CHAPTER 8 - VALENTINE'S DAY - DINNER
Buffy had fallen asleep for the next 45 minutes. Finally she stirred, as Spike reached across her, pulling the dark black sun-blocking plastic off of the window. Buffy opened her eyes to a forest on either side of the highway.
"Wow!" she said, "when did this happen?"
"Oh, about 20 minutes ago," Spike answered, pulling the plastic off of the front and driver's windows.
"Wish you'd woke me," Buffy said, wistfully.
"Needed your sleep. Still plenty to see, lots of trees," Spike said, looking at the sign that let him know they were almost to the exit.
"We'll be getting off at Santa Ysabel in about 5 minutes."
"Okay," Buffy answered, then reached across the seat, putting her hand on top of his, "thank you for this."
"No need, pet," Spike said, "know you needed a break, weren't' your own super slayer self..."
"Shut up, Spike," Buffy said, softly, squeezing his hand a little.
They came to the exit for Santa Ysabel and turned left, heading towards Julian.
"Where do you, where is your...house, place?" Buffy asked, realizing how strange, how unbelievable it sounded coming off of her tongue.
"A couple miles before downtown Julian," Spike answered. "You hungry, Slayer?"
"Yeah, I am, I really am. I don't think I've eaten since..." she trailed off, embarrassed.
"Oh," Spike said, remembering the goddamned principal feeding her 'pears soaked in brandy, with sauce.' Well, la-de-da, he fumed, 'best thing she ever had in her mouth,' hmmmpf, he fumed.
"I'm sorry," Buffy said, again, touching his hand.
He shook off her hand, "No need, pet. No big deal," Spike said, vowing to keep his emotions in check.
Spike didn't fool her; he'd hurried upstairs as soon as he'd heard she had a date, to what? To run into her and tell her it was ok, that he didn't dream of a 'crypt for two with a white picket fence,' she smiled at the vision. Stupid date. Stupid Buffy.
"Hey, how about that food?" Buffy asked, changing the subject. Well, sort of.
"We'll go into Julian, there's a little restaurant right when we get to town, nice digs; food and antiques, combined; unique!"
"Antique food?"
"Noooo, new food, with...oh, you'll see, pet," Spike said. He wondered how many times the girl had actually been out to nice restaurants. Not as many as she should have, at her age, he guessed. Only place she wound up at was the Bronze. Though, they did have Bloomin' Onions, he mused.
About 10 minutes later Spike pulled the car up to a two story white house on a corner. The old fashioned looking sign said The Rittenhouse, Restaurant & Antiques, Est. 1932.
"Lot of cars," Buffy remarked.
"Popular place," Spike said, turning off the window and going around to open the door for Buffy.
"How do I look?" Buffy asked, "mess, huh?"
"You look fine, luv, always do," Spike said, giving her his hand as he helped her out of the car.
"Only you would think so, Spike," she said, shaking her head at him, blinded by her Buffy-ness, as usual.
"Yeah, well...you always do, to me, pet," Spike said, with conviction, as they walked up the sidewalk to the front door.
Spike opened the door for her and they walked in. The maitre'd's podium was directly in front of them. Beyond it they could see into the dining area, completely filled with very nicely dressed diners; seemingly, all couples. Alongside the inside walls near the door were padded benches; completely filled with people.
A nice looking middle age man walked up to the maitre'd's station and asked Spike, "May I have your name and time of your reservation?"
"Uh, reservation?" Spike stammered.
"Of course, sir," said the maitre'd looking at Spike rather askance, "it's Valentine's Day! We're only seating those with reservations."
"Bloody Hell!" Spike said rather loudly, causing those sitting on the benches to look at him and Buffy.
"It's okay, we can go somewhere else," Buffy said, pulling at his arm.
"I'm afraid you'll have the same problem at all the other restaurants, sir. They've all been booked up for weeks," said the maitre'd.
Buffy watched in surprise, as all of a sudden, an older woman came from a door on the opposite side of the dining room, "Master Worthington, is that you?" she said, with an Irish brogue, coming up and giving Spike a hug.
Spike took a moment to gather his wits about him before he said, "Edna, how lovely to see you again," he said hugging her back, "I told you to call me William," he said, smiling at the older woman, who was positively beaming at Spike.
She giggled, "Okay, William it is. And who is your lovely friend?" she asked.
"This is," he started, looking over at Buffy, "Elizabeth," he said.
Buffy smiled at Edna and extended her hand, "Nice to meet you, how do you know Sp, William?" she asked.
"Oh, William here has helped me lots over the years. He's a godsend; taken over right where his father and grandfather left off. His grandfather helped me save this old place, paid for a new roof, even paid off the deed to my house when it was going into bankruptcy," said Edna, beaming still.
"I'm sorry, where are my manners? Did you come for dinner? Of course you did, hold on," she said, going over to the maitre'd and looking over the guest book.
"Oh dear, oh dear," she said, returning to Buffy and Spike, "if it was any other night of the year, I would have the mairte'd give you the best table there is! But as it is, I have absolutely no tables available until after 11:00PM and that's way too late to eat for a young couple, such as yourselves. What I can do, if you don't mind, is to feed you right in the kitchen area. There's a little room off of the pantry and I'll set that up for you, how would you like that?" Edna asked, hopefully.
Spike looked at Buffy, questioningly. Buffy nodded.
"That would be fine, Edna," Spike said, as they started to follow Edna, to the glares of the other diners-in-waiting.
"It's more than generous, we just drove up from L.A., spur of the moment trip, so it's not your fault you didn't have an opening," Spike said.
Once in the kitchen, Edna bade them to wait, while she set up a table in the little room off of the pantry.
Buffy looked at the candy-apple green walls, with all the old kitchen pots and pans hung up decoratively. The cooking utensils, pots, and pans they used now seemed much more modern, but she could see that probably some of those hanging had been used at one time.
Edna motioned for Buffy and Spike to follow her, so they left the kitchen and went into the little room she had set up. There was a small table with two old fashioned high back wooden chairs, with cushioned red velvet seats. The table was set with a white linen table cloth and napkins, crystal long stem glasses for wine, shorter ones for water, real silver utensils, and two candles and candle holders of crystal, with two, lit, red candles.
She handed them two menus, "I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order, young William. Is there anything I can bring you to drink, first?" she asked them.
Spike looked at Buffy, "Bu, Elizabeth, would you like some wine or champagne?" he asked.
"Okay," she answered, almost too overwhelmed by everything to speak.
"Champagne, then," Spike ordered for them.
"Very good, Master Worthington, I mean William," said Edna with a giggle.
She left then and Buffy turned to Spike, "How? What? How do you know Edna?"
"Wait, I'll tell you over dinner," he said, handing Buffy a menu.
Buffy took it from him, just shaking her head. The man was full of surprises; that was for sure!
Edna came back with the champagne and poured a little bit in a glass for 'William's' approval.
Spike swirled and sniffed, and gave Edna a smile and nod. She returned the smile and poured the glasses for him and Buffy.
"Elizabeth, do your people come from across the pond, too?" Edna asked her.
"Huh?" Buffy said, trying to think what she meant, then realizing it, England, Ireland, UK, "oh, maybe some of them, on my mom's side," she answered.
"Thought so, with a name like Elizabeth," she said, smiling at Buffy.
Then turning to Spike, she said, "Young William, you so remind me of your father! Your grandfather too, that is, what I can remember of him."
"So I've been told, Edna, so I've been told," he replied, looking up over his champagne glass at Buffy, whose mouth was open.
"Our young William has taken over where his father left off, helping me when I've needed it, looking after things. Why his grandfather even paid for my Lawrence to go to school out East."
Edna finally said, "Oh, look at me going on, when two people are starvin' for dinner. Now, what can I get you? And don't be cheap, it's on me!"
"No, I can't let you do that, Edna, I'll pay," Spike said.
"You can and you will young William, or I'll be terribly insulted," insisted Edna.
Spike sighed, "Okay, Edna, you win. Elizabeth, what would you like?" he asked.
Buffy had been so taken up in moment; she'd not even looked at the menu. She hurriedly took a look, finally giving Edna her order.
"I'll have the Shrimp and Scallop Fettuccini," she said.
"Very good, and you, Master Worthington?" she asked.
"I'll take the Prime Rib, rare; very rare," Spike ordered.
"Ahhh, just like your father; always liked his meat rare, too!" Edna said, getting the rest of their side orders.
"If there's nothing else, then I'll leave you two alone," she said, with a wink and walked out the door, stopping to use the light dimmer.
Buffy looked at Spike, mouth open. She closed it, then said, "Who are you, William? adding, "William Worthington?"
"Maybe you need to drink some of this champagne first," Spike suggested, smiling.
Buffy had fallen asleep for the next 45 minutes. Finally she stirred, as Spike reached across her, pulling the dark black sun-blocking plastic off of the window. Buffy opened her eyes to a forest on either side of the highway.
"Wow!" she said, "when did this happen?"
"Oh, about 20 minutes ago," Spike answered, pulling the plastic off of the front and driver's windows.
"Wish you'd woke me," Buffy said, wistfully.
"Needed your sleep. Still plenty to see, lots of trees," Spike said, looking at the sign that let him know they were almost to the exit.
"We'll be getting off at Santa Ysabel in about 5 minutes."
"Okay," Buffy answered, then reached across the seat, putting her hand on top of his, "thank you for this."
"No need, pet," Spike said, "know you needed a break, weren't' your own super slayer self..."
"Shut up, Spike," Buffy said, softly, squeezing his hand a little.
They came to the exit for Santa Ysabel and turned left, heading towards Julian.
"Where do you, where is your...house, place?" Buffy asked, realizing how strange, how unbelievable it sounded coming off of her tongue.
"A couple miles before downtown Julian," Spike answered. "You hungry, Slayer?"
"Yeah, I am, I really am. I don't think I've eaten since..." she trailed off, embarrassed.
"Oh," Spike said, remembering the goddamned principal feeding her 'pears soaked in brandy, with sauce.' Well, la-de-da, he fumed, 'best thing she ever had in her mouth,' hmmmpf, he fumed.
"I'm sorry," Buffy said, again, touching his hand.
He shook off her hand, "No need, pet. No big deal," Spike said, vowing to keep his emotions in check.
Spike didn't fool her; he'd hurried upstairs as soon as he'd heard she had a date, to what? To run into her and tell her it was ok, that he didn't dream of a 'crypt for two with a white picket fence,' she smiled at the vision. Stupid date. Stupid Buffy.
"Hey, how about that food?" Buffy asked, changing the subject. Well, sort of.
"We'll go into Julian, there's a little restaurant right when we get to town, nice digs; food and antiques, combined; unique!"
"Antique food?"
"Noooo, new food, with...oh, you'll see, pet," Spike said. He wondered how many times the girl had actually been out to nice restaurants. Not as many as she should have, at her age, he guessed. Only place she wound up at was the Bronze. Though, they did have Bloomin' Onions, he mused.
About 10 minutes later Spike pulled the car up to a two story white house on a corner. The old fashioned looking sign said The Rittenhouse, Restaurant & Antiques, Est. 1932.
"Lot of cars," Buffy remarked.
"Popular place," Spike said, turning off the window and going around to open the door for Buffy.
"How do I look?" Buffy asked, "mess, huh?"
"You look fine, luv, always do," Spike said, giving her his hand as he helped her out of the car.
"Only you would think so, Spike," she said, shaking her head at him, blinded by her Buffy-ness, as usual.
"Yeah, well...you always do, to me, pet," Spike said, with conviction, as they walked up the sidewalk to the front door.
Spike opened the door for her and they walked in. The maitre'd's podium was directly in front of them. Beyond it they could see into the dining area, completely filled with very nicely dressed diners; seemingly, all couples. Alongside the inside walls near the door were padded benches; completely filled with people.
A nice looking middle age man walked up to the maitre'd's station and asked Spike, "May I have your name and time of your reservation?"
"Uh, reservation?" Spike stammered.
"Of course, sir," said the maitre'd looking at Spike rather askance, "it's Valentine's Day! We're only seating those with reservations."
"Bloody Hell!" Spike said rather loudly, causing those sitting on the benches to look at him and Buffy.
"It's okay, we can go somewhere else," Buffy said, pulling at his arm.
"I'm afraid you'll have the same problem at all the other restaurants, sir. They've all been booked up for weeks," said the maitre'd.
Buffy watched in surprise, as all of a sudden, an older woman came from a door on the opposite side of the dining room, "Master Worthington, is that you?" she said, with an Irish brogue, coming up and giving Spike a hug.
Spike took a moment to gather his wits about him before he said, "Edna, how lovely to see you again," he said hugging her back, "I told you to call me William," he said, smiling at the older woman, who was positively beaming at Spike.
She giggled, "Okay, William it is. And who is your lovely friend?" she asked.
"This is," he started, looking over at Buffy, "Elizabeth," he said.
Buffy smiled at Edna and extended her hand, "Nice to meet you, how do you know Sp, William?" she asked.
"Oh, William here has helped me lots over the years. He's a godsend; taken over right where his father and grandfather left off. His grandfather helped me save this old place, paid for a new roof, even paid off the deed to my house when it was going into bankruptcy," said Edna, beaming still.
"I'm sorry, where are my manners? Did you come for dinner? Of course you did, hold on," she said, going over to the maitre'd and looking over the guest book.
"Oh dear, oh dear," she said, returning to Buffy and Spike, "if it was any other night of the year, I would have the mairte'd give you the best table there is! But as it is, I have absolutely no tables available until after 11:00PM and that's way too late to eat for a young couple, such as yourselves. What I can do, if you don't mind, is to feed you right in the kitchen area. There's a little room off of the pantry and I'll set that up for you, how would you like that?" Edna asked, hopefully.
Spike looked at Buffy, questioningly. Buffy nodded.
"That would be fine, Edna," Spike said, as they started to follow Edna, to the glares of the other diners-in-waiting.
"It's more than generous, we just drove up from L.A., spur of the moment trip, so it's not your fault you didn't have an opening," Spike said.
Once in the kitchen, Edna bade them to wait, while she set up a table in the little room off of the pantry.
Buffy looked at the candy-apple green walls, with all the old kitchen pots and pans hung up decoratively. The cooking utensils, pots, and pans they used now seemed much more modern, but she could see that probably some of those hanging had been used at one time.
Edna motioned for Buffy and Spike to follow her, so they left the kitchen and went into the little room she had set up. There was a small table with two old fashioned high back wooden chairs, with cushioned red velvet seats. The table was set with a white linen table cloth and napkins, crystal long stem glasses for wine, shorter ones for water, real silver utensils, and two candles and candle holders of crystal, with two, lit, red candles.
She handed them two menus, "I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order, young William. Is there anything I can bring you to drink, first?" she asked them.
Spike looked at Buffy, "Bu, Elizabeth, would you like some wine or champagne?" he asked.
"Okay," she answered, almost too overwhelmed by everything to speak.
"Champagne, then," Spike ordered for them.
"Very good, Master Worthington, I mean William," said Edna with a giggle.
She left then and Buffy turned to Spike, "How? What? How do you know Edna?"
"Wait, I'll tell you over dinner," he said, handing Buffy a menu.
Buffy took it from him, just shaking her head. The man was full of surprises; that was for sure!
Edna came back with the champagne and poured a little bit in a glass for 'William's' approval.
Spike swirled and sniffed, and gave Edna a smile and nod. She returned the smile and poured the glasses for him and Buffy.
"Elizabeth, do your people come from across the pond, too?" Edna asked her.
"Huh?" Buffy said, trying to think what she meant, then realizing it, England, Ireland, UK, "oh, maybe some of them, on my mom's side," she answered.
"Thought so, with a name like Elizabeth," she said, smiling at Buffy.
Then turning to Spike, she said, "Young William, you so remind me of your father! Your grandfather too, that is, what I can remember of him."
"So I've been told, Edna, so I've been told," he replied, looking up over his champagne glass at Buffy, whose mouth was open.
"Our young William has taken over where his father left off, helping me when I've needed it, looking after things. Why his grandfather even paid for my Lawrence to go to school out East."
Edna finally said, "Oh, look at me going on, when two people are starvin' for dinner. Now, what can I get you? And don't be cheap, it's on me!"
"No, I can't let you do that, Edna, I'll pay," Spike said.
"You can and you will young William, or I'll be terribly insulted," insisted Edna.
Spike sighed, "Okay, Edna, you win. Elizabeth, what would you like?" he asked.
Buffy had been so taken up in moment; she'd not even looked at the menu. She hurriedly took a look, finally giving Edna her order.
"I'll have the Shrimp and Scallop Fettuccini," she said.
"Very good, and you, Master Worthington?" she asked.
"I'll take the Prime Rib, rare; very rare," Spike ordered.
"Ahhh, just like your father; always liked his meat rare, too!" Edna said, getting the rest of their side orders.
"If there's nothing else, then I'll leave you two alone," she said, with a wink and walked out the door, stopping to use the light dimmer.
Buffy looked at Spike, mouth open. She closed it, then said, "Who are you, William? adding, "William Worthington?"
"Maybe you need to drink some of this champagne first," Spike suggested, smiling.