Enchanted
The usually vivid, chocolate brown eyes scanned the grand room, dulled by the nature of the event. The dark haired woman with tan, olive skin wore a simple but elegant black gown. It was high necked, came in at her waist, and then draped in soft folds to the floor, contrasting perfectly with her skin. Despite looking utterly regal, the woman was bored. The elegant gala was filled to the brim with nothing but snooty, high-class politicians and other socially important individuals.
Nevertheless, being a high-class politician herself, Regina Mills had plastered her award worthy politician smile on her beautiful face and pretended to be interested in what the wealthy men and women were drawling on and on about. Regina was attending this annual event for the fifth time and it only got more boring with the passing years. She balanced a glass of champagne between her pointer and middle fingers with her palm upturned and occasionally sipped it as David White and his oh so charming wife, Mary Margret, shared a story she had been informed she just had to hear.
In the general scheme of things, Regina didn't mind the Whites. She'd met them before at the gala in years past and they appeared to her to be some of the only genuine human beings in the room. Still, it was rather annoying to constantly hear just how genuine and lovely they were from those whom Regina couldn't say the same for. Still, if you wanted to be someone in the Maine political world, you attended this gala. It was an unspoken rule of sorts. And spending the night with the Whites was probably the best way to go about things.
The one other person Regina usually spent this night with was Kathryn Nolan. She was all-around a good friend and decent company. Well, all except for one thing. Due to Regina's current relationship status: single, Kathryn had taken it upon herself to throw men at Regina. Each one of them was the epitome of a cookie-cutter, high-class man. Every single one was on the varsity sport of that school and then graduated top of their class at Harvard or Dartmouth. Each one was the youngest person in their respective cities to have done this or that. They were all regarded by all of society to be kind and charming. The sheer amount of the most charming, well-bred men in the world was overwhelming to Regina. Regardless of what she felt, they'd keep coming until there was a diamond or band on Regina's left hand.
Just as the frustrating realization processed in Regina's mind, she spotted Kathryn herding another charming man her way. She rolled her eyes and as they were positioned to her right side, away from the small congregation around the Whites and from Kathryn, Regina spotted a flash of bright red. She took a double take and was completely and utterly wonderstruck by what she saw. There stood the most breathtaking woman Regina had ever laid eyes on. She was standing across the room, eyes scanning the scene as if looking for someone. She sported a floor length, red gown. It was a one-shoulder dress that was fitted around her torso down to her waist and then flowed down, trailing ever so slightly behind her. The woman's blonde hair was down in princess curls that framed her face and made her appear an angle.
With her second scan of the room, the beautiful green eyes locked with Regina's, whose breath presently caught in her throat. She smiled gently and Regina returned it as best she could in her awestruck state.
"Have we met?" the woman's eyes seemed to whisper.
"I don't believe we have," Regina seemed to answer back because the woman began making her way towards Regina. She seemed to glide through the crowd like a swan across gentle water. As her and Regina stopped face to face and the woman opened her mouth to speak, they were interrupted by the voice of David White.
"Ah, there you are my darling!" he said, the two women turning to look at the man, "We've been waiting for you. You know most of these chuckle heads, but this is Regina Mills, the mayor of Storybrooke." The woman turned her head back to Regina and offered her hand.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mayor Mills," said the woman.
"The pleasure is all mine, Ms…?" began Regina.
"White, Emma White," Emma filled in. Regina raised her eyebrows.
"You're their daughter? Oh. David, you never mentioned you had such a charming daughter," Regina winked. Emma turned away to hide her momentary blush. David shrugged at Regina.
"You never asked," he chuckled. Regina laughed politely and turned her attention back to the no longer nameless woman.
"Would you like to get a drink, Ms. White?" asked Regina, voice as smooth as honey. Emma nodded, trying not to appear too eager.
"I'd be delighted, Ms. Mills. And please call me Emma," she replied.
"Emma," Regina repeated, "In that case, do call me Regina." Emma nodded again, taking the arm Regina offered her. The women took two places next to each other at the bar and ordered their drinks.
"So, it seems because of your father you know my story, what's yours, Emma?" asked Regina playfully. Emma shuddered. Her name had never sounded so alluring falling from anyone else's lips.
"What's there to tell," Emma shrugged, "You know my mother and father, that pretty much tells it all."
"Does it?" smiled Regina, "Somehow I don't believe that."
"Oh?" It was Emma's turn to raise her eyebrows, "And why's that?"
"Girls as captivating as you aren't that simple," Regina answered smoothly and simply. Emma wasn't able to hide her blush this time. Emma considered the speculation for a moment longer.
"I think," replied Emma. Regina furrowed her brow in a way Emma found completely adorable.
"Excuse me?"
"I like logic, puzzles. I'd probably try to become a detective or a sheriff if my father didn't think being a policewoman was so dangerous. I love mysteries, figuring out not just the what, but they why. What makes people tick," smiled Emma mysteriously, "So what makes you tick, Madam Mayor?" Regina barely kept her breathing under control as Emma's voice dropped an octave with the last sentence. Still, she managed to keep her composure. Two could play at this game.
Meanwhile, Kathryn had sent away the bachelor, and quite frankly, Regina wouldn't have given a damn even if she were aware of anything outside of Emma. Kathryn, along with the Whites, looked on at the playful banter between the two women at the bar. Both parties smiled as the blonde and brunette broke out into a fit of giggles as if they were schoolgirls passing notes, having an inkling that more than just a memory was to come of this night.
Well after midnight, people began filing out of the ballroom and meandered back to their waiting luxury cars. Emma and Regina left with the last trickle of partygoers, wanting to linger as long as possible. As both Regina's town car and the Whites' limo rolled up, the women separated and faced each other. Regina took Emma's hand in both her own and bent down to give it a kiss.
"Until next time, Emma," said Regina, already missing the blonde.
"Can I count on that being soon?" asked Emma. Regina slipped her a folded cocktail napkin and winked. With one last fleeting glance, Regina climbed into her waiting car and it drove off, leaving Emma staring after it. She smiled as she read what was scribbled onto the white napkin.
"I'll call you. –R" was all it said. Emma blushed for the millionth time that night and couldn't suppress the smile she wore all the way home and felt as though would never fade.
Back in the stately Mayoral Mansion in Storybrooke, Regina tossed and turned in bed. A certain blonde had invaded her every thought, subsequently keeping her from getting to sleep.
"Please don't be in love with someone else," Regina thought longingly. She'd only known Emma for a matter of hours and yet the mere possibility of Emma running to see someone else in the evenings sent a dagger of pain through Regina's heart. The thought of Emma Swan White hugging someone else, kissing someone else, loving someone else cause Regina possibly more pain than she was entitled to having known the woman less than a day. Her entitlement (or lack of it) to the pain, however, didn't change the fact that she felt it when thinking such things. Regina got up and paced in front of the bedside table holding the phone, wishing that Emma was at her door.
Little did Regina know, Emma White also lay awake in her bed, troubled by thoughts of a similar type.
"Please don't have somebody waiting on you," thought Emma. She hated the thought of someone else doting on Regina. She hated the image of some unworthy person knocking on her door, flowers in hand or singing to her through her bedroom window. It made Emma's blood boil and her heart ache all at the same time. She wanted that to be her doing all that for Regina. She hoped it could be her. It should be her. Emma was pulled out of her troubled thoughts by the phone ringing. Who'd be calling at 2 am?
"White residence, Emma speaking," Emma said, not a hint of sleep in her voice.
"Emma? It's Regina," Emma's heart fluttered, "I hope I didn't wake you."
"Oh, no, not at all. I couldn't sleep anyways," said Emma hastily.
"Neither could I," Regina chuckled softly, "I was just wondering…would you like to get a drink, say, next Saturday?" Emma's heart beat so loudly she was sure Regina could hear it through the phone. She was so happy she had to take the receiver away from her face to keep Regina from hearing the quiet squeal of excitement. Emma's pause on Regina's end made Regina nervous. Had the night been one-sided?
"Next Saturday," said Emma softly into the phone, biting her lower lip. Both women smiled, said their goodbyes, and hung up the phone, eagerly awaiting what was to come.