A/N from *Mrs O-Town*- *Sobs* You are all sooo great! I love ALL of you! I
also have to thank you because its your reviews that make this fic possible
and I know that I can say I loved writing this particular chapter! You
see…every weekend, me and Insane1 meet up on the internet and write this
fic over the net (its pretty easy). Especially the dinner scene (am I
revealing too much?) was fun with the chickens!
A/N from *Insane1*- Hey again…I promise I won't take up too much time. There's this chapter that you have to read and review…see…its right down there. You've all been sooo excellent! *Sobs* I love you guys. And before I really *do* break into the Cordy acceptance speech from the opening scene of Birthday…I bid you all adieu. Thanks sooo much for your support. It means sooo much. ^_^
PS- read Mrs O's fics at (I have no idea)
And mine (*Insane1*…duh, you knew that…god I'm a ditz sometimes) at (I still have no idea)
Don't forget to post reviews. ^_^
Thanks muchly.
Now…on with the show.
*~*~*~*~*The Hotel*~*~*~*~*
They'd caught a cab together and split the difference, it seemed the best thing to do since they discovered that they were both staying in the same hotel, Hotel Bouganville Angel still kept up being a gentleman, by helping her with all her bags and opening and closing doors for her.
Cordy walked into the lobby of the stunning hotel and knew that she was in her element here, especially when she had caught sight of that beautiful, marble fountain outside. Angel gave a low whistle. The hotel was beautiful. And they'd only made it to the lobby.
They surveyed the scene. The hard, cold marble floor reflected the light of the chandeliers and made everything seem…heavenly. The marble was a soft colour and the flowers that were scattered around the room accentuated at how posh the hotel really was.
Cordelia couldn't believe how alluring the place really was. 'Wow' She thought to herself. 'If heaven is *half* as dazzling as this…Wow…' She stalked over to reception, her heels clicking quite loudly against the marble floor. Cordelia only hoped that it wouldn't ruin the finish as she passed the bellboy struggling with her luggage. A pretty young woman with a twinkle in her eyes smiled up at her.
"Hi!" She chirped in what Cordelia noted was 'overly practised speech' voice, "Welcome to Hotel Bouganville, are you two together?" Cordelia and Angel looked at each other, and shook their heads both amused; yet slightly embarrassed.
"No, we're not…together," Angel said the last word as if it was a sin. Inside he cursed himself. 'Could I *sound* any more pathetic? Pull yourself together O'Malley. You've been with pretty ladies in far more…er…*compromising* positions and walked away without so much as a sheepish grin. What is it about this one that's making you turn into a pre- pubescent teen all of a sudden?' He shook his head and decided to turn on the charm as he stole another glance of his newest acquaintance.
Smiling the patented womanising smile he added, "Unfortunately." In a tone that was halfway between playfully flirting and incredibly seductive. Both women crooned. Angel's smile broadened. 'I still got it.' He inwardly crowed.
Cordelia looked at him and blushed a little. This man was so…so…what was the word he'd used on the plane? Alluring. Yes…that's the one. He was also pretty damn sexy. 'Of course I meet him *after* I get engaged.' She thought to herself. 'Where the hell was he a year ago?'
She realised that she was starting to stare and… 'Oh My God! Am I *drooling*? No. No way. Cordelia Chase doesn't drool over guys. They drool over her.' She smiled back at him, suddenly gaining the upper hand in this flirt fest. He'd made her drool…on purpose. This guy *had* to have known what that smile of his did to women. This meant war! And Queen C may have lost a battle or two…but she never, *ever* lost the war. He was going to pay.
Cordelia placed her hand on his upper arm, knowing full well the effect it would have on him. She'd kinda noticed on the plane the first time and now she had a weapon. "So," She batted her eyelids at him and watched as he gulped a little. She smiled in victory. "Are you gonna check in…or am I?"
Angel was left speechless. He couldn't believe the character of this girl. She was very confident…but not like the girls in the bar the other week. Although her proposition was very, very subtle and refined…it was still there, and it still packed the same punch. He just couldn't pull her up on it. Damn! She had him right where she wanted him. They both knew it.
He swallowed and fought to keep himself in check, smiling and motioning for her to go ahead. "Ladies first." He replied suavely. He knew what she was doing. She'd turned their innocent flirting into a flirt war and he still had a few cards up his sleeve. He put the smile back on and she faltered again. His keen womanising senses from the bad ol' days picked up on it, where an ordinary man wouldn't have. As another clerk came to serve him, he whispered into her ear, "I trust I'll be seeing you around."
Cordelia smiled back brightly at Angel, inwardly cussing at him. The ball was back in his court and he knew it. And that cologne of his…She shook her head and turned back to the girl. "Hi. Thanks…" She glanced at the girl's nametag. "…Susana. I made a reservation under the name Chase. Cordelia Chase."
From his position at the other end of the small desk, Angel just stared at Cordelia. She had run through everything as if it was a common occurrence for her. Well, duh! Cordelia was a rich, attractive woman who travelled a lot. What did he expect?
Cordelia watched as the receptionist typed a bunch of letters into her computer. "Okay Ms Chase," She began. Cordelia hoped that Angel hadn't picked up on the use of the word 'Ms'…he didn't need to know that she was engaged. Actually, *she* didn't need him to know. "You're in room 109. That's on the third floor" Susana passed her two key cards, one for the door and the other for the electricity, and hailed the bellboy over. "This is Ramón." She gestured at the young man.
'And *that* my friend is what you classify as a cutie…' Cordy's mind rambled. She took in his slightly ruffled brown hair, his chocolate eyes and his slim, yet muscular, tanned frame and inwardly sighed. Getting married to Groo seemed more and more like a chore as this day progressed. Especially in the dating and drooling section of life. No more Angels or Ramóns ever again.
Just Groo.
She should be rejoicing…She was getting to live her dream life. The one with the white picket fence, cute little cottage, gorgeous (rich) husband and 2.3 children. But she was giving up the *fun*. She was giving up the *zest*. She was giving up the *dating* and the wining and dining. Wordlessly, she debated with herself whether she had made the right decision. Groo loved her… She knew that. But did she love him *that* much? Could she be the perfect wife like he wanted? She was shaken from her silent reverie by Susana's voice.
"He'll be showing you to your room. Is there anything you require? Complimentary chocolate on your pillow?" Susana asked. Cordelia shook her head.
"No, thank you. I just need to get some rest," Cordelia sighed acknowledging the sudden jet lag that came over her.
"Sure. Dinner is at eight at the restaurant. If you'd rather stay in your room, there is room service available. You'll find the menu on the dressing table." Susana continued.
Cordelia nodded again, replying with a monosyllable "Thanks," and prepared to leave, following the bellhop to the elevator. She cast a look at Angel who had just checked in, obtained eye contact and gave him a wave. "I'll see you around," She called. The doors closed before he could reply. "Hah!" She said aloud, forgetting the bellboy that was in her presence. "Take that Mr Flirty!"
*
"I hope so," Angel whispered, watching as Cordelia disappeared from his sight. She'd gotten the last word. Damn her! Just as the doors shut, three rowdy men came bounding up to Angel.
"Angel, my man!" Gunn greeted with a high five, "So you finally made it. You've been missing some *serious* action, we've got a lot of catching up to do tonight. There's a club around the corner and-" Gunn's rambling was cut off by Angel's quick interruption.
"No thanks, I'd rather stay in," his friends stood in stunned silence
"Well, of course, you must be tired," Wesley finally interjected. "What do you want to do instead?" he asked. Angel looked thoughtfully at the elevator.
"How about dinner. Eight o'clock. I hear they have…a great menu." Angel said, immediately thinking of Cordelia and the implications of it all.
Gunn looked as if someone had just stolen candy from him. "Lemme get this straight. You just flew into party central and you wanna go to dinner?" he asked disbelievingly. Angel nodded, only to be hit upside of the head by his girl-crazed best friend. "What's wrong with you? Have you gone insane?"
Angel laughed. "*No* I have not gone insane. Its just…you know…airline food. Not good." Gunn tried the dejected pout. Angel sighed. "I promise you…look… we've got two weeks. There'll be plenty of time for partying later."
"But…the hot mommas!" The younger man whined before being dragged along to the elevator by his friends. He'd just lost the argument.
~*~*~*
Cordelia almost choked at the sheer brilliance of it all. Her room was quite big, a nice TV, a balcony that overlooked the most beautiful scenery she'd ever seen in her life and not to mention how big the wardrobes were. Cordelia was scared that she didn't have enough clothes to fit inside. 'Oh well,' She'd thought. 'I can always buy more while I'm here…'
The first thing Cordelia did was walk out onto the balcony and breath in the fresh air. It felt so refreshing she wanted to stay out there forever. She glanced below her at the pools, the tennis courts and the private beach. She watched as little children ran around, their laughter infecting the air and causing her to smile broadly. She wondered what her children would be like.
She'd like to have two girls and a boy. Maybe even twins. That'd be nice. She could dress them up the same until their unique personalities shone through and they moaned about it.
She smiled as the thought of her sister entered her mind. Cordelia was proud of the relationship they shared.
They always stuck up for each other and told each other everything. Mel would make a great Aunt, she thought. Cordelia could see Mel and her heavily pregnant self going shopping for baby clothes. Then they'd get a cup of coffee and her husband would wrap his arms around her and kiss her gently.
Cordelia could also see their baby. It would have her smile and her chin, but it had to have Angel's eyes…Angel? Whoa!
Cordelia stopped her daydreaming there.
What the hell was she doing thinking about her and Angel? *Especially* her and Angel with kids? God…their flirting had really messed her thoughts up. The connotations alone…
A goofy smile planted itself on her face and she shook her head vigorously.
Finally, Cordelia managed to rid her head of the bad, bad thoughts and took in another breath of fresh air. She continued looking over the sight.
~*~*~*~
Angel allowed Gunn to open the door and dumped his bag on his bed. Lorne and Wesley had the room next door but there was a connecting door in between the two. Angel looked the room over. He could get used to this.
He looked over at Gunn, who had put on the basketball game on their TV. Wesley and Lorne were also in the room with them, taking an immediate interest in the last minutes of the game.
Angel wasn't so interested; he was more inclined to find that perilous beauty he had spent the trip over with. He made his way out to the balcony, and the others followed quickly.
"Yo, Angel, did you see that slam dunk?" Gunn asked. Angel shook his head as he searched for Cordelia. "It was tight, man!"
"I'm sure it was," Angel replied dryly.
"What are you doing?" Wesley asked. Angel missed the question as he had found the object he'd been looking for, directly opposite their room in the other section of the hotel's third floor. She was just staring down at the activity below, laughing with that luminous smile of hers.
"Admiring the sights, hey?" Lorne asked as he traced Angel's gaze to Cordelia.
"Ooh…nice. Who's the foxy lady?" Gunn asked, his approval more than evident.
Angel smiled. "Cordelia Chase. We spent about nine hours together on our way here. She's amazing," He informed them, all the while never removing his gaze.
"Looks like you're in love." Wesley joked. Cordelia caught Angel's gaze and gave him a shy wave before disappearing into her room. Angel sighed.
"You know Wes," He said veering back into the room. "I think I could go for a drink or two after all. Who's up for goin' to the bar?"
*~*~*~*~*
"How was the flight over?" Wesley asked. The group was seated at the bar, each man clutching a beer. Angel looked down at the bottle in his hands and turned it around. He was clearly pondering over the pretty lady…what had he called her? Cordelia? Wes cleared his throat.
Angel looked up slightly sheepish. "Huh? What? Did you say something?"
His English friend chuckled. "I asked how your flight was. Clearly…you enjoyed *something* about it, yes?"
"Huh?" Angel asked before realising what his friend meant. He furrowed his brow a little. "No. I mean, what do you mean?"
"Don't play coy, cupcake." Lorne interposed, tossing his arm over Angel's shoulder lazily. "That girl you were eyeing earlier…Its obvious she entertained your…er…thoughts." All four men broke into wide grins…Angel avoiding any eye contact with the others. "You were thinking about her just now, weren't you? I don't exactly blame you. I mean, she's-"
"A fine piece of ass!" Gunn finished and chugged down his drink.
Despite himself, Angel laughed at his friend's comment. "I wouldn't put it that way…but I can't deny it either."
They all laughed. Angel felt great. Everything so far had been perfect. The trip over was more than comfortable, the company he'd been keeping had been extremely enjoyable, the hotel was exquisite and he didn't have to work.
'I must have died and gone to heaven.' He mentally assessed, smiling to himself. As he glanced around the room, he caught the gaze of a throng of women. The one he chose to refer to as 'their leader' waved at him, and motioned seductively for him to join her. He smiled back and politely declined with a shake of his head. She pouted a little and stood up. 'Oh boy. Here comes trouble.' He thought, watching as she strode over confidently to join him.
Gunn brightened immediately as he saw the approaching women. "Now *that's* more like it." He whispered to Wesley, who smiled and swatted him away. He didn't particularly want or need Gunn in his personal space when he could have one of these lovely ladies.
"Hi." The leader purred, taking her seat next to Angel. She held out her perfectly manicured hand. "Liana. And you are?"
Angel took this woman in. She had long black hair and bright green eyes. She was extremely attractive…the kind of woman he might consider hooking up with. But not tonight. After meeting Cordelia, this woman seemed so…not his type. He took her hand anyway and shook it gently. "Angel."
Liana smiled. "Angel huh? That's…different." She batted her eyelids at him, as if expecting him to shower her with attention and intimate conversation.
Angel shrugged, much to her dismay, and looked back town at his beer. "Its my nickname."
The woman tilted her head to the side and smiled again. "I see. What's your *real* name, then?"
He lifted his head and turned to look at her again. "Liam." She giggled. 'That's a response you don't get everyday.' Angel thought to himself. 'What have I missed here?'
"This is sooo amazing." She told him.
He still didn't catch on. What he *did* work out, tough, was that this attractive creature in front of him seemed to become ditzier and ditzier by the second. And, under normal circumstances, this kind of girl was perfect for him. Yet, he found himself comparing her to the brunette beauty that was plaguing his thoughts…and she didn't seem to meet his standards. Since when did he set standards anyway?
He was shaken out of his thoughts when the girl giggled again and rolled her eyes at him. "Its sooo obvious. Liam…Liana?" She stressed the alikeness of their names and he'd finally gotten it. Inwardly, he cringed. Not another 'this must be fate' fanatic. It was amazing how many girls he met could be so ditzy. He smiled painfully at her as she continued. "How fateworthy is this? We're like sooo totally meant for each other….don't you see? We were like sooo supposed to meet…."
Angel stopped listening and let her trail on and on with her hopeless attempt at a pickup. He nodded every so often and turned to his friends as he searched for an escape route. No such luck. They were all busy with women of their own. Angel had a sneaking suspicion that he happened to be the only one *not* enjoying himself.
He scanned the room again, praying for a miracle. Liana's inane babbling was starting to get on his nerves, but he really didn't want to say anything out of place. After all, she was just trying to be polite…in a hitting on him kinda way. At least she wasn't as straight forward as some of the other women he'd met over the years.
Angel looked into the restaurant and smiled. It was such a romantic setting. The tables were all set beautifully with candles and had pretty napkins that had been folded 'just so' to make them look like ornaments. It would seem such a shame to unfold them and use them for their intended purpose.
Suddenly he found his miracle and had to stop himself from whooping in joy. She was standing at the elevator a vision of everything that was good and pure on this earth. 'And there I go again with the poetic. What the hell's gotten into me? She's just another terribly attractive, ultimately charismatic, smart and alluring woman.'
His head was filled with so many thoughts as he watched her glide through the crowd. The light glistened off her shoulder length dark brown hair, picking up the natural highlights and accenting her gorgeous hazel eyes.
She wore a low cut red number that clung to her perfectly curved body and brought out the depth of the lipstick she was wearing. Every man in the entire complex seemed to stop and watch her as she floated by. Angel couldn't help but growl possessively. This was definitely new territory for him. No woman had ever had this effect on him. Ever.
From his seat at the bar he managed to catch her gaze and stood up, smiling uncharacteristically.
Liana was confused at first…until she followed her Liam's line of sight. There she saw her competition and reached for his arm, trying to show this lady in red that he was *her* man. Not to be played with.
Angel felt the girl's touch but shrugged it off, muttering some frivolous excuse. He didn't care what she thought. He could feel her stare of disbelief drilling into his back as he walked over to greet Cordelia, and it didn't faze him. 'She might even put two and two together and find that it makes four.' He joked to himself, hoping that the girl would get the point and move on to someone else.
"Hi…" He purred seductively, taking her hand and kissing it lightly. 'A gentleman through and through.' He thought slyly. 'Gets them every time.' "Fancy bumping into you here."
Cordelia's heart started pumping faster the second she'd seen him. It sped up when he'd made eye contact and she was *sure* it had jumped out of her body when she'd seen him ditch the hottie that was drooling all over him. But now, as he kissed her hand in an attempt to look like the perfect gentleman, she thought she saw it flying over the stunning full moon.
'Chase. Get A Hold Of Yourself. You're *engaged* to a man that loves…loved?…no…definitely loves you very much. And here you are going gaga over some guy you met not 12 hours ago? What the hell is wrong with you?'
"Hey yourself." She managed to reply calmly. "It's a small world."
She watched his big brown eyes sparkle. "That it is." He held out his arm in a gentlemanly fashion. "Care to join me?"
Suddenly, Cordelia found herself slipping out of reality. She was stuck in time…just gazing into the beauty and mystery of this man's soulful gaze. Neither made any attempt to move. They were both so totally wrapped up in each other that neither noticed the parade of men coming towards them.
"Yo! Angel!" The attractive black man called, waving his arms around in a friendly manner. Cordelia cursed him for ruining the moment.
'He's gonna get a *huge* ass kicking for this.' Angel turned around to face him, looking extremely frustrated. "Yes, Gunn?" He managed through clenched teeth.
His so-called 'best friend' sidled up beside him and through a muscled arm around his neck. "Are you gonna introduce us to your foxy lady friend?" He asked, his tone a mixture of playfulness, innocence and…was he just hitting on her?
Angel found himself growling again. Letting out an exasperated sight, he motioned lazily at his friend and then to Cordelia. "Charles, this is Cordelia." Ignoring the stare of death from Gunn at the use of his proper name, Angel motioned back from Cordelia to his friend. "Cordelia…this is Charles." Another man came to his side. "And Wesley…" Then another, "…*and* Lorne." He watched as she shook each of their hands and he continued. "These are my friends. The one's I was telling you about. Y'know, the ones that never leave me alone?" He emphasised the last part and glared at the guys, hoping that they would get the message. Sadly, they didn't.
Cordelia found herself smiling at his attempts at getting rid of the group. Wes, Lorne and Gunn smiled back at her. Each offering a "nice to meet you" or something to that effect. Her smiled broadened and blossomed into the one that seemed to make Angel go weak at the knees. Gunn had to speak up.
"Whoa, Angel! You seriously found a good one, y'know that?"
Angel cringed in embarrassment. Cordelia stifled a laugh. It was amusing to watch these men, who were all so different, interact. Gunn swivelled around and swung his remaining arm around the delightful Cordelia's shoulders, thus forcing himself in between the pair. He could tell it was irritating Angel…and he was lovin' every second of it. After all…*this* was the man that had taken away tonight's plans of clubbing, clubbing and more clubbing. He had a funny feeling that this woman was part of the problem, too. And when Gunn wants to party, Gunn gets to party. End of story. Anyone who comes between him and a good night on the town will suffer the consequences. Tonight that 'anyone' just happened to be his best friend.
"So…" he said, squeezing the two obviously uncomfortable people tightly, "What's on the agenda tonight? We all gonna eat and go party or we gonna scrap the eatin' and go straight to the partyin'?"
Angel squirmed free of his friend's grasp and threw him a 'cut it out or I will *make* you cut it out' kinda look. "Actually…you guys can go on ahead. I'm not exactly in a nightclub mood." He extended his hand to Cordelia and motioned to the terrace outside. "Shall we?"
She smiled her dazzling smile and accepted his offer, placing her seemingly delicate hand into his strong, masculine grasp. She was surprised that his touch was so loving and tender. This man was full of surprises, though. She could tell.
Gunn looked slightly dejected, but got over it soon enough when he realised that Wes and Lorne had headed back to the bar and had found another flock of women to chat up.
* Meanwhile…out on the terrace…^_^*
Cordelia stared up into the beautiful sky. The stars twinkled and she closed her eyes as a cool breeze swept across her face. She took a deep breath in and looked back out at the scenery, which included the silhouette of the mountains in the distance against the bluey night sky. The waves on the beach below them crashed into the neatly placed rocks, making the famous beach sound. It was the perfect setting for a romance movie, Cordelia thought, before trying her hardest to banish those thoughts.
"Its so beautiful, isn't it?" She whispered.
Angel, who'd been too busy staring at her to notice the view simply stated, "From what I can see…It's perfect."
She tried not to notice the subtle compliment. She still felt so guilty. She shouldn't be here with him. Not now that she was engaged to Groo. She felt awful for the position she was putting herself in. Not so much for herself, but for the men she was bound to hurt. This had started off as playful flirting and now it seemed to be turning into Temptation Island syndrome. The thought of hurting these men caused her to shiver and Angel was on her in a second.
"You must be freezing." He said, suddenly full of concern.
She couldn't bear to look into his eyes. "No…I'm fine…honest." She shrugged.
Angel wouldn't hear of it. "No. You're shivering. Now take it already. I'd hate for you to get sick."
She smiled at that and allowed him to slip it over her shoulders. Something about the action was so sensual and the feeling of his hands as they ran down her arms while he tried to warm her…
'STOP IT CHASE!' Her mind screamed. 'BAD! VERY BAD THOUGHTS! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!'
She swallowed and looked back over the romantic scenery. Slowly, very softly, Angel's hand was placed over hers on the balustrade. The two stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes, neither wanting to disturb the moment. Then Angel cleared his throat.
"I…uh…I wanted to apologise for Gunn's behaviour. He can be a real jerk sometimes."
"That's okay..." she replied. "I didn't really take any notice." Of course she *had*…but it didn't matter. She had friends that pulled similar stunts, so it was no big.
"No, really." Angel insisted. "I've probably ruined your evening-"
Cordelia cut him off. "No! Don't even think that. Believe me, your friend is fine…I like the guy to be honest." He raised an eyebrow at her and she giggled. God, her laughter was intoxicating. "Not in *that* way, doofus." She joked, playfully hitting him on the arm. "He seems like a real fun guy. They all do."
He heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm still sorry. Look. I'll make it up to you. Have dinner with me. Just the two of us. I promise I'll keep Gunn away from you, even."
She broke into a smile. "My hero." She joked.
The two laughed as they walked back into the restaurant. Angel wrapped his arm around her and she leant her head against his shoulder, despite herself. This just felt…right.
'No!' Her mind screamed again… 'Groo is right. You know, tall guy? Muscly? Kinda like Angel only slightly *engaged* to you?'
She tore herself from his shoulder and he pulled out a seat for her. She sat and he helped her pull herself in before taking his seat opposite her. He hailed a waitress and ordered two glasses of red wine and a couple of menus.
Cordelia leant forward. "So...Angel," She began, "Tell me a bit more about yourself...Where u grew up...your pets names...you know...trivial details."
He squirmed in his seat. The only place that this conversation could go was bad. "Well…" he offered slightly nervous, "Ireland. I grew up in Ireland."
Her eyes widened a little with interest. "Wow. Really?" She asked, before playfully adding, "What happened to the cute leprechaun accent?" Then had to force a giggle back down at the thought of Angel dressed as a leprechaun.
"Ahhh," He started, preparing to relay the explanation he'd repeated hundreds of times before. "One…I'm a fast learner. Two…" He allowed himself to slip back into the Irish brogue, "It's not completely gone." Back to American. "And three we kinda moved when I was still in my late teens…that was around 10 years ago. God…time flies when you're having fun." Suddenly, he knew that was the wrong phrase to use. 'Damn it, O'Malley. Stop Bringing Back Your Past.'
"Oh…" She tilted her head with interest. "Why'd your family move?"
The waitress brought them their drinks and menus and placed them on the table. "Sorry to interrupt," She told them, "When you're ready to order just give me a yell, okay?"
Cordy smiled and nodded, then looked back to Angel, awaiting her answer.
He sighed. "Things between my father and I got…a little stressed...But you don't need to know about all that." He took a rather large sip of his wine, clearly uncomfortable about the conversation.
Cordelia knew that she should let it the subject go for the time being. He was obviously finding it hard enough to deal without having to relay the tale to some stranger that he only just met. She decided that it was time to change the subject somehow.
In the end, she didn't need to as Angel had already taken the task upon himself. "What about you?" he asked.
"Well..." She started, taking a sip of her wine before continuing. "I've spent my life in Sunnydale. My family's kinda wealthy...but I've been trying to break off and make it on my own. I haven't been on a holiday with them since..." She trailed off; suddenly realising that the last holiday had been when she'd met Groo.
"Since...?" Angel prompted.
"Since..." She had to think quickly, yet again. "...I got my first real acting job." Once again...not a complete lie. Just toying with the truth. She *had* gotten that understudy position the same week… Anyhow, what mattered was that Angel believed her. He seemed satisfied.
Cordelia tried to switch the subject. This conversation was getting too risky. "So...what do u want to order?"
Angel shrugged. "Ladies first. What do you feel like?"
"Well...I hear the oysters are nice." 'Oh great one Chase,' She chastisised herself. 'What is with you? First you do the touchy and flirty…next you consider ordering a proven aphrodisiac...' She tried to change course, hoping he wouldn't notice her reddening face. "O-or the lobster..."
He smirked. So…her first instinct had been an aphrodisiac? That meant he was in with a chance. Of course she'd also obviously noticed her mistake. No problem. He could still play. "I've never tried oysters…" He lied. "Say…don't they have aphrodisiac properties?"
Her face flushed even more and she brought the menu up higher to avoid looking at him. He smiled. "Relax…I'm only playing with you."
She kicked him under the table. "I don't play."
They burst into laughter and surveyed the menus further. "They have various chicken dishes…" Cordy offered.
Angel shook his head. "Nah…too mundane. You deserve something exquisite." She smiled. "An exquisite meal for an exquisite lady." He added.
She blushed and accepted his compliment. She could get used to this.
"Okay…what about the seafood platter for two?" Cordelia suggested.
Angel thought it over and nodded. "Yeah. Sounds good." He waved the waitress over again and made their order. As she walked away, Angel reached for his wine. Unfortunately, someone walking past bumped him as he did and he accidentally knocked the glass.
Angel watched, completely horrified, as it teetered and fell, spilling red wine all over Cordelia's lap. 'This can't be good.' He thought. 'Definitely not good.'
*********************
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And our joint one at http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=212091
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Thanks muchly. Luv ya. ^_^
A/N from *Insane1*- Hey again…I promise I won't take up too much time. There's this chapter that you have to read and review…see…its right down there. You've all been sooo excellent! *Sobs* I love you guys. And before I really *do* break into the Cordy acceptance speech from the opening scene of Birthday…I bid you all adieu. Thanks sooo much for your support. It means sooo much. ^_^
PS- read Mrs O's fics at (I have no idea)
And mine (*Insane1*…duh, you knew that…god I'm a ditz sometimes) at (I still have no idea)
Don't forget to post reviews. ^_^
Thanks muchly.
Now…on with the show.
*~*~*~*~*The Hotel*~*~*~*~*
They'd caught a cab together and split the difference, it seemed the best thing to do since they discovered that they were both staying in the same hotel, Hotel Bouganville Angel still kept up being a gentleman, by helping her with all her bags and opening and closing doors for her.
Cordy walked into the lobby of the stunning hotel and knew that she was in her element here, especially when she had caught sight of that beautiful, marble fountain outside. Angel gave a low whistle. The hotel was beautiful. And they'd only made it to the lobby.
They surveyed the scene. The hard, cold marble floor reflected the light of the chandeliers and made everything seem…heavenly. The marble was a soft colour and the flowers that were scattered around the room accentuated at how posh the hotel really was.
Cordelia couldn't believe how alluring the place really was. 'Wow' She thought to herself. 'If heaven is *half* as dazzling as this…Wow…' She stalked over to reception, her heels clicking quite loudly against the marble floor. Cordelia only hoped that it wouldn't ruin the finish as she passed the bellboy struggling with her luggage. A pretty young woman with a twinkle in her eyes smiled up at her.
"Hi!" She chirped in what Cordelia noted was 'overly practised speech' voice, "Welcome to Hotel Bouganville, are you two together?" Cordelia and Angel looked at each other, and shook their heads both amused; yet slightly embarrassed.
"No, we're not…together," Angel said the last word as if it was a sin. Inside he cursed himself. 'Could I *sound* any more pathetic? Pull yourself together O'Malley. You've been with pretty ladies in far more…er…*compromising* positions and walked away without so much as a sheepish grin. What is it about this one that's making you turn into a pre- pubescent teen all of a sudden?' He shook his head and decided to turn on the charm as he stole another glance of his newest acquaintance.
Smiling the patented womanising smile he added, "Unfortunately." In a tone that was halfway between playfully flirting and incredibly seductive. Both women crooned. Angel's smile broadened. 'I still got it.' He inwardly crowed.
Cordelia looked at him and blushed a little. This man was so…so…what was the word he'd used on the plane? Alluring. Yes…that's the one. He was also pretty damn sexy. 'Of course I meet him *after* I get engaged.' She thought to herself. 'Where the hell was he a year ago?'
She realised that she was starting to stare and… 'Oh My God! Am I *drooling*? No. No way. Cordelia Chase doesn't drool over guys. They drool over her.' She smiled back at him, suddenly gaining the upper hand in this flirt fest. He'd made her drool…on purpose. This guy *had* to have known what that smile of his did to women. This meant war! And Queen C may have lost a battle or two…but she never, *ever* lost the war. He was going to pay.
Cordelia placed her hand on his upper arm, knowing full well the effect it would have on him. She'd kinda noticed on the plane the first time and now she had a weapon. "So," She batted her eyelids at him and watched as he gulped a little. She smiled in victory. "Are you gonna check in…or am I?"
Angel was left speechless. He couldn't believe the character of this girl. She was very confident…but not like the girls in the bar the other week. Although her proposition was very, very subtle and refined…it was still there, and it still packed the same punch. He just couldn't pull her up on it. Damn! She had him right where she wanted him. They both knew it.
He swallowed and fought to keep himself in check, smiling and motioning for her to go ahead. "Ladies first." He replied suavely. He knew what she was doing. She'd turned their innocent flirting into a flirt war and he still had a few cards up his sleeve. He put the smile back on and she faltered again. His keen womanising senses from the bad ol' days picked up on it, where an ordinary man wouldn't have. As another clerk came to serve him, he whispered into her ear, "I trust I'll be seeing you around."
Cordelia smiled back brightly at Angel, inwardly cussing at him. The ball was back in his court and he knew it. And that cologne of his…She shook her head and turned back to the girl. "Hi. Thanks…" She glanced at the girl's nametag. "…Susana. I made a reservation under the name Chase. Cordelia Chase."
From his position at the other end of the small desk, Angel just stared at Cordelia. She had run through everything as if it was a common occurrence for her. Well, duh! Cordelia was a rich, attractive woman who travelled a lot. What did he expect?
Cordelia watched as the receptionist typed a bunch of letters into her computer. "Okay Ms Chase," She began. Cordelia hoped that Angel hadn't picked up on the use of the word 'Ms'…he didn't need to know that she was engaged. Actually, *she* didn't need him to know. "You're in room 109. That's on the third floor" Susana passed her two key cards, one for the door and the other for the electricity, and hailed the bellboy over. "This is Ramón." She gestured at the young man.
'And *that* my friend is what you classify as a cutie…' Cordy's mind rambled. She took in his slightly ruffled brown hair, his chocolate eyes and his slim, yet muscular, tanned frame and inwardly sighed. Getting married to Groo seemed more and more like a chore as this day progressed. Especially in the dating and drooling section of life. No more Angels or Ramóns ever again.
Just Groo.
She should be rejoicing…She was getting to live her dream life. The one with the white picket fence, cute little cottage, gorgeous (rich) husband and 2.3 children. But she was giving up the *fun*. She was giving up the *zest*. She was giving up the *dating* and the wining and dining. Wordlessly, she debated with herself whether she had made the right decision. Groo loved her… She knew that. But did she love him *that* much? Could she be the perfect wife like he wanted? She was shaken from her silent reverie by Susana's voice.
"He'll be showing you to your room. Is there anything you require? Complimentary chocolate on your pillow?" Susana asked. Cordelia shook her head.
"No, thank you. I just need to get some rest," Cordelia sighed acknowledging the sudden jet lag that came over her.
"Sure. Dinner is at eight at the restaurant. If you'd rather stay in your room, there is room service available. You'll find the menu on the dressing table." Susana continued.
Cordelia nodded again, replying with a monosyllable "Thanks," and prepared to leave, following the bellhop to the elevator. She cast a look at Angel who had just checked in, obtained eye contact and gave him a wave. "I'll see you around," She called. The doors closed before he could reply. "Hah!" She said aloud, forgetting the bellboy that was in her presence. "Take that Mr Flirty!"
*
"I hope so," Angel whispered, watching as Cordelia disappeared from his sight. She'd gotten the last word. Damn her! Just as the doors shut, three rowdy men came bounding up to Angel.
"Angel, my man!" Gunn greeted with a high five, "So you finally made it. You've been missing some *serious* action, we've got a lot of catching up to do tonight. There's a club around the corner and-" Gunn's rambling was cut off by Angel's quick interruption.
"No thanks, I'd rather stay in," his friends stood in stunned silence
"Well, of course, you must be tired," Wesley finally interjected. "What do you want to do instead?" he asked. Angel looked thoughtfully at the elevator.
"How about dinner. Eight o'clock. I hear they have…a great menu." Angel said, immediately thinking of Cordelia and the implications of it all.
Gunn looked as if someone had just stolen candy from him. "Lemme get this straight. You just flew into party central and you wanna go to dinner?" he asked disbelievingly. Angel nodded, only to be hit upside of the head by his girl-crazed best friend. "What's wrong with you? Have you gone insane?"
Angel laughed. "*No* I have not gone insane. Its just…you know…airline food. Not good." Gunn tried the dejected pout. Angel sighed. "I promise you…look… we've got two weeks. There'll be plenty of time for partying later."
"But…the hot mommas!" The younger man whined before being dragged along to the elevator by his friends. He'd just lost the argument.
~*~*~*
Cordelia almost choked at the sheer brilliance of it all. Her room was quite big, a nice TV, a balcony that overlooked the most beautiful scenery she'd ever seen in her life and not to mention how big the wardrobes were. Cordelia was scared that she didn't have enough clothes to fit inside. 'Oh well,' She'd thought. 'I can always buy more while I'm here…'
The first thing Cordelia did was walk out onto the balcony and breath in the fresh air. It felt so refreshing she wanted to stay out there forever. She glanced below her at the pools, the tennis courts and the private beach. She watched as little children ran around, their laughter infecting the air and causing her to smile broadly. She wondered what her children would be like.
She'd like to have two girls and a boy. Maybe even twins. That'd be nice. She could dress them up the same until their unique personalities shone through and they moaned about it.
She smiled as the thought of her sister entered her mind. Cordelia was proud of the relationship they shared.
They always stuck up for each other and told each other everything. Mel would make a great Aunt, she thought. Cordelia could see Mel and her heavily pregnant self going shopping for baby clothes. Then they'd get a cup of coffee and her husband would wrap his arms around her and kiss her gently.
Cordelia could also see their baby. It would have her smile and her chin, but it had to have Angel's eyes…Angel? Whoa!
Cordelia stopped her daydreaming there.
What the hell was she doing thinking about her and Angel? *Especially* her and Angel with kids? God…their flirting had really messed her thoughts up. The connotations alone…
A goofy smile planted itself on her face and she shook her head vigorously.
Finally, Cordelia managed to rid her head of the bad, bad thoughts and took in another breath of fresh air. She continued looking over the sight.
~*~*~*~
Angel allowed Gunn to open the door and dumped his bag on his bed. Lorne and Wesley had the room next door but there was a connecting door in between the two. Angel looked the room over. He could get used to this.
He looked over at Gunn, who had put on the basketball game on their TV. Wesley and Lorne were also in the room with them, taking an immediate interest in the last minutes of the game.
Angel wasn't so interested; he was more inclined to find that perilous beauty he had spent the trip over with. He made his way out to the balcony, and the others followed quickly.
"Yo, Angel, did you see that slam dunk?" Gunn asked. Angel shook his head as he searched for Cordelia. "It was tight, man!"
"I'm sure it was," Angel replied dryly.
"What are you doing?" Wesley asked. Angel missed the question as he had found the object he'd been looking for, directly opposite their room in the other section of the hotel's third floor. She was just staring down at the activity below, laughing with that luminous smile of hers.
"Admiring the sights, hey?" Lorne asked as he traced Angel's gaze to Cordelia.
"Ooh…nice. Who's the foxy lady?" Gunn asked, his approval more than evident.
Angel smiled. "Cordelia Chase. We spent about nine hours together on our way here. She's amazing," He informed them, all the while never removing his gaze.
"Looks like you're in love." Wesley joked. Cordelia caught Angel's gaze and gave him a shy wave before disappearing into her room. Angel sighed.
"You know Wes," He said veering back into the room. "I think I could go for a drink or two after all. Who's up for goin' to the bar?"
*~*~*~*~*
"How was the flight over?" Wesley asked. The group was seated at the bar, each man clutching a beer. Angel looked down at the bottle in his hands and turned it around. He was clearly pondering over the pretty lady…what had he called her? Cordelia? Wes cleared his throat.
Angel looked up slightly sheepish. "Huh? What? Did you say something?"
His English friend chuckled. "I asked how your flight was. Clearly…you enjoyed *something* about it, yes?"
"Huh?" Angel asked before realising what his friend meant. He furrowed his brow a little. "No. I mean, what do you mean?"
"Don't play coy, cupcake." Lorne interposed, tossing his arm over Angel's shoulder lazily. "That girl you were eyeing earlier…Its obvious she entertained your…er…thoughts." All four men broke into wide grins…Angel avoiding any eye contact with the others. "You were thinking about her just now, weren't you? I don't exactly blame you. I mean, she's-"
"A fine piece of ass!" Gunn finished and chugged down his drink.
Despite himself, Angel laughed at his friend's comment. "I wouldn't put it that way…but I can't deny it either."
They all laughed. Angel felt great. Everything so far had been perfect. The trip over was more than comfortable, the company he'd been keeping had been extremely enjoyable, the hotel was exquisite and he didn't have to work.
'I must have died and gone to heaven.' He mentally assessed, smiling to himself. As he glanced around the room, he caught the gaze of a throng of women. The one he chose to refer to as 'their leader' waved at him, and motioned seductively for him to join her. He smiled back and politely declined with a shake of his head. She pouted a little and stood up. 'Oh boy. Here comes trouble.' He thought, watching as she strode over confidently to join him.
Gunn brightened immediately as he saw the approaching women. "Now *that's* more like it." He whispered to Wesley, who smiled and swatted him away. He didn't particularly want or need Gunn in his personal space when he could have one of these lovely ladies.
"Hi." The leader purred, taking her seat next to Angel. She held out her perfectly manicured hand. "Liana. And you are?"
Angel took this woman in. She had long black hair and bright green eyes. She was extremely attractive…the kind of woman he might consider hooking up with. But not tonight. After meeting Cordelia, this woman seemed so…not his type. He took her hand anyway and shook it gently. "Angel."
Liana smiled. "Angel huh? That's…different." She batted her eyelids at him, as if expecting him to shower her with attention and intimate conversation.
Angel shrugged, much to her dismay, and looked back town at his beer. "Its my nickname."
The woman tilted her head to the side and smiled again. "I see. What's your *real* name, then?"
He lifted his head and turned to look at her again. "Liam." She giggled. 'That's a response you don't get everyday.' Angel thought to himself. 'What have I missed here?'
"This is sooo amazing." She told him.
He still didn't catch on. What he *did* work out, tough, was that this attractive creature in front of him seemed to become ditzier and ditzier by the second. And, under normal circumstances, this kind of girl was perfect for him. Yet, he found himself comparing her to the brunette beauty that was plaguing his thoughts…and she didn't seem to meet his standards. Since when did he set standards anyway?
He was shaken out of his thoughts when the girl giggled again and rolled her eyes at him. "Its sooo obvious. Liam…Liana?" She stressed the alikeness of their names and he'd finally gotten it. Inwardly, he cringed. Not another 'this must be fate' fanatic. It was amazing how many girls he met could be so ditzy. He smiled painfully at her as she continued. "How fateworthy is this? We're like sooo totally meant for each other….don't you see? We were like sooo supposed to meet…."
Angel stopped listening and let her trail on and on with her hopeless attempt at a pickup. He nodded every so often and turned to his friends as he searched for an escape route. No such luck. They were all busy with women of their own. Angel had a sneaking suspicion that he happened to be the only one *not* enjoying himself.
He scanned the room again, praying for a miracle. Liana's inane babbling was starting to get on his nerves, but he really didn't want to say anything out of place. After all, she was just trying to be polite…in a hitting on him kinda way. At least she wasn't as straight forward as some of the other women he'd met over the years.
Angel looked into the restaurant and smiled. It was such a romantic setting. The tables were all set beautifully with candles and had pretty napkins that had been folded 'just so' to make them look like ornaments. It would seem such a shame to unfold them and use them for their intended purpose.
Suddenly he found his miracle and had to stop himself from whooping in joy. She was standing at the elevator a vision of everything that was good and pure on this earth. 'And there I go again with the poetic. What the hell's gotten into me? She's just another terribly attractive, ultimately charismatic, smart and alluring woman.'
His head was filled with so many thoughts as he watched her glide through the crowd. The light glistened off her shoulder length dark brown hair, picking up the natural highlights and accenting her gorgeous hazel eyes.
She wore a low cut red number that clung to her perfectly curved body and brought out the depth of the lipstick she was wearing. Every man in the entire complex seemed to stop and watch her as she floated by. Angel couldn't help but growl possessively. This was definitely new territory for him. No woman had ever had this effect on him. Ever.
From his seat at the bar he managed to catch her gaze and stood up, smiling uncharacteristically.
Liana was confused at first…until she followed her Liam's line of sight. There she saw her competition and reached for his arm, trying to show this lady in red that he was *her* man. Not to be played with.
Angel felt the girl's touch but shrugged it off, muttering some frivolous excuse. He didn't care what she thought. He could feel her stare of disbelief drilling into his back as he walked over to greet Cordelia, and it didn't faze him. 'She might even put two and two together and find that it makes four.' He joked to himself, hoping that the girl would get the point and move on to someone else.
"Hi…" He purred seductively, taking her hand and kissing it lightly. 'A gentleman through and through.' He thought slyly. 'Gets them every time.' "Fancy bumping into you here."
Cordelia's heart started pumping faster the second she'd seen him. It sped up when he'd made eye contact and she was *sure* it had jumped out of her body when she'd seen him ditch the hottie that was drooling all over him. But now, as he kissed her hand in an attempt to look like the perfect gentleman, she thought she saw it flying over the stunning full moon.
'Chase. Get A Hold Of Yourself. You're *engaged* to a man that loves…loved?…no…definitely loves you very much. And here you are going gaga over some guy you met not 12 hours ago? What the hell is wrong with you?'
"Hey yourself." She managed to reply calmly. "It's a small world."
She watched his big brown eyes sparkle. "That it is." He held out his arm in a gentlemanly fashion. "Care to join me?"
Suddenly, Cordelia found herself slipping out of reality. She was stuck in time…just gazing into the beauty and mystery of this man's soulful gaze. Neither made any attempt to move. They were both so totally wrapped up in each other that neither noticed the parade of men coming towards them.
"Yo! Angel!" The attractive black man called, waving his arms around in a friendly manner. Cordelia cursed him for ruining the moment.
'He's gonna get a *huge* ass kicking for this.' Angel turned around to face him, looking extremely frustrated. "Yes, Gunn?" He managed through clenched teeth.
His so-called 'best friend' sidled up beside him and through a muscled arm around his neck. "Are you gonna introduce us to your foxy lady friend?" He asked, his tone a mixture of playfulness, innocence and…was he just hitting on her?
Angel found himself growling again. Letting out an exasperated sight, he motioned lazily at his friend and then to Cordelia. "Charles, this is Cordelia." Ignoring the stare of death from Gunn at the use of his proper name, Angel motioned back from Cordelia to his friend. "Cordelia…this is Charles." Another man came to his side. "And Wesley…" Then another, "…*and* Lorne." He watched as she shook each of their hands and he continued. "These are my friends. The one's I was telling you about. Y'know, the ones that never leave me alone?" He emphasised the last part and glared at the guys, hoping that they would get the message. Sadly, they didn't.
Cordelia found herself smiling at his attempts at getting rid of the group. Wes, Lorne and Gunn smiled back at her. Each offering a "nice to meet you" or something to that effect. Her smiled broadened and blossomed into the one that seemed to make Angel go weak at the knees. Gunn had to speak up.
"Whoa, Angel! You seriously found a good one, y'know that?"
Angel cringed in embarrassment. Cordelia stifled a laugh. It was amusing to watch these men, who were all so different, interact. Gunn swivelled around and swung his remaining arm around the delightful Cordelia's shoulders, thus forcing himself in between the pair. He could tell it was irritating Angel…and he was lovin' every second of it. After all…*this* was the man that had taken away tonight's plans of clubbing, clubbing and more clubbing. He had a funny feeling that this woman was part of the problem, too. And when Gunn wants to party, Gunn gets to party. End of story. Anyone who comes between him and a good night on the town will suffer the consequences. Tonight that 'anyone' just happened to be his best friend.
"So…" he said, squeezing the two obviously uncomfortable people tightly, "What's on the agenda tonight? We all gonna eat and go party or we gonna scrap the eatin' and go straight to the partyin'?"
Angel squirmed free of his friend's grasp and threw him a 'cut it out or I will *make* you cut it out' kinda look. "Actually…you guys can go on ahead. I'm not exactly in a nightclub mood." He extended his hand to Cordelia and motioned to the terrace outside. "Shall we?"
She smiled her dazzling smile and accepted his offer, placing her seemingly delicate hand into his strong, masculine grasp. She was surprised that his touch was so loving and tender. This man was full of surprises, though. She could tell.
Gunn looked slightly dejected, but got over it soon enough when he realised that Wes and Lorne had headed back to the bar and had found another flock of women to chat up.
* Meanwhile…out on the terrace…^_^*
Cordelia stared up into the beautiful sky. The stars twinkled and she closed her eyes as a cool breeze swept across her face. She took a deep breath in and looked back out at the scenery, which included the silhouette of the mountains in the distance against the bluey night sky. The waves on the beach below them crashed into the neatly placed rocks, making the famous beach sound. It was the perfect setting for a romance movie, Cordelia thought, before trying her hardest to banish those thoughts.
"Its so beautiful, isn't it?" She whispered.
Angel, who'd been too busy staring at her to notice the view simply stated, "From what I can see…It's perfect."
She tried not to notice the subtle compliment. She still felt so guilty. She shouldn't be here with him. Not now that she was engaged to Groo. She felt awful for the position she was putting herself in. Not so much for herself, but for the men she was bound to hurt. This had started off as playful flirting and now it seemed to be turning into Temptation Island syndrome. The thought of hurting these men caused her to shiver and Angel was on her in a second.
"You must be freezing." He said, suddenly full of concern.
She couldn't bear to look into his eyes. "No…I'm fine…honest." She shrugged.
Angel wouldn't hear of it. "No. You're shivering. Now take it already. I'd hate for you to get sick."
She smiled at that and allowed him to slip it over her shoulders. Something about the action was so sensual and the feeling of his hands as they ran down her arms while he tried to warm her…
'STOP IT CHASE!' Her mind screamed. 'BAD! VERY BAD THOUGHTS! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!'
She swallowed and looked back over the romantic scenery. Slowly, very softly, Angel's hand was placed over hers on the balustrade. The two stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes, neither wanting to disturb the moment. Then Angel cleared his throat.
"I…uh…I wanted to apologise for Gunn's behaviour. He can be a real jerk sometimes."
"That's okay..." she replied. "I didn't really take any notice." Of course she *had*…but it didn't matter. She had friends that pulled similar stunts, so it was no big.
"No, really." Angel insisted. "I've probably ruined your evening-"
Cordelia cut him off. "No! Don't even think that. Believe me, your friend is fine…I like the guy to be honest." He raised an eyebrow at her and she giggled. God, her laughter was intoxicating. "Not in *that* way, doofus." She joked, playfully hitting him on the arm. "He seems like a real fun guy. They all do."
He heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm still sorry. Look. I'll make it up to you. Have dinner with me. Just the two of us. I promise I'll keep Gunn away from you, even."
She broke into a smile. "My hero." She joked.
The two laughed as they walked back into the restaurant. Angel wrapped his arm around her and she leant her head against his shoulder, despite herself. This just felt…right.
'No!' Her mind screamed again… 'Groo is right. You know, tall guy? Muscly? Kinda like Angel only slightly *engaged* to you?'
She tore herself from his shoulder and he pulled out a seat for her. She sat and he helped her pull herself in before taking his seat opposite her. He hailed a waitress and ordered two glasses of red wine and a couple of menus.
Cordelia leant forward. "So...Angel," She began, "Tell me a bit more about yourself...Where u grew up...your pets names...you know...trivial details."
He squirmed in his seat. The only place that this conversation could go was bad. "Well…" he offered slightly nervous, "Ireland. I grew up in Ireland."
Her eyes widened a little with interest. "Wow. Really?" She asked, before playfully adding, "What happened to the cute leprechaun accent?" Then had to force a giggle back down at the thought of Angel dressed as a leprechaun.
"Ahhh," He started, preparing to relay the explanation he'd repeated hundreds of times before. "One…I'm a fast learner. Two…" He allowed himself to slip back into the Irish brogue, "It's not completely gone." Back to American. "And three we kinda moved when I was still in my late teens…that was around 10 years ago. God…time flies when you're having fun." Suddenly, he knew that was the wrong phrase to use. 'Damn it, O'Malley. Stop Bringing Back Your Past.'
"Oh…" She tilted her head with interest. "Why'd your family move?"
The waitress brought them their drinks and menus and placed them on the table. "Sorry to interrupt," She told them, "When you're ready to order just give me a yell, okay?"
Cordy smiled and nodded, then looked back to Angel, awaiting her answer.
He sighed. "Things between my father and I got…a little stressed...But you don't need to know about all that." He took a rather large sip of his wine, clearly uncomfortable about the conversation.
Cordelia knew that she should let it the subject go for the time being. He was obviously finding it hard enough to deal without having to relay the tale to some stranger that he only just met. She decided that it was time to change the subject somehow.
In the end, she didn't need to as Angel had already taken the task upon himself. "What about you?" he asked.
"Well..." She started, taking a sip of her wine before continuing. "I've spent my life in Sunnydale. My family's kinda wealthy...but I've been trying to break off and make it on my own. I haven't been on a holiday with them since..." She trailed off; suddenly realising that the last holiday had been when she'd met Groo.
"Since...?" Angel prompted.
"Since..." She had to think quickly, yet again. "...I got my first real acting job." Once again...not a complete lie. Just toying with the truth. She *had* gotten that understudy position the same week… Anyhow, what mattered was that Angel believed her. He seemed satisfied.
Cordelia tried to switch the subject. This conversation was getting too risky. "So...what do u want to order?"
Angel shrugged. "Ladies first. What do you feel like?"
"Well...I hear the oysters are nice." 'Oh great one Chase,' She chastisised herself. 'What is with you? First you do the touchy and flirty…next you consider ordering a proven aphrodisiac...' She tried to change course, hoping he wouldn't notice her reddening face. "O-or the lobster..."
He smirked. So…her first instinct had been an aphrodisiac? That meant he was in with a chance. Of course she'd also obviously noticed her mistake. No problem. He could still play. "I've never tried oysters…" He lied. "Say…don't they have aphrodisiac properties?"
Her face flushed even more and she brought the menu up higher to avoid looking at him. He smiled. "Relax…I'm only playing with you."
She kicked him under the table. "I don't play."
They burst into laughter and surveyed the menus further. "They have various chicken dishes…" Cordy offered.
Angel shook his head. "Nah…too mundane. You deserve something exquisite." She smiled. "An exquisite meal for an exquisite lady." He added.
She blushed and accepted his compliment. She could get used to this.
"Okay…what about the seafood platter for two?" Cordelia suggested.
Angel thought it over and nodded. "Yeah. Sounds good." He waved the waitress over again and made their order. As she walked away, Angel reached for his wine. Unfortunately, someone walking past bumped him as he did and he accidentally knocked the glass.
Angel watched, completely horrified, as it teetered and fell, spilling red wine all over Cordelia's lap. 'This can't be good.' He thought. 'Definitely not good.'
*********************
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