“I can do this,” Blaine muttered to himself. “I can do this.”

Even after his pep talk, Blaine had to resist the urge to fidget and shift nervously in his seat.

The door in front of him slid open and he felt a breeze of cool air tickle his ankles, making his legs erupt in goosebumps. That’s what I get for not wearing socks.

A short, blonde woman walked in through the now-open door and spoke to the receptionist, before taking a seat next to Blaine. She must be interested in the position also.

Blaine immediately straightened his shoulders and gave her a cool glance. This gave him a cool air of confidence. He received a glare from said woman for his efforts, which he eagerly returned.

After a few minutes of strained silence between the competitors, the pristine door labelled ‘Kurt Hummel’ flung open, revealing a grown man attempting to muffle his sobs in a handkerchief whilst carrying a briefcase and stumbling out of the door.

His interview didn’t go well, then.

Blaine tried to swallow the bile rising in his throat and checked his watch. Bang on, 8:00AM.

Ring, Ring. The receptionist answered the phone. “Mr Hummel will see you now.”

Blaine nodded his thanks and, taking one last deep breath, pushed the door open and strutted forward.

Kurt peered up through his glasses, which are extremely hot, oh god I’ve always had a glasses kink and  I need to stop right now before my mind relocates itself into a gutter, and gestured for him to take a seat. 

“So, Zachary Effray. I must say, I am impressed with your résumé.” Kurt pulled his glasses off and placed them on a large notepad on his desk. “However, despite that, Santana’s glowing review of you and thirty five text messages and emails this morning about why I should definitely hire you, I am not entirely convinced you are up for this job.”

Blaine’s eyes widened slightly and he felt a flash of anger, before he caught himself and answered calmly, “I can assure you, I am perfectly capable of answering the phone, fetching coffee, picking up your dry-cleaning, anything.”

Kurt gave an unimpressed grunt that somehow managed to be elegant.

“I have plenty of people who can do that for me. I guarantee that the five people I saw before you could do that and the five people I’m going to see after you can do that. So, tell me, Zachary, why should I pick you, and not them?”

“I- Um… I,” Kurt held up his hand, effectively stopping Blaine from speaking. 

“Save your breath, you’re dismissed.” Blaine stared in confusion.

“This interview is over, you may go.” Kurt said, impatiently.

Stunned into silence, it took Blaine a few seconds to register Kurt’s words before he stood and made his way to the door. Blaine felt a sudden flare of anger at how easily Kurt dismissed him.

“You know, I did some research on you, Kurt Hummel. I know you grew up in Ohio, dreams of being a big Broadway star but when you arrived in New York, you dropped out of university and pursued a fashion route instead. I know you haven’t been in a relationship for longer than four months because you’re scared of loving someone after losing your mother and almost your father in your junior year of high school. And I also know that underneath your cool, bitchy exterior, you are actually a decent, understanding and apparently hilarious person. So that, sir, is why you should pick me. I’m nothing if not thorough with my work.”

Blaine turned once more and began setting himself up to tell his brother and team that he has failed his first case when a voice piped up from behind him.

“Tomorrow morning. Be here at 7:30, not a second later and you will be escorted to your office.”

Kurt span in his chair to face the window and Blaine waited until he was safely in his car before grinning widely and letting out a relieved laugh.

Little did he know, Kurt was also having trouble keeping the corners of his mouth straight.

“Hello, Kurt Hummel’s office. How may I help you?” Blaine said as he picked up phone number two for what felt like the thousandth time. “Please hold.”

Blaine pressed the button on his ear piece.

“Sir? I have Stacey from Vogue calling about the Western photo shoot for next month’s issue.”

There was silence for a few tense seconds causing Blaine to hold his breath.

“Send her through.”

He breathed out hard, glad he’d finally done something right and said a quick, “Yes sir” as he sent the call over.

Rachel sent him thumbs up from behind the magazine she was reading on the sofa. She had spent the majority of the morning teaching Blaine how to work the phone – Kurt had a very secure system, different pin numbers to make a phone call to certain phones on particular networks and Blaine’s head span just thinking about it - and little titbits he needed to know about the office.

Rachel had recently finished a role on Broadway and had a few months vacation and was spending this time to help out Kurt in any way she could.

Blaine also found out that Finn, the bodyguard he had met at the event a few nights before, was her fiancé and also Kurt’s stepbrother.

Rachel gave him pieces of advice he needed to follow in order to survive whilst working here.

For example, you don’t say ‘thank you’ to Bill, the mail guy, as he finds this offensive and like you’re mocking his profession. And how you don’t comment on how Sarah, one of Kurt’s consultants, always without fail, carries an orange in her hand and doesn’t put it down all day. Blaine’s eyebrows had almost disappeared into his heavily-gelled hairline at this, but Rachel waved his look away.

The last helpful advice Rachel gave is how you never, ever, go to Kurt’s office or workshop without invitation.

Blaine had then excused himself to send a quick to Cooper.

To Coop:

Apparently there’s a forbidden workshop. Will find a way to look around.

From Coop:

Search the office first. Then we’ll discuss the workshop.

Blaine pocketed his phone, slightly annoyed that Cooper was giving him orders, but Blaine knew he had to obey.

FBI work aside, Blaine was glad at how much progress he was making with Rachel – they seemed to be on the way to being friends and he genuinely did like her.

“The key to this, Blaine, is trust. Get those close to Kurt to like and trust you and eventually, he will. You just have to persevere.” Cooper explained.

Blaine had called back at the office on the way home from his interview to deliver the good news.

“Make sure you find a way to get into his office alone and have a look around.”