Title: Passive Resistance
Series: Destiny Found, part 4
Affiliated Series: Destiny Lost
Authors: Sonya and Erin
E-mail: sonyajeb@swbell.net OR carynsilver@yahoo.com
Rating: PG
Category: O/Other, AU, relationship oriented
*Disclaimers and Timeline Info in Part 1!!!!*
--------------------------
Though it had been in existence for less than a month, Booksellers seemed like it had always been there. People loved to come in and wallow in the cool, shadowed aisles -- so different from the bright, caffeine-hyped superstores -- and browse in peace. Aidan's shop took hold of the Sunnydale community and made a definite place for itself, and it happened naturally enough that when he had to take time off from running the store to train with Buffy, or to help Buffy avert the next apocalypse, everything was OK.
Some members of the Scooby Gang had part-time jobs at Booksellers, which earned them extra money for little strenuous work. Amy had been the first to take Aidan up on his offer, and, once Rio found out how good the occult books section was, he signed on as well. Faith, of course, refused categorically, but no one was really surprised by that one. Buffy, also, was too busy, but that was understandable.
When school let out for the summer, Sonya surprised Aidan by taking a part-time job as well. On her second day at work, she sat at the counter leafing through a magazine until the little bell hanging on the door tinkled cheerfully.
"Good morning, can I help you?" she parroted before looking up to see who it was. When she saw the face of her friend, she broke out into a smile and greeted him, "Hi, Doyle!"
The Irish half-demon grinned in return and made his way up to the counter. "G'mornin', lass. Slow day?"
She shrugged, closing the magazine and flipping it over so Doyle couldn't see the cover. "We had a rush when we opened, but then it slowed down. How are things in Joyce's garage apartment?"
"Pretty great. I got meself all moved in -- not that I had much stuff ta move. An' a good side benefit is that I'm welcome for dinner any time. Joyce knows how ta cook up a storm!" Doyle's sharp, blue/green eyes missed nothing. As he replied to her comment, his hand snuck out and flipped the magazine back over. "Seventeen?" he read the title with a laugh. "Lass, I'm shocked! I figured ye fer a Sports Illustrated type o' gal."
A deep blush suffused Sonya's cheeks. "Shut up!"
He opened the magazine and, because of the creases in the spine, it flopped open to the page she had been reading. "How to Tell if Yer Crush Really Likes Ye Back?" He snorted with laughter.
"Shut up, Doyle!" Sonya grabbed the magazine away from him and hid it behind the counter. "Quit laughing."
Doyle quickly realized she was serious. "I'm sorry. I didnae realize..." He looked at her more closely. "Were ye really tryin' to figure out if someone likes ye? Because I'm sure that the answer is yes."
"You don't even know who it is."
"Oz?"
Her blush deepened again. "Is it that obvious?"
Doyle shook his head. "Like I told ye in that cell at the Compound, it's very obvious that the two of ye have feelin's fer each other. Everyone can see it."
"It may be obvious on my end," Sonya grumbled, "but Oz is so inscrutable. I never know what he's thinking. After he rescued me in England and we went sightseeing I really thought something was going to happen, but it never did. He never kissed me, or asked me out or anything. I think he just thinks we're friends."
"If he thinks that, it's only because he thinks ye want it that way," Doyle assured her.
"How do you know that?"
Doyle leaned in a grinned at her. "I'm a man. We know these things."
Sonya thought about what he said for a minute. "So... do you think I should ask him out?"
"Might work," Doyle replied. "An' it might be better just ta do somethin' about it instead of just thinkin' about it all the time."
"Yeah, yeah it would!" Sonya decided. She hugged Doyle happily. "That's a great idea, Doyle. Thanks!"
The sound of the bell punctuated her words, and she looked up to see Oz walking in. Quickly, Sonya pulled away from Doyle, the blush coming back full force.
Doyle moved away from the counter, saying, "I've got ta go find Aidan. I'll see if he's in the back..." Then he vanished through the swinging door behind the counter.
Sonya snuck a glance at Oz. His face looked as inscrutable as usual, but she wondered what he was thinking. Had he heard her talking about him? She tried to fight her blushes, but it didn't work.
"So..." Sonya said to Oz. "What's up?"
"Not much," Oz replied, moving up to lean on the counter. "I just thought I'd stop by."
"I'm glad you did," Sonya admitted with a genuine smile.
An answering smile curved his lips just slightly. Then he placed a greasy paper bag on the counter between them. "I know you get hungry about now. I brought you these."
She opened the bag and saw two chocolate-covered donuts inside. "My favorite!" she exclaimed. "Thanks..." Her voice trailed off when she looked up to see him heading back toward the door.
"Bye," he said and then left. She followed him out, but before she got there he was in his van and out of the parking lot.
"Great," Sonya muttered with a sigh. "Just great." She rested her head against the cool glass of the window and wondered what she was supposed to do next.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Oz didn't really know where to go. After seeing Sonya and Doyle in an embrace he couldn't stay at Booksellers and make small talk. He had to go. He hopped in Sheila and started driving. Driving and thinking.
Was it possible that Sonya was interested in Doyle of all people? Not that Doyle wasn't a great guy, but he didn't have a job and he was kind of old, wasn't he? At least 24. Oz knew they'd bonded when they'd been held captive and been tortured together, but he just couldn't picture Sonya with Doyle.
Maybe it was his fault. Oz couldn't help but wonder if that was true. He hadn't made a move on Sonya, it was true, but there were reasons.
Suddenly, Oz realized that Sheila had driven him to The Right Key, a small music shop on the outskirts of town. It was one of Oz's favorite places. They let you try out the guitars. He could sit and play for hours and no one would disturb him. And Duane, the guy who owned the place, knew what kind of equipment the Dingoes needed, and always made it a point to keep it in stock for them.
"Good choice, Sheila," Oz told his van, patting her on the steering wheel. "You knew just what I needed." A little time on his favorite Fender Strat would put things back in focus.
He walked into the shop, nodded hello to Duane and went straight to the Fender Strat. It was his dream guitar -- the one he would buy the second he had more than enough money to make ends meet. He slipped the headphones over his ears and started playing. His fingers danced over the strings. He only knew three chords that worked with the Dingoes, that was the truth, but when it came to non-heavy rock, he could do a lot more than that. Slow songs with beautiful music... Oz could sit there and drift away in the world of music for hours.
"What are you doing here?"
The voice coupled with a hand pulling one of the earphones away from his ear startled Oz. He didn't jump, but he opened his eyes and looked at the girl standing before him with some amazement.
"Playing." Oz took off the headphones and laid the guitar down with the same gentle touch a parent uses to lay down his or her child. "What are you doing here? I didn't know you played."
"I don't." Cordelia Chase glanced around The Right Key with something akin to disdain. "But my father says this is the only place in town with any music sense."
"Your father knows his stuff," Oz approved, though he couldn't picture anyone related to Cordelia -- especially her father, a corporate genius who cared more about board meetings than time with his daughter -- shopping there.
Cordelia shrugged one shapely shoulder bared by her pale yellow tank top. "He went through a hippie phase. Didn't everyone in their generation? Anyway, he only lets Duane's boys tune our grand piano. Usually his secretary sets it up, but she's out sick, the temp is hopeless and Mother's at this great new beauty spa bathing in Belgian mud for two weeks, so it's up to me to get things done."
The corners of his mouth twitched as Oz tried to suppress a smile. Sometimes it was impossible to stay calm and mysterious when Cordelia was in the room. There was something about her that just made him want to laugh. "I'm sure he appreciates it."
She shook her head. "No, he doesn't. But I don't like having the piano out of tune either, so I forebear."
"You play?" That surprised him.
"I took lessons for ten years," Cordelia took great pride to inform him. "My teacher loved me. Said I was one of his best pupils, and if I'd just practice more I would be really something. I haven't played much since junior high, but I can still do some pretty nice stuff when I try."
"I'll bet."
"So," Cordelia said, "you ready to leave?"
Oz glanced longingly at the Fender Strat and then back at Cordelia. There was something in her eyes that he didn't recognize. Something that wasn't completely self-absorbed. "Sure. You?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Duane's sending someone out." She paused and then blurted, "Want to go to the Expresso Pump with me? I'm dying for a frappacino. They have the new mocha ones..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Less than half an hour later, Cordelia and Oz sat at a tall, spindly table in the Expresso Pump holding two iced coffees. Oz pretended not to notice when Cordelia scanned the trendy shop for members of her clique. None of them were there, of course. Aura, Harmony and the rest of that crowd probably never went out before noon in the summer.
Oz wondered what was up with Cordelia. She had been hot and cold since their return from England. During their time there, while Oz was stuck in the hotel room because of a broken leg, he and Cordelia had bonded more than either of them would ever have thought possible. Oz had actually confided in her some really personal things, and she had done the same. Ever since they'd gotten back, though, Cordelia had gone back to her Queen C ways... most of the time. But just when Oz would think that she had given up on the Scooby Gang and thrown herself back into the social whirl with relish, she would do something unexpected, like show up to help Aidan, Sonya, Faith and Rio move into their new house.
"So," Oz said slowly, unused to being the one to start the conversation. "I heard you and Percy put in an appearance at some of the End of School parties." End of School parties for the elite crowd at SHS began the first weekend in April and took place with astonishing regularity until the Summertime bashes started at the end of May. The popular kids were nothing if not predictable. Oz and the Dingoes usually played several of the parties each year. It was always a trip.
Cordelia tucked a strand of mahogany hair behind a well-shaped ear. "Yeah. We did. Percy's... OK."
Percy West was a huge basketball star at SHS -- the perfect foil for a society queen. But, somehow, Oz just couldn't see the Cordelia he'd met in England settling for good looks and a egocentric personality.
"Still seeing him?" Oz questioned, both from curiosity and politeness.
She shook her head. "No. He tried to maul me, so I told him to take a long hike down a vampire infested road."
Oz nodded, not knowing what to say next. Girl talk, and even just talk in general, was not his strongest asset. He couldn't just leave, though. Cordelia looked like she might finally be trying to break out of her socialite shell. If she did that and he dissed her, she would probably never try again. And Oz thought Cordelia deserved more that a life like her mother had -- charity balls, frequent spa vacations, a superficial relationship with her only daughter and a husband who ignored them both. One thing that came from being the silent type was that while everyone else was talking Oz had time to read between the lines and be discerning. It was an up-side.
"So... how come you didn't come with us when we all went to the beach last weekend?"
Cordelia looked away from him. "No one wanted me there."
"Not true," Oz told her. "You wouldn't have been asked otherwise."
"They were just being polite, and besides... I had Harmony's party."
He thought he could hear just a hint of wastefulness in her voice. "Well, the next time you're invited, I think you should come."
For a second she seem to actually consider his words, then she changed the subject. "I didn't bring you here to talk about me."
"Then why...?"
"I wanted to talk about..." She paused, as if searching.
"Yeah?"
"You!" She seized on the topic with gusto. "What about you and Sonya? You've been making goo-goo eyes at each other since before Spring Break. Are you together yet?"
Oz sighed, not liking this turn of the conversation. "No."
"Why not?" Cordelia gave him a smile that seemed genuine. "She likes you... I can tell. And you told me that you feel stuff for her. I think it is an affront to emotional wellness if the two of you don't get it on soon. Oprah would definitely be offended."
"I think Sonya may be interested in someone else."
"What? Who?"
"Doyle." His focus went off of Cordelia and back to the mess with Sonya.
"She's interested in *Doyle*?" Cordelia's voice shrilled a little in disbelief. "Who would be interested in Doyle? He's... he's a horrible dresser. You could never take him anywhere. And that hair! Who does he think he is? And he doesn't have a job. And his background... well, questionable is an understatement. And..."
"I know all that," Oz interrupted her tirade. "But that doesn't change the fact that I walked into Booksellers this morning and saw them hugging."
Cordelia seemed to relax. She sat back into her chair and took a sip of her coffee. "Oh, is that all? Well, they're friends, silly. Of course, they were hugging. That doesn't mean they're 'together.'"
"How do you know?"
"I have this sense," Cordelia confided. "I can tell when two people are meant to be together. Buffy and Xander. Han Solo and Princess Leia. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman... I'm never wrong! Well, there was the whole Dawson and Joey thing, but that could still work out."
"What are you saying?" Oz asked, needing some clarification after that spiel. "Other than the fact that you're a Star Wars geek."
Cordelia looked him in the eye, not bothering to respond to the geek remark. "I'm saying that my flawless dating sense says that you and Sonya belong together. It's obvious. You should ask her out."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
Oz settled back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee. "Hmmm."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The bell on the door tinkled cheerfully. Sonya stuffed a book into a bag and made change for a lady in a big, blue hat. Then she looked up to see who had come in. She smiled. It was Oz. "Hi."
"Hey." He passed the lady in the blue hat and came up to the counter.
"What's up? You dashed out of here so quickly last time..."
"Places to go." Oz shrugged. "But I was wondering..."
"Yeah?"
"Devon's brother's band is having a concert in the park tonight. It should be killer. I thought maybe we could go."
A huge smile lightened her face. "That sounds great." In her mind, she kept thinking, [He's actually asking me out! Finally!]
"Cool." Oz turned and headed for the door. "I'll come get you at seven."
"See you then."
Sonya watched happily until Oz was out the door. Then a sudden sense of insecurity overwhelmed her. She and Oz hung out all the time. They went to concerts and movies, to dinner, things that friends always did. Maybe this wasn't a date after all. Maybe this was just her and Oz hanging out.
"Ahhh!" she screamed.
Aidan stuck his head through the swinging door. He was back there doing inventory on a new shipment of hardbacks. "What's wrong."
Sonya shook her head. "Nothing... sorry. My emotions got the best of me." She hopped off her stool and ran over to Aidan. "I'm really sorry to ask this, Aidan, but can I get off early." She glanced at the clock. It was an hour until her shift was supposed to end. "Like now?"
Aidan glanced around at the empty store. "Why not. Rio will be here in an hour. Go ahead."
Sonya gave him a grateful look and then practically ran out the door. There was only one person she knew of who could help her fathom the mystery of Oz, and she had to get there fast!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Even walking, it didn't take Sonya long to reach her destination. She knocked on the door to the Summers' house with a brisk rapping. When the door opened, she expected to see Buffy standing there, but instead she saw Amy.
"Hey," Sonya said, glancing behind the blonde witch. "Is Buffy home?" It had taken a telepathic link and time together in England to help Sonya and Buffy become friends again. She and Amy had never had the benefit of either of those things. Sonya liked Amy well enough, when they weren't getting on each other's nerves, but they weren't really close.
"Yeah," Amy replied, her smile only partially strained. "She's in the study. Come on in."
Sonya walked inside and turned in the direction of the study. Amy closed the door and followed her.
"Get off early?" Amy asked her co-worker.
Sonya nodded. "Something like that. What are you guys up to?"
"We were just hanging out, watching soaps, eating brownies and glorying in the fact we are not in school," Amy explained. "After Buffy gets finished on the computer, we were thinking of watching 'Thelma and Louise.'"
Sonya walked into the study and saw Buffy at her mother's computer typing away. There was a smile on the Slayer's face, but it was a sad smile. Sonya walked up behind her and glanced at the screen. Buffy was in an email program.
Before she could stop herself, Sonya's eyes ran down the first few lines of the message: "Dear Xander, I miss you so much. It's hard to believe you've only been gone for two months. It feels like forever. I'm so happy that you did well in field exercises, though. I bet all those family-bred Watchers were in awe of what one guy who's lived on a Hellmouth can do!" There was more, but Sonya averted her eyes, not wanting to invade Buffy's privacy.
Sensing a presence behind her, Buffy turned and smiled a Sonya. "Hi. What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you," Sonya explained. "Do you have a minute?"
Buffy nodded. "Sure. Let me just finish this."
"Writing Xander?" Sonya asked, even though she knew. She often wondered how Buffy was dealing with being separated from her boyfriend. Sonya missed Xander, her oldest friend -- even with the occasional phone call from him and Giles -- so she knew it must be harder for Buffy. Sonya attributed missing Xander as the cause for Buffy's recent quietness.
"Yeah." Buffy typed a little more, and then hit send. "We email each other every day. It doesn't make him any closer, but at least we can feel like we know what's going on with each other." When the message vanished into the avenues of cyberspace on its way to the dark-haired, young man in England, Buffy disconnected the computer from the Internet and turned to Sonya.
"So, what's the problem?"
Amy stood in the doorway of the study, also listening.
Quickly, Sonya recounted the tale of Oz's invitation and her worries, ending with, "...so now I don't know what to do. Is it a date, or not?"
Buffy and Amy were quiet for a minute, pondering.
"Oz is a hard guy to figure," Buffy said finally. "But I know that he likes you. He sort of told me on the trip to England, as much as Oz tells anyone anything."
"Yeah?" Sonya looked hopeful.
"Yeah," Buffy said. "So, I think it's a date."
"Wait a minute," Amy cautioned, walking farther into the room. "Sonya's worries have basis in fact. He really didn't say anything to indicate it was a date."
"Oh, no," Sonya moaned.
"I just don't want you to get your hopes up and then be disappointed," Amy said quietly. "I mean, I hope it is a date, but you have to be careful."
Sonya looked at the witch and realized that she meant what she said. Then she sighed. She still wasn't any closer to knowing the truth.
"All right!" Buffy said decisively. "I think it's obvious that we're never going to figure Oz out, but there is something we can do."
"What?" Sonya asked, willing to do anything at this point.
"We can make sure that you wow him so much that even if he didn't think it was a date when he asked you, he wants it to be a date by the time he takes you home." Buffy grinned at Amy. "You know what this means."
"The mall?"
Buffy nodded. "The mall." Then she looked at Sonya. "That is... if you trust us."
Sonya got a feeling of deja vu. Then she said, "You know I trust you. But you're not cutting my hair this time."
"No hair cutting," Buffy promised. "And besides, I did such a good job of that last time that you don't need another hair cut."
"Well, come on then," Amy said, standing up and heading for the door. "Let's go!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At 6:55 p.m., Sonya was ready and waiting for Sheila to pull into the driveway. She checked her reflection in the hall mirror for the umpteenth time and nodded to herself encouragingly. She looked good. The mall trip had been worthwhile. She had on a silvery-blue sundress that flowed nicely over her body. The color flattered her creamy skin and brought out the blue in her eyes. Because it was an outdoor concert, Sonya skipped hose and had on silver sandals with slight heels and a cute flower design on the straps. Her brown hair was curled at the ends and hung loose around her face. For luck, she wore her mother's gold jewelry. The earrings and the ring were unobtrusive, but the locket hung down, drawing attention to her slender neck and attractive bust. Her makeup was understated, but enhanced her natural beauty.
"I should hang out with them more often," Sonya mumbled as she examined her reflection again. "There are definite advantages to caring about one's personal appearance."
"What are you doing?"
Sonya turned to see Faith staring at her from the bottom of the stairs. Tonight Faith -- dressed in black with deep, red lips and heavy eyeliner and mascara -- was, as usual, the opposite of Sonya's summery ambiance.
"Waiting for Oz."
Faith smirked. "You look really weird, Son." The former roommates were on better terms now that they had their own rooms, but they still clashed from time to time. In actuality, they probably enjoyed it.
But Sonya wasn't in the mood right now. "I look like a girl, you mean." Giving Faith a once over, she added, "And not a slut."
"Ouch," Faith said, but it was obvious that she didn't mean it. She continued down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. "Have fun with your dream boy."
"Thanks," Sonya replied sarcastically. There was a knock at the door. [It's him!]
"No, really," Faith said. "I mean it. You two are perfect for each other. And if you'll both quit with the passivity, you might finally get it on."
Sonya thought about that for a second, but when she opened the door and saw Oz all other thoughts skittered out of her head. He looked great. Instead of his usual T-shirt and jeans, he was wearing khakis and a maroon button-up shirt.
"You look... great," Oz said, his eyes lighting up as they feasted on her in her new outfit.
"Thanks," Sonya replied, grabbing her slim, silver purse and walking out the door. "You, too." She glanced at him again and their eyes met. She blushed and searched for something to say to get them back on easier footing. "But you know, I expected you to be wearing a T-shirt to support the band or something."
Oz's fingers went to the buttons of his shirt. He opened the top few and pulled them apart to reveal a bright orange T-shirt with a band logo underneath.
"I know you so well!" Sonya cried with a small laugh.
"You do." Then he opened the van door for her.
[It's gotta be a date] Sonya thought as Oz walked around to the other side of the car. [Oz, of all people, wouldn't dress up if it wasn't a date, right?]
They drove to the park in relative silence. Sonya was too nervous to spur on the conversation, and Oz, as usual, didn't talk much, other than to ask her if she was cool enough. She said the air conditioner was working great, and then they lapsed into silence.
When they got there, Oz pulled a few things out of Sheila's back doors. Sonya looked down to see a blanket and a picnic basket.
"It's B.Y.O. Everything," he explained. They walked through the park until they got to the bandstand. A small crowd was already growing. Oz staked out a place close enough to see and hear everything but not so close that the band overwhelmed them. Then he spread out the blanket and motioned for her to sit down.
"What's in the basket?" Sonya asked.
He passed it to her, and she peered into it. Inside she saw some sandwiches, carrot sticks and other veggies, two slices of cake, two glasses and a bottle of sparking cider.
"Look good?"
She nodded mutely. Before the silence could get awkward, Devon's brother's band started jamming. People began to clap and sing along to the music. It was nice. Not as hard as the Dingoes, but not EZ Listening either.
"I like it," Sonya said, nodding toward the bandstand.
"Good." Oz busied himself setting up the food, and then they both ate, making talking impossible.
Inside, Sonya was freaking out. This was a date, she was sure of that now, but it seemed to be going so badly. They had lost all of their natural compatibility. She couldn't think of anything to say to him, and he was being even more silent than usual. Oz was always quiet, but when they were together he talked more than any other time. She thought maybe she was doing something wrong. She wondered what she should do to get things back on the right foot.
"Oz..." she said.
At the same time, Oz turned to her and said, "Sonya..."
They both laughed and some of the awkwardness dissolved.
Shyly, Sonya told him, "You know, until you showed up in those spiffy clothes with a romantic picnic, I wasn't sure this was actually supposed to be a date."
His eyes showed his surprise. "Are you glad it's a date?"
She nodded, causing her hair to swing gently back and forth. "Yeah. I am."
"Me, too."
Sonya looked up and found his intense green eyes fixated solely on her. She felt a shiver go up and down her back. "What?"
"I just..." He stopped, as if searching for the right words, and then continued. "I haven't done this is a really long time. It's hard for me to... get emotionally involved with someone."
"Why?"
She really wanted to know, so he told her. Oz told her his deep, dark secret -- the story about the girl he'd been involved with, Sky, and the emotional strings he'd pulled that got her killed. He conveyed the information in as few words as possible, and didn't look at her once the whole time.
Sonya felt her heart swell with his every word. It was hard to hear about him taking advantage of groupies and treating Sky so horribly, but his reactions and regret of those things had matured him into the wonderful man he was today. But they had also created a wound in him that had never completely healed.
"Oz," she said softly, when he was done. He looked at her, and she took his hand in hers. "Thank you for sharing that with me."
"You don't... hate me now?"
She shook her head vehemently. "I could never hate you. Especially not for something that you obviously regret so much. There is such a thing as paying one's dues, Oz."
Their eyes met, and Sonya felt herself drawn to his magnetic green gaze. Then he pulled back.
"Sonya, I..."
She couldn't take it any more. She leaned forward and kissed him square on the lips. He was surprised at first, but two seconds later he was kissing her back just as intensely. Then he slid his arms around her and pulled her even closer. Sonya thrilled with his touch. Everywhere his fingers grazed her bare skin she felt tingles run amok.
"Good goin', Oz, man."
They broke apart to see Devon, the lead singer of the Dingoes, standing there staring at them with a smirk on his face.
"What?" Sonya demanded, giving him her best glare. How dare he interrupt them now?
Devon ignored her and leaned down to clap Oz on the shoulder. Oz grabbed Devon's hand and stared at him with a meaningful gaze. "Devon, man, this is kind of a mono-e-mono moment, if you catch my drift."
"Fer sure, man. Fer sure." Devon gave Oz a wink and then sauntered off to talk up some girls on the other side of the park.
Oz and Sonya looked at each other and then burst out laughing. The tension was broken, and Oz leaned in to give Sonya a quick kiss. "Sorry about that."
"It's all right," Sonya replied, her gaze going all dreamy again. "As long as you keep doing that..."
"I think," Oz informed her, "that can be arranged."
"Good." Her blue eyes danced with the light of her smile, and Oz thought that she looked more beautiful than he'd ever seen her.
Just then the band started to play a love song. [Perfect] Oz thought. He leaned in and kissed her again. And, for once in her life, Sonya did not resist.
Series: Destiny Found, part 4
Affiliated Series: Destiny Lost
Authors: Sonya and Erin
E-mail: sonyajeb@swbell.net OR carynsilver@yahoo.com
Rating: PG
Category: O/Other, AU, relationship oriented
*Disclaimers and Timeline Info in Part 1!!!!*
--------------------------
Though it had been in existence for less than a month, Booksellers seemed like it had always been there. People loved to come in and wallow in the cool, shadowed aisles -- so different from the bright, caffeine-hyped superstores -- and browse in peace. Aidan's shop took hold of the Sunnydale community and made a definite place for itself, and it happened naturally enough that when he had to take time off from running the store to train with Buffy, or to help Buffy avert the next apocalypse, everything was OK.
Some members of the Scooby Gang had part-time jobs at Booksellers, which earned them extra money for little strenuous work. Amy had been the first to take Aidan up on his offer, and, once Rio found out how good the occult books section was, he signed on as well. Faith, of course, refused categorically, but no one was really surprised by that one. Buffy, also, was too busy, but that was understandable.
When school let out for the summer, Sonya surprised Aidan by taking a part-time job as well. On her second day at work, she sat at the counter leafing through a magazine until the little bell hanging on the door tinkled cheerfully.
"Good morning, can I help you?" she parroted before looking up to see who it was. When she saw the face of her friend, she broke out into a smile and greeted him, "Hi, Doyle!"
The Irish half-demon grinned in return and made his way up to the counter. "G'mornin', lass. Slow day?"
She shrugged, closing the magazine and flipping it over so Doyle couldn't see the cover. "We had a rush when we opened, but then it slowed down. How are things in Joyce's garage apartment?"
"Pretty great. I got meself all moved in -- not that I had much stuff ta move. An' a good side benefit is that I'm welcome for dinner any time. Joyce knows how ta cook up a storm!" Doyle's sharp, blue/green eyes missed nothing. As he replied to her comment, his hand snuck out and flipped the magazine back over. "Seventeen?" he read the title with a laugh. "Lass, I'm shocked! I figured ye fer a Sports Illustrated type o' gal."
A deep blush suffused Sonya's cheeks. "Shut up!"
He opened the magazine and, because of the creases in the spine, it flopped open to the page she had been reading. "How to Tell if Yer Crush Really Likes Ye Back?" He snorted with laughter.
"Shut up, Doyle!" Sonya grabbed the magazine away from him and hid it behind the counter. "Quit laughing."
Doyle quickly realized she was serious. "I'm sorry. I didnae realize..." He looked at her more closely. "Were ye really tryin' to figure out if someone likes ye? Because I'm sure that the answer is yes."
"You don't even know who it is."
"Oz?"
Her blush deepened again. "Is it that obvious?"
Doyle shook his head. "Like I told ye in that cell at the Compound, it's very obvious that the two of ye have feelin's fer each other. Everyone can see it."
"It may be obvious on my end," Sonya grumbled, "but Oz is so inscrutable. I never know what he's thinking. After he rescued me in England and we went sightseeing I really thought something was going to happen, but it never did. He never kissed me, or asked me out or anything. I think he just thinks we're friends."
"If he thinks that, it's only because he thinks ye want it that way," Doyle assured her.
"How do you know that?"
Doyle leaned in a grinned at her. "I'm a man. We know these things."
Sonya thought about what he said for a minute. "So... do you think I should ask him out?"
"Might work," Doyle replied. "An' it might be better just ta do somethin' about it instead of just thinkin' about it all the time."
"Yeah, yeah it would!" Sonya decided. She hugged Doyle happily. "That's a great idea, Doyle. Thanks!"
The sound of the bell punctuated her words, and she looked up to see Oz walking in. Quickly, Sonya pulled away from Doyle, the blush coming back full force.
Doyle moved away from the counter, saying, "I've got ta go find Aidan. I'll see if he's in the back..." Then he vanished through the swinging door behind the counter.
Sonya snuck a glance at Oz. His face looked as inscrutable as usual, but she wondered what he was thinking. Had he heard her talking about him? She tried to fight her blushes, but it didn't work.
"So..." Sonya said to Oz. "What's up?"
"Not much," Oz replied, moving up to lean on the counter. "I just thought I'd stop by."
"I'm glad you did," Sonya admitted with a genuine smile.
An answering smile curved his lips just slightly. Then he placed a greasy paper bag on the counter between them. "I know you get hungry about now. I brought you these."
She opened the bag and saw two chocolate-covered donuts inside. "My favorite!" she exclaimed. "Thanks..." Her voice trailed off when she looked up to see him heading back toward the door.
"Bye," he said and then left. She followed him out, but before she got there he was in his van and out of the parking lot.
"Great," Sonya muttered with a sigh. "Just great." She rested her head against the cool glass of the window and wondered what she was supposed to do next.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Oz didn't really know where to go. After seeing Sonya and Doyle in an embrace he couldn't stay at Booksellers and make small talk. He had to go. He hopped in Sheila and started driving. Driving and thinking.
Was it possible that Sonya was interested in Doyle of all people? Not that Doyle wasn't a great guy, but he didn't have a job and he was kind of old, wasn't he? At least 24. Oz knew they'd bonded when they'd been held captive and been tortured together, but he just couldn't picture Sonya with Doyle.
Maybe it was his fault. Oz couldn't help but wonder if that was true. He hadn't made a move on Sonya, it was true, but there were reasons.
Suddenly, Oz realized that Sheila had driven him to The Right Key, a small music shop on the outskirts of town. It was one of Oz's favorite places. They let you try out the guitars. He could sit and play for hours and no one would disturb him. And Duane, the guy who owned the place, knew what kind of equipment the Dingoes needed, and always made it a point to keep it in stock for them.
"Good choice, Sheila," Oz told his van, patting her on the steering wheel. "You knew just what I needed." A little time on his favorite Fender Strat would put things back in focus.
He walked into the shop, nodded hello to Duane and went straight to the Fender Strat. It was his dream guitar -- the one he would buy the second he had more than enough money to make ends meet. He slipped the headphones over his ears and started playing. His fingers danced over the strings. He only knew three chords that worked with the Dingoes, that was the truth, but when it came to non-heavy rock, he could do a lot more than that. Slow songs with beautiful music... Oz could sit there and drift away in the world of music for hours.
"What are you doing here?"
The voice coupled with a hand pulling one of the earphones away from his ear startled Oz. He didn't jump, but he opened his eyes and looked at the girl standing before him with some amazement.
"Playing." Oz took off the headphones and laid the guitar down with the same gentle touch a parent uses to lay down his or her child. "What are you doing here? I didn't know you played."
"I don't." Cordelia Chase glanced around The Right Key with something akin to disdain. "But my father says this is the only place in town with any music sense."
"Your father knows his stuff," Oz approved, though he couldn't picture anyone related to Cordelia -- especially her father, a corporate genius who cared more about board meetings than time with his daughter -- shopping there.
Cordelia shrugged one shapely shoulder bared by her pale yellow tank top. "He went through a hippie phase. Didn't everyone in their generation? Anyway, he only lets Duane's boys tune our grand piano. Usually his secretary sets it up, but she's out sick, the temp is hopeless and Mother's at this great new beauty spa bathing in Belgian mud for two weeks, so it's up to me to get things done."
The corners of his mouth twitched as Oz tried to suppress a smile. Sometimes it was impossible to stay calm and mysterious when Cordelia was in the room. There was something about her that just made him want to laugh. "I'm sure he appreciates it."
She shook her head. "No, he doesn't. But I don't like having the piano out of tune either, so I forebear."
"You play?" That surprised him.
"I took lessons for ten years," Cordelia took great pride to inform him. "My teacher loved me. Said I was one of his best pupils, and if I'd just practice more I would be really something. I haven't played much since junior high, but I can still do some pretty nice stuff when I try."
"I'll bet."
"So," Cordelia said, "you ready to leave?"
Oz glanced longingly at the Fender Strat and then back at Cordelia. There was something in her eyes that he didn't recognize. Something that wasn't completely self-absorbed. "Sure. You?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Duane's sending someone out." She paused and then blurted, "Want to go to the Expresso Pump with me? I'm dying for a frappacino. They have the new mocha ones..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Less than half an hour later, Cordelia and Oz sat at a tall, spindly table in the Expresso Pump holding two iced coffees. Oz pretended not to notice when Cordelia scanned the trendy shop for members of her clique. None of them were there, of course. Aura, Harmony and the rest of that crowd probably never went out before noon in the summer.
Oz wondered what was up with Cordelia. She had been hot and cold since their return from England. During their time there, while Oz was stuck in the hotel room because of a broken leg, he and Cordelia had bonded more than either of them would ever have thought possible. Oz had actually confided in her some really personal things, and she had done the same. Ever since they'd gotten back, though, Cordelia had gone back to her Queen C ways... most of the time. But just when Oz would think that she had given up on the Scooby Gang and thrown herself back into the social whirl with relish, she would do something unexpected, like show up to help Aidan, Sonya, Faith and Rio move into their new house.
"So," Oz said slowly, unused to being the one to start the conversation. "I heard you and Percy put in an appearance at some of the End of School parties." End of School parties for the elite crowd at SHS began the first weekend in April and took place with astonishing regularity until the Summertime bashes started at the end of May. The popular kids were nothing if not predictable. Oz and the Dingoes usually played several of the parties each year. It was always a trip.
Cordelia tucked a strand of mahogany hair behind a well-shaped ear. "Yeah. We did. Percy's... OK."
Percy West was a huge basketball star at SHS -- the perfect foil for a society queen. But, somehow, Oz just couldn't see the Cordelia he'd met in England settling for good looks and a egocentric personality.
"Still seeing him?" Oz questioned, both from curiosity and politeness.
She shook her head. "No. He tried to maul me, so I told him to take a long hike down a vampire infested road."
Oz nodded, not knowing what to say next. Girl talk, and even just talk in general, was not his strongest asset. He couldn't just leave, though. Cordelia looked like she might finally be trying to break out of her socialite shell. If she did that and he dissed her, she would probably never try again. And Oz thought Cordelia deserved more that a life like her mother had -- charity balls, frequent spa vacations, a superficial relationship with her only daughter and a husband who ignored them both. One thing that came from being the silent type was that while everyone else was talking Oz had time to read between the lines and be discerning. It was an up-side.
"So... how come you didn't come with us when we all went to the beach last weekend?"
Cordelia looked away from him. "No one wanted me there."
"Not true," Oz told her. "You wouldn't have been asked otherwise."
"They were just being polite, and besides... I had Harmony's party."
He thought he could hear just a hint of wastefulness in her voice. "Well, the next time you're invited, I think you should come."
For a second she seem to actually consider his words, then she changed the subject. "I didn't bring you here to talk about me."
"Then why...?"
"I wanted to talk about..." She paused, as if searching.
"Yeah?"
"You!" She seized on the topic with gusto. "What about you and Sonya? You've been making goo-goo eyes at each other since before Spring Break. Are you together yet?"
Oz sighed, not liking this turn of the conversation. "No."
"Why not?" Cordelia gave him a smile that seemed genuine. "She likes you... I can tell. And you told me that you feel stuff for her. I think it is an affront to emotional wellness if the two of you don't get it on soon. Oprah would definitely be offended."
"I think Sonya may be interested in someone else."
"What? Who?"
"Doyle." His focus went off of Cordelia and back to the mess with Sonya.
"She's interested in *Doyle*?" Cordelia's voice shrilled a little in disbelief. "Who would be interested in Doyle? He's... he's a horrible dresser. You could never take him anywhere. And that hair! Who does he think he is? And he doesn't have a job. And his background... well, questionable is an understatement. And..."
"I know all that," Oz interrupted her tirade. "But that doesn't change the fact that I walked into Booksellers this morning and saw them hugging."
Cordelia seemed to relax. She sat back into her chair and took a sip of her coffee. "Oh, is that all? Well, they're friends, silly. Of course, they were hugging. That doesn't mean they're 'together.'"
"How do you know?"
"I have this sense," Cordelia confided. "I can tell when two people are meant to be together. Buffy and Xander. Han Solo and Princess Leia. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman... I'm never wrong! Well, there was the whole Dawson and Joey thing, but that could still work out."
"What are you saying?" Oz asked, needing some clarification after that spiel. "Other than the fact that you're a Star Wars geek."
Cordelia looked him in the eye, not bothering to respond to the geek remark. "I'm saying that my flawless dating sense says that you and Sonya belong together. It's obvious. You should ask her out."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
Oz settled back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee. "Hmmm."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The bell on the door tinkled cheerfully. Sonya stuffed a book into a bag and made change for a lady in a big, blue hat. Then she looked up to see who had come in. She smiled. It was Oz. "Hi."
"Hey." He passed the lady in the blue hat and came up to the counter.
"What's up? You dashed out of here so quickly last time..."
"Places to go." Oz shrugged. "But I was wondering..."
"Yeah?"
"Devon's brother's band is having a concert in the park tonight. It should be killer. I thought maybe we could go."
A huge smile lightened her face. "That sounds great." In her mind, she kept thinking, [He's actually asking me out! Finally!]
"Cool." Oz turned and headed for the door. "I'll come get you at seven."
"See you then."
Sonya watched happily until Oz was out the door. Then a sudden sense of insecurity overwhelmed her. She and Oz hung out all the time. They went to concerts and movies, to dinner, things that friends always did. Maybe this wasn't a date after all. Maybe this was just her and Oz hanging out.
"Ahhh!" she screamed.
Aidan stuck his head through the swinging door. He was back there doing inventory on a new shipment of hardbacks. "What's wrong."
Sonya shook her head. "Nothing... sorry. My emotions got the best of me." She hopped off her stool and ran over to Aidan. "I'm really sorry to ask this, Aidan, but can I get off early." She glanced at the clock. It was an hour until her shift was supposed to end. "Like now?"
Aidan glanced around at the empty store. "Why not. Rio will be here in an hour. Go ahead."
Sonya gave him a grateful look and then practically ran out the door. There was only one person she knew of who could help her fathom the mystery of Oz, and she had to get there fast!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Even walking, it didn't take Sonya long to reach her destination. She knocked on the door to the Summers' house with a brisk rapping. When the door opened, she expected to see Buffy standing there, but instead she saw Amy.
"Hey," Sonya said, glancing behind the blonde witch. "Is Buffy home?" It had taken a telepathic link and time together in England to help Sonya and Buffy become friends again. She and Amy had never had the benefit of either of those things. Sonya liked Amy well enough, when they weren't getting on each other's nerves, but they weren't really close.
"Yeah," Amy replied, her smile only partially strained. "She's in the study. Come on in."
Sonya walked inside and turned in the direction of the study. Amy closed the door and followed her.
"Get off early?" Amy asked her co-worker.
Sonya nodded. "Something like that. What are you guys up to?"
"We were just hanging out, watching soaps, eating brownies and glorying in the fact we are not in school," Amy explained. "After Buffy gets finished on the computer, we were thinking of watching 'Thelma and Louise.'"
Sonya walked into the study and saw Buffy at her mother's computer typing away. There was a smile on the Slayer's face, but it was a sad smile. Sonya walked up behind her and glanced at the screen. Buffy was in an email program.
Before she could stop herself, Sonya's eyes ran down the first few lines of the message: "Dear Xander, I miss you so much. It's hard to believe you've only been gone for two months. It feels like forever. I'm so happy that you did well in field exercises, though. I bet all those family-bred Watchers were in awe of what one guy who's lived on a Hellmouth can do!" There was more, but Sonya averted her eyes, not wanting to invade Buffy's privacy.
Sensing a presence behind her, Buffy turned and smiled a Sonya. "Hi. What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you," Sonya explained. "Do you have a minute?"
Buffy nodded. "Sure. Let me just finish this."
"Writing Xander?" Sonya asked, even though she knew. She often wondered how Buffy was dealing with being separated from her boyfriend. Sonya missed Xander, her oldest friend -- even with the occasional phone call from him and Giles -- so she knew it must be harder for Buffy. Sonya attributed missing Xander as the cause for Buffy's recent quietness.
"Yeah." Buffy typed a little more, and then hit send. "We email each other every day. It doesn't make him any closer, but at least we can feel like we know what's going on with each other." When the message vanished into the avenues of cyberspace on its way to the dark-haired, young man in England, Buffy disconnected the computer from the Internet and turned to Sonya.
"So, what's the problem?"
Amy stood in the doorway of the study, also listening.
Quickly, Sonya recounted the tale of Oz's invitation and her worries, ending with, "...so now I don't know what to do. Is it a date, or not?"
Buffy and Amy were quiet for a minute, pondering.
"Oz is a hard guy to figure," Buffy said finally. "But I know that he likes you. He sort of told me on the trip to England, as much as Oz tells anyone anything."
"Yeah?" Sonya looked hopeful.
"Yeah," Buffy said. "So, I think it's a date."
"Wait a minute," Amy cautioned, walking farther into the room. "Sonya's worries have basis in fact. He really didn't say anything to indicate it was a date."
"Oh, no," Sonya moaned.
"I just don't want you to get your hopes up and then be disappointed," Amy said quietly. "I mean, I hope it is a date, but you have to be careful."
Sonya looked at the witch and realized that she meant what she said. Then she sighed. She still wasn't any closer to knowing the truth.
"All right!" Buffy said decisively. "I think it's obvious that we're never going to figure Oz out, but there is something we can do."
"What?" Sonya asked, willing to do anything at this point.
"We can make sure that you wow him so much that even if he didn't think it was a date when he asked you, he wants it to be a date by the time he takes you home." Buffy grinned at Amy. "You know what this means."
"The mall?"
Buffy nodded. "The mall." Then she looked at Sonya. "That is... if you trust us."
Sonya got a feeling of deja vu. Then she said, "You know I trust you. But you're not cutting my hair this time."
"No hair cutting," Buffy promised. "And besides, I did such a good job of that last time that you don't need another hair cut."
"Well, come on then," Amy said, standing up and heading for the door. "Let's go!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At 6:55 p.m., Sonya was ready and waiting for Sheila to pull into the driveway. She checked her reflection in the hall mirror for the umpteenth time and nodded to herself encouragingly. She looked good. The mall trip had been worthwhile. She had on a silvery-blue sundress that flowed nicely over her body. The color flattered her creamy skin and brought out the blue in her eyes. Because it was an outdoor concert, Sonya skipped hose and had on silver sandals with slight heels and a cute flower design on the straps. Her brown hair was curled at the ends and hung loose around her face. For luck, she wore her mother's gold jewelry. The earrings and the ring were unobtrusive, but the locket hung down, drawing attention to her slender neck and attractive bust. Her makeup was understated, but enhanced her natural beauty.
"I should hang out with them more often," Sonya mumbled as she examined her reflection again. "There are definite advantages to caring about one's personal appearance."
"What are you doing?"
Sonya turned to see Faith staring at her from the bottom of the stairs. Tonight Faith -- dressed in black with deep, red lips and heavy eyeliner and mascara -- was, as usual, the opposite of Sonya's summery ambiance.
"Waiting for Oz."
Faith smirked. "You look really weird, Son." The former roommates were on better terms now that they had their own rooms, but they still clashed from time to time. In actuality, they probably enjoyed it.
But Sonya wasn't in the mood right now. "I look like a girl, you mean." Giving Faith a once over, she added, "And not a slut."
"Ouch," Faith said, but it was obvious that she didn't mean it. She continued down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. "Have fun with your dream boy."
"Thanks," Sonya replied sarcastically. There was a knock at the door. [It's him!]
"No, really," Faith said. "I mean it. You two are perfect for each other. And if you'll both quit with the passivity, you might finally get it on."
Sonya thought about that for a second, but when she opened the door and saw Oz all other thoughts skittered out of her head. He looked great. Instead of his usual T-shirt and jeans, he was wearing khakis and a maroon button-up shirt.
"You look... great," Oz said, his eyes lighting up as they feasted on her in her new outfit.
"Thanks," Sonya replied, grabbing her slim, silver purse and walking out the door. "You, too." She glanced at him again and their eyes met. She blushed and searched for something to say to get them back on easier footing. "But you know, I expected you to be wearing a T-shirt to support the band or something."
Oz's fingers went to the buttons of his shirt. He opened the top few and pulled them apart to reveal a bright orange T-shirt with a band logo underneath.
"I know you so well!" Sonya cried with a small laugh.
"You do." Then he opened the van door for her.
[It's gotta be a date] Sonya thought as Oz walked around to the other side of the car. [Oz, of all people, wouldn't dress up if it wasn't a date, right?]
They drove to the park in relative silence. Sonya was too nervous to spur on the conversation, and Oz, as usual, didn't talk much, other than to ask her if she was cool enough. She said the air conditioner was working great, and then they lapsed into silence.
When they got there, Oz pulled a few things out of Sheila's back doors. Sonya looked down to see a blanket and a picnic basket.
"It's B.Y.O. Everything," he explained. They walked through the park until they got to the bandstand. A small crowd was already growing. Oz staked out a place close enough to see and hear everything but not so close that the band overwhelmed them. Then he spread out the blanket and motioned for her to sit down.
"What's in the basket?" Sonya asked.
He passed it to her, and she peered into it. Inside she saw some sandwiches, carrot sticks and other veggies, two slices of cake, two glasses and a bottle of sparking cider.
"Look good?"
She nodded mutely. Before the silence could get awkward, Devon's brother's band started jamming. People began to clap and sing along to the music. It was nice. Not as hard as the Dingoes, but not EZ Listening either.
"I like it," Sonya said, nodding toward the bandstand.
"Good." Oz busied himself setting up the food, and then they both ate, making talking impossible.
Inside, Sonya was freaking out. This was a date, she was sure of that now, but it seemed to be going so badly. They had lost all of their natural compatibility. She couldn't think of anything to say to him, and he was being even more silent than usual. Oz was always quiet, but when they were together he talked more than any other time. She thought maybe she was doing something wrong. She wondered what she should do to get things back on the right foot.
"Oz..." she said.
At the same time, Oz turned to her and said, "Sonya..."
They both laughed and some of the awkwardness dissolved.
Shyly, Sonya told him, "You know, until you showed up in those spiffy clothes with a romantic picnic, I wasn't sure this was actually supposed to be a date."
His eyes showed his surprise. "Are you glad it's a date?"
She nodded, causing her hair to swing gently back and forth. "Yeah. I am."
"Me, too."
Sonya looked up and found his intense green eyes fixated solely on her. She felt a shiver go up and down her back. "What?"
"I just..." He stopped, as if searching for the right words, and then continued. "I haven't done this is a really long time. It's hard for me to... get emotionally involved with someone."
"Why?"
She really wanted to know, so he told her. Oz told her his deep, dark secret -- the story about the girl he'd been involved with, Sky, and the emotional strings he'd pulled that got her killed. He conveyed the information in as few words as possible, and didn't look at her once the whole time.
Sonya felt her heart swell with his every word. It was hard to hear about him taking advantage of groupies and treating Sky so horribly, but his reactions and regret of those things had matured him into the wonderful man he was today. But they had also created a wound in him that had never completely healed.
"Oz," she said softly, when he was done. He looked at her, and she took his hand in hers. "Thank you for sharing that with me."
"You don't... hate me now?"
She shook her head vehemently. "I could never hate you. Especially not for something that you obviously regret so much. There is such a thing as paying one's dues, Oz."
Their eyes met, and Sonya felt herself drawn to his magnetic green gaze. Then he pulled back.
"Sonya, I..."
She couldn't take it any more. She leaned forward and kissed him square on the lips. He was surprised at first, but two seconds later he was kissing her back just as intensely. Then he slid his arms around her and pulled her even closer. Sonya thrilled with his touch. Everywhere his fingers grazed her bare skin she felt tingles run amok.
"Good goin', Oz, man."
They broke apart to see Devon, the lead singer of the Dingoes, standing there staring at them with a smirk on his face.
"What?" Sonya demanded, giving him her best glare. How dare he interrupt them now?
Devon ignored her and leaned down to clap Oz on the shoulder. Oz grabbed Devon's hand and stared at him with a meaningful gaze. "Devon, man, this is kind of a mono-e-mono moment, if you catch my drift."
"Fer sure, man. Fer sure." Devon gave Oz a wink and then sauntered off to talk up some girls on the other side of the park.
Oz and Sonya looked at each other and then burst out laughing. The tension was broken, and Oz leaned in to give Sonya a quick kiss. "Sorry about that."
"It's all right," Sonya replied, her gaze going all dreamy again. "As long as you keep doing that..."
"I think," Oz informed her, "that can be arranged."
"Good." Her blue eyes danced with the light of her smile, and Oz thought that she looked more beautiful than he'd ever seen her.
Just then the band started to play a love song. [Perfect] Oz thought. He leaned in and kissed her again. And, for once in her life, Sonya did not resist.