The following day, Emma was changing in the "teacher's lounge" when she heard Eugenia announce: "Emma, you have a delivery."
Walking into the office, she found Granny eyeing a basket of flower-shaped fruit and chocolate-covered strawberries, and holding a sealed small card in her hand.
"You can have this," she waved the envelope, "if I get a strawberry."
Emma grinned. "That is blackmail, old lady."
"But it still works. What's your decision?"
"Take two, you crone," she chuckled. "Might as well have some excitement in your senior years."
Granny handed over the card and gently whacked a laughing Emma on the arm as she brought the basket into the connected room and placed it on top of the dorm fridge. Pulling out a pineapple flower, she took a bite as she opened the envelope.
Thank you again for yesterday — Regina.
Somehow, the fruit suddenly tasted sweeter.
She had little time to enjoy her bounty before Ruby bounded in barking, "Whaaaaat is this deliciousness?"
"A gift."
"From who?"
"A parent."
"Some parent...who?"
"That's privileged information."
"Fuck that," Ruby hung up her coat and pulled off her shirt in one seemingly fluid move. "I'll bribe Granny. She loves dirt."
"Regina Mills."
"Who?"
Emma sighed, pulling up her capris. This was going to hurt. "The hot brunette."
Parents just turning into the parking lot probably heard Ruby's hoots. "YAAAAAAAASSSSSS! Wait, why?"
"She had a flat and her son stayed to hang out in the next class until she got here. I didn't do anything special," Emma noted quickly. "She didn't have to do this. I didn't do anything"
"Hey, don't get defensive," she soothed, noting she hit a tender spot. "But you want to, don't you?"
"I can't."
"But you want to."
Emma cocked her head to the side, lips pursed. "Of course. Have you seen her? I would like to get to know her. But I can't." She winced, that was dangerously close to a whine.
"Hey, I didn't meant to pour salt in the wound." Ruby approached and pulled the blonde into a side hug. "You know what you know need?"
"Don't say 'get laid.'"
"You need to get laid."
Emma chuckled and shook her head. "I do, but what I need is to get laid by a nice woman who I like to spend time with. And I haven't found one in a long, long time."
"You should go into town and get down."
"I'm too tired," she sighed, stepping out from behind the curtain, into the hallway.
Ruby took a chocolate-covered strawberry and bit into it seductively, lips gently suckling the juice. She swallowed a bite. "Regina's got good taste."
One town over, the Islington law office of Midas & Mills was wrapping up for the day. The partners sat in Regina's office, Kathryn's shiny black heels resting on her friend's mahogany desk as she summarized the day in court: "I kicked ass."
"Good for you."
"You bet it's good for me — and you." She sipped her Diet Coke and smiled at herself. "Whom did Boston Magazine name as one of the Top 5 defense lawyers again? Hmmm?"
Regina twirled a pen in between her fingers as she reviewed a ridiculously complicated, absurdly long, real estate contract. "Ted Castle," she noted, without looking up.
"True, but he's an asshole. Who was the only one in the Top 5 with a uterus?"
"You, I think...but I don't recall Boston Magazine mentioning your uterus."
"Regina…" Richard strode into the room with a stack of mail. "I—"
"Richard, you look great today! Well done!" Kathryn enthused. The man looked down, unsure of what prompted the comment. He was wearing what he pretty much always wore: black dress shoes, black trousers, a light grey Oxford and a blue tie featuring a small diamond pattern. He had just trimmed his beard, maybe that was it? He opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by his other boss, who was still nose-down in the contract: "Don't mind her, she's in one of those moods," she noted archly.
He nodded, not that she saw it. "I just wanted to tell you I received confirmation on that delivery."
Kathryn looked at Regina fast enough to see her grimace, slightly. "Very good, thank you," she replied. Richard spun on his heel and exited quickly, keen to distance himself from a merry, teasing Midas.
The silence was deafening as Regina continued reading, waiting for the inevitable.
"What delivery?" Kathryn asked sweetly, slowly.
Regina lifted her head carefully, removing her reading glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose. "One of those fruit arrangements."
"Lovely. To whom?"
Shit. Regina prayed an asteroid would hit the building.
"To the dance studio."
Kathryn frowned, it wasn't the answer she expected. "The dance studio?"
"Because I was so late picking up Henry yesterday because someone was in court and couldn't help me."
"In court winning," Kathryn noted, holding up a finger for clarification.
"Whatever. I wanted to do something nice."
She watched the blonde return to her phone and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank you, Jesus. She was almost done with the last page of the contract when she heard Kathryn shift her legs off the desk and sit up straight: "Wait, to the dance studio or someone specific at the dance studio?"
I could lie. I could, but she would check the delivery info because she is Kathryn, and I will get a bigger landslide of shit for trying to hide that detail.
Regina looked up once more and met Kathryn's eyes. "To Henry's dance teacher."
It took Kathryn a moment to register the significance of the statement, but once she did, her eyes lit up and blew wide.
"Miss Hot Body?"
"Yes, Emma Swan."
"Oooh, Emma Swan, excuse me Counselor."
Regina rubbed her forehead, "Anything else? I want to get this done so I can go home."
Kathryn stood and rested a hip on Regina's desk. Kathryn's tendency to mark her territory wherever she went and drape herself over Regina's personal property never ceased to amaze. "Of course." She leaned in and dropped her voice, "Are you making a move?"
"No," she sighed.
"But you want to."
"Of course, I want to. She's beautiful and she seems kind." Regina leaned back in her chair and braced an elbow on the desk, supporting her head. "She's the first person to pique my interest in a long time. But I can't. She's Henry's teacher, that doesn't seem right."
"Ugh, fuck right, I'd say." She laughed. "Fuck Miss Right! Are you giving her that sexy tractor beam stare?"
"If I am, I'm not trying to. I'm trying to resist her and act normal. I look at her and…" Regina spat out a frustrated grunt.
"Is that some sort of lesbian mating call? Wait, do you know she's gay?"
"Not for sure, but I'd be shocked if she wasn't. She pings hard. And I swear she looks at me not like a parent."
"So, what are you going to do?"
"Nothing." Her shoulder slumped as her lips sagged at the corners. "I can't do anything. I only sent that basket today to be nice, honestly. I really did appreciate her help. Henry has so much fun there, it's makes me so happy to see that."
As a defense attorney, Kathryn was a body language expert; it was easy to tell Regina was not lying. She looked defeated and dejected. "You know what you need?"
"Oh, here we go…"
"Elsie's!" Kathryn hopped off the desk and clapped her hands. "I'll call Don!"
"Elsie's" was shorthand for "Elsie's Cabaret," one of the more upscale gay bars in Boston's Back Bay. While surprisingly the city didn't have a lesbian-only bar, all the gay clubs had weekly "Ladies Nights," where lady-loving ladies — and their money — were welcome. Don was a close friend, and an Elsie's regular, who happily played wingman (or Fairy Godmother, as he preferred) when Regina wanted a night out. It wasn't often, but when she had an urge for an uncomplicated, mutually beneficial, no-strings evening, Kathryn took Henry for the night and Don accompanied her to Elsie's. Going alone, that was too depressing. Yet Don played the part perfectly, lovely company and conversation until Regina found a likely partner. He was there to rescue her if she foul-hooked a whacko, and not offended when she found a date for the evening and no longer needed his assistance. A successful gay lawyer himself, he understood what she needed and helped her discreetly find it, like the Fairy Godmother he was.
"Not this week!" she yelled after Kathryn, who had already bolted out of the room and into her office, presumably to call Don.
It was shaping up to be a nice evening. Henry went to bed without a fuss, allowing Regina to retreat to a long, hot bath with a glass of wine and a book. Her definition of a bliss. Kathryn had called Don, who promised to call her to set up a date and catch up. I could use a night at Elsie's. It has been a while. After drying and changing, she was sitting on the edge of her bed setting the alarm on her phone, when a text popped up with a buzz.
Regina, this is Emma Swan, Henry's dance teacher. I'm sorry to bother you, but thank you for the amazing basket you sent today. I had to protect it from the other teachers — and Granny — but I won. It wasn't necessary at all, but much appreciated. - Emma
Smiling automatically, Regina began typing her response:
My pleasure, thank you again. Is Eugenia your grandmother?
Regina got under the covers and turned out the light, her phone glowing bright in the pitch black room. She felt like a teenager as she waited for a reply. She didn't have to wait long.
Ha, ha, no. She is Ruby's grandmother, Ruby teaches jazz and tap. But she's kinda like a grandmother to me — Granny, not Ruby. Ruby has been my best friend since I was 12, when I came to town with my foster family.
Regina winced, feeling a phantom pain for Emma. What she knew of the system from legal circles was bleak. Any child over 10 had a better chance of hitting the lottery than getting adopted.
Is your foster family still in town?
She realized she had no idea where "town" was for Emma.
No, they gave me up when I was 14. I landed in a group home in Bennett. They let me school choice into Denwick so I could stay in the same school system, that's where I had lived with the foster family.
Do you live in Bennett now?
Uh, I'm a little too old for the group home. :-) I did until I was 18, then I moved to Denwick. After college, I moved back to Bennett, I have a loft here.
That made sense, Regina thought. Bennett borders Denwick. And her interest was piqued with a mention of college.
How did you become a dance teacher?
Regina decided to veer off very personal matters and into potentially less-depressing waters. Emma explained how she grew up dancing at Step in Time, and assisted through college as she earned her physical therapy degree, officially joining the staff 10 years ago. Regina answered a series of questions about her job and the firm, which devolved in some ridiculous stories about Kathryn and many emoticons.
The pair texted back and forth for so long, Regina had to plug her phone into the charger on the nightstand, and when she did, she realized:
It's 12:30 a.m.! I am so sorry to keep you up!
No worries, I've had my fair share of late nights. When I'm extra mean to the patients tomorrow, I'll tell them to call Midas & Mills.
Sure thing, I'll make sure Kathryn answers.
Good luck with that closing tomorrow. And thank you, you're really easy to "text" to.
Same here. I'll say a prayer for your patients. ;-)
Regina placed her phone on the nightstand and snuggled under the covers. Her dreams that night were frequent, interesting, and blonde.
TBC