When she woke the following morning Buffy felt optimistic. Everything was going to be fine, so there was a guy walking round with Spike's body but she could deal. It didn't matter, it wasn't him, she'd have to work with him but she'd just treat him like any other colleague. If what Dawn said was right then he was just enough like Spike to be annoying as hell, making it all the easier to keep her distance.

She was working a late shift that day so she had a leisurely morning. She'd responded to Dawn's concerned text telling her that she was fine and that yesterday had just been a bit of a shock to the system. She text Willow to say that she knew about Spike and not to worry. She'd done yoga and felt really to face the world as she left her apartment to go to work.

As she approached the door of the bar she could see Spike behind the counter, 'guess the trail went well' she muttered to herself as she pushed open the door. Spike lifted his head to see who's entered and gave her a smile, a sudden wave of embarrassment washed over her as she recalled what she'd done to herself the evening before, suddenly thinking that maybe it wasn't such a good idea.

"Hi, you feeling better?" He enquired as she came around the counter quickly noticing how little room their actually was back there.

"Much better thank you. Sorry about yesterday, not much of an introduction I know but I felt really off." She replied avoiding direct eye contact.

"'S ok don't worry about it, probably made Jon even more eager to hire me I reckon."

"Good glad that work out for ya." She mumbled not really knowing what else to say. It was disappointing that the bar was so quiet as she desperately just wanted to work until his shift finished at 5

Buffy grabbed the clip board from by the till and started to do a stock take. She knew that Jon would have done one on her day off but she really needed to be busy right now. Spike was wiping down the counter top at a leisurely pace, obviously not as keen as she was to be busy.

Spike watched her move, she seemed nervous but he had no idea why. Maybe she was shy? Then again bar work would be a strange choice of job for someone who was shy.

"So you worked here long?" Spike asked trying to make conversation.

She didn't even turn to face him, "Yeah a while I guess, probably about 5 years."

Spike got the distinct impression that she wasn't really up for a conversation but he didn't care, he'd be bored if he had to work here for hours without talking. "5 years in the same bar huh, must be an ok place to work then?"

"Yeah it's not so bad." She still wasn't looking at him which he found a little odd, her sister was so friendly, and chatty.

"Not much of a talker are you pet?"

Suddenly her head shot round and looked at him wide eyed. It was that little term of endearment that had done it, spooked her. It would all be ok as long as he didn't sound too much like him, but it was obvious to her now that this was going to be far from easy. She opened and closed her mouth a few times trying to speak but not able to find the words.

Spike smirked a little as he watched her, funny girl this one, pretty though.

"I, erm, I... need to check the barrels." She flustered as she darted past him towards the cellar door brushing his arm as she passed.

As soon as she was through the cellar door she noticed that she was breathing heavily. "This is so not good." She sighed to herself as she sat down on the bench at the bottom of the stairs.

—-

Spike looked towards the cellar door. Twenty minutes had gone by and she still hadn't re-appeared. She was definitely strange, she'd looked like deer in the headlights just before she'd flown down the stairs. Not often that he had that effect on women, sure he was good looking and he knew it but normally woman would want to hang around him and talk, taking any and every opportunity to flirt. This one though, Buffy, seemed like she couldn't be far enough away from him. He felt himself smiling, a challenge, now that was a turn on.

He walked over to the door and pulled it open, "You ok down there?"

"Yep I'm fine, totally fine, peachy with a side of keen actually." She shouted up.

"You've been down there a while you know."

"Yeah well there's a lot to do down here." She replied trying to sound both causal and busy although truth be told she was still sitting on the bench trying to work out if it was feasible to just stay down there until his shift finished.

"Well that's the thing there's also a lot to do up here too, customers and all that." It wasn't too busy but as it was now well into lunch time the foot fall had picked up.

Spike heard her huff, sounding more like a stroppy teenager than a grown woman, "Ok I'll me up in a minute."

Probably best just ignore the crazy chit for a while he thought as he hear her foot steps on the stairs.

As she came through the door Buffy was glad to see that the bar had filled up a little whilst she'd been down in the cellar. She grabbed an order pad and moved quickly from behind the bar towards a table.

Spike watched her move, quick and graceful. Her hips swayed as she buzzed from table to table taking orders and carrying away empty glasses and plates. There was a confidence to way she carried herself, a sense of authority. She definitely wasn't a shy girl that was for sure, if anything she was probably the type to take the lead, probably got off on being in charge. Spike's mind was wondering was he watched her.

Buffy called over to him, "Two pints of Peroni." But he didn't take it in.

Moments later she was back at the bar pulling him back to reality, "Er where are my drinks?"

He shook his head "What? Drinks?"

"Way to daydream much! Yes I need two pints of Peroni for table 3." She said with a roll of her eyes. She should have known that Spike was never going to employee of the year, after all when had ever done a honest days work for money?

"Sorry about that yeah I'll get on that."

"Look if you're going to be here you've got to keep up. I'm not going to carry you so if you can't hack the pace you'd be better not being here." She ordered.

"Oh I can hack the pace don't you worry about that love." He replied with smirk, his eyes travelling down her body. "But the question is can you keep up with me?"

She shook her head and turned her back to him. This was fine, she could handle this, focus on work, keep busy, boss Spike around if necessary.

—-

After the uneasy start the afternoon hadn't been too bad. There had been a steady flow of customers and Buffy had been able to keep busy. Spike had stayed behind the bar making drinks and loading the dishwasher. As long as they could keep busy this could work out. He'd tried to talk to her whenever there had been a lull but she'd responded with short answers and found something else to do quickly.

Buffy couldn't have been more relived when 5 o'clock finally came around.

"So that's me." Spike said as he pulled on his black jacked.

"Yeah I guess it is. When you working again?" Buffy asked more relaxed than had been all afternoon.

"Tomorrow evening, you?"

"Same." Buffy replied with a resigned nod of the head.

"Ok then I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Sure." Buffy said quietly as she watched him walk out the door, noticing that he still had a swagger to his step. A swagger that she had to admit she'd missed, a swagger that had always been kinda sexy. She knew that it had become even sexier once they'd started sleeping together, watching his confident walk knowing that he was just as confident in the bedroom.

"Excuse me can I please get a drink?" an impatient voice from behind the counter said.

"Sorry what can I get you?" Buffy asked as she pulled her mind away from thoughts of Spike and sexiness.