Lamplight

[JustSkipIt]

Ha ha. Lol. :rollin I actually got it right off which is a pretty unusual thing for me. Great job!

[Safuega]

Oh man! Here I was in my office doing really boring legal research and decided to stroll over to the Kitten to see who/what had been update. Imagine my delight as I saw your update as I asked myself whether my April fool's day could suck any more. Then, I eagerly read your 'update' and then got my answer: YES, it could totally suck waaaaay more!

Thanks for the really needed chuckles. Off I go into lurk mode again 'cause the research ain't gonna do itself.

Safuega

P.S. I know I'm in the wrong thread to complain about this but you totally ignored my painstakingly clever feedback in your replies to Coffee Moods No sweat, though, I'd ignored me too if I was a writer and I had not 'seen' me around in ages.

P.P.S. Who would not come out of lurking with such a clever (and dare I say cruel) prank?

[sinkinghearts]

this is a very great story... yay!!!

and the april fool's day joke - watson, you sicko! i was fooled

[Useful_Oxymoron]

LOL! Add me to the list of people who fell for it.

Heheheh, but now I wanna see Tara kick everybody's ass magic-wise at Hogwarts.

[cantbefredless]

heheh i fell for it too... i was all wtf? why is she going there im confused is this even the same story i was reading.. i totally fell for it..

[FineyMcFine]

HA!

Like Cam, I totally fell for it too, and I was reading along, thinking - hmmmm, this doesn't seem like something that I've read before. watty must have written something different in the editing process.

I didn't get it at all either when there were red-haired children on the train, and I was shocked as shit when Professor McGonagall welcomed Tara to Hogwarts. I was TOTALLY confused and then I clicked on the link, and I knew I'd been had. HA.

[kisstheviolets]

i admit it, i fell... hook, line and sinker. i haven't fallen for an april fool's gag in year, and even though i thought it was beyond bizarre that you had those HP references in there, i didn't think you'd gone off your rocker till mcgonagall showed up. i feel better knowing i was had than thinking you're prematurely losing your marbles

anyway, your prank was nicely written and superbly executed. thanks for such a good laugh.

maybe we'll get a real update for being such good sports?

brandy

[Darth Pacula]

G'day, Watty.

You know, I almost wish I could attach a sound file to this, just to illustrate how hard you made me laugh. The 'Part 7 3/4' should have given it away, but I only sussed it out when the gaggle of red-headed kids turned up.

Bloody brilliant, mate!

Cheers,
Paul.

[irishgrl3]

What a clever, clever Watson. I fell for that hook, line, and sinker.

Well done!

-anna

[watty]

Confession time. This is the first time I've played an April Fool's joke, let alone to such a large audience. Thanks for playing! Now, replies to those of you kind enough to let me know how much you liked or was pissed off at the joke.

~~~~~

justin

you're the evilest kitten that ever lived in all of evil town.

why thank you *sniggers* I am evil. Hope you've gotten over your sulk. Hey! I left you fb for Survivors.

~~~~~

Chris

If you really wanted to surprise people, you shouldn't have foreshadowed this so heavily.

I mean, c'mon, did anyone not see this coming four or five chapters ago?

I stand duly chastised, oh Taskmaster. I shall work harder to hone my foreshadowing skills and not give so much away so soon.

~~~~~

Cam

YOU SUCK!

oh look! first 3 feedback clearly states how evil I am. Yippee! I can move up to the next level now. Um, which next level, I don't know. At least I can snigger at Gullible!Cam. Snerk.

~~~~~

Irene

:lmao

~~~~~

willowspiritus

It is kinda sad but i want to see what happens to Tara at Hogwarts. Can someone look into that?

Hmm, that's an interesting thought. Like justin said, there is already another HP crossover fic. But ... I'm thinking.

~~~~~

cecile

really funny "update"

what? *indignant* this was a real update. Er, well, it wasn't. Thanks for reading! Heehee.

~~~~~

Emms

I nearly fell out of my chair...but then....treachery. treachery, I say! no fair............but it was kinda funny

awww sweetie, sorry to disappoint. But still kinda funny?

~~~~~

Dianneswillowtree

I am glad that both of you are updating these storys it is sad for me when wonderful storys sit unfinished

me and my alter ego thank you. Hope that's what you mean about "both" of us. I will finish Lamplight, just need to find the time. Thanks.

~~~~~

Foo

“Sorry, miss,” a boy in a mess of red hair apologized before running to catch up with the other children, all of whom had red hair too. Except one boy with dark hair.

That line aroused my suspicions. And being in the train station. Ha! Great stuff, and awesome April Fool's Joke.

thanks for spotting the gaggle of red hair kids. You're one of the few people not telling me off for the joke and I thank you very much for that, my friend.

~~~~~

caz

So unfair watty - I was really looking forward to this!

So, are we gonna get an update soon - please!

awww *hugs* you gotta admit it was kinda a good joke? When I resume posting, I hope to be able to post all the way to the end, so it might be a while. Thanks for your patience.

~~~~~

Gemma

I probably should be offended that you said this one's for me considering it was a joke update

Well it was dedicated to you because you were so kind to update Spark, and you inspired me to come up with this idea and write it in half a day! So thank you for making my muse come back from vacation.

~~~~~

WillowRulez

sorry you were spoiled, I didn't think of the thread behavior. Hope you enjoyed it anyway, thanks for reading.

~~~~~

Elvis

I actually got it right off which is a pretty unusual thing for me.

congrats! and I didn't give you a single hint or warning did I? I'm glad you spotted the joke elements, this was a fun chapter to write[/b]

~~~~~

Safuega

welcome back Mary! Albeit for a short while.

Imagine my delight as I saw your update as I asked myself whether my April fool's day could suck any more. Then, I eagerly read your 'update' and then got my answer: YES, it could totally suck waaaaay more!

awww, sorry for making your April Fool's day suck even more. But you gotta admit it was a pretty good lark? I'm just glad it brought you out of hiding.

you totally ignored my painstakingly clever feedback in your replies to Coffee Moods

I'm a bad bad kitten but I wasn't deliberately trying to ignore the feedback, I've just been a slacker when it comes to replying. I'd want to offer penance but I'm afraid you'd ask for chapter 8 and I can't post it yet. Not until I'm further along with the story. Thanks for your support and I hope RL gives you a break and you can come back more often.

~~~~~

shane

watson, you sicko!

I've been called many names, mostly dork, geek, bossy, anal or lately, evil. But not sicko. I love it!

~~~~~

Useful_Oxymoron

Add me to the list of people who fell for it.

Heheheh, but now I wanna see Tara kick everybody's ass magic-wise at Hogwarts. grin

you join an illustrious list. I'm happy that the joke worked out. And as for Tara at Hogwarts I'm thinking about it. She wasn't necessarily going up there to teach you know, perhaps as a TA. Still thinking.

~~~~~

cantbefredless

i was all wtf? why is she going there im confused is this even the same story i was reading.. i totally fell for it.

sorry about the confusion but I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.

~~~~~

Sally

I didn't get it at all either when there were red-haired children on the train, and I was shocked as shit when Professor McGonagall welcomed Tara to Hogwarts. I was TOTALLY confused and then I clicked on the link, and I knew I'd been had. HA.

Now I'm proud, very proud, to have fooled Sallypants the queen of jokes and puns. Yes ma'am. Proud. Thanks buddy.

~~~~~

brandy

i haven't fallen for an april fool's gag in year, and even though i thought it was beyond bizarre that you had those HP references in there, i didn't think you'd gone off your rocker till mcgonagall showed up. i feel better knowing i was had than thinking you're prematurely losing your marbles

I guess it's my usual serious and non-jokey nature that allowed me to get away with the joke. don't be so sure that I haven't lost my marbles, you'd be surprised!

~~~~~

Paul

The 'Part 7 3/4' should have given it away, but I only sussed it out when the gaggle of red-headed kids turned up.

Oh thank the gods someone spotted the 7¾ thanks Paul. Ideally I would have liked 9¾ but I can't have everything, right?

~~~~~

anna

I'm happy that you fell for it, in a good way. Thanks for reading.

~~~~~
[br]

[sacinema]

You evil writer. Sorry. Didn't want to hit you. Just a little bit. I fell for it too. And now I also would like to see Tara in Hogwarts. The only time I wondered was when I read the name of Tara's aunt. Come on. Halfrek?

In the end I'm fine with it. But please will you update soon? I think we need Willow and Tara back together soon. At least for talking.

[GayNow]

The only time I wondered was when I read the name of Tara's aunt. Come on. Halfrek?

Actually, Hallie is Tara's aunt. She's already shown up in chapter 2.

[sacinema]

Actually, Hallie is Tara's aunt. She's already shown up in chapter 2.

Busted. That was almost a year ago. And I didn't compare Hallie to Halfrek even if Anya always called her by her nickname.

[watty]

Greuzi sacinema (I know you're from Germany, but I can't help being a little Swiss today), don't worry about hitting me because I totally set myself up for being whacked by playing the joke on everyone.

I think we need Willow and Tara back together soon. At least for talking.

I have left this fic for a long time, like I said to several readers, I will return to it when I have more time and I plan to finish it. In fact, yesterday my beta and I talked a little about future developments and where I could take this. She was probably as anxious as the rest of you to push me into coming back (*groan* did anyone get the pun?) to this fic.

Speaking of. Thank you Oh Great Beta Mine, for the fact check about Aunt Hallie. I should have stuck to Hallie rather than Halfrek, it's a more realistic name for a contemporary setting. But yes, she appeared once in Part 2, to impart some wisdom to young Tara and Willow. Time will tell but that brief visit had a huge impact on young Tara's life.
[br]

[FineyMcFine]

but I can't help being a little Swiss today

That's right, you're Swiss - because you're full of holes! Plot and chapter holes, missy, get your mind out of the gutter. Specifically, Chapter 8. Hiatus, schmiatus!

In rereading your little jokey, I noticed that it was Chapter 7 3/4. HA! I should have known from the start.

[watty]

Chapter 8. Hiatus, schmiatus!

Well Sally, here's the dilemma: work on new fic which is going well or put that one on hiatus (and lose momentum) and pick up Lamplight? See why I put LL on hiatus?

In rereading your little jokey, I noticed that it was Chapter 7 3/4. HA! I should have known from the start.

Drat. Seems like only Paul noticed. And I went to all the trouble of html-ing the ¾ as opposed to 3/4. I should have made it larger font, or red, or something. Seems like changing formatting works for some people.
[br]

[justin]

Well Sally, here's the dilemma: work on new fic which is going well or put that one on hiatus (and lose momentum) and pick up Lamplight? See why I put LL on hiatus?

The obvious solution would be to clone yourself. Then you can work on the new story while your clone works on LL (or vice versa).

There, problem solved.

[notl33t]

Ever since the Harry Potter books came out I've been wondering what witchy goodness could be brewed in AU/Crossover land. And you lured me in with some wonderful writing in the beginning, I didn't even suspect a thing, you super-tricky writer you.

Have I mentioned that the idea of mostly naked, sexy Tara dancing in the Bronze is something I like? More of that please.

I hope Willow is getting on with her life without Tara or maybe she isn't...but I won't know until you update...

[watty]

The obvious solution would be to clone yourself.

Oh. You mean you didn't get the memo from HQ? That cloning is no longer permitted? The tax department had an issue with people cloning themselves to do extra work (and thus enhance their pay) but the law is unclear whether cloned entities need to declare and pay taxes. Until such time the law catches up with technology (isn't that always the case?), anyone caught cloning will be forced to read out loud, to an audience of screaming teenagers in goth uniform, all the Spuffy fics on thisisbadfanfic.com.

~~~~~

Ever since the Harry Potter books came out I've been wondering what witchy goodness could be brewed in AU/Crossover land. And you lured me in with some wonderful writing in the beginning, I didn't even suspect a thing, you super-tricky writer you.

It's clear that the last chapter was an April Fool's joke and not part of the fic, right? Lamplight isn't an HP crossover. It will be a long and angsty though. Thanks for reading!
[br]

[Alcy]

Hi watty,
It's taken me a while but I finally sat down tonight and read all the chapters of Lamplight.
Boy have we got some angst here, I love it! I honestly think I feed on angst sometimes (although I do like kisses and giggles too - a few of those wouldn't go amiss somewhere down the track!)
In relatively few chapters you managed to convey excellently the huge weight that faces a young person when deciding what to do after high school, through Willow's and Tara's stories we can feel just how difficult to make those decisions are and how they often can rule the rest of your life. This is me speaking as someone who went to law school and graduated but could never ever stand law! Thankfully I bit the bullet and went back to my passion (Museology) but I defintiely related to their angst about money, success, relationships etc etc.
And then of course there's the heart of the story, their relationship with one another. Honestly, it's completely realistic that they have been unable to sit down and talk through the issue like they needed to. I just wanted to put them both in a room and lock the door!
Anyway, thanks very much for the story so far and I'm now looking forward to being able to offer my feedback at the end of each chapter!
Cheers
Alcy

[watty]

Alcy - thanks for reading. And yes, this will be a huge angstfest.

through Willow's and Tara's stories we can feel just how difficult to make those decisions are and how they often can rule the rest of your life.

Absolutely! We're shaped by our experiences and decisions. Small events (like Aunt Hallie's visit or Willow's parents losing their money in the stock market) have more influence on a young person's life than even they themselves realize. These influences will play out later on in the fic.

it's completely realistic that they have been unable to sit down and talk through the issue like they needed to. I just wanted to put them both in a room and lock the door!

They were far too young to talk through the issue, I think they behaved the best they could under the circumstances. It's painful, and I'm glad that you thought it was realistic.

Thanks again for reading and looking forward to your comments when I return to this fic later this year.
[br]

[tarawhipped]

looking forward to your comments when I return to this fic later this year.

[emphasis mine]

Wow...so, um...you meant later this year according to what calendar, exactly, watty?

Seriously, I'm feeling a need for more angst than any mortal can possibly bear...it's the weather. And what's the first fic that came to mind? Lamplight, natch. How about it, Watty? Is it 'this year' yet? [/snark]

Fondly,
Cam

[watty]

so, um...you meant later this year according to what calendar, exactly, watty?

um, er, damn. Okay you caught me. BUT!!!! I actually got back to writing lamplight late last year, I was waiting for the right time to post, because there will be no stopping until the end.

"So when?" asks Cam and other purveyors of angst.

"Soon," I promise.

"Not good enough. How.much.longer?"

Okay, okay...

ETA: there was a countdown graphic here at one point, but since it's in the past, not relevant anymore.
[br]

[Kaia]

13 days and counting...

Oh, oh, oh...oh.

I should go read the whole thing again.
Awesome news, watty!!
Thanks!

[JustSkipIt]

So I saw this at the top of the thread and I was like, "Yay! Watty did say she was updating the 24th!" See, I've always admitted that I have no idea what the date is ... like ever.

[sacinema]

Yeah. Awesome news. We are going to get an update soon. This is one of the fics I'm really waiting for an update and I always check for. Thanks, can't wait for it.

[ringwaldoeuvre]

So the real question is whether I should be snarky about the lack of update, or save it until you actually give us an update. I dunno, this hiatus is reaching epic proportions, so I might be forced to compare your lack of update to John Travolta's late 1980s career. Also: if you resurface as a Scientologist, I will just die.

Looking forward to more, in the relatively near future.

[witchlove]

Cant wait until the update. although reading these post from other fans has made me laugh alot especially ringwaldoeuvre.

[Emms]

*whine* Watty.... *whine whine whine* but I want the update now..... *whine whine whine*




xoxo
Emms

[watty]

A few things first.

• This is a real update and not a fake April Fools one like last time.
• Thanks to Cam for bumping the thread, and everyone who left such encouraging comments during the last 2 weeks.
• Looking forward to twoppy (I think I just invented a word!) feedback from the Mistress of Snark. Thanks, Mary. And rest assured, I won't come back as a Scientologist, I don't think my very Catholic gf will allow that.
• Lamplight is complete. Depending on readers' responses and my availability, updates will follow a schedule.
• Apart from the next three chapters which were written a long time ago, I won't be pre-publishing the story on my website. I may post a day or two in advance, but not the finished version like before.
• Please note the change in rating from R to R-NC17. This is an overall rating.
• The story changes direction dramatically from this point on and there'll be a twist or two as we progress. It wasn't exactly the story I had planned, but sometimes it's better to let the story tell its own tale, right?

[hr][br]

Title: Lamplight
Author: watty (hiddenwatson[at]gmail[dot]com)
Distribution: Chris and Susan have pre-approval. Anyone else please ask for my permission first.
Rating: R to NC-17
Disclaimer: BtVS characters, concepts and dialogue belong to Mutant Enemy, Fox, The WB, UPN and others.
Summary: Contemporary AU. Where demons wear human faces. Two lives drifted apart, can they find their missing half?
Notes: This will be long and angsty. It also changes direction more than once. I had planned for it to go in a certain direction, I didn't know it would go that far. Sometimes, stories have a mind of their own.


Part 8

Six years later.

*****

"Your 4 o'clock is here."

"Thanks Sandy, which room?"

"Boardroom."

The redhead looked up from her triple array of screens, saved the spreadsheet she was working on, put on her suit jacket and grabbed a leather notebook on her way to the meeting room.

When she came back, she had a thick set of documents that she handed to the blonde woman sitting across from her.

"Another one?" asked the woman known as Sandy.

"Yep. Patrick did a good sales job with the client, no surprise there, they like the product and want to get a line of credit set up immediately. Paperwork's here, could you make sure Compliance and Risk Management get copies so they can start with the due diligence immediately?" instructed the redhead.

"Choo-choo ca-choo, and the Rosenberg engine just keeps a-rolling," Sandy celebrated.

Willow sat there smiling, but the smile never reached her eyes. She continued working on the modeling program she was developing until she was interrupted by her boss.

"Willow, good job on the model and the presentation, the client's very pleased," he praised.

"Thanks Patrick," she said.

"In fact, they're so pleased they invited us out for drinks and a night out. The whole team's going," he added.

Willow frowned. "Patrick, you know I'm not very keen on these marketing events."

"They asked for you specifically, so you probably might want to change your mind. It's good for your career, to establish contacts like these. Most of the rest of the department has marketing budget but I haven't put one in for you, but there's always noises from upstairs ..." he deliberately trailed off to make a point. "It's on Monday night, we're going to a new club in Soho, ok?"

He was walking away before she had a chance to protest.

She knew this was a thinly disguised order, everyone else wined and dined with their clients except her. She didn't even have her own client list; she was an anomaly in her department, her expertise desperately needed, but she never fitted in or behaved like the others.

She was yet again the last person left on the trading floor, sliding her chair expertly back to give the cleaners room, and stripping down to her sleeveless top when the air-conditioning stopped for the night.

Just before leaving for the night, she called to check in with her partner Simon in Tokyo, who took over the desk when the markets opened that side of the world. They had never met face-to-face but he was the person she talked to and emailed the most, in turn he had become the closest thing to a friend she had at work.

"Simon, old boy, how's it looking?" she said, she could never resist doing the British accent with Simon.

"It's gonna be an exciting day, we're getting some 3Q results from the industrials today and they could swing either way, not a day to be betting on the Nikkei. And there's another faux pas committed by those politicians in Hong Kong that's all over the papers, so the HSI is wobbly too. Have you done your appraisal yet?" he said.

"God no. I'm trying to put it off as long as possible," she laughed. "Not until Patrick physically twists my arm."

"Yeah well, you can get away with it. Common and garden small potatoes like us won't get so much slack from the Green Man," Simon whined.

"Says Mr ELD himself," she smiled. Simon virtually ran the Equity Linked Derivatives desk for the Pacific Rim, while Willow looked after the Americas, and another team was based in London. Between them they were responsible for coming up with, and trading, complex financial instruments for their institutional clients. But like Willow, he was too quiet and unassuming to fight for the alpha positions on the trading floor, often letting lesser beings take the spotlight.

"And what about you, Ms Strategic Products?" he bantered.

"Okay, okay. Enough of the mutual back-slapping, you know that's not our style. Hey, onto another subject, how are the kids?" she asked sincerely.

"Benny got himself in the school play, he's playing a tree. And Mia is so talkative now, her favorite phrase nowadays is 'I do this by myself', she tries to eat and go potty by herself now," the proud father's beam could be felt even through the phone line.

"Aww, send me Benny's school play pictures please? I can add them to the website," Willow asked excitedly.

"Willow, don't you have anything better to do after spending the whole day in front of your computer than, well, spend more time in front of your computer?" Simon half-joked.

"I like doing it." To most people that remark would have sounded hypocritical, but Simon knew it was spoken from the heart of the real Willow.

"Just don't exhaust yourself, buddy. You know, if you met my wife, she'll have so much fun nagging you to get a life, including snagging yourself an eligible bachelor," he said.

"I hate to disappoint your wife ..." she replied good naturedly.

"A fella's gotta try. Listen, I have to run, the squawk box's flashing," he said.

By the time she reached home and showered it was nearly midnight. She didn't feel like eating that late, so it was an easy step into the bedroom and she was asleep in seconds.

Occasionally she even gave herself whole weekends off. Saturday she visited Union Square Market to catch the fresh food vendors, inwardly groaning at the prices, then headed down to Chinatown for her foot reflexology, or as she called it, pay-money-for-your-own-pain, session.

Two hours of silent screaming but with much lighter feet later, she hopped into a cab and headed home.

Years of living on her own had imbued an appreciation for well prepared food, she amassed a library of recipes suited for quick, single dish dining. When she had time, such as this Saturday, she would make a big pot of stew and freeze the reminder.

She alternated her weekend between working on her laptop and curling up in front of the TV, her trusted glass always within easy reach, she had plenty of ice in the freezer and her secret cabinet was well stocked. No one called, and didn't talk to anyone, it was just her, her apartment and its four walls.

It had been her way of life for several years now, if she felt any loneliness she had long ago buried it deep inside her.

*****

She exited the cab with the others in front of a bright neon-lit club. The golden doors, the sparkly decoration, even the bouncers in immaculate tuxedos screamed glitz and glamour. The faint beat of dance music could be heard from inside.

"Welcome to the highlife, here I come," one of her team members exclaimed.

The inside of the club was equally splendiferous. Horseshoe booths of the plushest velvet in the deepest red, mahogany tables covered with leather, it seemed like the walls were covered in gold dust.

Their client greeted them and led them to seats with direct view of the multi-leveled dance floor, full of hotbodies swaying and meshing to the heavy beat. Willow managed to stay in the sidelines and away from the conversation flying around her.

She toyed with the cocktail menu and flagged down a passing waitress to make her order. What it was that she ordered exactly, she had no idea, she had merely pointed at the most colorful concoction on the page. It didn't matter, it was sure to have alcohol, and that was what she was after.

She lost count after 4 or 5, but she was feeling a little more relaxed and occasionally joined in the talk, though she stopped short of taking part in the spot-the-tittiest-tit contest that the others at her table were enthusiastically engaging in. She checked out most of the titty tits as soon as she sat down already, but none of them stirred even a modicum of interest in her. They were all the wrong shape, or size, and those that vaguely fit the bill were attached to the wrong head and body. None of them come even close to — god when will you stop.

The client returned again, bringing with him an ever cheerful man in a shiny suit and a flashy smile whom he introduced as the club owner.

"Hope you good folks are having a good time, we pride ourselves in knowing what our patrons are looking for in an establishment such as ours," said the owner. Willow blinked a few times when he was introduced, and at the sound of his voice, her suspicion grew. This guy resembled the mayor of Sunnydale way too much.

The group at the table whooped and waited eagerly for the not-so-subtle hint of what was on offer.

"First of all, you have to be prepared to squeeze yourselves in a little, because it will get somewhat cramped, that's right," he laughed as the occupants of the stalls shifted. Then with a wave of his hand he ushered in half a dozen ladies in revealing outfits and stiletto heels. "I'll leave you with your hostesses for the night. Enjoy!"

She was the only female at her table, so it wasn't surprising that she was left alone. Until one of the women gave her a friendly smile.

"Are you okay over there?" she said as she moved to the seat next to Willow.

"Oh, um, yeah," Willow stammered, trying not to squirm away.

"Sorry, the boss doesn't see past the testosterone-induced haze. Do you, like, want me to get you one of the hosts instead? We have mostly girls here, but there are boys too, they have great gym bodies, I'm sure you don't be disappointed. And lucky you, you won't need to share," she offered.

Willow wished there was a fairly large hole nearby she could disappear into. "Um, no, no thanks," she smiled weakly. "Tastes don't run in that, um, area."

The hostess was smart, she wouldn't be working there if she wasn't. "Ah. I get it. Then you need Tiesha, she's, well, let's just say you'll be satisfied with her services," she said as she attracted the attention of someone behind them.

"Listen, it's fine. I'm fine. Just on my own. Thanks," Willow squirmed at the prospect of being 'serviced'. What kind of name was Tiesha anyway? She gripped her cocktail glass more firmly, trying to hide behind it.

"Tiesha, honey. Our friend here is a wee bit lonely, perhaps you can put a smile on her face?" the ever helpful hostess said to the newcomer, who sat down on Willow's other side.

Willow gave an exasperated glare at the girl then turned to her new companion. May be if I told her politely and gave her a nice tip she'll leave me alone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't — ahhh-T —" she stopped mid-sentence.

And dropped her glass.

*****

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