Chapter 12--Dizzy With The Dame


The sun was coming up and I couldn't think anymore about Willow. It was all just too damned much to deal with, but I still had another problem to deal with. I slowed the car close to the Sunset Arms and turned off the engine.
Look, Spike, uh... I need to get lost for a while. In case, you know, of Giles and Willow. Can you get rid of the car for me? Hide it somewhere until tonight?

He looked at me shrewdly and gave me a genuine smile, Yeah, sure. I need to get the boys and talk over some strategy and so forth. Maybe talk to the Slayer or something. He didn't say anything, but I could tell he was pleased that I trusted him with my heap.

Uh, so okay. We can meet at your place tomorrow after sundown.

Watch your step, Harris. He nodded farewell and slid over into the driver's seat. I watched from the shadows as the red taillights disappeared down Sunset Boulevard, then started walking toward the Sunset Arms. I must be out of my mind. Putting my life on the line for some fool mission to save a demon loving female. Walking into a bigger mess than I've ever seen. And to top it off, I was getting ready to pull a spectacularly stupid move very shortly.

I was almost to the front doors of Anyanka's apartment building, when I spotted two more of Giles' thugs. Vampires. He wasn't taking any chances with her this time. They were nearly hidden in the shadowy recesses of the door, but big beefy muscle like that is hard to conceal. I eased myself around back through the alley and scoped it out. No lookouts. I crept up the fire escape quietly and moved to her darkened window and lifted the latch. Maybe I should give up the detective biz and be a cat burglar.

Anyanka was expecting me. She lounged on her sofa , her long hair spread in a dark halo along the pillows like some Persian queen. A single blue light burned and soft jazzy piano music played somewhere in the fragrant chamber.

Back again, Mr. Harris? she whispered languidly, Didn't your mother teach you any manners? Her eyes glittered with green fire.

Did you know that Giles is having you watched again? I countered. This situation has gotten real complicated. Do you want to hear about it?

She nodded noncommittally and shoved a long brown cigarette into the lacquered holder. Come here and sit down, Xander. You're giving me a headache looming over me like that. When I obeyed, she whispered, I don't want to know anything about it right this minute. Her voice was smooth, a golden purr, hypnotic.....Whatever it is, I'll help you with it. Right now, I need something else. Her long red nails slid inside the front of my shirt and I found I'd forgotten what I came here for.
She slithered closer to me, the black silk robe robe falling open enticingly. Her sweet lips were glued to mine and her curves were soft and as warm as the morning breeze. What could I do? I'm just a man, and she was too beautiful to resist.



I woke up sometime after three, Sunday afternoon. She was gone and I was alone in her canopied bed. I figured I'd better lay low and keep out of everybody's gun sights. I thought about Angelus again. Definitely staying low today would be a very good thing. I guessed I could loll about here for a couple of hours until sunset.
Anyanka left me a note telling me she'd gotten rid of Giles' boys, but no word on when she'd return. It looked like a shopping list. Just a lot of stuff about a sweet honey-dripper and grinding coffee. Also an odd mention of squeezing lemons and rolling out biscuits. I guessed she wanted me to have dinner ready when she got home, but I'm not much of a cook. Maybe I'd order something out for her.
I did find some coffee and had a couple of cups before I showered and dressed in yesterday's clothes. I needed a shave and a change of underwear. I called a cab to meet me at the coffee shop around the corner and went home. Carefully. I'd managed to find a clean shirt and pair of slacks that didn't look like I'd slept in them, when the phone rang. The answering machine picked up and I listened. The voice on the machine was Mr. Giles.
Mr. Harris. You are a very foolish man. Consider yourself terminated. Great. Unemployed and under a death sentence. Add that to my growing list of how Xander Harris lost his mind items.
I grabbed a couple of spare clips for my revolver and a gold cross my dearly departed (for Florida) mother had given me. Ready as I was ever going to be, I guessed.
I left the front door unlocked. What was the point, really? I caught an uptown cab and pointed it to the Shady Rest. I saw the fins on my sweet ride peeking out from behind a tile-roofed crypt. This must be the place, I said softly.

tbc
AN: The Xan-Man needs to bone up on his blues lingo. Anyanka wanted something all right, just not dinner.