Chapter 2:
When Buffy had said goodnight to her friends, she walked into the house from Xander’s car. She glanced at the clock on the table as she walked in; eleven o’clock.
“Mom?” Buffy called.
“In the kitchen.”
Buffy followed her mother’s floating voice and walked into the kitchen to find her sitting at the counter looking over what the teen assumed was gallery related stuff.
“Hey.”
“Hey honey. Do you want some tea?”
“No thanks, but maybe hot chocolate.” She smiled.
Her mom frowned. “It’s eighty degrees outside.”
“You know me. Chocolate fiend.” Buffy shrugged and sat on a stool.
Her mother got out a packet of Swiss Miss and moved back to her stool.
“So how late do I have to stay at Sally’s tomorrow?”
“She only said she needed help for an hour but stay for two, okay? Robert’s been sick for a week, it’s just the flu but he can’t help out at the store and she needs it. Don’t leave before noon, and remember-”
“Don’t accept money. I know.”
“Okay. Thanks again for doing this sweetie.”
“Well, it’s sort of a deal, ya know. I’d do anything to avoid-”
Joyce held up a hand to signal Buffy to stop talking. “She’s still up.” Her voice was a whisper.
“Oh. Sorry. Well, anyways, I like Sally so it’s no big.” She took the mug of hot cocoa her mom handed her, smiling gratefully. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“So, anyways, do you know anything else about these new neighbors we’ve got comin in?”
“Uh, well… The man I talked to, his name is Charles Pratt, and he’s very nice; British, too.”
“British? That’s kinda cool. Giles and him might bond.”
Joyce laughed a little. “Perhaps.”
“So you said he’s got a son? How old?”
“Oh, he’s seventeen. He’ll be going to your school in the fall.”
Score! “You didn’t meet him?”
“Nope, but I probably will tomorrow.”
“Oh.” Buffy stirred her hot chocolate.
Joyce sensed what was going through her daughter’s mind. “You know… I promised Dawn we’d go shopping around noon or one, and you know she’ll hold me to that. You should go over and introduce yourself after we’ve left…”
Buffy’s eyes sparkled over the brim of her mug. “Okay, I probably will. Ya know, just to be neighborly.” Not to check out the new boy on the block. Oh no, not that at all.
Joyce smiled knowingly at Buffy.
Buffy looked up at Joyce and blushed. “What?”
“Nothing.”
***
“Hi Sally!” Buffy called from across the street to the young brunette standing right near her store, looking over the bridge that was on its right.
“Hey Buffy!” She smiled brightly.
Buffy walked over and greeted her friend with a hug. “So. I’m here. Put me to work.”
Sally laughed. “Okay, let’s get in there. There weren’t any customers so I was just enjoying the view for a little while.” She gestured toward the glittering lake.
“You still love the water, huh?”
“More than you know, Buffy.” She smiled at the teen as they both walked into the little shop.
Sally used to live on a boat house, but she moved to Moon Stream when she got married to her husband, Robert. They still had the boat house, and sometimes they would go out on the lake just to relax, but Sally missed living on the water. She always said she felt free when she was at sea.
“Thanks again for helping me out today. I just need someone to do some organizing and maybe man the cash register while I do inventory. You can leave at eleven.”
“It’s no problem, and I can stay until noon. Got nothing else to do and besides, I love your shop.” Buffy stopped to pick up a small candle and sniff it. She smiled. “It’s got pretty smelling things in it.”
Sally smiled. “Thank you. And that’s a new scent. I bet your mom would like it. You can take it home if you want.”
“Thanks, it smells really good. What is it?”
“Vanilla and orange. The combo sounds strange but its smells amazing.”
“You’re not lying.”
“Okay, so I’m going to be in the back. Would you mind taking care of any customers if they should come in?”
“No problem.”
“And could you empty that box of things over there in the meantime?” She pointed.
Buffy nodded. “You bet.”
“Great. Just put everything that’s in the box on that table it’s sitting on and arrange the stuff in a decorative way. It’s my new little collection of lotions, soaps, and candles, and today’s the first day it’ll be out.”
“Cool, what’s the scent?”
“Go over there and you’ll know.” Sally smiled and walked into the back room. “Just holler if ya need something!”
Buffy walked over to the box and took out a jar of lotion. The front of it said Cocoa Divine and the color of the substance inside was a dark brown. Buffy knew what was inside that jar and she quickly opened it up to take a whiff.
Chocolate.
Oh, I am so buying a jar of this stuff.
***
Buffy had just finished arranging the Cocoa Divine display when two young women walked in through the shop’s door. She didn’t recognize them, must be tourists. “Hi, I’m Buffy. Let me know if you need anything.” She smiled sweetly and they thanked her before they started their perusing.
She took the box that once held the Cocoa Divine merchandise and stuck it under the counter before sitting on a stool behind the cash register. She had just started flipping through a magazine when she heard the doors open once again and looked up to see her ex-boyfriend, Riley Finn, heading straight for her.
Just great...
“Hi Buffy.”
“What do you want Riley?” She was not in the mood for this.
He looked her over with a leer. “Oh I can think of a couple things.”
Buffy rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything. She was determined to get rid of him by ignoring him. It had always worked before.
“What do ya say you be my date this weekend for the-”
“Nope.”
“C’mon, why not?”
She just gave him one of those “are you really asking me that question” looks and he bent his head shyly.
“C’mon, Buffy we can try it again. We were a great couple before. I don’t see why you can’t give me a chance-”
“I gave you a chance the first time and you blew it.”
His eyes narrowed and he leaned in to whisper harshly. “Ya know, you’re never gonna get a boyfriend if you keep-”
“If you wanna keep that tongue of yours you better not finish that sentence.” She spoke menacingly enough to shut him up without even looking up from her magazine. She had meant that threat and he knew it.
He stepped back and mumbled to himself. “No wonder Parker dumped you.”
Buffy heard him and gripped her magazine tighter, but she refused to let him see her anger. Thankfully, the customers approached with their items and Buffy took her out. “Riley, I have customers, so unless you’re buying something, leave.” The last word had just enough fury in it to make him step back.
“Whatever.” And he was gone.
Buffy serviced the two women, noting that they had each purchased some items from the Cocoa Divine Collection. Good job, Sally!
She returned to her magazine.
Buffy thought about the visit from her ex. He had tried a couple of times after they broke up to get back with her, but Buffy swore to herself she wouldn’t put herself through that again. Riley had been a fantastic boyfriend, when he wasn’t drinking. She had tried to get him to stop, he was only seventeen and his behavior wasn’t good when he had alcohol in his system. But he told her it was only at parties and she was being too controlling. She put up with it until he hit her one time when he was drunk. Then she booted him.
Owen was Buffy’s first boyfriend. He was sweet but they got bored of each other after a month. Angel had been her second boyfriend and her first love, she was crazy about him. Unfortunately, he had to leave because his parents had to move. And if the parents move when you’re sixteen, you kind of have to go with them. When he left she was heartbroken, and she thought he had been, too. He promised to email her everyday and call her all the time, he promised a long distance relationship, he promised to love her no matter what. He didn’t keep his promises. Then there had been Parker, he was just an asshole. They dated for a week but then he told her to hit the bricks because he “found someone new that he liked better.” He had actually said those words. After Parker there was Riley and, yeah, that’s her history with guys. Nothing ever worked out. She was only seventeen, and she was petrified of getting hurt. But she wasn’t one to give up so easily. She was just careful with who she dated.
Buffy checked the clock; she still had an hour and a half to help out Sally. The door opened again to reveal two new customers. Good, it was just the Jackson’s. Buffy smiled and greeted the couple.
Okay, let’s hope for no more psycho exes today.
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!