Bathroom Wall

Chapter Five – Frosting and Karma

Something in the kitchen started beeping and Spike looked at the stairs. They remained stoically vacant of shop employees, so he stood and walked around the bar. He stepped into the kitchen and quickly located the source of the beeping – the timer on the oven. He scanned the countertops until he found a set of oven mitts then donned them and opened the oven door. The mouth-watering aroma of fresh cinnamon rolls wafted out and Spike's stomach rumbled as he slid the pan out of the oven. He turned, scanning the countertops again, then set the hot pan on a cooling rack next to the stove.

He took out two more pans then closed the oven door and took the mitts off before punching buttons on the oven panel until the beeping stopped. He turned from the silent but still hot oven and stepped out of the kitchen, nearly bowling over a blonde woman. He grasped her arms, steadying her, then nodded over his shoulder at the kitchen as he dropped his hands. "The cinnamon rolls were done. I've taken 'em out of the oven and gotten the beepin' to stop, but I'm afraid I don't know how to turn the oven off. I've never cooked in a commercial kitchen, so I'm not familiar with the appliances."

The woman smiled up at him, "Okay. Um… where's Willow and Buffy?"

"Upstairs. Buffy's havin' a wash up." He looked the woman over. "You must be Tara. Buffy's told me a lot about you."

Tara nodded. "I am, but… who are you?"

Spike quirked an eyebrow. "I'm Spike, and I have to say… it's not often that I'm not recognized by a beautiful young woman."

Tara's cheeks flamed bright red, and she dropped her gaze, her hair falling over her face. "Buffy told me about you, but…" She glanced up at him then dropped her gaze again. "I don't listen to your music. I'm sure it's very good, it's just…"

"Not your cup of tea. No worries, luv. I'm not offended or anythin'. We can't all like the same things. How dull would the world be if we did?" He reached out and gently touched her arm. When she looked up at him, he smiled. "Would you show me how to turn off the oven? Don't want the place to burn down."

She nodded and turned for the kitchen. "We should probably frost the rolls, too, since Buffy's busy. Do you want to help with that?"

Spike smiled after her then started to follow, speaking quietly under his breath, "They treat everyone like family. Buffy's a lucky woman to have these people in her life."

XXXX

Buffy pulled the brush through her hair one more time then set it on the counter and looked at herself in the mirror. She'd kept her makeup minimal; just a touch of eye shadow and some eyeliner and mascara because she didn't want Spike to think she was hiding anything. "If he's even still down there." She brushed her fingertips lightly across one scar. "If not, well…" She smirked at the airy sundress she was wearing. "I guess I'll look really nice while I'm cleaning the kitchen."

She left the bathroom and headed for her closet, pushing through the hanging clothes to get at the basket tucked into the back corner. She hefted it out, hooking one arm through the handle, then straightened up and took a deep breath. "Okay. Here I go."

She heard low voices and laughter coming from the kitchen when she stepped off the stairs. She set the basket on one of the counters behind the coffee bar and turned toward the kitchen door, stepping lightly so no one would hear her approach. She peeked through the doorway then stepped fully inside, watching the activity around the butcher block table in the center of the room.

Spike was wearing a shop apron and holding a large mixing bowl pinned between his arm and side. He was furiously stirring something as he chatted with Willow and Tara, who were leaning against the counter. He showed Tara the contents of the bowl then asked, "How's that? Does it need more mixin'?"

Tara shook her head. "No, I think that will do." She looked over toward the door. "What do you think, Buffy? Did Spike do a good job mixing the frosting?"

Spike turned around wearing a smile and Buffy blushed and stammered, "I'm sure it's fine. Um…"

Willow pushed off the counter and took Tara's hand then started for the door. "Tara and I are going upstairs." She fake yawned then said, "And we'll probably go to bed because we're really tired."

Buffy blinked at her. "Tired? It's only like six o'clock. We don't close for another hour."

Tara smirked at Buffy then nodded back over her shoulder. "It's usually really slow for the last hour, and I'm sure Spike will help until closing, you know, since we're so tired."

Buffy just stared as the two women quickly exited the kitchen, giggling and whispering. She didn't turn around until Spike quietly cleared his throat. He motioned to the pans of cinnamon rolls on the table. "Uh… do I need to separate the rolls before I frost them? Or do I just leave them as is?"

Buffy tossed a glare over her shoulder at the giggling she could hear coming from the stairs then she took a deep breath and stepped toward the storage cabinet. She pulled open the door and took out a stack of small dessert plates then set them on the table. "Some of them will go on these before they're frosted." She turned and grabbed a dozen or so plastic clamshells out of a large box and set them next to the plates. "The rest will go in these for take-out orders." She started laying the plates out on the table. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I've got this."

Spike set the bowl of frosting on the table. "I'd like to help if you don't mind. It's not often I get to do things like this."

Buffy glanced up at him then looked back down at the plates. "You said you like to cook."

"I do, but I don't often get the chance."

"Probably not while you're on tour, but what about when you're not? You don't get to cook when you're home?"

Spike chuckled. "Yeah, but I usually end up with way too much food when I cook for just myself, and it's not nearly as much fun as cookin' for someone else."

Buffy looked up at him. "You don't feed Oz?"

Spike shook his head. "He's not usually around to feed when I have time to cook."

"Where does he go?"

Spike shrugged. "No idea. We share a flat, yeah, but unless we're on tour or involved in band business, we mostly just see each other in passing. Pretty sure he has a girlfriend, though."

"Why do you think that?"

Spike smirked. "When we got back to LA yesterday, the car took us to the flat, but he didn't come up, and when he finally came home 'bout an hour 'fore I left to come here, he was very disheveled and smelled like women's perfume."

Buffy giggled. "Walk of shame, huh?"

Spike laughed. "He didn't look ashamed at all, pet. Satisfied is the word I'd choose. Or maybe knackered. He didn't even change clothes, he just shambled into his room, flopped face first onto his bed, and started snoring. Whoever she is, she wore him right out."

Buffy blushed and looked down at the table. "Sounds like he had a good time."

"Yeah." Spike picked up a pan of rolls. "So, what's next? Do we cut these or just pry them out of the pan?"

Buffy picked up a bread knife and walked around the table to stand next to Spike. "Here, I'll show you." Spike set the pan on the table and Buffy ran the knife around the edge. She put the knife down then laid a glass cutting board over the pan before flipping it over. She lifted the pan off the rolls and turned to put it in the sink. "Now we just tear them apart, flip them over, and frost them." She tore off the corner roll and flipped it then set it on a dessert plate. "The first one is always Xander's. He likes lots of frosting."

Spike chuckled as he dipped a scoop of frosting out of the bowl. "So… should there be any roll visible under the frosting?"

Buffy shook her head with a smile. "Nope."

Spike nodded and proceeded to slather frosting on the roll. "Makes my teeth ache just lookin' at it."

Buffy chuckled. "I'm surprised Xander has any teeth, considering he's eaten his weight, my weight, and probably your weight in cinnamon rolls."

"I can't really blame him. They look and smell delicious."

"Oh, they are. Magic Box cinnamon rolls are world-famous." Spike looked at her and quirked an eyebrow. Buffy smiled and waved a hand. "Okay, maybe not world-famous, but they're Sunnydale-famous, anyway."

Spike dipped one more spoonful out of the bowl and slathered it on the completely covered roll then made a decorative swirl on top. He plunked the spoon back into the bowl and lifted the plate, holding it out to Buffy. "One world-famous Magic Box cinnamon roll, m'lady."

Buffy grinned and took the plate, looking it over carefully. "Nice presentation. You sure you're not angling for that job?"

Spike chuckled and dipped another scoop of frosting out of the bowl as he reached for the next plate. "It's always good to have a skill to fall back on, and I wouldn't mind doin' this for a livin', but I think I'll stick with my current job for a bit yet. At least until people stop buyin' our albums."

"Well, when that happens, if the shop is still open, you've got a job waiting for you."

Spike nodded. "Good to know, pet. Thank you."

XXXX

Buffy set the last stack of clam-shelled rolls next to the counter display case and turned to face Spike. "Okay. Time to close the shop, and then, you're gonna be excited about this… we get to clean the kitchen." She nodded over her shoulder at the door. "Um… unless you need to go."

Spike shook his head. "Don't have anywhere else I'd rather be, pet."

"Okay. Um… let me lock the door and then I'll wash the dishes if you want to wipe down the counters."

Spike motioned to the flowers still lying on the coffee bar. "Do you have a vase to put these in?"

"Yeah. Thanks for those, they're beautiful." She pointed at the back corner of the shop. "There's some vases over there. You can go pick one if you want."

Spike nodded and started for where she'd pointed. "Any I need to avoid choosing? Higher priced items and like that?"

"No, any of them are fair game. I can just write it off as a shop expense."

Spike disappeared into the shelves and Buffy reached under the register for the door key. The bell above the door jingled and Buffy looked up then groaned under her breath.

Scott Hope walked in followed closely by Harmony. They made their way to the coffee bar and Harmony looked up at Scott then asked in a sugar-sweet voice as she sneered at Buffy, "What kind of coffee should I get, Scotty?"

Scott shrugged. "What kind of coffee do you like?"

Buffy smiled her bright customer service smile and indicated the clock on the wall by the door. "We're actually closed, so all the coffee makers are turned off, but I could get you a cold drink from the cooler instead."

Harmony stomped her foot and demanded, "Then why wasn't the door locked?"

Buffy kept the smile plastered on her face and held up the key. "I was just about to do that."

Harmony stomped her foot again then noticed the bundle of flowers lying on the coffee bar. "Are these yours?' Buffy nodded and Harmony snorted derisively, "Who would send you flowers? What, did you buy them for yourself? How pathetic."

Scott chuckled quietly and Buffy ducked her head, turning slightly away. Spike stood just out of sight behind a shelf listening to the conversation, his anger flaring. He took a firm grip on the vase in his hand then stepped out from behind the shelf, holding up the vase with a loudly spoken, "This one do, luv?"

Buffy's head snapped up and she stared at Spike. She'd forgotten he was even there. He tipped her a wink then walked around behind the coffee bar and slung his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side. "It's the prettiest one on the shelf. Pretty vase for pretty flowers for a beautiful woman." He dipped his head and brushed a gentle kiss across Buffy's temple then looked at the two stunned people on the other side of the bar.

Harmony's eyes were so wide they were in danger of falling right out of her head and Scott's mouth was hanging open in an unattractive gape. Harmony squeaked, "Oh my god… are you Spike?"

Spike nodded. "I am. And who might you be?"

Harmony sputtered, "I'm… I'm Harmony, and I'm your biggest fan!"

Spike chuckled, "Nice to meet you." He glanced at Scott who was still standing there with his mouth hanging open. "And who's your bloke?"

Harmony's head jerked around then she looked back at Spike with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Oh, that's Scott."

Spike squeezed Buffy then nodded toward the door. "It's been lovely talking to you, but Buffy and I still have quite a lot to do before we can retire for the night. Would you like something before you go? On the house."

Scott dazedly shook his head and turned for the door. Harmony scowled at him then glanced around the coffee bar before pointing at the stack of cinnamon rolls. "I'll take one of those."

Spike stepped around Buffy and took the top roll off the stack then dug in his pocket for his Sharpie. He scrawled his autograph across the top of the clamshell then handed it to Harmony. She took it in shaking hands and beamed a smile at him. "Oh my god! Thank you! Nobody will believe this!" She turned and bounced out of the shop, the bell jingling merrily as the door swung shut.

Spike turned to Buffy, wearing an apologetic smile. "Sorry for bein' so forward, pet, invadin' your personal space and all… it's just… I didn't like the way she was talkin' to you."

Buffy shook herself out of her shocked stupor and asked quietly, "Then why did you give her an autograph?"

Spike chuckled. "She's right… nobody will believe it. They'll think she made the whole thing up. And bein' that I signed with my right hand instead of my left… well…"

"It doesn't even look like your autograph. It looks fake."

Spike grinned. "Yes. Bit evil of me, I know, but sometimes I like bein' the one to dish some karma." He smirked, "You'd think my 'biggest fan' would know which is my dominant hand." He raised that hand to the back of his neck and gave her a shy smile. "You're not cross with me for not askin' 'fore I…"

"Hugged me and kissed my head?"

Spike nodded. "Yeah. I'm not the sort to force myself on birds, and… we don't really know each other… I mean, we aren't that close yet, and…"

Buffy smiled at how flustered he was then reached out and touched his arm. "I'm not mad, Spike."

He blew out a relieved breath. "Oh, good. I was hopin' I didn't bollocks up the whole thing with my rash act."

Buffy laughed. "You didn't 'bollocks' up anything." She started for the front door. "I'll get that locked before we have any more unexpected guests." She glanced back over her shoulder to make sure Spike wasn't watching her then she reached up and touched her temple where he'd kissed her. The spot was still tingling.