"The line is moving, Em," Ruby Lucas pointed out to her friend, who was busy talking on the phone.
Emma Swan nodded, but didn't interrupt her conversation as she took a few steps forward. Ruby elbowed her and pointed to the lockers where they were to put any belongings that could be lost while riding the Velocicoaster. At Emma's questioning eyebrow raise, Ruby pointed to the speakers above their heads, which announced the purpose of the lockers on a loop.
"Of course we miss you, M's," Emma assured their friend, while slipping her small purse over her head, placing it and her sunglasses in the locker along with Ruby's things. "But you wouldn't have been able to go on most of the rides since you're pregnant, so it wouldn't be very much fun for you."
Ruby closed the door of the locker and urged Emma forward again. They continued to shuffle through the maze of metal bars, until they finally approached the loading zone. "Tell her we're getting on the coaster soon," the brunette mouthed to her blonde friend.
Emma nodded briefly. "Okay, I've got to…" Her words came to a screeching halt as she looked up to see the amusement park worker in front of her. The man was the embodiment of sexiness, and her eyes slid down his form to take in his sky blue polo, snug jeans, and navy blue Vans. When she scanned back up to his face again, he was sliding his sunglasses down his nose and peering at her over the top of them with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. "...go," she finally finished, not taking her eyes off of Mr. Gorgeous, while tapping her thumb against her phone screen, hoping she hit somewhere in the vicinity of the red button to end the call.
"You were supposed to leave your phone in the locker, lass," he informed her, and fucking hell, he had an accent too.
"Oh, uh, s-sorry. I was, um…" Every word in the English language exited her brain at that moment, as she did her best deer-in-the-headlights imitation.
The man - his official Universal's Islands of Adventure nametag declared his name to be Killian - smiled and held out his hand. Emma was halfway to placing her hand in his, before her brain cells reactivated and she realized he was asking for her cell phone. Blushing furiously, she placed it in his palm. "You'll end up right back here, so I'll hold onto it until you disembark," he reassured her.
Emma mumbled, "Th-thank you," and managed to give him a slight smile, then felt Ruby grab her arm, leading her into a stall to wait for the arrival of the coaster. She craned her neck to follow his movements, as he continued looking for other people who had inadvertently forgotten to secure loose items in the lockers.
"Did you see that guy?" she asked Ruby.
"You mean the hunk of hotness you were trying to undress with your eyes? Nah, I barely noticed him."
Emma smacked her friend's arm with the back of her hand. "I was NOT trying to undress him!" she hissed. "But I have to admit, he is pretty…"
"Yes, pretty is a good word for him," Ruby interrupted, "along with about fifty other adjectives that all mean 'sexy as hell'."
Their conversation was cut short by the Velocicoaster arriving back into the station. Emma scanned the wide-eyed, windswept riders and crossed her arms. "I hope I live to regret letting you talk me into riding this thing."
"C'mon, Em - it's gonna be fun and exciting. All of these people survived, so odds are, we will too."
Emma rolled her eyes, then followed her fearless friend into the car and sat down, lowering the lap bar as soon as she was settled. Workers moved along both sides of the coaster, making sure all of the bars were locked into place.
Glancing around the platform as she waited for the safety procedures to be completed, Emma caught a glimpse of Killian, who flashed her a brilliant smile and gave her a thumbs up, just before the roller coaster shot out of the station.
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Killian turned to watch the train take off along the tracks, the blonde ponytail of the woman seated in the third row flying out behind her. He glanced down at her phone in his right hand, his thumb in the middle of the screen keeping it from automatically locking. Working quickly, he tapped on her contacts icon and hit the plus sign. When the new contact screen came up, he typed in his first and last name, phone number, added 'the Velocicoaster guy' in the Company space, and hit 'done' before he could rethink it. Then he went into her settings to find her name and phone number, which he added to the contacts in his own phone. The whole procedure lasted less than the two minutes it took for the coaster to return.
As he slid his phone into one of his back pockets, he considered what he had just done. He knew it was an invasion of her privacy, but something about Emma Swan - which was a perfect name for such a beautiful woman - made him take that risk.
"Hey, Scarlet. Switch me spots," he shouted to his co-worker, who was standing on the platform close to the tracks, ready to help the passengers disembark.
"Why?" Will Scarlet questioned.
Killian was standing next to him by this time. "Because I need to return a phone to one of the passengers."
"Just tell me what she looks like and where she's sitting and I'll do it."
To Killian's relief, the rumble of the returning train reached their ears. "No time," he stated.
"Ugh, fine. I'll be the 'loose items' police for a while," Will grumbled, pushing past his co-worker who took his place. Killian turned expectantly, smiling as he spotted Emma Swan - disheveled, flushed, and beautiful - and nervously rubbed his thumb over the screen of her phone.
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Emma spent the entirety of the ride trying to catch her breath, and she knew for a fact it wasn't just because of the thrilling twists, turns, and loops of the Velocicoaster. The man who was currently holding onto her phone was literally breathtaking. When she closed her eyes before they traveled down a particularly high hill, she saw the image of piercing blue eyes and unruly dark hair imprinted on the back of her eyelids.
As they coasted into the station, she saw him standing on her side of the platform, his sunglasses back in place. The coaster jerked to a stop and she attempted to shove some strands of hair loosened by the ride behind her ears. Before she could even reach down to push her lap bar up, he was there, raising it for her.
"Thanks," she gasped, breath knocked out of her all over again.
"Here you go," he said, handing her phone to her.
"Thanks…again," she said, wanting to facepalm over her inability to say more than two words in his presence.
He grinned, before moving on to the car behind her.
"Uh, Em? You have to get out of the roller coaster now," Ruby called from where she already stood on the other side of the platform, breaking Emma out of her daze.
She crawled out of the car and brushed past her friend, who laughed when she heard Emma actually growl at her.
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Killian rethought his decision for the next twenty minutes, until it was time for his break. While he sat at a table in the break room, he pulled out his phone and called his best friend, David.
"Hey, man! What's up?" David's voice came through the phone, before Killian even had a chance to get it up to his ear.
"I think I did something stupid."
"I wouldn't doubt it, but what is it this time?"
"You see, there was this girl…"
"Ah, well, now I'm sure of it!" David snickered.
Choosing to ignore him since he only had a fifteen minute break, Killian went on. "She still had her phone with her when she got ready to board the roller coaster, so I had to hold it for her." He paused briefly, taking a deep breath before continuing, "And I put my name and number in her contacts."
"You did what, now?"
"Not only that, but I went into her settings and looked up her information and added it to my contacts."
"What made you decide to engage in that breach of security?" David asked in a more serious tone.
"It was a spur of the moment decision. She was…you should have seen her, Dave. She looked like one of those Greek goddesses we had to study about in that ridiculous elective class we took our Sophomore year."
"That doesn't give you permission to encroach on her privacy, Killian!"
"I know, I know, but I've already done it. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Now I'm not so sure. What should I do? I know this is a long shot, but do you think it would be okay for me to ask her out?"
He heard his friend blow out a long sigh on the other end of the phone, then waited impatiently for several seconds. Finally, David began to speak slowly. "I suppose you could try. She can always block you, and if she does, you'll know her feelings on the matter. If not, just play it as it comes."
"Okay, thanks mate. I needed somebody else's opinion on the matter, and I knew Will Scarlet wouldn't be any help at all."
"Yeah, I can definitely understand that!" David chuckled. He had heard many hilarious stories about Killian's co-worker during the months his friend had worked at the theme park. "Good luck and let me know what happens."
"I will. Thanks again, Dave."
Killian sucked in a calming breath once he disconnected the call, then pulled up his contacts and hovered his finger over 'Emma Swan'. After curling and uncurling it a couple of times, he tapped the screen at last and chose the message option.
It took him another couple of minutes to compose the text. Hello, Ms. Swan. This is Killian Jones, the person who held your phone at the Velocicoaster. If you don't think this is too creepy, I'd really love to buy you dessert at the Chocolate Emporium on CityWalk. My shift is over at 8:00 and I can arrive by 8:45. I hope to see you there.
Closing his eyes, he said a quick prayer that she would accept, then opened them and punched the little blue arrow to send the message.
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After collecting their belongings from the locker, Emma and Ruby found two rides with short lines, then decided to get something to eat. Settling down at a picnic table with a large umbrella providing shade, they spread out their food and drinks and Emma pulled out her phone.
"Mary Margaret probably sent me some messages since I had to cut our call short. I really hate that she couldn't…WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL?"
"Whassa matta?" Ruby asked, her mouth full of the bite of cheeseburger she had taken.
"There's a text here from that Killian guy!"
Ruby quickly finished chewing and swallowed. "The sexy one from the roller coaster?" At Emma's stunned nod, she continued, "What does it say?"
Emma flipped the phone around to allow her friend to read the screen. After scanning it, Ruby's mischievous grin stretched across her face. "Oooh, girl! Dessert at the Chocolate Emporium? I've heard that place is fantastic! Play your cards right and afterwards you can work off some of the calories with him!"
"Ruby!"
"What? Have a piece of cake, then have a piece of ass. It's a classic combination!"
Emma pulled a hand down over her face. "That's not going to happen."
"Why not? We're on vacation, Em. Squeeze every possible ounce of enjoyment out of it!"
"He put his contact info into my phone and found out my name and number. Don't you think that's a little weird?"
"So? The guy took a chance. What's wrong with that?"
"I'll bet he does that all the time. He probably hooks up with a different girl every day."
"And your point is…?"
"I am not gonna be another notch in his bedpost."
"Okay, so don't sleep with him, but at least meet him for dessert."
"By myself? No way! He could be a serial killer for all I know."
"You'll be in a public place! You'll be completely safe." Ruby thought for a moment. "What if I come along? Will that make it better?"
Emma chewed her lip thoughtfully, before rolling her eyes. "Why am I even considering this? It's crazy!"
"Because the man is a walking billboard for male perfection, and you need to live a little. Take a risk. What will it hurt? If he's a jerk, block his number, then go home in three days and forget about him. If he's great, have a good time, then go home in three days and dream about him."
"I don't know, Rubes…"
Ruby's hand shot out. "Give me the damn phone - I'll send him a message myself!"
Emma yanked it out of her friend's reach. "Fine, I'll send one! Just give me a minute!"
"You have exactly three. If you haven't sent one by then, I'm gonna do it."
Emma's brows knit together as her thumbs hovered over the screen. After contemplating for nearly thirty seconds while Ruby tapped her fingernails on the table, she finally began typing. She paused twice to gather her thoughts before completing the text. Raising her eyes to see her friend glaring at her, she heaved a sigh and sent it.
"Well, what did you say?"
"I told him I would meet him, but you will be coming with me."
"Good enough. We'll see how he responds to that."
Emma turned her attention to her food, but found she was suddenly not very hungry anymore.
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Killian checked his phone every chance he got, his nerves jacking up a notch each time. It was nearly an hour before he saw a little red circle by his text message icon. Knowing the train was due back to the platform in less than twenty seconds, he opened the app to see that it was a message from Emma, but stuck it back in his pocket before reading it.
It seemed like the people disembarking and boarding were moving in slow motion, and he grit his teeth in frustration when one of the lap bars took longer than usual to lock. When the coaster was on its way at last, he grabbed the phone out of his pocket and read the text, sagging in relief at what he saw.
His fingers flew over the keyboard as he composed his response. I understand why you want your friend to come along, and it's perfectly fine. I'll see you at 8:45. Enjoy the rest of your day at the park!
He had a huge smile on his face for the remaining two hours of his shift.
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Emma wasn't as stealthy as she thought. Or maybe Ruby just had a sixth sense for knowing when her friend was going to chicken out of the 'date' with Killian Jones. Every time she tried to take her phone out to sneak a text to him, Ruby wrangled it out of her hands and threatened to stomp it to pieces on the concrete. She even forced Emma to hand it over before she went into the restroom, blocking the doorway and refusing to let her pass until she did. The mother trying to enter with her toddler was not amused.
She wasn't sure what possessed her to accept his offer. Now nervous, she dragged her feet like a petulant child as they left the park.
"Emma Swan, I swear if you don't start walking faster, I'm going to come back there and kick your ass!" Ruby fumed, glaring at her from three full sidewalk squares ahead.
"It's been a long day and I'm tired, Rubes. Can't we just go back to the hotel and forget about this?" Emma whined.
Ruby stomped back to stand in front of her, arms crossed over her chest and a frown on her face. "No, we cannot. We're going to meet this guy if I have to drag you kicking and screaming every inch of the way!"
"Why are you so insistent that I do this?"
Ruby dropped her arms and moved a step closer, her voice softening a bit. "Because you've been handed a golden opportunity to meet someone who could turn out to be a really nice guy, and I'm not gonna let you squander it. Ever since I've known you, you've been overly cautious when it comes to men, and look how it's worked out for you. Maybe it's time for you to start putting some notches in your bedpost."
Emma rolled her eyes. "You know I'll never be like that."
Ruby shrugged. "Alright, so not multiple notches, but one is better than none."
Emma widened her stance and put her hands on her hips. "No notches, Ruby. I'll meet this guy and have some dessert, but that's as far as it's going to go. I don't want you saying anything to give him the idea that it's gonna be more than that, got it?"
Ruby grinned at her.
"I mean it, Rubes. Promise me you'll behave or I'm not going."
"You're no fun at all, Em."
"Exactly, and that's how it's going to stay. Unfun Emma. Now promise me."
Ruby threw her head back and sighed theatrically. "Ugh! Fine! I promise I won't say anything to give this guy the wrong idea about you. Happy?"
"Not especially, but I'll take what I can get."
Glancing at the time on her phone, Ruby stated, "We've got less than ten minutes. Now, put a smile on your face and pick up the pace." She pocketed her phone and looped her arm through Emma's.
"You know I hate it when you rhyme," Emma mumbled, garnering a laugh from her friend.
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Killian walked quickly along the sidewalk leading to the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, took a deep breath and scanned the crowded area in front of the popular restaurant. He almost wilted with relief at seeing Emma Swan near the hostess stand on the front steps, wringing her hands nervously, while her dark-haired friend stood beside her with a huge smile on her face.
He took the steps two at a time to reach them, weaving his way through the other people who were waiting. "Hello ladies," he greeted, showing his own nerves by rubbing a finger behind his left ear.
"You changed shirts" Emma blurted, mentally kicking herself for making such a lame opening statement.
He dropped his eyes, glancing down at his midnight blue polo as he explained, "Yeah, uh, I had an extra one in my locker and since I worked in the other one all day, I thought, um…"
"Hi, I'm Emma's friend, Ruby Lucas," the brunette said, stepping forward boldly to interrupt his stammering.
"It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Lucas," Killian said, offering his hand.
She reached out to shake it, while admonishing, "Oh, please. Call me Ruby and call her Emma."
"Noted. I, uh, I made reservations for us, so we should be able to go right in."
"That was a good idea. They told all these people they'll have to wait at least an hour," Emma said.
"It's a perk of being an employee of the park," he explained with a smile, then went to check in with the hostess. As soon as she collected three menus and told them to follow her, Killian gestured for Emma and Ruby to proceed ahead of him into the restaurant.
"Such a gentleman," Ruby whispered as she walked beside her friend.
Emma didn't acknowledge the statement, keeping her eyes straight ahead. When they reached the booth, she slid in first, Ruby sat beside her and Killian dropped down into the high-backed seat across from them.
Before they had a chance to open the menus the hostess left on the table, Killian cleared his throat. "I…I wanted to apologize for taking the liberty of putting my name and number into your phone, and for using it to find out your information. I've never done anything like that before…"
Emma's eyes shot up, the skepticism easily apparent in them. "Really?"
Killian felt heat creeping up his neck into his face, but didn't break eye contact with her, willing her to see the honesty in his gaze. "I assure you this is the very first time, Emma. I don't know what came over me, but I just…I felt like we had a…a moment, and I didn't want to take the chance of never seeing you again."
Ruby watched her friend carefully. Emma had a penchant for knowing when someone wasn't being truthful, which Ruby had found out the hard way numerous times. The fact that Emma hadn't immediately wanted to leave must have meant she hadn't detected a lie in anything he'd said so far.
"A moment?" Emma questioned. "We only said about five words to each other. How does that constitute a moment?"
His finger went to work behind his ear again. "I don't know how to explain it, but it…I…"
"I thought there was a moment, too," Ruby jumped in, earning a glare from her friend. "Boy meets girl, boy thinks girl is beautiful, girl thinks boy is…"
"Ruby!" Emma growled, digging an elbow into her ribs.
Killian gave a low chuckle and started to speak again, when the waiter arrived to take their drink order, which reminded them that they needed to actually look at the menu. After ordering ice water all around, they flipped to the dessert page and studied it in silence for several moments.
"Have you eaten here before, Killian?" Ruby asked.
"A couple of times with some co-workers. There's a dessert called Chocolate Brownie Bark that I've always wanted to try, but haven't because I heard it's huge. I could never eat it all by myself."
Emma scanned the menu to find it, her eyes growing wider by the second as she read the description. "Are you kidding me? Listen to this: chocolate ice cream, chocolate brownies, chocolate whipped topping, chocolate sauce, chocolate brownie bark and chocolate sprinkles. That's enough to put somebody into a sugar coma for a month!"
"Sounds perfect!" Ruby spouted. "We can all share it!"
"What do you say, Swan?" Killian asked, turning his eyes to her.
Her brows climbed up her forehead. "Swan?" she questioned.
The tips of his ears turned a deeper shade of red than the streaks in Ruby's hair. "Sorry. I, um, it's just such a fitting name for you and…"
"Why do you say that?" Emma asked.
"Well, you know, swans are beautiful and graceful and…"
"And fierce as hell," Ruby threw in. "He's right, Em. It describes you perfectly."
Emma sat looking between the two of them, her mouth slightly open.
Killian cleared his throat. "Anyway, I didn't mean to offend you, Emma."
"You…you didn't. I, um, I really don't mind at all. The way you say it sounds nice. "
"She's right," Ruby agreed. "What kind of accent is that?"
"Irish," Emma and Killian answered at the same time.
"That's quite impressive, Swan," he praised. "Most people tend to think it's a British accent."
"I studied abroad for a semester and traveled to England and Ireland, so I got pretty good at recognizing the differences between the two accents," she explained, a small smile of pride turning up the corners of her lips. Killian returned it with one of his own.
Ruby looked back and forth at the two of them and bit down on her bottom lip to keep from blurting out how well suited they were for one another. There definitely seemed to be a spark between them, and he appeared to be a genuinely nice guy. She just hoped Emma would be willing to give him a chance to prove it.
Their drinks arrived and the waiter took their order for the Chocolate Brownie Bark. Ruby sipped her water as she watched the conversation continue between the other two.
"Are you still in college?" Killian asked.
"No, I graduated last year."
"Where did you go to school?"
"The University of Maine. Go Black Bears!"
He laughed. "What was your area of study?"
"Journalism. I write for a couple of different college sports websites."
"That sounds interesting. Do you specialize in any particular sport?"
"Not really, but I probably like writing about volleyball and baseball the most. What about you? How long have you worked for Universal?"
"I worked here during the summer between my Freshman and Sophomore years, but had internships the past two summers. After I graduated this past spring, a friend of mine had three months left on his lease and he was moving to Colorado, so I came back here to work to finish it out for him. I'll start going to grad school to earn my master's in the fall."
"What did you get your degree in? And where?"
"Marine Engineering at Florida Tech."
"Is that like designing ships?"
"That's one aspect of it."
"That sounds interesting."
"I've always been intrigued by ships and sailing, ever since I was a lad."
"Did you come to America to go to college?"
"We moved here to live with my uncle when I was twelve, after our mum passed and our father left us."
"You have siblings?"
"One brother - Liam. He works with my uncle at the docks in Boston Harbor."
The two women exchanged surprised looks, but when Ruby started to say something, Emma shook her head slightly, giving her a meaningful look. Ruby snapped her mouth shut and reached for her glass of water instead.
Emma was enjoying chatting with Killian and was beginning to relax, but she wasn't comfortable enough to reveal where she lived at this point.
"You still have a pretty strong accent after living here all this time," she commented.
"It's actually lessened a bit, but I've yet to shake it completely."
"Don't," Ruby said simply.
Emma nodded her head in agreement, but before she could add to Ruby's remark, their dessert arrived.
"Wow! That is massive!" Killian said.
"What are you two going to eat?" Ruby asked, plunging her spoon into a heap of chocolate whipped topping.
"You'll have to excuse Ruby," Emma said dryly. "She's very shy."
Killian laughed and Emma felt her stomach do a funny little flip, which she knew wasn't due to the small mountain of chocolate in front of her. The man was affecting her in ways she didn't really want to admit to herself.
"Ohmigod," Ruby mumbled, her eyes rolling in pleasure over the gooey goodness in her mouth.
Emma and Killian watched her nearly obscene expressions of delight for a few more seconds, then looked at each other. "Shall we?" he asked, one eyebrow quirked up in question.
"We better, before she eats the whole thing," Emma answered. Both of them stuck their spoons into the decadent dessert, then let out soft moans when the chocolate hit their tongues.
"I know, right?" Ruby grinned. "I would say it's better than sex, but let's be real!"
"Jeez, Ruby!" Emma exclaimed, using her free hand to cover her face in embarrassment, while Killian chuckled.
They continued devouring the confection in front of them, making comments now and then, but mostly just enjoying the deliciousness.
After Emma took a bite of a brownie dripping with chocolate sauce, Killian noticed a bit had landed on her chin and reached over to remove it with his finger. As soon as he touched her, she gasped, her mouth falling open slightly.
He didn't seem to notice her reaction as he drew his finger back and licked the sauce off of it, but Ruby did. She eyed her friend keenly, taking in the flush on her face and the look of astonishment in her eyes, and smirked knowingly. She knew Emma better than just about anyone else did, and she had never seen her react to a guy like she was doing tonight.
When the dessert was gone, the trio chatted while waiting for the check.
"Did the two of you go to college together?" Killian asked.
"Yeah, we met our Freshman year at the Student Union when this one was having a meltdown," Ruby answered, pointing at Emma.
"I wasn't having a meltdown, I was just upset about my roommate."
"Her original roommate was an absolute nightmare," Ruby explained. "She was such a prima donna and an all-around bitch of the highest degree. After Emma survived the first semester with her, M's and I squeezed her into our room without the university being any the wiser. We ended up living together until we graduated."
"M's would have been with us on this trip, but she found out about a month ago that she's pregnant," Emma added. "She knew she wouldn't be able to go on any rides, so she decided not to come."
"I doubt she and her boyfriend would be able to last a week without each other anyway. Those two are as sickeningly sweet together as that dessert we just ate."
"In a good way," Emma threw in. "We love her boyfriend, too."
"In a platonic way. Nothing kinky," Ruby said, causing Emma to cover her face with both hands.
Killian laughed again, thoroughly enjoying the conversation. "Do you still live together?"
"Ruby and I do. M's pretty much lives with her Prince Charming."
The waiter brought the bill and Killian placed his credit card on the tray. "We can help pay," Emma protested.
"Oh, no, I won't allow that. I was the one who asked you to join me, so it's my treat."
After he signed the receipt and got his card back, they left the restaurant and stood on the sidewalk in front of it, not quite sure what to say or do.
"How much longer are you ladies on vacation?" Killian finally asked.
"Two more full days, then we fly home Thursday afternoon," Emma responded.
Killian hummed and rubbed at the back of his neck. After several moments, he spoke haltingly, "It's, um, it's still early. Would you…be interested in going to one of the clubs on CityWalk?"
Emma exchanged a questioning look with Ruby, then turned her eyes back to him. "Do you mind if we discuss it first?"
"Absolutely not. I'll just step over there," he said, pointing to a lamp post several yards away. He walked over and leaned against it, fidgeting anxiously. He truly hoped they would take him up on his offer. He didn't want the evening, and his time with Emma Swan, to come to an end just yet. She was as amazing as he thought she would be when he had his brief encounter with her that morning, and he longed to get to know her better.
Once he was out of earshot, Ruby said, "What's to discuss, Em? You seem to be having a good time with him."
"Yeah, but having dessert with him is one thing, going to a nightclub is something else entirely."
"Why?"
"Because maybe his strategy is to get us drunk or slip drugs into our drinks…"
"Oh, come on, Emma! Do you really think this guy is capable of doing something like that? He's a big ol' sweetheart."
"Or that's what he wants us to think."
"You don't believe that and you know it."
"Sometimes you're too trusting, Rubes. Bad guys do exist and I don't know if it's worth the risk."
"You pride yourself on being able to tell when someone is lying. Have you sensed any insincerity in him at all tonight?"
Emma hesitated. Her friend had a point. She was usually very perceptive about whether or not she could trust people, and her warning bells had remained silent when it came to Killian Jones. Still…
"I agreed to have dessert with him, that's all. Going somewhere else afterwards wasn't part of the plan."
"What else do we have to do? I'd kinda like to take in some of the nightlife on CityWalk. Aren't you even a little curious how he acts in a setting like that - if he continues to be a gentleman or turns into a jerk when he gets a couple of drinks into him?"
Emma studied her sandals, uncertain about what to do. Lifting her eyes, she swung them in Killian's direction. He was pacing back and forth between two lamp posts with his hands jammed into the front pockets of his jeans. As he drew near the pole closest to her, he glanced up and caught her gaze. His face brightened and he flashed her a sincere smile, his dimples showing just above his neatly trimmed scruff and his blue eyes sparkling.
Turning back to face Ruby, she conceded, "Fine, let's go to the nightclub with him, but on one condition. If I start to feel uncomfortable around him at all, we're leaving, okay?"
Ruby grinned. "Deal!"
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