Part 8
“Lilah, Lindsay, please have a seat.” Holland Masters beckoned the young lawyers to the chairs in front of his desk.
“Holland,” Lilah acknowledged sitting down wondering why both she and Lindsay were being called to the carpet. She glanced over at Lindsay. He wasn’t wondering. Great. The other lawyer screwed up somehow and she was getting caught up in it.
Lilah sat straighter. She didn’t do anything. Lindsay can sink on his own. “Holland, has something happened? Did Lindsay make a mistake, possibly a fatal one?”
“Killing me off a little soon, aren’t you Lilah?” Lindsay shot over to the other lawyer before turning to Holland. “Obviously, you’ve heard.”
Holland raised up a fax- the words were clear and bold. ‘Satan Toadies should stay in hell- You’re fired, Cordelia Chase’. “Lindsay, I would’ve appreciated finding out from you rather than from this somewhat colorful note.”
“I was on my way to tell you.”
Holland nodded. “So, tell me now.”
“Cordelia has hired Angel Investigations to find her stalker. It seems that she does know Angel, quite well. Trusts him, not us.”
“Angel?” Holland’s gaze rested on Lilah. “It was my understanding that the vampire with the soul was in no condition to investigate anything.”
“He isn’t. All the reports say that he’s a babbling idiot most of the time. He hasn’t been seen outside his apartment in almost a year. He’s been leaving the fighting to those associates of his- Wesley Wyndham-Price and Charles Gunn. They’re somewhat effective but not a danger to us. If Cordelia Chase hired Angel Investigations- she hired them, not Angel.”
“Charles Gunn was at the studio this morning and Cordelia said that Angel, not Gunn or Wyndham-Price, was escorting her to the Premiere tonight.” Lindsay countered.
“Find out. This could be very disturbing to the Senior Partners. They’ve been relying on Angel’s weakening role as a champion. I wonder…”
“Holland?”
“Lindsay, you say that Cordelia knows the vampire. They both came to LA from the Hellmouth. Did they know each other there?”
“Yes, she admitted that Angel had saved her and her high school friends before.”
“Yet, this is the first time they’ve been connected in LA, correct.”
“First time I’ve ever heard her mention him or Sunnydale for that matter.”
“Lilah, in your surveillance of the vampire have you seen any indication of a connection.”
“With Cordelia Chase. No. There’s been no evidence of him even knowing her before now.”
“Interesting.” Holland tapped his fingertips. “The seers have sensed an upcoming change in the balance of things, not in our favor. The surge within the mystical forces occurred not very long before receiving this.” The older lawyer held up Cordelia’s fax.
“It seems possible that this renewed connection between Ms. Chase and Angel is causing it and that is not in our best interests. It must be severed.”
“She’s not going to listen to us, not now.”
“Any information on this stalker of hers.”
“No.”
“Find him. He may be a danger to Ms. Chase and if she died it would be such a shame.”
“But any connection between Cordelia Chase and Angel would be severed.”
Holland gave a half smile to Lilah. “Now that would be interesting.
Part 9
“I’m saying you’re not thinking this is a good idea.” Gunn tugged at the sleeve of his tuxedo. “Why do I’ve to wear this monkey suit, damn.”
“I think that it is necessary that we accompany Angel and Cordelia to the Premiere tonight-that means tuxedos. If Angel has a vision tonight we’ll need to be there. Cordelia won’t be able to handle his possible violent reaction.” Wesley shook his head. “A very public event is not the place for Angel to be.”
“Could always chain him up.”
Wesley shot a look over at the other man. “Chaining up a lucid determined Angel is definitely not a good idea.”
“Yeah and he’s already left anyway, so no chance of that- we’ll just have to have the steel mesh net when and if it happens. So now what?” Gunn searched around his rented formal jacket trying to find the perfect places to hide his stakes and small hatchet.
“Wait for Cordelia’s driver to pick us up and hopefully just watch a movie.”
“Hey, Cordy’s in this movie, isn’t she? Wonder if we’ll see any Cordy-nakedness.”
“Oh lord, that was not the thought I needed.”
***
Cordelia trailed an appraising glance over the vampire. “Geez, you can be dressed up. Lookin’ very spiffy there ‘grr’ guy.” Cordelia smiled. Wow, Angel looked more than just spiffy- old words of ‘salty goodness’ floated through her memory.
Too bad, the man before her was a tragic vision-racked vampire prone to bouts of extreme antisocial and insane type behavior; otherwise he’d be a catch. But, Angel would look good on her arm or was it she would look good on his. Whatever.
Angel cleared his throat as he tugged nervously on the collar that had some how managed to tighten into a noose. Why was he here? He didn’t belong out in public much less escorting Cordelia to a movie premier. He belonged in the shadows.
What if he had a vision? What if he tripped? The way Cordelia kept staring at him seemed to make every coordinated bone in his body uncoordinated so tripping was a distinct possibility.
“You’re going to talk at least a little aren’t you? Granted, I’ve been known to carry conversations before and quite well, actually. Entertain myself even, tell quirky anecdotes, spread harmless fun gossip and other nonsense, touch on current events and what‘s new in the ‘in‘ scene, don‘t do religion or politics but will give myself compliments- you know like, Gee, Cordy you look spectacular tonight, love the hair and the dress. And the shoes, to die for,” Cordelia kicked out a strappy sandal clad foot in Angel’s direction.
“Oh, Geez, never mind,” Cordelia rolled her eyes at the vampire. “Well, at least stop gaping, looking dorky isn’t going to scare off any crazy stalker-type. Put on that dark mysterious broody face that was oh so intimidating back in Sunnydale.”
Angel blinked trying to catch her rapid fire speech and its meaning. Something about harmless fun, nonsense, politics, no not politics, shoes…why was Cordelia showing him her shoes? Dork, she called him a dork. Again Angel wondered what he was doing there.
Wait. Stalker. Angel’s expression became a scowl. He knew why he was there- to protect Cordelia from her stalker. To keep her safe at all cost. Angel didn’t understand but his need to keep Cordelia safe had screamed to a priority even more so than his pressing need to save the victims of his visions.
Only, that need didn’t cause Angel pain or drive him crazy. His need for a safe Cordelia made him feel stronger. He needed to be.
“That’s the face I’m talking about- the no-nonsense take no prisoner-type, scary and the ‘grr’ sound, a great ad-lib. Doubly scary.” Cordelia nodded enthusiastically.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you, Cordelia.”
“Wow. You can speak. Come one, my silent dark hero. I’ll just assume that you find me irresistibly gorgeous and the extreme emotion of it all took away your coherent thoughts as well as your ability to say that I look nice in my new dress and shoes,” Cordelia shoved her shoe once again at the vampire.
Cordelia shook her head; the soft curls floating around her beautiful face.
Angel stared at Cordelia’s expectant face. The young woman was doing it again. Maybe she was driving him crazy. What was she talking about now? Hero. Gorgeous. The shoes again. Wait. Compliments. She wanted him to say something nice about her dress and shoes.
Angel studied the gold high-heeled sandals and the sun-colored shimmering dress that hugged around Cordelia‘s body. How did she walk in those shoes? How did she keep that dress up? It sure wasn’t from over use of the shimmering material. Where was it’s back? Angel gulped, he didn’t remember the young woman in person, as being quite so…. so curvy and well…gorgeous.
Beautiful, sure- but the woman before him wasn’t the tactlessly rude lovely teenager he knew in Sunnydale, though she did still talk a lot and it seemed about anything and everything that was on her mind. No, this woman could take a man‘s breath and words away.
But Angel tried anyway. “You look…very…um.. Nice in your new shoes and dress- the dress, it’s very….sunny….nice.”
Cordelia blinked, her smile getting bright and wide, her shoulders starting to shake as giggles then finally laughter burst out of the smile.
Angel stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at his feet. God. He just told the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen she looked ‘nice’. He was a dork. Not only was he a borderline psychotic he was a borderline psychotic dork. When did he become a dork? The psychotic he had pretty much figured out, but dork? What was that exactly?”
“Thank you.” Cordelia beamed, her laughter slowing to a halt. “I think you actually meant that. Good. You look nice. I look nice. We’re a damn ‘nice’ looking couple. Do you even like movies? What’s the last movie you saw?” Cordelia slid her arm under Angel’s to hook her elbow in his.
“Movie?”
“Moving pictures with sounds. Color now-days even.” Cordelia tilted her head up at the vampire.
Angel glanced down into twinkling hazel eyes. She was about to start to laugh again. He could feel the chuckles of her breath rolling up his body, squeezing his groin. Angel gulped again. That wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be here.
He shouldn’t want to smile. “Omega Man.”
Cordelia paused, tugging at his arm. “Really, Charlton Heston, Hmmph. Loner, lonely guy in post-apocalyptic LA, turning hero with the wise cracks and kicking ass- okay, for you just the kicking ass part. Did you read the book? The creepy guys in black robes- book version- vampires- not that I wanted to read it mind you, but it was required in Sunnydale, I realized why when I saw my first vampire bite the dust- is that why you liked it. A feeling of empathy, vampire with a soul, solo-isolated- the hero-, fighting the evil creatures trying to save the remaining innocents.” Cordelia looked up expectantly.
“I just like Charlton Heston.”
“Oh, you know that he’s got Alzheimer’s- the hero turning crazy- is that why you like him. Empathy, cuz you’re a hero going you know- bonkers. Not that I think your crazy but Wesley said…”
“I just like him.” Angel stared.
“Oh.”
Angel followed blindly into the waiting limousine. Wait. He should be sensing the area for any strange and intruding scents. Instead he was thinking about a dark theater and a movie seen alone too many years ago and now another movie, the woman next to him who somehow stated his life in a quick movie review and the smile that seemed to be threatening to break through his habitual scowl.
“This movie, the one we’re going to – what kind of movie is it?” Angel tried in an attempt to distract him from the odd feeling of true confusion flowing through him.
“Wow. Three sentences all together. Well, sorta three, almost a conversation, definitely a question- which I’ll answer.” Cordelia nodded reassuring, “but, it’s not a lonely guy hero film and definitely no Charlton Heston, so no backing out, it’s a romantic comedy set in- hey, you’re an old guy- early 19th century, maybe you’ll like it, remind you of old times. Oh wait -old times for you were evil killing sprees- this isn’t horror. Where were you in the 1800’s?”
“England.” Angel said simply, deciding after a tense moment that Cordelia wasn’t inquiring about Angelus and his killing sprees, just his whereabouts.
Cordelia shook her head. “Nay, this is set in United States- New York area- which is good, since my British accent needs work or at least that’s what my acting coach says, what do you think do I sound British, you’re old-time Irish-like, right, that’s close, sorta of right?”
“Now?” Angel squirmed was he suppose to answer that? Cordelia sounded horrible.
“I take that as a no, then- I hate it when he’s right, he can be such a little Lord Fauntleroy-type. I play the heroine’s best friend. I’ve played best friends before- well, once I was a best friend and once I was an old girlfriend- but I died in both. Those movies did pretty well and the critics seemed to like me dying.” Cordelia glanced up.
“That’s why I’m nervous tonight. I’m not in this one- dying I mean. What if I’m only good at dying? I don’t what to be the girl that’s always dying, boring.” Cordelia shrugged. “My agent didn’t really want me to take it since I sleep around a lot in it- but I say I make it to the closing credits. But he says it goes against, ‘Sweetheart of America Stuff’- which is kind of funny that now my reputation is ‘sweet’ when in high school it was bitch.” Cordelia shrugged.
“Things change, look at you- evil/soul, me – bitch/sweet…. though, I can still be a bitch when need be, it just that I don’t seem to want or need to be one as much, weird, uh, though honestly I don’t think I’m all that sweet. But, hey, it pays the bills and buys expensive shoes,” Cordelia kicked up her foot again for an appreciative glance.
“You…what do you mean you sleep around a lot in the movie?” Angel thought it was easier to just block out most of what Cordelia was saying and just concentrate on the statement that caught his attention. For some unknown reason, Angel really hoped that Cordelia meant she had some weird sleeping illness in the film.
“I’m a major slut in this movie. Seducing pretty much everyone, well not the heroines’ boyfriend, because well, then I wouldn’t be a very good best friend and my character was given some scruples, just not that much to wear.”
“Not…” Angel gulped looking again at the young woman and the curves accentuated by the form fitting dress. Angel didn’t want to see her in less. Angel looked again. He didn’t think he did. He knew he shouldn’t. “Women wore a lot of clothes in the 19th century, layers and layers of them.”
“Really, in the bedroom too? Cuz, the director wanted me to run around nude like in all of the scenes. I was just thinking he just wanted my ass on the screen. Eek was I wrong, should I’ve said yes to the nude scenes. I’m just not real comfortable with that yet, so I have a no nudity clause in my contract. Maybe for the right part.” Cordelia shrugged again. “Well?”
Angel gulped at the idea of a naked Cordelia running around on wide screen. Movies were seen by a lot of people. He stared at the woman. She asked him something. “What?”
“Well, should’ve I have said yes to the nudity- you know for historical accuracy in the bedroom?”
“No, you made a good choice. No nude scenes.” Angel was definite in his answer. For the first time that night he was truly certain about something. Though, he wasn’t so sure why he was so sure about that.
Cordelia nodded happily. “Good- we’re here. Hey,” Cordelia leaned over Angel, pointing through the window, “There’s Wesley and Gunn. We can go join them after the picture-shooting-frenzy.” Cordelia scooted back to her side of the limo.
Angel’s back was stiffly pressed against the seat his eyes closed trying to get rid of the imagines of Cordelia’s breast floating near his face as she leaned over. How she kept those lovely full rounded bits of flesh inside that sunny shimmering dress was beyond him.