City Foreigner Chapter One
"It's a chilly Monday morning for ya in the Big Apple," A man's voice on the radio was saying as Regina stepped into some warm dress pants, "They say that today, November 3rd, is going to be the absolute coldest day that there's been in a hundred years." And then, another man's voice joins in, coming through the speakers of her small radio by her bed, "So basically ever since they started keeping track?" And after that, the two men share a laugh and Regina turns the volume down with a remote after buttoning the top button of her pants.
She tosses the remote down onto the bed, grumbling something about it being so damn cold in this stupid place with stupid snow and stupid ice and stupid-
The damn dog. It barks...again. It stops her thoughts in their tracks immediately about all the stupid snow, and they turn to the dog. That damn dog. She throws a button up shirt over both shoulders, walking through her bedroom and into her living room as she buttons it up, "I only leased this apartment because it was all I could get!" She yells, mostly at the dog – who could not yet hear her (like it would even understand her if it could hear her).
She reaches the sliding glass door to her balcony, one that adjoined to her neighbor's balcony where the dog could go in and out from the house. "Shut up!" She yells at it, and the dog only gets louder. She finally stands up and reaches for anything, but lucky for the dog the only thing she can find is the hair clip that's pinned her bangs back to put her makeup on this morning.
Growling, she rushes back into her house and realizes how cold she was out there. She finishes the top button of her shirt as she's standing beside her coffee maker, waiting for the last bit to trickle down into the bowl so she could pour a fresh cup.
One thing she's figured out about New York is that they're too proud of their coffee. Miami had better coffee, plus it wasn't four dollars a cup – and that wasn't including the tax. She figures Folgers can make just as good of a cup of coffee as any of these sleazy coffee stands can, and she pays way less for it, and can enjoy it out on her balcony.
Well, she used to enjoy it on the balcony before the ice made it to where she can't hardly stand out there without being frozen into a life-size Regina ice cube, let alone sit out there and try to enjoy a cup of coffee. She just allows herself enough time before work, now, to be able to drink one or two cups and read a little before she starts a hectic day.
Once she has finished her coffee and put on a hoodie to go over her shirt, a zip up, thinner jacket, and a big parka, she steps outside.
Miami blood doesn't mix well with the ice cold New York City winter.
Her office is only two blocks away – another reason she originally liked the place (before the dog, and before she found out she couldn't get anything else right now). She takes a cab there, but in the normal weather she would walk. She likes to get her exercise in. It doesn't beat running on the beach, but it's at least some sort of exercise.
She strips of all her extra, heavy layers once she's arrived to her office, hanging all of her jackets and coats on her own, personal coat rack right inside of her door. She likes having her own office, definitely. It gives her space to think and do her job better. Not that she didn't have her own office in Miami, too, but this one she likes more at least. Well, in the summer she liked it more. Now, the snow is so piled up that she can't see outside of her window that overlooks the city from the third floor.
Nothing is as nice in the winter time. Depressing and solemn are the two words she thinks of when she thinks of winter time in New York. Winter time in Miami? Hot, cool margaritas on the patio at her favorite bar on the beach, and bonfires in bikinis just to stay cool while roasting hot dogs.
Nothing like New York.
She left behind friends in Miami, but her family aren't there. Her family all live in Boca Raton, a very fitting place for her stuck up mother and sister. Her father is the mayor there, and her mother does nothing but spend all of her father's money on her sister – Zelena. Zelena, who went off to college three years before Regina did. Zelena, who has a degree to be a nurse but 'can't find a job' and lives off of Daddy's money. Zelena, who has always complained about Regina getting everything she wanted.
But as she looks out the window of her third floor office, she remembers all the hard work she's put in to get everything she's wanted – and even then, she doesn't have everything.
"Ms. Mills?" A young woman peeks in the door, smiling softly and giving a warm good morning before laying some papers on Regina's desk. "This is your newest client, he's being tried because he tried to flee the country after murdering a man in the Bronx." Her assistant explains, and Regina just stares down blankly at the papers. When the younger woman realizes she didn't hear a word she was telling her, she calls her name again.
"Oh." Regina says, shaking her head. "Sorry." She says. Her mind was completely out of it this morning. She was sitting at the beach today, a bikini tied around her and a cold beer in her hand. The waves soothing her rushed mind and the wind tangling her short, ebony hair.
The young woman repeats herself, and Regina thanks her before excusing her and looking over the papers herself. How the hell was she going to defend this one? He had nothing going for him. There's no way she could win this case. But, she'll try, because she still gets paid some even if the man doesn't win. It's still worth her time to try.
/
Her apartment is nice, warm, comfortable – a total difference from her previous surroundings five minutes ago where it was gearing up to be a blizzard tonight. She made herself another coffee, even though it was already six thirty in the evening and she would be regretting it at about one in the morning when she counts the hours she has to sleep if she goes to sleep right now. Nonetheless, she sips at her giant insulated thermos of coffee while snuggling deeper into her fuzzy blanket before pressing play to watch her recorded shows.
She was just getting into the show when she hears a startling knock on her glass door that leads out to her balcony. Who the hell is on my balcony?! She stands up and takes her coffee with her, getting closer to see Robin – her next door neighbor, and the damn dog in his hands. She cracks the door open just a touch, wondering how the hell he's standing out here with only a long sleeve shirt on and jeans and socks. "What do you want, Locksley?" She asks. She's not exactly gotten along with him, even though she's only met him once.
"You threw this at my dog earlier." He says, handing her the hair clip and sighing. "Please stop throwing things at my dog."
"Please stop letting your annoying dog bark while I'm trying to have a nice, peaceful morning." She snips.
He rolls his eyes, letting out a sigh that came with a fog of cold breath. "This is New York City, if it isn't the dog that is barking, there's cars honking. Be thankful." He quips, stepping back and away to his apartment, climbing the small little fence that separates their balconies and heading back into his own apartment.
She simply growls – again – and rolls her eyes as she plops down on the couch. Dogs and owners are sometimes too much alike.
/
A/N:
New story!
Definitely an AU. What did you think of Robin and Regina's little meeting about the dog?
This chapter was super short due to it being a test chapter!
:) Hoping you all like it so that it'll be a multi-chapter! Let me know!
Thanks,
G.