Chapter 9 Somebody give me a brake? –Break
Angel sat in front of his TV with a bottle poised over the glass; he’d poured himself a single measure of Bourbon. He watched Spike’s ‘antics’ at the opening of the doors on Wavecrest’s show, and he wasn’t impressed. Scowling as he saw Buffy eagerly reach for Spike’s hand as they walked down the steps and onto the set, he filled the glass, then frowning took a swig out of the bottle.
“Buffy…Buffy what are you doing with him…don’t you know you’re mine – we’ve been together now so long, you can’t just throw me away like an old sock…you, you can’t!” Angel said to the TV.
ooOOoo
Angel awoke with an ache in his head, neck and back, and a bad taste in his mouth. He rubbed his face and squinted at the clock, it was 2.37am.
He stood up unsteadily, having consumed about a third of a bottle of Jack Daniels on an empty stomach. He went to the bathroom and splashed his face. Then the thoughts came back…’I’ve lost Buffy’…she’s not mine anymore…she’s gone, not mine, she’s gone, not mine, gone, she’s gone, she’s gone!” Angel put his hands over his ears and cried out ‘NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!’
He sank down on the edge of the bath, huge wracking sobs took over his body. Tears and drool dripped unchecked on the carpet, he felt so wretched, he could kill that evil Spike Giles!
Taking a huge breath, Angel looked at the bathroom wall opposite…now *there* was a thought………
Maybe he could kill him. He could get some heroin and cut it with battery acid or anti-freeze or whatever they did with it…no, no, no, that wouldn’t do, he wouldn’t know the first idea where to get it from, or how to do it if he did get it.
Think more practically…the motorcycle – of course! The motorcycle…and thinking about it, when they left yesterday lunchtime, they went to the airport by cab, so that meant that Spike’s bike was still on the parking lot at work. He had to work fast, he’d got no time to loose! He splashed his face again and went into the kitchen. He took his toolbox from under the sink and took out a small pair of wire cutters and an adjustable spanner. He got his lot pass and put on his dark hooded fleece coat, grabbed his keys and left the house. He didn’t drive the normal route he took, he’d decided to go a different route to take him to the top end of the parking lot, that way would mean that he went through a different gate to his regular one and the security guard and he would be strangers, he’d just show his pass and the guard would think it was an early shoot or something.
He drove carefully, didn’t want to get stopped by the police for speeding or DUI. He felt very shaky and a little nauseous, and didn’t know if that was just nerves or the amount of drink he’d had, especially as he didn’t normally drink spirits.
Angel stopped and indicated right and turned onto the lot and waited at the barrier of Gate ‘C’. The guard came out and Angel handed him his pass.
“Okay, thanks” the guard pressed the button in his hut and the barrier lifted and Angel drove through.
He decided not to drive down the whole way, but to stop just over half way and go the rest of the way on foot. If he stuck to the shadows he should be alright. He stopped the car, turned off the lights and put the wire cutters and the spanner in his pocket. He locked the car and made his way to the Wilson’s Mountain set………
ooOOoo
………”What do you mean, ‘will they be open’, babe, this place never closes!! Got such a great reputation that people from the theatres and late bars all come here first before going home – does the BEST steak and eggs you’ll taste anywhere!”
They rounded a corner and Spike grinned, there was a queue! Only just outside the door, but a queue was a queue, and it was only just gone 6am! A group of four came out the restaurant doing up coats and four went in – that meant there were only two people in front of them. Four obvious girl dancers from one of the Broadway shows came out next, their theatrical make-up removed, but they still had spangles and glitter in their hair. Buffy could see the tables quickly being re-laid with clean white linen napery and condiments and cutlery.
The rich smell of roasting coffee, baking bread and bacon filled the air making them both salivate
“I’m always the same after a Chinese meal, I’m always starving!! Buffy said sitting down
She picked up the menu and Spike tapped it she lowered it and looked at him. Spike screwed up his face and doing a passable impression of Angel he said in a Southern drawl,
“Hogg’s my name and Hog’s are my game there little lady!” Buffy got a fit of the giggles and a waiter appeared at their table
“Ready to order sir, madam – oh god, it’s you – um Buffy! And Spike! Hey everybody in the house, we have Buffy and Spike here!! Welcome to CJ’s Steakhouse!” people looked up and smiled some cheered, Buffy went red and Spike just grinned
“Have you ever eaten here before?” the waiter asked
“Are you kidding, I used to practically live here one time!” Spike said, and then added
“Does Carlo himself still flip a few on the BBQ?”
“Sure does, 78 and still going strong! – Anyway what can I get you good folks?”
“I’ll have a 16oz house special, medium done with an English muffin, two eggs sunny-side up, regular drip and a tall OJ” Spike said closing his menu and putting it back on the table. The waiter scribbled on his pad and looked expectantly at Buffy who said,
Buffy quickly scanned the ‘house specials’ and saw it was a choice of weight steak, how many eggs, and choice of toast
“I’ll have the same, but a 12oz, and a skinny latte, please”
The waiter went off and quickly came back with two cold freshly squeezed orange juices.
“Hmm…delicious!” Buffy said, and then she yawned and apologised
“Feeling it a bit myself now!” Spike said
The waiter came over with Spike’s black coffee and Buffy’s skinny latte.
“I was thinking Kitten, to blow the cobwebs away after brekkers, how about we go for a ride through Central Park, then we can do an hour’s worth of shopping or site-seeing, then we must make for the airport”
“Sounds great!” Buffy was aware of a large man standing next to her holding out two plates, he was wearing a white apron and had a dish-towel over his shoulder. His jet black hair and eyebrows belied his age, she instinctively knew this was Carlo.
“And-a- where have you been –a hiding yourself hmm? – I not see you for weeks, except on the TV!”
“CARLO!” Spike stood and the man put down the two plates
He hugged Spike and then Spike sat down
“I was –a sorry to hear about Rack….bad business the old…” (he made a gesture of using a hypodermic needle in his arm)
“Yeah” Spike said
“Tell me you don’t-a do that shit!” Carlo leant in towards Spike, who held his hands up
“Never touched it Carlo, honest – I’d probably be dead too if I had, knowing me”
“Good boy, you keep it that-a way! And here is the beautiful Buffy!” Both men grinned at her and Buffy’s cheeks went red
Carlo leaned towards her, took her hand in his and said earnestly,
“You wanna get rid of that Angel, is-a no good – you wanna fine-a man like Spike here – huh, yes, am I right – huh – I see the way he looks at you!” Carlo teased and Buffy felt herself go even redder!
There was a shout from the kitchen and Carlo said
“I better get back…no peace for-a the wicked…you come back-a soon Spike, and bring –a the lovely Buffy – I see yous – ciao bella!”
They both said goodbye and Buffy turned her attention to the food…
“Oh god this steak is to die for!”
“Tell me about it…”
ooOOoo
Angel could see the motorcycle parked under one of the big lot lights, but luckily there was a bush overgrowing above it that would give him some shadow to do what he wanted. He stood opposite the bike for ten minutes, almost hyperventilating, working up the courage to get the job done.
Seizing all his courage he quickly strode across to the bike and sat on the ground in the shadow. He got out the spanner and the wire cutters, and making sure he had his gloves on he followed the brake cable from the handlebar down to the front wheel lifting it away from the chrome bar he put the open wire cutters in place and squeezed.
Now either the wire cutters were more blunt than he thought, or maybe the cable was thicker but either way it wasn’t going to be easy…he squeezed hard with all his might, and it slipped so he had to start again, this time he placed them and used two hands to squeeze and he slipped again, his one wrist being at an awkward angle. Third time lucky Angel knelt down and – screwing up his eyes and biting his bottom lip till it drew blood, he placed the cutters on the cable again and squeezed with real brute force. Suddenly there was a sharp snap, and the cable was cut. Wiping sweat off his face with the back of his gloved hand Angel then loosened the wheel nuts on the back wheel, just leaving them finger tight…tugging the brake-cable he managed to tuck the cut end out of site like there was nothing wrong, and he stood. He still felt shaky and sick, he quickly made his way to the car and out off the lot. He got home and ran straight upstairs and threw up.
ooOOoo
“Aww, Xandy’ll love that Spike – you’re very good with him you know. I thought…well doesn’t matter now” Buffy said looking at the quality embroidery on the souvenir Spike had got for their work-mate
“Go on pet, say what you were going to say” Spike said as they went to the cash desk
“Well, as he’s, you know, the way he is, slow and that, I thought you’d be cruel about him, what with your reputation and that – just goes to show how wrong you can be about somebody, doesn’t it”
“Ah, he’s a good kid, not his fault he was oxygen starved at birth…is that it Kitten, we can check in when I’ve paid for these” ‘These’ being a dozen I Heart NY tee shirts, and a base-ball cap for Xandy.
ooOOoo
Angel didn’t bother to get undressed, he fell asleep on top of the bed, and now the alarm was going off. He sat up slowly, and wondered if he’d dreamt the whole thing. It was only when he saw the spanner and the wire cutters on the nightstand he knew what he’d done for real…and now he’d have to get rid of those tools…he’d dump them in the boating lake in the park, he’d do it on the way to work, there would be nobody around to see him do it…………………………………
ooOOoo
“Do you think we should go into work?” Buffy asked fastening her safety belt.
“No. They don’t know I up-graded us and we’ve had a decent sleep – I need to catch up at home anyway, laundry and stuff!” Spike said
“True…I could use some quality down time at home too – so you won’t come back to mine then?”
“I’d love to, but – hey how about if you come back to mine, we could get a take away and go over our new scripts”
“Tomorrow – can we do that tomorrow – like you I need to do laundry and that”
“Sure, bring your helmet into work tomorrow, we can go back to mine on the bike” Spike said
“Great…oh…ow…”
“What is it love?” Spike asked concerned
“Ear’s popping…always does on decent – ow!” Buffy put a finger to her ear and rubbed
“Swallow…um…here suck this sweetie, it helps” Spike quickly unwrapped the boiled candy sweet and Buffy sucked and swallowed to stop her ears popping as the plane came into land.
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