Gold

{3}

I STARED at him for a second, wondering why I kept running into him. His brown eyes twinkled and I found myself entranced in them again. "I know I'm good looking, dearie, but there's no need to stare." Mr. Gold said suddenly and I blushed.

"I wasn't-" I started, but then stopped at my weak defense. Mr. Gold slipped into the seat beside me then.

"So, Miss Claire, how long will you be staying in town?" He asked me, and I found myself liking how my name sounded from his mouth. Weird.

"I don't know really. I guess a while." I told playing with my ring again. "Where will you be staying?" He asked me, and I turned to him then, meeting his eyes. "I have a room at the inn for now." I told him, for some reason I wanted to tell him everything.

There was something about him. It felt like it was drawing me in. "You will be looking for alternate accommodations, I assume?" He asked me and I nodded.

"I suppose. I mean, I will be staying for a while."
I told him, then looked away from his fascinating eyes.

"Why?" I asked him, for I wanted to know why he even cared. What was it to him where I lived? He seemed taken aback, and then he smirked.

"Well, I happen to own some apartments. Perfect living space for one person." He informed me.

Of course. I remembered what Granny told Emma and I last night, about how Mr. Gold owned the town. I thought she'd been exaggerating, but apparently not.

"Oh. I suppose I'll check those out soon, but it will have to be after I get my first paycheck." I told him and he nodded.

"So you have a job now?" He asked me and I wondered why he was even interested.

"Yes. At the school." I told him shortly, fiddling with my ring again. "Oh. I didn't take you for the teacher type." He remarked and I faced him again. He was smirking.

"Really? What exactly is the teacher type?" I asked him, feeling a little offended.

"Oh. You know. Like Mary Margaret. Practically a nun." He told me and I scoffed. "What makes you think I'm not like a nun?" I countered and he grinned. "I'd like to think I have better taste than that." He told me and I wondered what he was doing. Was he actually flirting with me?

"What do you have against nuns?" I asked him, really wondering. Nuns were the kindest people. Most of them ran orphanages. What could he have against them?

"That's a story for another day, dearie." He told me. "Dearie?" I asked him, raising my eyebrows. The word sounded familiar somehow. Like I'd heard it before. "It's just something I say." He told me with a grin.

That grin sure was a showstopper, I thought to myself. "Why? Did you think I'd reserved it just for you?" He asked me and I rolled my eyes. "No. Of course not."

He smirked. "I really must be going now. But it was nice to see you again, dearie." He told me and stood up.

I smiled as he walked out of the restaurant. I turned back to see Ruby staring at me. "Gold? Really?" She asked me, leaning against the counter.

"What?" I asked her, taken aback, and she grinned. "Oh come on. You were totally flirting with him." She said and I laughed.

"I don't have time for flirting." I told her simply and she just grinned. "There's always time for flirting." She said.

I stood up then, quickly paying for my food. I walked into the street and saw Emma Swan, wearing a white tank top and looking murderous.

I walked up to her cautiously. "Hey!" I called to her and she whirled to face me, her murderous look softening for a second.