Hi! I'm excited to continue this story so I hope I can give you new chapters more often :) Thank you for sticking with the story, I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 3.
- Friday -
January 4, 2019
"Wait... you have a date? And you will be photographed by Jefferson Hatter himself?" Emma asks from Regina's phone screen, watching as the brunette finishes her makeup, carefully applying a layer of red to her lips, "I would say that London is treating you quite nicely."
"Jefferson wants to be sure there's a good dynamic between us when we shoot and... I don't have a date, not really," Regina explains with a roll of her eyes, though her clothes and appearance suggest something quite different. She'd opted for a brown silk blouse and black leather shorts, and black tights that she hopes will keep her warm against London cold nights.
She looks good, she can even admit that, she was careful when choosing the clothes for tonight, but not really because she is convinced this is a date. Date or not, she always thinks important to look good whenever she agrees to meet someone, and today wouldn't be any different. Of course, it doesn't hurt if Robin is a good looking man, with those blue eyes and charming dimples, and a bit of stubble that gives him that mature look.
Right... as if someone like him would be interested in a crazy, American woman, who went through his stuff and followed him into a bar, claiming they had switched their bags earlier at the airport.
Regina chuckles as she thinks about the whole situation, only now realizing how absurd everything seems.
"I've never seen someone so happy about a 'non-date' dinner, you can't stop smiling."
She puts the lipstick inside her purse and forces her expression back to something more neutral, focusing her attention on her friend as she explains, "I was just thinking about how absurd this whole thing is, I mean... this only happened because he took my bag by mistake."
"People meet in the craziest situations, Regina," Emma offers with a teasing smirk, her brows arching curiously when she asks, "Is he cute?"
Regina scoffs, can't help it. Of course, Emma would be worried about something like that. And of course, she won't admit that yes, he is gorgeous, way out of her league, to be completely honest.
"It doesn't matter," she mutters, fixing an invisible wrinkle on her shirt, "He's just trying to be nice because of what happened yesterd-"
"C'mon, Regina, do you really believe that? Would you do the same if it was the other way around?" Emma asks, to which Regina sighs tiredly.
"Maybe I would," she stubbornly answers, feeling a smirk pull at her lips when Emma rolls her eyes in annoyance. She can also be stubborn. And, to be honest, where's the point in starting a relationship with someone who lives miles away from him? She's sure that is not what Robin is looking for, and she's not interested in something like that either, "Besides, the last thing I need in my life is a long-distance relationship-"
"Who said something about a relationship?" Emma steps in, promptly silencing Regina. So that's what this is about, using Robin to have some fun. She would never make him waste his time like that, would never give him any hope if she didn't mean to take things seriously.
"I did," Regina decides, thinking about Graham and their situation, and deciding that she doesn't need a second round at that, "I don't want a 'friends with benefits' arrangement, I just want the 'friends' part. It would be nice to have someone to talk and spend time with while I'm here."
"And does this guy think the same?" Emma questions, "I mean, I just don't want you to get hurt."
Regina shakes her head and offers a genuine smile, thankful she has such good friends in her life. Emma is a bit too much sometimes, but she knows she cares about her as if they were blood sisters. She and Mal had been her best friends for years, and none of them would think twice if they needed to fly to London and confront Robin themselves.
"It's fine, really," the brunette assures, thinking about a way to drop the subject, "Can I talk to my godson now? Trusting he's not overhearing the entire conversation."
He's not, Emma tells her, so she quickly calls the boy, who is ecstatic to join the video call with Regina, a smile steady on the brunette's lips as Henry fills her with stories of what's left of his holidays.
...
Robin is waiting in the lobby when she steps out of the elevator half an hour later, with a small bouquet of flowers in his hands, and a smile on his lips when his eyes find the brunette across the room.
He looks gorgeous in a beige button-down shirt, a dark green jumper over it, and dark denim jeans that hug his toned legs quite nicely.
Emma's voice is suddenly in her head, telling her that 'she told her so', that Robin is all dressed and ready to take her out on an actual date after all, and maybe Regina always knew deep down that was true, but it's not like she can back down now, is it?
"For the trouble with your phone and the suitcases," Robin gives her the bouquet, his fingers so cold when her hand touches his with the movement, "You look lovely."
Regina brings the flowers to her nose in a failed attempt to hide the blush on her cheeks, wondering when was the last time she allowed herself to be treated this way. Graham never took her out on a date regardless of their mutual arrangement, and she never felt really ready after ending her relationship with Daniel, so she can't say she doesn't feel things she clearly shouldn't after only meeting Robin the day before.
"Thank you, they are beautiful," she smiles down at the bouquet in her hands, at the perfect combination of roses and lilies, "I will ask at the reception if they can keep it while we are out... where are we going?"
Robin chuckles at her question, tells her, "The Camden Market is beautiful with all the Christmas decorations, I thought you would like to have a look before the holiday season is officially over?"
She would, Regina tells him, she loves Christmas, so she can't think of a better way to spend their evening.
She leaves the flowers at the front desk before following Robin into the subway - the ride to Camden Town is pretty quick, and everything looks prettier than she first anticipated. There's a huge Christmas tree, standing tall at the entrance of the market, glistening under the fairy lights, as a row of market stalls extends down the large street. Regina can't fight the smile at the sight of such a beautiful picture, though her body shivers uncomfortably when the cold air hits her tights-covered legs.
"Are you cold?" he asks when she wraps herself tightly in her black long coat, his eyes eying one of the stalls only a few meters from them, "How about a hot chocolate to warm us up?"
"That sounds heavenly," she admits with a chuckle, walking with Robin to wait in the line.
There are two other customers in front of them, the first one is a family with two kids, still debating their order as the boy behind the counter tries to help with different suggestions. Regina melts at the sight of the excited children, turning to face Robin, knowing it will probably take a while before they will make their decision.
"So... I'm curious about something," the brunette starts, hoping the conversation will help to pass the time, "Is singing only a hobby, or is it-"
"My job," Robin tells her with a smile, clearly used to be asked that question, "I know it sounds crazy, but I make enough money to give a comfortable life to Roland, and it's great to have the opportunity to do what I love," Regina nods in agreement, though she has no time to answer before he asks, "And you? I don't think you already told me what you do?"
"I am a model," she answers simply, shrugs. Robin freezes for a moment - is almost comic - his eyes can't help but study Regina from head to toe, his lips parted in genuine surprise.
"Now I know you are messing with me."
Regina chuckles, because it happens, that she's not, "Is it so hard to believe?"
"No! Of course not, geez," Robin laughs, shaking his head, "You're beautiful, I didn't mean that, it's just... a surprise."
She's used to getting this reaction whenever she shares what she actually does for a living - most people don't believe it until she actually shows a picture of one of her shootings - and with men in particular... well, with Graham, she's sure that the information actually helped him to make the decision of starting the kind of relationship they have until today. It's not a surprise that he gives importance to the appearances, but it hadn't really bothered Regina until she had started thinking about it these last few days.
"It started as a hobby," she explains, easily, "But as you said, I make enough money to have a comfortable life, and I do what really makes me happy."
"So that's what brought you to London, then?" he asks, and Regina nods, though Robin's curiosity clearly makes him try to be more specific, "A shooting?"
"We will see. I'm hoping I'll get to work with Jefferson Hatter."
Robin's eyes widen in response to Jefferson's name, and Regina can't fight the proud grin that pulls at her lips, pleased at herself for managing such accomplish in her still-short career, "Not that I know much about that world, I don't, at all, but Ruby and Lacey are quite invested in it, and I think I heard them talking about Jefferson more than a few times already."
"He's one of the best. It's a dream to be able to work with a professional like him," Regina nods her head in agreement, focusing her attention on ordering their hot chocolates when it's finally their turn. She chooses to put cinnamon over her own hot drink, something Henry would be proud of, considering she always makes fun whenever he or Emma would do it back in New York - and judging by Robin's face when the boy places the cup on the counter in front of them, she can say she's not the only one to like her hot chocolate as it should be: classic and simple.
"Is that how you drink hot cocoa back in America?" Robin asks, earning a laugh from Regina. She likes it when he tries to tease her, likes how carefree he is, how he is not afraid to voice his thoughts, even if there's a risk of being misunderstood. She's tired of how men can be so boring sometimes, as if they don't have their own opinion and have to agree with everything a woman says only to appease her.
"It's how my godson does it, actually," Regina tells him with a smile on her lips, stretching the drink towards him to offer, "Would you like to try it?"
Robin places his hands over Regina's cold ones and brings the cup to his lips, all the while his eyes stare intently at hers, as he finally takes a sip of the sweet and hot beverage.
"Hmm, it's strangely good," he admits, earning another laugh from the brunette. She still prefers the classic version of it, but this one is not so bad, either, "I've never thought about it."
"Children have good ideas sometimes," she tells him as they wait for Robin's drink.
"You two seem to be close," he observes, curiously, "You and your godson?"
"Like mother and son," Regina nods her head. She feels her eyes watering with how much she is going to miss the boy during this time away in Europe, but she's quick to push back the feeling when she senses Robin's hand landing on her bicep, a silent sign of understanding because he too knows how hard it is to be away from the people they love, he too has been away from his boy for whole seven days, last week.
Regina is not sure how she is going to make it through a whole month without picking Henry from school, or without their evenings watching a movie when Emma asks her to watch for the boy.
She's brought back to the present when Robin moves to reach for his wallet, intended to pay for both drinks, and it's enough to send them in a friendly argument about who should pay for what, the thoughts of Henry and New York pushed back to the back of her mind, at least, for the moment.
...
They end up stopping on another stall to buy something to eat (Regina insists she should pay for it this time), before they continue down the crowded street and in the direction of the famous ice rink.
Regina tells him that she always loved skating, it's something she uses to do, especially during this time of the year, while Robin admits that he has the worst balance ever, that he probably will make a fool of himself as soon as he steps foot on the ice. Roland's mother had tried to teach him one time (with no avail, of course), the result was a broken wrist and a trip to the E.R, which he very much hopes it won't happen a second time tonight.
Regina laughs at the image in her head, assures him that she won't let that happen if he agrees to have her as his teacher this time, instead, and so that's how they find themselves sitting on the bench and putting on their skates, Regina's lips tilting up in a smirk when she notices Robin looking uncertainly at the rink.
"You know we don't really have to do this if you-"
"No! No, I can do it," he assures when they have the skates on and ready to go, his hand reaching for Regina's stretched one as she offers him help to stand from their seat.
"You are going to be fine," she encourages, stepping on the ice, "You just need a bit of practice."
She'd been afraid he would lose his balance as soon as they entered the slippery rink - Robin wobbles a little when his skates meet the ice, but manages to keep his balance for the whole fifteen minutes she spends pulling him around, though she is happy to see he stays on his feet when her hand slowly slips from his steady hold.
Robin seems surprised as well, and it even gives him a bit more confidence to speed up his pace a bit as he chases Regina around the rink, their laughter echoing through the night, between the excited children and the voice from their parents.
"I told you, you just needed a good teacher."
"Indeed," he smirks, perking up at her flirting, "Go on and show off a bit, no need to keep it slow because of me."
"Are you sure?"
Robin nods his head, and Regina speeds up her pace, graciously skating between the group of people, turning and spinning, eventually winking at Robin when she notices he's staring.
He's always staring. His eyes are glued to her the whole time she dances around, almost mesmerized at the movements she's able to make around the ice. She feels a bit shy under his shameless staring, but she pushes back the thought and relishes in her few minutes of fame, only stopping abruptly when she sees Robin stumbling on his feet, fighting to keep his balance before one of his skates slip through the ice and he falls on his ass on the cold floor.
"Fuck," he winces, rubbing his back, "I told you I was a lost cause."
"Are you alright?" Regina asks, failing miserably at fighting the laugh at the back of her throat. She feels a bit better when Robin starts laughing himself, his hands reaching for hers, letting her pulling him back to his feet and leading him out of the ice rink, "Maybe this was really a bad idea."
"It was fun," he assures, squeezing the hand he's still holding to. She bites her lip as he stares quietly at her - they can't help but share soft giggles the whole time they change out of the skates, or when Robin leads her back to the subway - her heart feeling things her mind can't quite explain when she looks back at him.
...
It's twenty minutes later when they arrive at Regina's hotel, with their faces red from the cold, but matching wide smiles on their lips.
Robin's unexpected fall did nothing to ruin their good spirits - if only, it actually gave it a funny twist to their already pleasant evening - not to mention it has been years since Regina let her guard down around a man, even more surprising, only having met Robin twenty-four hours ago.
It's something that both makes her proud, but a bit concerned at the same time, makes her wonder why Robin seems to be so different from other people, or how did he manage to break down her walls when they apparently had started off on the wrong foot.
Is she letting herself get carried away by her loneliness over again? Is she walking into another relationship like the one she had with Graham? No feelings, no love, no attachment, just a way to help each other when the need to be with someone was too much.
"I hope you had fun tonight?" Robin interrupts her thoughts when they stop in front of the hotel double doors, taking a step closer to Regina, but keeping his hands safely tucked inside his brown jacket pockets, "I was afraid I had lost some qualities when it comes to this dating thing-"
"Oh, so this was a date?" the brunette teases, a smirk on her lips.
Robin's cheek turn red with a blush, this time, embarrassingly stuttering, "No! I mean, I'm sorry, I thought..." and Regina can't help but laugh, already used to this awkward side of Robin.
He is definitely different from Graham, Regina muses, and she finds that she pretty much likes to tease him. He is funny, and it's quite charming, to be honest - adding to his good looks, Regina starts to understand what draws her to him so effortlessly easy, and she doesn't think it's merely physical attraction, after all.
"I wasn't sure what to call it, either," she tells him quietly, taking another step in his direction.
Robin takes a leap of faith as his hands leave his pockets to reach for her own, his thumb drawing lazy patterns on the back of her palm, capturing Regina's attention as her eyes drop to their joined fingers.
"There's only one thing to do then," he clears his throat, making Regina swallow in anticipation, "Regina Mills, would you accept to go out on an official date with me?"
Regina laughs, can't help it. Of all the things she thought Robin would say, or even do, that was not even on the list, though she can't say it's not an interesting, and creative, twist, no doubt.
"Yes," she bites her lip, because why not? Maybe she is not sure a long-distance relationship can work for her, maybe it doesn't, but a 'normal' commitment didn't work for her in the past either, so what's the harm in trying to go with the flow this time? What really can happen if she finally takes a risk? "This was definitely better than the last time you tried to ask me."
"You accepted," he reminds her, making her roll her eyes in amusement, "I usually play at the bar Saturday nights, we get a full house, so maybe I can take you out for dinner on Sunday, if you're free?"
"I'm free," she smiles, feeling giddy all of a sudden.
She's taking the next step of her career in a foreign country, and she's going to have a date with a handsome, and caring man, what more could she ask for?
"I look forward to it," he admits, bringing her hands to his lips to press a kiss to her palm.
Regina smiles at the gesture, not sure what goes through her mind when she smoothes her hand against his stubble, leaning slightly into him to press her lips against his cheek, then to his ear, "Goodnight, Robin."
"Goodnight, Regina," he replies, watching as she disappears behind the double doors.
...
She steps into the bedroom with the flowers and a smile on her lips, places the vase with the bouquet on the nightstand, before she changes into something more comfortable.
She's tired but happy. She can't even remember the last time she had so much fun with someone.
She never thought she would have a friend so soon during this trip, someone to talk to, to spend time with. If their date comes back as nothing, at least she knows they can remain good friends, though that's not Robin's intention when he asked her out on a date, that's for sure.
Regina smiles foolishly at the thought, her fingers running through the petals of the flowers when her phone comes to life inside her purse.
It's definitely not a surprise when she sees Graham's name flashing on the screen (she promised to call him earlier in the day, after all), but she just hopes he's not expecting one of those calls, otherwise she will have to tell him she doesn't feel comfortable to do it.
It feels wrong, to say the least.
As much as she felt physically attracted to Graham before, she decided to move on with her life the moment she set foot on that plane to London, and she honestly thought Graham would do the same. He is a good-looking man, there's no doubt about that, so it should be a matter of time before he finds someone else to keep him company, if he hadn't found it already, that is.
Regina takes a deep breath and picks up the phone, tries to sound as casual as possible when she says, "Graham, hi."
"Hello, Regina," he greets from the other side of the line, his voice strangely deep and serious, even though he was never a cheerful person, to begin with, "I thought you said you would call today?"
"I did, but... I lost track of time, and it's late here-"
"Regina, what's wrong?" Graham interrupts, promptly silencing the brunette. He knows something is not right, and Regina knows this situation is not fair to either of them, not Graham, not Robin... she just accepted to have an actual date with him, she knows she needs to finally make a decision, "Why do I feel like you're avoiding me?"
"I'm not, not really..." she starts, her sigh impossible to contain. She is almost sure Graham hears it, though he chooses not to comment on it (thankfully), "I just don't feel like this is helping. This... relationship. There's no point in keeping doing this when we can't even be with each other, I thought it would be obvious to both of us," she admits. And then, another thought crosses her mind, something she had never really thought about it, but that she needs to know if she wants to settle things between them, "Unless... there are feelings you haven't told me about-"
"I care about you, Regina, I do," Graham is quick to interrupt, concern clear in his voice, making very clear his response to Regina's unlikely suspicious, "But you know I never wanted a relationship. I thought you didn't want it as well?"
They talked about it when they first started, that she wasn't ready to have a relationship, and that there shouldn't be any feelings involved. It makes everything easier now that she wants to call the whole thing off, but... why insisting on making their arrangement work, then? Why would Graham go to all the trouble?
"I didn't... I don't," she corrects, (or at least, she doesn't want a relationship with him), "But you kept texting me, so I thought-"
"That I was in love with you?" he asks, and well... this is embarrassing. It looks like she is the one having those feelings for him now, which is definitely not the case, not now, not never, not when they started talking about a 'friends with benefits' arrangement, "We didn't discuss anything about this, so I just assumed things would stay as they were... though that's not what you want," he tells her, not a question.
"I just think there's no point in keep doing this."
There's a silence on Graham's end when the words slip from Regina's mouth, a silence that it's not entirely awkward, but that it shows he's caught by surprise, probably not expecting Regina to really put an end to their arrangement.
It's strange after years of sleeping together, she can even admit it, but she never meant this situation to last for the rest of their lives, so it just seems a good time to settle things, once and for all.
"Alright... I understand," Graham tries to sound nonchalant, though there's a hint of disappointment in his low voice, "I'll see you when you get back, Regina."
"Yeah... Goodnight, Graham," she mutters, hanging up the phone. There's no point in discussing whether or not they will actually stay in touch once she returns to her old life - she doesn't know what will happen from now on, but at least she's thankful for less an obstacle on her future, and excited to see what life has in store for her in this new year.
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