Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.
You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.
Click here
When his eyes lifted from the screen and spanned the distance across the room, he was blown away by what he saw at the door. Golden blonde, a sharp red dress that clung to soft curves and was cut below her thighs, exposing gorgeous, long legs that could drive a man wild.
Killian swallowed thickly. He wasn't expecting David's sister to be hot. He wasn't completely certain that was her, but he realized his intuition was spot on when the hostess led her to the table.
Emma came from behind her and slid into the seat across from him. It wasn't until then when he finally saw her face. He had to blink a few times to make sure his eyes weren't failing him. But no, they were indeed not. The woman before him was same person who sat next to him in the computer lab. At the time, she was wearing a gray beanie and a long matching sweater with a white t-shirt and black leggings, but he'd recognize those glittering green eyes and enticing red lips anywhere. Killian smirked, pleased with this nice surprise. This night might not be so bad after all.
Before Emma could look at him, the hostess had grabbed her attention, telling them the waitress would be right with them.
"Thank you," she smiled and as the hostess left, Emma's eyes finally connected with his. He was wearing a goofy grin as he saw the changes in her expression. After her lashes fluttered a few times, mirroring the reaction he had, the dullness in her eyes instantly lit up and her pale cheeks flushed with pink, making her look even more lovely than she already was. "You're...?"
"The devilishly handsome guy from the lab?" he finished when she couldn't seem to find the rest of the words. "Aye. Killian Jones." He extended his hand across the table.
"Emma Nolan."
She seemed bewildered as she shook his hand.
"Wow, I was expecting some nerd with glasses and metal braces," she laughed.
"Me too," he chuckled with her and the nervous tension seemed to drop about a hundred decibels.
"I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing, actually," she told him.
He agreed. The fact that she was stunning and seemed to be normal was both a curse and a blessing. He wasn't expecting to actually enjoy this date, which he preferred because his heart was already set on someone else. But how could he not enjoy the company of this gorgeous blonde in front of him?
The waitress approached and asked them what they wanted to drink.
"Shall we order some wine?" he asked Emma. He was definitely going to need alcohol to get through this night with his wits still in tact.
"Yes, please."
He ordered some white wine and the waitress left to fetch a bottle.
"So, why does a guy like you need to be set up with his friend's sister, anyway?" Emma placed her elbows on the table and leaned in with her chin resting in her hands, a curious stare taking hold of him.
He scratched a spot behind his ear as he gave her a tentative smile. Should he tell her the truth? "To be honest, I only agreed to this date to get Dave off my back. I lost my girlfriend a while ago and he thought I needed to get back in the dating game I suppose. But the truth is, I'm actually seeing someone. He doesn't know that though."
Emma's features actually transformed. A skittish expression turned into relief, the worry lines melting and relaxing in front of him. "I am so glad you said that..." she confessed.
He quirked a brow at that. "Really?"
"Yeah. I'm secretly kind of seeing someone too, but my brother and his girlfriend pretty much forced this date on me. And I couldn't tell them about this guy because... well you know them... need I say more?"
He chuckled. "No. I understand completely. Telling the two of them about something even casual would be like being on the witness stand. Being asked uncomfortable questions and being scrutinized and it's just better not to lie because they can tell if you're being untruthful."
"I know, right? God, they don't know when to keep their noses out my business. They're like my parents for crying out loud."
The waitress came back and poured the wine into the two glasses in front of them before leaving. They hadn't even looked at the menu yet so they each picked one up, scanning the selection.
"I am actually relieved you're taken. But what do we tell them?"
"Hmmm... good question..." Emma put her finger under her chin in contemplation. "Why don't we just tell them the date went horribly?" she suggested before taking a sip of wine, her other hand still holding the menu in front of her.
"But they're going to want specific details."
Emma looked from menu, a hint of mischief in her smile. "So we make something up. That would be a good way to pass the time anyway, right?"
Killian smirked, taking a sip from his own glass. "I like the way you think, lass."
After they made their selections and ordered their food, they nursed their drinks, plotting their plan.
"Ooh, I know. What if you showed up completely trashed and made crude comments," she offered a little too enthusiastically.
"I like that idea but I don't think Davey would buy it. He knows me too well to believe that."
"Yeah, you're right. And by the way, I'm the only one allowed to call him that," she teased playfully.
"Apologies, lass. Won't let it happen again," he said with a smile.
"But he might believe it if I showed up drunk."
"But wouldn't he just want to reschedule the date then?'
She gestured a finger at him in agreement. "Good point."
He wagged his own finger, coming up with the perfect solution. "Unless, it was so awful that it was traumatizing for me," he suggested with a wicked grin. She looked at him, intrigued as she leaned in closer her arms resting on the table. His eyes subconsciously fell to the view she was offering, the swell of her breasts peaking out from the low cut of her dress. He quickly caught himself and met her eyes again. "He knows I'm vulnerable because of my loss." His face grew more serious as he continued. "My girlfriend died in a car accident a year ago at a young age, so he knows I'm still fragile from it."
Her face fell in sympathy and reached over the table, taking his hand. He could feel the sparks from her touch as she soothed her thumb over his knuckle. "I'm so sorry."
"It's fine." He released his hand from her hold and quickly switched back to what they were discussing before to change the subject. "What if you made some rude comments when I told about my late girlfriend and you threw a jealous fit?" He was so going to berate himself for this later. How could he use the death of his Milah to deceive his friend? He was going to hell for this, he was sure of it.
"Are you sure?" she asked, surprised that he would suggest such a thing.
"No, but if it gets Dave off my back then I'm willing to try anything."
"Okay. Should we go into specifics?" she asked, circling her finger around the rim of her wine glass, drawing his attention. His eyes were transfixed on those fingers and he had to force himself to look away again.
"Probably. Her name was Milah and she died in a car accident before her 21st birthday. She and I were pretty serious at the time. In fact..." His throat grew dry at the memories. "I was going to ask her to marry me."
"Oh..." she breathed.
"Its alright, Emma. I'm fine with this," he assured her, but he was more or less trying to convince himself.
"Okay." She let a long breath, trying to come up with something. "So, I'm thinking I should show up sober. We start talking and getting to know one another and I order wine. We talk about past relationships and I keep drinking to numb the ache from my breakup because I haven't fully recovered (which I have by the way)."
"Excellent," he agreed with enthusiasm. This was totally going to work.
"Then, you tell me about Milah and by that time I'm on my fourth glass, so I make some snarky comment."
"Good, but they're going to want to know what the comment is."
"Right." Emma chewed on her lip as she thought of something. "Okay... so I would never actually say this..." she assured him. "But, I could say something like, 'so you still think about her?' and you reply 'yes.' I start to get upset and start yelling things like 'That's just great. So you'll probably think of her while we had sex too.' You try to assure me that you wouldn't just to calm me down but then I stand up and shout at you, saying that I wouldn't sleep with you if you the last person on earth anyway. I throw my drink at you and stumble out of the restaurant angrily."
He looked at her, impressed as they received their entrees from the waitress. The lass had fire. It was really a shame they were both already seeing other people. "Wow, lass... that's bloody brilliant."
She looked down, stabbing her food with a fork, feeling a little ashamed that she came up with that. "Sorry, I was trying to channel jealous, drunk girl while thinking about how my jealous ex-boyfriend used to talk to me."
Killian picked up his fork to start on his plate of food. "Sorry that you had to go through that, lass," he said sincerely. "But, no need to explain. David and Margaret will definitely buy it. But being the gentleman that I am, we should tell them that I followed you out and took your keys to keep you from driving in your condition and called you a cab."
"Good idea. So, you don't think Dave will ask you to give me a second shot?" She asked before taking a bite of her food.
"No, I think he'll make you apologize for sure but he wouldn't ask again."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
They continued to eat their food, tweaking little details of their plan before engaging in pleasant conversation. They talked about school and different classes they were taking, playfully bashing some of the professors they had. When the night neared its inevitable end, Killian was actually sad to have to say goodbye. They walked outside to Emma's car that was parked on the side of the road.
"Well, I have to admit..." Emma hesitated as her eyes looked down at the ground before coming back up to meet his. "I actually had fun tonight." She gave him a smile that made his breath hitch. Then she stepped in his space and leaned in, pressing a kiss to his cheek. The feel of her soft lips and breath made him shudder as she pulled away.
A smirk managed to pull at his lips as he felt blush taking over his cheeks. "Me too." It was actually the most fun he'd had in a long time. He enjoyed his nightly texting with Buttercup of course, but it was hard to beat being in the physical presence of great company.
"I guess I'll see you at school maybe?"
He nodded. "Maybe I'll start using the computer lab more often."
"Okay," Emma laughed. His heart actually fluttered at the sound.
He had to steady his breathing as he went around to the driver's side and opened the door for her. She looked at him in surprise. "Wow, you really are a gentleman." She gave him a seductive smile and lifted her hand to wave at him before getting in her yellow bug. "Bye Killian. It was nice meeting you again."
"You too. Bye, love." He shut the door and as she pulled away he couldn't seem to shake the unsettling familiarity about her, other than when he met her in the lab. He had gotten a closeup of her lips when she kissed him and for some reason, they seemed oddly familiar to him, but he couldn't quite put his fingers on it. And then her fingers and the view he had gotten when she leaned over the table; he swore he had seen those breasts and slender fingers before. He obviously had too much wine, he deemed. As he walked to his car, he brushed his fingers along the cheek she had touched with her lips, feeling utterly perplexed.
~
Killian's head was spinning in a whirlwind as he drove into the parking lot of the university. He was wondering whether he should tell Buttercup about his date, but he also couldn't stop thinking about his mate's sexy, blonde sister. He had to stop that. Although, it really wasn't his fault. He needed a real relationship. He was done with being lonely and a relationship with his phone was just not going to do anymore. He was going to give Buttercup an ultimatum, he decided. He told her before that he would wait, but he just couldn't anymore.
Being on a real date with a great woman, no matter how much it was forced, reminded him who he was and what he wanted; a normal relationship, romantic candle-lit dinners and great conversation. He wanted all of that so why should he settle for less? He's suffered heartbreak and loss that no twenty-one year old should and has spent one long and miserable year bathing in grief. It was finally time for him to move on. That's what Milah would have wanted. He knew that's what he would have wanted for Milah if the situation was reversed.
Killian saw David waiting for him when he got out of his car. He went over in his head for the hundredth time what he and Emma had discussed. It was very important that he got it right because their stories had to match precisely.
He sucked in a deep breath, putting on an angry face before he walked up to his mate with purpose.
"Hey, Killian, how did the date go?"
Killian glared at him, a firm set to his jaw as he walked up to him. He put his hands on his hips as he stopped, holding a dramatic pose. "How in the bloody hell could you set me up with her?" He asked in a firm, demanding tone.
David had a puzzled look on his face. "What do you mean?"
"My date with your sister was the most horrible date I've ever been on," he lied. "How could you set me up with such an awful woman?"
David threw his hands up in a defensive gesture. "Okay, just calm down and tell me what happened."
"Well, first of all, she showed up a half an hour late." That was something they had added on when finalizing their plan. Then Killian went on to tell David the rest of the story he and Emma had carefully concocted. He told him how Emma had gotten trashed and how she made those rude comments when he mentioned Milah. He mentioned how Emma threw her drink in his face and stormed off mad and how Killian called her a cab.
By the time he was through, David was standing there like a statue completely stunned and appalled at what he had heard. "Are you sure that was Emma? I mean, she can be quite obnoxious and tipsy when she's drunk but what you're telling me doesn't sound like her."
"It was her, trust me." Killian conjured up a torn look as he stepped into David's space, pointing a finger in his face. "Never again will I go on date with someone you set up for me." He dropped his hand, turning around to walk away. He felt guilt pulling at his gut for putting on a show and lying to his friend, but it had to be done.
"Wait, Killian..."
Killian stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at his friend again.
David looked down in shame. "I'm really sorry... I had no idea that she would do something like that. I'm definitely going to talk to her about that, believe me."
Killian sighed dramatically. "It's alright, Dave. It's not your fault. I'm just not ready to date again."
David nodded. "And I knew that. I'm sorry I pressured you... I was just looking out for you."
"Why don't we just forget about it, aye?" Killian asked as they started walking and he gave David a friendly pat on the shoulder.
David flashed him a weak smile. "Okay."
~
Killian trudged through the door of his apartment when he got home and scoured the refrigerator for a snack before dinner. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see that it was Buttercup. He swallowed thickly as he shut refrigerator door. It had been a week since his date with Emma and he still hadn't told Buttercup yet. But tonight would be the night. They had planned on watching a movie and ordering Chinese takeout. He didn't know if he should wait until before or after, but then decided to get it out of the way and hopefully she won't think anything of it.
Buttercup: Hey there, Captain. Did you decide on a movie yet?
Captain: Not yet. Actually there was something else that's been on my mind that I thought I should tell you.
Buttercup: Uh-oh, this doesn't sound good. What is it?
Killian sucked in a deep breath before he typing a very long response, erasing and correcting anything he didn't like as he went.
Captain: Well, when I told you I was going to the library last Friday, I was actually going somewhere else. My friend begged me to go on this date and I was only doing it for him. It meant nothing but it made me realize something... for the first time in a long time, I wanted to be in an actual relationship. You see, my girlfriend died a year ago and since then, it's been one-night stands and drunken, lonely nights. That was until I met you. And I know I told you I would wait until you're ready, but if you're not willing to meet me by now then I have to move on. I need to be with someone who wants what I want. I'm sorry if this upsets you and I'm sorry this text ended up being so long, but I needed to say these things. And if you're ready to meet me like I hope you are, then I would very much like to take you on a proper date that involves a nice dinner, soft music, candlelight and intimate conversation. I would like to get to know you and I want to spend time with you face to face and not just through text. If you are interested in any of these things too, then let's take the next step. If you would prefer things to stay as they are, then I would understand, but I can't be that guy for you anymore.
He paused for a moment, his thumb lingering over the send button. This message was either going to make or break them, so he read it over and over to make sure he wanted to do this. Finally, he hit send and hoped for the best.
Surprisingly, she sent a reply much faster than he had expected. Did she even read it all?
Buttercup: Wait, you lied to me?
Before he got done reading, another was sent.
Buttercup: You told me you were at the library and instead you were on a date with someone else?
And another right after that.
Buttercup: If it meant nothing, then why did you lie about it?
Killian swallowed thickly, his thumbs panicking as he typed as quickly as he could.
Captain: I know, I'm sorry. I was just afraid of how you would react and I admit it was a lousy thing to do. I'm sorry love.
Buttercup: Don't call me love! In fact don't text me either!! If you lied about that then what else did you lie about? Are you even a 22 year old college student? You know what? It doesn't even matter because I don't ever want to talk to you again... I'm blocking your number...
His heart sank when he read her last text. Why couldn't he have just told her the truth in the first place.
Captain: I promise you that I am who I say I am. Please, I'm so sorry.
After he sent it, he didn't get a response back. Cursing himself, he pressed the call button, but it went straight to an automated voice-mail.
"Fuck..." he breathed, not believing what just happened. He was about two seconds from throwing his phone into the wall but stopped himself. Maybe after she cooled down and thought about it for a while, she would text him again. He clutched his phone tightly in his hand and went to bed like that, prepared for a response from her.
When he awoke the next morning, his eyes quickly flew open and checked his phone, but there was nothing.
~
"So, what are you doing this weekend?"
"Not sure."
David sighed over the phone. "Look, Killian, I've noticed you've been going downhill again. What's going on?"
"It's nothing. Just stressed out from my school-load, that's all."
"Well, you should get out this Friday and go with me and Robin to the bar. You could use a break."
Killian sighed in exasperation. "Fine, I'll think about it."
He didn't think about it. The only thing on his mind these days was Buttercup. It had been a whole month and he had still not heard one word from her since that night. After that, he found himself slowly falling off the deep end again, drowning in sorrow and regret. He may have stayed away from alcohol and women but that was going to change.
