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Chapter 15 – Changed Lifestyles


“Come on, B! Please, just go with me tonight. Don’t make me beg.”

Buffy sighed as she finished clearing off one of the tables in the club.
“Faith, I already told you- I’m working! I know you’re off tonight, but
that doesn’t mean I can just drop a shift and go running off to a concert.”

‘Especially when it’s your ex’s comeback concert,’ she thought, nearly
dropping a glass when her hands began trembling.

“I can get Parker to let you go early,” Faith continued, not noticing
Buffy’s pale face.

“Why is this so important?” Buffy asked, turning toward the brunette. They
weren’t friends, they never had been, so she couldn’t help but wonder why
Faith would be so desperate for Buffy to join her that night.

“Okay,” Faith said with a sigh. “I’ll level with you. My brother won’t
give me my ticket unless I invite you.”

“No,” Buffy said, shaking her head as she walked toward the bar, dropping
her tray on the counter with a loud crack.

“Please, B,” she said with a soft look in her doe-brown eyes.

“Faith, we went on one date! I told him that there’s nothing between us, so
just tell him that I’m busy or seeing someone or…washing my hair! I don’t
care what you tell him, but I don’t want to go,” she finished with a shake
of her head as she wiped off the bar.

“Fine,” Faith replied with a heavy, exaggerated sigh. “I guess I’ll just go
and sit at home, all by myself on a Saturday night.”

Rolling her eyes, Buffy let her head fall to the hard surface before
admitting defeat. “Fine! I’ll go. But you make sure to let your brother
know that it’s not a date.”

“I will. I’ll handle everything, B! You don’t know how much I appreciate
this!”

* * * * *

Buffy looked in the mirror as she stood in the women’s restroom, surveying
her appearance. After getting the ‘okay’ from Parker, Faith had proceeded
to go home and bring some clothes for Buffy to change into. Or more
accurately a dress- if it could be called that. The backless halter dress
that she was wearing was much more revealing than she felt comfortable with,
held together with a strap around her neck and dipped low in the back…too
low for Buffy’s tastes. The neckline draped low, showing off her cleavage
and dropping even lower.

“I’m definitely going to fall out of this thing,” she muttered, turning to
look at her profile. “One way or another,” she finished, worrying her
bottom lip as she looked at the high slit that nearly extended up to her
hip, accentuating the already short skirt. She was definitely not in her
comfort zone. At least she could just watch the concert and go home. With
his throngs of adoring fans, she knew there was no chance she would be
seeing Spike tonight.

“B! Get your ass in gear! We’re going to be late.”

Exhaling sharply, Buffy fluffed her straightened hair and took a calming
breath. “Relax,” she murmured, closing her eyes to get a brief sense of
peace before walking out the door.

* * * * *

“Wow,” Ben said in quiet appreciation. “That was a great concert. Well
worth the wait since the lead guy was in rehab. What do you think, Buffy?”

She merely smiled at Faith’s brother, quickly distracted when Faith grabbed
her hand and began dragging her away from their seats.

“Faith, where are we going?” Buffy asked, slightly alarmed.

“Backstage passes,” Ben spoke up, matching strides with her.

“What?” Buffy asked in alarm. “No!” she cried, turning to Faith and seeing
that they were dangerously close to the area. “I-I don’t want to go back
there.”

“Why not?” Faith asked, turning around after handing the security guard
their passes. “You get to see a bunch of hotties and maybe get to flirt a
little bit.”

“Come on, Buffy,” Ben said, slipping his arm around her waist.

Still too stunned to push him away, Buffy allowed herself to be led through
the cramped area, resigning herself to the fact that she had offered Spike
her friendship and she would at least take a step in the right direction.

Seeing Angel in the distance talking to Riley and trying to get around the
adoring fans, Buffy relaxed. She could handle saying hello to some people
that she knew, and if one of those people happened to be Spike, so be it.

“Angel!” she called, slipping out of Ben’s grasp and making her way over to
the manager, waving when he turned around and offered her a smile.

“Hey, Buff!” he said, giving her a small hug when she approached. “How’ve
you been?”

“I’ve-”

“Angel, we’re…”

Buffy turned at the sound of the low whistle, smiling when she saw Gunn
standing behind her.

“Damn!” he said, taking in the dress, or lack thereof, that Buffy was
wearing. “Looking more fine than normal. Where’s my hello?” he asked with
a flirtatious grin.

Giving him a peck on the cheek, Buffy turned when she heard someone clearing
their throat behind her. Turning around, her eyes widened when she saw Ben
and Faith behind her. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, gesturing toward the two
people in front of her and quickly making introductions.

“Buffy,” Angel said, gently taking her arm and leading her a few steps away.
“Did you want to see Spike?”

“Umm…no…no, that’s okay,” she replied, shaking her head and offering a
forced smile.

“I think he’d want to see you,” he whispered.

“I’ve seen him, Angel,” she said softly. “It’s really…”

Buffy trailed off, hearing the familiar voice behind her.

“And if he still wants to see you?”

Turning around, she offered yet another forced smile when she saw Spike.
People were practically swarming around him as he maintained eye contact
with Buffy. She felt as if she was getting lost in his deep blue eyes and
she knew the feeling was reciprocated as she watched him slowly approach.

Jumping when she felt Ben’s hand on her hip, bringing her crashing back to
reality as she tore her gaze away from Spike’s, Buffy had time to see the
hurt look that crossed his face.

“You know him?” Ben asked.

“Yeah,” Buffy whispered, maneuvering her body away from his as Spike
approached. “Spike, this is Ben,” she said softly, biting her lip when Ben
held out his hand.

Spike merely raised an eyebrow at the hand, waiting until Ben dropped it.

“Your date?” Spike asked, tightening his jaw.

Buffy opened her mouth to respond, surprised when she heard Ben’s voice
instead.

“Yes.”

Preparing to correct him, she felt her stomach tighten when she watched
Faith manage to squeeze through the throngs of girls and practically plaster
herself to Spike’s side.

“Hi,” she purred. “I’m Faith.”

Narrowing his eyes on Buffy for a brief moment, he saw the jealousy flash
over her face before turning back to the brunette by his side. “Hello,
pet,” he said with a smile. “Friends of yours?” he asked, gesturing to
Buffy and Ben.

“Yeah,” Faith replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Party at my place tonight,” he said, shooting a glance at Buffy and seeing
her flinch at the mention of another party. “A welcome back of sorts. Care
to come?”

“Yeah,” Faith and Ben replied simultaneously.

“Great,” he said with a smile, his eyes clashing with Buffy’s. “Check with
Angel and he’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

Watching the brunette’s depart, Spike easily broke away from the crowd after
motioning to the security guards, grabbing Buffy loosely by her arm and
leading her to a more secluded area.

“What the hell are you trying to pull?” she asked angrily, jerking her arm
out of his grasp.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, pet,” he replied with an innocent
look.

“Are you just jumping back into the lifestyle, Spike?” she asked, crossing
her arms over her chest. “The women, the alcohol, the drugs? Was it all
just a publicity stunt- go into rehab and pretend to start a new life?”

“No,” he said in a low voice, tilting his head to study her for a moment.
“Do you really think I would go through everything- the pain, the
withdrawals- just to start it all over again?”

“I don’t know,” Buffy whispered.

Glancing over his shoulder at the other man, Spike took a deep breath before
turning back to Buffy. “Are you really telling me you’re happy with that
pillock?”

Briefly looking at Ben, Buffy took a deep breath before turning back to Spike. “I’m never happy,” she admitted, seeing her pain reflected in his eyes.

“You could be,” he murmured, tenderly brushing her hair off her shoulder.

“With you?” she asked skeptically.

“With me,” he replied with a nod before his voice dropped to a low,
seductive tone. “You look amazing.” When she didn’t say anything, he
gently tilted her head up, looking into her eyes. “Come over tonight.”

“What?”

“I want to prove it to you…I want you to see that I’m not the same guy I
used to be.”

“I’ll be there,” she said softly. “But only because I have a feeling that I
won’t have a ride home until I get dragged over there.”

“I’ve changed, Buffy,” he said in an earnest tone.

Avoiding his eyes, she slowly began backing away from him. “I’ll believe it
when I see it.”





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