Drawn to thy Witch
Author's note:
Okay, my angry angry angry reviewers. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I have a reason no matter how useless it is of me to explain it. I went away for the holiday and left my computer in the hands of a friend. I told him to update from the Word document I labelled 'please update this one'. Anyway, so I walked him through everything like four times…how to update, I mean. When I came back all my documents were gone and he had viruses running through it! I had to dig out all my written copies from a long forgotten binder in the back of my closet. I've been retyping everything (after I took the computer to the computer doctor) and finally I have a few basic chapters of DTTW that I need to flesh out. Unfortunately the original finished copy is lost…
Chapter five:
Monday came quickly and Dawn entered P3. Her sugar brown hair was swept back with a clip. Her outfit was in a fruitless attempt to appear older, a silky magenta corset and tight black pants. She started her first day of work serving drinks with high spirits after a short introduction by the bartender before her.
"So there you are," finished Devlin, the experienced Irish bartender. "It's pretty simple once you get the gist. Do ye want me to stay fer a while to oversee it all?"
Dawn thought about declining but she knew just as well as Devlin probably did that she'd need the assistance with a few things. "I'd really appreciate it. Thank you."
Devlin smiled and reached for a bottle. "Tis no problem, Darlin. I'm happy to help."
Dawn smiled and assisted him by laying out a glass on the bar. "So Devlin," Began Dawn. "What's your story?" She poured the glass full of amber liquid and handed it into the awaiting hands of a bar patron who staggered away back into the sea of thriving bodies.
Devlin chuckled lowly. "Ah, Darlin, are ye sure you wanna travel down that long path?"
Dawn allowed herself a small half smile. "I have time."
Devlin sighed. "Well, better prepare yourself for this tale. I'm from Ireland as if I hadn't already proved that."
Dawn snorted. "What brings you to America? Trying to make it big? If that's it I'd have to tell you this is the wrong city. You're looking for LA."
Devlin softly smiled, his rugged features smoothing out and pale green eyes softening. "Nah, the starlight's not fer me…I'm here on…business. It's complicated." He ran his long pale fingers through silky locks of ebony hair. "Yeah…too complicated to explain right now. I'm sure you'll be able to help me figure it out eventually. Why are you here, Dawn?"
She thought about the answer and all the simple lies she could use to explain herself but oddly found herself replying, "I ran away. From everything, I guess. I met this guy, the son of my sister's old boyfriend, over the phone one day and here we are, months later, escaping. I was thinking Canada but San Francisco is seeming pretty damn cool right now." She smiled and poured another drink, accepting the payment for the alcohol."
Devlin nodded. "You seem a little young, huh?"
"I'm sixteen," admitted Dawn. "How old are you?"
Devlin smiled mischievously. "Ten years older. Aren't year a little too young to be serving drinks?"
"Don't question it," commanded Dawn sternly. Devlin laughed.
The pair continued small talk for a few hours. Two hours to the end of Dawn's first shift at P3 a woman showed up with shorter glossy curls of auburn hair and stunning crystal blue eyes. "Devlin, are you going to be off any time soon?" She had a soft English accent. She looked upon the pair kindly.
"Adel, I'm gonna stick around here fer the end of Dawn's shift than we can pick up some coffee and drive down to that town." The girl nodded slightly and seated herself on a barstool.
She removed a pair of black leather gloves and furry hairpiece slash hat lightly wrapped around her hairline like a headband. She chose to keep her grey tweed coat done up and clutched to her body protectively. "A few hours then?"
"Yup," replied Devlin as he wiped the bar down with a washcloth.
"Righto," Adel as Devlin called her replied passively. They sat there surrounded by the noises of the club but Dawn found the silence between her and Devlin for the first time that night unbearable. Adel broke the silence. "Aren't you gonna perform the introduction, Dev?"
"Oh right," Devlin began, "Adel this is the new bartender Dawn Summers. She's from a place called Sunnydale down South of here. Dawn this is a friend of mine, Adelaide Sinclair. I call her Adel but she hates it. She's from Scotland."
Dawn replied automatically, "You don't sound like you're from Scotland."
Adelaide smiled and explained, "My father was from England and my mother was native to Austria actually. When they died in a tragic accident I was ten and sent to live with my Aunt Molly in Scotland. She moved there from London when she was twenty."
Dawn found the story sounding rehearsed but knew it was probably just because Adelaide had told it so frequently. "Wow, I'm sorry."
"You couldn't help it, now could you? Thank you just the same." Dawn smiled and offered Adelaide a drink. The English woman accepted and conversation easily formed between he three strangers.
"Dawn," spoke Adelaide as the night drew to a dreary finish. "I'd like to take you out for lunch this afternoon."
Dawn smile widely and responded, "It sounds really fun. I'd love to."
Adelaide smiled in return and promised, "I'll ditch Devlin, the little bugger. It'll be just us girls." She smoothly put her gloves back on and clutched her purse close. She was the exact stereotype of a posh English woman.
"Great," concluded Dawn. "So…do you want to meet somewhere?"
Adelaide frowned. "Yes. There's this darling little café downtown." She quickly wrote out directions to the café and left. Dawn followed suit and once again thanked Piper for the job.
Back at the hotel she slept for a few hours until eleven and woke to Connor shaking her. "Dawn. Dawn, call for you." He nervously held out the hotel phone and sat back when she took it. All the while he watched her closely.
She put the receiver to her ear and inquired, "Hello?"
"Dawn?" The smooth posh accent made Dawn smile.
"Adelaide. You scared me. We're not used to calls here." Dawn smiled thankfully giving Connor the okay. He smiled weakly.
Adelaide laughed. "Well we'll have to change that won't we? Can we bump the lunch date up to twelve? Devlin is dreadfully tired so we're leaving for our little trip tonight."
"Sure," replied Dawn easily.
Adelaide breathed an audible sigh of relief. "See you soon then."
"Soon," agreed Dawn and they both hung up.