Title: Change of Heart (#1 in Untitled Series)
Author: Pixie
Disclaimer: Do I *really* need to do this again?
Ratings: PG?
Distribution: You want it? Go ahead, ask first than I'll let you have it.
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Author's Note: AU fic! Buffy comes from a very different past than she is
from the show.
AN2: #1 in Untitled Series
Spoilers: None, this is an AU fic.
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Summary: Buffy Summers has led a troubling childhood and she must conquer
her fears, but when her handsome boss enters her world, she feels
threatened that he might destroy her fragile life that she had built for
herself. Will she ever allow her walls down and allow someone to teach her
the powers of love?
****************
Part 6
The ride to Conners Incorporated took almost an half an hour. Buffy had been able to use the man's cell phone to call that she would be late. After she had said that she was going to be late, she could hear a gasp from the other end of the line. And, a few seconds later, she could hear a muffled voice and than almost silence.
Everyone was surprised that one of the most successful employees was going to be late. Something that had never happened to her in the 5 years that she had worked at Conners Incorporated.
In the expensive, red Mercedes, Buffy sat as closely as humanly possible to the passenger door. Avoiding any contact with the man that seemed to be only concentrating on the road. And not on her.
Which was good. She didn't need any unwanted attention from a man like him. Of course, any attention from him would be unwanted. Otherwise, what would it be? Wanted attention from a stranger?
No. It was impossible.
She wasn't even beautiful for chrissakes! She was hideous with her too long hair and her too hazel eyes and her too small frame.
She was *unworthy* of any unwanted attention.
The feeling didn't leave a bitter trail as it had when she was but a child. She had grown used to the fact that she *just* *wasn't* beautiful. No matter how hard she tried. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself or how hard she tried to make her parents love her.
It might have mattered to her then, but it didn't matter to her now. Nor would it ever.
She had made up her mind a long time ago. When her mother had caught her playing with her make-up and had told her father.
It was a long and painful night that ended with her outside, with the raging storm at her back.
No, she wouldn't remember this now. It didn't matter any more! All that matters is that she had enough money to live by and a house that welcomed her.
That was all that mattered. Nothing else.
* * * *
Angelus sat with one arm on the steering wheel and the other on the seat. He had to clench his hand to keep from touching the woman next to him.
He shouldn't be feeling like this. Like an adolescent teenager on his first date with the prom queen. He didn't know what it was about her that made him so intriqued. Her eyes were shadowed as if she had seen and experienced things that no one should ever have gone through. And he couldn't explain why he was so entranced by those haunted, hazel eyes of her. All he knew was that he wanted desperately wanted to know what had kept her beautiful eyes from shining with happiness, instead of the sadness that casted it's darkness into her eyes and reached even deeper than her own soul.
It was strange. He wanted desperately to discover her secrets. But he also wanted to keep his distance, he didn't need any extra distractions right now. Now, with the business almost at the top. Almost at number one, but not quite. And he needed all the energy in him to make sure that they were at the top. Whether or not if that took a month or even a year. Nothing could keep him from proving to his father that he wasn't as worthless as he believed.
But, as much as he convinced himself that he didn't need the distraction, he wanted to know why she sat so close to the door. It was as if she was ready to spring if he moved an inch and he saw her fleeting glances at him. It wasn't something he was glad about, those glances were nervous ones.
She was like a too tightly wound-up toy that was about to spring and burst at any moment now.
At least her nervous glances allowed him to know that her haunted past had been something to do with males.
*Great. Just great. How am I supposed to work with my top employee if she has a problem with males?* He thought sadly.
He let out a soft sigh. How could he be so arrogant and think of business when he could be doing even more damage to the already fragile lady next to him?
It didn't matter now. He'd worry about that later.
Right now, he had to find a way to break the news to her that he was her boss.
If he calculated right, she would be pissed to find that he had kept that part out of the conversation, however short it had been, that they had had right before they were on the road.
He'd have to worry about that later. Not now.
****************
Part 6
The ride to Conners Incorporated took almost an half an hour. Buffy had been able to use the man's cell phone to call that she would be late. After she had said that she was going to be late, she could hear a gasp from the other end of the line. And, a few seconds later, she could hear a muffled voice and than almost silence.
Everyone was surprised that one of the most successful employees was going to be late. Something that had never happened to her in the 5 years that she had worked at Conners Incorporated.
In the expensive, red Mercedes, Buffy sat as closely as humanly possible to the passenger door. Avoiding any contact with the man that seemed to be only concentrating on the road. And not on her.
Which was good. She didn't need any unwanted attention from a man like him. Of course, any attention from him would be unwanted. Otherwise, what would it be? Wanted attention from a stranger?
No. It was impossible.
She wasn't even beautiful for chrissakes! She was hideous with her too long hair and her too hazel eyes and her too small frame.
She was *unworthy* of any unwanted attention.
The feeling didn't leave a bitter trail as it had when she was but a child. She had grown used to the fact that she *just* *wasn't* beautiful. No matter how hard she tried. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself or how hard she tried to make her parents love her.
It might have mattered to her then, but it didn't matter to her now. Nor would it ever.
She had made up her mind a long time ago. When her mother had caught her playing with her make-up and had told her father.
It was a long and painful night that ended with her outside, with the raging storm at her back.
No, she wouldn't remember this now. It didn't matter any more! All that matters is that she had enough money to live by and a house that welcomed her.
That was all that mattered. Nothing else.
* * * *
Angelus sat with one arm on the steering wheel and the other on the seat. He had to clench his hand to keep from touching the woman next to him.
He shouldn't be feeling like this. Like an adolescent teenager on his first date with the prom queen. He didn't know what it was about her that made him so intriqued. Her eyes were shadowed as if she had seen and experienced things that no one should ever have gone through. And he couldn't explain why he was so entranced by those haunted, hazel eyes of her. All he knew was that he wanted desperately wanted to know what had kept her beautiful eyes from shining with happiness, instead of the sadness that casted it's darkness into her eyes and reached even deeper than her own soul.
It was strange. He wanted desperately to discover her secrets. But he also wanted to keep his distance, he didn't need any extra distractions right now. Now, with the business almost at the top. Almost at number one, but not quite. And he needed all the energy in him to make sure that they were at the top. Whether or not if that took a month or even a year. Nothing could keep him from proving to his father that he wasn't as worthless as he believed.
But, as much as he convinced himself that he didn't need the distraction, he wanted to know why she sat so close to the door. It was as if she was ready to spring if he moved an inch and he saw her fleeting glances at him. It wasn't something he was glad about, those glances were nervous ones.
She was like a too tightly wound-up toy that was about to spring and burst at any moment now.
At least her nervous glances allowed him to know that her haunted past had been something to do with males.
*Great. Just great. How am I supposed to work with my top employee if she has a problem with males?* He thought sadly.
He let out a soft sigh. How could he be so arrogant and think of business when he could be doing even more damage to the already fragile lady next to him?
It didn't matter now. He'd worry about that later.
Right now, he had to find a way to break the news to her that he was her boss.
If he calculated right, she would be pissed to find that he had kept that part out of the conversation, however short it had been, that they had had right before they were on the road.
He'd have to worry about that later. Not now.