Hello everyone,
So I know my first original chapter was pants so I re wrote it, thankfully this time I had a beta Azirahael.
I did some of it and he helped with a lot of the dialogue and editing so this is a joint effort and I will definitely use
his help to create the rest of this story.
I have a vague idea of what will happen so please bare with me.
So as you know I don't own the characters and it's AU.
I'd like to thank Azirahael for all his help and please ignore chapter 2 we will be re writing it so please leave feed back
Thanks
Sarah
Chapter 1
Willow was stacking deodorants on shelves.
She knew it wasn't the job she planned to do for the rest of her life, but for now it would do.
Working in a shop called “Sparks”. A fun name the owners thought would bring customers in.
She looked around at the small shop, glad that she didn’t have to work in some horrible chain store.
Best of all it was just around the corner from the Espresso pump and not far from home
The pay wasn’t awesome, but the perks were great.
She had just finished, when her boss made an appearance "Willow could you come out back with me for a moment?"
“Um, sure boss.”
“Willow, this isn’t school or the army. ‘Lilly’ will do just fine” She said with a warm smile on her face.
Willow stood up and followed her out back, worried despite the reassurance , that she she was in trouble for something.
"Don't look so worried dear" Lilly said as they entered her office. "I just wanted to see how you were settling in and if you wanted some more hours?"
Willow perked up a bit when she heard this. She’d only been working weekends, and was looking forward to earning some extra cash.
"I'm settling very well , thanks Miss Maclay. Um, Lilly., Everyone is so friendly and I love my work" Willow said with a big smile on her face.
" I would like some extra hours., Does this mean I can work more hours during the week?"
Lily smiled.
" Yes. More hours during the week, and I want you to work with my daughter Tara., She's good at what she does , but she’s very nervous when talking to the customers. I would like for you to help her gain the confidence she needs, and hopefully you both will make a new friend.s"
Willow nodded happily, and Lily called Tara into the office.
Willow saw the shy girl she had seen around the place a couple of times., Mostly during training, when she had little energy to spare.
She had long light-brown hair and the bluest eyes Willow had ever seen.
She a little more nervous than she could explain. "Tara, this is Willow. She's been with us for a little while and she's going to be working more hours, during the week. So you’ll be working together." Tara looked up a little and smiled at Willow. "H-hi W-Willow."
As their eyes met. They both thought the same thing: “Wow!”
Straight away Lilly could see a connection and smiled.
She gently shooed them out onto the shop floor. “The shelves still need filling. But there’s no reason you can’t have a nice chat while you’re working.”
They both nodded silently, and hurried to their task, all the while sneaking secret glances at each other.
As the day went on they had only talked about work because: Duh! Work. Willow decided that the next day she would talk to this girl who was so… interesting.
The next morning saw Willow up early and eager for work. She was really looking forward to talking to Tara, but oddly jittery. And not knowing thing made her more jittery.
She didn't know why she was feeling like she’d just had a triple espresso, this way but knew she wanted to find out. While she was contemplating on how she was going to talk to Tara, her Dad wandered into the kitchen to get breakfast started.
Willow's Mom left when she was 12 years old. Willow had always preferred her Dads company over her mom's. Her dad had always made time to spend with her, taking her fishing, teaching her to cook while her mother just worked all the time and drank too much. Willow came back from school one day to find that her Mom had already left and that her parents were getting divorced.
She thought she would be upset about it. That’s what they show on the TV all the time.
But realized she felt a lot happier without her making the house all gloomy and angry.
Willow watched her dad make them both bacon sandwiches for breakfast, (Another little bonus) she decided to tell her dad about the new person she met at work.
"Hey Dad! I met this new girl at work, well she's not new, but it's the first time i have met her. Her name is Tara and she is the bosses daughter, there's something about her but i'm not sure what it is, what should i do?" She asked nervously.
Ira turned around and looked at his daughter seriously, he could see that from this first meeting with this girl that something had changed in his daughter. The nervous babble was his first clue. Buffy never prompted such a high-speed stream of words.
“It sounds like you like her,” he said cautiously.
Willow lit up with a huge smile, and bobbed her head happily.
He knew Willow was serious about this girl. She had never seemed so nervous about talking to any one else before and she definitely never asked for his advice in the matters of the heart. Though he’d never expected to sit down with his daughter and have a casual chat about girls.
And he wasn’t a hundred percent sure his daughter even realized she was attracted to this ‘Tara’ girl. And deep conversations like that, he really didn’t want to have over the breakfast table.
"Well Willow, I'm afraid I can't help you with that. All i can suggest is that you be yourself and just get to know her. If she is as special as you say she is, she will be happy to get to know you in any way she can. Just remember to bring her round for dinner one evening so i can see the girl that's got you all nervous and jumpy," he said with a fond smile.
Willow nodded happily.
After they ate breakfast. Willow hurried off to work. When she arrived she stuffed her stuff in her locker and hurried about, making sure she had everything she needed for the day set up.
Tara came out to open up the shop, she was nervous but also excited to get to work with and get to know the new girl, Willow. She just wasn't sure how to go about getting to know her.
As the day wore on both girls were both feeling down as they had been too busy and unable to really talk.
Willow was thinking that she might go over and try to talk to Tara when she noticed that the other girl seemed to be in a heated conversation with a customer. She walked over to see what was going on.
"What's going on here is everything alright?" Willow asked her.
Before she could say anything the guy turned around and angrily said to Willow "This incompetent woman will not help me, and is unable to even speak properly to me."
"Well sir i can help you with your inquiry. Tara, I'll handle this. Can you cover the till?" she asked her nicely.
Tara nodded and headed over to the till. Five minutes later when the customer had been served and had left the store Willow found Tara waiting for her out back. "Don't worry about that guy he just seemed to have a chip on his shoulder and seemed like he was just plain angry," Willow said in a rush.
She saw Tara give her a small smile and decided to try and talk to her.
"Listen Tara if you ever need to vent or talk about the day or anything at all, well here's my number" She nervously handed over a scrap of paper with her number on.
Tara took it and gave her a bright smile. "T-thank y-you W-willow i will do that" Tara blushed and ducked her head, she would have carried on talking but realized that the shop was about to close and they had to get the shop tided up.
Later that night Tara decided to send willow a text:
Thank you willow for helping me earlier, if it's alright with you, can we meet up before work tomorrow and talk get to know each other?As she was getting ready for bed she got a reply:
Absolutely! Meet me at the espresso pump at 7 Both girls went to bed with a smile on their face, and excited for the morning.