Everything seemed to happen all at once. One minute everyone was sitting quietly around the conference table; the next, they were on their feet and talking loudly as the newcomers made their way into the room.
Killian had never thought of himself as shy and awkward before, but something about the whole situation left him feeling a little off-balance. He didn't know either group of people the same way they seemed to know of each other, and he didn't want to interrupt what appeared to be in-depth conversations taking place around him.
Thankfully, the professionals in the room seemed to know exactly what to do, as he soon found himself engaged in conversation with a red-haired beauty named Ariel. After her came a feisty brunette called Ruby, and then a guy named Phillip, who claimed to be a big fan of Killian's. Thomas and Ashley introduced themselves together, explaining that they were partners, both in life and in their chosen profession, before Belle took their place. Everyone seemed wonderfully welcoming and friendly, but none of them were her!
As each professional worked their way around the room, Killian found his eyes tracking Emma Swan's movements. She didn't seem to be following any sort of pattern, like some of her colleagues were, but she also never seemed to glance in his direction. It left him wondering on more than one occasion if she even realised that he was in the room.
Thankfully, Killian didn't seem to be the only one who noticed, as Ruby grabbed hold of Emma's arm the moment she'd finished speaking with Aurora, and asked loudly, "Have you met Killian Jones yet?"
The two women shared a brief look that Killian couldn't quite figure out before they turned to face him. The instant Emma's eyes landed on his face, he felt his palms begin to sweat.
"H… Hi," he croaked out, surreptitiously wiping his hands down the back of his jeans before he extended one in her direction. "I'm Killian. Killian Jones. I'm a musician."
"I know who you are," she replied, eyeing his hand for a moment before finally grasping it and giving him the briefest handshake of his entire life.
Killian felt his brows climb a little, but before he could say anything else, she'd turned and walked away from him. Thankfully, he wasn't standing alone for long, and none of the other professionals that introduced themselves seemed to be as brusque as Emma had been - which left him wondering what exactly he'd done to offend her.
He kept his eyes on her form as the rest of the afternoon progressed, and when Emma suddenly excused herself and headed for the door, Killian apologised to Graham… or Grant… or… whatever his name was, before hurrying out of the room after her.
"Hey! What the hell is your problem with me?" he demanded, when he caught up to her in the empty corridor.
Emma started at the sound of his voice and then took a moment to carefully compose her features before she finally turned around to say, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Seriously? You spent like ten minutes chatting with everyone else in that room and all I get is, 'I know who you are.' What... don't you like my music or something?" Killian knew that he was being unreasonable, but the fact that she'd dismissed him so easily had stung a little, given that she was his entire reason for being there that afternoon. "Well?" he demanded, folding his arms over his chest.
"Fine," she sighed. "You wanna know what my problem is, Killian Jones? You! You're my problem! I know you've been asked to do this show for the last four years running, and I also know you've refused every single time. I've seen the progressively condescending and mocking tone that your agent has used to make your refusals for you. I know exactly what you think about everyone here! So what's changed, huh? Why are we suddenly good enough for you to grace us with your presence? Is your career about to tank? Do you really need the publicity boost that much?"
"My career is perfectly fine, thank you!" he snapped back, because it was easier to be angry at her insinuations about his music than it was to tell her the truth.
"I don't know what game you're playing right now," she said, stepping a little closer to get up in his face, "but I won't be a part of it. I'm not gonna fawn all over you like the rest of them in there, because unlike them, I know I won't see you on that dance floor later this year. I'd rather just pretend that you don't exist because I'm not wasting my time on some loser like you when I could be spending it with people who actually want to get to know me!"
Before Killian could say anything else, she strode straight past him, looking like a goddess of fury in those towering heels, and back into the conference room. For a moment, he was so stunned by her outburst that he couldn't seem to find the right brain command to make himself move. But once he'd processed it all, Killian knew exactly what he needed to do.
Squaring his shoulders, he made his way confidently back into the room and over to where Arthur was standing, laughing along with a group of contestants and professionals gathered around him. The second Killian caught his eye, Arthur excused himself to join the rock star who was lingering close to the large table, right in the centre of the room.
"What can I do for you, Jones?" he asked eagerly.
Killian took a deep breath in, hoping like hell that he wasn't about to ruin his career with what he was going to say, then let it out with a huff.
"I'm ready to sign that contract," he declared loudly, keeping his eyes resolutely away from Emma Swan, even as he became aware of everyone else in the room turning to stare in his direction. Apparently, she hadn't been the only one to doubt his commitment to the show.
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