When her feet finally touched the cool gravel of the pavement outside the apartment building, the morning had worn on. The Sun was high aloft in the sky and a chill was in the air, biting at her cheeks flushed with the cold. She could see her breath in clouds of translucent smoke before her that evaporate into the atmosphere as she half jogged in the direction of the docks. As she did, she fumbled for her phone wedged in the small pockets of her jeans, in order to check the time.
12:30
Emma hoped she wasn't too late. She stuffed her phone back into her pocket and set her sight to the sea. Determined to make it. So determined that she didn't see David walking towards her, in the opposite direction back to the apartment with a bag of pastries in one hand and a drink in the other. She almost ran into him, but luckily, stopped just short.
"Woah! Woah" David cried, one of his usual amused, lop-sided grins spreading his face, "What's the rush, Emma? Are we under attack again? Who is it this time, a vengeful queen? A green witch?" he looked about, pretending to scout for a threat.
Emma just leaned her arms on her knees, huffing in strained breaths. Her jog had quickly, without her knowledge, turned into a race. She was tired from having ran the distance from the apartment to here full speed, without stopping. But before she could make to answer, her father's expression turned from mockery to thinly veiled suspicion and defence, mixed slightly still with amusement, "Or... is it the famous, one handed pirate?" he jerks an eyebrow at her.
Emma wondered whether her parents' had taken funny pills this morning without telling her. She gave a father a look of warning before explaining herself.
"I have a date with Killian later, yes" she glared at him, "And I was just on my way to make some arrangements"
"Cutting it a little close, aren't we?" he began to grin again.
"Don't start!"
Emma turned on her heel from him and returned to her pursuit of the docks. She could her her father's bellowing laughter echo in the wake of her steps and just before she ran out of ear-shot, she heard him call,
"Have fun!" then, as if a second thought, "But not too much fun!"
David really needed to cut the over-protective father act. Emma rolled her eyes, hastening her pace for the sea once more, this time determined not to let any one -or any thing- distract her. She checked the time again.
12:50
There would still be reservations open, wouldn't there?
It was one o'clock by the time she made it to the docks and found the place, nestled in a corner of the docks. Slowing her run to a walk, she turned off the corner towards the entrance, muttering to herself. "Should've just taken the bug" she cursed under her breath. But she had made it, eventually, and hopefully in time. She found the short one Killian called Smee at the plank-walk, set into the middle of the ship and into the interior. She furrowed her brow in confusion.
"New job?" she asked as she reached him.
He wasn't in uniform yet, so his habitual red beanie still donned his head and he held an old broom in his hand, preparing for opening.
"Yes, ma'am" he replied, pausing to look up at her then resuming his sweeping of the entrance.
Emma made a face of surprised appraisal, thinking it strange that Killian didn't mind his first mate taking on a second job, then set to the task at hand.
"You take bookings here?" Emma inquired hopefully.
"Aye"
"You still got some free?"
"Aye, you're in luck ma'am" he smiled at her, setting down his broom and walking further into the ship and to the host podium.
"Emma's fine" she muttered, following him to warmly decorated interior.
"When is it for, Emma?" Smee asked. He looks up at her, waiting for an answer.
"Tonight, seven"
His gaze fixed back to the sheet in front of him, pencilling the booking in.
"How many?" he asks, not looking up.
"Two"
At her answer Smee looks up, an impish grin pulling at his lips as he puts two and two together and realised the intention behind the booking.
"A date, is it to be, Emma? With our favourite captain?"
Emma gave him an exasperated look, completely fed up with people in general today, wondering how it was that everybody knew her business. What she that obvious?
"Yes" she sighed, closing her eyes in exasperation. A gleeful grin took over Smee's face and he began to giggle -actually giggle- as he wrote.
"Aye. Well if it's for Captain, I could do something special for you?"
Emma eyed him suspiciously, gauging his intent, "You would do that?" she said, doubt lacing her voice.
"Aye, happy to help"
Deciding she had nothing to lose and Smee would have some idea of what Killian would like aboard a ship.
"Okay, what would Killian like best? I would prefer the table to be somewhere more secluded and by a window looking out onto the ocean, how does that sound?" she raised her eyebrows at him.
"Good ma'am, leave the rest to me. You just turn up, at seven"
Warily deciding to trust him, she left. Setting her direction to Grannies to get herself a drink, realising she never actually had one, before it was time to prepare for the date.
