Sunday Morning
William's alarm went off at nine, and he lay awake, already nervous about the rest of day. Olivia had arranged for him to meet Buffy Summers today for brunch as a casual way to start things off–to get a feel for one another, so to speak. He'd been relatively sober since Thursday, if you didn't count the half bottle scotch he'd drunk that night, along with the case of beer and the almost fifth of Stoley's he'd gone through since Friday evening.
Olivia picked him up first thing Saturday morning. She'd said he needed to furnish the third bedroom. He used the smallest one for his office, but since Buffy was moving in, she would need a place to sleep and put her things. They bought a mattress first then went furniture shopping at the same store Olivia had picked to furnish his apartment when he'd first moved in. It was a vintage and mid century modern place, and he found a 1950's dresser, chest of drawers, and two nightstands for the bedroom, as well a small desk, and chair for Buffy to go in his office, all at great bargain.
Olivia said the deep honeyed tones of the bedroom furniture would look great in the pale green room, and she also chose two small lamps for the nightstands. They had a quick bite of lunch then stopped to buy linens for the bed. Those, William just let Olivia choose.
Their last stop was Whole Foods, to buy groceries for the week. She'd surveyed the cupboards when she arrived and, appalled at the lack of food, said there was no way the two of them could live on take-away. When they arrived back at his apartment it was after six, and he was worn out. They brought everything up, and he assured Olivia he would take care of it, but she insisted on staying until things were put away. The mattress and the furniture would be delivered on Monday, so making up the bedroom would have to wait.
She finally left, but not before getting his promise to be at her house at ten forty-five the next morning. He really loved his Aunt Liv, but Jesus, she was persistent sometimes. She finally left, and he could drink and smoke in peace.
William had a slight headache when he awoke, but he'd definitely had worse. He got up and threw on a pair of pajama bottoms before making his way to the kitchen. He seriously thought about making a Bloody Mary, but decided it wise not to push his luck and instead, settled on a piece of Weetabix in milk and a cup of coffee.
After his quick bite he took a shower and shaved. While brushing his teeth, he noticed his eyes were bloodshot, so he administered some drops to remove the redness.
He quickly dressed in jeans and an old Buzzcocks t-shirt, noticing he had to cinch his belt an extra notch. He then went in search of clean socks and a pair of shoes. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done laundry, and all his shoes seemed to be missing. They were usually wherever he took them off, but he forgot the cleaning people had been there. He looked in his closet, and there they were, all in neat rows, dress to casual. He really wanted to go for the grotty pair of Converses in the corner, but he settled on a nice pair of brown leather impose shoes. Above the shoes hung all his jackets, likewise organized, and he picked out the most likely candidate and slipped it on. He grabbed his wallet and keys and hurried out the door with enough time to stop for some flowers.
Buffy had just finished drying her hair and applying her make-up. She surveyed the clothing on her bed, one hand on her hip, the other poised on her chin, her brow furrowed as she focused. She felt as though she'd just been asked to solve some critical mathematical theorem. She needed to leave in the next ten minutes, and she had yet to choose an outfit. She quickly settled on a steel blue, brushed silk tank dress, gathered at the waist with a swingy, handkerchief skirt that hit her knees. Small silver hoop earrings and silver braided thong sandals completed the outfit. One last look in the mirror, and she was on her way. She arrived at the T station and purchased her ticket for the red line to Cambridge. Thankfully, it was a straight shot, and she wouldn't have to change trains. She'd lived in Boston for four years now and still wasn't quite sure why the area's light rail and subway system was referred to as the T. That was just one of the many little quirks of the Boston area that she'd come love.
William rang the bell at ten forty-five on the dot. Giles greeted him.
"Oh, William, gerbera daisies. My favorite. How thoughtful of you to remember." Rupert grinned and reached to take the flowers. "Olivia will be so jealous."
William rolled his eyes and kept walking toward the kitchen. "Ha, bloody, ha. Bugger off, you fucking knobhead."
"William, tsk, tsk, such language," Rupert said with feigned surprise.
"Yeah, and who do you suppose were the blokes who taught me such filth?" he asked snidely.
"Surely, you're not suggesting your father and I corrupted you in your youth?"
"Nope. Primary school's more like it. Thanks to you two, I became a connoisseur of every soap on the market."
Rupert looked flustered, and William delighted in his discomfort.
Just then Olivia came in the kitchen. "William, what a lovely bouquet. You know they're my favorite," she said taking the colorful flowers from him and enveloping him in a hug. "What are you two arguing about?" She looked from one to the other, her mouth set in thin line.
Rupert cleared his throat. "It's nothing, darling."
Olivia looked between the two and didn't seem convinced.
William slapped Rupert on the back a little to soundly. "Yep, nothing to worry about. We were just having a bit of fun. Talking about old times. Eh, Rupes?" He stepped away from Rupert and moved further into the kitchen. "Everything smells delicious as usual. When's the girl—what's her name again?—arriving?"
"Her name is Buffy, and she should be here any minute." Olivia said as she arranged the flowers in a vase. "Please try to remember her name. We should make her feel as welcome and relaxed as possible. Remember, she'll be the only one here who doesn't know everyone."
She eyed both men as if to say they had better do as she said, or else.
Buffy bit her lip and straightened the imaginary wrinkles in her dress a few times before ringing the bell. She tried to rehearse conversations in head on the ride over, but everything sounded stilted. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and waited.
In a moment the door opened, and a beautiful woman with a perfect English accent greeted her.
"You must be Buffy. I'm Olivia Giles. Please come in." Olivia put her arm around Buffy's shoulders and ushered her through the door. "May I take your bag?"
"Yes, please. You have such a lovely home. Thank you for having me."
Buffy took in her surroundings. The walls were a rich blue, and the rooms on either side of the entryway seemed to be decorated in English antiques and Persian rugs. She saw the dining table was already set.
"I hope I'm not late," she said, frowning slightly. "I had to take the T, then a cab to get here."
Olivia put Buffy's bag in the hall closet. "No, of course not. You're just fine. I'm glad you like the house. Rupert and I searched forever until we found a place that felt like home. Come on, everyone's in the kitchen."
Buffy followed her down the hallway and into the open kitchen. She liked Olivia already. She was warm and friendly. Buffy hoped she would get the chance to know her better.
"Excuse me, boys," Olivia said. "Buffy's arrived. Buffy, you already know Rupert, and this is William."
Buffy hoped she didn't audibly gulp. She wasn't generally the type of girl who went ga-ga over a man's looks, but he was beyond handsome. Tousled honey-blond curls emphasized his pale, angular features, and his eyes were the same color as her dress. Knowing he had the brains to go along with the looks made the package all the more alluring.
Wait! Hold on the phone! This is your new boss. Put a lid on the sexy thoughts.
Buffy stepped forward and offered her hand. "Hi, I'm Buffy Summers. It's a pleasure to meet you."
William looked at her and smiled. Buffy felt as though his eyes were boring into her. He lingered a bit before taking her hand.
"The pleasure's all mine, Buffy. I'm William Elliston. I'm looking forward to working with you."
He kept eye contact with her until Buffy looked down. "Yes, I'm looking forward to it too. I'm hoping you can give me a clearer picture of what I'll be doing. Dr. Giles was a little vague."
He cleared his throat and said, "Yes, well ambiguity is one of Rupes' many talents."
Buffy didn't quite know how to respond to that statement and thankfully, Olivia called everyone into the dining room for brunch just at that moment. They all went inside, and Buffy noticed the head of the table had not been set. Olivia ushered her to her seat, then sat beside her and Dr. Giles and Mr. Elliston sat across from them.
Olivia passed the asparagus to Rupert, then to her and asked, "Buffy, where are you originally from?"
Buffy took a moment to swallow. "Oh, I'm originally from California. I came to Lexington on scholarship. I really love it here, and I don't think I could go back. I know you're from London, but how long have you been in Cambridge?"
Olivia tilted her head as if to think a moment. "Ah, let's see, I believe we'll have been here ten years in August. Isn't that right, Rupert?" She looked to him for confirmation.
"Yes, dear you're quite right. It doesn't seem that long ago, but I guess it has been."
Buffy noticed William shoot him a disdainful look. "Mr. Elliston, how long have you been here?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy, please call me William. I hate that mister nonsense. It's so priggish, and I can't be that much older than you." He grinned and shot a glance at Rupert. "I've been here about eight months," he said, with a bit a sigh after the last word, sounding less than thrilled.
Buffy decided to try and lighten things up. "Well, I'm sure it must be exciting to have just moved to a new country, and I'll be there on Monday to help you get everything organized."
Olivia spoke before anyone else could. "Buffy, William and I went out yesterday and got everything you'll need. All you'll have to do is bring your laptop and personal items. We even went grocery shopping. Don't let William fool you. He's a great cook."
Buffy laughed nervously, her fork poised over a piece of ham, then said, "I'm no gourmand, but I know my way around the kitchen, so we shouldn't starve. Thanks for taking care of that." She looked to William, whom she found already had his eyes trained on her. "I was wondering what time you would like me to be there tomorrow."
He chewed his bottom lip and tilted his head. "The furniture is being delivered first thing, so why don't we say eleven. I'm sorry if Aunt Liv gave you the impression I expect you to cook for me. I need an assistant, not a bloody housekeeper, pet." He smirked at her, took a sip of his iced tea, and went back to his meal.
"William, if you'd like, I could come over in the morning and help you get everything set up." Olivia's voice was kind and reassuring.
William raised his head and smiled at her, his eyes shone with gratitude. "Thank you, Aunt Liv. You're a star. Are you sure it's no trouble? I feel like you've already done so much."
"Of course not, love. I'm more than happy to," she said, her voice filled with reassurance. "Rupert, your not going to need the car in the morning are you? You've been awfully quiet."
Rupert set down his fork and raised his head. "No, I won't be needing the car. I'm sorry I haven't been very verbose. I just haven't felt I had anything to contribute to the conversation."
Olivia reached over and put her hand on his arm. "Nonsense, Rupert. Buffy was your T.A. last semester. I'm sure you could tell William what an asset she was to you."
Rupert cleared his throat and looked around the table. "Ah, yes, well, of course. Forgive me, Buffy. I've forgotten my manners."
Buffy gave him a weak smile and fidgeted with her napkin. "No, please, you're fine."
Rupert set his napkin on the table. "No, I've been terribly rude. William should know how invaluable you were to me last semester. You were always punctual, insightful, diligent, and industrious. You have an uncanny knack for seeing beneath the façade and getting to the heart of the matter. Your organizational and administration skills are bar none, and your technological skills make me appear a Luddite. William is very fortunate to have you coming to work for him."
Buffy felt her cheeks burn and she wished she could crawl underneath the table. She knew she had the job, but the little speech made her feel like he was trying to sell someone on a new car.
"Well, that's a ringing endorsement if ever I've heard one. I've never heard such approbation for anyone from Rupes. I'm looking forward to working with you."
"Um, well, thanks. Same here," Buffy said, trying not to sound uncomfortable.
His tone had been light, but she detected an edge of bitterness in his voice. She wondered if she'd gotten herself into something she had no business being a part of, and she still didn't have a clear definition of her duties.
Buffy hoped she'd have to the chance to speak with William alone after brunch. She needed a clear definition of her responsibilities, as well other things, like time off, an exact salary amount and how it would be allotted. She wanted to do her best for this man, especially after the Buffy praise-o-palooza she'd just sat through.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to Abby for the wonderful beta and to Minx Delovely for her support and her final check to make sure nothing was amiss. Thanks to all of you who've read and reviewed. You are making me an incredibly happy woman! I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter End Notes:
Please feel free to let me know what you thought.