Cloudless Skies

Chapter 3

Killian sat at his table the next evening. Dinner was about to be served and Emma still hadn't shown up. He tapped his fingers on the table impatiently when he heard shouting. He turned his head and saw Emma arguing with a guy in a suit at the entrance of the dining room. He stood up and walked over to them. His hands in his pockets casually.

"What's going on here?" He asked.

Emma glared at the man as he spoke. "Miss Swan was here trying to attend dinner with first class."

"Because I invited her to dine with me, so if you'd be so kind," Killian told the man and he stepped aside so Emma could pass. He held his arm out for her and she threaded hers with his.

"Am I really worth all of this?" She asked him.

"Every bit of it."

Dinner menus were brought out, and some of the staff looked at Emma strangely, but she shrugged it off and ignored them.

"Do you like lobster, love?"

"Yeah, but I don't get to eat it that much."

He smirked. The waiter came over and looked at Killian. "Mr. Jones, it is lovely to see that you attended dinner tonight. And I see you've brought a guest."

"Yes, and we want two lobsters and a bottle of your finest champagne, please." The waiter nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. "How was your day, love?" Killian asked, folding his hands on the table.

"Get to the point, Killian. Why do you want to be around me?"

"Isn't it obvious? I quite fancy you." She blushed and hid her face. He took this time now to look at her outfit. She wore a blood red dress that had long sleeves, and the skirt went down to her feet. Her hair was in a bun, and she wore a stunning headband that looked like it was made of real diamonds. "You look stunning tonight, Swan," he said, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"Thank you. You look as handsome as ever," she replied with a slight blush on her cheeks.

The food and champagne came a little bit later and they dug in. Emma tried to eat like a lady and have her manners, but there were too many forks and not enough hands. She looked down at the place setting with a confused look on her face. She wanted to impress Killian, but he already knew that she worked for her money. She didn't have a rich family who could pass down their fortune to her. Her headband was a fake. Her earrings were fake. Wearing fancy dresses wasn't her. She liked loose and comfortable ones. Things that she could actually breathe in. She risked a glance up at him, and he was tearing the shell apart with his hands. She giggled and grabbed the smallest fork, and started to pull the meat from her lobster out.

"Tell me about yourself, love," Killian said, grabbing one of the forks and started to scoop the meat out from his lobster.

"Well, I lived on a farm with my parents until I was eighteen. After they both passed away, I inherited the farm."

"Then why are you here?"

"I wasn't able to keep up with all the duties myself. I had to sell the farm and that's when Mr. Gold found me and offered me a job here."

"And how old are you now?"

"Twenty two."

"I'm sorry about your parents."

She shrugged. "It's okay." She held back her tears as she remembered them. Her mother who used to sing to her every night before bed. Her father who taught her how to fight.

"My father sent me on this cruise to help me get settled into a decision that I'm not happy with. He is running out of money, so he is forcing me to marry a girl. I've never met her, and I'm positive that I can't love her. Her family comes from a line of wealthy people, but they are rude and have absolutely no manners."

"You're engaged and you are on a date with me. Wonderful," Emma said the last part sarcastically.

"Well I'd much rather be with you." He smirked at her. "Maybe when the ship docks at the end of the month, you can find another line of work."

"I need my money now, Killian."

"Love, I really hope it works out."

She nodded and took another sip of her champagne. After dinner ended, her and Killian walked out on the top deck. She didn't want to go back to her cabin because she knew Neal was waiting for her. She knew he was going to yell at her for going to dinner with a first class guest and that she had eaten with them. But she also didn't want to leave Killian. She liked the way he rubbed circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. She liked the warm gazes he gave her. They stopped on the side of the deck and looked up at the clear sky. A sea breeze blew by and she shivered slightly, but tried not to let it become obvious that she was cold. He looked over at her and immediately took his coat off.

"You'll get cold," she simply stated, but didn't refuse the coat as he wrapped around her.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that you aren't."

She smiled and put her head down on his shoulder. She wasn't sure how long they were there, but eventually, he took her back to her cabin. She felt somewhat bad that he was walking her to a cabin that was in the lower class section of the ship. "Thank you for the amazing evening, Killian," she told him. He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles again. When he released her hand, she took his jacket off and gave it back to him.

"Do you want to join me again tomorrow?" He asked, hoping she would say yes.

"I can't because I have to wait tables tomorrow. But I'll still be able to see you."

He pouted. "Meet me at my cabin after your done?"

"Of course." He kissed her cheek and waited for her to get into her cabin before he walked back to his.