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Chapter 1:


Buffy stared down at her own picture perfect smiling face. She never thought she would be so skeptical to see her own California state driver’s license.

“Let me see, let me see, let me see!!!” a squealing redhead zipped her way into the coffee shop carrying her school backpack and went straight to where Buffy was sitting.

The petite blonde turned the plastic card in her hand around and showed her friend with a small smile. The redhead gasped and dropped her bag on the ground and snatched the card out of Buffy’s hand.

“Awww….”

“I’m guessing you like it Wills…” Buffy said before taking a sip of her coffee. The little redhead looked as if she were admiring baby pictures or watching a kitten sleeping on a pillow. Buffy was sort of hoping for that reaction, but from her husband instead.

“Buffy…it’s—it’s perfect! Oh how I wish I was photogenic like you.” Willow muttered the last sentence with a pout as she held the card out for Buffy to take back.

“Thanks Wills.” Buffy said as she looked back down at her picture.

“Angel is going to flip when he see’s it.”

“I hope, I mean he should realize that this is a big step for me.”

“He will, don’t worry.” Willow reassured her friend.

“I mean, I’ve been Ms. Buffy Summers for thirty two years…my first preschool project was to write that name down about fifty times so I wouldn’t forget it. It’s going to be a big adjustment...it will take some time for me to remember who I am now.”

“He’ll love it Buffy, don’t worry.”

At times like these Willow always felt like a repeating parrot—reassuring her best friend over and over again that Angel always understood her and appreciated her. It was tiring playing the role of the marriage counselor to her friend, but then she remembered where her friend was coming from—a shaky childhood where ‘I love you’‘s from her father were as rare as flying pigs. Willow just wished that Angel would see that his wife had these insecurities for himself.

“So when are you giving him your new license ‘Mrs. Buffy O’Connor’?” Willow asked with a smile, hoping that by saying Buffy’s new name her friend would feel a little bit more cheery and gitty, and a little less worried and doubtful of the gift to her husband.

“Our anniversary is 2 months away, so I was thinking then. His birthday is not for another 7 months but I don’t think I can wait that long.” Buffy said with a frown.

She really hated having to wait to give this special present for another 60 days. It was already day 1 and she was already itching to call Angel’s cell and tell him what she got in the mail today.

“Do you want me to keep it for you for a while?” Willow too knew that Buffy and secrets were not a good combination.

“Nah… besides I need it to drive, remember?”

“When was the last time Angel let you drive the BMW let alone anything?” the redhead raised an eyebrow

Buffy rolled her eyes at the mention of the precious BMW that Angel was very much in love with. She wouldn’t be surprised if he was making out with it in the garage late at night while she slept. And as for the ‘drive anything else’ comment, well….Willow didn’t know about her lack of control in the driver’s seat in the bedroom.

“I’m still hanging on to it. This is one surprise I’m not going to bomb.” Buffy reached for her purse on the ground and unzipped it. She pulled out her wallet and slid the license securely in the front pocket where all her other credit cards were kept.

“Well, if you get tempted just call.”

“Thanks Wills.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy was having trouble smoothing down her skirt as she walked with both of her hands full into Wolfram and Hart, the law firm where she and Angel worked. In one hand she had her cup of coffee and in the other she was carrying her purse and a bag containing a blueberry muffin for her husband. Buffy looked up at the lobby desk and smiled when she saw her workmate Winifred Burkle. They both nodded to each other before Buffy went straight to the elevator.

“Be back in ten.” Buffy called out across the empty lobby to Fred.

“Kay!” the brunette called back before reaching for a ringing phone and saying, “Wolfram and Hart, Fred speaking” with her obvious Texas accent.

Buffy pressed the button for the twentieth floor and leaned back against the wall as the lift started. She only reached the sixth floor when the doors opened and she was met with a familiar face that she loathed deeply.

Oh…I wasn’t aware that today was very slutty casual Thursday’s’ Buffy thought as she watched the blonde with a smirk gracefully enter the elevator with a vanilla folder in her hand.

“Hello Buffy.” The girl said without taking a glance at Buffy, pushing the elevator button to the ninth floor, and leaning over on the side wall.

“Hello Darla.”

“I like your shoes.” Darla still didn’t look up to make eye contact with Buffy but she sure didn’t have any trouble skimming over her clothes and shoes.

“Thanks…”

Nothing was left to say after that. Buffy wasn’t even going to mention the inappropriate skin tight dress that Darla was wearing, because anything that came out her mouth would turn into a insult that would land her in big trouble with her boss and with Angel.

“Bye Buffy.” Darla said as she strolled out of the elevator without a glance back.

“Bye bye Darla….” As soon as the elevator doors were completely shut she scoffed, “Please send my condolences to those on the ninth floor.”

Buffy looked up at the numbers starting to light up again. She let out a sigh of relief when she finally reached her destination without having to make anymore stops and encounters with people like Darla McDonald, and there were plenty of them to go around the firm. It didn’t seem to matter what gender you were too—the company seemed to like to hire snobby slutty men and women. Darla’s husband, for example, wasn’t any better than his wife when it came to being an ass to others and still thinking that people were labeled by who was the designer on the inside of your shirt.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy gently knocked on the door once before entering Angel’s stylishly big office that had a nice view of the city of LA. For a moment she thought the office was empty, that possibly Angel was in a meeting or out on a late lunch. She placed the white paper bag with the muffin down on his desk and turned around to go back downstairs to her workspace beside Fred in the lobby when she saw a woman sitting at Angel’s small conference table alone.

“Hello…” the woman said as she too took her first look up at the intruder.

“Hi…umm…I was looking for Angel.”

“He’s at a lunch conference, but should be back in a few.”

The lady had a British accent, long dark shiny hair, and was wearing a black dress. Buffy never seen this lady in her life and was wondering if she was a customer or a new employee.

“I’m Buffy, Angel’s wife.” She said politely as she walked up to dark beauty and offered her hand.

“Drusilla…” she said with a small smile as he shook her hand, “I’m Angel’s boss.”

Okay…weird.’ Buffy thought instantly.

“Boss?” Buffy raised a brow, “Umm…I didn’t realize that---“

“It’s nothing new--I’ve been his boss for seven years, it’s just that I’ve been relocated over here by MY boss.” Drusilla explained.

“Oh…well….welcome.” Buffy smiled nervously.

“It’s nice to put a face to your name. Angel talked of you often when he was over in London.” Drusilla smiled.

“Oh well…I hope they were good comments.” Buffy didn’t really know what to say, she was out of the loop on this whole situation here.

“He hasn’t ever mentioned me has he?” Drusilla asked, but still with a smile as she got up from her seat and walked around the table.

“No…but he often forgets to mention things like this…” Buffy said as she took a peek in the hallway, hoping to spot her husband hovering around somewhere out there.

“Well we can get to know each other better…at the party.” Drusilla said as she walked closer to Buffy and reached out behind her onto Angel’s desk to retrieve a party invite.

“Party?” Buffy looked down at the invitation.

“Yes…didn’t Angel tell you about this?”

“Um…oh course he’s mentioned it.” She lied, “Just didn’t see the invite yet.”

Buffy guessed it was a meet and greet the new employees and their spouse kind of party, being that Drusilla had just moved to America. However, she was a bit skeptical about what she was going to attend when she saw ‘The Midnight Society’ written on the very top of the invite.




TBC...





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