Chapter 12
Buffy pulled her hair into an elegant French twist with a few strands dangling to frame the right-hand side of her face. The flowing, deep red gown she wore accented her slender waist and stopped just high enough to show off her red, high-heeled sandals. A thin silver chain now held the cross Angel had given her in the alley when they'd just met, glittering next to the thin straps of the dress and following the V-shaped neck down to the gentle rise of her breasts. Minimal make-up and a delicate ankle bracelet with silver teardrops placed strategically around it finished the look. Buffy glanced up as Angel entered the room to tell her it was time to go.
"Wow," he breathed. "Buffy, you look. wow."
Buffy giggled. "Thanks. Now, where are you taking me?"
"I told you," Angel replied, walking over and dropping a light kiss in her nose. "It's a surprise."
"Will you tell me when I point out that you look pretty hot yourself?"
"No." But a small half-smile escaped Angel's lips at Buffy's compliment.
"Damn."
* * * * * * "O'Connor reservation, please," Angel asked the smartly-dressed waiter as the couple entered an intimate restaurant with deep red walls; ornate golden trees that shone with life despite the absence of leaves spread across these walls and up over the ceiling at well-spaced intervals. Buffy glanced around in awe.
"How on Earth did you afford this?" she whispered. Angel simply smiled, resting a gentle hand on her back as he guided her in the direction of the table the waiter was now standing by. The waiter held out Buffy's chair for her before Angel had the chance to, but somehow, neither of them minded. In silence, the Italian waiter deposited menus in front of each of them and left the couple to themselves. He returned moments later, as Angel had requested on the phone, with two slender glasses filled with still mineral water that reflected the dim light emitted by the single thin red candle in the centre of the tablecloth. The waiter smiled at the young blonde woman's shock and obvious amazement at the restaurant, before informing the pair that he would return in ten minutes to take their orders.
Buffy blinked at Angel from across the table. "This isn't a date, Angel, this is. beyond that. I'd expect to pay the kind of money you must be paying for this to cover the cost of a car!"
"I have some money stashed away. It's a waste not to use it. Besides, we're celebrating, remember?"
"How could I forget?" At the waiter's return, they both ordered salads for starters and Angel ordered peppered stake with potatoes lyonase, mushrooms and broccoli while Buffy ordered breaded turkey breast in cranberry sauce and stuffed with chestnuts for a main course.
An hour and a half later, the couple left the romantic restaurant hand in hand. Buffy was glowing from the food, and Angel's half smile seemed frozen on his lips. A faint shimmer of moonlight glowed behind the thin veil of wispy clouds as the pair walked slowly down the bustling street. Occasional bemused glances were sent their way, and more than one person was encouraged that true love might actually exist by their quiet closeness, but neither of them noticed. The night was a dream to both of them, and nothing could spoil it. The children in the nearby park laughed and played, and held Angel's attention for only a moment.
Buffy pulled her hair into an elegant French twist with a few strands dangling to frame the right-hand side of her face. The flowing, deep red gown she wore accented her slender waist and stopped just high enough to show off her red, high-heeled sandals. A thin silver chain now held the cross Angel had given her in the alley when they'd just met, glittering next to the thin straps of the dress and following the V-shaped neck down to the gentle rise of her breasts. Minimal make-up and a delicate ankle bracelet with silver teardrops placed strategically around it finished the look. Buffy glanced up as Angel entered the room to tell her it was time to go.
"Wow," he breathed. "Buffy, you look. wow."
Buffy giggled. "Thanks. Now, where are you taking me?"
"I told you," Angel replied, walking over and dropping a light kiss in her nose. "It's a surprise."
"Will you tell me when I point out that you look pretty hot yourself?"
"No." But a small half-smile escaped Angel's lips at Buffy's compliment.
"Damn."
* * * * * * "O'Connor reservation, please," Angel asked the smartly-dressed waiter as the couple entered an intimate restaurant with deep red walls; ornate golden trees that shone with life despite the absence of leaves spread across these walls and up over the ceiling at well-spaced intervals. Buffy glanced around in awe.
"How on Earth did you afford this?" she whispered. Angel simply smiled, resting a gentle hand on her back as he guided her in the direction of the table the waiter was now standing by. The waiter held out Buffy's chair for her before Angel had the chance to, but somehow, neither of them minded. In silence, the Italian waiter deposited menus in front of each of them and left the couple to themselves. He returned moments later, as Angel had requested on the phone, with two slender glasses filled with still mineral water that reflected the dim light emitted by the single thin red candle in the centre of the tablecloth. The waiter smiled at the young blonde woman's shock and obvious amazement at the restaurant, before informing the pair that he would return in ten minutes to take their orders.
Buffy blinked at Angel from across the table. "This isn't a date, Angel, this is. beyond that. I'd expect to pay the kind of money you must be paying for this to cover the cost of a car!"
"I have some money stashed away. It's a waste not to use it. Besides, we're celebrating, remember?"
"How could I forget?" At the waiter's return, they both ordered salads for starters and Angel ordered peppered stake with potatoes lyonase, mushrooms and broccoli while Buffy ordered breaded turkey breast in cranberry sauce and stuffed with chestnuts for a main course.
An hour and a half later, the couple left the romantic restaurant hand in hand. Buffy was glowing from the food, and Angel's half smile seemed frozen on his lips. A faint shimmer of moonlight glowed behind the thin veil of wispy clouds as the pair walked slowly down the bustling street. Occasional bemused glances were sent their way, and more than one person was encouraged that true love might actually exist by their quiet closeness, but neither of them noticed. The night was a dream to both of them, and nothing could spoil it. The children in the nearby park laughed and played, and held Angel's attention for only a moment.