40. More Invitations
On the outskirts of town, another couple as also arguing about the same party. This time it was two women, and although it was starting to get cool, they were discussing the situation outside, in older woman’s garden.
“I think you should come with me Willow,” Tara said for the second time. “I think you’d like William Thorndale if you got to know him. You might even enjoy yourself. We really should make an effort to get out more.”
“With all those stuffed shirts?” Willow wasn’t going to be easily convinced, it didn’t sound like her type of event at all. She’d much rather spend an evening at the Bronze, or home alone with Tara. “I don’t think that I’m a black tie kind of girl.”
Tara smiled shyly. Willow was still so cute that sometimes Tara thought she couldn’t stand it. Together, the two of them had each helped the other to be more outgoing.
“Well, you never thought you’d be a girl’s kind of girl either,” she teased, taking the red-head’s hand in her own, “and look how that turned out.”
To some extent at least, Thorndale’s party had been Tara’s idea. Ever the matchmaker, she hoped that it would help Buffy and Spike get comfortable with one another again. Tara had made certain that Buffy had spoken to Spike directly about the possible threat from Riley. She hoped that would be another part of the cement that might some day glue the couple back together. No matter what had happened between them in the past, Tara firmly believed that Buffy and Spike had a future together.
Much like herself and Willow. She couldn’t believe that her new, almost official girlfriend, was saying that she didn’t want to go to the event that Tara had helped plan.
It was almost as frustrating as the fact that Giles had made very little progress determining just who had requested that Thorndale should be investigated, or who might be trying to have him framed. Tara tried not to blame her friend Willow for the fact that Giles had made even less progress on his promise to Spike to use the Agency’s resources to try to determine Dawn’s father. At the request of Giles and Tara, Willow had run the search several times, with no possible matches. Try as Tara might, the universe refused to be shaped to her desires.
Of course, both investigations were still on-going, so Tara tried to be grateful that Giles had at least honored the part of the bargain that he could, and finally closed the investigation into Thorndale’s affairs. As far as she was concerned, that in itself was worthy of a celebration.
“Yeah, about that,” said Willow, reddening. “What if they find out? I mean, Buffy still thinks I’m all mopey over Oz leaving. And…and frankly I think she’d be rather shocked.”
They had talked about this before. Tara couldn’t really understand what Willow was so worried about. If the people she thought were her friends really were her friends, then they would accept her, whatever lifestyle choices she made. Tara had tried to give Willow time to adjust, but even her legendary patience was wearing thin. “She has to find out sooner or later, Willow. I don’t really think that we can hide our relationship much longer. I mean, not with all this talk of you moving in with me.”
“Couldn’t we tell them we’re just sort of roommates or something? I mean, this coming out of the closet stuff is a big step, and I’m just not sure that I’m ready to make it yet.” Tara thought that Willow worried too much about what her friends thought, but she wasn’t going to push the younger girl.
“That’s okay, sweetie,” Tara agreed. She knew that her friend wasn’t ready to commit to the true nature of their relationship choices just yet. After all it wasn’t a relationship that she had sought out or had expected. It was just something that had kind of happened. As the two of them had become good friends, they became more than that.
Compromise was usually a good strategy, so Tara decided to go with that. If it needed to be fought, there would be plenty of time later to fight this particular battle.
“We can just go to the party together as friends. We don’t have to let on that there’s anything else to our relationship. Girlfriends… I mean friends who happen to be girls, go to parties together all the time. Besides, I think that Buffy could use your support. Anya told me that Xander refuses to go, and she agreed to stay home with him to avoid further trouble. But Buffy is feeling awkward enough about considering starting up a friendship with Spike again, so I think it would mean a real lot to her that we both attend. It would show that we support them both. Separately, or together.”
“I guess,” Willow acquiesced, “You really do think he’s one of the good guys, don’t you?”
“Totally.” Of that one fact Tara was quite sure. Whatever else might have happened in the past, she knew without doubt that William Thorndale’s heart was in the right place. It was that mysterious past that made people nervous. And what had happened with Drusilla had taken a long time for him to get over. No, it would be foolish to deny that bad things had happened. And they had helped to shape the man that he was today.
She tried to explain her feelings to Willow. “I mean, I know that some really awful stuff did happen in the past. Despite the appearance of success, Spike has not had an easy or trouble free life. He’d be the last person to deny that. And I suppose that he has done some questionable things, but he would never hurt anyone he loves. And he loves Buffy, even if he hasn’t said so in so many words.”
“Really?” This was news to Willow. “And what’s Buffy’s take on this whole thing, oh marvelous Houdini?” From Willow’s point of view, Buffy was first and foremost Willow’s friend, not Tara’s. Willow didn’t like the idea that Tara might know more about Buffy’s feelings than she did.
“Well, aside from the fact that Houdini was really an escape artist and not a fortune teller, I think she’s in love with him too,” Tara explained. “She’s just scared. She hasn’t had the best luck with men either, so even leaving out all the work complications, it was already destined to be a pretty tough situation.”
“Huh. Do you think any body really has good luck with men?”
“Of course not. That’s why we’re together,” Tara joked. “You do know that’s not true, don’t you? I would pick you whether you were male, female, or from the planet Ork. You are the best thing to ever happen to me Willow Rosenberg. Even if you do want to keep me as your big dark secret.”
Willow wasn’t quite sure how to react to that. Not that she didn’t totally feel the same way. But still, the relationship was still so new, it was hard to say that Tara was “the best thing ever.” I mean sure, she wanted her to be, but that couldn’t really happen until they had let all their friends know about their relationship. Maybe Tara had a point.
Ignoring the subtle probe, Willow returned to the main point of the conversation. Just how had they gotten so off topic anyway? “So, you really think the party will be fun? It won’t be full of evil nerds who terrorize unescorted females trying to pick them up, only to seduce and abandon them?”
“Of course not. And if there are, you can practice shooting them down. You’ll love Spike’s house if nothing else. We can run around placing fig leaves over all the naked male statues.”
“There’s naked statues?” Willow was intrigued. She had heard Buffy talk about how wealthy Spike was, but she couldn’t really imagine what his house must be like.
“Not really,” Tara admitted, smiling. Willow was such fun to tease. “But the house kinda gives you the impression that there might be. I will personally guarantee that you will have a great time, or I promise to drive you home myself and make it up to you. I’ll put that in writing if you want.”
“Umm,” Willow pretended to consider. “Is that a guarantee backed by a promissory note?” Willow queried, finally giving in to Tara’s silly mood. “Or do you have other collateral, Ms. McClay?”
“How about a kiss? Is that enough collateral for you Ms. Rosenberg?”
“I’m not sure, maybe I need another one. Just to be sure, so long as that is not a problem? I mean, you won’t be running out of kisses any time soon, will you? It might permanently damage your credit rating if that was the case.”
“Really?” Tara feigned innocent doe eyes as she undid the top button of her blouse. “It’s awfully hot in here, Mr. Loan officer. Are you sure that there isn’t any way that I can guarantee this promissory note?”
“I’m sure that the bank will come up with something, Ms. McClay. As long as you keep your account here with us, that is. There is to be absolutely no banking anywhere else.”
“Not really a problem,” Tara whispered as she kissed her lover.
~*~
That same night, yet another couple was having a discussion.
“We’ve got a problem. We need to talk.” The voice on the cell phone was thin and tinny, but Glory could tell right away who it was.
“Just talk?” Glory’s voice was studiously seductive on the phone. It was the one talent she had that wasn’t getting old. But she always needed to be careful when talking to this particular gentleman caller. He was a dangerous man, and she never forgot that, not for an instant.
She refused to ever give him the impression that she was as interested in seeing him as he was in seeing her. She always put him off as long as possible. Would never let him know that she waited for him to come to her. Despite how she might feel about their arrangement, there was no way she would ever allow him to get the upper hand.
“Well, probably not.” Glory could hear his grin through the speaker as he admitted it. “But it’s important. You’ll want to meet soon.”
“Its always important – to you.” Two times out of three she turned him down, refused to see him. That’s what kept him asking.
“This is different. This is important to you,” the voice claimed.
“How so?” She was bored with conversation, and began rearranging the pillows on her bed. It was becoming obvious to her that this wasn’t one of those time when she could afford to invite him upstairs. He always tried to push her to do things on his time frame rather than hers. It was a game that they played, each trying to maintain the position of power.
“It’s about Dawn.”
“Dawn?” That somewhat sparked her ennui. “What’s that brat done now? I thought she was finally properly situated. Learning her trade, as it were.”
“Yes, I knew you thought that.”
That got her attention. “You implying that it isn’t so?”
“I’m not implying anything. He’s been sending her to school – St. Cecelia’s.”
She immediately misunderstood. “Oooh, just think of those little school girl uniforms. He must love it. I bet she’s making a tidy profit on schoolboys on the side too. How remarkably entrepreneurial of her.”
“It’s not like that,” the caller informed her. “It’s an all girl’s school. She pulling down A’s.”
“Well,” Glory huffed, refusing to be impressed. Let her irritating daughter could do as she pleases, as long as Glory was getting her cut. “As long as she’s pulling down her panties for her homework, I suppose that I don’t care.”
“That’s just it, she’s not. It’s not like that at all.”
“What do you mean?” Really, that the man would pretend to know more about her personal business than she did, it was insufferable. He needed to be taken down a peg or two. “I talk to Dawn every week. I know exactly what’s been going on. I’ve made her describe it to me in full detail, because I wanted to be sure that he was covering all the basics. I wanted to know what he’s been teaching her. I get a complete report.”
“No doubt you enjoyed hearing her tell you all about too,” he laughed. “But it’s all been lies. They’re deceiving you, Glory. Laughing behind your back.”
“That’s impossible,” she huffed, getting angry now and pulling out the red fringe on the pillow sham. “The money’s good. Believe me, I’d have known long before now if there was any problem on that end.”
“I never said he wasn’t paying for her.” The voice on the other end of the line was starting to get impatient. That usually wasn’t a good sign. “I said he hasn’t been using her. At all.”
“How can you possibly know that?” Glory still didn’t believe him. How could the man possibly know that? She said as much. “You can’t know that. Besides, that’s a lot of money to throw away for nothing. Why would a man do that?”
“I’m not sure why, but I know it’s true. I have a man in the house.”
“You always have a man somewhere,” she groused. Then thought about it some more, “Actually in the house?”
“Yes.”
“Well, he could be wrong.”
“He’s not. He does surveillance. Including Thorndale’s bedroom.”
“It could have happened elsewhere.”
“It didn’t.”
“How do you know?”
“If you don’t believe me, I have it on tape, right out of the girl’s mouth. She outright admitted that she’s still a virgin. I believe her.”
“So, when do you want to meet?” Finally, Glory was taking him seriously. Really, she ought to have known by now that he was never wrong about intelligence matters.
“Now,” he smirked. “I’m downstairs.”
“Well, then, come up.”
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