A/N This story is just spilling out of me! I'm glad you guys like it too. Here's another chapter for your enjoyment. claps

Chapter 3

Buffy sat with Angel on the large flannel blanket he had spread out. He had found them a quiet spot near the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum that was so beautiful, Buffy forgot about her worries of the paparazzi scoping them out. She had a fresh glass of red wine in her hand and Angel was pouring himself some more as he said, "Sunnydale is small, but it's only a couple of hours from LA, so it's got some good business that comes through."
"And you work in LA?" Buffy asked.

"Well, I like to work in my little office in Sunnydale, but my firm is based in LA."

"Don't like the big city?"
"Not that particular city. I'm not really into the whole movie star scene. Don't get me wrong, I like watching movies, but the glitz and the glam seems like a crazy lifestyle."

"It is." Buffy said quietly. "I prefer low key, too."

"And you live in LA?" He asked incredulously.

Buffy laughed. "Yeah. I love my job, though. It takes me all over the world and I get to see things I wouldn't normally get to see."

"You know, you still haven't told me what you do."
"Oh, it's not that big of a deal."
"Oh, so you're a spy."

"No, no, nothing like that."
"Assasin?"
"No."
"Hmm... This is a tough one. I'm going to go out on a limb and say something stupid like, a secret shopper for a world wide department store?"

Buffy laughed. "No. Although, I wouldn't mind that. Shopping can be fun."
"Can be?"
"Not always."

"Ah. So, we're keeping our mouth shut about the job."

"It's just not that important, that's all."

"I understand. Ok, moving on. What do you do in your spare time?"
"Spare time, what's that? Oh! That's that stuff you have when you're not working." She smiled and shook her head. "I like to just be with my friends or hang out by myself."
"Or run down perfect strangers."
"That too. And I like hanging out with my mom. I know it's cheesy, but she's a great woman."

"Not cheesy at all. I wouldn't know what it's like to be good friends with my mom." Buffy gave him an inquisitive look. "My mom died when I was twelve."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"No, it's ok. I didn't really know her that well. My parents divorced when I was six, just a year after my little brother was born.."
"Wow."
"Yeah, my dad got my brother and I and my mom went to New York to be a Broadway actress. Didn't work out, though. She got caught up with this guy who turned out to be a serious drug dealer and she got into that scene. Overdosed on heroine."

"God. And I thought my life was crazy."

"Why's that?"

"Well, I spent most of my time ice skating and going to school. My parents always fought and it was usually about money. My dad didn't really come from a rich family like my mom and my mom had the money to waste, according to him. He said my 'obsession' with ice skating had gone too far when my mom started staying at the rink with me and not a lot of time at home. She also spent a lot of money on my ice skating, so he was always complaining we were blowing the family income."
"It wasn't his to blow."
"Yeah. My mom finally got fed up when I was about 15 and moved me out to LA with her. It was so far away from my best friend and all of my other friends and I had to stop ice skating... I just got really depressed. I stopped eating, I barely slept, I rarely talked... If it wasn't for Brad, I could've died. I lost a lot of weight and made myself really sick. He took me under his wing and helped me get on the right path."

"Who's Brad?"

"A close friend of mine that lived in LA. I met him in New York when I was eleven and he was more of a dad to me than my real dad."
"Ah."

"We're still really close. He's always checking up on me."
"Sounds like a decent guy."

"Yeah."
"So, you're boyfriend... What's he do that's got him all the way in New York?"
"He's promoting a movie."

"Ok, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine..."
"I'm serious! He's promoting a movie. He's in the entertainment industry. Part of all that glitz and glam as you say." Buffy swigged the rest of her wine and picked up one of the little cucumber sandwiches.

Angel poured her another glass of wine and said, "How long have you two been together?"

"Oh, uh... a little over a year."
"Is it serious?"
"I think so, yeah."
"You think so?" Buffy nodded. "Ok then."

"How about you? A guy like you must have at least a girlfriend in each city and a little missus back in Sunnydale."
"No, no... Life long bachelor. I've had plenty of girlfriends..."

"Just never the right one."
"You know it." Buffy arched an eyebrow at him. "Well, you at least know what I mean, right?"
She smiled slightly. "Yeah. I've had exactly three boyfriends in my entire life."
"No!"

"Yeah. I told you I lead a very busy life."
"Doesn't seem so busy right now."
"That's because I worked this morning and part of the afternoon. Almost had to work tonight, but I weasled out of it."
"How professional of you."
"Sorry. Not every one has a wonderful nine to five job." Buffy sipped her wine. "Actually, I don't think I could handle a regular nine to five job."

"Why not?"

"Too boring. You always know what you're doing, when you're going to do it, and probably how you're going to do it."

"And your job is exciting?"
"Yeah! I love not knowing what my next project is going to be or where it's going to take me."

"It doesn't get lonely?"

"I didn't say that. But I have my friends that come visit and I get to visit them every now and then. Oh, and did I mention?" She wiggled her cell phone at him. "I'm an expert at using this."

"Most women are."

Buffy slapped his arm playfully. "First you're chivolrous, now you're sexist."

Angel smirked. "No. I have a profound respect for women despite my manly bring up."

"Well, I for one like hanging out with the boys a hell of a lot more than I do the girls?"

"Oh really?" Angel looked surprised.

"Yeah. I feel like I can really be myself around the guys, you know. They don't care that I'm not in full on make-up, my hair perfectly done just so, and my clothes aren't by some famous couture designer like some perfect Barbie-doll." Angel nodded knowingly. "With the girls, especially some of the girls I hang out with, they always have to look good."

"Don't hang out with them."
"They're my friends. I won't ditch them because I feel like I have to look perfect around them. Sometimes it's good to be girly. Then again, I don't get very girly very often. Just for special occasions."

"Like the prom."

"Prom?" Buffy shook her head. "Oh no, I never went to one."

"Wow. But I thought even homeschool people got a prom."

"We did, but I didn't go."

"Why not?"
"I didn't get to. I was busy working."

"That's sad."

Buffy shrugged. "Not like I haven't done it plenty of times before and plenty of times after. Charity events, awards ceremonies... You name it. I've had a different dress for each one with my hair all done up, my make-up to the nines, and killer heels on my feet. I doubt I was really missing out on anything."

"Spiked punch."

"Free drinks at an open bar. Especially over in Europe."

"Good friends."
"Always took my best friend with me."
"Hmm... Watching people try and dance."

"Please, have you ever seen a 54 year old man try to break dance? Not a pretty sight!"

Angel laughed. "Ok then, how about bad music?"

"Try sitting through a charity event held at an art gallery. Nothing but elevator music and gross finger foods. And mingleing. Can't forget the mingleing with people you don't know and probably don't want to."

"Ok, you've got me beat. You are definitely one intriguing woman."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Angel glanced around at the picnic area before packing things up. Buffy stood and allowed him to fold the blanket up and shove it into the picnic basket. They walked over to the car and put the basket in the back seat and then they started to stroll through the park.
After a few minutes of walking in silence, Buffy asked, "So, what made you ask me to dinner?"

Angel shrugged and looked straight ahead thoughtfully. "I don't know." He shook his head. "I don't usually just come right out and ask like I did. I just felt like you were someone interesting to talk to and I didn't want to pass up the opportunity. Why did you accept?"
"Curiosity."

"Didn't you hear? That killed the cat."

Buffy laughed. "I doubt you've killed any cats let alone women. Criminals, hopefully..."
"Hopefully?"
"There are some out there who deserve to die."

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but I'm mainly a divorce lawyer."
"Mainly?"

"Well, I also work on wills and prenups... I do some family law... And I did dabble a little in criminal law, but I thought I could do more in the way of divorce."
"How so?"

"Well, I figure that by helping these couples get a divorce, I'm helping them start a new life. It's kind of like bringing a baby into the world."

"Never looked at it that way."
"Most people from a broken home don't. I didn't until around my third case. I got into thinking... I don't know what. I guess it was my way of trying to understand why my parents had done it. And then... One day... This woman, my client, she'd been in her marriage since she was 21. He was her high school sweetheart. At the time, they were so in love they couldn't see straight. But then, she said she woke up and realized she wasn't happy. And that same day, she met a man at work that she fell in love with. She didn't start an affair, she just struck up a friendship. And three years later, they both wanted to take it to the next level, but she couldn't. So, she talked it over with her husband and decided it was the best thing to do. She's now married to her co-worker, they have three kids and they're opening their own business. I helped them do that."

"Noble."

"Of course, not all of my cases are as clean cut. I have some pretty messy ones too."

"I can imagine." Buffy looked away, wanting to say something more, but deciding not to.

Angel noticed. "What?"

"It's just..." She looked at him. "I always figured most people who got into divorce law were in it for the money and the newly single women."

Angel laughed. "Most of them are, I'm sorry to say, but not me. I'm in it for the satisfaction of helping people move on in their lives. And I have to admit, I do do it for the money. But I do it for my dad and my little brother. I wanted to give them the things they've always wanted, but couldn't afford."

"How's that working out?"
"I bought my dad a new house in Sunnydale and my little brother is currently in his senior year at UCLA."

"Wow."

"He's about your age. You said you're 24?"

"Yeah."

"He's 25."

"Senior year?"

"He started a year late. He wanted to travel the country for a year."

"Did he?"

"He did. And he discovered that he wanted to be a teacher."

"A teacher. That sounds nice."

"He's excited about it."

"I kind of wish that I had siblings sometimes. But then I remember my three best friends are like older brothers and it makes me think twice about the sibling thing."

Angel chuckled. "It can be a pain sometimes. I remember I used to kick Xander's ass as often as I could for any thing I could blame on him, but we're brothers, so we always forgave each other for whatever we did to the other."

"Xander? Interesting name."

"Short for Alexander. He always wanted to be different. Hated the name Alex, so he took the last part of it. Xander."

"I like it. It's different."

"Like Buffy."

"My mom was in a serious 80s phase when she had me. And what about Angel?"

"It's actually Liam Angelus, but all my life people have called me Angel." He shrugged. "Don't know why. I never thought to ask either."

"Well, I like that too. People with interesting names are always number one in my book. It takes a certain type of person to carry off an interesting name."

"It certainly does." They walked a few more minutes in silence and then Angel asked, "So, why'd you give up skating?"

"I injured my knee pretty badly. Got to close too a wall and my blade stuck. I kept spinning, but my leg didn't. The doctors told me my knee isn't supposed to bend that way."

Angel nodded with a smirk on his face. "No, I would think not. Unless you're an alien."
"Nope. Anyways, I was out of commision for about five months and when I could finally get back on the ice... My knee wouldn't hold up."
"Were you any good?"
"I was invited to Skate America that year and there was talk that I could take the gold."

"Damn. I'm guessing you didn't make it."

She shook her head. "I broke my knee two weeks before Skate America."

"Sorry."

"I'm over it. So, what was your sport?"
"Football and hockey."
"Hockey? Wow."

"Well, I can't play hockey, but I can watch it. I can watch the hell out of it."

Buffy laughed. "And football?"

"Got me into college and kept me there."
"Wow. You didn't play for the NFL?"

"Turned 'em down. I wanted to be a lawyer."

"Ah, I see."

"Any college for you?"

"Nope. I like my career too much to give it up for school."
"Well, you seem to be making pretty good money for yourself, so I won't lecture on the importance of school."

"Thank you so much for sparing me yet another lecture on the importance of school or Jesus in my life."

"Jesus?"
"Apparently some people think I'm such a sinner because of my profession and some of the people I hang out with." She pointed at the Heartagram on her shirt. "Do you know how many people have stopped me on the street and asked if I worshipped Satan because it looks like a pentagram?" Buffy rolled her eyes. "Please, I nor Ville... or any of the rest of the band or the people I hang out with worship Satan. I don't even know if there is a Satan or a God for that matter. Sometimes I wonder if it's all in our heads and there's really nothing waiting for us after we die." She noticed Angel looking at her strangely. "Oh, God! Don't tell me your a die hard Christian man..."
"No! Oh, God no! I've met those people. They scare me. It's just amazing that you're only 24 and you can talk so openly about what you believe. Most 24 year old don't even know their place in the world yet."

Buffy shrugged. "I never had time for the whole church thing. And my mother never believed in forcing anything on me. She was always confident that I could choose for myself even when I was a kid. Besides, she was kind of a hippie back in the day, so she's still got some of those ideals roaming around in her head. I'm just glad she doesn't run around with the flared jeans and the fringe vests with her hands making the peace sign." She held up her hand with her index and middle fingers held up to demonstrate the peace sign.

Angel laughed. "Hippies... Interesting people. My dad always said he could never afford to be a hippie but he knew a bunch of them."

They went on like that for another three hours. A park ranger had to come up and inform them that the park was closed and they had to vacate. Buffy got a little worried that he would recognize her at first, the way he was staring, but then he moved on and she breathed a sigh of relief. Back at the hotel's underground parking lot, Buffy sat in Angel's rental car and stared straight forward. She didn't want this night to end for some reason. Angel had no clue she was some huge superstar and he treated her like a normal person. She loved that. No thoughts of Orlando all night until they had pulled into the hotel.

Before she realized what she was saying, she asked, "Would you like my number?" Angel stared at her. "I mean, just in case we're ever in the same city again... We can get together and talk some more."

"Um, sure. That'd be nice."

"Give me your cell phone." Angel handed her his cell phone and she programmed her number into it, only putting it under the initial B

"B?" He asked.

"My initial. Most people call me B anyway."

"Oh." He paused. "Can I give you my number?"

"Sure." Buffy took out her cell phone and made sure it was on the New Entry screen. She didn't want him seeing all the famous people's numbers in her cell phone. She didn't want him to know just quite yet.

"A Blackberry phone. Neat."

"Yeah. My best friend picked that out for me." Once he was finished, she took the phone back and shut it. "Thanks for a great evening."

"It was my pleasure."

"Don't be a stranger, ok?"

"I won't be." He wiggled his cell phone at her. "I've got your number so I'll try and call you tomorrow before I leave."

"That'd be nice." Before she could stop herself, she leaned over and kissed Angel's cheek. Before he could say anything, she jumped out of the car and headed into the hotel. Once she was safely in her room, she collapsed back onto the bed with a huge grin on her face and a content sigh escaping her lips.