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Hold the Line Chapter 15 - Typing skills not essential


“Mom, it’s Buffy. Just calling to tell you some big news. Not bad big but good big. Anyways call me on my cell when you get a chance”



“Impressive.”



Buffy let out the breath she had been holding since Lorne had first picked up her design book. She didn’t realize that she needed to show her design talents in order to apply for an admin job but she didn’t want to question his methods. She needed a job, any job at this point in time. The fact that she had a chance to have one in her chosen field was a bonus.



A bonus that Spike had given her. She chose not to analyze that or the fact he was giving her pointers on how to handle Lorne this morning as she prepared for the interview that morning.



“Just be yourself, Summers,” he advised as he flipped through the financial pages of the newspaper sipping his coffee.



“Ok,” Buffy fidgeted nervously with her dark grey skirt as she waited for her toast to pop up from the toaster. Her stomach was tied in knots but she knew she had to eat something otherwise the only lasting impression would be how loud her stomach rumbled.



“Listen to what he has to say, people think you are thoughtful if you listen to them. Don’t mumble and be confident. Lorne hates people being coy,”



Buffy felt like she should be taking notes.



“Listen check, no mumbling check, confidence check. Anything else?”




“Don’t pick a fight with him like you do me,” She just rolled her eyes as she took the toast and started spreading the cream cheese onto it.



“I saw that, you know,” Spike sing-songed as he made his way back into the kitchen for more coffee.



“Listen Spike I’m a big girl. I know what to do in an interview. I don’t need your help,” she could see a glimpse of hurt in his eyes as she passed him and sat down to eat her breakfast.



“I know you can do it Buffy. I saw how you handled yourself the other day. I was just trying to give you some pointers. I mean I have been working with Lorne for the past two years. I know him better than most but if you don’t need my help then fine,” He left the kitchen and made his way to his room.



Buffy considered letting him just leave, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of actually taking his help. But she needed this job, wanted it more than she had wanted anything else in a long time, and swallowing some pride was worth it.



“Wait,” he stopped mid-stride and Buffy didn’t need to see his face to know it had a smirk on it.



“Yes?” He didn’t turn around.



“Ok,”



“Ok what?” Spike asked as he turned and made his way towards her. Of course he was going to make this hard for her. When had he ever made things easy?



“I need…” she didn’t want to say the words.



“What do you need Buffy?” he continued to advance on her. She must have been nervous about the interview because her stomach dropped just at the sound of her name.



“Help, I need your help,” A smile crept on his lips as she spoke.



“There, now, was that so hard?” He replied as he set about to help her prepare for the interview.



“I love what you have done here with the blues in the dress.” She couldn’t help but blush at Lorne’s compliment. Buffy had never been comfortable with praise. Not to mention that Riley’s insistence that her designing remain a hobby of sorts had certainly knocked her confidence in her abilities.



“And the detail on the sash is outstanding,” Lorne gushed as he shut the book. “Well I think I have seen all I need to,”



“Don’t you want to know my typing speed?” Buffy asked, confused.



“No why would I want to know that? You don’t need to type your designs, do you?” Lorne replied with a laugh as he handed her books back.



“Excuse me?” Buffy didn’t want to get her hopes up but is sounded like Lorne was offering her a …



“We would love to have you as a part of our design team. Fresh ideas and designs like yours will help our Spring collection be the best yet,” Buffy almost fell of her chair in shock.



“You want me to design for you? I thought this was an office job?” she asked



“Well I would prefer you to design but if you want to work behind the desk in inventory I think I can arrange that. But it would be a waste of your talent,” Lorne laughed



“No I want to design I just thought…” Buffy was at a loss for words never in her wildest dreams did she think that she would be designing let alone for Lorne.



“I love your work, you’ve got sass which I love and Spike can’t speak highly enough of you. These are all ticks in my book so when do you want to start?”



***



Buffy still couldn’t believe it. She had not been able to wipe the smile off her face since leaving Lorne’s office hours ago. She had tried to call her mom and tell her the news but all she had got was the machine forgetting that there were people who already had jobs working at this time of day.



So she did what she usually did when she wanted to celebrate: she shopped. Countless stores and shopping bags later she ended up in the last place she wanted to be, but she knew she had to thank him. Without him she would not be in this position.



She didn’t set out to buy him a gift but she couldn’t think of any other way to show her appreciation and giving a gift was way easier than actually saying thank you.



She walked through the glass doors to the front desk.



“Hello, William Giles please. It’s Buffy Summers to see him.”





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