“Like I said Ms.-- Fred, I haven’t the slightest clue as to what the lab entails. I would only be in your way if I tried to oversee your day-to-day operation. Although, I might need your help with research from time to tome,” he said as he glanced down at the papers in her hands. “Willow says I should just stop researching and let the research department do it but I can’t. It’s part of my life now.”
He glanced out the window again and chuckled at Fred’s enthusiasm. Giles wanted to offer her the job at that moment but decided it might scare her off. After all, they’d gone through the trouble of flying her over and he knew Willow wanted to spend some time with Fred over the weekend. It would be foolish to give her the job in the middle of rush hour traffic and then send her back home.
“To be honest, Fred, I’ve interviewed a lot of people, with different degrees. They were all right for the job until I mentioned some of the things we research and, uh, kill. All of them knew about the Watcher’s Council but was under the strict impression they wouldn’t have to work with the demons,” Giles said as the limo started to move again.
He liked Fred. He liked that she was honest and not stuck on herself like most of the people he’d interviewed. Giles knew the job was hers already but he still intended on interviewing her the following day. “Do you have anymore questions? I reckon you’ll have some tomorrow during your tour of the lab and Council,” he said before leaning forward and taking a bottle of water out.
Fred nodded in understanding, remembering how much Wesley had seemed to relish research. He had said it was because it had been how he had been brought up, but she always secretly suspected that he did rather enjoy the challenge of it.
"It's be glad to help you anytime you need it. I learned a lot from Wesley in the short time I worked with him. He was...he was a good teacher, actually."
She raised her eyebrows when Giles explained that pretty much everyone else he had interviewed had been squeamish about the idea of actually working with demons. Considering what the Watchers Council did - and her own experience with Angel Investigations - she never would have thought that herself, especially in anything science-related in an organization like this. At the very least, there would be work on samples - blood, skin, whatever - and she was willing to bet that most of the time, there would be even more involved, including live subjects on occasion and field work. So it definitely sounded to her like her experience was much more important than just having a degree, which was good.
"There are only two questions I can think of right now although I'm sure you're right and I'll have tons more tomorrow. If I were take this job..." And Fred was beginning to really think she did want this job, even without seeing the lab or meeting other Council members or talking to Willow. "Does the Council provide a place to live or would that be up to me to find? And since the science department is new, would I be the only member of the department to begin with?"
Both were reasonable questions and Giles nodded his head. “The Council has housing for those in their employ if they chose to use it. The flats are quite nice and close to the main building. It could be a good place to start until you can find something more suitable for your needs,” he explained as the limo slowed again. Bloody traffic. “I have my own flat away from the Council. Not that you care…”
He didn’t know why it was so important to tell her that last piece of information. Perhaps it was because Fred made him feel at ease and was easy to speak to. “As for your second question, yes, there’s a few people working in the lab. It’s mostly a skeleton crew to make the board happy. If I don’t find someone to lead the department, then they’re going to convert it into another training room,” Giles said before adding, “And I’m not saying that to pressure you into taking the job. Actually…”
Giles reached over to her to flip the pile of papers to the next page. His hand brushed against hers and he quickly pulled it back. “Pardon. I, I was just going to show you the list of people working in the lab already. It’s on the next page.” He watched her flip it over and he waved his hand toward it. “Only six people and you’ll have the option of hiring more if you chose to.”
The limo started to move again, this time a bit faster, and Giles thanked the heavens. The enclosed space was wreaking havoc on his hormones and he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. It’d been a long time since he’d been this close to a beautiful woman. “Only a few more blocks,” he said, glancing at her.
The fact that the Council offered housing was a good thing - it would make relocating easier, at least to begin with because she could stay there for a while and then move elsewhere if she decided she wanted something more private after a while.
"Do a lot of people have their own flats, like you?" she asked, actually finding her interest piqued, trying to imagine what kind of place he would have. Something typically English? Or something more functional? She couldn't decide. "Maybe if I decide that I want a place of my own, you can recommend an area to live."
She realized that she was talking like she had already accepted the job and glanced down at the papers in her hand, feeling her cheeks burning a bit from embarassment. Way to get ahead of yourself, Fred, she told herself.
She instead tried to focus on the information he was giving her about the department. It sounded like he didn't actually want to lose it now that they had it. And when he reached over, she breathed in sharply when his hand brushed hers. She silently told herself to get a grip - it wasn't as if he were the first man to accidentally touch her like that. It was probably just the fact that the exhaustion from the plane ride had made her a bit hypersensitive. Nothing to do with Giles being good-looking with beautiful green eyes or that she was enjoying talking to him. Nothing at all...
She realized she was staring at him and tilted her head back down to look at the list of people currently employed in the department. She recognized the names of a couple from articles in the science journals she still read, but the other four were unknown to her. She'd have to do a bit of research into their backgrounds - both to get information on their abilities and to make sure she wasn't going to be stepping on the toes of anyone more qualified than her by taking this position.
When Giles mentioned they were almost there, she looked up again and smiled. "Thanks for bringing me here. Do they have a restaurant or anything at the hotel? The food on the plane was awful, and I would love to get something to eat that wasn't pre-cooked and then reheated to the consistancy of rubber."
It was obvious Fred wanted the job. Giles could tell by the tone of her voice and the questions she asked. “Some of the older employees have their own flats. The Council’s housing is nice but it doesn’t give you much privacy. Xander, Willow and Andrew live in the housing but I think they do so to be close to each other,” he said.
A thought came to his mind of Fred hanging about with Willow and not wanting to move. If he wanted to ask Fred to have a date with him, he couldn’t do it if Willow was always hanging around. Then he blinked, wondering why he was even thinking about asking her out. He barely knew her and there was the age difference and…
Giles caught her staring at him and quickly looked away. She had the most beautiful eyes he’d ever since on a woman. “Oh, yes, of course,” he said, nervously pulling his glasses off and cleaning them. “There’s quite a few nice neighborhoods. The one I live in is quiet since mostly professionals live there.”
He put his glasses back on in time to see the limo pull close to the hotel. “Ah, here we are,” Giles said just as Fred mentioned food. His stomach softly rumbled when he remembered he hadn’t ate lunch. “Er, yes, there’s a resturant in the hotel or you could have the food delivered to your room.”
Fred smiled when she heard that Willow lived in the Council housing - at least there would be someone she knew there. She wondered if there would time to talk to her this weekend - she wanted to get her thoughts on both the Council itself and the man sitting by her. When Willow had mentioned him before, there was obviously a lot she had left out.
"I'm used to not having a lot of privacy...but it would be kind of nice to have some. Your neighborhood sounds nice. I guess I'll have to see how things go," she said, giving him a smile. "But at least the housing makes the moving part of the equation easier in this whole thing."
At the hotel, the driver came around and opened the door for them, helping her out as Giles got out after her. She looked up at the hotel with wide eyes - it definitely put the Hyperion to shame...and made her feel a bit like a country bumpkin. But when she looked over at Giles, remembering what he had said in the limo about not needing to dress up, she relaxed a bit. It didn't matter what she was wearing, she was here as a guest.
"Room service sounds good," she said, deciding that she really didn't want to put up with sitting in a restaurant if she didn't have to after the day she had had. Although she found that she really didn't want to eat alone...and actually wanted to spend some more time talking to Giles. "Umm...have you eaten? Or do you need to get back to your work or do you have plans or something?"
Giles got out of the limo and watched as the driver got Fred’s bags out of the trunk. The driver brought them around just as Fred was asking him to have dinner with him. He stumbled over his words for moment before saying, “No plans. I-I could join you for dinner,” he said, his palms started to sweat again. He gave her a sheepish look and bent down to pick up her luggage.
His hand wrapped around the handle and he picked it up. But before he could lift it up very far, it slipped from his sweaty hand and fell to the pavement. “Sorry,” Giles muttered before picking it up again. “I do hope there wasn’t anything breakable in there.”
The driver went to the door of the hotel and opened the door. Giles led Fred in and walked into the main lobby. He’d been in the hotel before so he wasn’t awestruck by the size or expensive art hanging from the wall. He went to the front desk and told them of Fred’s arrival.
The woman behind the desk gave him a fake smile, remembering him from when he called to reserve the room. He’d been quite persistent that Fred get the best suite there. She typed on her computer and handed him two electronic key cards. When he questioned her about the extra one, she made some comment that it was him and she knew how those Council people were when they brought “guests” to the hotel and demanded said guests get the best room there.
Giles narrowed his eyes, ready to tell her off but the woman quickly walked away to help another customer. He turned and looked at Fred, hoping she hadn’t heard what was said. “I have your, erm, keys,” he said, holding them out to her.
Fred suddenly wondered if she had embarrassed Giles by asking him if he wanted to stay and eat with her. Had she made a mistake? Stopping to look around the lobby for a moment, she wondered briefly if all this had been a mistake. Was she out of her league here? Working for a little supernatural detective agency in Los Angeles was one thing, but working for a centuries-old organization with a reputation in the occult circle like the Watchers did?
Taking a deep breath, she hurried up to join Giles at the counter, just as he turned around with the keys in his hand. She looked at them in confusion. "Two?" she said, taking them from him. Did he think she was going to lose one of them or worse...did he think that she was planning to hook up with someone while she was here for the weekend?
Fred suddenly felt her cheeks turning bright pink once more and wondered once again if her invitation had been a good idea because now she was wondering if he thought she was trying to say something that she wasn't trying to...at least, not now.
Not now? Fred wasn't sure what the hell she was thinking. Giles couldn't possibly be interested in someone like her since one, they had just met and two, he probably was already involved with someone. She couldn't imagine that someone like him hadn't been snapped up.
"Thanks," she said before they headed for the elevator to go up to her room. She still couldn't believe she was going to be staying in a suite. "Ummm...are you sure about staying and having dinner with me? I know it's late, and I understand if you have something you have to do or...someone waiting for you..."
Giles was relieved that it seemed Fred hadn’t heard what the other woman said. “I do believe it’s hotel policy to give you two keys. Not quite sure why,” he told her. He saw her cheeks turn pink and he had to stop his hand from reaching forward and touching them. “Right then. Shall we go to the lift?”
He picked up her bag and carried it over to the lifts. After pressing the button, Giles looked at her. Did she just ask if he was seeing someone? Or was Fred just trying to get rid of him? The second thought made his stomach clench a little. Of course she doesn’t want you, a voice said in his head, She’s beautiful and you’re bloody well old!
When the lift’s doors opened, Giles stepped in and waited for Fred before pressing the button for the top floor. “I have nothing to do nor do I have anyone waiting for me. Unless you count Andrew,” he said with a smile. “He’s always pestering me to get out more. But if you rather not have me for dinner, I’d understand. You don’t have to invite me to dinner in order to get the job.”
He leaned against the wall of the lift and sighed when he realized what he’d just said. “And I certainly didn’t mean to say that.” Giles was getting nervous again so he cleared his throat and decided to lay it all out on the line. “I’m attracted to you, Fred. Very much so. But I don’t want you to think that’s the reason I’m giving you the job… I mean, might give you the job. And apparently I should just be quiet now,” he said, slinking further away from her and looking to the floor. “I didn’t agree to have dinner with you because I want to, uh, get up your skirt. And I should bloody well shut up now.”
"I wasn't inviting you to dinner to try to get the job," Fred said, horrified that he might have thought that. She had just thought it might be nice to talk to him for a while longer and get to know him and...
Oh, God, what had she gotten herself into.
Then she saw him shifting nervously, and when he actually admitted he was attracted to her, Fred felt her breath catch in her throat. He was...he was actually interested in her? And he was more worried that she thought he was trying to use the job or dinner to his advantage.
"Please, don't...don't feel bad," she said, reaching out to touch his arm briefly and then pulling back again before deciding to screw it and placing her hand on his forearm. "I...I want to have dinner with you not because of any hidden agenda or hope that this'll get me the job somehow. I just wanted to talk to you more and get to know you better since we might be working together and because I think you seem really interesting and intelligent and attractive and...oh, lord, this isn't coming out right at all."
The elevator stopped on their floor, cutting their conversation short, and they had to walk down to the suite in silence, not wanting to say anything in front of ther other hotel patrons they passed. When they reached the suite, Fred opened the door with one of the keys and then turned to Giles.
"Please, I wish you'd stay for a while. No expectations or anything like that, really."
When Fred touched his arm, Giles felt a shock of electricity go through him. If he were honest with himself, he would’ve known it was because he wanted her to touch him, not static like he made himself think. He listened to Fred ramble and his lips curled up in a smile. She thought he was attractive, among other things. That was something he rarely heard anymore.
Giles smiled again when she asked him to come into her room and have dinner with him. He couldn’t say no now and he really didn’t want to. “Of course I’ll have dinner with you,” he gently said before stepping into the room.
He watched Fred turn on the lights and smiled. The room really was their best. It was rather large with a spacious living area and master bedroom, and bath, off to the side. He moved across the room and tugged at the curtains. “You have the prefect view of the London Bridge,” he commented as he peered out the window.
Giles turned in his spot and smiled at Fred. “Just so you know, I, uh,” he pressed his glasses up his nose and continued, “I think you’re quite beautiful yourself.” Happy with finally being able to say it, Giles turned toward the window again and watched the traffic down below.
He glanced out the window again and chuckled at Fred’s enthusiasm. Giles wanted to offer her the job at that moment but decided it might scare her off. After all, they’d gone through the trouble of flying her over and he knew Willow wanted to spend some time with Fred over the weekend. It would be foolish to give her the job in the middle of rush hour traffic and then send her back home.
“To be honest, Fred, I’ve interviewed a lot of people, with different degrees. They were all right for the job until I mentioned some of the things we research and, uh, kill. All of them knew about the Watcher’s Council but was under the strict impression they wouldn’t have to work with the demons,” Giles said as the limo started to move again.
He liked Fred. He liked that she was honest and not stuck on herself like most of the people he’d interviewed. Giles knew the job was hers already but he still intended on interviewing her the following day. “Do you have anymore questions? I reckon you’ll have some tomorrow during your tour of the lab and Council,” he said before leaning forward and taking a bottle of water out.
Reply
"It's be glad to help you anytime you need it. I learned a lot from Wesley in the short time I worked with him. He was...he was a good teacher, actually."
She raised her eyebrows when Giles explained that pretty much everyone else he had interviewed had been squeamish about the idea of actually working with demons. Considering what the Watchers Council did - and her own experience with Angel Investigations - she never would have thought that herself, especially in anything science-related in an organization like this. At the very least, there would be work on samples - blood, skin, whatever - and she was willing to bet that most of the time, there would be even more involved, including live subjects on occasion and field work. So it definitely sounded to her like her experience was much more important than just having a degree, which was good.
"There are only two questions I can think of right now although I'm sure you're right and I'll have tons more tomorrow. If I were take this job..." And Fred was beginning to really think she did want this job, even without seeing the lab or meeting other Council members or talking to Willow. "Does the Council provide a place to live or would that be up to me to find? And since the science department is new, would I be the only member of the department to begin with?"
Reply
He didn’t know why it was so important to tell her that last piece of information. Perhaps it was because Fred made him feel at ease and was easy to speak to. “As for your second question, yes, there’s a few people working in the lab. It’s mostly a skeleton crew to make the board happy. If I don’t find someone to lead the department, then they’re going to convert it into another training room,” Giles said before adding, “And I’m not saying that to pressure you into taking the job. Actually…”
Giles reached over to her to flip the pile of papers to the next page. His hand brushed against hers and he quickly pulled it back. “Pardon. I, I was just going to show you the list of people working in the lab already. It’s on the next page.” He watched her flip it over and he waved his hand toward it. “Only six people and you’ll have the option of hiring more if you chose to.”
The limo started to move again, this time a bit faster, and Giles thanked the heavens. The enclosed space was wreaking havoc on his hormones and he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. It’d been a long time since he’d been this close to a beautiful woman. “Only a few more blocks,” he said, glancing at her.
Reply
"Do a lot of people have their own flats, like you?" she asked, actually finding her interest piqued, trying to imagine what kind of place he would have. Something typically English? Or something more functional? She couldn't decide. "Maybe if I decide that I want a place of my own, you can recommend an area to live."
She realized that she was talking like she had already accepted the job and glanced down at the papers in her hand, feeling her cheeks burning a bit from embarassment. Way to get ahead of yourself, Fred, she told herself.
She instead tried to focus on the information he was giving her about the department. It sounded like he didn't actually want to lose it now that they had it. And when he reached over, she breathed in sharply when his hand brushed hers. She silently told herself to get a grip - it wasn't as if he were the first man to accidentally touch her like that. It was probably just the fact that the exhaustion from the plane ride had made her a bit hypersensitive. Nothing to do with Giles being good-looking with beautiful green eyes or that she was enjoying talking to him. Nothing at all...
She realized she was staring at him and tilted her head back down to look at the list of people currently employed in the department. She recognized the names of a couple from articles in the science journals she still read, but the other four were unknown to her. She'd have to do a bit of research into their backgrounds - both to get information on their abilities and to make sure she wasn't going to be stepping on the toes of anyone more qualified than her by taking this position.
When Giles mentioned they were almost there, she looked up again and smiled. "Thanks for bringing me here. Do they have a restaurant or anything at the hotel? The food on the plane was awful, and I would love to get something to eat that wasn't pre-cooked and then reheated to the consistancy of rubber."
Reply
A thought came to his mind of Fred hanging about with Willow and not wanting to move. If he wanted to ask Fred to have a date with him, he couldn’t do it if Willow was always hanging around. Then he blinked, wondering why he was even thinking about asking her out. He barely knew her and there was the age difference and…
Giles caught her staring at him and quickly looked away. She had the most beautiful eyes he’d ever since on a woman. “Oh, yes, of course,” he said, nervously pulling his glasses off and cleaning them. “There’s quite a few nice neighborhoods. The one I live in is quiet since mostly professionals live there.”
He put his glasses back on in time to see the limo pull close to the hotel. “Ah, here we are,” Giles said just as Fred mentioned food. His stomach softly rumbled when he remembered he hadn’t ate lunch. “Er, yes, there’s a resturant in the hotel or you could have the food delivered to your room.”
Reply
"I'm used to not having a lot of privacy...but it would be kind of nice to have some. Your neighborhood sounds nice. I guess I'll have to see how things go," she said, giving him a smile. "But at least the housing makes the moving part of the equation easier in this whole thing."
At the hotel, the driver came around and opened the door for them, helping her out as Giles got out after her. She looked up at the hotel with wide eyes - it definitely put the Hyperion to shame...and made her feel a bit like a country bumpkin. But when she looked over at Giles, remembering what he had said in the limo about not needing to dress up, she relaxed a bit. It didn't matter what she was wearing, she was here as a guest.
"Room service sounds good," she said, deciding that she really didn't want to put up with sitting in a restaurant if she didn't have to after the day she had had. Although she found that she really didn't want to eat alone...and actually wanted to spend some more time talking to Giles. "Umm...have you eaten? Or do you need to get back to your work or do you have plans or something?"
Reply
His hand wrapped around the handle and he picked it up. But before he could lift it up very far, it slipped from his sweaty hand and fell to the pavement. “Sorry,” Giles muttered before picking it up again. “I do hope there wasn’t anything breakable in there.”
The driver went to the door of the hotel and opened the door. Giles led Fred in and walked into the main lobby. He’d been in the hotel before so he wasn’t awestruck by the size or expensive art hanging from the wall. He went to the front desk and told them of Fred’s arrival.
The woman behind the desk gave him a fake smile, remembering him from when he called to reserve the room. He’d been quite persistent that Fred get the best suite there. She typed on her computer and handed him two electronic key cards. When he questioned her about the extra one, she made some comment that it was him and she knew how those Council people were when they brought “guests” to the hotel and demanded said guests get the best room there.
Giles narrowed his eyes, ready to tell her off but the woman quickly walked away to help another customer. He turned and looked at Fred, hoping she hadn’t heard what was said. “I have your, erm, keys,” he said, holding them out to her.
Reply
Taking a deep breath, she hurried up to join Giles at the counter, just as he turned around with the keys in his hand. She looked at them in confusion. "Two?" she said, taking them from him. Did he think she was going to lose one of them or worse...did he think that she was planning to hook up with someone while she was here for the weekend?
Fred suddenly felt her cheeks turning bright pink once more and wondered once again if her invitation had been a good idea because now she was wondering if he thought she was trying to say something that she wasn't trying to...at least, not now.
Not now? Fred wasn't sure what the hell she was thinking. Giles couldn't possibly be interested in someone like her since one, they had just met and two, he probably was already involved with someone. She couldn't imagine that someone like him hadn't been snapped up.
"Thanks," she said before they headed for the elevator to go up to her room. She still couldn't believe she was going to be staying in a suite. "Ummm...are you sure about staying and having dinner with me? I know it's late, and I understand if you have something you have to do or...someone waiting for you..."
Reply
He picked up her bag and carried it over to the lifts. After pressing the button, Giles looked at her. Did she just ask if he was seeing someone? Or was Fred just trying to get rid of him? The second thought made his stomach clench a little. Of course she doesn’t want you, a voice said in his head, She’s beautiful and you’re bloody well old!
When the lift’s doors opened, Giles stepped in and waited for Fred before pressing the button for the top floor. “I have nothing to do nor do I have anyone waiting for me. Unless you count Andrew,” he said with a smile. “He’s always pestering me to get out more. But if you rather not have me for dinner, I’d understand. You don’t have to invite me to dinner in order to get the job.”
He leaned against the wall of the lift and sighed when he realized what he’d just said. “And I certainly didn’t mean to say that.” Giles was getting nervous again so he cleared his throat and decided to lay it all out on the line. “I’m attracted to you, Fred. Very much so. But I don’t want you to think that’s the reason I’m giving you the job… I mean, might give you the job. And apparently I should just be quiet now,” he said, slinking further away from her and looking to the floor. “I didn’t agree to have dinner with you because I want to, uh, get up your skirt. And I should bloody well shut up now.”
Reply
Oh, God, what had she gotten herself into.
Then she saw him shifting nervously, and when he actually admitted he was attracted to her, Fred felt her breath catch in her throat. He was...he was actually interested in her? And he was more worried that she thought he was trying to use the job or dinner to his advantage.
"Please, don't...don't feel bad," she said, reaching out to touch his arm briefly and then pulling back again before deciding to screw it and placing her hand on his forearm. "I...I want to have dinner with you not because of any hidden agenda or hope that this'll get me the job somehow. I just wanted to talk to you more and get to know you better since we might be working together and because I think you seem really interesting and intelligent and attractive and...oh, lord, this isn't coming out right at all."
The elevator stopped on their floor, cutting their conversation short, and they had to walk down to the suite in silence, not wanting to say anything in front of ther other hotel patrons they passed. When they reached the suite, Fred opened the door with one of the keys and then turned to Giles.
"Please, I wish you'd stay for a while. No expectations or anything like that, really."
Reply
Giles smiled again when she asked him to come into her room and have dinner with him. He couldn’t say no now and he really didn’t want to. “Of course I’ll have dinner with you,” he gently said before stepping into the room.
He watched Fred turn on the lights and smiled. The room really was their best. It was rather large with a spacious living area and master bedroom, and bath, off to the side. He moved across the room and tugged at the curtains. “You have the prefect view of the London Bridge,” he commented as he peered out the window.
Giles turned in his spot and smiled at Fred. “Just so you know, I, uh,” he pressed his glasses up his nose and continued, “I think you’re quite beautiful yourself.” Happy with finally being able to say it, Giles turned toward the window again and watched the traffic down below.
Reply
Leave a comment