The fundraiser approached rapidly.

Regina was busier than usual with planning, and Aurora was swamped trying to manage the massive order that Kathryn had put in for her last minute on top of all of the usual orders. And that meant that Emma was busy too, taking up some of Aurora's duties that didn't involve any actual artistic know-how. But still, she and Regina exchanged a steady stream of text messages throughout the days. Nothing too deep. Easy things, things that hadn't come up in their previous encounters: favorite colors, music preferences, the like. Emma learned that – unsurprisingly, given her flower preferences – Regina's favorite color was a deep burgundy, and that when she was stressed she liked to bake.

Which, apparently, was all the time, at least when she was planning an event – Emma had received pictures of confections she'd never even heard of.

She hadn't expected Regina to be so…soft.

She'd joked about her being cute, but that had mainly been a reference to the way she'd behaved after a couple of glasses of wine. Overall Regina gave off a much different vibe, one of tight gripped control and no room for error, but Emma was beginning to see that maybe, just maybe, that was nothing more than a disguise she put on for the office. It slipped away a little more with each exchange, and Emma fell a little harder each time.

The invitation had the dress code listed as black tie, and Ruby practically dragged her out dress shopping. She hadn't even had to ask – Belle had asked Ruby to attend with her, and Ruby had declared they were going dress hunting together immediately. They'd only been to two shops before Ruby pulled one off the rack, held it to Emma's body, and pronounced it the one.

"Isn't that supposed to be my choice?" Emma asked, laughter in her voice, and Ruby raised a brow.

"As your best friend, I believe it's mine."

And that had been enough to make Emma's heart sing. The term might be juvenile – but she hadn't had somebody to call her that since, what, high school?

It was the day before the fundraiser now. Aurora had spent the entire morning preparing the arrangements that Kathryn had ordered. There had been a delay with some of the different types, and she'd been darting around to the thirty different vases that currently occupied the majority of their back room countertops.

Emma had mentioned wanting to bring Regina a bouquet, though, and she'd stopped immediately.

"Oh, absolutely, I will help you with that. Are you kidding?" She'd actually clapped, and Mulan had rolled her eyes affectionately behind her.

"Are you finally going to ask her out for real?" Mulan asked, and Emma shrugged.

"I'm going to…I don't know. Tell her I'm interested."

Aurora scoffed. "Pretty sure you've made that clear at this point, Em."

"Honestly, Emma, if you don't say the words can I take you out sometime tomorrow I'm going to ask her for you," Belle chimed in.

"Alright, alright," Emma conceded, only a little whine to her voice. "I'll do it. I just want it to be perfect, you know?" Her voice had dropped to a mumble at the last part, and Aurora's face softened immediately.

"Aw, Emma. I didn't know you were such a sap." She nudged her with her elbow as she walked by, depositing the last of the flowers from her hands into one of the vases. With that she wiped her palms on her pants. "Alright. First things first. What kind of vibe are we going for here? Sappy, like you?"

Emma shot her a wry glance. "Actually, I've got flowers picked out already."

Aurora looked taken aback. "Really?"

"Red, all of them. Lilies, orchids, and roses."

"I didn't know you could name that many," Mulan cut in with a laugh, adding an amused and only half-apologetic "Sorry," When Emma turned a withering glare in her direction.

Belle turned and gathered a couple of each of the listed blooms, and when she deposited them on the worktable Aurora raised her brow, regarding the assortment of flowers with uncertainty. "Emma, you know that you've got an intense arrangement picked out here, right? You know what these mean?"

Emma shrugged. "Her kid said these were her favorites." Aurora looked doubtful, and Emma added, "I know the red roses are romantic, right? How bad could it be?"

Aurora shook her head. "It's not that it's bad, it's just…" She gestured to the flowers one by one. "Red roses are romance, yes. They're a declaration of love. Orchids mean the same, and also that you think she's beautiful, which, duh. That doesn't even need to be said, the woman's a total smokeshow. Red lilies, on the other hand," She continued, jabbing a finger at them for emphasis, "Are technically orange, and they mean I burn for you. Are you sure that's what you want to say?"

"Oh," Emma murmured, pushing a hand through her hair. That was a little intense, but – "I want to give her her favorites." She studied the combination for a moment. They really did look nice together., and, well. What was the worst that could happen?

Aurora eyed her, hands drifting down to pick up one of the roses. "As long as you're certain."

Emma nodded. For once in her life, she was, very much so. "Yeah, I am. Let's do it."

Ruby fawned over her the entire morning the day of. Emma even woke up to her cooking breakfast – she'd burnt the toast a little, but it was still breakfast, and Emma couldn't remember the last time somebody had done that for her. She took her plate gratefully and Ruby swept her up into a hug, nearly knocking the food onto the floor.

"Go get your girl," Ruby called after her as she was leaving. "I'll see you there!"

Emma left the apartment with her hair and makeup done, but in her usual work clothes. The first part of the day was work, after all – they had to get everything sorted at the shop for their other orders, and then get the flowers to Regina's event and actually get them set up. When she arrived at the shop Aurora was already there, flying around from one arrangement to the next, and Belle and Mulan were loading up the van.

They were all in similar states to Emma: fancy hair and makeup, but casual clothing. Emma spotted a couple of garment bags off in the corner and set hers with.

"Hey, Em. You ready for today?" Mulan asked, a glint in her eyes as her gaze drifted to Emma's left. She followed — there, on the counter, was the arrangement Aurora had put together for Emma the day before.

Emma nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." She deposited her shoes with the pile as well. "What's your dress look like? Ruby helped me pick mine. I'm afraid it'll be a little too…sexy," She finished lamely, and Mulan shook her head.

"Sorry, I can't help you there. I'm a suit kind of girl. Maybe ask Rory?"

"Ask me what?" Aurora paused her dashing, backtracking a few steps at the sound of her name.

"Em's afraid her dress is too sexy."

Aurora raised a brow at that. "Too sexy? Where is it?"

Emma nodded to the garment bag and Aurora strode over, unzipping it. She held the dress out in front of her, eyes wide.

"Oh, you're going to look hot, Emma. That's a hell of a slit, but I think you're fine." Aurora placed the dress gently back inside the bag and laid it back on the counter with the others. "Regina's going to lose her shit when she sees you." She eyed Emma with a little smirk on her lips, and then she shook her head, schooling herself back into business mode. "Alright, we've got a couple of hours until then. You have deliveries to make, and the rest of us have preparation to do. You'll meet us at the venue after you make your other stops?" Aurora asked, reiterating the plan they'd come up with the day before, and Emma nodded. "Good. The event starts at six; we get there at four. Regina assured me we'll have a room to change in."

Again, she was just repeating plans they'd already made, and Emma had hardly forgotten them. But it seemed to calm Aurora down, and so she didn't complain or comment on it, just nodded dutifully. The venue in question was actually the local high school's gymnasium – hardly fitting for a high brow, black tie event, Emma thought, but then again, there weren't many options for large gatherings in Storybrooke, Maine.

"Got it." Emma caught her upper arm, offering her a reassuring smile. "Hey, this is going to be great. Regina loves your flowers. You've got nothing to worry about."

Aurora drew in a deep breath, returning the smile with a grateful nod. "Thank you, Emma. I know."

With that Emma helped Mulan and Belle to load up the last of the arrangements into the van and then took off on her route for the day. They had minimal deliveries for the day, thankfully, and Emma managed to get them done in record time. She got a couple of weird looks what with her disjointed appearance, but she couldn't bring herself to care, not when tonight promised an opportunity to see Regina.

When she made it to the school she was flagged down immediately by Kathryn, who appeared just as flighty as Aurora had earlier.

"Oh, thank god you're here," Kathryn exclaimed the moment she opened the van's door and dropped to the sidewalk. "The caterer was late and the bartender –" She cut herself off with a wave of her hand and a little roll of her eyes. "Don't even get me started on the bartender."

Emma glanced at her phone. "I'm not late, am I?' She'd been so certain that Aurora had said four, and it was just past 3:45 –

But, to Emma's relief, Kathryn shook her head. "No, not at all. I'm just –" She stopped, taking a deep breath and placing a hand on Emma's upper arm. "Forgive me, Emma. I'm a little frazzled. You're right on time, and I'm happy you're here." Her expression softened, and she added, "I know Regina will be, too."

Emma couldn't help the smile that Regina's name triggered. It was embarrassing, how far gone she already was for the woman. "Is she around?"

Kathryn shook her head, and Emma tried to tamp down her disappointment. She'd known that Regina would be busy, after all. "She's at home, getting herself and Henry ready for the party. She left me in charge until she gets back. I've managed so many of these events for her, and yet I'm just as stressed every time." She dropped her hand at that, turning towards the van. "I assume everything's in there?" Emma nodded, and Kathryn added, "Do you need help unloading?"

"The others should be here any minute. The plan was for them to wrap things up at the shop and meet here at four."

"Good."

With that Kathryn gave her directions to the gymnasium, along with instructions on where to place everything and directions to the room they'd been offered to store their belongings in. She then disappeared back inside, off to check on the status of the bar.

Emma only had to hang around for a few minutes before the others showed. She used the time to pull out her phone and fire off a quick text to Regina:

See you soon.

She tapped her phone against her palm a few times, debating on sending something more meaningful, or something flirtatious – but ultimately decided against it, opting to leave it at the simple message. The response came quickly, and though it was as simple as Emma's had been, it brought a smile to her lips.

Not soon enough.

"Oh, she's blushing." Belle's voice brought her out of her thoughts, Aurora's laughter following. "Texting your lady?"

"She's not my lady," Emma replied.

"Yet," Aurora corrected her, holding out a very familiar bouquet as she approached. "You'll need these, though. I can't believe you forgot them."

Emma's heart skipped several beats when she realized it what it was – her flowers. Regina's flowers. "Oh, shit," She said, reaching out to take them from the other woman. "I really left them?"

"Right on the counter."

"Cut her some slack. The woman's clearly nervous," Mulan piped up, turning her attention from her wife to Emma. "Don't let her get to you, Em. She spilled an entire glass of water on my lap on our first date. I had to walk through the restaurant looking like I peed myself."

Aurora's cheeks turned a distinct shade of pink, and she gave an embarrassed smile. "It's true. She still married me, though, so I think you're in the clear."

Emma shook her head. "You guys are ridiculous," She said, but it was affectionate. "Come on. Kathryn told me where to take everything." She set Regina's arrangement safely on the van's passenger seat before helping the others to unload it.

The gym had been converted into a fancy venue with far more success than Emma had thought possible. There wasn't much to be done for the flooring, but the bleachers had been retracted, long tables lining the walls instead. Displayed on them were items that were supposedly up for auction, and spaces had been left for where they'd been instructed to place the larger of the arrangements. And then there were the dining tables, arranged in a staggered pattern throughout the room. There was a microphone at one end, and a makeshift bar at the other. Kathryn was at that end, and she waved at the group when they entered.

They had to make a couple trips to bring all the arrangements in, but in the end, it looked beautiful. Aurora had opted for blue and white flowers, with glossy dark green leaves to fill them out. It complimented the color scheme of the tablecloths perfectly. She really had an eye for color, Emma mused.

The room that they were promised turned out to be a classroom. Not that Emma was complaining – she wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, anyway, but a classroom made sense. And it was fine, really, as long as they stayed away from the window. This particular room didn't have any to the outside, just the long, single slit facing the hallway. She stole off to the side, Mulan, Aurora, and Belle all doing the same. Belle changed into a dark blue gown, and Aurora's dress was a flowy, light purple thing, perfectly fitting with the shop's sleeping beauty theme. Mulan had a gorgeous black suit, embroidered in dark purple flowers, and a silky purple shirt to match. Emma admired the couple for a moment – Mulan looked every bit the prince to Aurora's princess. She fought back the pang of jealousy in her gut – no, not jealousy, she corrected herself. Yearning.

She shook her head, putting the thought out of her mind and strapping on her heels. She slipped out of the room, heading for the restrooms that she'd seen on their way back. She wanted to get one last look in the mirror before she went out in front of everyone.

The dress that Ruby had picked for her was flattering, she had to admit. It was a dark red, made of soft fabric that had just a slight shimmer to it as she moved. It was sleeveless – to show off your arms, Ruby had said – and there was a deep slit that went halfway up her thigh. She'd curled her hair and left it down for this.

Overall, she looked pretty nice.

Her heart was racing at the thought of seeing Regina, especially in something so fancy.

"We look beautiful." Belle showed up behind her in the mirror, and Emma turned to face her. "Beautiful enough to win over our respective women, I'd say," she added, a sparkle in her eye.

Emma laughed. "I hope so."

Belle hooked her arm around Emma's waist, drawing her close as she regarded their reflections. "I'm glad you came to Storybrooke, Emma."

"Me too."

When six o'clock finally rolled around they filed in with the crowd. Ruby found them immediately, hurrying right up to Belle's side. She'd picked a black dress from the same store as Emma's had been – even sexier than the one she'd picked for Emma, with a deep neckline and form fitting silhouette that had Belle blushing immediately.

"You look stunning," Emma commented, and Ruby flashed her a wicked grin.

"And you look hot, Swan."

Emma spotted Henry from across the room. He was looking dapper in a suit, and he flashed Emma a bright smile and a thumbs up as she caught his eye. Emma returned the motion, just holding back a laugh as he approached.

"Hey, kid. You look nice."

"You too," Henry replied. "You going to ask my mom out tonight?"

"Damn, right to the point," Ruby laughed.

Henry shrugged. "I've been telling her to. I keep catching her smiling at her phone like an idiot. It's gross," He added, but that grin was still there, and Emma rolled her eyes.

"Well, get ready, because it's only going to get worse. I hope, anyway." She glanced around, eyes darting through the crowd. "Is she around somewhere?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah, but you probably won't get a chance to talk to her until after the speeches. That's always how it works with these things." Emma tried not to let her disappointment show, but Henry seemed to pick up on it anyway. "Don't worry. I know she wants to see you. She's gonna make time."

After that Henry wandered off to talk to a couple other people, Kathryn among them. As promised, she spotted Regina milling about, but it was only fleeting glances, and she seemed wholly wrapped up in other people. Eventually somebody tapped at the microphone, though, and they were directed to take their seats. The waiters appeared with salads, and Emma busied herself with food, tuning out the words of the man at the microphone. It wasn't that she was bored, it was just that…well, yeah, she was bored. Glancing around their little florist's table, though, it at least seemed like she wasn't alone.

That was, until, a familiar voice rang through the gymnasium.

Emma's eyes darted up immediately, and she heard Ruby's hushed snicker at the motion.

"Thank you all for coming," Regina began, and Emma was captivated instantly – both by the silkiness of her voice, and, well.

She looked stunning.

Her dress was silky, deep green like the tablecloths, hugged every curve – Emma tried and failed not to let her eyes linger on the deep cut of the neckline. It had off-shoulder cap sleeves that gave it a classic feel, but it was also undeniably sexy.

Regina's eyes scanned the crowd, and Emma started as their gazes met. Regina's eyes lingered on hers for a moment, her painted lips curling up into the tiniest of smirks, before she continued on with her speech.

"Breathe," Ruby leaned over and whispered in her ear, and she blinked, reaching out for a sip of her water.

"Thanks," Emma murmured under her breath.

"Any time."

Emma zoned out for the rest of the speaking, eyes only for Regina and her meal. Emma had ticked the little box for fish on her invitation when she'd RSVP'd, and the salmon she was served probably cost more than she'd ever spent on a single meal. Dessert came after Regina had concluded and passed the mic off to some old man. Emma busied herself with savoring each bite of the tiny but decadent slice of chocolate cake. When the speaking was finally over, guests began to rise from their tables, and Emma headed directly to the bar for a glass of wine.

"You know, red is my favorite color."

Emma whipped around at the sound of Regina's voice, nearly splashing the beverage down the front of her dress. Regina watched the liquid slosh in the glass with amusement before her eyes slowly raised to meet Emma's.

"I know," Emma replied. She was trying for smooth, but the words came out more flustered than anything, and Regina's smile only grew. "You told me," She added, and wow, that only made it worse. Emma pursed her lips a bit, embarrassed. They'd been texting so easily throughout the past week, but somehow it was much harder to talk to her face to face, especially when she looked so damn gorgeous.

Luckily, it only seemed to endear her to Regina. "I'm glad you came," She replied.

Emma felt some of the tension leave her shoulders. "Thank you for inviting me." The words were heartfelt – she hadn't really expected it, not to a corporate event like this. Henry's chastising echoed in the back of her mind, his insistence that Regina had wanted her to be her date – She swallowed, put the memory aside.

After all, she had a bouquet waiting to declare just that.

Instead she added, "You look incredible."

"Thank you." Regina's voice had dropped in volume, and if Emma wasn't mistaken, there was a slight flush to her cheeks. "You do too." A moment passed, and then Regina added, "I couldn't help but notice that you didn't bring a date."

Emma's heart rate rose at that. She cleared her throat, pulling a sip of the wine while she attempted to gather her thoughts enough to speak without embarrassing herself. Regina waited, the epitome of patience, until Emma finally replied. "No, I didn't. I'm single." Her cheeks flared at that. So much for that – "I mean, uh. Tonight. In general, too, but…you knew that," She finished lamely. Nice. "...Did you? Find a date, I mean."

Regina's smile had become a grin, and she was watching Emma with that same affection that she'd noticed back in the other woman's office. "As I said, I'm attending solo."

"That doesn't seem right," Emma replied as smoothly as she could, attempting to recover from her stammering. "That the host should be left without a beautiful woman on her arm."

Regina raised a brow at that, and oh, Emma knew she was in trouble just with that tiny little motion. "If it concerns you so much, would you care to volunteer?"