"I have an idea," Emma said as she sat down next to Ruby at lunch, casting her gaze around to make sure Regina was nowhere to be seen.
"A good one?"
"They're few and far between with me, I know, but this is one of them," insisted Emma.
"I take it it's to do with Regina then?" smirked the brunette.
Emma winced. "Am I that obvious?"
"There have been less obvious wars," nodded Ruby. "So what is this big idea, and what does it have to do with me?"
The blonde grinned. "I'm taking Regina on a date."
"I have an idea."
Ruby paused for a moment, the situation strangely familiar.
"And I need you to tell me if it's mad or not."
Ruby leant on the counter, bracing herself. Regina with an idea, and that mischievous glint in her eye, could be a dangerous thing.
"I want to get Emma an engine for her car."
Eyebrows raised and mouth hanging open, Ruby could honestly say that those words were not even close to anything she thought would be coming out of Regina's mouth. "What?"
"Well she's always tinkering with that bug, and it can't even go anywhere!" Regina sighed. "I mean, not that I don't like watching he be all cute concentrating when she's doing the rewiring , or...other things you don't need to know," she said with a blush as she returned from her daydream. "I spoke to Marco down at the garage when I went in to ask about my car. He said that he'd source an engine and show her how to fit it, in return for her working a few hours a week at the shop until it's paid off." She paused. "Or rather, until she thinks it is."
Ruby frowned.
"If she had to pay off the full amount she'd be working every hour there was and I'd never see her," sighed Regina. "So I'm putting up the delivery fee and part of the payment." She looked up from where she had been decorating the counter with a trail of salt, waiting for Ruby's reaction. "So what do you think?"
Reaching out with her cloth to tidy up the mess Regina's nerves had made, Ruby chuckled. "I think it's nuts. But I think she'll love it."
Regina smiled, letting out the breath she didn't know she was holding. "You think so?"
"I do," nodded Ruby. "And she'll love the fact she'd getting to work it off, and not just having it handed to her. So what are you gonna tell her?"
"She wants to see me on Friday night for something so probably then," said Regina, her gaze glazing over as her mind began to work on how she could tell the blonde. "I don't suppose you know what it is she's got planned for this Friday?"
Ruby smirked. "Yup. Doesn't mean you will though. I'm sworn to secrecy, Mills." She pushed off the counter and made her way over to the newly seated customers.