7
“Mmm hmm,” Kate nodded her head, balancing the phone between her chin and shoulder as she scribbled onto a pad. “Alright, I’ll do my best.” A soft smile slid onto her face. “Always a pleasure talking to you, too.”
She placed the phone back in its receiver, walking over to the file cabinet and opening the first drawer. She rifled through the files, smirking when she found what she was looking for. Flipping open the file, she ran her finger over the page, returning to her desk and taking a seat. She lifted the phone up, dialling the number.
“Leroy, hi, it’s Lockley.” Kate grinned brightly at the sound of her old friend’s voice. “I know, it’s been too long. How’s the family?” She laughed. “Good to know. I’m great, work’s a little hectic but nothing I can’t handle. Speaking of which,” She lifted the sheet of paper that she’d scribbled onto in front of her, “I need a favour.”
***
Cordelia balanced the phone between her ear and her shoulder, placing the dangling diamond earring into her free ear. “So you made up?”
“Yep.” Faith’s voice sounded through the phone. “She came over and – ow!”
Cordy started. “What?”
“Sorry.” Faith grumbled. “Just poked myself in the eye with mascara.”
Cordelia smirked, wrapping the white belt around her waist. “Elegance is an attitude, Faith.”
“Which you have in spades. I’m more of a rambunctious kinda girl.”
“So, what happened?”
“She just said she was sorry, and that she over-reacted.” Faith sounded uncertain. “She looked a little uneasy though. Am I that untrustworthy?”
“I don’t think it’s you.” Cordy said, a frown on her face. “Buffy’s struggling with something right now and I don’t think even she knows what it is.”
“Well, why didn’t she say anything?”
Cordelia shrugged. “I guess she’ll talk when she’s ready.”
“Hmm…so, you all set for your big date?”
“It’s not a date.”
“I hate to burst your bubble of denial, Cordelia but – hang on, what are you wearing?”
Cordy gave herself a once-over in the mirror. She wore a pair of denim jeans with a slim white belt through the loops, a classic white halter-neck top and a pair of long diamond earrings. She’d thrown an elegant white blazer over the top in case it got chilly and her boots were dark-brown, three-inch heels. “Why?”
“My guess?” Faith paused. “You’re wearing a pair of jeans and pretty top because it’s smart-casual and on some level you realise this *is* a date. However – you’ve thrown a smart jacket or a blazer over the top so that you look and feel professional, like you’re going out on business, which negates the ‘date’ factor.” There was another pause. “Am I right?”
Cordy glanced around her house worriedly. “Did you put a camera in here?”
“No, I just know you.”
Cordy frowned. “Alright. Can I take a shot at you?”
“Shoot.”
“Leather pants, bright red top, leather jacket.”
“Bingo! Give the lady a cookie.”
Cordy smirked. “There we go, now we’re even.”
“Sure we are.” Faith’s voice was cheeky. “Only, one of us is refusing to acknowledge that she’s going on a date.”
***
Wesley jerked his head towards the door of the office in surprise, as the key turned in the lock. A moment later, Buffy pushed the door open, stepping into the office.
“Buffy.” Wesley cocked his head. “Evening. I thought you had a date?”
Buffy shook her head, hanging her jacket onto the coat rack. “I cancelled it.”
“Oh.” Wesley frowned. “May I ask why?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged, taking a seat on the couch and leaning back against the cushions. Wesley noticed she looked a little lost and her lips were pulled down into a frown.
“Are you alright?”
“Sure.”
“Buffy…” Wesley laid a hand on her shoulder. “What’s the matter?”
Buffy sighed, giving him a barely there smile. “It’s nothing, Wes. Really, I’m fine.”
He wasn’t convinced, but Wesley had a feeling she didn’t really want to talk about it. And considering he didn’t know what it was, he didn’t know what to say or how to fix it. “Okay. Can I get you anything?”
“No, but I do have something for you.” Buffy reached into her bag and pulled out a thin folder, handing it to Wesley. “Faith gave it to me – she did some research after she left.” Wesley began to flip through the sheets inside. “I looked through it on my way here. It’s mostly general but there is some important information on the buying and selling of souls.”
“Yes, it’s a centuries old practice.” Wesley narrowed his eyes. “The two main profits of it are to make money and more importantly, to control human beings and demons, in the worst cases as slaves.”
Buffy grimaced. “That’s awful.”
“Yes, quite barbaric.” Wesley closed the file. “I certainly wouldn’t put it past Wolfram & Hart. Angel may not be a slave but his soul is in their custody, which means they can do as they please with it.”
“And he can’t quit or simply walk out of there.” Buffy added. “Plus, if Wolfram & Hart are going for the whole control thing, chances are there’ll be things he’s not authorized to do and places he’s not allowed to go.”
“Which ensures his never finding out any means of escape.” Wesley nodded in understanding. “And if he can’t access those areas – ”
Buffy smirked. “We’re gonna have to do it for him.”
The sound of the bathroom door opening startled Buffy and she jerked her head towards the back room, shooting a glance at Wesley. He blushed, averting her gaze.
Moments later, Kate Lockley appeared through the doorway and into the main room. She looked surprised when she saw Buffy, but recovered quickly, smiling. “Hello Buffy.”
“Hi Kate.”
“How are you?”
“I’m fine.” Buffy looked from her to Wes, a grin slipping onto her face. “And you?”
“Great!” Kate said, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “I was just, um – ”
“Detective Lockley was kind enough to drop off some files and blueprints that she obtained from Wolfram & Hart through a warrant.” Wesley jumped in, the back of his neck hot. He shot Kate a smile, ducking his head when she smiled back.
“Aha.” Buffy raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “So you know about the case, huh?”
“Yes. I figured you guys could use a little help in the ‘law and order’ department.” Kate winked.
“Yeah, thanks.” Buffy smiled, a little bemused. “How did you a get a warrant?”
“Let’s just say Wolfram & Hart aren’t the only good lawyers in Los Angeles.” Kate grinned. “Our state lawyers were able to dig up over 40 major city code violations in the department they investigated alone. That was enough for a warrant to acquire the blueprints and paperwork for the rest of the building.”
Buffy looked impressed. “That’s great.”
“Yes, it’s pretty marvellous, isn’t it?” Wesley grinned, rushing to help Kate with her jacket as she reached for it. “Thank you so much for all your help, detective.”
She smiled softly at him. “I told you to call me Kate.”
“Right, sorry.” Wesley couldn’t seem to keep the smile of his face. He caught Buffy grinning from the corner of his eye and shot her a dirty look.
“Nice seeing you, Buffy.” Kate said, opening the door and stepping through it.
“You too, Kate.” The grin was still firmly planted on Buffy’s face.
The other woman glanced at Buffy, then took an uncertain step towards Wesley. She leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to the side of his mouth, so brief that he could have imagined it. Yet there was a shyness and a warmth in her eyes, and his heart fluttered in response. She smiled, then she swivelled on her heel and walked off.
With a final grin, Wesley closed the door. He spun around quickly, mainly to avoid any of Buffy’s questions, and swiftly returned to work-mode. “Right, back to business. We should have a look through the – what?” He glanced quizzically at Buffy when he noticed she was biting her lip to keep from laughing.
She cracked up. “Are you kidding me? I may not have a degree from the Watcher’s Academy Wes, but I wasn’t born yesterday!”
***
Cordelia parked the car inches away from the pavement, leaning back in her seat and looking across the road at the restaurant Angel had given her the directions for. It was nice – small but classy, a hatched straw canopy decorated with little lights covering the outside seating area.
Cordy frowned. It seemed a little too romantic for a business meeting.
Sighing, she got out of the car and crossed the street, her heels clicking against the pavement. The maître d’ smiled politely at her as she stepped through the hatched archway.
“May I show you to a table, madam?”
Cordy looked around the small space, searching for Angel. No sign of him – though the narrowing of her eyes was more due to the number of starry-eyed couples that were seated in front of her.
“Looking for me?”
Startled, Cordelia spun around. Angel stood just outside the restaurant, his eyes dancing with amusement. He wore a pale blue shirt beneath a navy blue Ralph Lauren suit, as though he’d just come from work. Had the crisply pressed outfit not given him away, Cordy would have assumed he had. He smiled winningly at her and a strange fluttery sensation took place in the pit of her stomach.
Before she could ponder *that*, he’d taken a step closer. “Sorry I’m late.” He held out a single white lily, handing it to her.
Cordy raised an eyebrow. “And I didn’t get you anything.”
Angel laughed and Cordy blinked. He had a very nice smile.
She shook her head as Angel held out a hand, gesturing towards the maitre d’. “After you?”
Cordy grinned. “Age before beauty?”
He laughed again and she felt the same odd flutter as she followed him behind the maître d’, who lead them to their table. He pulled out her chair for her and Cordy could swear she saw Angel glower at him. Handing them the menus, he made his way back to the front of the restaurant.
Angel cleared his throat. “Did you uh, find the place okay?”
Cordy cocked her head. “I was here before you, remember?”
He smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t realise you’d be on time.”
“I’m always punctual for business.” Cordy retorted, hiding her smile behind her menu. She didn’t see his reaction but she hoped he squirmed a little. “The duck looks good.”
“Order it.” Angel said, placing his menu down on the table.
Cordy glanced up. “That was fast.”
“What was?”
“You decided what you’re eating?”
Angel frowned. “Uh, no. I don’t eat food.”
Cordy looked him up and down quizzically. “Trying to lose weight?”
Angel’s eyes widened, then narrowed in irritation and she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. “No. I’m just more of a drinker.”
“A drinker?” This time Cordelia’s eyes widened.
“Yeah.” Angel grinned, clearly pleased at her reaction. He lifted his glass of water, taking a sip. “Vampire, remember?”
“Vamp – ” Cordy snapped her mouth shut, surprised at his ability to banter, even after their encounter the previous evening. More surprising was the fact that she was actually enjoying herself. Her lips twisted into a smirk. “Alright, you got me.”
Angel only smirked, leaning back in his seat. “Can I get you a glass of wine?”
“Only if you have one with me.” Cordelia said. “Considering they probably don’t serve blood here, I don’t want you getting thirsty. And it’s never nice to drink alone.”
“All right.” He raised his hand and the waiter came over, taking the order.
“So?” Cordy intertwined her fingers, resting her chin on them and her elbows on the table. “What did you so urgently want to talk about?”
And there it was – the million-dollar question. The smooth vampire disappeared and she was suddenly facing a very weary looking man. “Uh, you know, about the case.”
“Yeah…” Cordelia spoke slowly. “What about the case?”
“Just generally – ”
She glared at him. “Angel.”
“Yeah?”
“What’s going on here?” She asked suspiciously.
Angel shifted in his seat, releasing an unneeded breath. “I… look, the truth is, I just wanted to talk to you. After everything that’s happened, it’s just difficult to find someone who I can talk to, or laugh with, even about unimportant things.” Deep, dark eyes locked with hers. “I feel like I can do that with you.” He paused, frowning when she remained silent.
Whether or not it was just a well made-up excuse, inadvertently, Cordelia found herself melting. Every word he spoke felt genuine, maybe it was the way he was looking at her, maybe it was just *him* but she couldn’t help herself. Compassion won out over the urge to make him squirm.
“So talk.” She said simply.
Angel’s head shot up and he stared at her in surprise but she only smiled reassuringly at him, raising an eyebrow. The grin she’d admired earlier slid back onto his face and yet again, a similar swarm of butterflies enveloped her stomach.
She didn’t think twice about it.
***
For the fifth time that evening, Xander grabbed his arm, wincing. “Ow.”
“Stop being such a girl.” Faith grinned. “I can’t believe you cried.”
“It was a sad part!” Xander yelped indignantly, thoroughly trying to defend his manhood though a smile tugged at his lips. “I thought women were supposed to like sensitive guys?”
“Yeah, sensitive guys, not big baby men.” Faith retorted, bumping her shoulder with his when he glared at her. “Come on Xan-man, you know I think you’re sexy.”
Xander snorted. “Yeah right.”
Faith only smiled, her hand brushing against his as they walked along the pavement. “I have a lot of fun with you Xander.”
Xander stopped, glancing up. “Well, I have a lot of fun with you too.”
“Really?” Faith raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “You’re not thinking of someone short, blonde and over-protective? Not wishing you were out on a date with her instead?”
“No!” Xander lied. “I’m having a great time with you.” That part was true, but Buffy *had* been drifting in and out of his mind all evening. She’d looked so crestfallen earlier that afternoon; he’d known there was something wrong. He just hadn’t know what. For a brief moment he’d dared to dream, to think that after all these years, maybe she felt the same way…
But then reality had kicked in and he hadn’t known what he’d been thinking. And yet, there she was, at the back of his mind, roaming around discontentedly with that forlorn expression on her face and all he wanted to do was make it better. Even if he was having a great time with –
“Xander?” Faith’s voice broke through his reverie and he shook his head in confusion. “Where do you wanna eat?”
Xander forced himself to snap out of it. After all, it wasn’t every day a beautiful woman wanted to go out with him, and he was jeopardising his chances by dreaming a dream he knew would never come true. He’d pretty much resigned himself to the fact that him and Buffy were never going to happen – it hurt to admit it but now he had a chance to get past that with someone else he really did care about.
“Sorry.” He said, smiling winningly at her. “I’m easy.”
“I hope so.” Faith said with a smirk. “Otherwise this is a total waste of my evening.”
Xander rolled his eyes and pointed at the row of food stands lining the border of the park just opposite. “How about there?”
“Looks good.” She looked him up and down. “I recommend you steer clear of the fajitas though.”
“Bite me.”
Faith grinned wickedly. “Where, baby?”
***
A wonderful tingle had begun to spread down Angel’s spine, all the way to his fingers and toes. It could have been because Cordelia’s fingers had brushed his on the way to her wine glass. Maybe it was the way the soft tendrils of her hair floated on the wind, revealing the smooth curve of her neck. Perhaps it was the sound of her laughter, or the way her eyes twinkled when they caught his.
Angel swallowed. She had vivid eyes.
Something about her made him ache. Her beauty, her wit, her warmth – he couldn’t put his finger on it but it made him crazy. *She* made him crazy.
“Hello?” Cordelia was waving her hand in his face. “Earth to Angel? You brood a lot, huh?”
“I uh,” Angel cleared his throat, shaking his head, “No, I was just thinking.”
“That’s just another word for brooding.” Cordy rolled her eyes. She sighed and her hand dropped to the table, fiddling with the tablecloth before she rested the back of her palm on it, fingers curling slightly. Angel found himself mesmerized by every breath she took, every movement she made.
Before he was even conscious of it, his hand stretched out, hovering just above hers. Just barely, his fingers touched her palm, delicately tracing the slim lines along it as they disappeared towards her wrist. He could feel the beat of her pulse beneath the skin, warm and precious and alive.
It had the desired effect. Cordelia sucked in a breath, her eyes fluttering shut momentarily before she jerked her hand away, looking everywhere at once. Everywhere but at him.
Angel frowned. “Cordelia – ”
Cordelia glanced at her watch, spooked like a skittish mare. “I should get home.”
The frowned remained but Angel nodded, raising his hand and gesturing to the waiter. His expression fell slightly and she must have noticed it because she opened her mouth to speak, then as though thinking better of it, snapped it shut.
He rolled his eyes. “Look – ”
“My dog will start to worry.” She blurted suddenly.
Angel’s head snapped up. “What?”
“My dog.” Cordelia repeated, taking a deep breath and leaning back in her seat.
“You have a dog?”
“Yep. Love of my life.” She grinned then and maybe his heart danced a little. “Doesn’t like other men.”
Angel’s smile was feral. “I don’t blame him.”
***
Thoroughly checking the sheet of paper in her hands before moving on to another, Buffy rubbed her head tiredly, though a headache was the last of her worries at present. Her heart felt heavy, discontent and confused – she didn’t know *what* she was feeling, or why. She gave the sheet in front of her a once over. Best to concentrate on work, take her mind off…other things, other people –
“Eureka!” Wes exclaimed, passing the sheet of paper with the highlighted name on it to Buffy. “Gavin Park. Head of secure operations and senior management.”
Buffy grimaced at the picture next to the name. “Great.” She handed him her highlighted sheet. “I have the other one right here. Eve… Something unpronounceable. Liaison to the senior partners.” She pointed at a specific part of the sheet. “Check out her gadget.”
Wesley looked impressed. “Nifty.”
“Yep.” Buffy smiled, collecting the two sheets and placing them into a file. She looked up at Wes. “I was looking through one of those files.” She nodded towards a large stack of folders containing confidential information that had come with Kate’s warrant. “They mention a *lot* about the senior partners.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, they just seem to be in the driver’s seat.” Buffy said
Wesley nodded. “Yes, they’re the only ones ranked above Angel, I suppose.
Buffy crossed her arms, bemused. “Surely, if they’re so important to the company, they’re equally important to the case.”
“I think they’re terribly important.” Wesley agreed. “I’m just not certain how much we can do about it.” At Buffy’s confused look, he continued. “The senior partners are believed to balance out the evil in the world, just as the Powers do good.”
Buffy raised both eyebrows. “But wouldn’t destroying them permanently be great for the good guys?”
“It could be.” Wesley considered it, looking gravely at her. “Or the effects could be devastating. Tipping the scales of good and evil is an extremely dangerous task, Buffy. We’d have to be absolutely positive before we made any judgements, let alone took action.”
Buffy nodded, releasing a huff of breath. “Well, I would say check it with the Powers but we all know how helpful they are with their mysterious multi-meanings and ambiguous mumbo jumbo.”
Wesley smiled. “Quite.”
***
Cordelia and Angel walked towards her car in slightly uneasy silence, the former having just subtly avoided the latter’s attempt to hold her hand. Cordy didn’t know what she was feeling – she’d agreed to the evening on a purely professional basis, yet she’d ended up truly enjoying herself with a man to whom she found herself more and more attracted.
He was great looking, there was no doubt about it and Cordelia could appreciate that, regardless of what she’d told Faith and Buffy. She wasn’t a fool, she saw the way he looked at her. But while her own treacherous body reacted, everything about the evening was still leaving her with odd feelings of being creeped out and comforted all at once. This was ridiculously unprofessional and still something stirred within her that she couldn’t control or truly understand – or deny.
On leaving the restaurant, his hand had connected briefly with the small of her back and she’d felt a jolt of electricity. She’d suppressed it surprisingly well.
And yet the attraction was there, however unspoken or wrong. She liked his smile, his quirky sense of humour, his little fits of melancholy that she seemed to be able to snap him out of. She just didn’t know what to do about it. It made something jolt within her, the way he looked at her – with such desire in his eyes. There was something so passionate about him, so intense, so –
“Whoa!” She was jerked out of her reverie by his voice as he stood before her silver Porsche, amazed and excited like a little boy. “This is your car?” She nodded. “NICE!”
– so completely dorky.
Cordelia couldn’t help but smile as he ran his fingers along the exterior. “What is it with men and cars?”
“This is incredible.” Angel murmured, almost to himself, completely absorbed by the Porsche. Suddenly, he looked up at her. “Are you driving home in this?”
“Yeah…” Cordy raised an eyebrow. “Why? Do want a ride?”
Angel blinked, looking her up and down.
She flushed, gritting her teeth. “Do you need a lift, dumbass?”
The slightly lecherous smile turned into a frown. “Well, that’s hardly chivalrous.”
“Pfft, I’m used to it.” Cordy shrugged, walking around the car and opening the driver’s side door. “You’re technically the victim here. And I’m a big girl.” She slid into her seat, closing the door and glancing at him. He hadn’t budged an inch. She scrunched up her nose. “If you think I’m holding the door open for you though you were clearly dropped on your head as a child.”
A small grin slipped over Angel’s face then and he sighed, pulling open the passenger side door, and getting in.
***
Xander bounced on the balls of his feet as Faith slid the key into the lock, opening her front door. It swung open in front of her and she stepped inside, turning to face him.
“So.”
Xander raised an eyebrow. “So what?”
“Nothing.” Faith rolled her eyes, and if Xander didn’t know better, he would have thought she looked shy. “I had a great time, Xander.”
“Me too.” Xander smiled softly. “Who knew, huh?”
Faith laughed. “Not me.” She glanced at him, nodding towards her living room. “Do you wanna come in?”
Xander shook his head. “Uh, no. I should probably – ” He pointed his thumb behind him. “But thanks.”
“Right.” Faith said with a smile. “Catch up on beauty sleep?”
“Well,” Xander shrugged. “I can’t look this good all the time without a secret.”
Faith snorted, taking a step forward and towards him. She brushed a hand across his cheek and he felt a slight tingle down his neck. She took another step closer and her face blurred beneath the dim light of the porch lamp.
For a moment, Buffy floated into his mind, her lips soft and innocent against his cheek. Faith’s fingers brushed his arm and Xander’s eyelids fluttered shut as he let it all go. Buffy disappeared as Faith’s lips pressed against the corner of his mouth, firm but soft, and all too brief.
She stepped back, squeezing his arm. “We should do this again.”
“Stand on porches and make with the front door talk?”
“No.” Faith punched his arm. “Go out again.”
“Well, I know your name and number.” Xander looked up at her roof. “And I know where you live.”
“You make it sound so creepy.”
“I try.”
Faith grinned, brushing her knuckles against his chin. “Night Xander.”
There was a hint of a smile on his face when she closed the door. “Night Faith.”
***
It felt weird pulling up to Wolfram & Hart so casually, and yet Cordy parked the car just short of the main doors in order to avoid cameras, turning slightly in her seat to face Angel. “Home sweet hell.”
He winced and she grinned. “I would drop you in but the zepplin might get suspicious.” She glanced through the glass doors at the beefy security guard. “Then again, I could probably make with the nice-nice and get away with it.”
“Don’t be stupid.” Cordelia’s eyes narrowed but Angel continued, oblivious. “I’m that guy and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen is making eyes at me? It’s either a bachelor party or a scam.”
Cordy felt the air rush out of her lungs. “What did you just call me?”
“I’m sorry.” Angel said quickly, glancing at her. “You’re not stupid.”
“No after that.”
He looked at her then, something shifting in his eyes – soft and wonderful – and she suddenly had to fight the overwhelming urge to kiss him. Cordy cleared her throat.
“Thank you for dinner, Angel.” She said seriously. “I had a nice time.”
This time, when she looked up at him, he seemed to stare at her forever, want and fervour so strong in his gaze that she couldn’t drag her eyes away and her breath caught in her throat. Her heart fluttered as he seemed to be moving closer to her, sliding across his seat and into her personal bubble. Strange. Suddenly it didn’t feel awkward, or icky, or wrong.
Her eyes fell to his lips when he licked them, slowly bridging the gap between them. Something clicked in her, something rational and still confused and she brought a hand up, pressing it against his chest to stop his approach.
“Angel…” God, it came out like a breathy plea, and she was supposed to be a strong, professional woman, dammit.
He was still staring at her with those captivating eyes. He covered her hand with his own, slowly, so slowly, lifting it from his chest to his lips. He turned her palm in his, his eyes on her, always on her. Tingles shot up her arm from where Angel was touching her, just as they had earlier that evening when he’d smoothed his fingers across her palm. But this time, she found it impossible to pull away.
Cordelia felt the whisper of a touch on the inside of her wrist and then he was there, lips, teeth and tongue painting his name onto her skin. He nibbled at the sensitive area sending fireworks bulleting through her, blunt teeth dragging down her palm until they reached her fingers. He pressed a soft kiss to each one, sucking the tip of a finger into his mouth.
A surge of raw desire cut through her like a bolt of lightning, right to her core where it scorched and melted into hot liquid heat. She hadn’t realized she was panting until she vaguely heard herself, her toes curling in her boots, the fingers of her free hand clutching the steering wheel.
Angel pressed a kiss to her palm, inhaling a breath, his eyes, still locked with hers, full of lust. There was a hint of a smile on his lips when he said, “Thank *you*.”
And then he released her and it was a strange mixture of relief and disappointment as he slid back across to his side, opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him. Cordy watched as he strolled to the glass doors, pressed in the key code and walked through, greeting the security guard along the way. He turned once before he disappeared out of sight, the tiny smile still on his face.
Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her feelings were a mess. Her body was trembling with fear and desire and GOD, what was going on here? She needed to get some sleep, *now*.
With a final look at the main doors, Cordy released a shuddering breath, turning the key in the ignition and driving home.