She couldn't believe she was doing this, getting dressed up and going out for some fun.  It had nothing to do with Xander mentioning that he'd seen Spike hanging out at the Bronze the last few nights. "So not the reason." OK the thought of  flirting with a few of the cute college guys, and seeing if Spike got that jealous look like  at her birthday party, was just too much for her to pass up.

Spike  had been back from his quest for weeks now. They'd talked, cleared the air. Some nights they even patrolled together. Sometime during their conversations a decision was made to let life pick its course, but life seemed to have decided to take the scenic route.

Buffy had been afraid that if she acted on her feelings, he might think it was just because of his soul. She had waited for him to take the lead first, give her an idea of where he stood. He always had been so open about his feelings for her, but now he seemed to have taken the hands off approach.  Patience as a virtue be damned. If she let time take its course, she just might reach menopause  before they ever got past the small talk.    

Buffy longed for the chance to go back, start over, maybe be friends.  Forget their past hurts,find out if there could ever be anything between them. But she knew that chance was gone. They could never be friends, they couldn't just  start over as  two beings drawn to  each other. The chance to  find out if fate meant for them to be together had long passed. Now maybe it was time to take life out of fate's hands.

Walking up to the bar, she started to ask for a Coke, and out of her mouth came,"Tequila, please." What the hell. A night off from slaying, might as well make the most of it.

Downing her shot, the liquor burned the back of her throat. Sticking out her tongue, "Blaaacggghh" Buffy turned from the bar and scanned the crowd, her eyes falling on the pool table, where a teen boy was just finishing up his game. Memories of Giles wanting her to learn to play pool, a good way to learn hand eye coordination, and logic. Just a dumb way to learn geometry, really. The first time he had watched her shoot, she had cleared the table in five or six shots, never once missing. The look on his face as he removed his glasses and cleaned them saying, "Yes, quite," made her smile to herself.

Walking over to lone player she dropped her coat on a nearby chair and asked, "Wan'na play a game?"

"Nah, I'm done. You can have the table." With that he sunk the last ball into a pocket, put the cue back in the rack, and walked off.

"I'll play with ya." The English accented voice behind her sent shivers up her spine. 

"Spike, what are you doing here?" Buffy tried to keep her voice neutral, but to her ears it sounded coy.

"Just killin time, Luv. You?"

"Um...night off. Thought I'd play with the balls....Play pool. Get unwindy."

A smirk played around his deep blue eyes. "So lets play then."

"No, I think I changed my mind. Got an early shift tomorrow." Looking into his eyes, Buffy suddenly felt like she could get lost there. Panic tickled at the back of her neck, "turn and run" screaming in her brain. Old habits seemed hard to kill.

"What, the Slayer afraid to play a game? Never thought I'd see you back down from a little competition ."

"I'm not backing down. Just remembered more important things that need doing."

"More important than your chance to take on the Big Bad, or maybe I should change that to ex-Big Bad? Come on Luv,you, me, a stick and  balls, everything we need to have some fun."

Buffy could feel a flush starting at her neck, and threatening to engulf her whole face. "Fine, I'll play with you...play against you...Damn, let's just play pool."

His blue eyes sparkled, he hadn't even started yet, and she was getting all flustered. This was going to be more fun than he thought.

When he had first walked into the club, he had been hoping to find some college dupe to play pool against, make a little  extra blood money. But this was better than he had hoped. Looks like I'm not going to make any money in the deal, but maybe the payoff would be even better, he thought to himself.

Walking to the rack, Spike chose a cue, hefting it in his hand, he felt the weight and balance. Deciding it was a little to heavy for the game he had in mind, he replaced it and chose a lighter, better balanced stick. Eyeing it he made sure it was straight. This was one game he didn't intend to lose.

Buffy walked over to the cues, and picked one out. Stepping to the table, she laid it down and rolled it from side to side. Turning she watched him eyeing her, his scared brow arched. "Just checking that it's not bent."

"Yah, know how that makes you scream. Don't it?"

"Better watch it Spike-y, you are holding a wooden pointy object. Would hate for anything to happen."

"And I sure know what you can do with my pointy..."

"Spike shut up. Lets play"

"Thought you'd never ask."

Deciding that they would shoot for the break, they each set a ball down, lined it up and shot. Spike's ball hit the far rail, and slowly rolled back a few inches  and stopped. Buffy's shot went wild, hitting the far rail, bouncing off first one side rail, and the other before coming to stop a few inches in front of where they stood. "Look's like you break Luv. I'll rack 'em."

Buffy picked up the cue ball and lined it up for the shot. It hit just off the front ball, and bounced into the side pocket. Looking at the triangle of balls still in a fairly tight cluster, she was relieved to see that she hadn't given him much to shoot at. Can't win this game too fast, she thought to herself.

"Look's like a scratch, Pet." Spike walked to the ball return and scooped the cue ball out, tossing it lightly into the air, before setting it down at the head of the table.  Scanning the layout, he called out a sting of numbers and motioned to the corner pocket. Aiming, he shot, the white ball took off, spinning, it hit the target, did a back spin and settled right in front of where he stood. "Looks like I have solids. Means you shoot at the striped balls."

Spike looked over the table, lined up his next shot. "One ball in the corner pocket." Shooting, it went right in.

Buffy realized she was in big trouble. This is so not of the good, she thought to herself. She just might have to show her hand and take him down faster than she had planned.

Spike prowled  around the table like a predator stalking it's  prey as he concentrated on what would be his next shot.

Buffy walked to the other side, standing directly across from where he now bent over, lining up for a bank shot, aimed to hit right in front of her. Buffy leaned over and nonchalantly placed her elbows on the table, aware of the way her blouse revealed just enough to break his thoughts.

Spike shot and the cue ball hit to much to the left, and made a straight bee line right into a side pocket.

"Scratched. Luv" Buffy singsonged, mimicking his accent.

Retrieving the ball, she slowly rolled it  between her hands, caressing it  with every bit of passion she could muster. Watching Spike she could see him take a sharp intake of unneeded breath and bite his bottom lip.

Let the fun begin, she thought to herself.

Lining the cue ball up with the fourteen ball, easy shot, straight into the head corner right pocket, no problem. Leaning into the cue, she could see Spike out of the corner of her eye, his hand on the rail right next to the side pocket directly across from her. Watching him, his middle finger slowly dipped into the hole, pulling it back out he quickly dipped it in and out. Stopping, he ran it around the edge. Looking up into her eyes, he puckered his lips and blew her a kiss. Damn, looks like he was going to make this  hard.

"Let's say we make this a little interesting. How's 'bout a small wager? " His voiced seemed to purr to her from where he stood.

"'K, what's the bet?" Picking up the square of blue chalk, she rubbed it along the tip of the cue stick. Then sensuously wetting her thumb, she dampened the tip. Keeping her eyes fixed on his blue ones the entire time. She could see the desire burning in them, just as she could feel the desire burning in her.

"Let's see...if I win..."  Spike pondered his wager options, so may choices, so many people around. "If I win,we go out on a date. Real date, get dressed up, I  pick you up at your door." Spikes eyes gleamed mischievously.

"Well that won't ever happen." Buffy quipped back.

"Just make your bet Slayer, what do you want more than anything?" Spike watched her, enjoying the look of contemplation on her face. He could almost smell the oil from the gears turning.

Buffy thought about the only thing she could want more than anything would be him, in her bed, maybe he could bring the handcuffs. Suddenly she realized where her thoughts had wandered and could feel the ache building deep inside. Xander! He could kill the mood faster than Dawn screaming "get out." Look what he did that time she was invisible, that really went to hell.  About the only thing that would work better would be naked Xander,eww! or naked Xander wanting to join in...stop don't even go there.

"Earth to Slayer, 'ello." Spikes words broke into her kill the mood visions.

" Oh, umm, you do mean other than me stake you, right?"  Buffy still wasn't sure she heard him right, maybe here was their chance to start over. " Oh, o.k....let's see...Nah, to easy...I want you on your  knees..."

His eyebrow arched.

"Scrubbing my kitchen floor."

"Deal. I think we should drink on it. I'll even buy." Turning he walked to the bar, "Cor..."Clearing his throat, "Corona's please, two. And how about a bag of those salted sunflower seeds." 

Spike watched the bartender get his two bottles of beer, lime wedges, and opening the cooler he took out a bag and handed it to Spike. Returning to Buffy he handed her one of the bottles and opening the packet in his hand, poured some of the cold seeds into her hand.

"Corona, not what I was expecting." Buffy watched him raising the bottle to her lips, not quite sure what he was up to.

"Know Pet, the best way to drink these is to squeeze the lime into the neck of the bottle like this." She watched as he massaged the lime, letting the juice drop into the amber liquid. Than standing the wedge up on end, he forced it into the  bottle opening. " I also like mine with a little salt." Leaning toward her,  he looked like he was ready to lick the side of her throat, at the last minute he quickly pulled away and popped a handful of sunflower seeds into his mouth, sending a shiver up her spine.

"And here I thought you being all soul having would have changed you..." Buffy took a deep breath trying to still her pounding heart,"but, nope your still evil, you know that?"

"Soul just makes me ponder my options more carefully, and I prefer decadent myself."

"I was thinking more along the lines of despicable and depraved."

"Wicked mind you got there Slayer. Now quit wasting time and shoot."

Buffy once again lined up her shot, taking extra care to keep her eyes away from him.

"Know Luv, if you hold the cue like this it works much better." He stepped behind her, fitting himself to her back. She could feel him hard against her. Running his hands slowly down her sides to her hips, he slowly  rotated her at the waist until he had straightened her stance, bringing her elbows closer to her body, "Now aim right here" Pointing to a spot on the cue ball.

"Uh?" All coherent thought seemed to have jumped ship, leaving her leaning over the table without a single idea of what shot she had been aiming for. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the ball in front of her, lining it  up with the nearest pocket, trying to remember the instructions he had given her.  Making the shot she was amazed that the ball went easily into the pocket, the cue ball stopping just short of following it over the edge.

Changing position she sighted up the ten ball and shot, knowing she could make it with her eyes closed,  she aimed slightly off the mark, moving the ball barely inches.

Spike looked at the table. Time to end this little party, before he completely lost control and ravaged her right here.  Lining up the shot. "Four banks, here, here , here, and here the five ball in the right pocket, six, two, and seven, center pocket, and three in the head left pocket.

Buffy wondered what his idea of a date included. Kitten poker, or maybe a trip to the Gentleman's Club on the outskirts of town? The thought of "watch what you wish for, it might come true" rang through her mind.

Watching him she slowly ran her hand up and down the shaft of the stick. She saw him look at her out of the corner of his eye. Bringing her hand to her mouth she slowly licked her palm and resumed the massage of the stick in her hand. 

Spike watched her steady rhythm, "ummm..." Oh the  memories of some of the things she could do with her hands. Shutting his eyes he tried to block out the mental images that her movements caused. Biting  his lip so hard he was sure he'd draw blood. Taking a deep breath, he held it, growling deep and low in the back of his throat, the feeling like he could burst any second becoming overwhelming.

"Having a problem with this shot? If you want to just forfeit the game I  would understand." Buffy flipped her hair, their eyes locked on each other.

"Not so bloody fast Slayer, I'll send this one pining for the fjords." Bringing his stick back he let it go. The tip connected with the cue ball, and sent it flying into the mark. Buffy sighed as all the balls he had called rolled into their intended pockets. Lining up the four ball, he called the pocket, and sent it home.

Walking around the table he calculated the angles for the eight ball, aimed, shot, sunk.

"I win Luv" Turning he watched her quickly grab up her coat from the chair where she had discarded it earlier.

"Tomorrow, seven o'clock, and don't be late." She called over her shoulder as she hurried for the door.

The End