Chapter 3
Buffy was running late already, and hurried towards the bus stop. She still had on her uniform from the diner, but she had clean clothes in the backpack slung over her shoulder. She glanced at her watch, and groaned. She was going to have to wait for the next bus, which would make her even later, and on her first day, too. She and Xander had stayed up until nearly 2 am packing things up, and marking things to go to the Salvation Army and Good Will. She was keeping her bed, and her kitchen table, which was a fairly nice one her mother had gotten her.
The bus was finally coming up the street, and Buffy sighed in relief. She stood and waited for the bus to stop, and when it did, she quickly entered, and flashed her bus ride pass. Buffy made her way towards the back, and sat down for the 10-minute ride towards the shop. Her thoughts were scattered, flittering from Xander to William to her new job. So much had changed in just one day, and she was happy that she had over ruled her head and checked the apartment out. Now, she was just hoping that the second room was still open.
Buffy was pulled from her revere when the bus came to a stop a block from the magic shop. She hurried through the doors, and jogged down the street at a quick pace. She glanced at her watch as she came through the door, and saw that it she was only 10 minutes late. She hurried towards the back, and smiled apologetically at Tara when she passed through.
"Hi, Buffy. William's in back in the office, he said to have you go straight back." Tara smiled as Buffy walked towards the back, and dropped her backpack on a table. She walked quickly over to the door of the office, and knocked.
"Yeah, come in." William said as he went over the paper work in front of him. He glanced up, and smiled when he saw Buffy standing there. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a bun, with small tendrils hanging loose around her face. Cor, I forgot how pretty she is, he thought. He straightened up in the chair, and forced his mind off of her looks. He glanced at the clock just to the side of the door, and put a disapproving frown on his face.
"You're late. Is this going to be habit?" Buffy blushed, and William was struck again by how pretty she was. She quickly shook her head, and smiled sheepishly.
"I got let out late at the diner, and then the bus was late, and. I'm sorry, no it isn't going to be a habit." She watched him with hopeful eyes, and started to tug at her lower lip with her teeth.
"It's alright, just try to make sure that you call if you are going to be running late. Uncle Rup can get anal at times. I won't even mention this one." He dropped the frown, and replaced with a smirk. His eyes are so blue, she thought, as he winked at her playfully. Buffy relaxed visibly after that. "You plan to work in that uniform?" His eyes traveled down the short orange dress, and ended up on her legs. He tore his gaze away from the shapely legs, and looked up at her face.
"No, I brought a change of clothes, but I thought it'd be best to let you know I was here before changing." Buffy knew her face was tinged a pale pink from his lingering gaze on her legs, but she tried to push it away, and ignore it. He quickly nodded, and pointed behind her, to a door just outside of the small office.
"You can change in there, then just let me know when you're done." He smiled warmly at her, and she again found herself to be blushing as she backed out of the room. Buffy stumbled into the wall, and her blush became worse, before she finally turned and ducked quickly from the room. She grabbed her backpack on the way through the room, and locked herself into the small employee bathroom.
Buffy looked at herself in the mirror, and whimpered softly at the sight before her. No wonder he was staring, she thought, I look like a greasy wreck! She pulled the elastic band out of her hair, and it dropped limply against her face. Pulling her hands through it, she whimpered again, and ended up braiding it back from her face, and wrapping it up into a bun at the nape of her neck.
Turning from the mirror in disgust, she took off the day-glow uniform, and pulled on a simple pair of jeans and a gauzy blouse. Buffy spritzed herself with body spray, to hopefully at least mask the scent of fried meat like product, and left the room. William was shuffling through some storage shelves in the room, and turned to smile at her. "All set to learn the how's and why's of magic?"
"I have to warn you up front, I've never done anything with anything you guys sell here, so I don't know how easily I will learn, but I intend to try, at the very least. Oh, I was also meaning to ask you, did you rent out the other room yet?" She smiled up at him, trying to keep focused, and keep her eyes off of his very blue, very intense eyes. I wonder what they would look like in the throes of passion, she thought idly, oh, God, what am I thinking! She found, to her amazement, that her eyes were again focused on his.
"No, haven't had any serious nibbles for it, either. Why, you know anyone who needs a place?" I imagine her skin is as soft as a flower petal, he thought, before stopping himself, and focusing on the conversation at hand. Her hand came up, and brushed a stray hair away from her lovely face, and William very nearly groaned.
"My friend, the one I mentioned, Xander? He was looking for a place to stay, and I mentioned that there might still be another room available. Anyway, I kinda mentioned I'd have him pick me up from here tonight, and then I could show him the place, and if there was still a room, he could talk to you. Is that all right?" Buffy was fidgeting, she knew she was, but it went hand in hand with her rambling. It happened when she was nervous, which she was right now.
"Sure, pet, that's fine. Shop closes up at 10, but Tara is here until then, and we can cut out a bit early with no worries. What time is he nabbing you at?" William wasn't to sure about taking on her friend as well, but at least it wasn't a boyfriend. He cursed himself inwardly, and swore once more that he wouldn't be doing anything with Buffy, anyway. He had learned THAT lesson the hard way with Drusilla, and was still paying for it. No, he would keep his emotions in check, and stay single, or at the very least, date someone else.
"He should be here around 9. I wasn't sure when I got out, and most shops close at 9, so I figured that was a good bet."
"Sounds fine to me, now, let's get to work. We'll wow Uncle Rup yet."
*********
William unlocked the door, and waited while Buffy walked in with her friend. He had been studying William since arriving at the shop, and it was starting to grate thin on his nerves, but he also got the feeling that Xander was just being protective, and William could hardly fault the man for that. After all, Buffy was moving into a stranger's apartment, taking on a room mate, and doing it all with a person she had met twice now. He stepped to the side as the two passed into the hallway, and Buffy led the way up the stairs towards the apartment.
She pulled out her own key triumphantly, and unlocked the door. She was snooping through the place when William came in, and Xander was looking around with a slightly impressed look, that is, until he noticed William. Then, it turned into a bored and disinterested look. William held a chuckle in, and removed his leather duster, placing it into the coat closet near the door.
"So, follow me, Xander, and I'll show you the room quickly, then I need to get going. I work nights as well as the shop." Xander nodded, and followed behind William, while Buffy wandered her way up to her own loft. She noticed that a lot of the stuff was cleared up a bit, and she started going through some of the boxes. A few minutes later, she heard William telling Xander the prices, and heard him agree to the lease. She went back down the stairs, and saw Xander signing the lease.
"All set?" She asked the two men, who both nodded in return.
"So, I need to get going, but there's a bunch of stuff in the loft that I told Buffy she could go through, and see if she wanted any of it, so feel free to stay as late as you guys want. I'll see you tomorrow at the shop Buffy."
"Yeah, sounds great. We'll start sorting the stuff now." Buffy went over and gave him a quick impromptu hug, and then pulled back far faster then either of them had wanted. William found himself staring into her eyes again, then blushed, and looked away. "Thank you, very much. We both really appreciate this."
William just nodded, and disappeared into his room, cursing his own promise as he walked. She was so soft, he thought, why can't I just bury her in my arms, and keep her there?
Buffy watched him walk away, and held a sigh in check. How is it I don't even know this man, but want nothing more then to spend the night wrapped in his arms?
Xander looked at both William and Buffy, and couldn't help but wonder just what might happen between the two. The only thing he could hope, was that William wouldn't hurt her when it did happen. He turned away, so that Buffy wouldn't notice him watching.
Buffy was running late already, and hurried towards the bus stop. She still had on her uniform from the diner, but she had clean clothes in the backpack slung over her shoulder. She glanced at her watch, and groaned. She was going to have to wait for the next bus, which would make her even later, and on her first day, too. She and Xander had stayed up until nearly 2 am packing things up, and marking things to go to the Salvation Army and Good Will. She was keeping her bed, and her kitchen table, which was a fairly nice one her mother had gotten her.
The bus was finally coming up the street, and Buffy sighed in relief. She stood and waited for the bus to stop, and when it did, she quickly entered, and flashed her bus ride pass. Buffy made her way towards the back, and sat down for the 10-minute ride towards the shop. Her thoughts were scattered, flittering from Xander to William to her new job. So much had changed in just one day, and she was happy that she had over ruled her head and checked the apartment out. Now, she was just hoping that the second room was still open.
Buffy was pulled from her revere when the bus came to a stop a block from the magic shop. She hurried through the doors, and jogged down the street at a quick pace. She glanced at her watch as she came through the door, and saw that it she was only 10 minutes late. She hurried towards the back, and smiled apologetically at Tara when she passed through.
"Hi, Buffy. William's in back in the office, he said to have you go straight back." Tara smiled as Buffy walked towards the back, and dropped her backpack on a table. She walked quickly over to the door of the office, and knocked.
"Yeah, come in." William said as he went over the paper work in front of him. He glanced up, and smiled when he saw Buffy standing there. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a bun, with small tendrils hanging loose around her face. Cor, I forgot how pretty she is, he thought. He straightened up in the chair, and forced his mind off of her looks. He glanced at the clock just to the side of the door, and put a disapproving frown on his face.
"You're late. Is this going to be habit?" Buffy blushed, and William was struck again by how pretty she was. She quickly shook her head, and smiled sheepishly.
"I got let out late at the diner, and then the bus was late, and. I'm sorry, no it isn't going to be a habit." She watched him with hopeful eyes, and started to tug at her lower lip with her teeth.
"It's alright, just try to make sure that you call if you are going to be running late. Uncle Rup can get anal at times. I won't even mention this one." He dropped the frown, and replaced with a smirk. His eyes are so blue, she thought, as he winked at her playfully. Buffy relaxed visibly after that. "You plan to work in that uniform?" His eyes traveled down the short orange dress, and ended up on her legs. He tore his gaze away from the shapely legs, and looked up at her face.
"No, I brought a change of clothes, but I thought it'd be best to let you know I was here before changing." Buffy knew her face was tinged a pale pink from his lingering gaze on her legs, but she tried to push it away, and ignore it. He quickly nodded, and pointed behind her, to a door just outside of the small office.
"You can change in there, then just let me know when you're done." He smiled warmly at her, and she again found herself to be blushing as she backed out of the room. Buffy stumbled into the wall, and her blush became worse, before she finally turned and ducked quickly from the room. She grabbed her backpack on the way through the room, and locked herself into the small employee bathroom.
Buffy looked at herself in the mirror, and whimpered softly at the sight before her. No wonder he was staring, she thought, I look like a greasy wreck! She pulled the elastic band out of her hair, and it dropped limply against her face. Pulling her hands through it, she whimpered again, and ended up braiding it back from her face, and wrapping it up into a bun at the nape of her neck.
Turning from the mirror in disgust, she took off the day-glow uniform, and pulled on a simple pair of jeans and a gauzy blouse. Buffy spritzed herself with body spray, to hopefully at least mask the scent of fried meat like product, and left the room. William was shuffling through some storage shelves in the room, and turned to smile at her. "All set to learn the how's and why's of magic?"
"I have to warn you up front, I've never done anything with anything you guys sell here, so I don't know how easily I will learn, but I intend to try, at the very least. Oh, I was also meaning to ask you, did you rent out the other room yet?" She smiled up at him, trying to keep focused, and keep her eyes off of his very blue, very intense eyes. I wonder what they would look like in the throes of passion, she thought idly, oh, God, what am I thinking! She found, to her amazement, that her eyes were again focused on his.
"No, haven't had any serious nibbles for it, either. Why, you know anyone who needs a place?" I imagine her skin is as soft as a flower petal, he thought, before stopping himself, and focusing on the conversation at hand. Her hand came up, and brushed a stray hair away from her lovely face, and William very nearly groaned.
"My friend, the one I mentioned, Xander? He was looking for a place to stay, and I mentioned that there might still be another room available. Anyway, I kinda mentioned I'd have him pick me up from here tonight, and then I could show him the place, and if there was still a room, he could talk to you. Is that all right?" Buffy was fidgeting, she knew she was, but it went hand in hand with her rambling. It happened when she was nervous, which she was right now.
"Sure, pet, that's fine. Shop closes up at 10, but Tara is here until then, and we can cut out a bit early with no worries. What time is he nabbing you at?" William wasn't to sure about taking on her friend as well, but at least it wasn't a boyfriend. He cursed himself inwardly, and swore once more that he wouldn't be doing anything with Buffy, anyway. He had learned THAT lesson the hard way with Drusilla, and was still paying for it. No, he would keep his emotions in check, and stay single, or at the very least, date someone else.
"He should be here around 9. I wasn't sure when I got out, and most shops close at 9, so I figured that was a good bet."
"Sounds fine to me, now, let's get to work. We'll wow Uncle Rup yet."
*********
William unlocked the door, and waited while Buffy walked in with her friend. He had been studying William since arriving at the shop, and it was starting to grate thin on his nerves, but he also got the feeling that Xander was just being protective, and William could hardly fault the man for that. After all, Buffy was moving into a stranger's apartment, taking on a room mate, and doing it all with a person she had met twice now. He stepped to the side as the two passed into the hallway, and Buffy led the way up the stairs towards the apartment.
She pulled out her own key triumphantly, and unlocked the door. She was snooping through the place when William came in, and Xander was looking around with a slightly impressed look, that is, until he noticed William. Then, it turned into a bored and disinterested look. William held a chuckle in, and removed his leather duster, placing it into the coat closet near the door.
"So, follow me, Xander, and I'll show you the room quickly, then I need to get going. I work nights as well as the shop." Xander nodded, and followed behind William, while Buffy wandered her way up to her own loft. She noticed that a lot of the stuff was cleared up a bit, and she started going through some of the boxes. A few minutes later, she heard William telling Xander the prices, and heard him agree to the lease. She went back down the stairs, and saw Xander signing the lease.
"All set?" She asked the two men, who both nodded in return.
"So, I need to get going, but there's a bunch of stuff in the loft that I told Buffy she could go through, and see if she wanted any of it, so feel free to stay as late as you guys want. I'll see you tomorrow at the shop Buffy."
"Yeah, sounds great. We'll start sorting the stuff now." Buffy went over and gave him a quick impromptu hug, and then pulled back far faster then either of them had wanted. William found himself staring into her eyes again, then blushed, and looked away. "Thank you, very much. We both really appreciate this."
William just nodded, and disappeared into his room, cursing his own promise as he walked. She was so soft, he thought, why can't I just bury her in my arms, and keep her there?
Buffy watched him walk away, and held a sigh in check. How is it I don't even know this man, but want nothing more then to spend the night wrapped in his arms?
Xander looked at both William and Buffy, and couldn't help but wonder just what might happen between the two. The only thing he could hope, was that William wouldn't hurt her when it did happen. He turned away, so that Buffy wouldn't notice him watching.