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Chapter Nine

Buffy was just pouring sugar into her latte when William suddenly spoke.

“So I guess you’re wondering why I asked you here.”

Apprehension stirred in Buffy’s stomach but she squashed it firmly. Everything’s fine, she reminded herself. He just wants to chat. “Yeah, I am kind of curious.”

He looked nervous and, despite her assurances to herself, Buffy found she was bracing herself for what he was going to say next.

“Okay here goes,” he said with a deep breath. “You know how you said last night that you want to get a job?”

“Yeah,” she replied cautiously.

“Well I’ve been trying to talk the owner of the store into hiring an extra person for a good three months now. That place is busy and I know we’re losing customers because I can’t get to everyone in time. So, when I told her that I have someone who would be perfect for the job, she finally agreed.”

Buffy’s mouth dropped open in shock. Of all the things she’d imagined he might say to her, that didn’t even remotely resemble any of them. “You’re offering me a job?”

He smiled excitedly. “Yeah pet. If you want it.”

Wow, Buffy thought. A real job; like a normal, sane person. And not a single double meat medley in sight. “And you think I’m perfect for the job huh?” She raised one dubious eyebrow.

“Okay, okay, so you’d have some reading to do to acquaint yourself with the most popular authors and stuff but still…what do you think? Are you interested?”

Buffy smiled as she thought about it for a moment. “Yes. I think I am.” She nodded, warming up to the idea. “So what…do I go for an interview or something?”

Raising his arms with a flourish William smiled happily. “This is your interview. I am the manager after all.”

Buffy laughed at his excitement. “Are you sure about this? I don’t know anything about working in a bookstore and I don’t want to hurt your reputation with your boss.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re a smart woman Buffy; you’ll pick it up in no time. Plus it will give you something to put on your resume when you decide what you want to do next.”

Buffy heaved a huge sigh of relief as she slumped back in her chair. He wanted to talk about a job, she thought, shaking her head in wonder.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” William asked, a bemused expression on his face.

Unable to help the small laugh that escaped her Buffy replied, “Oh it’s nothing. I just…I was worried that maybe you were going to give me bad news or something.”

He frowned. “What kind of bad news?”

“Oh like maybe you didn’t want to be friends anymore. Or didn’t want to spend as much time together.”

Obviously taken aback, William asked, “What on earth would make you think that? I did ask you to coffee before I kissed you, you know.”

Buffy grinned, remembering their all too brief but unforgettable kiss. “I know,” she groaned, embarrassed now that she’d even brought this up. “I guess finding out you’ve been living in la-la-land for a good portion of your formative years isn’t a great confidence builder.”

“I thought we were past all that.”

William’s words were quiet and Buffy realised that she’d hurt him. Reaching out she covered his hand with hers, her eyes meeting his. “I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He shrugged, as if dismissing the whole conversation. “I got something for you; in case you did say yes.” He picked up a bag from beside the table and handed it to her.

Reaching inside Buffy pulled out a copy of The Divinci Code. She looked up with a grin. “This is the start of all that reading I have to do hey?”

“Oh yeah baby,” he teased, a mischievous light in his eyes. “This is just the beginning. I’m gonna work you like there’s no tomorrow.”

“Hmmm,” Buffy couldn’t help but tease back. “That sounds oddly…exhilarating.”

William gave a low chuckle and Buffy felt a pleasant shiver trickle down her spine. Turning to a more serious topic for a moment she said, “Thanks Will. For believing in me. For giving me this chance.”

He smiled broadly. “Anytime.”

**********

It was a stormy Tuesday afternoon and no customers had come into the bookstore since lunchtime. Buffy and William were stacking the shelves with new stock while a Nickelback CD played in the background.

“I never did like dummies. Syd did not make me change my mind about them.” She shivered. “Wiggins, every time.”

The sight of William nearly falling down with laughter made her pause in her stacking with a pile of books still tucked into the crook of one arm. “What’s so funny?”

Trying desperately to catch his breath William gasped, “I’ve just got this image in my head of you getting hit on by a two foot wooden dummy. Gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘getting a hard on’.” Then he dissolved into laughter again.

“Oh that is so sad.” Shaking her head at his levity Buffy found herself laughing with him. “He did have some pretty bad pick-up lines.” She giggled suddenly. “At least he never mentioned having a woody.”

William cringed dramatically as he headed for the back of the store. “Buffy Buffy Buffy. And you said my joke was sad.”

Buffy affected a tone of complete superiority. “Well, you know, I didn’t want to make you feel bad by pulling something uproariously funny out of thin air.”

A loud snort came from the back room. “Liar,” he yelled.

Spying him coming back toward her Buffy grabbed a nearby sheet of paper and scrunched it up into a ball.

Twack.

William’s head snapped up in surprise. “You threw that at me.”

Buffy looked innocently up from her work. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

An evil glint appeared in William’s eye as he pulled some paper out of the folder he was holding and scrunched it up. “I am so going to get you for that.”

Buffy’s shriek of laughter was so loud it could be heard all the way out in the street, even over the sound of the pouring rain.





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