Lonely No More

Chapter Five

Spike saw the sadness on Buffy's face and he felt tremendous guilt. He'd pushed her too far. He thought he was doing good, thought that if she talked about it, it'd help. All he'd succeeded in doing was hurting her. It was too much, too fast.

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.

"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?"

"No."

"You're lying."

"So, 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, thoroughly confused and wide-eyed. "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.

"Uh, hello?"

Both heads swiveled to see a tiny red head standing in the doorway. She
had 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.

"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 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
matter-of-factly.

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."

"You're sure of that are you?"

"I am."

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 ear shot.

"I told you to be quiet," she said flatly.

"I know. I couldn't help it."

"I have to get used to you defying me don't I?"

"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?