Buffy was so looking forward to today. After the events of last night, she could use some retail therapy along with the upbeat company of Lorne.
The drive to LA went quickly and soon she was making her way down the sidewalk to The-Hide-Away where they agreed to meet. She rounded the corner to find him already waiting for her. He was dressed down in a simple pair of jeans and a button up shirt, though the shirt was a shocking shade of pink. She smiled and waved.
“Ahhh, mon cherie, you are a vision of loveliness.” He embraced her for a hug and quick peck to each cheek. “Somebody pass me the vinaigrette so I can smother you in it, baby. That scrumptious green outfit is putting me in the mood for salad. Plus I never could shop on an empty stomach.”
“Salad huh? Watching your figure?” She pinched his waist playfully and laughed when he squirmed and giggled.
“Well yes, I’m having a ‘fat’ day if you must know.” He rubbed his belly then leaned in to whisper jokingly. “Feeling a tad bloated.”
“PMS?”
“Yeah, ‘Puffy Mid-Section’ caused from my nightly diet of martinis.” She seemed to be in a good mood, and he wanted to keep her that way. This mess was his to clean up and he intended to get the two love birds on the right path even if it killed him. He still wasn’t sure how to approach the subject of Spike walking out on her, especially since she never called to tell him. He half expected to hear from her on Friday, but when the day came and went he grew more perplexed. Now here she was, laughing away with him as if all was right in the world. She was showing no signs of bringing up William’s faux pas and subsequent attempt at chivalry at Grisanti’s to his attention.
Last night, William stopped by The-Hide-Away for his usual drink and nightly chat with him. As soon as Lorne saw the look on his face, he knew something had the poor boy terribly upset. His usual shot of whiskey had quickly turned into another and another as he relayed what had happened at the restaurant.
How Buffy had managed to twist his words into thinking she wasn’t worth a second go William couldn’t figure. But Lorne had pointed out to him how easy it was for her to draw that conclusion. It took him awhile to explain it in a way that William understood and by the time he did, his friend was on the verge of becoming too drunk to drive. So he took him back to his apartment and made him sleep it off on the couch.
“Oh my God, Lorne!” Buffy gushed when he opened the passenger door of his car for her. “This is beautiful.” She sat down in the tan leather seat and waited for him to get in.
“Thanks. She’s a 1965 Cobra. Just like you, it was love at first sight.” He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it causing her to blush.
“When you’re ready to settle down, I’ll be waiting with the ball and chain. So where are we going for lunch?”
“Only the best for my future wife, of course,” he chuckled. “The best shopping to be had is in Beverly Hills, so I thought we’d go to Oliver’s first and then hit Rodeo Drive. Ever been?”
“Nope, can’t say that I have.”
“The food is to die for, you’ll love it.” He leaned over and turned on the radio. “Be a dear and find us a station please.”
“Oh, sure.” She flipped through them slowly and waited while he kept shaking his head at each of them. “Uhm, I think that’s it, oh no, wait, there’s one more.” Tuning in, they heard the voice of a southern Baptist preaching all men are sinners, from pimp to the president.
“Oh, shut that off before I turn green and sprout two red horns on top of my head.”
Buffy pointed a finger at him and spoke with a deep southern accent.
“Repent or be swallowed by the fires of hell, pimp daddy.”
“Thank God I’m an atheist.” They both burst out laughing at his oxymoron. “There are some CDs in the glove box, why don’t you pick one of those.” He was hoping to get her singing. The sooner he could read her, the sooner he could figure out what angle to approach her from.
She finally settled on a Maroon 5 CD and popped it in.
“Good choice. Crank up the volume.” She turned it up as he started singing along hoping she’d join in but she just sat there staring straight ahead. Her good mood seemed to have vanished and he thought perhaps she was getting ready to tell him about Spike’s abrupt departure.
She hadn’t even thought about the choice she’d made in music, but when the song ‘Secret’ began playing, she was reminded of the movie it was used in, The Wedding Date, which naturally led to thoughts of Spike.
‘You’re wrong’. The words echoed in her head over and over. His sudden appearance at Grisanti’s at what seemed to be ‘just the right moment’ had caught her off guard. Between Riley turning psycho and the embarrassing scene it caused, her mind had no time to process everything and she’d fled. When Spike followed her out and got into her car, her frustration had her verbally lashing out at him. She had hurt him with her words, but at the time she didn’t care. Now that she recalled the look on his face and the last two words he spoke, she felt confused. He didn’t have to follow her but he did. He didn’t have to apologize but he tried. He tried to explain himself but she wouldn’t let him. Then of course he’d told her she was wrong, and that’s what she couldn’t figure out. If she was truly right about why he walked out on her, then he didn’t have to say that either.
“Earth to Buffy, hello?” Lorne’s voice cut through her thoughts and she turned to smile weakly at him.
“You zoned out on me there for a moment pumpkin. Anything wrong?” He braced himself.
“No. Just thinking about... work.” She held firm to her decision of keeping what happened between her and Spike a secret.
He didn’t know whether to be relieved or concerned. He could tell she was deep in thought and was willing to bet money it wasn’t anything work related. Until she started talking or singing, all he could do was sit back and wait.
“Today is about fun and spending loads of money on stuff we don’t need.” He wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulders. “So no thinking about work, sweet cheeks, instead you must have happy thoughts like Christian Dior, Gucci, Versace... okay?”
“Okay.” She nodded and leaned into him, her mind still going over what Spike would have said if she’d just given him a chance. She’d been a bitch and she knew it, but she couldn’t change what happened either, it was too late.
He watched Buffy out of the corner of his eye, she was visibly upset and he knew why.
Waking up a very hung over William this morning, Lorne supplied him with a strong cup of coffee and two Tylenol so they could talk again. He got him to understand things from Buffy’s point of view that night at the restaurant. First, she had to suffer through an abusive and embarrassing moment that would scare any woman half to death. Second, the very man that had kicked her self esteem in the gutter showed up. To her, it must have seemed like the world was against her, a punch to both sides of the head. She had no time to process the bombardment of emotions that filled her; fear, embarrassment, shame, anger... so she fled. Then when Spike chased after her, she defended herself like any cornered creature would, though her weapon wasn’t claws, it was words.
Full comprehension hit William like a ton of bricks. He was horrified that he’d made her feel not only inadequate but had aggravated the situation by pursuing her. Her welfare had been his first concern. He wanted to make sure she was alright and to use the only opportunity he thought he’d get to apologize for his behavior. In that moment of realization, he begged Lorne for her phone number so he could explain himself and apologize all over again, but was cut short with a prompt ‘no’ for an answer. Giving an escort a client’s home number was a big no-no and he knew William knew this. But he could also see how badly he wanted to patch things up with her if only for his own peace of mind. Lorne explained that he still needed to ‘read’ her first, and if he found that she didn’t want to see Spike, he promised to figure out someway in which the two could ‘bump into’ each other if William still insisted.
After they grabbed a bite to eat, they hit the strip. The outdoor center’s walkways were beautiful. Its pillars were made of gleaming white marble, its brick walls draped in ivy and polished brass railings overlooked a sunken atrium courtyard topped by two glass pyramid skylights.
Although Buffy was a self proclaimed shopaholic, she had to admit Lorne was worse than, well, a woman. Among the five terraced levels of shops, he’d managed to drag her through three in under an hour. With endless amounts of energy, he kept her bouncing from store to store. By the time they reached Armani’s, she was grateful to finally sit while Lorne became engrossed in browsing for a new suit.
Lorne walked out of the dressing room with his hand on his hip, exaggerating the back and forth swish to his tush. Stopping in front of Buffy he turned from side to side in the mirror and jokingly asked her.
“Does this makes me look fat, be honest?” He whined.
She was stunned he’d actually chosen a traditional black tuxedo jacket to try on rather than something more colorful.
“Wow. What gives with the tux, I thought you were here for a-a well, something more... you.”
“Alas, I have a black tie event coming up in two weeks and although I’d love to show up in yellow, I don’t think the mayor would appreciate it.” He turned to face her. “So, will this do?”
“You look simply fabulous, darling,” she said with an air of sophistication. She knew Lorne had connections in high places, but she didn’t realize just how high until now. “What’s the event for?”
“A fundraiser. Five thousand dollars a plate and an auction later in the evening for charity.” He laughed as her eyes went wide with shock.
“Damn, they better serve a feast for that amount.”
Just then an employee approached Lorne to gush about his appearance and called for the tailor to take measurements. Thirty minutes and several items later, Buffy finally managed to drag Lorne from the store.
They shopped for another two hours before Lorne informed her they were nearing the appointment times he’d made for them at Spa 415. Buffy squealed with delight when he said he booked them for the famous chocolate soufflé wrap.
“Unlike Godiva or your favorite chocolate cake, this stuff actually tones your skin. Another added bonus is the smell. I can’t tell you how many men will be sniffing you out for a bite.
At the mention of chocolate cake, she instantly thought of Grisanti’s and then, of course, Spike. She was about to ask him something when he asked a question of his own she didn’t expect.
“Speaking of men, how did your evening with Spike go?” He held his breath and waited.
“Fine.” Oh no! “Everything was... fine.” Please don’t ask me anything more, please.
“Good, glad to hear it.” And I am officially stunned, he thought. Why on earth would she... ahhhh. Perhaps her own insecurities coupled with misinterpreting Spike was keeping her from mentioning it at all, until she herself figured it out. Now if he could just get her to sing, he would formulate a plan of attack to get them together again.
“Lorne, can I ask you a something?” She was afraid she might be crossing a line, but her need to know anything about Spike overrode her fear.
“Of course, what’s on your mind?”
“Well, you may not be able to answer, but... I-I... what’s Spike really like? I mean outside of his... job?” When he didn’t answer her right away she retracted her question. “I’m sorry, you probably can’t discuss it, I shouldn’t have asked.”
Truthfully, she surprised him. Her question offered a perfect opportunity.
“It’s quite alright, Buffy. Your curiosity is well warranted when it comes to William.” He purposely dropped his name so she would start to see beyond Spike. “He’s a... civilized man.”
William? That’s his real name? She liked the sound of it, it suited him. She listened intently and decided to gauge her questions carefully.
“Civilized? I don’t understand.”
“Well, for instance, you’ve seen his cocky and crude side while on the job, but outside of that he’s actually quite cultured and well-mannered.” He stopped to chuckle and shake his head before continuing. “When he first came to work for me, he knew nothing about the art of seduction.”
“WHAT? You’ve got to be shitting me?” Spike, er, William didn’t know how to get a girl into bed? The man oozed sensuality as far as she was concerned. He was sex on a stick. “Sorry, I-I just find that hard to believe.”
“It’s true. When he first came to work for me, I had to teach him what to say, what to do, how to act... everything that you’ve seen he learned from me. Outside of that he’s a different person entirely; he’s actually quite shy and reserved. The only reason he works for me is because his regular job doesn’t pay enough to support him while he’s trying to build his savings for his real goal in life.”
“Huh.” The person Lorne portrayed him to be was far from anything she would have suspected. Shy, well mannered, cultured, those words stirred up an image so vastly different than that of Spike, it was hard to comprehend. “So what you’re saying is if he made enough money at his regular job, he wouldn’t be working for you?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” He could tell her wheels were turning in the right direction so he dropped her one more bit of information that could make all the difference. “His days as an escort are numbered now that he’s nearing the amount of money he needs.”
“That’s, uhmm, probably good news for him then I take it?”
“Oh, absolutely.”
His brief description of William shed a new light on her conversation, or rather argument she’d had with him last night. She let the subject drop as they neared the spa, preferring to contemplate this new information. Spike hadn’t really acted, well, like Spike. And now that she knew a bit more about his real personality, she wished she hadn’t acted the way she did, but it was too late. Now she would probably never find out what it was he was going to tell her.
They didn’t have to wait long to be shuffled into their respective rooms for their body wraps and massage. Between the sweet smell of chocolate, soothing music and her tension being worked away, she was able to see the whole of Friday through a new set of eyes. Just knowing there was a good chance she’d been wrong just like Spike said, had her wanting to see him again to see if they could set things right by having a normal conversation.
“You’re finished, Miss Summers, take your time getting up. There will be refreshments in the waiting room for you before your manicure and pedicure.”
“Huh?” She lifted her head to look at the masseuse. “Wow, has it really been an hour and a half already?” She groaned when the young woman nodded at her. Rolling off the table she managed to get her robe back on and headed for the door.
“There she is.” Lorne was already sipping from a champagne flute and digging into the strawberries set on a glass table in front of him. “Come here, my little chocolate éclair.” He poured her a glass of champagne and waited for her to sit down next to him before handing it to her.
She took a sip and let him feed her a strawberry.
“God, I’m so tired now, can’t we book a nap, too?” Leaning against his shoulder she sighed. “So manicure and pedicure next then we’re done?”
“Yup, a little paint on the piggy toes and nails and we’re outta here. So what I’d tell ya, good huh?” He chuckled when she just feigned snoring against his shoulder.
They finished their drinks and a few more strawberries before heading into the next room. There were several stations set in a row, so they chose to sit next to each other so they could chat. Once the manicures were finished they walked over to the pedicure tubs that were waiting with warm jets of water stirring the water into frothy green bubbles from the special cleansing crystals they used.
Relaxing while their feet soaked, they were finally left alone for a few minutes, and Buffy made a decision.
“Lorne?”
“Yes, sugar?”
“I know you said Spike is nearing the end of his... employment with you, but I'd like to see him again.”
Lorne whipped his head in her direction so fast he felt it crack.
“Really? I-I mean… sure, I can arrange that.” Shocked barely described how he felt at that moment. Maybe his little talk did the trick after all. “Would you like another surprise?” He wasn’t sure exactly what scenario would be best, but he’d come up with something to encourage them to make up.
“Actually, no. I’m going to plan everything this time. If you just tell him to wear something casual but not to casual, dressy but not too dressy and be at my place by 7PM tomorrow night, I’ll take it from there.”
“Man I love an assertive woman, to hell with Spike; I’ll be there instead with bells on, sweetheart.” He laughed briefly before seeing the two women who were to give the pedicures approaching them. Leaning in to seal the deal he told her, “Anything else?”
“Well, how about we talk price after I’m through with him?” She smiled mischievously, knowing this would throw him for a major loop. He leaned back with a shocked look and screamed.
“Damn girl. Am I going to get him back in one piece?” Holy shit this was most unexpected. He wondered if she was going to get rough on William but then remembered, if she did, Spike could take it.
“He’ll be fine I promise. I won’t hurt him... much.” She laughed her head off as his mouth dropped open but could tell he understood she was joking.
There was no more talk to be had as the ladies started tending to their feet. Lorne still couldn’t get over it. He barely had to lift a finger. He thought for sure he’d have to wine and dine her himself to convince her to see Spike again. No wonder William had fallen for her, she was beautiful, smart, and full of surprises. Oh shit. He thought about the money talk portion of her speech. He simply couldn’t take her money, but he couldn’t call her out on what happened last time Spike was at her place. Thinking hard for a moment, he suddenly remembered something that happened earlier in the day.
Once they were back in the waiting area, Lorne gave a little announcement to her and made sure he made a fuss about it so she wouldn’t object.
“Ah, I didn’t book us facials. We simply CANNOT leave without getting one. Stay right here while your tootsies dry, baby-cakes and I’ll see if they can squeeze us in.” He dashed off to find the main reception area and made sure Buffy got one whether they had an opening or not. He needed to keep her busy to buy him some time to do what he needed to do.
Looking up from her magazine, Buffy saw Lorne strolling around the corner with an employee following in tow and a look of triumph on his face.
“I got us in, and Tasha here was good enough to come and escort you personally, mademoiselle.” He held his hand out so he could help her up.
“You didn’t have to do that, really.” He seemed awfully chipper all of a sudden, even more so than normal. Shrugging it off she waved goodbye and followed Tasha down the hall.
As soon as she was out of view, he ran for the door, but not before telling the receptionist to make sure Buffy was occupied for at least thirty minutes until he got back. He quickly paid both their bills and left a generous tip to ensure they would do as he asked. The receptionist thanked him politely and assured him everything would be taken care of.
Buffy was sure a facial wasn’t suppose to take forty minutes, but she wasn’t going to complain either, it wasn’t often she took the time out for herself like this. She finished dressing herself and gathered up her purse to head for the main entrance. Lorne was already standing there, grinning like the cat that ate the canary.
“Did you get a facial?” She gave him a curious look.
“Me, oh no, their last minute cancellation decided to show.” She went to the counter to pay but the lady shook her head, pointed to Lorne and informed her it’d been taken care of already. She walked up to Lorne and swatted his arm. “You didn’t have to pay for me, I make more than enough money, Lorne.” He threw an arm around her and they left out the door.
“I know you do, pumpkin, but I couldn’t help treating you for spending the day with me. I had too much fun and was hoping I could bribe you into doing it again sometime soon.” She told him she’d be more than happy as they got into his car and headed back to his club.
When Buffy finally loaded all her bags from Lorne’s trunk into her car, she shut her door and went to give him a huge hug. After they separated he pointed into his own trunk which he hadn’t closed yet and acted surprised.
“Oh, looks like you forgot some boxes.” He lifted them out and handed them to her even as she eyed him suspiciously.
“Uhm, no I didn’t.” She tried to hand them back but he held up his hands and wouldn’t take them. “Lorne,” she asked accusingly. “What did you do?”
“I got you a gift.” He smiled when she set the boxes down and opened the bigger one first, grinning like a kid at Christmas. When she held up the garment and gasped, he smiled wide. He knew she’d be pleased.
“Oh. My. God. LORNE!!! Versace!?!? Do you know how expensive this is? You so did not have to do this.” She quickly tore into the smaller box to find a pair of shoes that went with it. “Ohhhhhhh.” She squealed. Laying the dress over the hood of her car next to the shoes she inspected them closer, still wide-eyed from shock. “How did you know my size?”
“I paid attention when you tried it on and came out to model it. You made that heavenly dress look so sinfully that I felt you HAD to have it and the shoes, of course.” She nearly knocked him over when she ran and jumped into his arms, kissing him repeatedly on the cheek. “Whoa, slow down there, sugar lips. You’ll ruin my chances of getting lucky if anyone sees you doing that.” She laughed and disentangled herself, thanking him over and over. He helped her pack it back up and said their goodbyes as she got in her car.
He dropped nearly seven grand between the outfit and shoes, and by the look on her face, he’d more than paid her back for Spike’s slip-up. He was so happy the way things had gone today, he could hardly wait till she took off before bringing his cell phone out to call William.
“Today, or rather tomorrow is your lucky day, William. She asked to see you.” He had to hold the phone away from his ear when his friend shouted excitedly for details. “Slow down now so I can... no, she didn’t sing or hum, buddy... No, but somehow, I think everything’s going to be alright... yes. Alright, come down to the club so we can hang out, but its water for you, buddy. I’m still woozy from the boozy that oozed out of your pores onto my couch... See you soon.” Shutting his phone, he felt really good about the future of his two best friends.
A/N: As promised, a happy chapter. Please leave a review, as I hope you all enjoyed it. The next 2 chapters will be happy, romantic, and full of steamy goodness, HOWEVER, bear in mind... this story is far from over, so there will be more angst. If you can’t handle it then stop now, but if you want to see how our couple works through the problems/situations/issues they will face, then stick it out. It’s spuffy after all, and will have a happy ending.