Capitulo 9
Regina and Jefferson sat together in the office, attempting to unravel the mystery of the missing capital growth. Emma, in her own office, relished the fact that they were stuck in this predicament. She had already discovered the issue and was fervently working on a solution for the business plan.
The two executives puzzled over the numbers. Regina, growing increasingly frustrated, finally spotted the problem.
"Shit, Jeffy," she exclaimed. "We didn't account for the growth of interest; that's where our deficit is."
Jefferson scratched his head in disbelief. "How didn't we see that before?"
"Because we're administrators, not economists or finance experts," Regina admitted, tossing the papers aside. "But you know what we are? A pair of idiots."
Jefferson pondered their options. "Maybe we should talk to Deville. She might help us fix it."
Regina shook her head vehemently. "Deville? Are you kidding? She went to school with my sister. She'd spill all the sordid details to Zelena."
Jefferson proposed another idea. "What if we approach the council, admit we made a mistake, and ask for more time to fix it? We can adjust our goals accordingly."
Regina hesitated, torn between her pride and the impending threat of Zelena taking control. "I just... I can't handle it anymore. Let's put this aside for now and revisit it with fresh eyes tomorrow."
In her office, Emma finished her recalculations and agreed with Regina's decision. It was clear that they wouldn't make progress tonight.
"Come on, let's go out and have a few drinks to relax," Jefferson suggested.
Emma watched them leave, saving her work. She was determined not to let anyone take credit for her efforts again, especially now that Lily was tasked with creating the business plan.
Regina and Jefferson passed by Lily's desk on their way out. Regina paused and addressed her, "Oh, Lily, something's come up, and I'm going to need that business plan a little earlier. Can you have it ready by tomorrow? Thanks!"
With that, Regina left the company, a sense of urgency in her steps. Behind her, Emma walked past Lily's desk as she studied the reports. The mousy woman smirked and said a snide, "Have a good night!"
Lily glared at her as Emma laughed all the way down to the main level. Emma stepped out of the elevator and smiled at August, who was begging Ruby for a date. She smiled and said good night to the pair and headed straight for home.
Emma arrived home to find her mom and Killian snacking at the dinner table. She wasted no time in addressing the situation.
"Hey," Emma said, turning to Killian, "come on, Killi, let's go to my room, I've got work."
Killian looked puzzled. "Emma, you asked me here to work?"
"Come on, Killian, you need to be my backup eyes. If I get this straight, I'll save my job."
Her mother, Mary, interjected, expressing her concern. "Emma, what do you mean, let's go to my room?"
"Mom, I have a ton of work to do. My boss needs a budget and business plan done for tomorrow."
"But, Emma, your son has been waiting for you all day..." Mary protested.
"I'll put him to bed while Killian looks over what I've started and then join him. I won't be sleeping tonight," Emma stated, clutching her computer to her chest.
Mary continued, "You said you had something to tell me earlier when you called me near tears, and now you're just going to scurry into your room with your friend?"
Emma hesitated and sighed. "Is Dad here?"
"No, he's out with some guys from work," Mary replied. "Tell me, Emma!"
"Okay," Emma finally conceded. "I have a rival at work, and she is the secretary to Ms. Mills."
"Well, you're Ms. Mills' assistant, put her in her place," Mary suggested. "You're in charge—"
"Mom, I'm not Ms. Mills' assistant," Emma corrected. "I'm just another secretary in the presidency, the one with the least authority."
"Secretary?" Mary asked, puzzled. "Why would you lie about that?"
"Because I wasn't getting hired as an executive right out of college," Emma explained. "High Concepts is a remarkable company, and I would have been a fool not to apply. And I can get a promotion. Dad wouldn't have let me apply to that position."
"Emma… your dad isn't going to like it when he finds out."
"No, Mom… That's why you can't tell him," Emma pleaded. "I promise you I will be getting a promotion."
Mary pressed on, "But you called me, you were about to quit. What happened with the other secretary?"
"She wants to unseat me," Emma replied. "She stole my work for herself, and she is trying to push me out. And she can do it again if I don't stop and get working on this report."
The three of them headed upstairs, and Emma cuddled her son in her arms as she explained to Killian the task at hand. She turned to her friend and gave him instructions.
"Pull all the reports I found the discrepancies at work earlier. I need to do a cost analysis and find a solution for the deficit. If you could start for me while I get this munchkin to bed, I will appreciate you forever."
"I've got your back, Swan," Killian assured her as they went off to attend to the little boy's bedtime routine.
Regina had enough of the wedding talk and decided to slide out of Robin's bed, a little annoyed. He had been insisting on a church wedding, and Regina was growing tired of the topic. She began to get dressed, determined to return to her budget work.
"We're talking about our wedding here," Robin protested.
"Please, I don't think weddings, or marriage for that matter, should be an unbreakable contract. They should all have expiration dates with an option to renew," Regina stated matter-of-factly. She paused as she struggled to find the sleeve of her dress to complete her attire.
"So you don't think you'll love me for the rest of your life?" Robin asked, surprisingly composed after Regina's tirade.
Regina looked at him, sitting on the bed next to him. "Me? Oh sure, but... I have such bad habits, I am incredibly particular—"
"And you're bi?" Robin interrupted.
Regina cringed. "I'm just a little curious, Rob."
Robin leaned in closer, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Well, if it's just a little taste you want, we can have snacks sometimes..."
Regina sighed, realizing the hole she'd dug herself into. "Well, if it was just a contract with an expiration date, then I would be faithful, and I wouldn't need a taste, Robin."
"Regina, I don't want to share you," Robin said, his tone serious.
Regina softened, realizing the depth of his feelings. "Fine," she acquiesced. "But let's not do this in a church. We don't need to complicate matters by involving God."
"You don't want to marry me through the church?"
Regina tilted her head and looked at him. "Do you care?"
"Not really… I mean if My parents weren't dead maybe… but … Who cares, we can just go to city hall for all I care." Robin agreed, "As long as I get to do this with you..." He pulled Regina closer and kissed her, their differences momentarily set aside in their shared affection.
"As long as you feel comfortable with that," Regina stated. "Because the important thing will be that I get to marry you. And that our marriage works"
"What if it doesn't?" Robin asked.
"Look Robin," Regina said taking a deep breath. "We know each other as lovers, now we need to know each other as spouses, its very different. And if we do know each other as spouses things will work."
"Promise?" He asked
But instead of answering Regina gasped and leapt off the bed. "I have to go, it's super late and I really need to get down to business with my report. I see you tomorrow." Regina left the bedroom and made a beeline to the door.
As they sat in Emma's room, focused on the task at hand, the conversation revolved around the tension at work and the looming deadline. Mary, Emma's mother, was concerned about the situation and why it was happening.
"I don't get it, why are they doing all of this?" Mary asked.
Emma shrugged, her fingers typing away on the laptop keyboard. "I don't actually have to do this, but I want to."
Killian chimed in, "She studied finances, right?"
"Yeah, she studied at Wharton for six semesters... right," Emma replied with a hint of sarcasm. "As if that were a thing."
Killian, seemingly enchanted by Lily, couldn't help himself. "But she is so beautiful, though."
Emma shot a glare at her friend, clearly irritated by his obsession with Lily. "What happens to Lily if she doesn't pull through? Will they fire her?" Mary inquired.
Killian quickly defended Lily, "Oh, Emma no. They can't do that to—"
"Shut up, Killian," Emma snapped, turning to face him. "Relax, Lily isn't going anywhere. They will fire me over her any day. If that woman turns in a halfway decent plan, then my presence there is just extra."
Killian, still concerned, pressed, "Are you sure? Because I will go over there and do the job for—"
Emma cut him off firmly, "No, Killian, stop! She is not in any danger of being fired. She is working with her best friend."
Mary, looking puzzled, asked Killian, "Why do you like her so much, Killi? Do you know her?"
Killian, feeling a bit bashful, explained, "No, it's... I don't know her, but I hope to someday." He pulled out a laminated photo of Lily from his pocket and showed it to Mary. "She is gorgeous, look at her and tell me she's not."
Emma shook her head, annoyed by her friend's infatuation. "Man, you get on my nerves. You're so worried about her, well if they fire me, you will never meet her, so..."
Killian remained fixated on the photo. "I know she is nice. Please apologize. I know she has a good heart."
Mary muttered, "She's not that cute," glaring at Killian before turning to her daughter. "Either way, Emma, you should tell your dad."
"You know he would pull me out of that company by my ear, Mom, and you know it," Emma argued.
"Still, it's better that you tell him that he finds out randomly," Mary advised. "Imagine how he will blow up when he finds out." With that, Mary left the room.
Emma sighed and turned back to Killian, ready to get back to work. "Alright, let's start with the cost analysis." But Killian seemed lost in his own thoughts, and it was as if he hadn't heard her at all. Emma rolled her eyes and said, "Killy, stop dreaming. That woman is not for you."
As the night wore on, Emma, Killian, and Mary continued to work diligently on the business plan and budget, striving to meet the tight deadline. Mary returned with a tray of food for Killian, who seemed to be Emma's designated taste tester.
"Here, Killian, just so you know how much I spoil you," Mary said, placing the tray down.
Killian stood up, looking grateful. "Thank you, Mrs. Swan. Emma would have let me starve to death."
Emma rolled her eyes at Killian's playful banter and went back to her work. Mary turned her attention to her daughter. "What about you, Emma? Want some cocoa, coffee?"
"No, Mom, thank you," Emma replied, fully immersed in her work. "Killian, I need you to work on transactions. I need you to create projections from our previous work and how many transactions we have done over the years."
Killian nodded, taking a few bites of his food. "I'll have them for you in a moment."
While they continued to work, they were interrupted by Emma's father's booming voice from downstairs. He called for Emma to come down.
"Dad's here," Emma whispered to Killian, her irritation apparent. "Are you going to tell him you lied about the job?" her friend asked curiously.
"What? No way," Emma replied, turning back to her computer to save her progress. "I am much too busy to deal with his dramatics right now."
Mary, however, rushed into the room, urging Emma to go downstairs. "What does he want now? Did you tell him I was busy?"
Mary explained that her father had brought a friend over and wanted to show off his "pride and joy." Emma sighed and agreed to go talk to her father.
As Emma descended the stairs, she heard her father slurring his speech as he introduced her to his friend Leroy. It was clear that both men were inebriated. Her father boasted about Emma's achievements, even though they were far from reality. Emma chose not to correct his delusion, not wanting to hurt him further.
She excused herself to the kitchen, where her mother was preparing coffee for the two men. Mary asked if Emma had told her father the truth, but Emma couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Oh, Mom, I can't tell him," Emma explained. "I know I was annoyed before, but he can't know I lied. It would break his heart, and I think I've done that to him enough. Plus, I need to keep helping with the bills, and if he knows, he will make me quit my job. Let's just keep this between us, please?"
Her mother reluctantly agreed not to say anything for now, and Emma rushed back upstairs to continue working with Killian.
Killian had been busy at work but looked up when Emma returned. "What happened? What did your dad say?"
"Oh, just my dad bragging to a weird little man about me," Emma grumbled as she sat back at her desk. "He painted this picture of some high executive in the company as if I were the CFO or something."
"Did you correct him?" Killian asked, taking a sip of his Red Bull.
"Nah, I just couldn't burst his bubble, you know," Emma replied.
"Are you ever going to tell him?"
Emma shook her head. "Nope. As far as he's concerned, I hung the moon. Let's get back to this, shall we?"
They returned to their work, focused and determined. Killian commented, "Yeah, it is a good business plan, but the calculations on this are way off."
Emma sighed, acknowledging the issue. "I know. Ms. Mills finally saw it this afternoon. That's why I'm rushing. She flipped when she saw it and is trying to go over everything with a fine-tooth comb. Her sister Zelena is a total witch, and she wants to be prepared when she faces her later in the week. I really want to make Ms. Mills look good; this could cost her the presidency of the company."
Killian paused, looking at Emma curiously. "Are you worried for you or her?" Emma blushed and glanced down at her work. "Do you have a crush?"
"Stop it, Killian," Emma said, pushing him away playfully. "That would never happen anyway. The truth is that if she isn't the President, I am out on my ass anyway."
Despite the late hour and exhaustion, they continued to work tirelessly through the night, determined to complete the task at hand.
Emma and Killian were on the verge of exhaustion as they completed their final calculations. Their minds were foggy, and they were speaking in a nonsensical manner. Suddenly, a tiny giggle broke the late-night silence. It was Henry, Emma's young son, who had awakened to the unusual sounds coming from his mother's room.
Emma perked up and turned to her son. "Good morning, kid."
"Hi, Mommy," Henry replied, still giggling. "Why is Uncle Killian talking funny?"
Emma chuckled, her fatigue momentarily forgotten. "That's what happens when you don't sleep. Your brain falls out and runs away from you."
Henry giggled again and nodded. "Are you ready for some breakfast?"
Emma agreed, and they made their way downstairs. Mary, Emma's mother, had a large pot of coffee brewing and breakfast in the works.
"Morning, Mom," Emma greeted, giving her mother a kiss.
"Morning, Emma. Coffee?" her mother offered.
"Yes, please, in the beer mug," Emma replied, referring to their oversized novelty mug her father had bought at the pier.
Her mother filled the mug with coffee and milk. "How did it go last night?"
"I have yet to go to sleep," Emma admitted. "I probably should just stay home, but I have to get this to Ms. Mills."
Mary expressed concern. "I thought you'd stay home today. Henry's school called and said the electricity is out, so he can't go today."
Emma groaned at her oversight. She had been so focused on her work that she hadn't considered her son's schedule. "Can he go with you?"
"No, I have to go in early and can't wait for him," Mary replied. "You should stay home; there's no way you're going to function well today."
Emma hesitated but felt the need to deliver the work to Ms. Mills personally to ensure she received proper credit. "This is really important. He'll be fine; he can come with me."
Mary continued to express concern, but Emma was determined to go to work. She returned to her room to finish her work and get ready for the day. When she entered her room, she found Killian sprawled on her bed. She smirked and went back to the computer to save the report to her flash drive.
Suddenly, her father, David, entered her bedroom without warning. "What the hell is Killian doing in your bed?"
"Dad, please, we've been up all night working. Let him sleep," Emma said, her voice filled with weariness.
"Well, he shouldn't be sleeping in your bed," David protested. "Killian, get up!"
Mary intervened, pulling David aside. "Let him sleep. What could they have done with Henry here anyway?"
They glanced at Emma, who had her head down on the keyboard. "They need to get up; she's going to be late!" David exclaimed.
"It's true," Mary agreed. "Come on, Henry, I'll get you ready while Mommy takes a little nap."
Henry followed his grandmother to the bathroom, leaving Killian to continue his slumber. David turned his attention back to Emma, raising his voice to wake her up. "You're late!"
Emma jumped up, startled, and began hurrying to get herself ready for the day, despite her exhaustion.
The company's morning hustle was in full swing, but Regina was already pacing her office impatiently. It was 8:30 AM, and there was no sign of her secretaries. She was fuming.
"Who do they think they are, making their own schedules?" she muttered, eager to get her hands on the report.
Meanwhile, The morning rush was in full swing as Emma and Henry found themselves squished into a jam-packed city bus. It was the usual madhouse, commuters crammed together like sardines, desperately trying to stake their claim on a few square inches of personal space. Emma had Henry clinging to her side, and she clutched a stack of papers with her free hand, trying her best to keep it all together.
As the bus approached her stop, Emma knew it was time to gear up for her exit strategy. But in a sea of impatient commuters, making a graceful exit wasn't exactly in the cards. The automated announcement chimed, signaling her to stop, and she braced herself for the impending chaos.
Emma shuffled her way toward the exit, attempting to navigate the human obstacle course. But then, as luck would have it, the bus came to an abrupt stop, and it felt like the whole world tilted. Emma was thrust forward, desperately trying to maintain her balance, but it was a losing battle.
Her heart pounded erratically as she toppled out of the bus, landing on the pavement with an undignified thud. Her knee took the brunt of the impact because she had twisted herself to protect the Three-year-old who clung to her. She winced as pain shot through her. To make matters worse, her stocking had torn in the fall, leaving her knee exposed and throbbing.
Emma quickly checked on Henry, who had been cradled safely in her arms throughout the fall. "Hey, buddy, are you okay?" she asked, concern etching her voice.
"Hey, buddy, are you okay?" Emma asked her son.
"Yeah, mommy," he replied. "You got a boo-boo," he observed, looking at her torn stocking and exposed knee.
Emma acknowledged it with a wry smile. "Yeah, but we gotta get inside. I'm going to take you to my friend Ruby for a little bit. You gonna be good for her, okay?"
Henry nodded, and Emma limped into the building. She waited until August had moved away and then approached her friend Ruby.
"Morning, Ruby."
"Oh my god, he is so cute!" Ruby cooed, completely smitten. Emma looked around, concerned.
"Are you sure you can keep him here until I talk to Ms. Mills?" Emma asked.
Ruby nodded confidently. "Yeah, this desk is tall enough. Do you think you can hide from the grown-ups behind my desk?" Ruby asked Henry, who eagerly agreed.
"Okay, come with me," Ruby said, extending her arms to the toddler and plucking him from his mother's embrace. Henry waved at his mother as Ruby put him down on the ground and placed a finger over her lips to signal silence.
"Here's Ms. Mills' mail," Ruby whispered to Emma.
"Thank you, Ruby," Emma replied, grabbing the stack of mail. As she turned to head into the elevator, Maleficent swooped by on her witch's broom, accompanied by a group of models. Emma tried to join them on the elevator, but Maleficent stopped her in her tracks.
"Where do you think you're going? You look like you did the walk of shame at Home Depot," Maleficent quipped, her models snickering behind her.
Emma frowned, explaining, "It's just that I fell, and my glasses are broken now."
Maleficent, unimpressed, looked her up and down. "Well, the look suits you. Step back; I need the elevator."
Emma protested, "But there's room."
"Oh no, I don't need your looks infecting my models. Wait for the next one," Maleficent declared, closing the elevator door in Emma's face.
Inside, Regina continued to seethe in her office, frustrated by the absence of her secretaries. The morning chaos seemed endless, and Emma's day was off to a rocky start.
Upstairs in the bustling office, Regina's frustration reached its peak as she berated Mulan, her normally composed demeanor unraveling. Her demand for information about Jefferson's whereabouts was met with a helpless shake of Mulan's head.
"I know Jefferson isn't answering his phone, but you must know how I can get a hold of your boss!" Regina's voice was edged with urgency.
Mulan, who had always been unflappable, was taken aback by Regina's outburst. She stammered, "I called every phone number I have, and I can't get a hold of him."
Regina's mind raced, and she threw out suggestions, her concern growing. "Did we check hospitals? I know, sex addicts anonymous... Just find him!"
Mulan's eyes widened, realizing the depth of Regina's distress. "I have exhausted all avenues available to me."
Regina took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. "Fine! Fine... just wait at your desk. Maybe he will call with an excuse as to why he is so late." She turned away from the shocked secretary, her frustration still palpable. "Oh, and have HR send me a new secretary. I have two, and neither one has appeared."
Mulan nodded in response. "Yes, ma'am," she said before turning, nearly colliding with a disheveled Emma, who had just arrived.
Regina's irritation immediately shifted to Emma. "You're late," she growled through clenched teeth.
Emma, breathless from her eventful morning, tried to maintain her professionalism. "Good morning, Miss Mills," she managed to say, clutching the salvaged documents in front of her.
Regina wasted no time in reprimanding her. "You were supposed to be in this office at exactly 8 a.m. It is nearly nine."
Emma knew she had to explain her situation, but Regina's sharp tone made her uneasy. "Yes, Miss Mills, it's just that..."
Regina interrupted, not willing to hear excuses. "There isn't even an excuse. What, did you wake up ill?"
Emma tried to clarify, "No, ma'am. It's just..."
Regina's rapid-fire questions continued. "Oh, so you were arrested..."
Emma's patience was tested, and she insisted, "No, I..."
"You were kidnapped?"
Emma's eyes widened, not expecting this line of inquiry. "No!"
Emma grappled with the dilemma of revealing Henry's presence to Regina. She needed her boss to believe she was there for her, but she worried that Henry's involvement might jeopardize how Regina viewed her.
Regina's barrage of questions continued. "Did you get in an accident?"
Emma hesitated but finally gave in. "No... well, yeah, sort of," she admitted.
Regina's mood swung back to annoyance. "Whatever. Listen, never arrive late again. It is unacceptable." Regina's stern tone left no room for argument. "Please go to your office and locate Jefferson Hatter and Lilith Paige. Neither has graced us with their presence today."
Emma nodded and started to head toward her office. She couldn't help but throw a conspiratorial question at Regina before leaving, a small smirk on her face. "You think they're together?"
Regina, momentarily distracted by Emma's question, allowed herself a small smirk. "I think so," she replied before regaining her composure. "Please, just go find them."
Emma gave a final nod and limped toward her office, leaving Regina to contemplate the morning's chaos. As she watched Emma go, Regina couldn't help but wonder about the accident mentioned earlier.
In her office, Emma's frustration grew as she realized her flash drive, vital for her work, was missing. She searched frantically, but it was nowhere to be found. Her cell phone rang, and it was her dad calling, adding another layer of concern to her hectic morning.
"Hey, Dad," Emma answered her phone, her voice tinged with anxiety.
"Hey, your mom said you didn't sleep at all last night. I am on my way to the office. Do you have everything?" her father inquired.
Emma's distress was evident as she responded, "No... I lost my flash drive with the document. Could you see if I left it on my desk? I don't think I made a backup on the computer."
"Yeah, I'll check," he said, heading upstairs. In the background, Regina's angry voice pierced through the conversation, causing her father to pause in his ascent. "Who is that yelling at you like that?"
Emma tried to placate her father, her voice strained, "It's just Ms. Mills. She's upset that everyone is kind of late today."
"She doesn't need to take it out on you," he replied, concern for his daughter evident in his tone.
"Emma!" Regina's voice resounded in the background, and David's expression grew serious.
"If that... individual doesn't stop yelling at you," he started to say before being interrupted by another outburst from Regina.
"Emma!" Regina yelled again.
Emma, feeling torn between her family and her boss, hurriedly said, "Look, Dad, I gotta go. Let me know if you see the flash drive there, won't you?" She hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and refocused on her work. She made several attempts to reach Jefferson and Lily, but neither of them answered their phones. Regina's frustration mounted, and Emma couldn't help but worry about Henry at the front desk. She hoped he was behaving well.
Emma's desk phone rang, and she hoped it was one of the missing coworkers. However, it wasn't them. "Hey, Ems, I need to give you a heads up," her mother's voice came through.
Emma furrowed her brows. "Hey, Mom, about what?"
"Emma! Have you gotten ahold of them yet?" Regina's voice echoed in the background.
Emma sighed, realizing the mounting pressure. "Shit, hold on, Mom... Not yet!"
Regina's annoyance was palpable as she entered the room, still in an altered state, having shifted her anger from Emma to her own frustrations. As a mother, Emma recognized Regina's meltdown for what it was, a tantrum, and wished she knew how to calm the woman down.
"It's just that..." Emma started, attempting to explain her situation. "My mom heard I hurt myself earlier, and she's just checking up on me."
Regina couldn't contain her exasperation. "For Christ's sake, Emma!"
"I'm still trying to get a hold of them. I will not stop until I get them, or I see them," Emma stated firmly. "Hey, Mom, I'll call you later. I'm super busy."
"But, Ems..." her mom managed to say before Emma hung up the phone.
Regina's tirade continued as she turned her attention back to Emma's disheveled workspace. Emma struggled to maintain her composure under the barrage of criticism.
"It's just that..." Emma tried to explain, "The binder came loose, and all the papers went flying everywhere. Then I bumped my desk, and everything on it spilled onto the floor."
Regina, still fuming, demanded, "Will you call Tink to clean this up?"
"Yes, ma'am," Emma replied obediently.
"Regina?" came a bewildered Jefferson's voice from outside the office, and Regina stormed out to confront him.
Emma followed her cautiously, her thoughts still preoccupied with the missing flash drive. She hoped she hadn't dropped it on the bus during her chaotic morning. At least she didn't have to continue calling Jefferson. Emma closed the office door behind her and sank into her chair, finally allowing her body to recover from the fall.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Regina said, her frustration evident as she addressed her friend. "I said first thing we were going to go over the budget. And you stroll in an hour and a half late, acting like I'm crazy for being angry?"
Jefferson admitted, "Yes, I know, I overslept."
Regina couldn't help but scoff, "Oh, you overslept! But of course. You were probably out all night with one of your conquests."
Jefferson tried to defend himself, "But Reg... I was with..."
Regina interrupted, humorlessly guessing, "Let me guess... The redhead from the other day? Or the bottle blonde from the night before?" She turned to her friend, her expression sly. "No, I know... Lily all night long..."
Jefferson began, "Well, I..."
Regina continued her taunting, "Oh, that's why my star secretary, The Face, the Body, isn't here this morning?"
"Yeah, well..." Jefferson mumbled sheepishly.
"I ought to fire her, but both of my secretaries were late today, so I think I'll have to let her pass... or were you with Emma last night as well?" Regina prodded.
Jefferson shook his head in disgust, responding, "Come on, Regina, don't even joke about that. Besides, she's your girl."
Regina snapped, "Shut up! This isn't funny. I am not in a joking mood. You know that time is not on my side, and you couldn't keep it in your pants for one bleeding night?"
"Regina, please be calm!" Jefferson implored.
"Jefferson, telling me to calm down isn't helping!" Regina retorted.
Jefferson tried to steer the conversation toward work, saying, "Okay then... Let's get to work."
Regina feigned enthusiasm, her irritation still simmering just beneath the surface. "Fantastic idea! Why hadn't I thought about it two hours ago? Except, wait a minute... Where are all the materials we need to do this? Oh yeah, that's right... Lily 'I did 6 semesters of finance at Wharton' Paige has all of it and is not yet here. Maybe she didn't think she had to come in since you kept her up all night."
In her office, Emma tried to follow her boss's rant. She texted Ruby as she sat there, letting her know that she couldn't go get Henry just yet because Regina was having a total fit. Just then, she heard Lily's voice.
"I'm here, Regina. Good morning," Lily said. Emma could hear the smile in her voice. Did that mean she had finished the business plans? Emma wondered as Regina finally responded.
"Lily!" Regina's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Thanks so much for coming. I'm so sorry that I made you come in so early in the morning. It must be so hard to get here on time, right?"
Lily stammered, "Uh... I'm so sorry, Regina. It will never happen again."
"It better not," Regina gritted her teeth and took her seat at her desk. "Will you bring me the reports you took with you yesterday, please?"
"Yes, Regina," Lily said and stepped out of the room. Emma peeked out of the door, watching the angry woman trying to compose herself as she sat at her desk. Regina was facing off with Jefferson, who looked sheepishly back at her.
Then, Lily walked back into the room with the reports she had taken the night before. Emma held her breath, hoping for good news. "Say, Lily, before you go?"
Lily turned back mid-stride. "Yes?"
"Would you happen to have the business plan ready for me, like I asked?" Emma's heart raced, eager to hear the answer.
Lily glanced over at Jefferson, then back to Regina, and gave a sheepish giggle. "Um..."
Behind the door, Emma gasped, anticipation hanging in the air. Had Lily managed to get the business plan done?
