Emma

"Come on, Ruby, let me take the adult sessions."

"No way, Em. You're stuck with the snobby snotbags this week," Ruby chuckled.

It's Monday morning which means that the activity instructors at 'Gold's Outdoor Pursuit Centre' have just been handed their schedules for the upcoming week.

"Please Ruby, you know I'm no good with the posh kids. It's the worst possible way for me to start the week. Be a friend," Emma pleads with her bottom lip jutting out.

Upon looking at her schedule, Emma saw the her week is jam packed with session after session of private school kids.

As their supervisor, Graham, walks past, Emma grabs him. "Graham, what the hell?" She spits out, holding her rota to his face.

"Good morning to you too, Emma," he grinned merrily. He knew she would react like this when she saw her rota.

"Good morning my ass! Look at this damn thing! Nothing but spoilt little brats all week!"

"Don't exaggerate, you have an adult paddle boarding on Wednesday afternoon," he teased.

"This is bullshit and you know it!" More whining than any real anger.

"This is out of my hands, Mr Gold made this week's rota's," he counter argued, holding his hands up submissively.

"Why is he doing this to me?"

"Oh... I don't know, Em. Maybe it's because you reversed your scrap heap of a car into his brand new Cadillac."

"That was an accident and anyway, the insurance company is taking care of it."

"Seems like Mr Gold may disagree with you. You'd better go speak to him," he looks at the clock on the wall. "You'd better be quick about it, first session starts in twenty."

She rushes out, heading straight to Mr Gold's office, knocking confidently on his door when she arrives.

"Come in," a stern voice commands.

"Mr Gold," Emma greets with slight annoyance in her voice.

"Ah Miss Swan, I thought I might be seeing you this morning." He replies with a sly grin.

"Mr Gold?" she repeats, "About this weeks rota, why do I have a full week of kid sessions?"

"Well, Miss Swan, it would seem we have several schools booked in this week. Most instructors have extra child sessions."

"Ruby doesn't," she exclaims.

"That's because Miss Lucas sometimes forgets to mind her language in front of the children."

"So this isn't because I backed into your car?" She asked quizzically.

The camp director sighs heavily, "No, Miss Swan, this has nothing to do with that unfortunate incident," he answers sourly.

Mr Gold wasn't a bad guy but that doesn't mean he couldn't enjoy the young woman's suffering just a little bit.

"Please, Mr Gold, I'll wash your car for a month… when it's back from the garage," she trails off.

"That won't be necessary, please do stay away from my car."

"There has to be something I can do!"

A large reptilian grin grows on his face at that suggestion. "Now that you mention it, maybe we could come to some sort of an agreement."

Eyeing him suspiciously she asks, "What would you have me do?"

"As you are well aware, next month we begin the adult weekend courses for the new season. I need cover for it and seen as you are so desperate to work with adults..."

"Oh come on, no one likes doing the weekend courses. They are always full of rich, arrogant, city folks with no interest in actually doing anything but taking selfies for their Instagram accounts. Besides, I'm down to do the one the following weekend."

"Exactly my point Miss Swan, I don't have enough staff to cover since no one likes doing them and Neal and Tamara decided to up and leave to go travelling. Two in a row won't be so bad. Don't forget, you get double pay for doing nights over the weekend," he tries to convince her.

"Eugh, fine. So if I do next weekend I'll have a kid free week?"

"No, if you agree to do it I will overlook Miss Lucas' misdemeanour last week and allow you the opportunity to ask her if she will swap with you. It's up to her if she wants to."

After thinking on it for a few moments she nods in the affirmative. She really doesn't fancy a week dealing with private school kids. Even to this day she still feels intimidated by those of privileged backgrounds. They always bullied her the worst. She could also really do with the extra money seen as her insurance premium has just increased.

"Wonderful! You'd better get going, Miss Swan, sessions start in ten minutes and you still need to convince Miss Lucas. If you do succeed, please remind her to curb her language in front of the children."

Rushing out, she heads back into the staff room and make a beeline for Ruby.

"Ruby, Mr Gold said we have to swap."

"Have to swap or can swap?" She enquires, knowing that he wouldn't force anyone to change once that had been given their rota.

"Have to," the blonde answers unconvincingly.

"Bullshit!"

"Firstly, he said you have to watch your language. Secondly, no, he didn't say you have to but I had to agree to do the first bloody adults weekend."

"Yay! I'm working that one too. It will be so much more fun with you," she smiles widely.

"I swear you are the only instructor who even remotely likes those weekends."

"What's not to like? They are always full of rich chicks who leave their morals and sexual orientation at home for the weekend, " she winks suggestively.

"Tramp!" Emma jokingly berates as she scrunches up her face.

"Wow. You are not doing a good job of convincing me to swap with you," the brunette goads.

"Fine, fine, what is it going to take?"

"Glad you asked, sweet cheeks. There's a speed dating event in the city this Saturday night and you will be coming with me."

"Really? Aren't they for pathetic sad sacks?"

"It's a lot of fun, Ems. I've done it a few times before. You'll enjoy it!"

"If you had such a great time why do you even want me to go? I'll just cramp your style."

"It will be fun, we can have a few drinks and a laugh. Besides, when was the last time you even got any?" Ruby's eyes sparkle with mischief at that last part.

"Eww, Rubes, is it speed dating or an orgy?"

"Trust me, Ems, you need to do this. It's about time you got over Lily."

"I am over..."

Tick tock, Em, sessions start soon," she says, holding up her rota to the blondes face.

"Fine, it's not even nine and I've already been blackmailed twice," she sighs as she grabs Ruby's rota and hands hers over. "I suppose one evening for a brat free week is worth it, but you are buying the drinks at this sad fest."

"Done and done," she grins wolfishly. "See you at lunch. Have fun with your old biddies," she mocks.

A sense of relief floods Emma. It's not that she doesn't like kids per se. It's just the self entitled private school kids she can't stand. Even as an adult she can't get over her childhood. For the first time that morning a smile spreads across her face as she heads to the kayak shed to begin the inductions.

XXXXXXXX

At lunch the blonde sits with Ruby, Mulan, and August, who are already eating. Joining them with her tray laden with goodies that Granny was serving that day. Everyone called her Granny but really she was only Ruby's granny. She had put in a good word with Mr Gold to get Ruby the job at the centre.

"So, Em, enjoy your morning with the old fuddy duddies?" Ruby teased.

"Hell yes, gave the induction and pretty much left them to it. Didn't have to break up a single fight or answer a billion stupid questions. How was your morning?" She asked with a cocky smile.

"Had to break up one fight but I really didn't want to, that little shit needed an ass kicking."

They all started laughing, each of them having been in that position before, they all knew how the kids would wind each other up.

"Oh yeah, I heard you guys swapped rota's. I can't believe Gold let you, he's usually pretty strict once the rota has been done. He must have a soft spot for you, Emma."

"Damn straight!" The blonde quipped, not believing for a second that Mr Gold had a soft spot for her.

"What is it with you this week? You usually don't mind kids," Mulan enquired.

"It's the private school ones I can't stand. They are such little brats and you can't take your eyes off them for a second. Give me adults any day," she states with her fork pointing at no one in particular, "give them the inductions and leave them to it. Nice and easy."

Both Mulan and August nod in agreement then Mulan asks, "what was the price for swapping?"

"I have to work the first adult weekend for Gold and Ruby roped me into a speed dating thing this Saturday," she states nonchalantly, simply happy that she'd had an easy morning.

"Speed dating?" August asked astounded, not able to believe his two beautiful friends would ever need to resort to such a thing. "Isn't that for lonely old cat ladies?"

"As if," Ruby snorts, " It's for hot, young, professionals who don't have time for dating. This way you go through so many more people and much quicker than with normal dating. Easier to find someone this way, simple math really."

They all stare at Ruby. "Sure, if you say so," Mulan says doubtfully.

"I do," Ruby nods before swallowing a mouthful of her lunch.

"Then why are you still single?" August cockily asks, believing he has found a hole in her theory.

"I may be single but that doesn't mean I don't benefit from some hook ups," she wiggles her eyebrows.

"Maybe I should come with you," August muses.

"Eh, I don't think so, women only. Gay women only," she further stipulates.

"Mulan, you should come," Emma offers, hoping to drag her friend into this. Misery loves company after all.

Ruby laughs with bemusement at that suggestion. "Yeah, if she can get her mind off Aurora for a second."

"You're still into her?" Shock was evident in Emma's voice, "I thought she was with Philip?"

"Yes, she is," August divulges.

Mulan sighs and gets up to leave the table.

"Oops," Emma mouths.

"Never mind her, she needs to get laid too but you are the priority case." Ruby states, as if it is an absolute fact and leaves no room for argument.

August laughs and stands up, "I'll leave you ladies to it, I have some paperwork to catch up on."

"See what you're doing, Emma? You're and angry ball of sexlessness and you are driving everyone away," she says before wiping her mouth on a napkin and getting up to leave.

"You're an idiot," Emma laughs and throws a scrunched up napkin at Ruby's back. "What have I gotten myself into?" She quietly asks herself. Then she smiles again, happy in the knowledge that she doesn't have any kids sessions all week.

XXXXXXXX

Hump day arrives and that means one thing for Ruby and Emma that evening. Taking up their usual booth at the pub, they clink their beer bottles together, "here's to surviving the first half of the week," Ruby cheers.

"Here, here!" Emma agrees cheerfully before taking a large swig of the cool liquid.

It had become a tradition for the girls to celebrate making it half way through the week, and also the end of the week. They never really needed much of a reason to go to the pub to celebrate.

The following mornings Ruby would usually wake up with a hangover, sometimes in her own bed, sometimes in someone else's. Emma, on the other hand, always started her mornings with a run or a workout at the centres gym, regardless of whether she was hungover or not. She liked to keep in shape for her mental health as well as her physical health. She took particular pride in her defined abs, popping biceps and strong quads.

"So, explain to me what goes on at these speed dating things," the blonde asks in all seriousness.

"Everyone puts their keys in a bowl..." the brunette starts but breaks out in laughter at her teasing of the blonde before she can even finish her sentence.

"I know you're not above that," Emma deadpans, "but seriously, I want to know what to expect."

"Relax, there's nothing you need to worry about. There will be about twenty women in total, you get three minutes with each of them, a bell rings and you move onto the next one. Easy peasy."

"How's it even possible to decide if you like someone in the minutes? That's absurd." She exclaims.

"It's been scientifically proven that you decide if you like someone within thirty seconds of meeting them." Ruby replies emphatically.

"Scientifically proven? I've heard it all now!" She disbelievingly quips.

"It's true. I read it somewhere. Anyway, you can tell immediately if you think someone is hot. That's the most important thing," she winks.

"How the hell are you not riddled with STD's?" Emma ponders out loud.

Nonplussed the brunette simply shrugs, letting the comment roll off her. Emma often teased her for being quite sexually forward but they both knew it was more to do with her being jealous of her friends confidence. It's not like Emma wasn't confident, but she'd been hurt enough in the past to always tread with caution when it came to dating and women in general.

"So what happens if I decide I like someone?"

"You let the organisers know who you are interested in and ask them to pass your details over. If the person you like also likes you then their details will be passed over to you and then you get in touch with each other. If the other person hasn't asked for their details to be passed over you won't be classed as a match so it goes no further," she explains as if it is the most normal thing in the World and everyone does it on a regular basis.

"Well, at least the rejection isn't immediate and to your face," Emma sighs.

"I like to pass my details onto anyone I wouldn't mind getting jiggy with, it increases your odds, you know?"

"Riiight," Emma drawls, eyeing Ruby with slight disdain. She adores her friend but damn that girl gets around.

"Hey, don't judge me. At least I'm not mopey and miserable over some cheating skank," Ruby spits with a not often used venom in her voice.

.

"Ruby," she warns.

"What? You are miserable and she did cheat! With a guy no less!"

"Can we please just drop it? I've agreed to go to this stupid event with you."

"You're not going to get the most out of this experience with an attitude like that," Ruby shoots back at her.

"I don't want to make the most of it. I only agreed to go because you blackmailed me into it."

"Blackmail? I prefer to think of it as a mutually beneficial deal. You got what you wanted so stop moaning about it. You don't have to deal with any of the snobby kids and then you get a free night of booze in the company of hot, single ladies."

Emma grunts and heads towards the bar, she's going to need something stronger, but maybe, just maybe, Ruby has a point. She has been miserable since that debacle with Lily. Maybe it was time to move on or at least attempt to.

Before Lily she'd had her fair share of relationships, but nothing that really meant anything. Lily had been the longest relationship she had ever had but it definitely wasn't love. Even so, she still couldn't believe that Lily did what she did. It wouldn't have been so bad if it had been with a girl but with a guy…yuck. She shakes her head and places her order. It may have been a while since she had gotten laid but that didn't mean she was desperate enough to take this speed dating thing seriously.


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