***
Chapter Two-
Buffy Summers clenched her jaws, then forced herself to visably relax them. She was holding a book on stress, and she was a tense as they come. William Editson. She looked at the photo on the back of the book. Anger coursed through her, swift as lightening. Every time she thought of him and the impact he would have over her life, her blood pressure went up. Beginning on Monday, she didn't know how she would control it, or her tongue. Her grandmother had often told her, " You should think first, and speak second," but somehow she hadn't often remembered to do that until words had been already uttered.
"Will that be all,"the srore clerk asked, startling her out of her thoughts. " Yes," Buffy said, stepping up to the counter. The cash register made a high-pichted, clacky sound as it caculated the cost of her purchase. " If you'd like to have your book autographed, William Editson lives her in Sunnydale. Were lucky to have him signing here tonight, He's sitting over there," she pinted somewhere over Buffy's left shoulder.
Buffy noticed the tone of the clerk's voice as she spoke of William. She obviously thought there was sunlight just so it could shine on him. Buffy followed the line of the woman's finger. It was onthe tip of her tongue to say, " No, thank you. It's bad enough I have to buy the book. I certainaly don't want to talk to the author," but she managed this one time to keep the words inside.
She turned her haid quickly to glace at the man at the table. He was looking in her direction. Blue piercing eyes captured hers, and something in her stomach changed. She couldn't put a name to it; lurched, rolled, dropped, she tested, but nothing in her experience fit was had just happened to her. She had to admit the photograph on the book jacket was far below the quality of the original. She pulled her eyes away quickly.
Buffy accepted her bag and her change, then turned around. William Editson was signing someone's book.
His head was down and she looked at the bleached, tousled hair.
On impulse she started for the table.She would have him sign her book. Buffy straightened her shoulders and lifter her chin up slightly.In front of her was only one person. He moved before she got there.She growled quietly at the asshole who decide to move to reveal William's smile. His smile widened when his eyes focused on her. She didn't return it, but her stomach flipped and he feet faltered. She caught herself and checked the floor, expecting to find a hole which had caught her heel, but there was none there.Nothing had caused her to trip except the look of the eyes of the man in front of her.
Her hands were suddenly cold, yet her body was warm, more warm then the heat in the store called for. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt heat burning up in her ears. Again she felt herself clenching her jaws. She continued to walk forward.
He still smiled at her, but she refused to respond,. After all, what did she have to smile about? He had every reason. She doubted there was any stress in his life, yet in hers it was only the beginning.
His eyes didn't move as she approached him. They were clear, cerulean- colored, with flecks of gold, and dancing as if he were happy about something. She could only see have of his body. She was glad she wore high heels because she needed the height to give her confidence to face the man. Hehad no idea of the impact he would have on her livlihood. He was having an impact on her person, too.
She pushed it down, refusing to allow it to blossom into anything like attraction or *arousal*. "'Lo, luv,"*oh yeah, definately no arousal here* He greeted in a clear british accent. It was deep and sexy, and exactly what the photo told her it would be like. Hearing only those two words made her feel as if she'd been touched; that somehow his hand had reached out and wrapped itself around her arm.
She fought the urge to turn her head and check. "The woman at the counter says you're William Editson." " Guilty," He said playfully, but Buffy still didn't smile. " Would you like me to sign you book," He nooded at the plactic bag. She really didn't want him to sign it.
She only wanted to get a closer look of him. She wanted him to be old and staid and not abreast od his current traditions and changes in business management, but she had slready seen his photo and knew he was only in his twenties.
She wanted to know to know how much of an adversary he was going to be. Was he a reasonale man? Could she deal with him,discuss her future and those of the people she managed? She wouldn't be able to tell that from the book and a few sentences of conversation. She hoped this book would give her some infrormation and some insight of the man behind it.
" Would you like me to sign your book?," He repeated again since it took her so long to answer him. Buffy pulled the book from the bag and handed it to him. He opened it to the title page and poised his pen over the blank space, " Would you like it inscribe to you?"
"No," Buffy replied. " Just a plain signature will be fine."
While he wrote, Buffy gave a good look. Objectively, she had to say he was good-looking.*Okay, good-looking compared to a greek god.* She thought.
Up close, his hair was tousled, giving him a bad boy look. It looked soft and smooth, and she had the uncanny desire to reach out and touch it.
He had cheek bones that were very prenounced. When he looked up she saw his eyes, she thought she would melt on the spot. The were a clear blue, almost transparent, and she felt as if he could look into her mind. She quickly changed her thoughts, preventing him from reading what she was thinking.
She reached for the book. He closed it and handed it to her, but as she tried to pull it clear of his hand she felt a slight tug. She met his eyes again, and he was holding on to the book. Unless she yanked it away she'd have to listen to him.
" Are you sure you don't want it personalized, goldilocks?," There was that smile again *Turning in to goo...no...wait no..* Buffy thought, absent minded.
"Absolutely," Buffy returned a little to quicky .
He shrugged and let loose of the book. She stuffed it into the bag and turned away without the customary ' thank you'.
It wasn't like her to be rude, but It wasn't also like her to be attracted to a man she had nearly met.
And it definately wasn't like her for her legs to turn into jello and her knees to threaten non-support. Oh no, definately wasn't like her.
But all of it was happening...
Buffy Summers clenched her jaws, then forced herself to visably relax them. She was holding a book on stress, and she was a tense as they come. William Editson. She looked at the photo on the back of the book. Anger coursed through her, swift as lightening. Every time she thought of him and the impact he would have over her life, her blood pressure went up. Beginning on Monday, she didn't know how she would control it, or her tongue. Her grandmother had often told her, " You should think first, and speak second," but somehow she hadn't often remembered to do that until words had been already uttered.
"Will that be all,"the srore clerk asked, startling her out of her thoughts. " Yes," Buffy said, stepping up to the counter. The cash register made a high-pichted, clacky sound as it caculated the cost of her purchase. " If you'd like to have your book autographed, William Editson lives her in Sunnydale. Were lucky to have him signing here tonight, He's sitting over there," she pinted somewhere over Buffy's left shoulder.
Buffy noticed the tone of the clerk's voice as she spoke of William. She obviously thought there was sunlight just so it could shine on him. Buffy followed the line of the woman's finger. It was onthe tip of her tongue to say, " No, thank you. It's bad enough I have to buy the book. I certainaly don't want to talk to the author," but she managed this one time to keep the words inside.
She turned her haid quickly to glace at the man at the table. He was looking in her direction. Blue piercing eyes captured hers, and something in her stomach changed. She couldn't put a name to it; lurched, rolled, dropped, she tested, but nothing in her experience fit was had just happened to her. She had to admit the photograph on the book jacket was far below the quality of the original. She pulled her eyes away quickly.
Buffy accepted her bag and her change, then turned around. William Editson was signing someone's book.
His head was down and she looked at the bleached, tousled hair.
On impulse she started for the table.She would have him sign her book. Buffy straightened her shoulders and lifter her chin up slightly.In front of her was only one person. He moved before she got there.She growled quietly at the asshole who decide to move to reveal William's smile. His smile widened when his eyes focused on her. She didn't return it, but her stomach flipped and he feet faltered. She caught herself and checked the floor, expecting to find a hole which had caught her heel, but there was none there.Nothing had caused her to trip except the look of the eyes of the man in front of her.
Her hands were suddenly cold, yet her body was warm, more warm then the heat in the store called for. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt heat burning up in her ears. Again she felt herself clenching her jaws. She continued to walk forward.
He still smiled at her, but she refused to respond,. After all, what did she have to smile about? He had every reason. She doubted there was any stress in his life, yet in hers it was only the beginning.
His eyes didn't move as she approached him. They were clear, cerulean- colored, with flecks of gold, and dancing as if he were happy about something. She could only see have of his body. She was glad she wore high heels because she needed the height to give her confidence to face the man. Hehad no idea of the impact he would have on her livlihood. He was having an impact on her person, too.
She pushed it down, refusing to allow it to blossom into anything like attraction or *arousal*. "'Lo, luv,"*oh yeah, definately no arousal here* He greeted in a clear british accent. It was deep and sexy, and exactly what the photo told her it would be like. Hearing only those two words made her feel as if she'd been touched; that somehow his hand had reached out and wrapped itself around her arm.
She fought the urge to turn her head and check. "The woman at the counter says you're William Editson." " Guilty," He said playfully, but Buffy still didn't smile. " Would you like me to sign you book," He nooded at the plactic bag. She really didn't want him to sign it.
She only wanted to get a closer look of him. She wanted him to be old and staid and not abreast od his current traditions and changes in business management, but she had slready seen his photo and knew he was only in his twenties.
She wanted to know to know how much of an adversary he was going to be. Was he a reasonale man? Could she deal with him,discuss her future and those of the people she managed? She wouldn't be able to tell that from the book and a few sentences of conversation. She hoped this book would give her some infrormation and some insight of the man behind it.
" Would you like me to sign your book?," He repeated again since it took her so long to answer him. Buffy pulled the book from the bag and handed it to him. He opened it to the title page and poised his pen over the blank space, " Would you like it inscribe to you?"
"No," Buffy replied. " Just a plain signature will be fine."
While he wrote, Buffy gave a good look. Objectively, she had to say he was good-looking.*Okay, good-looking compared to a greek god.* She thought.
Up close, his hair was tousled, giving him a bad boy look. It looked soft and smooth, and she had the uncanny desire to reach out and touch it.
He had cheek bones that were very prenounced. When he looked up she saw his eyes, she thought she would melt on the spot. The were a clear blue, almost transparent, and she felt as if he could look into her mind. She quickly changed her thoughts, preventing him from reading what she was thinking.
She reached for the book. He closed it and handed it to her, but as she tried to pull it clear of his hand she felt a slight tug. She met his eyes again, and he was holding on to the book. Unless she yanked it away she'd have to listen to him.
" Are you sure you don't want it personalized, goldilocks?," There was that smile again *Turning in to goo...no...wait no..* Buffy thought, absent minded.
"Absolutely," Buffy returned a little to quicky .
He shrugged and let loose of the book. She stuffed it into the bag and turned away without the customary ' thank you'.
It wasn't like her to be rude, but It wasn't also like her to be attracted to a man she had nearly met.
And it definately wasn't like her for her legs to turn into jello and her knees to threaten non-support. Oh no, definately wasn't like her.
But all of it was happening...