Chapter thirty-nine
She smirked at him, “Dinner huh?”
He grinned at her, “Yup.”
That sounded funny coming from him and she giggled again. She batted her eyes at him coquettishly, “What time shall I be ready?” she joked.
“How bout after work little lady?” he said in his best southern accent.
“You can come by and pick me up at my office,” she said and slapped his hand away from the carrots playfully so she could grab one. At the last minute, deciding to get him back for earlier when he had his hand up her skirt, she dunked the carrot into the ranch dressing and made a big show of sucking the dressing off, sliding it in and out of her mouth and closing her eyes as if it were the best thing she’d ever had in her mouth.
“Buffy,” William moaned as if in pain.
“Buffy, I know you’re a ‘woman’ now and all, but a father does not need to see his daughter doing that with a vegetable.”
Buffy’s eyes flew open to find her dad standing there. God, that wasn’t mortifying or anything. She heard William snicker beside her and she elbowed him.
“Hi Daddy, how do you like your party?” she asked, trying to will her blushing away but to no avail.
Hank grinned, “I love it. Were you behind this?”
“Not at all. Well, I got the banner, but it was all Lindsey and Lilah.”
“Well thank you pumpkin,” Hank said and kissed her cheek. He turned to William and stuck out his hand, “Madden, good to see you as always.”
“Same here Summers,” William said, feigning professionalism while all the while grinning like a chesire cat and shaking Hank’s hand enthusiastically.
“I hate to break this party up and all, but I’ve got some clients that are waiting quite impatiently for me to get back to them,” Hank told them, “How do I graciously get out of this one?” he whispered.
Buffy giggled, “Daddy, you’re a big time attorney and you can’t handle simple social grace?”
Hank shrugged, “No shame in asking for help. Right William?”
William nodded, “Right, Hank.”
Buffy gave them both odd looks before answering her father. “I think you should make a speech about how grateful and touched you are for this little shindig and then make a joke about you have clients impatiently waiting for you that you must get back to.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do,” Hank smiled and sauntered off.
“Your father has changed a lot,” William mused.
“You mean since the heart attack?”
“No, not just since then, but maybe I’ve noticed it more since then. It’s been a slow change, but sped up since the heart attack. He’s much softer than he used to be. The man I knew was too proud to ask for help and didn’t rely on anyone. I see him more and more now giving some of that power away. Your relationship with him has changed, hasn’t it?”
Buffy nodded, “Sure has.”
“And with your Mum? Despite the affair--?”
“Well, she had it first.”
“Oh God, we have lots to talk about.” He grinned down at her and slung an arm across her shoulders. “Come on kitten, the sooner we get some work done, the sooner we can play.”
**************************
It might have seemed odd to some, in fact, he even considered how odd it was, but while he wanted Buffy back in every capacity – wanting all of her, he was having fun. This was the best ‘break up’ he’d ever had.
He had had the idea of introducing a bit of dating to the table, the kind of going out to dinner and ‘hanging out’ they used to do before they consummated their relationship. There was innocence and fun flirting with them back then and he wanted to bring that back to remind Buffy how much they’d had and would continue to have together.
Somehow, things had skewed a bit and they’d gone off course and William wanted to get it back on track. He couldn’t immediately introduce the dating aspect because knowing his girl; she would have been suspicious and put him off. So, with some flirting and carefully placed innuendo – and oh man, having Fred around was a perk he hadn’t bet on – he’d managed to get her to go out with him. She was so close he could feel it. And he knew she wasn’t aware of it, but her confidence in herself was back. Buffy flirted and teased before, but not to the extent she had been as of late. There was a sexy, saucy edge to her lately that was driving him completely wild.
The saucy minx had played with him; trying to make him jealous thinking something was happening with Lindsey. He knew she wasn’t interested in Lindsey, he knew she was just pushing his buttons – and it worked. Oh boy did it work! Just the thought of any man coming on to Buffy had his blood boiling. She might not be ready to see it or admit it, but she was just as much his as he was hers. And it wasn’t her that he didn’t trust. It was everyone else he didn’t trust. He knew she was quite oblivious to when men were checking her out, but he wasn’t.
But Fred, oh Fred, she had helped bring this side out in Buffy. She was jealous and trying not to show it, though it showed in every glance Buffy threw Fred’s way, in every heated glare she rested on him when she caught them talking.
He wondered how long it’d be before Buffy figured out that the only man Fred was interested in romantically was Wesley. Wesley and Fred had undeniable chemistry just standing next to each other and saying nothing. If Buffy would open her eyes a little more and give Fred half a chance, she’d see it.
He grinned thinking if he mentioned to Buffy that she was acting like Dru, that’d snap her out of her unneeded jealousy. The look on her face alone would be priceless.
Coming to her office to ‘pick her up’, he noted with satisfaction and joy the bright smile she bestowed on him when she found him standing there, leaning against the door frame. “Hello, pet.”
“Hello, William,” she said with a playful lilt to her voice. “Just finishing up here,” she told him, clipping some papers in a file.
“Take your time, I like watching you work.”
She gave him a funny look.
He grinned and strolled into the room, plopping himself in a chair leisurely, watching her. “But I like watching you do anything.”
“Well, no, that’s not true. You hate it when I crack my back.”
He made a face, “That’s just gross.”
“Like I like it when you crack your neck!”
“You crack yours!”
“Yeah, but we’ve been over this William.” She pointed at him, “Gross,” and then she pointed at herself, “Not gross.”
He laughed and she laughed along with him. “Okay, I’m ready Mr. Madden,” she told him and grabbed her coat.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait.”
She froze, “What?”
He came round the desk and took her coat holding it out for her to slip into.
“Suck up,” she teased him, slipping into her coat.
“Maybe, but I really wanted an excuse to do this,” he told her as he swept her long hair aside and nuzzled her neck from behind. He delighted in the shiver that went through her as well as the sound of her breath hitching. He forced himself to break away after kissing the back of her neck quickly, though what he wanted to do was bend her over her over the desk and take her.
Coming around to her side he held out his arm for her to take. “Mi’lady.”
She grinned up at him and took his arm, surprising him by briefly resting her head on his shoulder as they made their way out.
***********
“Wow,” William said when Buffy had finished telling him all about Hank and Joyce.
“I know.”
“And how do you feel about it all?”
She frowned and moved the food around on her plate. “I’m stunned. I never would have guessed my Mom, ya know? I feel so bad for my Dad too. I’ve been kind of avoiding talking to her about it. Though at the same time, it’s not my place to, either is it? I mean, it’s their life and their decision.”
William grinned, “Doesn’t stop them from invading your life though does it, even though it’s your life.”
“True,” she laughed airily. “What do you think?”
“I’m with you on them being adults and as adults making their own decisions. However, you’re at the age now Buffy where you can sit down and have a frank discussion with your parents if something is bothering you. I’m not saying go in there and start flinging accusations and placing blame, but just having a chat about it. You don’t have to know every intimate detail about what’s happening, but maybe by opening up the lines of communication you’ll be able to better understand what’s happening and not feel so . . . “
“So . . . blech about it?” she grinned.
“Exactly.”
“You know, I had a feeling that’s what you’d say.”
He smiled, “You just wanted to hear me say it then?”
“Well yeah.”
He nodded, taking a sip of wine. “Sometimes it helps to have another perspective. Makes you feel not so alone. Gives you the sense that you’re not alone.” He sat back, relaxed. “And you’re definitely not alone.”
She smiled shyly at him, “I know.”
“So maybe that’s why Hank’s been changing so much.”
She cocked her head to the side in question.
“Well,” he began, “He’s had to see that taking things on by himself and not communicating with Joyce led to problems. He took for granted she’d always be there to support him. He forgot that he needs to support her and their marriage too. It’s a two way street.”
She seemed to ponder that for a while in silence, eating her dinner and sipping her water. “Will?” she said after a while.
“Yeah?”
“You’re not . . . I mean, you and Fred are just . . .?”
He leaned forward, looking directly in her eyes. “What do you think?”
She stared at him for a long time, right in the eye. In the past, she’d look away from him quickly, not being able to meet his gaze for very long, but right here, she held it, didn’t move from it. Then, she sat back.
“I know,” she finally said.
“Sure?”
She nodded, “Yes. Positive. I trust you.”
He smiled, “And I trust you.”
She rolled her eyes, “Let’s not go there again.”
He chuckled, “Tell me more about what’s going on sweetheart.”
“Only if you promise to catch me up on all the crap TV I’ve been missing.”
“Deal.”