A/N: I don't own anything that looks like Once Upon a Time or its characters. I'm just borrowing them.

This is a new story. I know. I should be working on my WIPs. I will. Don't worry. This is inspired by a not very good 80s movie. I won't reveal the title until later. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks as always to Jenn who reads everything I write and acts like it is amazeballs even if it isn't. You're my favorite.

Has it been three months already?

Emma Swan lay on her side, knees curled toward her chest, facing the block wall. Even in the darkness she could make out the poster of her favorite band, the affirming quotes and sticky notes. The night-light used by her roommate was brighter than the other girl realized. It didn't usually keep Emma awake, but tonight she was restless.

Three months. Three whole months.

It wasn't like she could complain. Foxhaven Academy was the finest all-girls boarding school on the east coast. It was a miracle she was even here to begin with. Abandoned, unwanted foster kid… frequent delinquent and runaway… she didn't exactly match up to the trust-fund babies and nouveau riche girls that populated the ivy covered buildings on campus. But, after her last stint living on the streets had ended with her being placed in the first nice home she'd ever had, things had changed.

Living with the Hamilton family had changed her. She had stopped running and really started applying herself in school. Before long, she had been offered a spot at Foxhaven and a scholarship because of her unique circumstances. She would never—never—have accepted and moved here, away from her new family, if it hadn't been for what happened last March.

Don't start thinking about that now. You'll never get to sleep.

Emma shook herself and rolled over onto her back. Turning her head she saw her roommate, Mary Margaret Blanchard, sleeping soundly. The girl was sweet. In fact, she had been one of the first people Emma had met when her cab dropped her off at the entrance to Foxhaven. It was unusual for a girl to begin attending school there during her senior year. It was even more unusual for her to be nearing her twentieth birthday. Yet, when Mare had met her at the foreboding stone entryway and led her to the registrar's office to get all her final paperwork settled, she hadn't mentioned the unique situation. She had only been kind.

"I'm so glad to finally have a new roommate!" The pixie haired brunette nearly squealed as they climbed the stone steps of the dorm. "Ever since Ashley found herself… in the family way and had to leave school, I've been alone."

"She got kicked out for getting knocked up?" Emma tucked a wayward blonde lock behind her ear and adjusted her dark rimmed glasses. She seldom wore them but she'd been in a rush this morning. She regretted the choice immediately when they snapped her student ID photo.

"Well, the official story is she moved to Europe to stay with family for the summer and decided not to come back to school, but… well… I know better. She and Sean got married not long after she left and his father bought them a house in Concord. Close enough to visit but far enough away so people might not realize their daughter is a bit too old. But, I shouldn't gossip about her. She was a great friend to me." Mary Margaret stopped in front of room 710 and smiled. "And I get the feeling you and I will be great friends too, Emma. This is our room."

And Mare (as Emma had taken to calling her) had become a good friend to her over the weeks and months since she arrived. In fact, they had become almost inseparable. Emma hadn't given the other girl too much personal information just yet. She preferred not telling the world about her foster life. And despite the sweet intentions of Mary Margaret Blanchard… the girl couldn't keep a secret to save her life.

It wasn't like she told things to be cruel. She wasn't just being a gossip for gossip's sake. No. She just let things slip. Emma had learned from the beginning and her story about Ashley. She'd made a mental note not to share too much with the girl.

Mary Margaret however was very forthcoming with talk of her personal life and Emma always listened. She was head over heels in love with a boy from town, David Nolan. She was sure her father wouldn't approve so she hadn't told her family about him yet. Her dad, Leo Blanchard, was from old money and her mother, Eva had also been rich on her own standing even before marrying into the Blanchard wealth. When her mom passed away suddenly several years ago, Mr. Blanchard had showered his daughter with everything money could buy. It was his way of grieving perhaps. Emma hadn't really been clear on that point yet. But, either way, Mare was a little spoiled as a result. She had what she wanted, when she wanted and she wasn't ready to give that up. Not even for David. So they met in secret and made plans for how he could better himself and impress her father.

For three months, Emma had been working hard, making good grades and trying to fit in. Mostly she tried not to let people know her past. They wouldn't look at her the same if they knew she was left on the side of the road by her parents. They wouldn't look at her the same if they knew she had been in jail for shoplifting. They wouldn't accept her if they knew… if they knew…

Emma huffed and turned back to the wall. That was why she couldn't sleep tonight. All the girls on her floor had been talking about their fall break plans and the Harvest Moon Dance that would happen the night before they all went on trips and cruises and spiritual sabbaticals. That chatter had quickly devolved into what Emma could only describe as the female version of locker room talk.

The longer they talked, the later it got, the more Emma wanted to disappear. They spoke about the boys they had dated and soon enough they began sharing intimate details about their first sexual experiences, their most memorable encounters, their most embarrassing memories sneaking across the lake to Hargrave School—the all-male equivalent to Foxhaven.

Emma had tried to fade into the background. She didn't want to have this discussion. But before she knew it, Ruby Lucas locked eyes on her. Ruby was nice enough, she and Emma got along fine, but of all the girls in this very personal chat, Ruby had the most stories to tell. Some seemed unlikely, others downright impossible, but no one questioned Ruby on the veracity of her tales. She had come home with more hickey's and love bites than the rest of them combined. But when her eyes settled on Emma, the blonde had wanted the floor to open up and swallow her.

"You're awfully quiet, Emma. Don't you have something to share?" White teeth had sparkled in a predatory smile.

"Uh, no… not really." Green eyes had looked at the wall, the ceiling, the hem of her own shirt. Anywhere but at Ruby.

"Come on, Em. It's ok. Tell us. Who was your first?" Mare had reached out a soothing hand and squeezed Emma's wrist.

Emma felt the heat of embarrassment rising across her chest. She didn't need a mirror to know her porcelain white skin was burning bright red. Her eyes widened in horror. Everyone in the group was looking at her expectantly.

"I… Um… I…" Emma stammered and stuttered, trying to think of something to say.

"Oh. My. God." Ruby said, latching on to something in green eyes Emma hadn't meant to give away. "You're a virgin, aren't you?"

Emma rubbed her hand down her face, remembering the way all the girls had looked at her. There was nothing wrong with being a virgin. That's what they had said. A couple had even come to her later and admitted they were virgins too. But Emma was so much older than them all. She was behind in school from missing so many classes as a runaway and even now at nineteen (nearly twenty) she was just a senior in high school. Most of these girls, including Ruby and Mare, weren't even eighteen yet. So, their understanding and in some cases pity was gnawing at her gut. She didn't want pity.

Mare had whispered to her in the dark that Ruby meant no harm and that lots of girls in the school were late bloomers, whatever that meant. Emma had feigned sleep to end that chat. The fact was, Emma wasn't a virgin because no boys had tried to go further with her. It was because she wasn't interested in boys. And that was one secret she couldn't afford to have getting out.

God, if they knew I was gay…

~ (SQ) ~

"So, the Harvest Moon Dance is tomorrow night, Emma. Are you still not going?" Mary Margaret held her books close to her chest as the two girls climbed the steps to their room after classes had ended for the day.

Emma had been studying all week with every free moment for an English exam that she was sure now she had aced. With that load off her mind, she felt free. She had decided not to attend the dance on Saturday night and had made up her mind to begin her fall break by eating a pizza and staying in her pajamas. In fact, her plans for the entire next week included laying around the dorm and watching black and white movies. There were three other girls in their dorm remaining on campus for the break so she didn't feel as bad for having no place to go. But the dance… she was not going to the dance.

"No. I'm just not big on that sort of thing. But I know you will have fun. Is David coming?" Emma flipped on the overhead light in their room and dropped her books on her desk. Toeing out of her shoes, she laid on her stomach and smiled up at Mare who was nervously smoothing her skirt and keeping one eye on the door.

"Yes! Of course. I wouldn't want to dance with anyone else. So… no chance of talking you into going to the dance… or coming home with me next week? My father has a trip all planned. He and I will be visiting some family in Maine, but I'd love for you to join us." Emma watched curiously as the brunette inched toward their door and peered up and down the hall as she spoke.

Emma frowned as she answered her. "No. I appreciate the offer but… uh, I just… Hey. What are you looking for?"

"Hmm?" Mary Margaret turned to her suddenly. "What?"

"I said what are you looking for? Is something wrong?" Emma sat up now and eyed her friend warily.

"No, nothing wrong at all." Mare sat on her own bed but kept stealing glances toward the entrance. "Em…" she began softly, "Let's go down to the common room and watch TV."

Emma frowned again. Mare never wanted to watch TV, especially not in the common room. She had a TV on her dresser. "Mare. What is going on?"

Before the brunette could respond five girls piled in through the open door with Ruby Lucas at the front. "Hey, bitches! I've got the best idea and I will not take no for an answer."

Her large hazel eyes fell on Emma and again she felt the weight of her predatory gaze.

"Ruby, I don't think—" Mary Margaret tried to interrupt.

"Shut it, M&M. We have all talked about this and we are doing it." Ruby smiled wickedly at her friend. The other girls around her nodded in agreement.

"What in the world are you guys talking about? What's up?" Emma felt a slight uneasiness in her stomach as all eyes fell on her.

"What's up is we have decided to get you laid!" Ruby laughed out and the other girls chimed in. Emma was dumbstruck.

"Get me… what now?"

"Laid. I've been thinking about you being a virgin and it doesn't sit right with me. You are gorgeous. You are smart. You need the 'd', Emma." The girl smiled and stepped directly in front of Emma.

Emma's heart began to race. She did not in fact need or want the 'd'. But she couldn't tell them that. They wouldn't understand.

"Ruby! You can't just pimp her out—" Again Mary Margaret tried to intervene while Emma remained overwhelmed and silent.

"I'm not pimping her out, M. I just… I want to help her out. And since she isn't going to the dance or on a trip next week… well, here." Ruby extended a small brown envelope to Emma.

"What's… what's this?" Emma finally found her voice.

"Open it." Ruby's voice carried the unspoken 'duh' and she sat gingerly beside the blonde.

Emma's fingers nimbly opened the seal and she shook loose the contents of the package. Her eyes went wide and she looked between Mare and Ruby, astonished.

"That is enough cash pulled together from all the girls to fund one hellavu fun week for you. And that—" Ruby indicated a small card "—that is a fake ID. It is the best I could get on short notice but it should get you into any club you want. I made you a reservation at the Marquis—"

Emma interrupted her. "The Marquis? As in the Marquis Hotel in Boston? I'm not driving into the city. I appreciate all you guys but—"

Emma felt Ruby's finger press against her lip. "Nope. We will not take no for an answer. You have done nothing but study and work and play nice since you got her, Emma. We want you to relax, let your hair down and have a little fun over break. So… you take this money that we all hate for our daddies to part with and that ID and go into the city and have a little fun. And… if you happen to meet a nice guy and turn in your V-card… well, all the better. But you are going."

Emma was stunned. She didn't know what to say. On one hand she was mildly offended by these girls and their presumptuous behavior. But on the other hand she was touched that they had done this for her, no matter how weird it was.

"You don't have to listen to them, Em. If you don't want to go—"

Emma smiled at Mare and was shocked by her own words. "No. I think I will go. Even if all I do is lay around the hotel room and eat room service at least it will be a change of scenery. And who knows," Emma decided to put her hetero story on thick now, "maybe I will meet some nice boy and… what was it you said, Rubes? Get laid?"

No harm in going to the city on some rich girl's dime, Swan.

~ (SQ) ~

Emma sat on the plush sofa looking out the large window at the twinkling lights of the city. When Ruby said she got her a room at the Marquis she had no idea Ruby meant a room like this. With an expansive sitting area and bar, a kitchenette and separate bedroom, she felt like she was in the literal lap of luxury. Nothing in her life had ever been as nice as this.

There hadn't been even a hint from the man at the front desk or the bellman who carried her bags that she didn't belong here. This must be what money got you. No one had even asked to see her fake ID once she mentioned Ruby's name. It was like magic.

Ruby had been just eight months old when her parents had died tragically on a trip to Costa Rica. It had been a freak accident on a guided tour but it had left Ruby an orphan. Her grandmother had raised her but it hadn't been a sad story altogether. Her grandmother was Eugenia Lucas, owner of Granny's, a national chain of trendy diners that wannabe hipsters were flocking to in droves. And if that wealth and name recognition wasn't enough for dear, sweet Ruby, her father had been a real life wolf of Wall Street before his passing and left more money to Ruby than she could spend in a lifetime. She was just waiting for her eighteenth birthday so she could get her hands on it without having everything funneled through her grandmother and their money manager.

Emma stretched out flat of her back on the sofa. She had never dreamed she would ever be in a place like this. But now that she was here… she was bored. She flipped through the magazines on the coffee table and through all 837 channels on the widescreen TV. She had looked through every cabinet and closet and smelled all the soaps, lotions and hair products in the bathroom. She had even considered cracking open a very expensive bag of cashews in the mini bar but decided against it.

Staring up at the ceiling, she wondered if Ruby and Lily and the other girls who had helped fund this little trip would want the money back that she didn't spend. Probably not. Money meant nothing to them. Emma felt a pang of jealousy. Money didn't mean anything when you had plenty. But she had never had any. Sitting up, she decided she was going to spend every last cent the girls had given her, even if she had to give it away. And the first thing she was going to do was put on the black dress Lily had loaned her and go out to a club with her fake ID and pocket full of cash.

~ (SQ) ~

"Everyone is waiting to see Diamond. Have you seen her show before?" A tall, thin African American man asked as he rifled through his purse searching for something. Emma couldn't guess what.

After changing into the almost too tight black dress and touching up her hair and make-up, Emma had pulled out her phone and searched the internet for the closest gay and lesbian club to her hotel. Then she hopped in a cab and found herself standing in a line down a dark alley waiting to be admitted to a place called the Emerald City. She had chuckled to herself at the name. Over the rainbow… how cliché and somehow clever.

The line hadn't moved in nearly forty-five minutes. It had gotten longer behind her, but no one seemed to be getting in. So she had asked another cliché, a flamboyantly dressed and feminine man in front of her what the deal was.

"Diamond who?" Emma said with a frown.

The man returned her frown and placed both hands on his hips. "Diamond who? Oh honey… you're just a baby gay aren't you?" He laughed then and Emma blushed, embarrassed she didn't know something she was apparently meant to know. "Diamond as in Diamond La Rue. She is maybe the most well-known drag queen in the world. In New England at the very least. She's doing her one woman show tonight. So… the line, the wait, the delectable selection of twinks and bears."

The man motioned around and Emma tried to decipher exactly what he meant. "Oh. I see. Well, I never heard of her." She shrugged and tried not to pay attention to her aching feet. Why had she worn these stripper heels? They were not her style at all.

The man eyed her for another moment and then patted her gently on the shoulder. "Just plan on being in line a long time, girl. These bitches won't be in a hurry to leave tonight."

With that, he turned back to his friends and Emma slumped against the wall behind her. This wasn't going at all like she had hoped. With another moment to consider, the blonde pushed off the wall and walked back to the street to hail a cab. She'd try again tomorrow.

She gazed out the window as the car inched along the surprisingly busy street. About a block from her hotel, she noticed a petite red head making her way toward a doorway and smiled. She was attractive and young and dressed like Emma would be under normal circumstances. Jeans, jacket, boots. The girl turned and smiled at Emma's face in the car window as she went into a bar with a sign flashing in the window that said "O'Malley's Pub."

Maybe this night won't be a total loss.

~ (SQ) ~

After a quick dash up to change her clothes, Emma had come back to the hotel lobby in her favorite skinny jeans and wife-beater. She had slipped her arms into her red leather jacket and put her wallet in her back pocket. Already feeling like herself again, she was re-energized and ready to try her luck at an old school bar.

Stepping into the dim room, Emma scanned the place, looking for the red head. The bar was larger than it appeared from the store front. To the left were several pool tables, all crowded around with guys and couples, the click-clacking sound of the balls ricocheting off one another distinct even with the loud music and low rumble of conversation.

To the right were several booths and then a neat row of high-top tables with barstools. Most of these were also crowded with men and women, some sitting, some standing, all with a drink in their hand.

At the back of the room was a wide open door leading to a sparsely populated patio. The smokers had gathered there and the faint scent of their tobacco burning could be picked up even from Emma's spot near the entrance.

But in the center of the room was the main attraction. The large, oval-shaped bar dominated the room. The majority of the bar's patrons were pressed into the space around the bar, reaching out for drinks, shouting orders and flirting with each other. It was like the central hub of a bee hive and it was buzzing with life. Emma noticed a bar stool open up and made a sudden dash for it.

Slipping onto the seat, she immediately felt a hand on the small of her back. Turning, she saw a man in his late thirties, clearly several drinks along, smiling at her.

"Hey now beautiful. I was waiting on this seat." He made no move to extract his hand from her back as she leaned forward away from his touch.

"Uh. Sorry?" Emma said, wondering if she should move.

"Well, now. No need to apologize. How about I buy you a drink and we can share the stool?" The man leaned in closer and motioned for the bartender to come over.

"Um… no, I don't… I don't think so. But thanks." Green eyes grew wide with fear. She suddenly felt like the nineteen year old novice in a big city that she actually was. Despite living on the street in the past, she had always managed to steer clear of this kind of guy.

Ever persistent, the man stepped into the tiny space beside her and draped an arm across her shoulders. "Oh, c'mon sweetheart. Don't be like that. Let Gary buy you a little drink and we can maybe take our talk over to a booth?"

"Why don't I let Gary keep his manhood intact and Gary just walks away? Hmmm?" A smoky, dangerous voice spoke from Emma's left.

"Fuck off, lady. I'm just trying to buy the girl a drink." Gary called as Emma turned to see two fierce brown eyes glaring past her at Gary. Perfect red lips curled back in a sneer.

"This girl clearly doesn't want a drink… or anything from you, Gary. So you… fuck off. Won't your wife be expecting you home any minute now anyway?" Emma turned back to Gary who was suddenly pale. She noticed rather belatedly a gold band on his left ring finger as he slipped his hand quickly into his pocket.

"Whatever… bitch."

And just like that, Gary was gone. Emma looked again at the woman beside her.

"I'm sorry about that, dear. Despite the strides we have made as a species it still seems the male of the animal has a hard time understanding those two little letters." The timber of the woman's voice was low and raspy and cut through Emma like a hot knife in butter.

"Two letters?" Her mind had stopped working and that was all she could think to say.

"Yes. Two letters. N. O. Some men just can't take no for an answer so we have to look out for each other." The woman tucked a raven lock of silken hair behind her ear and smiled.

Emma gripped the sides of the stool to keep from sliding to the floor. This could be trouble.

"Can I get you ladies anything?" The bartender finally arrived.

"Yes. I'll have another martini…dry, with two olives. And my friend—" The woman looked at Emma expectantly.

"Emma." She managed to croak out.

"Emma will have…." Again she waited for Emma to answer.

"Um… I'll have a martini too. Dry?" She hoped she liked it. She hadn't tried a martini before.

"Right. So two dry martinis, two olives. Be right up." The bartender busied himself making their drinks and Emma stared straight ahead. She didn't know what to say or do.

"Regina Mills." The woman said, uncrossing and crossing again toward Emma two very long, smooth and tanned legs. Green eyes tracked up from her stilettos, following the legs until they disappeared under an expensive looking blue dress. Her gaze kept climbing up a slim torso, over enticing and somehow modestly displayed cleavage, up the long column of her neck until she settled again on dark eyes. There was a mischievous glint in those eyes and a smirk on full lips. "I said, I am Regina Mills."

"Oh. Oh, yeah. Uh. Sorry. I… I'm Emma. Emma Swan." The blonde felt a rush of color race up from her chest, and spread across her porcelain cheeks. She'd been caught checking the woman out. Was she no better than Gary?

"Emma Swan." Regina said the name carefully, as if she were weighing it—tasting it—trying it out for the first time to see how it felt in her mouth. She reached for her martini and smiled at the bartender who dashed away. "What an unusual name."

"I guess." Emma took a tentative sip of her drink. She let the drink settle over her tongue and concentrated, trying to decide if she like it or not.

"Well? Do you like it?" Regina arched a brow high, sipping her own drink.

"I… I'm not really sure." Thin lips pursed as Emma considered the beverage another moment.

"Hmm, so this is your first. I thought it might be from the way you ordered it." Brown eyes must have caught the look of embarrassment on Emma's face so she went on. "Don't worry. A martini can be an acquired taste. You have to try it a couple times to know for sure. But for future reference, dear, don't let the bartender use an inferior gin. It may be less expensive but they tend to taste like pine needles."

Emma's face morphed into one of horrified disgust at the thought of pine needles to drink and Regina's deep laughter seemed to fill every corner of the space around them like a warm blanket. "That sounds disgusting." Emma shrugged, giggling a bit herself. Another sip of the drink and the girl felt like she could learn to like it.

"So, Emma," Regina said pulling an olive free from the cocktail pick with her perfectly white, perfectly straight teeth, "were you an ugly duckling as a child or have you always been a beautiful swan?"

Again Emma felt color bloom across her cheeks. She wished she wasn't so fair skinned so it wouldn't be so obvious. "I was awkward as a kid I guess, but I hadn't realized I had transformed into a swan just yet."

Now Regina's grin morphed from teasing to something Emma couldn't name. "Oh, I assure you, dear… you have grown out of your awkward stage quite nicely." The woman winked as she took another sip of her drink.

Holy shit. Is she… is she flirting with me?

Emma smiled into her drink. This was fast becoming her favorite day ever. "That's good to know."

"Well, Miss Swan, I've never seen you in here before. What brings you down tonight?" Regina shifted subtly on her stool so her calf brushed slightly against Emma's leg.

Emma frowned. She didn't want to admit why she was here. "Um… that is a long story." She tried to put the truth away without seeming like she didn't want to talk to the woman anymore. Because she definitely did.

Another sinfully flirtatious smile slipped across Regina's face. "I've got nothing but time. Are you on vacation? New in town? Perhaps you are here on business and just hoping to get lucky tonight?"

The blonde swallowed thickly. Should she lie or just spill the truth? "I guess I am on vacation, sort of. It is fall break from school and…"

"Ah, a student. What year?" Regina's eyes seemed so full of genuine interest, Emma relaxed a little.

"I'm a senior—"

"Wonderful. What university?"

Emma's heart began to pound. What university indeed. Should she lie? Yes. Yes, of course she should. "Tufts. Do you know it?"

Emma had her heart set on Tufts University and their clinical psychology program. She crossed her fingers and whispered a prayer that Regina wasn't an alum.

"Tufts? Yes. I'm familiar. Elephants, right?" Regina nodded to the bartender to bring them each another drink as she spoke.

"Right. The mascot." Emma needed to steer things away from the school. "So, I'm on break and I didn't really have anything planned so my friends sent me on a fake vacation."

"What… they put you up in a hotel off campus?" Regina's curious brown eyes watched with complete trust and Emma felt a wave of guilt. She wasn't a liar.

"Well, something like that. Its… its embarrassing. The real reason I'm here, I mean." Emma ate the first olive in her finished drink and decided she did like martinis. She just needed the salty brine of the olive a little sooner.

A soft hand landed on Emma's leather covered arm. "It's ok. You don't have to tell me. But… I am a good listener and it isn't as if you will ever see me again so I might be the right person to unburden yourself to." Regina squeezed gently and dropped her hand.

Emma ate the second olive and considered her options. She didn't want to stop talking to Regina and she really did want to tell someone… anyone that she was gay. She'd never really said it out loud before. So maybe… "Ok. The thing is—don't judge me—my friends sent me here because… well, they are all… no, that's not… See the girls in my dorm the other night were…" Emma sighed in frustration and the hand reappeared on her arm.

"Just spit it out, dear. I won't judge you. I promise."

Green eyes looked into dark brown and Emma's heart skipped in her chest. How could one woman be so beautiful and why was she talking to Emma?

"Ok. I'm a virgin." She said quickly. "I'm a virgin and the girls in my dorm sent me downtown to a nice hotel with a wad of cash and expect me not to come back home until I… well, you know." Emma tried hard to fight the wave of embarrassment that crashed into her. She wouldn't even look at Regina.

"Oh. I see. Well. And are you ok with this? Do you… wish to lose your virginity to just any man who offers? Because if that is the case Gary would…" Regina trailed off but there was a definite teasing quality to her voice. Emma looked back at her and saw the sparkle of mirth in her eyes and perhaps… was that disappointment?

"Are you laughing at me when I just told you my worst se—well not my worst secret but in the top two?" Emma feigned outrage.

"Oh, no dear. I'm not laughing. I just find it hard to believe that you would need anyone to help you find a young man willing to deflower you. You are quite beautiful, you seem to have a wonderful personality and from what I've seen you have a great body. So, I'm confused I suppose." Regina shrugged and took a longer sip of her drink.

Emma sat stunned. Beautiful? Great body? Her mouth went suddenly dry and it had nothing to do with the vermouth.

"Well, obviously based on Gary's attempt alone I am not incapable of finding a guy to… deflower me as you said. Jesus. How old are you? Who says deflower?" Emma laughed outright then.

"I am thirty if you must know and I say deflower because there isn't a nicer way to say you want someone to take your virginity." Regina's full lips pulled into an offended pout they both knew wasn't real. "But, do go on, dear. Tell me why you haven't taken one of these many willing young men up on their offers if you wanted to lose your virginity so desperately that you plan a vacation around it."

Emma laughed again. Regina had a way of making everything she said sound serious and teasing all at once. Emma could get used to that.

"The truth is…" Emma paused. Was she really going to tell her? "I haven't gone to bed with any of those guys because… well, I'm not interested in guys. Not any guys. Do you know what I mean?"

Regina's eyes traced up Emma's form from her boots to her blonde hair and the silly light in her eyes faded along with the disappointment she had earlier detected. "I believe I do. You are more interested in the fairer sex."

"Right. I'm gay. And I've never told anyone until right this moment so be nice." Emma drank her remaining drink in one swallow and felt the burn in her throat. "The girls in my dorm don't know and so they sent me here to find a guy but really, I came here to find a girl."

"Well, wouldn't the Emerald City or Machine or Club Cafe be a better choice than O'Malley's?" Regina shifted again and this time her calf made more firm impact against Emma's.

"Well, I did go to the Emerald City but it was crowded. Some drag queen was doing a show." Emma shrugged.

"Ah, yes. Diamond La Rue. I had forgotten." Regina motioned the bartender again. This time for the bill. Emma pretended not to notice. Had she ruined things by telling Regina? "So then you just wandered in here?"

Emma blushed.

"No," she stammered, "I saw a really hot red head come in so I came to see if I could find her. It's pathetic I know. What are the odds anyone in here would be gay?"

"And why haven't you been talking to her?" Regina asked, a sudden edge to her voice that Emma couldn't quite decipher.

"Because I much prefer talking to you."

Regina's brown eyes bore down on Emma's, searching for something the blonde couldn't guess.

"To be honest, Regina, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life and when you rescued me from that ass hat Gary I wasn't even able to form coherent sentences. The red head was the last thing on my mind." Emma wasn't sure where this sudden boldness came from but she decided to go with it.

The next sensation she felt was Regina's hand on her thigh. "Emma…" she whispered. If the blonde hadn't been watching her lips so intently she likely wouldn't have even known she said it.

"I mean, I get it. This isn't a place where you meet lesbians. And I just told you maybe the most ridiculous story in history so no pressure right? I'm a 'baby gay' with no experience and I'm proving my ineptitude by flirting with a straight woman and—"

"Emma." Regina said a little louder and squeezed the thigh under her palm.

"I'm sorry, Regina. I'm sure I've made you very uncomfortable and I shouldn't even be in here. I'm only—"

"Emma." Regina said now with force, her fingers pressing into Emma's thigh in such a way as to send white hot heat up the blonde's body. "For your first lesson, when a woman puts her hand on your thigh… she's interested."

"What?" Emma couldn't feel her fingers. Her body was completely numb aside from the precious real estate beneath Regina's hand and points slightly north.

"Invite me back to your hotel, Emma." Regina's voice poured like honey from her soft red lips.

"My… my hotel?" Emma stammered, stunned and on the verge of passing out on the spot.

"Yes." Regina said, leaning in to Emma's neck. Her hot breath spilling onto milky white flesh. Her lips brushed gently against the sensitive spot beneath Emma's ear and she whispered, "Invite me back to your hotel… Em-ma."

Regina sat back and waited for Emma to gather her wits, her plump bottom lip pulled between her teeth. Taking a deep breath, the younger woman finally regained her voice.

"Regina, would you like to come back to my hotel? I think you would really enjoy the view from my room. It's spectacular."

"Mmmm, if it is anything like the view I have now, I'm sure we'll both enjoy it, Emma. Lead the way."