Chapter 13:
William had one ear focused on Darla describing Buffy’s apparently hideous dress to Drusilla, while he had the other on Angel talking to Buffy through the hallway bathroom door. If he could just tilt his head backwards just a little bit he could catch a glimpse of Angel, who he liked to refer to in his head lately as ‘Captain Forehead Who Wears Lifts’.
“Honey, you alright?” William heard Angel ask Buffy through the door.
Concern for his new friend, William tried to block out what everyone was saying to try and hear Buffy’s response.
“Oh Dru, you should have seen her!” Unfortunately for William, the loud obnoxious Harmony Kendall walked over towards the small group that was gathered around him and his wife. The petite blonde started chirping her big mouth off and causing whatever was being said between Angel and Buffy to be muffled. William flashed a glare in the direction of the blonde as he took a sip out of his wine glass.
“Buffy was acting like a complete fool. Poor Angel, oh and her dress—my god I had to turn my eyes away from that crappy thing…she must have gotten it off the rack at JCPenny’s.” Harmony continued to gossip.
“Girl doesn’t know how to hold her liquor either.” Darla rolled her eyes and took another sip from her fourth glass of wine.
“She’s drunk?” William spoke up.
“Yes and not a well dressed one at that.” Darla giggled and walked away with Harmony trailing behind her.
Drusilla raised an eyebrow at William’s look of distress; she found it interesting that her husband kept peeking over in the direction where Buffy locked herself in the bathroom.
“She’s a rather cute drunk if you ask me.” Lindsey smiled and walked off to go stand with his wife.
William whipped his head up and watched Lindsey stroll away, he caught the brief smile that Mr. McDonald had, and in response William clenched his jaw.
“You alright my William?” Drusilla asked innocently.
“Ya…just maybe we should all leave if Buffy isn’t feeling well.”
Even though William had been looking forward to seeing Buffy and longed to speak with her, he couldn’t accept the continuation of this party with her being drunk. ‘Something could go wrong’ he thought to himself, ‘She may…’ William started to get sick and scared at the thought of Buffy being partnered with another guy that she had no way of fighting off, another man that would take advantage of her.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Drusilla patted her husband’s shoulder and turned around to see Angel enter the living room. “How’s Buffy, Angel?” she asked.
“Uh…she’s just…she’s just composing herself. She’ll be out soon.” Angel smiled nervously.
“Well in that case, why don’t we just get straight to swapping partners?”
William’s eyes widened and his palms began to sweat, he hadn’t felt like this since his very first swing party that he attended.
“Are you sure she’s okay?” William asked, trying to hold off the inevitable as long as he could, “Maybe…maybe—“
”I’m sure it will pass my darling…” Drusilla whispered as she glided her fingers down the side of his cheek, “Don’t be concerned about the Sunshine.”
”Shall we write down names and pick out a hat or what do you suggest Dru?” Angel asked.
“How about watches this time?” Drusilla shrugged innocently while eyeing Angel’s Rolex watch on his wrist.
“I’ll get a bowl from the kitchen.” Angel smiled and let his hand skim Dru’s bare shoulder as he went by her and left the room.
”Pet, I’m not really comfortable doing this with Buffy so—“
“When are you comfortable William?” Drusilla raised an eyebrow and glared at him, “Is there something you feel the need to say to me?”
William paused; she was giving him the chance to speak his mind, whatever he wanted to say should be said at this moment.
“No…”
“That’s what I thought.” Drusilla nodded and raised her hand out, “Give me your watch.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, William unhooked his watch from his wrist and let it drop into his wife’s palm.
“That’s my good boy.” She muttered and walked over toward Angel, who returned from the kitchen with a green salad bowl. William stood alone for a moment before turning around to glance back down the hallway where Buffy was.
“Alright everyone, time to play” Drusilla announced.
Like every other party, William couldn’t stand to watch this part. After taking a quick look around the room he slipped down the hallway.
“Buffy?” he said softly, as he approached the door Angel was standing by earlier. “Buffy, pet?”
He pressed his ear to the wooden frame.
Nothing.
“Love, its William.” He whispered, “Please answer me…”
William even tried rapping his knuckles on the door to see if maybe she would be startled by the sound and respond. “Pet?” he tried again.
Down the hallway, in the living room, William heard a loud whine echo down towards him.
‘Oh great, I got her again.’ William thought when he recognized Harmony’s trademark moan of disapproval.
He forgot about the airhead blonde for a moment and directed his attention back to his drunken friend. “Pet, do—do you need anything? Are you sick?”
“William, what are you doing?” Lindsey McDonald laughed as he strolled down the hallway. Near the entrance leading into the living room, William could see Harmony pouting and had her arms crossed, waiting for him.
“Just—just uh…” William bowed his head down and rubbed his neck, trying to think up something quick.
“Trying to steal my date for the evening huh?”
William’s head slowly glanced up at Lindsey, dread written all over his face. “Your date?”
”Ya…Mrs. O’Connor gets me for the night.” Lindsey smiled.
“Come on William; let’s get this pathetic night of no sex for me over with.” Harmony interrupted.
William checked behind the blonde’s shoulder and noticed that everyone was gone and hadn’t heard her.
“I’m raising my rates too…you need to give me $400 this time…I’m going to Paris next month and I need a new pair of boots.”
”Go ahead William; I’ll take care of Buffy.” Lindsey smiled as he took another sip from his nearly empty glass of scotch and moved closer to the bathroom door. However, William blocked the man’s path.
“Harm, go wait in the living room….I’ll be with you in a minute.”
Harmony threw up her hands in frustration and went off and out of sight.
“Look, McDonald, I’ll switch with you.” William offered, “You get Harmony and I’ll take Buffy.”
”Again?” Lindsey smirked, “You have a little something for that girl don’t you Pratt? Are you finally deciding to join the rest of us and play the game?”
“Do we have a deal or what?”
After a moment of silence between the two men, Lindsey answered. “No…I had Harmony two months ago and I don’t like tasting the same flavor over and over again if you know what I mean…”
”Tough, Buffy’s in no condition to sleep with you!” William exclaimed, “She’s drunk.”
”Ya…” Lindsey laughed, “I however find those girls are the best kind, reminds me when I was in college… living with my frat brothers.”
William knew that Lindsey was scum, but he didn’t realize what degree of scum he really was until now.
“I don’t think Angel would appreciate you taking advantage of his wife.” William narrowed his eyes at the little pervert.
Lindsey rolled his eyes, “If you haven’t noticed by now, Angel is the king of taking advantage of his wife. Now if you don’t mind—“
”I mind.” William said, his voice stronger and much more demanding. “I’m not going to let you touch her.”
“What the hell Pratt, you finally grow some balls overnight?”
William didn’t say another word; he just continued to stand firmly in front of the door, protecting Buffy, protecting his friend, protecting this small angel that just by chance found him in the nick of time.
“Don’t make me bust your nose Pratt.”
”I’d like to see you try.”
Lindsey shrugged casually, let his empty glass rest on a tiny hallway table, and took a swing. The fist only got half way when it was grabbed by William. Lindsey was taken off guard when he found himself pinned to the wall and Will’s hand clenched his polo collar.
“Don’t underestimate me; don’t think for a minute I won’t break you apart McDonald.” William warned in a whisper. “A guy like you should never even speak to let alone touch a girl like Buffy, so you’re going to switch with me…understand?”
“I’ll tell Dru.” Lindsey threatened.
Before William met Buffy, Drusilla was always the one holding him back. Holding him back from saying things he wanted to say, doing things he wanted to do, being the man he use to be. Before, William would have caved at Lindsey’s threat, but now that he got a glimpse of the light…
“Go ahead and tell her…then I’ll tell Darla about you and your secretary.” William said, deciding too to play the game of ‘let’s tattle on one another’.
“How do you know about—“
”Drusilla talks” William said with a smirk, “Unfortunately for you, maybe a little bit too much.”
William knew that even though Darla swung, she wouldn’t tolerate her husband sleeping with someone when she didn’t know about it.
”Fine”
“We have a deal?”
”Ya, ya, ya…I’ll take Harmony.” Lindsey said as he moved back from William’s now limp fists. “Bet the girl wasn’t that good anyway.” Lindsey nodded toward the bathroom door.
William punched McDonald in the gut.
“Ohhh…” Lindsey groaned in pain.
TBC....