When Ruby yanked open the door, she did not expect to find Regina standing there. Well, she did, actually, but she definitely hadn't expected to find her standing there wearing that. Ruby was always used to seeing her in skirts and power suits, which were hot enough to begin with, but seeing her now in form-fitting jeans and a silk blouse that showed off way more cleavage than Ruby could ever have anticipated-well, that just bordered on ridiculous, and it made Ruby's brain malfunction for just a moment.
She stood in the doorway, mouth dropping open just slightly, hazel eyes fixed not on Regina's face but somewhere decidedly lower. It took Regina clearing her throat to finally pull Ruby out of her daze. She mentally kicked herself and greeted Regina with a smile.
"Hey," Ruby said, moving aside a little and beckoning Regina into the apartment, "come on in."
"I brought wine," Regina said as she made her way inside. She paused in the hallway and turned back to Ruby. "And I hope I'm not under dressed," she added, her eyes sweeping over the younger woman, taking in the way she was dressed.
"Oh, no, you're fine. I mean, you look-it's, uh-you look great." Ruby fumbled for her words and just barely managed to pull herself together at the end.
Regina just smiled. "Thank you. You look amazing as well," she said.
Ruby tried to keep her own smile in check, but it was almost impossible when Regina looked at her the way she did then, dark eyes soft and shimmering with a sort of genuine kindness that Ruby had never seen before.
"So, uh, I hope you don't mind this," Ruby said, as she made her way toward the kitchen with Regina following close behind her. "I kind of had a last minute panic attack about where we were going to have dinner, and so I just decided that maybe it was best to eat here instead." Best to be honest, too.
"I don't mind at all," Regina said, coming to stand opposite Ruby at the kitchen island. She set the bottle of wine down on the counter top and hoisted herself up onto one of the stools. "Whatever you're cooking smells wonderful."
Ruby grinned. "Pasta alla carbonara," she said, before turning to the pot simmering on the stove. "And if you're sweet, I might treat you to a cupcake for dessert," she added, as she scooped up a bit of the sauce onto the end of the spoon.
She spun around again just in time to see Regina trying to hide the slight blush that had crept up onto her cheeks. Score one, Lucas.
"Here, try this," the younger woman said, leaning across the island and offering the spoon to Regina. "Let me know what you think."
Regina took the proffered spoon and brought it up to her mouth, blowing gently on the steaming hot sauce before tasting it. Her eyes widened a bit and she made a little noise in the back of her throat that sounded an awful lot like a moan. Ruby had to bite down on her lower lip to keep from smirking.
"That is amazing," Regina said, licking her lips.
"Thank you," Ruby said, taking the spoon back.
"No, I don't think you understand," Regina said, shaking her head, "that has got to be one of the best things that I have ever tasted. Where did you learn to cook like this?"
Ruby shrugged. "My gran taught me when I was younger. She was an excellent cook. Woman could cook the hell out of just about anything," she said, feeling her own blush settle on her face. "So, you like it?" she asked.
"I think like is a bit too tame here," Regina teased, and the double-meaning, however unintended it may or may not have been, did not go unnoticed by Ruby.
Ruby forced herself to turn back to the stove, setting down the spoon and grabbing up a fork instead to stir the pasta.
"So, I have to ask again," Regina began, as she removed her blazer and laid it over the stool next to her, "how exactly does you making dinner for me help me repay you for saving my life?"
Ruby froze for a second. Dammit. "Uhh, well, it'll help me get to know you a little better, for starters," she replied, not turning to look at Regina, a bit afraid of what she might find if she did. "I have this little quirk where I like to get to know the people I run into burning buildings for," she joked, the lightness in her tone masking the nervousness written on her face.
"Ah, I see," is all Regina said.
"And, well," Ruby continued, finally turning around, "I thought maybe you'd like to get to know the person who saved your life a little better too."
"You thought right, then."
"Yeah?"
Regina simply hummed in answer.
"Great. So, dinner should be ready in five. Do you, uh, do you want something to drink? I can pop open this wine, or I can find something else," Ruby offered.
"Wine would be wonderful."
Ruby smiled as she reached for the bottle and the corkscrew that was lying on the counter. "Ooh, Chardonnay," she said, appraising the mayor's choice of fine wine. "This'll go great with the carbonara."
"I made a good choice, then," said Regina, smiling.
She watched as Ruby went to the cupboard to fetch the wine glasses. When Ruby stretched to reach the top shelf, her shirt rose up a little, giving Regina a perfect view of pale, silky-smooth skin. She bit her lip and allowed her eyes to linger just a little bit longer than they should have, and then quickly averted them when Ruby turned back around. The younger woman set the glasses down on the counter and then popped the cork on the wine, letting it breathe for a moment before she poured a little into each glass.
Regina swirled her wine in her glass and then took a sip. "Mm, now that's good wine," she said, closing her eyes and savoring the taste as she took another drink.
Ruby took a sip from her own glass and moaned in agreement, and Regina felt a little rush of warmth surge through her at the sound.