Part 21
10 pm
Angel was driving them back to his hotel after dinner. Buffy was leaning against her seat back, looking over at him occasionally. He'd put the top down and she loved the feel of the cool night air on her skin. They'd had a nice, relaxing meal and it hadn't been awkward, much to her surprise. Angel was being a perfect gentleman, which was a good thing. *I wonder if he knows that all he would have to do is turn on that charm of his, and I'd fall into those big, strong arms...Subject change, now!* She looked out her window instead of at him and felt herself relaxing again.
"Buffy?"
"Yeah, Angel?" She turned to face him again.
"You okay?" he asked. He was worried. She'd been quiet the entire
ride back and he wondered if he'd said or done something earlier...
He couldn't think of anything, but--
"I'm fine," she said with a smile. "Really, I've had a great time so
far." She noticed him visibly relax and realized her silence had led
him to believe he'd done something to upset her. She hadn't meant to
make him think that. She wasn't upset with him at all. He was letting
their relationship remain a friendship, and she was grateful for the
lack of pressure. She needed that right now: one thing in her
life that was simple.
"Good, I'm glad," Angel said, looking back at the road. "I'm enjoying
spending time with you," he admitted softly. He looked over at her
and was relieved when she smiled in response.
"Ang--" They both jumped at a sudden crash of thunder. Followed
by the skies opening up in a downpour. "AAH!" Buffy shrieked,
as Angel pressed the button quickly to put the top up on the car. By
the time it was up, though, they were both soaking wet.
"That's just great," Angel muttered. "I'm sorry, Buffy."
"For what?" she turned on him with a puzzled look. "Did you do a rain
dance while I wasn't looking?" She giggled, and he soon joined her in
her laughter.
"Okay, so it wasn't _so much_ my fault, but still," Angel said with a
shrug.
"It's fine. It's not like slayers don't find themselves out in the rain quite often," she added, running her hands through her hair in an attempt to make herself look less horrible. "It's just
water. It'll ruin my perfect makeup and my perfect hair, but I'll survive."
Angel chuckled, glad she could be so pragmatic about it. "If
you wanna look in the back seat, there's a towel back there," he
said. At her confused look, he said, "Cordelia... demon blood or
slime... Let's just say you don't want to know the verbal abuse I can
get from her, if she can't clean those substances off her the minute she gets back into the car."
It was Buffy's turn to laugh, remembering how Cordelia had barely
managed as a member of the gang during high school. Buffy was amazed
Cordy was still helping Angel out, after twenty years. She turned
around and reached in the back seat, finding the towel as Angel
promised. She patted herself down with it and then shivered slightly.
The night was cool, and now she was wet.
Angel noticed her shiver, and flipped the heater on quickly. He
didn't want her to catch cold; somewhere in the back of his
mind though, he knew that was an old wives' tale. He looked over at her, and swallowed hard, looking back at the road immediately. The way her wet clothes clung to her body, accenting her curves... He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, hoping she wouldn't notice the bulge in his too-tight-anyway leather pants.
He noticed then that there was a problem with the car. He looked in his side rear view mirror, and muttered, "You've got to be kidding me."
"What?" Buffy wondered. She looked behind them, but didn't see
anything that would cause his sudden irritation. She did take
note that they were in a not very nice looking part of town. Shortly
before she realized that the car seemed to be... "Oh, no. Not a flat!" she exclaimed.
Angel sighed, and nodded as he pulled to the side of the road. What a great end to the night. For one thing, it was still raining cats and dogs. Beside that, they were now in the worst part of L.A. with a flat tire. "I'm afraid so," he shrugged. "Stay put, I'll have the spare on in no time."
Buffy watched him in the rear view mirror, smiling at his cursing and
muttering at the offending tire. She looked up for a moment, and felt
a sudden dread as she saw five men approaching them down the sidewalk.
****************
10 pm
Angel was driving them back to his hotel after dinner. Buffy was leaning against her seat back, looking over at him occasionally. He'd put the top down and she loved the feel of the cool night air on her skin. They'd had a nice, relaxing meal and it hadn't been awkward, much to her surprise. Angel was being a perfect gentleman, which was a good thing. *I wonder if he knows that all he would have to do is turn on that charm of his, and I'd fall into those big, strong arms...Subject change, now!* She looked out her window instead of at him and felt herself relaxing again.
"Buffy?"
"Yeah, Angel?" She turned to face him again.
"You okay?" he asked. He was worried. She'd been quiet the entire
ride back and he wondered if he'd said or done something earlier...
He couldn't think of anything, but--
"I'm fine," she said with a smile. "Really, I've had a great time so
far." She noticed him visibly relax and realized her silence had led
him to believe he'd done something to upset her. She hadn't meant to
make him think that. She wasn't upset with him at all. He was letting
their relationship remain a friendship, and she was grateful for the
lack of pressure. She needed that right now: one thing in her
life that was simple.
"Good, I'm glad," Angel said, looking back at the road. "I'm enjoying
spending time with you," he admitted softly. He looked over at her
and was relieved when she smiled in response.
"Ang--" They both jumped at a sudden crash of thunder. Followed
by the skies opening up in a downpour. "AAH!" Buffy shrieked,
as Angel pressed the button quickly to put the top up on the car. By
the time it was up, though, they were both soaking wet.
"That's just great," Angel muttered. "I'm sorry, Buffy."
"For what?" she turned on him with a puzzled look. "Did you do a rain
dance while I wasn't looking?" She giggled, and he soon joined her in
her laughter.
"Okay, so it wasn't _so much_ my fault, but still," Angel said with a
shrug.
"It's fine. It's not like slayers don't find themselves out in the rain quite often," she added, running her hands through her hair in an attempt to make herself look less horrible. "It's just
water. It'll ruin my perfect makeup and my perfect hair, but I'll survive."
Angel chuckled, glad she could be so pragmatic about it. "If
you wanna look in the back seat, there's a towel back there," he
said. At her confused look, he said, "Cordelia... demon blood or
slime... Let's just say you don't want to know the verbal abuse I can
get from her, if she can't clean those substances off her the minute she gets back into the car."
It was Buffy's turn to laugh, remembering how Cordelia had barely
managed as a member of the gang during high school. Buffy was amazed
Cordy was still helping Angel out, after twenty years. She turned
around and reached in the back seat, finding the towel as Angel
promised. She patted herself down with it and then shivered slightly.
The night was cool, and now she was wet.
Angel noticed her shiver, and flipped the heater on quickly. He
didn't want her to catch cold; somewhere in the back of his
mind though, he knew that was an old wives' tale. He looked over at her, and swallowed hard, looking back at the road immediately. The way her wet clothes clung to her body, accenting her curves... He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, hoping she wouldn't notice the bulge in his too-tight-anyway leather pants.
He noticed then that there was a problem with the car. He looked in his side rear view mirror, and muttered, "You've got to be kidding me."
"What?" Buffy wondered. She looked behind them, but didn't see
anything that would cause his sudden irritation. She did take
note that they were in a not very nice looking part of town. Shortly
before she realized that the car seemed to be... "Oh, no. Not a flat!" she exclaimed.
Angel sighed, and nodded as he pulled to the side of the road. What a great end to the night. For one thing, it was still raining cats and dogs. Beside that, they were now in the worst part of L.A. with a flat tire. "I'm afraid so," he shrugged. "Stay put, I'll have the spare on in no time."
Buffy watched him in the rear view mirror, smiling at his cursing and
muttering at the offending tire. She looked up for a moment, and felt
a sudden dread as she saw five men approaching them down the sidewalk.
****************