Author's Note: Hey guys! Here's the new chapter. Don't forget to write a review! I'd like to hear your thoughts.
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or the characters
''Where the hell is my lipstick?'' Emma dug her hand in her purse, trying to find the little tube that seemed to be hiding somewhere in it. She cursed herself as she got her hand out, and poured the contents of his purse next to the sink. If her hands hadn't been shaking this much, she surely would've found the lipstick.
She didn't know why she felt so anxious. It wasn't like she was going on a date or something. It was just a drink. And she needed to get back to work in at least half an hour so it wasn't like this would become anything else. It would just be a one-time thing, which sounded worse than it actually was.
Emma didn't know how much time she spent in the bathroom, but cleaning her messed up mascara—Killian was right, she did look like a gothic vampire—and renewing it must've taken at least ten minutes. She didn't want to make Killian wait more. If only her hands didn't shake…
She somehow managed to put on his lipstick without messing it up, and looked herself in the mirror. She'd tied her hair in a ponytail because it looked like a blonde ball of mess. And her make up looked…well, it didn't look bad but that was all she could do in five minutes. At least she looked better than before.
She took a deep breath, telling herself everything was gonna be fine before heading back to the bar. Her heart was pounding in his chest, and her doubts almost literally were trying to stop her. She swallowed hard and stopped when she reached the counter. Mary Margaret immediately turned to her.
"Emma, are you okay?" she asked anxiously. Emma's eyes turned to her best friend. She didn't know how but Mary Margaret almost always seemed to see through her. She shook her head.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It wasn't hard for you, was it?" Mary Margaret shot her a glare.
"Not at all. It isn't the rush hour yet. By the way—" Before she could finish her sentence, a familiar voice cut her words. Emma's heart stuttered with the owner of the voice.
"Swan. I was starting to think you weren't gonna show up." Emma and Mary Margaret both turned to Killian at the same time, and Emma's eyes met with Killian's deep blue eyes. Even under the dim lighting of the bar, they looked beautiful.
Emma could feel Mary Margaret's eyes on her, silently yelling how the hell this hot guy knew her name. She didn't turn to her.
"Killian," she shrieked instead with a thin voice, immediately blushing after. Why did she act like a teenager around Killian? Did he have some kind of spell?
Emma glanced at Mary Margaret, only to find her staring at herself with wide eyes. She flashed a fake smile at Mary Margaret's demanding face that wanted to know who exactly this guy was and how Emma knew him. Emma gave her an I'll-tell-you-later look before turning back to Killian.
"I'm sorry. It wasn't entirely easy to get the mascara off my eyes." Killian chuckled.
"Well, I liked that gothic vampire look." Emma rolled her eyes, which made Killian smile even wider. "Though I have to say, you look stunning, Swan." Emma felt a smile pulling her lips. Chills went down her spine. Emma, get your damn head together, she ordered herself. You can't have any feelings for this guy!
Though her effort to try to not be affected by Killian failed when he grabbed her wrist. His touch sent jolts to her body that certain parts of her liked and certain parts…didn't.
"Can I steal Emma if it's possible?" At first, Emma didn't realize who he was asking until she heard Mary Margaret's voice.
"Of course!" she literally screamed. Emma glared at her, but she didn't seem to notice it. "Of course you can steal her. Take her. Actually, let me leave you alone. Yes." She smiled cheekily at Emma. Behind that smile, though, was a threat hidden.
Don't make this one run away as well.
She wanted to scowl at Mary Margaret, but she was already gone. All she could do was to turn back to Killian. He was still standing in front of her with a smile.
''Well…'' she started rambling. ''Would you like to sit as I prepare our drinks or…''
''I'll wait here,'' Killian interjected. Emma stopped for a second, joining her hands in front of her. Why was it so hard to act normal in front of Killian? Normally, flirting with guys came easy to her. That was how she earned all those tips. But with Killian… She never knew what to say.
''Okay,'' she whispered finally, trying to pull herself together. It's because he's hot, she told herself. Hot and kind, it's just that. Nothing else.
''What do you want?'' she asked Killian as her hands went to the bottles of alcohol. She felt her muscles relax as she was doing something she was used to. She was back in her comfort zone.
''Why don't you make me your favorite drink? What do you say?'' Killian sent Emma a lopsided grin that made Emma's heart flutter. She shook her head quickly as she got what she needed. It was so easy for her, just like riding a bike that she wasn't even thinking about it as she poured the drinks. She could feel Killian's eyes on her, though.
''Who was that?'' Killian asked. At first Emma didn't understand who he was talking about until he pointed at Mary Margaret with his head.
''Oh,'' Emma said with a smile. ''She's my best friend. She really helped me after…'' Her voice trailed off before she mentioned Neal. She turned her eyes back at the drinks. ''Well, after the rough time I had. I really owe her.'' Her fingers unintentionally went up to her necklace that Neal gave her. She hadn't taken it off since he left. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. Although, after today, she wished she could just pull it off and threw it away.
She shook her head before she turned back to the drinks. ''So yeah, that's what it is.'' She glanced up at Killian to find him grinning. ''What?''
''I like her,'' Killian said after a moment of silence. Emma's brows went up.
''You like her?'' He turned to her, looking at her hands.
''Yeah. First of all, she definitely has great ideas.'' He started tapping his fingers to the counter, distracting Emma for a second. He flashed a smirk at her. ''She literally planned our wedding the very second I came next to you.'' Emma's eyes widened as she nearly dropped the vodka bottle.
''Wedding?!'' she shrieked. Her hands were shaking. A part of her knew Killian was just joking but that part was overpowered by the other part. The part that panicked even with the idea of dating. She couldn't imagine herself with being with a guy, let alone getting married. Why was Killian talking about a wedding then?
''Hey, Emma, I'm just kidding,'' Killian said, realizing her panic. He reached out to hold Emma's hands but she quickly yanked it back. The panicked thoughts were still in her mind.
''Ye-yeah, I know,'' she whispered finally, ducked her head and continued doing their drinks. She was trying to focus on them but it was impossible.
Killian stayed silent then until she finished their drinks and put it on the counter. ''Cosmopolitan,'' she said even though Killian seemed like he recognized it. It was the first drink Emma shared with Neal.
And it was actually pathetic it was what came to her mind when someone asked her about her favorite drink.
She decided not to dwell on that as she turned to Killian. She forced a smile. ''Cheers,'' she said as she lifted her drink. Killian smiled and took a sip. He blinked.
''I have to admit, Swan, this is the best Cosmopolitan I'd ever drunk.'' Emma grinned with Killian's comment.
''Well, I'm especially familiar with that drink.'' She didn't think about the part where she always used to prepare it for Neal, and instead concentrated on Killian. ''So, what brought you here, in this bar?'' she asked. Gold's wasn't exactly the most popular place and Killian looked like he belonged to those popular places.
Killian's smile disappeared with Emma's question, and for the first time Emma saw coldness behind them. A chill went down her spine. With that look on his face, Killian looked exactly like Emma suspected. Deadly. Dangerous. Bad.
The look went away so quickly though that she thought she'd just imagined it. Or she hoped it was just her imagination.
''Let's say there was an unfinished business I needed to take care of.'' Emma cocked her brow.
''In Gold's? What unfinished business could you possible have here?'' Killian pressed his lips together.
''It's not important,'' he shrugged it off, his tone implying he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Emma's smile disappeared. It was hard to imagine this nice man doing something bad, though she felt like there was a lot she didn't know about. ''What brought you here, Swan? You don't exactly seem like you're doing this because you want to.'' Emma frowned. He hated the fact that Killian could read her perfectly. How could he do that anyway? Normally, Emma was good at hiding her emotions. That was how she survived.
So how the hell Killian, whom she just met, managed to see through her?
''Well, let's just say I tried to get out of a messed up situation and got myself into another messed up situation.'' Her fingers trailed around the glass, not looking at Killian. She didn't want to think about Neal, especially not now. Though she couldn't stop her eyes from glancing around the bar to see if he was still here.
''I'm sorry about that.'' The sincerity in Killian's voice made Emma turn to him. She thought she must've imagined it, but she could see it in his eyes as well. She didn't know what to say for a second. She wasn't used to this.
''It doesn't matter anymore,'' she stuttered, trying to keep her head down and change the subject. ''Can we please talk about something else?''
''Like what?'' Killian asked without even objecting. Emma smiled gratefully.
''Like… I don't know. What you do for living? You already know what I do.'' She tapped her fingers to her glass. It was easier to flirt with Killian when he was smirking and all with a bad boy attitude. She could almost pretend he was like all of the other ones.
''I own a yacht club at the coast.'' Emma snorted in a really non-attractive way.
''Of course. Why am I not surprised?'' She took a huge gulp from her Cosmopolitan and let the drink burn her throat. Maybe if she got a little tipsy…
''You're not?'' Killian asked with a frown, though Emma could see the little smirk behind it. She waved her hand in his direction.
''You have that…club-y kind of look, you know.'' She didn't know what exactly it was, but she could definitely imagine Killian sitting behind a desk in a leather chair in daytime, and then drinking at his own club at night. He had richness about him.
''Club-y kind of look? I like that.'' Killian's smirk grew as he took a sip. ''Well, you could say that I guess.'' A grin pulled Emma's lips, and she stopped fighting with it.
''You must think Gold's is a really crappy bar then, I guess.'' Killian shrugged, eyeing Emma. She shivered without even knowing why.
''Nah, I wouldn't say that. This bar has…more of a friendly feeling. For example, bartenders are definitely better.'' His eyes traveled on Emma, lingering on places that made Emma blush. She felt herself froze. Normally she wouldn't mind something like that, but there was something in Killian's eyes that made her…want what she promised she'd never want. Something more than a one-night thing. She clenched her fists, reminding herself what she was feeling meant nothing. She probably wouldn't even see Killian after today.
''Well, I try,'' she tried to shrug it off, forcing a smile. She eyes a woman who had just sat down two seats next to Killian. ''I'm sorry, I have to get this.'' She literally ran away from Killian to the woman.
''Good evening, what can I get you?'' she asked the moment the woman turned to her. She had a really angry glare that made Emma want to hide.
''Finally someone noticed me. Thank you.'' Emma tried not grimacing with her words. ''Bourbon. Fast,'' the woman almost ordered. She took a deep breath. Sometimes, in moments like this, she wondered how she ended up working in a bar like this where half the customers treated her like crap and the other half wanted to get into her pants.
''Coming right now,'' she said between her teeth and poured the woman bourbon. She could feel Killian's eyes on her. She forced herself not to look at him. ''Here you go.'' The woman snatched the drink from her hand, throwing a couple of cash in front of her.
''Keep the change.'' She stood up with her bourbon, walking away. Emma took a deep breath to calm down. People like this got to her nerves. Couldn't they be at least a little nicer to someone who tries to get on with her life by working in two jobs?
''That was rude.'' Emma jumped with Killian's voice. She suddenly felt embarrassed, not knowing why. She tried to act like it wasn't important.
''I'm used to it. Not everyone who comes here is like—'' She almost said you before she stopped herself. ''Nice,'' she finished her sentence. ''It's not unusual.''
''It doesn't mean it's okay. You don't deserve to work in a place like this.'' Emma pressed her lips together. She didn't want anyone to know she didn't have any other choice, especially not Killian. The only job she could find and keep was this one. She couldn't just quit because people weren't nice to her.
''I don't mind,'' she lied, taking Killian's now empty glass. ''Do you want anything else?'' He didn't say anything for a second, just looking at Emma.
''You seem to know your way with alcohol,'' he commented. A sad smile appeared on Emma's face.
''Well, perks of dating an alcoholic.'' Killian pursed his lips.
''You deserve better than working here, Emma. Don't tell me I don't know you. I know someone who's desperately trying to get on with her life.'' Emma blinked, not knowing what to say. His words had made her heart stutter. Where was he going with this?
Killian produced a business card from his jacket and put it in front of Emma. She eyes the card tentatively. She knew what Killian was gonna say to her, and a part of her was too scared to hear.
''If you want, I can give you a job at the club. We really need a bartender who knows what she's doing, and as far as I saw today, you're better than any of our bartenders.'' Emma looked up at him.
''Are you serious?'' she asked breathlessly. She couldn't believe this guy was offering her a job from only what he saw tonight. The corners of Killian's lips tipped up.
''I'm serious. At the very least, you can give it a try tomorrow, love. We can discuss the working schedules and all. What do you say?'' Emma was speechless. She didn't even know what she should think about it. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
She was dumbfounded. The last thing she expected from today was this. Meeting a guy who looked out for her. And she knew Killian was looking out for her. She knew, somehow, that this offer wasn't just about her bartending skills. It was about her. Ruby was as well bartender as she was, and yet he was asking her. And a part of her wanted to turn down his offer. She stayed away from everyone who she could possibly have something that lasted more than one night. And she wasn't planning on seeing Killian…ever again. But if she worked for him…
''You don't have to decide just know. Think about it. If you want the job, call me tomorrow.'' Killian took Emma's hand and put the card in it. Emma looked at the card. There it was, Killian's name above a phone number. She bit her lip. What was she gonna do?
''How much do I owe you?'' Killian's question pulled her out of her thoughts. She took a deep breath.
''Nothing. It-It's on the house,'' she said. After his offer, that's the least she could do. Though she still didn't know what to say to that.
''Swan, please.'' Emma's eyes met Killian's glare. She took a deep breath.
''You just offered me a job, Killian. Let me at least do this.'' Killian took a deep breath and took out a hundred dollars. Emma's eyes widened.
''Take this. No, wait. I'm not taking no as an answer, okay? You're taking this.'' Before she could stop him, he tucked the cash in Emma's apron. He stood up to leave. ''Consider my offer, Emma. Call me tomorrow or come to the address on the card. I hope you say yes.'' He flashed him a smile. ''Goodnight.'' And with that, he was gone, leaving Emma with a card and a hundred questions.
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