Title:
Come Away With Me
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the gentle souls in this fic, though god
knows I wish I knew them….Mutant Enemy and that wanker Joss Whedon get credit
for their creation. I'm just fantasizing a little.
Rating: Hmmm…good question…let's be safe and say PG-13, though no smut
will ever be involved here.
Spoilers: Well, none that I know of. This is just my little world. Very
AU.
Summary: Willow bumps into this amazing blonde at a local coffee shop
on South Street (Philly). Her preoccupation with jazz chanteuses leads to some
interesting daydreams. Romance ensues, of course.
Get comfy, folks…a good soft chair and a nice cuppa. This one will be rather
relaxing for a change.
Chapter One: The Nearness of You
A repetitious and sharp clickity-clack of her fingers on the laptop keys made
an interesting counterpoint to the soft swishing of rain on the windows of the
two story coffee shop on South Street that was her favourite haunt. Steam from
a rather large cup of cappuccino fogged the window closest to her table, blurring
her view of pedestrians below scurrying for cover from the sudden afternoon
downpour. Willow stretched languidly, covering her mouth with the back of her
hand to stifle a yawn. She'd been in Philadelphia for a few weeks but her body
hadn't quite gotten used to the humidity or the three hour time change. Her
parents had given her the obligatory warning about the crime rate in Philly
but Willow figured that, after living in Sunnydale, anyplace other than it was
more exciting. A slow smile crossed her face as she remembered the rather lame
argument that her best friend, Buffy had tried to make in an attempt to keep
her from moving halfway across the continent.
"How can you be leaving me?! Hello! Xander is nice but he's not so good with
the girl talk…and the helpful advice…did I mention that you'll be 2000 miles
away…without ME?!" Buffy babbled, hitting minor panic mode.
Willow sighed deeply. "Buffy, it's not like you even need me. You've got
Riley and Xander and Giles. Even Anya is helpful...umm…well when she wants to
be." She chuckled at that last bit, knowing that Anya would insist on compensation
for her efforts. Apparently she learned the lessons of capitalism all to well.
"But that's not the same. You know that sharing with Anya can be evil. Besides,
won't you miss our Mocha Madness days at the Espresso Pump? Who else will Bronze
it with us on Wednesday nights?" Buffy was employing the whole "Innocent
Batting of Eyelashes" routine that normally would have worked in reinforcing
the Two Pronged Guilt Trip attack that she was famous for. However, Willow had
wanting…no, needed…a change for some time now. She knew that Buffy would take
her absence the hardest but Willow felt that it was about time that she does
something for herself. In her opinion, having a little alone time was the best
way to do that.
"We all gotta grow up sometime, Buffy. I think it's my turn to leave the
nest," Willow smiled wryly. Buffy's reply was to pout at her throughout
the going away party at the Bronze that Giles has arranged in her honor. "She'll
get over it," Willow mused. "We all just need a little time apart." Rolling
her eyes in consternation, she realized that somehow she had managed to sound
just like her mother.
*****************************************************************************************
Checking the battery life in her portable mini-disc player on the table next
to her laptop, Willow glanced briefly at the black Movado on her wrist. It was
an impulse buy, sure, but she couldn't resist celebrating her new job with Lockheed
Martin Technology Group. Frowning slightly at the growing lateness of the hour,
she knew she had to pick up the pace and finish the last few lines of her program
or she'd get stuck in the hideous rush hour crush at the El station. But somehow….somehow
she just couldn't get motivated to keep going. The humid warmth of the shop
had practically lulled her into drowsiness; the practically empty cappuccino
cup seemed to be laughing at her with its very wide mouth, its promise of caffeine-filled
energy totally unfulfilled. "Oh well," Willow grumbled. "May as well get something
to eat and some more mocha goodness. It may take a while before I can get outta
here." She was forwarding through the minidisc to a particular song, when a
light touch on her shoulder brought her out of her haze of contentment. Willow
removed her headphones and found herself staring into the clearest blue eyes
she'd ever seen.
"Umm, hi. I was wondering if anyone is sitting in this chair," the owner of
the amazing eyes said softly. Willow was pretty sure that she'd been struck
dumb because her mouth was open but no sounds were coming out. The woman's long
blonde hair brushed Willow's cheek briefly as she leaned down to wave her hand
in front of Willow's startled eyes.
"Hello? Are you ok?" she asked, a concerned frown passing over her delicate
features.
Willow's eyes went wide as she realized how silly she must look. "Oh! Oh, yeah,
I'm fine. Sure, you can have the chair…it's just taking up space here beside
me." She nudged the chair towards the beautiful stranger, unsure of what to
say next. Before she knew it, her hand was flying out of its own accord. "I'm
Willow, by the way. In case you were wondering…" her voice trailed off, slightly
embarrassed at having rambled slightly.
The blonde blushed slightly, a slight smile dancing at the corners of her mouth.
"I'm Tara. Um, Tara Maclay," she extended her hand to Willow and gripping hers
lightly.
Willow's
answering grin was as bright as a summer sun. "Glad to meet you, Tara." She
quickly let go of Tara's hand when she realized that she was staring.
"Um, t-thanks for the use of your chair. S-see you around?"
"Sure! Sure, anytime. I'm always here. It's not like I don't have a life or
anything, it's just that I…I really like this place. You know?" Willow knew
she was heading straight for full-on sniggle fritz (a Xanderism for her
signature babble mode) but just couldn't seem to prevent it.
Tara seemed to be more amused that annoyed at Willow's burst of speech. "I l-like
it too, actually. It's kind of cozy. " She paused, her eyes a mystery. "S-so….I'll
see you around?"
"I sure as hell hope so." "Yeah, sure. See ya." Willow watched Tara take
the chair to a small table at the opposite corner of the room nearest to another
fogged window. She tried to watch Tara out of the corner of her eye but she
wasn't satisfied with the limited view. Willow moved her laptop and chair over,
her back to the window slightly so that she could have a relatively unobstructed
view of this newcomer. She slid her headphones back onto her ears, pressed the
Play button on the minidisc player and searched through the disc. Upon finding
the track she was searching for, Willow pressed play, the first notes of Norah
Jones' remake of "The Nearness of You" winnowing their way into her mind. Norah's
sultry voice was the perfect backdrop for her daydreaming since all Willow was
able to do from that moment on was think about this mysterious stranger that
literally tapped her on the shoulder and entered her life.
It's not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills or delights me, Oh no…
It's just the nearness of you
After Tara had made herself comfortable at her corner table, she reached into
a large tote bag and removed a leather eyeglass case. "Wow, she even wears
glasses," Willow noticed. "You know what they say about a girl in specs."
She removed a rather small pair of copper-coloured Eddie Bauer Laguna's from
the case and settled them on her rather slim, refined nose. By this time, Willow
had completely given up any pretense of doing work. Both elbows were on the
table, her head settled between her hands, and total concentration was given
over to examining this Tara Maclay in every single detail.
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, Oh no…
It's just the nearness of you
When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true
It seemed that Tara had this way of giving everything she touched a gentle caress;
from opening her notebook, to the gentle glide of the pen in her hand across
a page. Her glasses had settled on the bridge of her nose by this time and this
gave Willow a chance to view her profile more closely. Tara had skin as smooth
as mother's milk, a strong yet delicate jawline which was accentuated all the
more by full, pouty lips. Just as Willow thought she could not be driven any
more to distraction, a loud beeping came from her laptop briefcase. Her PDA
alarm had gone off, signifying that it was time for her to catch the R5 to her
apartment in Washington's Crossing, a rather affluent suburb just outside of
the Greater Northeast section of Philadelphia. With a heavy sigh and extreme
regret, she packed away her laptop and began gathering her things together.
I don't need soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night
The nearness of you
"You have to admit, Rosenberg. You're pretty pitiful." Willow shook her head,
chuckling inwardly at her blatant ogling of a complete stranger. "What would
you say to her even if you had the chance to talk to her? 'Hi my name is Willow,
you don't know me, but can I just say that I'd love to just hold you until the
world stops moving?' Oh yes, that would go over REAL well." Rolling her eyes
dramatically, she shut off the minidisc player, threw it into a side pocket
of her briefcase and shut it. As Willow wound her way around the maze of tables,
she glanced back longingly at the beautiful vision by the corner window. "Till
we meet again…well hopefully we will." Turning back to the stairs, she made
her way out into the softly falling rain and afternoon rush.
Chapter Two - I Dont Know Enough About You