Buffy looked around the crowded room, holding back a sigh. She had agreed to meet up with her friends at the popular night club – The Bronze – but they had been there for less than an hour and she was already starting to feel like the fifth wheel, just like she had known she would. Not that she was jealous or anything, but sometimes she just really hated the fact that both her best friends were in a serious relationship.
“So, Buffy, how’s it going with that hot, sexy neighbor of yours? Have you boinked him yet?” Anya Jenkins took a small sip from her drink, looking at Buffy expectantly.
“Anya!” Letting out a nervous laugh, Xander turned to his girlfriend, giving her a stern look. Anya rolled her eyes, but remained silent.
Willow suppressed a giggle and turned to her girlfriend – Tara Maclay. “You should see this guy, Tara, he’s a major hottie!” Tara just raised a brow and Willow blushed. “For a guy, I mean. Not that I was looking.” She quickly reached over and gave her girlfriend a soft peck on the cheek before adding; “I think Buffy has a crush on him.”
“Hey! Sitting right here, you know.” Blushing furiously, Buffy glanced around the table. “I do not have a crush on anyone! And Anya? You haven’t even seen this guy. How can you possibly know what he’s like?”
Shrugging, Anya nibbled on the olive from her martini. “Xander told me.”
“Okay, just so we’re clear?” Xander waited until he was sure he had everyone’s attention. “I’m pretty sure I never used the words ‘hot’ or ‘sexy’ when I described him.”
His girlfriend didn’t even look up, just waved her hand in dismissal. “Maybe not out loud, but it was pretty obvious.” She took another sip from her glass. “It’s a known fact that when a man complains about another man for no reason, he’s actually attracted to him.” Oblivious of the shocked – and somewhat amused – looks on her friends’ faces, she went on; “Not that I feel the least bit threatened or anything. Xander can look as much as he likes, as long as he makes it up to me later, during sex. Like last night, when we dressed up in costumes and…”
Xander choked on his beer. “Too much information, sweetie!” He cleared his throat. “Anya, I’m not attracted to the guy. Buffy is, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.” Anya nodded, then turned to Buffy with a bright smile. “Good luck with that. I hope he gives you many satisfying orgasms!” Xander buried his face in his hands with a groan.
Buffy stared at Anya in shock, her cheeks turning bright red. “Excuse me?! I already told you; I’m not attracted to this guy! Why are we even having this conversation?”
“Because, Buffy…” Xander leaned across the table, pointing at something over Buffy’s left shoulder as he whispered, loudly: “He’s right there, by the bar.”
After paying for his beer, Spike headed for one of the few empty tables left in the club, and sat down. This place was nothing compared to the many night clubs back in LA, but he wasn’t about to complain. At least they served beer, and hot, spicy Buffalo wings, and that was enough for him. He took a big swig from his bottle, pleased to notice that it was ice cold.
“Hi.” He looked up, frowning when he saw Buffy standing next to his table, and couldn’t help but notice how nervous she looked. He gave her a questioning look and she managed a small smile. “I’m here with my friends. I saw you at the bar, and…” She hesitated. “Where’s Billy?”
He raised a brow. “What, you’re worried I left him alone in the house while I’m here getting pissed?” She opened her mouth, but he rolled his eyes and raised a hand to stop her. “Second thought, don’t answer that, s’probably exactly what you think. He’s spending the night at a friend’s house.”
“Oh.” Buffy was quiet for a moment, not sure what to say. She glanced at the chair next to him. “Mind if I sit down?”
“Why?” He gave her a cold look. “What are you gonna accuse me of now?”
“Nothing!” Buffy glared at him, then swallowed. “Actually, I came here to apologize. Again. But if you’re gonna be like this…” She turned around to leave.
“Wait.” Spike put his hand on her arm to stop her. When she looked at him, he sighed. “Probably would’ve reacted the same way. Apology accepted.”
Buffy gave him a hopeful look. “Really?” She let out a sigh of relief when he nodded. “Good! Thank you.”
Nodding again, Spike hesitated for a moment before gesturing towards the empty chair. She smiled a little and sat down. Seeing a blonde waitress heading in their direction, Spike quickly raised his hand and waved her over, looking at Buffy. “What do you want?”
She started to object. “Really, I don’t think…”
“Come on…” He interrupted her, a teasing note in his voice. “Have a drink, will ya? S’on me.”
The waitress introduced herself as Harmony and gave Spike a flirtatious smile – which he chose to ignore – before glancing at Buffy, a bored look on her face. “How about a ‘Shirley Temple’?”
Buffy opened her mouth, but Spike beat her to it. “She’ll have a ‘Screaming Orgasm’.” Seeing the shocked expression on Buffy’s face, he tried to hide his amusement and added, calmly; “It’s a drink, pet.”
Beyond embarrassed, Buffy quickly looked away. “Oh. I knew that.” She cleared her throat. “Yeah. I’ll have… one of those.”
Spike chuckled quietly, for some reason finding Buffy’s embarrassment adorable. Then he turned back to Harmony. “You heard the lady. And be a luv and bring me another beer.” The blonde batted her long eyelashes at him and left.
“So…” Buffy suddenly felt shy and couldn’t understand why. “How do you like it here in Sunnydale so far?”
He shrugged. “S’alright. Beats LA.”
“Really?” Buffy gave him a doubtful look. “You wouldn’t say that if you’d lived here your entire life.” Spike opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted as Harmony just returned with their drinks. Buffy nodded in thanks and took a small sip. “Mm. I like this.”
“Thought you would.” Spike finished his first beer and took a swig from the new one. “Did you know they have this onion thing, shaped like a flower? Bloody brilliant.”
She smiled. “Yeah, my cousin Andrew has a thing for those. He used to stalk the manager until the poor guy couldn’t take it anymore and gave him the recipe.” Spike got a thoughtful look on his face, clearly considering the same thing, and she rolled her eyes. “Never understood what it is about those onion thingies. They’re not that good.” She took another, bigger sip from her drink. “This, on the other hand, is delicious. You can’t even tell there’s any alcohol in it.” Then she frowned, giving him an uncertain look. “There is alcohol in it, right?”
Spike chuckled. “Yeah, there is. Might wanna slow down a bit.”
Buffy pouted. “Why? You’re afraid I can’t hold my liquor?”
“I dunno.” He gave her a challenging look. “Can you?”
Snorting, Buffy quickly downed the rest of the contents in her glass. “I can drink you under the table, mister! Order me another one, and I’ll show you.”
He was about to object, then shrugged. “Fine by me.” Waving at the waitress again, he leaned back in the chair, glancing at the pretty, blonde girl in front of him. No matter how hard he tried to resist and tell himself otherwise, he was getting more and more intrigued by this girl by the minute.
TBC