A/N: Thank you for your patience on waiting for an update on this story. I started a new job and I have to be going every day of the week for two weeks for training. Tomorrow will start my second week and after that, I will have more time to write again. For now, I hope you all enjoy this update. I shall try my best to update the next chapter tomorrow after work, but no promises. This story only needs a couple of more chapters and it shall be complete. (Don't ask how many, because I honestly don't know.) Happy reading! :)
In order for Regina not to see her, Emma would have to turn invisible.
"Ah, perfect." Sidney nodded as he was given a large bouquet of flowers. "These will do just fine."
"I can carry them for you, sir." Emma offers, quickly holding out her arms to hold onto the vase.
"Thank you. Follow me." Sidney marches toward the familiar direction of the York Suite. He didn't stop until they stood before the door and knocked. "Ms. Mills, may we enter? It's Sidney."
Emma's heart pounded at his announcement, so loud it drummed in her ears.
"Come on in." Regina's voice sounded behind the door.
Emma may not be able to become invisible, but Emma did the next best thing she could think of…
As Sidney opened the doors, and while Regina was busy holding Pongo back by his collar, trying to calm his barking, Emma used the large vase of flowers as her invisibility cloak to hide her face as she marched past Sidney and over to the dining area.
"It's okay, Pongo. Settle down." Regina smiles at her canine companion as he lets out a low growl before finally calming down. "Good boy." She scratches his head before releasing him to roam free within the suite.
Emma's hands were shaking so much, she was amazed the glass vase didn't slip right through her fingers. However she did knock the bottom of it against one of the chairs in the dining room, to which she flinched. "Sorry, sir." She murmured under her breath, setting down the vase carefully in the middle of the table.
"It's quite alright." Said Sidney. His hands smoothed out the golden yellow table cloth, not wanting a single wrinkle to show.
Emma controlled her trembling hands a little as she had to carry a tray with empty crystal wine and water glasses. Once again using it as an invisibility cloak to hide her face, in case Regina decided to walk into the dining area- to which Emma prayed to all the Gods above that she didn't. But bumping into her would be inevitable. She was conscious of that.
She's bent down, her breasts almost touching the table; trying to keep herself as hidden as possible while setting a water glass, followed by a wine glass to the right of the table mat. She's trying to move as fast as she possibly could to get the hell out of here. However she stops at the sight of a plush penguin sitting in one of the chairs and can't help but smile at the sight of it. Regina must have bought it the day she left her at the zoo.
Emma's relationship history has always been shit, but she had developed enough experience to know that if Regina went through all this trouble of setting up this romantic lunch for them, including a penguin to witness an event that Emma would give anything to actually be a part of- that could only mean that Regina had really liked her since the day they met. She could see it in the way Regina's brown eyes sparkled as she looked at her. Emma wondered if Regina could tell how much her own eyes sparkled around her.
Who knew Candidate Mills was such a romantic, despite all the rumors circulating on her track record regarding women?
"Be sure to place the water glasses three inches East of the wine glasses. Make a perfect triangle." Said Sidney, startling Emma as she quickly glanced at him over her shoulder.
"Yes, sir." Emma followed instructions to a tee, desperately trying to not screw this up by allowing her nerves to get the better of her, but that proved to be hard right now.
Knock, knock, knock… The three gentle knocks that sounded at the door matched the pounding rhythm of Emma's heart as she stood up-right.
"Let's take our places." Sidney said, standing aside, back straight.
Emma took a step back, hiding behind folding screens that had been placed along the dining area. She caught a quick glance of Regina's smile that reached her eyes. Her steps were so quick, excitingly strutting toward the door, eager to answer and hoping to see Emma's face smiling back at her. It made her sad that once Regina opened that door, she would be greatly disappointed.
"I'm coming." Regina eagerly turns the knob, "Emilia!" Her smile that reached her eyes disappeared at the sight of the unfamiliar face.
"Regina, darling!" Emilia grinned, placing a kiss along Regina's cheek. "It's so wonderful to see you again."
Regina blinked, following Emilia as she walked past her, entering her suite as if it was her own home. "Emilia?" Her head tilts quizzically and with every amount of confusion there was to have.
"Oh! You're an animal lover, too?" Emilia grins, her nails barely scratching Pongo's head. "How lovely. I just love dogs."
Regina shuts the door and races behind Emilia.
"Oh, look at this!" Emilia races toward the plush penguin, picking it up and holding it against her chest. "How sweet of you to remember. However, I hope you didn't think I needed reminding." Her grin is every bit flirtatious.
"Emilia?" Regina's brow wrinkles along the middle in a state of confusion that the real Emilia is completely oblivious to, while Emma's eyes slowly close as she remains hidden behind the folding screens.
Is this some kind of sick, twisted joke? Regina thought, literally feeling speechless. This woman wasn't Emilia. She couldn't be! Emilia had golden-blonde hair and the most gorgeous pair of green eyes she had ever seen on a woman in her entire life. Dimples formed along her cheeks every single time her smile widened so big it reached the expression lines along her eyes. This isn't Emilia!
"You know, I just knew that you and I shared a moment when we saw each other at the Hamptons charity event." Emilia's voice drops seductively as she stands an inch close to Regina. She's so close, her lips brush against Regina's own; Emilia feels the need to press a kiss against them.
As soon as Emilia welcomes herself further inside Regina's suite, making herself comfortable along her couch, Regina turns to Sidney and gives him a questioning and confusing, wide-eyed glare; to which Sidney's expression is filled with as much confusion as Regina's.
"Oh, by the way, darling," Emilia calls out from within the living room, her leg elegantly crossing over the other so that the skin along her thigh is purposely exposed while her hand elegantly brushes along her hair. "Dear old Roger Calloway sends his salutations." She grins.
Roger Calloway was an ex-candidate that everyone knew. He was rooting for Regina, which she was thankful for having him on her side.
"Oh, yes, Roger…" Regina walks her way into the living room, forcing her feet to move until she's standing in front of Emilia. She puts on her best smile, practically forcing it to not be rude. "H- how is he these days?"
"Oh, well, he's drinking again, but you didn't hear it from me." Emilia whispers, loving gossip as much as the next person.
Regina forces another smile out of her lips, still wondering to herself, just where the hell was the real Emilia? "W- w- would you excuse me for just a moment? I'll be right back."
"Of course, darling. Don't you worry. I have no intention of going anywhere." Emilia grins, throwing a seductive wink Regina's way.
Regina lets out a chuckle that comes out more as a choking sound, "Great." She murmurs, quickly marching out of the living room and directly toward Sidney.
Emma's eyes grew wide as she was coming out from behind the folding screen at exactly the same time Regina was marching toward Sidney. The silver platter with a silver pitcher rattled in her hands as fast as Emma turned on the heels of her feet and marched back into the kitchen before Regina could see her face.
Sidney's head whipped around, noticing Emma's behavior, which he caught onto as soon as they entered the suite; before he turned back to Regina, who is standing close to him now.
"Sidney…" Regina keeps her voice to a whisper, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder at Emilia, who unknowingly grins back before Regina turns back to Sidney. "Who- who is that over there?" She asks.
Sidney frowns quizzically, his eyes locked onto Regina's confused ones. "Emilia Clarke, ma'am." He replies.
Regina turns back to glance at Emilia, hoping to see the blonde hair and green eyes, but she doesn't. She turns back to Sidney, her quizzical state even more of an enigma. "No, Sidney… Forgive me, but that's not Emilia Clarke."
The tone in Regina's voice not only sounded surprised, but the woman sounded so sure that even Sidney questioned himself at the moment. "She's not, ma'am?"
"No." Regina shakes her head.
Sidney's brow furrows quizzically. He knows every guest that comes in and out of this hotel. He may have his years on every wrinkle of his face or white hair along his head, but he praised himself for having a very photographic memory. "Are you absolutely sure, ma'am?" He asked.
"Completely." Regina said quite sternly and very surely.
The crease along Sidney's brow deepens.
Emilia waves Pongo away as he stands too close to her for her liking. Her eyes spot the invitation to Monday night's dinner, and she can't help but sweep it up and grin. "Oh! Belfry's dinner on Monday, huh? How lovely!"
Regina feels a wave of disappointment wash over her as she marches back into the living room, "Oh, yes. Are- are you going?" She asks, afraid to know the answer.
"Well, if you'll be there, darling…" Emilia grins.
This was an absolute nightmare. That's what this was. Regina was asleep right now and having a bad dream. She needed to wake up. The sooner she would wake up, the sooner she would see the real Emilia's beautiful face.
"You know something… Emilia?" Regina forces out her chuckle like she forces out the name, "I must have met the woman that was staying with you the other day. A beautiful woman, porcelain skin, she had a little ten year old boy."
Sidney's brow furrows deeply again as he is able to hear what Regina is saying.
"A little boy?" Emilia's head tilts rather quizzically, her finger twirling a strand of her- what Regina noticed to be- dirty blonde hair. "Oh!" She chuckles, grinning once more. "Do you mean my friend Rachel?"
Rachel? Regina's brow furrows deeply. Who the hell is Rachel? Was she in the twilight zone right now? On some kind of TV-show prank kind of situation?
"Well-" Emilia continues with her long tale, oblivious to Regina's confusing state. "She's not really my friend. And if you ask me, she shouldn't have any more kids. I hear she's planning for another pregnancy, but is having such a difficult time with it with her age. Of course, you didn't hear that from me." She whispers in secret.
Regina's eyes narrow. "And you're… You are staying in the Park suite… Aren't you, Emilia?"
"Yes. Yes, I am." Emilia grins, extending both arms along the couch.
"Right, well…" Regina chuckles in even more confusion. "Imagine my surprise. It's really, it's the damnedest thing." Emilia gives off a squeaky laugh that Regina wishes she never has to hear again after today. "Would you excuse me for another moment, please?"
"Of course. But, don't be long." Emilia winks, causing Regina to speed her way out of the room.
Sidney moves quietly along to the kitchen where Emma had already placed the meal onto the plates very elegantly. And she's wrapping a wine bottle in a white table cloth to finish. "Hm," Sidney hums in satisfaction as he studies how well Emma served the lunch entry. "The salmon is perfect, Ms. Swan." His eyes look to Emma. "Your whole presentation today has been excellent. Well done."
"Thank you, sir." Emma nods, holding back on the smile that wanted to stretch along the corners of her lips. Even the good news of her 'excellent presentation' as Sidney called it couldn't stop her knot of nerves from tightening tighter inside of her stomach right now. Especially when Regina burst into the kitchen so fast, the swinging door banged hard along the wall. And Emma whirled her body around to give her back to the brunette before she could be recognized by her.
"Sidney. She's about 5'5", blonde hair like the sun, green eyes, very beautiful; has a kid named Henry- now what the hell happened?" Regina stands before Sidney with the same amount of desperation in her eyes as there was in her voice. It made Emma's heart break as she stood with her back to the woman and as still as she's ever stood, clutching the bottle of wine along her chest.
"I- I'm terribly sorry, ma'am." Sidney remained confused, however, taking in the description Regina gave her to memory.
"Don't be sorry, just find her." Regina said, a bit sternly.
"Oh, Regina, darling! Did I tell you how much I loved your quote in the Times?" Emilia's voice is heard coming from the other room and through the kitchen door that it makes Regina's head whirl around and back to Sidney again.
"Sidney, I am begging you. Find her. Please." Regina would get on her knees and beg to see the woman that just with a single day stole her heart, if it wasn't that she needed to get back out there and entertain someone else who wasn't her Emilia.
As soon as Regina made her way out of the kitchen, Emma slowly turned on the balls of her feet, the same wine bottle clutched along her chest. She could feel Sidney's eyes trained on her, tracking every move she made, but she didn't dare look at him as she simply placed the bottle into the ice bucket before slowly and as calmly as possible walking back out.
"The way you carried yourself throughout that interview in the Times, it was so… Inspirational." Emilia had welcomed herself to take a seat along the dining table, where Regina had no choice but to join her.
"Thank you." Regina gave a forced smile.
She could ask her to leave. Tell this woman that this was all just a grave misunderstanding. That she wasn't the woman she was hoping to sit here with and enjoy what was supposed to be the most wonderful lunch in the most wonderful company she's ever had the pleasure of experiencing. But Regina was beyond confused right now. Her brain was so clouded by confusion that she couldn't understand anything right now. Absolutely nothing made sense.
How could this possibly be Emilia Clarke from the Park Suite? That's all her brain repeated to her, over and over. She was sure this had to be some kind of prank. From Killian most likely.
Sidney moved calmly behind Emma, observing her body language. It was tense, judging from how stiff her back remained as she made her way into the dining room, hiding her face the entire time. Never turning to face Regina or Emilia.
"You know, I just love a woman that isn't afraid to speak her mind. I mean, it is just so sexy." Emilia teasingly leans closer.
While Regina sits further back, quickly reaching for her empty wine glass and holding it in between them to prevent Emilia from leaning any closer. "Wine?" She offers.
"Oh, yes!" Emilia grins, reaching for her own glass of wine. She holds it up as her eyes spot Emma's familiar figure. "Oh, Emily! Could we have some wine, please?"
Emma's heart stops as she clutches the bucket so hard, her knuckles turn practically white.
She's about to turn, seeing no other choice in the matter, when Sidney takes pity on her and reaches for the ice bucket. "Please. Allow me," Sidney whispers, seeing Emma's body instantly relax at the sound of his voice. "That'll be all, Ms. Swan. You may go."
"Yes, sir. Thank you." Emma replies in an equal whisper, wasting no time in marching out of that suite. And it wasn't until she stood out in the hallway that she was able to draw in a breath.
Emma sighed at the end of her shift, clocking herself out. "Alright, Marco. I'll see you tomorrow, huh? Bright and early-" She stops as she notices the knowing glare and tiny smirk playing along his thin lips. "What? What's that look you're giving me?" She asks, feeling her heart accelerate inside of her chest.
"You tell me." Marco's body leans along his booth, his smirk growing. "Did you have an interesting lunch today?"
"Alright- what are you getting at?" Emma glares.
"Emma… How many times have you watched the monitors with me? And how many times have we both watched the comings and goings that happen in this hotel? Don't try to make a fool out of me now. It's insulting and hurtful."
Emma frowns, her nerves ready to skyrocket. She should have known that if anyone would recognize her quickly- even if she wore another woman's clothes- it would be Marco.
"Now, you know I am obligated to report any mishaps of any employee." Marco's brow lifts.
"Marco, listen-" Emma breathes.
"Emma." Marco's glare intensifies. "You also know that there is only one thing that can make me shut my mouth." To Emma's relief, his eyes soften before her as his body leans further in. His long finger tapped along his scruffy cheek.
A rattled laughter escapes Emma's chest as her body relaxes once again. She leans in and places a kiss along Marco's cheek. His beard tickled her slightly. "You are one piece of work, Marco." She said.
Marco chuckles, the wrinkles along his eyes very visible. "Ah, but you have made a tired old man very happy."
"I'll see you tomorrow." Emma waves.
"You know, if you ask me…" Marco leans against his booth once more. "That woman is crazy about you."
Emma breathes out a light chuckle, "Except it's not me she really wants, Marco. It was all a lie. And Regina-" She halts. "She probably looks at every beautiful woman like that."
"Emma, Emma, Emma…" Marco shakes his head. "You'd be wise to listen to an old man like me. I know these things. I read the papers, I know what they say about her, and I'm telling you- a woman like that-" his finger points in no particular direction. "She will stop at nothing to see you again. And I know, you too, want to see her again. And if you ask me, those clothes looked better on you than they do on Ms. Emilia Clarke." He winks.
Emma laughs a little, shaking her head. "I have to get going. Henry's probably anxious to go home. I'll see you tomorrow." She waves.
It was Saturday, and apart from not having any school, Henry was ecstatic with the idea of- "Mom, can I-?"
"No." Emma said sternly, holding her son's hand as they crossed the street.
"But, you don't even know what I'm going to say!"
"I know exactly what you're going to say, kid, and the answer is no- you absolutely cannot see Regina today. Just because you're going to work with me, doesn't mean you can roam free whenever you want." Said Emma.
Henry rolled his eyes and remained silent.
Regina hands back a magazine to a young woman. "Here you go. It was a pleasure meeting you." She smiles.
"The pleasure was all mine, Ms. Mills." The woman smiled.
"Regina, there you are-" Killian steps out of the hotel building, meeting Regina by the limousine.
Regina's eyes grow suddenly wide as she spots Emilia walking out a few feet behind Killian. Her reaction was to grab Killian by the arm and push him into the opened door of the limousine, climbing in right after. "Get in the car, Killian!"
"What is wrong with you?" Killian's brow furrows, feeling his body being shoved into the vehicle. "Hey, watch the suit, will you?"
"Just get in the car! Drive, please, Ben." Regina instructs, lowering herself within her seat to hide before Emilia could spot her. She could hear the tires of the limo screech along the pavement as she looked out of the rear window. "Did she see me? Do you think she saw me?"
"No, you're fine, Regina. She didn't see you." Killian straightens his tie, hearing Regina release a sharp sigh. "What the hell is wrong with you? I thought you liked her. Which, I have to say, I thought you and the idea of this woman was crazy, but I checked her out, and as it turns out- she's actually a really nice girl. She comes from a respectable background, her family has money, she's politically neutral and not to mention-" he holds up a finger. "There are no naked pictures of her anywhere on the internet."
Regina shakes her head, "That wasn't the woman I wanted, Killian."
Killian's head tilts quizzically, "Well, I don't know what to tell you, Regina. I spoke to the manager in the lobby, and he assured me that that's the only Emilia Clarke staying in the Park Suite."
"Wait," Regina's eyes light up at the sight of Emma, walking along the sidewalk, hand in hand with Henry. "Killian, that's her! There she is." She smiles. "Ben, stop the car, please."
"Regina, hang on a minute-" Killian groaned and rolled his eyes. "Never listens to me."
"Come on, kid, I'm gonna be late for work." Emma hurried along the sidewalk.
"Henry! Emilia!" Regina's smile grows as she exits her car, happy to be standing in front of who had become her two favorite people in the world in just a short time. "Hi, Henry."
"Hi, Regina!" Henry grins happily.
It still surprises Emma how fast her heart stops as she stands in front of Regina. She can't help but look at her smile, how beautiful it is. It's so wide it reaches her eyes.
"Would you like to hear a funny story?" Regina chuckles, all too happy to be standing in front of Emma again. "I invited you to lunch the other day, only it wasn't you who showed up at my suite."
"Oh." Emma blinks.
"Are you still staying in the Hamptons?" Regina asks.
"Oh, uh… No." Emma shakes her head. "Henry and I, we actually moved uptown- you know," she waves her hand. "Way up town." She chuckles nervously.
"Oh." Regina feels a small wave of disappointment. "Well, I'm actually headed out, but why don't you and Henry come with me? I'll be happy to give you a ride."
"Yeah, mom!" Henry happily jumped, pulling on his mother's coat. "Let's go!"
"No, Henry, no. Remember we are going to that party, okay?" Emma glared down at her son, pleading him to go along with her story before she turns back to Regina. "We'll just walk there. We'll be fine." She smiles.
"Well, how can I contact you? I would really love to talk to you again." Said Regina, wishing Emma didn't have to leave. She would love to go to a party with her if it wasn't for her busy schedule.
"Her cell's nine-one-seven-" Henry's mouth is quickly cupped by Emma's hands.
"You know what?" Killian withdraws a business card along with his name and phone number on it. "Regina actually has to get going, but why don't I write her phone number on here and you can call her, okay?" His hand quickly scribbles down Regina's cell number.
Henry quickly snatches the card from Killian's hand. "Thanks." He grins.
Regina chuckles at how eager Henry is, pretty much as eager as Regina is to hear from Emma again. "Emilia, please, call me anytime. Don't hesitate. In fact, call me in an hour, okay?"
"She'll call, Regina, she'll call-" Killian reaches for the brunette's arm. "Come on, you have to give a speech in the Bronx in about an hour. I need you there."
"You're going to the Bronx?" Emma asks.
"Yeah." Regina smiles.
"What for?"
"Housing projects. I'm going down there to shine some light on the living conditions."
"Oh." Emma nods. "Interesting."
"Great, now that we all know what we're doing with our day- let's go, Regina, we gotta go-" Killian pulls her toward the vehicle.
Regina yanks her hand away and walks back to Emma. "What are you not saying?"
Emma blinks, "Nothing. Why?"
"Tell me."
Emma's eyes lock onto Regina's, "Well, maybe you both should spend some real time down there and then you wouldn't have to make up speeches and then have to memorize them. You know, it would be coming from some place real."
"And just how would you know that?" Killian asks, curious as ever to know about this woman that Regina seems positively infatuated with.
Emma turns to Killian, "Because I grew up there." She turns back to Regina, locking eyes. "I lived in a four-block radius my whole life. Bye, Regina. Let's go, Henry."
"But, mom-" Henry frowns, following his mother.
Regina's smile grows, stretching along the corner's of her lips. She could feel her heart dance inside of her chest simply from seeing Emma again. She couldn't even begin to imagine what her heart would do if she dared to kiss her. But she was willing to find out, even if the very action killed her. She had to see her again.
"Well, that was fun. Now, let's go. You have that speech to give." Killian walked over to the limo, holding open the passenger door. "Regina." He rolls his eyes as he has practically grab the woman by the arm and drag her toward the car to get her to move. "Come on, let's go, let's go, let's go."
Regina chuckled as she sat in her seat, feeling the limo drive off toward their destination. She could feel Killian's eyes on her, but she didn't care if the man thought she was crazy. Fact is, maybe she was crazy.
Killian sighed, straightening out his jacket, followed by his hair. "Who in the hell was that?" He asked Regina.
"I'll tell you who she isn't, Killian. She isn't like anyone I've ever met before." Regina grins. "And she isn't a phony either, something I've grown to love about her."
"Lo-" Killian's brows reach his hairline. "Are you listening to yourself right now, Regina? You're in the middle of a campaign, okay? You can't go on falling in love now simply to break it off with her in a couple of months."
Regina shakes her head, "This is more than that, Killian. I'm not looking to spend just a couple of months with her. I want forever with her."
Killian brow lifts, his head tilts as he studies that sparkle in Regina's eye that frankly, makes her look every bit crazy.
Regina's grin grows as she happily chuckles. "I'll make a deal with you, Killian. You want me to attend that benefit dinner Monday night? Then you get her to go, and I give you my word, I will kiss every kind of ass you want me to kiss and win that election for you. Deal?"
The corner of Killian's lip tilts into a small smile, "If that woman goes to the benefit dinner, you're telling me that for once in your life, you will listen to me?" He asks.
Regina nods and holds out her hand, her smile never leaving her. "We have a deal?" She asks.
Killian grins, "Alright, sure. You got a deal." He firmly shakes Regina's hand, sharing a large smile with her.
Regina breathed in through her nose, feeling absolutely happy for the rest of the day. Her heart raced to the thought of seeing Emma again. She had never felt so eager for an event in her entire life.