A White Envelope

Chapter 1

I want to thank my beta loweze for helping so much with the plot and my grammar issues (:

"Jefferson, please," Regina sighed and massaged her temples, the blond artist was really getting on her nerves today. "Just write another song."

"But-" He started again and Regina lifted one finger in warning. "No!" she said, "You are not leaving this studio until you have at least one song ready for me, now I really need to go." She grabbed her bag and looked at her stupid assistant in warning. "Do not let him leave," she ordered her and opened the room.

"I hate you!" she heard Jefferson called behind her. "They are all right you know! You really are the 'Evil Queen.' "

"I love you too, my star." She called back and answered her phone with a roll of her eyes. "This new one better be worth it!" she growled at blonde on the other side.

"He is," Kathryn promised. "Just remember what I told you, keep an open mind."

"I promise nothing." Regina declared. She was pissed about Jefferson childish behavior and she would much rather focus on completing his new album than chasing Kathryn's new find.

"I'm telling you, we need to sign him."

"That's my decision to make, I just hope you are not wasting my evening." she sighed and hung up her phone.

Regina walked into the filthy bar and rolled her eyes when she noticed the black-haired man singing on the small stage; she sat at the bar and listened to his rusty voice.

He was definitely Kathryn's type; dark and handsome, but he lacked effortless talent, and had little stage presence. The audience at the bar were barely paying attention to him, chatting amongst themselves over their drinks.

"Can I get you anything?" the blonde bartender asked her and Regina answered without removing her eyes from the man on stage; "whisky on the rocks."

"Coming up." the blonde woman picked up a glass and poured her the drink, she slide it toward the brunette and Regina finally turned to look at her, she sipped her drink and asked; "What do you think about him?" She pointed at the singer and the blonde shrugged. "He is not bad," she answered, drying another glass with a towel.

"Right." Regina mumbled under her breath, he really was 'not bad', maybe even good but he was not what she was looking for, he was not an artist.

Regina could tell with just one look the man was nothing but a gimmick, he had no personality in his singing, no true emotion.

Regina filmed him with her phone and sent it to Kathryn.

'He's good! Kathryn texted back and Regina typed angrily on the phone.

'I disagree!He doesn't represent what our company standing for and you know it!'

'He can easily sell, he is hot and he sings good enough.'

'I'm not looking for 'good enough'.'

'Just give him a chance.'

Regina just shut off her phone and swallowed the rest of her drink in one sip, feeling the burn in her throat she breathed through her nose, she was having a really annoying day by far, first fighting with her mother for talking with the press without permission, again, then Jefferson and his whiny attitude and now this worthless excuse of an artist is going to waste her time.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the blonde bartender pocketing a twenty dollar tip with a smile before cleaning the dirty counter with a towel, at least someone was having a better day than her she thought while moving the glass in a circular motion, watching as the ice cubes clashed.

"Hey" The voice woke her from her thoughts and she turned to look at the blonde woman. "Can I get you another drink?" She smiled politely at her and Regina's eyes roamed over her face, she noticed the woman was rather beautiful with her green orbs, her blonde curls, and her porcelain skin.

"A red wine." Regina answered after a few moments of silence and the blonde nodded and moved to fetch her a glass.

"Regina, right?" A man voice came from her side and Regina fixed her political smile as she turned; "Killian" she smiled at the artist and motioned for him to sit beside her.

"So," the man smiled arrogantly at her "Did you like it?"

"It wasn't bad," she copied the blonde's words and she swore she could hear a giggle from behind the counter.

"Can I get you anything?" the blonde came back with her glass, her eyes fixed at the man beside and her tone suggested she was inviting him to choose from more than just the menu.

Regina felt her blood bubbling underneath her skin when Killian's eyes roamed over the blonde body, stalling on her breasts for a while before they finally landed on her eyes. "Rum, please. Appleton, if you've got it. Neat."

"Good choice" the bartender answered pouring two glasses with the rum and downing one herself. She licked her lips before she reached her hand to the man; "Emma."

"Killian." The man answered and clasped their hands together.

"Call if you need me." she winked at him before leaving to attend to other customers.

"So," Regina tried to get the guy's attention again but Killian just stared at Emma's ass as she walked away. "Killian," she said again and he finally turned to look at her.

For the rest of evening the annoying bartender just kept coming and flirting with the man whether it was clearing invisible dust from his shirt or winking at him from across the bar, Regina could barely get his full attention until finally, she dismissed him with the old saying of; 'don't call us, we will call you'.

Killian left a few dollars on the counter, not even covering his bill and took off angrily.

"What was that?" the blonde bartender said.

"You actually asked me that?" Regina asked dumbfounded and a little bit annoyed.

Emma just kept staring at her, waiting for any kind of explanation and Regina blew up "You've been flirting with him all evening long!"

"So?" Emma asked confused.

"So he spent the whole meeting staring at your ass, I couldn't get anything out of him, not that it matters, I'm pretty sure he was a gimmick anyway."

"Well I was only interested in his money," Emma said while staring at the few dollars on the counter, "not that it worked apparently."

"I guess it didn't." Regina huffed in annoyance; this girl actually thought he was the one with the money? She was the one wearing Louboutin heels and carrying a Prada purse.

"I'll take another glass of wine please. Large." Regina said and when she saw Emma's helpless look when she counted the dollars she quickly added; "and I'll cover his bill."

"Thanks," Emma smiled genuinely at her. "They would've made me take it out of my salary."

"It's ok." Regina returned the small smile.

Emma was finishing yet another shift in the dreary bar, the last of the customers finally left and she put her hair in a messy bun as she locked the door behind them, and began cleaning the tables. It wasn't when she swept the floor that she found it; a white envelope with her name scrawled across the front in elegant writing, a small gold 'M' logo on the right side of it. She opened it and her breath stuck in her throat, inside the envelope was $200 and a business card with the name; 'Regina Mills'. Emma flipped the card and saw that a few words were scribbled there in black ink.

'Looks like you were flirting with the wrong person.'

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