Spoilers: None pretty much AU
Distribution- I'd be honored if anyone wants it. Just keep my name on it and let me know where it is.
Disclaimer- Not mine, wish they were. If they were, Willow would've been with Angel a long time ago. Seriously the characters belong to Joss.
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~Part: 1~
"Hi, this is Willow from the Sunnydale Inn. I was just checking on your availability for this evening"
The call around - of all the piddly, meaningless tasks that her job required, this was the one she hated most. Most nights it didn't matter and when it did, on a sold out night, everyone else was usually sold out as well. Busy work, that's all it was.
"I'm available, what time do you get off tonight?"
Willow nearly dropped the phone in surprise.
"I guess I just walked right into that one, didn't I?"
The voice on the other end, just chuckled, "You most certainly did."
"I'm on the midnight. I don't leave until 7." She sighed.
"That's too bad. Maybe I'll come over for a cup of coffee, around midnight."
"I'll be here and we have coffee." Willow replied.
"Seriously, could I call you later? I really like the sound of your voice."
"Umm, okay. Things should start to slack up around midnight."
"I'll talk to you then, Willow."
The redhead hung up the phone and giggled. "That was weird." She said aloud to no one in particular.
Midnight came and the phone rang. "Thank you for calling Sunnydale Inn, this is Willow, how may I assist you?"
"Talk to me."
This time his voice sounded huskier, and sexy.
"You called back!" she exclaimed.
"Of course, why wouldn't I?"
"I thought you were just teasing."
"I was serious. There's something about your voice that attracts me. I'd like to find out more about you. Tell me about yourself."
"There's nothing much to tell. I'm just plain old Willow."
There was something familiar about his voice, something that made her feel special. In the very back of her mind she thought that she should probably hang up but the warmth of his voice made her push those thoughts away.
"No one with a voice that beautiful could be plain." He countered. "Your voice sounds sexy and intelligent and I find it intriguing. I don't make a habit of calling and harassing women at their workplaces."
"I wouldn't call it harassment, exactly." She started, "more like, um... uh..."
"Harassment."
"Well, yeah, but that sounds so negative. It's more like, maybe, persistent friendliness."
"That's different." He paused, "So tell me about yourself."
"No, you already know about me, tell me about yourself."
"What would you like to know?" he asked.
"Let's even things up. You work in a hotel, right and your name is ...," she stopped, stunned for a moment. "I don't even know your name!"
"OK. I don't work in a hotel. I'm a detective of sorts."
"Then why did you answer the phone when I called the Ramada?" The redhead was truly puzzled.
"You didn't call the Ramada. You called my apartment."
~Part: 2~
"Oh my!" The redhead was blushing furiously and thanking the Goddess that the caller couldn't see her. "I'm so sorry. You must think I'm strange calling your apartment and asking about your rate and availability. I can't believe I did that. I can't begin to apologize enough. How could I have done something so stupid. I can't..."
"Hey! Hey!" The gentleman on the other end tried in vain to stop the babble. "HEY!"
She stopped.
"It's okay, Willow. It happens quite often. The number is only one digit off." He sighed quietly, "You just misdialed. It's okay."
"I'm so sorry I disturbed you." She felt silly and foolish.
"Sure, it's no problem. I really do enjoy talkin' with ya." As he relaxed a hint of his native Irish brogue crept into his voice. "Right so. Why is a nice young woman like yourself, working on the midnight?"
"I like midnights. It's much quieter and less hectic. It gives me time to give the guests my full attention, rather than trying to do three things at once." Her voice got just a bit quieter, "And, I don't have to deal with nearly as many people."
"I would venture a guess that you're really good at your job and especially dealing with people. I can hear it in your voice."
"I do try. But it just seems like so much of the time, no matter what you do, you can't please them. I guess I'm also a bit shy. I don't like it when they're not happy."
"Who?"
"Anyone, everyone. I'm pretty non-confrontational."
At this point, the other line rang, jolting the witch back to reality. She realized just how much of herself she was revealing to this stranger. She jumped on the opportunity to escape.
"I have to go, the other line's ringing. It was nice talking to you."
"Can I hold on? I'd like to talk to you some more."
"I can't. The phone's ringing." She sounded almost desperate.
"Please?"
There was something in his tone, she realized that she couldn't just let go.
"Okay, hang on."
She quickly set the wake-up call and came back to her extension. She paused a moment, before releasing the hold. "This is insane, Rosenberg. What are you thinking?" She asked herself as she pressed the button.
"Sorry about that, just a wake-up call. I'm back." She paused to breathe, "So why is it that you are so determined to talk to me?"
Willow was surprised at herself for being so blunt. But while she'd been on the other line, she'd had a moment to think about things more clearly. She needed more information about him before she continued this bizarre conversation.
"I told you, I like your voice."
"You don't have anything better to do on a Saturday night than talk to some strange woman on the phone?" She asked, her tone a bit more biting than she had intended.
"I'm sorry that was mean." Willow immediately amended. "It's just... you sound too nice to be home alone." She turned crimson. "What I mean is..."
"I get what you're not saying. I'm not a stalker, if that's what you're worried about."
She giggled. "I never thought that. You'd have to know me to be a stalker. Stalkers almost always know their victims. You could just be a serial killer." She said jokingly.
"I assure you, I'd never do anything to harm you." His voice was softer now. Angel was beginning to panic. He didn't want to scare her, but he didn't want to reveal his identity yet. He felt just a little bit evil carrying on the charade, but he was ecstatic that he'd been given an opportunity to get to know the redheaded witch better.
"You'd never get the chance." The witch muttered under her breath.
"Oh. So you have a boyfriend?" He asked.
"Did I say that out loud? Oops. It's just I have friends who are very protective."
"So, no boyfriend?" He asked again, curious about her answer.
"No, not really. There's someone, I'm interested in, but he doesn't even know I'm alive." She sighed, "Besides, he's taken." She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "Now, back to you. Tell me about yourself. At least tell me your name!"
Now Angel was at a loss. He was quiet for a long moment. He wondered who it was that interested her. He also didn't want to divulge his identity just yet.
"Are you still there?" She asked timidly.
"I'm here."
"That wasn't supposed to be a stumper." She laughed. "All right, let me help. Here's what I know. You live here, but you're not from here. You're a detective "of sorts?", maybe a private investigator. Maybe you haven't lived here long enough because you're at home alone on a Saturday night, which means you might not have made friends yet." She stopped, considering. "Or maybe you're just anti social or even broken-hearted." She smiled, "That would explain why you're talking to a stranger on the phone at midnight."
"You're pretty good." He admitted. "How did you know I wasn't from here?"
"Your accent. It's very faint, so you've been away from your homeland for quite sometime. Years, even. And if I'm not mistaken, you're from Ireland."
"You're amazing." He knew that his cover wouldn't last long. The witch was entirely too smart for him.
"So which is it?"
"Which is what?"
"Are you anti-social, broken-hearted or new in town?"
He laughed. "For a shy person, you're pretty persistent. Have you ever considered a career in interrogation? It's a shame that the Spanish Inquisition is over. They could've used you."
"I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition." She couldn't resist.
"No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!" He replied.
"You like Monty Python! They're awesome." She was enjoying this much more than she thought she should. "But you still haven't answered my question."
"Which one? You've asked several."
"Yeah, Mister and you haven't answered any of them!" She shot back. "At least tell me your name? Please?"
"Since you asked so sweetly." He paused. The vampire had considered this problem while she was talking. "Liam." It popped out before he could come up with something better. He just hoped that she wouldn't make the connection.
"I should've known you'd have a nice Irish name."
"Thank you, kindly Willow."
"You are quite welcome Liam." She smiled.
~Part: 3~
The phone rang yet again, interrupting their pleasant conversation.
"I didn't realize that a hotel would be so busy in the middle of the night."
"You'd be surprised." Willow answered acidly. "I wish they'd all go to bed and leave us alone."
"Me, too." Angel thought to himself.
They continued on for another hour, talking about movies and books. They found that they had quite a bit in common.
"I can't believe that you like romance movies! I've never met a guy who did." She sighed, "All the ones I know are into action and horror."
"They say that because they are afraid of their macho image being blown. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of guys are more sentimental than they let on."
"I wish I could meet someone like that." The witch sounded wistful.
"You probably already know someone."
"Maybe Giles, but that's just too weird. He's like a father to me." She chuckled.
At that moment the phone chose to ring again. Angel was getting frustrated. "Who could possibly need to call a hotel at two o'clock in the morning!"
"Two o'clock!?! Oh great heavens! I still haven't run the audit! As much as I'm really enjoying this I have to go. I have work to do. I didn't realize it was so late." She really was sorry to see the conversation end.
The phone was still ringing in the background.
"Answer that and come back for just a second, so I can say goodbye." He said.
"Okay."
A moment later, she returned to the phone. "Hang-up. I hate that. They wait five rings and then decide they don't want to talk to me?! All right, I'm done ranting."
"For the moment anyway." Angel interjected.
"Smart guy, huh?" she countered. "Anyway, I've really enjoyed talking to you, but I have to get back to work."
"May I call you again, sometime?" His voice was soft and almost pleading.
"That would be nice." Willow smiled.
"Oh, by the way. Two out of three."
"Two out of three?" she repeated, confused.
"Anti-social and a little bit heartbroken." With that he hung up the phone, not giving her a chance to respond.
~Part: 4~
After she hung up the phone, Willow tried to concentrate on her work.
"That was just totally bizarre." She said aloud, shaking her head. "Unreal."
Around 4:30 the phone rang, "Thank you for calling Sunnydale Inn & Suites..."
"Hey hon, it's me."
"Hi, Duchess." The redhead said brightly. "How's your night going?"
"The usual, drunks and more drunks. I've kicked out two rooms of college kids already." She sighed, "So how is it on your end?"
"Pretty quiet for a Saturday night. Although I did have the strangest thing happen earlier."
"Strange? Dangerous strange or just weird strange?" The older auditor sounded concerned.
"Weird strange, I was doing the call around and..."
"I hate the call around." Anastasia (also known as Duchess) interjected.
"You'd have liked this." Willow smiled as she related the earlier events of the evening and her mysterious caller.
"He sounds divine, honey. Almost too good to be true. You didn't give him any personal information or anything like that, did you? You don't really know who he is or anything about him."
"No, we just talked about movies and books and my job."
"You realize that he knows where you work."
"Well duh! He called me back here." Willow paused. "He knows where I work! I didn't think about that. He said he wouldn't hurt me." She finished weakly.
"Everyone said Ted Bundy was a great, charming guy, too." The other auditor retorted.
"Oh Goddess, what have I done?"
"It's probably nothing and you'll probably never hear from him again. Just be extra careful for the next few nights."
"He asked if he could call again." Willow said a bit defensively. "You really don't think he will?"
"I don't know, but probably not."
"That's a shame, I really liked him." The redhead said wistfully.
"Just be careful, Willow." A phone started ringing in the background. "That's mine. I'll talk to you later. Keep me posted."
"See ya, Duchess."
Willow hung up and considered the other auditor's take on the situation. She knew that it was silly, but she sincerely hoped that he would call back. Soon.
~Part: 5~
The week passed by in a blur. There were demons to slay, an apocalypse to avert, papers to write and tests to pass. Willow was almost grateful for the respite her part-time job offered her. However, Friday night was a busy one at the hotel. Tour groups, a wedding reception and other generally bad-tempered people were giving her second thoughts about the glory of a career in customer service.
"Thank you for calling Sunnydale Inn and Suites. This is Willow how may I help you?"
"Now that's the voice I've been missing all week."
"Liam!" the redhead exclaimed, "It's great to hear from you. I really didn't expect you to call back. How have you been?"
"I'm good. I'd have called you sooner, but it's been a busy week. How are you?"
"Busy, very busy. I'm definitely rethinking my career in customer service tonight."
"Is this a bad time? I'll let you go." He sounded disappointed.
"No! No, things have quieted down now, but earlier it was chaos. Weekends are always harder. No matter what I do, I just can't make these people happy." She was exasperated.
"I can't imagine that. You make me happy."
"Thank you." Willow smiled. "You should stay here and show the other guests how to treat the desk clerks." Realizing the implication of her statement, she hastily added, "I'm sure you're polite and nice to everyone, no matter where you are."
"Especially to pretty ladies."
"You don't even know what I look like." She laughed.
"You're personality is beautiful and your voice is beautiful. It just follows that our face must be beautiful as well."
"Thank you very much, kind sir."
"The pleasure is all mine." He paused, "Speaking of pleasure, I dreamed about you the other night."
"About me?" she gasped. "That's odd."
"Not at all. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."
Willow was glad that Liam couldn't see her she knew she must be as red as a beet. She managed to gather up the courage to ask, "What was your dream?"
"We were in a hotel..." he started.
"Oh?" now her curiosity was peaked.
"You were standing at the balcony, looking out over a courtyard. There was a soft breeze and you stood, looking out as if you were surveying your kingdom. I walked up behind you and put my arms around you, leaning down to nuzzle your neck, near the pulse point."
"How did you know...?" she trailed off realizing she'd spoken aloud.
"You shivered with goosebumps and leaned back into me. I wrapped my arms around you and lightly brushed my hand across your breast. You arched into my touch." He paused, listening to her breathing getting heavier as he wove a spell around her with his voice.
Willow was mesmerized by the voice on the phone. She asked breathlessly, "What happened next?"
~Part: 6~
Angel smiled to himself. He hadn't expected her to be quite as receptive to the dream scenario as this. He wanted to see just how far he could take this.
"I pull you close so you can feel exactly how much you affect me. I turn you in my arms so that you're facing me and I pull you in for a kiss. It starts slowly at first, just a touching of lips, until I can't resist any longer and I gently lick your lips, asking permission to deepen the kiss. We kiss passionately and I softly massage the back of your neck as I pull you closer to me. My other hand inches up under your blouse to caress your breast." He stopped momentarily to gauge her reaction. Her breathing was becoming slightly ragged and her heart rate was increasing.
"I slowly unbutton your blouse, revealing your bare skin which glows, luminous in the moonlight. I stop a moment to enjoy your beauty before leaning down to touch your nipple with my tongue." He paused, debating how to continue when she broke in.
"So what am I doing all this time?" she asked. She reasoned within herself, that it would do no harm to enjoy the fantasy with this stranger. She'd probably never get to meet him and he had no preconceived notions about how she should react in this situation. She was free to be as daring as she wanted. "I'm not just standing there like a statue, am I?"
"What would you like to be doing?" He asked mischievously.
"It's your dream." She replied, "Maybe that's what you like."
"I like my women to be passionate and involved in the experience."
"While you're unbuttoning my blouse, I'm working on your shirt. I run my fingernails lightly over your chest. When you lean down to my breast, I run my fingers through your hair, as I moan quietly from the pleasure your tongue is bringing me. I gently push your head away and reach to kiss you before I begin to explore your body with my mouth." She paused, to catch her breath. "I kiss my way down your chest, lightly sucking on each of your nipples, before I move down to your navel. I stick my tongue inside while I work to unbuckle your belt."
He was amazed. Shy, innocent Willow Rosenberg, engaging in a sexual telephone fantasy with a stranger? His witch was just full of surprises.
~Part: 7~
"My turn." He continued, his voice deepening and just a trace of his brogue slipping through. "I stop you before you can finish with my belt."
"Take away all my fun." She pouted.
"I promise you, there's much more fun in store for you." He paused, "Now where was I?"
"Stopping me from exploring." She prompted.
"I kiss you again, deeply, taking your breath away. I unfasten your jeans and kneel before you to slide them down your legs. I trail my hands over your hips and down to your thighs. The scent of your arousal is intoxicating. I kiss your inner thigh, prolonging the..."
The phone rang shrilly, breaking the moment. It rang again, and then once more.
"Aren't you supposed to answer that?"
"Hang on." She said breathlessly.
She picked up a nearby extension, not putting Liam on hold, just setting the phone on the desk.
"Hi Duchess, let me call you back."
"Is everything okay? You sound upset."
"I'll be more upset if you don't let me call you back." she snapped.
"You're not acting like yourself, Willow. Is everything okay? Do you need for me to call the cops?"
"NO! No, everything is fine. Really, very fine. I'll explain later. Bye!" With that she hung up, not giving the other woman a chance to question her further.
Across town, the older auditor nodded to herself. "Her mystery man must've called back."
"Okay, where were we? Oh, that's right. You were torturing me."
"Is it really that bad?" Angel asked her, concerned.
"Oh no, it's really that good!" Her voice dropped to a sultry tone, "I just want more."
The vampire was shocked by her response. "I can give you as much as you want." he purred.
"I want as much as you can give." She nearly growled.
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