Food for Thought

[onyxsundrops]

Title: Food for Thought

Rating: Most likely it’ll work it’s way up to NC-17

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters, they belong to Joss and M.E.

Feedback: Yes, please

Storyline: Basically, Willow works/manages a little health food restaurant and runs into an incredible blonde, who’s new in town. Story does take place in Sunnydale, but there are no vamps, hellmouth, etc.

Author’s note: It’s just something I’ve been thinking about lately, so I decided to give it a try. I hope this theme hasn’t already been used, but if it has, please let me know. BTW, I’m still working on the Isla story, and I’ll update sometime next week.

****

Food for Thought Part 1





Willow Rosenberg was bored out of her mind as she stood behind the counter, aimlessly playing with the buttons on the cash register. Four months ago, her uncle had come to town, with hopes of selling his two-cent idea to the highest bidder and after less than a month, Food for Thought was under construction. The small restaurant in the center of Sunnydale was guaranteed to provide a place where people could eat healthy meals, while enjoying a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. Willow’s uncle had chosen to remain an indirect partner and went back to Florida, leaving the management in the hand’s of his niece.



Willow stared outside as the clouds parted and the rain began to lightly fall. It was the first day of opening, and she prayed that somebody...anybody would walk through the door. Even if all they wanted was to order a cup of water, which was free, but nonetheless it was still a customer. Each time a prospective customer walked by, she’d silently chant, please come in, please come in, but the person would only glance through the window before walking away. She sighed softly and went back to poking at the numbers on the register.



“Don’t look so zombie-like, it’s bad for business,” the voice broke Willow out of wallowing in her customer-less self-pity. The owner of the voice walked around the counter to put the ‘help wanted’ sign in the window. Willow watched her best friend, Buffy Summers, flop down on one of the counter's stools.



“That might be true if we actually had some business,” Willow huffed. “We haven’t had a paying customer in over an hour and most of the people who do come in, just frown at the menu and leave.” She walked around the table and sunk down beside Buffy. “Remind me again, why I agreed to do this,” Willow pouted, “I mean, I can’t even balance my checkbook, how am I supposed to manage a restaurant.”



“First off,” Buffy swirled in her seat to face the redhead, “you don’t have a checkbook.” Buffy smiled at Willow’s pout, “and secondly, you agreed to work here because you needed a job to pay for that brand new car you got sitting outside. Plus,” the petite blonde nudged her friend, “health food joints equal lesbian headquarters. Put the two together, and you might actually get a date.”



Willow blushed as she rolled her eyes, “Hey, I can get a date,” Buffy skepticaly arched her eyebrow. “I can. Okay, whatever...but I could’ve found a different job. The bookstore down the street was hiring, and you know me...I love books.”



“Will, remember elementary school, when you had to bring your inhaler every time you spent the night at my house? And I had to clear the room of all my stuffed animals because the doctor said that they were full of dust mites,” Buffy paused as Willow nodded. “Okay, now imagine four walls and a dozen shelves full of dusty old books. I mean, your every paycheck would be spent on allergy medicine.” Willow grimaced, remembering all the vaccines and medicines her mom used to pack in her sleep-over bag.



“C’mon, it’s not that bad,” Buffy stood up, taking Willow’s hand. “Besides, we have tons of food in the back and since there’s no one here to eat it...we shouldn’t let it go to waste,” Buffy grinned, “Oh! And I heard that asparagus was supposed to improve your memory.”



“I thought it was almonds,” Willow frowned, following her friend into the back.



“Close enough,” Buffy shrugged.



****

A short time later, the sound of the bell chiming as the door opened, brought the two stuffed girls back to reality.



“We have customers,” Willow clapped giddily. Not wanting them to leave, she ran toward the front, forgetting about the napkin that was hanging from her shirt. As she reached the register, she breathed a sign of relief when she saw that the person hadn’t left. The woman stood with her back to Willow, oblivious to the redhead as she leaned against the counter, looking out the window.



“Can I help you,” Willow lightly cleared her throat, knowing that she had startled the woman, when she saw her jump. Her breath caught when the young woman turned, “Can...,” she trailed off, captivated by the woman before her. She let her eyes travel as far as they could, from the cascade of blonde hair, to the sparkling blue eyes and full lips, and further down until she reached the surface of the counter, where the vision stopped.



Tara flushed and bit her lip as she watched the redheaded woman’s gaze slowly trail down her body. Any other time she would’ve felt uncomfortable, but this time was different. This woman was different. Finally, the woman’s green eyes met hers, and subconsciously, she found her own eyes making the same trip down the cashier’s body.



“What can I get you,” Buffy sauntered in from the back. She’d been watching from the kitchen door and wondered why her friend hadn’t taken the woman’s order yet. So she decided to go up front, figuring that Willow was in some kind of shock from actually having a customer who hadn’t bolted after five minutes of being in the restaurant.



Both girls managed to pull their eyes away from each other, long enough to notice Buffy’s presence.



“Yeah, uh, what uh,” Willow found it hard to speak, so she just pointed back to the menu, “food.” God, I sound like a cave-woman, she thought to herself.



Tara couldn’t help but smile at the adorable redhead. She lost herself in her thoughts, until she realized her reason for being there. “Oh, um, n-no t-thanks. I’m uh, h-here about t-the j-job.” She inwardly chided herself, Stop stuttering. They won’t hire you if they can’t understand you. Her eyes returned to Willow’s and she focused on controlling her breathing, “There was a sign in the window. ‘Help wanted’,” she finished clearly.



“Okay,” Willow said hastily, “you’re hired.” Both Buffy and Tara were taken back by Willow’s forwardness.



“D-Don’t I need an application?” Tara asked, looking from Willow to Buffy. Willow shook her head no and Buffy almost laughed at her friend’s behavior. “We’ll have you fill one out, for our records,” Buffy grabbed an application from under the counter, “but like Willow here said. You’re hired.”



“I’m Willow,” the redhead said rather loudly. She quickly grabbed the napkin from her shirt-collar and tapped her plastic name tag. “Don’t mind her, she’s been in the sugar again,” Buffy said. Tara smiled back at the cashier and followed Buffy to one of the vacant tables. “By the way, I’m Buffy and as you’ve already heard. That’s Willow.” “Tara,” the blonde said, sneaking another glance at Willow. It had only been two days since she had arrived in Sunnydale, but it was already starting to feel like home.



“Tara,” Willow whispered, loving how the name escaped her lips. Maybe this new job wouldn’t be so bad after all. She grinned, suddenly looking forward to the rest of the work day.

Edited by: onyxsundrops at: 12/25/04 10:03 pm

[KinKness]

Good Start!. . So When are ya getting to the Nc-17 bit? Nah Just joking.. Good start I'm Loving it already

[OhGroovetasticOne]

Oh, this is so cute. I'm looking very forward to this story's continuation. Willow's already so smitten. Well, who wouldn't be? I've always liked the W/T stories where Willow already identified as gay, it makes it a tad more believable or something to that extent. Anyway, thanks for this, I'll be checking for updates.

-Kathryn

[Fuzz WT]

Oh Willow!!! Could you be any more lusty?



A healthy food and lesbians? Okay, that suit me so much.



Looking for an update

*Fuzz*

*******




Hey! You're gonna back off! She said no and that's it. ~ TARA

[Washi]

I'm all with the woo hoo here. Loving it.

I loved willow's thought: "God, I sound like a cave woman."

Another great one Yvonne!

-------------------



"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa

[The Pineapple Head]

Washi...I'm with you. Cave Slayer, move aside. I'm all about the Cave Wiccan



Diana

"No, I'm not cold. I can engrave glass with my nipples, but I'm not cold."
Me

[littlecrazy80]

Great start. I already love this story.



*lil´c*

Let´s get happy and let´s be gay. germany´s grand prix song



Check this out

[Stroke of Luck]

I just can say WOW great start. Wonder if Willow and Tara will work or just look at each other



Cu

SoL/Natti



This is a duet, Amber! You need to sing!"- Tony

[Lucy Moore]

Liked the premise,and now looking forward to the continuation...

Read Lucy and Emily's FanFic.



fiat justitia,ruat caelum

[willara]

Wow! I really liked this one. Lots and lots of potential. Keep it up! Thanx.







Allison

[onyxsundrops]

Thanks to: KinKness, OhGroovetasticOne, Fuzz WT, Washi, The Pineapple Head, Littlecrazy80, Stroke of Luck, Lucy Moore, and Willara for the feedback and everyone else who likes/reads the story. I wish I could give longer replies, but the battery on my laptop is very low.

I'll post the next part in an hour or so, when I get home.

Yvonne

[onyxsundrops]

Food for Thought Part 2





After politely declining the use of Willow’s collection of different colored pens to fill out her application, Tara handed in the piece of paper to the eager manager. The redhead scanned the sheet, lingering for a moment on the phone number, and quickly stored it under the counter top. “So when can you start?” She asked. Not wanting the beautiful blonde to leave, she silently prayed that she’d start right away...as in right now.



“Oh, um, a-anytime. When do you need me?” Tara asked. “Now,” Willow blushed, “I mean, uh, you can start now, if that’s okay. But you won’t have to actually do anything. Buffy’s working in the kitchen, so you can hang out up here with me,” they exchanged shy smiles, “or I can give you a tour...you know, so you can familiarize yourself with the area.”



“I’d like that,” Tara nodded, loving the idea of spending time with her new boss. After the fifty-cent tour of the kitchen, bathroom and the alley behind the restaurant, the two girls walked back up front. On her way, Tara was so wrapped up in Willow’s proximity that she accidently bumped into one of the tables, causing a tray of napkins to clatter to the ground.



“Oh, I-I’m s-sorry,” Tara said before kneeling to retrieve the napkins. “No, it’s okay,” Willow said, dropping beside Tara, “I do it all the time.” She tried to pry her eyes away from the expanse of skin that revealed its self through the small slit in Tara’s skirt...but to no avail. Her eyes took in the shapely calf and stopped above the ankle, “You have a tattoo?”



Tara was caught off guard by the question, until her eyes followed Willow’s down to the small colorful butterfly on her ankle. “Y-Yes. Is it against the d-dress p-policy?” She asked nervously and placed the tray back on the table.



Willow noticed the slight stammer and quickly reassured the blonde. “Oh no...we don’t even have a dress policy. I mean...look at Buffy,” she grinned.



“I heard that,” the shout came from the kitchen.



“You can wear whatever you want...as long as it’s not anything too extreme.” Her eyes glazed over as she pictured the blonde in something ‘extreme’. When Tara saw the far away look in Willow’s eyes, her curiosity peaked as she wondered what the redhead was thinking about.



“Okay,” Tara smiled, “um, what’s the pay period.” She felt that it was a little rude to ask about money, when she hadn’t started working yet, but she’d only had enough money for the security deposit and down payment on her apartment and needed to know if she would get her first check before the rent was due.



The question brought Willow out of her reverie, “You get your chaps- checks,” apparently it didn’t snap her completely out of her daydream, “checks. We issue paychecks every other week,” her cheeks burned from embarrassment. Tara heard the slip-up, and smiled as she tried to keep her laughter at bay. The cute redhead was just too much for her, and of course, now she had a better idea of what had been swimming through the young woman’s mind.



Willow unsuccessfully willed herself to disappear and was grateful when the doorbell chimed, signaling a customer. Or not, she thought when she recognized the new arrival.



“Hello ladies and...,” Xander frowned as he looked around the near empty restaurant, “ladies.” He grinned childishly when his eyes fell on his best friend. “Hey Xander,” Willow greeted her friend and walked over to hug him. For a brief moment, Tara looked crestfallen as she watched the two embrace, but she hid her emotions and offered the young man a smile.



“And who might you be,” Xander playfully wiggled his eyebrows toward the blonde. Willow had the sudden urge to pinch her flirtatious friend, but decided to save it for later. “Leave her alone Harris. We don’t want her quitting before she starts,” Buffy called from the kitchen, smiling through the small window in the door.



“Oh, you work here,” he said before turning back to the kitchen door where Buffy had been, “it’s about time Willow hired someone useful,” he shouted back. A few seconds later, Buffy reemerged in front of the window with a large butcher knife, glaring at the man in mock anger. Tara giggled at the display, enjoying the playful way the group communicated.



“Tara, this is Xander...and vice versa,” Willow said. The two exchanged ‘hellos’ and Willow went on, “What are you doing here Xander?” She asked nicely, though inside she wanted her friend to leave, so she could be alone with the blonde. Her eyes drifted to Tara and she smiled shyly when she caught her gaze.



“You asked me to come over, remember,” Xander was oblivious to the connection between the two girls, “besides Anya and I were kinda hungry, so I picked her up on my lunch break.”



“Anya’s with you,” Willow looked over his shoulder, “why’s she in the car? Aren’t you guys eating here?” “No way,” Xander snorted, looking up at the menu on the back wall. “Gee, thanks,” Willow replied, somewhat offended.



“Oh c’mon Will, it’s nothing personal, it’s just that Anya prefers something...dead and greasy.” The car’s horn echoed into the restaurant and the group turned to see Anya tapping impatiently on her watch. “And if I don’t hurry, it might be me,” Xander joked. “It was nice meeting you Tara,” he smiled and the blonde nodded, “I’ll see you guys later.” He practically ran back to the car, not only because of the rain that had began to pour harder, but also because he didn’t want to incur the wrath of Anya.



Tara almost burst with joy when she saw Xander lovingly kiss his passenger before driving off. If Xander and Willow weren’t involved...maybe she had a chance after all. From the corner of her eye, she saw the redhead looking at her and suddenly felt warm inside as she thought about the possibilities.



After a second or two, Willow realized that she’d been staring, and quickly lowered her gaze.



“Will, I’d hate to say it, but this is incredibly boring,” Buffy commented, interrupting the silence between the two girls. “The kitchen’s clean. I say we pack up and call it an early night...and maybe tomorrow, we’ll actually have a reason to be here.”



Willow sighed and watched as the rain fell. Could she really do this? Manage a restaurant? Her uncle said that it’d be easy. Just make sure the food’s fresh and that no one steals from the register...pay the employees on time, keep the place clean, and everything will be fine, she mentally recalled what he told her before he left.



“Are you okay?” Tara sensed Willow’s uncertainty and boldly grazed her fingers against the redhead’s hand. The touch sent a tingling sensation through both of their bodies, causing Willow to visibly shudder. “Yeah,” she squeaked, “yeah,” she repeated, showing her own boldness when the same hand brushed back against Tara’s skin.



Contrary to what others might believe, Buffy wasn’t blind. She smirked, secretly admiring the mild affection between her best friend and the new employee. “I packed up some of the extra food for all of us to take home,” she cleared her throat, “so when you two are ready...,” she trailed off, finally getting Willow’s attention.



“Okay, um, I just need to lock up, then we can go. Can I give you a ride home?” She held Tara’s gaze, praying that the blonde would accept. “Sure,” Tara whispered, lost in the emerald pools in front of her. Willow stopped herself from doing a cartwheel across the counter top, and rushed off to make sure everything was as it should be.



Ten minutes later, the trio stood under the multicolored awning as Willow lowered the last curtain and locked the door.



“Do you want me to drive?” Buffy asked.



Though she's had her driver’s license for a few weeks now, Willow was still a little reluctant to drive. Mainly because she had very little experience on the actual road and her maneuvering skills weren’t exactly the best in Sunnydale. She unlocked the car doors with her remote and was about to hand the keys over to Buffy, but thought otherwise.



“No, it’s cool. I got it,” she flashed a smile toward Tara. The quiet blonde returned the smile, but didn’t miss Buffy’s horrified expression. “Uh okay. Tara, you can have shotgun,” Buffy said, not leaving room for argument. On the count of three, they sprinted through the small rain puddles, reaching Willow’s car.



“Safety first,” Willow locked her seatbelt into place, feeling a little giddy and slightly nervous, now that she was behind the wheel. Luckily the car was an automatic as she searched around, making sure she knew where everything was. She turned a few knobs and as soon as she started the car, the stereo blared, vibrating the car windows. “Sorry,” the redhead smiled sheepishly and lowered the volume.



“It’s okay,” Tara said once the ringing in her ears lessened.



As Willow pulled from the parking lot, ‘Killing me softly’ by Lauryn Hill started to play, making Buffy cringe and sink further into the backseat. I really didn’t need to hear this right now, she thought as she braced herself for the ride.



Remarkably, they made it to Tara’s apartment in one piece, though it had taken nearly fifteen minutes for the five minute drive.



“Here we are,” Willow stopped outside the small apartment complex, “do you want me to pick you up tomorrow? I wouldn’t mind,” she shrugged. Tara agreed and Willow promised to meet the blonde, tomorrow morning at seven. After a few ‘goodbyes’, Tara raced up the path, disappearing behind the gated entrance to the complex.



“I know that look,” Buffy said as she climbed into the front seat. “What look?” Willow tore her eyes away from the building and focused on Buffy. “That ‘I wanna jump her bones’ look,” she chuckled.



“It is not,” Willow protested, “she’s nice,” she said, looking back at the gate. “Yeah,” Buffy nodded knowingly. “She is... and anyway, this is my ‘I wanna jump her bones’ face.” The redhead let her mouth drop open as her eyes glazed over. Her open mouth stretched into a grin when Buffy rolled her eyes, “Do you want me to drive?” Buffy asked for the second time. Her tone making it appear as if she were pleading.



“No, I’m getting the hang of this,” she switched gears and the car went in reverse, “okay, okay...I got it now.” She shifted into drive and slowly headed home.

[nika]

Love at first veggie bite huh? I like it! It was really funny how both their brains ceased to function when they met.

You know it's true love when they don't check your references.

[Fuzz WT]

“Oh, um, a-anytime. When do you need me?” Tara asked. “Now,” Willow blushed



Ohhh! That one, that one was really funny.



Keep 'em coming! Um, the updates.

*Fuzz*

*******




Hey! You're gonna back off! She said no and that's it. ~ TARA

Edited by: Fuzz WT  at: 6/23/03 1:42 am

[the vamp nurd]

Health food?



Ah the joy of W/T Au.



the or kiss the geek

Sorry I missed church, I was busy becoming a lesbian and worshiping Satan



Bardlet no #27

[Stroke of Luck]

Wow they are head over heels for each other GREAT

Cant wait for the next day when they meet again!



Cu

SoL/Natti



This is a duet, Amber! You need to sing!"- Tony

[Washi]

Yvonne, this one killed me:

Quote:

---

As Willow pulled from the parking lot, ‘Killing me softly’ by Lauryn Hill started to play, making Buffy cringe and sink further into the backseat. I really didn’t need to hear this right now, she thought as she braced herself for the ride.

---

It had me laughing and laughing. Kickass stuff!

-------------------



"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa

[littlecrazy80]

Willow and Tara are just too cute together. I love this story.



*lil´c*

Let´s get happy and let´s be gay. germany´s grand prix song



Check this out

[Imperfectly Me]

cute startoff, can 't wait to see more.



Aimee

Who were you then? And who are you now? That you think you can figure it all out, the mathematics of regret. It takes two beers to remember now, and five more to forget. That I love you so..what. Yeah I love you so..what.

[3peanuts]

Great! Keep up the good work...

"Cunning linguist" GG

Keynes was right

[tiger17]

I must say this is an awesome fic, can't wait for the next update

[barnabasvamp]

Really good start! Can Willow be more obvious?



BV

"When choosing between two evils, I always like to take the one I've never tried before"-Mae West

[onyxsundrops]

Thanks for the comments/feedback...it's greatly appreciated! I'm sure some of you are wondering when it's going to pick up (i.e. NC17) and I just want you to know that I'm getting there...slowly but surely.

****

Food for Thought Part 3





The sun burned bright in the early morning sky as Willow bustled through the house. “Buffy!” She called her roommate for the second time, and checked her watch again. “Okay, okay,” the groggy reply drifted into the kitchen. “Willow it’s 6:30,” Buffy yawned, “Tara lives five minutes away... everything in Sunnydale is five minutes away. We don’t have to leave so early,” she stared up at her friend as Willow walked into the living room.



“I know,” the redhead picked at several balls of lint from her sweater, “but I’m driving, remember.” “Good point,” Buffy chuckled as she slipped on her shoes, “okay. I’m ready.”



They headed out and reached Tara’s place at a record time of ten minutes.



“See, now we’re twenty minutes early. That’s twenty more minutes of sleep I could’ve had,” Buffy whined.



“Buffy...,” Willow cut herself off and stared over her friend’s shoulder, “she’s here.” The sleepy blonde followed Willow’s gaze and saw Tara making her way toward the car.



Since her new friend was at a safe distance from Willow, the redhead allowed herself to take in the young woman’s appearance, without the embarrassment that came with being caught ogling. Her eyes trekked from the loosely tied ponytail, to the light purple top that Willow couldn’t help but envy, and finally moved lower to the fitted blue jeans and black boots.



Willow continued to stare, dreamily, at the gorgeous woman until Buffy’s movement, blocked her view. The cook left the passenger door open to let Tara have the front seat, and climbed into the back.



“Oh, you didn’t h-have to move,” Tara said once she was close enough. Buffy shrugged and looked at Willow, “I know, but I don’t mind the backseat... really,” she flashed a reassuring smile.



Tara sat next to Willow, and as she closed the passenger’s door, the force swept her scent to the driver’s side. “Oh god,” Willow groaned under her breath. She inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet vanilla smell and gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Ready,” she asked cheerfully as her heart pounded against her chest. The others nodded, and the trio were on their way.



Tara could hardly concentrate on her surroundings as Willow drove the rest of the way to the restaurant. The night before, her mind had been flooded with thoughts of the redhead. Her psyche even went as far as to plant some very steamy images into her dreams. Tara snuck a sideways glance at her boss, stopping to focus on her hands, and felt the blush rising in her cheeks.



Willow could feel the blonde’s eyes on her, and tried to remain calm. She’s looking at me, the voice in her mind yelled gleefully. Oh god, what if I have something on my face, Willow brushed her hand against her face as nonchalantly as possible. Nope, nothing there. She’s looking at me. The redhead allowed a smile to creep upon her face as she focused on the road.



In the backseat, Buffy looked from each girl, Oh yeah. I give it a week. She grinned and enjoyed the remainder of the ride.



****



Two hours after opening, the scene of the restaurant was a complete turn around from yesterday. Whereas today, they actually had a few customers, who ordered something besides beverages. Willow wasn’t sure what had gotten into Sunnydale’s residents, and frankly, she didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was that they were there.



Because there wasn’t a specific dress code, the worker’s wore aprons with the restaurant’s logo, so customers could distinguish employees from other customers. Tara tended to the empty tables, while Willow handled the register and Buffy worked in the kitchen. For a group of only three, the girls were doing quite well for themselves.



“See Will, I told you that it wouldn’t be so bad,” Buffy said as she leaned against the counter. The activity had died down, but a few of the customers still remained, most of them had finished their meals and were simply enjoying the company of their friends and co-workers.



“Yeah, it was probably just the first day jitters,” Willow closed the register and smiled at her friend, “if business continues to boom, we might be able to close early.”



“Are we still Bronzin’ it tonight?” Buffy asked. Willow nodded and shot a glance toward Tara, “Ask her,” Buffy urged, sensing what her friend was thinking. Willow bit her lip nervously when the blonde started toward the counter, “What if she says no?”



“Somehow, I seriously doubt she will,” Buffy said, just as Tara reached the counter. She tackled the wad of crumpled bills in her hand and started to dump them into the half-full jar of tips, when Willow quickly covered the lid with her hand. “No, keep it,” she gestured toward the money.



“A-Are you sure?” Tara frowned. She looked at Buffy, who also nodded. “Yeah, you earned it,” Willow refused to move her hand until Tara stuffed the bills in her pocket. “Thanks,” she shyly ducked her head and met Willow’s eyes.



“Huh, I’m going to go make sure the food isn’t burning,” Buffy said and quietly slipped away. Ask her, Willow thought as she held Tara’s gaze. Amazing eyes. Okay, I’m gonna ask her. She visibly jerked her head, agreeing with herself. The pensive look and movement didn’t go unnoticed by the blonde, “Is something w-wrong? Is it a-about the t-tips?” She nervously reached into her jeans.



Willow saw the concern in Tara’s eyes, before she heard the question. “What? No, no...it’s not that,” she took a deep breath, “Tara. I uh, I was wondering if...if-.”



“Don’t be such a wuss...it’s only a scratch,” Anya’s familiar voice cut Willow off before she could finish. Xander walked in beside her, cradling his pinky finger. “Will, you got any band-aids?” The redhead’s shoulder’s slumped as she turned to Xander, “What happened?” She was slightly annoyed with her friends for interrupting her moment of courage. She probably would’ve said no anyway, she thought as she grabbed the first aid kit.



Tara stared at Willow, while her boss bandaged Xander’s finger. “Dumbo here, cut himself on the car doorhandle.” She could hear the humor in Anya’s snort, but kept her eyes on Willow. The redhead had looked so hopeful. What was she about to say? Tara shook away the thought when she felt someone looking at her. She recognized the woman from yesterday and felt uncomfortable as she continued to stare at her.



Anya gave the blonde the once over, “So you’re the new Food for Lesbians employee?” She asked loudly. Some of the customers looked up at the group in disgust. “Anya,” Willow hissed, throwing the band-aid wrapper in the trash.



“What?” She shrugged, “Please, like they don’t know,” she glared back at those who were still looking at her.



Xander groaned, “Please don’t call it that. And just because she works here, doesn’t mean she’s gay. Buffy works here, and she’s not gay.”



“Says who,” Anya snorted. Once the shock of Anya’s tactlessness wore off, Tara oddly found herself liking the newcomer. Mostly because she obviously liked to express what was on her mind... a trait Tara sometimes wished she had. She looked up at Willow and the redhead quickly averted her eyes. Yeah... it was something she definitely wished she had.



“So anyway,” Anya continued, “are we still going out tonight? If not, Xander and I are going to go home and play dress up. There’s this new shop downtown...they have costumes and whips and stuff. Xander agreed to let me-.” The rest of her sentence was muffled by her boyfriend’s hand.



“Thank you,” Buffy emerged from the back. She could hear everything that the group discussed, especially Anya’s comment...which she’d have to bring up a little later, when they were away from the public eye. “And yes Anya, we’re still going out.” She shot Willow a look, knowing her best friend hadn’t asked Tara yet.



“Okay, we’ll uh, we’ll see you guys tonight then,” Xander smiled, still covering Anya’s mouth with his hand as they backed away, out of the restaurant. As soon as they were outside, Anya bit his hand and marched off toward the car.



“Geez, I could just kill her sometimes,” Buffy joked. She noticed the faint tension in Willow and decided that it was her cue to leave, “Do I smell smoke,” she sniffed and hurried away.



As the two girls stood in front of each other, Tara tried to catch the redhead’s eye, but Willow wouldn’t look up. “If there’s s-something w-wrong,” she composed herself, “you could tell me. You could tell me anything,” she inched her hand closer to Willow’s.



“I just,” Willow sighed. Ask her, “I was just going to ask if you wanted to come out with me- us, tonight. But I’ll understand if you don’t want to...I mean, if you already have plans-.”



“Yes.”



“...or something- What?” Willow looked up, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her. “Did you...”



“Yes,” Tara repeated. “I’d love to,” she beamed. “Okay, great,” Willow smiled back, “great, um I’ll drop you off at your place first, so you can change...not that you need to, I mean, you already look good but um...,” she trailed off.



“It’s okay Willow,” Tara smiled at her friend’s nervousness, “I get it.”



“Great,” Willow bounced on the balls of her feet.



“Great,” Tara gave Willow a lopsided grin, before going back to work.



It’s a date... with three other people... but still a date, Willow thought as she greeted the next customer.

Edited by: onyxsundrops at: 6/23/03 10:18 pm

[Washi]

More!

-------------------



"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa

[Stroke of Luck]

YAY their first date If they go on like this they dance and kiss in the next update Well i hope so



And Anya my god she is so Anya-like....i thought some of the customers had left after such a conclusion



Cu

SoL/Natti



This is a duet, Amber! You need to sing!"- Tony

[Lt Sticks]

This is awesome! Anya cracked me up, and W/T...so sweet.



Gods id give anything to see Willows "I wanna jump her bones" face...



~Sticks

A fire in my heart, reborn from the ashes...just call me Phoenix



I'm Under Your Spell, nothing I can do, you just took my soul with you...

[the vamp nurd]

I second Lt Sticks comment

Quote:

---

It’s a date... with three other people... but still a date, Willow thought as she greeted the next customer.

---

Arf.

Sorry I missed church, I was busy becoming a lesbian and worshiping Satan



Bardlet no #27

[3peanuts]

"Still a date"...soooo Willow-esque! Eh eh eh...

"Cunning linguist" GG

Keynes was right

[Fuzz WT]

Oh yes! It's sooo still a date!!!

I'm so rooting for them.



Loving the way you made them feel and think.

I love Anya's comment 'bout Buffy too.



***

In the backseat, Buffy looked from each girl, Oh yeah. I give it a week.

***

Oh boy, aren't our girls that easy? Hell, I'll give it a " the bronze " Kidding! It's your will on that.



Can't wait to see what will happen at The Bronze!



*Fuzz*



Edit cuz : spelling is not a thing for me!

*******




Hey! You're gonna back off! She said no and that's it. ~ TARA

Edited by: Fuzz WT  at: 6/24/03 3:17 am

[Willster]

Just catched up with this fic!!



Gotta say I love it!!



They are so cute, all shy but still really into each others.



Can't wait to see the date!