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Chapter 9: The Fickle Finger of Fate


A few weeks later...

Buffy was trudging through yet another day of serving ungrateful, lousy tippers at the diner. She hadn't had one call back yet from her numerous auditions. She even tried out for some singing parts, even though she wasn't much of a singer. Her Hollywood dreams were turning into nightmares over the course of two months.

Maybe she really wasn't good enough, after all...maybe her parents were right. Wouldn't that be something? The problem was that she couldn't go crawling back to them, not after the way she had left the house. And she'd never admit that she'd failed after all her big talk; it would be too humiliating, and they would never let her live it down. Buffy still called once a week to let them know that she wasn't 'dead in a ditch' somewhere, as her mother had feared.

'Oh goody...those creeps are back.' Buffy thought, seeing Earl and Wayne sitting in their usual booth.

Nevertheless, Buffy had to do her job. With a falsely cheerful smile that made her face hurt, she walked over to their table. Why couldn't all the customers be as quiet and tidy-looking as the business man sitting at a table adjacent to the 'gruesome twosome', as she called them.

"What can I get you?" she asked them.

"How 'bout your phone number?" Earl cackled, giving his friend a high-five.

"You know, that just keeps getting funnier every time you say it," Buffy said tiredly.

The pervs snickered.

Earl gave her their order, "Two black coffees and two slices of that peach pie."

Buffy nodded and went to get their order ready. She didn't know how much more of this crap she could take. Her life had taken a decidedly shitty turn since she'd gotten into town. She sighed. Any day now, she reminded herself, any day she could get some good luck; she just had to hang tough.

The coffees, pie, as well as soup and a cheese sandwich for another customer, were loaded onto her tray. Buffy walked back to the table and her 'favorite' customers.

"Thanks, honey. Don't you look pretty as a picture today?" Wayne said. The words themselves were innocent and complimentary, but the way he said it, and the way his eyes raked over her body as he spoke, made her flesh crawl.

"That's nice. Thank you. Will that be-- " Buffy halted mid-sentence. Someone's hand was on her ass.

She whipped around. The business man-type was the one with the busy hand.

He grinned lecherously up at her. "How about a little service, honey?"

"You keep your fucking hands off of me!" she yelled, shaking with indignation. "You touch me again and I'll chop them off at the wrist!"

The other patrons stared. The business man had the decency to flush in embarrassment.

"Shut up, you stupid cunt! I was just having a little fun--you're making a scene!" he hissed.

Buffy's mouth hung open. "What did you call me!?" She became more enraged; no one had ever called her such a filthy name to her face before. "You son of a bitch!" She cracked him across the face with an open handed slap, and some of the diners gasped. "How dare you talk to me like that!"

Still vibrating with rage, Buffy picked up the bowl of soup from her tray and dumped it on his lap. The man jumped up, howling in surprise and pain from the hot liquid saturating the front of his pants.

"You crazy bitch!" He hopped from foot to foot, holding the material of his pants away from his skin.

"What the hell's going on out here?!" Joe emerged from the kitchen.

"He grabbed my ass and called me a foul name!" Buffy pointed a trembling finger at the hopping man.

"That little bitch hit me and spilled soup on me deliberately! I could be maimed for life! I want her fired! She's insane! I'll fucking sue!"

Joe glared at Buffy. "We don't approve of assaulting customers here. You're fired, Summers! Get your stuff and get out."

"W-What?" Buffy stuttered. "B-But he-- "

"I don't want to hear it! You're still fired!" Joe said, helping the pervy customer into the kitchen to help him clean off and hopefully convince him not to sue.

"Fine! I didn't want this stupid job, anyway!" Buffy stopped herself from crying and went in the back to collect her purse and jacket.


Buffy walked dejectedly up the stairs to her room. Now she'd have to go job hunting. The nerve of that creep at the diner! He'd looked so 'normal'. It was highly ironic that Buffy had been so worried about Earl and Wayne, that she'd overlooked someone who posed more of a threat. You never could tell just by looking at someone what lay beneath their exterior.

As she approached the top of the stairs, she saw that her door was slightly ajar.

'What the fuck?'

Buffy cautiously pushed the door open all the way. The place had been smashed up and ransacked. The furniture was toppled, pieces of her clothing and other personal effects were strewn around the place.

"No! Nooooo! Damn it!"

Buffy ran to the dresser and checked the back of it, she had taped an envelope containing all of her money to it--it was gone. She burst into tears.

"No! Why?! Why is this happening to me!? What am I being punished for?! Was I Adolph Fucking Hitler in a past life!?"

She kicked the dresser and wandered out into the hallway. Her stomach roiled and pitched. She sat down numbly on the top of the stairs and cried into her hands.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Buffy looked up through her tears to see a man with black, slightly curly hair, bushy eyebrows and blue eyes looking at her with concern.

"No--I'm not. Please...leave me alone."

"Is there something I can help you with? I hate to see a pretty girl crying."

"Then don't look. There's nothing anybody can do for me. I swear, I'm fucking cursed!" Buffy sobbed.

He sat down on the step beside her. "My name's Parker. I'd like to help if I could."

"I just got fired and came home to see that my place was robbed and busted up. They took everything...I have 40 dollars to my name. I have no job, no money, no prospects...I'm so screwed..."

"Wow, I'm sorry. That's terrible. This building is usually pretty safe."

"Lucky me! The crooks made an exception in my case!" She wiped her eyes. "I just wanted to be an actress...that's all. Do you live here?"

"No, I was just visiting a friend. Listen...I might be able to help you out. I have an aunt who runs a movie studio. Maybe I could get you an audition for her. I'm sure she'd at least let you try out."

She sniffed and looked at him. "Why would you do that?"

Parker smiled kindly. “I don’t like seeing pretty girls cry. I told you. Plus, it never hurts to rack up good karma by helping someone in need.”

“Really? That would be so nice of you.” She smiled back at him.

“You can even stay at my place tonight, and I can see if my aunt can come over and talk to you tomorrow.”

“Your place?” Buffy became suspicious. “I don’t know...”

He laughed. “I promise, I won’t lay a hand on you. After what you’ve been through I can’t blame you for being nervous, but you’d be completely safe and comfortable with me. Honestly.”

Buffy thought about it for a second. She really didn’t have much of a choice. And the guy was offering to help her get acting work, she didn’t want to offend him. He seemed like a nice, sincere guy. She smiled more widely.

“Okay. I’d like to stay at your place if it’s really alright.”

“Great!” Parker stood up. “Why don’t you get a few things together, I’ll wait here for you.”


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“All settled?” Parker asked, bringing her a snifter of brandy.

Buffy was curled up on the couch with an afghan.

“Yeah, your place is so nice.” Buffy took the brandy and sipped it with a smile. “Mmmm, I never had this stuff before. It’s good.”

“It should be, it’s a hundred bucks a glass.” Buffy almost did a spit take. “$100 a glass! Why are you wasting it on me?”

“It’s not being wasted.” He gave her a smile. “I figured you could use it.”

“And how!” Buffy giggled drinking more.

“I’ve got a few bottles of it. There’s plenty...drink up.” She didn’t see Parker’s less than gentlemanly leer.


Two hours and several brandies later...

Buffy wasn’t completely looped, but she was buzzing nicely. She and Parker talked about their lives and laughed a little. He held her when she cried again about her misfortunes. He was so sweet.

Parker looked sad suddenly, looking away from her.

“What is it?” Buffy asked, touching his leg in a friendly manner.

“I was just...no, I don’t want to bother you with my problems. You’ve had enough of your own...”

“No, tell me. You’ve been so good to me. I don’t mind you telling me stuff.”

“Well...I was just thinking about my...dad. He passed away last year.”

“Oh, Parker, I’m sorry.” Buffy rubbed his shoulder.

He nodded and took a breath. “It’s okay. I just miss him a lot sometimes, you know?” She nodded sympathetically. “He always said something...he said that life’s too short not to take chances. If you see something you want...you should go after it. You never know if you'll get another chance."

Buffy nodded. Parker leaned towards her slowly; he was going to kiss her. He was so nice, and he looked so sad. 'Why not? He's cute! And so sweet.' Buffy let him kiss her.

They kissed slowly, Buffy's hands slid up into his hair. Parker's arm went around her waist, his other hand rubbed her stomach, then moved up to cup a breast. They leaned back on the couch until he was laying on top of her.

Buffy had had such a terrible time since she'd gotten into town...feeling good for a change sounded like a nice change of pace.


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The next morning...

Buffy woke up, noticing that Parker wasn't in bed with her. She sat up and looked at the clock, it was 10 AM. She had a little bit of a headache from the Brandy, but she didn't feel too bad.

Sex with Parker had been...nice. It wasn't life-altering or anything, but he'd been sweet and gentle with her; she had really needed it. She'd cum once, that had felt real good. Buffy had finally found a nice, caring person in this town--she finally had a boyfriend--Yay!

Buffy wrapped a sheet around herself; her clothes were still in the living room.

"What should I do? Wait in here for him? Maybe he went out?" Buffy talked to herself.

Footsteps came from the hall, and a moment later, Parker walked in with coffee and donuts. He was smiling pleasantly.

"Hi there," he said, walking over to the bed and handing her a coffee.

"Hi," she blushed. "Thanks. I was wondering where you were."

"I'm a terrible cook, and an even worse coffee maker. I thought I'd spare you and run out to the donut shop for breakfast."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Buffy giggled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Whoa," Parker sat back. "Watch the morning breath there, Buffy."

"Oh! I'm--I'm sorry..." she said, embarrassed and covering her mouth with a hand.

His easy, charismatic smile slid back into place. "That's okay. You haven't had a chance to rinse and brush yet."

Buffy looked down, picking distractedly at the lid on her styrofoam coffee cup.

"I have to go into work, some kind of emergency," Parker said, nibbling at a donut. "Remember my aunt in the movie business that I told you about?"

Buffy nodded.

"I called her and she agreed to meet with you today. She'll come by here at noon."

Buffy's face brightened. "Really?! Oh, wow! I--I look like crap! I have to get ready!" She stood up, taking a donut and her coffee with her. "Can I use your shower?"

"Sure, babe. Anything you need. After you talk to her, you can get a cab home right?" Parker took a $20 bill out of his breast pocket and put it on the nightstand. "This should cover the fare."

"Umm, yeah...that's...thanks." Buffy kept the frown from forming on her face. 'Why do I feel like a whore? Stop it! Parker is a busy guy, and he's done all this generous stuff for you--stop getting huffy about stupid things,' she told herself.

Parker finished his donut quickly and stood up.

Buffy smiled at him. "You want to do something tonight?"

"Like what?" he asked, brushing the powder and crumbs off of his hands.

"I don't know, whatever you feel like. We could have dinner...or something."

"Hmm," he looked lost in thought, "you know--I'd love to, but I'm going to be crazy busy with a project I'm doing."

"Oh...okay...sometime soon though?" "We'll see." Parker smirked. "Hey, good luck getting a job with my aunt! I'm pullin' for ya!" He punched her shoulder lightly.

"Th-Thanks..." Buffy was puzzled by his behavior. Was he blowing her off?

"I'll call you!" Parker said with a wave of his hand as he exited the bedroom.

After she heard the door to the apartment shut, Buffy said, "What the fuck was that? Did he use me?" She shook her head disbelievingly. “He doesn‘t even know my number...how can he call me? No, Parker's a nice guy...he just had to leave in a hurry. And he probably meant to tell me to write down my number for him...yeah, that’s probably it. He did such sweet things for me--he wouldn't have done all that if he just wanted to get in my pants. He even set up an appointment with his aunt in the movie business--which I really have to get ready for!"

Buffy put aside her worries about Parker and concentrated on making herself presentable and to mentally prepare for what could be the big break she’d been waiting for.


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The filming of 'Flesh Gordon 2003' had gone smoothly, only taking about a week. Warren, Lilah and The Mayor were very pleased with the finished product. Xander, Lilah and Spike sat in her office, watching the final cut of the movie.

When the words 'The End?' appeared, Xander grinned broadly and clapped. "Hey, that was fantastic! You were really great, Spike. I think you were meant to be a movie star--You can really act, man! It turned out even better than I thought it would."

"It really is a quality piece of porn," Lilah said, turning off her television set. "Congratulations, boys, your stars are on the rise."

Spike blinked and took a breath. "I can't believe that's me up there...doin' that stuff!"

Lilah snickered and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "What did I tell you? You're a natural, lover. You have 'star quality'; you were meant to do this kind of work. You allow people to escape their problems for a while and turn them on in the bargain--you should feel good about that."

Spike turned his head to her and smiled. "It is a good feeling. Thanks, Lilah," he said softly, "you have no idea how much I appreciate all you've done for me...for us," he included Xander. "I've been able to pay off a huge chunk of mum's medical bills since I started here."

"I'm glad, sweetie." Lilah kissed his lips then stood up. "I have an appointment I need to get to, I'll see you boys later at home?"

"Maybe we should go out to celebrate? I think a little booty shakin' and painting of the town a bright shade of crimson is in order?" Xander suggested.

"Yeah, we should!" Spike said, his eyes bright and happy. "We could go to a fancy restaurant, then out to a club."

"Sounds cool. You want to come, Lilah?" Xander asked.

"Always." Lilah smirked.


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At 12:05 there was a knock at Parker's apartment door.

Buffy checked herself in the mirror then went to answer the door.

"You must be Buffy, I'm Parker's Aunt Lilah," she smiled and held her hand out to shake Buffy's.

"Hi! It's really great of you to come here to meet with me!" Buffy shook hands with her.

"Don't mention it. I'm happy to meet with new talent. Parker told me what you've been through, you poor thing. May I come in?"

"Oh! Of course!" Buffy laughed nervously and stepped back.

Lilah came in, moving to the couch and sitting down. She crossed her legs and relaxed back against the sofa. "Tell me about yourself, honey."

Buffy sat down at the other end of the sofa. "Well, I'm 18. I graduated from high school a little over 2 months ago. I haven't been in any professional movies or anything, but I've been in every school play since elementary school. I love acting, I've never wanted to do anything else...except for a period when I was 7 and wanted to be a figure skater." Buffy smiled.

"You haven't found any acting work at all?" Lilah asked.

"No. Then I was fired from my crappy job and robbed. Parker was my knight in shining armor--he was so sweet to help me. He couldn‘t have come along at a better time."

"Hmm, yes...So, you're sure? You'd like to work for me?" Lilah arched a feathery eyebrow.

"Oh, absolutely! Very much so! I could do a scene with you to show you what I got."

Lilah raised both of her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? You're prepared to do that right now?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Buffy said, nodding enthusiastically. “I’m ready to go.”

"I like you, Buffy. You've got spunk. Okay, why don't you go ahead and take your clothes off."

Buffy's smile faded fast, her face went blank. "Ex-Excuse me?" she stuttered.

"You look like you have a cute figure," Lilah looked her up and down. "Let's see it."

Buffy's jaw dropped. "I--I will NOT undress! I--I appreciate you coming here and everything--but not that much!"

Lilah sighed. "How do you expect me to decide to hire you if you won't take your clothes off?"

"That's not necessary! I sh-should just leave..."

A look of realization came over Lilah's face. She sat up straight. "Wait a second, what did Parker tell you about what I do?"

"He--said that you ran a studio...and are always looking for new actors."

"That...little shit," Lilah blew air out through her teeth. "He's lucky I love him or I'd kick his ass for this."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy was extremely confused and put-off by the whole conversation.

"Buffy...I make adult films. Parker apparently neglected to tell you that part."

Buffy's eyes were huge, she had trouble keeping her mouth closed. "A-Adult? As in..."

Lilah finished for her, "As in pornographic movies--people having sex on film."

Buffy's mouth worked silently, color rose in her cheeks. She was torn between feeling murderous rage toward Parker and extreme embarrassment.

Lilah breathed deeply then sighed. "Maybe he thought he told you and then...No...I can't even say it with a straight face. I'm sorry, Buffy. It looks like Parky had a little fun with both of us today. I'm a very busy woman but I came here as a favor to him...the little prick."

"That son of a...I can't believe I sl-" Buffy stopped mid-word and looked down.

"You slept with him?" Lilah asked gently.

"I'm so stupid...But...he was so sweet last night. And he was so sad when he talked about his dad that I--"

"What about his dad?" Lilah's brow creased.

"How he died suddenly last year. He told me--"

Lilah groaned and massaged her forehead. "Is--something wrong?"

"My brother-in-law is alive and well. They live in Vegas. My nephew is a scoundrel--I hate to say it, but..."

"That bastard!" Buffy fumed, pacing around in tight circles. "What did you call him? A scoundrel? Ha! That's waaaay too classy a term for what he is! The whole thing--everything he did and said--was just to get me to sleep with him! Damn it! It kills me to remember how sorry I felt for him."

"I'm sorry things didn't work out, Buffy. I like your look, you’ve got a sweet, wholesome vibe. You could've done well in the industry."

Buffy looked down again. "That--just isn't me...sorry."

Lilah got up. "It’s not for everyone--you don’t have to apologize. I have to get back to the studio. I hope you get some work soon." She smiled warmly and gave Buffy's shoulder a friendly squeeze.

"Thanks, I hope so, too."

"Can I drop you off somewhere?"

"No...the King of all Assholes left me money for a cab."

"Goodbye then, Buffy, and good luck," Lilah said. She walked to the door, opened it and then stopped. She felt so bad for the kid after what had happened to her and then Parker's little game he'd played. Lilah had been a young ingenue with dreams of stardom at one time, too. "Buffy,” she turned back to face the blonde, “would you be interested in doing some work for me that wouldn't involve being in the films?"

"Umm--like what?" Buffy asked dubiously.

Lilah thought for a moment. "You could assist me, answer calls, help around the sets, get things for the actors, fetch coffee--that kind of thing."

"No--sex stuff?"

"Well, you'll be seeing the actors at work, but you can just stand back, watch, and enjoy like the rest of us."

"How much does it pay?" Buffy asked, seriously considering it--she really didn't have any better prospects.

"Minimum wage. But there are perks: free coffee and food, free sex shows...and working with me, you'll learn a thing or two about making movies--some things apply whether you're making porn or regular films. Why don't you think it over? I'll give you my card and you can give me a jingle when you make up your mind."

"No," Buffy squared her shoulders, "I'll take it."

"You don't want to think about it?"

"No, I don't exactly have a lot of options right now...I really appreciate this, Lilah."

Lilah waved her hand magnanimously, "Don't mention it, honey. Here's my card, the address of the studio. My home and work numbers are on it. You can start work tomorrow at 10 AM. Why don't you leave with me, I'll drop you off at your place. I'd rather my nephew wasn't torn apart--or have his apartment torn apart--no matter how much he deserves it."

"You sure I can't destroy something? Just one little thing?"

"Well...as long as you don't do him bodily harm...I still have to answer to my sister about his welfare. And believe me, you don't want to get on Winifred's bad side." Lilah absently touched above her hairline, fingering the small scar she had gotten from one of her childhood fights with Fred. "She's a skinny, little thing but...she fights dirty."

"Okay, I'll be right back!" Buffy said happily, skipping out to the kitchen.

Lilah waited as the minutes went by.

Buffy emerged from the kitchen with an armload of utensils. "Just a little longer," she said, crossing the room to the bathroom. Buffy disappeared for another few minutes. She came back out with the utensils wrapped in a towel. "Just one more minute, I promise!" She raced to the kitchen.

Just as Lilah was about to ask Buffy what was taking so long, Buffy strode out into the living room, drying her hands on a dish towel. She tossed it and the towel from the bathroom over her shoulder and smiled.

"All done. Let's go." Buffy picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder.

Lilah smirked. "What did you do? If I may ask?"

"Parker got me all mellow with this crazily expensive Brandy last night. Now he's got a lot less of it than he used to. And I put all of his kitchen utensils in the toilet--I put them back how I found them when I was done, of course. It's not much in the way of revenge, but it'll do."

Lilah laughed heartily and opened the front door. "You're a nut! But I love it. Let's get you back home, sweetie."

Buffy's spirits were already lifted somewhat. At least she had some kind of employment. It did her heart good to imagine Parker freaking out when he discovered all of his Brandy bottles opened and empty on the counter by the sink. And of course, there were the toilet-water soaked kitchen utensils that Buffy had lovingly marinated in the toilet bowl...he'd undoubtedly use them sooner or later; it put a little spring in her step.





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