She regarded him as he moved around the place with a set jaw and steel eyes. He was waiting patiently for her to blow, and when she did, he’d take it. He just wanted her to know that he’d be there in spite of it all. In just a short time on this little ‘project’, she’d managed to make him care quite a bit and not because of his mission, but because of her. He sensed tremendous pain from her and it irked him. A woman as beautiful, and as obviously intelligent as she was, deserved to have happiness. He bet she had a beautiful smile.
“We need to set a few boundaries here,” she said finally and stood.
He watched her intently. “Such as?”
“We are employee and employer. You digging into my psyche,” she wiggled her pointer finger around at him, “has nothing to do with that professional relationship.”
“I want to be your friend Buffy.”
“You just met me!” she cried.
“Haven’t you ever met someone and just wanted to get to know them? Have you ever met someone and just knew they’d be part of your life? That it felt as though you’d known them all your life and you could just tell them anything?”
“No.”
“You’re lying.”
“See, you’ve succeeded in not only making me spill my guts to you, but you’ve also succeeded in turning me into a brat,” she said accusingly.
Spike smiled. “Something tells me you were probably already a brat before.”
She scrunched her eyebrows. “Thanks?”
“Buffy, I pushed you. For that, I apologize.”
She stared at him. “I’m glad we had this talk,” she said finally and nodded curtly.
“But I still want to be your friend and I still want to help you.”
“I don’t need your help William. I don’t need your pity.”
“You think that’s what I feel for you? Pity?”
“Isn’t it? Don’t you feel sorry for the girl that lost her faith in love and whose business is suffering?”
“Don’t you think the two go hand in hand?”
She shrugged. “It’s a possibility. It’s kind of like a vicious cycle. I don’t believe in love anymore, I become bitter, I make poor matches, people come to me unhappy and then I don’t believe in love anymore—you see where I’m going.”
“Except that you do believe in love for everyone but you.”
“I never said this was easy.”
“You’re cynical and pessimistic.”
“You’re psychoanalyzing me again. I told you not to do that!” she yelled at him.
“Except I work here now too so should I care about this business as much as you?” Spike countered.
“You know, you’re a real pain in my--”
“Uh, hello?”
Both heads swiveled to see a tiny red head with big hazel eyes and a tiny nose. She was dressed all Renaissance like and was more “cute” than beautiful, Spike decided. Buffy was beautiful. Spike spared a glance at said beautiful girl and wondered if Buffy knew she was beautiful. Maybe that was part of the problem. He would make sure he told her she was.
“Hi, you must be Willow?” Buffy asked, stepping forward and extending her hand. “I’m Buffy. Nice to meet you.” The girls shook hands. Buffy turned to Spike, “This is Spike. My uh, recep—“
“Assistant,” Spike supplied cutting her off. He didn’t dare look at her to catch the deadly glare that was surely shooting his way.
“I didn’t know you had an assistant,” Willow said. “I thought you did this alone.”
“I do,” Buffy told her quickly.
“Oh,” Willow looked at Buffy to Spike. “So does that mean that only you’ll be meeting with me?” she asked Buffy.
“No,” Spike interjected. “I will too.”
“Will you excuse us?” Buffy asked sweetly and grabbed Spike’s arm, leading him outside.
“What the hell are you doing? Do you know how much I want to rip your arm off right now and beat you with it?”
Spike smiled. The girl was a spitfire.
“Why the hell are you smiling?” Buffy demanded angrily.
“Because you’re just so cute.”
“You sniffed glue as a kid didn’t you?”
“How else am I supposed to learn the ways of the business if I don’t sit in with you and learn?”
“You really don’t hear anything I say do you? I just talk and you just don’t listen.”
“I hear you talking, I just don’t agree with what you have to say. I prefer to pick and choose.”
“Maybe you’d like to pick and choose your ass out of here,” Buffy said through clenched teeth.
Spike poked her nose and grinned. “I don’t think you’ll fire me kitten.”
“You wanna bet?” she challenged and crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him.
“You won’t because I’m all you’ve got right now.”
“Wouldn’t take that long to get a replacement.”
“With your attitude?”
“Are you trying to save your job right now or…?”
“You’d be hard pressed to find someone as dedicated as I am to this job and to helping you make an impact on the dating and marriage world again.”
“Yeah, and why exactly is that anyway?” she asked curiously, looking up at him suspiciously.
“I just am. Trust me.”
“I don’t trust many people.”
“Maybe this is your time to start.”
They stared at each other and Spike prayed that Buffy wouldn’t deny him, that she would see he was legit and not just trying to get under her skin, even if getting under skin was starting to prove so much fun. Her cheeks flushed when she was angry and her green eyes sparkled in defiance and fire. In short, she was simply breathtaking. Every bit the lioness he’d dubbed her.
“You can sit in there with us, but do not talk. Do you think you can handle just one direction?” she said exasperated, and now not looking him in the eye.
“Yes ma’am,” he nodded.
“I mean it William.”
“Spike.”
“I mean it.”
“I know. Thank you.”
“For?”
“Not firing me.”
She smiled a faux sweet smile. “Day’s not over yet.”
“So Willow, tell me a little bit about yourself,” Buffy started, extracting her notebook.
“Oh god, I don’t know where to start,” Willow said sheepishly, blushing.
“You’re shy,” Spike interjected.
Willow grinned. “Little bit, yes. Just weird being here.”
“Why?” Buffy asked.
“I guess it’s like admitting defeat in a way. I can’t find someone on my own, so I need help. Not that you don’t have a fine establishment here, I just meant that—“
Buffy reached across the table and placed a gentle hand on her arm. “It’s okay Willow. Many people come here as the last resort. If it wasn’t so hard ‘out there’ I wouldn’t have a business at all now would I?”
Willow smiled, “I guess not.”
“So you prefer the café, bookshop type atmosphere then,” Buffy noted. “Do you often go to meet someone or just go to find a book and grab a coffee?”
“Well, I feel more comfortable in this type of atmosphere even though I’ve never had much luck in meeting anyone unless you count the times I’ve gone to poetry readings the bookstores sometimes hold,” Willow explained and took a sip of her coffee.
“Do you share your poetry?” Spike asked and promptly felt Buffy kick him. He couldn’t help it. He was curious.
“Not really,” Willow replied softly.
“Why not?” both Buffy and Spike asked and glanced at each other oddly before Buffy leaned in. “Why not?”
“I guess I feel to . . . exposed.”
“So what you need is someone that will let you shine,” Spike summed up, rubbing his chin a thoughtful manner.
“I guess?” Willow said uncertainly.
“Willow, what would your ideal date be?” Buffy asked. “I’m not talking places or things to do. I’m talking about how you’d like to get to know someone.”
Willow smiled, “Lots of talking. The kind of talking where you never run out of things to say and it’s exciting because you keep finding things you have in common.” She stopped, getting this far away look in her eyes and then seemed to snap back to reality a second after. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I think that’s wonderful. You want to discover things about someone and share interests,” Buffy told her.
“Exactly,” Willow agreed.
“You like mysteries, don’t you?” Spike asked, grinning.
Willow nodded, “I do.”
“So perhaps someone that seems like a mystery, but is really an open book once you ‘open’ them?” Spike supplied.
“Yes! Gosh, you guys make a great team,” Willow gushed.
Spike grinned at Buffy, “Hear that sweetheart? We make a great team.”
Buffy just shot him a withering glare and Spike chuckled. “She’s my lioness,” Spike told Willow jovially.
Willow giggled, “Are you two--?” she asked.
“No,” Buffy told her adamantly. “How about you fill out this form,” she directed and handed Willow the questionnaire and a pen. “And we’ll be out there when you’re done,” and she pointed to the lobby.
“Sure thing,” Willow nodded definitively.
Following Buffy out of the room, he waited for her wrath. She turned to him as soon as they were out of earshot.
“I told you to be quiet,” she hissed.
“I know. I couldn’t help it.”
“I have to get used to you defying me don’t I?” she asked dryly with a hint of defeat.
“My lioness,” he smiled. “We make a great team. She said it herself.”
Buffy didn’t say anything to that. She merely shook her head and headed for her office, shutting the door behind her. Spike frowned. Now what?