Disclaimer in Chapter One and I also do not own any of the songs mentioned in this chapter.
AN: Super stoked from the response received from the last chapter! Many of you guys were totally on board with Ruby, and so was I. Many thanks for all the reviews, favourites, and subscriptions. Keep on rocking!
What was Emma doing there? This was the last time she'd give in to Ruby's peer pressure. The last time she had done that she had gotten herself a date with the sleaziest guy she had ever met. This was starting to be a frequent occurrence, Emma thought to herself. She glanced at the time to see it was almost nearing ten. How late did these things go anywhere?
Weaving her way through the crowded streets, the street lamps illuminating the sidewalk quite differently than they did where she lived, Emma found the only open shop on the street, bright lights, people still sparsely mingling inside.
Sisco's.
It was a space for artists of any kind, be it modelling, photography, or art, to use as their gallery. For a generous price of course.
Emma had joked with August one day that she'd buy out that place and turn it into a classy bar. The man shook his head, laughing at that. At the time Emma had been offended, but staring up at the brass sign looking worth more than what she had in the bank, she gulped.
Parking her bug, she stepped out. The old door creaked and strained against the rust, but she shoved her hip against it to slam it shut. She zipped up her leather jacket, wondering for the first time that maybe this was an invite only event. She scoffed to herself. If it was, she could probably find a way to sneak in. Though why she wanted to was the mystery.
Despite dancing every night on a bar counter looking like a Daisy Duke impersonator, Emma felt nerves creep up her spine as she approached the gallery. Through the glass windows, she could see people dressed in suits and fine dresses, waiters walking around with trays of champagne flutes and hors d'oeuvres.
Five minutes, Emma promised herself. She'd go in, say hi to Regina, see what the big deal was with their fancy champagne, and get out of there. She'd tell Ruby what she wanted to hear, but like hell Emma was going to actually mingle with these people.
She walked through the open doorway easily enough. The group of people chatting by the door paused their conversation just to gawk at her, but Emma simply grinned, waved and kept walking in.
Maybe she should have changed.
Once inside, her red leather jacket, skinnies and boots stuck out like a sore thumb in the midst of all the dressed up people. It wasn't even a crowded room, most already on their way out the door, yet Emma couldn't help but feel as if every eye in the room had turned to look at her.
She held her chin up and steeled her jaw, grabbed a flute from a passing waiter, and stuffed her free hand into her pocket as she walked casually along the walls and partitions to examine the photographs.
Emma never really thought much about pictures. They were nice to look at, but it didn't seem that hard to do. Looking at these ones, though, "New York Perspectives" as the theme was called, Emma began to see how the other side lived.
Sipping daintily on her champagne, which was actually quite good, she examined the photos, looking at the sepias of old churches with a couple in its archway, the stone decor of museums, the reflection of the city in the water, and the view from a penthouse. That would be the closest Emma would ever get to places like that, this gallery excluded.
She gulped the rest of her champagne but jumped when a tall frizzy haired blonde came to stand beside her, her dress tight and coloured in deep black and purples. "Marvelous, aren't they?"
She coughed as the alcohol slipped down the wrong tube before straightening up to glance at the woman. "Yeah. They're amazing."
Emma felt under scrutiny as the taller woman raked her eyes over Emma's body from head to toe, taking in Emma's unruly blonde hair to her knee-high boots.
She grinned and leaned in, extending her hand. "I don't believe we've met before. Maleficent."
The younger blonde took it briefly. "Emma."
"Which is your favourite?" Maleficent extended an arm out indicating the rest of the collection.
"This one," Emma said hastily pointing to a photograph taken on a bridge over a highway. The colours of the cars blended together in a fury of light except for the silhouette of a couple embracing on the bridge.
"I find it quite generic. Once you've seen one you've seen them all, don't you agree?"
Emma moved her head up and around, not quite a nod but not exactly shaking her head.
"This one, however, is just exquisite." Maleficent tugged Emma over to a picture of a thicket of trees, light shining through the space of the leaves. "Look how well she managed to capture the light so that you can see the rays as it beams down on you."
"Yeah," Emma nodded along. "It's a good technique."
The older woman chuckled to herself as she took Emma's empty champagne glass and exchanged it for two new ones, handing a flute to the blonde. "I doubt I'm wrong, but I suspect you have no idea what I'm talking about."
Emma's eyes widened ever so slightly as she shimmied from foot to foot. She looked around the room, significantly emptier since the ten minutes she had arrived. "It's getting late," she said giving the glass back to Maleficent. "I should get going."
Before she could turn to leave, Emma felt a hand on her arm to see the taller blonde grip her, a leering and mischievous grin on her face. "Are you here for somebody?"
"Ms. Swan?"
Emma turned at the sound of her name to see Regina, out of the skirt and blazer she had been wearing earlier in the day and dressed in a sleek, black knee length dress. Stepping away from Maleficent, Emma had never been more happier to see the brunette. "Hi."
"What on earth are you doing here?" Regina hissed.
"Now dear," Maleficent mused into her glass. "I think she's here for you."
Emma felt her skin heat up, uncomfortable with the questioning of her presence, uncomfortable feeling the many eyes still on her, and uncomfortable with the embarrassed blush gracing the brunette's cheeks.
This plan backfired big time.
She seriously regretted handing back that drink, so instead, she put up her hands in defeat. "I should go."
She didn't let either woman stop her, and neither woman tried, as she glided through the crowd and made a break for the exit.
Maleficent turned expectantly towards Regina, her eyebrow cocked and her lips pursed in a playful pout. "Who was that?"
"What did you say to her?" The brunette questioned. The threat in her voice made Regina falter and the blonde giggle deliciously.
"Are those feelings, Regina?" Maleficent gasped dramatically. "I imagine you'd be thrilled I scared her away."
Regina rolled her eyes before sauntering off to bid more guests goodbye.
Emma sat in the driver's seat of her bug, still parked outside Sisco's with her legs planted firmly on the road as she fidgeted with her hands. Since her abrupt departure half an hour ago, Emma had been contemplating going back in just to prove to Maleficent and everyone else that she deserved to be there just as much as anyone else.
She couldn't get the look of shock and embarrassment on Regina's face out of her head though.
She didn't know why, but she felt the sudden urge to apologize to the brunette for interrupting her show. Regina clearly didn't want her there; she would have invited her otherwise. Besides, they didn't even know each other. She basically just crashed a stranger's photo viewing.
Good one, Emma.
She glanced up when the last of the laughter and chattering died down as the final few guests made their way to their cars. She watched as Regina hugged and kissed the cheeks of many of them before turning to lock up the studio. On a whim, Emma stood, kicking back at her car door to shut it, the creak echoing noisily in the quiet night.
Regina turned sharply at the sound of the car door and already had a can of pepper spray out and her finger on the nozzle.
Emma smirked seeing the can. "I'm not armed."
Regina sighed relieved before replacing the can back into her purse. "I thought you left."
"Pepper spray?" Emma said with the hint of a laugh.
"It's New York," Regina replied obviously. "And still not an answer to my question."
"Well you technically didn't ask one," the blonde pointed out, grinning internally at Regina's huff. "I wanted to apologize."
Regina raised a curious eyebrow.
"It wasn't my plan to embarrass you in front of your friend," Emma explained.
The older woman chuckled. "Maleficent is just barely my friend."
"Yeah, she seemed like a bitch," Emma laughed.
"So what was your plan?"
The blonde shoved her hands into her jean back pockets, shuffling from side to side. "Honestly? To piss you off."
"At least you're truthful to an extent," the brunette smirked. "Here I thought you came to appreciate some fine photography."
"You're a humble one, aren't you?"
Regina rolled her shoulder casually before stepping down from the overhanging archway to level herself with Emma still standing on the sidewalk in the orange incandescent glow of the street lamp.
"So let me get this straight," Regina began holding up a finger indicating she was not to be interrupted. "You left your son alone to travel halfway across town to an art gallery simply to aggravate me?"
Emma sighed holding out her hands at her waist to make her point. "He is tucked in and in bed with Ruby watching him."
"And you didn't travel halfway across town to aggravate me?" The brunette quipped.
"Maybe I just want to look at some fine art," Emma retorted, her eyes roaming up and down Regina's body appreciating the contrast between lightly tanned skin and the smooth black dress.
Her eyes drifted back up when the brunette cleared her throat and turned back towards the door.
"Right this way," she spoke quietly as she unlocked the gallery.
More than a little surprised, Emma followed Regina into the studio, the brunette not bothering with the lights finding the sporadic flood lights in the ceiling to be sufficient.
Standing in the room with just herself and Regina and no gawking judgmental people, Emma felt significantly more at ease, her shoulders relaxing as she followed Regina along the partitions. "How did the night go?"
"As well as I could hope," the brunette replied taking a deep breath as she examined her photographs.
"It looks like you're a big shot." Emma came to stand beside her, both staring at the photo that Emma had claimed was her favourite.
"Perhaps," the brunette replied with a wry smile.
Emma glanced at the woman beside her, grinning to herself when she caught brown eyes shine with pride as she stared at her photographs. The blonde's grin widened, and she shook her head attempting to wipe it off her face.
"Problem?"
The blonde shook her head. "You really love what you do, don't you?"
Regina sighed turning her back to Emma. "My mother wanted me to learn how to run the hotels and to network with other businessmen to support our companies. She wasn't pleased when I went to an arts school."
"Wow, you defied your mother. Who would have thought?" Emma smirked.
"I assume with your vivacious career path you love what you do as well?" The brunette asked turning back to Emma.
The blonde shrugged. "It pays the bills."
"You look like you enjoy it," Regina questioned.
"It's not a bad gig, but the hours suck," the younger woman admitted. "I really want to own my own bar someday."
Emma wandered off, leaving Regina to watch after her and taking the time to truly appreciate the other woman's photographs. Scenes of sepia-toned cobble stone streets, black and white pictures of historical manors reflected in the glass of high rises, and unfiltered shots of New York's views.
"You don't do people," Emma commented making her way around the pictures and back to the brunette.
"Pardon?"
"Not 'do' like that," the blonde clarified. "I mean there are no people in your pictures. If they are you can't see them."
Regina furrowed her brow, glancing across the room then raising her eyebrows in surprise. "I didn't realize."
"You should have more life in your pictures."
"Are you giving me photography advice?" The brunette scoffed lightly.
"School taught you good," Emma said changing the subject, bringing herself up to sit on the bar where the champagne was stored.
"Not all of us could simply walk into a bar and claim a job, Ms. Swan," Regina answered her face scowling slightly at Emma's choice of seat.
"I took a course in mixology," the blonde answered proudly. "And you can call me Emma, you know."
"I don't know you that well."
The blonde slid down from her spot and walked up to Regina, the brunette refusing to back down and upped the ante, stepping into Emma's personal space so close they were almost touching.
The glow of the dim flood lights cast a peaceful halo over Regina's face, her olive toned skin illuminated in the darkness around them, her hazel eyes shining with challenge. They were so close Emma could feel the older woman's chest rise and fall as she breathed, could see how that perfectly manicured eyebrow rose daring Emma to back down.
Emma was stubborn, evidence by the fact that she had toyed with the brunette for two days, but there was something in those fiery brown eyes that made her want to accept this unspoken challenge between them. The blonde cocked her head to the side before whispering. "Find out."
"What?" Regina looked taken aback.
Emma stepped away and headed towards the door walking backwards as she stretched out her arms to the side daring Regina to follow. "Get to know me."
"Why would I want to do that?"
The blonde curled her lips into a half smirk. "You look like you need a little life back in your life."
Regina was loathed to find herself trailing after the blonde. After locking up the gallery, Emma was already halfway down the sidewalk forcing Regina to speed up in her heels. She could have just gone home, but she was Regina Mills, after all. She never lost a challenge and certainly not one to Emma Swan.
"Where are we going?" Regina asked for the second time as they rounded another street.
"Do you trust me?"
"No."
"That's not how that's supposed to go," Emma said to herself before stopping abruptly in front of a hole-in-the-wall bar. She motioned to it with her hands and offered a shy grin.
"Why am I not surprised that we're at a bar?" The brunette began to rethink going after Emma.
"It's different, will you just get inside please?"
"Aren't you sick of these?"
Emma gave Regina a little shove into the establishment, rolling her eyes and muttering to herself before following.
Before Regina could turn to yell at Emma for manhandling her, the smell of alcohol flooded her senses and the sound of off-key singing rang in her ears.
She was in a karaoke bar.
She turned abruptly as Emma grinned at the atmosphere already taking off her coat. "No."
The blonde halted her movements before laughing. "Seriously? You've been in here all of two seconds."
"I don't frequent these types of establishments, Ms. Swan."
"Well you could have fooled me by showing up at my bar two nights in a row." Emma tugged on the older woman's elbow leading her to a table near the front.
"My car-"
"Yes, yes your car broke down." She motioned over for a waitress. "Have a drink, sing a little, and then I will take you back to your safe little gallery."
"I will not sing in public!" Regina yelled, her voice impressive against the speakers.
Emma ignored her and spoke to the waitress. "Sour Amaretto and an Apple Martini."
Regina seethed. "I'm not singing."
"Tell me that once you get a couple drinks in your system."
Regina sat petulantly on the stool doing her best not let any part of her clothing or body touch anything. In the back of her mind, she briefly thought that Emma's bar was significantly cleaner than this place even though it wasn't too far from where she worked. She looked around, a permanent frown on her face as drunken voices belted out the lyrics to 'Don't Stop Believing'. Although no one paid attention to her, which was strange in its own right, Regina couldn't help but feel as if she was too dressed up for the occasion. She fiddled with her rings before thanking the waitress as she stopped by to place their drinks.
She drank much too eagerly.
"Feel better?" Emma asked, smirking into her glass as Regina toyed with the cherry, pressing it lightly against her lips.
"No." The cherry disappeared between red lips before a martini glass was lifted to them, a healthy amount ingested.
"Okay," Emma said sipping her own drink. "What's your idea of fun?"
"Not this."
"You've been before?"
"No."
"Then how do you know it's not fun?" Emma questioned.
"I don't need to experience it to know it's not for me," the brunette answered exasperated as if she were talking to a slow child.
"That's exactly what you have to do." Emma got up from her seat and stole the songbook from a nearby table. "I'm gonna pick a song for you."
"Why don't you sing?" Regina questioned, leaning forward and turning the tables back on Emma.
The blonde smirked meeting the older woman halfway. "I will if you will."
Regina's eyes narrowed. Green eyes shined with mirth as they bore into deep brown ones. If this is the game Emma wanted to play then so be it. She leaned back and downed the rest of her martini already motioning for another.
The crowd was clapping in time and singing along as Emma swayed her hips moving from one end of the stage to the other as the final chords of her song ended.
"I love rock and roll so put another dime in the jukebox baby."
The crowd sung along cheering on the blonde bombshell as she turned her back to audience then turned her head, winking at Regina.
"I love rock and roll so come and take your time and dance with me."
They cheered wildly, and even Regina couldn't stop the pleased grin from appearing on her face, shaking her head as Emma hopped off the stage high fiving people on her way back to their table.
"So?" Emma asked sipping her coke. She had stopped drinking long ago realizing she needed to drive home.
"You were adequate," the brunette inclined her head towards her. "Though I wouldn't quit your day job."
Emma laughed. "Well I wouldn't be so cocky there, Ms. Mills."
As if on cue the MC took the stage calling up their next performer. The one and only Regina Mills.
Regina's face flushed suddenly. She wasn't drunk enough to do this. She glared at Emma who simply held her soda up to her lips, cocking her eyebrows towards the stage. "You can back out if you want."
Though the exit was there the tone the blonde had used infuriated Regina. With another glare she dropped her purse and coat onto the table, striding up to the stage as if she had every business being up there. As soon as she stood in the spotlight, panic caught up with her though her careful mask of indifference refused to show as much.
With the light shining in her eyes she could barely make out the faces in the crowd, but one lone face, that of raised surprised eyebrows, parted curious lips, and surprisingly pretty golden locks stood out.
"Sing pretty lady!" A man wolf whistled from the back causing Regina's panic and irritation to grow.
She was better than this, she decided. She was about to escape off stage when the choir-like intro of Queen's "Somebody to Love" began, and Regina found herself caught on stage as the lyrics on the screen flashed before her.
She held the mic and its stand firmly as she sang the words softly. "Each morning I get up I die a little, can barely stand on my feet..."
A woman in the back whooped her encouragement as Regina sang.
The brunette chuckled breathily. "...I've spent all my years in believing you. I just can't get no relief, Lord."
People clapped as Regina's voice increased in volume and confidence.
"Can anybody find me somebody to love?" Regina sang with a grin, shrugging her shoulder casually glancing at Emma who threw her a thumbs up.
She continued singing, gaining enough confidence from the hollering crowd to remove the mic from its stand and sway from side to side on the stage. Soon the entire room had joined in singing, belting at the top of their lungs.
During the guitar solo Regina looked shocked that she had managed to sing, holding the mic in one hand and the stand away from her as she caught Emma's eye, both women grinning and laughing as the lyrics appeared back on screen.
Regina and the crowd had started a chant with the song - find me somebody to love, find me somebody to love - until they quieted for the brunette to finish off the last line. "Can anybody find me somebody to love?"
She replaced the mic, swaying with the stand as the music kept playing, the final piano beat dying down all the while keeping her eyes locked on the blonde sitting at her table with her hands cupped around her mouth and yelling out her joy.
"Holy crap that was amazing!" Emma laughed into the night as both blonde and brunette left the bar. "I didn't know you could sing."
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Ms. Swan," Regina replied, but the slight upturn of her lips indicated she was thoroughly pleased with the blonde's reaction.
"Emma," the younger woman corrected.
"Emma," Regina amended.
They began the short walk back to the gallery, the high of the evening still buzzing around them.
"So," Emma said nudging the other woman. "Did you have fun?"
Regina smirked. "I made the best of a bad situation."
"That's a long way to say yes." The blonde replied smartly.
Regina laughed once shaking her head as they turned the corner back onto the gallery's street. "How did you know there was a karaoke bar so close?"
"I applied there once," Emma answered with a shrug. "The owner's a little handsy."
"Coming from the woman who dances on counter tops?"
"Coming from the woman who can handle herself with drunk customers and doesn't want that kind of attention from her boss," Emma defended.
The brunette eyed her, surprised at the response. "Fair enough."
By the time they were back at the gallery and at Regina's Benz, it was already just past midnight.
"So," Emma said, her thumbs hooked into her back pockets. "Tonight was fun."
"I suppose," Regina drawled, her car door already open.
Emma laughed. "I could see your smile."
The brunette rolled her eyes before stepping into her vehicle. "Good night, Ms. Swan."
"Emma," the younger woman reminded.
Regina grinned. "Emma."
With that she shut the door and sped off into the night leaving the blonde to stand in the same spot mentally replaying her name slipping past sultry red lips.
Shamelessly inspired by Ella Enchanted and Crossroads, but coincidentally enough those were the first two songs that came up in my Sing Along Songza playlist. Songs mentioned in the chapter were Journey's Don't Stop Believing, Joan Jett's I Love Rock and Roll, and Queen's Somebody to Love - all classic karaoke night songs.
