Hi! Happy Christmas in July! This story just popped into my head a few weeks ago, and I couldn't wait until December to write it, so here we are! I hope you like my new story! Reviews are always welcome! :)
Our Promise
"What the hell am I supposed to do?" Regina asked herself as she sat in her office chair, trying to figure out how screwed she was on a scale of one to ten. Why did this have to happen right now? Couldn't he just stick it out for the holidays? Regina thought.
Daniel Colter, Regina's ex boyfriend, as of that morning, had totally wrecked all of her plans. He was supposed to come home with her for the holidays. He was supposed to meet her parents, who were looking forward to meet the man of their daughter's life, but now that Daniel left her, she had no one.
How was she supposed to explain that the man she truly thought was the one for her dumped her a week before Christmas? Especially to her parents? She knew after their big fight days ago they weren't the same people they were when they began their relationship, but she thought they would find their way through. Obviously not.
"What is her Majesty stressing over now?" Asked a voice coming from the door of her cubicle. Regina looked up and rolled her eyes. Robin Locksley. Her co-worker, go-to person, best friend.
Robin and Regina had met a little over a year ago. Robin had just gotten the new job offer there, at Gold Financing, and to her luck, he had gotten assigned to the office right next to hers. After talking for hours, inside and outside of work, they had become great friends.
From the very first day, Robin had feelings for Regina. More feelings than friends should have for each other. He knew it was wrong, she had a boyfriend, but you couldn't blame a goy for hoping. He fell hard and fast.
Robin knew that Regina and Daniel had been together for a while, about a year, so Robin respected that. He would not be the reason Regina's happiness would come to an end.
Regina shook her head, trying to disguise the uneasy feeling coursing through her whole body, but of course, she knew Robin would know. He always did.
"You're hilarious," Regina sighed, and Robin took a step inside, leaning against the doorway of her office. He crossed his arms, a small smile appearing on his face.
"What's wrong, Regina?" Robin asked, and Regina looked down. She knew for a fact that Robin did not like Daniel. He made that very clear. Multiple times. He also said that someone like her didn't deserve Daniel. What would he think about this?
Robin could see Regina's struggle, so he decided to close her door, just in case this was something serious. Robin came over and sat in front of Regina on one of the other chairs in the room.
"You can tell me anything, R," Robin stated, and Regina nodded, taking a deep breath. She fidgeted with the seam of her top, nervous, for some reason.
"Daniel broke up with me," Regina explained softly, and Robin's features softened immediately. His mouth was parted slightly, and his eyes seemed sad.
"Regina, I'm so sorry," Regina looked down and let a single teardrop drop down her cheek. She knew it was coming, but why did he have to leave her right before the holidays?
"It's fine….. I knew it wasn't going to last," Regina lied. She wanted it to last. But it didn't, and there was nothing she could do about it now. and Robin took Regina's hand, rubbing soothing circles on the back if it. Somehow, Robin always knew how to make her feel better. It was just what she needed.
"Robin, what am I going to do? Daniel was supposed to come home with me. To meet my parents….. How am I supposed to show up by myself after my parents were so happy to meet him? After I told them he was the one?" Regina asked, using her free hand to hold her head.
"I'm sure everything will be alright… Are you okay?" Robin asked his best friend, and Regina sighed. She took her hand away from Robin's grip and rubbed her temple. She could feel a migraine coming on.
"I don't know," Regina whispered. Robin wanted to punch Daniel in the face. How dare he hurt such a beautiful, strong, sophisticated woman? Regina was everything, and if he couldn't except that, he was glad that Regina was finally out of that relationship.
But Daniel hurt Regina. Even if she won't admit it to anyone, he did, and Robin could see the pain in her chocolate brown eyes, usually filled with happiness. He took that away. Jackass.
"I am so sorry, Regina… He didn't deserve you, he never did," Robin exclaimed as he got up and gave Regina a hug. Regina breathed into the hug, inhaling his scent. He smelled like forest. At first, she hated it, but now, it calmed her. He calmed her.
"I loved him, Robin….." Regina cried into his shoulder, and Robin rubbed Regina's back. Robin's only wish at that moment was to deck Daniel Colter. That would teach him not to mess with Regina's heart again. Damn it, Robin Locksley hated Daniel Colter.
"I know, Love. I know… It's his loss. Any man stupid enough to let you go doesn't deserve you. You are beautiful, strong, loving, and you have the biggest heart I know. You will get through this, and if you ever need someone's shoulder to cry on, I'm right here. I will always be by your side Regina,"
Regina held on tighter to Robin, believing every single word he said. He was right. He would always be there. He always had. Whenever she needed a helping hand or just someone to talk to, he was always there. It was nice.
"Thank you, Robin," Regina whispered, and she pulled away slowly. She had to remind herself that they were at work, and they needed to remain professional. Someone could walk in, and she had no interest on Gold walking in on her hugging Robin. God, she would never hear the end of it.
"Don't mention it," Robin smiled warmly, and Regina smiled back. Robin started walking away, but Regina didn't want to be parted from Robin. She realized she wanted to spend more and more time with him….
"Robin," Just before Robin opened the door and walked out of her office, he turned around to find her smiling, hope shining in her bright eyes.
"Dinner tonight? At Cecily's?" Robin smiled, and nodded his head. The happiness on Regina's face was everything to him, and he was glad he was the one who put it there.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Robin exclaimed as he opened her door and walked out, back to his office.
Regina smiled. The rest of the day, she had dinner with Robin to look forward to.
…..
Robin opened the wide double doors to his and Regina's favorite restaurant, Cecily's. It was a nice restaurant, with dim lights and low music. It was in New York City, where both currently lived.
Regina had texted Robin, saying she had already placed a reservation under 'Mills'. Robin spoke to the woman behind the counter, and then she pointed to the table he was located at. Robin smiled politely and thanked the young blonde as he started walking to the table where Regina was waiting.
And then, he stopped, his feet dead. He couldn't move. He could only stare in awe. Regina was beautiful. She wore a deep red dress, a deep v-neck, not showing any cleavage in the process. She wore diamond studs, the ones he got her for her birthday a few months ago, and a simple gold chain around her neck.
Regina's makeup was simple, but still stunning as ever. She was on her phone, silently waiting for him. Robin took a deep breath. He could do this. It was just dinner with his best friend. Just like the million times before.
But now, she was single.
Now, he had to try to control his feelings. Oh god.
Robin walked over to their table, smoothing his suit before he cleared his throat, and the beautiful brunette who had his heart looked up with a smile. God, it was mesmerizing.
"Hello, Milady," Robin greeted, bending down to kiss Regina's cheek. He could feel her smile on his lips, and he wished he could feel that every day.
"Hey," Regina replied, leaning back in her chair to see him. He wore the same suit she picked out for him when they went to his cousin's wedding. Navy blue. He looked good.
"I see you're wearing the suit I picked out," Regina smirked, and Robin laughed quietly as he took his seat, right across from Regina.
"Only the best for you, Regina," Robin smirked back, and she laughed. Robin always did that to her too. He made her laugh. Something she's been missing out on.
Before they knew it, a young redhead came to their table, explaining her name was Carly, and asking if she could get them any drinks. Regina smiled. This girl seemed nice. Not like all the other snobs at this restaurant.
"I will have a water, thank you," Robin answered, and the waitress nodded her head with a simple smile. She turned her head to Regina.
"And you, Miss?" Carly asked.
"I'll have the same, please," The girl smiled, nodded her head, and walked away, back to get her drinks.
"She seems nice," Robin commented, and Regina nodded.
"Way better than the bitch we had last time. What was her name again?" Regina asked. She knew her name quite well though. She never did her job right, and when she did, she wrote down the wrong orders for both of them and flirted with the manager. God, people sometimes.
Robin laughed, "Marian. We can never get her again. That would be a nightmare," They both chuckled as the waitress brought back their drinks, prepared to take their dinner orders.
Robin ordered spaghetti and meatballs, while Regina ordered chicken parmesan. Both of their meals had come out perfectly, and halfway through their meal, Regina's phone started ringing on the table.
Regina put down her fork and grabbed her phone, seeing that her mother was calling. She closed her eyes and sighed.
"It's my mother," Regina groaned, and Robin smirked.
"Well, don't you sound ecstatic?" Robin teased, and Regina rolled her eyes with a smile.
"Do you mind if I answer it?" Regina asked, and Robin shook his head.
"Not at all," Regina smiled thankfully as she wiped her hands on a napkin, then answered the phone. Regina smiled and tried to sound as she usually did when she spoke to her mother and father.
"Hello?" Regina answered, and she looked up at Robin, finding him laughing at her. She kicked his leg under the table. Robin placed a hand over his heart, mouth wide open, and Regina tried so hard not to laugh at him while she was on the phone.
"Hello, Dear. How are you?" Her eyes were still on Robin, and he must be able to hear the conversation, because he had just asked how are you, batting his eyelashes. Laughing was the only thing Regina wanted to do at the moment, but she couldn't.
"Good, Mother. How are you?" Regina asked, but she couldn't care less about her conversation with her mother. Not when her best friend sat right across from her, purposefully trying to make her laugh. Her eyes never left him.
"Good, good. I can't wait to see you tomorrow, Regina!" Robin's eyes widened and he did jazz hands, looking up at the ceiling, and Regina couldn't hold it in any longer. She moved the phone away from her face and laughed.
Robin did too, and Robin thought she was going to kill him.
"Damn you, Locksley. Just wait until you're on the phone with someone," Regina smirked, recomposing herself, putting the phone back to her ear.
But it was too late. Cora had heard her daughter, and she felt bad for interrupting her spending time with whoever this Locksley man was.
"Oh, I'm sorry Honey, are you busy?" Cora asked, and Regina rolled her eyes. Oh, she was so going to make Robin pay for this.
"No, just having dinner with a co-worker," Regina said, and Cora could just make out a tiny voice in the background.
"A co-worker? I'm offended, Love," Regina glared at Robin playfully, knowing her mother probably heard. Great.
"I hate you,"
"Love you too," Robin joked, taking a sip of his cold water.
"I'm sorry Mother, but I have to go. But I'll call you later though, alright?" Regina explained, and Cora smiled on the other line. Sounded like her daughter was having fun.
"Of course, Dear. Oh, and Regina? I can't wait to meet your special someone tomorrow!" Cora hung up the phone, and Regina groaned when she heard her mother's last sentence.
"I can't believe you just did that, Robin," Regina said, and Robin chuckled. He loved messing with Regina. It was like a second nature to him. But not before truly caring about her. Their relationship was more than that.
"That's what friends are for," Robin stated cheekily, and Regina rolled her eyes with a grin. But then she couldn't smile anymore. Because Regina Mills had a huge problem that she had no idea how to solve.
"Robin, what am I going to do? My mother is expecting me to come home tomorrow with my boyfriend. How can I do that if I don't have one?" Regina asked, taking a gulp of her water, wondering how she would explain to her mother that Daniel had just left her in the blink of an eye.
Robin had an idea. It was dangerous, very risky, but it was one that could work. One that could make Regina's worries all fade to nothing.
"Regina, did you ever tell your parents Daniel's name?" Robin asked, and Regina rolled her eyes, recalling the stupid memory.
"No, I wanted to surprise them. But now, the only surprise I have for them is I'm going back home alone," Regina grumbled, playing with the fringe of her fancy napkin. Robin took a deep breath, looked down, and tried to convince himself that his idea wasn't such a bad one.
Robin had no idea how Regina would take it. It could ruin their friendship, and any chance of them ever having a real relationship. But he would take his chances.
"Uh, not necessarily….." Robin explained, and Regina looked him in the eyes, confused as ever. What was going on in that pretty brain of his?
"What the hell are you talking about?" Regina asked, putting her phone in her purse, right by the side of her leg. Robin ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm his growing nerves.
"Well, you need someone to come home with you for the holidays, and I have no plans…" Regina froze completely.
Robin? Robin Locksley? Pretending to be her boyfriend? Meeting her parents? Her best friend jumping in to save the day?
"Robin, I couldn't ask you to do that….." Regina looked into his deep, crystal blue eyes. Robin smiled, held Regina's hand across the table, and told her with all honesty,
"You're not, I'm offering, R. Really, I have absolutely no problem pretending to be your boyfriend for a week," Robin smirked, and Regina didn't know how she had found such an amazing man. She didn't deserve him.
"You're willing to put up with my parents, family, and friends for a whole week? Do you know how much work that is?" Regina asked seriously, but Robin still chuckled.
"I don't care, Regina. I want to help you. I want to make sure you have a good Christmas," Regina smiled and looked down, hoping he wouldn't see her blush. This was a horrible idea. She knew it, he knew it, but somehow, they couldn't draw themselves apart.
If this didn't end smoothly, she could lose Robin. Forever. She never wanted that to happen. So…..
"You have to promise me something," Regina bargained, and Robin was all ears. She leaned in a little closer, not wanting anyone around them to hear their personal conversation.
"No feelings. It is just us, best friends, who are pretending to be a couple for a week. No strings attached. Nothing real," Robin's heart slowly broke in his chest. How could he lie to her?
Robin had feelings for Regina the first moment her laid eyes on her. How could he just stop now? Just because he was meeting her parents? Robin took a deep breath. He could do this. He just had to accept that they would never be together. Damn it.
"I promise, Love," If only Regina saw his free hand behind him, crossed fingers all too eager. Regina smiled gratefully, took her hand back, and shifted in her sheet. Now, they needed to talk about the situation.
"Great. Okay, now we need to figure things out….. Well, I already told my parents that we've been together for almost a year. That's okay with you?" Regina asked, and she saw something in Robin's eyes that wasn't usually there. She couldn't put her finger on it.
"Perfect, Milady," Regina hated him at the moment. Of course, Robin would never know, but whenever he called her that nickname, her heart fluttered. She didn't know why. It shouldn't, it really shouldn't, but Robin's words always had a deeper effect on her than others.
Truth be told, the first time Regina met Robin, she thought she had a tiny crush on him. She immediately felt guilty, she had a boyfriend at the time, so she tried to push it out of her head. But now he was single. She was single…..
No, he made a promise. No real feelings. It would be too much too soon, that much, Regina already knew.
"How did we meet?" Regina asked, and Robin shrugged. Why lie to her parents? They should know the truth…. Well, some if it, at least.
"A very handsome English guy just happened to work at the same place a certain brunette does, and he stole her heart the first minute she laid eyes on him," Robin smirked, and Regina smiled with a roll of her eyes.
"Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Robin asked, and Regina laughed quietly. Sure, they could work with that.
"I just don't want to lie to your parents the whole time, Love. Anything that is real, like us meeting at work, they should know about," Robin said, and Regina nodded her head.
"I agree….. But Robin, what happens after Christmas? Are we just going to go back to our lives like nothing happened? How will my parents take it when they find out we're not 'together' anymore?"
"Regina, relax. As of in the future, we will figure that out later. For all you know, you might not be able to get rid of me," Robin and Regina smiled at each other, and didn't even notice the waitress had come back. They were too caught up in the moment.
"Would you guys be interested in any dessert this evening?" Carly asked, and Robin and Regina both snapped out of it.
Dessert? Is that what she had said?
"Um, no thank you," Regina replied, and she smiled.
Robin stood from the table, heading for the restroom, telling Regina he would be right back. As the blond-haired man walked away for a moment, the waitress bagan taking any plates she could from them.
"Forgive me if I say anything out of line, but I just think it it so amazing, what you guys have. A love like that only comes around once in a lifetime," The young blonde exclaimed, and Regina froze.
A love like that? What was she talking about? What love did she and Robin have? None. None at all, right? There was nothing going on between them, they were just friends, but for some reason, the statement from the young lady made Regina smile.
Well, they had to start somewhere, didn't they?
"Thank you," Carly nodded her head, took the dirty dishes, and gave them the check.
Regina couldn't believe she just said that. Robin and Regina weren't even close to a couple, at all. But if a simple stranger could be fooled, could Robin really pass as her boyfriend for a week? Would it be so bad to be his girlfriend for just a week?
"Ready to go?" Robin asked, returning to the table, and Regina nodded her head. Robin could tell something had changed in Regina's mood, but it seemed to be better, so he let it go.
Because soon, he would be right where he wanted to be. Right next to Regina.
