October 4th, 1949
Rita had been feeling strange all night. Besides the rage the blonde detective inexplicably always left her with when they met, she had had strange dreams, all of them about the previously mentioned blonde woman. The brunette woke up repeatedly that night with cold sweats and fading images of the blonde woman in strange clothes and a yellow car, she also dreamed of castles and a forest, and Emma Swan was always in there with her. She didn't understand what it meant, but she had the strange certainty that it was not the first time she had dreamt of the same land and the blonde detective. Even during the dreams, she had this déjà vu sensation, always knowing what was about to happen before it did, although she was sure she couldn't have dreamt of the blonde before because they had just only met three days ago.
In the morning, the brunette did what she could to take her mind off the blonde and the dreams that had almost completely faded away from her brain, as opposed to the burnt-in images of the past afternoon. Those images kept flooding her mind like annoying reminders that what she had tried to convince herself that had not taken place between them in her bedroom the previous day was indeed very real and almost impossible to forget. The sensation of that kiss being a dream come true would not leave her even if she tried to wipe it off her memory like some dirty stain of wine on the carpeted floor, only spreading wider out when she tried to rub it off.
By noon Rita Castillo had lost all hope of being able to forget what had happened the day before. Her willingness to erase the memories of the blonde was almost gone because of the irrevocable need she felt to see her again. Before she was even conscious of her actions, she found herself phoning the detective's office to arrange a meeting. Convinced that the only reason for this meeting was for the woman to deliver proof that some young lady was visiting Scooter in a french maid attire, or so she pictured it when the words left her mouth during the call.
The meeting took place in an empty alley near Chinatown. Rita's expensive car contrasted drastically with the decay of the street as she waited for the detective to appear and prayed not to get mugged by some random nobody, asking her to give them the few jewels she had on herself that day.
She expected the blonde woman to appear in any car, luxurious and expensive and even rented and cheap. What she did not expect was that she was going to drive into the alley in the exact yellow Volkswagen beetle from her dreams last night, or at least one very similar to it. For a moment, Rita was at a loss of words when the detective parked beside her and greeted her from the rolled-down window.
"Good morning Mrs. Castillo. I hope you had a great night. I know I slept like a baby after we said our final goodbye," Emma's sufficient smile was enough to make the brunette snap out of the shock provoked by seeing her roll into the alley in the same car she dreamt about the previous night.
"Likewise, Miss Swan," she responded, even though she had not slept a wink last night, waking up every two minutes from a dream even more strange than the previous. However, she was not about to let on this fact to the blonde.
"I brought the pictures," the detective said, wriggling her eyebrows like some little girl who just learned a really spicy secret from one of her classmates.
"This looks like a cleaning woman," Rita let out after checking the first of the pictures in the pile.
"You said take a photo of every dame who went into his apartment. That's the only one who waltzed in, according to my son," Emma assured the brunette.
"Galumphed in is more like it," Rita retorted, checking some of the other pictures, "If Scooter is having an affair, it is not with that fat old thing."
"If you say so. Although the woman might be fat, she's not old. Check the last picture," Emma urged the brunette to do as she asked. The blonde felt bad for exposing Dee like that to the brunette's rage. However, she knew that she needed to do all that was in her hands to separate Rita from the young actor, and if it was exposing Alma Fillcot's daughter to a taste of Rita's hatred, she very well would let her be exposed. "I don't know what you think about fate, but I do not think it is a coincidence that your lover's maid decides to dress older than she looks just to clean his house," the blonde could see clearly the gears moving in the brunette's head as she talked, "you want me to keep tailing him?"
"One more week, to be sure. However, I want to participate in the surveillance this time. Hopefully, for an added price, it won't be an issue for you, I am sure," she was so confident in saying those words that Emma wanted to disagree just for the hell of it. Although, she knew spending more time with Rita alone was more important than just going against the brunette's wishes for the sole reason that she could do it. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to the hospital to check on my husband's condition."
"Yeah, a stroke is a horrible thing."
"Oh, it's devastating. Carlo can still see and hear, but he can't speak or move. The doctors say it's like he's trapped in his own body," Rita let out with a playful look in her dark eyes.
"That's rough."
"Yes, well, if he has to be stuck in anyone's body, I'm glad it's his for a change and not mine," Rita let out plainly, and for a moment even though it felt wrong, Emma had to admit she was also glad about the same matter.
"I'm starting to think you don't care if your husband lives or dies," she commented, just because admitting she cared about who the brunette got intimate with and whatnot was something the blonde was not willing to admit, even though she did care a lot.
"Oh, I don't mean to sound callous. It's just... I look so good in black," that was a fact Emma could vouch for. Black was really Regina's color.
"I'm sure you look good in anything, Mrs. Castillo. Have a great day at the hospital, and see you later at my office. If you want to participate in the surveillance process, we will start with a stakeout."
...
"So we just sit here and wait?" Rita asked with a bored tone to her voice.
"Until some dame walks in, and we can catch them in the act, yes."
"Is this really what you do for a living?" Curiosity took over the brunette. She still did not understand why Emma decided to work as a private detective when she clearly did not need the money to pay the bills.
"I told you this is more of a pastime than an actual job," Emma responded dismissively.
"That makes it even worse. Don't you get bored?"
"I don't know. I find ways to pass the time, eat, talk, kiss my hot companions in the backseat, but mostly watch the target that is what we should be doing."
"Oh really? The backseat part sounded promising, but you are right. We should be watching the target. What a shame—," Regina taunted, checking the backseat as she talked.
"For you, Rita, I can multitask."
"What is that? A fancy word for secret lesbian affairs?"
"Sure thing. Wanna try?" Emma laughed.
"I swear sometimes you talk like you are from another era Miss Swan," Rita looked intently at the blonde while the woman looked out the window.
"Maybe I am. So wanna try my multitasking or what?" The detective turned around to look at her.
Green eyes reflected hunger in a way that made Rita's heart stop for a second and then flutter like crazy butterflies.
"Oh, stop it," the brunette hit the blonde softly on the shoulder and looked away, trying to hide the incipient blush of her cheeks from the blonde, "there is not much space back there anyway, and I need at least one dinner before I go kissing strangers in their car backseats."
"Tonight," Emma simply said, her eyes stuck back on Scooter's window.
"What about it?" Rita could not concentrate from the embarrassment that now settled in her brain. Emma had been flirting with her since they met, but just now, she realized she enjoyed it too much to let it go or put a stop to it. The hints in the detective's words, what she implied every time she talked about kissing her, and more, Rita wanted it all.
"I'll take you out for dinner tonight. That way, when we are surveilling Scooter tomorrow, we can multitask—," Emma wriggled her eyebrows, looking into Rita's dark eyes and waiting for her answer for what felt like minutes.
"Sounds like a fair trade."
"Is that a yes?"
Rita remained silent for a minute, unsure of what to answer to that. Yes, she definitely had just agreed to go out for dinner with the detective. Was she sure about it? No, definitely not. She knew this was not just only supper with a lady friend, not when it was with HER.
"Yes, you may take me somewhere fancy, Miss Swan, do your best or your worst, whatever suits you."
"For you, Mrs. Castillo, I'll do both."