Regina sat inside the restaurant waiting for the catering appointment with Emma and her wonderful fiancé. She was irrationally nervous to meet the future Mister Emma Swan after hearing all kinds of things about the man. She checked her watch again, and noticed it was almost fifteen minutes past the time of their meeting.
She rolled her eyes and sipped her water, contemplating calling Emma. If she didn't show up in the next few minutes Regina was going to leave. Finally, the door opened and Regina looked up. It was during the lunch rush, so she'd been checking the door every time someone opened it.
Standing in the entryway was a dude who Regina immediately realized must be the one and only Killian Jones. He wore a long leather jacket and had an annoying amount of scruff covering his cheeks and chin, and more jewelry accessorizing his fingers than Regina would deem appropriate.
She tucked her chin and narrowed her eyes, glaring at the dark haired faux-suave man in the doorway. He spotted her immediately and gave a friendly and effeminate wave, making his way towards her.
"Aye, you must be Regina, our wedding planner!" Killian ignored Regina's stiff and staunch demeanor, pulling her into a two armed hug and taking in a deep breath. Regina tried not to breathe as she'd already caught a whiff of cheap cologne and sour alcohol emanating from Killian.
"Where is Emma?" Regina asked in a panic as she stepped back in effort to detach from the overly friendly hug and in the process felt a distinct set of fingers brush over her butt in the process. She was already completely skeezed out and if she had to endure a catering appointment with him and him alone without Emma, she was going to feign sickness. Actually, she thought, she wouldn't have to feign it because his scent alone was enough to make her sick.
"She's parking the car, traffic was a bitch. Parking situation no better, so I had her drop me off at the front door," Killian replied as he sat down at the table and man-spread immediately. He was gazing at her, and wiggling his eyebrows. His ring adorned palms beat lightly on the table top and it was aggravating her last nerve.
Regina politely sat down and placed her hands in her lap, staring back in challenge at Emma's fiancé. She wanted to tell him exactly what she thought of him, but bit her tongue, remembering she was on payroll.
"I must say, Emma described you quite thoroughly so I recognized you immediately. You live up to the beauty she mentioned, but…" Killian bit his knuckle and made a grotesque 'hmm' sound. "..She didn't mention your rather… rotund booty."
"Excuse me?" Regina growled in a low tone, her shoulders tensing as she fought the urge to smack him with her Vera Wang handbag.
"You're hot," Killian clarified helpfully not backing down. "What? Don't get bent out of shape, women these days can't even take a compliment."
Regina scoffed, crossing her arms to keep from clawing his repulsive face off. "Your attention and opinion is neither wanted nor warranted."
"I know what's wrong with you," Hook waved his finger in her face like he had just figured out an important truth. "You're lesbian…"
Regina's eyes about popped out of her head, her cheeks were flushed with rage and she jumped out of her seat, waving her own finger in Hook's face. She took a deep inhale winding up to blast him with some angry truth of her own, when Emma came flitting in the door and rushed over to the table, putting herself between the pair.
"Hey," Emma's eyes darted back and forth between Regina and Killian. Regina tore her eyes off of her newly found nemesis and gave Emma a tight smile. "Sorry, I had to park like a mile away, but I'm here now…so we can get started."
Regina nodded curtly and sat back down, situating herself coolly. She appraised Emma's demeanor and decided she was just as nervous as Regina was. Killian put his hairy arm around Emma even though her chair was out of arms reach. He looked ridiculous trying to appear possessive.
"So…Regina, you met Kill," Emma was trying desperately to break the ice, and Regina wanted to tell her that her fiancé had spent every moment since he'd arrived hitting on her and simultaneously insulting her. Instead she perused the catering menu and hoped to get down to business, even as she caught Killian staring at the leggy waitress while she paused at a neighboring table. He had no shame. Regina fantasized about taking Emma by the hand and dragging her far, far away from the creep that she was going to marry.
"Excuse me," Hook hollered at the waitress, interrupting her from the table next to theirs'.
"Hi, how can I help you?" The confused girl held her notepad and pen and leaned over a bit to hear what Killian needed.
"Has anyone ever told you should be working at Hooter's?" He grinned and mimicked her hour-glass shape with his hands, pausing at his hairy chest to pantomime breasts, as he nodded and leered at her.
"Um…no," the waitress said as she looked startled at both Regina and Emma for help. Regina shook her head and massaged her temples to keep her cool, while Emma laughed overly loud as if her fiancé was making a joke and covering up his horridness.
The waitress turned around abruptly, glaring over her shoulder as she headed back to the kitchen, but she couldn't escape what was Hook's last parting shot, "Hey, what time do you want to get off?"
"Stop it," Emma grabbed his arm and loudly whispered, and Regina felt sympathetic as she was experiencing not only red rage, but also an enormous sense of second hand embarrassment. It was unacceptable.
Regina cleared her throat, and clenched her menu tighter. She had to change the subject before all three of them were kicked out of the high class restaurant.
"So for the first course I was thinking either the 'Sweet corn panna cotta with smoked trout, tarragon, and pickled red onions' or depending on your thoughts, the 'Confit Berkshire pork belly with apple, tomato jam, and cannellini beans'?"
"What about Lobster? This is Maine! Our guests should feast on fresh caught Lobster with loads of melted butter," Killian chimed in his opinion, grandly gesturing as the restaurant owner brought the first course options for Emma and Killian to taste. "Why such a small portion?"
He stabbed his fork into the pork belly and popped it in his mouth, working his jaw around the fat and making a scrunchy face. Regina stopped trying to hide her disgust. She ignored the beastly man and turned her attention to Emma, raising her eyebrows and smiling, "Emma? You've been quiet, how do you feel about the choices? Would you prefer Lobster?" Regina didn't give her time to respond she muttered, "Of course I'll check on getting 400 plastic bibs for your guests, we wouldn't want melted butter and exoskeleton staining their fineries, now would we?"
"I think I like the smoked trout actually," Emma replaced her fork after meekly taking a bite of both choices and trying to stay neutral even though the tension was rising at the table. Killian seemed oblivious as he reached in front of Emma and harpooned the remaining bit of trout with his fork, greedily smacking it into his mouth.
"Excellent," Regina exhaled through her mouth, keeping her thoughts in order, though she was distracted by the sunlight streaming in through the blinds behind Emma and illuminating her golden curls like an angelic halo. She had noted that Emma had curled her hair the same way Regina had done it for her yesterday. A shiver of tantalizing distraction ran down Regina's spine as she remembered their moment of intimacy from the day before.
At this point she had made up her mind, she was about to resign as Wedding Planner as she simply could not in good conscience approve of the Jones-Swan union. If ever there was an unholy match, and Regina had been to hundreds of nuptials, this was the worst. She'd helped 18 year old brides who were marrying 80 year old rich men just to get on the will, but in her opinion, this was worse than that.
She focused on getting through the meeting. She decided afterwards she'd pull Emma aside and resign.
"This is 'local Wagyu beef tacos with tomatillo-poblano salsa,
smoked onions and radish'" the caterer brought the next course on the tasting menu over.
Killian raised his eyebrow and sneered at the plate, "What is this doing here?" I said I didn't want any Mexican crap at the wedding."
Regina blinked in disbelief, unable to hold it in any longer. She pushed back her chair with a squeal and stood up, "You pompous asshole, what does that even mean? You know I'm Latina and you won't eat tacos because you're a racist piece of shit?"
Killian pouted like he was a child being chastised, imitating a sad baby voice and looking at Emma for sympathy, "Mexican food hurts my tummy."
Regina huffed and reared her head back as if she'd been slapped. "Emma, could I have a word with you in private?"
Emma rose quietly from her chair and shook Killian's hand off of her arm. He was physically trying to pull her back down. Regina threw her napkin on the table and stormed to the back of the restaurant into the Women's restroom.
She rested her hands on the counter and calmed down, staring into the mirror until she heard Emma come in behind her.
"Regina, I'm so sorry…" Emma started quietly, approaching her gently as if she was an angry bear and Emma was trying not to make any sudden movements. "Kill comes on strong and I know he offended you, but…"
"What the hell are you doing with him, Emma?" Regina's voice came out louder than she intended and far shakier. "Forget about your mother, forget about doing what you think you should do and live your truth! Can you honestly tell me, that man is who you want to be with?" Regina got louder as she faced Emma, her chest was heaving as she got more and more worked up.
"I told you…" Emma hung her head and trailed off into silence.
"Yes, you've told me and I've listened to you…and the person you present…the way you carry yourself…I-I see flashes of a strong, confident woman underneath the aloofness and the outright misery…and Emma, I'm going to tell you something that took a long time for me to learn…"
"Don't say it, I know…but I have to…" Emma's voice sounded raw and broken. Regina heard a toilet flush and she colored with embarrassment when she realized they weren't alone in the restroom. There was a long awkward moment as a lunching lady moved between them to wash her hands. Regina stepped backward unable to meet Emma's eyes.
After what felt like an eternity the woman left, and Regina waited until she was positively certain they were alone.
"Listen…no one can make you happy but yourself. No one has that power over you. You are the only one who can make yourself unhappy too, but he—he doesn't love you, and you sure as hell don't love him," Regina was shaking in anger, her forehead vein was pulsing and her hands were balled into fists. She needed Emma to wake up and see what was happening. She needed her to understand.
"What are you saying? You think I should choose not having a family anymore and being alone forever instead of marrying Killian?" When Emma looked up, her cheeks were stained with tears.
"I'm not saying that," Regina's tone softened. Her chest started to ache at seeing the blonde in apparent pain. "Emma, you're young, you're beautiful and if you deserve a loving and equal relationship. You can do whatever you want to do, but knowing you..and after meeting the clueless hairy horn dog that you call your fiancé, I have to resign. I can't keep planning this wedding."
"No, Regina…you're the only one who has kept me sane through this! I want you…I need you to do this with me," Emma's tone turned pleading. She grabbed Regina's arm in desperation. Regina felt tears welling up in her own eyes. She shook her head sadly. "You're not thinking straight, Ms. Swan…"
"Ms. Swan?" Emma questioned her, her grip tightening on Regina's arm and stepping closer into her personal space. "Please don't call me that…Regina, you're my friend."
"You thought we were friends?" Regina hissed venomously. It was a learned defense mechanism, whenever she felt herself growing soft, she'd push away forcefully. It didn't hurt as badly that way. She was already mourning the loss of what she had considered a friendship with Emma, but it was better this way.
She'd gather her purse, if the ruthless drunk she'd left at the table hadn't rifled through it for spare change like it was treasure to be claimed, and walked out of the restaurant. She'd never see Emma Swan again. She'd void the contract and decline her fee. That would be that. The wedding could go on without her. It wouldn't be as fabulous or well-organized, but if Emma wanted to marry her balding beard, far be it from Regina to stand in the way.
"Now, if you'll excuse me," Regina tried to wrench her arm free from Emma's rather clinging grip. "Please inform your mother that I can no longer provide my services."
She turned away from Emma and ripped her arm away. She attempted to compose herself so she could exit the restroom with dignity. She planned to head straight home, without passing go, and crawl into bed with a bucket of ice cream and a bottle of wine. She would turn off her phone and pull her black out curtains over the windows so she could be alone.
All of that was racing through her mind so she her reaction time was nonexistent when Emma grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her against the metal side of the first stall. Regina gasped and then had her breath stolen away in one fell swoop as Emma pressed the length of her body against hers, and most notably, along with her lips.
Emma was kissing her, and Regina's eyes were wide open before she had the decency to realize it was rude to kiss with one's eyes open. So she squeezed them shut and inadvertently parted her lips to allow Emma to deepen the kiss. She was so stunned she couldn't stop herself from kissing Emma back, even as shame and lust flared up in her body.
She was pinned against the stall; the kiss was tasted of anger and passion. All of the emotion she had forced down was pouring out through her lips as she tasted and teased Emma with her mouth. When Emma pulled back breathless, Regina focused on her swollen lips and watched her mouth form whispered words, "This is what I want."
Regina shuddered involuntarily, her head slammed back against the metal hard, as Emma continued to whisper as she kissed down Regina's jaw, and neck: "want."
She kissed her again and Regina allowed it reveling in the brush of dry lips against her sensitive pulse point.
"Want," Emma murmured again.
It was going to happen eventually, the fear of being caught had momentarily left Regina's mind, but the idea that anyone could walk in at any time had Regina pushing Emma off of her and scrambling to get ahold of her ruined senses.
"I'm sorry," Emma leaned in one more time and placed one last gentle kiss on her lips. Then she bent her head and rested it against her forehead, while Regina swallowed and tried to calm her pounding heart.
"Let me go."
It took every ounce of strength, with the taste and buzz of the Emma's kiss still fresh on her lips, and soul crushing sensation of cool air hitting her over heated body as she raced past and pulled open the door. She couldn't stop herself from pausing with the door half open and turning to look at Emma.
Her posture was open and wanting, her expression was equal parts fear and exhilaration. It mirrored Regina's feelings perfectly. She didn't pause or turn back until she arrived home to the sanctuary and safety of her bedroom covers, but it was too late: Emma had already fully invaded her heart and mind.
