Ruby hums along with the track that's playing as she sweeps the debris from the dancefloor. She likes this part of the night; when everyone's gone and the bar is empty. The weariness in her bones is a gentle reminder of an evening of hard work. Hard work she barely even noticed because she loves every single moment she gets to spend in this bar. In her bar. Boston isn't short of gay bars and clubs, but Ruby's has quickly built up a reputation for being a friendly and welcoming place for anyone to come and be their true selves. And Ruby couldn't be prouder of that fact.
Setting her broom aside for a moment, Ruby lifts the remaining couple of chairs, turning them upside down and placing them on a table so that she can sweep underneath. Her eyes catch on a glimmer of silver against the dark tiles and she stoops to pick up a very expensive purse. Her lips creep up in a smile as she realises who the owner is. An absolutely stunning brunette with olive skin and deep brown eyes, who had obviously tried to dress casually, but still stood out a mile in her tight, but classy, purple dress. Ruby had noticed her the second she walked in, looking terrified and clinging to the arm of a gorgeous blonde with a wicked smile. They were accompanied by a handsome, cheerful looking man. It was clear that the brunette was there under duress. From Ruby's position behind the bar, she watched as the blonde and the guy pointed out several women, only to earn a scowl and a shake of the head. As with many of her customers, Ruby tried to figure out their story. She eventually decided that the brunette was newly out, and her friends were trying to set her up. It had been her intention to go over and introduce herself at some point, but the bar was crazy busy and by the time she got a minute to herself, the threesome had gone. An odd feeling of disappointment had washed over Ruby at her lost chance to speak to the intriguing woman, but she'd shaken it off.
But now, there might be a second chance. The purse is way too expensive for someone not to come back for. She smiles heads back over to the bar, placing the purse down beside one of the cash registers to remind herself to put it in the safe later. She picks up her broom once more and, in a moment of whimsy, skips across the dancefloor, twirling and gliding and not really sweeping at all.
The sound of the door opening startles her and she spins around. Tink must've forgotten to lock the front door behind her. Again. "Oh, I'm sorry, we're actually clo-" She stops short when she realises who has joined her; it's the stunning brunette purse owner.
"I know, I'm sorry," the woman says, hurriedly, flattening out a crease in her dress. "But I was in here earlier, and I think perhaps I left my purse behind."
"Oh! Right!" Ruby says, nodding rapidly. "Yeah, I found a purse and it was at the table you were sitting at, so I bet it's probably yours."
"Oh, thank goodness," the woman says, placing a hand on her chest. Ruby's eyes follow the hand's movements until she realises what she's doing and snaps them back up to eye level. "I was so worried."
"I put it behind the bar," Ruby says, resting her broom against a nearby table. "I'll get it for you."
The clicking of heels behind her tells her that the woman is following her. She moves behind the bar and the woman stays on the other side, leaning her elbows on the surface. "It was so busy in here earlier, I'm surprised you took note of which table I was sitting at."
Ruby quirks an eyebrow at the statement, unsure whether it's just an observation, or an invitation to flirt. She decides to go with the latter. "Well, yeah, but you're pretty noticeable."
The woman looks surprised for a beat, before breaking into a smile, a light blush tinging her cheeks. "That's...that's very flattering, thank you."
"It's the truth," Ruby tells her, with an easy shrug. "I was going to come over and introduce myself, but things were kinda crazy and you were gone before I had the chance."
"That's a pity," the woman murmurs, and there's no mistaking the flirtation behind it this time. Ruby's heart starts to beat a little faster at the thought. "You have the chance now. You should probably take it."
"You're absolutely right." Ruby subtly wipes her hand on her jeans before offering it to the woman. "I'm Ruby."
An elegant eyebrow slants upwards as the woman takes her hand. "Ruby? As in Ruby's? This is your bar?"
"Yep," Ruby confirms with a grin. "All mine."
"And do you make a habit of introducing yourself to all of your patrons, Ruby?" The question is posed lightly, but there's definitely mischief dancing in those dark eyes.
"I...kinda do, actually," Ruby admits, cursing herself for not just keeping up the flirting. "We get a lot of different kinds of people in here. Some of them are scared, or confused. I try to make them feel welcome."
Rather than ruin the mood, her answer has only caused the other woman's smile to grow. "Well, that's...that's a really nice thing to do." She starts to withdraw her hand, but Ruby tightens her grip slightly.
"You haven't told me your name yet," she says, by way of explanation.
"Oh! I'm sorry. It's Regina. Regina Mills."
"It's lovely to meet you, Regina Mills," Ruby says, finally letting go of her hand.
"And you, Ruby of Ruby's bar," Regina says, sliding onto one of the bar stools. Ruby's stomach leaps at the implication that she's planning to stay for at least a little while.
"Lucas," Ruby tells her, answering the unasked question.
"Well, I have to commend you, Ruby Lucas," Regina says, looking around the bar. "This was by far the most pleasant establishment I was dragged to this evening."
"Yeah, I thought you looked kinda reluctant when you came in," Ruby agrees. "I, uh, actually wondered if it was maybe your first time, you know, out." Regina lifts an eyebrow and Ruby shakes her head. "But I am so not getting that vibe from you right now."
"Dear God, no," Regina says with a rueful smile. "No, I've been very secure in my sexuality since I was thirteen. Any reluctance on my part was because my friends are intent on 'getting me back on the horse' as they put it." Regina rolls her eyes, but Ruby can see the frustration is affectionate. "I was in a long-term relationship until last year and since that ended I...I haven't been very keen to pursue the romantic side of things with anyone."
"That's understandable," Ruby says, softly. "I'm sure your friends think they're helping, but only you'll know when you feel comfortable enough to take that step."
"Yes! As I keep telling them!" Regina says. Her vehemence seems to take her by surprise and she frowns. "Look, I'm sorry, I'm not sure why I even told you that. I don't usually…"
"Hey, don't worry about it," Ruby says, tilting her head and smiling. "It comes with the bartender territory. I can get a rag and clean a glass if you like, if you wanna talk some more?"
At this, Regina laughs gently, shaking her head. "I don't think that will be necessary." She dips her head and looks at Ruby through her lashes. "You're very easy to talk to."
"I just have one of those faces, I guess," Ruby says.
"Very few people could ever claim to have a face like yours, Ms Lucas," Regina says. Ruby waits for her to blush, or to realise what she's said, but her gaze never wavers from Ruby's. In fact, Ruby is the one to blush and look away. She clears her throat before meeting Regina's eyes again.
"So, you know what I do for a living," she begins. "What do you do when you're not being bullied into coming to my bar by your friends?"
The quirk at the edge of Regina's lips indicates that Ruby's flustered reaction didn't go unnoticed. "I'm a lawyer," she says. "A Deputy District Attorney. I live the glamourous life of a prosecutor."
Ruby lets out a low whistle. "Wow. Beauty and brains," she says, deciding she really needs to up her game if she's to keep up with Regina. "I guess the lawyer thing is why you're, uh, pretty direct."
At this, Regina laughs. "Well, that's one of the more tactful ways I've heard myself described." She purses her lips. "I've had various nicknames over the years. 'The Evil Queen' is a favourite of mine."
"Seriously?" Ruby asks, with a grin. "That's...well, at least they're calling you a Queen, so that's pretty awesome."
"I'm good at what I do," Regina says, and it doesn't sound like a boast in the slightest. "That can make my, mostly male, colleagues uncomfortable." She pauses. "Although I'm relatively certain that the 'evil queen' moniker was started by Kathryn."
"Is that your ex?" Ruby asks.
"No," Regina laughs. "God, no. Kathryn's the woman I was here with earlier and is, according to her, 'tragically heterosexual'. She's my oldest and dearest friend. We went to law school together."
Ruby's brow creases in confusion. "Then why would she start calling you-"
"Kathryn's a defense attorney," Regina explains with a smile. "Unlike me, the eternal disappointment, she joined her family's firm. So we often find ourselves on opposing sides of the courtroom and, as I say, I have my suspicions that she's the one who gave me that nickname." Off Ruby's look, she continues. "It hasn't done me any harm, dear. Believe me, it's no bad thing to have a reputation of sorts."
"Fair enough," Ruby says with a nod. "So, the guy you were with...is he a lawyer too?"
"Robin?" Regina shakes her head. "No. Robin is-" She smiles. "Robin's my friend. I brought him for moral support. Kathryn can be quite relentless when she gets something into her head, so I needed someone to have my back."
"And Kathryn's determined to get you a girlfriend, huh?" Ruby asks, ignoring the strange twist in her stomach as she says the words.
"Well, she's determined to 'get me laid' as she so eloquently puts it," Regina says with a roll of her eyes. "But yes, essentially."
Again, the other woman's directness makes Ruby look down and fight not to blush. She shakes her head and looks back up. "You didn't seem too taken with any of her suggestions tonight."
"Is that another thing you 'noticed'?" Regina asks.
No point in denying it now. Ruby nods. "Yeah. It is. Like I said...you're very noticeable." Her eyes flick to the purse she'd picked up earlier. "When I noticed you'd left your purse behind...I-" She lets out a soft laugh. "I was glad I'd get the chance to see you again." She looks up and finds Regina smiling. "You know, they say that leaving something someplace is your subconscious telling you that you want to go back to that place."
"Is that so?" Regina's voice seems lower than it was. "Are you trying to tell me this is fate, Ruby?"
"Not so sure I believe in fate," Ruby admits. Life has taught her that rewards come from hard work and perseverance. The idea of a predestined future is not in line with that thinking.
"Me neither," Regina says with a little laugh. "But I'm finding that I'm not at all sorry that I forgot my purse."
"Speaking of your purse..." Ruby begins, emboldened by the ease of their conversation. "You probably want it back, huh?"
"That would rather be the point of me coming back for it, dear," Regina says.
"I'll give it back to you," Ruby says, running her fingers over the soft leather of the object in question. "On one condition." Off Regina's raised eyebrows, she winces. "Shit, sorry, I was going for cute but that just came off as creepy and weird and-" She shakes her head and places the purse on the bar. "Sorry," she mumbles, for good measure.
"What was the condition going to be?" Regina asks, winding a finger in the thin shoulder strap of her purse.
"I was going to ask you to dance with me," Ruby says, wiping the bar with sudden vigour. "But as soon as the words were out of my mouth I realised how creepy and controlling they sounded and I'm so-" She stops speaking when a warm hand lands on top of her own. She looks up to find Regina's eyes sparkling in the dim light.
"I don't think you missed 'cute' by too far, Ruby," she says with a smile. Regina nods to the nearest speaker. "Pick a song and I'll dance with you." Sliding off the bar stool, Regina stands and straightens out her dress. Ruby watches for a moment too long before realising what's been said.
"Oh. Oh!" She fumbles with the rag she's holding before discarding it into the sink, wiping her hands on her jeans, conscious that she's been working all night and probably smells like it. Moving to the sound system, she quickly flicks through her playlists trying to find something suitable for the occasion. Why the fuck does every song have to be about love? Settling on a song with an appropriate tempo, she sucks in a deep breath and heads out to meet Regina on the other side of the bar. Extending her hand, she's mortified to see that it's shaking, but when Regina grasps it firmly, a little of her confidence returns and she leads the other woman out onto the small, empty dancefloor.
Regina turns towards her and looks up at Ruby through her lashes, a smile dancing at the edges of her lips. Ruby places her free hand on Regina's waist, gently drawing their bodies together until they brush against each other. Their joined hands, she brings to rest softly against her shoulder as they begin to sway to the soft piano.
You tell all the boys no…
Regina laughs and Ruby feels it reverberate around her body. "Well, that's certainly true," she murmurs, moving with Ruby's gentle lead.
Their eyes meet and Regina's smile fades as the music swells around them. Ruby's heart is thumping in her chest as Regina moves closer, turning to rest her head on Ruby's shoulder. Ruby's arm slides further around Regina's waist, holding her tightly as the song progresses. Ruby's eyes close and she leans her head against Regina's. They're hardly moving now, content to be pressed against one another. Ruby concentrates on the little details about the moment; the way Regina's breath tickles her skin and how Regina smells like apples and bourbon and how she'd forgotten how it feels to have another person in her arms this way. And, for all her talk about not believing in fate, how much she feels like this moment was meant to be.
The song reaches the bridge and Regina lifts her head, allowing their eyes to meet once more. There's no force on earth that could stop Ruby leaning down to meet Regina as she tilts her face up, bringing their lips together in a soft kiss. Regina's hand moves to the back of her neck, urging her to deepen the embrace. Ruby loses herself completely in the kiss until Regina draws back enough to whisper against her lips, fingertips tracing her jaw.
"The song's over."
"Huh?" It takes a few seconds for Ruby to register that the song has moved onto a much higher tempo track, and by the time she does, Regina's laughing against her cheek. Ruby joins in, wrapping both arms around Regina and spinning them around a couple of times.
"I could sing something?" she murmurs close to Regina's ear.
"Can you sing?" Regina asks, smoothing her hand down Ruby's back.
"Not well," Ruby admits, pulling back to see Regina's face.
"Then don't." Regina rubs her thumb over Ruby's protruding lower lip. "I can think of a much better use for your mouth anyway."
Ruby obliges her with another kiss, which becomes another and another before Regina pulls back, turning her face away. Ruby moves in immediately to kiss her neck, eliciting a wonderful moan.
"Stop, Ruby."
The words are like cold water and Ruby immediately steps away, raising her hands up to her sides. "I...I'm sorry I-"
"No, dear, I didn't-" Regina moves with her and takes her hands into her own, squeezing them. "I was enjoying myself as much as you were," she hurries to clarify, and Ruby nods, only half reassured. "I just...this isn't what I intended to happen."
"Okay," Ruby begins, still unsure of what is happening. She withdraws her hands from Regina's grasp and shoves them into the pockets of her jeans. "I wasn't going to...I don't normally do this either."
"I like you, Ruby," Regina continues. "You're funny, and sweet, and easy to talk to. And I haven't met many people like you in my lifetime. And I don't want to throw that away on a quick fuck in a bar."
Ruby's concerns begin to dissipate and she allows herself a smile. "You like me?" she asks, grinning.
"I do," Regina says with a nod. "Which...I have to admit is unusual for me after so little time. But I find myself wanting to get to know you. Which means I don't want this to go any further tonight. I want to see you again."
"I'd like that too," Ruby says, nodding. "That'd be...wow, that would be amazing. So, like, you mean on a date?"
"Yes, Ruby, on a date," Regina says with an amused roll of her eyes. "I'd like to go on a date with you."
Ruby purses her lips in exaggerated contemplation. "Well, okay...but there's one condition."
A soft smile takes over Regina's lips as Ruby holds out her hand.
And they dance.