Chapter 11

After skipping lunch, Buffy went straight to rehearsing the new songs for her album, and then Spike said she could go at four o’clock, as she wanted to do some shopping. She wanted something to wear for the party, and just to generally spoil herself with some luxury bath products, cosmetics and frivolities like scented candles, stuff that she’d had to deny herself when money was tight. She sat in the food court with a coffee, her myriad of shopping bags on two other seats. Buffy took out her cell phone, and called up her friend.

“Hi, Will... where are you?”

“Lecture hall three, well, tell a lie, outside lecture hall three, I’m just on my way home.”

“Come and meet me! I’m in the Food Court at the mall…I can tell you what’s been going on!”

“Oh great!  Give me twenty minutes!”

*****************************

It was just after six, and Spike closed down his computer, yawned and stretched. There was a knock at his door, and a messenger entered with a two-inch thick parcel, handed it to him and left.

“Thank you.” Spike opened it, and smiled, it was 250 photos of Buffy, taken from a ‘still’ when she was on Ethan Raine’s show. She looked beautiful, natural and happy. Spike had been just going to go home, but thought that another half an hour wouldn’t hurt, and he got out the rubber-stamp of Buffy’s signature they’d had made, and he began to stamp the corners of the photos. Normally this would have been a secretary’s job he’d have had done tomorrow, but he thought that it would give him an excuse to drop by Buffy’s house later. After all, he’d promised those young fans of hers some pictures………

*********************

“Have you got that, Warren?” Lorne asked

“Yes, yes, I know, treble security. It’ll be easier to get into Fort Knox than the back room, have no fear…I’ll want the ‘usual’ payment’ of course.”

“You will  - we’ll supply the DJ, we don’t want the music fiasco that happened last time – we’d have been better off with a karaoke.”

“Sure, whatever.”

“Oh yes, and he wants six cases of Champagne. Dom Perignon, or Bollinger, not that Spanish Cava you pass off as bubbly, he’ll know.”

“Okay! Jeez...”

“I’m just telling you for your own good Warren…we wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, now would we?”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, Sweet has mucho influence, friends and interests in this city… wouldn’t do to try and screw him.”

“I hear you’re the one doing that, literally, one of many!”

“Don’t get smart, that mouth of yours will get you into trouble one of these days, Mr MEERS!”

Lorne put the phone down, and Warren looked horrified, how the HELL, did Lorne know that his real name was Meers and not Walsh…

“SHIT! BASTARD!” Warren kicked out at the office safe. He’d been SO careful to keep his real name covered as there was that outstanding warrant in England for his arrest for murder.

He’d REALLY have to be careful now, and play things absolutely straight with Sweet and company…a thought that made him sick.

************************

Willy was a little worried. He’d heard Warren swearing, and he thought...as his boss had the takings books out on the desk...that he’d been found out about his ‘fiddle’. He decided to brazen it out, and knocked on the office door.

“Yes?” Warren asked irritably.

“Can I have the floats for the cash registers?”

“Here.” Warren threw him the key to the safe. “Friday.”

“Boss?”

“I want YOU to do the bar in the back room, it’s for Sweet’s after-award party, and I want everything to be perfect. If they ask for champagne, then that’s what they’ll have, no Cava shit, the real McCoy, and NO watering down the drinks...even if the punter is shit-faced and out of his tree – do you hear me?”

Willy raised his brows – but thought it best to comply, in words anyway…

“Sure thing boss…can I go now? – got to fill up the mixers and that.”

“Yeah.”

This surprising instruction set Willy thinking, wondering just what  Sweet and his cronies had on his boss………

 **********************

Buffy luxuriated in the bubbly scented water. She popped a chocolate into her mouth and relaxed, lying back, thinking ‘This is the life’.

******************** 

Spike went home, grabbed a sandwich, had a shower and changed, and then phoned Buffy.

“………I like to keep my promises, and they’re ready. See, I tried out the new rubber stamp of your signature on them – you can’t tell the difference, you’d think they’d just been signed.”

“Great, there are a few kids hanging around outside actually, come on over!”

“See you in twenty minutes!”

They were both smiling when they put their phones down.

Buffy unfurled the towel turban on her head and rubbed briskly at her hair. She slipped on her jeans and a crop-top, and put on a slick of lipgloss and a couple of coats of mascara. Bending over, she dried her hair, to give it some volume. She’d just unplugged the hairdryer when she saw the flash of headlights across her bedroom wall, and heard the low purr of the sports car’s engine.

She went down and opened the front door, and was surprised and delighted to see not Spike at first, but a HUGE bouquet of mixed flowers.

“Hi!”

“Oh, look, talking flowers – come in!” Buffy beamed at him

“These are for you. Congratulations on your first single.” Spike handed over the flowers.

“Gorgeous!”

“I know…I can’t help it!” Spike fluttered his lashes, making Buffy giggle.

“The flowers, silly…although, I suppose you could pass for okay!” Buffy teased, and Spike grabbed her bare waist and tickled her, making Buffy squirm and scream out laughing.

“Give in! I give in!” The pair of them was now in the kitchen, both laughing.

“Do you now, huh?!”

Buffy looked wondrously at the cut mixed blooms, roses, lilies, orchids, their heady perfume was almost intoxicating. She carefully laid them on the island, opening the cupboard under the sink for some vases.  “They’re beautiful”

“Like you then,” Spike said, not taking his eyes off her.

She smiled, blushed, mumbled a ‘thank you’, and began to snip off the ends of the stalks and strip leaves off the long stems so they wouldn’t rot in the water.

Spike sat himself down on one of the stools by the breakfast bar, and watched while she arranged the flowers between the two vases. When she’d finished, she went over to him, stood between his legs and gave him a soft gentle kiss.

They looked at each other for a second or two, and Spike homed in again, and they began kissing with mounting passion. She was glad that she was holding him around the shoulders, when his tongue swept into her mouth, her knees felt ready to give way.

She broke the kiss and Spike whispered breathlessly in her ear, “Oh Buffy! I’ve been longing to do that!”

Buffy closed her eyes and held him to her, and then she rested her forehead against his. “Me too. Spike…is this, well, is this how it is with all your other singers?”

“What do you mean, pet?”

“I mean...well, you’re with them practically 24/7 for the first few weeks, and...“

“I can stop you right there, pet. I’ve never done before what I’ve done with you. Usually I’m just the manager. I spend half an hour- say an hour a day tops with my singers. I’ve never taken anyone to the studios, or the factory...it’s all done with what we call ‘minders’.”

“So why me?” Buffy asked.

“Because from the second I set eyes on you, I knew you were something special. Not just the business side of things. I know...if it’s what you want...you have a great singing career in front of you. I mean, well, I want to get to know you. If it’s not what you want, tell me now and I’ll sort out a minder for you, and I won’t bother you again, except for business.”

“But what’s so special about me? – You must have hundreds of women after you?”

“Not hundreds, pet…a few, maybe………nobody’s ever taken my interest like you – I don’t want to put any pressure on you, if it’s not what you want, I totally understand, and it won’t harm your career.”

“It is. What I want. I’d like there to be an us, but I want to take things slowly, and I’d like to keep it just between ourselves…if too many people get to know – I’ve seen it all before at work. When I was at the school, embryonic relationships ruined by gossip.”

“I totally agree…” Spike said nodding, he was happy to comply.

“Good.” Buffy still had her arms loosely around his neck, when her stomach rumbled. She rolled her eyes, and Spike snatched a quick kiss and said, “Hungry, pet?”

“I had a sandwich at the food court, but yes, I am a bit. Are you?”

“I’m the same. Grabbed a sandwich earlier…got anything in?” He nodded towards the fridge.

“Not much…” She went over to the fridge and pulled it open.

“Juice…eggs, pack of ham…some cheddar, a bag of ready washed salad, few mushrooms…tomatoes…milk, and the pizza needs throwing – it’s from before the show!” she took the box out and put it on the side.

“Like omelettes?” Spike asked.

“I love them. Don’t tell me...you cook?” she grinned at him.

“Has been known! – Tell you what, you go out there, and distribute some of these to your adoring fans, and I’ll whip you up an omelette faster than you can say ‘Your culinary expertise absolutely astounds me!” Buffy giggled and took some of the photos to take outside. Spike washed his hands and set about his task.

************************

Jenny woke, stretched and luxuriated in the fact that she hadn’t had to wake up to an alarm clock, for a change. When she felt a strong arm around her waist, she turned over and smiled.

“Morning”

“Hi”

“Sleep well?”

“Eventually!”

Giles smiled, and then looked slightly worried. “I wasn’t, you know, too much for you, was I?”

“Twice on the trot, and then again an hour later…nope, not too much…you’re a right regular little tiger when roused, aren’t you!”

She made to get out of bed, but Giles stayed her with his arm.“Don’t get up yet, please?”

“I just need the bathroom, honey, I’ll be back – promise.” She lightly kissed his nose, and Giles let her go.  

Although he couldn’t see, Jenny was grinning all the way into the bathroom, ok, she’d been totally wrong about older men, and this man, well - he definitely knew what he was doing, and he had stamina by the bucket-load!

 ***********************                                              

Glory Benson stood on-set, checking her script. The make-up lady was powdering her face, there were stagehands milling about, and the director and soundman were in deep discussion.

“Okay... everybody, at last, rolling in five” the director called.

“He’s here then – about bloody time…keeping me waiting.” Glory threw the clipboard down on the sofa and allowed the make-up lady to re-new her trademark red lipstick.

“Clear the set, rolling in three minutes!”

Glory fixed in her earpiece in, and looked at the director, who said,“Opening credits, your piece introducing what you’ve got on and then got to VT of Gunn’s new single, then introduce him.” Glory nodded

“Quiet on set everybody – rolling in one minute” There was a slight commotion off-stage, and Glory shot one of her icy glares in that general direction.

“Can somebody get those people away from the stage…and QUIET- TWENTY SECONDS – Places please – clear the set…ready-“ From the chaos, suddenly everything was ready, with Glory standing and waiting to do her piece to camera.

“VT Rolling…and Five, four – cut to credits, music…and one –“ The director pointed at Glory.

“Hi –Glory Benson with another edition of ‘Chart Countdown’. On tonight’s show we have two more contenders for the Independent Radio Awards Best Song category, our usual run down of the Indie and Billboard charts, and later I’ll be chatting to Mobo award contender, and the quiet man of rap, Gunn.”

Glory turned her head to the right and the camera panned to a screen, showing a clip of Gunn’s new video, ‘Urban Decay’. A typical scene, the slick black man, head to toe in designer gear and covered in ‘bling’, arms outstretched, gesticulating with his fingers, while scantily clad girls gyrated around him as he walked along a row of boarded up and graffiti covered shops, rapping to a stilted beat.

The camera panned back to Glory. “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight’s guest, Gunn!”

He came on-set, and sat down on the sofa. Glory seated herself opposite.  “They call you the quiet man of rap. Why?”

“I guess, because I’m quiet.” Gunn said, softly.

Glory fixed him with a look and knew she wanted to give this guy a rough ride. He’d ‘dissed’ her by being late, so she wasn’t going to go easy on him, which she didn’t. She grilled him on his lyrics, repeating the press’s view that they were typically misogynistic, and homophobic. When she stated that she thought that him swanning around in a fur coat and enough bling valued high enough to take at least three families out of the poverty he sang about, was hypercritical, Gunn had enough. He unclipped his microphone and stormed off-set. Without turning a hair, Glory cut to the ‘break’ and the commercials were shown.

All hell broke loose backstage.

“Glory! Can’t you apologise?” the director pleaded.

“No! Jumped up, two-bit, over-rated talentless prat had it coming!”

Some of Gunn’s entourage were going crazy, making threats to her, which made Glory even madder, and she flipped them a middle finger.

“Gonna get you, you Mother-fuckin’ bitch – when I do, I’m gonna kick your lop-sided, skanky little ass!” one of them shouted.

“Yeah? Fuck off, you don’t frighten me…” Dropping her voice to little above a mumble, she said, “Getting so tired of this.”

One of Gunn’s entourage broke free of security and ran on set, making threats, but he was soon hauled off. The director was going frantic trying to get order.

“Back on air in five, four………one – Glory!”

Glory smiled to the camera and did her next piece, you could still hear the commotion going on backstage, but Glory took it all in her stride. She was controversial, she didn’t care, or was in the slightest bit worried. The poor director however, was sweating profusely, and almost having a heart attack.

The rest of the show passed without incident, and Glory stalked off set into the greenroom.

“Gunn…darling.” Glory kissed him on the cheek, and perched on his lap.

The director saw this and was almost incandescent with rage.

“All that, that – that was a put up!!?”

“Of course, darling…we’re from the same stable…All Sweet’s idea…keeps us in the news!”

“Okay, but off my man, now!” Nikki Wood looked deadly serious, and then she too laughed and hugged Glory.

“How are you, girl?”

“Oh, you know…earning a living…”

“You were a bit hard on my man!”

“Hey, he was late…!” They laughed and joked, and the poor director began to think he was getting too old for this lark…

“Um, just checking, those guys, your entourage, they do know it was all a put up, don’t they?” Glory asked Gunn.

“I assume so, I’ve never laid eyes on any of them before, my homies are just that, at home!”

  *************************                                             

“Oh god…this has to be the best omelette I’ve ever tasted!” Buffy pointed to the cheese, ham and mushroom concoction with her fork. He’d served it with a side salad, and as there was nothing else stronger, they had juice to drink.

Spike grinned. “Thanks. So, how many photo’s did you give out?”

“About a dozen, it’s getting dark so they tend to drift away. I was thinking of giving some to the lady next door, she was the one that phoned the police. If she has some to give out, the kids might go away and leave them in peace.”

“Good idea! Listen babe, it’s getting late, and I’ve got a bit to do at home, so I’ll be off after I’ve finished this, and I’ll send a car for you in the morning, so we don’t get the gossip-mongers started.” Buffy nodded.

They finished their meal, and Spike gave her a run-down of what she had to do the following day; three interviews, another TV appearance and rehearsals.

“Night then, baby…see you in the morning.” Buffy saw him to the door, and they had a nice kiss, nothing too passionate. She wanted things to go slowly and he wasn’t about to blow it now…

*************************                                                

Spike was in the office bright and early the following morning. He’d caught up with his work and was just putting some papers in his filing cabinet when he spied out of the window both Xander and Harmony getting out of the same car. Harmony was helping Xander like he was an invalid. Spike grinned.

Cordelia knocked and came in, bringing papers for him to sign. “And how come you’re so cheerful this morning?”

“Its Xander…I think he’s cracked it!”

“Cracked what?”

“Well, if things have gone according to plan…” Spike went on to explain. They both heard the lift ‘ding’ outside, and Cordelia was hardly keeping the grin off her face when she left Spike’s office.

Xander tiptoed in, walking in a very peculiar manner. A widely grinning Spike met him at the door.

“My god…what has she done to you!” Spike pulled out a chair, but Xander shook it and went to go to the bathroom.

“Blue-balls…I won’t be long…give me two minutes…”

Spike frowned. After about thirty seconds, Spike heard a loud gasp from the restroom, and thirty seconds after that, Xander came through to the office...well, staggered would be nearer the mark.

“Oh, gods…I’ve had a terrible night!” Xander collapsed in his chair.

Spike studied his friend, and said, “I’ve got a feeling I’m going to regret asking this, but go on, what happened?”

“Well…it started off okay. I did as you said, and I went down to the video editing room, and she was all over me…”

“Can we cut to the chase?”

“Okay, I’m getting there…so we get back to her place. She suggested my place, but I panicked, so I said we couldn’t, because of my mother.”

“You told her you still live with...“ Spike began

“NO! Look, I told her my mom had flown in from Dallas and was staying with me, and she’d have jet-lag and be in a bad...“

“Jet-lag? From Dallas?”

“Yes, alright, I know it was stupid to say that now!  Do you want to hear this or not....?"

“Sorry, sorry, carry on!”

“So, we get to her place, order Chinese...do you know, she doesn’t eat meat, but she eats chicken...well, she ate a chicken stir-fry but she says it’s not real meat, like Kentucky Fried chicken meat, so it doesn’t count?”

“Xander, I’ve got a party to go to tomorrow night! GET ON WITH IT!”

“Well, she’s on about changing her career, so I’m sitting there, watching all her videos of her songs...“

“ALL of them??  Oh, god...you poor man!”

“Shush, do you want me to tell you?”

“Sorry, yes, please continue.”

“Well…after two hours, I’m sort of brain dead from...“

“TWO HOURS!!  I’d have been climbing the walls after two min – sorry, I’ll shush, sorry.  Go on!”

“So, I grab her and kiss her...just to shut her up.”

Spike grinned. “Good. And?”

“And what? It all went down hill from there. So she’s lying on top of me, kissing...“

“Oh god, you poor bloke! Don’t tell me...you couldn’t…you know…get…” Spike raised his brows and nodded to Xander’s crotch.

“No! THAT was the problem...I could, I did...all bloody night I had one, but I digress. I didn’t want to do it on the sofa, not when there’s a nice bed in the next room. But she doesn’t seem to be wanting to make a move, so I push her shoulder and we sit up. I tell her my backs hurting.

Spike frowned and said, “And?”

“Well, she asks if I’ll have a word with Sweet about changing her image, and she sort of got me all confused because of her boobs, and I say ‘yes, sure, course’ – so I’ve spoiled my chances, she thinks she’s done enough…“

“I told you to make it sound like Sweet wouldn’t...“

“I KNOW! So, anyway, realising I’d made a mistake, I back-pedal and say I’ll try my best. Well, she’s all over me again, and I couldn’t stand up, coz, well, you know, she’d have seen me, well, my, well...I was aroused. I didn’t want her to slap my face. “  Xander could see the look on Spike’s face, so he continued, “So then I had this brilliant idea...or so I thought... to get into her bedroom.”

“Which was...?”

“To...um...to pretend my back had totally ‘gone’.”

Spike was more confused than ever. “How would that get you...?"

“I told her that I’d have to sleep on the sofa because my mother was staying at my place...and...“

“But...well, how were you supposed to shag her rotten if you had a bad back?”

“I KNOW that NOW!!  She got me to bed, after stating she knew she’d be ‘safe’ as I couldn’t do anything ‘naughty’ because of my back…so I had to lie there, all night, staring at the ceiling, with a raging hard on. Every time I went to...you know…get some relief, she’s stop snoring and I thought she was awake…she’d rub her leg against mine…or her boobs against my arm…all bloody night I lay there…hard as a rock…all bloody night!!"

Spike snorted a laugh, stifled it by covering his mouth, but then he couldn’t help but titter and then laugh.

“That’s it, go on, laugh – I’ve been in agony all night!”

“Oh, Xander…sorry but, well…it’s...you were lying naked, in bed, with Harmony, with a fully functioning dick, and you STILL didn’t...” He started laughing again.

“It’s bloody hilarious is it? Okay then Einstein, what would YOU have done?”

“Well…you said she was lying on top of you, kissing you, to help persuade you to talk to Sweet, and you’d got a stiffy?”

“Yes, so, come on, I’m waiting!”

“Well, for starters, I wouldn’t have said I’d got a bad back! I’d have made her aware of the fact that I was aroused!”

“But she might have slapped me!”

“Xander! It was her doing the kissing! Her giving you the hard-on! She could hardly complain - you could have called her a cock-tease! I’d have pressed her to me, whispered something like, ‘Oh baby, can you feel what you’re doing to me?'  Balls in her court then. She can either jump up and say, 'Yes...well, thanks but not interested, goodnight'...or lead you to the bedroom.”

Xander blinked at Spike. It could have been that simple, less than a dozen words... He leaned forward and banged his head slowly and repeatedly on the desk.

He was still doing it when Cordelia walked in a few seconds later.

“What’s wrong with him?” She smiled when she could see Spike was trying very hard not to laugh.

“DON’T YOU DARE!” Xander sat up and warned him.

Spike held his hands up, still grinning. Cordelia rolled her eyes, but smiled, when Spike mouthed ‘tell you later’ to her, so she nodded, put some papers for him to sign on the desk and left.

Still smiling, Spike began to tap away at his computer. His phone rang, and when he answered it, Cordelia said, “I have an extremely annoyed Anyanka...who’s in Lausanne, Switzerland...on the phone for you, Spike.”

Spike frowned and picked up.  “Anya – what can I...”

“You, you, you – HOW COULD YOU?!”

Still puzzled, Spike said, “How could I what, love?”

“Bloody Tinkerbell – That’s what!” Spike was beginning to think Anyanka had taken leave of her senses and found a stash of Sweet’s crazy-dust at the chalet, when she finally said, “Sending that bloody teeny-bop Tinkerbell up to collect MY AWARD!  I mean WHAT are you thinking!?”

Oh, that. Spike felt a little guilty at what he was about to do, but he figured that Xander was already having a bad day, so this could hardly make it worse.

“Oh, well, sorry, but it was all Xander’s idea! He’s got this notion to change Harmony’s image, so, I’ll just transfer you across to his desk…”

Spike pressed for Cordelia to transfer the call, which she dutifully did. As soon as Xander’s phone began to ring, Spike high-tailed it out of the office.

****************************

When Buffy came up to the office from rehearsals, she found Spike and Cordelia giggling like a couple of kids. She smiled. “Hi…so, good joke?”

Cordelia stood and said, “I must be off. I’ll get you a coffee- is it? (Buffy nodded)  – Spike will tell you!” Which he did.

“You rotten pair!” Buffy said, but she was giggling too.

“So then...I figured his day couldn’t get any worse..so when Anya phones up in a blue funk over the fact that Harmony’s going to collect her award on her behalf while she’s in Switzerland...I get Cordy to transfer the call across to Xander...because it was supposed to be his idea!”

“Oh, what a shame!” Buffy said, but they were still giggling!

“Ah ha!! THERE YOU ARE!!  I've got a bone to pick with you!”

Buffy and Spike looked up to see Xander standing with his hands on his hips, glaring at Spike.

They grinned at him.

“Um…aren’t you due to do that interview for CD USA about now?” Spike asked Buffy.

“Um…uh-huh…”

While Xander was distracted getting himself a coffee, Spike and Buffy snuck out and took the back stairs down to the office, giggling.

“Thanks to you, I’ve had to promise - Spike? Where’d he go? Spike!Spike...I’ll bloody kill him when I catch up with him!”

Cordelia entered the café and helped herself to coffee.

“First sign of going mad,Xander, talking to yourself!” she said cheerfully, and went and sat down next to him.