Chapter 23


“I think they want to lock up!” Anya said to Giles

“What – oh, oh r-right…well…er, back to mine th-then?”

“Okay” Anya nodded, and finished her drink.

Rupert went and fetched their coats, and called them a cab. He’d only had three drinks all night, and knew that he would more than likely suffer from ‘performance anxiety’ because of the previous night, despite what Anya said, so he’d gone and got himself some ‘insurance’.

Several of the little blue triangular pills the ‘V’ on the front that would help nature along if the flesh were weak. Not that he’d let her see him take one though. He thought that he could do that in the bathroom, and hopefully during the foreplay, ‘things’ would kick in and he’d be fine this time. To suffer impotence twice would mean that he’d never be able to look Anya in the face again; that was if she’d even allow him to!

They got back to Rupert’s place, and Anya made herself comfortable on the sofa.

“Nightcap?”

“Please”

“Cognac?”

“Fine”

He poured them both a cognac, and sat close next to her. Turning sideways on to face her, they talked easily. Giles had begun to stroke her hand. It was Anya’s turn to feel a little nervous.

If things didn’t workout this time, could they even salvage their friendship afterwards? All thoughts left her head as Giles began to kiss her. When she eventually broke the kiss, she looked at him.

“Shall we…go make ourselves more comfortable?”

She allowed Giles to gently lead her by the hand and take her upstairs.

**********

“Oh, hello love, I er, I wonder if you can help me?” Willow looked at the middle-aged man. She couldn’t see a delivery van anywhere, so guessed he hadn’t bought the new washing machine.

“Does a Mr Chuck Summers live here – or used to?” This was an old ploy. Pluck any first name out of a hat and use it, if the people know who you mean, they immediately correct you and give the proper name, worked almost every time.

“Sorry, no. No one of that name here” She went to close the door.

“Hold up love – are you sure – I’m after Buffy’s dad. This is where Buffy lives, isn’t it?”

“Look, who are you? What do you want?”

“Told you love-“

“I’m not your love, stop calling me that!” just then, Willow was very relieved to see Oz’s hand-painted, psychedelic, flower-power VW van pull up on the driveway.

“I’m sorry miss, only I need to speak to Buffy’s father see, and-“ Oz cut the engine and jumped out.

“You ok Will?” Oz could see Willow looking very uncomfortable, wringing her hands.

“Yes! Yes, I’m um…-“

“What do you want, mate?” Oz turned to the scruffy man

“I’m looking for Buffy’s father”

“Her father? Well, you’ve come to the wrong place mate, he has never lived here”

“Could you tell me his name?” the guy asked Oz

“No. Now if you don’t mind please go. Buffy hasn’t heard from her father since she was about nine, when she moved here from LA – now please go”

“But-“

“But nothing, GO, before I call the police”

The man held up his hands in the recognised ‘I surrender’ pose.

“Okay, okay, no need for that…are you sure that-“

Oz gently pushed Willow inside and he closed the door with a mighty slam.

“Right then…back to square one” the guy said to himself and ambled back to his parked car.

Willow and Oz watched from behind the lounge curtains.

“Has he gone?” Willow whispered to Oz

“No…and why are you whispering, he can’t hear you!”

“What’s he doing now?”

“Well, he’s sitting in his car opposite, making a phonecall, I think…I can see his lips moving anyway”

“I wonder who he was…oh god, what if her dad owes money, and he’s trying to get it out of Buffy?” Willow said nervously.

“No. He’d got journalist written all over him” Oz said.

“Had he?” Willow sounded surprised

“Well, not literally of course, but who else would come here, looking for a guy that’s never lived here, and didn’t even know his name. He’s a journalist, looking for a story, trust me”

“Golly, you are clever! Oh god, do you think I ought to tell her?”

“What, why? No, don’t worry her. Anyway, why would he contact her now, after all this time”

“Oz, he already has”

“What – when?”

“Yesterday morning. But he phoned the record company a while or so ago when he found out she’d won the talent contest”

“What a bastard…all that trouble she went to trying to find him when her mom died…and because she’s won a competition, he pops up outta nowhere” Oz said, shaking his head in disgust. Willow was ‘rubber-necking out of the window, trying to see what the guy was doing sitting in his car, when the van from ‘Powerhouse’ pulled up blocking her view.

“Oh, oh! The washing machine is here – open the basement door would you, I’ll let the guy in” the doorbell rang and the delivery guy checked it was the right address, and waved to his friend to get the new machine.
Willow saw the man drive away, and again she wondered whether or not to tell Buffy about him or not.

**********

“Oh – God, Yes! Ooooohhhhh!” Anya’s rigid body suddenly went limp, and Giles collapsed on top of her, they were both panting. Giles grinned down at her and kissed her lightly.

“Wow, I………hoo - god, that was worth waiting for!” Anya gasped
**My god, super-stud or WHAT!** Jenny had been so right. He was still on top of her, still hard.

“Had enough my little tigress?” Anya grinned and bucked up her hips.

“I haven’t, if you haven’t!” Giles thrust his hips forward, giving her an almighty prod, setting her eyes rolling.

“Me love? I’ve barely even started!” Giles bragged, setting a hard fast thrusting pace that had Anya trying to catch her breath.


************

“Hello Kitten!”

“Hi, I got your message, I read it at nearly four o’clock this morning!”

“Four o’clock – good grief!”

“Oh, I didn’t go out, I woke for the bathroom!”

“I was going to say! – so pet, what’s first on the agenda today?”

“Elevenses with Ellen, then straight from there over to the Fun Factory to do the kids show at lunchtime”

“I see”

“What time did you get in last night?”

“Not too late, I got home about twenty past eleven, I was nearly at Xander’s place when my mobile beeped to say I’d got a message. Anyway, he stayed at mine”

“Did he, why? Was he drunk?”

“No, nothing like that, we didn’t drink we were working, his mum and dad were re-enacting the Battle of the Alamo or something, and so I said for him to stay at mine”

“God, how awful! He really IS going to have to get a place of his own, Harmony said something about she can’t wait to see it, she’ll start to get suspicious if he doesn’t find somewhere soon”

“I told him that. That’s where he is right now, today, flat hunting – top priority”

“Good. I missed you last night”

“I missed you too kitten – oh hell, sorry babe, I must go, it’s a little chaotic here with Cordy out and Xander too, and the blasted phone keeps ringing, ring me later, good luck sweetheart, bye”

“Okay then, bye baby, speak later”

Spike picked up the phone on Cordelia’s desk.

“Hello………who?………Never heard of him, sorry!… What, oh, well never heard of her, either, try the switchboard” Spike threw the receiver down.

There was a knock at the door, and Harmony poked her head around it.

“Hi Spike, have you seen Xander?”

“He’s flat- um, f-flat, flat broke! Yeah, he um, he’s gone to the bank or something, he needs some cash, tried his mobile?” Spike had his back to her and his eyes screwed up from his near faux pas.

“Yeah, but he’s switched off” he turned to face her shrugging.

“Oh well, you know what they are like in these places. If I see him, shall I give him a message for you?”

“No, it’s ok – I’m going shopping, that’s all”

“Right-o, I’ll tell him” Harmony shut the door

Spike’s desk phone rang and he picked up.

“Spike Carling”

“Spike, it’s me”

“Oh hi, Xander, look, I just had Harmony in here looking for you, I nearly gave the game away, but I think I covered, I said you were flat broke and had gone to the bank”

“Right. Now, would you say $1000 a month was excessive for a two-bedroomed flat in Norwood?”

“Norwood? – Which end, the multi-plex cinema end, or the other end, by the rail tracks?”

“Sort of in the middle, it’s got front garage parking and a rear garden, it looks nice enough, want to come over and look at it with me?”

“Erm…lunchtime?”

“Hold on, I’ll just check………yeah, the agent says 12.45, that ok with you?”

“I’ll be there, what number?”

“1213B Del Rio Drive”

“Right, ‘kay then mate, see you there”

Spike sat behind his computer to catch up with some work, his phone going all morning. He checked his watch, it was 12.10, he’d work another ten minutes, and then go to meet Xander. His phone rang for the umpteenth time that morning.

“Hello, Spike Carling……… hello … hello … Spike Carling’s office…oh suit yourself!” As he got no answer, he threw the receiver down, and logged off on is computer.

************

Cecily came back into the dressing room rest area tying her silk robe around her, before collapsing in a chair.

“Dru, what are you doing, who are you phoning – be a love and get me a ciggie, would pet?”

Dru threw down the phone like a scalded cat.

“Nothing! N-no-one! Um, cigarettes, right, are – are they in your purse ……… here you are”

“Uh huh…Ta………pass me the wet-wipes too please…I’m all gunky from the lube…” Dru did as she was asked, after lighting Cecily’s cigarette.

“So, the guys were just asking if I wanted to go to a rave tonight, want to come? – It’ll be fun”

“Um…I don’t know…I don’t think so” Dru sat opposite her friend

“Oh come on…you’re getting boring again, and you know how much you enjoyed yourself when we went out the other night!” Cecily cajoled. Truth was, Dru could have been playing wallflower and sitting in the corner crying all night for all that Cecily remembered of the evening.

“I’ll see” Dru said, tracing the pattern on the worn tabletop. Cecily shrugged

“Well, s’up to you, I’m going though”

“TIME, CECILY” Somebody on-set called. Cecily rolled her eyes, flicked ash and took another quick drag on her cigarette before stubbing it out.

“Fuckin’ ‘ell, give us a chance to ‘ave a decent cig, we’re not THAT far behind filming the time we stayed last night!” She undid her robe and threw it over the chair, walking back on-set naked.

Dru looked at the phone wistfully, sighed, she’d heard his voice! She then picked up the nearly full ashtray and began to tidy up.

**********

“Yeah…yeah, it fine this mate, needs a lick of paint – but it’s handy for the studios and quiet…nice garden…who does the garden by the way?” Spike turned and asked the letting agent.

“Oh don’t worry about that, they have a gardener come in twice a week”

“Right, so how much did you say?”

“The rent is $1000 per calendar month”

“First month free, and we’ll do the decorating” Spike asked hopefully. The letting agent smiled

“Okay, I think that will be acceptable. Oh, there is a no-pets policy”

“Did you hear that Xander, you wouldn’t be able to bring the giraffe and your Bengal tiger!”

“Ha-ha, he’s a comedian – take no notice, so when do I sign?” Xander asked

“Um we can go back to the office and sign right now, it’s three months rent in advance, will that be okay?”

“Fine”

“That’s just two months money, marked up as three months, he’s buying the paint” Spike reminded the agent

“Right, that’s fine, don’t worry I’ve made a note. So, are you or your um, partner going to sign?”

“Partner? – There’s only me”

“Oh, sorry, I thought...sorry!”

The letting agent left to go and sit in the car while Spike and Xander had another look around.

“Did she think…well, do we look gay or something?” Xander looked a little worried

“What – don’t be silly…now, ducky – I suggest cream walls I here, and I’d like pink for the bedroom!” Spike said in a really camp voice. Xander laughed and swatted Spike on the arm.

“Shut up!” Spike laughed and said,

“Will you be okay for the advance rent AND furnishing the place and that?”

“Yeah, single bloke and no social life, I’ve got a bit put by”

“Well, I was thinking, as there’s a cooker built in, you’ll only need a fridge and a microwave in the kitchen, you have a bed at home I presume, and you can always pick up a couple of those leather sofa’s from the storage basement at work. They might be a bit grubby, but nothing a good clean and a throw over them won’t cure, they’ll be fine. I’ve got a coffee table you can have, and a bookcase, the rest you can get over time”

“Oh this is fantastic! I can’t wait to move in!” Xander beamed.

“Only thing is…I need somebody to do the decorating, and soon”

“Leave it to me!”

Just over an hour later, Xander had put down the deposit and had even gone and bought huge tins of Magnolia paint.

**********

“Little horrors – I understand what Harmony meant about working with children or animals now!” Buffy said, but she didn’t sound cross.

“Lucky enough you had time to go back to the hotel and change then!”

“I had to shower too, the crazy-foam dried all sticky! Oh, and I’ve had an invitation to dinner tonight, Kay Deno himself – which I declined, I hasten to add”

“You watch yourself pet, he’s a renown womaniser!”

“Well he can womanise someone else, I’m spoken for!” Spike chuckled, and said,

“You sure are. Anyway, good news!” then told her about Xander’s new flat

“Wow”

“And I’ve got the maintenance man from here, Charlie, he’s going to paint it tomorrow and Thursday, so he could be in by the weekend!”

“Great. Hmm…roll on Friday, I can’t wait to see you!”

“I know babe, I miss you too. You take care tonight, and watch that Kay, he’s a great one for asking the ladies back for a nightcap and that”

“No. no nightcaps for me, I promise”

“Well, I’ll speak to you tomorrow kitten – enjoy dinner”

“I’ll be thinking about you”

“Good! Bye then sugar”

“Bye baby” Spike put the phone down, and looked up at a very grubby Xander who had just come into the office, grinning

“Bloody hell, where have you been? – In the coal hole?” Spike asked.

“I’ve been in the storage basement…I’ve got two two-seater leather couches, three sets of shelving, and remember that old swivel black-leather rocking chair of Sweet’s – I got that too! Charlie is going to clean them all up for me and take them over to the flat!”

Spike smiled at his friend and said,

“Have you asked Sweet if it’s okay to have them?”

“No, but apparently, he told Maintenance they could all go to the tip, so don’t suppose he’ll mind if I have them!”

“Never the less, just mention it to him, you know, just in case” Spike suggested.

“Yeah ok. So, what are we doing tonight, more band spotting?”

“Could do…bring Harmony if you want”

“Yeah? – Okie dokie then!”

“But Xand, remember, don’t keep going on about the flat, it isn’t new to you as far as Harmony’s concerned”

“Yeah right – good thinking – I’ll see you here at what, seven?”

“Make it half-past”

“Right, later then, I’d better go home shower and change”

*********


“Ah ha…what have we here then…looks promising…Henry ‘Hank’ Summers, born Carlsbad, LA, 5th September 1958, Married Joyce Elizabeth-Anne Wilkinson born 18th May 1959 on the 7th of April 1980………………blah, blah, blah………divorced through to decree absolute 19th December, 1990. Well that was a nice Christmas present…yadda, yadda, yadda…Um, one child, Elizabeth Anne Summers, born January 6th 1984 – ok, let me check Buffy’s birthday…January the 6th, 1984! Bingo – Houston we have lift off!” The man wrote down all the information he’d found out, and left the library, taking out his cell-phone as he made his way to his car. He called up ‘menu’ and pressed a number, after a few rings, it was answered.

“Willy, that you? - It’s me, look, I’ve got it, all the info you want”

“Good, sure it’s right?”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure, I cross referenced and everything, all the dates fit”

“Good. Come to the club, I’ll see you by the fire doors. Come after five but before six o’clock, okay, ring me when you get here, and I’ll come down to you”

“Will do. You promise me I’ll get the exclusive scoop on this when it goes down?”

“Yeah, yeah, I promise – now remember after five but before six, the boss goes home for a shower then”

“Right – oh, and Willy…put a bottle of that decent Scotch aside for me, will you?”

Willy rolled his eyes and said in a bored voice,

“Yes” The line went dead. The man smiled to himself – this had been so easy in the end, and he’d get a nice exclusive banner headline story from it, and a bottle of Scotch!
 

Chapter 24



“Sure I can’t tempt you to a nightcap?” Kay leaned in close, leering at her cleavage. Buffy pressed herself back hard against the sofa, but she gave a big smile and said,

“No, honestly, Kay, thankyou, but I said I’d go back with Larry and Andrew, we’re at the same hotel”

“Pity…ok then, nice meeting you!” He went to lean in for a kiss, but Buffy suddenly shifted like greased lightening, and was up and off the couch in a second.

“Larry…wait for me” Buffy trotted to the door that Larry held open for her.

“Thanks…I suppose I shouldn’t say this, but boy, he’s an old letch!

Larry smiled and agreed as they walked down the corridor to the dressing rooms.

“I know…so, gone for Chanel this time, then”

“What – oh you mean the dress, yes. I was going to wear a Valentino, but, you know”

“Save it for the awards, darling, you look fine!”

“Thankyou. Are you going back to the hotel – I could give you a lift”

“Would you, oh aren’t you the fairy-godmother, SHE’S got it into her head that she wants to go clubbing”

“She? - Sorry, who-“

“Andy”

“Oh, oh right. Clubbing?”

“Not in the strict sense of the word, petal. Knowing Her, it’ll be some grubby little drinking den–cum-pick-up joint! Mind you…aren’t they all these days?”

“Oh, I don’t know. There are good and bad clubs I suppose. Bit like people really.

“Well, if she wants to go, she’s welcome to it, me I’d rather raid the mini-bar and curl up with Jackie Collins latest”

“I see, good looking is he – Jackie Collins latest?” Buffy asked, grinning. Larry laughed

“Sharp as a tack, you are…oh god, here we go, the ‘whine’, as I call it, I bet you any money she’ll say, ‘You’re so old and boring, you NEVER want to do anything I do! I wonder why I put up with you’, you mark my words…” Larry said as they neared the dressing rooms. Andrew stood in the doorway

“There you are, at last! So, are you coming with me?” Andrew asked flouncing about the room

“No, I told you, I’m tired”

“You’re old before your time! And boring! You NEVER do anything I want to do. I don’t know why I put up with it, put up with YOU!” Andrew glared accusingly at his partner

Buffy stifled a giggle, then apologised.

“I’m sorry. But he said you’d say all that” Andrew glared at Buffy then back to Larry again, and crossed his arms, leaning on one hip, he turned his head away from them, batting his eyes and pouting.

“Look, don’t go off on one, I’m tired!” Larry said

“Off on one, off on one! And why are you so bloody tired then huh, tell me – what is it that YOU’VE done, that I haven’t to make you SO bloody tired, hmm? Well, I’m waiting?” Andrew had uncrossed his arms and stood there indignantly

He tapped his foot, and Buffy almost burst out laughing again, he looked so camp.

“Well, seeing as you asked, I’ll tell you then, shall I? Ok WHO decided that he wasn’t going to wear the Boateng jacket and wanted to wear the Jean-Paul Gaultier instead at the last minute, hmm? And who was the muggings who had to take it to the one-hour dry cleaners for you, AND hang around and pick it up, AND arrange the car to get here, AND- sort out the seats for London Fashion Week, I’ve booked flights, checked our passports are in date, because we don’t want the fiasco at the airport we had LAST time, do we, huh?” Larry counted off on the fingers of his hand. Andrew batted his eyes and sighed heavily.

“Once, I make ONE little mistake, my passport was out a teeny weeny bit out of date, and-“ Larry stood and shouted,

“Not the point, it was OUT OF DATE!”

“Alright, alright, you’ve made your point! I was busy too!” Andrew countered, leaning forward, hands on hips.

“Yeah! Relaxing, having a manicure and a FACIAL!”

Andrew sucked in his cheeks, rolled his eyes and looked everywhere except at Larry.

“AND another thing, what KIND of a facial were you having, THAT’S what I’d like to know. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how that Tarquin at the salon looks at you!” Larry said accusingly, and Andrew went beet red and flustered,

“I-I-I d-d-don’t know what you mean! And it’s Torquill, not Tarquin.”

“Is that your driver?” Larry turned to look at Buffy, who was still trying to work out what other kind of facial Larry could be on about.

“Sorry, wha- oh yeah, yes, that’s Clem. We can take Larry and Andrew back to the hotel, can’t we Clem?” Clem was standing in the doorway.

“Sure”

“Well I’m ready – are you coming?” Larry said gruffly to Andrew, and strode out of the room. Andrew just meekly nodded, and quickly trotted out after the others.

In the car Buffy sat in the front, and she glanced back, Larry had his arm around Andrew, who had his head on Larry’s chest. Larry whispered ‘ me too, baby’ and kissed Andrew’s forehead. Buffy smiled to herself.

“Did Deno ask you back to his for a nightcap?” Clem asked Buffy.

“He did, and I’ve never shifted so quick off a sofa in all my life!” Everyone smiled

“He’s much smaller than I imagined – I don’t know, I was expecting six foot or something!” Buffy said

“That’s why he stays behind his desk, on that little elevated platform – coz he’s a shrimp really!”

Buffy refused the offer of a nightcap in Larry and Andrew’s room when they got back to the hotel, Larry saying,

“You’re TOTALLY safe with us, you know!”

“I know, I’ve just had a long day – and I want to talk to Spike before I turn in”

“Ooh, Spike Carling from Aphrodite – he’s a dish!” Andrew said, grinning, then looked a little sheepishly at Larry, but he was smiling too.

“Isn’t he – well, night then, nice meeting you again!” Buffy said ‘goodnight’ to Clem, and went into her room.

************

“Come to the restaurant with me first, and then go home from there” Giles suggested.

“Sure you don’t mind?”

Giles leaned down over her and caught her mouth in a deep kiss

“It’ll be my pleasure”

“Um, rig-right – I will then thanks!” Anya’s stomach flipped and she caught a breath – what a guy! She was SO glad that she gave him another chance after the fiasco a couple of nights ago.

They were sitting in the kitchen, eating breakfast, and the phone rang, Giles picked it up.

“Rupert Giles………oh, um, hi…hi Jenny” Giles looked across at Anya, who had looked up sharply at the sound of Jenny’s name. Silently Anya stood and pointed upstairs diplomatically so Giles could take his call in private. He had other ideas and shook his head, holding his arm out to her. Anya hesitated at first, and then went over to him. Giles shifted the phone from his left ear to the right, so Anya would be able to hear what Jenny said.

“………so I’ll be back in three weeks, I was wondering, well, could we possibly meet up for a drink or something – coffee even, I’d like to talk to you” Giles looked down at Anya, who nodded.

“Well, yes, yes okay then, but I’m not promising anything Jenny, I don’t want to give you any false hopes”

“That’s okay, that’s fair. So, have you seen Anya?”
“Anya, um, yes, matter of fact, I have, last n-night. She came in at the very end of the evening with a few of her work friends, we were just locking up. They’d been doing a charity single, and fancied a drink, no where else was open, but I took pity on them”

“You be careful” Jenny warned. Giles smile/frowned, and Anya’s brows knitted with indignance.

“Careful – what about?”
“Anya, she’s, well, let me put it this way…I think she can be a very selfish person, she’s very self centred and ego-centric” Anya’s brows had shot up in surprise, and she mouthed,
‘The cheeky cow, ME selfish – that’s a laugh!’

“O-oh, oh, what makes you say that?” Giles was intrigued as to what made Jenny say this.

“Just what I’ve heard. She like’s to be the centre of attention, and she’s never anywhere that she can’t do herself some good either, she thrives on publicity, always at the places to be seen”

“But don’t we all do that – I mean, take me for example, I too thrive on publicity – it’s a must for the restaurant”

“All I’m saying is, just don’t let her use you. She’s like that” Giles frowned and thought he’d better cut short this phonecall before Anya finally burst and let the cat out of the bag that she was there.

“Um, oh golly, is that the time, I’m er, I’m sorry Jenny, I’ve got to go, my er, my driver is here – and I’ve got rehearsals this morning”

“Oh, right. Well, just think on what I said, okay, well bye then, see you in three weeks, bye”

“Erm yeah, right three weeks, bye then” Giles put the phone down

“Of all the cheeky, conniving, two-faced things to say! Well, that’s the last time she stays at MY place! I wish Consuela HAD clonked her one with the sweeping brush now!” Anya said, really annoyed

“I wonder what brought that on – did she say anything to you at all, before she left? – Does she suspect anything at all do you think?” Giles asked

“Well, to be quite truthful, I couldn’t give a shi-um -m- monkeys WHAT she thinks! And I was going to spare her feelings and not say anything about us, but if she rings me, then I shall bloody well tell her!” Anya folded her arms crossly.

“Um, Anya, you can’t, you’re not supposed to know about that phone call” Giles pointed out to her.

“Then I shall tell her you told me!”

“Anya…just-“

“What, oh don’t tell me, you’re going to say this was a mistake, and how you don’t want to- hmm…mmm mmmmmmm”

“There, does THAT convince you?” Anya was still holding onto the collar of his dressing robe after a toe-curler of a kiss.

“Uh huh”

“Don’t say ANYTHING to her, not yet, and when the time is right, we’ll tell her about us together, okay?”

“Okay”

“Now, I’m going to get dressed, you finish your breakfast, and be ready to go in about half an hour, okay?”

“Right. Giles”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry. I just thought that, well you know, now that we’ve sorted things out between us, I don’t want anything spoiling it”
Anya didn’t look at him until after she’d spoken.

“That’s okay, I don’t want anything to ruin things either” he smiled and then went upstairs, leaving Anya to wonder what bought on that bout of bitchiness from somebody whom she thought was a friend.


**********


“There, over there, under the window…left a bit, bit more…okay, great!” Charlie and Spike put the bookcase down. Xander stood back and grinned, did a complete 360-degree turn to survey the room, and said

“So, whaddya think? Looks brilliant doesn’t it!” Spike stood up and held his back, stretching.

“Yes mate, and anything else heavy, YOU can carry, those stairs and this bookcase have all but done me in!” He was smiling though.

“Um, I better go, if I’m gone too long, god alone knows what those two back at the studios will get up to in that basement without me there to supervise them!” Charlie said.

“Oh right, um, well here, here you are Charlie, give yourself and the two lads in maintenance a drink” Xander handed him a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch.

“Don’t be-“

“Go on, I insist, it’s the least I can do, you and the others made a great job of cleaning up the sofa’s for me and that. Right, you’ve given me the keys back, yes…(he patted his pocket) and here’s your cheque for the decorating, thankyou!” Charlie took the cheque for $250 and smiled

“Thankyou, well – must be off anything that needs doing, you know where to find me, bye then!”

Charlie left, leaving Spike and Xander standing in the lounge.

“Did you have any trouble getting your stuff from home?” Spike asked, sitting down on one of the sofas.

“No. I picked a time when they’d both be out, and I didn’t say anything to them. I just left them a note on the fridge door to say I’d moved out with my stuff, so they won’t think they’ve been burgled”

“Will they see it – the note?”

“Yeah, it’s where dad keeps his beer, and mom keeps the gin, they’ll see it” Xander sat opposite him.

“Have you told them this address?”

“WHAT – Are you mad?!!!” Xander asked incredulously. Spike smiled and said,

“Thought not” He yawned and stretched, leaned back against the sofa back.

“You’ll have to have a proper house-warming party, how about next week?”

“Yeah – you and Buffy, and Cordy and her man…Anya, Giles, oh that Ilyria, she’s ever so nice to talk to, bit scary looking with the blue hair, but I got talking to her when they were rehearsing the charity record the other day.”

“I know, Harmony was getting quite worried!”

“Was she, why?”

“Why do you think?” Spike rolled his eyes

“What? Oh…oh god! She didn’t think that…oh god!” Xander stated to chuckle. To think Harmony would get jealous…she hadn’t said anything to him, but she had been extra affectionate to him that evening…Xander sat there, grinning.

“I don’t even want to know what that grins for!” Spike sat up straight and smiled, and then looked at his watch, it was coming up to 1.30pm.

“Want a coffee or something?”

“Not for me mate, I’ve got to shoot off, I got a phonecall this morning from Lorne, Sweet wants to see me at 3.00pm at his house, god knows what it’s about”

“Do you think…well, could it be about, well, her do you think?”

“Her?”

“Dru”

Spike stood and shrugged.

“Don’t know if she’s back here or not, it’s only you that supposedly seen her - and if she is, why would he be telling me now – it’s none of my business. – I couldn’t give a monkeys either way”

Xander also stood.

“Right then, well mate, thanks for the bookcase and that – it looks great!”

“You’re welcome, all you need now is some books to put in it!”

“Ho! Don’t you worry about that! I’ve got my complete Star Wars collection and all my Sci-Fi books, Andromeda, Firefly, Farscape, and Star Trek stuff to go in it!”

Spike thought he best to make a quick exit, once Xander got started on his Sci-Fi subject, he didn’t know when to shut up………!

“Well mate, good luck to you, look, I’ll shoot off if you don’t mind, I’m not sure of the route to Sweet’s place from here, plus I want to go back to the office first – I take it you’ll be wanting to stay in and sort stuff out tonight, not come talent spotting with me?”

“No, I’ll come. Harmony’s doing something for a Christmas programme, so where shall I meet you?”

“I’ll come here, pick you up, coz I’m not sure how long I’ll be”

“Okie dokie then, see you later, bye”

**********
 

Note: Don’t worry about the rather subdued meeting; there WILL be fireworks soon…we promise!


Chapter 25


“Hi babe – how are you?”

“Tired now, and I can’t wait to see you tomorrow night, much I’ve missed you so much! Did you manage to book the table for Saturday?”

“Baby, tell me about it, bet I’ve missed you more! So, what table, kitten?”

“At the Four Seasons – don’t worry if you can’t, anywhere quiet will do, so we can be alone together”

“Sounds just the ticket. Now, don’t you fret, everything will be sorted”

“I know. Well, I managed to escape unscathed from Kay Deno. – Oh, and Larry and Andrew had a lovers tiff while I was there, it was so comical! For arguing, they are even worse than the kids - they soon made up though!”

Spike smiled and said,

“Good. Xander’s flat’s all finished, I helped him shift the last few bits and pieces in just.”

“Oh great! He’ll have to have a proper house-warming party!”

“That’s what I said – anyway Kitten, I can’t hang around, I’ve been summoned”

“Oh, where, and by whom?”

“To Sweet’s house. Lorne phoned me first thing this morning telling me his lordship wants to see me, so never mind what I’d got planned, never mind that there’s nobody in the office, I’ve just got to drop everything, and go”

“Oh, poor baby, what had you got planned, nothing important, I hope?”

“Well, truthfully, I hadn’t really got anything planned, just the daily grind to keep the wheels turning, you know. I was just going through the tapes of the new bands Xander and I have been talent spotting, seeing if there’s anything worth signing, it’s time-consuming, that’s all, but it needs to be done”

“Never mind – oh, Clem’s here, I’m going shopping, I’ll speak or text you later then babe”

“Okay sugar, you take care now, bye, love you”

“Bye babe, love you, I miss you”

“Miss you too, bye”

Spike thought the first thing he ought to do was to phone the Four Seasons…

“Hello, I’d like to book a table for Saturday night, I’m on the special list…yes, it’s William Carling-Blake from –“

“Aphrodite records, yes sir, that will be fine, for how many?”

“Two”

“Nine o’clock suit you?”

“Perfect, thankyou, so nine on Saturday for two, thankyou, bye-bye”

“Bye Mr Carling-Blake, we look forward to seeing you”

***************

“Sure you’ve checked the dates?”

“Sure I’m sure, see, they had a kid, Elizabeth Ann born on the-“

“BUT HER NAME’S BUFFY!” Willy said in exasperation, slamming the shot glass down on the bar.

The journalist grabbed the drink, downed it and pushed the glass back across to the spluttering barman.

“And again, fill her up. It’s a pet name, a, a nickname, for Elizabeth. The parents names fit, the kid’s birthday fits, I CHECKED!” Willy sighed and pushed the shot glass up against the Scotch optic.

“Give it here then…it better be right, I’m warning you!” Willy slid the drink over to the dishevelled guy in the crumpled suit in exchange for the piece of paper with the info on it.

“Just tell me when the show is on, I want to be there with Pavayne at the ready”

“Who’s he when he’s at home?”

“A Paparazzo - front page headline, Glory promised me, you said – now fill her up” he slammed the shot glass down, grimacing as the Scotch burned on the way down.

“Bloody hell…have you got hollow legs?”

“Just shut up and pour” Willy looked at the clock, it was twenty to six.

“Look, here, take this and piss off now will ya, I don’t want you here when the boss gets back” Willy handed the half empty bottle across to the guy

“Eh, charming – Oh, now just hold on, I said a BOTTLE!”

“It WAS a bottle, you must have had six doubles already you greedy sod, take what’s left- if this is good, I’ll be in touch”

The guy stood unsteadily, grabbing at the half full bottle of scotch, and lurched out, with a ‘see ya’.

Willy waited until he heard the slam of the fire-doors, and picked up the phone………

“Hi, s’me. You still in the market for info on Mr Summers…(he rolled his eyes) Buffy’s dad! Good, well where can we meet………no, you won’t come here at all, we’ve got to discuss a price………really, that right, okay then, but I swear, you’ll want me before I want you – bye!” Willy threw down the phone with confidence. Time was running out for Glory. She’d come running.

He was right for once; he DIDN’T have to wait long, all of ten minutes in fact, when the phone rang again………

“No! I’ll come to YOU for a change…and you better be on your own………well, come on, what’s your address? – I’m waiting………”

Silence greeted him, and he felt the anger well up inside him, and shouted,

“Okay, have it your own way, bye” He went to slam the phone down, but heard Glory shout.

“Yes? – Hold on, I’ll get a pencil…231, Kennedy Drive, Eastwood. Right. I’ll be there, around 1am ………………what? - I can’t, I’m working until midnight. Yes, it’s good info, bye, oh, and feel free to, you know, slip into something …more comfortable”

He winced as the phone was slammed down on him, but he still grinned. Now, all he had to do was to make up another bottle of watered down grog to replace the bottle of Scotch laddo had…


***********


Spike slowed as he drove up through the tree-lined lane towards the gates of Sweet’s mansion.

He knew he’d be watched by the CCTV cameras, and as he approached, slowly as if by magic the electric gates silently parted and opened inward, allowing him to drive through. The gravel crunched under the tyres as he pulled up with a flourish outside the huge entrance, complete with Corinth style columns and massive double doors. He got out of his car, and out of habit, he locked up, smartened his jacket, ran a hand through his hair and then ran up the entrance steps, pressed the front door bell. The door opened with a click, still there was nobody there.
The inner security door was still locked, and Spike pressed the bell and said into the intercom,

“It’s Spike” The inner doors clicked open too, and he went in. He could hear music playing, and shrieks of laughter.
Through the intercom speaker Spike heard Lorne say to him,

“I’ll be with you in just a minute, Spike”
He stood and waited, looking at the various prints on the walls and then he suddenly realised, that the one he was looking at, a Picasso, wasn’t a print, it was the real McCoy!

Lorne’s metallic voice crackled into life through the intercom again and he said,

“Go through to the lounge, Spike, we’ll be with you shortly” Lorne had hoped to tell Spike that Dru was there, but Sweet was already in the office so he couldn’t, he just hoped that Spike would be okay with it, as he and Sweet had argued that morning over the manner of which the meeting was taking place.

Spike rolled his eyes, and as he’d been there hundreds of times before, he walked down the corridor until he came to the lounge door.

It was where the music and laughing was coming from, although the music had now stopped.


Spike entered the lounge and turned and closed the door carefully. Before he had a chance to look up, he found himself in a tight embrace from a woman whom, gripped him tightly, even encompassing his arms so he couldn’t move.

“SPIKE! – Oh god, how are you – let me look at you!” Dru positively beamed at him. Spike was totally taken by surprise, it was all he could do to step back slightly.

“OH Bloody – um, D-Dru – oh, erm –“

“You look WONDERFUL! Doesn’t he Cec? – God, its SO GOOD to SEE you again!” Dru was so excited, her chest heaved, and she babbled, briefly looking at her friend and then back to Spike. Cecily could see that the feeling so obviously wasn’t mutual, and frowned uneasily, biting her bottom lip. She turned off the CD player and looked at them both. Dru babbled,

“I’d been meaning to phone you, let you know I was back, but, well – “ Dru said breathlessly, before continuing on,

“You know how it is, one thing or another, jet lag, getting settled in, acclimatizing, generally sorting myself out!” She giggled, heaving through excitement for breath, and then continued,

“Oh god, where are my manners, come in and sit down! We have SO much to catch-“ Dru tried to lead him to one of the sofa’s, but Spike resisted and said,

“Hmm, actually Dru, I won’t thankyou. I’m here to see Sweet, I’ve got a meeting with him at three o’clock, and then I’ve got to shoot off, I’m afraid”

Spike hardly looked at her, he fiddled with the keyring on his car-keys, and looked at his feet. He was relieved that he felt nothing really, only perhaps a little shock at her almost emaciated state, but he knew he was well over her now.

Spike’s lack of enthusiasm did nothing to quench hers, and Dru laughed and in a bright, loud tone she said,

“Course you have! Always busy – So! How have you been? – You look amazingly well, all fit and tanned – AND you SO have been working out – just look at those biceps Cec! Quite the muscle man now!”

She went to squeeze his arm, but Spike moved slightly and was relieved to see Lorne coming towards him.

“Spike, Sweet will see you now” Lorne had stopped outside the office and opened the door to allow Spike inside first.

“Right! Um, well bye then!” Spike quickly strode towards the office door, leaving Dru to turn beaming at him still and watching until he was out of sight. Then she dashed over and grabbed Cecily

“OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD! DID YOU SEE HIM!” her voice rising with every syllable.

“Dru, calm down! Ow, that hurts, will you please stop grabbing my arm!”

“Oh, never mind your arm – did you SEE him – he looks SO WONDER - FUL! Fan-TASTIC even – oh Cec! This is going to be SO brilliant!”

“What is?”

“THIS IS – god – I’ve just thought, where’s Lorney – I must ask him if Spike is invited to –“ She was about to hare off towards the office when Cecily stepped in front of her, and stayed her shoulders.

“Dru, no! Look, Lorne’s in a meeting with Daddy and Spike so you can’t go in,” (she dropped her voice to little more than a whisper)
“And the party is supposed to be a surprise, remember? ” Cecily then dropped her arms from Dru’s shoulders, frowned and rubbed her own one where Dru had kept on grabbing her.

“Oh yes, well, never mind that now – I should imagine that working there he’s invited to the party, don’t you – anyway, I can always ask Lorney to ask him if he’s not – this is going to be SO BRILLIANT! I’m SO glad I came back! It’s fate, it’s what I came here for!”

“What is, Dru, will you calm down and try and think ration-“

“Calm down? Calm down? Cec, – You’re the one who’s always telling me I’ve no life in me! Now I feel alive again, and everything is going to be just WONDERFUL!”
Dru spread her arms and twirled around, giggling and waltzing around the room dreamily. She bumped into one of the Chesterfield sofas, and collapsed on it giggling, and then she sat up alert.

“What day is it – what time is it – come on, lets go shopping, I want to go and buy something special to wear for the party!

She jumped up and ran to the doorway.

“Shopping, come ON, NOW! I want a blue dress! – He used to love me in blue – NO – no, I’ve just thought, not blue, red! Yes. A red dress…his favourite colour!”

“Dru!” Cecily whined frowning. Dru’s smile dropped and she too frowned,

“What?”

“Calm down, that’s all. I don’t want to upset you, but I don’t think that -“

“I don’t want you to think!” Dru said and bobbed her knees, then she grinned.

“Just, just take it easy, calm yourself, don’t get so over-excited!” Cecily warned

“Then shut up and come ON!” Dru not wanting to listen any more ran and grabbed Cecily’s arm and began dragging her towards the stairs.

“I’ll need shoes too, and some pretty underwear! – I’ve got that credit card Daddy’s given me, and we can go and have some tea at the food court! Come on!”

Cecily heaved a sigh and decided to just go with it. She hadn’t seen Dru this fired up for years, and for once, she looked so happy. So who was she to burst her friend’s bubble, huh?


*******

“Come in Spike, sit down” Lorne studied Spike’s face, but he was a cool character, and was giving nothing away if he was shocked or upset at seeing Dru again.

“I expect you’re wondering why I called you here” Sweet said, with his lopsided leer of a smile.

“Well, I did wonder, seeing as it’s Xander’s day off, and Cordelia is still on holiday, the office is a bit chaotic as it is, without me being out too”

Sweet flashed Lorne an annoyed look, he didn’t know this, and wouldn’t have called Spike over if he’d known the office was so understaffed.


“Okay, you want me to get straight to the point, so I will. Thing is, it’s the amount of artistes in our stable, we really need to up the numbers” Sweet said.
Spike frowned and wondered why this couldn’t have waited until the next monthly meeting, or perhaps Sweet did have an ulterior motive into bringing him here? - Well Spike thought, Sweet wouldn’t be able to read anything in his behaviour or demeanour over seeing Dru again, because he didn’t feel anything – no reaction to see.

“It’s something Xander and I are already working on, I was listening to tapes of new band’s stuff – can be boring, but it needs doing. We’ve been out the last three nights and will be out tonight too.”

“Good. Good, we need another boy band at least – The Sharks, even though we got rid of the lead singer, they’re still arguing between themselves. If they don’t bring out a decent single in the next two months, sack them. And we need a girl band too.”

“Yes, I know” Spike said coolly, then he continued,

“I’ve got several auditions lined up, and I’ve put a talent contest ad in Music! Music! magazine”

“Good! Well, I see you have it all in hand! I um, I also called you in because I want you to do something for me, and it’s a bit delicate. I’ve heard on the grapevine that the singer Jesse Simone is unhappy at Midnight Music; I’d like you to negotiate the closure of her contract with them, and sign her to us. I’m asking you now, because it’s debatable if I’ll be here for the next monthly meeting…” Sweet lied

Spike just nodded, not believing Sweet for a second, because it had been known before now that Sweet had flown in from the Caribbean to be at a monthly meeting, it’s how he kept his finger on the pulse, so to speak.

“Well, we need half a dozen bands at least, and a couple of singers, another couple of male singers, and at least one more female, how’s that Betty getting on?”

Both Lorne and Spike said

“Buffy” together, correcting him.

“Buffy” Sweet said without acknowledging he’d made a mistake.

“She’s in Northern California at the moment, and she’s still number one”

“Excellent, excellent, right, well, I’ll leave you to get on with what I pay you to do then!” Sweet stood and held out his hand. Spike stood and shook the proffered hand, resisting the temptation to wipe his hand on his trouser leg; Sweet’s handshake had been warm, damp and sweaty.

Lorne had come out of the office to see Spike out, and on his way back, he saw Dru looking full of the joys pulling Cecily downstairs, and babbling about shopping. Well, perhaps Sweet was right, Dru certainly looked happy enough, and Spike didn’t say a thing about Dru being back there, so all these misgivings he was feeling began to fade. The one thing Lorne did know though was, Dru wasn’t mentally strong as Sweet liked to think, she was definitely fragile, she still had the manic look in her eyes, even when she was bubbly and happy.

They had disagreed that morning, Lorne and Sweet, on how to go about things. Lorne thought it a little, well, cruel for want of a better word to let Spike know that Dru was back the way Sweet wanted to do it, just to let him see her in the lounge.
Lorne had suggested Sweet tell Spike she was back, and have the option whether to meet her or not.

“He’s a grown man, they were over years ago!” Sweet said irritably.

“Yes, but! They were together for years, and it ended badly – don’t you remember all that business on the roof?” Lorne had asked. Sweet snapped back,

“Course I remember the bloody roof, it was MY roof! I haven’t got TIME for all this, this molly coddling and messing about!”


“Well, if not for Spike, do it for Dru’s sake, she still very fragile mentally, and-“ Lorne had reasoned, but Sweet again cut him short.

“Dru’s fine. She needs for people to stop treating her like she was some sort of china doll. She’s tougher than you think. All I want is for Spike to sort this contract out, and sign a few more bands.
He might have already seen Dru anyway – I’m NOT pussy-footing around, I want things done, and done today, so get him on the phone, get him here this afternoon, three o’clock, and if Dru is here, than she’s here – I can’t help that”

Lorne had opened his mouth to speak, but Sweet held his hand up, eyes closed and head turned away from him and added to mark the conversation’s finality,

“– And that’s the end of the matter – now go!” Sweet had dismissed Lorne with a shoo-ing motion of the hand, and Lorne had left the office. He toyed with his conscience, and called Dru, and their conversation had gone like this………


“Hello, Lorney!”

“Hi sugar, look cup-cake, (he held her hand gently) we might be having a visitor this afternoon ok, and I don’t want you to get upset if you see him”

“Who is – oh! Is it SPIKE!”

”SHUSH (he looked towards the office, then back at Dru) Quiet pet, don’t let Daddy know I’ve told you, ok? We don’t want to upset him now do we – Our little secret. Will you be okay?” Dru was wild-eyed and grinning.

“Oh yes! I’ve been wanting and wanting to see him!”

“You have? Okay then pet, just…well, be careful” Lorne patted her hand, and Dru beamed at him

“Yes!”

“Remember, don’t-“

“I know, don’t tell Daddy you told me!”

“Good girl”

Dru practically skipped off, she looked so happy, and Lorne could already feel the stir of the misgivings he was feeling, and hoped that everything would be all right later on that afternoon when Spike turned up……...

**********
 

Chapter 26

“Well put it this way, if they made a CD, would you buy it?” Spike asked, Xander thought for a minute, then nodded.

“Yeah…yeah I probably would, as long as they did some original stuff, and not just all cover-versions”

“That’s what I thought, okay, put Roman Holiday in the yes pile”

Xander did as he was told, and put the slip of paper with the groups name on it in the pile marked ‘YES’.

“Okay, who’s next…group called Nimrod…four piece band, girl lead singer…” They listened to the opening few bars of the song up until the chorus, and knew they’d heard enough, Spike stopped the tape.

“She’s ok, could do with some singing lessons to strengthen her voice, but the group are crap. The bass is too strong, the drummer miss-times and the lead has a flat string – so no, what do you say?”

“I agree no, so I’ll put them in there…” Xander put the groups name on top of the bigger ‘NO’ pile.

“How many more have we got to do?” Spike asked, and Xander counted the tapes.

“Nine”

“Right, that should just leave me enough time to nip home and have a bath, then get back here to meet Buffy and take her home. Who’s next?”

“Here, try this one, I remember these, I liked the song they did”

“Who are they?”

“Band called Mellow”


At four thirty, Spike left the studios for home, Buffy was due back at six, as long as all was well with the traffic.

Spike had had a busy day, in the morning he’d gone over to the legal department, and then went over to Midnight Music, and had been shocked to see Quentin Travers looking dreadful – he looked so ill, his skin pallor greyish, and looking a lot older than his years.

“I shall let her go with out a fight, Mr Carling-Blake. Jesse Simone has been with me for years, and I know she is no longer happy here but, as you can probably see for yourself, I’m not a well man. I do not need the stress in my life, and-“ there was a knock at the door, and a woman wheeled in a trolley.

“Coffee as requested, and here is Miss Simone’s contract”

“This is my daughter, Lydia, Lydia, this is Mr Carling-Blake, the only honourable man at Aphrodite records”

Spike smiled and shook her hand, and said,

“Well, I would say there are a few of us honourable ones there, and call me Spike”

“I do not like Cornelius Sweetly’s motives or methods, never have, never will. Can I ask you a favour, Spike?” Travers asked. Spike put down his coffee cup, sat back and said,

“Sure – ask away”

“Please do not tell him I’m ill. I begrudge even the slightest of pleasures to that man, and for him to know that I’m, how shall we put it, not in the rudest of health would give him endless glee”

“Oh steady on, I don’t think that-“

“Neither do I think that, Spike. I know. You don’t know the full story, our history of bad blood, do you?”

“I only know that you two seem to have had rival stables for all these years”

“It goes way beyond artistes and hits, Spike. When I was nineteen, I was engaged to be married to a beautiful girl, we were inseparable, a whirlwind courtship, and after just one week together we got engaged. Four months later, six days before we were due to get married, I………” Travers faltered, and coughed, immediately Lydia went around and put an arm around her father’s shoulders to comfort him.

“We were in St Moritz, skiing, me and my fiancé, Mimi. We were with a group of friends, including Cornelius Sweetly and his then girlfriend, the singer Clio, film star Michel Bolivar, the racing driver Gustav Schmidt, and his skiing champion brother Otto. There had always been friendly rivalry between me and Otto, and we had a bet about skiing down a black-run. So we left the party, to go and ski.

While we were on the black-run there was an avalanche on the other piste, where our party was waiting for us, and everybody was killed, except Cornelius. Michel was pulled out alive, but he died later in hospital. Sweet always blamed me. Said if it hadn’t been for my stupid wager, then………” Travers heaved a sigh, then continued,

“Mimi, well, she wasn’t only my fiancé, she…she was Sweet’s sister, and he’s never forgiven me. He said that if Otto Schmidt had been with them when the avalanche struck, then there was every chance that they’d all have been saved, Otto always wore a locator see. It wasn’t compulsory in those days like it is now, and being a professional, he always wore one…”

Spike had often wondered why there was such an intense dislike of Quentin Travers by Sweet, but he never dreamed of anything like what Travers had just told him.

“So you see, just let him ‘point score’ off me, if he wants to think that I caved in over Miss Simone, I’m past caring. Just pay me off for the rest of her contract, and I can semi-retire to my yacht in the South of France”

Spike nodded, wrote a cheque and handed it to Travers, for a $100,000 more than he asked for. Spike winked and said,

“You drive a hard bargain, Mr Travers” Travers looked up quite shocked and then he smiled, handing over Jesse Simone’s contract.

“Okay, Sweet lost a sister, but she was your sweetheart too, and think of it as a little compensation for all the times he’s twisted you in the past”

“You’ll go far, young man.” Travers shook hands with Spike, and it was only then that Spike noticed that he was in a wheelchair, as Lydia took off the handbrake and wheeled her father through the door.

Spike had been authorised by Sweet to go up to $50.000 above the contract price, and although he’d given Travers double that, he knew he was still getting a bargain. Jesse Simone had a HUGE following – she would more than pay her way at Aphrodite, with just one single………


**********


Spike pulled up on the parking lot of Aphrodite records, and got out of his car. He’d debated whether to phone Sweet at home first, or to just leave the contract in his office.

He chose the second option, and checked the time, 6.10pm, Buffy would be here any minute with any luck. The office part of the building was practically empty, only a couple of lights burned and downstairs he knew there would be bands hard at it recording into the night.

*********

One office light that was burning, was Glory’s, she was hatching her wicked plan to totally embarrass and ruin Buffy on live TV.

Glory had to work quickly now, as she knew that the unlimited access she’d had to Cordelia’s computer while she’d been away on holiday would be at an end after tonight and she wanted to ‘book’ Buffy onto her new show without negotiation or consultation from Spike or anybody else. She had Buffy’s diary schedule open, and she booked the evening for ‘Amongst Friends’, her new show

The information from Willy on Buffy’s father had been good, and she’d left Hank Summers a message to contact her, with the promise of luxury hotel accommodation and a guaranteed meeting with his daughter, but in the meantime, if he did speak to Buffy, Glory asked him to say nothing and keep it as a surprise.

Now Buffy was booked and scheduled for the show, they couldn’t alter it, not for a live show, it would be too expensive. That’s what Glory would privately tell Sweet anyway, she had ‘surprise’ guests flown in especially, and the cost of the flights and hotels - and he’d back her up. He might be a very rich man, but he hated waste – so Buffy would have to do as she was told and just go along with it, if Sweet said…

********

As he trotted down the stairs from leaving the contract in Sweet’s office, Spike caught sight of Clem pulling onto the parking lot. He smiled and raced on down the stairs, exiting by the double-doors, and striding over the lot to where they were parked. Buffy was out of the car and into Spike’s arms in a trice, kissing him with passion. Clem grinned as he began to haul the luggage out of the trunk of his car and onto the ground.

“God I missed you!” Spike smiled and held her close.

“Missed you too Kitten, Oh, it’s so good to have you back!” They kissed again, and then Spike said,

“Come on then Kitten, lets get this stuff transferred into my car, get you home, and then Clem can get off home too”

As Buffy had been shopping while she was there, there was more luggage than she went with, but with a squeeze, they managed to fit it all into Spike’s sports car.

“Is Willow in?” Spike asked

“Not usually on a Friday night, Oz and his band have a regular set at the students union bar in Merrydale – we should have the place completely to ourselves!” Buffy gave him a wicked grin and leant her head on his arm. Spike pulled up outside her house, and they quickly went inside.

***********


“Pookie…pizza’s here, can you pay him, the money’s on the side” Harmony called down to Xander.

“’Kay” He opened the door, and the delivery guy was just walking up the path. Xander paid him $20 for the $17 meal, and told him to keep the change.

Harmony came downstairs with a towel wrapped turban style around her head.

“Do you want a plate?” Xander asked her, poised in the kitchen doorway

“Nah, tastes better out of the box. So come on, you were going to tell me what Spike said”

Xander came and sat by Harmony on the sofa. She’d already opened the pizza box, and he opened two little cartons of dip for the crusts.

“Well, he got there and all that, have you ever been to Sweet’s house?”
Harmony was just taking a bite of pizza and shook her head no.

“Well, it’s all huge big columns and electrified security doors and that, so anyway, Spike rings the bell, and the door opens automatically, then there’s the inner security door –“

“God, like trying to get into Fort Knox! – It’s not as if he’s president, is it?”

“No, but, well, he collects art don’t forget, Spike said in his entrance hall alone, he has a Picasso, and a Matisse and two Toulouse-Lautrec’s! – So, where was I………Oh yes, so then over the intercom Lorne tells him to go to the lounge and so he does, and guess who’s in there?”

“Drusilla – oh my god, how – how, well that was awful! Do you think Sweet did that on purpose?” Harmony asked frowning and picking the pepperoni off her pizza.

Xander shrugged and said,

“Don’t know, probably. Spike said she looked thin – she sort of threw herself at him as soon as he got through the door, took him well by surprise.”

“Threw herself at him, why?”

“In a hug – she was all over him like a rash, Spike said he just stepped back, kept his cool.”

“So he doesn’t feel anything for her anymore then?”

“No. He just wants her to keep well away from him”

“Oh god, what if, well what if she see’s him with Buffy at this party of Sweet’s?”

“What if she does – she’s got to realise that it’s well over, he’s moved on, you know yourself, the last eighteen months she was here last time, she and Spike weren’t really together, together, together as in couple to together. She was mostly with Sweet and that um, what was her name? That other English girl…I forget now, anyway, then there was that roof business, d’you remember that?”

Harmony nodded,

“Oh god yeah! That was when I’d just released the ‘Sunshine Song’, I was coming to the studios, the next thing I know, the car’s stopped by the police before we’ve even got on the parking lot, and we’re told that there was a ‘situation.’ Remember that funny little security man here at the time…oh god, what was his name now…he used to think he looked like Clarke Gable”

“Oh yeah, I remember him, oh god, you’ve got me at it now um………Sean – Stewart - Steve?”

“Stan! That’s it! Stan-the-Man we used to call him, it was him that told us somebody was threatening to jump off the roof…I remember his exact words,

“’That bloody ‘Looney Tunes’ girlfriend of the gaffer’s is threatening to throw herself off the roof, silly cow!’ – That‘s what he said. I think he was annoyed because he couldn’t go home! - So, do you reckon she’s all better now?”

“I hope so!”

“Hey, what if………no, s’ok” Harmony shook her head and resumed picking off the toppings on her pizza.

“Go on, what if what?”

“Well, what if she sees Spike with Buffy at Sweet’s party, and threatens to jump off the boat thing that it’s been held on?”

“Then I just hope that there’s lifesaver ring or she’s a strong swimmer that’s all, coz I’m not doing any heroics to save her, and neither will Spike. Anyway pet, enough about her…wanna come to my place tomorrow night?”

Harmony looked big-eyed and she grinned

“YOUR PLACE! – Oh Pookie! Yes! I was beginning to think, well never mind! Oh that’s brilliant!”

Xander grinned and said,

“It’s nothing special, pet, but I think the smell of paint’s gone now, and well, it’s about time you saw it!”

“Oh baby! You were worried about the smell of paint hurting my throat – aren’t you SO considerate, come here………” Harmony put her pizza down and sat in his lap and began kissing him.

Xander was delighted! - He felt a bit of a fraud, but well…Harmony was happy enough now…and oh god, talking of ‘happy’………


**********

“There, all booked, ‘Little Miss Smart-Mouth’………All booked and ready to see if that smart mouth lets you down in front of a live audience!” Glory closed down Cordelia’s computer with a grin, and she stood up. The grin soon faded when she remembered whom she had to see at one o’clock in the morning, but there was somebody else she wanted to see first, a dealer known only as ‘Candyman’.

It was quick, easy and simple to do a deal with the Candyman, you phoned him, placed your order, he only ever dealt with people he knew, so he’d know your car. You’d have the money already taped to the passenger door handle, and drive down the alleyway, with your window down, he’d whip the money off the handle and drop the drugs on the passenger seat and you could be off, few seconds and you could be gone.
Glory took out her mobile as she made her way down stairs out of the studio and walked to her car on the lot.

“Candyman, it’s Glory B…I want something a bit special…I want some Rohypnol, you know, Roofies”

“The date-rape stuff? yeah, I can get it. One hour $50 each tab”

“Get me two” She ended the call with a smile, she then made another call, to her old ‘dresser’ who worked with her when she did some modelling.

“Alphonse? It’s Glory, how are you, you ‘Old Queen’!”

This is how they used to speak to each other, he’d call her ‘Bitch Queen’ or, ‘Oi you, scrubber’ or ‘The Cat’ and she used to call him a ‘puff’ or a ‘queer’, it was just their way, and used to laugh about it, seeing the shock on other people’s faces at the total non political-correctness of it all.

“I’m having a party”

“When?”

“Tonight, my place?”

“Blimey you silly cow, give a girl some notice to work out her outfit why don’t you!” Alphonse groused

“Just shut up you queer and listen, there will only be you and me there at first”

“What – oh, want a girlie chat, do you?”

“Not exactly, no. Now listen, fuck knows why, but then each to their own I suppose. Remember that little barman Willy you had the hots for, but he wasn’t bent like you, so you just had to go home and wank yourself stupid over him every night?”

“Oh god, DO I! I remember…oh don’t tell me, he’s finally ‘converted!” She could hear Alphonse was practically salivating

“No, not exactly, but I think I’ve got something to persuade him to come round to your way of thinking …well I will have, in an hour or so, listen, be ready in an hour and a half, I’ll come pick you up, okay?”

“Ready willing and able – I’ve got one or two new ‘toys’ I want to try out! I knew I liked you really, you bitch!”

“Yeah well, love you too, fucking queer you are, see you later!” She was grinning when she ended the call.

***********

“Can I make you some tea or something pet?” Spike asked.

“Sod the tea, come here, god I missed you” Buffy cuddled Spike up. Spike’s voice all deep and rumbly in her ear whispered

“Missed you too – oh god, that’s so good baby!” Buffy felt her nipples go hard, and she ground her pelvis towards Spike’s feeling him harden with desire. She bit his neck and then his earlobe, whispering,

“Want you SO much”

She could tell Spike was smiling when he said,

“What, right here, right now – what if Willow comes back early, don’t you think she’d be a little traumatised to catch us at it like a couple of randy bunnies on the kitchen counter - breakfast would never be the same again!”

Buffy smiled and rolled her eyes; well, he did have a point, she supposed.

“Come on then, just leave every thing for now, I’ll sort it later” Buffy grabbed his hand and led him upstairs, where they shed their clothes on the way again, dropping most of them in a puddle in her bedroom doorway.

Spike kissed his way down her throat and roved between her breasts, kissing, teasing her nipples making her gasp and writhe, she begged him,

“Baby, please, need you now, so much!” her hips rocked and Spike lay over her, taking his weight on his forearm and one knee, he lined himself up to her glistening pink sex, and began to push home. Buffy arched her back as he slid inside her, she couldn’t breathe properly, she felt his hot breath on her face and managed to open her rolling eyes and kiss him.

Spike knew that good as she felt, and no matter how long he’d actually like to last, it wasn’t going to happen, not this time. Thrusting hard and deep she felt so tight and hot, squeezing him so deliciously, it just felt too good – and they’d both waited four days for this.

He upped the pace a little, and Buffy knew he wouldn’t last, he felt so big and hard, her thighs quivered as she slammed her hips up in time with his deep pushes sending him so deep, she was heading for the mother of all orgasms…

“Oh…god…Sp-Spike! Don’t…don’t stop baby, don’t stop – oh yes, I’m, oh, hard as you like – oh, oh, ooohh, OOOOOHHHHH YYEEESSSSS!”

Hips churning, Spike thrust up one last time as her tight inner walls clenched tight and milked him and he too joined her in total ecstasy, crying out his joy along with her, eventually collapsing on her for a few seconds. They were both heaving for breath, Buffy smiled, eyes closed, she ran a hand back through her hair.

“I really missed you baby!”

It was only then that they heard noises downstairs.

Spike moved off her carefully, and Buffy got up, scooped their clothes up from the doorway and threw them on to the bed. She put her head around the door and called out,

“That you Willow………Willow?”

“Yes?”

“Oh, it’s alright, just checking it was you!”

“I did shout, but I don’t think you heard me!” Willow replied.

Buffy could tell her friend was smiling as she said it, and she coloured up.

“Be down soon”

“’Kay”

Buffy turned to look at Spike lying in bed.

“You know Kitten, I think it’s about time we started going to my place, no interruptions there!”

He sat up, and Buffy knelt and crawled up the bed towards him, and kissed him, Spike lay back down, bringing Buffy with him. The urgency of their first lovemaking had gone, but the want and need for each other was still very much there for the both of them.

Lying in Spike’s arms Buffy said,

“I need to unpack and do some washing!”

“What you need pet, is to come back to my place with me now, so I can make sweet love to you all night!” Spike said, kissing her forehead. Buffy grinned and whispered,

“Well putting it like that, what are we lying here for then – come on, lets go!”

**********
 

Chapter 27


“Just don’t come out until I fetch you, okay?” Glory shut the bedroom door, and went and opened her front door, to be greeted by an over-powering smell of cheap aftershave, trying to out-do the smell of sour beer and cigarette smoke and the weasely little Willy himself.

Willy’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. She was wearing a long silk negligee, with matching peignoir, in midnight blue, showing off rather a lot of cleavage.

“Come in…” she left him at the door and walked on ahead. Willy was still reeling. He’d phoned earlier to make sure she wasn’t going to twist him and be out, and now, here he was, humble little barman Willy, in Glory Benson’s house!


“Oi, hello, I said, drink?” She held up a bottle

“Hmm, what – oh um, oh no, no thanks, don’t want to……… you know” Willy had just righted his head from checking out her ass and sexy swaying hips.

Glory frowned and turned to her cocktail cabinet. There was a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket all ready by the couch, but she needed a strong drink and poured herself a large brandy.

“No, I don’t know, tell me” Turning to face him, she sipped the dark liquid.

“Well…spoil my –p-per-performance” Willy said. Glory closed her eyes and shuddered.

“Do you have to - um, we can have some champers then later – come and sit down!”
She HAD to get him to drink something to administer the drug. Glory draped herself on the couch, She leant forward and found herself eye level with his groin, as he hadn’t sat down yet, she went wide-eyed and nearly gagged, he was already hard, and there was a tiny circle of wet at the tip that had seeped out onto his pants. She quickly took a cigarette out of a carved wooden box, and offered Willy one, without looking up at him. She knew he could see down her cleavage from where he was standing; and if she looked up and he was drooling, he’d be out the door, she just couldn’t stand it.

“Marlboro, before you ask” Willy declined and she lit one with an onyx table lighter and sat back, giving him a great view of her bust.

“You’ve got lovely tits, Glory! Well! Who’d believe this then eh? Old Willy, here in – ahh!”

“Breathe a word of this, and I’ll kill you myself!” Glory had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, and then pushed him back letting him go. She took a drag of the cigarette, tipped her head back and exhaled the smoke, then with a smile she said,

“Although, who’d believe you if you DID boast…boast away little man, everyone will think you’re lying!” Sparks flew off the end of the cigarette as she laughed.

“You better be nice to me! And you’ll see, you’ll be screaming my name before the nights out!” Willy said indignantly. Glory smiled and gathered all her courage together; enough to shift and sit close to him and rest her hand on his shoulder. She had intended to run her fingers through his hair, but the lord alone knew what was on it, it looked, well greasy to say the least…

“Look, lets just be nice to each other, hmm? Put it down to nerves, getting off on the wrong foot.” Glory said.
Willy was shaking, and sitting up the way he was, was totally strangulating his cock, and he needed to move quickly.

He pulled Glory towards him and tried to kiss her, but she managed to turn her head slightly at the last second, so he kissed her ear.

“You smell lovely! Come on then, give us a kiss!” Glory pulled away, and Willy frowned, he was just about to get annoyed when Glory stood, picked up the ice bucket with the champagne and said to him,

“Bring those two glasses, and follow me, we might as well be comfortable from the ‘off’ ” Willy’s frown turned to a grin, and he did as she said, trotting after her. She switched on the bedside lamps, and there was some soft music playing.
Willy put the glasses down, kicked off his shoes and began to undo his shirt.

“Hey, hold on…give a girl something to do, why don’t you!” Glory quickly stopped him undoing his shirt, and tried to look sexily at him. – The LAST thing she wanted to see was Willy half naked.

“Wha-what? – Oh! Oh you mean YOU want to take it off me, right!” Willy grinned and sat on the bed. He wasn’t used to all this seduction, every time Willy had been with a woman before, it had been strictly no kissing, and getting himself undressed…with cash up front!

Glory poured out two glasses of champagne, slipping the Rohypnol into one of the glasses of the bubbling amber liquid. It fizzed a little, and then dispersed.

“One glass won’t hurt you, it’ll help you to relax a little…I can tell you are tense!” She knelt on the bed and grabbed Willy by the shoulders from behind, massaging them. She was biting her lip, reminding herself this was as far as it was going to go with her…

“Ooooohhhhh god…that’s SO good!” Willy groaned, and Glory grimaced as she continued. She grabbed her glass of champagne and downed it, and then with sugary tones, she bent her head close to his, holding the doctored glass of drink out to him, and said in a low voice,

“Here you go, baby…enjoy…” Willy grabbed the glass and downed it in one.
“My, my – and I thought you didn’t want a drink!” She hoped she sounded suitably impressed.

“Come here you, no more delaying tactics!” Willy grabbed her roughly by the arms.

“Ow, hey, no rough stuff…well, at least, not until I’m FULLY aroused that is!”
Willy grinned – So, there was a chance he’d get to well, get his own back a little, huh…give her ass a slap, just to let her know, he was the boss like, you know…

Glory ‘fixed’ Willy with a sexy through-the-lashes look, running her tongue along her top lip. She stood and slowly let the peignoir slip from her shoulders and pool at her feet. Willy sat there, transfixed, his eyelids began to flutter, and his eyes roll. Glory gently pushed him back on the bed.

“That’s it…you relax now…relax and we’ll have some fun…there…there you go”

Willy fought to keep his eyes open; he scrabbled for the zip on his fly, Glory’s voice washed over him like a warm echoing wind, it seemed to be getting further away, then he made a concerted effort to wake up, and got an eyeful of her breasts as she leant over him. He tried to lift his hand to them, and then – oblivion. Glory quickly sat back on her haunches and looked at the hapless little weasel.

“Willy…Willy…” She slapped his face for good measure, but he was out cold. She got up off the bed, and went to her wardrobe and took out her video camera and tripod, set it up. She slipped her peignoir back on then went to her bedroom and opened the door.
“Come on then Alphonse, he’s all ready

The gay guy threw aside the magazine he’d been reading with a grin, and bounded out of the room, bringing his ‘bag of delights’ with him.

“He’s all yours…I’ve set the camera, remember to wear the eye mask if you don’t want to be recognised – and that’s it – no holds or holes barred! She laughed at her own joke as she shut the door on the pair of them. Now she was going to have a long hot soak to wash away the memory of that little creep and his wandering eyes…

Leaning forward to have another hot top-up, Glory could just about hear the animalistic noises coming from her spare bedroom. She smiled and turned up the music and picked up her glass of champagne, popped a chocolate into her mouth and relaxed back, letting the hot bubbly bath-water wash over her. The candles flickered in the steam, and Glory closed her eyes. Nobody got the better of Glory Benson. Nobody………

************

Buffy squirted some perfume on her pulse points and looking into the mirror, checked her hair and lipstick.

She saw the headlights flash around her bedroom wall, and the heard the deep purr of the car’s engine as it pulled up on the driveway. She grabbed her purse and little lacy shawl and ran downstairs.

Willow had just stood up to let Spike in.

“Don’t wait up, coz there’s a chance I won’t be home – bye!” Buffy opened the door and beamed at her lover.

“Enjoy yourselves, be good!” Willow said

Spike stuck his head around the door and winked at Willow and said,


“Be good? – How boring is that – see you, red!” Willow laughed and came to the front door to wave them off.

********

“Are we going to the Four Seasons? – Only I thought you hadn’t even booked it the other day when I mentioned it”

“We sure are my love, and I hadn’t booked it when we spoke about it, I phoned straight after. I’m on a special list”

“Wow…colour me impressed! – Um, will there be things to eat that I’ll know…coz really I’m a simple girl at heart. Hamburgers, Southern Fried, pizza…” Buffy felt a little apprehensive about the place now.

“Well, I can’t promise you a Southern Fried hamburger pizza, pet, but if there’s nothing on the menu that tickles your fancy, they’ll always do you just a steak and salad if that’s all you want”

Buffy brightened at this, and said,

“Oh good, it’s not I’m not adventurous, but things like pigeon, offal, game, and tongue – yuk!” she shuddered at the mere thought of it!

“You DO like tongue…loved it, I thought!” Spike said, giving her a sexy grin.

Buffy screwed up her face and began,

“EW! I couldn’t possibly eat somethi-oh - OH!” when she suddenly realised his ‘naughty’ meaning, she blushed and bit her bottom lip. Spike winked at her and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Fancy a cocktail first, we can go upstairs into the winds bar first if you like, do a little star spotting” Spike suggested as he pulled onto the restaurant’s private parking area.

“Could we? – I read somewhere that it’s a favourite haunt of such stars as Johnny Bepp, and Jake Nicholson”

“It has been know for them to frequent the place, yeah!” Spike got out and ran around to the passenger door, ever the gentleman and opened it for her helping her out.

“Thankyou! Ooh, it’s a little chilly, come on, let’s hurry inside!” Buffy pulled the almost useless for warmth wrap around her and they quickly went inside the foyer.

“Carling-Blake, we have a reservation for 9pm, were going up to the Winds, first, is that okay?”

“Certainly sir, would you like to take menu’s up with you?”

Spike accepted the two menus and they walked upstairs to the cocktail bar.

“So babe…what do you fancy then, eh?”

Buffy smiled and glanced up from the menu.

“Besides you? Um, actually, the Chicken thing sounds nice” Spike grinned at her

“Which one, there’s two”

“Is there? – The Hunter’s style one, in white wine with wild mushrooms, smoked bacon and fresh herbs – what’s the other one – I can’t-“

“Poulet Cordon Bleu, that’s a chicken breast fillet filled with ham and cheese, except it isn’t any of your run-of-the-mill ham and cheese, it’s special Parma ham and Roquefort cheese”

“Ooh…sounds lovely…no, I’ll stick to the Hunter’s one. What are you having?”

“Me, the pigeon casserole, so you can taste it”

“Ugh, no thanks! Buffy shuddered and sipped her drink.

“I’m just joking pet…are you having a starter?” Spike asked

“Well, I know it sounds greedy, well it IS a bit greedy, but I like the sound of the four giant prawns, grilled with lime, cilantro and chilli”

“I was looking at that…it’s a toss up between those or the crab-claws…no, prawns it is, and for you?” Buffy nodded

“And then the Hunter’s chicken, I’m going to have………the steak Diane, that’s fillet steak, beaten and then flambéd in brandy, cooked with onions and tomatoes, served in a deep red wine and mushroom sauce”

Spike ordered for them both, choosing crushed Jersey Royal potatoes and a selection of fresh vegetables to go with their main courses. The one thing he liked about Buffy was, she loved her food, he couldn’t have stood it if she’d been an ‘I’ll just have a green salad no dressing’ type girl.

**********

Glory stirred at the noise, and she raised her head off the pillow. It was her book falling off the bed that had woken her.

The lamp was still on in her room, and all seemed quiet next door. She got up, slipping on her peignoir and silently went to the spare room, where she listened at the door for a few seconds, but heard nothing except the sound of regular breathing. Slowly she twisted the doorknob and opened the door. She could see the tiny red light on the video camera, blinking. That was a warning to tell you that the film was about to run out.

Silently she crept into the room, and switched off the camera, and put it, and the tripod back quietly in the cupboard. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see Willy lying on his stomach, and Alphonse lying fast asleep next to him. She went over and touched Alphonse’s shoulder.

“Hmm, huh, wha-what”

“Shh!”

“Oh! Oh…right, oh don’t worry about him, he’s out cold, he’ll sleep like a baby until morning!” Alphonse whispered. Glory grimaced. This was the part she hadn’t planned, apart from Alphonse leaving, she didn’t want Willy to know, YET…

“You better go”

“Well thankyou!”

“Al, look, shh – don’t for fuck sake wake him!” Glory hissed. Alphonse swung his legs out of bed and groped for his clothes off the bedside chair, and pulled on his pants, he stood, hoisted them up fully and Glory heard the zip being done up.

“I’d be annoyed at having to leave, if I hadn’t had myself such a FANTASTIC time!”

“Well don’t tell me, you pervert…oh fucking hell…look at the state of those sheets!” Glory knew, even though they were ‘guest-room’ sheets, she’d HAVE to throw them out…

“Can I have them, you know souvenir?”

Glory made an ‘ugh’ face and said,

“You dirty little bas – Ew, do what you like, I’m not touching them!” she shuddered, Alphonse grinned.

“So what happens now then, are you going to lie next to laughing boy here, and pretend that you two have been at it like bunnies all night?” Alphonse pulled on his tee shirt and tucked it in his pants, and then did up his belt.

“One, there is no way on this earth I’m lying next to him, he’s naked for fuck’s sake, and two, I REALLY don’t want to know what those various stains are!” She shuddered again.

“What can I tell you, he was definitely a ‘virgin’!”

“Shut up you horrible little queer!” Glory face screwed up in disgust as she walked out of the bedroom, with Alphonse following her, bringing his little bag of sex toys with him. They could speak in a normal volume now, although they still kept their voices down.

“Um, any idea what happens now?” Glory asked frowning

“What do you mean, will he remember anything? – yes, he will, EVENTUALLY. It’ll come back to him in flashbacks”

“Did you…”

“Did I what, dearie? Roger him senseless – yes I-“

“Shut up! Did you, well talk to him?”

“Course I did, you stupid bitch! I was whispering all the things I was going to do to him when I-“

“Oh – shut up, shut up, I don’t want to know what you did! He’ll remember that! It’s just that well, how am I going to…oh fuck………he’s going to wake with one god almighty pain in his ass – how am I going to pass it off for the moment?”

“Well, say you did him with one of your dildoes! Fairs fair, he fucked you in the ass, you did-“

“I AM NOT – “ Glory quickly glanced at the spare-room door, and grabbed Alphonse by the elbow and steered him further down into the hallway. She lowered her voice and hissed

“I am not, not for one second letting HIM think he fucked me in the ass, ok? It’s bad enough him thinking he fucked me the conventional way – ugh, makes my flesh creep”

“Well, that I can’t help you with ducks…so, I better be off, I’ve got to get some beauty sleep” Alphonse picked up his jacket and draped it over one shoulder, he turned and faced her, watched as she lit a cigarette.

“Keep in touch, Bitch, and if you want me to do a rematch, you know where to find me! Bye-ee!” Glory let him see himself out and went and poured herself a drink. It was 4.35am. She sat on the sofa, pulling her legs beneath her.

**********


“Cheese and crackers?”

“God, I couldn’t eat another morsel…”

“Coffee then?”

“Okay – that’s if you’re having one”

“We could…go back to mine and have one, if you’d like, that is?” Spike suggested. Buffy grinned, nodded eagerly and drained the last of her wine. Spike finished his water and they both stood.

As if by magic, a waitress bought her wrap and Spike’s jacket over to them.

“Ready, come on then” Spike held out his arm towards the door.

“Oh, don’t you have to pay or-“

“They’ll send me the bill pet – told you, I’m on the special list.”

“Oh right –oh look, isn’t that Anya over?”

“Hmm? Where pet – oh yes…and the guy with her, well that’s Rupert Giles, he’s the owner, and used to sing with-“

“The Rocketeers, I know, they were one of my dad’s favourite bands…”

“William! So good to see you old chap!” Giles beamed and shook Spike warmly by the hand.

“You too Rupert – so, how are things?”

“Fine – hope to be getting another award soon, fingers crossed – so this is Buffy!”

This surprised Buffy, and she smiled as she shook his hand

“Wow, I’m impressed – you know me already!” Buffy said, and she seemed a little awe-struck as Spike formally introduced them.

“Actually, that would be Anya that told me…but it’s very nice to meet you!”

Buffy looked beyond Rupert Giles’ shoulder and gave Anya, who was sitting at the bar drinking a glass of wine, a little wave. Anya smiled and gave a sort of upward nod. Giles and Spike were talking, and then Spike excused them, saying it was getting late.

Twenty minutes later, Spike pulled up on the driveway of his house.

**********

“You didn’t say anything – that you knew what she said about you?” Giles asked, re-filling Anya’s glass with the cold Riesling.

“No, I promised you, didn’t I? I couldn’t believe her cheek! She was all, (Anya mimicked Jenny) ‘Hi, how are you- god it’s cold here – you’ll never guess who’s on the judging panel for the Book Award’…I was tempted to be really sarcastic – and say something like, ‘ Let me guess, Genghis Khan, Adolf Hitler and Elvis!” Anya gulped her wine, and Giles smiled, shaking his head gently.

“What?” Anya asked smiling

“You…why is it that I can never think of anything witty to say when I need to – but you – bang – quick witty retort – quite the Dorothy Parker you are! So tell me, who IS on the judging panel?”

“Oh, she was wittering on…um I forget who she said. I think I only recognised two of the names…the rest were foreign…um, the chefs are going home, look”

Giles turned his head and called out,

“Goodnight Francois, goodnight Gustav”

Both chefs called out goodnight, and the waitress locked the door behind them.

“Many in upstairs in the Winds bar now Molly?”

“About half a dozen, sir”

“Okay then, you can tell the waiting staff they can go, goodnight”

“Thankyou sir, goodnight”

Anya drained her wineglass, and stood up.

“I must be going too” Giles frowned

“Must you? I thought a nightcap back at my place, you could stay and – “

“Uh, uh! I know what will happen if I come back to your place!”

“And?” Giles pulled her close, smiling. Anya smiled too and leaned out of his embrace.

“Too much of a good thing…” She was distracted by Giles kissing her neck, she shivered with delight, smiling.

“Ah, but practice makes perfect!” Giles countermanded, before kissing her with passion.

Eventually coming up for air, she caught a breath and said,

“You’ll get sick of me, and – hmm…mmm”

“Never…go on, you KNOW were SO good together…” Anya could feel her resolve to go home melting faster than a snowflake on a hotplate…

“Yes………oh”

“Yes, you mean you’ll come?”

“I hope so!” They both giggled, and she perched back on the stool again. Giles drained his glass and said,

“I’ll just go shift the late-stayers upstairs and put the nights takings in the safe”

***********


Willy’s eyes flickered open as a shaft of sunlight through a gap in the drapes hit him square between the eyes.

He had a bad taste in his mouth, which also felt dry, he had a headache, and as he turned over onto his side, FUCKING JESUS CHRIST! What the fuck had happened to his ass? It felt like he’d sat on a pineapple, or rather had one inserted into his ass, and was still there. He swiftly turned his head to look for Glory, but he was alone.

Lying on his back, he rubbed his eyes…what the hell had happened last night, why couldn’t he remember? He didn’t have a drink last night, not even his ‘staff drink’ at work, because he wanted to keep a clear head…he reached down and felt his cock. He normally woke with a hard-on… It felt very tender too – what the fuck had she done to him last night, and why couldn’t he remember?

He moved to get up out of bed, and every movement hurt, his ass felt on fire…he staggered to his feet, and went over to one of the doorways, and opened it up, but it was a closet. He went to the next door that opened into the hallway. He limped down the hallway and into the lounge, to see Glory sitting on the sofa, drinking coffee, smoking and reading a newspaper. She was fully dressed.

“What the FUCK happened last night, and why can’t I remember anything?” Willy croaked.

Grinning, Glory lowered the newspaper, and was just about to be sarcastic, when she saw he was stark naked, and she quickly hid behind the newspaper and shouted angrily,

“Oh, for god’s sake, put some clothes on, you horrible little weasel!” Willy practically limped over to her and snatched the newspaper out of her hands.

“I asked you a question, and I want some answers, I said, what the fuck happened last – Holy – Jesus, just look at my wrists!” Wide eyed with shock, Willy held out both arms and saw the state of his wrists for the first time…turning his hands this way and that, they were covered in what could only be described as rope burns…

Glory had her head firmly turned away from him, so she didn’t have to look at him naked.

“Go and get dressed!”

“Glory, we’ve been shagging all night, now is NOT the time to go all modest on me, anyway, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before!”

“And I NEVER want to see it again – just, GO AND PUT SOME FUCKING CLOTHES ON!”

“What the hell’s up with my ass…my head…I didn’t even have a drink - ” while he was talking, he spotted the champagne bottle leaning upside down in the ice bucket. He was desperately trying to think… Glory marched over to the bookcase and picked up a heavy glass ashtray off the top, and said,

“If you don’t go and get dressed, NOW, I’ll come over there, knock you out with this, and then I’m calling the police and telling them you broke in here and tried to-“

“Okay, okay, Geez! Ow…ow…ow…I fucking feel like I’ve been steamrollered…” Willy limped off back down the hallway muttering to himself.

Glory replaced the ashtray and went over and lit another cigarette, she paced up and down until Willy limped back, wearing his pants, doing up his shirt.

“So, I hope we had a good time last night for me to feel this fucking bad now…”

“Charming!”

“Well, did we?”

“Christ Willy, what the fuck do you want? – Eh? Marks out of bleeding ten?”

“Would be nice…all I want to know is, if there’s any chance of a re-match, and – put that down! Glory – okay, I‘m sorry, I’ll never mention…” Willy ducked down the hallway with Glory gaining on him fast, wielding the glass ashtray again.

“Get everything that belongs to you, and get the fuck out of my apartment – I’ll give you thirty seconds!”

Willy thought that he didn’t want the ashtray wrapped around his ear to add to his aches and pains, so he dashed back into the bedroom, and sat on the bed and searched for his socks and shoes.

“Hurry up!” Glory threatened, pacing back and forth menacingly outside the bedroom door.

Willy stood gingerly wincing in pain, and looked for his jacket, but he couldn’t see it.

He opened the door, to have his jacket thrown at him.

“Here, now GET OUT!”

Willy snatched the jacket from his face and glared at her, and began to say,

“If I find out that you’ve-“ Glory grabbed his elbow, dragged him down the hall and opened the front door, and shoved him out, slamming it behind him. She leant with her back against it eyes closed; she heaved a sigh of relief.

Outside in the hallway, Willy thought twice about shouting something through the letterbox, and turned to go home.

**********
 

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