CHAPTER TEN - IMPRESSIONS OF THE HEART
Whatever makes an impression on the heart seems lovely in the eye. – Saadi
Slamming the trunk of the bug shut, Emma glanced over at Regina's new home. There had been a lot of changes in the last six weeks since Regina had turned up on her doorstep, unannounced. The dynamic of their relationship had changed dramatically that night and the following few days as they opened themselves up truly to each other. Emma felt like she finally knew Regina as they spoke in great lengths about their pasts, the present and what they both foresaw their future together to be.
Picking up the small box marked 'tid bits & odds and ends', Emma gingerly walked over the freshly fallen snow toward the front door. Technically it was still autumn but it seemed over the last few days, winter had come early. Placing the box down with the others stacked just inside the front door, Emma lifted her head and listened to the footsteps coming from the mezzanine level. A smile crept over her face as she headed up the internal staircase and stopped on the last step. With her hand poised on the bannister, she watched her girlfriend enter the dark room carrying a large box. Regina reappeared a few moments later, dusting off her hands.
"Well that's the last of them." The blonde smiled, letting go of the bannister and stepping into the studio.
"Thank you, Em." Regina said as she plopped down on the old small brown leather sofa that sat in the middle of the studio. "It's coming together nicely." She looked around the studio space.
"It's been a long time coming…" Emma mused, sitting down next to the brunette, wrapping her right arm around the brunette's shoulders, pulling her closer.
Regina nodded. "Indeed it has."
Emma kissed the top of the brunette's head. "It's starting to look more homely already."
Regina nodded in agreement as she entwined the blonde's fingers with her own. "All she needs is a lick of paint and she'll be good as new." She glanced around the space.
Emma's gaze followed the brunettes. "Hmmm, I'd leave the brick wall as it is. I kinda love the white wash look. Gives it an industrial look, don't you think?"
Regina nodded in agreement. "Like an original feature."
"So what's next, boss?" Emma quipped, kissing the brunette on the head again.
With a smirk and a quirk of an eyebrow, Regina shuffled on the seat, turned to the blonde and swept one leg over and lowered herself onto the blondes lap as she draped her arms over Emma's shoulders. "Well we have time before the removal van arrives." She leant forward and captured the pale lips, gently sucking on them playfully.
Emma smiled into the kiss and murmured softly. "How much time?"
"Oh enough for what I have planned..." Regina replied huskily as she kissed the blonde again.
~()~
The consistent knocking and gravely questionable salutation echoed through the building and caused Regina to raise her head and glance over the top of the sofa toward the internal stairwell.
The removal men had arrived.
Emma opened her eyes at the instant loss of intimacy as Regina glanced from the topless blonde beneath her back to the stairwell as another gruff salutation filtered through the air.
"Shit! They're here..." Regina whispered, forcing her weight onto the blonde's lap.
Emma's eyes widened as she heard a man's voice call out again for Regina. It sounded like he was approaching the stairs and if they didn't move anytime soon, he'd be witness to them in a very compromising position. The blonde flung her right arm over the side of the sofa to the floor as she tried to feel for her tight fitting white t-shirt. Frantically she searched for it until Regina eventually retrieved it for her.
"Put it on quickly..." Regina hoarsely ordered as she pushed herself off the blonde and stood.
Emma sat up, slipped the t-shirt on and smoothed it over her chest as she watched Regina hop up and down on the spot as she tugged the black skinny jeans over her hips.
Slipping the loose fitting grey jersey top over her head, Regina called out to the men and proceeded down the stairs in a hurry, leaving Emma on the sofa. The blonde swung her legs off the sofa and glanced down to Regina's black lacy thong that was twisted up beside her feet. Scooping it up in her hand, Emma pocketed it and made her way down the stairs to join Regina.
Emma paused on the middle step and watched the men enter the building carrying a large rectangular dining table. They glanced to Emma with raised eyebrows and knowing smirks plastered over their faces. Rolling her eyes dramatically, Emma continued down the stairs and headed to the kitchen area, grabbing herself a bottle of water from the fridge. Casually she leant against the fridge as she watched the men exit the building to retrieve the next item from their van.
"Your assistance would be helpful, Emma.." Regina snarked as she entered the building carrying a dining chair. Placing it down beside the table, she glanced to the blonde.
Taking a swig of the water, she screwed the lid on tightly and gave a faux salute. "Yes, Mam..."
A few minutes later the couple re-entered the building carrying a dining room chair each. As they placed them down together next to the table, Regina directed the men to place the bookshelf down against the back wall. She glanced to Emma who was silently making her way back outside.
As Regina repositioned the dining table to the exact spot where she wanted it, Emma returned from outside with the last chair. She placed it down, glanced over to the men who were making their way back outside to the van and when they were out of sight, dug deep into her back pocket and pulled out the scrunched up black lacy thong. She stepped up behind Regina who was scrutinizing the table's position and placed a chaste kiss on the brunette's nape before opening her palm to reveal her find to Regina.
"Good thing I found these before those bozos did." Emma quipped.
Regina's eyes widen as she tried to grab them out of the blonde's hand.
"Oh no, no, no, no, no! These are mine, since you left me blue balled on the sofa." Emma chuckled as she kissed the brunette's cheek and quickly skittered off to join the men outside.
Regina shook her head comically as she called out after the blonde. "Not my fault!"
The men and Emma continued back and forth until the van was finally emptied. Regina thanked the men and slipped them a generous tip for their services before shutting the door and turning back to her blonde girlfriend who was busily organising the different boxes in their respective areas.
With her hands on her hips, Regina sighed as she surveyed the temporary bombsite of an apartment. She had no idea where to start.
~()~
As Regina stood before the full length mirror studying her reflection, the self-doubt she had about purchasing this little black dress a couple of weeks earlier quickly faded. The sales assistant had been right. This dress did frame her figure perfectly. Turning around, she glanced over her shoulder and took in her reflection one more time before smiling widely to herself. She felt confident, sexy and sure that Emma would be bowled over when she saw her. As she fluffed her shoulder length hair and casually glanced up at the clock, she realised that they needed to be at the Gallery in less than an hour's time and that Emma still wasn't here.
Where was she? She thought to herself as she slipped on the pair of gold coloured high heels, the sales assistant also insisted she purchase. Pointing her feet simultaneously as she glanced in the mirror once last time, her mobile started to chime from her bedside table.
Picking it up and flipping the lid open, she answered Emma's call.
"Hello darling.." She smiled into the phone. "Where are you?"
She couldn't resist twirling one last time as she passed the freestanding mirror. The dress definitely clung to her curves in the best possible way. Stopping abruptly, she answered into the phone.
"Emma, we're due at the gallery in less than an hour's time." She complained.
Sighing loudly and eventually nodding her head, she gathered up her small gold clutch from the end of the bed and walked out to the living area. "Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow then. Happy New Years, darling." She answered despondently.
Absent-mindedly she picked up the glass of wine she'd earlier poured for Emma's arrival and took a mouthful. "Well I am a little disappointed and I know your shift does run over sometimes. But tonight of all nights, Em."
Realising what she'd done, she placed the glass down and looked to it. That had been the first drop of alcohol she had had in nearly a year. The bitter taste lingered on her tongue as she headed to the kitchen area and retrieved a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Unscrewing the lid and gulping down a mouthful quickly, she hoped that it would wash the taste away. "No, seriously it's okay, Emma. You're a police officer now and I understand your obligations to the role." She paused, listening to Emma's reply. As she ran her fingers through her hair, she spoke again. "I had really wanted to celebrate the New Year with you, Emma. But it's fine." Regina glanced out the window as a car pulled up outside. "The taxi is here now. I hope your shift goes quickly enough, I'll see you tomorrow."
Subtly blushing, she smiled. "I love you too, darling." She slowly flipped the lid of her mobile shut, grabbed her keys and small clutch before heading out the door.
~()~
As Regina walked in the Robert Klein Gallery, she was greeted by a waitress thrusting a complementary glass of champagne her way. She politely waved the waitress away and proceeded deeper into the gallery. The invitation hadn't given much away except that it was a celebration of mixed mediums with a dash of New Year's celebrations thrown in.
Obviously tonight was one of these new "POP UP" exhibition concepts that Regina had recently heard about. They were designed to lure the public in by plying them with alcohol and dance music. A strange concept, Regina thought. But if the intention of public awareness was working, Regina wasn't complaining.
Moving around the gallery space with somewhat anonymity she enjoyed the experience of the exhibition immensely.
Although she hadn't been actively working for the last month because she had been busy settling into her new home and building her relationship with Emma, this exhibition proved to be the spark of inspiration that she need to initiate her working life here in Boston.
As she stood in front of a large Contempary piece, her thoughts drifted away from the photograph and to the events of her own life over the last few years. A frown crept over her face as she thought about her ex-girlfriend, Mal Draak. She really had been so young and naïve back then. Eager to please at a moment's notice. She thought about how with Mal's influence, her personal demons set in motion the downward spiral that would ultimately cement her rock bottom. With Regina's soul resting in her devil's palms she scraped it across the rocky ground until the ones who loved her the most couldn't allow it to continue. They had picked her up, dusted her off and forced her to look long and hard at herself, realising she had a choice.
With the decision made, Regina had rebuilt a life around her and was shown a glimmer of hope in the shape a slender blonde woman who had in such a short time provided so much more than Regina could ever ask for. A smile crept over her face as she thought about Emma Swan and her heart fluttered just that little bit faster as she thought about their future together.
Blinking rapidly, Regina's reverie was broken. She looked around the gallery space at the impressive crowds and realised that although she loved this world and photography would always be inside her, something else was now taking precedent.
Looking back to the large art work one last time, she slowly turned away and smiled to herself as she navigated her way through the growing crowds and back to the entrance of the gallery. Coming to a clearance, she stopped and looked back into the crowd. Her life had always centred in this world, the energy was contagious and she marvelled at the enthusiasm generating around her. She could so easily slip back amongst it, lap it up until she was drunk and had her fill but she glanced over her shoulder towards the entrance and that's when she saw the true object of her heart's desire.
Emma Swan.
The blonde had abruptly stopped when she had seen the gorgeous brunette standing motionless perusing the crowd. With a tilt of her head, she was captivated by the way her girlfriend was obviously having a moment.
Emma stepped forward and spoke.
"Regina…" her voice ghosting the air around them, as a smile cast the warmth of her love for the woman. "I am so sorry I'm …" she was interrupted by soft plump lips captured her own.
Pulling back from the kiss, Regina smiled.
"It doesn't matter, Emma." The brunette draped her arms over the blonde's shoulders. "Let's go home…"
A/N - Okay folks there it is, the last chapter of Impressions of the Heart. It's been an absolute pleasure writing this story and I hope I have done it some justice. As I have mentioned before this is the first story in a trilogy of "of the Heart" series and I will probably start posting the next story early part of next year (fingers crossed).
A big thank you to you, the reader. I feel extremely humbled by every favourite, follow, review or if you just chose to read it. Also a special thank you to Snugglejunkie for your constant encouragement and support for every story I have published. With out you my friend, I would have given up writing years ago.
Anyway enough rambling, I hope you've enjoyed Impressions and stick around for Moments of the Heart. ~ RamblingtowardsEcstasy