A massive thanks to kawagirl1993 for being my beta and helping me with the edits over this, and the previous chapters :)
Regina wanted to change. On the mirrors glued onto the walls of the four by six elevator she was currently in, her reflections seemed to mock the subtle chill wrapping around her shoulders and the light goose bumps rising on her arms.
Soft, lounge music infiltrated the air, creating a false sense of tranquillity around the mayor. Regina resisted the urge to pull her dress down at the hem to shield the exposed skin on her thighs.
"Excuse me?" She turned her attention to the man who'd stepped in from two floors below hers. He was large, almost bearlike in size but his face was the most unwelcome feature about him. With a body built like a gladiator's and eyes resembling that of a baleful politician, Regina couldn't shake feeling like a sacrificial lamb for slaughter.
"Yes?" she answered coolly.
His snakelike eyes raked over her at her response.
Regina's posture straightened, refusing to feel desecrated by his leer.
His eyebrow arched, amused by her stubbornness, "are you a guest here as well? Seems a little bit too big of a hotel for a pretty woman like yourself to be on her own, doesn't it?"
If there was ever a moment Regina felt more disgusted, she couldn't recall it now. "Perhaps it is, I fend well for myself quite often though."
His lips parted to continue the conversation but at the merciful ding, Regina quickly escaped onto the lobby in search of her companions.
She was already in an irritable mood before she was approached by the arrogant buffoon. She'd spent a good amount of time on the phone with Henry, ransacking through her dresses while realizing that perhaps it wasn't the smartest idea to leave him with a man who possessed less culinary skills than an ape with a stick and a termite mound. She'd guided David through the first easy recipe she could think of and by the time she was done explaining to the man why one should boil water before putting in the pasta, she had only twenty minutes left to get dressed.
Smudging her Chanel Rogue Allure into evenness, she was half way close to darting back to her room to change when someone's shriek drilled into her eardrums.
Startled, it took a few moments to realize the culprit of her sudden adrenaline rush was of course, Ruby.
Anyone who knew Regina knew she didn't like surprises. The only surprise she ever took well in the span of her lifetime was when Henry thought scattering her room with skittles was a good gift for her birthday. She had to get the carpets replaced because the food dyes permanently stained her massive cream rug. Still, she couldn't help but smile at her son's attempt at a 'morning birthday breakfast'.
Ruby shouting for a deity she found difficult at best, was not a surprise she appreciated.
Neither was finding Emma sitting on a stool, shimmering under soft lights with a drink in hand, staring at her whilst looking like a youthful version of Grace Kelly was another surprise she wasn't ready for.
Nor was she prepared for the onslaught of emotions roiling underneath her just from that gaze alone.
While Ruby and Mary Margaret adorned her with compliments, she realized to her dismay in that moment, in the end it was her ex-wife's opinion that still outweighed everyone else's.
Ruby guided the ladies outside, whistling loud enough to attract the attention of four different cabbies. As if her dress wasn't formidable enough for that. Once near, she'd demanded to sit up front with the driver of their cab for directional purposes, forcing Regina to be smushed between Emma and Mary Margaret.
In all the erotic intimacies she'd ever experienced, being stuck in the small dimensions of the transport vehicle, Ruby and Mary Margaret going on about something or other while Emma's perfume permeated her senses, their naked knees brushing against each other had to be the tamest. Yet, as Emma reached down to seemingly adjust her dress, her knuckles would linger until they were subtly grazing over Regina's thigh. Regina quickly found it difficult to breathe.
Ruby finally brought the four women to her chosen destination. When Emma exited first, Regina could have sworn she saw a smirk on those thin, pink lips.
"Here we are, ladies," Ruby announced, her eyes glazing with excitement at the scene before her.
Regina shuffled to step out, seeing Emma's hand already extended towards her in a chivalrous fashion.
Charming.
She couldn't stop the thought.
"And, where's 'here' exactly?" Mary Margaret tried not to look self-conscious by the line of gorgeous men and women, waiting admission into the only club she could see.
Regina pulled herself onto the sidewalk with Emma's assistance. Ignoring the feel of the blonde lingering behind her, breathing so close to her shoulder, Regina had a hard time discerning the words of the sign before them emblazed in neon lights.
"This," Ruby turned, a Cheshire grin teasing her lips, "would be 'The Dollhouse'. It's supposed to be the best burlesque club in town and it just so happens that I got us a table."
Regina was terrified to turn around, certain that Emma was now just mere inches away from her back.
"It appears a little risqué, don't you think?" Regina uttered, a slight shake to her voice. She could literally feel Emma's smirk on her naked shoulder.
Ruby looked at her as if Regina was out of her mind for expecting otherwise. "It is a Bachelorette party isn't?" She made a provocative swirl of her hips, "well what're we waiting for? Let's go in!"
Ruby lurched forward, Regina closely behind, eager to get some distance between herself and the woman who was making her head feel far too lightheaded. The taller brunette went up to a man who looked like he should be a blindside flanker for the All Blacks. Ruby slowly drawled out her name, the syllables saturated with confidence worthy of royalty.
The bouncer checked for her name on his clipboard and nodded, unhooking the rope to let them pass.
Regina had been to clubs before, of course. But none quite like this. What made the Dollhouse scream its distinctions from typical bars and clubs pounding with rock and roll or whatever house music some DJ whipped up, was the sensuality of everything. From the dark, draping curtains, to the dim lights, to the fluid ease in which the bartenders mixed their drinks, even the sensuality extruding from the serving girls gave everything an exotic and theatrical ambience Regina had never experienced before.
Smoky, sultry and sensual Jazz seemed to envelope her and Regina was dazzled by it all, barely noticing the attendant who'd politely pulled out her chair and waited.
Mary Margaret was seated in the middle of course but Regina's chair didn't lack for much either. She had a perfect view of the stage just like they all did. She had to admit, Ruby had definitely outdone herself. This far exceeded any strip club.
A host with too much eyeliner and a suit that looks like it was stolen off Billy Zane during the filming of the Titanic, announced it would be a few minutes before the first show began.
None of the four women minded too much. What started out as about-as-subtle-as-a-horseshoe-thrown-at-your-head teasing remarks about David's girth, their first time and how far they've gone on before their holy union from Ruby forced Mary Margaret to turn to a little Dutch courage just to survive the night. But with each Cosmopolitan she downed, she was also was becoming more informative.
"He's so big," Mary Margaret squealed, giggling as she leaned over to Ruby, "and I'm tiny, like, teeny tiny… how I'd ever fit him into my lady bits I have no idea." She batted her eyelashes repeatedly in perplexity at her empty glass. When the confusion cleared, her hand shot in the air for another round.
The slow measured tempo was beginning to pick up. Regina could feel her blood warm from the alcohol, a pleasant buzz kicking in when someone bumped into her chair.
"Excuse me," the woman spoke hurriedly. Her eyes snapped towards the offended to make sure he/she was still intact when her eyes landed on Regina. The mayor wasn't sure, but she was almost certain the woman did a double take.
"That's quite alright, dear," the drinks were doing their job well, Regina realized, when she heard her own voice drop into a low husk. Seduction was always easy for Regina. Keeping people was a whole other issue as it turned out.
She looked young. Very young. In her early or mid twenties, but who could tell these days? Her eyes were light brown, even in the dark, there was an innocent charm to her that Regina would almost associate with Mary Margaret. She was wearing a black overall coat and judging from heavy makeup to her high, bedazzled heels, Regina guessed this was one of the dancers.
"Is this your first time here?" The girl drew closer to Regina's side, her eyes fixated on the stranger and her dark lips.
Regina offered a teasing smile, bringing up her cocktail for another taste, "am I that obvious?"
"In a way," the girl's hand rested on the edge of Regina's chair, almost touching her back. "Most of the time we only have regulars coming in. New customers are very rare in fact, so I'd remember seeing you."
Regina didn't pretend as if she failed to recognize the flirtatious intent behind those her statement. "You work here, then?"
"Yes, I'm one of the dancers," honey blonde hair cascaded along her shoulders. She offered Regina her hand, "my name's Helena."
Regina graciously accepted the gesture, "Regina."
"It's lovely to meet you, Regina." Helena's head shot towards the stage, her eyes narrowing irritably as she did. "I hope you enjoy the show. Will you be here after?"
She shrugged. "I don't know yet. Perhaps? We're not exactly going by schedule," Regina waved her drink toward the girls around the table.
Helena's smile brightened. "Great, maybe I'll see you around then." And then she darted off.
It was only after three minutes and a drink later that Regina noticed Emma's glare.
"What?"
The tendrils in Emma's neck hardened, her gaze zeroing on Regina. The mayor tried not to sigh audibly. She knew that look. It was the look Emma had whenever she was preparing herself for a fight. "Just wondering who that was, is all."
Regina knew full well Emma had listened in on the conversation.
"Her name was Helena. Apparently she dances here."
"I see," Emma's eyes flickered towards where the girl had disappeared. "She seemed interesting."
Regina subdued the physical reaction to knit her brow.
"I wouldn't know dear, I couldn't exactly determine the level of her fascination from a two minute conversation."
You could almost see Emma restrain herself from breaking the glass in her hand. "No, I guess not." Emma knew she should have dropped it but self-restraint proved difficult when Regina seemed to flaunt her newfound confidence and profound attraction right in front of her. "She seemed to find you fascinating though."
Regina counted backwards from five in German.
"Perhaps she did," Regina took a generous sip from her cocktail. The mayor was in no mood to explain herself nor did she feel she had to.
After all. It wasn't like she was the one who'd been bedding everyone from Adam to Eve over the course of their separation.
The air was getting tense and awkward. Thankfully, the host returned, declaring the show's commencement.
The lights faded almost to complete darkness, until a single spotlight fixated on the magenta curtains. A slender leg arched through, already earning hearty whoops and applauses as the music changed.
It started slow, teasing at first until half a body coyly peeps out and Regina recognized the dancer as Helena. The band began playing a relaxed tune of the French Riviera.
In complete opposition to the innocence she sensed before, Helena quickly deployed her arsenal of seduction tactics, drawing in the audience with her every languid movement and twirl.
At some point, her eyes landed on Regina. For the entire remaining act, her eyes kept returning to Regina.
Regina felt her heartbeat pulse hungrily against her chest. It had been a while after all and a little ego boost was always healthy.
When it finally ended, Regina had finished another drink and she couldn't deny the arousal she felt. The girl had practically set herself on a platter for the mayor and her ego couldn't resist the complete, and sudden submission of another human being. Especially when it's felt like she hasn't held any of the power lately.
Helena picked up the remnants of her costume and bowed to the crowd politely. When her head dipped almost close enough to touch the floor, she turned her head towards Regina's direction.
And winked.
A thrill of satisfaction ran up Regina's spine.
She was still clapping when she felt her phone vibrate. A mother's instincts kicked in as she rushed to check the screen.
Ruby.
She looked up at the waitress in confusion, noticing a reprimanding look in her eyes before swiping the screen open.
Cool it. You're pissing off your ex.
Dark eyes sought Emma's face. Yes, she did look ready to explode.
Regina typed back in defense.
I'm not doing anything.
Ruby was clever enough to be subtle. She waited a few seconds despite the sudden brightness of her phone screen lest she attracted the former deputy's attention.
When she finally responded, Regina almost glowered at her words until her heart sank.
Don't be a bitch. I thought you didn't want to hurt her.
Regina was ready to justify her actions. Ready to demand why must she be the one careful not to hurt the poor blonde's feelings when she's done nothing of the sort since she's arrived.
Still, she swallowed the lump in her throat and slowly entered;
You're right, thank you.
Ruby saw the words and offered an encouraging smile. Regina sighed, wondering if she could put Katia on trial for setting too high a moral ground.
As the dances went on, Regina decided to devote her attentiveness only to the bachelorette party.
If there was such a thing as winning, she didn't want to win on such a sour and bitter note.
Emma relaxed slowly, her smile becoming more cheerful as Mary Margaret got drunker and Regina enjoyed the performances with less lewd thoughts regarding a certain dancer and whether she was flexible enough to throw her legs behind her head.
It was nearing midnight when the shows finally finished.
Ruby was predictably ready to keep the party going. And surprisingly, so was Mary Margaret.
Regina laughed at the two who swung their arms around each other and did the most ridiculous 'sexy' walk out of the club. Regina was quick to leave, wanting to avoid Helena and have another antagonistic moment with Emma.
It wasn't like she had much of a choice, what with the blonde not so imperceptibly speeding behind her, forcing Regina to pick up her pace to leave the building.
Ruby released a loud wolf whistle for a cab while Mary Margaret nuzzled into Emma for support.
Emma's gaze turned to Regina, her bottom lip tense and a little fearful before she uttered, "I'm sorry."
Regina snapped towards Emma. "Pardon?"
"I'm sorry," Emma repeated, turning towards her ex, holding up a barely schoolteacher as she did. "For before, for that moment because of the dancer. I didn't mean to… I'm sorry."
Regina would have liked for a better apology but given the circumstances, she decided to be gracious. "It's alright," she pressed her forearms together, a little chilly under the cold air of the deepening night, "I suppose I understand why you reacted the way you did. Even if she was interested, I wouldn't have made anything of it. It was just nice to be noticed. I haven't felt very attractive in a long while."
Emma's lips parted, searching for the right words when a cab pulled up. Ruby quickly called shotgun and Emma had to help her best friend into the backseat.
"Yes, M, I'm sure David would think your birdhouses are great," Emma said patiently as she aided the bride inside. Standing up, she turned to Regina, covering the entrance into the car.
There was a terse silence between them and Emma seemed even more uncomfortable under the suddenly obvious beaming light of the street lamp from above. It reminded her too much of the first time she was in an interrogation room for a robbery she was partially responsible during her underage delinquent years.
"Regina," she tried to say something. Anything, when-
"Can we go dancing now?" Ruby whined from upfront, distracting the pair from their all-too-soon-to-be-had conversation. "'Ginnnaaa, I wanna dannnce."
"Me too, I wanna dance! I wanna get my freak on!" Mary Margaret drawled, pouting in that petulant way of hers until she broke into a song neither women had ever heard of.
Blinking repetitively, Regina and Emma turned to each other, unable to stifle the laughter erupting from their chests.
"What do you think, Regina? Should we take them dancing?" Emma asked when she could finally absorb air into her lungs again.
Regina wiped at her eyes, careful not to ruin her mascara. When she allowed her gaze to meet Emma's, she noticed something beyond the question being asked. Something that makes her think for once, maybe Emma is trying to prove something to her. "Sure," Regina answered, her voice layered with something dangerously close to hope. "Why not?"
It took several attempts to push Mary Margaret to the side so the two women could scoot in. It was Emma in the middle this time around. As they drove, Regina almost dared to believe that the blonde was deliberately making resolute efforts to keep their knees pressed together at all times.
Coming up in "Chapter 26 - Before the Worst":
"Regina, is everything oka-?" Emma froze in the middle of her question.
She'd returned to her bedroom, wondering what was taking the mayor so long with the extra towel. She suddenly wished she hadn't.
Standing there, her eyes dilating in terror and her lungs constricting, Emma was only just barely able to make out the object in the woman's trembling hand.
"Emma…" Regina finally spoke quietly, her voice devoid of emotion as she held out one of her most private possessions. "Why," she struggled, "do you have this?"