Chapter 17:

"Buffy, I really don't think that's appropriate here," Giles said again, blinking at her. "The Tango is a very passionate dance. It requires quite a bit of… movement."

"I'm the slayer. I have to move a lot." She grinned. "And I have passion. Passion is fun."

Giles sighed and removed his glasses. He started to polish them. "Bugger it," he muttered, and folded them, tucking them into his jacket. "Stay here a moment. I'll be right back." Buffy watched him walk quickly to the pianist and lean over, talking too softly for her to hear. A moment later the pianist stood and lifted the bench seat, sifting through books until he lifted one and smiled, showing it to Giles.

Giles nodded and pulled a folded bill from his breast pocket. At first the pianist wouldn't accept it but Giles insisted and then headed back to her, his head down in that familiar way. She'd seen that look a thousand times before. Giles was getting ready to train her.

"Ok, let me show you a few basic steps. On my signal he'll start to play."

Buffy nodded and smiled at him, trying to ignore a growing tension in her belly. Giles stepped forward and again locked his arm around her back, lower than before, and he was much, much closer. She got a sniff of his cologne and smiled to herself. Same cologne he always wore. Subtle and woodsy. Giles took a breath and locked his eyes away from her, in full instructor mode. Well, as much in that mode as he could make himself, pressing his young slayer to his chest.

"The steps of a tango are very deliberate. Sometimes slow, almost dragging. Other times quick, stepping one foot over the other. But our upper bodies stay locked for the most part, very close, giving a sense of urgency, passion and intimacy." He looked down at her, realizing she was paying complete attention to him. "Alright so far?"

Buffy smiled and nodded. "Lead on, Watcher-mine."

Giles took another breath and nodded, returning her smile in a tight, controlled way. "Very well. Let's do a turn and then I'll have him start the music."

After one or two stilted attempts, Buffy let out an annoyed sound and Giles stopped them, looking down at her.

"Buffy, close your eyes." She dutifully complied, tipping her head slightly. "Pay attention to my arms, my chest. Your body will follow my lead, whether you are moving backward or forward. No matter what music plays, what beat we try to match, we are to move together." He moved forward, and Buffy stepped back, using the correct foot naturally. He took a step to his right, dragging and pointing his left foot. Buffy didn't drag hers, but she kept her shoulders and hips aligned with his.

"Very good," he murmured. He sped it up by a fraction, turning and moving. Soon Buffy was smiling, her eyes still closed, moving with him. He stopped their movement and looked down at her, pressed close and trusting him. "Open your eyes."

The lashes fluttered open and she locked her gaze on him, still smiling. "Now can we dance?"

"Yes," he said, returning her smile. "But I'm going to start it off a bit differently."

"Whatever you want, Giles, it's supposed to be fun," she said.

Giles relinquished his hold on her and said, "We're going to tell a story."

Her eyes lit up. "What do I do? What's our story?"

"I want you to stand here," he indicated where she stood, "and look to the windows. With your arms crossed low, yes. You'll figure out the story as we go along."

"Ok," she said, turning her head toward the area he'd indicated.

Giles looked to the pianist and nodded. Jacob, he'd said his name was. Quite a bit of enthusiasm for something different. Jacob played the first slow, trilling notes of a modern tango, almost eerie in the open space of the restaurant.

Giles stepped slowly, deliberately into Buffy's view, staring at her with quiet intensity. She lowered her hands, not sure how he was going to proceed, but Giles didn't take her into his arms right away. He walked around her, stepped up close behind her, his chest not quite touching her back.

Just a brush of clothing against clothing.

Then he reached forward, trailing his left finger down her arm. She looked over her shoulder, her stomach a knot of confusion. She held her breath and at the first strong chord, he grabbed her shoulders, twisting her around to face him. Her right hand flew up, caught by his left, and he pulled her close, held her there during a pregnant, poised note.

"Listen to the music, Buffy. Follow it. Feel it," he said in her ear, just before he stepped back, taking her along in a turn around the small space. She let out a shaky breath as she looked down. She couldn't see her feet. She dragged her eyes back up to his and locked them, letting everything fade away but the music and the movement of his body.

It was like they were training, it was just a different style of fight. As he moved back and to his right, she stepped forward and leaned in. When he advanced, she stepped backward. The tempo sped up and Giles stopped, shifting his weight to his right and crossed his left leg behind hers. She turned and crossed on the outside. Giles arched a brow at her and she grinned. She pressed close and twisted, leaving the stance.

Giles caught her hand and spun her back to him, catching her and advancing again, turning her as the music started to reach its peak.

"Think you can handle a dip, Buffy?"

"If you can, I can," she said, matching his steps.

"Excellent," he said, "it's almost finished." He gave them both a quick turn and stopped, leaning her back as he gave a slow turn, once again running a finger down her arm. Almost like he was showcasing her to whoever wanted to watch. He pulled her back up, fast and hard, and stepped back, pulling her with him.

Step, point, cross. "Brace yourself with your right leg, point with your left."

"Okay."

One more turn and he ended it with a slow decent to match the dying tone of the last note. When the music stopped, their faces were a mere inch apart, Buffy's hands clasped behind his neck. Giles' left arm braced her back while his right was on her hip.

"Wow," she whispered, and took another shaky breath. Giles grinned down at her. They were jolted to awareness at the sounds of clapping and whistling. He brought her back up and they faced the room. Sometime in the span of four minutes most of the wait staff, some of the hotel staff and the other diners noticed a tango was happening and decided to watch.

And they apparently enjoyed it thoroughly.

Giles gave a little nod, a little wave, glad he didn't have his glasses on so he couldn't fuss with them. Buffy chuckled and leaned close. "We must've put on a good show."

"Indeed." He glanced down at her, sharing in the smile. Later, he would blame the wine for his next small act of bravery, but in truth, he couldn't resist asking. "Perhaps we should dance more often. We seem to make a good match, don't you think?"

"Of course we do," Buffy said, smiling and linking her arm with his to walk back to their table. "And I am totally up for as much dancing as you want. That was so much fun!"