First of all, I wanted to thank you all for your support with this new story. Thanks also to my betas, chrissascorner, and saraswans, you two are the best.
Elsa and Liam have started developing their plan to get Emma and Killian together. But this can't be that easy, right? This time we have both Emma and Elsa Pov. Anna will also have an important role in this chapter.
Emma
It's getting late. Emma thought nervously as she applied the last touches of makeup. She had spent so much time deciding the outfit she'd wear to the dinner that she run out of time.
Emma blamed Elsa, of course. She had arrived the day before with a last-minute plan. The mother of one of the girls she trained had offered her the chance to get a table reservation in one of the most successful restaurants in the city since she had an unforeseen event and couldn't attend. And since the table was for four people, you could take advantage and invite your two boys to eat something different to pizza or grilled cheese —Elsa's words.
Elsa was right, of course. Food delivery, take-out or grilled cheese with onion rings at her favorite diner restaurant were her usual food source. And that could also be applied to the Jones brothers, to whom she had infected with her eating habits. Well, that was not quite true, Killian Jones cooked, sometimes. Once every... month?
In short, she wasn't the type to go to such sophisticated restaurants. That's why it took her an eternity to choose the right outfit. Her jeans and red jacket were totally discarded, of course. Although she contemplated that possibility for a moment, just to see Elsa's reaction. She would scream blue murder if she saw her appear that way…
She had tried all the dresses in her closet, with unsatisfactory results. Too sloppy, too casual, too short, too long... Such was her degree of frustration that she was reconsidering the possibility of her jeans and leather jacket... It was then that she took one last look inside her wardrobe and saw it. The dress was hidden, hanging between two of her leather jackets, which is why she hadn't noticed in her first check. But once she found it, the choice was made.
She must admit that she looked pretty damn good in that dress. It was an ivory-colored dress, a little longer than mid-thigh in length. The neckline plunged low between the swell of her breasts, and it gathered just below them creating folds in the front of the dress. The loose fitting sleeves fell at the was also another aspect that had led her to choose that outfit. It was the same one she wore two months ago when her unexpected encounter with Killian took place.
Despite the awkwardness of the moment, she hadn't missed Killian's initial reaction when he approached her that night. His pupils dilated, his eyes skimmed her body discreetly up and down. She had also noticed how he tried unsuccessfully to focus his gaze on her face instead of on her breasts. This was, of course, until everything was ruined by the strange behavior of the two of them.
The physical attraction between her and Killian was undeniable. This had been so from the beginning but she wasn't going to ruin their relationship just by relieving the sexual tension between them. He meant infinitely more to her than any one-night stand.
Although that didn't mean she couldn't perform a certain seduction game. The idea of causing a similar effect on Killian was too attractive to dismiss it, so it was decided. She was going to wear that damn dress.
Once the choice of dress was made she should hurry. She applied the eyelash mask subtle enough to make it appear natural but allowing her to highlight her eyes. Finally, she combed her hair so that it fell in soft curls over her shoulders. After a final glance at her reflection, she gave her approval to the mirror image.
Although they were out of time, Elsa wasn't in sight when Emma reached the living room. Just then, her friend came out of her bedroom wearing her pajamas and looking downright awful.
"What's wrong, Elsa?"
Elsa almost crawled to the couch and collapsed there. "I feel like shit. My nose is like a spring and my throat hurts a lot." She whispered hoarsely.
This was unexpected. "Oh, then about dinner tonight..."
Her friend sat up a little. "Dinner plan continues, you guys can still go. This is just a cold, I'll be better tomorrow."
Despite her words, Emma was reluctant to leave Elsa alone in her condition. She really looked pretty sick and after all, this had been her idea. "We can put it off for another time when you're feeling better."
"No way! This is the perfect excuse to spend more time with Killian, don't miss this opportunity because of me." In spite of her discomfort, Elsa sounded so convincing that Emma had no choice but to accept.
Because the reality was that she really wanted to get out of her routine and do new things with both Killian and Liam. A change of scenery would always be welcomed. Still, she felt worried for her friend.
"Okay, but if you find yourself worse, promise me you'll call me or Anna, okay?"
Elsa gave her a small smile with watery eyes from the cold, and before she lay back on the couch, she gestured toward the door. "Now go and have fun. Ah! You look beautiful in that dress. Killian won't know what hit him." She winked at her as her smile grew wider. Emma had no choice but to smirk in response because her friend was right. She couldn't wait to see Killian's reaction.
When Emma reached the entrance of the restaurant, the two Jones brothers were already there waiting for her. She was greeted with smiles and each of them also kissed her cheek. The almost imperceptible gesture of appreciation on Killian's part did not go unnoticed for her.
A few minutes later, they were at a table, located in one of the coziest corners of the restaurant. Emma allowed herself a moment to appreciate the room, which was decorated soberly, with an intimate and elegant touch at the same time. Their table was decorated with a blue gerbera daisy inside a sophisticated and transparent glass vase. Three small candles placed in glasses with the same design as that of the vase completed the decoration.
The two brothers sat in front of her. Emma still had a smile of triumph that had appeared on her face when, a few minutes earlier, she had taken off her coat, revealing her dress. Killian had dropped his jaw slightly as his eyes darkened.
She, for her part, couldn't take her eyes off him either. The bastard had chosen for the occasion a new shirt she hadn't seen before. Its top buttons, as always unbuttoned, and the blue color of the fabric matched his eyes, enhancing their brightness. Liam, on the other hand, looked somewhat more classic, wearing an American jacket over a white shirt.
Once they had passed the first impression, they began one of their usual talks. However, a few minutes later, even before they had ordered their dishes, Liam's phone began to ring.
Liam's casual expression changed the moment he answered the phone. His brow furrowed, showing concern at first, but as the conversation went on, his brow deepened and his voice was filled with annoyance. I can't believe it. I can't take a break, not even one day. No! Don't do anything else! They were some of the expressions he let loose. It seemed obvious that something was going on with The Kraken.
As the conversation unfolded, Emma and Killian exchanged glances of concern as, although Liam was the owner, they also felt responsible for everything that happened in the business. And although the Wednesday used to be a very quiet day, perhaps it had not been a good idea that none of them were present at any time of the day.
"Okay, I'll be there in a minute." With that, Liam hung up the phone and got up from his seat. "I'm sorry, guys, there's been a mishap in The Kraken, I have to leave."
"What happened?" Killian was the first to speak, his tone of concern evident.
"Do you want us to accompany you?" She volunteered. Since half of the members had retired, it didn't make much sense this dinner, right?
Before he spoke, Liam swallowed, scratching behind his ear, a gesture so characteristic also of his brother and that both showed when they were nervous. Emma tilted her head lightly as she narrowed her eyes. Something was happening here.
"No, it's not necessary." Liam cleared his throat before continuing. "Something has happened to the electric current and Myke doesn't know how to fix it. I hope I can come back soon."
"But..."
"I'll keep you informed, enjoy the dinner." Without any more words, Liam waved at them and hurried out of the room.
Emma's eyebrows went together as she stared blankly at Killian, his expression mirroring hers.
"What the hell just happened?"
Killian shook his head in response as if trying to assimilate what had happened. Meanwhile, a thought had begun to settle in her head. Liam's departure had been too hasty, as had Elsa's illness. Wouldn't they be up to something? Her frown deepened as the idea drifted through her mind. No, it couldn't be, Elsa looked really sick.
"Well, it seems like it's just you and me, then. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry and thirsty." He punctuated the last words, bringing Emma back to reality. Once the initial surprise was over, it seemed that Killian had decided to take advantage of the opportunity offered. "Shall I order us some drinks?" He asked with flirtatious voice.
Her cheeks flushed as she heard his voice and saw his expression. Although he was deliberately exaggerating his expression —or so she believed— his arched eyebrows, his sultry look, and seductive smile were causing her stomach to flutter. This was not a good idea. Even acting, this man was too sexy for his own good.
This place was too romantic and he was especially handsome tonight, and they were together, enjoying a dinner... Stop! This is not a date. This was just something unexpected. She forced herself to keep a straight face deliberately ignoring the butterflies in her belly and decided to continue on the sure path, the banter.
"Uhm, I'm not and I know that if it's hard enough to put up with you when you're sober, it's even more when you're tipsy."
He leaned a little toward her, his gaze even more piercing and voice more hoarse. "Or maybe you a bit worried you'll find me even more irresistible after a few libations?"
"Seriously, Jones?" She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly as she tossed what was closest to her, which luckily was her napkin. Her reaction, of course, made him chuckle.
Okay, he wanted to play? They were going to play. She leaned slightly forward, her arms crossed resting on the table and her breasts on them, the posture making her neckline even more evident. "You already know that your seduction game doesn't work with me." Now it was her turn to show a seductive voice. "So maybe you're the one who finds me even more irresistible, do you think you could handle it, buddy?"
Killian's smile disappeared completely from his face, giving way to a clenched jaw as he tried to prevent, without success, his gaze drifting towards her cleavage. Emma, in turn, couldn't stop her lips from curving into a proud smile, totally grateful to herself for the right choice of the dress. Just as he was about to say something, they heard someone shouting her name.
"Emma!"
Both turned their heads looking for the origin of the voice.
Anna, Elsa's sister, waved at them as she walked towards them. Kristoff, her boyfriend, was walking a few steps behind her. They came to their table in an instant, without giving them any time to react.
"Oh, how lucky we are to have found you!" Anna sat in the empty chair next to Emma, as she gestured to Kristoff to sit next to Killian.
"My sis told me about the reservation, I was dying to come to this place, but Elsa told me it was too late to include us. Luck is on our side today, though. When I talked to her and I found out that she was sick I thought, yes, why don't we try it? I'm sure they can make room for one more at the table." The words spilled out of her mouth, giving no time to the others to process them. "By the way, where's Liam?" But before anyone could respond, she continued. "It's much better if he is not here, so we can join you. You see, Kriss, I told you it was a good idea to come." Anna's mouth finally closed, her lips drawing a smile of satisfaction.
Emma shook her head slightly, dropping her jaw a little, trying to process what had just happened. Her gaze shifted to Killian, who had the same confused gesture, though she could also detect some annoyance in his gaze.
"Wait a moment, we have not interrupted anything, right?" Her eyes widened as she pointed to the two of them.
Emma blushed as she realized that her posture was the same as before the interruption, so she quickly made up, keeping her back straight and her hands on her lap. "Of course not."
"Then we can join you, can't we?"
Again her gaze shifted toward Killian, who shrugged and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Uhm, yeah, we have not even ordered yet."
In this unexpected way, like everything that happened during the night, dinner became again a dinner for four. Emma couldn't deny that she was relieved in some way by Anna's appearance. The game started with Killian was dangerous, so cutting it off with the help of her friend was probably the most convenient. That didn't stop her from being disappointed, too. That kind of no-date would have been a good opportunity to hang out with Killian away the places they used to. Oddly enough, occasionally getting out of their comfort zone had also many interesting possibilities, and as long as they didn't cross a certain line, everything would be fine.
In spite of everything, the evening was quite pleasant. Anna delighted them with her insatiable verbiage, only slowed down when she had to eat, but the talk was nice and she felt in good company. Besides, she didn't miss the sideways glances Killian threw at her from time to time. The hours passed without her hardly realizing and suddenly they found themselves paying the bill and leaving the restaurant.
The cold of December night welcomed them as soon as they left the restaurant. Emma felt a shiver run through her body as a gust of freezing wind hit her. Still, she wasn't yet ready to return to the warmth of her apartment. Just when she was about to suggest going to have some drinks, Anna overtook her.
"Well, it's been a great night, but now it's time to take care of my sister, I'm coming home with you, Emma."
"Uh huh." Really? Emma thought with some disappointment. Because the truth was that there was no way she would reject Anna's idea. She couldn't use any excuse not to accompany her to her own apartment. Although she actually only wanted to spend more time with Killian, regardless of the place or the reason.
As Anna and Kristoff stepped away from them to say goodbye to each other, she cast a sideways glance toward where Killian was, just a few steps away. Though his face was impassive, his eyes were fixed on her. Emma gave him a small smile and that seemed to activate something in him, because at that moment he approached her, invading without preamble her personal space.
"Although it's a shame that I miss the sight of your lovely attire, I care more about your well-being, Swan." He grabbed the lapels of her coat, pulling her slightly toward him, causing her heart to skip and her stomach to flop. "Do you need help to fasten your coat?" His suggestive voice did nothing to placate her sudden agitation. He was too close and his gaze was so intense she wasn't sure she could react at all and button up the damn coat.
"Says the man who spends all winter wearing only a leather jacket." She managed to say in a hint of lucidity as she rolled her eyes. Killian cocked his head slightly, arching an eyebrow, and his chin pointed toward her coat, without removing his hands from its lapels. Her trembling fingers —because of the cold, of course — began to slowly button up all the buttons, while her eyes stayed fixed on him, giving him a defiant glance.
"Are you happy now?" The words came out of her mouth between puffs of mist. She hated to give him the reason but the truth was that despite the momentary heat had invaded her by Killian's proximity, the air was chilly around her, so she thanked the warmth offered by the coat.
Although Killian had dropped his arms the moment she finished her task, he continued to stare at her, the tip of his tongue peeking out at the corner of his mouth. "Not yet, love." He walked away a couple of steps and she cursed to herself when the cold surrounded her again as she lost the protection of his body. A flash of a smile began to form on his face anticipating his new crazy idea. "I'm sure you've brought with you one of those lovely beanies of yours." The hint of a smile was now a wide smirk.
"Seriously? Do you want me to wear a beanie with this dress?" As she spoke she made a gesture with her hand pointing her body up and down. She didn't lose sight of the fact that the movements of her hand were followed by Killian's glance accompanied by a gesture of appreciation.
"As I told you before, love, I care about your well-being. Besides, you look pretty adorable with one of those framing your face."
"Adorable..." She echoed his words mockingly as her gaze moved unconsciously to where Anna and Kristoff were. The two of them had finished saying goodbye and they were staring at the scene side by side with amused expressions on their faces.
For a few seconds she had completely forgotten that the two of them were not alone, so by the time she realized Anna and Kristoff were both watching, she cleared her throat, noticing how her cheeks flushed angrily. After rolling her eyes, she pulled the damn beanie from her coat pocket and put it on. "Happy now?" She repeated her own words with a bit of annoyance.
By all answer, Killian approached her again, invading once more her personal space and completely ignoring the presence of witnesses. He lifted his arms as he adjusted the beanie on her head. She stood still, watching from under her lashes as her heart quickened a little at his closeness. Once satisfied with the result, he leaned slightly toward her and brushed his lips almost imperceptibly against her cheek, sending a chill that ran all over her body from head to toe. This time the cold wasn't the cause at all.
"Aye, love. See you tomorrow."
For a moment, she froze, unable to react. They kissed each other continuously —cheek kisses of course — but this time she had felt the simple touch of his lips against her skin with much more intensity. The hermetic expression on Killian's face certainly didn't help, either. Fortunately, Anna came to her rescue, approaching her and hanging her arm from hers.
"Ah, one more thing." Just as they were about to turn to walk to the cab spot, Killian spoke again. "Remember that we have a rehearsal tomorrow."
In fact, their performance as a duo had been a success, so they had contemplated the possibility of repeating it on more occasions if that was okay with her. Of course it was. What she had experienced on stage was something magical and she was more than willing to repeat it.
"Sure, have you already chosen the song?"
"You'll have to wait until tomorrow, love." Killian winked at her as he offered her one of his adorable smiles, a flash of white teeth and curved lips, causing on her an almost irrepressible need to wipe it out with her own lips against his.
Killian waved before turning and walking with Kristoff. She watched them for a few seconds, reluctant to lose sight of him yet. Just when she was going to give up, he turned his head, his eyes looking for her. She gave him one last smile and this time she did begin to walk beside Anna in the opposite direction.
Surprisingly, Anna seemed thoughtful, so her lips remained sealed, a quiet silence fell over them as they walked. That allowed her to lose herself in her own thoughts.
Her mind led her to the kiss they had shared a moment before. Their kisses on the cheeks were one of the public displays of affection they were accustomed to. Because friends kiss each other, right? Perhaps these displays of affection weren't convenient at all considering her feelings toward him, but she felt selfish in that regard. She was unable to offer him much more and wasn't sure he was interested either, honestly. But at least she could have it. And he seemed not to complain at all.
This time the kiss hadn't been different from other occasions, but she had been much more affected by it. She could still feel the tingling on her cheek... Perhaps the cause was the exceptional situation in which they had been involved or maybe their previous banter. Whatever the reason was, the need to feel his lips on her skin again grew more and more.
The silence did not last long. Just as they reached the spot, Anna gave her a narrow-eyed glance as she asked, taking her out of her thoughts. "So, is there something you have to tell me about you and Killian?"
Dammit! She should have known better before flirting blatantly with him in front of Anna. Emma already had enough with one of the two sisters being aware of her secret. The last thing she needed was that Anna and her inability to remain silent for more than two minutes in a row also knew it. So she did what she did best, that is, feign confusion and/or divert attention. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh please!" Anna rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. It was clear that it wasn't going to be that easy. "I'm very insightful, you know, there's something here you're not telling me about, and I'm dying to know some good gossip, so tell me, have you two finally decided to be together?"
Finally? Luck was on her side that night. Just then a cab came in, so Emma hurried to stop it and get into the car, but not before muttering. "There is nothing between us, we are just friends."
"Whatever you say." Anna snorted as she murmured under her breath.
Once inside, the cards were still on her side, as the taxi driver turned out to be a talkative man and Anna was soon caught up in a conversation with him about Christmas traditions or something similar. Not that Emma was listening, really, since, her phone began to buzz shortly after beginning the drive. The moment she found out that Killian was sending her a message, everything else ceased to exist.
Hey, beautiful. I don't think I had the opportunity to tell you before. But you looked stunning in that dress, Swan. - KJ
A broad smile formed on her face as she read the message, as a thought settled in her memory. That was, two months ago she had received a similar message, from the same person, praising the same dress.
Uhm, that sounds familiar to me. Don't you think? - ES
What? That you did look stunning? It's likely because it's a fact that you look stunning on most occasions. - KJ
Emma blushed. Apparently, the flirtation was not over tonight. She couldn't deny that she was flattered by this new closeness of Killian. And even though this might make things more difficult, she was unable to get rid of any gesture of affection from him, even in the form of a simple compliment.
In fact, for the first time in three years, she had begun to consider giving her heart a new chance. Even so, the fear of losing Killian was still too paralyzing. But little by little a ray of hope had begun to seep through the cracks. And this time she was not going to be the one to seal those cracks back up.
Elsa
Elsa hadn't moved off the couch since Emma left the apartment a few hours earlier. The only activity she had done ever since was to call Liam pretending to be his employee, a certain Myke. She hoped Liam had the volume low enough because she couldn't help but giggle at how he pretended in front of his brother and her friend.
He had called her back a few minutes later, clearly excited because Operation HE was on course as planned. He was also apparently worried having noticed her hoarse tone in the previous call. It was then that Elsa had told him that she hadn't needed to fake her illness.
So Elsa remained on the couch, too excited and impatient to try to sleep a little, but also weak enough to entertain herself with another task while she waited for Emma's return.
And the fact was that she still felt like crap. She felt a constant hammering in her head, her nose was plugged and her throat ached like hell, making even the simple task of swallowing hard. Dammit! The karma in the form of a horrible flu had come in search of her. That was the idea from the beginning, pretending that she was sick to avoid going to the restaurant. But it was obvious that she hadn't needed to fake it at all. Despite her discomfort, though, that had made things even more believable, so she hoped this would at least have served her purpose.
At that moment she heard someone opening the front door, so she sat up, eager to see Emma's reaction. The expectation didn't last, however, since, before even being able to see Emma, her sister approached her and began to speak in her hurried style.
"Oh Elsa, you look horrible!" Anna placed her hand on her sister's forehead to check her temperature, but the distraction was short-lived. "It was a shame you couldn't go to the restaurant, the place was so sophisticated and the food delicious, right Emma? Either way, you and I have to go back someday, when you recover, of course."
Elsa's eyebrows went together, showing the confusion she felt at that moment. Maybe the headache had clouded her mind, because Anna hadn't been in the same restaurant as Emma, spoiling their surprise date, right? RIGHT? "Wait a moment..." Oh God, even the attempt to speak was painful and her voice sounded totally hoarse. Still, she managed to continue. "What happened here? Have you been to the same restaurant as Emma and Killian?" Her gaze shifted to her friend's, for confirmation.
Emma nodded in response, but before she could speak, her sister— her crazy sister — came forward. "Oh yeah! Since you were sick and couldn't attend I thought we could try our luck and get us to the same table. And as Liam had to leave, we had no problem at all. So in the end, there was again a table for four." Anna giggled.
What the hell? Had she heard correctly? Had her plan been ruined because of her sister? Her jaw dropped slightly and she remained that way for a few seconds, unable to react. But Anna interrupted her once more, rising and heading for the bathroom. At least the momentary absence of the whirlwind she had for sister gave her the opportunity to talk to Emma and see how the night had gone.
Her friend took off her coat and placed it on the coat rack, also taking off her shoes and collapsing beside her on the couch.
"It's true that you look awful, Elsa. Have you taken any pills to relieve your symptoms?"
"I'm fine, it's just a cold." She waved her hand, dismissing the matter.
Elsa gave Emma a scrutinizing look. She knew that her friend wasn't going to express openly how she felt. Since her confession two months ago, she had hardly said anything about it. Any attempt to talk about Killian and her feelings toward him were abruptly cut off. Yes, she still felt the same and no, she was not going to do anything about it. That was all she had gotten, so asking directly about him was not the best idea if she intended to get some kind of information.
This time the expression on Emma's face was relaxed, the corners of her lips rising slightly, drawing a small smile that she had already identified as Killian's smile. Her gaze also had a special glow, so she hoped that despite Anna's interruption the night would have gone well.
"So how was your night? Anna clearly liked the place, but what do you think?"
"She's right. The restaurant was elegant and the food delicious. We had a nice time the four of us, although we missed you and Liam, of course."
"You had a good time with Killian, then?" She asked tentatively.
Emma took a couple of deep breaths before answering. "Yes, everything was fine with Killian. He even made me put my beanie on when we left the restaurant." To Elsa's surprise, Emma seemed more relaxed than usual and more open to expressing how she felt.
"Since Liam and I couldn't attend, perhaps you would have preferred to dine alone with him." Elsa ventured, testing the ground.
Emma bit her lower lip clearly considering how to respond. Finally, she decided. "We actually spent some time alone, before your sister came in. It was only a few minutes, but that gave me an idea of how the night would have gone without the interruption of Anna and Kristoff. And I think the night would have been quite interesting, honestly." Emma gave her a broader smile as she raised an eyebrow.
This is new, she thought pleasantly surprised at Emma's new attitude. It seemed their plan had not been a complete failure after all. If any doubt remained, they cleared the moment Emma's phone began to buzz and she looked at the screen. Her face brightened and her smile widened even more.
When Emma noticed that she was being watched she tried to hide her smile, pressing her lips together forming a straight line. "I have ... I have to change clothes, I'll be back in a moment." Without anything further, she rose from the sofa and headed for her bedroom, with her phone still in her hand and her smile back on her face.
These two idiots... It was clear that Emma was chatting with Killian despite having just said goodbye to him a few minutes ago. If they were aware of the image they presented outwardly, they might consider bringing down those walls that prevented them from advancing toward each other. It reminded her that she had to contact Liam to tell him the news. But just then her sister reappeared, collapsing beside her on the couch.
"So, what's going on with those two?" Anna pointed to Emma's bedroom. The question caught her off guard and for a moment she couldn't react.
"What do you mean?"
Anna rolled her eyes as she sighed, preparing herself for one of her endless chats. "There has always been an unresolved sexual tension between them, but there is so much tension lately that can be cut with a knife. Do you know something that I don't?"
Elsa shifted uneasily in her seat. She didn't like to hide things from her sister, but Emma had made it clear that she didn't want to reveal her secret to anyone else. "They're just friends, Anna." As her sister rolled her eyes again in a sign that she wasn't buying it, Elsa was forced to add something more, this time showing some more conviction in her tone of voice. "Sometimes the line between friendship and something else may be blurred, but in this case, there is nothing else, at least for now." She was not lying here, right?
"Whatever you say, but tonight these two ate each other with their eyes. It's a matter of time, I'm telling you."
"We'll see." She added as she closed her eyes and massaged her temples. Her headache had become more intense, perhaps it was time to rest.
Anna also seemed to notice her discomfort, because she immediately pushed her to get up. "Okay, bedtime, sis, I'm going to sleep on the couch, don't worry about me, I'll ask Emma if I need anything."
Elsa didn't reply. She gave her a small smile, got up from the sofa and headed for her bedroom, but not before grabbing her phone. She had to do something more before succumbing to sleep.
Once in the privacy of her room, she moved as far away from the door as possible to avoid being heard and dialed Liam's number. He answered on the third ring.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Liam, can you talk?" She asked in a whisper.
"Hey, Elsa, how are you, do you feel any better?" Liam's voice had a hint of concern that was new to her, mostly because they didn't have as close a relationship as she could have with Killian. For some reason, Elsa felt quite comforted by his words.
"I'll be better tomorrow, I hope so at least."
"You should rest, we'll talk tomorrow."
She deliberately ignored him. She needed to make sure Liam was on the same page as she was. "Have you talked to Killian?"
"Not yet. Although he sent me a message telling me he was coming to The Kraken to help me close."
"Well, you should know then that our operation failed. My sister Anna appeared in the restaurant and she and Kristoff replaced us at dinner."
"Oh, come on, really?" He replied clearly annoyed. The truth was that they had put enough hope in this kind of date, and although the result hadn't been the desired one, it was possible that they did have some small progress.
"But it seems the night has not gone completely awry." She reassured him, trying to soften her voice despite her hoarseness. "Emma has come home quite happy."
"Oh, bloody hell, I have to hang up now, lass. Killian just got in." Liam lowered his voice. " I'll inform you as soon as I can. Take care." With that, the call ended abruptly.
Elsa put her phone down on her bedside table and lay down on the bed. Despite her exhaustion and discomfort, she remained expectant, clearly curious about Killian's reaction. Still, the cold began to take its toll, her eyelids getting heavier. She found it increasingly difficult to stay awake. Just as she was about to fall asleep, her phone buzzed. Incoming message.
Hi again. Killian is too close, that's why I'm not calling you back. Besides, it's better this way, since you won't have to force your voice to talk to me. But I did want to tell you that our plan hasn't been a failure despite your sister. - LJ
Elsa smiled, grateful again for Liam's concern for her. Her fingers slid quickly across the keyboard, eager to know more.
Did Killian tell you anything? - Elsa
No, but he's smiling like an idiot. - LJ
Her smile grew even wider, as both Emma and Killian seemed to be reacting in the same way.
That's good, don't you think? - Elsa
Aye, and that means we're on the right track. We must continue to create similar situations, to bring them closer. Any new ideas? - LJ
In fact, Elsa had already thought of a new plan for their operation. Something that could be fun and could even increase their physical contact. Not to mention that she was an expert on the subject.
Uhm, yes, I have something in mind. Do you have any plans for Sunday morning? Because we're going ice skating. The four of us. - Elsa
That's a great idea! Not only I will finally be able to check your skills as a skater, but it turns out that the three of us are not exactly experts… - LJ
And that means that they may have to hold onto each other so they don't fall to the ice. - Elsa
You are bloody fantastic, lass! - LJ
Elsa felt a little overwhelmed by the amount of compliments she was receiving in such a short space of time. That was something she was not accustomed to, so she felt the need to reward him somehow.
Well, it seems like you and I work well together. It's a merit of the two of us. - Elsa
Aye. And now you should go to sleep. I hope you will be recovered enough for Sunday. We'll speak soon. Good night Elsa. - LJ
Good night, Liam. - Elsa
Elsa silenced her phone and put it back on her nightstand, resting her head on the pillow. Despite all the odds, everything seemed to be going pretty well. And the fact that she was going to be able to put her knowledge into practice was a great incentive.
She had a slight suspicion that Killian and Emma were going to accept the plan without thinking twice. It seemed pretty clear that the two of them were enjoying these new opportunities offered to be together. With that thought, she finally closed her eyes, praying that she would recover enough to be able to go skating on Sunday because she didn't want to miss that plan for the world.
