Clearing his throat once more and adjusting his collar, Wesley glanced at Cordelia. He was the same reaction on her face. Quickly, he picked up his briefcase and walked towards his office.
"Cordelia, may I speak to you for a moment?" He asked, his voice shaky.
"Sure, Wes..." Cordy's eyes didn't leave Fred until Wesley slammed the door and closed all the blinds. He turned to her.
"What did you say to her last night?!" He looked frantic.
"Nothing! I suggested dinner, and poof, she's a street walker!" Cordy sat down across from Wesley's seat.
Wes ran a hand through his hair. "Good Lord! I don't know how much longer I can stand that outfit. Is it legal for one to use a coffee break to take a cold shower?"
Cordy shrugged. "You're the boss."
"Oh...right."
"Maybe you should enforce some sort of dress code or something." She said.
Wesley thought a moment. "Yes...midriffs covered and no leg showing above the knees."
Looking at her own outfit, Cordelia frowned. "Uh...on second thought, nix that."
"Oh..." Wesley put his face in his hands, "What are we going to do?"
"Umm...hope it's one of those half-hour curses or something." Cordy shrugged.
"Curse? Well...I guess we should just wait it out and watch for more unusual behavior before we rule out a curse." He stood up and opened the door.
Both Cordelia and Wesley gasped, then simultaneously shouted.
"Fred!" "Angel!"
Fred pulled her face away from Angel's with a sly smile.
Angel was wide-eyed at the fact that Fred was sitting on his lap and kissing him.
"So, what do ya say, sweet thing? You coming to stay with me tonight?" She winked.
"Uh..." Angel looked up at Cordy and Wesley. They both wore the same expression, a cross between anger and disgust. Looking back at Fred, he got an idea. "Sure." He smiled.
Fred climbed off of Angel's lap and grabbed the leather jacket that he had been wearing earlier. She smiled and walked out the door.
"I think...I'm going to go home and do some research." Wesley said, breaking the silence with an angry tone of voice. He stormed out of the hotel without another word.
Angel turned in his chair, his hands behind his head.
"Well, I never knew Fred could kiss like that...or look like that...talk like--"
Cordelia hauled off and smacked Angel as hard as she could.
"Ow!" He yelled, looking up at her. "What was that for?"
"Um, probably making out with Fred!" Cordy replied. She crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to one hip.
Angel rubbed his cheek. "It was her fault." He whined.
"Sure. What did she say to you?"
Thinking for a moment, Angel looked at Cordy. "Umm...things I probably shouldn't say in front of a nice young lady." He smiled.
"Nice try at sucking up. So, these things that she said, were they very uncharacteristic of Fred?" She asked.
"Completely." He shook his head with a laugh. "Never knew--Okay, so I knew those words were in Fred's vocabulary, but I never thought I'd hear her say them."
Cordelia rolled her eyes and slumped down into a chair, rubbing her temples. "Poor Wesley..."
Angel got defensive. "Why poor Wesley?"
Turning to look at him, Cordy sighed. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed."
Suddenly overcome with fear, Angel sucked in a breath and shook his head.
"Jeez, Angel! The way he looks at her! The way he hangs on her every word! The way...they're the only two people who understand each other! God, Angel...Wesley's in love with her!" She bursted.
Angel blinked, unsure of what Cordy thought about this. "He is?"
Exasperated, Cordelia stood. "Completely. But now he's heartbroken. Do you know why?"
Angel shook his head.
"Because he just walked in on the woman he loves, kissing and offering herself to a man whom he knows has a better chance than himself at winning her love. Do you understand?"
Angel was quiet. He released the breath he'd been holding.
Cordy crossed her arms over her chest. "How would you feel if it were you in that situation?" She asked quietly.
Angel pictured himself there, Cordelia offering herself to man who had a greater chance of taking it. Wesley was human. He could really love Cordelia. In fact, Angel was convinced that it was Cordy he was in love with, not Fred. Wesley could really love Cordelia, give her what she needed. Taking a shaky breath that he didn't really need anyway, Angel stood up.
"I've got a plan." He said.
"Cordelia, may I speak to you for a moment?" He asked, his voice shaky.
"Sure, Wes..." Cordy's eyes didn't leave Fred until Wesley slammed the door and closed all the blinds. He turned to her.
"What did you say to her last night?!" He looked frantic.
"Nothing! I suggested dinner, and poof, she's a street walker!" Cordy sat down across from Wesley's seat.
Wes ran a hand through his hair. "Good Lord! I don't know how much longer I can stand that outfit. Is it legal for one to use a coffee break to take a cold shower?"
Cordy shrugged. "You're the boss."
"Oh...right."
"Maybe you should enforce some sort of dress code or something." She said.
Wesley thought a moment. "Yes...midriffs covered and no leg showing above the knees."
Looking at her own outfit, Cordelia frowned. "Uh...on second thought, nix that."
"Oh..." Wesley put his face in his hands, "What are we going to do?"
"Umm...hope it's one of those half-hour curses or something." Cordy shrugged.
"Curse? Well...I guess we should just wait it out and watch for more unusual behavior before we rule out a curse." He stood up and opened the door.
Both Cordelia and Wesley gasped, then simultaneously shouted.
"Fred!" "Angel!"
Fred pulled her face away from Angel's with a sly smile.
Angel was wide-eyed at the fact that Fred was sitting on his lap and kissing him.
"So, what do ya say, sweet thing? You coming to stay with me tonight?" She winked.
"Uh..." Angel looked up at Cordy and Wesley. They both wore the same expression, a cross between anger and disgust. Looking back at Fred, he got an idea. "Sure." He smiled.
Fred climbed off of Angel's lap and grabbed the leather jacket that he had been wearing earlier. She smiled and walked out the door.
"I think...I'm going to go home and do some research." Wesley said, breaking the silence with an angry tone of voice. He stormed out of the hotel without another word.
Angel turned in his chair, his hands behind his head.
"Well, I never knew Fred could kiss like that...or look like that...talk like--"
Cordelia hauled off and smacked Angel as hard as she could.
"Ow!" He yelled, looking up at her. "What was that for?"
"Um, probably making out with Fred!" Cordy replied. She crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to one hip.
Angel rubbed his cheek. "It was her fault." He whined.
"Sure. What did she say to you?"
Thinking for a moment, Angel looked at Cordy. "Umm...things I probably shouldn't say in front of a nice young lady." He smiled.
"Nice try at sucking up. So, these things that she said, were they very uncharacteristic of Fred?" She asked.
"Completely." He shook his head with a laugh. "Never knew--Okay, so I knew those words were in Fred's vocabulary, but I never thought I'd hear her say them."
Cordelia rolled her eyes and slumped down into a chair, rubbing her temples. "Poor Wesley..."
Angel got defensive. "Why poor Wesley?"
Turning to look at him, Cordy sighed. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed."
Suddenly overcome with fear, Angel sucked in a breath and shook his head.
"Jeez, Angel! The way he looks at her! The way he hangs on her every word! The way...they're the only two people who understand each other! God, Angel...Wesley's in love with her!" She bursted.
Angel blinked, unsure of what Cordy thought about this. "He is?"
Exasperated, Cordelia stood. "Completely. But now he's heartbroken. Do you know why?"
Angel shook his head.
"Because he just walked in on the woman he loves, kissing and offering herself to a man whom he knows has a better chance than himself at winning her love. Do you understand?"
Angel was quiet. He released the breath he'd been holding.
Cordy crossed her arms over her chest. "How would you feel if it were you in that situation?" She asked quietly.
Angel pictured himself there, Cordelia offering herself to man who had a greater chance of taking it. Wesley was human. He could really love Cordelia. In fact, Angel was convinced that it was Cordy he was in love with, not Fred. Wesley could really love Cordelia, give her what she needed. Taking a shaky breath that he didn't really need anyway, Angel stood up.
"I've got a plan." He said.
