I'm sooooo sorry it took so long for me to update. My main beta was having
computer problems (still is) and my chapters kept erasing from her system.
Anyway, this chapter is only 1/2 beta'd so please go easy on me.
Read and review (I'm going through withdrawal)
Enjoy!
37. Strike!
DAY 18
"Hey Mom," Buffy said, taking a seat next to Joyce at the staff table.
The woman pushed aside her yellow notepad and examined her daughter. "You look happy this morning. I take it you had a good night."
Buffy blushed and shrugged. "It was ok."
"Ok?!" Joyce exclaimed in disbelief. "It better have been more than ok, for me to take on a bunch of teenagers like I had to yesterday."
Buffy's smile widened. "It was great, I caught a movie and just hung out for awhile. Thank you," she said, taking her mom's hand, "I really needed the time off."
Joyce patted her daughter's hand and took a sip of her coffee. "I know, and you deserved it. Plus, having a handsome gentleman defending your case didn't hurt either." She gave Buffy a knowing look before returning to her notepad.
Buffy blushed again and turned towards where Spike was sitting. When she caught his eye, she smiled at him shyly, unsure if her 'true confessions' the night before had made him uncomfortable. To her delight, he nodded at her and gave her a wide grin. He pointed towards Dawn, who was perched atop Conner's lap, then rolled his eyes at Buffy. She mimicked his actions, and giggled, before turning back to her mom. "I'm just lucky, I guess."
Joyce smiled to herself and took another sip of the coffee. She liked Spike, but didn't want to push the pairing too hard, knowing that Buffy would be more likely to doubt the relationship if she showed her support.
"Mom," Buffy started, unsure of how to approach the topic, "when you were my age, and grandma ran the camp . . .did you ever . . ." she paused, trying to choose her words. "I mean, were you ever involved . . .was there ever . . ."
Joyce sighed and turned towards her daughter. "Yes."
"How did you know what . . ." Buffy began, confused at her mother's quick response to a question that hadn't even been asked yet.
"Buffy, I know how hard it is to be in your position. I've been there. But try not to let it consume you, ok? This is supposed to be fun."
Buffy gulped and nodded. "So . . .I should just . . ."
"Go back to your table, eat with your kids, and flash your pretty smile at a man who's obviously smitten with you." Joyce nudged Buffy, pushing her slightly from the chair.
"Ok," Buffy pouted and rose from her chair, before speaking again. "So . . .how many times were you in my position exactly? I always thought that dad was the first . . ."
Before Buffy could finish, Joyce choked on her coffee, causing her to spit it back in the mug. "Go!" she said, pointing towards her table.
--------------------------
"Ugggh," Cordy groaned as she eyed the new events calendar. "I HATE Bowl-A- Rama."
"I'm sorry sweetie. I know Prada doesn't make bowling shoes," Xander said, patting his girlfriend's shoulder in a sign of mock support.
Cordelia pulled away from his touch. "It's not that Xander. I just . . .suck!!"
"That you do," the young man said, poking his girlfriend in the sides playfully.
"Eww!" Cordy squealed, trying to avoid his attack. "You are soooo gross!" she giggled, smacking his hands away.
"That's not what you said last night when you were . . ."
Cordy blushed and slapped a hand over his mouth, making sure none of the campers had heard what he said. "If you ever what to know the love of this woman again," she muttered through gritted teeth, "I would suggest keeping your voice down."
Xander's eyes went wide and he nodded slowly, before sticking out his tongue to quickly lick her hand.
"Yuck," she groaned, removing her hand from his mouth, wiping his saliva on his shirt. "Why do I torture myself?" she asked the blue sky above her, placing her hands on her hips. She sighed and looked back to her boyfriend. "So what's the plan for tonight?"
"Well, we could try the pads. They make it a little easier, and it's kind of fun watching the balls bounce all over the place."
"What?! Is this some sort of kinky sex thing, cuz handcuffs and silk scarves are one thing, but I am NOT . . ." Cordy huffed, unsure of where he was going with this.
"No," Xander said rolling his eyes. "The bowling alley has these blue bumpers you can put in the gutter so you knock pins down every time. Usually they only let little kids use them, but since you're so cute, they may make an exception."
Cordy shrugged, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Ok, we can try that."
"Good," Xander began, before her words finally sunk in, "Handcuffs?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not another word Harris," she pointed a finger at him, then stalked back to her cabin to prepare for her afternoon classes.
--------------------------------
Bowl-A-Rama
Buffy counted her girls as they got off the bus. She knew a bunch of them didn't want to bowl, and was afraid they might try to stay on the bus and make-out with their boyfriends. After the last one was accounted for she made her way to the entrance. Cordy, Xander, Oz, Willow and Spike - who unfortunately was on a different bus this trip - were all waiting for her at the front door.
"I don't know about this," Willow said as Buffy approached the group.
"Don't know about what?" Buffy asked, taking her spot in the circle.
"Well Buffster, we were thinking of putting a little wager on the game. You know, make it a little more interesting," Xander responded, rubbing his hands together.
"And what is this wager of which you speak? It's not like money is an option, considering we all make squat," Buffy reminded him.
"Oh no it's much better than that, luv." Spike said, flashing Buffy an innocent smile.
"Is that right?" Buffy asked skeptically. "If you think it's good, then it must be REALLY bad."
Spike shrugged and quirked an eyebrow at the petite blonde. "Well, I have to admit, it's not quite the prize I'd like to play for-" Buffy blushed in response to his seductive leer, to which he could only chuckle, "-but it should be entertaining, none the less."
Buffy turned away from his captivating glance and faced Willow. "So what is it exactly?"
"Basically, the person with the highest score gets to pick out a townie for the loser to hit on," the redhead explained.
"No way. I'm so not doing that." Buffy raised her hands and shook her head rapidly, not wanting to get involved in the sick game.
"Afraid you're going to lose, pet?" Spike asked, knowing that Buffy wouldn't back away from a challenge.
"Not likely, bleach-boy. I'll have you know that I can kick a little bowling-ass. I've only been coming here since I was seven." She punched him lightly on the arm and opened the door for them to enter.
Spike rubbed his shoulder tenderly and walked partially through the door. "Fine . . .I still think you're scared of a little competition."
"Do they even have bowling in the mother country?" Buffy asked, releasing her hold on the door, allowing it to smack into his ass.
"Hey!" Spike yelped, following Buffy into the bowling alley. "We do have bowling in England-" he paused to watch a teenager run by with his newly selected bowling ball. "-Except the balls are a little smaller."
Buffy turned around to face Spike once more, and looked him up and down, allowing her gaze to linger over his pelvis longer than usual. She patted him lightly on the cheek, gazing deeply into his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" Spike's mouth dropped open as he watched her saunter off, hips swaying. Before he could catch up and offer a quippy retort, two hands grabbed his own and pulled on his arms excitedly.
"Spike, come play with us!" Rona shrieked excitedly, dragging him towards their lane.
"Let's show these Yanks how the game is played!" Molly giggled, as she pushed him down into a seat.
"Girls, I still need my shoes," he protested, attempting to stand up again.
"I'll get them!" Vi shrieked, waving her hand. She lifted his foot and examined his boot. "You're a 10, right?"
"How did you know?" Spike asked, shocked at her lucky guess.
"Instinct," Vi said with a shrug, before running over to the counter.
Spike felt someone tap him on the shoulder and turned to face the person behind him. "Decide to play against people more your own speed?" Buffy asked, batting her eyelashes.
"Oh it's on, pet. I don't care about everyone else. . .you're going down, Goldilocks."
She leaned in closer and whispered into his ear huskily. "You beat me, and that could be arranged."
Spike stammered, and watched as Buffy grabbed her bowling ball and bowl a perfect strike in the next lane. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath.
-------------------------
In the ninth frame the scores were tight - except for Cordy who had them all beat, due to her game of 'bumper bowling.' Because of the unfair advantage, the rest of the counselors had decided to disqualify her from the bet. As it stood, Xander and Buffy were tied for the lead, with Oz, Willow and Spike trailing closely behind.
"You're up Spike!" Rona yelled, pointing towards the ball return.
He rose to his feet and went to retrieve his ball.
Buffy took the opportunity to throw him slightly off his game. There was no way she was going to let him beat her. "Hey, Molly, I need to ask you something," she said walking towards Spike. "Oh, excuse me, Spike." She squeezed between him and the scoring table, holding still to allow her breasts to rub against his back.
Spike inhaled sharply as he felt her squirm behind him, rubbing her crotch into his backside. "That's alright," he said, trying to regain control over his raging hormones, as she took a seat next to Molly. 'Brush it off Spike. She's just toying with you,' he thought as he prepared to roll his ball towards the pins. 'Can't let her get to you.'
"Oh, too bad Spike," Buffy said sarcastically as his ball headed straight for the gutter. "Maybe on the next one."
Spike picked up his ball from the return, and lined up his next shot. He clenched his jaw and let it go. "Hah! Spare! That's right!" he yelled, doing a little dance to where Buffy was sitting. "I believe you're up in your own lane, sweetheart."
Buffy groaned and shuffled back to her own lane, Spike following closely behind. She took a deep breath and leaned over to pick up her ball, gasping when she felt his erection poking her behind. "Looks like someone took one of our balls," Spike said innocently, making his presence seem normal. He leaned in more closely, grasping for the ball, pressing into her more closely. He chuckled as he heard a small whimper escape Buffy's lips. He leaned into her hair, careful not to let anyone see, and whispered hotly. "Two can play at this game, luv." Laughing, he picked up the ball and held it in front of him, masking his predicament. He walked back to his seat, sitting with the ball in his lap, forcing his body to relax.
Buffy tried desperately not to let him get to her, but nevertheless, she only managed to knock down five pins. "That's alright, I'll pick it up in the tenth," she shrugged, grinning when she saw the scores light up the end of the alley. She was leading Spike by fifteen pins going into the final frame of the game. 'No way he's going to pick that up.'
"Hey, how's it going down here?" Willow asked, skipping towards Buffy.
"Shhh," Buffy said, hushing her friend. "I've got a 156. Spike's at 141. How'd you do?"
"Her all time high," Oz beamed. "167. I got a 169."
"Wow, nice job," Buffy said, impressed at the results. "What about Xander?"
"I think he had a 170 or something; so it's up to you guys. I know I'm going to lose," Willow pouted.
Buffy watched as Spike rolled a strike for the first ball. 'Shit,' she thought, as he smirked in her direction. 'Calm down Buffy, there's no way he can do that twice in a row.' Her face fell when he rolled a second strike.
"What do you think I should do?" Spike asked the counselors who had congregated in his lane. "I'm not sure I want to win this one," he said in Buffy's direction. "Sometimes losing can taste just as sweet," he added, drinking in the young woman's form.
"Are you kidding?" Xander asked in disbelief. "Have you seen the local ladies over there."
Spike shrugged and grinned towards the young man, before taking his place in the lane once more.
Buffy watched in fear as he sent the ball in for another strike. 'You can do this Buffy. All you need is sixteen. You can get that easy.'
Buffy grabbed her ball and the group watched as she knocked down eight pins. She picked up the spare in the second part of the tenth frame.
"According to my calculations," Cordy began, "that makes it Spike - 172, Buffy - 166. So, unless Buffy totally chokes, it looks like Willow may lose this one."
Willow shrugged, "That's ok, I think I can handle it."
"Without actually handling it, right?" Oz asked with a straight face.
Willow giggled and slapped her boyfriend playfully.
Spike walked over to where Buffy was standing with her ball. "Looks like I may be the one going down after all." He stepped away from her as she prepared to release her ball. "Unless, you've got your little heart set on it."
Buffy's eyes went wide as she sent the ball spiraling down the lane, directly into the gutter. "Ahhhh!" Buffy screamed. "Shhhguuufff," she quickly corrected herself, before swearing in front of the kids.
"Oh my god!" Willow squealed. "I didn't lose!!!"
Buffy's heart pounded in her chest as she walked back to her friends. "I don't know what happened," she said softly, avoiding Spike's eyes.
"I guess you choked," Spike commented, trying to hold his composure. Buffy shot him a dirty look and took a few steps closer towards him. "About our little side bet, you didn't really think . . ."
Spike raised an eyebrow at her, "You're not trying to be a sore loser are you, pet?"
"Come on," she protested, "we can't!"
"Oh, I think we can," he said, continuing to tease her.
"But what about our . . .arrangement," she whispered.
"So what's it gonna be Spike?" Xander asked.
"Huh?" Two blonde heads turned in Xander's direction.
"Which townie is going to be the Buffster's lucky victim?"
"Damn," Buffy muttered, stepping away from Spike. She had completely forgotten about the original wager. "Go easy on me," she pleaded.
Spike grabbed her arm. "Let's take a little tour," he said leading her around the bowling alley, the other counselors trailing closely behind. "That one," he decided, pointing towards a young man in the game room.
"No way," Buffy said, trying to flee the scene. Willow caught her and pushed her back to Spike. "But he has all that chest hair," she groaned, eyeing Spike's selection, and the patch sticking out from his button-down shirt. Buffy looked around at the expectant faces. "Fine," she whined. "How long do I have to keep up the charade?"
"Just a few minutes," Cordy said. "Longer if you don't quit your whining."
Buffy rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, heading into the game room. Before she could get too far, Spike pulled her back to him and whispered into her ear. "Remember, you're still my girl."
Buffy grinned up at him sweetly. "I'm not your girl." She winked at him and walked towards the young man who was now playing pinball. "Hi there," she said huskily, leaning onto the machine.
"Hi," the young man said, ignoring her.
Buffy turned to face her friends, who coaxed her to continue.
"I'm Buffy . . .what's your name?" she asked sweetly, tracing light circles on the glass.
The young man finally look up, taken aback by the beautiful girl standing in front of him. "I'm Warren, doll."
She lifted her hand and shook his gently. "Pleasure to meet you, Warren." When he placed a soft kiss to the back of her hand she had to hold herself back from yacking, and instead giggled.
"No, it's all mine, I'm sure," he eyed her body up and down, licking his lips.
Buffy shivered and took a step away from him, twirling a piece of hair between her fingers. "So what brings you to Bowl-A-Rama, Warren?"
"My friend Andrew likes the games," he tilted his head to indicate a young man playing Dragon Ball-Z. "But, lucky for me, you're here to make it more interesting." He took a few steps closer and placed his hands on Buffy's hips.
She squirmed out of his grasp. "Uh, uh, uh," she said, waving one finger at him. "No touching just yet."
"The buses are here!" she heard a booming voice yell from the alleys. 'Thank god! Get me out of here!'
"I guess that's me," Buffy sighed, feigning disappointment.
"You with those theater kids?" Warren asked. When she nodded, he leaned in closer. "Maybe you could give me a private show some time?"
Buffy giggled again, "We'll see." 'In your dreams sleeze-bag.'
"When will I see you again?" he asked, his eyes burning holes through her.
"I'll be around," she winked, and ran a finger down his chest, before turning on her heels to return to her friends.
"That was masterful!" Xander said, patting Buffy on the back as they walked from the bowling alley.
"Gross, I so need to take a long hot shower," Buffy groaned, trying to forget the creepiness that was Warren.
"From where I was standing, you seemed to be enjoying yourself," Spike said with a twinge of jealousy.
Buffy turned to the man and shook her head. "The only thing you should be jealous of is the loofah, which in about 15 minutes will be scrubbing away that guy's germs from my dripping body."
"Why use a loofah, when you've got me?" he asked, really wanting to lend a hand. After all, he was the cause of her feeling dirty. It was the least he could do.
Buffy leaned in closer and smacked his cheek softly. "Not. Likely." At her sharp words, she climbed onto her bus, leaving Spike smirking behind her.
"She hates losing; but she'll get over it . . .someday." Willow giggled and pulled Spike to their bus.
Read and review (I'm going through withdrawal)
Enjoy!
37. Strike!
DAY 18
"Hey Mom," Buffy said, taking a seat next to Joyce at the staff table.
The woman pushed aside her yellow notepad and examined her daughter. "You look happy this morning. I take it you had a good night."
Buffy blushed and shrugged. "It was ok."
"Ok?!" Joyce exclaimed in disbelief. "It better have been more than ok, for me to take on a bunch of teenagers like I had to yesterday."
Buffy's smile widened. "It was great, I caught a movie and just hung out for awhile. Thank you," she said, taking her mom's hand, "I really needed the time off."
Joyce patted her daughter's hand and took a sip of her coffee. "I know, and you deserved it. Plus, having a handsome gentleman defending your case didn't hurt either." She gave Buffy a knowing look before returning to her notepad.
Buffy blushed again and turned towards where Spike was sitting. When she caught his eye, she smiled at him shyly, unsure if her 'true confessions' the night before had made him uncomfortable. To her delight, he nodded at her and gave her a wide grin. He pointed towards Dawn, who was perched atop Conner's lap, then rolled his eyes at Buffy. She mimicked his actions, and giggled, before turning back to her mom. "I'm just lucky, I guess."
Joyce smiled to herself and took another sip of the coffee. She liked Spike, but didn't want to push the pairing too hard, knowing that Buffy would be more likely to doubt the relationship if she showed her support.
"Mom," Buffy started, unsure of how to approach the topic, "when you were my age, and grandma ran the camp . . .did you ever . . ." she paused, trying to choose her words. "I mean, were you ever involved . . .was there ever . . ."
Joyce sighed and turned towards her daughter. "Yes."
"How did you know what . . ." Buffy began, confused at her mother's quick response to a question that hadn't even been asked yet.
"Buffy, I know how hard it is to be in your position. I've been there. But try not to let it consume you, ok? This is supposed to be fun."
Buffy gulped and nodded. "So . . .I should just . . ."
"Go back to your table, eat with your kids, and flash your pretty smile at a man who's obviously smitten with you." Joyce nudged Buffy, pushing her slightly from the chair.
"Ok," Buffy pouted and rose from her chair, before speaking again. "So . . .how many times were you in my position exactly? I always thought that dad was the first . . ."
Before Buffy could finish, Joyce choked on her coffee, causing her to spit it back in the mug. "Go!" she said, pointing towards her table.
--------------------------
"Ugggh," Cordy groaned as she eyed the new events calendar. "I HATE Bowl-A- Rama."
"I'm sorry sweetie. I know Prada doesn't make bowling shoes," Xander said, patting his girlfriend's shoulder in a sign of mock support.
Cordelia pulled away from his touch. "It's not that Xander. I just . . .suck!!"
"That you do," the young man said, poking his girlfriend in the sides playfully.
"Eww!" Cordy squealed, trying to avoid his attack. "You are soooo gross!" she giggled, smacking his hands away.
"That's not what you said last night when you were . . ."
Cordy blushed and slapped a hand over his mouth, making sure none of the campers had heard what he said. "If you ever what to know the love of this woman again," she muttered through gritted teeth, "I would suggest keeping your voice down."
Xander's eyes went wide and he nodded slowly, before sticking out his tongue to quickly lick her hand.
"Yuck," she groaned, removing her hand from his mouth, wiping his saliva on his shirt. "Why do I torture myself?" she asked the blue sky above her, placing her hands on her hips. She sighed and looked back to her boyfriend. "So what's the plan for tonight?"
"Well, we could try the pads. They make it a little easier, and it's kind of fun watching the balls bounce all over the place."
"What?! Is this some sort of kinky sex thing, cuz handcuffs and silk scarves are one thing, but I am NOT . . ." Cordy huffed, unsure of where he was going with this.
"No," Xander said rolling his eyes. "The bowling alley has these blue bumpers you can put in the gutter so you knock pins down every time. Usually they only let little kids use them, but since you're so cute, they may make an exception."
Cordy shrugged, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Ok, we can try that."
"Good," Xander began, before her words finally sunk in, "Handcuffs?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not another word Harris," she pointed a finger at him, then stalked back to her cabin to prepare for her afternoon classes.
--------------------------------
Bowl-A-Rama
Buffy counted her girls as they got off the bus. She knew a bunch of them didn't want to bowl, and was afraid they might try to stay on the bus and make-out with their boyfriends. After the last one was accounted for she made her way to the entrance. Cordy, Xander, Oz, Willow and Spike - who unfortunately was on a different bus this trip - were all waiting for her at the front door.
"I don't know about this," Willow said as Buffy approached the group.
"Don't know about what?" Buffy asked, taking her spot in the circle.
"Well Buffster, we were thinking of putting a little wager on the game. You know, make it a little more interesting," Xander responded, rubbing his hands together.
"And what is this wager of which you speak? It's not like money is an option, considering we all make squat," Buffy reminded him.
"Oh no it's much better than that, luv." Spike said, flashing Buffy an innocent smile.
"Is that right?" Buffy asked skeptically. "If you think it's good, then it must be REALLY bad."
Spike shrugged and quirked an eyebrow at the petite blonde. "Well, I have to admit, it's not quite the prize I'd like to play for-" Buffy blushed in response to his seductive leer, to which he could only chuckle, "-but it should be entertaining, none the less."
Buffy turned away from his captivating glance and faced Willow. "So what is it exactly?"
"Basically, the person with the highest score gets to pick out a townie for the loser to hit on," the redhead explained.
"No way. I'm so not doing that." Buffy raised her hands and shook her head rapidly, not wanting to get involved in the sick game.
"Afraid you're going to lose, pet?" Spike asked, knowing that Buffy wouldn't back away from a challenge.
"Not likely, bleach-boy. I'll have you know that I can kick a little bowling-ass. I've only been coming here since I was seven." She punched him lightly on the arm and opened the door for them to enter.
Spike rubbed his shoulder tenderly and walked partially through the door. "Fine . . .I still think you're scared of a little competition."
"Do they even have bowling in the mother country?" Buffy asked, releasing her hold on the door, allowing it to smack into his ass.
"Hey!" Spike yelped, following Buffy into the bowling alley. "We do have bowling in England-" he paused to watch a teenager run by with his newly selected bowling ball. "-Except the balls are a little smaller."
Buffy turned around to face Spike once more, and looked him up and down, allowing her gaze to linger over his pelvis longer than usual. She patted him lightly on the cheek, gazing deeply into his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" Spike's mouth dropped open as he watched her saunter off, hips swaying. Before he could catch up and offer a quippy retort, two hands grabbed his own and pulled on his arms excitedly.
"Spike, come play with us!" Rona shrieked excitedly, dragging him towards their lane.
"Let's show these Yanks how the game is played!" Molly giggled, as she pushed him down into a seat.
"Girls, I still need my shoes," he protested, attempting to stand up again.
"I'll get them!" Vi shrieked, waving her hand. She lifted his foot and examined his boot. "You're a 10, right?"
"How did you know?" Spike asked, shocked at her lucky guess.
"Instinct," Vi said with a shrug, before running over to the counter.
Spike felt someone tap him on the shoulder and turned to face the person behind him. "Decide to play against people more your own speed?" Buffy asked, batting her eyelashes.
"Oh it's on, pet. I don't care about everyone else. . .you're going down, Goldilocks."
She leaned in closer and whispered into his ear huskily. "You beat me, and that could be arranged."
Spike stammered, and watched as Buffy grabbed her bowling ball and bowl a perfect strike in the next lane. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath.
-------------------------
In the ninth frame the scores were tight - except for Cordy who had them all beat, due to her game of 'bumper bowling.' Because of the unfair advantage, the rest of the counselors had decided to disqualify her from the bet. As it stood, Xander and Buffy were tied for the lead, with Oz, Willow and Spike trailing closely behind.
"You're up Spike!" Rona yelled, pointing towards the ball return.
He rose to his feet and went to retrieve his ball.
Buffy took the opportunity to throw him slightly off his game. There was no way she was going to let him beat her. "Hey, Molly, I need to ask you something," she said walking towards Spike. "Oh, excuse me, Spike." She squeezed between him and the scoring table, holding still to allow her breasts to rub against his back.
Spike inhaled sharply as he felt her squirm behind him, rubbing her crotch into his backside. "That's alright," he said, trying to regain control over his raging hormones, as she took a seat next to Molly. 'Brush it off Spike. She's just toying with you,' he thought as he prepared to roll his ball towards the pins. 'Can't let her get to you.'
"Oh, too bad Spike," Buffy said sarcastically as his ball headed straight for the gutter. "Maybe on the next one."
Spike picked up his ball from the return, and lined up his next shot. He clenched his jaw and let it go. "Hah! Spare! That's right!" he yelled, doing a little dance to where Buffy was sitting. "I believe you're up in your own lane, sweetheart."
Buffy groaned and shuffled back to her own lane, Spike following closely behind. She took a deep breath and leaned over to pick up her ball, gasping when she felt his erection poking her behind. "Looks like someone took one of our balls," Spike said innocently, making his presence seem normal. He leaned in more closely, grasping for the ball, pressing into her more closely. He chuckled as he heard a small whimper escape Buffy's lips. He leaned into her hair, careful not to let anyone see, and whispered hotly. "Two can play at this game, luv." Laughing, he picked up the ball and held it in front of him, masking his predicament. He walked back to his seat, sitting with the ball in his lap, forcing his body to relax.
Buffy tried desperately not to let him get to her, but nevertheless, she only managed to knock down five pins. "That's alright, I'll pick it up in the tenth," she shrugged, grinning when she saw the scores light up the end of the alley. She was leading Spike by fifteen pins going into the final frame of the game. 'No way he's going to pick that up.'
"Hey, how's it going down here?" Willow asked, skipping towards Buffy.
"Shhh," Buffy said, hushing her friend. "I've got a 156. Spike's at 141. How'd you do?"
"Her all time high," Oz beamed. "167. I got a 169."
"Wow, nice job," Buffy said, impressed at the results. "What about Xander?"
"I think he had a 170 or something; so it's up to you guys. I know I'm going to lose," Willow pouted.
Buffy watched as Spike rolled a strike for the first ball. 'Shit,' she thought, as he smirked in her direction. 'Calm down Buffy, there's no way he can do that twice in a row.' Her face fell when he rolled a second strike.
"What do you think I should do?" Spike asked the counselors who had congregated in his lane. "I'm not sure I want to win this one," he said in Buffy's direction. "Sometimes losing can taste just as sweet," he added, drinking in the young woman's form.
"Are you kidding?" Xander asked in disbelief. "Have you seen the local ladies over there."
Spike shrugged and grinned towards the young man, before taking his place in the lane once more.
Buffy watched in fear as he sent the ball in for another strike. 'You can do this Buffy. All you need is sixteen. You can get that easy.'
Buffy grabbed her ball and the group watched as she knocked down eight pins. She picked up the spare in the second part of the tenth frame.
"According to my calculations," Cordy began, "that makes it Spike - 172, Buffy - 166. So, unless Buffy totally chokes, it looks like Willow may lose this one."
Willow shrugged, "That's ok, I think I can handle it."
"Without actually handling it, right?" Oz asked with a straight face.
Willow giggled and slapped her boyfriend playfully.
Spike walked over to where Buffy was standing with her ball. "Looks like I may be the one going down after all." He stepped away from her as she prepared to release her ball. "Unless, you've got your little heart set on it."
Buffy's eyes went wide as she sent the ball spiraling down the lane, directly into the gutter. "Ahhhh!" Buffy screamed. "Shhhguuufff," she quickly corrected herself, before swearing in front of the kids.
"Oh my god!" Willow squealed. "I didn't lose!!!"
Buffy's heart pounded in her chest as she walked back to her friends. "I don't know what happened," she said softly, avoiding Spike's eyes.
"I guess you choked," Spike commented, trying to hold his composure. Buffy shot him a dirty look and took a few steps closer towards him. "About our little side bet, you didn't really think . . ."
Spike raised an eyebrow at her, "You're not trying to be a sore loser are you, pet?"
"Come on," she protested, "we can't!"
"Oh, I think we can," he said, continuing to tease her.
"But what about our . . .arrangement," she whispered.
"So what's it gonna be Spike?" Xander asked.
"Huh?" Two blonde heads turned in Xander's direction.
"Which townie is going to be the Buffster's lucky victim?"
"Damn," Buffy muttered, stepping away from Spike. She had completely forgotten about the original wager. "Go easy on me," she pleaded.
Spike grabbed her arm. "Let's take a little tour," he said leading her around the bowling alley, the other counselors trailing closely behind. "That one," he decided, pointing towards a young man in the game room.
"No way," Buffy said, trying to flee the scene. Willow caught her and pushed her back to Spike. "But he has all that chest hair," she groaned, eyeing Spike's selection, and the patch sticking out from his button-down shirt. Buffy looked around at the expectant faces. "Fine," she whined. "How long do I have to keep up the charade?"
"Just a few minutes," Cordy said. "Longer if you don't quit your whining."
Buffy rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, heading into the game room. Before she could get too far, Spike pulled her back to him and whispered into her ear. "Remember, you're still my girl."
Buffy grinned up at him sweetly. "I'm not your girl." She winked at him and walked towards the young man who was now playing pinball. "Hi there," she said huskily, leaning onto the machine.
"Hi," the young man said, ignoring her.
Buffy turned to face her friends, who coaxed her to continue.
"I'm Buffy . . .what's your name?" she asked sweetly, tracing light circles on the glass.
The young man finally look up, taken aback by the beautiful girl standing in front of him. "I'm Warren, doll."
She lifted her hand and shook his gently. "Pleasure to meet you, Warren." When he placed a soft kiss to the back of her hand she had to hold herself back from yacking, and instead giggled.
"No, it's all mine, I'm sure," he eyed her body up and down, licking his lips.
Buffy shivered and took a step away from him, twirling a piece of hair between her fingers. "So what brings you to Bowl-A-Rama, Warren?"
"My friend Andrew likes the games," he tilted his head to indicate a young man playing Dragon Ball-Z. "But, lucky for me, you're here to make it more interesting." He took a few steps closer and placed his hands on Buffy's hips.
She squirmed out of his grasp. "Uh, uh, uh," she said, waving one finger at him. "No touching just yet."
"The buses are here!" she heard a booming voice yell from the alleys. 'Thank god! Get me out of here!'
"I guess that's me," Buffy sighed, feigning disappointment.
"You with those theater kids?" Warren asked. When she nodded, he leaned in closer. "Maybe you could give me a private show some time?"
Buffy giggled again, "We'll see." 'In your dreams sleeze-bag.'
"When will I see you again?" he asked, his eyes burning holes through her.
"I'll be around," she winked, and ran a finger down his chest, before turning on her heels to return to her friends.
"That was masterful!" Xander said, patting Buffy on the back as they walked from the bowling alley.
"Gross, I so need to take a long hot shower," Buffy groaned, trying to forget the creepiness that was Warren.
"From where I was standing, you seemed to be enjoying yourself," Spike said with a twinge of jealousy.
Buffy turned to the man and shook her head. "The only thing you should be jealous of is the loofah, which in about 15 minutes will be scrubbing away that guy's germs from my dripping body."
"Why use a loofah, when you've got me?" he asked, really wanting to lend a hand. After all, he was the cause of her feeling dirty. It was the least he could do.
Buffy leaned in closer and smacked his cheek softly. "Not. Likely." At her sharp words, she climbed onto her bus, leaving Spike smirking behind her.
"She hates losing; but she'll get over it . . .someday." Willow giggled and pulled Spike to their bus.