Chapter 3

            When the check for their meal arrived, Buffy snatched it up and began figuring out how much her portion was. After several attempts to do the math in her head, she whipped a pen out of her purse and began totaling the figures on a napkin. Glancing up, she noticed Spike gazing at her intently, with the oddest look in his eyes. And it was only at this second that she noticed they were the most intriguing shade of blue she had ever seen. They constantly changed shades in the light. However, the fact that he was openly staring at her made her nervous.

            She quickly checked her face in a compact mirror that she pulled out of her purse. "What? Do I have something…?"

            He shook his head and gave her a small smile before saying seriously. "You're a very attractive person."

            Flustered, she put the compact away and returned her eyes to the napkin she had scribbled on. "Oh. Thank you."

            He continued his scrutiny. "Drusilla never mentioned you being so attractive…"

            "Well," she responded lightly, "maybe Dru doesn't find me particularly attractive."        

            "It's not a matter of opinion. You are Empirically attractive." He waved a hand dismissively. "You know, by Empirical standards and what-not…"

            "Spike," Buffy totaled the amount, left her money on the table and stood up, fixing him with a serious look. "Drusilla is my friend." She crossed the restaurant towards the exit.

            Spike hurried to put his money on the table and catch up with her. "Yeah, so?"

            "So, you're going out with her."

            They stepped outside and he reached into his jacket pocket for a cigarette. As he lit it, he furrowed his brow at her. "So?"

            "So?!" She threw her hands up in the air and looked heavenward. "Spike, you're hitting on me!"

            He shook his head and blew smoke out through thinned lips. "No, I wasn't." At her disbelieving look, he copped a stance and peered at her. "What? Can't a bloke say that a woman's attractive without it becoming a bleedin' come-on?"

            She stared at him, then shook her head and headed for the car, him following close behind.

            "All right," he continued. "Let's say, for the sake of argument, that it was a come-on. What d'you want me to do? Take it back? All right then. I fucking take it back."

            She rolled her eyes as she unlocked the driver's side door. "You can't take it back."

            "Why the hell not?"

            Shaking her head as if she were talking to a child, she looked at him pointedly before sliding into her seat. "Because it's already out there."

            Dumbfounded, he stared at the air where her head had previously been before opening his door and getting into the car as well. Rolling down his window before he closed the door, he dangled his hand with the lit cigarette out the window and looked at her. "Oh, for gods' sakes, what are we gonna do? Call the cops, because it's already out there?"

            She held a hand up between them. "Just… let it be."

            "Right. Good Beatles song. That's my motto: Let it be. Just let it be, let it be…" He took a puff of cigarette smoke, idly blowing it out the window, before noticing that she hadn't started the engine yet. "So, what… You want to stay here in the motel?"

            She didn't answer for a moment, then looked at him squarely. Her jaw was set in determination. "Spike."

            "Yes, luv?"

            "We're just going to be friends," she stated simply. "That's it."

            He nodded abruptly, staring back out his open window at the smoke that curled skyward. "Right. Great. Best thing, and all that sort. Friends." A pause, then he looked back at her. "You know, of course, that we could never just be friends, luv?"

            "What do you mean?" Buffy's brow knit in confusion as she pulled the car out of the parking lot and began to drive off.

            "What I'm saying… and this is not a come-on in any way… is that men and women can't just 'be friends'. The sex part always gets in the way."

            "That's not true," she asserted as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, staring at the road to avoid his eyes. "I have a number of male friends, and there is no sex involved whatsoever. Nothing of the sexual nature."

            "No, you don't," he told her simply.

            "Yes I do."

            "No, you don't," he insisted.

            "Yes, I do," she retorted, staring at him as if he had three heads.

            He chuckled. "You only think you do, pet."

            She rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're telling me that I'm having sex with all these guys without my knowledge?"

            "No," he smirked. "I'm saying they all want to have sex with you."

            "No they don't."

            "Yes they do."

            "Don't either."

            "Do too," he laughed, taking another drag before flicking the cigarette out the window as she continued driving towards the highway onramp.

            "How do you know?" she retorted in irritation.

            "Because unless he's a soddin' poof, no man can be friends with a woman he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her," Spike sighed, as if it were obvious.

            "So, you're saying a guy can be friends with a girl he finds unattractive?" Buffy laughed.

            "No," Spike said, after thinking about it for a moment. "You pretty much want to have sex with them too."

            "What if they don't want to have sex with you?"

            "Doesn't matter," he replied, propping his feet up on the dashboard. "The sex thing is already out there, so the friendship is ultimately doomed. That's the end of the story."

            "Huh," Buffy said, acting as if she was taking him seriously. "I guess we'll never be friends then."

            "Guess not."

            "It's too bad," she shot him a wink and a smile. "You were the only person I knew in Las Vegas."

            They crossed the city limits line into Las Vegas, driving down the Strip on their way to the hotel he was to be staying at. The lights and the signs flashed a million different neon colors, and they were each dazzled by the display. Buffy had no idea where she was going to be staying, but she was bound and determined not to let it be the same hotel as his. If only for Drusilla's sake. The boy was annoying, but gods she could so jump into bed with him at a second's notice…

            Bad Buffy! She scolded herself mentally. No jumping-Spike thoughts!

            She finally pulled up to the curb in front of a rather nice-looking Holiday Inn. Great, she thought. Now I have to boycott the Holiday Inns of the world… Spike hopped out and began unloading the backseat of his belongings. She went around to help him. When they had everything of his piled onto one of those bellhop baggage carts, he faced her fully.

            He stuck a hand out for her to shake. "Well, it was nice knowing you, luv."

            She shook his hand firmly and smiled. "Yeah, it was…interesting."

            "Thanks for the ride," he continued, not wanting the moment to end too soon. Damn, but the chit was actually growing on him…

            "You're welcome," he heard her saying.

            The nodded at each other in an awkward moment of silence, still holding onto each other's hand.

            Finally, she pulled her hand back and waved at him, going around to the driver's side of the car. "Well, have a nice life."

            He nodded slowly, staring after her. "You too," he murmured softly.

            As he pushed the cart through the doors of the hotel, she quickly drove off so she wouldn't be tempted to stay any longer. Drusilla, she cursed her friend in her mind, I hope you appreciate the sacrifices I make for you… The boy is definitely screw-worthy… She drove for hours, trying to find a place to stay that was reasonably priced and not the Holiday Inn.

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            TBC