Girl in a Bar - Part VI

Chapter Title - Dinner and a Show

Thursday evening

Even though she knew Giles had told her at least three times, and her sister twice in the last twenty four hours, Buffy couldn't recall the name of the exhibit. Fortunately, finding the reception once they arrived at the museum wasn't too difficult. They simply followed in the wake of a group of overly formally dressed people, most of whom would have looked at home on the walls of this museum.

Before they had a chance to enter the reception hall near the gallery being used for the exhibit, Buffy and Ginny were stopped in their tracks by the sound of someone calling to them. It was Randall, off to the side in a small alcove. "Miss Summers! The Head asked me to give this to you." he said, handing her a small white envelope bearing the seal of the Watcher's Council. "He suggested you read this before you go in. Also, these are for you and your guest to wear during tonight's reception." He said, handing both of them small, clear envelopes each containing a multicolored jeweled pin.

"Jewelry, Randall ? I didn't think you cared." Buffy purred, giving him a faux sexy smile, causing him to blush. "Is he here yet?" she asked, looking around.

"Yes. He's currently occupied but mentioned that he would like to see you before you leave for dinner."

"Great, we'll catch up with him later. If you could let him know we're here? Thanks." Buffy could feel his relief as he left them. He didn't seem to know quite what to do when one of the slayers teased him and tended to try to escape from them when it happened.

"We really need to fix him up with someone," Buffy muttered to herself. "Ginny, why don't we sit for a minute while I read this." she said, gesturing at the small bench in the alcove. "Let's see what Giles is up to."

Sitting down and opening the envelope, she quickly read its contents. "Hmmm... looks like we're going on a scavenger hunt and he gave us some neat spy toys to use while we're doing it."

"Spy toys?"

"Yeah, those pins aren't just pretty to look at. I think someone has been watching too many spy movies." Looking through the letter once more to make sure she understood what Giles wanted she began explaining it to Ginny, "Okay, he wants us to find the ten people on this list," She waved a small ivory card that had been with the letter. "and get pictures of them using our new toys."

"Pictures? Did he say how? Or why"

"Yes. It looks simple, which probably means it won't work." She grinned at Ginny before continuing. "Mine is a camera and it'll take a picture of anyone I shake hands with. Huh. Yours is sort of an off switch for mine. Doesn't say how they work but as long as you are wearing that pin my pin won't take your picture. What if I want a picture of you?"

That idea startled Ginny more than anything else she'd heard or seen since meeting Buffy at the Leaky Caldron earlier in the week. "A picture? Of me?" she squeaked.

"Yes." Buffy smiled at her but didn't try to explain, mainly because she wasn't completely sure why she wanted one. "As for the 'why' of picture taking? He didn't really say. I don't recognize any of these names." She handed the list to Ginny. "Do you?"

Already amazed that Buffy trusted her with this information on such a short acquaintance, Ginny's eyes grew wide when she read the list. "Buffy, did I mention the names of any of my brothers ?"

"No... only that you have many. Why?" she looked at Ginny curiously.

She pointed at one of the names on the list. "This looks like my brother Bill. But I thought he was out of town this week."

"Really? What does he do?"

"He appraises antiquities for a bank. He spends a lot of time traveling around Egypt and North Africa." It wasn't the best explanation of her brother's job but it was the closest to the truth a muggle would understand.

"Well, if he shows up we can ask him if he knows any of the other people on the list. We just won't tell Giles we had a little help." It wasn't exactly cheating. Having made it abundantly clear in the past what she thought of pressing the flesh at social events if they didn't involve dancing, Buffy wasn't overly surprised that Giles had concocted a scheme that required her presence. But from the looks of it she wouldn't be surprised to also see her sister's fingerprints all over the idea. But revenge would have to wait till she got home to Cleveland.

"Here. Let's put these on. The letter says somewhere above the waist works best." and pinned hers to her blouse just above her heart with Ginny doing the same.

Wandering among the reception guests for an hour they'd managed to only find half of the people on Giles' list. Buffy was relieved she'd told the driver she would call when they were ready to leave. At this rate it would be another hour. Assuming the other five actually showed up.

"How are we doing?" Ginny asked her as Buffy stopped their wandering long enough to grab them drinks from a passing waitress.

"We're about half done. I'll give Giles another hour before we leave. Any later and we'll have an angry chef to deal with and I think an edible dinner takes priority over this."

"Okay. My brother should be easy to pick out if he shows up. Just look for a tall person with red hair." Looking around, it was clear to Ginny that he wasn't there yet.

"So we really only have to find the other four. Why don't we check out the exhibit? Maybe they've wandered over there?"

The exhibit was in a gallery accessible through a set of double doors in the reception area. Ginny and Buffy followed several other reception guests making their way through to the exhibit.

The exhibit seemed to consist mainly of old manuscripts and an odd assortment of artifacts, none of which Buffy recognized. "Did you notice anything that the five we've seen so far have in common?" Buffy wondered.

"The only things they seem to have in common are their ages and they seem a bit rough." Ginny answered.

"That's what it is. They all do something outside. So far they all look like they've done dangerous things and lived to tell about it. It's a subtle difference between them and the rest of the guests. Most librarians and museum curators don't give off that 'seen danger' vibe. Hmmm... does your brother fall into that category?"

"I've never really thought about it. We'll have to ask him if he shows up."

"I guess it'll have to wait then." At this point Buffy glanced towards the end of the gallery. A tall skinny woman with short white hair was intently staring at one of the exhibits. There was something about her, and it wasn't just her long leather jacket that could hide a multitude of dangerous items. She almost reeked of danger. "Looks like that could be one of our fish." she said to Ginny, subtly steering her in that direction.

"See something you like?" Buffy addressed her, noticing how the woman didn't seem to be surprised at their presence, even though they'd come up to her from behind.

"The original is in much better shape." she answered with a slight grin. "The Venetian forger who did this copy didn't expect it to still be around four hundred years later."

Buffy raised an eyebrow at this. And holding out her hand said "And you are?"

"Amanda Darieux, Miss Summers." she said, briefly grasping Buffy's hand. "I see you don't have your regular witch with you tonight. This one suits you much better."

"You know Willow?" she exclaimed, missing the startled expression on Ginny's face.

"Not personally. A friend of a friend. And if you'll excuse me..."

Ginny and Buffy watched her casually stroll back to the reception.

"Well, that was interesting." Ginny commented.

"Yes. And if we check our list?" She motioned to Ginny, whom she'd handed the list to when they'd entered the gallery. "I'll make a wild assumption and say she's on it somewhere."

"Yes. Including my brother leaves us with four to go."

Glancing around at the other people looking at the exhibit Buffy said "Okay, the rest of these people don't look like what we're hunting for. They're all pale librarian types. Let's go back to the reception."

Walking back into the reception hall Buffy thought she saw someone familiar near the other entrance. At the same time she heard Ginny gasp.

"It is him!" and she pointed at a tall, weather beaten man with red hair.

"Why don't you go say hello and I'll catch up to you in a minute. There's someone I need to talk to." and Buffy pointed to a tall, elegantly dressed woman.

"Okay. Don't be long, you really need to meet him." and she smiled at Buffy before heading towards her brother, almost bouncing in her excitement. She couldn't wait to see his face when he saw her.

Buffy hadn't learned her name the last time they'd met but she wasn't about to forget the face of someone who'd seemed to be so interested in a grieving Willow one autumn day before the end of Sunnydale. Seeing her walk into the reception was a small surprise but she wasn't going to let a chance to find out who she was escape.

Walking up to her as she reached for a drink, Buffy, noticing that here was another person who didn't seem to be surprised to see her, addressed the issue head on. "I don't believe we've ever been formally introduced."

"No, I don't believe we have." she said holding out her hand. "Lara Croft."

"Buffy Summers." She noticed her looking around. "Can I help? Is there someone you were looking for?"

"Yes, and there they are. If you would like to talk we can meet later." she offered before politely excusing herself and heading towards another part of the room.

Ginny walked over to her brother, intent on surprising him. She rarely saw him this well dressed and paused for a minute to observe him, quickly deciding how to approach him.

"Bill! What a surprise! I thought you were in Egypt this month?"

"Ginny? What brings you here?" In a lower tone of voice her surprised brother asked "Is the Ministry checking out muggle museums for contraband now?"

"No, I'm here with a friend. We stopped on our way to dinner. How did you manage to get in? This isn't your normal kind of social event is it?"

"No, Gringotts gave me several days off from my current project when they heard I had an invitation to this reception. Someone in the London office thinks there could be a lot of money in this for us if we can meet with the people who sponsored it."

"Oh. I wouldn't know anything about that." Buffy hadn't said what they were doing was a secret but she didn't think she should tell tell him what she knew before talking with her. "We're just passing through."

"And where is the rest of 'we'?" he asked.

"The rest of 'we' is over there" and Ginny gestured over to where Buffy seemed to be engaged in conversation with a tall brunette.

"Lady Lara Croft or the cute short blonde?" Bill asked with interest.

"The blonde, and I don't think she would appreciate the 'cute'." She glared at her brother in Buffy's defense. Cute was too tame a word for how she thought Buffy looked but there was no way she was going to say that to her brother. "How do you know this Lara Croft?" The name had a familiar feel to it. Her fingers were itching to pull out the list.

"I've run into her several times in Egypt. Claims to be a muggle photographer."

"Claims? What does she really do?"

"She's really one of those tomb raiders, though she's in it more for the adventure than money. Half the museums in London have something she's leant them. Why do you want to know?"

"I'll let my friend tell you. She should be over here in a minute." Looking towards Buffy she noticed she was headed their way. "In fact she's coming over right now."

Buffy made her way through the thinning crowd to Ginny and her brother. "Hi! You must be Bill." She looked at Ginny for confirmation. "Did you explain our little scavenger hunt to him?"

"No... I thought you would rather do it." and she subtle brushed her fingers along the jeweled pin with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay." She glanced around to make sure no one was within listening distance and addressed Bill. "It's really simple. My boss sponsored this reception and he gave me a list of people he wanted me to meet, though he didn't say why. You happened to be on it so we thought you might know some of the others on it and could point them out to us?" She gave him her best 'wide-eyed, please help me, I'm a clueless blonde' look, though Ginny's giggle at this maneuver made it hard to maintain. "Ginny? How many do we have left?"

"Well," Ginny took out the list. "The rule was that you had to shake hands for it to count. So, you still have Bill here, and you were just talking with Lara Croft and there are two others on the list. We've gotten everyone else."

"She was on the list? Does she do the same kind of thing as you, Bill"?

"Not quite. But it is a small community. We all know each other or of each other. I've run into her occasionally over the years. Can I see this list?" He looked at them, obviously curious.

"Sure. Though I would prefer it if you didn't tell anyone about it."

Looking at the list Ginny had handed to him, they could tell he didn't appear to be surprised by any of the names on it. "The names are all familiar, but I've only met a few of them." He looked around the reception. "You say most of them are here? Security seems a bit light in that case. Most of them aren't shy about taking things they find interesting. And for some it wouldn't be much of a challenge."

"Thanks. I'll pass that on." Buffy wondered if Giles knew the reputations of his guests.

"Which ones haven't you seen?"

Ginny pointed out the two they'd missed. "Just these."

"Okay. Well, that one isn't likely to make an appearance. He's quite famous but he must be over a hundred years old. If you want to see him you'll have to go to him."

"Check! Old, doesn't travel. What about the other one?" Buffy asked.

"Well, she's rumored to be dead. She's been missing for the last 2 years." and he handed the list back to Ginny.

"That's it then. Looks like we're done." Buffy sighed with relief. Maybe dinner wouldn't be too late after all. "Now we just need to find Randall and Giles and we can go."

"Ginny?" Bill questioned.

"Bill... you don't mind if we leave you here? Buffy promised me dinner as soon as we were done. If you're at the Burrow this weekend we can catch up then?"

"Sure. I see a few people I know that I haven't seen in a while. If you'll excuse me?" And he wandered off in the direction of the white haired woman they'd met earlier in the gallery.

"Great! Let's go find Randall. We can get him to call our driver while I talk with Giles." She looked around near the entrance to the reception area. "Oh. There he is." and they walked towards him.

"Randall!"

"Yes, Miss Summers ?" he asked in his usual unflappable voice. There were times when Buffy wondered if he'd been a butler in a previous life. And then she would remember how easy it was to embarrass him and dismiss the thought.

"Can you have someone find our driver? I need to talk with Giles for a minute and then we're leaving for dinner." She smiled at him. "You wouldn't happen to know where he is would you?"

"Yes. He's in the gallery. I'll have your driver bring your car around in ten minutes."

"Thanks! You're the greatest!" and Buffy giggled when he blushed at her compliment before leaving them.

They found Giles talking with a guest near the manuscript where they'd met the white haired woman earlier. They'd been standing there for several minutes before he noticed them and excused himself.

"Buffy. What can I do for you?" He looked questioningly at her companion.

"You know," she said pointing at the manuscript. "one of the people on your list claimed that is a forgery."

"Really? You'll have to tell me who later." He noticed the pin Ginny was wearing. "And this is your guest this evening?"

"Yes. Giles, this is Ginny. Ginny, this is Rupert Giles, the genius behind our little scavenger hunt this evening."

"Pleased to meet you." and he nodded at Ginny. "This explains the requests I've gotten from several people to introduce them to Willow tonight."

Buffy laughed. "See! Didn't I tell you that would happen!?" she said to Ginny.

"But none of them said anything to either of us." Ginny protested with a smile. "I don't think it counts."

"Okay. But I think I get credit for the idea." She looked at Giles "We're off to dinner. Is there anything you needed from me before we go?"

"No. But if you could see me first thing in the morning I would appreciate it. And don't lose those pins. Willow would like them back when you get to Cleveland on Saturday."

The driver dropped them off at the outside entrance to the Council dining room after Buffy ensured that he would return later to drive Ginny back to her flat.

They were greeted warmly at the door by Council's dining manager "Welcome, Miss Summers, if you could leave your jackets here, James will show you to your table."

"Thanks." Buffy flashed an apologetic smile at him. "I'm sorry we're so late. We were at the reception longer than I'd expected."

James, the maitre d', led them to a secluded corner of the dining room. "Your waiter should be out in a minute. What can I get you to drink?" He asked as he handed them menus.

"A glass of chardonnay for me. Ginny?"

"The same would be great. Thanks."

James left them alone as they looked through their choices of entrees.

"If there is something you'd like that isn't here," she told Ginny, "the chef can still make it."

"No, I think I'll stick with one of the options here." Ginny continued looking at the menu. "What would you recommend I try?"

"Well, everything the chef does here is excellent but I think his seafood dishes are the best. I was thinking shrimp scampi tonight myself."

"That sounds good. I think I'll have that also."

After giving the waiter their order they relaxed and spent the rest of the evening in quiet conversation. As they became further engrossed in conversation, Buffy found the small things they talked about, the things they both liked and disliked, the places they'd travelled, or wanted to travel to, equally fascinating. It was almost as if they were entwining their experiences together into a new pattern.

Neither of them really wanted the evening to end but Friday was another work day. Waiting for the car to take Ginny home, Buffy racked her brain for an excuse to see Ginny tomorrow.

"I won't be able to have lunch with you tomorrow and I have an early flight Saturday morning so going out isn't a real option... but would you be willing to come over to my flat tomorrow evening? We can get some takeout and watch a movie?" Buffy asked Ginny hopefully.

"I would like that. What time? And how do I find your flat?"

"Seven again? If that's not too early? And I can show you. We'll have the driver go by it. It's just around the block."

"Great! Should I dress up or is this a casual evening?" Ginny grinned.

"Just the two of us so casual is fine. Unless you want to bring Hermione?"

"No, I'm sure she has plans already."

At this point the car arrived and after a brief conversation with the driver they both got in and made themselves comfortable. The car briefly stopped in front of the entrance to the Council building Buffy was staying in. "That would be it right there. There's a guard in the lobby. Just let him know who you're seeing and he'll point you in the right direction."

When the car arrived at Ginny's flat she was surprised when Buffy got out of the car and it drove away. "Don't you need it to get home?"

"Yes. But I thought I would walk. It really isn't that far."

"Okay. Well... good night."

Buffy noticed she was looking at her as if waiting for something. Not quite sure what, she gave Ginny a quick hug and saying goodnight, smiled at her and started the long walk back to her flat.

• Buffy met Lara Croft back in the prologue to Red Raider which is set during Season 7.

© Copyright 2009 Andy Stoffel. Last update: 7/19/09; 10:51:54 PM. This theme is based on the SoundWaves (blue) Manila theme.