A/N: I wrote this early this morning before heading into work for all my lovely readers! Now before I get started, I should warn you of a few things...
1st: Yes, this story will be based off of the film Sweet November.
2nd: For those of you haven't seen it- THERE MAY BE A MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH!- Consider yourselves warned.
3rd: You may want to keep a box of tissues handy. (You'll need them.)
And 4th: This story did start as a 1st person POV, but many of you didn't favor it so, I've changed it to a 3rd person POV. The PROLOGUE and EPILOUGE however, will be in Regina's POV.
Also, I wanted to apologize in advance because I promise you, you will LOVE but HATE this story. I wanted to try my writing skills on a different writing set of mind. I hope it's to your liking. Now, I know there are a some stories out there (I've come to read one or two) where one of our lovely ladies dies. So, I beg you to give mine a chance. For those of you who have seen the film, the ending will be entirely different and I will be creating this story off of the top of my head ENTIRELY. Which means, it will contain a lot of my own dialogue and creations. I beg you to give it a shot and for those of you who know what's to come. I only ask that you don't spoil it for the rest. Happy reading, and once again, I apologize. This story was just something I had to do.
Prologue
I always lived life on the fast lane. At least I thought I did. To be honest, and looking back on the choices of my life, I was never really sure what that meant. Not until two years ago… In November. It was the year the most annoying but most beautiful, vibrant woman would come into my life and turn my world upside down.
She would change the way I see things forever.
It was the year where I would come to know what life truly meant.
Chapter 1: A Blind Life
What a title for this first chapter, huh? Truthfully, there was no other way to describe Regina's life without using the word blind. For the longest time (as long as she could remember) that's what her life- her world- had become. Regina just didn't realize it at the time that she was too blind to see it.
Fair warning: This chapter on her life will be fairly boring.
You've been warned.
Her mornings were very repetitive. She was a vibrant, intelligent, twenty-nine-year-old advertising executive on the path to her biggest break yet. She had a decent life (or so she thought) where she would wake up at four-thirty sharp, go for a run on the treadmill while watching the stock market's drop and/or rise faster than her coffee would brew.
Boring yet? Wait for it…
Regina had more money than she sometimes knew what to do with. She wasn't a billionaire, either, but she made a comfortable enough living. Her home, which was made entirely out of stone and marble, inside and out, cost her more than every power suit she owned.
For as long as she could remember, she loved order. With order and rules that Regina would set for myself and her life came control. The brunette never really enjoyed the feeling of not having any control over her own life.
I promise not to make this too boring- so let's jump right in through this chapter of Regina's dull and boring life, which only Regina found exciting.
Her alarm clock never failed to go off by four-fifteen every morning. Her hand would reach as her body would rotate in the cold sheets of the big empty bed to shut off the alarm and dress in a pair of workout clothes before hopping onto the treadmill for a run. But not before entering her kitchen, putting the coffee to brew and turning on the stock market news on the plasma television that took over an entire wall in the living room.
Regina was proud of what she had and the items she possessed. Who wouldn't after working their ass off so hard, you literally earn every dollar that is transferred into your bank account?
She was proud of her home. A two story, stone and glass window piece of architecture that was designed to her perfection. The stone from the outside was a dark gray color, followed by black window frames and a dark oak wooden door decorating the entrance. There were three steps that you stepped over every morning before you walked out to start the day.
The kitchen was of the same gray stone from the inside with black cabinets and marble counter tops. The refrigerator, stove and microwave were the only stainless steel items. Thinking back on it now, Regina could recall that the only two rooms in the house with white walls were her bedroom and living room. Which, for her was more than okay.
She was happy. At the time.
At the time… Regina didn't need nor wanted more.
It's funny how one could go through life feeling they are content with what they have, and they live all through it without realizing that there could still be something missing.
That was her life. There was always something missing from it. She just didn't know what it was at the time.
"Are you watching this? This is absolutely preposterous!" She hissed through clenched teeth while on the phone with Graham. Her eyes angrily watched the stock market ridiculously drop.
Her legs burned as they kept up with the whirling speed of the treadmill.
"I'll never understand how you have so much energy throughout the day when you run a mile each morning."
"It's because I run a mile each morning that I have so much energy." Regina grinned proudly.
"You're insane, Regina."
A chuckle escapes her through panting breaths. "You should try it sometime, Graham. Build up your stamina." She tells him.
"Thanks, but I think I kinda like my heart where it is." A chuckle can be heard followed by the alert of another incoming call. This makes the brunette glance down at the name flashing across the screen.
Kathryn.
"Let me call you right back, Graham." She doesn't even give him time to reply, hanging up his call to answer Kathryn's.
Kathryn was her… Well, you'll find out.
"Kathryn." Regina acknowledges in a pant, putting the treadmill to a complete stop while reaching for her towel, which hangs on the handle of the treadmill to dry up her sweat.
"Leave it to you to be working out before you go to work." Kathryn said this in an almost annoyed tone of voice.
"You know me, I'm nothing if not goal oriented."
Regina can actually hear a chuckle escape her, "Don't you mean predictable? Because you're always so predictable, Regina. Nothing ever changes with you."
She's saying that as if it's a bad thing.
"You're saying that as if it's a bad thing, Kathryn." The brunette can't help rolling her eyes at this. Because when was something repetitive bad?
"Look, I don't want to get into the same argument with you this early in the morning, Regina." She scoffs.
"Then, why are you calling me this early in the morning? You know me, it better be an important reason." She grumbles.
As you can see for yourself. Kathryn and Regina didn't have the most stable of relationships. Which is why, what happened next was more of a blessing for her than a heartache.
"I'm calling this early in the morning because I'm about to do something I should have done a long time ago."
"Which is?" She asked her- already knowing- heading into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee.
"I think you already know." She releases a scoff that can be heard perfectly well. "Believe me- I hate doing this over the phone, Regina, but there literally isn't a way I can talk to you, let alone see you." She was right. "I'm just tired of it. I'm breaking up with you."
"What do you mean you're breaking up with me?" She places down her coffee pot, because usually it was she who end things with any relationship she would allow herself to have. She actually sounds surprised, it almost makes her laugh.
"Breaking up- as in finished. I'm done. I can't do this anymore. Even when you're there, you're never there. You're always working and that's not all life was about, you know?"
She could have fooled her. Work was the only thing that made sense to Regina. It's what got her everything she now possessed.
It was truly a shame that she was breaking up with her. Because she really liked Kathryn. Regina thought with her, she at least had connected on some moral level. But she was wrong.
"Kathryn- you can't break up with me. Not now." Is all the brunette can think to say, hearing another scoff escape Kathryn.
"You're sweet for pretending you actually care. I almost believe it. But, you never had to pretend with me, Regina. We both know you aren't made for any type of commitment. You're just not the type."
Was she for real? She could commit! If she really wanted to.
It was at that moment that Regina made a real asshole move.
"Maybe, I am. I just never felt that with you." Hey- it was the truth. Going out with Kathryn for even a drink once in a while always felt like she was dating that type of friend who is crushing on you but you don't really feel the same way. You know the one. Like that.
"Maybe you ending things is the smartest move you've ever made, because you realize I never felt the same way about you enough to take you seriously." There's the asshole move.
"You are an asshole! Goodbye, Regina!" Was the last thing Regina heard before the line went dead.
Yes, asshole move to make such a direct comment like that. But honestly- she was better off. And so was Kathryn.
After a busy day at work, Regina always loved blowing off steam by driving her Porsche around for the afternoon. Of course, little did she know that, that afternoon… Was about to change her life forever.
"Great work today, Regina. As always." Her boss- Robert Gold at Gold Inc.- smiled her way while they both made their way out of another successful meeting.
"Thank you, Robert." She nods, walking along the hallway beside him.
"You have some luck on you. You never cease to amaze me."
"Luck has nothing to do with it, Robert. You either do the job, or you don't- it's that simple." Regina could feel the pull of a smirk make its way up the corner of her lip as she said this.
"Well, you did one hell of a job. Keep it up." Gold winked, heading back into his office, while the brunette headed into her own private office, where she is met by Graham, storming in through the double glass doors, expectedly.
"So? Did he go for it?" He asked her, eager to hear great news.
"He bought it." She rewards him with a grin after a moment's pause.
"Yes!" He claps his hands with gusto, pumping his fist into the air right after. "That's what I'm talking about! We should celebrate."
"I can't. I have to get going." Regina shakes her head, reaching for her briefcase and heading out the door. Only to discover that Graham was following right behind her.
"Are you kidding me? To do what?" He asked, keeping up with the woman's quick pace.
"Gather up another great ad for our next meeting with Gold." Her chocolate colored eyes glance at him over her shoulder, her body continuing it's walk until Graham is left behind- gawking at her confident figure, no doubt.
"Come on, Regina! It's early!" His voice could be heard in a shout, but Regina pays no attention as she continues to head outside the two main doors of the building, until she reaches the parking lot, along with her black Porsche, tossing my briefcase into the passenger seat and driving off into the afternoon.
Don't worry. This is where her story starts picking up a little more. Are you ready? Because she sure as hell wasn't.
Here she was, driving along the New York evening traffic, only to discover that she was one-fourth of a tank into her journey. Fuck! She mentally curses at herself. How could she have neglected to fill up her car with gas this morning? She was always very good at keeping the damn tank full. Except for that day.
Little did she know that on that day. November 1st, at 3:45pm- a day and time she will never forget. At a gas station only three minutes away from her destination…
Her life would forever change.
Releasing a heavy sigh before, she dismounts her car and makes her way out toward the gas pump, fishing her wallet out of her briefcase to place one of her many credit cards into the slot of the machine. By this time during the day, she can't wait to get home, shower and watch the evening news. But not before stopping into Granny's diner for a slice of her homemade apple pie first. That was my routine.
A routine that would be changed forever.
Her hand pulls the gas pump out and inserts it into the tank of her car, locking the handle while she patiently waits for it to fill up. Releasing another sigh after frustratingly pinching the bridge of her nose, she begins to pace back and forth.
Regina hated when the unexpected took her by surprise. It was never her favorite.
"Excuse me." Next, she hears a voice call out to- to who? To her?
Her eyes look up, blinking a couple of times until they adjust to a blonde woman, standing near a van that could only belong to a dog shelter. The van was of no interest. What did catch her eye was this woman's God-awful red leather jacket. Strangely- it suited her.
"Is that really your car?" The blonde asked, eyeing the black exterior of the Porsche.
Regina was hesitant to give her an answer right away. She didn't know the woman, after all. She could be a car thief for all she knew, just waiting to make her move.
"Yeah…?" She gave in, her eyes narrowing her way.
"I bet that's a pretty expensive car, huh?" She smiled. A beautiful smile at that.
So my day was turning into this? Okay. I'll play along, she thought to herself. "You could say that." She gave a short and direct reply.
"Yeah? How much did it cost you?" She asks, seeming intrigued. Regina could tell she had never owned a car this expensive. Even in her dreams.
"Not everyone can afford it." A chuckle is released by the brunette.
"You can." Regina can see the strange woman's head turning toward the van before she decides to strike up a conversation again. "Hey, uh- you got a minute?" She asks.
"Sorry. No. Whatever you're selling I'm not buying." She has a smug look to her face now as she says this. Turning her attention back to the gas pump, which at the time seemed far more interesting than this beautiful stranger's attempt for small talk.
She was beautiful. But, no matter how beautiful and mesmerizing she was- it wasn't enough to convince Regina to buy whatever she was trying to sell.
"It's nothing like that." She says as a reply, flashing another one of her best smiles. "You're a workaholic, aren't you?" She asks, after quietly observing the brunette, who clearly was a workaholic.
Her question takes Regina completely off guard. Was she that obvious? What made her say this about her without even knowing her? Who was she to judge her when all she thrived for was earning a good living for herself?
"If what you're asking me is if I love my job. The answer is: yes, I do." Regina can't help but snare out her reply to her. Growing annoyed now.
"Yeah? What do you do?" What was it to her? Why would anyone care about what she did for a living? No one ever did. Not even Kathryn.
Be that as it may, Regina gave her answer.
"I'm an advertisement executive."
"Cool! What is that, exactly?" She asks, tossing another smile her way.
The brunette finds herself chuckling at the blonde's ignorance. Then again, her job wasn't as thrilling as it sounded. "I help the company I work for develop profitable business opportunities and increase revenue. In layman's terms: my success is their success."
She catches the woman's brow shoot up as she gives her reply. "Impressive. Sounds ambitious."
"I guess so." It really was. She always coded herself by giving nothing but the best at her job. But she wasn't about to tell this woman that. Not some stranger, she just met a few minutes ago.
"So, when you aren't working- what do you do for fun?" She asks Regina, making the brunette roll her eyes to the back of her head in annoyance. Keeping up with a stranger's conversation wasn't really a part of her plan today.
But, Regina has come to learn that life doesn't always turn out the way you want it to. Even when you think you have the most control over it.