Chapter 4
Regina awoke the next morning, with a massive headache to her head. She feels like its gonna explode. She's trying to get up from Killian's bed but couldn't, so she decides to stay in bed but her head just won't stop spinning. She's repeat her attempt to get up but it only make it worst and the brunette could not stand, because her legs feels wobbly. "Damn it, what is happening, why is it so hard to stand!" The brunette cursed under her breath. She grabbed the nightstand to help her walks but it seems fruitless because she can't really see what's in front of her. She tripped on her own boots and fell, her head almost hitting the nightstand.
About a minute or so later, Killian entered the room and surprised to see Regina, laying on the floor. "Oh Lordy! Regina! why are you on the floor? Are you alright?" He's helping Regina to get up and lifted her back to his bed. "Yeah, I'm alright, I've just got this freakin' headache and, it feels really blurry."
"Where do you want to go? I'll help you. I thought you weren't drunk last night?"
"I need to go to the bathroom, and I'm pretty sure I'm not drunk, at least not that drunk. You know I can handle my alcohol." Killian watches Regina struggling to take off her leather jacket, because apparently she forget to took it off last night amidst her breakdown.
"Let me help you, get that thing off." Killian carefully help Regina to take off her leather jacket, and he raised his eyebrow. "So, you have added another tattoos to your sleeve, I see". He is scrutinizing Regina's sleeve. There are bunch of tattoos with different colours, Regina is also a fan of Disney's villain characters so there are a lots of it, drawn at her left sleeve "Yeah, I've had the time, so why not? I've been wanting to make it full for a while now, so here they are." Regina smirk, she is so proud of her tattoos, each of them hold a very deep meaning for her, it took her years to have finally completed it.
"Oh! You should see my newest tattoo, it is only halfway done, because the size is, well, pretty big." Regina can't help but give a little laugh to Killian, who's slightly shook his head because of his brunette friend addiction to tattoos.
"Where is it Regina?"
Regina takes off her tank top and turn her back to Killian. There, laying a pretty big figure of Evil Queen, her favorite character, holding an apple in front of her magic mirror.
"Oh my God! You weren't kidding, it's fucking big, you are insane! Regina." His mouth agape, Killian isn't a man who's comfortable in cursing, but he wasn't excpecting her tattoo to be this big either. It nearly covered her whole back. The picture was hold every detail beautifully, the design, the colour is so pristine and well-drawn.
"Well, I love her. You know that. I wasn't really see her as a villain. I bet there are so many stories behind her villain-esque figure, she's just so...misunderstood. That's why I can relate to her." Regina's voice starting to tremble, and Killian won't let her be sad again, so he get up from bed, offer his hand to Regina, with the intention to change the topic of this dreadful conversation.
"Come on, let's get to the bathroom. I'll help you"
"Mom, mom, come on wake up it's already 7:30, you need to be in your office by 8." Joey shook her mother body a little too rough that morning. The blonde wouldn't budge, she sleeps like dead people after last night event.
"Mom! Come on, you're going to be late." Joey pulls the duvet harshly.
"Arrgh, give me back my duvet you thief." Emma groaned but still hasn't opened her eyes, she feels a little dizzy and totally regretted the amount of alcohol she drank last night.
"Come on, I made breakfast. You told me you have that important meeting with investor or whatever this morning." Joey lost his patient, he decided to drag his blonde mother from the bed straight to her bathroom. He had opened the bathroom earlier and put Emma on seated position near the shower glass box.
"Damn it! Joey! What are you doing? Emma has finally opened her eyes fully and realization hit her, she's already in her bathroom and Joey has ready to turn the shower on.
"Go, shower. Now! You're late."
Emma has finally finished her shower and readied herself fot the day, she wears a long sleeve black button up shirt with tight red skirt. She put her hair in ponytail, with a touh of simple make-up and nude lipstick she walk down the stairs to her kitchen.
"Looking good, mom!" Joey gives a slight smirk to his blonde mother, he plates pancake and scrambled eggs for her mother.
"Here, I've already called Ruby. I said you're going to be a little late today."
"Oh my God! Thanks! You're a life saver, eventhough this is practically you're fault." Emma puts a fork full of pancake and eggs to her mouth and hummed at the taste, it was quite good, she thinks. She has taught Joey lots of thing, cooking included and in a moment like this Joey's cooking is more than enough.
"Hey, I knew you had fun last night, can't blame myself for that."
"Yeah, yeah whatever. I'm finished, thanks for breakfast. I'll see you tonight."
"What? You haven't finished your breakfast, mom." Joey frown when he's looking at the blonde's plate. "No time, Ruby's going to kill me if I didn't get there in 30 minutes."
She doesn't get a chance to finished her breakfast because she was running really late, she's peppering kisses all over Joey's faces before she goes to the garage to her respective car.
"Hey princess! I know we both own the place but right now you're like really, really late." Ruby's voice blaring in Emma's car, the skinny brunette had lost her patient waiting for her best friend arrival. Emma got stuck in pretty bad traffic that morning, the price that she has to paid for waking up late.
"Sorry Rubes, I've got stuck in this damn traffic, please handle our meeting this morning. I'll catch up when I get there."
"Fine! You're lucky you're my best friend Swan. Get in here fast." Ruby scolded. Emma feels bad for Ruby, she knows how important this meeting is for her best friend, she prays that all will going to be alright even when she's not there to handle the meeting.
Luckily, Emma has finally got to her office, well 40 minutes late and the meeting was almost over. She only get the chance to do the closing and good for her, she is a very persuasive person. She manage to convinced all the investors to sign the deal and gain more profit for her company.
She make up smoothly for Ruby and the lanky brunette couldn't express her joy better than to do that crushing hug to her bestfriend.
"Oh my God, Emma! You're an asshole but I can't believe we got the project!"
"Alright, alright, enough with the hug. Ican't breath Rubes." Emma pulled away from Ruby's hug trying to breath.
"Let's go I'll buy coffee in your favorite, and bear claws?" Ruby drag her best friend from the meeting room to their favorite coffee shop near their office.
"Yes! After that meeting a cup of coffee and bear claws would be nice. Thanks Rubes."
"No! Thanks Ems, you know how important that project for me, you've won them for me. It's the least I can do for you."
Emma and Ruby walk together to Once Upon a Time coffeeshop near their office, they had served the best coffee and bear claws that Emma ever know. This is their go to place when they needed a caffeine boost or a little sweetness from their pastry for the day.
The coffeeshop wasn't big, there are only six or seven table around, they have a fairy tale theme. The animated pictures of Snow White, Mulan, or any other fairy tale characters you've ever known hanging on their wall. It was nice and cozy, Emma and Ruby really like it there.
"Hey, Cindy!" Emma called the waitress, Cindy. Cindy have been working there for quite a long time and she is no stranger to Emma and Ruby.
"Hey! Emma, Ruby. How are you?" Cindy smile to the duo while wipping the counter from the pie crumbles and coffee stains.
"We're good, I'll have my usual. What about you Rubes?"
"I'll have soy latte and two beignet."
"Alright, coming right up!" Cindy starting to make their order, Emma's usual include black roast coffee and two bear claws meanwhile Ruby's order consist of soya latte with beignet, other than bearclaws, Once Upon a Time also has a mean beignet.
Emma and Ruby waiting whilst talking about their work, when Emma hears the cafe's door bell cling and she saw none other than Regina Mills, the pretty bruntte from last night fiasco at the bar.
"Oh My Goodnes, Regina?" The blonde eyes widened, she didn't believe what she sees, how could she found Regina here?
"Hey Emma, who's that? Why are you looking at her like that?
"She's the woman at the bar, I met her last night while throwing up." She still watching the brunette beauty walking to the counter. "Wait here, I'm going to talk to her." Emma got up from her chair and walks, really, really slow to the counter while she watching the brunette's gesture.
"Uhmm. Hey, Regina?" Emma hesitant to call the brunette, she can see it clearer right now and she thinks that Regina is way more prettier than last night when they met at the dimly bar and alley.
"Huh? Ah! Miss Swan, right?" Regina looking over her shoulder from the counter and meet Emma's eyes, she gives the blonde a slight smirk.
"Yeah, please call me Emma. Miss Swan is just too...formal."
"Right, Emma. What are you doing here?" Regina asks while waiting for Cindy to come to her, she studies the blonde, and she fascinated by the sea-green eyes that the blonde posessed, but she refuses give any further thought about it.
"Hey, Sis! What are you doing here? You haven't been here in like years." Cindy suddenly came and greeted the brunette in cheerful, quirky sound that irked the brunette most often than not.
"Hello, Cindy. I've missed you too. So, I am not allowed to visit my one and only sister now?" Regina answered sarcastically. The banter that had happened between the barista and the brunette surprised Emma. "You two are, sister?!" Emma blurted out without actually thinking.
"Oh! I see, so, you've met my sister then?" Cindy slight smirk has made Emma widened her eyes in, oh so, unladylike manner.
Cindy find her way out from the counter and hug Regina tightly, just before she pulled off Cindy peppered kisses on the brunette nose. "Oookay, enough of that Cindy, we're in public and you're embarassing me." Regina step away from Cindy's crushing hugs and kisses and immidiately fixes her leather jacket that had been ruined because of Cindy's hugs.
"Oh! Come on Reggie, you're no fun at all. You said it yourself that you've missed me, so this my way of saying "I've missed you".Cindy giggled, watching her sister squirmed in front of Emma.
"First of all, please don't call me that, and second we're in public places, sis."
"I know you love it when I called you that, Regina. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Cindy cheerful tone suddenly gone and change into something more serious gesture, and they slightly forget that Emma is still standing there.
"Uhmm, I think I just go, my friend's been waiting for me, good day Cindy, Regina." Emma awkwardly trying to leave the two sisters before Regina grabs her wrist.
"Give me your phone, Em-ma." Regina stern tone caught Emma by surprised, she didn't even think when she reach for her phone in her coat pocket. "He-he-here."
Regina typed her number quickly and give the phone back to Emma. "If you need anything, call me. Good day Ms. Swan."
"Hey, Ems! What the hell happened? Who is that? Ruby, who doesn't understand the situation is trying to get any explanation from Emma. She has never seen her friend actually approach another woman let alone made conversation with them. It was all too bizzare for her.
"Uhm, I told you Rubes, I met at the bar last night. Her name is Regina." Emma doesn't want to go into the details, that she was indeed, intrigued by this woman, but it seems that she failed; because this is Ruby, Ruby has been her best friend for a really long time, of course she would knows if she's hiding something.
"Hhmm, so? You really think that I would stop asking, wouldn't you?" Ruby smirked at Emma and linked her arm to Emma's as they walking into their office.
"Well, can't blame me for trying, uhm—I just don't want to go into details, yet."
"Is it because you really attracted to this woman? Because, to be honest I've never seen you like this Em, and I've known you for half of your life." Ruby gives soothing patterns on Emma's arms, this gesture indicates that she won't pry for any details, she just want to let Emma know that it's okay to feel what she's feeling right now.
"I don't know Rubes, Regina seems—different? I really don't know what's the word for this, and franky I'm afraid.
"What do you mean you're afraid?"
"You know, I've been pulled myself away from this game for so long, I don't know how it's like to be with someone anymore. I don't want to push her away, you know." Emma decided to turns their walk to the park near their office, she doesn't feels like to go back to the office right now.
Emma and Ruby have their private place in this park, not many people know about this place, it is secluded and far from prying eyes. They like it there, it's calm albeit the sounds of birds chirping on top of the trees.
"Come on, Ems. Don't be like that, I know you've chosen to be alone since Joey but he isn't a kid anymore, he's a grown man and from what I've heard he's also trying to find a person for you." Ruby's trying to encourage Emma to just dive in into this dating game again and see what is going to happen afterwards.
"I mean you won't know what will happen if you don't even try." Ruby linked her arms to Emma and put her head into her shoulder and sigh.
"I don't know Rubes, just give me some time to think."