Summary: One of Gold's clients is a little bit touchy-feely, and Belle decides to cement her claim on her man.
Note: After 'Millionaire's Shortbread', someone wanted to see the situation reversed with Belle getting jealous.
Pistachio Macaroon
If Emma was surprised when she walked into the café to begin her shift to find Belle perched awkwardly on one of the high stools next to the window, staring out of the glass with an extremely fierce expression, then she did not show it.
"Are you sure you wouldn't be more comfortable on one of the sofas, Belle?" she asked. "Or even, you know, a normal chair?"
Belle shook her head and continued her steady glare out of the window. It was at that point that Emma realise that she was staring upwards, and that her eyeline was level with the window of Gold's office in the building opposite. Unperturbed, Emma came up beside her and followed her gaze.
There was nothing to see in the window. There generally never was, Gold's desk was out of view and only a very small sliver of the room could be seen from this angle. Emma looked at the window, then at Belle, then back to the window, and unseen beside her friend, she raised an eyebrow before turning to Ruby behind the counter.
Ruby spread her hands in a gesture of defeat and confusion, and Emma left Belle to her own devices, blaming her strange behaviour on her pregnancy and hormones doing very odd things. As she put her apron on and came round to join Ruby, her colleague took her to one side and whispered.
"She hasn't moved in an hour and a half." Ruby sounded rather worried. "Something's up, but she won't say what it is. She's either had a fight with Gold or she's been abducted by aliens and we're looking at a very shoddy replica."
Emma wasn't quite sure that she subscribed to either of Ruby's theories, or to her assertion that there were only those two possible explanations. Belle was not the type to fume furiously and silently if a blazing row had taken place, and Emma's belief in UFOs and little visitors from outer space was so low as to be non-existent.
For the next ten minutes, Emma and Ruby continued to watch Belle as she continued to watch Gold's office window, still glowering and still unmoving.
Presently, she spoke.
"Emma," she began.
"Yes Belle?"
"Does Henry still have his telescope?"
"Yes Belle."
"Can I borrow it please?"
"Belle, why do you need a telescope?"
"Because I can't see well enough," Belle muttered. She got off the stool with some degree of awkwardness given her now very apparent baby bump, and came over to the counter, where she let out a long sigh and leaned on the cake display glass.
"Belle, why are you spying on Gold?" she asked.
"Because I want to prove to myself that I'm right." Belle wrung her hands. "I hate doubting. I know I've got nothing to worry about but there's still that little niggle that I can't get rid of, and I hate having that doubt and I want to get rid of it."
Emma hoped her confusion was not apparent in her face, but even after Belle's garbled speech had come to its conclusion and she had spent a few minutes processing it, she was still no closer to knowing what on earth her friend was talking about.
"Belle, what's happened?" Ruby asked plainly. "Why are you suspicious of your husband and the father of your unborn child?"
Belle placed one hand on her belly forlornly. "I know I shouldn't be and I know it's nothing. But I saw a woman in his office. And that would never normally worry me because well, she's a client, but there was something about her, the way she acted… She was very tactile."
Ruby gave a snort of laughter. "Oh Belle, there's no need to be jealous of a touchy-feely client," she said. "Certainly not to the stalking extent."
"I know!" Belle moaned. "I know that, that's what I just said. I know everything's all right, I just want to be sure."
"Well, there's one surefire way to be sure," Emma said, casting a glance over Belle's shoulder out of the cafe window. "Ugh, too many sures in one sentence." She nodded in the direction she had just been looking and Belle turned. Gold and his handsy lady client were just leaving the law office. The woman went off in the direction of the precinct exit and Gold came towards the cafe, his demeanour immediately changing. He caught Belle's eye through the glass and drew a line across his throat.
"Tea," he said to Emma as soon as he came in. "Extra strong and with half a bottle of gin on the side. Good grief, kill me now."
Emma had to laugh. "That bad huh?"
Gold nodded and came over to the counter, slipping his arm round Belle to kiss her.
"Maybe you can reassure your wife that you aren't going to run off with your ginger femme fatale then," Ruby said. Belle wriggled in embarrassment.
"I blame the hormones," she muttered.
Gold just shook his head in good-natured despair and pulled Belle closer. "No Belle. I am not running off with Zelena Greene. She's at least three radishes short of a salad. Probably more."
Ruby snorted. "Seriously?"
Gold nodded, a worried expression on his face. "I have never before been tempted to 'pull a Dawn' as it is known in local parlance, but today… I am very glad there was a large desk between us. Still, my dear." He turned to Belle. "We can't have you being jealous. If anyone's going to be jealous around here, it ought to be her."
Belle sighed and leaned into Gold's shoulder. "How can I make her jealous though?"
There was an exclamation of triumph from behind the cake display and Emma turned to her colleague. Ruby was wearing an expression that Emma was not quite sure how to describe, something between a Cheshire cat grin of victory and something akin to merciless glee. The overall effect was really quite terrifying.
"I've got the perfect plan."
X
Since Gold had a vague idea of Zelena's schedule from when she was available to consultations, and since he knew that she was new to the area, their plot was deceptively simple. In the end, the plan turned out to be perfectly timed and even more effective than they could have hoped for.
Ruby was in the Guildhall reception area chatting to Kathryn when Zelena came in. She had to do a double take at first as the woman appeared to have more cleavage than was strictly decent prior to the watershed.
"Good afternoon Miss Greene," Kathryn said brightly. "How can we help you today?"
"I have some documents for Mr Gold." Zelena fingered the manila envelope she was holding, eyeing Ruby cautiously.
"Hey, don't mind me, I'm just delivering lunch," Ruby said, picking up the basket that had been sitting innocently on the reception desk and omitting to mention that she had in fact delivered lunch half an hour previously.
Kathryn clicked a few icons on her computer. "I'm afraid Mr Gold is out at the moment on his lunch break. I can hang onto these for you though." She held out a hand for the envelope, which Zelena clutched closer to her chest.
"I'd really rather give them to him in person," she said. "When will he be back?"
"Well…" Kathryn sighed. "I really can't say. He has no appointments this afternoon, so it's plausible that he may go and work from home or go to the law library."
"He said that he needed these urgently," Zelena pressed.
"He's probably at the library," Ruby said. "I'm going there now, if you give me a minute to pick up my next order I'll show you the way."
Zelena nodded gratefully and followed Ruby out of the office. On their entrance to the café, Ruby gave Emma a surreptitious thumbs up, and her friend gave a sly grin, disappearing into the kitchen to fetch Ruby's delivery and to text Tina regarding the next stage of their plan.
"One of the librarians is heavily pregnant," Ruby explained to Zelena by way of making small talk as Emma filled the basket again. "She's craving our carrot cake morning, noon and night, and apparently we're the only place in town who'll make up her weird sandwich fillings. Are you new in town?"
Ruby kept Zelena chatting happily all the way to the library. It was really quite easy to do so, since all Ruby had to do was nod in all the right places whilst Zelena talked, about moving to the area and her new house, but mainly about Gold. When they entered the library, Ruby gave Tina a puzzled look over Zelena's shoulder. "Where are they?" she mouthed. The idea had been that Gold would be at the issue desk talking to the very pretty, very pregnant librarian who would be introduced as his wife. However, neither Belle nor Gold were anywhere to be seen. Tina just winked.
"Can I help you, ladies?" she asked politely.
"We're looking for Gold," Ruby said. "Urgent document delivery. Have you seen him?"
"Oh yes." Tina's smile was positively wicked as she took the lunch parcels from Emma's basket. "You'll find him in Ancient Japanese History. Aisle seventy-three."
As soon as Ruby heard the words 'aisle seventy-three', she knew exactly what was happening and she didn't know whether she wanted to be witness to what was coming next as Zelena trotted down the rows of stacks to locate Ancient Japanese History. Thanks to Belle and Tina, the legend of aisle seventy-three was well-known to the café staff.
In the end, Tina made the decision for her.
"Follow her!" she hissed. "I want to see her face when she finds him but I can't leave the desk!"
Ruby hurried down the library after Zelena, who had come to a stop at the end of aisle seventy-three. She had gone completely bleach white and her jaw was heading towards the floor. Ruby came up next to her and peered round the edge of the stack, and she had to grin at the sight that met her.
She had seen Belle and Gold kiss before. That was not so much of a surprise. But generally, when they were in polite company, their public displays of affection were comparatively chaste; Ruby had never yet witnessed what Henry would term a full-on snogging session. Until now. It was really quite romantic to watch, all told. Ruby noted with pride that Belle, who normally wore flattering empire lines since starting to show, had chosen today to really flaunt her bump.
It took the envelope slithering out of Zelena's grasp and landing with a flat splat on the linoleum to break the couple out of their close clinch.
"Oh, hello," Gold said, genuinely surprised to see Zelena and Ruby at the end of the row. "Erm… Belle, this is Miss Greene. Miss Greene, my wife Belle."
Zelena was completely speechless.
"Belle, Tina's got your sandwich at the front desk," Ruby said helpfully to break the silence. "Extra pickles as requested."
"Thank God, I'm starving," Belle said, but she made no move to exit the aisle.
Eventually, Zelena came back to herself and picked up the fallen envelope, thrusting it towards Gold, who thanked her and slid the papers into his inside pocket.
"Erm… enjoy your lunch!" Zelena blurted out, before turning on her heel and walking out of the library at a pace that was just a little bit too hurried to be natural. Emma watched her leave then turned back to Belle, who was wearing a very satisfied smile.
"Oh, I intend to," Belle said.
"Aisle seventy-three," Ruby smiled. "I might have guessed."
"Well, now seemed like the perfect opportunity to test it out," Belle said mildly. "Didn't it, darling?" She gave Gold another kiss, although not quite as forceful as before.
"Indeed it did."
Aisle seventy-three of the central lending library, home to Ancient Japanese History, was one of the most secluded spots in the building and was famous as a clandestine rendezvous point, to the extent where 'going to aisle seventy-three' was a widely accepted euphemism among the library staff.
"Are you feeling happier now?" Ruby asked as they made their way back to the issue desk to retrieve lunch. Her friend smiled.
"Oh, infinitely happier."
"Excellent." Ruby picked up the basket and made to leave. "By the way, Gold, you've got lipstick on your collar. Just thought you ought to know."