Smiling and thanking the customers, who were vacating one of the booths, Belle lingered nearby, waiting for them to be a few feet away before she started clearing their table. She started by stacking their plates, piling the leftovers onto the top plate, gathering the cutlery to put on the top plate, and then moved the stack to a vacant table behind her. The glasses were gathered and moved to join the stack of plates, allowing Belle to drench the table, squinting the cleaner all over the shiny top of the table. She vigorously wiped down the top, lifting the condiments and the napkin dispenser, repositioning and lining them up back against the wall. In ten seconds flat, the table was glistening and ready for its next occupants. Although Belle did this, probably a hundred times a day, nearly six days a week, (seven at a push), she still took pride in what she did and smiled as she ran an eye over the booth.
Belle shoved the wet cloth and the bottle cleaner into the pouch of her apron, then hefted the stack of plates onto one arm and collected the three glasses, pinching them between her fingers. The glasses chinked and clanked as she walked to the back of the diner and entered the kitchen, using her back to open the door. Ron flicked his gaze up from the grill, but immediately returned his attention to the burgers sizzling on the grill. Sidestepping Bill, who was rushing out of the store cupboard, carrying a tub of potatoes, Belle quickly deposited the plates and glasses to the returns counter, and exited through the other door, taking her back into the diner and behind the counter. It was decidedly cooler in the diner and she blew a quiet breath, thankful she didn't have to work in the kitchen as she stooped to return the spray bottle and wet cloth under the counter. Standing back up, she skimmed her gaze around the diner, looking for anyone who wanted service or top ups. Everyone was busy eating and chatting to their companions, so Belle took the chance to rest back against the counter behind her, her hands braced either side of her on the edge of it.
After Friday night, the weekend had flown by and with it only being the beginning of the week, Belle was already excited to find out what Mr Gold had planned for their next session. The red bracelets, the ropes had left on her skin, had slowly ebbed away and were now faint lines of pink around her wrists. She hadn't tried to cover them up. It would've been noticeable, if she had suddenly started wearing a long sleeve blouse for work. They had been distracting, catching her eye, every time she did something with her hands. She dipped her head down, smiling at the memory of Friday night.
Thinking of him, and what they'd done, made her giddy and her whole body tingle. It felt so right, when she was with him. Even with him taking control, dictating what they did and how they did it, there was no denying how good it felt, how good he made her feel. It was like he knew her body inside and out. Knew things, she didn't even know herself. So many guys she had been with, had always needed directions. Touch here, rub there, lick like this. Whereas Mr Gold simply knew, which allowed her to enjoy the moment. To forget about everything and everyone else, and just be there, with him, with no worries, apart from how quick their evening would end. As they had been driving back into town, she had sheepishly glanced at him, wondering what it'd be like to go home with him. Would every night be much the same as their sessions? Would he even want her to go home with him?
Belle shook her head at herself. Her thoughts were getting too far ahead of her. This wasn't a relationship. Their arrangement was quite clear - Mr Gold was educating her. Teenage dreams of being with him, sharing a life with him, were only going to get her into trouble. She'd caught herself a few times, fantasizing about him, waking up in his bed, beside him, his arm possessively wrapped around her waist, keeping her tucked in close to him. Those kinds of thoughts were the dangerous ones.
"Belle," Granny called her name, waking her from her thoughts. "Are you okay, dear?"
"Yeah, course." Belle pushed herself away from the counter, showing Granny a wide smile.
Tilting her head forward, peering over the rim of her glasses at Belle, Granny didn't believe her. "You look far from fine, dear."
"Maybe, just a little tired, Granny, but nothing more than usual." She confessed with a little shrug of her left shoulder.
Granny's head tilted further forward, the stern look over her glasses having its desired effect on Belle, making her inwardly squirm as Granny said. "Belle French, you work too goddamn hard."
They'd had this discussion quite a few times over the years and it always ended the same way - Belle still worked too much and too hard. "Yeah, I know, but I need the extra cash and you need someone to catch the shifts that need covering."
"If I didn't admire how hardworking you were, Belle, and the fact, yes, you need the money, I'd insist on getting another girl to cover the extra shifts. But I do worry about you, I don't want you making yourself ill." Granny confessed, sidling closer to Belle.
"Don't worry about me, Granny. I can look after myself." Belle told the older woman, putting her arm around Granny's shoulders, pulling her into half a hug.
"I worry about both my girls." Granny wrapped her arm, tightly, around Belle's waist, affectionately squeezing her into her side.
Angling her head towards Granny, touching their heads together, Belle was grateful for the care Granny had given her over the years. She had been a rock for Belle, when her mother had died. No sooner had the Sheriff been to give them the news, Granny had been banging on their front door, demanding to see her. Ruby had been with her, a look of shellshock on her face. She had been in no fit state to comfort her friend, but it hadn't mattered, because Granny hadn't let anyone else near her. As soon as Granny's arms had coiled themselves around her, Belle hadn't been able to go anywhere. Safe inside Granny's embrace, while the world around her crumbled.
Aside from the money, it was Granny's relentless support after her mother's death, which made her work so hard in the diner, giving all her free time without question. Belle would never be able to repay Granny's kindness. The woman had taken her under her wing, adopted her as a grandchild, treating her the same as Ruby. Whatever Ruby had, Belle had as well. Unlike her father, Granny never expected anything in return. She just wanted her girls to be happy. Not to control and smother them, like her father did.
"Why don't you take an early lunch?" Granny suggested, rubbing her hand up and down Belle's side.
Belle leant up, turning her head to look at Granny. "You've got no one to cover in here until Astrid gets back from helping Ruby in the B&B."
Granny pursed her lips at Belle, looking unamused, over the rim of her glasses. "I've been flipping burgers and serving customers well before you were born, young lady." Her gaze drifted round the quiet diner. "I'm sure, I can handle an hour on my own."
"I'm happy to stay with you, Granny." Belle insisted, twisting her neck to see Granny's face.
"Don't be silly." Granny shook her head and used her arm, she had around Belle, to guide her past Granny and towards the kitchen door. "Go and have your lunch."
"If it gets busy or too much for you, just come and get me." Belle demanded as she carried on walking to the kitchen door on her own, partially turning to see Granny behind her.
Granny raised an eyebrow at Belle. "I might be getting old, Belle, but I can still run circles around you girls." Shooing her away, by waving her hand, Granny added. "Now, go and have your lunch before I ask you to clean the bathrooms."
"Yes, Granny." She grinned at Granny's empty threat – She'd never asked Belle to clean the toilets, that punishment was reserved for Ruby.
At the kitchen door, posed with her hand ready to push open the door, Belle glanced back over her shoulder, taking a guilty look around the diner till her gaze stopped on Granny, who was already busying herself, tidying and wiping down the back counter. She smiled, feeling so much love for Granny, and pushed open the kitchen door to enter. As usual, Bill and Ron were bickering about the state of the kitchen, whilst they cleaned their stations and prepped food for later in the day.
"Ron, did you manage to make my salad?" Belle asked him as she walked around the large metal table to the fridge, pulling open the door before he'd had a chance to answer.
He looked up at her, while he scraped the surface of the grill. "Yeah, it's wrapped up with your name on it."
She nosed the shelves until she found a plate covered in Clingfilm, a label stuck on top with her name written across it. Taking it from the shelf and using her elbow to close the door, Belle beamed a thankful smile at him, while she leaned over the large table, in the middle of the room, and stole a fork from the cutlery tray. Ron winked at her as she strolled by him, heading for the small staff room at the back of the diner. Passing straight through, Belle went out the back door, squinting at the sunshine as she exited the diner.
Being outside, taking her first break of the day, Belle let out a tired sigh. It was as though her days were never ending. She was either working every hour she could at Granny's, working at her father's shop when she had any free time, or grabbing sleep wherever she could. No wonder, Saturday night had become her evening of freedom.
Belle grinned, feeling naughty, because she'd managed to have two evenings for herself last week. Her father hadn't liked it. Stood in the diner, while she'd mopped the floor, he had demanded to know where she was going, who she was going with, when she would be home. Luckily, Ruby had already gone to meet Victor, saving Ruby from being interrogated by her father. He'd followed her everywhere – into the kitchen, lingering while she stacked the last remaining glasses into the washer, setting it off for the night; into the small staff area, watching her collect her things; to the bathroom, where, thankfully, he had remained outside the door, giving her a glare when she had come out; outside to the kerb, where they had stood in silence, waiting for her taxi to turn up. She had stood beside him, arms firmly crossed over her chest, feeling like a child with him looming close by. It was ironic that her father treated her so much like a child, when her evening had ended with a man, who treated her like a woman.
Biting her lip, she descended the steps and started towards the side of the building, bowing her head, ashamed of her dirty thoughts involving Mr Gold. It had been years since she'd had such vivid fantasies about him, but nothing like the ones she'd had recently. Her teenage dreams had been so candid – a stolen kiss here, a sweet confession of feelings, the odd racy dream. Now, after being with him, her dreams were no longer her own. He'd taken over them, doing things to her she'd never dreamed of before. Her legs squeezed together as she walked, anticipating that they might do some of the things she had been dreaming about lately. Fuelled by the books he had given her.
She couldn't help the grin on her face, while she slipped through the small gap in the fence and took a seat at one of the outside tables and chairs. The outside area was always quiet during the day. Once the kids were out of school and more people had finished work, it would slowly fill up. Given how sunny it was, it was going to be a very busy afternoon. Lots of toing and froing outside to check on customers. Just what she needed to keep her mind off Mr Gold.
As Belle was unwrapping the film from her plate, her eyes flicked to the minute pink marks on her wrists, sending a thrill through her body. Turning her left wrist over, inspecting the inside of her arm, she could've sworn, she could feel the tight snug bindings around her wrists. The velvet ropes had stood out on the white sheets, draped across the bed, from the posts at the head of the bed. Coming face to face with them had made her unsure. If Belle had been doing it with anyone else, she didn't think she would've trusted them, even if she had been apprehensive as he wrapped the rope around her wrist and secured it. Laying there, naked and helpless, looking at the ropes, she had been so tempted to say her safe word and get herself out of the restraints. However, seeing him, stood at the foot of the bed, surveying her with a keen eye, she had been more curious to see what he had planned for her and had remarked to herself, during the drive home, how glad she was she hadn't used it.
Propping her elbow onto the table, she put her hand over her mouth and covered the huge grin on her face. She hadn't been this happy in a long time - Not since she had gotten her acceptance letter from the college, confirming her full scholarship. Her father hadn't been happy, but she had been ecstatic. The chance to go away, to meet new people, experience new things. It was supposed to be the beginning of her dream to get out of Storybrooke. A stepping stone to her bigger dream of seeing the world, travelling far, and broadening her knowledge, instead of reading in books.
It had been freedom, however short, it had been.
Huffing a breath, her mood had turned upside down, miserable at the thought of being trapped in Storybrooke. As she stabbed her fork into her salad, Belle knew she could leave. She had the money stashed. Enough to get her a bus ride out of town and get her by for a couple of months. Her only problem, her biggest problem, was her father. The last time she had mentioned leaving town, he had started making sly comments about his chest aching and made a big show of sitting down for breathers. She hadn't mentioned it again. Secretly hating herself, for letting him guilt her into staying.
Belle picked up her fork, eyeing the lettuce and tomato on the end of it, and popped it into her mouth. Whilst she ate her mouthful and loaded her fork again, she could hear the distant whispers of voices. Looking up from her salad, her eyes widened, spotting Mr Gold and the Mayor, across the street, their backs to her, looking up at the front of the Sheriff's office. It wouldn't have been an unusual occurrence, if Mr Gold wasn't missing his suit jacket. His hands were propped on his hips, the blue silk of his waistcoat drew her eye, but her gaze easily drifted down to his exposed backside, looking absolutely delicious in his tailored suit. He always looked immaculate – a three-piece suit, half naked in his trousers, wearing only a bath towel, naked – not a hair out of place.
Raising an eyebrow at her thoughts, she asked herself, 'Did he ever look scruffy?'.
On one hand, she could count the number of times she'd ever seen him dressed in jeans and a shirt, and most of them had been weekends where he had been with Neal. It was well known, he had a cabin somewhere in the woods. Mr Gold and Neal would disappear during the summer, spending weekends of the summer holiday at their cabin. It was rumoured, during high school, Neal would take his dates/girlfriends at the time there. Secluded and private, and far away from parents. There had been the odd fantasy of Mr Gold taking her to said cabin. She doubted it would ever happen. Log fire, lying naked on a rug, limbs tangled together – That wasn't part of their agreement.
The Mayor turned to face Mr Gold, waving his arm up at the building, at whatever they'd been inspecting together, breaking Belle from her little daydream. Shaking his head, Mr Gold pointed up at whatever they were discussing, his back still to her, his head turned enough to see the Mayor and allowed Belle to see his profile. From her angle, she could see he had his sunglasses on and felt her insides melt. He was the only man she knew, who coordinated his sunglasses with his outfit.
His head titled to one side in thought before he fully turned his head to look in her direction. Their eyes locked immediately over the distance. Belle sucked in a deep breath, alarmed and embarrassed Mr Gold had caught her blatantly staring at him. Ducking her head down, breaking the contact, she hurriedly stabbed at her salad, loading too much onto her fork and put it straight into her mouth. She wanted to look up. See if he was talking to the Mayor or whether he was watching her across the street. Squeezing her thighs together, it excited her to think he was regarding her as she had been him. Her inner muscles clenched at the thought, stirring a deep physical need for him, one she feared she wouldn't be able to satisfy without him.
"Look at you getting special treatment." Ruby declared as she invaded the table, taking the chair beside Belle, bumping their shoulders together.
Jolting back in her seat, Belle snapped her gaze to Ruby, peeking back to where the Mayor and Mr Gold were talking, both looking at the building again. Ruby stopped unwrapping her plate and looked at Belle.
"What's the matter?" Ruby asked.
Belle shook her head, probably a little more energetically than needed. "Nothing. You startled me, that's all."
Turning her head, Ruby pulled the wrapper off her plate, asking. "What were you staring at?"
"I wasn't staring at anything." She defended herself, while Ruby spotted the Mayor and Mr Gold across the street.
"Ooo… Wonder what they're talking about." Ruby commented.
"I'd assume the Sheriff's office." Belle shared, leaning forward to brace her elbow on the table, the picture of nonchalance, whilst she stabbed some salad onto her fork.
Ruby screwed up the film that had been covering her plate, saying. "No doubt Mr Gold is trying to screw the town out of more money again. Getting everyone to pay for the repairs to his buildings."
Frowning, Belle angled her head to look at Ruby. "Keith was the one who drove into the front of the pharmacy. He should've paid for the damages."
"How do you expect him to pay for it?" Ruby questioned, holding her hands up in the air, looking at Belle like she was ready to take on the whole world for Keith's cause. "He's only a bartender."
"Why should Mr Gold pay for him driving like an idiot? Plus," Belle pointed her finger at Ruby as she told her. "Keith was drunk too, which makes it ten times worse."
Ruby's right eyebrow crooked at Belle. "Why are you defending Mr Gold?"
"I'm not. Neither Mr Gold or the town should've paid for it." She said quickly before feeding herself the loaded fork of salad, preventing her from saying too much in her defence.
"I'm not surprised he goes to the Club. He enjoys punishing people too much, not to get a kick out of it sexually." Ruby stated plainly, plucking a slice of tomato off her plate.
The Club, Mr Gold, punishing, sexually – The combination of those four things caused Belle to choke on her food. Holding her fist to her mouth, she coughed and sputtered into her clenched hand, and slammed her other hand down onto the table, making both of their plates bounce up off the table and clatter when they landed. Bending forward, Belle clawed at the surface of the table, fighting the urge to cough.
"God, Belle, are you okay?" Ruby asked, while she patted her hand on Belle's back, steadying Belle by holding onto her arm.
"Yeah." She managed to croak out after swallowing her food, her fist muffled her voice.
Smoothing her hand over Belle's back, Ruby bent her head forward, getting a better look at Belle's red face as she asked. "Was it something I said?"
Glancing at Ruby's face, a small part of her suspected Ruby knew about their secret and was toying with her. A similar thing had happened in high school, when Ruby had found out Will, the exchange student, had kissed her. For days, Ruby had dropped little comments, had nudged her and had pointed at Will in the cafeteria, had blatantly made smooching faces at Belle, whenever Will was around. It hadn't taken a rocket scientist to figure out that Ruby had found out, but sitting at the table, hunched forward, Belle couldn't tell, if she knew or not.
"No." Belle struggled to say and cleared her throat before she added. "Just went down the wrong way."
"Take smaller bites next time." Ruby scolded with a shake of her head, retracting the hand of comfort on Belle's back.
"Ok, mum." She said sarcastically, claiming her fork from where it had clattered onto her plate.
Chuckling, Ruby stabbed some salad onto her fork and then a couple of fries as she threw back. "Who else is going to look after you?"
Belle smiled at the comment. It had been their catchphrase for so long. With Ruby's volatile relationship with Granny and Belle's indifferent relationship with her father, the two had relied on each other, offering support and sanctuary, when things got bad at home. Granted, the majority of the time, Belle had been the one sneaking out to go to Ruby's, secretly spending the night in Ruby's room. Somehow, Granny had known she was there and would wake her in the morning, giving her enough time to get back before her father found out.
She couldn't ignore that sometimes, during the hurried walk to Granny's, Belle had wondered what would have happened if she had veered off course. Trekked the few streets over in the shroud of darkness and had knocked on his door. Would he have invited her inside? Would he have smiled kindly at her and offered her his sympathies? Would he have put his arm around her, guided her into his living room, telling her everything would be fine in the morning? Would he have held her like she had wanted him to do? Rest his head against hers, while they cuddled in front of his fireplace, romantically lit by the fire, while the rest of the house was in darkness?
"Belle?" Ruby touched Belle's arm, her voice and face full of concern.
"What?" Belle asked, blinking her eyes, waking from her impromptu daydream.
Turning her head, Ruby raised an eyebrow at whatever she was looking at, provoking Belle to follow her gaze to see Mr Gold strolling across the street, blue sunglasses on to match his waistcoat, unaware of their attention. Blowing out a hot breath, her insides squirmed as she squeezed her thighs together at the sight of him.
"What's going on with you today? You keep staring off into space?" Ruby inquired, turning her attention back to Belle, who had snapped her gaze back to meet Ruby's before her head had turned fully in her direction.
Belle shook her head a little and stabbed at her salad. "Nothing. Just a little tired, perhaps."
"Tired?" Ruby repeated, disbelieving Belle's reason.
As Belle was raising her loaded fork to her mouth, Ruby hit Belle's upper arm, smiling like a Cheshire cat as she said. "Were you out with Eddie again last night? You do get this dreamy look on your face after your dates with him."
"No, not last night." Belle said and fed herself, gagging herself with food.
"It's so funny," Ruby stabbed at her fries as she commented to Belle. "You teased me so much about being whipped and then you let dreamy Eddie do it to you."
She swallowed before she spoke, loading her fork again. "Unlike you, it wasn't in front of everyone."
"Honey, I'm not uncomfortable with everyone seeing me naked. We all know I've never been shy." Ruby grinned, then popped her fork into her mouth, waggling her eyebrows at Belle.
"Yes, and Dr Cooper is still recovering from your obvious crush, ten years later." Belle joked, waving her fork accusingly at Ruby, dislodging some of the salad from her fork.
Ruby pushed away Belle's hand holding her fork, saying. "At least, I go after what I want without letting anyone get in my way."
Balking back at Ruby's flippant comment, Belle's eyebrows rose and merged together, hurt and confused at Ruby throwing such a remark at her. They'd spoken numerous times about it. Sleepovers, drunken nights out, late nights clearing the diner together. Ruby could never understand why Belle didn't just skip town and go after her dreams – return to college, road trip around America, get on a plane and backpack through Europe and Asia. All Ruby ever told her to do, was to pack her bags and go, leave before it was too late. And she was right, there was no doubt about that, she just couldn't understand why Belle didn't go.
Ruby had lost both her parents when she was toddler. She has no memory of them, and has only ever known Granny to be her parent. She doesn't have the fear factor, Belle has, when it comes to her father, or anyone for that matter. Scared each time they said goodbye could be the last time. Petrified, that the next phone call, could be the Sheriff informing her, her father had slid off the road, down an embankment and ploughed the front of the van into a tree. That she'd get another phone call from Granny, telling her to come home as soon as possible, her father had been taken away in an ambulance. Because of these genuine fears, Ruby would never understand as she took everything for granted.
Slowly, Belle turned her gaze onto her plate, studying the green mass of a salad, as she tempered down her anger. The urge to blow up and let out all of her pent up frustration was very tempting. Living with her father's foul mood, the infinite questions about Friday night, the demand of her father to know her whereabouts at all times, Ruby's disregard for her feelings – Belle was on the verge of blowing up.
"Don't you finish at five, today?" Ruby questioned. "I finish at six. Fancy getting a drink later?"
Belle didn't look up from her salad, when she answered with a lie. "No, I've got too much to do around the house."
"Oh… Okay." She caught Ruby eyeing her from the corner of her eye, but refrained from saying anything, worried what might come out of her mouth, as Ruby continued. "I'll see if Astrid fancies it. Victor's working the late shift tonight. Hey," Ruby's voice rose an octave, while at the same time, she nudged Belle with her elbow. "We should get the boys together. A double date – You, me, Victor and Eddie."
"I don't think so." Belle stated coolly.
"What's the matter?" Ruby asked before putting her fork into her mouth.
"Nothing." She said with her shoulders deflating, her temper dissipated as quickly as it had erupted.
Leaning forward, forcing her way into Belle's vision, Ruby asked again. "How about it? Double date, Friday?"
Shaking her head, Belle stabbed at her salad, more playing with it than preparing to eat it. "Sorry, Eddie's too busy."
"How'd you know?" Ruby waved her loaded fork at Belle. "You haven't even asked him."
"I just know." Belle pushed her food around her plate, regretting she had ever made up 'Eddie'.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "When you're not looking, I'm going to find his number in your phone and message him about it."
Sitting up straight, Belle snapped back. "No, you won't!"
"It's no big deal, Belle. Just a couple of drinks at the Rabbit Hole or something. If he can manage to find time to take you out, he can find the time to meet your best friend." Ruby waved her hand, holding a fry, through the air at Belle.
"I said, no, Ruby!" Belle insisted.
Ruby laughed, gesturing with the fry into Belle's face. "You know, I know, where you keep your phone, when you're on shift." Then she grinned. "I'll just pop in there later and send him a text. Ask him out Friday night, Rabbit Hole? Or how about we meet at the Club, Saturday?"
"Look, it just isn't…" When her gaze met with Ruby's, she lost the energy to fight with her and hear herself say. "I'll… talk to him… about it."
'What the hell…?' Her eyes widened as she casted them away from Ruby, avoiding eye contact. Her mouth had overruled her and had spat out the first thing that would get Ruby off her back. There she was again, being weak and giving into Ruby. Except this time, there was no way she could give Ruby what she wanted. They weren't dating. They weren't an item. Hell, Mr Gold/Eddie was never going to agree to go out with Ruby and Victor. Belle didn't even want to go out with them, or more with Victor, she put up with him for Ruby's sake. So, how the hell was she going to get herself out of this one? Because there was one thing, she knew for definite, Ruby was like a dog with a bone – She wasn't going let go until she got what she wanted.
It had been a long day for Adam. His day had started at six am. Groomed, showered and dressed to impressed – Adam had drove out of town, heading to a house auction near Dunn. He hated going to house auctions, shifting through people's belongings, scavenging for the lucrative items in amongst the trinkets. Seeing the person's relatives was the worst part. Death always brought out the true nature of a person and it was depressing to see a person's relatives, either fighting over what they thought was owed to them or witnessing the heartbreak of someone, who was honestly going to missed their dead loved one. Adam had been neither, when his father had passed away. He had simply walked away, wanting nothing more to do with his father and his father's firm. Moving as far as away as he could, joining a firm in New York, earned his money at a young age and when things had broken down with his first wife, he had moved himself and Neal to Storybrooke, investing in the town and a future for his son.
Sitting back in his wooden office chair, the creaked at the shift of his weight and further squeaked as he lifted his legs, one at a time, perching them on the edge of his workbench, crossed at his ankles. He sipped his scotch, absently staring at nothing on the shelving unit in front of him. After getting back from the auction, all Adam had wanted to do, was lock himself away in his shop and work on the cabinet restoration he was doing. The Mayor had other plans for him.
They'd stood outside the Sheriff's office, discussing the new signage, the Mayor wanted to have fitted to the front of the building. The new sign would be twice the size of the old sign, meaning new mounting points and a hole would have to be drilled through the brickwork, providing the new sign a new live feed. Adam hadn't a problem with them updating it. His problem was the unnecessary work that would have to be carried out. The Mayor also hadn't quite understood, Adam's grievance of there being a gaping hole, where the old feed for the old sign would be left gaping open. It seemed the Mayor was only concerned with the Sheriff's office looking good, instead of the integrity of the building. He'd pointed at the offending item, explaining how the old holes would have to be filled and done properly, insuring damp didn't get into the brickwork, when he'd felt eyes watching him.
Since dropping her off Friday night, Adam hadn't seen her around town, yet she had been constantly on his mind. Thinking of new scenarios, things she might like, things he'd like to do to her. Before their chance meeting in the Club, sex and anything kinky hadn't even crossed his mind. After Cora had broken his heart, he had drawn the line and concentrated solely raising his son, and then on his business when Neal had left for college. Closing himself off to his physical needs and refusing to get emotionally attached to anyone.
Adam had accepted a life of loneliness.
Unable to ignore the feeling he was being watched, Adam had turned his head and immediately latched his gaze onto Belle, sat alone in the outside area of Granny's diner. For the few seconds, their gazes held each other, he had felt his irritation with the Mayor ebb away, tempered by her presence. A redness had bloomed on her cheeks before her head bowed, hiding her face from him. His eyebrow had quirked at her sudden shyness, while a gradual smirk had crept up the corners of his lips. Adam had turned his attention back to the Mayor, nodding his head in agreement, whilst he had thought about going over to her, under the guise of checking up on his 'student'. But when he had chanced a look back, he had found Ruby had taken the seat the beside her, killing any chance to talk to Belle on her own.
Drinking down the last of his scotch, Adam squeezed his brows together, wondering why the lost moment was still stinging, so later on in the day. They'd never been social. Before the Club, their conversation had been limited to polite exchanges of pleasantries, whilst he had been conducting business with her father or when they had bumped into. For the purpose of their agreement, there was no call for them to socialise or exchange more than they had agreed upon.
He put his empty glass down on the workbench, while he scanned his gaze around the room, deciding it was best he headed home before he found himself something to do. Pushing down on the edge of the table, Adam stood up, twisted at his hips and hooked the collar of his suit jacket, hung on the back of his chair, and lifted it off his chair as he took a step away from the bench. He put it on, whilst he walked around his chair, and turned off the back room lights, then flicked the deadlock across on the door. Tugging on his shirt sleeves inside the sleeves of his suit jacket, he adjusted, whilst he crossed the room to the curtained doorway and slipped through into the front, using his arm to hold the curtain aside.
As he exited through the front of the shop, the bell wishing him goodbye as he left, Adam locked the door with his key, giving his first thought to food all day. Stepping away from the door, pocketing his keys, his gaze went in the direction of Granny's as he turned, with one question in mind: 'Takeout from Granny's?'
Answering his own question with a shake of his head, Adam swiftly turned towards his Cadillac and strode at a quick pace to his car, getting himself out of there before he changed his mind. It was an excuse. A poor excuse to see her. Everyone would notice. The only time he went to Granny's, was when the rent was due or Granny had summoned him, expecting miracles. He never ate there. Neal loves Granny's, always pesters Adam to go, when he comes to visit. No matter how many times, Neal boasts the food was good, there was no chance Adam was ever going to eat at Granny's. Subjecting himself to the stares, the glares, from everyone else, while he ate the overpraised food.
Though, a chance to see her… Would've been worth it.
With his hand on the door handle of his car, his body half turned away, the temptation to see her nearly broke his willpower. Adam didn't understand the intense pull he felt towards her. He wanted her, there was no denying it, but he'd had her. Twice. He was her educator, not her lover. The original spark of interest in her, was supposed to be lessening with each of their sessions, burning out the lust he had for her. Except, it seemed as though his body was betraying him and craved more of her.
Derailing his train of thought, stuffing it into a box, avoiding the subject all together – Adam yanked open his car door and jumped inside, slamming the door after himself. In haste, he started the car and pulled out as soon as he could, running away from where that sort of thinking could take him. They had an agreement. It was purely a physical thing. He'd had sex with a hundred other women without wanting more from them. This was no different. Once her mind had been broadened, then there would be no need for their sessions and they can end things amicably, and his slightly obsessive thoughts would be put to rest as well… He hoped.
Adam crossed his arms as he turned the steering wheel, throwing the car across the street and into the space in front of the store. There were two cars parked out front – a red vintage sports car and a silver Ford. He parked a couple of spaces away from them. There had been too many times to count, where mysterious scratches had been left on his car, long silver streaks, which had kept him occupied the following Sunday afternoon. Buffing out the scratches and marks they'd carelessly and purposefully left on his car. He squinted his eyes at the red car, Ruby's car. His heart pounded in his chest, a prisoner inside of his chest, desperate to know if Belle was inside with her.
The two were normally inseparable. Whether it was hanging around town or getting into trouble. Wherever one was, the other was likely to be close. This made Adam wary. As much as he wanted to see her, he also didn't want to feed his need for her. Plus, Ruby was very protective of her best friend. Always being Belle protector, especially after her mother's accident. She would definitely notice, if he started paying more attention Belle. Though, she wasn't the only one. The whole town would notice, if he paid her more attention, and if they'd noticed, they'd start asking questions, and if they started asking questions, rumours would soon spread around town and there was always some truth to rumours.
Pursing his lips together, he unlatched his door and stepped out of his car, shutting the door behind him, and walked into the store, avoiding Ruby's car. The red brash car only served to torment him. The store's doors swished open in front of him and he was greeted as he entered, by the store's annoying 'beep-bop' sound, which had no character unlike the bell hung above his shop's door. He glanced up to at the annoying squawker as he reached out to the stack of baskets by the door and took the top basket. Exchanging the basket between his hands, Adam walked further into the store, browsing the shelves as he followed the first aisle to the back of the store.
As he perused the shelves, putting several items into his basket, Adam could hear two feminine voices talking, in what he thought was the alcohol aisle, two rows over. "I don't know what I want." There was a pause. "What does everyone else like to drink?"
"I'm not fussy." The distinct voice of Ruby said. "I'll drink anything."
The other woman laughed. "Yeah, everyone knows, you're not fussy about a lot of things."
"Shut up." Ruby ordered in playful tone and they both laughed.
"Come on, what should I get?" The woman demanded Ruby's help.
Getting to the end of his aisle, he reached his hand out as he rounded the end of the shelves and selected his usual brand of washing machine tablets, listening with a partial ear to Ruby say. "Most of the girls like wine, mostly white, but Belle favours rum most of the time. If you get two bottles of white, I'll get a bottle of our rum and a large bottle of coke. That should take care of everyone."
"Sure?" The other woman didn't sound sure. "Everyone's going to be happy with wine?"
"If they're not, we'll raid the diner's store room." Ruby told her friend.
The voices began to follow him down the aisle to the cashier. "Granny won't mind?"
"Probably, but it's been ages since we've been able to get all the girls together. She won't mind too much." Ruby said as Adam grabbed a bag of sugar from the shelf, continuing down the aisle in time with them.
"I'll remind you, what you said, when Granny's shouting at you for taking drink from the diner." The other woman, a younger voice he noticed, said to Ruby.
"What's the worst she can do? Ground me?" Ruby chuckled. "She'll shout at me, I'll shout at her, then we'll kiss and make up. No biggy."
His right eyebrow curved up at her statement. They never just argued, and kissed and made up. The pair of them fought like cat and dog, having raring fights in front of customers, accusations thrown at each other in the street. There had been times, when the two arguing outside of the diner, had drawn in a crowd. Especially the day, when Ruby had planned to go off with a biker, who was driving through town, and Granny and Ruby had been physically fighting, with Ruby sat on the back of the bike and Granny trying to haul her off it. The whole town had watched the spectacle and the Sheriff had to get involved, who Ruby thought had come to safe her from Granny, except the Sheriff had yanked her off the bike and carried her into the diner. It had taken two months before Granny had let Ruby out of her sight.
At the end of the aisle, Adam slowed his pace, allowing them to go ahead of him, and fell into step behind them, following them to the checkout. They continued to chatter away, discussing what Adam believed to be 'chick flicks' and which ones they wanted to watch, while they drank and gossiped. He glanced away, hiding the roll of his eyes, in case they turned round or the clerk saw him.
"I can't wait for Belle to spill some more of the beans on her new fancy man." Ruby commented, hefting the two large bottles from her arms onto the counter, smiling suggestively at the young clerk behind the counter.
Standing absolutely still behind them, his hand tightened its grip around the handle of the basket, cutting the edges into his hand. Tightly pressing his lips together, gagging himself, he wanted to know more about Belle's 'fancy man'. He ran through their conversations, sifting through anything they had spoken about, no matter how small it was, and found no mention of a 'boyfriend'. Neither had he seen her around town with a guy. She was either with Ruby or her father, or on her own.
Surely, if she was involved with someone, she would've felt inclined to mention him. Instead of questioning the disclosure agreement, shouldn't she have been happy to have a shush order between them? Belle wouldn't want her boyfriend to know, she was having sex with another man, would she? Did they know? Had she actually felt the need to confide in someone? Or possibly, was she was using Adam as much as he was using her, furthering her knowledge, so she could share it with her new man? The questions circled round and round on themselves. Each one giving him no solace, but making him ask further questions. The young woman, he thought he had the measure of, was either very cunning or Adam was finally losing his touch at assessing people's desires and secrets.
"Oh, Mr Gold," Ruby purred at him, yanking him from his thoughts, and asked, eyeing his basket. "Night on your own?"
"When you enjoy your own company, more than others, it's the best way to spend your evening." He said, giving her one of his customary half smiles, daring her and the young Astrid to make further comments.
Astrid looked sideways at Ruby, worried what her friend might say to the notorious Mr Gold. Though, Ruby could be very daring at times, she had always been courteous with Adam, a little cheeky at times, but mostly polite and restraint. Ruby knew when to pick her fights or who to pick her fights with. Pissing off the town's devil would not be wise of her as it could be her and her Grandmother paying the price for it.
"Least you can watch what you want, when you want, without anyone interfering." Ruby said, confusion written across her face as she crooked her eyebrows at her tamed response.
His sly grin grew, revealing a hint of his crooked teeth to the young women. At the same time, their eyes widened and their smooth brows were pushed up their foreheads. Her comment was innocent enough, but with his thoughts being all over the place lately, it felt like she was sticking the dagger deep in between his shoulder blades, plunging it deep up to the hilt.
Adam had known loneliness from a young age. Anyone viewing their family, would've seen a successful lawyer with one the largest law firms in Glasgow. A widower, whose wife had died during child birth of their only son, who finished top of his class at Oxford and joined his father's firm directly after graduation. They were a powerhouse. Both Gold's were notorious in litigation and negotiations. Both of them had won large settlements over the years, but Adam had out done his father, winning a 2.5-billion-pound settlement, for a town of miners in the north of Scotland. Lawyers looked up to them, paparazzi took their pictures, women threw themselves at them. Everyone thought, they were living the high life. What more could the Gold men want?
All Adam wanted was his father's acceptance. Love would've been asking too much of his father. His heart had broken into a million pieces, when his wife had slipped away, holding Adam in her arms, loving him for those brief few minutes. A fact his father held against him. And because of this, arrangements were made the day after his mother's death, so his father wouldn't have to deal with him. A nanny took care of him until he was old enough for boarding school. Summer holidays were spent on his own at Killochan, his father's estate near Girvan, Ayrshire. Apart from the odd encounter, passing like ships in the night, Adam never spent time alone with his father. Loneliness and a subsequent member of staff for company.
Even when Adam worked at the firm, the two were never alone together, always a member of staff present, a barrier between them. His father never spoke directly to him, either. Memos or messages were passed through their secretaries. Which was why, Adam fought every case like it was his last, pushing for more, arguing to the death. The more he won, the bigger the settlement, the more his name was said around the office and whispered in courtrooms – The more his father had to see him. Though, as much as his father was forced to see him, to notice him, it did nothing to build the bridge between them and Adam's father died without Adam really knowing him, or getting the recognition he deserved.
Which was why, Neal meant so much to Adam. A chance sexual encounter with an American lawyer, who was on the opposition, and a phone call two months later, Adam sold his share of the firm and moved to America to play happy families. It lasted awhile, but Milah and him were never compatible. She liked to be in charge, in every aspect of their lives. Adam could be accommodating in most aspects of life, but one – the bedroom. Towards the end of their marriage, having sex became a fight for dominance and World War Three was more likely to break out in their penthouse apartment. It hadn't been a surprise that Milah was cheating on him with the mailroom boy at work. It was the final nail in the coffin he needed and he nailed it home, packing her bags, slinging her out, and packed him and Neal off Storybrooke. She hadn't fought it. She'd demanded more money, but happily gave up her rights to Neal, wanting her life back before Neal – flying around the world at a drop of a hat, long work hours, partying with her young lover. Which had suited Adam just fine.
"Mr Gold." Astrid nervously smiled at him as she slipped through the large space, between Ruby and Adam, clutching her purchases to her chest for protection, wary in case he attacked her.
Ruby's hair flared as she turned, snatching her two bottles from the counter, and flicked out again, when she turned back to face him, trying to look nonchalant with the bottles close to her chest. "Enjoy your evening, Mr Gold."
She shuffled a couple of steps away from him and turned her back to him, when she felt safe, and went to walk to the exit as Adam said. "Enjoy your girlie evening."
Shocked, Ruby snapped round to look at him, opened her mouth to say something, possibly to bark a nasty reply to him, but thought better of it and closed her mouth, turning away to chase Astrid out the door at a hurried pace. Adam smirked. He loved putting people off balance. It was even more satisfying, when it was an overconfident lawyer, who thought they had the win in the bag. He missed those days.
After paying for his purchases, Adam dumped the bag of groceries on the passenger seat as he got into the driver's seat and drove home with his grin still on his face. Pulling into his driveway, he knocked the gear selector up into park and then reached across the seat for his groceries. As he was doing this, his eye was caught by the sight of his salmon coloured house, looming over him. It was the biggest house on the street. Many of the old Victorian houses had been knocked down over the years. Too dangerous to restore. When he had viewed his house, there were floorboards missing, doors hanging off hinges, ceilings missing, windows broken, local kids had sprayed graffiti onto many of the walls – The house had looked very sorry for itself. With a five-year-old on his hip, Adam hadn't hung about and had renovated most of the house himself, and prepped whatever work he couldn't do himself. The dream of a house, where he could raise his son, had been filled with love and laughter over the years until the day Neal left for college. Apart from visits, he hadn't been back for longer than a week.
Now, the house was Adam's lonely prison.
Dropping his gaze down to the passenger footwell, he huffed out a sad breath, then pushed his thoughts away and grabbed the paper bag from the seat beside him as he unlatched his door. He wedged the bag into the crook of his left arm and shoved his car door to, glancing round the neighbourhood as he did it. This side of Storybrooke was always quiet. A lot of the older townsfolk lived on his street, which suited him. No rowdy kids to shoo off his front lawn, no teenagers pulling stunts in the middle of the street on their skateboards and bikes, meaning it nice and quiet on the evenings and the weekends. Unlike when Neal was younger, where the evenings and weekends were always full of adventures.
As he entered the house, knocking the door shut with his elbow, Adam's gaze travelled up to the top of the stairs, a habit from when Neal lived with him and he would call up to him, when he got home. He refused to dwell on it as he discarded his keys to the end table in the hallway, including his shop keys, wallet and phone, before putting the bag of groceries on the end of the table nearest the kitchen. Shrugging off his suit jacket, Adam draped it on the end of the banister, like he did every night he came home. With a solid tug of his waistcoat, he grabbed his groceries and walked through into the kitchen, turning on the lights as he went, lighting up the small sitting area and his kitchen.
Occupied by putting away his groceries and preparing himself a light dinner, it was only when Adam sat down in the small sitting area, zapping the television with the remote, did she pop into his head. Belle was sat in Granny's, surrounded by a horde of young women, gossiping about the town and whatever frivolous things interested their young minds. His brow narrowed as he put the remote down on the coffee table, perched on the edge of the couch, hunched forward to reach his plate on the table. He couldn't imagine her being besotted with the latest celebrity rumours. Belle didn't seem to have time for idle, fantastical thinking. Bouncing back and forth between Grannies and her father's. Let alone have time for a boyfriend.
"Boyfriend." He said the word aloud, leaving a horrible taste in his mouth, which he washed away with a swig of his red wine.
The word didn't fit with Belle. Unlike Ruby, Adam hadn't seen her with many men around town. Not one that had caught his attention. When she wasn't with her father or Ruby, Belle always tended to be on her own, her nose in a book, lost in whatever world had caught her imagination. There had been a few times, when he had gone to see her father, finding her sat on a workbench, legs folded, book cradled in her lap, reading without a care in the world. The woman, she was today, was so far from the young girl she had been. Too occupied with working every hour, doing everything and anything to please her father and Granny, leaving no time for herself.
So, how did she have time for a boyfriend?
Adam looked at the food on his plate, feeling no appetite for the pasta, covered in cheese, with a salad on the side. He knew, he should eat. He hadn't eaten much all day, but instead, he picked up his wine glass and sat further back into the couch, lifting his attention to the local news on the television. They were doing a segment on the cannery, celebrating the fiftieth year they've been in business. Yet, all he could see in his mind's eye was Belle in bed with her 'boyfriend', wrapping herself around him, letting him thrust himself deeper into her. His top lip curled into a snarl, not liking the image or the idea of her having a boyfriend. Adam could stick to their agreement, teach her what he knew, it didn't mean he had like the fact she had a boyfriend. Like that another man was having her at the same time…
Shooting forward on the couch, he put his glass down and got up, marching to the entrance way to collect his phone, pressing number two speed dial on his way back to couch, and said when they answered. "Dove, I need you to do something."