Emma Swan drove through the impressive wrought iron gate and heard it click shut behind her. As she crawled down the rest of the drive, the large brick building loomed in the distance.
It was her first day at her new job and she very much didn't want to go. She'd taken the job in a moment of weakness after being fired from her old one. Never in a million years would she have considered taking a job at a country club, but she had to support her son, and jobs were hard to come by.
She parked her rusty sedan behind the building and flipped down her visor, checking out her reflection for the last time. Henry had helped her pick out her clothes and watched her get ready. He didn't like the idea of her working the night shift, but it was the only time that would work with their schedules. He was old enough to stay by himself overnight, but she wanted to be able to see him during the day. So there they were. Henry was home, probably stuffing himself with junk food and bad tv, and she was here, half an hour away and about to start her first night shift.
She climbed out of the car, the door squeaking as she slammed it shut, and briskly strolled up the walk. She took a deep breath before pulling open the door and stepping inside.
The warm air felt like heaven, completely unexpected in the stone lobby. She approached the desk and the man behind the desk raised an eyebrow at her.
"Can I help you?" He asked.
Oh sure. It's eleven o' clock at night. Why else would I be here?
"I'm Emma Swan. I'm supposed to work the night shift tonight." She extended a hand, and the man shook it.
"Gold. Come on, I'll give you a tour." He came around the desk and motioned for her to follow him. The tour was a blur, including the part where they took a golf cart and viewed the grounds. The club spanned over two miles and had multiple cottages and facilities, as well as a bar, two lounges, locker rooms, a formal and informal dining room, and suites in the main building.
Gold quickly explained her duties to her, handed her his business card, and grabbed his coat. "So, you're basically alone all night, except for the security guard, Killian. Chances are you'll see him wandering around, but he keeps to himself."
She nodded, feeling overwhelmed. "Thank you."
"Have a nice evening." He pulled on his overcoat and walked out the door, leaving Emma alone at the desk.
She sighed and dropped into the cushy leather chair. After finishing up all her tasks and staring blankly at the computer screen, she decided to go explore. It was easy to get lost in the large building, as a lot of the hallways seemed to twist and turn.
Emma started in the uppermost level and worked her way down. When she reached the ground level, she pushed open the door to the ladies locker room and flipped on the light.
"Turn that off!" An accented voice boomed from one of the armchairs. She caught a glimpse of a younger man in a black leather jacket before she flipped the switch again and fled back to the desk. Worried, she started combing through the online member directory, trying to figure out who she'd pissed off.
Heavy footsteps approached the desk. The man from the locker room rounded the corner and stopped in front of the counter to glare at her.
"That room is to be kept dark after Midnight." He said, his voice scratchy with sleep.
"I didn't know." She said, eyeing him cautiously, still unsure of who he was.
He rolled his eyes. "Killian Jones, security. I also work a day job, so I sleep when I'm not needed. The ladies locker room is largely unused at night, so that's where I stay. If you have any trouble, you can find me there or call me on the walkie."
"Wait, I'm sorry. They pay you to sleep?" She frowned.
"No, they pay me to roam the grounds. You'll find that all of the employees here have an understanding. Everyone has things they do that are against the rules here. No one rats anyone else out." He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at her. "Gonna make waves, New Girl?"
"No." She sighed. "I'm not."
"Good." He nodded. "Oh, you've got a guest wandering around. I'm assuming he's on the way to the desk to bother you. Enjoy your night." He rapped his knuckles twice against the marble and turned, leaving her alone. As he disappeared from view, she saw him nod at the guest approaching her.
It was a woman of about thirty. Her dark hair was a mess and she seemed to have pulled on her khakis and blazer in a hurry.
Emma stood and greeted her, which caused the woman to go off on her. Something about the thermostat being broken.
"Yes, ma'am, I'm very sorry about that. I'll call maintenance. What room?"
"Suite five." The woman sighed angrily, turning and stalking off down the hallway.
After calling maintenance, Emma sat back down in her chair and opened the member directory again.
"Don't bother." The accented voice said, Killian coming back into view. "That's Regina Mills. She's here a few times a month and has an issue with just about everything. Here with a different guy every time too."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Lovely."
"Aye. That's what the rest of us think too. So, now that you've woken me up, come get some coffee with me."
"No thanks." She clicked through a few pages on the desktop, doing her best to ignore him now that he'd made things awkward.
He frowned and stalked off, only to return a few minutes later, plopping a to-go cup of coffee from the kitchen in front of her. "There."
She rolled her eyes. "Are you going to bother me every night?"
"Oh." He grinned. "You can count on it."
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She returned home in time to see Henry off to school. Once she was alone in the apartment, she shucked her clothes and climbed into bed.
And for some infuriating reason, she couldn't take her mind off of the ill-mannered security guard.
A/N: Yes, I do work at a country club. So, unlike a lot of AU's, there is no ill mannered security guard at my job. Just looking around the grounds here makes me picture Emma and Killian here. Anyway, this is kind of a shot in the dark story. So let me know if you think it has potential.