After a day of settling in to her new digs at the Hyperion Hotel, Willow was ready for some amigo-free recreation time She’d left her home in shambles, tired of cleaning and unpacking, and headed for the nearest watering hole. The place was called D’Oblique, and it happened to be a singles bar.
The bar was crowded; the crowd was ambivalent. Beautiful people wandered around aimlessly, barely acknowledging each other or the bass-driven thud of the techno music playing loudly in the background. Couples met and migrated to the quieter bar areas upstairs as she looked for a stool. She finally chose a seat between a short wiry-looking man and another petite redhead. She really didn’t want to be sitting at midbar, but it was the only available perch that looked like it was going to be harassment-free.
“What’ll it be?” The bartender asked politely as she settled in.
She looked over at the plastic drink menu in front of her and didn’t see anything that sounded good. “Got any Amstel Light?”
“Sorry. We just got a new micro in from Chicago, want to try that?”
“Sure.” She shrugged.
He plopped the beer down and said, “Seven fifty.”
Shaking her head, Willow fished in the pocket of her long black jacket and pulled out a ten. “Keep it.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“Thank you.” She turned around on her stool and stared at the crowd. What a bunch of freaks and weirdoes, she thought. Welcome to L.A.
Forty-five minutes later, she found herself picking up her beer and heading for the bathroom. She felt a hand on her arm.
“Willow? Willow Rosenberg?” A deep voice asked as the music stopped.
She turned around, and nearly fainted.
Riley Finn looked absolutely delicious, she decided. In the five years it had been since he’d gone to South America, he’d gotten thinner. The muscles in his arms were corded, peeking out of the pushed-up sleeves of his shirt, and his sandy-brown hair was a little longer. His face, definitely less boyish, had more crinkles around the eyes and stress lines splayed around the mouth. He looked weathered, which was a quality that she had to admit looked very sexy on him.
Hold on there libido woman, she thought. This is Riley. Buffy’s Riley. Isn’t there a girlie rule about wanting to fuck your best friend’s ex? And didn’t you just hop off your Englishman?
“You look great,” He tried to shout over the music. “What are you doing in L.A.?”
She cupped a hand over her ear, “What?”
He shook his head and grabbed her hand, pulling her back towards the bar. She took the last swallow of her beer and set it down on one of the passing tables to search her pocket for the other twenty dollar bill she knew she had.
He led Willow to the stairs, and up. They climbed the tower of marble, passed the entrance door, and moved down a darkened hallway. It was much quieter up here. Riley passed the heavily muscled bouncer outside the curtained-off area at the end and nodded to him. “Max.”
“Hey Riley. Who’s the babe?” Max grinned wolfishly down her shirt and she bristled.
Riley felt her back stiffen. “She’s a very, very old friend. Stop looking at her tits.”
Max smiled at Willow, still appraising. “I wish I had old friends who looked like her.”
“Max.” Riley said dangerously.
“Alright, alright.” He finally relented. “I’m just funnin’ ya. Go on, go on in. Sheesh.”
Rilet shook his head, exasperated, and led Willow through the black velvet drape. “Ignore him. He’s a recently divorced pig.”
“It’s fine. I’m just not used to people blatantly staring at my chest.” She smiled. “So, how are you?”
“I’m alright.” He let go of her hand and led her to a table near the empty stage. Riley pulled out a chair for her to sit, then sat down himself. The waitress was quick to stop by.
“The usual, Mr. Finn?”
“Yes, thanks.”
“For the lady?”
Riley turned back to Willow. “You like red wine? There’s this excellent Chianti here.”
“Got any fava beans?”
“Oh, for cripe’s sake. Better make it two beers. And two shots of tequila.”
Willow eyed him askance. “I don’t do shots.”
“Come on. Just one?”
Willow nodded, “One.” The waitress made a note on a napkin and moved away, tray in hand.
“So, what are you doing in L.A.?” She and Riley asked each other at the same time.
“You go first.” Willow laughed..
“I got my discharge from the Initiative two months ago. I wanted to go back to school and get my master’s. I was flown back up from Belize, went home to visit for a week or two.” His brown eyes gleamed in the dim light of the candle in the middle of the table. “I start at UCLA in the fall. Until then, I’ve got a job as a manager here.”
“You’re going to work and go to school?” Willow asked as the waitress set down the drinks. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” The waitress said. “No charge, Riley.”
“Thanks, Monica.” He replied. Turning back to Willow, “And you?”
“I start at CalTech in the fall. Going for a master’s in computer aided design. I’ve got a job at the Hyperion Hotel as sort of a desk clerk.” She sipped at her beer. “The girl I’m replacing did a pilot last month, and it got picked up by CBS, so she’s going to pursue her acting career.”
“Doesn’t Angel own the Hyperion?” Riley asked. “You’re replacing that Carol girl?”
Willow flushed. “Cordelia. You’re not going to tell the Initiative, are you? I think they’re still looking for him.”
“I won’t. He saved my life, I owe him.” He shrugged. “Does he still run that detctive agency?”
“Yeah. That’s actually the job. Witchy assistant to vampire detective. Gal Friday, version 2.0.”
Riley smiled. “Guess that means you have a big day tomorrow.”
“Actually, this is my first day in town. Tomorrow is more moving in. Unless something comes up.” She yawned and stretched. “But I’m sleepy. I got here at 5AM today, been up unpacking and organizing the files, arguing with Wesley about my salary, catching up with Cordie, restocking Angel’s food supply. I’m just exhausted.”
“Where do you live?” He asked. “I’ll take you home.”
It wasn’t very long and the two of them were standing in front of the hotel, smiling and staring up at the stars. “Nightcap?” Willow asked. “I know it’s corny.”
“I thought you were tired.”
“I am. But I saw you grab that six pack. Thought you might wanna see the place, and share the beer.” She started to walk around to the side of the building and searched her pockets for her keys.
“What about Angel?” Riley said. “He’s not going to try to kill me, is he?”
“Why would he? You and Buffy broke up, like, years ago. And if I can get along with Cordelia, I’m sure you two can behave.” Willow unlocked the outside door and led him inside to the frieght elevator. “Anyway, this is a private entrance. He won’t see you.”
“Oh.” He followed her in and watched as she pressed 4. “Top floor, eh? Neat.”
They rode up in silence until the elevator stopped at the second floor. The doors opened, and Angel stepped inside. Without batting an eyelash, he said, “Willow. Riley.”
“Oh. Hi Angel.” Willow said nervously. Her whole body tensed as she waited for an explosion.
It never came. “Hello, Angel.”
Angel pressed three, and soon got out. As he left, he turned back. “Willow. Staff meeting tomorrow at ten AM.”
“All right. See you then.”
“Goodnight.” He looked back at Willow’s nervous companion. “Riley.”
Raising a hand, Riley tossed of an informal salute. “G’night.”
The door shut, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief. “That was....uncomfortable.” Willow said.
“But he didn’t try to rip my throat out.”
“True. He wasn’t pleasant, either.” She sniffed. “I hope he doesn’t think--”
Riley finished for her. “ -- that we’re going upstairs to make wild animal sex?”
“That he’s allowed to tell me who to hang out with.” She’d been thinking exactly what Riley had said, and was embarrassed after hearing it put into such stark terms. “I don’t think wild animal sex is appropriate at this point. We barely know each other, for one thing, and for another, you went out with my best friend for a year.”
“And she told me to leave.” The doors opened, and they entered Willow’s home. “So I left. This place is gorgeous.” He began to wander around, admiring the furnishings.
Willow turned to look at him. “Isn’t it cool? I love it here. Buffy cried for a month, after you left. She tried to catch you, but you never looked out of the helicopter.”
“I knew she was there. Wait a minute. Did you say, ‘At this point’?” He grinned widely, eyes twinkling. “That mean I have a chance with you, Willow? I thought you didn’t, you know... like boys.”
“I like boys. I like girls.” She smiled as she sat down on the plush white sofa. “I’m actually tri-sexual.”
“Try anything once?” He opened two beers and handed her one.
“No. I’m not that adventurous.” Now it was Willow’s turn to say, “Wait a minute. You knew Buffy was there and you left anyways?”
“Now, don’t get mad. Think of it this way: I knew she didn’t love me. She’d been pushing me off for months. Spike was all about her, and, near as I could tell, she was all about him, too. I got while the getting was good, and got a clean break in the process. It was better for all of us.” He took a long swallow of his beer. “I knew you all would take care of her. Trisexual?”
“Men, women, and fish.” They both laughed for a moment. When it passed, Willow asked, “Do you still love her?”
“Buffy? Yes. I’ll always love her a little bit. She’s a great, wonderful person. But it couldn’t work out between us. Did it work out for her and Spike?”
“Hell, no. They dated for a few months, but then he got the chip out and bit me. Damn shame too. He was one hell of a kisser.” Willow blushed. The alcohol was getting to her head, and she’d revealed far more than she’d intended.
“I’m not even going to ask. Too creepy.” Riley stood up. “This is the part where I ask for your telephone number, becaus if I have another drink, I’m not going to be able to drive home.”
“I don’t have one yet. There’s cards for the agency at the front desk, we’ll go out the front and get you one.”
“Aren’t you going to ask for my number?”
“I thought I would let you call me.”
She walked Riley downstairs, and exchanged pleasantries as he left. She shut and locked the front doors, and went back to her apartment to get some sleep.
“So,” A voice echoed off the walls.
Willow started and then turned around. “Angel. Didn’t see you there.”
“Riley Finn, in L.A. In your apartment?”
Willow looked at him, right eyebrow arched.
“That’s fair. I’m not your father. But you’re not going to tell me anything about anything, are you?”
“Nope. It would ruin the fun of making you guess.” The elevator doors opened, and Willow got inside.
Angel smiled. “Goodnight.”
“‘Night, Angel.” As the doors closed, Willow reflected that it had been a most interesting first day, after all. She chuckled to herself as the lift lifted her. Most definitely interesting.
And if that was a slow day....what were the busy ones like?
back to chapter two
to chapter four, where it actually gets interesting...