Emma hated her boss. Hated her so much. She always criticized her.

For coming to late to meetings (which she didn't do, she always showed up punctual although her boss said that she should have been there at least fifteen minutes before the meeting was planned to start).

For not dressing as professional as she should representing their company in front of their clients (but her boss herself hardly dressed professional, especially the last few days. She came in tatty jeans, plain shirts or sporty outfits as if she was going to the gym instead to work)

For not being as successful as she should (she always reached her monthly goals, last months she sold twice as much as the others in her department)

Emma didn't understand. What did she do to earn that much disrespect and hatred? No one liked their boss. She was a dogmatic Even her co workers always go a snide remark or an annoyed look but it was always Emma she picked on.

Emma was definitely ready for leaving the company, for making a progress in her life, move on from this current state and that was mostly because of her. Her boss - Milah Gold.

„Emma?", Mary Margaret looked at her concerned. Emma turned her head and looked directly at her best friend.

Mary Margaret was a petite woman with dark hair and a pixie hair cut and many people underestimated her because of her appearance. She was a bit of a button-up type. Always aware to look neat and clean. If she was wearing a skirt, she wore opaque tights, a petite buttoned blouse and an appropriate necklace. She never wore something too sloppy, too casual. Emma has never seen her in a hoody or in tight leggings or a low-cut shirt or dress.

Emma loved her. She was a calm and big hearted woman, she was always listening or just… there.

„Emma are you alright? You look a bit pale", Mary Margaret's voice soaked through her thoughts and brought her back to reality. She nodded still not able to speak. Mary Margret leaned closer and lowered her voice. „What did she do this time?"

Emma leaned back and sight. „That obvious?" Mary Margret crossed her arms in front of her chest and nodded. „She canceled the meeting at one and rescheduled it to three. So I definitely have to stay longer and…", Emma sighed again, „I had to cancel on Walsh again an he didn't take it well."

„Oh Emma. Let him cool down, he will be much calmer tomorrow", Mary Margret assured her with a genuine smile.

Emma shook her head. „He broke up. It's over and I cannot really blame him. I hardly had time for him the last weeks. When we were together I always complained about her and dumped my emotional waste on him."

Mary Margret placed her hand on Emma's shoulder when someone called her name. She apologized and left. Emma went back to work until half past two. It was a quiet day, she didn't have any customer contact, was only answering emails and updating some old files.

She entered the conference room at two forty-three, waiting for the others to arrive. Emma watched the clock intensely, getting angrier and angrier the minutes went by.

At three twenty-two she dialed Milah's number the third time after checking again if maybe she was in a wrong conference room. At three forty-five Emma packed her belongings and left the conference room, gabbed her purse after checking on Milah's empty office.

She was furious. How dare Milah rescheduling the meeting and not showing up? Emma was deep in thoughts when she bumped into someone, dropping her purse and a file. She cursed silently while she picked her stuff up.

"Apologies, lass. I haven't seen you." Ever looked up and met the most intense, blue eyes she has ever seen in her life. She grabbed the file the same moment the stranger did, their fingers brushing each other's.

Emma was still speechless, she took the file and got up again. "Nah, no need for apologies. It was my fault, I was a bit distracted. I am very sorry." As she wasn't sure if the tall, handsome, dark haired man was a client or a business partner or just a co worker from another department or any one else (more or less important), she decided to be as polite as possible.

"Ah, maybe you can help me, Ms..."

"Swan", Emma completed his sentence smiling politely.

"Ms. Swan", he looked her up and down but it wasn't an unpleasant look over. "Maybe you can help me find Milah Gold's office?"

Emma's smile faltered. "Oh. I am sorry to tell you, but it seems as Milah left." Emma tried to stay calm, her earlier feelings rushing back.

"Too bad. I had hoped to catch her. It can't be helped. Thank you, love. Good bye."

"Good bye", Emma stammered watching him turn and walking to the elevators. "Wait, can I deliver a message to her?"

"No need, lass. I'll come back tomorrow. Good evening, Ms. Swan."

He stepped into the elevator, looking at her one last time smiling. Emma couldn't move. Her eyes were locked with his until the elevator door was closed. She exhaled sharply, trying to not think about those gorgeous cerulean eyes and his very British accent. About his unruly dark mop of hair and his well trimmed scruff.

Emma shook her head, laid the file to the others to be filed tomorrow. She turned off the lights and went home directly. Maybe she should have called Walsh, telling him that there was another change in plans but then she remembered that he broke up with her and to be honest, she wasn't that sad about that fact.

"EMMA!", Milah's annoyed, furious voice was the first she heard when she stepped out of the elevator. She turned around, seeing her boss standing in front of her office, waving at her.

Emma said good bye to Mary Margaret and went to her boss. "Emma, we have a very important client meeting today. Mr. Jones from Jones brothers inc. will decide if his company will work with us together on a huge project or not and I don't know exactly why, but he wants you to be there."

Emma looked at her shocked. "Me?"

"Well, yes. I asked him the same questions but he said that someone recommended you to him and whoever it was it seems the person thinks highly of you."

Emma was taken aback. She stared at her boss, opening her mouth but closing it a second later, not able to think about something to say.

"The meeting is in fifty minutes and be so kind and change, you clearly cannot appear in that outfit."

Emma looked down at herself. She was wearing a red pencil skirt and a decent blouse. Compared to Milah she looked professional without showing off too much of her assets.

Milah didn't wait for an answer and went into her office, slamming the door into Emma's face.

Emma went to her desk and slumped into her chair, putting her face into her hands sighing.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret's voice sounded concerned.

"I have to change and someone wants me to be part of an important business meeting", she mumbled and lifted her head. "Can you imagine who would recommend me? I don't get it."

Mary Margret leaned against her desk and smiled at her. "Maybe now Milah will find out herself what a great person and employee you are."

"How?" Emma wasn't convinced at all.

"Oh honey. You work so hard, did you really think no one will ever notice? Maybe another client told anyone about you. I don't know."

Emma sighed but smiled at her friend in a friendly way. "Maybe. But I don't want to buy new clothes just to impress a stranger or to do Milah a favour."

Mary Margret sighed, she went to her desk and came back with a bag of a boutique two blocks away again. Emma eyed the bag suspiciously.

Her friend pulled out a dress, Emma was thinking to buy for the last couple of weeks. "Mary Margret..."

"That dress will do, Emma. Change an meet me in the conference room in ten minutes", Milah appeared next to them and nodded at Emma hastily.

Emma looked at her while she was walking away and back to Mary Margaret. "Why did you buy that dress?"

"It's for you. I knew you wouldn't buy it, but you raved about the dress every time we pass it and so I bought it for you."

Emma was overwhelmed but she also felt bad. Mary Margret was right, she would have never bought the dress as it was way too expensive in her eyes. Now she felt like a charity case, obliged to take it as Milah had seen and accepted it.

"It's too much", Emma started but her friend just shook her head.

"Take it. Try it on at least. And hurry! You know she hates to wait." Emma flinched, the memories and feelings from yesterday boiling deep inside her. She wasn't able to tell Mary Margaret but now was not the time.

She sighed and took the dress from her friend, hurrying to the toilets to change. It fitted well, better than she had ever imagined. She felt comfortable and self assured.

She stepped out again and went to her desk, earning a big smile from Mary Margaret. Emma rolled her eyes, grabbed her jacket and something to write and went to the conference room.

Half an hour later a tall dark haired man entered to conference room. "Apologies, Milah, I got stuck at the coffee shop down the street."

Emma looked up and froze. It was the stranger from yesterday evening. She tried not to stare but it was too late. "Miss Swan, I assume?! Killian Jones, at your service." He offered her his hand which she took, but he didn't shake it, he lifted it and placed a kiss to her knuckles, making Emma blush immediately.

"Killian, what are you doing here? I thought Liam was going to come."

Killian smiled at Emma and sat down across the table. "Well, Milah, he and I talked about it and actually we wanted to turn your offer down."

Milah huffed annoyed. "And why are you here and couldn't tell me over the phone?"

"Pay attention. I said we wanted not that we are." Emma felt uncomfortable. She felt a bit left out as if she was in the middle of a fight of two lovers. Killian suddenly looked at her. "Well, I went over your files yesterday and I decided to give it a try if you are willing to assure me some benefits."

Milah rolled her eyes. "What kind of benefits?"

"I will choose with whom I work with and you have to stay out of my way."

"I surly will not...", Milah got up and looked at him furiously.

Killian smiled and looked from Milah to Emma and back to Milah. "If you cannot do this to me, I won't accept the offer."

Milah sat down again, grunting annoyed. "And who do you want to work with?"

"Her", he pointed at Emma who was looking at both of them shocked. Milah turned her head and looked at Emma angrily.

"Why her?"

"What a question, have you looked at her file recently? She is your best employee. Has solid sells and brings you more clients than anyone else in you department."

Emma's jaw dropped as Milah's does. But both because of different reasons. Emma was stunned that someone who didn't even know her talked about her like that (by only looking into her file). Milah on the other hand was looking at Killian as if she was going to kill him at any minute.

"Could you leave us alone for a minute, Emma?" Milah turned her head and looked at her directly. Emma got up but Killian interrupted her action.

"No need, to leave the room, love." He smiled at her and turned his head again. "If you are not willing to give me what I want, we have no deal."

"We will find another company who is not blackmailing me."

"Bloody hell, Milah, nobody is blackmailing you. It's the same with you all the time. You never see what you have until you lose it."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Milah got furious, she stood up and pressed her flat hands on the surface of the desk.

"Do you really want me to confess now?" He looked at Emma who was sitting quietly in her stool. "What do you say about it, love?"

"I am sorry, but I do not even know what you two are talking about. I heard about this meeting about an hour ago. You wanted me to be here, so I am." She shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

Killian looked back at Milah. "You didn't even tell you employees?"

Milah shook her head and stared at the surface of the desk. Quietly she surrendered. "So you want her to work with you and what else do you want, Killian?"

"As I told you before. Leave me alone, get out of my way. This is strictly business and I am doing it because I think it will help my company more than yours and if you are not able to manage your feelings for me, this conversation and the whole deal is over." Killian stared at her dangerously.

"Fine. I'll leave you two alone", she looked at Emma furiously, a look Emma knew too good. She knew that Milah will yell at her as soon as Killian left. Maybe even fire her as soon as this deal was done.

Milah tramped out of the conference room, not even looking back at them. As soon as the door closed behind her Killian smiled at Emma.

"I am very sorry that you had to be a witness of that. She and I were together a few years ago and she still don't accept that it's over and that I don't want to have anything to do with her."

"So why are you working with her?"

"I am working with you, love."

Emma blushed. "Right, but it's her department."

Killian nodded and looked at her intensely. "How about we get out of here? Having lunch, talking about the whole deal?"

"I don't know. I do have other work to do and besides I don't even know how I can be useful for you." She sighed trying to avoid his gaze. "And I doubt Milah is allowing me to go."

"She has to. But I don't want you to feel uncomfortable." He got up and smiled at her.

Emma frowned and thought for a minute about it. Maybe this was her chance. What could she lose? She wasn't really fond of her job and especially not working for or with Milah. She looked at Killian, a smile crossing her face. "Let's go. I just need to pick up my purse from my desk."

Killian beamed at her. "Great love. I'll wait at the elevators. Take your time."

Killian smiled at her and opened the door to let her through. She blushed and looked at him again, not used to have a gentleman around. "Thank you, Mr. Jones."