Looking it over only served to make him feel even guiltier that his temper got the better of him when ordering her to do it, particularly because it was flawless in every aspect imaginable. As if my gir… ahem, my assistant would do anythin’ less than a perfect job.
Closing the file fifteen minutes later, he made an impulsive decision to call a high profile pharmaceutical company they’d never approached before to try and get an appointment, thinking if they could secure their business, it would not only rake in a sizeable amount of money, but make Liam very happy indeed.
“Thanks again… goodbye,” he said as Buffy entered the office and sat down to start organizing the papers she’d gathered. “Guess what, pet?” Leaning back in his chair, legs splayed wide, he interlaced his fingers behind his head and plastered a triumphant smile on his face.
“Judging from your pose, I suspect good news?” She’d given up altogether on trying to get him to stop calling her nicknames. It’s as much of a lost cause as he is, she thought as her eyes unconsciously drifted across his confident posture in silent appreciation of how nice he looked today in his three piece light grey suit, before being startled when he answered.
“The best.”
Her gaze quickly shifted back to the papers on her desk, shuffling them around absentmindedly while berating herself for thinking there wasn’t anything this man didn’t look good in. “Go on.”
“We’re goin’ to Englewood, Florida together this comin’ Wednesday for a potential client meetin’.”
That brought her mind back into work-mode in a hurry. “Oh-my-God, you didn’t?” she asked incredulously. After he nodded, she needed to confirm her suspicions, hoping it was the company she was thinking it was. “Capella Pharmaceuticals?”
He was surprised, no, make that impressed that she guessed correctly - and so quickly - considering Capella had never been on any of their lists. Leaning forward to rest his folded hands on the desk, he was curious as to what she might know that would be helpful, if anything. “How much do you know about them?”
Turning her attention to her laptop, she set about plugging in the data she’d collected from the sales team. “Well,” she began nonchalantly. “They’re fast becoming the leader in manufacturing immunomodulatory therapeutic products, like antibodies for the treatment of hepatitis B & C, multiple sclerosis, cancer… just to mention a few. Oh, and their research department is now headed by the nation’s leading cancer specialist, Dr. James Henning. He came on board about two months ago and…”
Was it wrong of him to get incredibly turned on by her rattling off such knowledge even he himself wasn’t aware of? And all while typing away on her laptop? There's a reason why the secretary fantasy is so popular, mate! Granted he’d never stayed around a girl long enough to discover if she had any additional attributes other than a beautiful and willing body to share his bed with, yet still… He shook his head to bring his thoughts back to the issue at hand.
“Uhhh…. yeah. Tha’s the one.” He’d already surmised her brains were equally matched by her beauty but bloody hell, if it were possible, he’d just become that much more attracted to her when thinking, smart chicks are so hot! Never before in his life did he fancy that notion ever crossing his mind! And he realized that the simple equation of Buffy plus his lust for her just became more complicated as it acquired an extra variable to be factored in he hadn’t anticipated.
Hiding her enthusiasm over the possibility of landing that particular account as much as she possibly could, she asked, “So what time is the meeting?”
“Not `til three in the afternoon. `M havin’ one of the secretaries handle all the travel arrangements so you don’ have to. I’ll let you know as soon as she gets back to me on it.”
“Oh? I-I mean, great. Thanks.” She was taken aback that he didn’t ask her to do it - ‘as his assistant’ - and saw it as a small victory he wasn’t assigning her such menial tasks. Besides, she already had more than enough work to accomplish this morning as it was to have anything else to take care of on top of it.
Towards lunch time, the secretary called Spike to say she emailed his complete itinerary to him for the trip. Opening up said email, he scanned through it, frowning briefly at the details until he realized exactly what kind of ‘other’ opportunities this trip presented. His scowl melted into a devious leer as he went into his schedule and blocked out the time frame they’d be gone and made sure to sync it with Buffy’s before informing her.
“Looks like we’re takin’ off at ten in the mornin’, but…” he hesitated. “-the next flight back isn’ `til the next mornin’ at eight.” The reaction he expected, had braced himself for, never came. Instead of acting like she would loathe being stuck with him that long, she looked up at him with a thousand watt smile.
“Really?”
“`Fraid so. It doesn’… bother you?” he asked curiously.
“Are you kidding me? A whole day spent away from the snow and cold of New York? Hmmmm,” she hummed wistfully and closed her eyes. “It’ll feel like a vacation.” Ecstatic was the only way to describe her mood because even though it was winter, Florida would still be warmer, like California. She desperately missed the sun on her skin and since Englewood was right on the coast, it would afford her a chance to go to the beach. Oh my God, the beach!!! Sitting up straight in her chair, she had things to accomplish before they left, and shopping for a new bikini was first on a long list. “Damnit!” she cursed as she looked at the time.
“What?”
“I have that stupid meeting with Parker in a little while and I so have other things I need to get done before our trip.” Putting her work aside neatly, she gathered up her coat and purse to ready herself to leave.
Ah yes, Parker. Spike had secretly made his own reservation to be present at the restaurant when she was. He truly couldn’t help it. The guy gave off vibes he didn’t like, vibes that closely resembled his when he was in ‘hunting’ mode. And he’d be damned if Buffy was ‘prey’ on Parker’s list. No one hunts in my territory, mate! Part of him knew Buffy could handle herself just fine, but his more primal instincts as a male demanded to stand by at the ready for the slightest of wrong movements towards his girl. No, not my girl, my roommate, my assistant, he reminded himself… again!
Perhaps his concern was needless. He chuckled to himself, she’s a big girl, after all, she’d certainly warded off his advances and he considered himself a pretty smooth bloke when it came to sweet talking women into bed.
In the back of his mind though, he continued to war with himself over going or not going as time ticked on and Buffy eventually announced with an irritated huff she had to go. He bid her goodbye but not without another warning of Parker’s reputation and possible ulterior motives. Rolling her eyes with a ‘yeah, yeah, got it’ response, she waltzed out the door, and her blasé attitude towards the whole thing had him re-questioning himself all over again whether he should go.
No, no, he wouldn’t. Buffy certainly proved she was more than capable of handling herself, so he was probably worrying over nothing. But just before he resigned himself to forget about following her, a fax came whirring through the machine that sat on his desk. Picking it up, he read it over… then went red in the face. It was a contract. A contract guaranteeing Abrams would be advertising in the next three month’s issues of MDIG. It set Spike off in the worst of ways. Having this in hand meant there was no reason for Buffy to go to lunch with the pillock unless… Bloody hell!!!
Grabbing his suit jacket, he rushed out of the building at high speed, hailing the first cab to take him to the restaurant, trying with all his stubborn male pride to pass off the feeling of possessive rage in his chest as mere concern over the possibility of Parker treating his colleague in less than a respectful manner. Yeah, and I’m the bloody Queen of England, a small voice in his head retorted.
~~~*~~~
At the restaurant……..
Spike slipped the maitre d’ a couple of Ben Franklins to seat him far enough away from Buffy so as not to be seen but still have a unobstructed view of her and Parker. Now if only he had one of those fancy ‘spy ears’ that amplified sound so he could hear their conversation he’d be set. But he considered himself an expert on body language and reading facial expressions, so he shouldn’t have too much trouble… should trouble arise.
He took in his surroundings… a quaint little place; contemporary furniture with high backed chairs, the beige painted walls that matched the seating would have given it a monochromatic look if it weren’t for the stark contrast of various paintings and brightly colored Japanese style floral arrangements displayed everywhere. The tinkling sound of running water came from a small fountain comprised of irregularly stacked black rocks near the entrance, making a soothing background of white noise. All in all, an upscale but cozy atmosphere.
“So if you’ve already decided to do business with us, why the lunch meeting?” Buffy asked Parker. He shrugged, giving what seemed to her a sensible answer.
“Sometimes I just need a break from work and what better way to slack off than to have lunch with someone as hard working as yourself?”
Buffy had to wait to answer him as their server came to take their order. “I suppose. Though I do have to say there are things I need to be doing, so I can’t stay long.”
“I understand. I just figured we could both use a break and a bite to eat, maybe talk about things unrelated to business.”
As the waiter brought Buffy her diet Coke and Parker his glass of Rum, ‘no ice’, she realized what he was up to. But she decided to play nice as long as he behaved himself. Reaching for her soda, the sleeve of her jacket rose two inches above her wrist, capturing his attention.
Spike’s view of the pair was suddenly hindered by his own waiter asking for his order. Spike tried to wave him off, but the man then asked if he would at least like a drink while taking more time to decide from the menu. Irritated, Spike pointed to the table next to him, all the time trying to look around the git, and muttered, “I’ll have what they’re havin’… and a Bourbon. Now sod off!”
“Hey, what’s that?” Parker asked with what seemed like genuine interest.
“What’s what?” He reached over with both hands, holding her wrist with one and pushed her sleeve up with the other to reveal two tiny marks. “You have a scar.”
“Yeah... right... angry puppy,” She explained as if no big deal. The waiter came back with their food, giving Buffy the opportunity to withdraw herself from his grasp.
Spike saw Parker begin to rub Buffy’s wrist with his thumb before she pulled away. A very good thing she did since the moment he saw it, his nostrils flared and knuckles went white, wanting to rip the wanker’s throat out. The angry expression on his face scared his own waiter off in a hurry after setting down Spike’s food and drink. Looking at his lunch, he noticed his plate was filled with several different kinds of sushi. This isn’ food… `s bait! He may have money and been raised to be culturally refined, but he still preferred his food cooked. Shoving his plate aside, he chose instead to simply have his drink and watch as Buffy talked to Parker.
“A neighbor’s puppy from when I was little,” she said casually then redirected their conversation. “So, do you have any scars?”
“Oh, mine are all psychological.”
“Please, those are the best kind,” she joked with a smirk. Lord knows she had her share, er, well at least one good one.
“Well, my father died last year.”
“Oh, God,” she gasped. “Parker, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up that… stuff. Oh, bad, bad Buffy.” Shaking her head in shame since she wasn’t very good at consoling someone particularly when it came to death, she dug into her food to keep herself from saying anything else on the subject.
“No, I'm okay to talk about it now. And I'm not doing the deep, get sympathy routine. I mean don't you just hate guys that are all 'I'm dark and brooding so give me love’?”
“I don't think I've ever met that type.” Just the opposite as a matter of fact… snarky, overconfident, full of themselves of the bleached-haired variety.
“Do you wanna maybe, go somewhere else for dessert after we finish eating here?” He was hoping to get her to stay with him a little longer, feed off on her obvious sympathy before going in for the kill.
“I really can’t. I have a trip to prepare for. Shopping to do and all that.”
“I see,” he said dejectedly before coming back with another idea. “I’m really enjoying my time here with you. It’s nice to just sit back and have a regular conversation. Do you think that maybe… you might be interested in having a drink, or, coffee? When you’re done for the day that is? Or maybe some evening you’re not… busy?”
“Why?” And why did I ask that?!?! Dumb, dumb, stupid question, Buffy! She knew she’d just left herself wide open to him asking for a date, ughh!
“Well-” He leaned across the table to place a hand over hers, giving her an ‘innocent hopeful’ look. “Just for one night… can't two people who feel an attraction for each other come together and create something wonderful? And then go back to their lives the next day better for it but never over analyzing it or… wanting it to be more than it was?”
“What are you suggesting, that-”
“That there’s something amazing about that sort of event that when you dig down into it, it’s just about regular people. Like us,” he said softly. “Trying to make choices. And when you look back, it’s all about two people being swept up in an event that… they don’t want to control.”
“And you really believe that?” she asked, disguising her skepticism for wide eyed gullibility to be sure of the direction he seemed to be steering the conversation towards.
“No, I don't believe that. I believe you have a choice in everything you do.”
“Speaking of choices,” she began diplomatically, “How about we have a meaningful talk instead?”
Spike watched Buffy try to pull away before Parker leaned in closer to her, preventing her from removing her hand from his.
The caress Parker, ‘not so subtly’, applied to her palm with his finger was of the same manner in which Spike had done their first day meeting at the job, setting off serious warning bells inside her. What royally pissed her off though was when he slipped his other hand beneath the table and placed it on her knee.
The gesture of a disappearing limb, the sly smile on Parker’s face and the rage in Buffy’s narrowed eyes were all Spike needed to see red. MINE, was the last thought that ran through his brain before standing up to make his way over to where they sat, ignoring everything and everyone else around him.
“Is this okay?” Parker asked, oblivious to her seething anger. “Because I can stop if you wanna. It's your… choice.” To his surprise, she abruptly stood up. “What are you doing?”
“Making a choice.” With that said, she grabbed her purse and walked away, never noticing Parker got up to go after her or Spike barreling straight for them.
Spike’s eyes were focused solely on Parker. So much so, he didn’t notice a waiter — who incidentally was lighting a round of some flaming Japanese dessert at the time — and hit elbows with the boy hard enough to knock over the bottle of alcohol he was using, which ignited instantly. A loud whoomph accompanied by a three by three ball of fire that simultaneously rose in the air engulfed both their arms, sending the men to put out their fiery limbs while gasps of stunned patrons sounded off all around them.
Spike immediately shoved his hand into the ice bucket nearby that held a bottle of champagne while the young man grabbed a glass of water off a table to douse his arm before turning his attention to the blazing serving tray.
At the same time, Parker experienced his own combustible dilemma. The moment he tried to take a step in Buffy’s direction, his cufflink caught on the tablecloth, dragging it far enough with him to overturn several items. Most unfortunate among the objects happened to be a burning candle and his tumbler of Rum. The flame came in contact with the alcohol and traveled the length of its liquid trail in a fiery path across the tabletop and onto the floor, setting the rug ablaze as well.
The combined smoke from both accidents was enough to set off the sprinkler system, instantly drenching everyone in the restaurant, the unexpected distraction of screams and patrons running inadvertently cooling Spike's mood in addition to diverting him from his mission in lieu of getting out of the building without making a further spectacle of himself.
~~~*~~~
Buffy made it back to the office, pushing the unpleasant experience of Parker as far from her mind as possible and refocusing on business. She hated to admit it, but I guess Spike was right, she never should have gone even though she knew Parker’s reputation. At least she handled it as gracefully as she could and got out of there before anything else could happen.
Picking up the phone, she called her favorite spa, hoping to be able to book an appointment for tomorrow even though on such short notice, it might be impossible. Luckily, the owner - who also happened to be the person to take care of her treatments – answered and penciled her in for tomorrow during her lunch break for a manicure, pedicure, massage… a full work-up. And I didn’t even have to beg!
Giddy with excitement at her good luck, she opened the calendar on her laptop and typed in her appointment right before Spike came walking into the office… a sour expression on his face, one arm of his suit jacket burnt up, soaking wet from head to toe and the accompanying ‘squish, squish’ coming from his shoes with every step he took.
“What happened to you?”
“Don’ wanna talk `bout it,” he grumbled his answer without looking at her.
“Hmmph. Looks like smoking is not only bad for your health but apparently detrimental to your attire as well,” she stated with indifference despite her curiosity over his appearance.
“I gotta run home and change and…” Sighing the sigh of the defeated when seeing her chew on that blasted pen of hers, he continued, “I think `m just gonna take the rest of the day off since there’s nothin’ important on our schedule.” He couldn’t wait to get out of his wet, clingy clothes. Plus having to show up at work like this was embarrassment enough for one day, but he wanted to come by and make sure Buffy was truly alright.
“Oh?” Seeing an opportunity, she asked, “Do you mind if I take off about an hour or so early from work myself? I have some shopping I’d like to do for our trip. Need some shorts, shirts and what not.”
“Yeah. Go ahead, pet,” he stated in much the same gruff manner he used before though inside, visions of what she may buy for the warm weather began running through his mind. “Before I go, I was wonderin’… how did your meetin’ with Parker go?” He wanted to hear her account of what he’d secretly witnessed.
“Ughh!” She rolled her eyes. “Let’s just say your warnings were… well founded. I’m never dealing with that creep again.”
He nodded while thinking good! and managed to keep the smug smile he felt tugging at the corners of his lips under wraps, at least for the time being. As much as he wanted to gloat and say ‘I told you so’, he let it go since she’d held her own and did the appropriate thing by leaving when she had. He could have kicked himself for going to the restaurant in the first place, should’ve have trusted his instincts that she could handle herself. “So will I see you in time for dinner?”
“Uhmm, yeah, I think so. Probably around seven?”
“Ok. I’ll be makin’ chicken Alfredo tonight.”
“Mmmmm, I’ll be sure to be home by seven then,” she cooed. “It’s a fav of mine.”
~~~*~~~
Right at seven o’clock, Buffy came struggling through the door with her purse, briefcase and an armful of sacks from her shopping spree. Thankfully, Spike came rushing over to help take some of the bags off her hands and set them on the coffee table.
“Thanks. Wheww,” she sighed. “Do you know how hard it is to find summer clothes in New York this time of year?”
“I can imagine, but we’re only there for less than two days, luv. How much do you really think you need?”
Giving him a bright smile and a shrug, she told him, “Once I found the right store, they had a great sale, so I stocked up for summer.” Sniffing the air and looking towards the kitchen, she began to drool. “Wow, dinner smells awesome. Is it ready yet?” She was starved, especially since she never got to finish lunch thanks to Parker.
“In `bout ten more minutes,” he answered without facing her, more interested in what was inside her bags. Peering inside one of them, he asked, “So can I see what you bought?”
“Nah-uh! Starving after-shopping Buffy here!”
“Later then?” He pulled out a pair of pretty pink knickers. “Mmmmm. Any chance you might model this for me?” He leered and received her patented eye roll as she came over and snatched them out of his hand.
“A world of no to that. The only things that are for your eyes you’ll get to see once we’re in Florida. I’ll help you set the table as soon as I kick these heels off.” She took off in the direction of her room, taking her bagged belongings with her.
Spike had half a mind to insist having at b>least a peek at her summer clothes, but he knew that Buffy would probably want a shower after dinner, so he’d have enough time to poke through her ‘not-for-his-eyes’ purchases. Thank God the chit takes half an hour to wash her hair! With that promising thought in mind, accompanied by naughty ones about what exactly those articles of clothing might be; he began setting the table without waiting for her, whistling to himself.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” Buffy’s voice came from behind him as he finished pouring two glasses of Zinfandel.
“Well pet, `s not every day I get to dine with a beautiful woman… and get her to spend the night with me.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.
“I’m so not…” She started to get defensive before she caught onto his teasing manner about the other night then giggled herself before adding - so that he was clear on the issue, “Well, not every day a man offers to wine and dine me, knowing he won’t be bedding me!” She tried to mimic his brow wiggle, failing miserably to look anything other than silly.
Maybe not yet, he thought to himself as they sat down to dinner. But he would… eventually.
~~~*~~~
After placing their dishes in the sink, Buffy announced she was going to pack her suitcase first so she wouldn’t have to worry about doing it tomorrow then take a long bubble bath because her legs and feet were tired from shopping.
Meanwhile, Spike busied himself cleaning the dishes, just waiting to hear the water start running from the bathroom and then the click of the door indicating she was taking her bath.
When that happened, he quietly made his way to her room and pushed the door open to see her luggage lying on top of her bed. Cocking his head to the side, he smiled when hearing Buffy happily humming away to some tune in her head.
Opening her suitcase, he was careful to note how she arranged her things so she’d never know he went rifling through her stuff. Helloooooo! What do we have here? The first thing he pulled out was a burgundy colored suit set… short skirt, lightweight jacket, silky white sleeveless blouse and a dainty pair of burgundy heels. Very nice! He carefully placed the ensemble aside and examined the rest of her things. One at a time, he took each item of clothing out and laid it carefully on the bed to inspect them. There were outfits that looked… ‘stuffy’, too conservative, would hide her figure rather than show it off.
Conservative shorts, capris, short sleeved oxfords and T-shirts which honestly… looked like something out of Cabela’s. They were heading for Florida for Christ sakes, not to some desert on an archeological dig! The bras and panties that lay beneath were no better… very traditional, made of sensible white cotton design, no doubt ‘Hanes for Her’. He grimaced when thinking these were for women in their sixties, not Buffy. Where are all the thongs like the one she had on Sunday night?
As he looked down at the bag that lay on the floor from her shopping trip, he couldn’t help himself from having a glimpse. Quick as lightening, he went through it, much to his surprise finding tiny little tank tops and shorter shorts that were very cute in a girly way and would showcase her legs beautifully. Whoa!!! Now tha’s more like it. Quite the collection of matching brassieres and G-strings met with his blue eyes, now sparkling with lust. At least a dozen or so in all shades imaginable, materials ranging from frilly lace to silk, satin and all very, very sexy. Seems she does have an inner vixen after all! They were much nicer than what he got a glimpse at during Buffy’s drunken fight with her pajamas.
Smirking to himself, he made a decision. She was going to kill him, but it would be well worth it. Since they were towards the bottom, he replaced the underwear and bras she’d packed with some of the more provocative ones, then dug in her closet to search for something he could take her to dinner in. And oh yeah, he was he delighted to find an alluring black dress with spaghetti straps and a low dipped back that meant she couldn’t wear a bra with it. After finding a nice pair of heels to go with it, he carefully tucked his choices in her suitcase underneath her lacy bits and the obvious things she’d packed herself back on top in case she opened it before they left so nothing would seem out of place.
Now he could only hope she wouldn’t re-open it before they arrived in Florida.
In case you didn’t read the a/n above, I’m curious as to what day of the week you, the readers, would actually prefer to have ML updated on. I originally said either Mon or Tue, but I never bothered to ask if it was convenient for most readers and their workweek schedules. So let me know if there’s any preference you have and I’ll go with the day that most seem to agree on. Thanks a million – and I hope you enjoyed the chapter – have a fantastic weekend. Hugs you all tight.
