Prompt for 17.12.11:

Fandoms: Ocean's trilogy & -blank-

Quote: "I don't know if I should care for a man who made life easy; I should want someone who made it interesting." – Edith Wharton

Word to include: 'candy cane'

Answer:

Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Buffy Summers), Ocean's trilogy (Rusty Ryan)

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing about Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Ocean's trilogy.

Someone Who Makes Life Interesting

For once Buffy had arrived somewhere in time; it seemed she was always running late these days. Today she was even a little early getting in the restaurant she would be meeting her date of the evening.

She paused at the restaurant's door to survey the people inside for a man with a pink rose in his front pocket. That was how she'd been told she would recognize her date.

Her friend Tess had arranged this; she thought Buffy needed someone in his life and was convinced this friend of her and her husband's was a perfect match for Buffy.

Buffy was decked out in a new emerald dress and black high heels for the occasion. She had figured she might as well use the opportunity to dress up.

She found her date, or at least he had the right kind of flower. She watched from the shadows of the doorway as he dug a miniature candy cane from his inside pocket and started munching on it.

She studied him; he certainly was handsome in his suit, just like Tess had promised. She saw him flash a mischievous grin to as answer to a passing kid's grin.

Her first impression was that he was one of those people who trouble followed around like a lost puppy. She tilted her head as she considered the chances of them actually getting along.

Her lips curled up against her will as a self-deprecating thought came to her. When did she ever go for men who made life easy? Riley had been the closest to being normal from all her boyfriends and look how that ended.

Having made her mind, she abandoned her hiding place to make her way to the table.

"Hi!" she greeted him with a smile, "I'm Buffy, are you Rusty?"

"Yes," he stood up, smoothing out his jacket. "Rusty Ryan," he introduced himself with a charming smile you couldn't help but answer. "It's nice to finally meet you. Tess has spoken so much about you."

"She has?" Buffy questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, yes," Rusty confirmed. "Here, have a seat," he drew a seat out for her.

They started by talking about how they had met the Oceans and then proceeded on to various other topics.

To her surprise Buffy found herself having fun with Rusty and in the end of the evening she had agreed to go out on another date with him.

A/N: Didn't turn out very Christmassy, now did it? Hmph. Anyhow, I always like to hear what you think, so please, leave a review.

Khiela's making me write SPN/CM for tomorrow so we'll see what comes out from that. I think I'm lucky if I scrape together a hundred words. I probably end up posting that piece either on it's own or in Infinite Possibilities.