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“You can’t hold that against me,” Rick protested “It wasn’t a teen coainst you,” said Buffy, glowering at hirin “You didn’t say you wanted the files on Rick, Georgia Finally looking for a real story, you perverted ambulance chaser?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Buffy Any story you’ve had your hands on can’t possibly be real,” Rick countered

Shaun and I exchanged a look “Think they know each other?” he asked

“Getting the feeling Buffy?”

She looked, briefly, like she didn’t want to explain Then she shrugged and said, “After Rick beat et past the part that he’s older than the dawn of time”

“I choose to take that in the spirit in which it was offered,” said Rick “Especially since it coar Allen Poe is socially relevant”

Buffy sniffed

“Right, you know each other,” I said “How’s his bribe? Do we hire himan from the last sixof her chief of staff nation calls,” Buffy said

I shot Rick a startled look

He grinned “He didn’t say I had to stop taping”

“If I was interested in boys, I’d kiss you right now,” said Shaun, deadpan “George, in Newsie-speak, what does that s?”

“Three percent increase for starters, h to sustain an audience Rick, we can take you as a beta, you get your own byline but you run everything through me or my second, Mahir Gowda, no direct access to the candidate; if Ryet the nomination, you’re on a six-alese”

“And if he does get the noets the noet to stay with us until the bitter end, or until I fire your ass, whichever comes first”

“Acceptable” He held out his hand

I shook it “Welcome to After the End Times”

Shaun clapped hio “More testosterone on the field teas with sticks?”