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Thirty minutes.
It had been thirty minutes since the brunette Aussie had sat across from him and began babbling about how excited she was for this blind date and how she hoped her friend Ruby wasn’t too pushy about setting them up or something like that. He would have almost felt bad if her actual blind date, Jefferson Hatter, sporting the same apparent indicator that he was her partner as Gold was (“Love the idea of wearing a purple tie! I was able to find you right away.”), hadn’t given him a wink and raised his glass, apparently settling in to enjoy the show.
Gold, however, didn’t mind so much.
From her babbling Gold gathered that the brunette was Belle French, the florist’s daughter back from studying abroad in her home in Australia. She loved traveling and books and after a while if eating his food silently (Belle’s own barely touched) he stopped listening to her words and instead focused on the way her lovely accent moved over them. He suddenly didn’t matter if she meant to sit with him or not. After all, it was him she was taking to now, and she’d learn the truth about the dragon of the pawn shop soon enough.
Mr. Gold always got what he wanted. And right now, he wanted Belle French.
“I’m sorry.” She finally said, cheeks turning a delicious shade of pink. “I’ve been banking haven’t I? Tell me about you.”
“Well…” He began, putting his fork down. “I’m from Glasgow. I share your love of books and traveling. I run a pawn shop, own half the town and…” He watched as recognition flashed behind her eyes and she paled. “I’m not your date, dearie.”
Jefferson let out a laugh as Belle gaped at Gold from across the table. She blinked, her eyes flickering to the wine and plate of chicken marsala she’d been pecking away at and then back to him.
“You’re not…”
He didn’t fight his grin. “Afraid not.”
Belle buried her face in her hands, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment. The poor thing looked miserable. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Because he’d been too busy listening to her accent and watching the way her blue eyes sparkled. “Well I couldn’t really get a word in edgewise, dearie. It’s been thirty minutes already I’m afraid your date might have left.”
Hatter have him another wink and Gold was suddenly grateful he was being such a good sport about this. Belle, on the other hand, looked mortified.
“I’m so sorry. The purple tie I thought…but you weren’t and I disturbed whatever night you were having…” She reached for her purse, pulling it into her lap. “I’m sorry I’ll pay for my food and go…”
Panic suddenly surged through the pawn broker at the prospect of her leaving. “What ever for?” He asked coolly. “We haven’t even had dessert. Are you not having a good time?”
Belle looked at him with confusion in her eye. “But you’re not…”
“No, but I can be. Besides, you were on a blind date. Just because it wasn’t with the man you were set up with is no reason to run out with breadsticks stuffed into your purse.”
This made her sit back in her chair, staring at him in bewilderment. “You…want to continue as if you were my date?”
Gold nodded. “If you like, dearie.”
The worry and confusion was replaced with a smile almost instantly as Belle giggled and put her purse back in its place. She leaned forward again, taking a bite of her chicken dish.
“Good. You’re quite handsome. I would have hated to humiliate myself like that.” Belle said, and this time she was grinning as Gold’s cheeks burned. Both she and Jefferson giggled. “So tell me about yourself Mr. Gold. Are the rumors true? Do you make babies cry upon approach?”
It took Gold a moment to regain clarity, but once out of his daze he only rolled his eyes, pretending to be indifferent. “Depends on your definition of babies. The things in cradles or the grown men that can’t pay their rent on time?”
She laughed, and that felt like a victory. He relaxed, starting to babble himself now as Jefferson tipped his hat to them and walked out. It was only later, after slipping her number into Gold’s breast pocket that she’d receive the text from Ruby asking how the hell two men wore a purple tie to Tony’s that night.