This is set now on both counts (AU WW, obviously). Nothing belongs to me.
This is gonna be a short, like 5 chapter thing. Thanks to my reviewers for
the great feedback. The next part will be up next weekend.
Part 2: Outside Factors
Ten minutes later, Toby and Willow both had large glasses of water in front of them as they sat in a slightly uncomfortable silence.
Willow ran her finger in a circle around the top of the glass, grinning as a low ringing sound vibrated off of it.
"So," she said to Toby as he took a sip of his water and grimaced, "what brings you here?"
"To this country or this bar?"
"Um, both, I guess," she replied with a shrug.
"Forced leave of absence."
"Forced?" Willow asked, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Forced." Toby repeated, motioning to the bartender and pointing at a bowl of chips that sat on the bar.
"What do you do?" Willow asked as the bartender brought the chips over and placed them on the table, silently retreating back to the bar.
"I write complex, underrated speeches for a politician who tends to believe that he needs to tweak them two minutes before he delivers them," Toby said, dumping the contents of a sugar packet onto the table and drawing random designs with his finger.
When he looked up, Willow was smiling at him.
"What?"
Willow shrugged. "I dunno. You do something you love for a living. I guess I just think you're kinda lucky. I mean, I don't have the best job, and a friend of mine worked her butt off for years and never got..." she trailed off, a cloud coming over her face.
Toby eyed her as he popped a chip into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Willow dropped her head back down on the bar, groaning.
"I don't think I'm drunk enough for this," she mumbled, practically incoherent.
"Yeah," replied Toby, downing half his glass of water.
As he was trying to think of some way to continue the conversation without coming off as a complete idiot, they were both startled by a shrill ring filling the quiet bar. Toby patted his pockets until he found the source of the noise. Pulling out a cellphone, he answered the call as Willow watched with curiosity.
"What?" he said gruffly, giving Willow a half smile when she shot him a nervous glance.
He listened for a moment, his agitation growing as the person on the other end continued to speak. Finally, he sighed and looked toward the ceiling in exasperation.
"No, I have not turned on a television. I have been without current events for the last three days, and frankly, CJ, I believe it may actually be speeding up my path to a nervous breakdown, not diverting it."
He fell silent as the person on the other end spoke again. His eyes strayed from the ceiling to glance at the girl across from him, who seemed to have gone back to her state of self pity as she began to bang her head on her arms, while muttering to herself.
"CJ, I'm fine." Toby said, reaching across to stop Willow in the midst of her head banging session. "I'll see you in two days, chipper and happy to work."
Willow looked up as he fell silent again.
Finally, he shrugged. "Well, I think happy and insane might be easier for you to spin than homicidal."
With that, he hung up on the other person, whom Willow could hear protesting loudly until the phone beeped off.
"Was that your boss?" Willow asked, gesturing to the phone as Toby put it back in his pocket.
He laughed, "In her dreams."
Glancing at his glass of water, Toby motioned the bartender over. "What do you say we get more drinks?"
Willow shrugged. "Might as well. It was my original plan anyway."
Part 2: Outside Factors
Ten minutes later, Toby and Willow both had large glasses of water in front of them as they sat in a slightly uncomfortable silence.
Willow ran her finger in a circle around the top of the glass, grinning as a low ringing sound vibrated off of it.
"So," she said to Toby as he took a sip of his water and grimaced, "what brings you here?"
"To this country or this bar?"
"Um, both, I guess," she replied with a shrug.
"Forced leave of absence."
"Forced?" Willow asked, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Forced." Toby repeated, motioning to the bartender and pointing at a bowl of chips that sat on the bar.
"What do you do?" Willow asked as the bartender brought the chips over and placed them on the table, silently retreating back to the bar.
"I write complex, underrated speeches for a politician who tends to believe that he needs to tweak them two minutes before he delivers them," Toby said, dumping the contents of a sugar packet onto the table and drawing random designs with his finger.
When he looked up, Willow was smiling at him.
"What?"
Willow shrugged. "I dunno. You do something you love for a living. I guess I just think you're kinda lucky. I mean, I don't have the best job, and a friend of mine worked her butt off for years and never got..." she trailed off, a cloud coming over her face.
Toby eyed her as he popped a chip into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Willow dropped her head back down on the bar, groaning.
"I don't think I'm drunk enough for this," she mumbled, practically incoherent.
"Yeah," replied Toby, downing half his glass of water.
As he was trying to think of some way to continue the conversation without coming off as a complete idiot, they were both startled by a shrill ring filling the quiet bar. Toby patted his pockets until he found the source of the noise. Pulling out a cellphone, he answered the call as Willow watched with curiosity.
"What?" he said gruffly, giving Willow a half smile when she shot him a nervous glance.
He listened for a moment, his agitation growing as the person on the other end continued to speak. Finally, he sighed and looked toward the ceiling in exasperation.
"No, I have not turned on a television. I have been without current events for the last three days, and frankly, CJ, I believe it may actually be speeding up my path to a nervous breakdown, not diverting it."
He fell silent as the person on the other end spoke again. His eyes strayed from the ceiling to glance at the girl across from him, who seemed to have gone back to her state of self pity as she began to bang her head on her arms, while muttering to herself.
"CJ, I'm fine." Toby said, reaching across to stop Willow in the midst of her head banging session. "I'll see you in two days, chipper and happy to work."
Willow looked up as he fell silent again.
Finally, he shrugged. "Well, I think happy and insane might be easier for you to spin than homicidal."
With that, he hung up on the other person, whom Willow could hear protesting loudly until the phone beeped off.
"Was that your boss?" Willow asked, gesturing to the phone as Toby put it back in his pocket.
He laughed, "In her dreams."
Glancing at his glass of water, Toby motioned the bartender over. "What do you say we get more drinks?"
Willow shrugged. "Might as well. It was my original plan anyway."