Gold

{9}

I WALKED into the hospital room to see Ashley holding a baby. Emma and Henry were standing by the bed.

"Hey! What's her name?" I asked Ashley. "Alexandra." She told us. "She's pretty." Emma remarked, then glanced at me. She saw my flushed cheeks with anger.

"Thank you for getting me here." Ashley told us. "Mr. Gold was outside. I made a deal with him, and she's yours." I told her and she smiled.

"Thank you."
She told me. I nodded. "You made a deal with him?" Emma whispered to me. "Yeah." I told her.

Emma glanced up at the clock then. 

"Hey kid. It's almost five. We gotta get you home." Emma told Henry, pulling him with her.

I sent a smile at Ashley before following them out.

I saw Gold standing in the waiting room.

"Claire! Can I talk to you?"
He asked me. Emma stopped and glanced back. "I'm fine, Em. I'll see you at home." I told her and she rushed out.

"What is it?" I asked him, feeling exhausted. I didn't know what to think about him.

"I think I'll take you up on that favor now." He told me and I sighed. "Okay, what is it?" I asked him.

"How about you have a drink with me?" He asked me and I grinned, relieved that the favor was something easy.

"If you wanted to have a drink, all you had to do was ask me." I told him and he smiled.

"So, where to?" I asked him. "I was thinking my place, if that's okay?" He asked me and I nodded. "Sure. I'll drive." I told him and we climbed into his car.

He gave me the address and I pulled up to it. I opened my door and saw his house was pretty big.

He walked ahead of me and unlocked his door. "Come on in." He told me and I nodded, walking in.

"Nice place." I told him. "Not really." He said and I felt like I'd heard that before somewhere. I sat down on his couch while he got the drinks.

I glanced around the room to see it was pretty nice. It looked expensive. He came back and I noticed he wasn't wearing a jacket. I'd never noticed his slim figure before now.

He handed me a glass of wine. I took a sip as soon as he handed it to me. "Hard day?" He asked, taking a sip of his as well.

"Oh yeah." I told him, taking another sip. I took off my jacket and laid it beside me. "So this place is pretty huge." I remarked and he nodded.

"Yeah, but it can get lonely." He remarked, looking around the room well.

"Why haven't you ever gotten married?" I asked him and he sighed.

"I just haven't met the right woman yet." He told me. I wondered who the right woman was.
I tried not to hope it would be me.

"What about you? You're young and beautiful." He told me and I smiled.

"Just haven't met the right guy." I told him. "Well who would be the right guy?" He asked me, stepping closer to me. I stood up and grinned at him.