Remember how
much fun that first Celebrity Cruise was?
I'll tell you, one disastrous
little date and Mr. Sheffield's already looking at someone else! I mean,
if I thought that he liked older women, I would have told him the truth."
Fran tells Niles in the Sheffield kitchen. "I saw him kissing his
old friend Bobbie Fleckman! I have to find out how he really feels about
her. Maybe I should disguise myself. She thinks heading out the
door for Loehmann's.
"Hello Maxwell."
Fran/Bobbie says walking into his office. "I just wanted to say
we've got to break up. It's over for me and it's time to move on. Fran/Bobbie
says walking over the his desk. Fran is jealous of Bobbie Fleckman,
who is the spitting image of her. She has dressed up like Bobbie trying
to find out what Max's real feelings are about Bobbie, after seeing
them kiss on the sofa yesterday.
"Bobbi forgive me. I'm
a little confused here, I was under the impression that we were just
good friends." Max says nervously.
What is she talking about? He thinks confused. We haven't
seen each other in almost twenty years and there's never been anything
but friendship between us!
"What? Are you
telling me there is nothing between us whatsoever?" She asks in
happy disbelief.
Fran is relieved and they share
a friendly kiss. They are both so innately sexually attracted to each
other that the kiss turns into a more passionate one. Max hugs her,
his heart is racing. "Oh, do forgive me Bobbie! I don't know what
came over me," he whispers astounded and confused. I can't believe
the feeling that hit me when I kissed her, I've only felt like that
with Miss Fine! Suddenly he finds the Loehmann's tag on the back
of her dress, figures it all out. Why that little...He decides
to have some fun. " All of a sudden I felt something. Something
I've been fighting ever since I laid eyes on you twenty years ago!"
"But I thought that you said we were just friends?" she says starting to really worry trying to move away from him.
"Oh that? That's just a line I use when I feel a
woman's getting too close. I've used it on my nanny
thousands of times." He says suddenly feeling very turned
on holding her so close to him. He steadies her as she collapses at
his confession. "I think I love you," he whispers kissing
her passionately.
"No! Get away from me, leave me alone!" She cries pushing
him away. Oh, god! How can he do this to me?
"Call me crazy, call me impulsive, but will you marry me?"
He pleads kissing her more passionately. He holds her tighter as she
struggles to get out of his embrace.
"Oh! How can you propose to...?" she starts. He kisses
her again. Fran stops fighting him and melts into his kiss. She is so
lost in him, so turned on that she forgets that he thinks he's kissing
Bobbie. She kisses him back hugging him tightly as their bodies press
into each other. Her knees are trembling slightly. She has wanted him
to kiss her like this for so long that she forgets it's a game.
Max lifts her in his arms and
carries her through the kitchen up the back stairs. He is rubbing her
cheek against his and she is clutching him tightly. In his room Max
carries her to his bed and lays her on it. His heart is racing at the
sight of her on his bed. He gets on top of her kissing her fiercely.
Max has almost forgotten that Fran still thinks that he is under that
impression that she is Bobbie. I wonder how far she'll let me go
before she realizes, he thinks. Suddenly he forgets it's a charade
and realizes that he is in bed with the woman he has desired for so
long. Oh, god this feels so good. His presses himself against
her more urgently. She moans as she feels his copious arousal against
her body. The sound drives Max slightly crazy. He starts to kiss down
her neck, unzipping her dress desperately.
He feels so good on her.
Oh, he's so passionate! She gasps as his lips find her breast and
his tongue flicks the nipple gently. Suddenly she remembers.
Oh, god! He thinks he's with Bobbie! How could he? Fran rolls
out from under him. She sits up as tears well in her eyes. "Oh,
Mr. Sheffield, how could you!" She starts to get out of
his bed but he just grabs her wrist and pulls her back down.
Max gets back on top of her
holding her tenderly. He smiles down at her suddenly remembering the
little game they were playing. "Miss Fine. Did you
really think you could fool me? I knew it was you the second
we kissed. You know I would never just jump into bed with another woman,"
he whispers kissing her neck again. "Oh Miss Fine I can't believe
how good this feels." His voice was now very husky with his growing
excitement. I want to make love to you. Please let me.
What's come over me? Why do I have to have her all of a sudden?
He has never felt so turned on as he desperately rubs himself against
her.
"Mr. Sheffield, I don't
think this is a good idea," she says moving away from him. She
is all of a sudden realizing that he is always calling the shots in
their precarious relationship. He thinks he can have me whenever
he's ready. All those times he got me turned on then just stopped!
She suddenly remembers how he had got her all excited in London, and
then wouldn't follow through. She had never really forgiven him for
that. She remembers how humiliated she had felt after he laid her on
the bed in their hotel room and then just left her there by herself.
She had practically thrown herself at him and he just pushed her away.
Well, maybe now it was her turn.
The plane ride home from
London had been pure torture for Fran. She was humiliated and worried
about her friend Niles in the hospital with a heart attack. The only
thing she could be thankful for that day was that she and Mr. Sheffield
were on different airlines. Fran was grateful not to be trapped on a
plane with him for eight hours.
Max mouth drops open in disbelief.
She's refusing me? I thought she wanted me! He is very confused
and worried. She had always been so responsive when he had hugged or
kissed her, in fact, he suddenly realizes, he's always been the one
to push her away. His blood runs cold as he remembers how time after
time when they got too close he had backed off.
Is she getting back at me? He thinks guiltily.
Max is still breathing rather
heavily. "Miss Fine. What's wrong? I thought you wanted me. In
London..." He stops as he realizes what a mistake it was to bring
up that sore subject.
As the word
London leaves his lips, Fran's gaze pierces right through him.
"How dare you bring up London to me!" She starts to
get out of the bed.
Max quickly grabs her and holds
her to him. "Oh, Miss Fine. I don't think I've ever really apologized
to you for my reprehensible actions in England a few weeks ago. I just
realized that. I was a bloody cad leading you on then just stopping."
He is trembling, as he fears he may have pushed her away once to often.
He had been so bloody afraid that it would turn into a one-night stand
that he couldn't go through with it. He now realizes how selfish and
stupid he was. Like she could ever be a one-night stand! He thinks
now knowing how stupid his fears were then.
And, it really wasn't her fault that on their first date, Elton John
was such a jerk two weeks ago. She was just yelling a friendly greeting
to him. Max had blamed Miss Fine for Elton dropping out of his show.
He had been so cold to her the last two weeks and now recognizes how
unfair he has been.
"Mr. Sheffield I'm sorry.
I am as surprised as you are, but for some reason this just doesn't
feel right to me anymore. I think the connection I once had for you
is somehow different." She says sadly looking him in the eyes.
Oh god! That's just what
I was afraid of. He thinks starting to panic. He holds her close
and rubs his cheek against her. "Please don't say that Miss Fine!
Do you want to give me a bloody stroke? Oh,
Fran! Are you saying you don't love me anymore?" He kisses
her urgently, and is horrified that she isn't responding.
Oh, god, I've waited too long...I've lost her!
He can't believe it, he was finally ready to commit to her and now it
was too late.
"I'm sorry Mr. Sheffield.
I really must go." She says zipping up the back of her dress. She
gets out of bed and smiles sadly him. " I can't believe this is
happening." She says sadly as she walks out the door.
Max sits on the edge of his
bed staring at the door. He is in a state of shock. "What the bloody
hell just happened here? She doesn't love me anymore!" His heart
is pounding madly and he is having difficulty breathing. Why? What
happened? He lies back on his bed and tries to sort out his feelings.
Oh god, I love her so much. I've known that for over a year!
He thinks, now racked with guilt. Why did you keep pushing her away
you selfish coward! He thinks angrily. "Well, you're going
to find a way to make her fall in love with you again," he says
softly.
Meanwhile, Fran has retreated
to her room. She draws a hot bath and takes her 'Bobbie Fleckman' dress
off. She lets the hot water soak her trembling body and relaxes.
Wow, I can't believe I just did that. How did I have the strength
to stop him? I didn't even realize how hurt and angry I was at him till
he wanted to make love. Suddenly London just came rushing back to me,
and all I could think of was my humiliation because of him,
she thinks. She all of a sudden feels a little vindicated. "Well,
now he knows how I felt."
She lies back in the tub feeling some closure for all the times he got
her aroused and then pushed her away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Good morning everyone."
Miss Fine says entering the dining room. Max looks up at her uneasily.
He notices something very different. It wasn't her normal cheery greeting.
Fran tells Niles that she isn't hungry this morning. This causes all
their heads to snap up and look at her worriedly.
Fran starts slowly, nervously.
"Children and Mr. Sheffield. I have to talk to you." She looks
down and swallows. "This is very, very difficult for me,"
she says looking at all of them sadly. Max's heart skips a beat and
his blood turns to ice as he suddenly realizes what she's about to do.
Before the words can come out of her mouth, he grabs her by the wrist
and leads her out of the dining room. The kids and Niles are stunned
at what they had just witnessed.
"Mr. Sheffield, what are
you doing?" Fran exclaims shocked by his actions. He says nothing
until they get to his office. He closes and locks the door behind them
and shuts off the intercom. Max takes her to the loveseat and sits next
to her.
"Miss Fi...Fran...please
don't leave us...me!" He cries holding her hand in his and
rubbing it to his cheek.
"H-How did you
know?" she says stunned. She had just decided that it was
time to move on in the tub last night. "Oh, Mr. Sheffield the children
are too old for a nanny! I'm not needed here anymore. I'm just taking
your money and giving nothing in return," she says softly.
"Don't say that!
This house is just dreadful when you're gone, even for a day!"
He looks deeply in her eyes pleading with her. "Fran, how can
you do this to me?"
Her heart starts beating faster
and she is astounded as she actually witnesses tears forming in his
eyes. "Mr. Sheffield," she whispers. His pained look breaks
her heart and she tenderly hugs him. "Please don't cry. I can't
take it." Her heart is breaking that she was about to hurt him
so. "I never meant to hurt you, but I think it's time for me to
move on," she says softly.
"NO!" He holds
on to her desperately. "Fran, I love you! Please don't leave me!"
He is now openly sobbing and clutches her like a child. "You can't
leave. I need you!"
"Oh, why couldn't you
have told me all this weeks ago? You don't now how much I needed to
hear those words...now, I don't know why, but it just don't think it
matters anymore." She gets up and hugs him. "I'm so sorry,
Mr. Sheffield. I'll tell the kids. You should stay here and compose
yourself." She releases him as he wipes his eyes with his handkerchief.
"I'm going away to be by myself for a while. I have to sort out
some things in my life. I haven't been alone since I started working
here almost five years ago. "
"Fran," Max says
softly. " Please say this isn't over...that there's still a chance
for us." He pleads looking deep into her eyes.
The look she gave him made
his heart jump a little. "I'm going away for a while, maybe I just
need time to think...alone," she says touching his cheek. She walks
out of the office to tell the children and Niles.
Max sits on the loveseat. Her
last words leave him with a glimmer of hope.
Maybe she needs to get away by herself. Oh, god. I'll miss her! Well,
after all these years of pushing her love away, I suppose I'm getting
just what I deserve. He composes himself and sits at his desk trying
to get some work done. He doesn't want to face the others just yet.
~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Val, thanks for letting
me sleep here tonight. My cruise leaves tomorrow, I'm sorry I didn't
ask you to go with me. I just want to be completely alone for a couple
weeks. I have a lot of thinking to do. I couldn't stay at ma's, she's
furious with me after I stupidly told her I turned down Mr. Sheffield."
"Fran, I can't believe
you did it either! What happened? I mean, you were in his bed and he
was pleading to have sex with you and you turned him down! Then he tells
you he loves you and you don't care? I don't get it! I wish
it were me!" Val is incredulous. Suddenly a thought actually comes
to her. "Fran, are you playing with his mind? You can tell me the
truth," she says imploring her friend to confide in her.
"Of course I am, Val!
I've made a fool of myself over him for the last few years. He's going
to have to learn what his life would be like if I wasn't in it. If I
would have given in and made love to him then, he would think that he
was in charge, that I would just so easily do it whenever
he's ready. I should have been playing harder to get all along.
Well, I've learned my lesson. He needs to miss me. I think two weeks
should just about do it," she says smiling at her friend. "It
did hurt me to see him cry, but you know how many times I've cried over
him. I'm just glad to see he has some emotions."
"Which ship are you going
on?" Val asks wishing she were going.
"I'm going back on the
Galaxy! The ship we were all on last year! It's doing a two-week cruise
to the Panama Canal and since I booked so late, they had a Royal Suite
available for almost the same price of a regular cabin! I really got
lucky!" she says excitedly. "Now remember, don't tell Mr.
Sheffield!"
~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Fran boards the Celebrity cruise
ship Galaxy. She is quite excited. It is the first time she's been anywhere
alone. Having a suite automatically red flags her ticket as a VIP. A
private steward escorts her to her Royal Suite. She is stunned. It is
the exact same suite that Steve had a few months before.
(Editor's note: please refer to my
"On A Galaxy Far Away" in the Achieves, Mar.03).
"Wow, I remember how he wanted to make love to me that night.
It's a good thing Mr. Sheffield offered to let me stay in his Penthouse
Suite that night."
The butler knocks on her door
to introduce himself. His eyes light up with recognition and surprise.
He remembers this beautiful passenger from a few months ago. "Welcome
back, madam!" He says happily.
"Oh, hello, Edwin!"
She says taking his hand. "How have you been?"
"Just fine, madam...are
you alone?" He says surprised. "Where is that handsome man
you were here with last time?"
"Oh, I left him a home."
She says playfully.
"Well, if you need anything,
just ring." He says smiling going off to the next suite.
As Fran get unpacked, she is
really getting excited about her new adventure. She puts on her beach
clothes and heads up to the pool to get a jump-start on a tan.
~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It's been a week since Fran
has left. Niles and the children are incredibly depressed and miss her
terribly. But compared to Max, they were fine. Niles was actually starting
to really worry about his boss. He barely ate or slept and C.C. was
doing all the work. He was also drinking more heavily than normal.
Niles thinks back to last night.
Niles had gone into his boss's office late at night to check on him.
Max had been completely drunk. He was sitting on the loveseat, his head
in his hands. A half empty of Chivas Scotch on the floor next to him.
Niles had sat down and put his arms around him. "Come Mr. Sheffield,
let's get you to bed." He said gently. Suddenly Max had grabbed
him hugging him desperately. "Oh, Niles...I've really lost her
this time!" Niles was stunned. He knows that Mr. Sheffield had
not wept in years. Not since the funeral of his wife. "Nobody will
tell me where she is! Not Val, and her mother claims she doesn't know!"
He sobbed. Niles then and there had come to realize what he must do.
The next day Max came in the
kitchen wearing his bathrobe. Niles handed him the hangover medicine.
"Mr. Sheffield, please get dressed properly. I have called Miss
Toriello. She'll be here in an hour. You are going to crack her silence
and get Miss Fine and bring here home where she belongs." Niles
says sternly. He loves his boss but can't help feel he really did bring
this all this on himself.
Max smiles slightly, the first
time in a week. "Oh, Niles, wonderful! Between the two of us we'll
get it out of her!" He runs up to change into his black suit and
tie. Subconsciously he knows that he looks more intimidating in it and
Fran had once told him that Miss Toriello was a little intimidated by
him. This had surprised him because he had always treated Val with the
utmost kindness, though he really didn't know her well personally.
Niles leads a very nervous
Val to Mr. Sheffield's office. Oh, I don't want to be here! She
thinks anxiously. She feels very much like the high school student who
was bad and sent to the principal.
Fran doesn't want him to know where she is, be he must really love
her to actually send for me! She marvels, envious of Fran.
"Come in, Miss Toriello.
Please sit down." Max says formally. Niles stands by the lamp pretending
to dust.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Mr.
Sheffield. I couldn't get my car started again." She said nervously.
She sits down and looks at him. He is wearing his black double-breasted
Armani suit. Secretly he had always taken Val's breath away in that
suit. With his thick head of black hair, he was just about the most
handsome man she had ever seen in person. Val swallows nervously and
looks down at her hands.
"Miss Toriello, I know
how close you are to Miss Fine. I truly admire your character
at keeping your word to her when I asked you where she was several days
ago. But, it is most important that you tell me where she is."
He says somewhat sternly. He walks over to her and stands over her looking
down.
She looks up at him slightly
terrified. He is just like no man she has ever known, or would ever
have met if it weren't for Fran coming to work here four years ago.
He sees the uncomfortable look in her eyes and feels guilty for intimidating
her. He's afraid that she is about to cry and is truly sorry to be the
cause of this.
"Oh, Miss Toriello...Val."
He says sitting next to her taking his hands in hers. He looks imploringly
into her eyes. She sees the utter desperation in his eyes and settles
down. "Val, I have to see Fran soon. I have so much to say, to
tell her!" He cries squeezing her hands gently in his. "I
have been a bloody fool towards her. I want to make up for all the times
I hurt her...please help me!"
"Mr. Sheffield, I promised!"
she says, but is she is weakening. After all, being so close to the
most gorgeous and powerful man she has ever met, she is no match for
him. Suddenly Max takes her in his arms.
"Please Val,
please help me! I could not stand it if I couldn't see her soon!"
He starts weeping softly. Val is stunned. How can I refuse him? He
obviously loves Fran so much. Besides Fran wouldn't want him to be in
this much pain for so long.
"Mr. Sheffield, Fran went
back on the Galaxy for a two week cruise. You know, that ship we were
all on that time. She's by herself in Royal Suite 6137 on the Penthouse
Deck. Oh, I hope Fran's not mad at me...I just couldn't stand seeing
you in so much pain." She says looking at him, tears starting to
well up in her own eyes.
Max smiles at her with utter
gratitude. He reaches over and kisses her softly on her lips, to Val's
shocked joy. "Oh, Val..Thank you! I will be
forever grateful!" he cries. "I literally would not
have lasted another week not knowing where she was. Niles! Please get
me Howard Morris president of Celebrity Cruise Line on the phone. His
number is in my book. I have some arrangements to make. Then, pack my
bags for a week in the Caribbean."
Val leaves him to his arrangements
and let's herself out, confident that she did the right thing. Her knees
are trembling slightly, a result of that kiss.
Wow, is Fran lucky. She thinks enviously.
Max calls Continental Airlines
and arranges a seat on the next flight to San Juan. He had checked the
Celebrity Web Page and looked up the Galaxy itinerary. She was scheduled
to stay in port until four o'clock today. Then she was going to be at
sea for two days. He had to get there before she sailed. He was cutting
it close. He races upstairs to get prepared. He had some personal items
of his own that he wants to make sure are packed.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Maxwell's flight had been delayed
due to snow at Newark Airport. By the time the plane was in it's final
approach to San Juan, he could only watch glumly from his first class
seat as the Galaxy pulled out of it's pier. The plane flew right over
close enough for him to see the huge 'X' logo on its smokestack. "Blast,
I have to get to that ship somehow. It's going to be at sea for two
days on it's way to the Panama Canal." He thinks.
Meanwhile, on board the Galaxy,
Fran wasn't having as much fun as she thought she would. Everything
on the ship reminds her of the incredible time she and Mr. Sheffield
had. She loves playing blackjack, but she could only afford the five-dollar
chips. She recalls how Max had given her one thousand dollars in black
hundred dollar chips and she had turned it into a four thousand dollar
profit. He had insisted she keep it! He really dazzled her that night.
She recalls how her took her dancing and then tried to trick her into
sleeping in his Penthouse Suite so she wouldn't sleep with Steve.
Oh, how could I have left
him like that! She suddenly thinks a wave of guilt rushing through
her as she recalls how he had cried and begged her not to go.
How could I have left him crying? Well, I'll see him in a week. Maybe
he missed me. A horrifying thought comes to her mind.
What if he doesn't miss me? I haven't heard from him. I told Val
not to tell him I'm here, maybe he never asked! He didn't even care
enough about me to ask her? The room was beginning to feel a bit
claustrophobic and she decides to go up to the pool deck to get some
air and sun.
Fran decides to walk around
the outdoor jogging track above the pool.
With all I've has eaten on this cruise, I really need the exercise.
Her thoughts turn to Mr. Sheffield and how much she misses him.
Maybe I should call him. I feel so bad that I made him cry, yes,
I'm going to call him. Her decision suddenly lifts a load off her
mind and she's feeling better.
In her third lap, she notices
that most of the passengers that are out by the pool are heading towards
the front of the ship. She is curious and decides to go along with the
crowd. "Oh, look!" She says to nobody in particular. "A
helicopter is going to land on our ship!"
How neat! She thinks pulling her camera out of her beach bag.
Wow! The captain's out here waiting to greet whoever's in it! It
must be a VIP, maybe a movie star.
She thinks excitedly. She positions herself to get a good shot as the
VIP gets out of the chopper.
The helicopter makes a perfect
landing on the ship's helipad and the pilot turns off the engine. Fran
is tingling with excitement to see who gets out. A huge crowd is gathered
and she has to reposition herself for a better shot. The door opens
and he steps out. He's still wearing his black turtleneck and pants
coming from the New York winter. Fran takes a photo without seeing who
was standing there. As she lowers the camera her heart starts pounding
madly.
Oh, my god! I can't believe
he would do this, for me! She makes her way through the crowd and
stops suddenly as he spots her. Their eyes lock. Suddenly she runs into
his waiting arms. She is now sobbing with happiness and guilt at how
she treated him. "Oh, Mr. Sheffield! I'm so sorry I hurt you. You
know I love you!" She whispers hugging him tightly.
"Oh,
Fran, that's all I wanted to know! I'm so sorry for...everything!"
At the sound of thunderous applause, they look around as the passengers
are cheering this obviously very much in love couple. Slightly embarrassed
they separate. The chopper pilot hands Max's bag to the cabin steward.
The captain shakes his hand welcoming him to the Galaxy.
"Um, Miss Fine.
I'm afraid the ship is full, do you mind if I share your cabin?"
He says as they head arm in arm to her suite.
"Oh, don't worry, Mr.
Sheffield. My suite is enormous! There's a big king size bed.
I'll have the butler separate it into to double beds." She says
looking innocently up at him using the exact same line he used on her
on their last cruise. There was a twinkle in her eyes.
He looks at her a little worried
that she wasn't joking. He sees the twinkle and suddenly stops walking.
He takes her in his arms and kisses her passionately. "Well, we'll
just have to see about that." He says nuzzling her neck as she
melts into his arms.
The End