Spike sat down at a booth against the wall enjoying the seclusion from the other attendees of the gentlemen’s club. At the instant of sitting down, a woman that was well endowed in the upper chest area walked up to Spike’s booth, requesting to take his order. He noticed the way she eyed him through her long eyelashes that had far too much mascara on them. She gave him a small flirty smile, but he ignored it and went on to order a full bottle of whiskey and one glass.
The waitress leant against the table obviously trying to get his full attention. However the bleached vamp didn’t seem that much interested, even when she leant forward on his table, making a show of lighting the little candle that was placed in the middle of the table. Still not even feigning interest, she walked off with a huff, deciding to give up and keep a little dignity.
Spike sat back, placing both arms on the back of the booth, looking over the club’s surrounding. He had come to this place for a reason. It wasn’t to take in the lovely view of the dancers. But instead he had followed the scent he had picked up after his meeting after Clem. He was hunting her down. The petite one he had mowed down. So far this was where the scent had ended. But as he had walked into the club it was lost in the chaos of people sitting at tables and everyone’s particular perfume.
Suddenly Spike caught a whiff and a feeling of something. Power. And a lot of it. And equivalent to someone of his placement. He looked around trying to target and identify who in this place was exulting so much power.
He had gotten this much of a slam from the slip of a girl he had run down thirty minutes earlier. It didn’t go unnoticed by Spike that the little blonde girl was a real beauty either. Would have taken her as a meal or temporary bed warmer but he was already hurrying to meet with Clem before he headed to this place known as Elegant Secrets.
Spike ignored the dancers on the stage that were doing provocative moves in order to draw in more tips. He continued to let his eyes wander to the bar they back tracked when he spotted a flutter of blonde from the corner of his eyes. Staring across the whole club he spotted her. His little blonde girl mixing drinks behind the bar.
In that moment his assumptions of her job as a stripper had went to mush as he watched her. He stuffed his hand into her pocket to produce a small plain zippo lighter and a pack of cigarettes. The whole time he never took his eyes from the blonde bartender as he lit his cigarettes.
She moved behind the bar as if it were hers. By the way she acted he wouldn’t doubt it, that and the amount of energy her aura was giving her. Her hair that had once been down was now put up in a clip; a few loose strands framed her angelic face. She moved with grace, spinning as she got drinks and dodged the male that worked with her.
Out of nowhere the waitress came back and chose to stand in his direct view of the girl he had been tracking. Gone was the beauty and replaced it with the black cotton fabric of the waitresses’ top. She placed the full bottle and single glass down in front of him.
The demon growled in a primal manner. Spike became taken aback at how his animalistic side was re-acting for this blonde girl.
He tried to ignore which was a lot easier than the feeling of content that Spike had felt when he actually had touched her earlier in that alley.
Giving the waitress a small tip for now, Spike unscrewed the cap of his whiskey bottle and poured out his first glass. Looking up to take another peak at the bar, Spike’s demon was only left to react further. His bartender stood talking to an oaf, ‘all-American-boy’ that was sitting at the bar. And it was clear it wasn’t over drink orders.
The upside was her expression clearly screamed uninterested. A primal feeling of territory came over him and the animalistic side of Spike wanted to rip the ponce’s head off. Especially when the boy reached out to sweep the girls hair back.
Spike tried to take the reigns back over his demon side. This girl was just a meal, or at least that’s the reasoning the vampire tried to tell himself. Downing the first glass he peered up at the waitress who still stood nearby his booth.
“Willing to do me a favor, luv?” Spike asked turning the charming smile to the waitress but keeping his eyes on the bartender.
Buffy stepped out of the cellar dropping the crate under one of the cabinets, she bent low to open it and take out the bottles she needed to restock.
Riley had been sitting there ever since she had arrived at work, trying to make small talk. Buffy had played nice and listened only because Jack would say ‘You treat every customer with respect’.
Buffy grumbled as she pulled out a new bottle of whiskey. Who the hell bought whiskey for one? Buffy asked herself. One of the cocktail waitresses’ had come up saying some hottie in the corner booth had ordered one whole bottle of whiskey for him.
It was clear to Buffy whoever the person was, had wanted to get drunk and possibly down in their sorrows to feel sorry for whatever has gone with them or what they’ve done. Go to a bar for that shit...
Getting drunk at a gentlemen’s club because you were too depressed was one of the top of the list things that Buffy found idiotic. Most people when they got drunk got stupid and most stupid people thought they could touch anything they wanted. Which was against one of the top ‘no-no’ rules of Elegant Secrets.
“So Buffy did you always live here in Sunnydale?” Riley asked the blonde slayer.
Buffy shook her head. A customer called for a pint of beer on tap. “Nope”
Riley watched her pour a drink before walking towards the customer. When she came back he asked his next question. “When did you move here?”
To Buffy it was obvious Riley was trying to get to know her. It wasn’t like she wasn’t in the mood to talk. Just ever since her life had taken tragic twists and turns Buffy had to think about it, let alone talk about it.
“My sophomore year. Came from L.A.” She said only elaborating a little.
Buffy wiped up any liquor left on the bar with the rag before leaning against the counter on the opposite side of the bar. Things began to slow down, the rush of customers having already come were settled in stools or tables and enjoying the line-up of dancers. On the other side of the bar, Matthew and Candy talked and flirted. All week they had done the same at the downtimes which Buffy had no problem with. However they had made no move to take their talking to a date yet.
“I grew up in Iowa. Came here on a psychology scholarship.”
And here I pegged him for a football player. Buffy thought as she eyed his broad shoulders.
She straightened at the mention of psychology as a major. That was what Willow’s major had been. She had no idea if it had changed, but Buffy recalled Willow talking about her possible choice in major before Buffy had quit school.
Buffy zoned out but she kept up the conversation. “Really?”
Riley nodded his head. “Yeah.” He took a sip of his beer. “I’ve got this amazing professor I had in my first year and this year too and I also T.A. for her. The professors a genius. She doesn’t just teach by the textbook but her own theories too, which many of the students find really brilliant.” Obviously, Riley was one of them.
She stared at Riley, as he raved about his psychology professor of his. She had never been like this when she been in school. Buffy wondered if she had actually graduated and gone to further education if she too would be excited about classes and professors. She tried to imagine where she would be tonight. Possibly a party, maybe studying in the dorm she and Willow would undoubtedly share. If things hadn’t gone so different would she be interested and a blushing blonde with Riley’s obvious interest in her?
Before she could let regret make an appearance in her thoughts, the waitress, Michelle came up. The slayer silently sighed in relief. Riley was nice and all but she still couldn’t figure out or shake the unknown creepy feeling she received every time she was around him.
“What do you need?” Buffy asked as Michelle put her tray down and sighed before taking up on the stool next to Riley. Her eyes darted to the stage just as the current dancer went off. Claps and cheers of approval and appreciation were heard from various patrons as they squirmed in their seats adjusting themselves to re-sit comfortably.
“Well you know my heavy order?” Michelle asked looking at Buffy and completely ignoring Riley sitting next to her. Buffy nodded her head as she prepared an order that Matt had asked her to help him with. “Well this is for you?” Michelle pulled a rolled up stack of crisp one hundred bills onto the bar and spread them out before Buffy.
Eyeing the stack the small slayer counted ten hundred bills. Whoa a grand… She gave a low whistle as she topped off a beer mug. “Well before I take it I have to ask why on earth that is for me.”
Michelle smiled brightly and gathered the hundred dollar bills and held it out for Buffy to take. “Mr. Heavy Order would like to pay you a grand for your time.” Michelle continued on smiling, Riley’s jaw dropped, and Buffy’s expression turned completely emotionless.
“The nerve of that jack ass, who is it!” Riley exclaimed suddenly. He stood up and surveyed the whole club as if the patron was going to raise his hand and say ‘That’s me…’
Buffy rolled her eyes. It was clear what type Riley was. He was far from the muscle she needed to ‘defend her honor’. She wanted to yell at Riley to sit his white ass back on the stool and shut the fuck up, but the slayer felt that was a little too harsh. Instead she went for: “Riley it’s alright, I’ll handle this.” She didn’t say anything further instead grabbing the money that Michelle was handing to her.
“Booth 5, the one in the corner.” The waitress squealed in excitement and quickly turned around to watch Buffy go across the club. Little did Michelle know, Buffy was fully intending on giving this heavy order a piece of her mind and informing him that she Buffy Summers was one woman you could not pay for their time in the establishment. That was something she and Jack had agreed upon, she kept her top on and Buffy wouldn’t take it out on Jack herself. Her boss not knowing fully that she was the slayer, but knowing her strength agreed and enforced that.
She could see Joe the bouncer look at her curiously, knowing what was going on. The only time Buffy came out behind her bar was to help break up a fight or for situations like these. Giving him a reassuring nod, Joe backed off but not once took his eyes off her as well. The rest of the club continued on staring at the stage, not bothering to have their looks wavered to someone who was as clothed as Buffy. As she approached she made note of how much the corner booth was encompassed in the dark shadows of the club. She swallowed discreetly, standing straighter and came to stand before the table. The only light omitting from the small candle in the middle of the table.
“Look I don’t know what kind of other joints you’re use to, but here the bartender doesn’t take off her clothes, no matter how much you offer.” Buffy strained to not grab the guy by the collar and haul his little ass out of the whole establishment. Instead she dropped the money on the table, some of the bills sliding off the table to land on the booth. She heard a low chuckle and a click of lighter. He leaned forward out of the shadows so that some of the light fell across his face, leaving Buffy to gasp.
It was the man that she had practically been run down in the alley. Her eyes assessed his sharp cheekbones, and completely taste worthy lips. Yep! Still gorgeous as he had been almost two hours ago. It was without a doubt that even a charming smile from this man could make a girl feel like a bitch in heat. With time to assess, Buffy noticed the intriguing scar across his left eyebrow, which was perked up, and he looked at her with amusement. His eyes which Buffy had already seen were still shocking and breathtaking. The man’s look held experience, knowledge, like he had seen the world and then some. Men like this should be illegal…
Understanding as to why Michelle had been practically jumping in her seat became perfectly clear. Though when she remembered that this same guy was also one propositioning her to possibly take her clothes off, her shocked expression turned to a glare as she watched him finish lighting his cigarette.
“You seem to be misunderstood, kitten.” Buffy tried to stop the shiver that came across her from how he had called her pet name, as well as for how much he looked like a sex god from simply exhaling his first intake of the cigarette.
There was no doubt this man got whatever he wanted. The exact type of man that could handle Buffy Summers, not a guy like Riley sitting at the bar, stumbling over his words and not taking into account of her. He boasted self-confidence and pure sex appeal, even as clothed as he was. Which left Buffy to imagine him without the black silk shirt and the long leather duster, only leading to more fantasies that involved her, this bleached man, and any flat surface he could bend her over. This table would do… She thought as her pulse raced.
Buffy noticed the knowing quirk of the man’s eyebrow as he gave her curious but knowing smirk. She mentally slapped herself and cursed how he had turned her into a sex fantasy fiend with a simple smile. She forced her thoughts back to rigid ness and focused on the matter at hand.
“I simply wanted to pay for some of your time. Would you mind joining me?” He pointed to the completely empty booth around him. “I promise to be good. There will be no removal of your clothes.”
Looking from both the man in the booth and the bar where Riley, Michelle, and now Matt watched her as if they were watching the animals mating segment on the Discovery Channel. Making up her mind, and to this day she doesn’t know why, she nodded her head and slid into the booth next to him, at the same time keeping a good distance between two of them.
“What’s your name, kitten?” His velvety accent slid over her skin and he suddenly appeared closer than before all the while not moving aside.
Trying to overcome the lump in her throat, Buffy said through shaky lips: “Buffy Summers.”
He looked at her pensively, a smirk still dancing across his lips. Buffy didn’t notice when his arm came to rest on the back of where she sat in the booth, she was too focused on his lips. “Buffy…interestin’ name.” His head cocked to the side and Buffy felt like a blushing school girl.
“I get that a lot. What’s yours?”
“Spike.”
Buffy snorted, her eyes closed with laughter. “And you said my name was interesting.” She looked back at Spike through her eyelashes, feeling her body heat up at the way he was staring back at her. Instinctively she licked her lips and she saw the fire grow more in his eyes. God Summers, you’ve only been sitting here for not even 45 seconds!
Even with her back still towards the rest of the club behind her Buffy could feel the eyes of everyone she knew staring at her back. All the patrons, excluding Riley were watching the show, unknown of the flaring chemistry between her and Spike.
“I think Captain America over there is prolly contemplatin’ whether he should come an get you from me.” Spike said tipping his head with the nod back in the direction of the bar. Buffy craned her head around and to see Riley more than seething. She turned back to Spike, shrugging her shoulders. Riley wasn’t her boyfriend, simply an admirer who couldn’t read her body language to see that she was not interested.
“He’s not my boyfriend…” The slayer said indifferently picking at her the nails of her hand, which were resting atop the table. Mentally she kicked herself. Way to sound eager there. She was nearly nineteen but was acting as if she were sixteen again.
Spike chuckled picking up his cigarette, taking another drag of it. “Wants to be though.” Buffy had no disagreement there. Riley was making it all to obvious that he was well interested in Buffy, which left her flattered but in all honesty she wasn’t looking to get attached to a boy. They all leave you… Buffy thought bitterly as she looked at her hands.
She could not get attached to this man Spike. As much as he was of the yummy goodness variety, she could only see it ending badly. She was the slayer, she was bound to live out a short life span, best not to get involved romantically with someone. Not only that but it was like the fates coded the slayer’s DNA to push people away. They were after all meant to take on their duty alone. She had done a fine good job at that, alienating herself from even her Watcher, who through the generations of the Slayers was to be their only source to the non-slaying world.
Buffy snapped out of her reverie when she found a leather clad arm waving in front of her eyes. She focused on the bleached blonde who held an amused smile as he peered over at her curiously.
“Are you in there, luv?” He asked shooting her that charming smile of his. Buffy could actually feel herself blush, making her want to kick herself.
Nodding her head Buffy stared over at him. “So...Spike, what brought you to Elegant Secrets?” It was a lame question but seeing as he had requested her time for about a grand, she might as well make small talk.
“You...”
Buffy gawked at him as if he had two heads. Spike had spit it out so easily as if he was simply saying that he needed to do laundry. Yes, most of the customers were blunt but she didn’t expect him to be in a situation like this. She prayed to the heavens that he wouldn’t proposition her for sex, because as low as it would be to sleep with a customer, Buffy could envision herself not declining.
“Are you always this…” Buffy asked trying to find the right word she was looking for.
“Honest?”
Buffy scowled not liking the self-assured attitude anymore, because it was apparent that he was teasing her. “I was going to say forward, not a gentleman, and now invading my bubble.” She quickly pressed her back against the booth as she suddenly found Spike a lot closer, and having actually moved to do so. Spike practically was hanging over her, having put his arm against the booth next to her neck on the side that would let her out of the booth. Trapped. His face only a few inches above hers, forcing her to look up rather than at his chest where his black shirt was tight enough to show the definition of his abs, even then she struggled to not lick her lips.
Suddenly her breathing became ragged as she practically molded herself against the back curve the booth. “Not very nice words, kitten, I’m hurt.” He gave her a mocking look of emotional pain. His other hand, which was not supporting his body hanging over hers at all, came to stroke her check. She barely felt it, yet she couldn’t feel anything else. A wave of power emanated from him in that one touch, intoxicating her whole senses and leaving her to go completely dumb.
Buffy’s breath hitched even further up when Spike leaned closer, their lips barely touching, when suddenly she remembered that here she was with this complete stranger practically panting like a dog while half of her co-workers were staring at them. Hell even the stripper that was working the stage was shooting glances as she filled out her routine at the pole.
“Oh my god, what am I doing?” She asked both Spike and herself. She pushed her hands against his chest and slid out from under the booth, taking notice that it was actually harder to push against him than normal. “I’m sorry but I’m not a girl that sits in a corner booth with a guy who is paying her for her time.” She blushed at how much it made her sound like hooker. He only stared at her, his shocking electric blue eyes were bearing into her, feeling it bearing into her soul, making her need to look away.
She turned around quickly and Spike watched as she ran off in towards a door that said Employees Only off to the side of the stage.
Four Hours Later
“Buffy, are you going to be okay? I have to head out, my wife is calling me about some cravin’.” Joe asked from his stool near the front entrance. Buffy looked up from her hands where she was busying herself with drying the last load of clean glasses.
“Yeah of course Joe, go on home. I just have to put these glasses away and then I’ll head out.” Buffy said as she grabbed three glasses in each hand and began to place them on the shelf above her.
“Okay just make sure the girls leave okay, please?” Joe asked nodding his head towards the back where you could hear giggles from the strippers as they finished changing and counting all their tips.
“Of course, have a good night.” Buffy said cracking a smile. Joe was probably one of the very few who she actually gave a genuine smile to these days. He didn’t push to know her and when he did very few questions were asked. During the first winter Buffy had worked at the club, when it was raining, he always offered to take her home, and occasionally she knew took him up on it. He was the only one to know she was the Slayer and never once did he tell anyone of what a slayer exactly was to the others she worked with, let alone that she was it.
Joe waved goodbye to her closed the heavy entrance door behind him, locking it in place. Buffy worked on putting the rest of the glasses away in silence. Normally Matt would stay and help with closing duties but she had sent him home. She knew all too well that once all the customers had left he’d roll out the questions as to what had happened earlier with the customer, Spike. Right now she was currently trying not to even think about it herself.
A part of her was embarrassed that Buffy had ran off like a scared virgin, virtue fluttering. True, she wasn’t a virgin, her one night stand mistake with a guy she had met, Parker was enough to prove it, but she was hardly what you would call experienced in the sexual department. The slayer had dated lots of boys back at Hemery, when her life had been easier. Before she had been the chosen one. Though once she had gotten all chosen as the slayer it seemed as if the fates had coated her with some kind of repellent to any normal boys. Her last experience with a possible boyfriend had been a vampire, an en-souled one granted, but a vampire, none the less. Angel. He had been kind, and sweet, always looking out for her well-being until he had left town after summer of her first year in Sunnydale. After the Master had killed her for all of five minutes. Since then things had just begun to spiral downward. Loss after loss had occurred until finally Buffy put a halt to it and cut herself off from the relationships she had built after moving to the Hellmouth.
Buffy didn’t like that Spike had pulled so much emotion out of her upon really meeting him, rather than feeling the same emotion for the past year and a half. Nothing. The slayer swore she was only to be numb until her life ended. All the feelings she had felt tonight, only four hours before, scared her shitless. After feeling nothing, but occasional grief and anger, it was surprise to suddenly feel lust, excitement, and even contentment. She scratched that last one out of her head. Okay with acknowledging the first two, but never the C word. When that feeling occurred, it only meant one thing to Buffy, that she was bound to lose the thing that caused that emotion and it would be in a drastic way. It was enough reason to fire Buffy to push Spike away and run. Save yourself the grief, Summers.
There were giggles and shouts of gossip heard from the dressing room the girls all were congregated in. Buffy put the last of the glasses she was drying back on the shelf, before opening the register and taking out the money to count and leave for Jack. “I’m about to close up ladies, you have five minutes.” Buffy shouted as she split the money by denomination and counted.
Knee deep in concentration of counting the twenty dollar bills Buffy didn’t hear when the dressing room door opened and a couple of the girls came out to stand near the bar.
“Buffy?”
Looking up from her hands, her eyebrow quirked up at seeing Anna, one of the highest in seniority of dancers standing there with Nicole and Jasmine. Nicole and Jasmine stood behind Anna, completely dressed and ready to go, bags slung on their shoulder, and looking at Buffy nervously.
Anna, who Buffy found to be one of the more pretty dancers had always been nice to the slayer, never saying snide comments about Buffy’s stand-offish demeanor, unlike most of the other girls. Her long natural red hair, which she always did in soft curls and Buffy guessed the dancer to be probably about 27 years old.
“Yeah?”
“Well the three of us, and some of the other girls were going to head out to a diner a couple blocks from here, and well we were wondering if you maybe wanted to join us?” Anna said gently, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. Buffy couldn’t help but feel touched at the gesture but she knew Anna was the only one truly offering.
“Thanks, but I actually have some things I need to do after I leave here…” Buffy rejected nicely. Anna nodded her head in understanding.
“Are you seeing that cutie that Michelle was talking about?” Jasmine abruptly asked. Buffy noticed how Nicole elbowed the girl in the ribs giving her a pointed look.
Anna giggled and looked back to Buffy. “Michelle had been telling us that some really hunk of a guy had been showing an interest in you.” Buffy’s head ducked down, trying to hide the deep blush that was creeping up her cheeks.
“No, I’m not seeing him.” The slayer closed the cabinets of and turned to lock the cellar door, pocketing her set of keys into her jeans before grabbing her jacket and bag. The other three girls nodded retreating to the back exit where some of the girls were already heading out of. Followed behind, last stopping at the light switches she surveyed the whole club looking at the back booth. She felt the arousal rise up again as she imagined what they probably had looked like earlier. She felt the desire, the need.
Shaking her head, Buffy shut off the lights, turning away and followed one of the last girls out the back exit, locking the door in place behind her.
Most of the girls were walking to their respected cars, some getting into their pick up rides which were usually boyfriends or husbands. The three that had talked to her earlier were walking with 3 others down the sidewalk in the direction of the diner a distance away, They were a group in numbers so Buffy didn’t worry about them. Surveying the parking lot one last time, making sure no one creepy was hanging around Buffy herself walked down the alley heading in the direction closer towards town.
Rubbing her hands to heat them, Buffy shrugged her bag further up onto her shoulder as she took full quick striding steps, the cold surrounding her. For the past week not even the weathermen could explain why there was such a drastic change in temperature going on in Sunnydale, that it wasn’t registering with their scientific predictions. Which meant only one thing to the Slayer. It was Hellmouth related.
The back of her head kept thinking that this new master vampire, whoever he was, had something to do with it, but a greater part objected the idea. She was never great in demonology, she shirked that training responsibility when she was connected with Giles still, but she knew enough to know that there was no way a vampire, a master one even, could have a great affect on the Earth like that. It had to be the Hellmouth itself. She had figured that out when the night before she had been patrolling near the high school and had her legs kicked out from under her making her fall to the ground, she had felt it.
She had felt the heat. The sidewalk felt like it was the summer when the beat down on it. Warm enough to cook an egg. It was weird, especially to occur in the middle of the night, and a night that was of a season closer to winter. But after Buffy had staked the vamp and she had knelt down to feel it again, the heat was gone and the air had become cold. Drastically cold.
Until Buffy knew what it was, she would just have to continue hitting the spots like Willy’s and beat information out of him until he actually gave her something about what could be going on underground.
“Charissa, what in tartarus are you doing?” Apha exclaimed with a harsh whisper as she awoke from the straw pallet by the short flash of light. In the corner of the cell that she and Charissa shared sat Charissa floating just a few inches off the ground. Charissa’s eyes snapped open and it was obvious she had lost her concentration when she fell down to the ground. “Are you insane, you’re lucky the guards itself didn’t see you. You’ll be lucky if the torturers aren’t sent to give you lashings, because I’m sure they felt your magick!”
Charissa ignored Alpha well aware of what the consequences were if she had been caught using any form of magick. Alpha had been referring to The Three and not the torturers who would feel her power had she used it. Upon the final judgment when arriving in Hades, all magick of those that had been sent to Tartarus was bound, but there was always a loop hole.
“I need to try Alpha!”
Alpha gave her a completely bewildered look as if she had been seeing Cerberus, the three headed guard dog of Hades, for the first time. “Charissa there is no way of getting out of Tartarus.”
“No it happened a few hundred years ago. You remember, his cell was right next to hers.” Charissa crawled across the dirty wet floor of the cell to Alpha. The distance wasn’t short, the cells were never large enough to really fit more than three people and even then they were cramped. Sitting closer to Alpha she looked through the bars of their cell to ensure none of the guards could hear them. “Before he had succeeded, he had taught me to fight around the binding.”
“Charissa! What is so great about doing magick, it’s such a high risk if you get caught!”
“Because it’s the first step in the plan I have for freeing myself from Tartarus.”