Miss Belle's Leaves was a cheerful, bright little store tastefully festooned in twinkle lights and colorful displays of books artfully arranged around the space. The pleasantly tangy mustiness of old books mingled with the floral fragrance of freshly brewed tea.
One wall of the shop was lined with glass display jars filled with a wide variety of loose teas. Callum nodded approvingly, delighted by the prospect of a steaming cup of proper tea; this shop owner knew what she was about. While Bae rifled through the store's endless supply of comic books, both new and vintage, he ordered the Earl Grey Crème from a perky redheaded employee named Ariel and sat down at one of the little tables clustered in the corner of the shop.
Stretching out his bad leg with a small groan, he inhaled the tea's bergamot, orange, and vanilla notes appreciatively. He sipped at the brew, grinning at the sight and sound of Bae practicing his reading skills on an Iron Man comic book.
"Is that the Earl Grey Crème?" inquired a sweet, accented voice. Startled, he lurched to his feet. Gold's mouth went dry, his vocal cords failing him.
She was the most exquisite creature Callum had ever seen. Alabaster skin framed bright blue eyes, a pert nose, and a full, rosebud mouth. Chestnut curls streaked with auburn were gathered into a loose, side-swept ponytail at the base of her delicate neck. She was impossibly tiny, even in the towering black stilettos that adorned her feet. Callum was not a tall man but the shoes brought her almost to his eye level. A black, knee length pencil skirt flattered her slender curves and a smoky blue lace top punctuated her stunning eyes.
"We just got that one in this morning," she chattered happily. "I adore black tea with orange. Are you enjoying it?"
He stared, mesmerized by her kind, cerulean eyes. "Enjoying what?" he stammered.
"The tea?" She smiled at him broadly, seeming not to notice his discomfiture. But as the uncomfortable silence drew out, she blushed and looked down at her manicured nails. "Oh…I've interrupted you, haven't I? I'm so sorry, Mr….?"
"Gold," he supplied hoarsely. "Callum Gold."
"Callum," she repeated, rolling the name on her tongue. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Belle. Belle French. This is my shop," she indicated with a flourish.
As Gold continued his quiet appraisal of the intriguing young bookstore owner, Belle stared back dumbly, feeling like a complete and utter fool. No doubt he was embarrassed by her odd behavior. What had possessed her to walk up to him and start babbling? She panicked, the voice of self-doubt mocking her. Why had she attempted to start a conversation? Why had she even opened a store? She had lived a life of solitude for too long. And now she was blathering like a halfwit to this distinguished gentleman.
Callum Gold was lean and of medium height, with striking, angular features and shoulder length brown hair streaked with gray. Dressed impeccably in a deep navy pinstriped suit with a tie the color of cabernet, he leaned slightly on the gold-tipped cane in his right hand. His warm eyes were twin pools of melted chocolate. He was lightly tanned and the laugh lines around his eyes and mouth had her guessing his was around 40. A small smirk played across his mouth, yet his countenance was weary and sad. Suddenly, his attention was drawn across the room and his lips widened into a full smile. The action transformed his entire visage, making him even more arresting. Butterflies took wing in Belle's stomach as he wagged his fingers at a young boy she'd seen reading comics. The child had dark brown curls and Callum's eyes. His son, she realized.
"That's my boy," he confirmed, returning his focus to Belle. "As you can see, he's terribly fond of your comic book section. We may be here till you turn out the lights and lock the doors," he joked.
She laughed delightedly, her momentary discomfort eased by his light humor.
"And you weren't interrupting me," he continued with a wry smile. "Your tea is extraordinary. Better than any I've had in years."
Belle flushed prettily at the compliment. "Thank you. I'm so glad you like it…Callum."
Gold's hands were clammy and he drew a hitched breath, trying to mask his nervousness. This lovely young woman had approached him, laughed at his silly joke. She was probably just being polite. Serving the customers was her job. Still—no one in Storybrooke but Jefferson, Grace, and Bae treated him with kindness. "You're welcome, Miss French," he managed.
"It's Belle. Please, call me Belle." Did she imagine the spark of interest between them? Belle worried her lower lip, squelching the urge to brush back an errant lock of hair that had fallen across his brow. His face was so earnest and it had been so long since she'd had anyone to talk to; so long since anyone had looked at her like she was important.
No. She took a half step back, and wrapped her arms around herself, creating a safe distance between herself and Callum Gold. No good could come from this sudden attraction. Love was for children and fairytales. She had read about love in her books, dreamed of having someone to belong to, but that was the closest Belle French would ever come.
She was about to excuse herself before she said or did something else she would regret. Just then, Gold's son rushed over, hugging an armful of comics. "Papa, can we get all of these, please? I know you said I could choose 3, but there's so many good ones—Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, the Vision, Thor, Hulk, Quicksilver, and the Black Widow."
It was the perfect moment for Belle to walk away and leave father and son alone to haggle over the number of books they would buy, but she couldn't resist nudging the adorable child with her elbow and whispering conspiratorially, "Which one is your favorite?"
"The Black Widow," he replied instantly, his dark eyes serious.
"Really?" Belle was surprised. "What about Thor, Captain America, or the Incredible Hulk? They are the real heroes, I think."
"Yes, they're great. I really love all the Avengers. But the Black Widow is so awesome! She doesn't have any superpowers but she's a martial arts expert, and she knows a ton of languages, and she knows about science, and can hack into any computer. Plus, she's really pretty," he said, sweetly defending the reason for his choice. "Know what else? I think she would make a good mommy."
Belle's pretty face paled suddenly. "I see. Why's that?"
"She probably tells great stories and since she's got a black belt in like every style of fighting she could protect her family," he explained.
Gold cleared his throat, ending the highly personal and deeply uncomfortable exchange. His precocious son had practically screamed his status as a single father. "Belle, meet my son Baelfire. Bae, say hello to Miss Belle. She owns this wonderful shop you've been so enthused about."
Bae offered Belle a winsome smile. "Hi, Miss Belle! I bet you know everything there is to know about the Avengers! Do you want to come to Granny's for burgers?" he blurted.
Belle glanced at Callum to gauge his response. A man this attractive probably had a gorgeous wife waiting for him at home.
"Um, Bae, Miss Belle may have other plans." He watched her face carefully as he offered her an out and an emotion he couldn't quite identify flashed in her lovely eyes. Was it longing? Quickly, she schooled her features into a cool, polite expression and opened her mouth to decline the invitation.
Gathering his limited courage, he cut her off before she could speak. "Belle, if you're not otherwise engaged this evening, we bachelors would love for you to join us for dinner."
"You're sure I'm not imposing?" she hedged. That was not relief she felt at the news that he was single. She would have a quick bite to eat and be on her way. She was not looking to prolong their association. Not at all.
"We'd be delighted to have your company." She gave him a beatific smile and his heart swelled. Callum felt like he'd hung the moon rather than extended the courtesy of a simple meal. He offered her his arm. "Will you walk with us to Granny's?"
"All right, then," she agreed, promptly forgetting her promise to herself to steer clear of Callum Gold and his cherubic son. She winked one sparkling sapphire eye at Bae. "I've never been able to resist a hamburger."
A/N: What did you think of Gold and Belle's first encounter? Up next: Family dinner date at Granny's. Reviews are welcome!