An hour and a half later they reached the two-story house with a second-floor terrace. Happy to be back home, Niles called out at the top of the cobblestone steps that led to the main door in front of their house.
"Mom! Dad! It's me, I'm home," he called out, dropping his heavy suitcase on the ground, waiting for them to come out the front door and welcome him.
He looked back down at the cobblestone stairs, but CC was still nowhere in sight. He sighed, wanting to tell his parents about bringing another guest. He didn't tell them ahead of time because he was afraid they would get the wrong idea. He didn't want his people watching them like they were fishes in an aquarium.
Upon hearing the familiar voice of his son, Niles' mother excitedly rushed out to greet her son whom she had not seen in a year. She was a petite woman with dark blond hair, and a motherly disposition who nurtured Niles into becoming a loving and kind individual.
Giving him a tight hug, she exclaimed, "Oh Niles. I've missed you last Easter. I was afraid you weren't coming home again for the holidays. You don't know how happy I was to hear you would be coming for the holidays. I baked your favorite muffins and the blueberry pie you asked me to make."
Niles would often come home to visit at least twice a year to visit his aging parents but was unable to last to six months ago because Mr. Sheffield was out on a business trip and there won't be anyone to watch over the household. He didn't trust Nanny Fine alone in the house.
His father followed and engulfed them in a tight hug. "Good to see you, son. You're looking good."
"Uhm… I have someone with me…" he began but was cut short by CC's loud, exasperated voice from the bottom of the cobblestone stairs.
"Niles! Would it kill you to carry my luggage? I just can't haul it up in these steps," whined CC.
Niles looked down and found CC struggling with her enormous luggage. He smiled inwardly, seeing her so dainty in her dress and wedge sandals, bending over, struggling to pull it up. She really had such a sexy tush, he thought.
He immediately rushed down to assist her. Niles' parents could hear them bickering at the bottom of the stairs.
Taking the luggage from her hands, he said, "I'm sorry. Your arms are as large as an elephant's leg, I thought you could manage."
CC rolled her eyes and glared at him.
"You know, Dustmop, for a Brit you sure are so ungentlemanly. You can't even be gallant enough to help a woman in distress," she yelled.
Niles snarled. "A woman in distress? Please you look like Rocky Marciano's twin brother!"
Niles' parents looked at each other in curiosity. Niles had never brought home a woman to meet them before. They were keeping their hopes up that he would find the right woman to spend the rest of his life with. At this point that Niles is a few years short of fifty, it didn't matter what she looked like even if as Niles' put it, she's as big as an elephant and looks like a man.
Niles' mother was horrified by her son's behavior. He never knew him to stoop so low as to insult a woman!
Niles reached the top of the stairs ahead of CC and his mother pinched his arm for his abhorring behavior.
"Niles! Come here, I did not raise you to be rude and disrespectful to women. You should never insult a woman like that," scolded his mother.
Niles gave a little yelp after he was pinched by his mother for his nasty behavior.
Niles' parents were anxious to meet the woman their son has brought with him. They were expecting a homely looking woman, or at least a heavy set one for the way Niles had referred to her as manly looking and big.
Both were stunned speechless at the sight of CC who reached the top of the stairs a few paces after Niles, whom they never suspected to be young and beautiful; she was at least twelve years younger than their son.
A rebuttal was at the tip of her tongue, ready to insult him face to face as soon as she caught up with him, but the sight of Niles' parents stopped her from insulting him I front of them. She wasn't so mean to do that, but she will find the chance to get even with him.
CC flashed them her supermodel smile, one she had not worn since for the last ten years. She was surprised she managed to find it after throwing it out, together with her theater and modelling career, for a more lucrative profession of producing the shows. It was a big change from being in the limelight to being behind the scenes.
At a glace she knew they each had formed their opinion of her as they shook hands. She was nervous, and uneasy. Afraid Niles' parents wouldn't like her, her confidence dwindling a bit and to mask it, she greeted them the best way she knew how-formal and business-like.
"I'm CC Babcock. I'm pleased to meet you," she said solemnly.
She was not just a pretty face, everything about her was classy. From the firm handshake she had given them with her soft hand in perfectly French manicured nails that never toiled a day in her life to her expensive dress and sophisticated stance, where in heaven's name had Niles found her.
Niles' parents both greeted her pleasantly, but his father's voice was warmer.
"It's so nice to meet you, Ms. Babcock," said Niles' father.
"Call her CC," said Niles.
She shot Niles a dirty look. She could speak for herself, but she remembered her manners again. It was not polite to argue in the presence of the in laws. In laws? Why had she thought of that word. She wasn't Niles' girlfriend.
"CC, these are my parents, Edward and Marcia."
"How do you do?" she replied affably.
The country air must have a positive effect on her, thought Niles. He hadn't heard a single snarl from her yet.
"Let's go inside," said Niles' mother.
Niles led the way inside their two-story brick stone house with French windows. CC eyed the interior with interest. It was a charming English country house. The living room was spacious and homey with a fireplace in the middle to make everyone warm as they settled on the sofa having tea and exchanging stories before bedtime.
The stairs were on the opposite side of the room, right near the dining room. Opposite the dining room was a sliding door leading to a small veranda adjacent to the garden. She smiled, imagining little Niles running around the house, playing on the veranda, getting mud all over the neat living room, making her mother cold him. It painted a cute picture. If only her own mother had spent more time with her when she was growing up, then she would have had nice childhood memories too.
Feeling uncomfortable that she was not at her best; feeling exhausted, sticky, and dirty from the long hours of travel, she wanted to freshen up and feel as good as new.
"May I please be shown to my room. It has been a long day," she said.
CC asked as nice as she could but being used to ordering people about both at home and at work, it still came out quite a command.
Niles' mother felt uncomfortable. She noted the word 'my' room. Albeit she was every bit an old-fashioned English woman, Niles did not tell her to prepare two rooms, and she only had one room ready momentarily.
"Niles, since you have not informed us beforehand that you would require another bedroom, I only have your old bedroom ready. I could prepare the back room, but it may take a while. Or CC could share a room with your Aunt Dottie.
CC was horrified at the thought of sharing a room but tried to mask it as best she could. Niles knew her too well, and almost laughed at her horror-stricken facial expression. She was just so adorable. He'd have so much fun teasing her.
"That's alright, Mum. CC can stay in my room. I'll be fine in the backroom. I'll take care of it myself."
How horrible is this backroom? Wondered CC. She could tell Niles' mother was concerned about her son. Should she just invite Niles to share the room and have him sleep on the floor? No one would know he was on the floor. On second thoughts, wouldn't they think she was a harlot inviting a man in her room?
Stop it, CC. You're over thinking. Why do you care what Niles' family think of you.
"I'll bring her to my room," said Niles.
Carrying CC's luggage, Niles led her to his room nearest the staircase. As soon as she got inside, CC plopped on the bed with a sigh of relief. She didn't lie down as she hadn't taken a shower yet. She was not in the habit of lying on the bed before she could freshen up.
"You didn't tell them I was coming. I saw the surprised look on their faces." said CC in an accusing tone.
Niles sat on the bed beside her. "It slipped my mind. Anyway, it wouldn't matter. You are welcome here."
"Where are you going to sleep?" she asked.
"I'd like to say I feel bad about taking your room but I'm not," laughed CC.
"It's not who I am," laughed CC.
"I know. Well, if you need me, my room is at the far end of the hall. You won't miss it. My parents' room is on the right overlooking the front of the house," said Niles.
CC walked to the window and saw that Niles' bedroom was overlooking the garden and the veranda, giving her a better privacy than having a room facing the front of the house.
"If you're not going to help me unpack you might as well leave the room. I'd like to take a shower. If you don't mind," said CC, giving him the eye to scoot.
"It's a good thing you got it into your thick head I'm not unpacking anything for you. Up to you to fend for yourself," said Niles.
CC threw a pillow at him but missed and the pillow hit the back of the door before falling on the floor. She took the pillow from the floor and was glad the room was perfectly clean.
It wasn't very cold that time of the year in England, so CC brought with her mostly light clothing and an autumn coat. She unpacked some of her clothes and hung them in Niles' closet. She noted that since he had not lived there any longer there were only a few articles of clothing, giving her wardrobe a lot of space.
Thinking they were staying in a hotel; she did not bring any bath towels but was glad to find four fresh neatly folded bath towels in the closet. She stripped off her clothes and wrapped herself in one.
Pushing the shower door open, careful not to get herself wet, she switched on the heater and adjusted the temperature. She touched the water and noted it was still stark cold. She hated cold water and decided to wait out a bit till it had settled the temperature she wanted.
Walking out of the bathroom she went to the closet to choose her outfit, unable to choose between her two Sunday dresses, she took out both and laid them on the bed, slowly walking backwards away from the bed, eyeing them which one was suitable for a lazy afternoon when she bumped into Niles' wide chest. Startled, she let out a blood curdling scream.
Eyes wide with shock, both hands clasping the towel covering her, she was startled to find Niles in her bedroom.
Niles pulled her tightly in an embrace, his left arm engulfing her, keeping her close to his chest while his right hand clasped over her mouth to muffle her screams.
"Good gawd, CC. With the way you are screaming my parents would think I was doing something inappropriate. Hold your tongue, woman!"
Struggling to free her mouth from his hand, CC found her voice and was furious. "You call this appropriate? Unhand me this instance, what are you doing in my bedroom anyway?"
"I came to bring you fresh towels. I heard the shower and thought you were inside. I didn't know you were prancing about half naked," protested Niles.
"I was waiting for the water to heat up," she exclaimed.
He only wanted to keep her quiet. She was so scandalous, giving a scream that could wake the dead, but his action brought her soft, beautiful body pressed intimately against his, with nothing but a bath towel covering her. His mind was telling him to slide down his arm around her until it reached her well-shaped derriere and press her to his hardening manhood. With a few steps they'd be in bed, and he could kiss her senseless as he sheathed himself in her warmth, frantically moving in and out of her softness until she screamed his name.
"I found some towels in the closet," said CC in a low voice, gradually sinking in that she was still in Niles' arms. They were so close she could see her reflection in his sky-blue eyes. She clutched her towel tighter. She was seeing something else in his eyes. Something that she had never seen before, it's making her heartbeat faster.
"Those are my towels in the closet. These are the guest towels," he replied in a ragged voice.
"You're not thinking of getting it back, are you?" accused CC in a horrified tone, tightening her hold in the only covering she had.
Niles suddenly released her, pushing her away she almost lost her balance.
"Dream on. I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole. You can have my towel," said Niles defensively.
Niles was certain CC knew how much he wanted her. He could kick himself for being too transparent. He had always kept a tight mask to protect his true feelings for her. First day in England and already he had let his guard down.
CC sneered at him. "Really Butler Boy, that's not what I see."
She started walking flirtatiously closer to Niles, but Niles was back in his game. He smirked back, looking into her eyes. He can convince CC he was uninterested if not disgusted with her.
"Want to bet?" he challenged.
He could see the confidence in her eyes flickering.
CC only wanted to rattle him. She didn't want to throw herself at him. She just wanted to see him shake and quiver the way he did a while ago, but she saw the change in his eyes. He was looking at her the way he usually did, abhorred, and she wondered if she truly saw that glint of desire in his eyes.
Maybe she should bluff and proceed to kiss him but what if he rejected her. She could not take any rejection, that's why she was a perfectionist. She had been rejected by her mother one too many times.
She averted her eyes and yelled, "Get out of my room! Get out!"
"With pleasure," said Niles before exiting the door, barely missing the pillow that was thrown his way once again.