The streets of New York City were crowded and full of life as always. It was a Saturday morning in March and just about everyone was window shopping. Regina loved it all as she dodged the many bodies that flew passed her. She took a sip of her black coffee before making her way through the windy streets with the many shopping bags in her hands.
Today was a happy day and nothing was going to ruin that for Regina. She woke early this morning and pampered herself by getting her hair and nails done. She treated herself to a delightful brunch and a shopping spree. It took just a few more minutes before she would be home and would start cleaning, an activity she found quite relaxing.
After a right turn and a soft hum Regina was almost home. It still felt weird to have a new home since living with her parents for most of her life. However, it was fun being twenty-seven and being responsible for herself. For once in her life Regina felt free and that was the best feeling in the world.
She pushed through the lobby doors of her apartment building and walked over to the mailboxes. She took out her key and opened her mailbox with a sigh. As expected it was a whole bunch of bills that Regina didn't feel like paying.
"Regina Mills! Lovely to see you on such a nice day," a man said as he leaned against the wall next to her.
Regina rolled her eyes as she closed the mailbox and looked at the man in front of her, "David, why are you talking to me?"
"It's my duty as your sexy neighbor. Come on, we can catch the elevator together," David said as he followed Regina over to the elevators.
"If we must," Regina said as she made her way over to the elevators, a hard glare was directed at David as he smirked at her.
David pushed the up button and waited with his hands behind his back. His gaze was locked on the sassy woman next to him. He saw that something was different about her. Maybe something was different about her hair, he was absolutely clueless when it came to Regina and women in general. He did know for sure that she got her nails done and spent a quite a bit of money at a few stores.
"Did you have a successful shopping trip? It seems you had a good day so far," David commented before the elevator doors opened.
"I did have a good day but you are ruining it so far. Clearly you want something from me so just spit it out," Regina said as she stared at the floor number, willing it to go faster.
David chuckled as he looked at her, "Okay, I'll get to the point then. There's a rooftop party tonight and I wanted to personally invite you. Our whole floor will be there so it can be a chance for you to meet more people and mingle."
"Should I bring anything? I don't want to be a less than adequate guest," Regina said once the elevator doors opened.
"Bring a bottle of something is and maybe a dessert. I heard you can make some delicious turnovers," David said as they both walked off the elevator and down the hallway.
"Okay, I'll make something and I'll be there at eight," Regina said before she stopped outside her door.
"Great, I can't wait to see you. It'll be a date and I hope it goes well and maybe we'll be friends," David said hopefully.
"Yeah, no. I refuse to be friends with such an ignorant man like you," Regina said as she got her keys out of her purse.
"Hey! I'm a good friend so don't knock me down before you get a chance to know me. I'll see you later, Regina," David said before giving her a smile and walking down the hallway.
Regina just rolled her eyes before unlocking her door and closing it once she was inside. She kicked off her heels before throwing her bags on her couch and setting her purse on the kitchen counter. She let out a soft sigh before she walked into her kitchen. She swung open the door to her refrigerator and sighed yet again. In her mind going to this party was stupid but maybe she should give it a chance and could always leave when or if things went south.
"What to make?" She muttered to herself as many different recipes swirled through her head.
Regina blew out a puff of warm air before giving up and closing the door. She traveled to her living room and gathered her many shopping bags before going in her room to put her new clothes away. Once she was in her room she took out all the new dresses and suits she bought for work and started putting them away in her walk-in closet. She looked in her closet and decided to wear a blue cocktail dress that hugged her curves in such a devilish manner.
"That prince won't know what hit him," she said to herself as she set the dress on her bed.
Regina had taken a liking to calling David a prince. She wasn't quite sure why but it seemed to suit his character and personality. He was charming and chivalrous and all together a perfect gentleman. Maybe in a different world she could learn to love him but right now and right here he was an ass! He always managed to bump into her, spill her coffee in the morning and one time he even ruined her favorite blazer. Her body was just heating up as she thought of him. However, she wasn't sure if it was caused by her hate for him or the high sexual desire she had for the sexy man.
She shook her head and scoffed at the thought of her and that insipid man together. They could never work together and she absolutely knew that. Maybe a one night stand would satisfy her desires but Regina knew that he would be such an addicting drug to her. She briefly considered of he was worth her time and quickly shot the idea down.
"Let's just get this day over with," Regina said to herself before going into the bathroom to start getting ready for this party.
Meanwhile, down the hall David was absolutely bouncing off the walls. He was hoping that having her in a positive environment with tons of booze would allow Regina to relax a little bit. He wasn't so sure as to why he wanted her to be his friend but, he felt like he was missing out on something. Everyday he would catch a glimpse of those big chocolate brown eyes and wondered what they were hiding. For as long as he knew her he couldn't hold a decent conversation with her for more than three minutes. He always ended up spilling something on her and making her angry.
"That will change tonight," David said aloud as he fixed his sweater a bit.
If he said he wasn't nervous that would be a big fat lie. He was so nervous to make his move on Regina to just have her reject him. It would be tremendously embarrassing and David could not handle that right now. Being brutally honest having such a sexy and successful woman rejecting him would bruise his ego. Luckily for him he would have the some liquid courage in order to help him.
"Okay, let's go," David said to himself as he clapped his hands together before before grabbing his keys and wallet.
He left his apartment and started walking down the hallway. Without even thinking David paused by Regina's door and smiled when he smelt the sweet aroma of cinnamon and pastries come from her apartment. He shook his head softly before walking down the hallway with a goofy smile on his face. He got to the staircase and started walking up the stairs to the rooftop. Once he got to the roof he was greeted by his favorite blonde.
"David! It's good to see you again," Emma said as she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tight hug.
Emma Swan was one of David's best friends. He met her while they were in high school and she became an annoying younger sister to him. She was an orphan with decent foster parents but she still felt like she was lacking family. Shortly after they met David became an older brother of sorts to her. He would comfort her, tease her and run off the many losers she happened to date.
"I missed you Emma," David said as he returned the hug and ruffled her hair which made the blonde hiss.
"David, it took me forever to do my hair! You always have to ruin something," she mumbled before exiting the hug.
"You love me regardless. Now, give me something to do so I can help you," David said as he clapped his hands and looked around.
"Davis, it's five o'clock and Ruby and I did most of the decorating. You're no help at all so just go in the corner and think about your imaginary girlfriend," Emma teased as she poked his arm.
"She will be my girlfriend one day! I even invited her to come to our party," David said which made Emma scoff and roll her eyes.
"Your plan is to get her drunk enough to like you. That is just low, David. With your luck she'll have a stick up her ass and will hate you no matter what," Emma said before walking over to one of the cases of beer.
"It's a smart plan! Regina will be my girlfriend and one day and when we're happy and you're an old spinster we'll make fun of you," David declared as he followed Emma.
"I'm already in a serious relationship so think again grumpy pants. At least I'm getting laid," Emma teased as she started filling the cold cooler with beer. "Can you even remember the last time you got laid?"
"That is none of your concern," David said as he grabbed a beer and opened with ease, taking a much needed gulp once it was opened.
"And that answer means it's been over a year. Such a poor guy," she said as she hit his back with her hand and laughed.
"Let's change the topic. Who's the guy you're dating and how should I murder him?" David asked as he bumped her shoulder with his own before taking another sip of his rather warm beer.
"No, there will be no murdering of my boyfriend. You'll get to meet him soon since I invite him here," Emma said before shrugging her shoulders. "Here are the rules David: don't talk to him and don't even think about telling him any bad stories about me. I will surely have to murder you!"
"I won't tell him anything but I may just have to give him a good old talk with the older protective brother. It won't do its purpose unless I scare him off. You're too young to even be dating," he said which just caused the blonde to roll her eyes.
"You do realize that I'm twenty-six. I am old enough to date whoever the hell I want. You on the other hand can't even get a woman to be interested in you," she said which quite frankly hurt his feelings.
"I could get any woman I want but none of them are as special as Regina. So, I'll wait for her to notice me," David said which made Emma smile.
"She must be really special to you. Tell me what she looks like," she said as they moved over to a set of chairs to sit down.
"Don't get me started on how she looks Emma. She is just an absolute dream. Her short black hair pairs nicely with her olive skin and chocolate brown eyes. Even her eyes are beautiful and are filled with a mystery that I want to solve. I need her in my life," David told Emma which made a smile appear on both of their faces.
"Clearly you love her and she's a woman with secrets. If or when you start dating what happens if you can't accept her secret?" Emma asked him which caused David to frown at her before finishing his beer with one last swallow.
"It depends on what it is but I am very open to people and their interests or situations. I hope I'm open to her," David said quietly, starting to question himself.
"Hey, stop that. Be confident and get your girl and have tons of sex with her," Emma said trying to make David's mood lighten up.
"If only it was that easy," David mumbled to himself.
The party was now in full swing. Emma and all of the other party guests were enjoying themselves. There was music, food and a great variety of beer and wine. The apartment rooftop was full of happiness, laughter and pure joy up until you look at the corner of the rooftop to see David sulking with a drink in his hand.
Regina hasn't shown up yet and that made David sad. She said she was going to be here but he hasn't seen her yet. He was acting like a lovesick teenager and that's exactly what he was. Being so head over heels for a woman was new to David. He was so accustomed to being a player and having one night stands with women he just met. To him Regina was more than just a conquest, to him she was everything.
"Aw, look who's all pouty," Regina said as she sat next to him on the bench that was place on the edge of the building rooftop. It had the best view of the busy city below them.
David perked up and smiled at her. "When did you get here? I haven't seen you around at all."
"I just got here and since I don't know many people I'm stuck here with you," Regina said as she sipped on the glass of red wine she had in her hand.
While Regina was distracted with her beverage David took his time to have a look at her. Her raven hair was cutely curled at the ends and her lips were a seductive red color. She was amazing and David was practically drooling as he looked at her. David looked down and gulped when he caught the sight of her cleavage that peeking over the sweetheart neckline of her blue dress. It was a glorious blue and made David crave her even more.
"Uh, David. It's quite rude of you to stare," Regina said interrupting his thoughts as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
"You just look exceptionally beautiful tonight, Regina. I'm sorry if I stare too much you're just amazing," David said with an awkward chuckle as he gave her a smile.
"Thank you, David. After a well deserved glass of wine you look quite attractive," Regina said with a chuckle as she took another sip of her wine.
"Well, since you're in a good mood I was wondering if we could grab a cup of coffee together. Maybe tomorrow at eight," David told her nonchalantly trying to hide his nervous by taking a sip of his drink.
Regina considered the scenario in her head and she only pictured him spilling hot espresso on her dress. She laughed at the thought and smiled at David as she placed her hand on his knee. "I would love to grab coffee with you. Please, just don't spill anything."
David laughed at her comment before he said, "I won't spill anything as long as I'm promised a kiss at the end of tonight." David gave her a smile as he took the hand that was on his knee and held it in his own hand, gently intertwining their fingers.
Regina blushed at the small action of him holding her hand. It felt so right in her mind but she was so afraid of rejection. "Yes, you will be granted one kiss," she said softly with a smile painted on her lips.
"Did I just make Regina Mills blush? Oh, I feel quite honored," David said as he brought his other hand up to brush against her cheek that changed to a darker shade of red.
"Oh, it's just rather cold out here," she said retracting her hand from his. "I'm just cold that's all."
David just royally screwed up. He had her relaxed and laughing and they were holding hands. Of course he managed to screw this up royally. He sighed softly as he shrugged off his jacket and leaned closer to her so he could wrap it around her. She tried to reject the kind gesture but he was not having it. He messed up a lovely moment and the least he could do was make sure the gorgeous lady was warm and cared for.
"Do you need me to refill your drink? I'm sure you could go for some more wine," David offered once he got back to his seat before.
"Actually, I would love some tequila. I need to be quite drunk if I am to kiss you tonight." Regina gave him a devilish smirk as she handed him her glass.
David rolled his eyes playfully as he snatched the glass from her hands. He got up from his seat and gave her a smile before he walked over to the bar. He gave the bartender the empty glass and ordered the tequila Regina wanted. As he waited his gaze wandered over to the woman he had just left moments ago. She was leaning her shoulder on the brick wall and was looking over at the city lights that were blinking. He noticed how she was now snuggled into his jacket and could see remnants of a smile on her face. He could see that he made her happy yet she wouldn't let him in her life.
"So, how are things with you and Regina? I mean she looks pretty cozy in your jacket," Emma said with a laugh as she approached David at the bar.
"Well, she promised to kiss me tonight as a bribe to not spill anything on her when we go out for coffee tomorrow." David took the drink the bartender handed him and gave Emma a soft smile.
"That is progress David. I'm actually a tiny bit proud of you." Emma nudged his shoulder before giving him a look and saying, "Go back to her and make a move. It looks like things are going pretty well for you."
David rolled his eyes before walking back over to his seat next to the beautiful brunette. He looked over his shoulder and flashed Emma a smile before sitting next to Regina again. He handed her the drink and she gave him a smile before taking a sip. She looked over at the blonde that was staring at them intently before chuckling softly.
"Is that your friend or something? She's staring at us a lot," she said as she turned to look at David.
"That's just my little sister being a nuisance. She wants us to go well because she thinks I'm lonely." Regina laughed at David's words and scooted closer to him.
"You don't look lonely at all. There's quite a gorgeous woman sitting right here and wanting your attention," Regina said before taking a sip of her drink.
David looked at Regina and gave her a smile. "Why are you being so flirty today? Earlier you were ready to basically set me on fire. Not that I'm complaining but what changed your mind now?"
"For starters I like you and I wanted to give you a chance. You can't be that bad of a guy and you're really handsome. Also, this drink is doing wonders so you're in luck tonight," Regina said with a laugh before shivering from the cold air. She was regretting her choice in her attire tonight.
David took Regina's hand and pulled her closer to him which caused her to gasp as she looked up at him. He pulled her close so she was snuggled into his arms as he held her tightly. He rubbed his arms up and down her shoulders as an effort to warm her up. She looked up at him and gave him a smile of approval.
"Thank you, David. You are quite a charming person." David laughed at her words before placing his hand her chin and lifting it so his blue eyes met her brown ones.
"I like you a lot Regina. You're such an amazing woman," David said with a smile as he bumped his nose against hers. "Very gorgeous."
"Careful with your words David. I might just have to kiss you right now," she whispered as her glance fell from his eyes and landed on his lips.
David noticed where her gaze was and smiled at her as he placed his hands on both sides of her face. She looked up at him with a small smile on her face. David blinked slowly before closing his eyes and leaning in slowly. The anticipation was too much for Regina to handle but she closed her eyes and waited for David's soft lips to meet her own. It felt like years but soon his lips were brushing hers softly. Soon he engulfed her in a soft yet bruising kiss as his hands found their way into her black locks of hair while her hands rested on his strong chest. To Regina's disbelief he pulled away after only a few seconds later and gave her a smile.
"You're quite the kisser, David. I hope we'll share more in the future," she told him with a smile. He was going to respond but his words were cut off when she let out a series of yawns.
"You must be quite tired from your day of shopping and pampering. I think it's time for you to get some rest," David said which made Regina laugh quietly.
"Your true colors are showing. You're the type of guy to kiss them and leave 'em. Very classy." David shook his head as he stood up and pulled Regina with him.
"Trust me, Regina. I am definitely not leaving your side. You just need your rest for our coffee date in the morning," he said as he held her close and they walked across the rooftop.
Regina gave him a quick nod before leaning her head against his shoulder. David waved at Emma signaling that he was leaving for the night and that earned him a wink. Regina caught sight of the exchange and rolled her eyes as she leaned into David. They walked over to the door and walked down the few bit of stairs before approaching the elevator. Regina decided to pull away from David only to push the down button.
"What was that wink for?" Regina asked him and David shook his head before laughing a little bit.
"Emma asked about who I invited so I told her what I knew about you and she wants us together. I guess she's just a little bit happy that I actually did something right with an amazing woman," David said to her before the elevator dinged and they boarded together.
"I'm glad you did the right thing for once and you didn't spill anything on me today. That is success David." As Regina spoke David smiled at her and grabbed her hand and laughed before kissing her knuckles softly.
"Thank you, Regina. I'm glad I did something right with you. Before we discuss anything between us let's just get you some rest. I'm excited for our date tomorrow." David cupped her cheek and then kissed her lips softly.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened with a soft hum coming from the elevator. They boarded the elevator and stood in silence as they played with each other's fingers absentmindedly. David took her hand and led her down the hallway until they got to her apartment door. Regina leaned against the door of her apartment and gave David a smile as she looked at him. He stood there kind of awkwardly as she looked him up and down and set her gaze on his soft lips for the second time this night.
"David, you're supposed to be kissing me in this moment. Stop standing there and kiss me," Regina said with a laugh to her soft tone.
David took his arms and wrapped them around her small waist and pulled himself close to her. He cupped her cheek with one hand and then captured her lips in a searing kiss. It was just a dream to be standing there kissing her. He took his time as he enjoyed her lips and would spontaneously tug and bite on her bottom lip which made the woman moan softly. Regina just felt so happy to be kissing David and couldn't help herself from slipping her tongue into his mouth. He kissed her back eagerly before pulling away with a smile on his face.
"Happy?" He asked her and Regina nodded as she bit her lip which was a little swollen from their kiss.
"Very happy. I'll see you in the morning David." Regina turned around and opened her door with a turn of her key. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Regina," David said with a sigh before giving her a small smile. "Don't I get a proper goodnight kiss? I gave you one and I think I deserve one as well." He asked her with a smirk and Regina rolled her eyes before turning around to give him a quick peck on his lips.
Before Regina's lips touched his own they heard a rumbling noise and inside her apartment she heard a vase break as it crashed to the ground. The ground started shaking which caused David to hold onto Regina tighter as the earthquake started. The rumbling of the ground grew louder and more intense which caused Regina to hold onto David tighter, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly.
"I wasn't quite expecting the Earth to prevent us kissing," David said with a laugh as he tried to soothe her.
"Earthquakes are terrifying, David. At least I wasn't alone," Regina said before parting from David once it ended.
Regina gave David a smile and David was going to return it before the floor gave out under her. She screamed loudly as she fell through the carpeted floors and was engulfed into a hole of darkness. David immediately leaned down and grabbed her hand, trying to pull up the woman he was easily falling for.
"David, what's happening?" Regina yelled over the loud wind swirling in the abyss that was trying to consume her.
David found the strength to pull her up and held her tightly. His victory smile, however, was cut short when the hole consumed the both of them. Regina yelled as they fell and David just held onto her tightly, making sure he didn't lose her. There was something in the air that was strange, almost magical. He was in such shock and could only hear Regina's screams and shouts of his name as they fell deeper into a hole that was never ending. It was as if they were Alice in Wonderland falling down a stupid rabbit hole.
David fell to the ground with a hard thud and only had a thin layer of grass to cushion himself. He groaned loudly as he rubbed the back of his head. He looked around and slowly sat up to realize that he was in the middle of a forest. How the hell did he get here? The sound of loud screaming interrupted him and the next thing he knew Regina fell right into his arms. Even after she was safe in his arms her lungs continued to scream.
"Regina, you're okay. You didn't even touch the ground," David said with a laugh as he looked at her with a smile.
Regina opened her eyes slowly and looked up at David. Both of their faces were quite confused. David had no clue where they were and Regina was just confused as to why she was still in David's arms. She shook her head and got up slowly and looked around. David saw a look on her face, a look of familiarity and warmth.
"Do you know where we are, Regina?" David asked her as he got up and rubbed his head.
"I, um, I think I know exactly where we are. It might be difficult to understand or grasp the concept of this," she said softly as she tugged on her fingers, a bad habit she had when she was nervous.
"Just spit it out, Regina. Beating around the bush isn't going to help. Just-"
"This is my home, David. I'm from a different realm and somehow we traveled here by chance. Welcome to the glorious Mist Haven." Regina looked at David and nervously waited for his response.
She watched as David stood there completely shocked. He was glad that he found out the truth about her but the truth was a bit unbelievable. Regina turned her head towards the forest when she heard the galloping of horses quickly approaching along with the sound of metal clanking.
"David!" Regina yelled as she ran to him and grabbed his arm. "We have to go!"
"What's going on now? Are fairies going to attack us?" David snapped at her which was unfair but he needed some time to process what was happening.
"Fairies are usually loving creatures. These are black knights and they're looking for me," Regina explained as she gripped his arm tighter and started pulling him into the forest.
"Oh, great! I'm stuck with a bandit who's going to be killed by black knights in some place called Mist Haven. This must be some kind of prank." As David finished his sentence a sword flew past them and punctured the soft grass beneath them.
"I'm actually the princess. Now, let's go before they catch us!"
Regina pulled David into the forest and they began to run for their lives. A pang of regret hit Regina's heart as she ran with David. She missed her family but didn't want to see them again. They were apart of a past that she so badly wanted to forget. David, on the other hand, was just confused about this whole situation but was glad that he was here with Regina, the woman he was sure he was in love with.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It's a new little project I'm working on. This book is actually something I hope to publish one day. I might actually only post a limited amount of chapters on here. Just let me know what you all think about this!