Here's the first new chapter since 2015. I hope you all like it! I'm finishing the next one so there should be more Swan Queen real soon. Any feedback would be more than welcome!
"Thank you" Regina said to the barmaid as the blonde put the drink in front of her.
"No, thank you! You can't even imagine how happy this just made me. That guy has been here for more than two hours, and I honestly thought I was gonna have to "accidentally" slip and spill the bucket of ice all over him or something, but that was way better than any scenario I'd come up with. I mean, did you see his face?"
Regina laughed heartily. "It was quite funny..." She took a gulp of the drink "Oh wow this is really good! What is it?"
"Rum, apple juice, ginger, and a splash of lemon. D'you like it?" The blonde asked as she wiped the bar with a cloth.
"I love it!" Regina answered with a smile but much more soberly. This woman was charming and had managed to make her laugh but Regina was nowhere near drunk enough to just let go of all inhibitions and start joking around with a complete stranger.
The bartender noticed the change in the brunette's demeanor and decided to steer the conversation towards more usual bartender-client talk "So are you a client of the hotel, Miss?"
"Yes, I just checked in an hour ago."
"Here for business?" The blonde asked as she grabbed a bottle from one of the shelves behind her and started making a cocktail.
"No actually I'm here on vacation" Regina replied as she took another sip of her drink.
The barmaid looked up from where she was crouching behind the bar. "Oh cool! Do you know what you wanna see?" She asked with a smile, standing up with a handful of fresh mint leaves.
"Hum well, no, not really. It was a last-minute decision, you see?" Regina answered as she watched the woman rub some leaves between her palms and put them in the shaker.
"So you're a spontaneous woman, huh?" The blonde asked, smiling up at Regina, as she was squeezing a lime over the shaker.
Regina felt herself blush slightly at the beautiful woman's words but shook her head "Oh, no I wouldn't say that! It's just that my best friend gave me the tickets this morning and, well, she sort of forced me to go".
The bartender chuckled, pouring the cocktail in a glass. "It sounds like you have a great friend, Miss!" "Regina." The brunette cut in, blushing at her interruption. "You can call me Regina." She added, making it sound almost like a question.
The blonde smiled warmly at her and said "Well, I'll bring the mojito to the lady over there and I'll be right back, Regina"
Regina nodded and watched the young woman make her way to one of the alcoves at the back, a smile playing on her lips. She swiveled back to the bar, her smile still firmly in place and watched as a tall brunette opened a door she hadn't noticed on the right behind the bar.
She seemed to be in her mid-twenties and was probably part of the staff as she was wearing the same outfit the bartender had been, although Regina couldn't help but notice it didn't look quite as nice on her.
The brunette pulled a heavy box through the door and started filling up the nearest fridge with sodas. Regina directed her attention back to her drink and took one more sip. She closed her eyes, marvelling at the taste which was both refreshing and comforting. When she opened her eyes, they landed on the beautiful barmaid's in the mirror walking back towards her and smiling. Regina felt her heart melt and smiled back.
"Hey babes!", said the brunette by the fridges, "Missed me?"
Regina felt her cheeks warm up as she realized the barmaid had been smiling at the brunette and watched her chuckle and respond, "Soooo much!"
The blonde got behind the bar and hugged the newcomer and then lifted her up and carried her to the door where she let her down gently. "You were supposed to bring the boxes like an hour ago. How about you get the rest of them in before the end of my shift?" She joked.
"Fair enough!" The brunette laughed. She left and closed the door behind her.
Chuckling the barmaid turned around and approached the bar and Regina - who had just realized she had been staring open-mouthed at the two women's interaction - quickly shifted back in her seat and pretended to read the cocktail menu intently.
"So Regina..." the blonde said as if nothing had interrupted their conversation, "that's a really cool name! Is that Latin?"
"Hum yes, actually it is." She was a bit taken aback by that question but continued. "My mother was a Latin teacher in a private school and I guess she liked it..." She trailed off wondering why she was talking about her mother to a person she had met only moments ago.
"Oh I'm sorry..." said the barmaid looking at Regina with eyes filled with compassion.
Regina suddenly realized how her sentence must have sounded and corrected, "Oh no no she's alive. She's just retired. I'm sorry... That wasn't very clear..."
"No need to be sorry, Regina" the blonde cut in, "I'm glad to hear your mom's ok and has great taste in names."
Regina laughed "Thank you. And could I ask your name?"
"Of course." smiled the blonde "I'm Emma."
"Well I guess your parents have great taste in names as well then, Emma"
The blonde smiled,"Thanks" she bent down to put a bottle in a fridge then returned. "Tell me, Regina, what are your plans for your impromptu holiday?"