‘So I said to him, ‘Darling boy, by all means do with that what you will, but wouldn’t it be kinder to warn the Bishop first?’’
A peal of shocked laughter echoed around the room. The party was turning into a nightmare for Buffy, she and Giles had got separated early on and now Professor Niall Haddon had joined Buffy’s group, immediately dominating the conversation with the kind of filthy story that he loved to tell in mixed company to see what reaction it would provoke. One of the museum’s more famous faces, courtesy of a recent and very popular documentary series on the rise of the pre-Christian Roman Empire, he was respected as a gifted academic, but feared and reviled as a misogynist and a bully.
Buffy watched him as he stood, with his waistcoat buttons straining across his gut, soaking up the laughter, face shining with sweat, licking at the residue of grease on his lips from all the finger food he’d consumed. He turned his glance to her.
‘What news from the colonies, my dear?’
How she wanted to hit him.
‘Somehow they’re doing just fine without British mismanagement.’
Buffy looked over to where Giles was standing in the hope of indicating that she wanted to be rescued, but he was stood almost with his back to her, engaged in an animated discussion with some of the interns. She smiled to herself, no wonder Giles got on so well with the youngest members of his team, she and the rest of the Scoobies had given him enough practice.
‘Popular man, your husband.’
Niall Haddon had followed her gaze and was looking at Giles with unashamed lust.
‘Ever so attractive as well,’ he sighed. ‘All these years and not even a glance in my direction. Heigh-ho.’
Buffy rolled her eyes as he carried on:
‘What I wouldn’t give for a single touch.’
As they watched, the girl who was standing next to Giles placed her arm on his back in an extremely over-familiar gesture.
‘It seems I’m not the only one,’ said Niall, pretending to be shocked.
‘Of course if one listens to rumour, which clearly one as clever as I never would, then I’m absolutely, positively not the only one.’ He drew the last four words of the sentence out with sadistic relish, then gave Buffy a twisted smile.
‘Niall, stop being such an old bitch and tell us about Tokyo,’
Another guest diverted his attention away from Buffy and she let his voice wash over her as he launched into an anecdote about his latest lecture tour. All Buffy’s attention was focussed on Giles, who removed the girl’s arm with a glare and carried on talking. She was probably drunk. Buffy never failed to be amazed by the capacity that Brits of all ages had for alcohol, wherever she’d been in the world the Brits were always first at the bar. And as for Niall Haddon’s insinuations, she had long ago learned not believe a word he said.
Later on Buffy would see them together again, both looking serious and intense. She felt a little sorry for the girl, it was typical of Giles to go into work mode at a party and from his expression she had obviously done something wrong. At this angle Buffy saw that the girl wasn’t an intern, it was Victoria Jeffries - or Vix as she was universally known. She had been working in Giles’ department for a few months and it must be her first job out of college because she couldn’t be more than twenty-two. Buffy knew her from events like tonight’s and she was an occasional visitor to their home, when they took pity on the interns and newbies, who were usually heavily in debt and living off beans on toast, and had them over for Sunday lunch.
Buffy had not been surprised when Vix had told her that she’d been in the crew of her university boat club, for she was tall, toned, and her rather pronounced arm muscles looked impressive when she was dressed casually but somewhat incongruous tonight in the sheer red dress she was wearing. Buffy had tried the same dress on a few days ago, but felt it made her look fat, she noticed with displeasure that it looked great on Vix. ‘Bitchy, much?’ Buffy thought. ‘Must be channelling Cordelia.’ Buffy had travelled the world, meeting people from many cultures and backgrounds, and yet the Queen of Sunnydale High reigned supreme in her memory as the biggest bitch she’d ever encountered.
Giles had clearly gone too far as Vix was looking very upset, almost to the point of tears. Buffy was just thinking that maybe she would go and intervene when Vix responded, then began to laugh. ‘Good for you,’ thought Buffy as Vix walked away, leaving Giles who was obviously not amused. Buffy knew it was disloyal but she was impressed with the way that Vix had stood up to her boss, it was brave, and there were few qualities the ex-Slayer respected more. She went over to Giles.
‘Were you being mean to Vix?’
He stared at her blankly.
‘What?’
‘Vix, you and she talking. It’s a party but you’d gone all ‘you will obey me’ on her.’
He shot her an fierce look and angrily said.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
Buffy felt a little hurt.
‘Sweetie, are you okay?’
Giles pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply.
‘Fine,’ he said in much gentler tones. ‘Just tired. A-are you ready to leave?’
As they went to go, Niall Haddon intercepted them.
‘No, no dear boy,’ he ignored Buffy totally. ‘You simply cannot escape yet. Glen Ozeki from UEA is here, I absolutely must introduce you. He’s got the most daring theory on the application of geo-phys in…’
He prattled on as Buffy and Giles looked at each other. She’d seen the interest spark in his eyes as soon as Niall had said the other guy’s name, it was obviously a big deal.
‘Go on, it’s fine.
‘Buffy are you sure? I’ll only be a minute, it just that he’s published a paper on…’
‘If you love me, you’ll spare the details,’ Buffy joked. ‘There’s a taxi outside here with my name on it.’
She kissed his cheek.
‘Have fun. See you later’
They smiled and went their separate ways.
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