Wow, thank you all so much for reading and giving your comments everywhere! You all are wonderful! Please fill free to let me know what you think!
Quick note: The points of view will alternate between Regina and Robin. So this one is gonna be in Robin's POV. Hope you enjoy!
Robin Locksley is a dirty liar; not really though. He is a kindergarten teacher, just not currently employed as one. But that's his goal today, to finally settle down and be employed at Blanchard Orchard Elementary School. And that should be the case, so long as his interview goes well today.
To say he's terrified is a vast understatement and he's unsure of why he's fretting so much, but his steering wheel is now drenched from his sweaty palms and that's with the air on full blast.
This job is his final shot at staying in the states, otherwise he has no choice but to return home with his tail between his legs and ask his father for more money. He'd sworn that he was going to go far and didn't need his parents' help but now he's in a bind, running out of the last bit of money that they gave him, trying to keep up his appearances.
Honestly, the reason that he'd been staying in a different girl's apartment most nights is because he didn't exactly have a place of his own. Some nights he does have to opt to stay in his car and well that's a nightmare, to say the least, but it is what it is.
The girls at the clubs are incredibly easy though, he bats his eyelashes once and they melt. Even the girls, who won't budge at first, fall prey once they've been fed his pity party. They're like absolute putty in his hands. The bouncer at the Rabbit Hole, a place Robin frequented, caught onto his shenanigans and Robin thought, for sure, that he would be asked to leave and to never come back but even he managed to fall under Robin's spell. Robin told him his pitiful tale and even chipped in an offer to help the guy catch his own ladies- needless to say, the bouncer was sold. Best part of the whole thing was that Robin had managed to get the bouncer to let him use the club's address for when he applies for his job today.
Robin Locksley, a con artist master.
The bouncer—John is his name—even offered to allow Robin to stay at his place as his roommate, said he's looking for one after his friend Tuck moved out. But Robin humbly declined, telling John that he didn't want to put him out, but that if the offer is still on the table after he gets the job, then he'd gladly take it.
That's the least of his worries right now, though; he has to get the job, first. That's all that matters.
[:]
He gets there at 9:00, despite his appointment being at half past, and his palms are still shaking and soaked. He can't go into this meeting looking like a total disaster, so when the secretary tells him to wait in the lobby until the principal is done with his 8:45, then he'll come and fetch him, Robin excuses himself to the restroom, begging himself to get a grip. He's got one chance and now is not the time to turn into a raving mad lunatic for the principal to see.
He washes his hands meticulously while glaring hard into the mirror. You can do this, mate. You've got this.
The hand washing is in vain, because as soon as he returns to the lobby in the front office, his hands are slick again. So he just sits down and taps his foot wildly against the carpet, knee bouncing in a steady pattern.
He tries to think of ways to pass the time, darting his eyes around the office to see if anything catches his eye. Then he thinks about whether to call John up and see about the roommate offer or consider getting his own place but he stops quickly so that he doesn't jinx himself.
What else?
After a winding train of thoughts, they land on hallway girl. Her Majesty.
Oh, if he had her name. But alas, he doesn't, not yet, but he will. He'll have her figured out in no time at all and then he can stop this nonsense of thinking about her. And he'll relish in that day, that's for sure. But, of course, his mind has turned its back on his dislike of her, instead, focusing on the odds of seeing her again. He can't keep going back to that complex. He has to start finding new prospects.
Maybe he'll never see her again and that's a good thing, right?
"Mr. Locksley?"
He's torn away from his thoughts and turns his gaze over to the secretary.
"Mr. Nolan will see you now."
Robin follows closely behind as she leads him into the office in the back.
It's huge but very bland. There's a massively large desk in the center with one of those ergonomic executive chairs sitting behind it. The desk itself had a state of the art Mac in the corner, as well as a stapler, a calendar in the middle and two jars, one for paper clips and the other for pens of a plethora of colors. The last thing on his desk was a luminous gold name plate that read David Nolan, Principal.
The only other thing in the room was an American flag and a New Mexican flag in opposite corners behind the desk and then the sheer white curtains covering both windows.
"Robin Locksley?" he heard along with the creak of the door behind him.
His head swivels around to find a man, in a nicely tailored ensemble, far too warm for this weather, with sandy blonde hair and soft blue eyes. The man also carries a warm smile that has Robin feeling instantly calmer about the whole interview, hopefully the newfound serenity will stay.
They shake hands as Robin rises and then David scurries around his desk to plop in his chair.
"Welcome to Blanchard Orchard," he says formally.
"Thank you," Robin answers in equal tone and measure. "Very lovely place."
David nods a thank you and paces his glances around each of the walls in his line of sight for who knows what reason. "So tell me about yourself, Mr. Locksley. Where are you from?"
"Colchester, originally, then here." He decides to leave out all his other pit stops. It makes him sound too much like a drifter and that's in poor taste for his image.
"And why Albuquerque?"
"It's a nice place. Read about it once, so I came for a visit and well, I'm still here." Robin chuckles nervously.
"And why did you choose Blanchard Orchard?"
"Honestly?" Robin squirms a little in his chair and he curses himself for doing so. "Well, it's the first good offer I found."
David reclines in his chair, scrutinizing Robin just like Robin had done to hallway girl the other day at Starbucks. (Why does she keep coming up?!) Frankly, he isn't a fan of being on the other side of things.
"And are you pleased so far with your experience?" The principal's eyes continue to pierce right through Robin and Robin can only feel the panic creeping in.
"Absolutely."
"Excellent. So what makes you think that we should take you on here at Blanchard Orchard?"
"Well, I adore working with children, they make the world so much brighter and it's almost like when you take on a job as a teacher, you get two jobs: one as a teacher and one as a student. You can teach the kids so much but, in turn, you actually learn so much. I believe this fine establishment values just that and I want to be a part of it; I love the idea of the whole experience."
It is a speech that Robin has rehearsed several times before. Talk their business up. Nothing makes employers melt like giving them the idealized version of their business and then idolizing it as if it were the most magical thing ever. Robin has done it countless times and succeeded with many of them. In fact, the whole concept worked for many facets of his life. It's easy to appease anyone if you talk them up, making them feel like the center of the universe.
Robin can tell he aced that question by the swell in David's chest. Sucker.
He'll have the man eating out of his bloody palm by the end of this, if he's lucky. So he goes for the compliment jugular. He knows a vague history of the place. Leopold Blanchard, an older tycoon, who came from a bunch of old money, met his wife Eva in the Hamptons one summer and fell in love. But, of course, as the story goes, Eva didn't live in the Hamptons. As it would turn out, she was from none other than Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Leo was quick to offer her anything and everyone was rather shocked when they came to find out that Eva had asked for a school to be erected. He obliged immediately, no surprise, and before the city knew it, the school was built and ready for use. The school board appointed Leo as the principal despite his lack of knowledge in the field of education and the rest is history.
"I'm certain that's what the Blanchards intended. Very admirable, don't you think?"
Robin can tell by the glint in David's eye that he is successful yet again.
"I can tell you from firsthand experience that that was exactly their intention."
"Oh?"
"Well Leo hired me when he chose to retire and they're also my in-laws so it's been made pretty clear," David lets out a hearty laugh, which Robin adds to (always let them think they're the funniest guy in the room).
"In-laws, huh?"
"Yeah, after I was hired, of course. Don't want to be accused of nepotism here," he laughs again. "But yeah, I got hired and met this kindergarten teacher Mary Margaret, who just so happened to be Leo's daughter. She's the one you're replacing so you have big shoes to fill."
It's daring but he goes ahead with it, "Oh am I to kiss you and call you honey because I missed that on the job description." Feigning recovery, he adds, "I'm totally fine with it, just curious."
He has David guffawing then, "Good because I expect it every day."
Robin does a small salute back, "So is she leaving for good?"
"No, she's just chosen to take a year off, but if our numbers go as projected we're going to be in need for another kindergarten teacher within the next year or two. So my wife will be coming back, just not for this school year. It's a whole long story that I hope you don't mind me telling you and I hope you'll use your discretion: we had an unfortunate experience with our first child so Mary Margaret has felt the need to stay with our son, Neal, this time around." David avoids eye contact, so Robin assumes that their experience must have been traumatic.
He feels sympathy for David, for whatever happened, but Robin doesn't pry, he doesn't want to make matters worse. He does, however, respectfully nod and murmur a needless apology. He figures they lost the child, which is a feeling Robin can't imagine. He doesn't have children and doesn't plan on having any, certianly not anytime soon. He'd be a shit dad, that's without a doubt, wouldn't know how to be a dad if it were written in a manual right in front of him. But he does feel bad for the poor man.
He's let the silence linger far too long so he goes for a diversion.
"Is that him? You're father-in-law, I mean," Robin points to the painting serving as the back drop to David's desk. Robin knows it's him, he's not a total idiot, but it's conversation and the longer Robin keeps this up, the better his chances are, well so long as, he keeps his sodding foot out of his mouth.
David turns to follow the direction of Robin's finger. "Yep, that's him. Leo Blanchard founder and former principal of this 'fine establishment.'"
"Magnificent looking chap."
"I think he likes to think so," David shrugs then shifts back into boss mode. After that, he goes about asking Robin a series of questions that everyone knows how to answer properly by now; things about tardiness/punctuality, drinking/drugs, and the like.
When he finishes, David sighs. He looks pleased and Robin feels good. Although, he shouldn't jinx himself, so he dismisses the thought.
"Anything to add, Mr. Locksley?"
"Not at all, sir."
They rise together and shake hands.
It's over.
[:]
Nearly another week passes before the news finally arrives.
The first ring is the warning, the second for his heartbeat and the third to answer. "Hello?"
"Hello, Robin?" It sounds like David's voice.
"This is he."
"Hey, it's David Nolan. I just wanted to call and personally welcome you aboard the Blanchard Orchard team."
Had Robin not been sitting in his car, he probably would've flown through the roof. He got the job! He could stay. He could start a life. Robin Locksley, class A cock up, had managed to do something right in his miserable life. Now his parents could actually shove off. He'll never have to ask them for money so long as he keeps this job.
The only thing missing now is a place to stay and for someone to share in his joy.
The phone rings three more times.
"Hello?"
"John? Hey mate, it's Robin. I was wondering if that offer is still on the table."
[:]
Robin has finally got his life together. He's got a job and a place now. He's achieved what he intended when he originally wound up in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Now, all he needs is someone to share it with. Not that John isn't splendid company, but Robin was thinking of a more partner type of situation and, well, Robin was in the market for a Joan, rather than a John.
Lately, all Robin could think about was that damn girl he'd met in the hallway. He doesn't know why she keeps popping up, but she does and it's driving him mad. She was just some girl.
Perhaps he's smitten.
Not really, though, because Robin Locksley is never smitten and never will be for that matter. He can't be. Sure, it'd be ideal to find a girl that makes him feel like he could give up all the running around and maybe he'd find her but for now, it doesn't look to be in the cards. However, it would be a downright manky lie if he said he hadn't given one thought to hallway girl since they met. It's not like he has a crush on her—not at all, but he had had a great time with her. She was witty and had a sharp tongue. She bit back like a viper and if Robin's being honest, he found it rather admirable.
She was admirable altogether.
But then there's her whole snarky attitude which is a wee bit of a drawback. She's the type of girl who thinks so highly of herself that she'd rather only talk about Leonardo da Vinci than Leonardo di Caprio. Sure, she's smarter than all the broads he'd slept with in that apartment complex combined, an entirely annoying fact, but he can't shake the feeling of how he craves it. He wants to pick her brain and see what she thinks. It gets so tiring after awhile of just having meaningless, flirtatious talks. Although, that's the life he chose (for good reason, of course) but he wasn't daft so he liked relishing in his conversation with hallway girl.
She's intelligent and invigorating.
Somehow, he's back at Ruby's again and he thinks to ask of hallway girl's name but he somehow sees that going terribly awry. But he's stuck on her.
He knows what this is about, of course. She's elusive, a puzzle he needs to figure out and then once he does, he'll move on and she'll be nothing more to him than a mystery solved. That's it.
Ruby makes a soft sound next to him in bed and it dawns on him that he's stayed far too long. He actually shouldn't be here in the first place. He doesn't usually double dip when it comes to ladies but he'd ran into Ruby last night, at the bar, when he and John were celebrating and, well, one thing led to another so that now he's lying totally bare, next to her, wearing nothing but his own miserable regret.
Ruby's a beautiful girl, no doubt about it, but she's also just his type—no strings attached. Robin isn't one for cling-ons. She knows this though; well she knew it when it was a onetime thing. Perhaps, she'll still understand that once he leaves that those rules still apply.
Robin takes a quick glance at the clock. 7:45. He'd been trying, in vain, for just over a week now to run into hallway girl, failing miserably every day. But he's determined to run into her again.
He thinks maybe that is why he's back in Ruby's room, hoping to catch his new enigma. But that can't be it. She's not his concern. It was just a coincidence, they flirted, and now it's over. He's never going to see her again. And that's fine. That's how it should be. A clean break, just how he likes it.
But this doesn't stop him from getting up and sliding into his trousers so that he can get out into that very hallway, except he tells himself that it's only because he needs to avoid his morning with Ruby, not for any other reason.
Only when he stumbles out into the hallway and hears the creak of a door from across the way does he consider that, perhaps, he's telling himself one gigantic lie. He nervously glances over to the sound and, sure enough, there she is, tiptoeing gracefully out of apartment 3B. She is a beautiful woman, he'll give her that—even in this state with her hair disheveled and make up nearly nonexistent. And gods, are her legs a sight, long, toned and tanned.
Oh for chrissake.
He thinks not to say anything, to just watch as she tries to slip away but he has to talk to her, he knows that. So he bucks up and calls out, "Well hey there, Your Majesty."
Her head darts up quickly and her chocolate covered irises meet his blue ones, which didn't help his need to scan her over. It's not a big deal. He's seen plenty of beautiful women in his lifetime; she's not the first and she sure as hell won't be the last.
When she's got him into focus, she utters one word, "Thief."
It should piss him off but it only has him grinning like a fool. "Ah yes, I'm still waiting on Ruby's muffin basket so that I can reap the benefits."
He watches as she rolls her eyes but casts her face downward to avoid looking at him, surely to hide her smile. That's something else about her that he likes. He got to see it, albeit briefly, when they went for coffee, but he knew from the first moment he saw it that her smile was special; and he couldn't help but hope that those around her made her grin constantly. He can't see why they wouldn't since it's so remarkable, but he figures it still isn't one she shows often. She seems like the type who doesn't smile enough but instead frets needlessly over everything, like she has to take care of the entire world. He hopes that someone, at least, attempts to make her smile.
"Is that what you're doing still at her place then?" she jabs.
It's his turn to smile and he can't resist because she's clever and easily keeps him on his toes. "Yes, well, a man must eat somehow."
"That gift card wasn't enough to last you?"
"Nope," he sighs, feigning defeat. "You see I managed to waste it on this dreadful little diva I met a while back."
"Well, I feel sorry for her."
"Why's that?"
She turns her face back up, "Because she had to go out with you."
He saunters over to her then, slowly and deliberately and her eyes skim quickly over him, trying to figure out what exactly he's doing. He gets close to her, like he did at Starbucks several days ago. He likes being in her face, feeling the heat from her, in their proximity, merely for the tease and drive her mad, he assures himself.
"I don't think she feels that bad," he conjectures.
"Oh?" Her breath his warm across his face but he can tell she's restricting it. Does he smell?
"Well, I figure she wouldn't still be talking to me if she didn't have at least a decent time with me."
"Or, maybe, she hopes you'll stop following her if she talks to you this one time," she challenges. She walks away then, leaving him grasping for some sort of retort, but seems to be an issue when he's getting a pleasant view of her arse again.
"Don't flatter yourself."
"Perhaps," she slurs out as she turns away from the staircase, "the one flattering themselves is not me. Don't be upset that, for once, a woman thinks of highly enough of herself not fling herself at you."
He's slightly annoyed this time. "Don't assume that I want you flinging yourself at me, darling."
She rolls her eyes again but doesn't give a verbal answer and instead looks at the watch on her wrist. "Look, I have to go again."
"Always running off to somewhere. What, afraid you'll turn into a pumpkin? Maybe you are a princess and I should call you Cinderella," he smirks.
"I have things to do. Maybe you should invest in a hobby, other than sleeping with women and stealing her things, of course." And with that she starts down the stairs.
"Hey," he calls out and she turns once more.
"What?"
"You haven't told me your name. You said for our second hallway rendezvous, you'd tell me your name. So let's hear it."
She pauses, clearly contemplating on answering, he presumes, which only reassures him that her intention was to never see him again. She must have hoped that he'd slept with the whole floor and thus would never cross her path. Fate can be a bitch. Although, to be fair, he kind of pushed fate to reunite them, so it may not exactly count that way.
She lifts an eyebrow and he thinks that she's not going to tell him, but then she softens and utters out her name.
"Regina."
What a beautiful name, and he tells her so, adding that it is "fit for a queen."
"I'm Robin, by the way. Robin Locksley," he extends his hand.
She doesn't take it, instead tells him, "A name fit for a thief."
And then she's gone once more.