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Author's Chapter Notes:
I never expected to write an All Human story. But here I am, posting the first chapter! I have many chapters written and a clear idea of where this will be ending, so you can be sure that story will have timely updates and will be completed. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

Betas: Mabel_Marsters and Tanit. The super betas!
Not My Reality

Chapter One



Buffy hunched down in her favorite spot on the couch, pointed the remote at the TV through her Garfield-slippered feet resting on the coffee table and sighed. After a long day at work, she needed these few minutes before bedtime. She’d already eaten her frozen dinner and had a hot bubble bath. Now all she wanted to do was veg in front of the TV in her dark living room.

There wasn’t much on at 8:30 on a Thursday night, but anything would do. She pulled her robe tighter and grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch. Saving money was not all it was cracked up to be, and she was very tempted to turn on the heat. All she had to do was think about owning her own place and then she could live with the cold. She was just glad that it wouldn’t last long. California was expensive, but the weather was good.

With a smile on her face, she thought of Dawn, who was a freshman at Michigan State University. They’d talked briefly yesterday and Dawn had said it was below freezing and that she couldn’t wait to get back home for spring break a month from now.

Buffy’s attention was drawn to the TV screen as a commercial ended and the show came on. She groaned and almost changed the channel, but then she sat up and stared. Buffy had seen the last episode of The Bachelorette four weeks ago, but the station was obviously rerunning it for those who’d missed it. It was one of those shows that she secretly loved to watch. Well, she and her best friend secretly watched it together.

When it had aired the first time, Willow had come over and they’d shared popcorn and ice cream. They’d both cried when Nina turned down Angel’s proposal and accepted Dirk’s ring instead. Angel had been crushed and the next week, he’d come on the after show special and had been a true gentleman. She thought Nina was crazy.

Buffy sighed and watched Angel on the screen as he smiled at Nina on their final date, not knowing the pain that was ahead for him. It made her angry to think about it. She changed channels until she came to the meerkat show on Animal Planet. Not really seeing what was on the TV, she stared off into space thinking about how lonely she was.

Working ten to twelve hours a day as an assistant manager at Bloomingdale’s department store left little time for meeting men. Buffy had taken on the responsibility of caring for her sister when their mother died a few years back. She’d had to drop out of college and work full time at the store. A job she’d taken so that she could pay for food and entertainment and get discounts on great clothes and accessories while her mom paid her University costs had ended up becoming her career.

Frat parties, dating and being a crazy college student went out the window. They’d had to sell the family home to pay debts and bury her mother, but she was able to find this apartment near the high school so Dawn wouldn’t have to change schools. Now Dawn was on a full scholarship in Michigan, Buffy had been promoted to assistant manager and she could save to buy a house of her own. All she needed was to find a great guy like Angel to spend the rest of her life with and she could be happy.





~ * ~ * ~





Buffy parked her car in the empty Stanford Mall parking lot and walked briskly with her shop key ready. She unlocked the door just as the first few employees showed up. There were a few quick hellos and then everyone hurried to get the store ready for opening. It was going to be a busy day for her and she would be in meetings off and on to brainstorm ideas for the wedding planning extravaganza that was coming next month.

Mornings were her favorite time to work the store. She loved opening and getting things rolling. And at this time of the year, the Stanford College students who worked part time were in classes. Most of the employees who worked the opening shift were ladies; some in their mid-twenties like herself and many who were older. They knew their jobs and she didn’t have to babysit them.

Once all the tills were set up, she did the rounds, making sure everything was in order. Assured that the store was ready for business, she unlocked the gates to the mall while another employee unlocked the doors to the street. Her cell phone rang and she pushed the button on her Bluetooth ear set.

“Hello?”

“Buffy, this is Victoria. I know our meeting is set for an hour from now, but something’s come up. Do you have time to meet me in the office in about ten minutes?”

Buffy walked briskly towards the back offices as she spoke. “Sure. I’ve got some paperwork to do so I’ll be back there when you get here.”

Victoria was the only reason why she stuck with working retail for so long. She was the boss everyone dreamed of having. They weren’t friends, but she was liberal with her praise and just with her decisions. When Victoria had recommended her for assistant manager, Buffy had been thrilled. Victoria had told her later, after she’d gotten the job, that she chose her because she could be flexible and because Buffy knew the workings of the store so well.

After her meeting, Victoria left to meet with a supplier and just after lunchtime, business picked up. Buffy was at a register in the men’s clothing department when Willow rushed up. She had a hard time concentrating on the customer as Willow fidgeted with a large envelope and wouldn’t sit still. Her friend had something she was dying to tell Buffy and Buffy was now dying to know what that was.

The next customer came forward and she scanned the items quickly, thinking about the possibilities. With the envelope involved, she doubted that the news was that Oz had proposed. They knew it was coming any day now, but this was something else.

“Bye now. Have a good day,” she said to the man as he left.

Willow slapped the envelope on the counter, grinned nervously at Buffy and then said, “I’m on the clock in five minutes, so I don’t have much time, but there’s something I have to tell you.”

“Spill already!” Buffy said as she shut the register down and came around the counter to stand next to her.

Willow glanced around and then leaned in closer. “Don’t hate me, okay?”

“What did you do?”

“You’re not going to like it.” Willow rushed ahead and said, “But I’m so glad I did it and you are going to do this.” Buffy didn’t like the sound of that. She glared at her smiling friend. “You remember that photo shoot we did at Glamour Shots last month?”

“Yes?”

“I…um… Well, I sent a copy of your photo in to a casting call and I just got a positive response.”

“A what call?” Buffy said, taking the offered envelope from Willow.

“Casting. For a TV show.”

Buffy giggled as she took out the letter. She shook her head. “This has got to be a joke. I’m not an actress; I don’t have a S.A.G. card or even an agent.”

“Angel is going to be the next bachelor,” Willow said quickly.

Buffy looked up sharply and stared at her friend. “Angel?” Then she shook her head. “I can’t go on TV. And there’s no way I’m falling all over a bunch of other women to date the same guy, on TV.”

“But I thought you really liked Angel?” Willow said, looking crestfallen. “I thought you’d jump at the chance to meet him.”

“Then how come you didn’t ask me before you sent my information in?” Willow’s flushed cheeks told Buffy what she wanted to know. “Because you knew I’d never go for it.”

“Just look at the letter. It says here that they are very interested in having you audition. And look, it says that the audition is in Burbank. The show is filmed in LA, so if you did get it, you wouldn’t be far from home.” Buffy shook her head so Willow tried one more time to convince her. “Do me a favor, just think about it. You’d get to meet Angel.”

Buffy sighed, took the letter from Willow and put it back in the envelope. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”


Chapter End Notes:
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