4
The alarm clock beside her woke Faith instantly and she blinked several times, trying to adjust her eyes to the morning light streaming through the window. She flung an arm out in habit, squeaking when it connected with something soft, but solid.
Whatever it was let out an indignant huff and shoved her off the bed.
“Ow!” Faith yelped, rubbing her injured bottom. She took in her surroundings. This was Buffy’s guest room. She quickly got onto her knees and placed both elbows on the bed, staring at the peacefully sleeping woman who she’d been beside less than a minute ago.
Cordelia.
Peaceful, her ass.
“Morning to you too, roomy.” Faith stood, stretching for a few seconds before strolling out of the bedroom. She heard shuffling in the kitchen and turned into the doorway, grinning when she saw Buffy laying the small kitchen table with plates.
“Hey B.”
Buffy glanced up, smiling at her. “Morning. Sleep well?”
“Great.” Faith walked in, taking a look around the kitchen. Bacon was sizzling in the frying pan and there were two cartons of juice lying on the counter. “Up until I got pushed off the bed.”
Buffy snorted, covering her mouth with her palm. “What?”
“Cordelia.” Faith rolled her eyes. “That girl has anger issues. I accidentally whacked her with my arm and even in her sleep she ended up shoving me to the floor.”
Buffy giggled, flipping the bacon. “Where is she?”
“She’s sleeping.” Faith said, yawning widely. “Must’ve been all the exercise I gave her last night.” She winked saucily at Buffy and the blonde laughed, handing her a glass of juice.
“Right. Well, she better get up soon, we owe Satan’s law firm a visit.”
Faith’s eyes lit up. “Can we grab her by the legs and drag her out of bed?”
Buffy shot her a horrified look. “Don’t you value your life?”
“I heard that.” Came a voice from just outside the door. Seconds later Cordy stepped into the kitchen. Despite the fact that her eyes were still blinking with sleep and the jumper she’d slept in was falling off her shoulder, her hair and her entire appearance appeared as perfect as it did the night before.
Faith hated that.
“Morning gorgeous.” Buffy grinned, one hand on her hip. “Breakfast?”
“Sounds good.” Cordy flopped down on the seat next to Faith, glaring at her.
Faith was struggling not to laugh. “Guess I should pay some heed to the expression, let sleeping bitches lie…”
She received a swift, sharp kick in the shin from Cordy.
“Ow!” Faith yelped, grabbing her leg. “Dammit Cordelia, twice in one morning?”
Cordy shot her a cheeky grin, grabbing a slice of toast that Buffy placed on the table.
“Fine. The next time we stay over?” Faith turned to Buffy. “I’m sleeping in your bed.”
Buffy rolled her eyes, sliding a slice of bacon onto her plate and taking a seat. Cordelia glanced at her.
“Ready to face the enemy?”
Buffy smiled widely at her. “As I’ll ever be.”
***
BING.
The elevator doors opened and Cordelia stepped out onto the floor, Buffy and Faith either side of her. Several heads turned their way, mostly open – mouthed men and green – eyed women. Cordy took a moment to observe the interior of the building, noting that it was just as exquisite as the exterior they had seen moments before.
The ceiling was vast and high off the ground. Every piece of furniture was oak – wood and stylishly coated in a dark polish. Deep, velvet carpeting covered the floors and men and women walked over them with authority in their designer shoes and million dollar suits.
Faith shifted uncomfortably. “I hate wearing suits.”
Buffy grinned, walking over to the main counter. She tapped her fingernails restlessly against the surface until the ditzy blonde on the phone behind it shot her an irritated look. Buffy’s grin widened.
The blonde put the phone down. “Can I help you?”
“We’re looking for Mr Angel.”
The blonde looked bored. “Do you have an appointment?”
Buffy frowned. “No.”
The blonde dismissed her with a flick of her hair. “Well I’m sorry, you can’t see him without one.”
“Ooh.” Faith said, stepping close to Cordy. “Showdown of the blondes.”
Cordy smiled. “My money’s on Buff.”
Buffy raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
The blonde looked up, as though surprised she was still standing there. “Mr Angel’s a very busy man.”
“And I’m a very busy woman.” Buffy said briskly. “I need to speak with him now.”
The blonde glared at her. “Well, I’m afraid you – ”
“This isn’t a request Barbie doll, it’s an order.” Buffy snapped.
The blonde apparently had more balls than she let on. “I don’t have to take orders from you.”
“Ouch.” Faith muttered, grinning. Cordelia rolled her eyes.
“I bet you’d rather take orders than a fist.” Buffy said, taking a step closer to the counter. To her delight, the blonde took a step back.
“Security can be here at the press of a button.”
“Maybe.” Buffy shrugged. “But I doubt they could handle me.”
The blonde frowned deeply, glancing at Faith and Cordelia who came to stand behind Buffy. Her eyes narrowed in vague recognition. Her nostrils flared and then suddenly, her eyes widened.
“You…you’re – ”
“Likely to get extremely pissed if there isn’t a little less conversation and a little more action very soon?” Faith suggested, clicking her fingers. “That would be a yes.”
The blonde opened and closed her mouth several times before picking up the phone. Buffy tensed but the blonde gestured to some leather seating behind them. “Take a seat. You may have to wait a while but I’ll see what I can do.”
“We don’t have time to – ” Buffy started, but Cordy rested a hand on her arm, shooting her a look. Buffy huffed, but relented. She turned around and walked over to the sofas, taking a seat.
Cordy smiled at the blonde. “Thanks. We’ll wait.”
***
Fifteen minutes later, even Cordelia was getting restless. Buffy tapped her heel rhythmically against the ground, alternating between fiddling with her fingers and shooting disapproving looks at Faith, who was busy eyeing up anything in a pantsuit.
Cordy glanced over at the receptionist. “Excuse me!” The blonde raised her head. “Is this ‘wait’ going to take very much longer?”
The blonde looked incredibly irritated, but she quickly picked up the phone at Cordelia’s glare. She spoke into the receiver for a few seconds before she replaced it and looked up. “Shouldn’t be much longer, he’s almost free.”
Cordelia rolled her eyes, getting out of her seat. “I need to pee.”
“Thank you for that.” Faith muttered, tapping lightly at the edges of her bun.
“Do you want us to wait if they send us in?” Buffy asked.
“No, I’ll follow.” Cordy spun on her heel and headed towards the toilets. “Though at this rate, I could fall in and still make it out in time.”
***
However, seconds after Cordelia walked off, the blonde receptionist appeared in front of them.
“You can go in now.” Her smile was saccharine sweet, and Buffy had to resist the urge to wipe it from her face. She stood, adjusting her jacket as she and Faith made their way over to the large wooden doors of Angel’s office.
“What about Cor?”
“She said she’d follow.” Buffy said, holding the door for her friend as the blonde led them inside. The office was magnificent, enormous in size and beautifully decorated with expensive pieces of art and designer furniture.
The most beautiful thing in the room however, sat behind a large oak – wood desk opposite them, his stance rigid as he signed several papers in front of him. Buffy noticed the way his brow creased and the frown that curled his lip downwards.
Yep. This guy definitely needed their help.
“Bossy?” The blonde said, gesturing to Buffy and Faith. “These are the women I was telling you about. They refused to leave without – ”
“Thanks Harmony.” Angel said, nodding at her. Her mouth snapped shut then, and she turned on her heel with a huff, walking out and slamming the door behind her. Buffy and Faith winced but Angel barely batted an eyelid. He stood, extending his hand and when he looked up at them with those dark, intense eyes, both momentarily forgot what it was they had come all this way to say.
“Hi, I’m Angel. How can I help you?”
“So many ways…” Faith murmured and Buffy snapped out of it, shooting her an angry look. She came forward quickly, shaking Angel’s hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Buffy Summers and this is my colleague Faith.” Buffy released his hand, taking a step back. “It’s um, not so much how you can help us. More like, how we can help you.”
Angel frowned. “I’m not interested in buying anything.”
Faith took a seat without being asked, slouching slightly in the large, silk-cushioned chair. “We ain’t selling.”
Angel glanced at Faith and Buffy detected a hint of humour in his expression. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
Buffy sat down, crossing her legs and sitting up straight. “The thing is, Mr Angel – ”
“Just Angel’s fine.”
Buffy cleared her throat. “The thing is – ” How was she meant to tackle this? This was usually Cordelia’s forte. She decided to go with the direct approach. “Faith and I are two thirds of an elite supernatural crime-fighting unit.”
To her dismay, Angel immediately looked suspicious. She saw his arm tense and he reached under his desk –
Faith’s hand locked onto the weapon at her hip. Angel’s eyes darted to her. Instantly, Buffy was out of her seat, holding her hands up between them in a sign of pacification. Her heart was suddenly pounding but when she spoke, her voice was calm.
“Please, just let us explain. We’re not here to cause any trouble.”
“You let me be the judge of that.” Angel growled.
“Ease up Boss man, you got a lotta pent up aggression.” Faith sounded almost sympathetic as she rose from her seat. “From what I can tell, you *need* our help.”
“I don’t need anybody’s help.” Angel said lowly. He reached for the phone. “I’ll have Harmony escort you out.”
Oh boy, this really wasn’t going well…
“Angel, please…” Buffy pulled out the last card she had left. “We work for the Powers That Be.”
Angel’s hand paused just above the button for the speaker. It hovered there for a second as he stared at the two women in front of him.
“You…work for the Powers?”
“Yep.” Faith nodded.
Angel looked unconvinced. “The Powers That Be?”
Faith made a face. “Yeah. Do you like, need to check I.D?”
“What she means is…” Buffy shot Faith a look and the brunette smirked, “We do. And the Powers want us to help you.”
Angel stared at them, speaking slowly, as though he were having difficulty understanding. “The Powers sent *you* to help *me*?”
“Yes.”
“Bingo.”
Neither of the girls expected Angel to laugh.
“Right.” He chuckled bitterly. “You expect me to believe that?”
Faith raised an eyebrow. “Well, yeah.”
“Why the hell would the Powers want to help me?” Angel snapped, his smile fading. “They didn’t do a damn thing to help last year when everything was falling apart. Why start caring now?”
Buffy sighed. “They just want to get you back on track.”
“Back on track?” He scoffed. “To do what? Work for them? Be their champion?”
“You used to be one.” Buffy said softly.
Angel stopped short of what he was going to say, looking at her. Buffy hoped she looked sincere and she must have succeeded because he seemed to soften, slumping back in his chair. “Yeah, well. People change.”
“People like us don’t change.” Faith said. Angel glanced at her. Then suddenly he looked confused.
“You said two thirds.” He gestured at the both of them. “Where’s the other third – ”
Almost as if on cue, he was interrupted by the door to his office, as it opened swiftly and Cordelia walked through, a folder in her hand, her skirt flowing out behind her. She looked momentarily impressed by the office before her eyes focussed on Faith and Buffy, and finally the figure seated behind the desk.
“Speak of the devil.” Buffy muttered, then wondered if that was the best expression to use in this place. “Uh, Angel, my colleague, Cordelia Chase. The other third, if you will.”
A small smile pulled up Cordelia’s lips and she stepped forward, holding out her hand. Angel however, seemed to be frozen in place. He was staring at Cordelia in amazement, his jaw slack, his body stiff, and he didn’t seem able to move, as though he were completely mesmerized by her sheer presence.
Cordy’s eyed narrowed. Faith smirked.
Buffy frowned. “Angel?”
***
He’d lived, in one form or other, for nearly two and a half centuries. Charmed and seduced scores of women on nearly every continent, admired the abundant feminine form of thousands more. He’d left them blushing, enthralled, and usually sated to the point of exhaustion. No small feat considering he’d also spent most of that time a soulless killer. And certainly not one he accomplished by rendered speechless by the mere entrance of a beautiful woman, much less one so young.
But here he was, looking like a perfect fool simply because he couldn’t pry his jaw from the ground, figuratively at least. Cordelia Chase strolled into his office like a shimmering ray of sunlight in an otherwise dark and grey world and he was mesmerized. The thought no sooner crossed his mind than Angel inwardly cringed. At least his natural resistance to social chit-chat had prevented him from sounding as big of an idiot aloud as he did in his head.
Angel told himself, small comfort that it was, that he’d mastered the art of controlling every emotion that showed on his face longer than the three women gathered in his office had been living.
“Angel?”
By the time Buffy Summers’ voice registered in his brain, her amused tone suggested that his social mask had slipped.
He couldn’t stop staring back at a pair of sparkling hazel or the plump flesh of her lower lip she curved in a slight, self-assured smile. The lure to continue acting the part of thunderstruck, appreciative male was strong—stronger than any he could recall having with any of the million and one beautiful women he’d encountered in his long life. But an instinct older than attraction made him finally snap back to the point at hand. She was stunning and probably a whole world of other things that could lead to places he ultimately couldn’t go.
Angel let his gaze sweep one last time across her face. An incredibly annoyed expression had now replaced her smile and he swallowed before forcing himself to finally speak.
“Away with the fairies…” Faith sang, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers.
Angel cringed. Clearing his throat, he extended his hand. The look on Cordelia’s face made him wish the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
“Sorry.” He coughed, grateful that vampires couldn’t blush. “Angel. Nice to meet you.”
“Cordelia.” She said, shaking his hand firmly, her eyebrow raised high. She took a seat, primly crossing her legs. Her eyes never left Angel’s but when she spoke, she addressed Faith. “Is he alright upstairs?”
Faith snorted. Angel’s jaw dropped.
Cordelia ignored him completely.
“As I was saying,” Buffy intervened quickly. She was looking at him oddly but Angel ignored her, recovering quickly and returning to his previously disinterested manner. “Cordelia’s part of our team. The three of us have worked together under the Powers for the past eight years.”
“Fighting crime, right?” Angel’s voice was thick with sarcasm.
Cordy glared. “In a less lame-ass superhero comic strip kinda term, yeah. And I highly doubt the Powers’ latest project reserves the right to be patronizing.”
Angel blinked, staring at her. Buffy had been nothing but patient and Faith had been a little unorthodox, but reasonable. Cordelia – well, he was clearly dealing with a whole other kettle of fish here. They’d only just been introduced, yet she appeared unafraid to say exactly what she thought, regardless. The insult should have made him angry, yet he felt a smile tug at his lips.
“Sorry.”
She blinked and to his surprise, her lips twitched.
Something inside him jolted and suddenly, he chastised himself for feeling or even thinking that way about her. He’d lived too long, been burned and abandoned and betrayed too many times to allow himself to trust anyone too soon again, least of all three beautiful women. So what if Cordelia gave him that wonderful feeling of butterflies in his stomach? So what if her voice was like honey, and her beauty was unrivalled?
Beautiful women were the worst of the bunch. And he’d always been a sucker for them.
And just like that, as much as it pained him to think he might not see her again, his mind was made up.
***
Faith stifled a yawn. “So – are you gonna let us help?”
Angel glanced at her, then looked down at the papers on his desk. “No.”
“No?” Faith’s jaw dropped. “What?”
“I’ll have Harmony show you out.” He didn’t bother to look at any of them. “It was nice to meet you, all of you,” he glanced up at Cordelia then, quickly looking back down. “But I’m not interested in your case.”
Buffy gaped. “But – ”
“Look, let me spell this out for you.” Angel snapped suddenly, making Buffy jump a little. “I don’t trust the Powers. I don’t trust anyone who works for the Powers. Which means I don’t trust you.”
Buffy opened her mouth.
“And I’m fine.” He growled. “I don’t need your goddamn help.”
Buffy sighed resignedly, her body slumping as she slid into the chair next to Faith, resting her head in her palm.
Cordelia crossed her arms, staring at him coolly. “You know, for a filthy rich law firm, you’d think they’d teach you a few manners.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.” Angel’s voice was even but Buffy noticed a wince.
“So what, did they like, take your balls along with your soul?” Cordelia said mockingly.
“Cordelia…” Buffy warned, her eyes widening.
“You’re outta line.” Angel growled, his eyes yellow, dangerous. “I’m doing fine here.”
“Don’t give me that ‘everything’s fine here’ company line. I’m not buying it.” Cordelia snapped, and Buffy was surprised to hear the sudden emotion in her voice. Evidently by his expression, so was Angel but his tone remained the same.
“Look, frankly Miss Chase, this is none of your business.” He barked. “And I’ve done some great work – ”
“Oh cut the crap, Angel. None of us have time for this.” Cordy bit, rising from her seat so fast it went skidding back a few inches. Angel seemed to be frozen in place as his eyes snapped to her face, his previously loud mouth now gaping open like a fish. Buffy noted that he looked almost impressed.
Almost.
“You’re a good guy, this place is evil. You’re practically alone. You’re unhappy. You don’t even have possession of your soul anymore! So let *me* spell this out for you – the Powers *know* you want out, which means *we* know you want out.”
“That ain’t the only thing that wants out.” Faith muttered to Buffy, pointing at Angel’s crotch. Buffy stifled a snort.
“So the way I see it is this.” Cordy continued, oblivious. “We have a job to do, you have a job you don’t wanna be doing. We’re gonna help you regardless of whether or not you like it because the Powers want you back on their side.”
Angel seemed to find his tongue then. He gritted his teeth. “The Powers put me through hell last year.”
“Uh, no. The hell you went through last year was as a result of your bad decisions, which are your fault and your fault only. And buddy, you’re lucky enough to be offered help in cleaning up the mess you made. If you refuse it, then you’re dumber than I thought.”
Angel’s eyes narrowed and he walked swiftly around the desk, his nose nearly brushing Cordelia’s as he glared her down. She didn’t even blink.
“DON’T call me that.”
Cordelia rolled her eyes, her tone bewildered. “Would you prefer Satan’s toady?”
A low growl escaped Angel but Cordy stood her ground, both inches away from each other as fire burned in their eyes. Neither relented and Buffy had a strange feeling they were secretly enjoying it. Cordy had done a great job of telling it like it was but now they needed to close the deal before it went the other way.
“Is the tension in here making you horny, too?” Faith asked quietly, interrupting her thoughts. Buffy grimaced and swatted her hand, standing.
“Let us help you, Angel.” She said softly, waiting for him to look at her. “This is what we do. It’s what you used to do, not so long ago. And Cordelia’s right – ”
“Of course I am.”
Buffy couldn’t help but grin at that. “You’re dying to get out of this place.”
“Yeah, cos seriously?” Cordelia drew his gaze back to her, her voice suddenly soft, sympathetic. “This whole CEO of an evil law firm gig? SO not you.”
***
Angel wanted to be angry but he wasn’t—he knew he couldn’t be. And not just because Miss Chase made something dead and forgotten in his chest stir. Everything she’d said was true and she was still standing before him with warm eyes, saying she wanted to help. They all were.
He wanted to decline, he really did, but they were making it hard not to at least give them a chance. And apparently he didn’t have a choice in the matter. He looked at all three girls in turn, observing each one carefully. Truth was, there didn’t appear to be anything menacing about them, but he knew all about evil wearing a pretty face. And yet…
He’d always been a sucker for beautiful women.
“Fine.” Angel said, finally relenting.
“Alleluia.” Faith said, standing and stretching her arms.
“But I want to be in the loop about everything.” Angel said firmly, pointing a finger at the two girls who were actually listening to him. “I mean it. It may be your case but it’s *my* soul.”
“Alright, don’t get possessive.” Cordelia said with a smile.
“I’m serious, Miss Chase.” Angel said, though he had to fight the urge to grin like a little kid on Christmas morning when she smiled at him. “Regular meetings, phone calls, emails, whatever you kids are into these days.”
“Kids?” Faith scrunched up her nose.
“250.” Buffy muttered.
“Right.”
“I want to know any progress and all details.” Angel said, his eyes narrowing. “And if I find out I’m being taken for a ride – ”
Buffy raised her hand, cutting him off, her voice reassuring. “You can trust is.”
“You better pray I can.” Angel said.
“Ooh, scary.” Faith said grinning as she came forward, shaking his hand rather vigorously. “Pleasure doing business with you, Angel.” She licked her lips and winked, pulling the door open and practically skipping through it.
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Like a damn child…” She handed Angel a business card, nodding at him. “Thanks for your time. If you have any queries at all, just contact us. We’ll keep you posted.” She strolled out of the office, leaving Angel alone with Cordelia.
***
There was an uncomfortable silence when the door slammed shut, indicating Buffy’s exit. Angel stood with his hands in his pockets, darting looks at Cordelia from underneath his lashes. She felt her cheeks burn, even as she made a face. Did he really think she couldn’t sense that?
“So,” Cordelia quickly broke the quiet, shaking Angel’s hand. “It was nice meeting you.”
She could swear he seemed nervous. Hell, she felt a little awkward – one minute she was mouthing off to him, the next she was making small talk.
“Yes. You too.” He said.
“Well, I should…” She gestured behind her and turned, heading for the door. She took barely two steps before she stopped short. She felt guilty. “Look, if I was out of line earlier – ”
“No.” His voice made her stop and spin around in surprise. Angel cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I was rude too.”
Cordy felt a smile tug at her lips. “That’s okay. It’s understandable” She blushed, averting his gaze. “But I’m sorry too. Especially for the…” She winced, “balls comment.”
He chuckled lightly. “You were refreshing.” When she looked up he was staring at her with those deep, dark eyes, and she felt her stomach do a rather odd flip. He looked as though he wanted to say something else but didn’t elaborate.
She was baffled at the pang of disappointment as she took a step back. “Um, we’ll be in touch.”
Angel smirked. “I look forward to it.”
Cordelia nodded, then swivelled on her heel and walked through the door, shutting it behind her.
***
“My God, that man is even better looking in person.” Buffy said dreamily, as they walked out into the main lobby area.
“Mmm hmm.” Faith winked at her. “I could just spread him on a cracker…”
Both girls laughed, turning to observe a slightly distant Cordelia as she helped herself to a drink from the water filter. She didn’t seem to notice them. They crossed their arms, staring at her expectantly.
She turned eventually, regarding them both with a casual, raised eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Well?” Buffy said, eagerly nodding her head towards Angel’s office. “What did you think?”
Cordy looked confused. “About the case?”
“No!” Faith huffed, throwing her hands up in the air. “About Mr. Tall, Dark and Deadly Handsome.”
Cordelia shrugged indifferently. “He’s alright.”
Buffy’s eyes widened. “Just alright?”
Cordelia nodded. “Sure. He seems nice enough.”
Faith couldn’t help but laugh. “Who cares if he’s nice? The man is a walking orgasm.”
Buffy blushed when a few heads turned their way. “Faith…”
Cordy stared at her oddly, misinterpreting her embarrassment. “Well, it’s not very professional, but if you like him that much, go for it.” She reached inside her bag and pulled out a small file, seemingly setting aside the subject as she flipped through it.
For several seconds, Buffy and Faith openly gaped at her. Finally, Cordelia looked up at them, puzzled by the silence. Her brow creased.
“What?”
“Okay, Cordy?” Buffy said slowly, as though speaking to a child, though she sounded a tad disappointed. “I have NEVER been so aware of a guy being less interested in me, and MORE interested in you than *that* one.”
“What?” Cordelia rolled her eyes, waving her hand dispassionately. “Please…”
“Oh, believe me, he could’ve had you right there on the floor.” Faith confirmed, grinning at the repulsed look she received. “What? Judging by his face, and uh, something else – he was *definitely* thinking about it.”
“Stop, okay?” Cordy said firmly, dismissing them with a flick of her hair. “He’s a client. Let’s just work with that for now.”
Faith rolled her eyes, shrugging. “Fine. But know this – the boy wants in your pants BIGTIME.”
***
Angel stood staring at the closed door of his office long after they left, his knees a little weak and a small smile on his face. This wasn’t an entirely new sensation, he’d been attracted to millions of women before, but this woman, this feeling – it was different somehow, more.
There was a sudden knock at the door and Angel jumped, speedily hurrying around the desk and taking a seat. “Come in!”
“Hi Bossy.” Harmony strolled in, her heels clicking annoyingly against the floor. “Just some mail and a time change – can you do four thirty?”
Angel grimaced. “Make it five.”
“Nuh uh, the Klydonians can’t do any later than four thirty. One of the family members is leaving the dimension – they’re having some big ceremony. I was invited but I said – ”
“Fine.” Angel said, cutting her off. “Four thirty it is.”
“Got it.” Harmony nodded, scribbling onto her pad. She looked up and graced him with a smile. “So, what did Sabrina, Jane and Kelly want?”
Huh? “Who?”
“Ya know,” Harmony rolled her eyes. “LA’s Angels?” Angel continued to stare at her blankly. “The three women that were just in your office?”
Angel frowned. “Go back to work, Harmony.”
Harmony pouted. “It was just a question.”
“Sure. One I chose not to answer.”
“Sounds suspicious.”
Angel opened his mouth to tell her to go away, but paused. He didn’t want Harmony to go mouthing off to everyone about his little meeting with Cordelia, Buffy and Faith – he couldn’t risk the senior partners knowing anything about it or his intentions to leave the firm. It was too dangerous.
He cleared his throat. “It was nothing. They just wanted my help with a case they were working and I refused, that’s all.”
Harmony raised an eyebrow. “Why would they want your help? Aren’t they like, LA’s finest?”
Angel glared at her. “I don’t know.”
Harmony huffed haughtily. “If you ask me, they were probably just looking for trouble.”
“Thank you for your ever appreciated opinion, Harmony.” Angel’s tone was laced with sarcasm. “Are we done here?”
Harmony, oblivious, grinned widely. “Sure thing, Bossy.” She twirled and bounced out of his office, closing the door and leaving him in peace.
Angel sighed, letting his head drop to the table.
The sooner he got out of this place, the better.
