A/N: Thank you for the follows, favorites and reviews. I'm truly humbled the amazing response! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! I'm on Tumblr as Jelleykakes.
Emma awoke with a start the next morning as a result of the extremely long journey that she had just completed, not even realizing that she had fallen asleep. After a thorough stretching, she went to the desk where Regina had told her the information would be. She groaned as her eyes scanned over the schedule; breakfast hours were already over. Not one to skip meals, due to her hearty appetite, Emma needed to figure something else out.
Firing up her laptop, she decided that she would find some local eatery and actually look around the town a bit. After searching for a while, Emma settled on a place called The Green Bean. It advertised breakfast all day, and the pictures made the food look delicious.
After a quick shower to refresh herself, she got dressed, very casually, and went down to her Bug. It was the first time in ages that the actress didn't have to 'dress to impress'. With a genuine smile on her face, for the first time in ages, she plugged 241 Main Street into her navi and set on her way.
The trip was short, but Emma was quickly drawn into, and amazed at the architecture of the surrounding buildings. This was so different than what she was used to. The buildings here were full of history. Hell, in L.A., the structure with the most history was probably the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and at one time the then-current Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to have it torn down rather than renovating it. Effectively getting rid of one of the few structures that actually had history behind it. What is wrong with Californians? There was so much history here in this tiny town alone, it took her breath away.
Finding the place was easy enough and parking wasn't difficult either. In Calabasas, or any of the L.A. areas that she frequented, parking was always a complete bitch. The restaurant wasn't too busy, and there were still people here left from the breakfast rush. As she walked in, a friendly hostess greeted her.
"Will you be meeting anybody or are you flying solo today?" Emma could tell that the girl had a fun sense of humor just by the way she spoke.
"It's just me today," Emma stated. She was directed to a small window booth and left with a menu.
"Your server will be with you shortly." the girl said, leaving Emma to read her selections. Everything looked good to the blonde and when her stomach growled, she realized she was hungrier than she initially thought.
It was only a few minutes before another friendly young woman approached Emma. "Hey, I'm Cyndi and I will be your server today. Would you care to start with something to drink?"
"I'm actually ready to order. I'd like the pancakes with turkey bacon and hash browns please. Oh, and some coffee and tomato juice with a stick of celery if you have it."
"Absolutely, I will be right back. Oh, and did you want cream with your coffee?"
"Yeah, thanks." Emma replied with equal enthusiasm. It seemed the cheerful mood was contagious here, and Emma knew she could get used to this.
Cyndi came back with the drinks and left Emma with a smile. When her beautifully plated breakfast arrived, Emma was in were several choices of syrups, and she chose the blueberry one. She was quite impressed upon reading on the menu that the restaurant took pride in serving food only from local vendors. The side of fresh fruit that came with the meal looked like it was from a tropical island. It was amazing. Damn, if breakfast here was this good, what about dinner? The Green Bean was definitely her new favorite breakfast venue. Holden's, her old fave in California, couldn't hold a candle to this place.
By the time breakfast was gone, Emma was stuffed. The food had been so delicious, it was hard for her to stop eating it. After paying her bill, and leaving a generous tip for Cyndi and the other staff, she went on her way. Not having a clue as where to go, Emma decided to just walk up and down Main Street and take in her surroundings.
Again, Emma was mesmerized by the amount of history here. After taking a couple of pictures with her phone, she made a mental note to buy herself a real camera. Everything here was just too gorgeous for words.
It wasn't before long that she found herself back at the bed and breakfast...her new home. It surprised her that there was a message waiting for her already. It was actually a meticulously handwritten note from Regina Mills herself, welcoming Emma to Mills BnB making sure that she had everything she needed. The script was delicate, and not a letter out of place.
Emma smiled at the personal touch and thought it was kind of Regina, not at all what she used to. It seemed more and more that this place was the the exact opposite of everything in L.A., where it was all so impersonal.
Emma decided to take a little nap and then explore the riverbank that she could see from her window. The sound of the water and the shade of the giant, ancient-looking trees was so serene. The chirping birds and chattering animals, gave her a sense of complete serenity.
(Meanwhile… in the Mayor's office)
"Mr. Gregory, this is completely out of hand," Regina fumed. "It has only been one week and the boys are at it again! I swear these so-called "bros" are more like Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. This time though, they went too far. The young lady who was accosted will be pressing charges, and your men will be officially charged this time. No more warnings." Regina was clearly agitated and let out a long sigh that she wasn't even aware that she had been holding in.
"I understand Madam Mayor, and I truly apologize for their inappropriate behavior. I will keep you informed of anything that happens over here regarding this incident," Mason replied.
"I would appreciate that very much, thank you." With that, Regina hung up the phone and settled back in her large chair. This time, the bros had really taken things too far: going from verbal abuse to physical assault. The Mayor was proud of the young lady who stood up for herself and went straight to the police, instead of sitting back and letting things slide. Hopefully this would be a wakeup call to the offenders and this would be put to rest. Once and for all.
Being a Friday, and nothing else on the docket, Regina gathered her belongings and decided to call it a day. "I am on my way out, and you may also head home early if you like," she said to her assistant.
Upon arriving home, Regina opened a bottle of wine, pouring herself a large glass. She needed to calm herself down after dealing with those rowdy boys and Mason's lack of leadership with them.
Deciding to head out back and look at the water, she absent-mindedly grabbed her black riding crop before heading outside. The crop was her favorite item, and could often be seen with it. Nobody questioned her about it; everyone knew the mayor used to ride horses. Her riding gear consisted of a plethora of whips, but the riding crop was her favorite. For...reasons.
Regina lazily meandered along the riverbanks with the wine and crop. Flicking several stones away, she found herself by her favorite large stone. Sitting down, sipping the wine, and drinking in the surroundings, Regina closed her eyes as she let the sounds call to her. The birds and the squirrels chattered on while they busily scampered and flitted around the riverbank and the exhausted brunette slipped into a peaceful slumber.
Emma tried to stay quiet when she found herself in front of the Mayor. But, it was useless and Regina startled awake.
"I am so sorry to interrupt you Ms. Mills," Emma floundered.
"It's all good. I was just clearing my head from the long day at the office." The Mayor stretched herself and rolled her shoulders, in hopes of relieving some of the pent-up stress that had settled itself there.
"That good, huh?" Emma could pick up the tension that was practically rolling off of the brunette in waves.
"We have a lot of shit going on down at City Hall, nothing I can't handle." She absent-mindedly flicked the riding crop, bringing it to Emma's immediate attention. The younger woman didn't want to say anything, but she was most definitely intrigued, that wasn't a sight you saw every day after all. "Would you like a glass of wine with me?" Regina invited the blonde to join her in her imbibing.
"Sounds spectacular. It's been much too long since I last let my hair down," Emma stated quietly.
Regina took this moment to let her know that Emma was no stranger to her. "Look Emma... I realize we all like our privacy, but it isn't often we get celebrities here. I hope that you feel welcome."
"About that, yeah… The celebrity life is done for now."
"What do you mean?"
Emma looked at Regina as they walked into the kitchen to get more wine. "I quit my job. Like... forever. I needed something new." With that, the blonde sunk deep into a lazy-boy chair that was just off of the kitchen. She swirled the wine in circles and found herself in a daze.
Regina didn't know how to respond to that, it was a shock to say the least. She had figured that something major had happened, but quit her entire career? What on earth could have possibly happened to cause such an abrupt change? Emma's show was one of her favorites, especially because of the strong female character portrayal. She quietly sat across from the former actress and let the moment be. Her mind was again straying to unexpected places. Something about this beautiful woman called out to her from deep within.
Emma broke the silence. "It was sudden, I know. But I had to get out of there before I lost my mind."
"What do you mean?" Regina asked.
"Well, my girlfriend, Gabi…" her voice trailed off.
Regina sat silently, waiting for her to continue.
Something about Regina made Emma feel safe and that's when the floodgates opened. "Apparently she has been with someone else the entire time we have been together. Four goddamn years! What a fucking bitch!"
Regina raised her eyebrows in silent response.
"This is what I get for being honest and faithful. Well, fuck her!" Emma surprised even herself with her outburst.
The brunette lazily flicked the riding crop in the air in front of her, as she listened to Emma, imagining it was landing elsewhere, preferably on the blonde, in well-positioned little blows… This actually opened up the door for the women, and they spent the next few hours deep in conversation.
"Sounds like she really did a number on you," Regina quietly stated.
"When you put it like that…" she faded off.
"Emma, you can talk to me about this if you like. I know it isn't easy to open up to people, but sometimes you feel better if you just let things go. I have a good ear and an even better bottle of wine to go with it."
Emma broke out in a small chuckle. "It's funny, because I rarely drink wine, but I find that it seems extra appealing here and now."
"I find it helps me to unwind after a long day," Regina admitted.
"You know, I think I'll take you up on that offer. Why not?" Emma countered.
With that, the mayor went to the wine cellar and grabbed her favorite red, hoping Emma would also enjoy it. When she came back, Regina realized that it was just about dinnertime, and suggested to Emma that they go and eat their meal before opening the new bottle of wine. Emma agreed and the two headed for the dining area, where the other residents had already gathered.
Emma got the opportunity to meet her new neighbors. Dinner was served, and the atmosphere in the bed and breakfast was relaxed. The food was delicious, the cook, Granny, was excellent, and had been with the Mills for ages. They enjoyed their roast and the company of all of the boarders at the BnB. Conversation was easy and light and when everyone was finished with their food, Granny cleared away the dishes and served them each a hearty portion of apple pie.
"If I continue to eat like I have today, I will be the size of a moose before long," Emma quipped.
Regina laughed loudly, "I doubt that is possible Ms. Swan, you are bordering on waif-like, as it is."
"Gotta love Hollywood," Emma replied facetiously. In Tinseltown, she watched everything she ate and made sure to always be in top-shape. Gaining weight was considered a cardinal sin and Emma was acutely aware of everything that went into her body. Not having to worry about things like body image, was a great relief to her.
The women opened the new bottle of wine and continued on the conversation in the Great Room, in front of the fire. Regina decided to break the ice about Emma's move and boldly asked her why she really had left.
"Honestly, it was because of Gabi that I left," Emma solemnly stated. "Had she not betrayed my trust, I would still be in L.A., acting, and living what I thought was going to be the rest of my life with her. Would you believe that we were discussing having kids? What if we had brought a child into this world together? I can't even imagine what would have happened then. I truly thought that she was my forever."
"While it might sound crass, or not very compassionate, it's definitely for the best that you found out her true colors now rather than later," Regina said with a voice of reason.
"I will have to agree with you there, Mayor Mills," Emma replied.
"Please don't ever call me that here," Regina stated with authority. "Here, I am Regina. This is my home. Although, you will find that some people call me Ms. Mills." She said with a smirk.
Emma was slightly confused by the strange comment, but attributed it to the wine. Regina seemed to command respect, by her very nature, and Emma was intrigued. Not many women were strong like she was, and Emma found it to be quite appealing. It was no secret that the Mayor was extremely attractive, but she had just gotten out of a relationship. Why was she finding herself so drawn to this woman? It was way too soon to get involved with someone again, yet she had already found herself dreaming about the brunette beauty, not once, but twice.
Emma snapped out of her daze and looked into the fire that was burning strong. "Duly noted ," Emma sassed back, letting Regina catch a glimpse of her playful side. "And I think you are absolutely correct about Gabi. It would have been a disaster had we done the whole kids thing."
"Of course I am correct " Regina replied with a glint in her eye. "Anyway, now that you're here, what do you plan on doing with the rest of your life?"
"That's quite the loaded question," Emma laughed. "I honestly have no clue. You wanna know how I even ended up here?"
"I am actually quite interested. Not many people just happen upon our little town. Usually you are raised here as a local, or you are a Smithie, or one of the other four college students. You obviously do not fall into any of those categories."
The wine had kicked in and Emma's inhibitions were lowered, causing her to open up in ways she usually did not. "To be 100% honest, I Googled it."
That was not what Regina had expected. "What?"
"Well, it is no secret that I am a lesbian…The tabloids made sure to let the world know that little fact very early in my career. I figured that I needed to go somewhere that would be easy to assimilate into. I looked up gay-friendly towns, and Northampton was listed as the top lesbian-friendly community in the United States. Where better to go? It was a total crapshoot, but I figured if this didn't work out... New York was right up the road, and I have people I know there. But I really wanted to try this out first. I literally have nothing to lose," Emma said solemnly.
"Well, I certainly hope that things work out for you Ms. Swan. Nobody deserves to be treated the way you were. It will be quite an adjustment for you though from the big city life. Things are much slower here, and we actually even know our neighbors full names. There is no anonymity here, and everybody knows everybody else's business."
"So far, the people have been nothing but pleasant here, and the scenery is beyond gorgeous! I am in love with the river already. I have taken several walks and find it to be so serene," Emma said with a hint of a smile.
"I understand what you mean, The riverbank is my "goto" place. I have a rock that I end up on almost every time I go out back. It is so easy to think there, and it helps me unwind after work, as you have already witnessed firsthand," Regina smirked.
The conversation was easy between the two women and they spoke long into the night before heading off to retire in their respective rooms.
After seeing Emma off to bed, Regina went to her private space. This was where she felt most at home, in control. She opened the key-coded lock and went into her special room, her dungeon. Tomorrow, she would donne her Domme attire, once again, to put some unsuspecting collegiate into their place. Unsuspecting wasn't truly a fair description, since everything that happened behind those closed door was legal and consensual.
Tomorrow wouldn't be any different. This was one of her regular girls. A Smithie, who felt the need to be told what to do. These liberal girls had their secrets, their visits to the mayor in her small dungeon being one of them. Regina had all the equipment gleaming and ready to go. She had bought a new riding crop and was playing with it earlier when she ran into Emma. Luckily for her, Emma didn't question the gear. She also had a lovely flogger that she wanted to put to good use as well. Yes, the next day was going to be fun.