Chapter 19

“Anya, you made it!” Giles stood up from the barstool, kissed her cheek and took her coat and went and put it behind the bar. Anya drew up a stool and studied the cocktail list.

Giles came back. “What can I get you? This is a rather good Chardonnay, or would you prefer a cocktail?”

“I want…something long, cool, fruity, yet strong!” She helped herself to some peanuts.

“Right, Anton…Get the lady something long, cool, fruity and strong, please.”

The barman smiled and nodded, grabbed a cold frosted glass and began to pour in shots of Bacardi, golden and dark rums, and tropical juices of passion fruit, mango and lime. He shook it altogether over a tower of ice-cubes, then garnished the glass with slices of fruit, cherries, a paper umbrella and a couple of straws. He placed the drink on a mat in front the beautiful blonde lady.

“There you go, madam, a Winds’ Barman’s Special, enjoy.” 

Anya leant forward and caught the straws in her mouth and sucked. Giles watched her, smiling. “Any good?”

“Oh! That is gorgeous!” Again she took another long suck at the straws, so the drink was now half empty!

Giles re-filled his glass with the cold white wine.

“Sir…Sir…”

Giles turned to the waitress. “Polly, what can I do for you?”

“A Miss Jenny Calendar wants to come in, here, upstairs.”

“Tell her I’m not here.”

“I did, sir”

“Okay…Anya, bring your drink, and come with me. Let Miss Calendar in when someone leaves.”

“Yes sir.”

“Um, can I get another one of these before we go?” Anya held up her now practically empty glass.

“Sure, Anton please –“ Giles pointed to Anya, and the barman nodded and set about mixing another special.

“This is cozy…and you can see out over the restaurant!” Giles led Anya into a small room/office, with a computer on a desk, a safe, a portable TV screen and a sofa and coffee table.

“They can’t see me through, special glass.”

There was a knock at the door, and a waitress handed Giles another drink for Anya.

“Jenny’s not going to give up, is she?”

“She will by Thursday, well, Wednesday night really. She goes to London to cover the European Book Review Awards,” Anya said, accepting the drink from Giles. She kicked off her shoes and drew up her legs, getting comfy.

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

After what seemed like a million phone calls, Glory dialed the next number. She’d actually reached the names spelt with the double ‘N’ as opposed to one. She was on the ‘Z. Finn’s now.

“Hello, Zebadiah Finn?”

“Speaking, who is this, please?”

“You wouldn’t know me, and I need your help. Do you know a guy called Riley Finn? – He’d be 23, and in the army?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Yes I do, he’s my grandson.”

Glory’s eyes brightened.  “Really? Um, he went to school in Sunnydale, California – dated a girl called Buffy Summers?”

“Well, I know he went to school in Sunnydale, but the young lady...I don’t know anything about that, but I have a grandson called Riley, who is in the Army. Would you please tell me who you are?”

“Me? Oh, um…my name is um, Susan. Susan, er, S-S-Smith. Riley wouldn’t remember me, but I used to be in the same frat house – my brother I mean, was in the same frat house as him in Sunnydale. I’m arranging a surprise party – and he’s ALWAYS talking about Riley. Riley this, Riley that, and I’d just LOVE to invite him to this party.”

“I see, well I could give you a contact number for him.”

“You could? Oh, that would be wonderful, thank you!”

“Okay then dear, have you got a pen?”

“Course I’ve got a blo-um, yes, I’m ready………I see, right, thank you! Oh, could you tell me where he is at the moment, he’s not posted abroad, is he?”

“He’s just finished a tour of duty, helping the Peace Corps. I’m sure he’s home for another month at least.”

“Great. Well, thanks and goodbye now!”

Glory put the phone down, grinning to herself.

                                                        ***********

Buffy divided a bag of washed salad leaves between two plates. She added cherry tomatoes, slices of cucumber, and some green onions. Spike roughly pulled apart the still warm, roasted seasoned chicken they’d bought at the supermarket and piled up the portions in a dish. He washed his hands again and cut and buttered bread rolls.

Buffy opened a bottle of cold white wine and poured two glassfuls. They opted to sit at the breakfast bar to eat.

“Hmm, this is good. All I’ve had all day is a banana at about 11 o’clock this morning!"

They chatted easily, Spike telling her all the office gossip.

“...so Sweet’s given Glory the go-ahead, and she can do her show ‘live’ rather than recording it. She thinks it will give it more of an ‘edge’.”

“She’s a total bitch that woman. I can’t wait to go on her show…I am due to go on it, aren’t I?” Buffy asked, before biting into a chicken drumstick.

“Really? Yes, well, I suppose so. Be careful though pet, she’s a tricky one; never know what she’s up to, and I wouldn’t put anything past her. She’s treacherous,” Spike warned, then he smiled and said, “Xander drove Cordy to distraction the night after that, going to the line-dancing thing with Caleb, so she tells me!”

“Really? – I can imagine…still, you can’t say he lacks any enthusiasm for his job!”

Spike’s phone beeped, and he looked at the text.

“Oh, brilliant! This trip of yours, the man I wanted to take you, he’s just confirmed. Chap called Clem will be your minder/driver. He’s a really lovely bloke, very quiet, and genuine. He had some problems with his face when he was a kid, a disfigurement, and he had to have loads of operations, but he’s fine now, just a couple of scars.He’s happy-go-lucky, and I’d trust him with my life, so that’s why I wanted him for you – I know he’ll look after you for me.

”

Buffy gave Spike a sexy smile, her eyes flashing; she’d thank him properly later. “Ah, thanks, baby.”

“Oh, and another thing, here’s yours, but I thought we could go together if you like” Spike slid an envelope across the counter to her.

She opened it and read, “Invitation to a surprise 50^th birthday party for Sweet…where is, oh – the Ship-Ashore – I’ve read about that place! Fifty, eh?” She slipped the card back inside the envelope.

“I know, I think it’ll be a surprise even to him, being fifty. He’s pushing fifty-six at the very least!” Spike yawned, and apologized.

“Sorry nothing, baby! I keep falling asleep if I stop long enough, and you’ve been to work all day!”

They finished up their food and took the rest of the wine into the lounge and sat cuddled up on the sofa.

“Sure you don’t mind me staying, baby?”

“Course I don’t mind!   It’ll be lovely to wake up with you” Spike leaned down and nibbled her ear, making Buffy hunch up her shoulder, giggling.  “Shall I put this in the fridge, and we go on up?” Buffy held the half bottle of wine.

“Great idea!”

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

“I don’t feel so tired now!” Spike said, having dashed upstairs, undressed and gotten into bed, with Buffy close on his heels.

“Me, neither!”

“So...you would have no objections, if I were to do this...”

“Ooooohhhhh – no, no ob-jections – oh god, no, none at all – again!”

Spike roved between her breasts, kissing and sucking her nipples, nibbling her neck, whispering sexy things in her ear, getting Buffy hot and needy. He teased her with little pecking open-mouthed kisses, until she held the back of his head to her and plundered his mouth with her tongue. Fluttering her fingers down his back, lightly raking her nails against his firm corded muscles, she then slipped her hand around the front of him and began to cup and fondle his balls in their heavy sac, making Spike buck towards her hand catching a breath. Slowly sliding her hand up and down his solid shaft, she shifted her leg so Spike could slip between them easily.

“Not being too much for you, am I baby?” Spike breathed in her ear. Buffy arched her back and held him to her, her hips rocking, desperately wanting him inside her.

“Gods no, I want you so much, please baby, plea----ooooohhhhh!”

Needing no further encouragement, Spike pushed up gently inside her – tight, wet, glorious, he’d never tire of this, he knew. It was like she was made for him. Slow languid movements soon gave way to a more frantic coupling, and the sensations built to a terrific climax for them both, gasping and crying out their joy. They made love until exhaustion eventually set in, and then they slept peacefully.

                                                        **********

“Oh, gods…I’m so sorry Anya…this has, well, it’s never happened to me before! I was fine with J…”

Giles just stopped himself short of saying 'Jenny'. He didn’t need to make Anya feel worse than he did already. “God! I’m so embarrassed!” Giles was sitting on the side of the bed, his head in his hands. Anya lay in bed, naked, disappointed and frustrated.

“Well, don’t worry, I understand…it happens to all men sometimes – or so I’ve read.”

**Not to men with me though** Anya thought bitterly. To be fair, she’d tried everything...kisses, massaging, fondling, sucking…all to no avail. She wanted to suggest that there was a myriad of things HE could do to HER, and it might get him in the mood, but he seemed resigned to be in ‘total failure’ mode, and nothing was going to alter that. Where was the Viagra when you needed it?

She ran her hand down his back, in what she hoped was a re-assuring manner, and said, “Maybe you’re just tired, or it could be too much wine...or - ”

Giles stood up, took his robe from the back of the door and slipped it on, and stood briefly in the doorway,  “Sorry – I………sorry.”

He left the room. He couldn’t bear to be touched, or even looked at, at the moment.

Anya shifted onto her back, stared at the ceiling and sighed.

**So much for Jenny’s rampant stud**

She could hear the shower begin to run in the bathroom, and she frowned. Maybe she was wrong, but it felt like he was trying to wash away the memory of what had, or rather had NOT happened, like it was dirty or something.

There was nothing else for it, so she flung back the bedclothes, dressed as quickly as she could, and left.

Giles heard her car pull away just as he’d switched the shower off, and he leaned against the bathroom wall, dripping, thankful she’d gone and he didn’t have to face her or her anger or pity at his impotence.

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

Dru practically pounced on Sweet’s desk. She’d been ‘playing’ in the garden, she was naked and still slightly wet from the lawn sprinklers.

“Can we go out, Daddy? I want to go out! Can we, huh? Please?” Dru asked, wild eyed and grinning.

“Well! You’ve certainly changed your tune young lady  - I will say that!” Sweet looked up from reading investment documents. “Course we can go out, and where would my little princess like to go, hmm?”

Dru held out her arms and began to sway and waltz around the room.  “Dancing! I want to go dancing! And play! I want to play games and have fun!”

“Sounds good to me!” Cecily said, entering the office, sipping from a very large vodka and tonic, with ice and lemon. Dru took it from her, waltzing around, spilling a little, before she stopped and downed the lot, handing a grinning Cecily back the now empty glass.

“So, where do you want to go?”

“The Hacienda!” Dru said.

“Um, you’ll have a job pet, it burned down two years ago. How about the Basement…or George’s Number 8?”

“Okay!” Dru agreed, without having ever been to either club.

“Actually…I was thinking of buying the old Hacienda site, and rebuilding it…” Sweet said.

“And I could work there!” Dru said, suddenly looking more lucid and alert than ever. Everyone smiled.

“If you want, Princess, but why do you want to work?” Sweet asked, as if indulging a little child.

“For money!”

“My Princess, you can have whatever you want. Daddy will buy it for you, you know that!”

Dru smiled and went and hugged him. “Thank you, Daddy!”

“That’s alright, my Princess…tell you what, how about my two best girls go out and buy something pretty to wear for tonight, hmm?” Dru clapped her hands with excitement.

“Great! Come on then, Dru, um, but first pet, we better get you something to put on. You can’t go like that, all naked, can you!” Cecily said, smiling.

Dru followed her out of the office and they went upstairs to see what they could find for her to put on.

“Hey, sleepyhead, wake up!” Spike bent over and kissed her lightly.

“Hmm? Oh – I – morning baby!” Buffy yawned and stretched, and noticed Spike was up, dressed, washed and all minty fresh.

“Cup of tea for you, kitten. I must shoot off, there is some stuff I need from home before I go into the studios, and I want to change, too. No need to set the gossip-mongers tongues wagging, is there?  I can be back by 8.45 to pick you up, if you like?”

Buffy sat up. “Would you? That would be great…hmm." She sipped her tea. "This is just how I like it, not too strong, not too milky, no sugar, perfect!”

“Good. Okay then, pet, see you in an hour.” He kissed her again and left.

Buffy cupped the tea-mug in her hands and smiled to herself. She heard the front door shut, and his car drive off.

There was a soft knock on her door, and she called for Willow to ‘come-in’.

Willow was also up, washed and dressed.

“Hi!”

“Hi! Listen, tonight, I was going to ask Oz round, would that be alright? I don’t want to cramp your style if you and Spike were, well, you know, planned on staying in or anything?”

“No, course not! Ask him over.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. There’s a ‘thing’ tonight, rehearsing for a charity Christmas record. I doubt if we’ll be home this side of midnight.” Buffy sipped her tea.

Willow smiled and said, “Great. So…he makes nice tea!”

“He make you some too?” Buffy asked, grinning.

“I was half asleep when I padded into the kitchen in my PJ’s and robe, then I see him making tea and he asked if I wanted some!”

“We, um…we didn’t, well...did we make a – did we disturb you, at all?” Buffy felt a little embarrassed asking, but she’d rather know.

“No! Told you, I always fall asleep with my headphones on now. It's supposed to help you learn while you sleep!”

“Learn what?  Song words?”

“No, uses and comparisons of High Level computer languages. For example, Algol, Cobol, Fortran – and their uses in efficient object programming to debug – sorry! Don’t want to bore you!“  Willow stopped as she could see Buffy’s eyes start to glaze over.

“Was any of that in English – coz I didn’t understand a word of what you just said!” Buffy smiled at her friend.

                                                        **********

“Pookie!”

“Hmm?”

“You know this party?”

“What party, Poppet?” Xander looked up from reading an info sheet on Caleb’s first concert venue.

“Sweet’s surprise birthday one.”

“Oh, that, yeah, um, shush baby...you never know who’s listening. Come and sit on my lap and whisper.” Grinning, Xander patted his thighs.

“Okay………Right, I -!” Harmony began, until Xander stayed her with a hand on her thighs.

“Oooh, don’t wriggle Poppet…it um, well, that’s better...go on, what about this part-oh! Excuse me! Don’t you EVER knock?” Xander glared at the blonde standing in the doorway.

Glory had barged into the office without the customary politeness, again. “Oh DO get over yourselves, like I’D be interested in a no-hoper like you, and his animated Barbie doll. Where’s Cordelia?”

“How the hell should I know? Have you tried looking in her office – and how dare you call - Glory – come back here………I said, Come – “

“Leave it Pookie, she isn’t worth it,” Harmony said, placating him. She hadn’t moved off his lap this time.

“She’s an ignorant bitch – I HATE that woman. I wish somebody would bring her down a peg or two!”

“Her time will come, I’m sure.”

“How dare she call you...“

Harmony put a finger over his lips, and then leant forward and kissed him. “Don’t let it bother you, Pookie, she’ll just do it all the more.”

Xander looked at Harmony and smiled. “Yeah, you’re right. So Poppet, what were you going to say about the party?”

******************* 

“Can I leave you to get that Buffy, I’m out the door - bye!” Willow shouted, and she heard Buffy call back ‘Yes’, and then answer the phone.

“Hello………hello, hello – is there anybody there? Hello – oh-“

“Buffy! Don’t hang up, please!”

Buffy’s eyes widened with shock, and she caught a swift little breath, and then swallowed. “What do you want?” she hissed through gritted teeth.

“Come on love, don’t be like that to your old dad.”

“What? Like what? What the bloody hell do you expect me to do, huh, jump for joy?”

“I’m sorry, love.”

“Oh. I see. You’re sorry. Well that makes everything alright then, doesn’t it?”

“Buffy, please love. Let me explain..”

“Well go ahead! I’m waiting, explain.”

“Not here, not now love, not over the phone. I could come to the house.”

“Oh, no you couldn’t! Mom didn’t want you here when she was alive, so I certainly don’t want you here now she’s dead. That’s dead, dad. Dead as in gone, not here anymore – not that that bothered YOU at all!”

“Buffy! It was over love, end of, your mother and I. We were finished. I left so we could stop hurting each other, hurting you with the arguments!”

“So you think you can just swan…” Buffy swallowed rapidly, then bit her bottom lip. The tears threatened to fall, and she didn’t want him to hear her cry.

“Just let us meet somewhere. Let me try and explain”

“NO!”

“Please, Buffy! I swear if you’ll just meet me once, let me explain, and if you don’t want to know after that, then, well...fair enough. At least we can say we tried.”

“No………I don’t know…I………I can’t deal with this, not now!”

“When, then? I’m still at Westwood’s, you can contact me there. Please, love. When you’re ready, just give me a chance.”

“I’ll see. Gotta go.” Buffy slammed the phone down and stared at it as the tears began to fall, unchecked.

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

Spike pulled up, got out of the car and trotted up to the front door, then opened it, calling out cheerily, “Hi baby, I came back early – hope you don’t…Buffy – Oh, baby, what on earth’s the matter, kitten?” Spike took the stairs two at a time, to where she was sitting at the top.

Buffy stood, feeling safe wrapped in his arms. She snuggled up and sniffed. “My dad phoned…caught me by surprise.”

“Oh, love………come on, kitten...don’t upset yourself. Do you want me get your number changed, hmm?” His lips brushed her forehead and he gave her a little squeeze.

“No…no it’s okay…”

“Did he say something mean to you, baby?”

“No, not really…he just, well, he wants a chance to explain things.”

“Don’t let him force you into doing something you don’t want to do, kitten”

“I won’t. I’m just being silly. It just surprised me, hearing him after all this time, that’s all”

Spike held her face gently, wiping her tears away. “You feel up to coming into the studios?”

“Course! I’ll just go wash my face.”

“We’ve got time for breakfast if you want, pet.”

“Yeah?  Great.”

“I’ll go down and start.”

“ ‘kay.”

Spike snatched a quick kiss and Buffy went into the bathroom, while he headed on down to the kitchen.

**************** 

Buffy dusted her fingers of crumbs over her plate and she wiped her mouth on a napkin. “That was delicious!”

“I used to live on ‘eggy bread’ when I was a student. So babe, are you ready? You’ll meet the rest of Sweet’s ‘stable’ today. Ilyria, Caleb, Anyanka and a few ‘free-lancers’. It should be good.”

“Stable – it sounds like we’re race-horses!”

“Just a phrase baby!  Golly, look at the time – we better scoot.”

“Well, I’m ready – come on then!”