Chapter 2

Shelby POV

Shelby sat at home grading papers with wine in hand. It had already been two days since Rachel had made the comment about her and Will having sexual tension and it was bothering her, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She knew that the accusation was extremely far fetched, but she after pondering it for a couple of days she started to half believe it. Shelby wasn't going to deny that Will was an attractive man, he wasn't just attractive either he was extremely good looking. These thoughts led her to wonder what it would be like to have someone romantically in her life. The last time she had a boyfriend was in high school, since then she had convinced herself that chasing after men was just a waste of her time. But now she couldn't help but think about what it would be like to have someone, deep down she craved the special connection that she had been denying herself for years.

"Shelby, get yourself together" She thought to herself "I can't keep thinking about a man who irritates the shit out of me."

Will POV

Will sat at his desk at McKinley, he thought about his most recent encounter with Shelby. He swore he didn't remember her to be so ruthless. As his thoughts drifted off, he started to think more and more about her, he had always noticed her dark green eyes, especially whenever she gave him the stare which she usually did. He also noticed that she always tucked her dark chestnut hair behind her left ear, he didn't know why he knew that. The more he thought the more he considered calling her, maybe asking her out to drinks. Part of him was just lonely but the other part of him wanted to get on her good side. He knew that beneath all of her layers of emotionlessness there was a woman who was alone and perhaps even hurting a little, he had seen it when she first met Rachel, how lost she was. He wanted to fix that. So he picked up his phone and dialed her number, as the phone rang, he took a deep breath,

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." He thought to himself as Shelby picked up the Phone.

"Hello?" She answered, "Can I help you with something? Is it Rachel?"

"Hi, Shelby, Rachel is fine, I was just hoping to talk to you." Will said a little bashfully.

"Oh, I just saw it was you on the caller ID, I assumed it had to do with Rachel, otherwise I don't know why you would be calling me." Shelby said.

"I know we never really got off to a great start," Will said, "But I was hoping that maybe we could go out to coffee sometime, or drinks, I'm going to be honest its not great when you know Shelby Corcoran doesn't like you."

"Um, ok, sure." Shelby said, "When are you free? I am actually free tonight if that works."

"Yeah, that sounds great, Lima Bean 7:00?" Will asked in a sunnier mood.

"That works, see you then." Shelby said and they both hung up. Will leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head with a large smile across his face.

Shelby POV

Shelby couldn't figure out why she was so nervous. She knew Will perfectly well, but this meeting was different, This wasn't a meeting to hash out details for the upcoming show choir completion or an awkward rehearsal with someone she didn't particularly like, Will had asked her out because he was genuinely interested in her. Shelby was feeling vulnerable for once in her life and she didn't like it. She was sitting in a booth at the Lima Bean, ten minuets early, a black coffee held tightly in the grasp of her perfectly manicured fingers. Will walked in looking around, he saw her and smiled, and he made his way over to the booth with a coffee in hand.

" How's it going?" He said, sliding into the seat across from her.

"It's been fine, and you?" Shelby replied, looking at him directly, she noticed a softness that she had never seen in him before, something tender about him.

"My glee kids have been going crazy, I assigned them each duet partners, but none of them are happy with who I chose for them to be with." He said running his hand through he curls, he sighed, "I'm sure you deal with stuff like that all the time. I must ask you how do you do it? You choir runs so effortlessly."

Shelby laughed, "I don't give away my secrets that easily. It took me years to gain control of Vocal Adrenaline, but once they respect you, they will listen, trust me."

You know I hear all the horror stories about you, you've got quite the reputation," Will smirked taking a sip of his coffee, "Any truth to that?"

Shelby sighed, "I don't consider myself to be too harsh, I'm sure I've crossed the line at one point or another but mostly I just make sure that I am understood, I'm not there to play games and mess around, if my team wants to win, they have to put in the work. At the end of the day I just want the best for my students, maybe I go about it differently than other teachers I don't know."

They talked and talked, they discussed everything from upcoming competitions to politics, the conversation flowed naturally between them. Shelby couldn't help but notice Will's movements, his constant playing with his coffee cup or how we held his head in his hands, she thought it was adorable.

"So how has Rachel been?" Shelby inquired, "I haven't been able to see her much since well… you know."

"She seems to be doing fine as far as I've noticed," Will replied, "What happened with that whole thing?"

Shelby rubbed her face and her neck, then took a deep breath. "I got scared, I thought she didn't need me, or that she didn't want me as her mother. I don't know I freaked out, I realize now I was hardly prepared for what I got myself into."

"That must be hard," Will said softly, "I can't even imagine going thought that, not knowing your own child."

"It tore me apart for years, it really did." Shelby said, a downcast look in her eyes, "Maybe that's why I am the way that I am, so protected and closed off from everyone. I think that's partially why it was so hard to connect with Rachel, I had been do distant from everyone for so long that as soon as I tried to create a relationship with her I didn't know how." She looked up at Will, she could feel a tears start to form in her eyes but she held them back. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you don't want to hear about all of my problems." Shelby said rubbing her eyes.

"Hey, its fine, that's what I'm here for, to listen." Will said reaching over the table and taking Shelby's hand lightly grasping it in his rubbing it gently with his thumb. Shelby looked down wiping away a stray tear. The rest of the night they talked, and listened intently, hearing equally what each other had to say.

As the Lima Bean began to close, they got up from the booth they had been sitting at for hours.

"Will, thank you so much for this, I didn't realize how bad I needed to talk to someone." Shelby said as they walked out of the coffee shop.

"Of course, anytime you need it, I'll always be around" Will replied. He looked over at her, he could feel her sadness. She smiled a little smile back at him, trying to mask her feelings she didn't want him thinking that she was helpless. He pulled her in for a hug, he held her tightly as she rested her head on his shoulder closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, he stroked her back. After a while they let go, they parted their separate ways and as they walked away she looked back at him and smiled to herself.

A/N I hope you guys liked this chapter! Reviews are always appreciated! Thank you for reading!