State of Seduction

chapter 3: Little Dove

"I always thought there were two kinds of people: wolves and sheep - those who kill and those who get killed"

Regina Mills

The first morning of her job at Mr. Gold's, Regina spent at least an hour getting ready. Thankfully, her mother was on schedule and left insanely early for work. After breakfast, Regina was able to sneak into Cora's bedroom. Regina couldn't remember ever being in her mother's room, and wasn't at all surprised to see that when she walked into the closet, not a single article of clothing was out of place. Everything was color coded (though there wasn't much color at all) and after searching past what seemed like one thousand black pantsuits, she found a blue cocktail dress that she thought would do quite nicely. Regina held it up to her body and observed herself in a large, ornate mirror in the corner. She smiled as she clutched the expensive fabric to her skin. 'This is what a proper woman should like,' she thought, imagining her mother wearing the same dress as she went out on fancy dinners or board meetings or… whatever her mother did as mayor.

On her way out of the room, she grabbed a pair of black Louboutins and sneaked into the bathroom. All of her mother's makeup was neatly placed on the counter, not to anyone's surprise. Regina didn't know much about makeup, but she tried to replicate what her mother looked like on a daily basis. Once she finished and placed everything back the way it was, she sneaked back into her own room. After changing, she fastened a black belt around her waist to make the dress fit better and stood in front of her mirror balancing in her heels and practicing an awkward smile. She added the gold necklace for the final touch. She looked like her mother and she was pleased. This was the prettiest she could ever remember feeling.

"Mr. Gold, fancy meeting you here." She whispered in a sultry tone, twirling her hair in an attempt to be enticing. "Mr. Gold, how do you do?" She tried in another pouty voice. "I have so many things to do today, Mr. Gold, but I made time out of my schedule for you. Yes, yes. I have a board meeting at 2, so I can't stay long." She pretended, acting out her attempts to flirt. After one last try, she left to greet the man for real.

"Mr. Gold?" Regina called after entering the shop. The bell rang to announce her arrival, but she didn't see the mysterious shop owner anywhere. Her fingers came up to nervously play with the necklace he had given her, a habit she had quickly picked up. The shop smelled of old antiques and dust, yet... there was a warm, woodsy smell, with a distinct draft of expensive cologne. A rustling from the back room caught her attention and Mr. Gold appeared from behind the curtain.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Dearie. I was just preparing your task for the day." He smiled, looking her up and down. Regina stood straight and pulled at the bottom of her dress, reminded of the times her mother would check her before going out. Mr. Gold beckoned her forward. "Let me help you, Regina." Regina, confused, followed him into the crowded back room that surprisingly held a bed, as well as several shelves and a work desk. He motioned for her to sit on the bed and disappeared as she did so. When he came back, he had an armful of products and sat down next to her. "Close your eyes," he said in a firm, yet gentle tone, and Regina felt something cold gently dabbing at her eyelids.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her innocence putting a small smile on Gold's face.

"Shh, you'll see," Gold whispered. He continued to dab at her face, focusing on her eyes and cheeks. Regina felt a soft brush gliding on over the spots he had gone over. After a few minutes, he was done, and told her she could open her eyes. She was met with a tiny mirror displaying her reflection. "The dark shadows of your mother don't suit you, Regina." He smiled. Regina's hands came up to touch her cheeks. No longer a harsh red, they were softer and pink, like she was naturally rosy. On her eyes were light shimmers of gold and brown.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Gold. You… happen to have makeup lying around?"

"No, but I have a keen intellect. Here," He handed her a small paper bag from one of the shops in town.

"Oh," Regina blushed, realizing he had purchased the makeup for her. "Well, thank you. I wanted to look professional for my first day of work. I suppose I didn't do as well as I had hoped." She laughed to cover up her embarrassment. When she went to stand up, she tripped over he mother's heels and fell against Mr. Gold's hard chest. His his arms quickly came up to catch her.

"Sorry!" Regina tensed like she had been struck by lightning and immediately pushed herself away.

"You must be careful, little dove." Gold said, his eyes meeting hers. They lingered there a few beats before he laughed, as if if revisiting a fond memory. "Not even I can foresee you raiding your mother's closet." Regina's blush didn't seem to be going away any time soon, but she felt rather indignant at his lack of faith in her.

"How do you not know that these are mine?" She asked, holding her head high. Gold chuckled once more.

"I would hope not, based on the style…" He teased. "But if you say so." Regina considered this a moment.

"Well, you'll be glad to know they're not mine. I did raid my mother's closet, but for good reason!"

"I see. You look beautiful." He smirked, changing the atmosphere completely in those three words.

"Why, thank you." Regina blushed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I plan to be a professional, you know. I've never worked before, but I'm going to try my hardest, and Mother says how someone looks is the most important thing about them."

"Your mother does like to impart her knowledge on others, doesn't she? Anyway, enough distractions. Let's begin."

Flashback

"There is no way to stop her," Regina drawled from her vanity, lazily brushing red powder over her cheeks. Rumplestiltskin sat propped on her bed, recovering from a few hours of play. He was avidly watching her like a hawk, rather annoyed at her appearance of giving up. Of course, that wasn't the case. Regina always looked for sympathy from him, something she rarely got. "Getting rid of her once was a miracle. I can't imagine how we'll do it again."

"How I'll do it again." He corrected. "Last time, you didn't have to do anything but get over yourself. Remember, Dearie? Or have you forgotten my generosity in your old age?" Strolling forward, he ignored Regina's look of disdain and leaned over her shoulder. He grimaced as he met her eyes in the mirror. "Little dark, aren't we? I suppose it matches your heart." He needled, referring to her black eye shadow, and began to wander the room once more, snacking on a few grapes as he did so.

"Need I remind you that she threatens both of us, my dear Rumple." Replied replied, his name slipping from her lips like poisoned honey. "And this isn't an all-you-can-eat-buffet."

"I'll have to disagree with you there." He said coyly, making Regina pause what she was doing.

"What are you saying?" She threatened, slowly rising from her seat and stalking towards him. "We've been in this, together, from the start. And you're willing to throw that all away on someone who ripped out your heart years ago and stabbed it repeatedly with a sword? I don't think I could be any more offended if she wasn't my mother."

"Once again, your tiny brain is jumping to conclusions."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you thought you were so clever in trying to keep your old relationships from me." Regina spat, closing the distance even more between them. "I was going to let it slide, but now I see that you're just using me, while you wait for the real love of your life to waltz back in here and take everything from me, while casting your dark curse in the process." Rumple remained silent, deciding to let Regina run her course before he corrected her. "Do you know what it's like to find out that the one person who understands you in the world has already fallen in love with someone with half of your own dna? I never stood a chance, did I? Not after she got to you. You both have been making my life a living hell since before I was born." Regina was becoming more hysterical with each breath she took, and angry tears were beginning to form in your eyes.

"I have to hand it to Cora for being manipulative enough to set you against me so early in the game." Rumple spoke slowly, his eyes digging into Regina's, trying to convince her that this was all Cora's doing. A part of him wanted to kick himself in the shin for not having told her sooner. Obviously, Cora had gotten to her recently and told her about their past relationship, no doubt embellishing. While it was sweet how much Regina cared, her attitude was annoying and Rumple didn't know how much more he could stand.

"I have the ability to think on my own, you know!" Regina screamed. "I'm mad at you! Not because she told me to be or tricked me to be! Because you're a manipulative, narcissistic asshole!"

"What have I taught you about letting your emotions get the best of you, Regina? I have to say I'm disappointed. All my hard work for nothing."

"At least since that tattered maid of yours croaked, you've decided to keep it in the family." Regina growled, knowing where to hit to hurt Rumple the most. In a flash of anger, Rumple wiped the smirk off her face with one quick hand to the neck.

"You've grown too comfortable around me, I see." He bared his teeth, tightening his grip. "You've forgotten who I am...Let's see how you deal with your mother on your own, shall we? Since you want to be a little bitch about it." Regina gasped for breath as her air was shut off completely and Rumple brought her face to face with him. Rumple grinned maniacally as he saw panic flashed behind the Queen's eyes. He pouted his lips and tutted, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Scared, are we? Don't think we're equals in this game, Dearie. You're merely a pawn who I've taught to be good in bed. But you're replaceable, and I can knock you off the board, with one, simple squeeze…" He tightened his grip once more before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.

"Rumple!" Regina choked, falling to the ground alone.

End Flashback

"It would be so beneficial to me if you could organize this room." Mr. Gold began, motioning to the clutter. "I want everything put away. I want the room dusted and mopped, every counter to be clean as a whistle. Do you understand?" Regina looked at the daunting task before her. She had never cleaned anything in her entire life.

"Yes, sir." She nodded.

"Good. I'll be back to check on you soon. I have to do a litte record keeping up front. If you need anything, I'm just behind the curtain." He smiled, then limped back to the front of the store. Regina took a deep breath, surveying the room once more. She decided to begin by cleaning off the nearest shelf. It was about two hours before Mr. Gold poked his head back in.

"I'm doing well, Mr. Gold." Regina smiled, explaining her process and what the random piles on the floor were. He nodded in approval.

"Excellent. I made reservations at a nearby diner for lunch, if you'd like to join me." Regina's curiosity immediately took hold, for new food sounded very exciting to try.

"I would love to." She answered.

"Good. Work hard for thirty more minutes then we'll walk over." He said, leaving her alone once more.

The restaurant in question was Duke's Cafe, a New Orleans style restaurant that Regina was surprised existed in Maine.

"Great food, don't worry." Mr. Gold assured her as he saw her expression. The diner was like Granny's in that it had a very family-friendly vibe, but also unlike it in several ways. Half of the menu was in French, but luckily Regina spoke three languages fluently: French, English and Spanish.

"I'm quite impressed," Gold said with a keen eye. Regina blushed at the praise.

"Thank you. I'm happy to have a chance to use the language."

"So, Miss Mills, I realize I have you working for me, yet I don't know anything about you." Gold made small talk, taking a sip of his water.

"Oh, well," Regina began to play with her necklace again. "There isn't much to know. I'm an artist. That's really all I spend my days doing. I'm pursuing an online degree, but it's easy to maintain perfect grades." She explained. Gold watched her with vast interest.

"Why an online degree?" He asked.

"The nearest college is at least an hour away."

"And you don't work?"

"Mother doesn't want me to." As an appetizer, they had boudin balls and crab cakes. Gold thought it cute how Regina took tiny bites of the new food and expressed so vividly on her face how she thought it tasted.

"I see. You'll have to show me your artwork some time." He said idly.

"Oh, it's not very interesting. Art is my therapy, so it's very personal."

"We all have our hobbies like that."

"And what is yours, Mr. Gold?" He smiled at her question.

"Making deals, of course. Running my business... The intricacies of contracts have always fascinated me."

"Really? It must be very convenient to have such a hobby." Regina laughed to herself. "I also love horse riding, though I don't get to go the stables as often as I'd like."

"Oh, that's a shame." Gold sympathized.

"That's why I was so excited when you asked me to work for you. I don't get out of the house much. Only twice a week with Mother when we go to eat at Grannys and she takes me to the stables. I feel like an independent woman." Regina grinned.

"I'm glad. Ah, food's here." Gold smiled, announcing the arrival of their gumbo and shrimp creole. After their delightful meal and more pleasantries, they made their way back to the shop. The work day wasn't over, but after a few more hours, Gold told Regina she could leave. "And here," he added, handing her another small bag.

"What's this?" Regina asked. "More eye shadow?" Gold smirked.

"It's a cellphone. I imagine you don't have one. My number is already registered, in case there's an emergency." He explained.

"I don't understand." Regina said, peering into the bag.

"You may not know what it's for now, but that will come in the future. And most importantly, remember it's a secret." Regina nodded, still unsure of what he meant.

"Well, thank you. I don't think today has exactly been an orthodox first day of work, but I'm not complaining. See you tomorrow, Mr. Gold!" When Regina exited his shop, Gold made his way to the back room. She really had made a lot of progress. He sat at his desk and contemplated his next mood. He was building Regina's trust, he could tell, but it was imperative that he didn't come off too strong. Luckily, the Regina in this realm was just as smitten with him as she had been in the Enchanted Forest. A buzzing met his ear and he reached into his pocket to pull out his cellphone. The caller ID was Cora Mills. Sighing, he flipped open his phone.

"Mayor Mills, what a surprise."

"Hello, Rumple."

Come undone with me
Diving into destruction
Come undone with me
In the state of seduction
Come undone with me

"State of Seduction" - Digital Daggers

A/N: Hi! I hope this is a good update. I wrote a lot more than intended XD. But I got carried away with the cute Rum and Regi scenes. I hope you enjoyed it, especially the cliffhanger at the end! That even surprised me. Thanks for reading!