A/N: It is super late here in my state, but I find myself grinning like a fool who's experiencing love for the first time while I write out these next two updates for you all lol. This is thus far, my NUMBER ONE favorite novel/film by Nicholas Sparks, so it is truly an honor to have the chance to interpret it in my own writing form as a SQ author. I hope you love this much as much as I did. Happy reading! :) I expect reviews!
Her green eyes followed the brunette woman as she made her way out of the bumper car arena and went on her way, with that strapping young man by her arm and Kathryn to a cotton candy stand. The corners of her lips could not stop tilting upward upon seeing her, her eyes couldn't stop sparkling all the more.
She chewed on her thin bottom lip while she quietly observed from afar.
Until she gathered the courage to walk right up to her, noticing her startled, wide-eyed expression as she stood only a few inches from her. Even the fellow she was with was startled by her bluntness, but she didn't care. All she cared about was this girl.
"You want to dance with me?" Was her question. Because a girl this beautiful deserved to be waltzed. And tonight was a perfect night.
"No." Regina's answer was indefinite. Who on earth would just walk up to you and ask you to dance? Let alone a woman!
"Why not?" Asked the blonde, the corner of her lips tilting into a tiny smirk.
"Because I don't want to." Was the brunette's next indefinite answer. She exchanged a chuckle with Daniel, who was appalled at this strange girl's behavior. And he wasn't having it.
"Sorry, girly. She's with me. Hey, Gina, you want to ride the ferris wheel?" He leaned in to ask, his eyes trained on the blonde in a smut glance.
"I'd love to." Regina smirked, turning her attention to the blonde girl before answering.
"Great!" Daniel smirked, enjoying the brunette's embrace around his bicep. "Excuse us." He pushed by the blonde girl.
Graham patted his friend's shoulder before walking past her along with Kathryn and the rest of the group. The blonde rotated her body until her eyes landed on the brunette again, who continued to glance over her shoulder in her direction. Her smirk grew upon seeing this. Normally, she wouldn't be this blunt with anyone, let alone another girl she liked, but Regina was different and she knew she was mutually interested.
"Emma Swan," Kathryn grinned over to Regina while she whispered over to her.
"What?" Regina's brow furrowed as she turned back to her friend.
"Works over at the lumber yard with Graham."
"Oh." Regina glanced over her shoulder once more before whispering over to Kathryn. "Did you see that she was standing like three inches away from my face?"
"Yeah, I saw- that's Emma, though. You know, I'm surprised she even came over, I think she likes you." She grinned, nudging her friend teasingly.
Regina rolled her eyes at the action, giving the blonde a light push.
The blonde stood in front of the ferris wheel, looking up, following the brunette's line of sight. And once Regina's chocolate eyes met with hers from up above, the blonde waited patiently until she was at ground's length again to run over to the ferris wheel and mount her cart, hearing her frightened screams and Daniel's exclaims all together.
"Can't you take a hint?!" Regina screamed, covering her mouth in fear at this lunatic girl's appalling behavior.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Are you crazy?" He shouted, his eyes wide upon seeing how simple this crazy stranger mounted the cart, pushing him over to sit right in between them.
People glanced up in awe, pointing and murmuring at the crazy blonde girl's sudden action. Even the short man at the switch panel to the ferris wheel quickly yanked on the lever to stop the ride entirely, leaving them up top.
"Hey! You can't do that" The bearded pudgy man shouted.
"I'll pay you when I get down, Leroy!" The blonde shouted, giving all of her attention to the shocked brunette beside her, extending her hand in greeting. "I'm Emma Swan."
"So?" Regina scoffed.
"So, it's really nice to meet you." She replied.
"Gina, who is this girl?" Daniel asked, gawking at the brunette as if this action was all her fault.
"I don't know! Emma Swan!" Regina glared back at him before her eyes moved back to the girl she now knew as Emma.
"I would really love to take you out" Said Emma, hearing a laughter escape Daniel's lungs and another scoff escape Regina's throat that mixed in with a breathed out chuckle.
"You can't sit more than two people in a chair, Emma!" Leroy shouted, pointing his finger at her in warning.
"Okay, Leroy- alright!" Another scream escaped the blonde while Daniel grew pale white at the blonde's next action to climb out of their cart and hang from a pole that was above them with both hands. Regina let out a loud, high-pitched scream at the reckless action, fearing for the girl's life as she saw her hang like a rag doll with nothing to catch her fall.
"Jesus! What are you doing?" Daniel asked, going ignored by the blonde once again.
"Now will you go out with me?" Emma asked, hanging on with ease while she awaited the brunette's answer.
"Emma, don't be stupid!" Kathryn shouted, glancing up from another cart that was down below along with Graham, who couldn't stop grinning.
"What?" Regina scoffed, eyes wide while Daniel laughed, rolling his eyes at the absurd request. 'No!"
"No?" Emma frowned, glancing down at Regina.
"No!" Regina was quick to repeat.
"Hey, blondie! She just told you!" Daniel scoffed.
"Why not?" Asked Emma, still hanging on.
"Why? Because I don't want to." The brunette blinked with the same sass she said her words.
Emma's brow slightly lifted, "Alright- well, you leave me no other choice then."
Regina let another gut wrenching scream escape her as she saw Emma let go of the bar, hanging only by one arm. Her body swung like an old rag.
"Emma, cut it out!" Graham grinned, knowing his friend's true strength, yet earning himself a smack on the arm from Kathryn who was still frightened to death.
"I'm gonna ask you one more time," Emma spoke through gritted teeth for simple effect. "Will you… Or will you not go out with me?" She glanced up at her cherry red finger tips. Again for effect. "God damn, my hand's slipping!" She hissed.
"Grab onto the bar, you idiot!" Kathryn shouted once more.
"Not until she agrees!" Emma shouted back.
Regina couldn't breathe. Her throat had shut entirely, and her heart was getting ready to jump out of her chest.
"Aw, go out with her, honey!" Graham encouraged her.
After swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she finally said, "Okay- fine! I'll go out with you!"
"What?" Daniel gawked at the brunette, wide-eyed.
"You will?" Emma asked, glancing down at her.
"Yes!"
"Regina!" Daniel shouted, his mouth dropping open.
"Say it." Emma demanded.
"I want to go out with you!" Regina spoke a little louder. She would admit to kiss her even if it meant she would stop hanging like a monkey from the top of the ferris wheel. She didn't want some stranger's death on her conscience was all.
"Say it again."
Was she serious right now? With her life hanging in the balance and she was embarrassing her like this to accept a date with another woman?
"I WANT TO GO OUT WITH YOU!" Her throat would be sore tomorrow after screaming it out that loud. She was sure it was as red as her cheeks were right now.
"Alright, alright, we'll go out," Emma chuckled, exposing her pearly white teeth as she grabbed back onto the bar with both hands this time.
Regina scoffed, not knowing why but growing increasingly annoyed. "You think you're so funny, don't you?" She asked the blonde.
"That wasn't funny, Emma! You idiot!" Kathryn shouted.
"Oh, it's alright! I'll take care of this!" Regina's hands quickly began to undo the blonde's belt buckle.
"What are you doing?" Emma frowned, shaking her head upon realizing what her intentions were. "Please, don't do that. Please- don't do that, Gina- oh, God." She looked up, her cheeks slightly pink upon feeling her pants being yanked down to her ankles. Feeling the brush of wind hit her exposed and naked legs as she hung from the ferris wheel, exposing her underwear for the entire world to see.
Laughter echoed from down below, along with Kathryn's and Graham's, and even Daniel's cackle, his hand being placed on his chest. His cheeks were as red as berries, while Regina proudly grinned at her revenge against the blonde.
"You're not so cocky now, are you?" Her smirk grew, a perfectly marked brow lifted upward as she sat back to enjoy her work of art she presented to the town of Storybrooke.
"I'm gonna get you for that," Emma promised her.
"Maybe you will, maybe you won't," Regina grinned, crossing her arms over her chest.
The next morning, Emma and Graham were heading back to the lumber yard from their lunch hour, lunch boxes in hand. Emma's hair was picked up in a messy ponytail, while Graham wore his newspaper hat. Their clothes were a bit dirty and unkempt, but that's what old clothes were for, to wear to an honest day at work. The sun was out and shining against their backs, making this summer heat even more pleasant and a little unbearable.
"Hey, look at that," Graham nodded before them, a smirk stretching across his lips.
Emma's line of sight followed her friend's smirk, her eyes sparkling at the sight of Regina. The same brunette girl from the carnival.
"It's the girl from the carnival, right?" Asked Graham, seeing the blonde not waste any time in running over to her. Emma had it bad and even he knew that. He knew plenty of girls she always had her eye on, but none that would make her do crazy things.
Emma quickly brushed her slightly sweaty hand through her fallen golden strands of hair, trying her best to look a little more presentable. I mean, the girl reeked of money just by her clothes alone. And here she was, sweaty and dirty from a day's work.
"You remember me?" Emma leaned in, startling the brunette who found herself walking along town alone this time. Emma was thankful that, that Daniel guy wasn't following her like a puppy.
Regina smirked, continuing on her walk while she spoke, "Yeah, sure. Ms. Underwear, was it?"
"Oh, yeah," Emma murmured shyly, her cheeks slightly turning a shade of pink.
"You sure made quite the impression." The brunette chuckled, still proud of herself for thinking quick on her feet.
Emma's feet quickly caught up to the brunette, walking slightly backward to be able to look Regina right in the eyes until she came to a complete stop and stood on the sidewalk.
"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that, it was really stupid of me to crawl up a ferris wheel to talk to somebody," Emma chuckled, her cheeks once again a shade of pink. "But, I had to be next to you. I was being drawn to you."
Oh, this was rich. Regina couldn't help but think to herself as she released a small fit of laughter.
Emma was unable to help herself from smiling upon hearing Regina's rich laugh.
"Oh, gee- what a line. You use that on all the girls?" Regina asked with a small smirk and a lifted brow.
"No." Emma frowned.
"Right, I saw you the other night with little miss ribbons." She continued on her walk, seeing Emma quickly keep up with her, standing in front of her again to block her path.
"What are you doing tonight?" The blonde was quick to ask.
"What?"
"Or tomorrow night- this weekend- whatever."
"Why?"
"Why? Our date." Emma frowned, reminding Regina about giving her her word.
"What date?"
"The date that you agreed to." She reminded her.
"No." Regina shook her head.
"Yes, you did. You promised and you swore it." Emma playfully glared.
"Well, I guess I changed my mind." Regina scoffed, walking away but seeing Emma quickly keep up, blocking her path once more.
"Look, I know you get some dirty girl coming up to you on the street, you don't know her- you don't know me, but I know me." Green eyes locked on chocolate brown ones. "And when I see something that I like…" A tiny smirk formed on thin pink lips, her eyes growing wide. "God, I love it. I go crazy for it."
"What are you talking about?" Regina couldn't help to release a small laugh at this erratic behavior. She would be lying to herself if she didn't say she was interested in this beautiful, shy, charismatic and charming stranger. She was, but she had heard so many come-on lines from others before directed her way, that she needed to make sure this one was real.
Regina wasn't even sure how Emma (she remembered her name) picked up on her attraction, but she obviously did. And as much as Regina should mind, she didn't.
"I want you." Emma decided to be blunt, which she never was with anyone she liked in the past.
"Oh," Regina released another fit of laughter, her eyes glaring into bashful, yet gentle green ones. "Oh, you're good-"
"No," Emma blushed, hating for Regina to think that her intentions toward her weren't honorable.
"You are, you are fantastic-"
"No, you're getting me wrong- I'm not-" The blonde chuckled, stomping her foot against the concrete floor. "I'm not usually like this, I'm sorry." She ran her hand across her fallen strands of blonde hair again out of nervous habit.
"Yes, you are." Regina chuckled.
The blonde's tongue clicked as a reaction, her eyes locked on beautiful brown ones before her.
"I could be fun if you want," Regina's brow furrowed at her choice of words for a moment, until a smile began to stretch across her lips at Emma's words. "Pensive, smart," Emma chuckled. "Uh, superstitious. Brave. And uh, I could be light on my feet," she performed a small tap dance before the brunette, which got her to look at her in surprise. "I could be whatever you want. You just tell me what you want, and I'll be that for you."
"You're dumb," said Regina.
Emma nodded, a tiny smile stretching across her thin pink lips. "I could be that."
Ruby red lips stretched out into a tiny smirk. Whatever charm Emma had going for her, it was working, but she didn't want to give in that easily. Not yet. Instead she walked past Emma, leaving her in wonder as she skipped across the street where one of her father's cars waited for her to drive her home. Her chauffeur already holding her door open.
"Come on, one date! What's it gonna hurt?" Emma asked, watching the brunette near her fancy car.
"I don't think so," Regina smirked.
"Well, what can I do to change your mind?"
Regina innocently shrugged, "Guess you'll figure something out." Another smirk stretched out across her lips before she mounted her car.
Emma exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. In her seventeen years of life, she had never met a girl who took her very breath away. She didn't even care that she was gathering some questionable looks by others for actually being serious about having a date with another female.