Emma was on the phone, she had managed to discover that Killian was still captain of a cruise liner, and that his ship was currently docked. It would be leaving soon (the next day actually), and so she was trying to get her impromptu vacation booked (not that she wasn't already on a vacation of sorts). Sadly, the cruise itself was a week long, going to Central America, and once her work was done, she wasn't sure what else she would do to pass the time. And that wasn't even getting into the complications of how they would get back home, what with the captain mysteriously disappearing in the middle of it. She had contemplated calling up Ruby, but getting her down to Houston on such short notice may not be successful (not to mention she would really prefer taking Regina and getting to know her better).
Emma sighed, realizing she was going to spend the next week alone, there was no way around that. She pushed herself up from the table, the chair sliding back, and exited her room. Her cruise would be booked, just her, just one week, she could do this. She padded down the hallway, feeling the carpet under her bare feet, guiding her towards Regina's room. She knocked softly on the wood door, taking in the hollow sound that echoed in the room. Though she couldn't help but smile when the door opened, despite the thought that this would be the last time she'd probably ever see the brunette.
"Hey," she greeted, the empty feeling rising in her stomach, "I guess this is my last night here."
"Did you just find out?"
"Yeah, my boss says there's this cruise I need to be on."
"So you're getting a working vacation? That sounds rough. What do you do exactly?"
Regina had motioned for Emma to come in and was shutting the door behind her with a click. Emma sat down in one of the two chairs occupying the room, Regina sat down on the bed.
"Well, you know I do HR stuff."
"Yes, but I don't know of many HR representatives that get to go on cruises or travel as much as you."
Emma smiled and jokingly asked "Is this an interrogation? Don't you like have to read me my rights first?" She took in her surroundings, either Regina didn't have much of anything with her, or she kept it all very hidden. It looked like the room was completely unoccupied.
"No, of course not, I was just curious, your job sounds interesting, getting all these vacations, travelling all the time. I thought HR was just sitting in an office and doing paperwork, pretty boring like my accounting job. I may have to consider a change of career if it's just one big vacation."
Emma couldn't help but laugh, Regina's response was a little bit of an exaggeration, "Well, if you must know, I work for Happily Ever After Talent Agency," she quoted the name off her business card, putting together a story on the fly, "I know it's kind of a corny name, but it fits. You've probably never heard of us, but well, our agents are everywhere. We focus mostly on the entertainment industry, trying to connect people with their dreams. I could go on and on about the intricacies of it, but you're probably more familiar with some of our work. I recruit mostly for TV shows, those reality shows that everyone loves to hate, I find their people. You need a bitch, I can find one, a country girl, you got it, or the perfect douche – yeah it's all me."
Emma was mentally panicking, hoping she could come up with something Regina would believe, she refused to show any nervous habits right now, that would definitely be a giveaway. She could hope this was something Regina didn't want to push further, she didn't know any actual names of anyone from any show, but it was too late to change her job now.
It seemed to have worked, Regina seemed fascinated with the web of lies she had woven, "So, there's somebody on this cruise you're looking for?"
"Seems like it, my boss was rather cryptic about it, but it wouldn't surprise me if he thinks there's someone special there. He tends to find people and send me to, well, seal the deal you could say."
"Definitely more interesting than my job. So when do you leave?" Regina asked, leaning back, using her arms as support.
"Tomorrow morning." Emma looked down, trying to push that thought out of her mind again.
"Well, we'll just have to make tonight count." She winked, smiling and maybe a little too flirty for Emma's liking. Oh this woman was going to get her in trouble.
Emma couldn't help but respond in her own way, a challenge. "Really now? What do you have in mind?" Subconsciously, she licked her lips.
A sultry "You'll see" was the only reply that came.
Regina pulled Emma inside a darkened building that night, the two of them already having had a couple drinks with dinner, had decided to continue on, going to a bar. But Emma didn't recognize the building outright as being a bar. It seemed too dilapidated for that, but if the pounding music she could hear outside was any indicator, it had to be occupied rather than abandoned.
Regina had led her around back, and for one bleak moment Emma had entertained the idea that maybe she wouldn't be going home that night, rather her body may be left there, in the alley to be discovered later by some poor drunk.
But that thought was pushed aside when Regina knocked on a door and it opened a couple seconds later, revealing a big, burly, black man, dressed as a typical bouncer, shaved head, arms as big as tree trunks in standard fashion. His face however, broke into the biggest brightest smile upon seeing Regina and pulled her into a tight hug, letting go only after she tapped out, begging for release.
Emma couldn't help but laugh at the exchange, that is, until he pulled her in for a hug with a quick "Any friend of Regina's is a friend of mine." When he finally let go, Emma was unwilling to tap out no matter how restricted her breathing was, he stepped back and introduced himself, holding out a hand, "Name's John."
She quickly took it, and then realized her fingers may soon fear for their lives, and braced, "Emma, Emma Swan." He grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously, before Regina slid her arm around Emma's and pulled her toward the door.
She led Emma all the way to the bar before ending their contact, she ordered them drinks, not even asking Emma's opinion. "Don't worry, it's his specialty" she had said, "Guaranteed to result in a fun night," maybe a little too suggestively.
He sat the identical drinks down in front of them, Emma didn't even know what it was she was drinking to be honest, but she wasn't going to question her companion's judgement. A quick toast and an empty glass later, Emma was on the dance floor, Regina in front of her. She didn't want to question exactly what had happened to lead her to this point in time (she really wasn't sure, and she really wasn't going to protest it), but it had resulted in Regina currently grinding against her. Normally, Emma would really enjoy the attentions of such an attractive woman, but given her predicament, was doing her best to not enjoy them so much (she was still married after all, and straight, and so not into women despite all the other signs).
The song stopped, and before the next one started, Emma grabbed Regina and pulled her back to the bar, it was going to be her safety zone tonight. Claiming she needed another drink, despite how detrimental that may be in the long run, she was going to have another drink, and maybe a break from their contact.
The stars were not aligned to Emma's favor that night. She had just received her drink when some guy who Emma would normally hate (but maybe not this time) walked up to the brunette, leaning in close, trying to be heard over the music, attempted to pick her up, or that's what Emma would assume. She had really only heard Regina's response as the brunette had shook her head, and leaned away from the guy, into Emma. "No thanks, I don't think my girlfriend would appreciate that."
Emma nearly choked on her drink because as luck would have it, she was drinking it at the time, looking over at Regina, eyes bugging out of her head. She quickly schooled her face, but her shock had been evident. The smirk on this guy's face turned evil if it could ever be described as that, and he leaned back into Regina. Emma was once again unable to comprehend what he said, but was once more on the receiving end of Regina's actions. She turned to Emma, kissed her fully on the lips, grabbed her drink and pulled Emma away. Emma had no choice but to comply, left in a shocked stupor, never in a thousand years had she seen this turn of events coming, but now she had to forget what that brief (way too short) kiss had felt like. She really didn't want to describe it as feeling 'right', no that was giving it too much control over her future, a future that could never happen with Regina. She tried to push all her feelings on the alcohol, really she tried, her mantra becoming "She's straight" once again. And somewhere deep down, she felt entirely too grateful to that prick for leading to that (and she cursed his name because now she couldn't forget).