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The bass thumped, driving into Buffy's veins. With the bright lights in her eyes, she could only make out the dark shapes of people enjoying themselves. Her fingers began to work their magic over her guitar, and the crowd cheered its approval. She turned, giving the rest of the band a cocky smile, before spinning around to sing into the microphone.
"It doesn't take much to get me going."
The energy in the place rose, her whole being tingling with exhilaration. She didn't mind the heat from the lights and crowd. Not everyone was as lucky to make a living doing something they enjoyed. Her band, The Scoobies, hadn't hit it big yet, but every weekend they played to big enough crowds that she didn't need a second job. This is what she lived for.
"When I'm with you, yeah, yeah."
Right now, she fed off the crowd, playing the types of songs she knew they wanted to hear. She played slower songs to give the crowd a breather, then she played upbeat numbers when they recovered. When they seemed to really enjoy a certain song, she would make a note to play similar songs, too. This time wasn't any different.
They ended their set with a roar from the crowd. The stage lights had changed so she could see the crowd jumping and clapping. She grabbed her bottle of water and quenched her parched throat.
"Is it always like this?" Tara pushed her bass to the side as they left the stage.
Buffy nodded, pushing her long, blonde hair from her sweaty forehead. "Isn't it great?"
The euphoria usually lasted the rest of the night. The only thing she liked as much as playing was listening to their fans afterwards. As if on cue, a small crowd descended on them, praising their performance.
"You guys are the best!"
"When are you going to record an album?"
"I wasn't sure how you guys would do without Oz, but your new bassist is great!" Jonathan, one of their biggest fans, smiled. The rest of the crowd nodded in agreement. Tara looked to the ground, cheeks pink.
"We're lucky to have found her." Willow gently touched Tara's arm.
Buffy was glad to see that the keyboardist didn't seem upset at the mention of Oz. When he left the band a month ago, Willow was crushed. The two had been an item since high school. Tara, shy but an incredible player, became attached to Willow ever since she joined the band. The friendship was just what Willow needed to get her mind off of her ex-boyfriend.
"Xander, what do I get since I caught your drumstick?" Faith held the drumstick suggestively, running her fingers up and down the smooth wood.
The drummer of the group gulped, and Buffy just shook her head. Faith was famous for such innuendo. After a few seconds of gaping, Xander appeared to have come up with a response. Faith, however, turned to Buffy, ignoring him.
"Hey B, you guys going to see us tomorrow?"
"Sure." Buffy smirked while fanning herself with her shirt. "We need to keep an eye on the competition."
"Yeah, you might learn something." Faith laughed.
Buffy, in response, made a face at her in good nature. Two good looking men joined the small group. Faith took a beer offered by the one with dark blonde hair.
"Well, I'll see ya." Still laughing, Faith put her arms around the two men and walked away.
"I wonder how she'll do." Willow asked while watching Faith lead them back to an empty table. "She seems to be in a new band every month."
"Well, that's Faith. She can't stay in a relationship for very long." Buffy began to put her guitar away. "Tomorrow night should be pretty interesting."
"Isn't she playing at Kilos?" Xander sipped his water. "That's where we're playing next weekend."
Buffy nodded. Kilos was difficult to get a gig, and they finally landed one. "We'll get a feel for the place and crowd."
"Is Dawn coming?" Willow asked.
Buffy shook her head at the mention of her sister. "I told my mom I didn't want her hanging around us on a night off. Besides, she already hangs out at bars too much for a fifteen year old."
Willow smiled. "It's not like she's drinking. She just likes us."
"Well, she gets on my nerves." Buffy still lived at home, but she was counting the days to when she had put away enough money to get a place of her own. "Tomorrow, should be fun," she said, changing the subject.
"I'm just looking forward to relaxing and taking a Saturday night off." Willow pulled her red hair back into a ponytail.
The idea of just enjoying the night sounded like heaven, but Buffy knew that she needed to take in the atmosphere. Even on her nights off, she was working. She smiled at Willow, though.
"Yeah. It'll be fun."
....
The pulsing of the bass surrounded Spike as he scribbled in his note pad. He watched, expressionless, as the brunette woman rubbed her body against the guitarist. She looked familiar, he thought. Then, he remembered that he saw her with a different band six months ago. She might do better if she picked her band members for their ability, rather than their looks, he noted. He could remember a time when Kilos had standards for their bands, he sighed.
He put his pen down and stretched his hand, observing the crowd. Unless this band did something dramatically different for the rest of the evening, he'd seen enough.
A small group caught his eye. Actually, it was the blonde woman sitting among them who held his attention. The rest of the group were relaxed and seemed to be having a good time. She was smiling and drinking, however, he noticed that she was eyeing the place.
The band began to play another song, and the redheaded woman and dark haired man in the group jumped up and began to point to the dance floor. The blonde was dragged out by them. He quickly determined that she was too uptight. She wouldn't relax enough to dance. But, he was wrong. She did begin to dance, and she became one with the music, wild and carefree.
He felt the beginnings of desire as he watched her lithe body move. Dancing with her arms above her head, she displayed her slight curves. Did she do that purposely, knowing the effect it would have on others? He had to know who she was.
After the song was over, he left his table and crossed over to her. A couple of teenagers had appeared at her table. He stayed back to listen to what they wanted.
"Hey, it's the Scoobies! Are you guys playing tonight?" One of them asked excitedly.
The blonde shook her head. "It's our night off."
"But, we're playing here next Saturday." The dark haired man gave them a genuine smile. They seemed happy with that and left.
The Scoobies? That changed everything. He had a personal rule not to date band members, but it didn't mean he couldn't talk to her. Sometimes they were so fragile when confronted with him. If he couldn't date her, he was going to at least have some fun.
"I'm going to get another." The redhead stood up with her glass, interrupting Spike's thoughts. "Want something?"
"Another beer would be good." The blonde smiled as the other woman turned towards the bar.
The man at the table got up, too. "I'll go with you. I need another myself."
When the blonde was alone, Spike stepped to the table.
"Hello, cutie. Can I buy you a drink?" He smiled as the blonde gasped in surprise. "I'm Spike, by the way."
"I'm Buffy." Her voice shook. She was staring at him as if star struck.
Chuckling inwardly, he sat down next to her. "Buffy, huh. How about that drink?"
"I have one coming." She smiled softly.
"That's too bad." He couldn't tell what color her eyes were in the darkened bar, and it surprised him that he wanted to know. Shaking off that thought, he focused on playing with her.
He glanced at his watch. "I have to go now, but I'll see you next Saturday."
She straightened up at that. "Are you a fan?"
He couldn't help but smile. He knew the type, so trusting and naive. She probably couldn't handle a little criticism and would crack.
"You might say something like that." He leaned in close and lowered his voice. "And you'll think about me all next weekend."
Buffy wet her upper lip with the tip of her tongue. Her voice changed to a more seductive tone. "What happens next weekend?"
He almost lost control when he caught a glimpse of her small, pink tongue. Why did she have to be in the Scoobies? Forcing himself to continue the game, he gave her a soft smile.
"You're going to quit the band."
His smiled widened as hers changed to a slight frown. Wanting to keep her perplexed, he got up and left the club.
TBC
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!