick, or I might ask somebody else. I wouldn't expect you two to do too much there. Just make it look lived in a bit. There shouldn't be any more than a little light cleaning if the dust bothers you. If necessary, I can call the property manager we have out there and see if they might be able to stock the fridge or something for you, so you don't have to go out. That's always a good perk. But it does mean you'd need to cook for yourselves. Not a lot of fancy restaurants down there, at least not any that are open right now. Hey- why don't I send over some information and pictures for you two to look at, so you can decide if you want to go. You can fly into Houston and then either drive out there, or take a small plane to the nearby airport. That might be quicker. But anyway, can I send you some information?"
"Well, sure. Alright, I suppose that would be fine. And then I can ask her if it's something she'd want to do. A beach does sound nice right about now, it's freezing outside!"
"Oh, don't I know it! That's why we got the place. I just wish we could spend more time there. Well, hey, I've got a lunch meeting coming up that I need to get ready for. I'll get a courier to run this stuff over to you, okay? And if you can make a decision in the next couple of days and let me know, so I can set it all up, that would be great. I'm running out of people to ask and I really don't like leaving that place empty for so long."
"I get it, yes, that could be a concern. Alright then, thank you. We'll watch for the courier and get back to you as quick as we can."
"Fantastic! And thanks for calling me, Sheffield. I'll be waiting for your next call."
"Alright then, Mick. Have a great day."
"You too, Sheffield. You too. Goodbye."
"Goodbye." Max hung up the phone and sat there a moment, letting all the colors rush over his face while he tried to slow his heart rate down. Could he take Fran out of town? So soon in their relationship? Of course, it didn't have to mean anything that serious, but would it? It probably would. He shook his head. It would probably be better if he stopped thinking about all that, and went to find Fran and call for the car so they could go on their date. He jumped out of his chair and ran for the door, almost mowing down C.C. in the process.
"Maxwell! What's the rush! You nearly ran me over!" She said, gathering up her belongings in her arms.
"Oh, sorry! I'm in a bit of a hurry, C.C. You'll have to excuse me."
"In a hurry for what? I've got all the new papers from the lawyer's office. Have you made any progress on all that paperwork we have to get done today?"
"Yes, actually. I'm done with my side of things. Here, I better show you so you don't get it all messed up. See these three stacks? Each stack is for a different courier, because each stack of envelopes goes to a different part of the city, okay? So start on this stack, don't mix up what's in the envelopes, do one envelope at a time. Finish this first stack- then call for the courier and get it out right away. Then move on to the second stack, same thing, then another courier. Get it? I've got to run, I'll be back later this afternoon and then I'll tackle the new papers, alright?"
"But Maxwell! Where are you going? How did you manage to get all that done? Did you work over the weekend?"
"No, no really. But I have a lunch date, C.C. A very important one. And it was actually Fran's idea- how to organize all of that so it was easier and faster to get through. Oh, if you want to work through lunch, I'm sure Niles would be happy to make you something, or order something for you. Alright then, gotta go!" And with that, Max ran from the doorway of the office off towards the kitchen to see if he could find Fran. C.C. stood there, aghast.
"Fran?" She grumbled.
Fran and Niles were chatting in the kitchen when Max pushed through the door and made a beeline straight for Fran.
"There you are!" He said, smiling, and took her in his arms.
"Hey! I was about to go check on you! How are things going in there?" Fran asked.
"Well, you'll be happy to know that I'm done! I finished all of that! And C.C. just got here. She brought the other things from the lawyer's that I'll have to go through later, but right now I am free to take you to a nice, long lunch!"
"Really?!" Fran squealed, then kissed him. Niles grinned, too. "You really got through all of that? And got everything signed?"
"Yes, I did, thanks to you! Now, are you hungry yet? We can call for the car and get out of here. Oh- Niles? C.C. may need you to make something for lunch for her, or see if she wants to order some food. I don't think she was happy that I finished everything already. So you can keep her company if you'd like, Niles," Max grinned.
"Oh, thanks!" He rolled his eyes.
"Let's go now, I'm hungry enough," Fran said. "And if we don't have to rush a meal, that would be perfect! Let me go get my things!"
"Here, I'll follow you, I need to get my wallet. Niles, would you call for the car?"
"Yes, sir! I'll get right on that!" Fran and Max headed up the back stairs and Niles reached for the cordless phone. He called for the driver as he walked back through the dining room to the living room, looking for Ms. Babcock. He hung up the phone and set it down on the entry table, then headed for the office. C.C. was sitting in the desk chair, looking grumpy and poking at the envelopes. Niles stopped in the doorway and looked at her suffering, wide-eyed and with a grin on his face.
"What?!" She huffed.
"Oh, nothing. I just thought I should come see what your plans for lunch were. PB & J, Hot Pocket?" He smiled.
"Oh, knock it off, Niles," she fussed.
"Aw, poor Ms. Babcock. But seriously, I can make you something for lunch, or get you the take-out menus. Unless you are going to run over to a cafe, or maybe a hot dog stand?" He chuckled again.
"Very funny. So tell me this, Hazel, how did he manage to get through those huge stacks of paperwork we had? I was certain it would take us through tomorrow to get it done. He was working all weekend, wasn't he?"
"Actually, no. There was a bit of a family matter he had to deal with, so he spent most of his time with Ms. Fine," he let that sink in a moment. "Apparently he mentioned the workload to her, so she took a look at things, and came up with a system that really seems to have worked for him. He's very pleased with it! So don't go messing it up."
"How can I mess it up if I don't know what it is? He seems to have everything separated and ready to go, though, so maybe it won't take so long to do my part."
"Well, good. So how do you want to handle lunch? Are you going to take a break, or would you like to eat in here?"
"Oh, why don't you order something for me, then I suppose I'll take a break to eat in the kitchen. I don't want to get anything on these contracts."
"Alright, very good. I'll fetch you the menus. Would you like anything to drink right now?"
"Tea would be fine."
Just then, Max and Fran came down the front steps and got their coats out of the closet, then helped each other put them on. Fran reached into Max's coat and wrapped her arms around him, and he held her there, rocking slightly from side to side as they waited for the car to show up. C.C. noticed and stood up from the chair. Niles turned around and saw them, and put a hand over his chest.
"Isn't it lovely? The two of them like that?" Niles said softly.
"I thought he had some kind lunch meeting?"
"He does!" Niles wiggled his eyebrows.
"Oh, now that you mention it, he didn't have anything on the calendar for today. So what's the deal with them? Is she trying to get her nails into him again?" She crossed her arms over her chest, not happy about what she was seeing.
"Oh, I'd say they both have their nails into each other…" Niles looked back at the couple, Max tilting his head down towards Fran. C.C. huffed.
Max rubbed Fran's back slowly, and she rubbed his under his coat. He gave her forehead soft little kisses and she stood there, eyes closed, rocking back and forth with him. She was so happy, and felt so good. And she loved how happy Max seemed to be, too.
"Sweetheart?" He asked. "How would a French restaurant sound to you? Would something like that be alright for lunch?"
"A French restaurant sounds perfect!"
"Good. I think I know a place that might be good. So, our second date. You ready for that?"
"More than ready!" She smiled up at him and he leaned down to kiss her softly. He noticed the car drive up outside, then eased his clutch on her.
"Car's here. Let's get you buttoned up," he whispered, and buttoned her coat, then she buttoned him up. Niles approached them, all smiles.
"Oh good, car's here! Well, you two have a nice time, I'll hold things down here!" Niles said.
"Thank you Niles. I'm not sure exactly when we'll be back, but I've still got a little work to do this afternoon."
"No worries, take all the time you need."
"Oh, Niles, there should be a courier coming by at some point- not for all the things we have to send out, but separately. It's something for Fran and I, so try to not let C.C. know, would you? And don't go through it yourself. A friend is sending it over, and I don't know what all will be with it. Would you do that?"
"Oh, yes sir! I'll keep an eye out, and how about I bring whatever it is to your bedroom, to keep it away from prying eyes?"
"That would be perfect, Niles, thank you! Now, my dear, let's get out of here! We've got a date to start!" He smiled at Fran, and she smiled back, then looked at Niles excitedly. He gave her the thumbs-up, then she turned and Max guided her out the door and to the car. Niles shut the door behind them and skipped happily to the kitchen to retrieve the menus for Ms. Babcock.
Max ordered their drinks and an appetizer, and they relaxed back at their fairly private table in the pretty French restaurant. There was a broad section of solarium windows across the front of the building the restaurant was in, letting in the sunlight and lighting up the entire restaurant.
"I think you made a good choice, Max! It's so pretty in here!" Fran said, squeezing his hand in both of hers.
"I'm glad you like it. I haven't been here in ages, and I knew they remodeled at some point, but I wasn't expecting this." He watched as Fran looked over the restaurant, from one side to the other. She was smiling and patted at his hand with hers. He looked over her cute outfit- the fuzzy bright white sweater clinging to her form, and the snug, stretchy indigo pair of jeans she wore. In her eye makeup was a touch of the color of her jeans, and it really suited her. He found himself getting his nerves worked up as he looked over her, so he moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders to calm himself. Fran seemed to be happy he did that, and snuggled up against him. He caught the scent of her perfume again as she moved, and it filled him up.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Fran said.
"Of course.
"What you said to Niles, before we left, about that courier? Is that something you can tell me about, or is it a secret?" She turned to look up at him.
"Oh, yes. Well, no, it's not a secret. More of a surprise, really. Of course I can tell you, unless you want to wait until later?"
"You know I'm not good at waiting…"
"Okay, okay. Well, you remember that man we ran into yesterday, at brunch? Mick Jenkins? How he said he had a property he thought I might be interested in?"
"Oh yeah, did you talk to him?"
"Yes. When I finished my work, I thought I'd get that out of the way so that wasn't hanging over me the rest of the week- you know, waiting for his call. So I just figured I'd try to get a hold of him and see what he had."
"So, what did he have?" Fran asked. Max looked into her eyes, and over her features again.
"Well- his 'property'- it's an actual property. A house. He said he has a vacation house that he can't use for at least a few months, and he doesn't like to leave it empty for so long. I guess he's been asking around, to see if someone might be able to go there and, well, make it look lived in a bit. So he asked me if I might- well, if we might- want a getaway sometime soon. To get out of the city for a while. Now- I told him I'd have to talk to you, I didn't want to speak for you, because we're still fairly new in all this, with each other. But he said he would be sending over some information, and photos, of the place. We can see if it's something worth considering. He needs to know fairly quickly, so he can ask someone else if we don't want it."
"Us? Now, was he meaning the whole family?"
"Uh, no. He said he figured we wouldn't want to take the kids out of school right now, even though the house has enough bedrooms."
"Well, where is this place? How far away is it?"
"Far enough, and he told me to keep an open mind because of where it is, it's not where you'd expect a New Yorker to have a beach house."
"It's on the beach?" Fran perked up.
"Yes. And he said the weather there is really nice right now, and not many tourists to deal with."
"Well, where is it? It's warm there? And it's a big house?"
"I'm not sure how big. He said it's on stilts, with a beautiful view. But get this- well, it's in Texas, Fran. Near Galveston. Do you know anything about that place?"
"Galveston? Well, all I know is that I think that's a big Spring Break party place, and I think the summers are busy there. But otherwise, I don't know anything more than you probably know. So he's getting a courier to bring over pictures?" Max nodded. "And if we could go, it would just be the two of us?"
"Yes. Now you won't hurt my feelings if you say no, I know this is a lot. And I wouldn't have any expectations I'd put on you if we did go, alright? I wouldn't do that. I just wanted to let you know what he's offering to us, and if it's even something we could consider."
"I know you wouldn't pressure me, Max. I won't pressure you, either. But, you know, we're already sharing a bed. That's going pretty well, isn't it? It wouldn't be so different than that, if we weren't ready for it to be different."
"True."
"Well, thank you for telling me about it. I'll think about it, and when we get the other stuff from him, we can look it over together and see if it sounds like a possibility or not. How soon would we need to go? And can you even get any time off of work?"
"Yes, I can take time off. This batch I finished today was the biggest thing to be done. And if we went. We could just do a long weekend if we want. We don't have to take a whole week or two or anything long like that."
"Okay."
"And we may have to do it soon, in case he finds other people to take some time there, too. And he said he could see about getting the property management out there to stock the fridge for us. We'd be making our own meals there."
"Cooking together? Hmm… we've got some experience at that…"
"We do." Fran smiled at him and clutched the side of his face, then kissed him. "And there was one other thing he mentioned, but we don't have to take that into consideration if you don't want to."
"Take what into consideration?"
"Ah, that Valentine's Day is coming up." He watched her expression freeze a moment, then she thought about what day it was, then she looked back at Max and smiled.
"It is coming up, isn't it? And I think it's on a saturday, too!" Max let out a nervous, quick laugh, and Fran gave him a hug. "Well, that's a lot to consider. So how about we just think on it a while, and we can talk about everything tonight, okay? Let's enjoy this date while we're on it, without all that on our minds, too."
"Alright, we can do that. Let's get back to our date, then!" He said, and kissed her hand. Just then the waiter brought out their appetizer and a bottle of wine, then poured them both glasses. Max let go of Fran to set some of the appetizers on their plates, then set hers in front of her, and his plate in front of him. "Do you mind if I make a toast?" He asked.
"A toast? Go right ahead!" They lifted their glasses of wine to each other.
"To best friends, and partners… and to this situation we've both stepped in together…" He smiled at her, then they clinked their glasses and took a sip. Fran was really moved, so she set down her glass, reached for his jaw, then leaned in and kissed him firmly. She rested her forehead against his and smiled.
"That's a perfect toast, Max! Thank you!"
"You're welcome, Fran. And I mean it, too." He looked into her eyes again, and they got lost in each other for a moment. "I missed you this morning- when I was working. I guess I'd been getting used to you being right near by, and I really noticed it when you weren't there."
"Yeah, I noticed it, too. I was so tempted to come see you, but I knew I'd slow you down from getting that work done, and I really wanted to have this lunch date with you. I'm glad that organizing we did helped you get through it fast. Really glad."
"Me too. You're really good with that sort of thing. Did you hone those skills from being a bridal consultant?"
"Oh, I don't know about that. Maybe a little. I think a lot of it's from being with you guys, too, and picking up things from you and Niles. It takes a lot to keep that house running smoothly!"
"It sure does. And you're doing a wonderful job at it, and especially with the children. That matters more than I think I could ever tell you." He ran his hand tenderly down her arm, feeling the softness of her fuzzy sweater.
"Aw, Max! You know you've got the best kids, don't you? The best ones."
"Yes, they're pretty great, aren't they?"
"Yeah…" she tugged at his lapels, then remembered where they were. "Hey, we better get back to the appetizer, or we might cause a scene in here and they'll kick us out!" Max laughed, and they turned back to their places at the table. They spread their napkins on their laps, and Max reached for her hand. They realized they were much hungrier than they thought, and went through the appetizer quickly. The waiter rushed back to clear their plates and refill their water glasses, then hurried away again. They only had a brief moment to relax back in their seats before their meals were brought out and were set in front of them.
"May I get you anything else?" The waiter asked. Max looked over at Fran.
"Not for me, this looks wonderful! Thank you!"
"Yes, it does look very good. I think we're good here, thank you," Max said to the waiter.
"Alright, enjoy!" The waiter hurried off to tend to another table.
"Wow, Max! This looks yummy!"
"I'm glad you think so, it does look good, doesn't it? We'll let's get to it, then!" They both grinned and grabbed their knives and forks and started to dig in- quickly at first, but then they both realized they didn't need to rush. They cut all their food into bite-sized pieces, then relaxed a bit as they enjoyed it.
"You want to try a bite of mine?" Fran asked.
"Sure." She got a bite on her fork, then carefully held it up for Max to take. He leaned over and looked at her first before taking the bite into his mouth. "Mmm! Very nice! Would you like to try a bite of mine, Fran?"
"You know it, baby!" She grinned, and he chuckled. He gathered up a bite on his fork, and as she leaned towards it, he held it carefully and fed it to her. She closed her eyes to savor it. "Mmm! I like that! You know, we should come back here and work on trying all the things on the menu. I had a hard time deciding what to get!"
"So did I. Maybe we could make this a regular thing, come back here every so often. Have some more lunch dates…"
"You don't have to ask me twice! This food is amazing!" Fran reached for her glass of wine again, so Max did as well. They both took sips and swirled them around in their mouths.
"This wine is really nice, too. But I don't want to have too much, I still have some work to do later."
"Will they let us take it home? I bet Niles would like to try some, too," Fran asked, then stuck another bite into her mouth.
"I suppose I can ask them. You know I never like to leave an open bottle of wine." They went back to their meals, and people-watched through the restaurant for a little while. Max noticed some of the people with large paper shopping bags in their hands as they were seated, and it made him think of something. He checked his watch. "Fran, where would you like to go after we're finished here? We'll still have a good bit of time before we need to head back."
"You want to go somewhere else? You mean like shops, or somewhere else?"
"Wherever you like, darling. We could walk down the street and see what we see, or if you want to go somewhere that's not near here, I can call the driver to get us and take us wherever you want to go."
"Hmm… that could be fun. Let me think about it a little bit." She patted his knee and he smiled.
"Sure."
When Max finished his meal, he set down his fork, rested his arm across the back of Fran's chair, and sipped at the rest of his wine. He was feeling so good, it almost surprised him. Here he was, on an actual date with Fran at a French restaurant. And they were even talking about coming back to this place again and again. Could this end up being their restaurant? Or one of their restaurants? He liked thinking about that- that they were making future plans together. He watched Fran as she happily cleaned her plate, and thought about the possibility of the two of them going away together. Was it too soon for them to be doing something like that? It didn't feel like it. And it didn't mean they had to push the subject of sex, even though he couldn't deny that it kept entering his mind. He reached his fingers out and stroked Fran's shoulders, and she set her fork down, wiped her lips on her napkin, and leaned back in her chair, welcoming his touch. She looked up at him and smiled, then reached over for his other hand and took it in both of hers.
"You know, I didn't tell you earlier, that I really like the outfit you picked out today. Your sweater is really soft. It's nice."
"Aw, thank you, sweetie! I wanted to make sure I didn't get cold today. I'm glad you like it."
"I do."
"And you know I love you in a suit. And I like it when you skip the vest sometimes, and just have a snazzy suit. This one's a good color for you, too. Is it a sort of a slate color?"
"Yes, I think so. A bit of dark gray in it."
"I like it. And your tie matches your eyes. It makes me think of a cozy fire in the fireplace, and I just want to curl up with you."
"Really? Well, maybe we can do that later. I'd like some extra time with you tonight, if the children don't need us."
"That would be nice. Let's do that. Maybe another glass of wine in front of the fireplace?"
"It's a date." Max smiled and kissed her on the temple. "Now, do you think you'd like some dessert here before we go?"
"Oh, I don't know. I saw all those things in the display when we came in. I could totally eat a lot of them, but then I wouldn't need dinner. Could we get something to take with us, and maybe have that for dessert tonight?"
"Of course. What are you thinking of getting? An eclair or something?"
"Ooh, yes! Yes, let's do that- if you want one, too?"
"That's why I suggested it. Did you see them in the display? Oh, those looked fantastic!"
"They did, didn't they? Okay, let's get those, and then why don't we go walk off the meal a bit? We can look around outside, see what's around here, and run inside some place if we get cold."
"Sure, we can do that."
The waiter and a busboy came by and cleared their plates, and Max asked for their desserts to go and if they could take the bottle of wine as well. The waiter hurried off to get their things and wrap them up, then soon came back with a bag of eclairs and the bottle of wine boxed up and tucked in with them. He left the check for them, and hurried on his way. Max took out cash to pay for everything, and left a hefty tip.
"You're such a good man with your tips, Max. That always makes me happy," Fran said, patting his knee.
"Really? Well, I know a lot fo restaurant workers aren't making all that much, and if I can help make their day a little better, I'd like to. I know it makes a difference."
"See? You're a good man. A really good man!" She reached up for his cheek again and held him for a kiss. "You ready to go?"
"I am. You?"
"Yep!" They got up from their seats and put their coats on and buttoned up. Max picked up the bag and followed Fran towards the entrance of the restaurant, and they thanked the waiter and the maitre d on their way out. Once outside, Fran took hold of his arm, and led him down the street to have a look at the shops.