Buffy Summers was just your average run of the mill 21 year old, living in a cozy apartment and working as a bookstore co-owner. Her Uncle Giles had made her cower when she was just 19 years old after she’d practically gotten down on her knees and begged. She loved culture and ached to know more about every single one of them. The walls of her spare bedroom were filled with books, the majority of which being about England. Buffy wanted to live there someday, part of her knew that this would probably never happen but what could it hurt to dream?
The shop was on the corner and 15th and Dobson Street, it was a medium size gray stone building which looked very inviting to those local and from afar. It had blue light-up sign above the door and large window that read “The Keeper’s Books”. As a child, Buffy always played in the shop however since she grew older and the area seemed to attract less and less couples with children, Giles removed the children’s playroom and replaced it with a far more modern computer lab for reading books online and using the small but useful card catalog.
It was a cloudy day as she walked habitually to a small desk in the bookstore, she was off today but she still loved to come here and spend time with her coworkers. Willow, her best friend, was the bookkeeper; organization was the red headed girl’s middle name. Buffy had known Willow practically since the two were in diapers. Xander took care of the online ordering that the store just implemented, he made sure customers orders were filled and shipped in a timely fashion. Giles, Buffy’s uncle and store owner constantly had his face buried deep inside the pages of a dusty old book. He was from England and often came off as a being a little too British for his own good, but really he was just an old fashion laid back kind of guy. Giles was not her uncle by blood though, but merely a very close and long-time family friend.
“Giles, what’s this about?!” Buffy questioned excitedly, holding up a flyer he’d left on her desk. “When can I call about this!?” She shook the paper back and forth like an excited child at Christmas time. “Has the program started yet?”
“Anytime you’d like, Buffy. I thought you may be interested.” The gray-haired man answered with a knowing grin. Nothing made him happier than to see her happy. Buffy had had a bit of a rough childhood starting with the absence of her father from the time she was 5 and the death of her mother only five years ago. Her sister Dawn, had just graduated from high school and moved to New York to pursue her education further. Buffy however chose to stay in Sunnyvale with her close friends as it was the only place that she really felt safe and loved.
Buffy scrambled for the phone with a huge smile that lit up her whole face and almost prevented her from speaking when the person on the other line picked up the phone. “Hello, this is Buffy Summers. I’m interested in offering my house to someone interested in seeing the city.”
Two weeks later, Buffy sat impatiently in her big oversized chair, tapping her fingers and worrying her bottom lip. Her eyes widened as she heard a car outside on the quiet little street. She’d spent endless hours preparing for this day. A day when she could finally get to know someone from England who wasn’t Giles. The girl’s name was Gemma and she was Buffy’s age and she was scheduled to live in Buffy’s spare bedroom for about a month, Gemma wanted to explore the city and work on a class Study Abroad project she was doing based on the life of a person living in California.
Buffy paced the floor, hoping everything was just right for her new guest when the doorbell rang. She straightened her shirt and adjusted her hair before answering the door with a smile; which was then quickly followed by a very confused expression. “Um… hi?” She wondered if this person had the right house.
“Buffy Summers, I presume?” The platinum blonde male stepped passed Buffy and into her warm little abode. It was almost rude, Buffy thought, and who IS this guy!? The man looked around and set down his bags. “The name’s Will, but you can call me Spike.” He winked at her which instantly made her feel just a little uneasy and she wasn’t about to take any crap from this arrogant person.
“Listen I think there’s been some mistake, Will.” At this point her arms were crossed in front of her chest. “I was supposed to share my home with a girl named…”
“Gemma,” He cut her off. “Girl had a bit of cold feet I ‘spose and they gave me her plane ticket and your address. I was next in line for a host house. No worries, I won’t bother you… much.” He emphasized with a mischievous grin.
This was just great, she thought. Not only am I stuck with him, but... well, I’m stuck with him. “Well, I guess I’ll show you to your room. I prepared it for a woman so please don’t mind the décor.” She added with absolutely no intention of sounding apologetic.
In the small but comfortable bedroom rested a twin bed with light lavender sheets and a few throw pillows. A matching colored rug with daisies as a border sat just at the base of the bed. A small television was across the room atop a 4-drawered dresser. Various little knick-knacks adorned the shelves next to her books, as she used them to create a more home-like feel.
“It’ll do.” Spike wasn’t at all bothered but the feminine look of the room. He threw his suitcase on the bed and popped it open grabbing his cigarettes and lighter and placed one in his mouth.
Buffy’s mouth fell agape. “You absolutely cannot do that in here.”
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!