Soooooo, Facebook happened :)
To all of you who were so sweet and welcoming over there. Thank you so much! You're the greatest and I really really appreciated that.
Also… Thank you so much for reviewing and letting me know what you guys think! You can't believe
(or you just might if you're familiar with the feeling ^^) how motivating that is.
I promise I won't keep the lady with the g!p a secret for too long.
Keeping you munchkins guessing is not the intention of the story. It's just a little extra something that happened to creep in there!
at least for the first couple of chapters.
Also… I'm not being too subtle about it in this chapter… so if you think you know, you probably do :O
Of course… once situations get a little more intense or heated… it's going to be crystal clear ;)
Sometimes some things are just impossible to conceal, I guess.
I don't think anyone will mind, will you?
Anywaaaaaay… here is the next chapter.
Day 1 on the job.
CHAPTER 3
Act normal. Act normal. Act normal. Fuck don't look at her, Swan. You're here to clean her damned floor not to admire her boobs. Don't be a creep!
It's only one example of the kind of panicky thoughts swimming through Emma's head.
Or well, racing through her mind and on the brink of taking over her body.
True, a loft looks fancy and yes… is convenient for a social family life but if there's one thing about it that Emma absolutely hates…
it's that she and Regina are constantly in the same room. Of course, not because she hates Regina… god no… the woman is perfect.
But because she hates who she herself becomes in the brunette's presence. She's awkward and nervous and all of the sudden... a huge klutz.
She must have bumped into the kitchen island about five times during those first couple of hours.
The first two times, Regina'd looked up at her in concern and had asked her if she was alright. After that… she'd still looked up, yes.
But it had been more out of amusement than anything.
They hadn't spoken much that morning.
Emma wanted to talk but she honestly couldn't think of something she could shave said that Regina might have been remotely interested in.
Unaware of the other's equal concern they both silently prayed that they'd soon become more comfortable around the other.
Emma now definitely knew she wanted this job. Badly.
No awkwardness or unreqruited feelings could hurt bad enough for her not to want to have a glimpse at Regina Mills' life. Be a part of it.
A small sense of accomplishment washed over Emma when she realized she was ready with the ground floor.
Granted, it looked much like it did before she started cleaning the place… but now Regina and Henry could definitely eat off of every single surface…
all was impeccably clean and shiny.
Emma'd softly chuckled at the mere thought of the brunette eating food from anything but a fancy china plate.
Regina'd looked up in confusion, curious brown eyes seemed to want to know what Emma was thinking about.
The blonde had just chuckled a little louder and simply shook her head.
"Don't mind me. I'm just going to go grab something to eat, if that's okay?"
"Of course." Regina'd smiled effortlessly.
And somehow the atmosphere turned so much lighter then. One… or well, two perfect smiles seemed to be the perfect antidote against uncertainty.
"I think I'm done with this floor… so, if that's alright with you… I'll do the upper level this afternoon."
"Thank you. Everything looks perfect." Regina'd nodded appreciatively.
"Oh and you said you could have a look at the lock?"
"Fixed. I looked at it when you were still upstairs this morning."
Emma just barely blushed a little and averted her eyes at the mention of that morning…
not wanting to go back to feeling as uncomfortable as she did after that…
"And it's fixed?" The older woman seems genuinely surprised perhaps even impressed by that.
"Well yeah… it should be fixed now… The mechanism inside was just stuck I guess… it happens and then it just can't really close anymore, you see…
I just pulled it down hard and it came loose so yeah.. now it's fixed and I'm rambling."
At this… Regina had actually laughed. She stood up, giving Emma a glorious view of her professional attire
(The woman fucking works from home and looked like she's ready to conquer the world) and walked closer towards the girl.
Well, actually she'd walked towards the kitchen area but to Emma everything but Regina had stopped existing right then.
"So what? I almost called a professional while I could have just given it a hard pull, myself?"
Regina scrunched up her face cutely while pouring herself a glass of lemon water.
"Yeah." Emma'd nodded while trying hard to keep a straight face.
"You must find me awfully helpless." Regina huffed right before bringing the glass to her lips and delicately drinking from it.
To Emma that simple act looked so damn spectacular she suddenly felt really thirsty herself. Completely parched.
She was so transfixed on Regina's face that she'd completely forgotten to react to what the woman was saying.
The brunette had already placed her glass back down and was now looking rather vulnerable.
Maybe Emma did think she was helpless. God… she really hoped that wasn't the case.
The long stretched silence pulled Emma from the spell Regina had put her under.
Once she'd gathered her thoughts she'd cleared her throat and smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry… I don't find that at all." She'd said looking straight at the woman.
Regina's eyes had stared back at her intensely. Filled with unspoken questions that she didn't even realize herself were there.
It was Emma that asked the next question. "Do you want me on the floor?"
"What?" Regina's deep voice had croaked, clearly entirely taken by surprise by those words.
"From the store? Do you want anything from the deli?"
The blonde had casually clarified and Regina'd swallowed hard yet subtle…pretty embarrassed by her own traitorous mind playing tricks on her.
But if Emma'd noticed her discomfort she hadn't showed it.
Something Regina couldn't have been more grateful for.
She shook her head no "Thank you though."
"You sure?"
Emma'd inquired one last time while grabbing her worn out jacket -Regina surprisingly found quite cute on her- and the brunette had smiled and nodded.
"Don't be out too long." She said and then bit her lip. That sounded desperate, no? "It's raining… you don't want to get sick."
"I won't! Be right back." Emma'd smiled cheerfully and confident and Regina so wished she had some more of that right now.
Emma was only gone for about ten minutes, but the house had been unnaturally quiet.
Regina'd desperately wished that hadn't bothered her at much as it had.
After that morning's slow start and then the welcome change in atmosphere between her and Regina and in the house in general,
Emma'd gone upstairs to do her job.
Unlike the lower part of the house, the upper floor had multiple walls and doors separating many different rooms, guest rooms and bathrooms.
Of course… after all… Henry would grow into a teenager some day… and Regina wouldn't be single forever…
Emma'd halted whatever she'd been doing while that thought hit her.
Was Regina single? She wasn't married… and she said she was a single mother… but that didn't mean she wasn't seeing anyone.
An unpleasant feeling crept beneath Emma's skin. She grimaced and tried her very best to just ignore it.
The carpeted floors and the multiple bathroom's made the upstairs a much bigger job than the living area downstairs.
Emma didn't mind though… She was softly humming while enjoying her surroundings and the fact that she was actually getting paid to be somewhere she truly wanted to be, doing something for someone she felt truly deserved it.
"How can anyone need that much skin products?" Emma rhetorically huffs while she leans over the sink to spray the mirror with her cleaning spray.
"I have sensitive skin, dear." Regina snorts in amusement as she casually walks into the luxurious bathroom.
She shamelessly lets her eyes linger on the blonde's enticing backside just a second before realizing that even though the girl is standing with her back towards her, she is facing a mirror.
"Shit. I'm sorry… hadn't seen you there." But luckily for her it doesn't seem like said girl had picked up on her glancing at all.
Emma just curls up her nose a little apologetically. Cutely so, Regina registers.
"I figured." Regina shakes her head and shrugs. A small smile gracing her lips.
"Do you need to be in here? Should I go?"
Emma suddenly turns around and asks the woman while placing the cleaning spray she's holding in her right hand down on the bathroom counter.
Ready to leave and give her boss her privacy.
But the brunette shakes her head and narrows her eyes in concentration as she suddenly seems to be scanning the place carefully.
"No dear. I was just looking for my glasses.
I love to read when I'm taking a bath but then afterwards I always seem to forget where I've left my reading glasses."
Emma wills herself to keep a straight face, not at all instantly envisioning the older woman in a bath with lots of slowly disappearing foam and bubbles.
Except that's exactly what she's doing. In details as vivid as her imagination allows her.
Her willpower to not become so painfully shy and awkward again is what makes her snap out of her little daydream
and then even gives her the strength to challenge her brunette boss a little. Slightly tease her even.
"I'm sorry. I don't think I can believe you." she purses her lips and musters a serious look onto her face.
"Oh?" Regina raises an eyebrow, genuinely uncertain of why Emma would say such a thing.
"It seems very unlike you to forget where you place your things. You're obviously a structure woman. No… it's too out of character.
Nice try though… you almost had me there."
The other eyebrow follows its twin and Regina's mouth opens in confusion.
What the hell is Emma implying? That she's there for other reasons? Any reason in particular. Just to come and see her?
Okay… so maybe the downstairs area had been a little too quiet for a little too long
and maybe she was kind of in the mood for a small dose of blonde haired and green eyed company… BUT She does need her glasses! Kind of.
Well, she might need them. Somewhere in the nearby future. Emma's not supposed to realize that it's not that urgent she has them right away…
Why is the girl being so straight forward? What is she even supposed to say to that?
"So, why do you think I came in here?"
Emma silently weighs her options… but then decides on saying
"To check on me, of course. If I'm doing an okay job."
Okay… so she could have said something much cheekier there but she didn't.
She's not that brave.
Regina snorts and rolls her eyes but her faint blush is undeniable regardless of how casual she's attempting to appear.
"Oh no I trust you on that. I took your word for it, remember?
I was honestly coming to find my glasses… but… seeing as they're clearly not in here I'll leave you to it."
She kindly -but not overly so- tells the girl before turning around to go back downstairs.
"Okay. Oh and Regina."
Brown eyes look into Emma's direction ones more as she tilts her head a little to the side.
"What's that dear?"
"Your glasses are on the kitchen counter. You wore them this morning."
Emma smirks. Just barely. But she does. Regina sees it. Emma knows it but neither fully acknowledge it because… well, yeah… neither of them is that brave.
Brown eyes suddenly narrow in amusement while a little smirk of her own is formed onto plump red lips.
"Oh yes, you mean that counter you bumped into ten times earlier?"
Emma's mouth opens but for a second she doesn't really know how to respond.
Even though the reminder of how very clumsy she'd been that morning is slightly embarrassing,
she's actually pleasantly surprised with the playful mood Regina Mills seems to be in.
"I was merely taking in my surroundings… physically memorizing the house. But yes, that counter." She quips once her voice decides the work again.
"Oh yes, no better way to get acquainted with a new place than to get yourself ten bruises." Regina chuckles and the sound of that is absolutely priceless.
"Five. And yes, I am very serious about my job." Emma nods matter of factly.
"Your dedication is admirable, dear."
The conversation is fast and their eye contact flaring.
"Thank you." Emma smiles, very aware of her thundering heart.
"No, thank you." Regina mirrors her smile while subtly inhaling long and deep, before turning around and getting the hell out of there…
extremely confused of what the hell she's doing.
Seriously, what the hell am I doing?
"I just don't know what to make of it, Kat." Regina sighs and strokes a hand through her shoulder length brunette stresses.
A quick call to her blonde friend and said friend had not for a single second left it up for discussion.
They were having a girl talk at Kathryn's place.
So, that's where they're now. Having a much needed girl talk.
Kathryn's home is just across the hall anyway so the receiver of the baby phone won't be affected and Kat's enthusiastic voice won't wake her pretty boy.
"Seriously?" The blonde snorts, not for a single second believing her friend. Surely she can't be that blind?
"What?"
"… She's a young girl with a smokin' boss… she might very well be bi or even a lesbian… or just curious,
whatever… but it definitely sounds like she's flirting her way into your pants."
Kathryn tells her friend… already kind of loosing her patience because of how stubborn the brunette can and knowing Regina… will continue to be.
"Excuse me?" Check. Her dark haired friend snaps is annoyance.
"Come on Regina… those little smirks you mentioned… the lingering looks and meaningful silences… the playful bantering… and you're loving every second of it." Kathryn offers her a teasing smile and a little wink, hoping that making her remember those (small yet) meaningful signs will make her blush and smile.
"No, I'm not. And she isn't doing that. And" Regina halts whatever she was about to say and does blush and does smile. If only just a little.
"And what?" Kat's eyes narrow in concentration… there was more… Regina was going to say something else…
"She is a lesbian." Four wonderful words that –laugh all you want but yeah…- sort of warm both of their hearts.
"What?" Kathryn's face breaks out into a huge smile. Oh she wants details.
"She told me." Regina shrugs and her blonde friend really can't believe she even has the audacity to act as if she's actually calm and casual right now.
There is no way Regina isn't inwardly shaking from excitement. It's all there in her eyes and there is no denying it.
"Oh. Hold on… And how is this new information to me? I'm supposed to know this Reg!" Kathryn throws her hands up and sighs loudly.
"It's no big deal… she told me during the job interview because she'd had a bad experience with the Blanchard's."
Regina immediately explains how non-sexy the admission had been, contrary to what –she's sure of it- her obnoxious friend probably imagines.
"Ugh I hate them." Kathryn scrunches up her nose at the mention of the couple.
"Exactly… so that's why she told me."
"Okay, well it doesn't really matter how or when she told you… unless it was a very naked and physical coming out… but well, we can't have it all.
What matters is that she's gay.
So… let me rephrase my former statement: She's a young lesbian with a smokin' boss… that's obviously flirting her way into your pants."
Her enthusiasm and excitement have returned in tenfold as she bites her lip in anticipation of her brunette friend's love life that might finally be taking off.
"She's not Kathryn… she's just… there's just this energy around her."
Regina then curiously states and shakes her head in confusion. She really doesn't know how to describe it… because… it's just…
"That energy you're sensing… it's chemistry." Kathryn smiles and tells her softly but all Regina does is snort and roll her eyes.
"Oh please." She deadpans but her blonde friend decides to just ignore her denial at all at this point.
"Does she know about you?" Kathryn asks.
"About me?"
"That you're as gay as they come…" It's Kathryn's turn to deadpan at Regina.
"Of course not." The latter snaps.
"Oh please please… give her a sign… She'll be totally ecstatic!"
Kathryn seems to be jumping up and down in her seat on the couch, clapping her hands together like a child on Christmas morning.
In front of her sits a brunette with a glare that if looks could kill… would destroy the infuriating blonde about yesterday.
"A sign?" said brunette evenly asks.
"Yeah… like… put Ellen on, leave your Birkenstocks laying around, put some Melissa Etheridge on oh tell her you went to Wellesley!"
The blonde sums up one suggestion after the other.
"Are you kidding me? You watch Ellen and you went to Wellesley too. Oh and can I borrow your Birkenstocks and your Melissa Etheridge CD?
Kathryn dear, are you trying to tell me something?" Regina now playfully smirks.
If anyone seems to check all the boxes of a stereo-type lesbian… it's rather curious that seems to be the straight one out of the two of them.
"Don't project! And you know I only have those sandals because of my ankle injury last year." Kathryn scoffs and shakes her head.
Regina really uses every chance she gets to deflect from the essence of their talk, doesn't she?
"Sure." The brunette continues to chuckle.
"Oh… here's an idea… You could just… I don't know… tell her that you're into woman." Her friend then throws at her.
"And what? Commit social suicide? Oh please… I don't want for things between us to be irreversibly awkward."
And Regina instantly decides that no… that won't happen. Not if she can help it.
"Why would they be?"
"How can I tell her that I'm gay without that seeming suspicious… Without that seeming like I just want her to know that?"
She asks the question as if it's an impossible one the answer and as if that actually kind of really bothers her. Has been bothering her even.
"You want her to know though." Kathryn gently says.
"Well yes… but I don't want her to know that I want her to know." Regina shrugs and then groans at how ridiculous she must be sounding.
"Okay… I see your dilemma, honey. And I'm sure we can come up with a solution."
Her friend then determinately tells her. As if there's any hope for her. Yeah fucking right.
"Like what?" Regina groans because she's sure that whatever Kat will come up with will be a definite no-no.
"You're going on a date." The blonde woman smirks at her deviously.
"Funny. No."
"And you'll ask her to babysit. Of course at first you'll just ask her to look after Hen and not tell her you're going on a date because evidently…
if she knows beforehand why she has to babysit she'll want to boycott your date and bail out on the job… such a smart girl.
Then when it's too late for her to leave you're ready to leave and announce the nature of your evening appointment, throw in a woman's name…
and tell her that you might be home late. You'll thank me in your wedding speech."
It's a lot of words that basically tell Regina her friend has gone mad and is delusional for even thinking that she'd ever go along with this plan of hers.
"She hasn't even met Henry." Regina slowly says while her brown eyes bore into Kathryn's in disbelief.
How can she even suggest she'd let her little prince alone with someone she doesn't even know he'll be comfortable with?
"Oh don't worry. He'll love her." Kathryn shrugs it off and continues to just smile at her. content and excited. As if she doesn't have a care in the world.
As if her world is Disney world. And honestly… for a moment, Regina has entirely forgotten why they're even friends to begin with.
"Kathryn that's a horrible plan." She shakes her head and offers the insufferable blonde a displeased look.
"Auwch…" Kat acts as if she's hurt and then instantly smiles again… clearly not ready to let the idea slide.
"Plus I don't want to go on a date." Regina states matter of factly. She's really not a fan of the whole courting circus… as she likes to call it.
Forced conversation with someone who's not actually planning on showing their true colors anyway… not until they've gotten a piece of her.
Plus dating always leads to expectations and pressure. It's artificial and it's fake.
When you put yourself out there you don't want to feel too vulnerable so you only show about 5% of who you are anyway… it's natural…
but it's hardly the best way to find a person you might be able to grow old with, is it? So no… Regina Mills is not thrilled in the least at the thought of dating.
She could live another day without it, indeed.
"With anyone but Emma, I know… and you wouldn't have to… You'll just come to my place and we'll get wasted." Kathryn assures her.
There's not a single hair on the blonde's head that would think about trying to set Regina up with anyone but this mysterious Emma…
Instead… every single one of her hairs agree on it.
They should definitely go through with the plan in order for Regina to be able to date the girl.
"It's a horrible plan." The brunette woman groans.
"Yet you are considering it." Kat sing-songs happily. Convinced of her chances of making this work.
"Am not." Regina glares at her in clear annoyance.
"Are so…" She nudges her friend's shoulder softly.
"Whatever." Said friend huffs and tightens her jaw… she can't possibly…
Can she?
Note to all of you: I'm really in awe of how awesome this community is and I really hope I won't disappoint you.
and also... HAPPY FRIDAY! *insert heart emoticon*