********
TITLE: College Confidential
AUTHOR: Laragh
CHAPTER RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: Willow, Tara and any other characters from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise belong to Joss Whedon, FOX, ME and a whole host of other entities, none of which are me.
SUMMARY: The first part of the prequel to
Hacker Confidential and
Family Confidential - the college years!
SPOILERS: Perhaps minor references to the show or stealage of dialogue, but nothing that would spoil the series.
FEEDBACK: Yes please
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just wanted to note, since Hacker was set in quasi-real time as I was writing, that would set this verse in February 2005 onwards. Happy 4th of July to my American readers
Chapter 2 ********
Willow skipped down the hallway and into her dorm room, a massive smile still plastered to her face.
A smile that hadn't left her ever since she'd run in to Tara that morning.
She’d decided to forgo her study plans - a concept quite alien to her - for the day after Tara had left the coffeehouse, figuring there was no way she would be able to concentrate when all she could think about was her new friend.
She had wandered around the campus for a while before the weight of her books started to weigh her down and she decided to return to her room. She'd actually enjoyed the time just thinking about nothing in particular and had noted with interest that everything seemed brighter and lighter around her - which she attributed to taking the time to look and not rush around.
Must be it...nothing else changed...'cept I met Tara...Tara...her name is so pretty. I wonder what it means. I should ask her. Tomorrow. When I get to see her again!She smiled at her roommate, Becky, who had been her roommate for as long as they'd been in college, as she entered her room and continued her skip-walk to her desk to drop off her books.
Becky was lying on her bed, knees up and laptop resting on them, idly typing away at something.
“I thought you’d be in the library all day,” she commented without looking up.
“That’s really bad for your posture,” Willow replied, actually spinning over to her bed and sitting down with a bounce, “I didn’t get to the library.”
That seemed to be intriguing enough for Becky to glance away from her laptop.
“And why is that?”
Willow pursed her lips in an attempt for nonchalance.
“Just met a new friend is all.”
Becky eyed her roommate curiously. She had gotten used to Willow's 'odd' behaviour and had come to learn how to decipher it, but there was something about her demeanour that was different to anything she'd seen in her friend before. She watched the way Willow rocked back and forth on the bed, keeping her hands linked under her knees and her feet kicking from under her.
Definitely 'giddy-Willow'. But with something extra, a gleam in her eye.
It only took her a second to reconcile what she was seeing with what she heard, and was fully at attention, laptop tossed down beside her, forgotten.
“A girl...friend?”
Willow almost jumped right up onto the bed, but busied herself by grabbing her pillow and squeezing it to her chest, chin resting on top.
“She is a girl, who is currently a friend, but is also a girl that I really, really want to be a girlfriend of the romantic variety because she is so very, very beautiful and she’s funny and she’s kind, she wants to be social worker so she can help kids and isn’t that amazing? And I only talked to her for like an hour but I know she’s fantastically wonderful but I think she just wants to be friends and I don’t know what to do.”
She hadn't quite meant for all of that to come out in one go, or to be so revealing in her affections, but apparently possessing feelings for someone did nothing to help her lack of control in articulation.
In fact it made it worse.
“So...yeah,” she finished somewhat lamely, but figured if it was out there now maybe she could get some advice from her far more learned-in-matters-of-the-heart roommate, “What do I do?”
Becky sat up fully and turned to face Willow, a thoughtful look on her face. Her roommate having a crush was a Big Deal - and an as yet unexperienced one.
“Start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”
Willow looked off a moment with a dreamy smile as she again thought about the person who had lit up her morning, before focusing again. She needed advice.
“Okay, so I was walking to the library, like I planned when I left here this morning-”
“Yeah, thanks for banging into your nightstand so loudly, by the way,” Becky couldn't resist interrupting with a roll of her eyes, “You know I just love how early you like to wake up.”
“Sarcasm not appreciated,” Willow replied in a snipe, “And if you don’t want to know...”
Becky held her hands out in front of her defensively.
“Okay, okay. Continue.”
Willow closed her eyes, thoughts having been derailed for a moment, but it didn't help as her mind instantly flooded with thoughts of Tara again.
“She smells so wonderful...”
Becky cocked an eyebrow; she'd never heard Willow offer such a compliment about someone and had certainly never seen the smitten look on her face.
“I think you’re skipping a little too far ahead...”
Willow quickly opened her eyes again and nodded.
“Right. Okay, so I was on my way to the library from here and I was carrying all my books in one, um, my left, hand and I used the other to pull my cell phone from my right pocket and check the time ‘cause I didn’t have my watch on, you know my normal watch, it has mickey mouse on it and his arms are the hands? I left it here this morning 'cause it kind of hurts when I lean on it too long and I figured I would be if I was writing lots of notes. So I have my phone in my hand, my right hand, and I look down, which, cue distraction from the path and next thing I know I’m on my butt and my books are everywhere, my pens too, and I look up and there’s this... beautiful... stunning... just... perfect girl standing there... and her hair is all shining in the sun, making her look like an angel...she just took my breath away...but then I glanced down and kablamo! I'd spilled her coffee all over her shirt, which was really pretty and blue and kind of had a purple running through it, or maybe that was just from the coffee, but it looked darker anyway. So obviously, I started to panic and I jumped up and took a tissue I had in my right pocket with my cell phone and started trying to clean the coffee up and then I realised I was basically feeling her up so I-”
Becky stopped her roommate by holding up her hand when she realised she was taking the 'everything' thing to heart.
“When I said everything, I didn't mean
everything. Not every tiny detail is necessary.”
Willow blushed as she realised how pedantic she was being and cleared her throat.
“Okay. Sorry,” she replied, nodding to herself to tell her brain to give the highlights, “So I spilled her coffee on her, and she was really sweet about it all. Didn't get mad or anything. And I told her that I would buy her a replacement coffee, and a muffin, you know, to say sorry. She said she was free right then. So, duh, I might be a complete dummy and super dork, but you don't say no when an angel tells you she wants to spend more time with you! Question her sanity, maybe, but you don't so no!”
“So you had coffee?” Becky prompted for her to continue.
Willow nodded.
“Uh huh, yeah. We went to the coffee shop, and I made my jackass #2 move by seeming like a stalker by knowing her coffee order-”
“Read it off her first cup?” Becky interjected in a guess.
“Yeah!” Willow replied, relieved not to have to explain, “And I told her the whole thing about your coffee corporation and me being head of theory, in full babble mode. Like expert level babble. But she didn't laugh, she smiled, this wonderful, adorable smile that only went up one side of her face. We had our coffees and we shared a muffin and talked, it was so easy. She laughed at my jokes and really listened to what I was saying and did I mention she smelled really good?”
Becky looked troubled a second, all too aware how unskilled Willow was in dating or possible dating etiquette.
“Uh, Will...you didn’t sniff her, did you?”
“No!” Willow replied, a light flush rising in her cheeks, “She was just wearing a nice perfume and it...wafted over to me. It wafted, okay?!”
“Okay, jeez,” Becky responded defensively, before grinning in delight at all that she'd heard, “Wow, you met a girl. My Willow met a girl. A real live girl, who I didn't even have to push you to meet!”
“I met a girl,” Willow confirmed with a broad smile before it faltered, “But I don’t know what it means. The prospect of a date was much easier when there were no actual feelings involved. Awkward, yes, but easier.”
Becky rolled her eyes a little at that.
“You can't really know that. If you would just have let me set you up-”
“I did let you set me up, Becky!” Willow cut her friend of, quite loudly, “With a bunch of different girls-”
Becky eyed her as if to say 'are you serious?'.
“Two girls.”
“And another one from my LGBT group!” Willow retorted, squirming in discomfort at the memory of those 'dates', “Doesn't matter, I never felt anything.”
Becky shook her head, having always thought her roommate treated the idea of dating unreasonably.
“If you’d have just let them go past the first date-”
“Why, Becky?” Willow questioned, with a sure shake of her head, a lot surer then than it ever had been before, “It was a waste of time. And I know definitely now that it was a waste of time because I could’ve spent all the time in the world with those girls and not felt a thing. All I had to do was stare at Tara for one second and I felt like my heart was a piece of butter melting on toast.”
“Tara?” Becky asked with a small smile, ignoring the odd metaphor and letting the ideals of her roommate's dating history go, “Nice name.”
Willow seemed appeased again as she thought of Tara and clung to the pillow.
“Isn’t it? It's so beautiful. Just like she is,” she replied before falling back down onto her bed and sighing, “Becky, I don’t know what to do! What do I do? You're supposed to be giving me advice!”
Becky folded her legs beneath herself, ready to take on the role of dating guru.
“Well you said you talked. Was it flirty?”
Willow contemplated the question and realised she had little idea what flirty dialogue would actually consist of.
“She called me cute... Super cute actually.”
Becky gave an encouraging look.
“Well that’s a good start. And you said she laughed at your jokes. She’d have to like you
a lot for that.”
Willow grabbed her pillow and flung it across the room in retaliation, but stayed focused.
“Do I ask her out? What if I do and she gets weirded out and never wants to see me again and – oh god, Becky, I don’t even know if she’s into girls! I just...I never even thought! Big gaymo here just assumes everyone is gay! She could have a boyfriend for all I know! Ugghh! Why is this so hard?!”
She covered her face with her hands and groaned loudly, annoyed that yet another possible impedance had presented itself. Becky was kind enough not to burden her roommate with some hackneyed phrase or stale adage about the difficulties of dating and relationships, opting to help her be positive.
“So ask her. Are you seeing her again?”
Willow nodded.
“Yeah. Tomorrow. I'm picking up her shirt to dry-clean, and I think she wants to hang out too. She said she wanted to be friends.”
Becky clapped her hands together, as if the whole situation was resolved.
“Well there you go. It’s normal for a friend to ask about relationships, she won’t think it’s weird. Scope her out, feel around, guess how she’s feeling. Come on, Will, what the hell are you doing a psychology degree for if it’s not to work out what people are thinking?”
Willow shook her head.
“There’s a difference between working out the mechanisms of the broad human mind and figuring out whether the girl of my dreams wants to be the girl of my reality.”
Becky looked surprised - it was a big enough deal that Willow would talk about someone in such a way, but she could tell that her roommate really meant it.
“Wow. You have it bad.”
Willow sighed dramatically, some might say love-struck.
“If your heart skipping a beat, sweaty palms, weak knees, stomach flutters and not being able to think about anything else but how her eyes are the deepest blue I’ve ever seen and how I could spend days just staring into her soul constitutes having it bad, then yeah. I have it really, really bad.”
“Hey! Tara! Hi!”
Tara spun around at the sound of her name being eagerly called and smiled when she saw Willow coming from the coffee shop she was standing in front of, a cup in each hand, one of which was thrust towards her.
“More coffee?” she asked with a smile, “You already got me a replacement.”
“Friends buy friends coffee,” Willow replied cheerily, then noticed the small plastic bag hanging from Tara's wrist and made a grab for it, “Is this your shirt? I’ll have it back asap.”
“Willow, you really don’t have to get it dry-cleaned,” Tara responded shyly, “I have good detergent.”
“I’m sure you do,” Willow rushed to reassure she didn't think Tara was less than capable of cleaning her own shirt, “But I want to. Please? It’d make me feel better.”
Tara just smiled that crooked smile again that tuned Willow into a puddle.
“Okay. If you insist.”
“I do,” Willow replied resolutely before tacking on hopefully, “Did you wanna hang out? I mean, if you’re not busy or made new plans?”
Tara's hands twisted around her coffee cup and she bounced just slightly up on her feet.
“I’d love to hang out.”
“Great!” Willow beamed in delight, then looked over her shoulder, “I-it was pretty crowded in there. Noisy. There's, um...there’s a big oak tree I study by sometimes. I know it’s February and kinda chilly but it’s nice and sunny...and we could talk.”
She hoped she was appearing as aloof as she was intending and not making too big a deal out of wanting to talk - but she wanted to take Becky's advice and scope Tara out a little.
“We have warm coffee,” Tara replied heartily in indication that she was okay with staying outside despite the nippy weather, “Lead the way.”
Willow grinned in glee and almost grabbed Tara's hand to hold, only realising at the last second that that was not an appropriate ‘friend’ thing to do. She covered by pretending she was reaching for her cell and brought it out, acting like there was something interesting on the screen.
“Sorry. Just a reminder about a, um, study group I have...later, way later!” she chuckled nervously, internally kicking herself for her near faux-pas, “Um, so the tree. It’s not far. This way...”
She pointed to the left of them and took a step in that direction, smiling when Tara followed in step.
“So did your exam go well yesterday?” she asked after a moment, deciding she could both 'scope out' and just have a nice conversation at the same time, “The one you were going to?”
“I was, um...kinda distracted,” Tara answered honestly - her thoughts had been almost point for point the same as Willow's were about her over the past 30 hours, “But you know, it wasn't for my final grade or anything. I can make it up. College is...college.”
“Lectures and notes,” Willow agreed, pointing again when the large oak tree she'd been referencing came into view, “I never really went for the whole ‘going wild, getting drunk and partying’ side of college life. The grass is dry if you want to sit.”
Tara found a soft patch of grass and settled down, folding her legs underneath herself. She left her cup in her lap and smiled softly.
“Me either. I’m not opposed to having fun, I just don’t see the point if I can’t remember it the next day. Plus that wouldn't really be my idea of...fun. I don't like drinking much.”
She left out it was more the stench of booze that she'd grown to 'dislike' and the effects it had had on her father - though by choice she'd opted not to find out what the effects would be on a whole bar full of college students.
Willow sat opposite but stretched her legs out, then nodded in agreement.
“Can't say I've never had a drink...I've actually gotten drunk a few times,” she admitted, almost shame-faced, “My roommate’s big on the booze. I mean, not to serious, unhealthy levels or anything, but she likes to party. I’ve gone out with her a few times, mostly just when there were bands playing at the college bars and stuff, but I don’t really gel too well with that side of things. She’s my best friend and we get on great and I wouldn’t change her for anything, we just have separate night lives, you know? She’s beer and boys and I’m books and...well, not boys.”
Tara nodded along as Willow spoke, still smiling at her. She didn't hold her father being an aggressive drunk against anyone else who wanted to drink, and she knew most people didn't wait until they were 'legal' to do so. She was appreciative that Willow didn't like to get drunk every night though - it left room to be able to hang out in the evenings.
More intriguing to her to her though, was Willow's last statement.
Does that mean she’s just not into relationships...or she’s not into relationships with boys?Willow noticed Tara looking at her intently and blushed, unsure whether she'd revealed too much.
Tara realised she was making Willow uncomfortable and quickly looked away, but was unsure how to respond - did she acknowledge what had been said, or ignore it? What if she was picking it up wrong?
“I like to read too,” she said eventually, opting to go for neutral ground, “A good storyline is all the stimulation I need.”
Willow eagerly agreed with a nod and figured now was an opportunity for 'scoping'.
“So, what else do you do for fun?” she asked, taking a casual sip of her coffee, “Boyfriend?”
Tara shook her head, but her expression gave nothing away.
Willow waited a moment, hoping for some elaboration, but got nothing.
“Right,” she continued, trying to think of a better way to ask ‘do you get off the train at girls town' before deciding she was being far too convoluted and should revert back to normal conversation, “Watch any TV? I watch some stuff on my laptop. I like comedies, I love Will & Grace!”
“I've seen that a couple of times,” Tara answered with a smile, “I really like cop shows too. I always try to guess who the killer is before they actually tell us. I’m never right.”
“Me either. They're purposely sneaky...and not very factually accurate a lot of the time,” Willow responded knowledgably, “So you like the CSI’s and Law and Orders and all that? I always wondered why they had so many.”
“I watch every now and then. At least when no one else is in the student lounge. I really like that Special Victims Unit, Law and Order one,” she replied, tapping her fingers against her cup before adding on bashfully, “I kind of have a bit of a crush on the lead.”
Willow was familiar with the show in question and saw her chance to answer the question she’d been trying to ask before.
“Christopher Meloni?” she asked nonchalantly, taking a long sip of her coffee right after to hide the anxious look on her face.
Tara shook her head again, but with her lips quirked up demurely on one side.
“No. The, um, lady.”
Willow was so lost in Tara's smile that it took her a few seconds to register what had been said, but once she did, lit up like a light bulb and had to dig her heels into the ground to stop from jumping up to do a happy dance.
“That's cool. She's pretty,” she managed to speak with a reservedness very much not indicative of how she was feeling on the inside, “So, I, um, guess that renders my question about the boyfriend pretty redundant...Girlfriend?”
Her voice betrayed her at the end by going up an octave or two.
“No,” Tara shook her head, then moved a little closer to Willow without realising, “I've never...I just...I think you should meet someone and they should take your breath away. That’s never happened to me.”
Until I met you.“I know how you feel. I've been told I'm naïve,” Willow replied with a wide smile that Tara thought the same as her, “Oh and um, just so you, ah, know, when I said not boys...I meant not boys. As in, yes girls.”
Tara hid a grin of delight behind her cup until she composed herself.
“Really?”
“Uh huh,” Willow nodded gleefully, thinking she caught a hint of that grin, “It's funny, huh? We must give off some kind of frequency.”
“Maybe,” Tara replied with a quiet laugh, before her face took on the same forced attempt at aloof that Willow had attempted earlier, “S-so have you got a girlfriend?”
Willow shook her head quickly.
“No. My roommate – her name’s Becky by the way – she set me up on some dates with these girls in a few of her classes...and I was in an LGBT society freshman year, there was a girl there that asked me out. Not trying to seem all 'look, wow, all these girls wanna date me' or anything. And they never went past date on-, um, three,” she embellished slightly, not wanting Tara to think she couldn't keep the interests of someone, “Actually, the same reason you said. I figured if you can’t feel that...that spark, you know? Even if I didn't know what it was supposed to feel like, I knew that I didn’t. Not fair to the other girls either. I want that breathless thing you said too, but never had it.”
Until you knocked me on my ass. I haven’t been able to breathe since.Tara listened as Willow spoke and found herself becoming more and more enamoured. She thought she possibly caught a longing glance at the end, a glance she knew she was guilty of herself and wondered if she could tell her friend that she had actually been struck breathless, with her.
Ask whether it was possible she'd caused the same reaction. She’s caused something. She knew that much. Unfortunately her lack of experience in both friend- and relationships made her unsure of the dynamic between them, not to mention the fact they'd only spent a short amount of time together, even if that time had been wonderful.
She was aware of her emotions; she knew she was attracted to Willow, knew she would very much be interested in things beyond a friendship, even if friendship was more than she’d ever been given. What she didn't, and couldn't, know was Willow's feelings, and figured this was something she herself wouldn't be able to take a lead in.
She could be her friend and see if anything stemmed from that.
Time, Tara, give it time. It's not like you would pounce over and kiss her right this second. Just talk. Get to know her.Happier at sorting her thoughts a little, she relaxed her shoulders and smiled.
“So you were part of the LGBT society? Are you in any other clubs”
“Just for freshman year,” Willow answered, confident she'd gotten some valuable information and could take a break and just let herself enjoy the afternoon, “I was part of the computer club and the book club too.”
“Was?” Tara asked curiously, “Not anymore?”
Willow shook her head.
“Nah. The computer club just talked about things I already knew about and the book club weren’t into the same books I was, so I left those pretty quick. I stayed in the LGBT club for my whole freshman year, they were really great when I came out to my parents and it didn’t go so well, but I wasn't that into it this year. I wanted to keep up with my studies, and with the failed date…the girl was nice but kinda pissy that I 'blew her off'. I tried to explain everything I said to you but...well, you know. It was awkward.”
Tara nodded understandingly.
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I never joined any clubs at all, so committing to one for any amount of time is an achievement in my book,” she replied warmly, before her eyes creased in sympathy, “I’m sorry your coming out didn’t go so well. Are things better now?”
Willow shook her head, but didn't seem too cut up about it.
“It’s okay. I don’t know what I expected really. I mean, I just made the one phone call, got an earful about letting them down and my religion down, though I always thought that seemed like more of a front, 'cause they never had any issue with gay people until it was me. It was a rough call...they said I wasn't their daughter any more. Not nice to hear. But at least it wasn't drawn out.”
Tara felt her heart sink for her friend.
“Willow, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”
Willow just shrugged.
“Yeah, it sucked at the time, but I’ve had like...a year to come to terms with it. We were never particularly close anyway. It’s fine, really, Tara,” she replied when she saw the look on Tara’s face, “Honestly. If they’re ever a part of my life again, then...well, cool. But if they’re not, I accept that too. It’s their choice.”
Tara could only offer a comforting smile.
“You're really strong.”
Willow felt a sense of pride that Tara viewed her in such a way and smiled back.
“So your coming out went a bit better then?”
Tara was completely taken aback by the question, not having registered in her mind that a discussion about families would be turned back on her. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, before she managed to rein herself in and cleared her throat.
“W-well, I never really came out to my parents. I don’t...I don’t speak to my Dad. I guess we have that in common. And my...” she trailed off, sad, “My Mom died when I was 10.”
Willow’s features softened and she scooted over to give Tara's shoulder a squeeze.
“That's awful. I’m so sorry. I know that probably doesn’t mean anything-”
“It means something,” Tara cut Willow off softly, feeling comfortable enough to cover Willow's hand on her shoulder with hers, “Thank you.”
They shared a look for a moment until Willow's eyes fell to their hands, and Tara quickly retracted hers, thinking she had lingered too long. Willow felt a pang of loss for a moment before dropping her own hand by her side.
“So no parental coming out woes. That's of the good,” she said, trying to break through the heaviness between them with some levity, “So wait...if you never came out to your family...and you said yesterday you haven't really had friends, and no girlfriend...Tara have you ever actually come out? I mean, obviously apart from to yourself? Have you ever like...said the words?”
Tara’s brow crinkled as she considered the question. She couldn’t remember a time where she wasn’t comfortable with her sexuality – sure, she’d grown up in a small, predominantly Christian town but even when she was young it never seemed odd that her allegiances always fell more towards girls than boys.
She hadn’t had a word to describe herself until she entered high school and learned just through hearing things from the other kids, but even when they denigrated gay people, she never felt like it was something to be ashamed of. It was as natural as breathing to her. And if there was anything her mother had managed to instil in her before her untimely passing, it was that she should always be proud to be herself.
Apart from the credible sense of self she managed to keep during the darker times of her time, more pressing issues by way of her father's fists were enough of an incentive not to publicise it - he didn't need a reason and she had enough sense not to make things worse for herself. She could be happy with who she was and happy not to shout it from the rooftops at the same time.
But now that Willow had brought it up, she thought it probably was odd that those specific words had never left her mouth.
“I guess not,” she answered, twirling her finger around the lid of her cup, “I always knew and never had anyone to tell.”
Willow smiled, thinking Tara's fidgeting was adorable.
“Why don't you tell me?”
Tara looked up in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“Tell me,” Willow repeated with an insistent nod of her head, “Come out to me.”
Tara was bewildered.
“But I already did.”
Willow gave a little grin.
“No, you told me you had a crush on a lady-cop. You didn't say the words.”
Tara wasn't sure what Willow was trying to do, but decided to go along with it. She opened her mouth to 'say the words', but they got caught in her throat and she blushed.
“You’ve made a big deal out of it, it feels weird.”
Willow just smiled, offering a kind, patient face. Tara recognised what Willow was doing, giving her a safe opportunity to have a 'milestone' event and smiled appreciatively.
“I’m gay,” she said, easily this time, feeling enlightened somehow even though it didn't change anything.
Willow beamed and took Tara's hand, giving it a firm shake.
“Congratulations, Tara Maclay. You just came out. Expect your introductory packet in the mail,” she joked, getting a laugh for her efforts, “Hey, what does your name mean? I was wondering last night and forgot to look it up.”
It took Tara a second to process the jump in conversation, but she snapped to attention when she saw Willow's expectant face.
“Oh, it means either 'Queen' in Gaelic or 'Star' in Sanskrit.”
Willow smiled, liking the answer.
Queen or Star. That sounds about right. I'd happily have her be either of mine...“-hy?”
Willow blinked as she realised Tara had asked something.
“Um, sorry?”
“Why?” Tara repeated, curious as to why Willow was interested.
“Oh!” Willow replied, realising that it probably was an odd question to ask a friend, “I'm, ah, interested in names. Willow just means Willow, so you know, boring. But I like your name. It's pretty.”
She averted her gaze to hide the blush on her face at that, but if she hadn't she would have seen Tara was in the exact same boat.
“I like hanging out with you,” Tara piped up shyly when she felt her cheeks start to calm down.
Willow looked up and could only smile.
“Maybe we could keep hanging out? If you wanted?”
Tara nodded keenly.
“I do want. Very much.”
Willow felt her heart lift in her chest, delighted at the prospect of continued time spent with Tara.
“Great!”
And it was.
They had a friendship, and there was an undeniable deeper bond. They enjoyed each other's company and had plans to continue being in it.
There was
something there.
And that was enough.
For now.