I know this chapter is short, but the last chapters (19 & 20) are going to be a bit long to make up for it.
Sweaty palms, hesitant responses and he was about to fork over about two thousand more dollars to get his floor refinished again. He had never been more nervous in his life. The ballet came a close second all because this was an official date with Cordelia.
Date plus nervous equals an Angel no one wants to be around.
He looked out the window one last time, checking to put his mind on anything else he could. People watching should become a full fledged sport, he thought, as he watched a gang of young boys pass in front of the hotel. The slumps in their gaits, the blue jeans hanging by a thread on their hips and the gaudy fake gold around their necks. It was amazing how much people had changed over the years. He went from watching the Mary Jane & Peggy Sue types in their full skirts and saddle shoes to thugs with an obsession for gold and an urge to show their bums to the world all in the matter of a very short time period in his case, thirty years.
The sun was almost down and he was ready. Looking at his watch one last time, he grabbed his boots and sat down on the edge of his bed.
He could hear the television in her room blaring to the voices of Grissom and Catherine from CSI. Dennis had developed a passion for the franchise and Angel had faithfully watched with him. In fact, he had an urge to zoom right back over to her room and watch with him, but he knew if he did that, she would have his head. He could also her Cordelia's voice nagging the phantom for more information. She had been trying to find out where he was taking her tonight for the past twenty four hours and luckily Fred hadn't spilled the beans and Dennis, well Angel knew that Dennis wouldn't tell her anything and he could count on the ghost to keep his secret.
Tying his last show strings together, Angel brushed off his wardrobe chosen carefully at the hands of Lorne one more time and started for the his door. He was ready. Hopefully she was too.
Nervous. She was actually nervous to go on a date. But this was different than any of the other dates she had previously been on. This was Angel. Sure, she knew how to handle herself with best-friend Angel, but what about boyfriend Angel? That was new and unexplored territory. Slipping on her plain white tee shirt, she glanced back in the mirror for the thousandth time and re-evaluated the combination she had on for the thousandth time. He had told her to dress comfortable. Well, this was as comfortable as she was going to get without shedding all of her clothes and wrapping herself back up in Angel's silk sheets that she had come accustomed to. She brushed her now shoulder length brunette hair back from her face and took a good look at herself.
Comfortable: check. Pretty: check. Nervous: check check check. Butterflies in stomach: bold check. Yep, she was ready. Hopefully.
"One last chance Dennis. Anything?" She asked her invisible roommate for any more information regarding the "plans" that Angel had. Dennis used to tell her, er, show her, try to convey to her anything in the world, especially when it concerned Angel. But now the CSI-obsessed ghost was pulling his ghostly rank on her and not saying a peep and more importantly, taking Angel's side. Cordelia picked up her sloppy, but again, ultra-comfortable tennis shoes and slipped them on, still waiting for an answer from the ghost, but with no avail.
"Fine, take his side. But just remember, when I get back, you aren't getting any details." She warned him, walking out of the room and down towards the lobby. Date. This was a date. For the first time in a long time, she was actually feeling a little happy. The past ten months had been, in a word: hard, in two words: the worst. But Angel was there to catch her when she fell. He was always there to catch her.
And there he was, leaning against the front counter, carrying on a conversation with Wesley and wearing jeans. Jeans. Since when did Angel wear jeans? And color too! Green, no less. This was it. She checked her watch one last time, and prayed that the Powers would allow them just one normal date. Just one; that was all she was asking for. And she was going to get it.