Author: vix84

"Could everyone move to the back, please?" The bookstore manager ushered people into the room. She pulled her hair back and twisted it into a bun, wondering how everyone was going to fit into the small store.

Many students took advantage of the free wine that had been provided as they waited for the talk to begin. The volume of the conversation in the room increased dramatically every time another bottle of wine was brought out to the table.

"This better be good," a man murmured to the woman beside him. "I just forked over 12 bucks to hear feminists read poems. You owe me, Tara."

Tara rolled her eyes at her older brother. "You're the one that asked to come along in the first place. Have you forgotten your touching speech about how these events are good for meeting 'quiet chicks'?"

"Oh, yeah," he grinned. "Thanks for the reminder." His eyes moved lazily around the store, pausing on a brunette in tight jeans and a teenage girl in a school uniform.

"Donny," Tara whispered, "quit staring. Your looks are dirty enough to get you arrested. How old is that girl, 13?"

"Tara, she's at least 16. She's wearing a thong," he explained to his skeptical sister, "and a 13-year-old wouldn't be allowed to own one. Besides, aren't we here to perve on girls? I thought that's why you wanted to go in the first place."

She nodded, feeling a blush spread from her cheeks to her neck. She'd confided in Donny about the girl she liked in her Poetry class at college. It was out of the norm for Tara; in the past she would fall for a girl equally shy as herself and spend months hoping that the girl would speak to her until giving up.

But this girl was different. Willow was animated, held her shoulders back proudly and answered questions with a smile. Unlike Tara, she volunteered information as though doing so brought her pleasure, which intrigued the blonde.

When their teacher had passed around a flyer about a women's poetry night in a nearby bookstore, Tara had automatically folded it in half and placed it in her bag. She liked the idea of it but she didn't have anyone who would want to accompany her to such a thing, and she doubted that she would fit in with the crowd.

Until her teacher's words had cut through her thoughts.

"Before you all leave," the teacher had interjected, turning to face the redhead, "Willow, you're one of the poetry readers at the event, aren't you?"

Willow had nodded, staring at the flyer instead of making eye contact. Tara found the unexpected shyness adorable and vowed immediately to attend the event.

The reading started and Tara and Donny settled into plastic chairs. The first few poems were on a variety of subjects - one was a spiritual piece which was read by an older woman, another was about the racial divide in South Africa, and the third was a poem about a lesbian missing a former lover.

Donny nudged Tara as the third poem was introduced. "Tare, did you hear that? It's a lesbian poem."

"Donny, I heard. And could you try to be a little more subtle?" She smiled to show him that she was joking, but he had been pretty loud. She looked around uncomfortably, checking that no one had heard him.

Tara found herself captivated by the event. Each woman was equally passionate about the poem she had chosen or written, and it was obvious that everyone there felt just as strongly as Tara did about poetry. For once she didn't find herself throwing looks at others and feeling out of place. She knew she fit in with these women and the thought was a revelation.

She felt a hand on her arm and turned to her brother. "What is it?"

His eyes were drawn to the woman standing at the microphone and playing self-consciously with a lock of hair.

"That's Willow," Tara whispered to her brother.

"Nice body," he replied.

She frowned at him but secretly agreed with the assessment. Willow looked striking despite her casual attire of a sweater and loose pants. She clutched a paper in her hand, and Tara - from experience - recognized that the redhead was shaking. The thought blew her mind.

"Hi, my name is Willow and I'm an English major from UC Sunnydale." The redhead glanced at the audience. "I'm glad to see that some people from my class took the trouble to come tonight." She glanced around the first few rows, nodded at a few people she recognized, and was about to speak again when she noticed Tara, the shy girl from her class. She smiled at the blonde who turned away as if horrified by the contact. Willow shrugged to herself.

"I was going to read something I'd written but I chickened out last minute." There were some groans and chuckles from the audience. "So instead I'm going to read a poem from one of my favorite poets, Maya Angelou."

Tara stared at the redhead. One of the blonde's favourite things to do was strum her guitar when she was alone at home and try to put Maya's poems to music. It brought her a deep sense of comfort to combine the words with the soothing wooden chords. Hearing Willow read the words would be even more magic; she wished she had a voice recorder.

"It was hard to single out one of her poems. I wanted to read something strong and passionate, that would inspire you all to jump out of your chairs and contribute to social justice." Willow smiled sheepishly. "But instead I picked the one that touches me the most.

"It's called 'The Conceit.' " She cleared her throat.

"Give me your hand
Make room for me
to lead and follow
you
beyond this rage of poetry.
Let others have
the privacy of
touching words
and love of loss
of love.
For me
Give me your hand."

She read clearly, the words smooth and evenly paced. Tara closed her eyes and let the words flow around her.

The next poems were beautiful but Tara was too distracted to pay attention. She nudged Donny. "Want to go?"

He shrugged. "Sure. Let me give my number to the hottie in the sci-fi section."

She started to protest but he was gone. She wrapped her scarf around her shoulders and walked over to the door to wait for her brother.

"Tara, right?"

She froze. She didn't even have to turn around to recognize that voice.

"Willow."

The redhead stepped around the blonde so that she was facing her. "It's really good to see you here. Did you enjoy it?"

Tara nodded, smiling, and then looked down.

Willow caught a glimpse of blue eyes before the blonde ducked her head. As her next words came out, she wondered where they came from - she thought lines like that were only in movies. "You shouldn't look down; your eyes are too beautiful to be hidden." Tara was glad her hair covered her face, for she rolled her eyes at Willow's words, disbelieving. "You read well, Willow. I liked your choice of poem."

"Thanks."

A long, uneasy pause ensued. Willow was usually at ease with new people, able to draw them in with her quirky comments and questions. But Tara seemed like she wanted to flee.

They stood in silence, each pretending not to be thinking about the other. Tara picked up a glossy store brochure and skimmed the book sales.

Willow turned around and watched the woman on stage read a poem but paid the words no attention.

"Willow, what are you doing back here? The show isn't over."

Tara closed the brochure and watched the store manager approach her crush.

"Oh, hey Buffy. Yeah, I just came over here to get some fresh air," Willow explained.

Buffy eyed the door, which was clearly locked, and made a skeptical sound. She looked around to see what could have possibly drawn her friend's attention, and noticed Tara. "Oh my god, I'm sorry, Will."

"For what?" The redhead stared at Buffy.

"You were trying to pick up." Buffy gave Willow an impulsive hug. "I feel like a proud parent. It's been too long since you've had a girlfriend."

Tara blushed even though the comment wasn't addressed to her. Willow is gay? She perked up a little.

Buffy studied the blonde with an intensity that unsettled her. "So, you're the girl from her class," she said slowly.

Tara pushed the hair out of her eyes and faced the nosy blonde, feeling impending doom. "Well, I am a girl and I happen to be in her class," she answered.

Buffy honed in on Willow. "Is she the one you like?"

Willow glared at her best friend, hoping the vicious look would deter her friend. If anything, it encouraged her.

"It is," Buffy breathed. "So, are you a lesbian? Willow has faulty gaydar receptors. She's been trying to figure it out."

Tara looked around for Donny. She saw him leaning against a shelf, chatting up the brunette in no apparent hurry. "Yes," she said gloomily. It was all over now.

"See?" Buffy grinned at Willow. "You've been worrying for nothing." She turned to Tara and touched her arm. "I've been telling her she needs to date a lesbian rather than trying to turn some straight girl. I think the sex would be better with a lesbian," she said conversationally. "You know, more experience."

To Tara's relief, Buffy was called away when the next reader couldn't work the microphone.

Willow felt her nervousness escalate now that they were alone again. "How long have you known?" she asked, her cheeks pink.

Tara realized how scared the redhead was. "For a long time," she said gently. "How about you?"

"Not very long," Willow replied.

It was the longest conversation Tara had ever had with a potential date. She tried to pull herself together. "Would you like to get a coffee?" She nodded in the direction of the coffee shop next to the bookstore.

Willow nodded, her obvious eagerness making her flush yet again. "Let's go."

"I just have to tell Don-"

"I just have to tell Buf-"

They spoke simultaneously and then both laughed. "I feel like I'm a teenager asking if I'm allowed to go on a date," Willow said, still giggling.

"This is a date?" Tara searched the green eyes for some indication.

"I can't believe I just said that. Er, would you like it to be?"

The fact that Willow seemed more intimidated than herself was what spurred Tara into an action that shocked both of them.

"Yes. I am officially asking you out." Tara closed her eyes and prayed not to be rejected.

"I am officially very interested."

The words conveyed more than an answer to the question, and Tara smiled.

They went to tell their respective 'guardians' and then met back at the door. Willow removed her coat and held it over Tara's shoulders. "It's windy outside," she explained.

Tara's eyes widened. "But I don't want you to be cold." She wrapped the coat over the two of them, which made it necessary for them to stand very close.

They stood at the counter, waiting to order. "What are you having?"

Willow reached for her wallet. "I'll have hot chocolate. I don't want coffee because it makes me hyperactive and I'm already hyperactive enough in bed." She paused. "That wasn't meant to sound kinky."

Tara assured her it didn't. They sat down with their drinks and found that conversation was much easier now that the embarrassment had been pushed into the limelight.

"This is a nice first date," Willow said, taking a sip of hot chocolate.

Tara agreed. "But could you do me a favor?"

"Anything," the redhead answered.

"Could we call it our second date?"

Willow looked confused. "Why would we do that?"

The blonde drummed some quick confidence into herself. "Well," she said after a pause, "I'm not a presumptuous girl. And I don't believe in kissing on the first date. I think it's a southern thing, or maybe it's just me."

A slow smile spread over Willow's face. "And you want to kiss me, so we have to pretend this is our second date?"

"Exactly," Tara said. "What sayest thou, Mistress Quickly?" She giggled.

"What?"

"Oh, sorry… that could have been funny if you studied Shakespeare's 'King Henry the Fourth'. I guess you haven't taken that class yet."

"Tara," Willow said plaintively, "I like that idea."

"Of taking the class? It was pretty good, if you're into Ye Olde English."

"No," the redhead said, shaking her head, "I meant your idea of pretending this is our second date so that we can kiss afterwards."

Tara smiled. "Great. And if the kiss goes well, maybe we'll pretend it's our fifth date so we can try something else, too."

"Tara!"

"Sorry, just trying out some spicy talk."

Willow winked at the blonde. She'd never have imagined that the blonde had these feelings for her. She had noticed Tara watching her in class sometimes, but every time she'd tried speaking to her it had backfired. She liked this side of her. "You pull off spicy talk very nicely," she said softly.

Tara leaned over and stroked Willow's neck, gazing at the skin with tenderness. "Can the first kiss be here?"

Willow nodded weakly, feeling herself melting inside - and not just from the heat of the beverage. "Maybe you should do it now. Get our first kiss jitters over and done with."

"Great idea," Tara said. She put down her drink and eyed the redhead, wondering exactly what her previous dating experience had been and how she would react to the kiss. She pulled Willow closer to her until their bodies touched. She lifted the silky tendrils of red away from the smooth skin and then kissed it softly.

Willow closed her eyes. "You're a good neck kisser."

"You have a good neck."

They folded together, and their first kiss extended quickly from neck to hands, cheeks and finally lips.