Regina was late. Fifteen minutes late to be exact and to be honest, her unusual tardiness was making Robin feel more worried than what he really should.
Sure, it may be true that a quarter of an hour wasn't really so bad if you came to think about it, but as far as he was concerned, it was too much for a woman who had never been late in her entire life. Or at least that was what she claimed once and yes, he believed her. After all, he knew her habits as well as he knew his own and that had been a statement he could actually roll with. To Regina, being five minutes early was being late, and that was why the fact that she hadn't shown up yet was making him feel preoccupied.
Yes, she could be stuck in the always awful Friday night traffic, yes, something could have come up with the kids last minute, maybe her appointment at the beauty salon took longer than anticipated. Who knew? Realistically speaking, it could be any of that, he wanted to think it was... but it could as well be that she bailed out on him.
It wouldn't be like her to do that but hell, showing up and pretending to be his soon to be ex-wife so that he could hook up with someone wasn't exactly something he ever imagined her doing either, so…
"How about you? How was your day?"
Taken out of his thoughts by the sound of Belle talking sweetly by his side, Robin flashed what he considered to be his best smile. He had been told that was one of his best features and he wasn't going to lie, he abused the hell out of it. In that specific moment, the trick did it's charm because instead of calling him out for being spaced out and not paying attention to whatever she had been saying, the woman sitting next to him just smiled back.
"My day? It was good… I just did a lot of boring work. You know how it is."
Tapping his fingers to his knees, Robin looked at his watch once again, his impatience growing. But because he wanted to play it cool, he decided to give Regina another ten minutes. If she didn't show up or even called once the time was up, he was going to check up on her to make sure everything was alright.
With that in mind, he took a sip of his whiskey and shifted his focus on what he came to do, which was enamoring Belle. "But never mind that, I want to talk about you. You look lovely tonight, did I tell you that?" He asked, his voice low and mellow, his infamous dimple smile still showing on his lips, and his eyes indiscreetly scanning the woman's small frame.
She was sitting, so it wasn't like he could get a real good view of her, but he was content with what he could see. Her hair was down and falling loose down her back, her eyes were shining bright as she looked at him, and the dress she was wearing was showing more cleavage than what he had been expecting out of her. She was still modest-looking, but the promise of what was underneath was enough to make up for the trials and tribulations she was making him go through.
If things went right, that dress was going to lay on the bedroom floor of the room he already paid for in that hotel, and he was so ready for it.
"Yes, you did. You told me as soon as I came in." She blushed all pretty as she said that and Robin couldn't help it, he leaned a bit closer towards her.
His intention had been to kiss her, but as if sensing it, Belle turned her face to the right so that instead of her mouth, what Robin ended up kissing was her cheek. It was the same move she pulled on him earlier on when he tried to greet her. It made him chuckle this time because damn it, she sure as hell was not making things easy for him. "You're really not going to let me kiss you?"
"I will. When I make sure you are not trying to play with me. Are you sure she is going to come?"
"Of course she'll come. This is just her being her, I mean she's never on time, you know? She was late to our own wedding, two hours! I thought she bailed out on me and I almost had to call the whole thing off. But then, to the priest's relief and my own, she came out of nowhere. She walked inside the church drunk as hell, probably high too… that should have been my cue not to get married. Mistakes… we all make them, right?"
Taking in a deep breath and barely aware of all the crap pouring out of his mouth, Robin checked the hour one more time. The ten minutes were not up yet, but maybe he should call her anyway. What if something happened to her?
"That's horrible." Belle said, lifting a hand and placing it over his, her fingertips tracing his knuckles. "I can't imagine how it must have been for you, waiting for that long and then having her show up like that."
Biting down a smile he was able to pass as a grimace, Robin sighed a bit too dramatically. "It was awful. But nothing compared to all the things she made me go through after. All the cheating, and the lies… but it's over now, thank God. Now, I just want to move forward. I think that is why I feel so drawn to you. You're everything I thought I would never find in a woman. You're kind, you have a nice aura and well… you're beyond beautiful. You're just… like a breath of fresh air when I've been drowning in so much waste."
Belle smiled at him, and he knew right then that this woman was going to be as good as his that night. Of course, that was if Regina showed up.
"I feel drawn to you too, Robin, I don't even know why."
In any other occasion, Robin would have taken that as his cue to kiss her. But he was finding out that Belle was not the kind of woman who liked going too fast, too strong. She needed time to be smoothed over, so he decided to change gears and move around her slow but steady.
Turning his hand around, he ran his thumb over her wrist. "Well there you go, it must be fate that we found each other then."
Biting her lips, Belle turned her head the other way. She was smiling, and the blush that had taken over her cheeks was a good indicator that he was doing things right. But then, she got a bit more serious and straightened her back, her hand moving away from his. "Is that her? The one coming this way?"
Happy with the progress he was making, Robin had the corner of his lips tipped up in a confident smile, but when he looked up in the direction Belle was staring at and as his eyes fell on the woman walking towards them, his smile slowly died. For a moment, he was so confused that he just had to do a double take.
It took him a couple of seconds to recognize her, but just as Belle had assumed, it was Regina alright.
Well… some version of her because this was not the same woman who had been working as his assistant for the last five years. Sure, he had always thought Regina was beautiful and that it was a shame she was so adamant of hiding such a pretty face under her huge glasses, but this woman he was seeing now… she was just… wow!
To start things off, the dress was out of this world. It was hugging her frame in a way that was not letting him think straight. What could he say? Never in a million years he would have guessed that underneath those big skirts she apparently loved so much, Regina actually looked like that! It was a nice surprise, to be able to find out that she had the right curves in all the right places, and that even though she wasn't as voluptuous as some of the women he had been with, she was absolutely stunning as she was. From her narrow waist to her toned arms and continuing down her legs… she was truly a vision.
Then there was her face. Without her glasses and with her lips colored a deep sinful red, she looked like a mirage. Even her hair looked amazing, and between one thing and the other, he wasn't sure where to look. Into her eyes to get lost in those deep chocolate brown orbs? Or down to the enticing way her hips swayed as she walked with confident steps towards him?
"Robin? Is that her or not?"
Shaking himself back to reality, the blue-eyed man cleared his throat, his eyes narrowing a little when he caught the way in which Regina was smirking in his direction. Did she catch him staring? Was she amused by his reaction? He didn't know, but he could say for sure that he had never seen her smirk like that. Never.
"Yes, that's her." Or a doppelganger? Shit...
"She's gorgeous."
Reaching for the glass of whiskey, Robin took another sip, knowing that this was a good moment for him to keep his mouth shut. He wouldn't know what to say anyway, as he had been rendered pretty much speechless by the sight of his assistant looking like that. He needed a moment to recuperate.
When Regina finally reached their table, he was still at a loss of words, but at least his mind was clearer.
"I'm late, I know, so don't say anything about it." Regina's voice came out a little throaty, her eyes rolling while she waved him off. The gesture was a bit exaggerated if he took in consideration it was coming from the woman who ran his budget, but when it came out of the vixen who was sitting on the stool by his side, it looked completely natural.
"Actually, you are not as late as I would have expected. It was nice of you to show up, you know, under the circumstances."
"Of course I was going to show up. I mean, do you think I was going to miss meeting this girl you've been bugging me so much about? Wouldn't have missed it for the world."
"I'm Belle." Breaking her silence, the blonde woman extended a hand towards Regina. There was a forced smile on her face, and Robin could sense her being tentative about what was going on.
Regina took the hand, grabbing Belle's fingers before releasing them quickly. "So you're the woman who is sleeping around with my husband, hmm?"
Robin almost choked on air when Regina said that, his eyes growing bigger and his jaw tensing. He just couldn't believe she went for it like that...
Belle was apparently equally shocked, her back straightening and her pretty features in clear distress. "No… I'm not… sleeping with him. I just… um-" She stuttered, gasping when no other word came out of her.
On her part, Regina laughed, the sound low and a bit dark. It was as if she was evilly enjoying both their reactions. "I'm just kidding. You can have him for all I care. I milked this insipid forest fart for all he was worth anyway." After saying that, she reached for Robin's drink and swallowed it down in one gulp. Her nose scrunched once it was down, her lips pursed as she obviously tried to shake off the liquor hitting her full force.
Falling in line with what his friend/assistant was trying to do, Robin pressed a hand to his forehead, his entire face burning. He never thought she was actually going to play the bitchy wife, so that she was doing it was both rewarding and amusing. "Yup, she pretty much did, especially my bank account."
Regina shrugged. She was still smirking, her eyes settled intently on Belle. "Maybe I did. But it wasn't like there was much I could get out of him anyway. He actually never complained about it until now, so don't mind him too much."
"I complained about other things, though. Like when I found you sleeping with my cousin David, in our bed."
That apparently took Regina by surprise because for a second, her eyes moved to his. He wouldn't know how to exactly describe that stare, but she was looking at him in that way she would do whenever he did something she disapproved of, and seeing her like that made him smile. Sure, on one hand, her reaction made him wonder if he took things a little too far, but at the same time, he was glad to know that underneath her facade, she was still his same ol' Regina.
"Oh, you did complain about that, a lot. But hey, it wouldn't have happened if you had been there." Arching an eyebrow, she fired back, sighing deeply while turning her attention back to Belle. "Did he tell you that? He loves to complain about how I did this and that, but he forgets to mention that he left me no other choice. He was always working, during the weekends, until late and well, I had needs. At least I kept it in the family."
"He was my favorite cousin!"
Rolling her eyes, Regina waved him off. Then, she was calling for a waitress. "I want one of those." She said, pointing to Robin's empty glass when someone came to them. "Double." When the guy walked away with her order, she stared at him blatantly, the tip of her tongue running over her lips. "I definitely want one of those too. Mmm, maybe I'll get him."
Letting his eyes drink on the image of Regina checking the waiter out as she bit the corner of her lips mischievously, Robin blew out a breath. The sight was more distracting than what he was willing to admit, so wanting to go on with the farce, he refocused, keeping his eyes from taking a peek down her cleavage. It was insane, but he suddenly felt like he needed to satisfy the morbid curiosity of finding out if she was wearing a bra or not with that dress...
"You know what, this is why I never wanted to come home. Not only did you sleep around a lot, but you were always either drunk, or high."
"So." Belle cut in, looking at them in turns. "You are really going to get a divorce?"
"Fortunately." Regina sighed, her chest rising and then falling heavily. "I mean, I can't get more of this big goof always being on my ass about every single thing that I do. So yes, I like to drink, and to smoke, but what of it?"
"And the pills, don't forget the pills. You take them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You even snack on those and hell, I would even come to bed each night to find them underneath the pillows."
Regina blinked her eyes rapidly, looking up towards the ceiling in a way that hinted how bored she was with his words. "Yeah, yeah… the thing is that I only have this life to live, and I'm sure as hell not going to waste it by letting a man restrict me."
Unable to help it, Robin snorted, his eyes going to Belle and then back to Regina. "See? I told you she was a damn mess."
The waiter came with Regina's drink, and instead of immediately responding to her supposed husband, she winked at the younger man. "Thanks, gorgeous." Then, her attention was back to both Robin and Belle. "Ok. I'll give you that. I am a mess. But damn, at least I look good."
"Actually, I was telling Robin how gorgeous you are, so yes, I have to agree with that." Belle said, her head tilted to the side.
"Of course you do." Regina said, running her newly manicured fingers through the strands of soft curls falling down her shoulders.
Her whole demeanor made Robin laugh, so wanting to save face, he lifted a hand and pointed at Regina's face. "Come on, all of this? This is the work of a surgeon. You think these are natural?" He tapped a finger to her lips. "They are not. She even had her eyelids done. I know, because I paid for them."
Instead of being bothered, Regina chuckled, shaking her head as if she couldn't believe what he was saying. "No, I don't remember that, and if I don't remember, it didn't happen."
"Regina, with all the pills you take daily, I don't think you even remember in what year you were born."
Narrowing her eyes, the brown-eyed woman groaned. "You are such a miserable asshole."
"Yup, ever since I met you."
"Anyway, I'm sure you two are eager to get me off your back so let me just say this: Belle, please, take this man and keep him for all eternity, if you can, far away from me. For your sake, I hope he learned from his mistakes and won't neglect you the way he did me. He's good when he's not being a workaholic asshole… or at least I think so. I wouldn't know, as he was always one with me."
"Yeah, let's just leave it there, will you?" Not really sure if Regina was helping him or not with what she just said, Robin clapped his hands, watching as his long-time friend grabbed her drink to sip from it. She made the same grimace as before, but that didn't stop her from swallowing half of it at once. "And maybe slow down with that a little."
Humming, Regina got to her feet, putting the glass over the table and then scoffing. "Just so you know, I won't be paying for that. Hotel drinks are so expensive. Anyway, this was fun, but let's like not do it ever again. So! Nice to meet you, Belle… Robin…" With that said, Regina swirled around on her heels and started to walk away, the way her dress allowed her feminine curves to stand out grabbing his attention.
He had to look because bless the woman, as she definitely had an ass to turn heads, and she was! He could see a couple of guys looking at her as she swayed her way out.
"Give me a second." Darting his eyes away as if he had been caught doing something very wrong, Robin acted by instinct, getting to his feet to follow Regina. When he reached her, he grabbed her elbow and walked with her out the door.
"Forest fart, really? What the hell does that even mean?"
Pressing a hand to her lips and giggling softly, Regina brushed her hair away from her face. "I don't even know! So how was I? Did I overdo it?"
Running a hand down his face because from his vantage point he could confirm that she was not wearing a bra and he didn't know what to make with that information, Robin looked back to make sure Belle was still at the table. "You were actually brilliant. I mean look at you, you came looking and acting the part perfectly." He wasn't even sure how he was ever going to get over it…
Laughing, the brunette leaned a little against him. "I know, I can't even believe I said half the things I said back there. But you… you asshole, why did you say I slept with David? You know he gives me the creeps."
Not minding her words much, Robin looked down on her again. "You came driving?"
"Yes." As if to show him, Regina grabbed her keys and lifted them up to his face. "You made me go shopping, and you paid for my hair to be done, but a chauffeur was not one of the things you arranged for me."
Blowing out a breath because he was sensing the whiskey got a bit too fast to her head, Robin grabbed her keys and put them in his pocket. "Yeah, let's fix that. I'll call you an Uber."
Regina groaned, shaking her head. "Come on, I"m not drunk, in case you are wondering, okay? I can definitely drive."
"Probably, but better safe than sorry." With that said, he took his phone out and went directly to the Uber app.
"Belle looks nice, and she's very pretty."
Lifting his eyes from the phone, he looked at her. In that moment, when their eyes met, he felt like telling her that she looked stunning herself. He didn't though, not because he didn't want to, but because her phone started to ring, interrupting the moment. She turned to answer, and in that moment, everything started to happen at once, because that was the moment Belle chose to walk out with them.
"Is everything alright?"
Putting his phone away once the service was requested, Robin smiled at Belle. "Yeah, I'm just calling an Uber for her. She gets pretty reckless when she drinks, and I don't want her to wreck the car again. She's still under my insurance."
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." After saying that, Belle reached for his hand, her fingers lacing with his. "You know what else is a good idea? You and me going somewhere else."
Robin licked his lips, all his senses getting ready to do what he came to do.
But because life had a way to mess with him when he was sure everything was going according to plan, Regina puffed out a breath ridiculously loud, her phone glued to her ear as she closed her eyes. The sound made both Robin and Belle look at her.
"Yeah, I know, I know, baby, but if I told you to do your homework today, it was so you could get the rest of the night and the weekend off. You didn't, so that means it's bedtime for you. Your brother, on the other hand, did like I told him, so yeah, I told Mary Margaret he could stay awake a little longer." There was a pause. "No… you know I don't play favorites, so don't pull that one on me."
Scratching down his neck because he was sure Belle could make a lot of things with what Regina was saying, Robin went to her, his intention being to make her move out of earshot. "Come on Regina, your Uber is here."
"Okay. Lucy, I'm coming home, so if you don't want me to pull the angry mom off, I better find you sleeping when I get there."
"Wait… you have kids?"
And there it was…
For what felt like an eternity, Robin remained still, watching out of the corner of his eyes as Regina cringed, while Belle stood with her hands set on her hips.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Umm, my Uber is here so bye." Apparently not wanting to deal with whatever was coming, Regina turned around and got in the car. She left him there, having to deal with this new mess on his own.
"Robin…"
Dropping his arms down to his sides, the man took in a deep breath. Without the pressure, he could have come up with at least five ways to dodge this bullet. He could say the kids were not his, for instance, or maybe that they were Regina's niece and nephew or something. But his silence spoke before he could even utter a word, and what Belle made out of it was not good.
"Do they know you are seeing someone?"
"Belle, no… they don't know."
The blonde's face fell, making Robin react without thinking.
"But I will tell them. They know me and Regina are not together, so yeah… I'll tell them."
"Well… maybe we should wait to see what their reaction is going to be before we make something out of this. I am the child of divorced parents, and I know how hard it will be for them to know you want to move on."
Robin snorted, how could he not? "Belle, my kids are strong, I mean… their mother is screwing with my cousin in the same house they live in, so I'm sure they can bear knowing I'm seeing someone as well. I mean… come on."
"No. You tell them first, and then I meet them. Until then, I am going home. Bye, Robin."
Watching as she turned around to leave, Robin groaned, slapping a hand to his face, because fuck, fuck, fuck… this woman was definitely going to be the end of him. What he wasn't sure was if he was referring to Belle, or to Regina...