|
F E A T U R E D F I C O F T H E M O M E N T
INDEX
BRE'S ARCHIVE
AUTHOR'S ARCHIVE
INTERACTIVE
AUTHOR
SITE
 O N L Y T I M E S E R I E S B Y B R E P A R T O N E A The loud bustling coming from inside the restaurant echoed in Buffy’s ears as she entered. She could hear people talking loudly, forks hitting plates and glasses being set on tables. Sweeping toward the hostess wearing a thin, midnight blue dress that billowed down to her heeled feet, she offered the young woman a small smile. "Hi. Reservation for Finn. I’m meeting someone," Buffy said, brushing a piece of her hair behind her ear as she turned her head to scan the restaurant. "Do you know if he’s here?" The woman returned the smile as Buffy spoke and looked down at the list of reservations before her where they rested next to a small phone that seemed to never stop ringing. Buffy wondered what had ever possessed her to let her date take her to this place. It was always busy and loud and she felt out of place whenever she sat among the obviously richer people. The hostess, Kelly, according to her name tag, looked up. "I’m sorry, Mrs. Finn, but your husband has not yet arrived. Shall I show you to your table?" Blushing brightly, Buffy shook her head almost immediately, replying with more hostility than she knew, "Oh, no, I’m not his wife. We’re here on a date. One of the first, actually." The hostess smiled apologetically. "I’m sorry. I assumed." Smiling tightly and feeling tiny strings of annoyance tug at her heart, she shook her head. "It’s okay." Ignoring the customer’s annoyance seemed to come naturally to the young woman serving as hostess and she replied with a bright, "Shall I show you to your table?" Nodding again, Buffy followed the hostess dutifully as she wound around tables. Buffy caught glances of the people surrounding her, the food they ate and they way they talked. She saw a group of teens sitting at a table, celebrating a birthday party for one of their own, a older parent sitting away from the group, obviously there just to pay and keep an eye on them. Another table held two men hovering over a piece of paper snugly set in a manilla folder. One sipped coffee and the other ate a salad, often jabbing his fork in the air as if making a strong point. All around her, Buffy spotted couples. Some were acting intimately and others looked shy around the other. Then there were the old married couples who merely came out for appearance. Shaking her head softly, Buffy wished she was never like that. That is, if she ever met anyone who would marry her and have a child with her. Buffy winced. Do I have to bring that up everywhere I go? she asked herself, which she quickly responded with a slap to her mental self. Enough of that. She couldn’t let her past ruin her future, which was why she was at the God forsaken restaurant meeting with her new neighbor. They had met on the elevator down to the lobby and quickly hit it off. But every now and then, Buffy couldn’t help but wonder if it was enough... in comparison to her relationship with Angel. Dammit, Buffy! Knock it the hell off! Kelly handed Buffy a thin menu and smiled down at her. Buffy wondered if she was pleased that she could look down on her. "Here you are, miss. A waiter will be with you shortly." "Thank you," Buffy responded, taking the menu and setting it down quickly. Glancing at the thin gold watch on her left wrist, Buffy noted the time. She was already ten minutes late for their appointed dinner time. Where the hell was he? Sighing as her arm hit the table with a dull thud, Buffy moved to open the menu but paused as she felt a soft tingling in the middle of her back. She immediately stiffened, already feeling the eyes on her body. Forcing herself to relax, Buffy turned around, expecting to find Riley grinning at her from the front of the restaurant. But there was no one. Scanning the tables and groups of people, Buffy frowned when she saw no one she recognized or anyone looking at her, for that matter. Mentally shrugging and writing it off, she turned back around and opened the menu, preparing herself for what she wanted to eat. Just then a young man came up to her table, wearing a pair of black trousers and a white dress shirt with an apron wrapped around his middle. Buffy smiled up at him, taking in the dark hair and bright blue eyes. "Hello, my name’s Jesse and I’ll be your waiter for the evening. Can you I get you anything to drink, or would you like to order now?" Grinning at the polite and kind nature he seemed to exude, Buffy shook her head. "No, I’m meeting someone and he should be here any moment. I’ll just have white wine, please." "Coming right up." As he left and Buffy continued to peruse the menu, she felt the tingling in her back again. Looking up, she contemplated whether to look back. Someone was playing with her. Then she shook her head. God, was she ever paranoid. Probably just some person staring at her bare back. Shifting in her chair, Buffy suddenly felt uncomfortable in the dress she had chosen. The dark blue brought her eyes out wonderfully and seemed to make her tan skin glow, but the plunging neckline and seemingly absent clothing on her back made her feel naked. She wasn’t accustomed to showing so much skin and it bothered her a bit. It was another five minutes and a glass of white wine before she finally turned around. The gaze she felt had ticked on and off of her back and she could feel it so precisely that she felt goose bumps rising on her skin. The only person to ever do that had left her nine- Her train of thought stopped immediately as she came face to face, or more accurately face to white clothed stomach, with Riley Finn. He grinned down at her and she noticed that his hands had been raised in the air as if ready to scare or surprise her. Buffy forced herself to grin and ignore where her thoughts had been going. "Hello, Buffy," Riley said with obvious pleasure and Buffy was sure it was the dress, "I’m so glad you could make it." Buffy didn’t reply as her thoughts once more focused on the tingling in her back, but Riley continued without her. "Sorry I’m so late," he said as he sat, scooting his chair in closer to the two person table. "Traffic was absolute hell out there and then there was an accident..." Buffy nodded her head. "It’s okay. I just got here myself." No reason not to throw in a little white lie. If he was late, why couldn’t she be? "Was the accident bad?" "I don’t know, I didn’t get a good look." Riley grinned at her softly. "It’s good to see you again." Feeling herself blush, Buffy ducked her head and smiled. "You, too." Before more conversation could be initiated, Jesse came back with a pad of paper in hand, ready to take down their orders. "Are we ready now?" Buffy smiled up at him. She ordered another glass of white wine and the Chicken Fettuccini with a small salad as her side dish. As Jesse scribbled down her order, Buffy finished her wine, feeling her thoughts once more focus on the eyes on her back. God, who the hell was staring at her? There were plenty of people in here who looked like they were barely wearing anything. Turning her head around, trying not to make it too obvious as Riley chatted with the waiter about the meals, she once again spotted no one looking at her. Frustrated, she turned back and patiently waited as Riley asked a question about the lamb. "Excuse me," she said softly as she scooted her chair out and rose. "I’ll be back." Riley nodded and turned back to the waiter as Buffy moved to make her way to the bathroom. Realizing that she didn’t have a damn clue as to where it was, she turned back. "Excuse me, where’s the ladies’ room?" Jesse took his attention away from Riley gratefully as he grilled him with question about the dishes they offered and pointed to the back of the restaurant, away from the front. "Towards the back, miss. On the right." "Thank you." Buffy moved quickly between the tables, grateful to be away from whoever’s gaze was on her, she pushed open the door to the bathroom, almost running into another woman exiting. "Oh, I’m sorry." "It’s quite alright, dear," the elderly woman replied and Buffy smiled. Entering one of the stalls, Buffy leaned against the wall. She sighed heavily and itched to scratch at her back, as if the person’s eyes were still on her. It bothered to a great extent that someone was staring at her. And it bothered her that it bothered her in the first place. Rubbing her temples gently, Buffy forced herself to relax. So someone was staring at her. Who cares? Certainly not me, she thought. Running her hands down her dress unconsciously, she straightened her back. She was on a date and here she was worried that she was being stared at. Maybe- No! Buffy shook her head. How could this be happening? Why right now? She’d been fine for the last couple of years. Fine! She hadn’t been suddenly plagued by thoughts of you-know-who. God, she couldn’t even say his name inside her head. Picturing him in her head for a quick second, Buffy squelched the idea. He’s not here, she was and she was on a date. With Riley. A handsome man who happened to capture her attention quite nicely. Not the man she was still in love with. Not the man who had had their baby killed. Buffy shook her head. Riley! Not him! Smiling in satisfaction, Buffy opened the stall and exited. Checking her appearance in the large, full length mirror the restaurant provided, she seemed happy with her appearance. Re-evaluating her earlier assessment, she realized that she had chosen the correct dress for this date. An eye-catcher and she knew that that was what it had been doing before. Catching eyes. Licking her lips and realizing that she had left her purse at the table when she left to go to the bathroom, she spread the somewhat clumped lipstick evenly on her lips and stepped back, pleased. Grabbing a tissue to clean her finger, Buffy threw it into the trash can and pulled open the door. Looking up, Buffy gasped. Her heart stopped beating. She stopped breathing. It was if the will to live had just left her body and all she could do was stare. At the gorgeous man towering over her. God, had he gotten even more beautiful? Tears filled her eyes as happy and much more painful memories assaulted her brain. "Buffy," Angel said as way of greeting. Unable to read his voice and reply at the same time, Buffy merely squeaked in response.
l be kind, rewind l back to top l
Some of the fanfiction featured on this site contains adult content and situations not suited for people under the age of 18. They are properly marked. You have been warned.
|
