Part 20
8 pm
Angel was pacing, he couldn't stop. He knew they'd be here any
minute. He hadn't seen Buffy since Sunday, but he'd spoken with her
on the phone every day afterward. He tried not to think about what
Cordelia had said, about Buffy still caring about him. He hadn't even
contemplated it as a possibility, not since she'd told him they could
only be friends. Now that he thought about it, he had caught her
looking at him at times when she hadn't thought he was paying
attention. Whenever he had, she'd blushed and muttered some excuse
before looking away. He just hadn't given those situations a second
thought, and now he wasn't sure why.
Maybe it was just that she still felt a physical attraction to him.
He definitely felt a physical attraction to her. She'd always
affected him deeply, there was nothing he could do about that. Just
the sight of her, and his mind would fill in the rest of the blanks:
how soft her skin was, how her fingers felt touching him, how her
skin tasted... "Stop it," he reprimanded himself, as he noticed his
pants were suddenly too tight. Apparently it didn't even take the
sight of her, he realized.
*Why did I choose the leather pants?* he wondered. *Silly vanity.* He
remembered now that she'd liked them once; so it had been a
subconscious thing, changing into them. He'd chosen a blood-red silk
shirt to top off the look. Not half bad, he'd realized, when he'd
caught his reflection in the mirror shortly after changing. That was
something he was still getting used to: passing a mirror and actually
seeing someone in it that was him.
He looked up as the door opened, and Buffy walked in. She looked
incredible, wearing tight-fitting black pants and a dark blue blouse.
If the look on her face was any indication, though, she wasn't in the
best of moods. She gave him a small smile, and walked in. He then
realized that Xander and Willow were not walking in behind her.
"Hi, Angel," she said nervously. *Why am I nervous? This is Angel.
Wearing those leather pants...and I think I'm going to stick to
looking at his face so I don't start blushing.* "Willow and Xander
couldn't come, Will's parents showed up unexpectedly."
"I'm sorry to hear that they couldn't make it," Angel replied, trying
to look disappointed, though he was actually thrilled he'd get to
spend the evening alone with her. "But I'm glad you came anyway," he
said with a smile. "Come in, sit down for a few minutes," he invited
with a smile. "The dinner reservations aren't for another half-hour,
and it only takes fifteen minutes to get there."
She realized she was still standing in the doorway, and nodded,
walking into the lobby and sitting with him on the couch. She leaned
against the back of the couch and closed her eyes for a moment,
trying to force herself to relax.
"Long day?" Angel asked, having to ignore the urge to reach out and
tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
Buffy opened her eyes and looked into his concerned ones. She
smiled, "I'm fine. Long week, but I won't bore you with the details
again." She'd already told him all the exciting demon fighting
stories on the phone. "And yes, I'm tired, but that's all the more
reason I need a relaxing weekend away from the Hellmouth."
He'd smiled back, "A nice relaxing weekend. I'll do my best to give
you just that. Shall we go?" He stood, and held out his hand to her
before he could mentally smack himself upside the head. To his
relief, she smiled and took his hand, letting him help her up.
"After you," he said with a smile, gesturing her to the door.
Together they walked outside to his car.
****************
8 pm
Angel was pacing, he couldn't stop. He knew they'd be here any
minute. He hadn't seen Buffy since Sunday, but he'd spoken with her
on the phone every day afterward. He tried not to think about what
Cordelia had said, about Buffy still caring about him. He hadn't even
contemplated it as a possibility, not since she'd told him they could
only be friends. Now that he thought about it, he had caught her
looking at him at times when she hadn't thought he was paying
attention. Whenever he had, she'd blushed and muttered some excuse
before looking away. He just hadn't given those situations a second
thought, and now he wasn't sure why.
Maybe it was just that she still felt a physical attraction to him.
He definitely felt a physical attraction to her. She'd always
affected him deeply, there was nothing he could do about that. Just
the sight of her, and his mind would fill in the rest of the blanks:
how soft her skin was, how her fingers felt touching him, how her
skin tasted... "Stop it," he reprimanded himself, as he noticed his
pants were suddenly too tight. Apparently it didn't even take the
sight of her, he realized.
*Why did I choose the leather pants?* he wondered. *Silly vanity.* He
remembered now that she'd liked them once; so it had been a
subconscious thing, changing into them. He'd chosen a blood-red silk
shirt to top off the look. Not half bad, he'd realized, when he'd
caught his reflection in the mirror shortly after changing. That was
something he was still getting used to: passing a mirror and actually
seeing someone in it that was him.
He looked up as the door opened, and Buffy walked in. She looked
incredible, wearing tight-fitting black pants and a dark blue blouse.
If the look on her face was any indication, though, she wasn't in the
best of moods. She gave him a small smile, and walked in. He then
realized that Xander and Willow were not walking in behind her.
"Hi, Angel," she said nervously. *Why am I nervous? This is Angel.
Wearing those leather pants...and I think I'm going to stick to
looking at his face so I don't start blushing.* "Willow and Xander
couldn't come, Will's parents showed up unexpectedly."
"I'm sorry to hear that they couldn't make it," Angel replied, trying
to look disappointed, though he was actually thrilled he'd get to
spend the evening alone with her. "But I'm glad you came anyway," he
said with a smile. "Come in, sit down for a few minutes," he invited
with a smile. "The dinner reservations aren't for another half-hour,
and it only takes fifteen minutes to get there."
She realized she was still standing in the doorway, and nodded,
walking into the lobby and sitting with him on the couch. She leaned
against the back of the couch and closed her eyes for a moment,
trying to force herself to relax.
"Long day?" Angel asked, having to ignore the urge to reach out and
tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
Buffy opened her eyes and looked into his concerned ones. She
smiled, "I'm fine. Long week, but I won't bore you with the details
again." She'd already told him all the exciting demon fighting
stories on the phone. "And yes, I'm tired, but that's all the more
reason I need a relaxing weekend away from the Hellmouth."
He'd smiled back, "A nice relaxing weekend. I'll do my best to give
you just that. Shall we go?" He stood, and held out his hand to her
before he could mentally smack himself upside the head. To his
relief, she smiled and took his hand, letting him help her up.
"After you," he said with a smile, gesturing her to the door.
Together they walked outside to his car.
****************