A Step Back or A Stumble Foward?
Emma's Point of View
“Earth to Emma…are you still there?” I look up and Regina is staring at me confused and I blink and mumble a quick sorry. “Sorry Regina, I got a little lost in thought there for a second. Did you ask me something?” Ugh, I am so frustrated because it was not real, it was a day dream. I did not really ask Regina out, but it feel so real. I really do want to ask her, but I am just now starting to accept my sexuality and I know very little about dating women. How in the hell would I ask such a beautiful woman out and she is probably not into women anyway. I cannot help but wonder if she would say yes if I asked her. All I can do is bite my bottom lip and listen to her magical voice. Unfortunately, I cannot stop my eyes from staring at those beautiful plump red lips and it doesn’t help that every few minutes she will run her tongue over her bottom lip. It is taking everything that I have to not groan and punce across the table to take those lips with my own.
Regina’s POV
Emma is the first person who has shown any interest in knowing me for me. She knows who my mother is and doesn’t even care. Also, the fact that she can quote my work back to me is a huge turn on for me. Also, she has had a brain crush on me? I have never heard of such a thing, but that is hot. She looked like she wanted to say something, but it never came out. She seemed to be lost in thought about something and spaced out on me. I decided to interrupt whatever mental journey she was taking because I did not want her to come to her senses and leave. “Earth to Emma…you still there?” She looks back at me and smiles and mumbles an apology. She starts biting that bottom lip and stares at my lips. Sporadically, I run my tongue over my bottom lip and I can see her visibly start every time I do it. She is much too easy to play with and I love it. She is so shy and innocent.
I want to know everything about her and I want to ask her out, but I do not know what is going on between her and Mr. leather pants. Also, what about that guy David? Charming? Who are they to each other because there is definitely chemistry there, but at the same time it sounded like he was trying to help her game with me. Damn!
“So Em-ma” She looks at me and flutters her eyelashes. I pause for a moment to take in her pale skin and long golden blonde hair. It is honestly breath taking and I have never been able to enjoy it because she always has it in a French braid for work. I want to run my fingers through it until they are tangled in those blonde locks. Right then I hear, “hello love.”
I look over at Emma and her face goes from content into an angry scowl. Leave it to Killian Jones to ruin a moment. I turn to glare at him and he takes a step back and coughs “Dr. Mills, how are you this afternoon.” I know he is in college, but for the love of god, can I give this idiot detention? “I am doing well Mr. Jones. Don’t you have some reading to catch up with or a keg waiting on you somewhere?” I hate that this ignoramus is interrupting my time with my Emma. Regina, no! She is not your Emma, at least not yet. This is a delicious avenue of thought that I will have to continue later.
I hear Emma snicker behind me and it warms my heart. I look behind me and give her a wink and her checks color with a slight blush. I love the effect that I have on her and I hate that Mr. Jones is here to take that away from me. I do not think that there is anything going on between them after the scene I saw last week. Apparently, Mr. leather pants seems to have a way with the ladies if the way the girls in my class fawn over him is anything to go by, which in my opinion it is not. He seems to think he has some claim over her and her demeanor is much more closed off than when it is just me. I’m still looking at Emma trying to access where she is because the blush is long gone and she has a blank expression.
Then Killian says “Emma, love, we really need to talk. Will you please give me a chance to speak with you?” Emma maintains the same face and takes a deep breath then looks at him. “Killian, this is not appropriate and we really have nothing to speak about if it is not about work. We cannot keep beating this dead horse hoping it will move.” she takes a pause and looks him dead in the eye. “Because sweetheart, dead horses do not walk.”
It is kind of taking everything I have to not laugh right now because who speaks like that? Emma is still staring intensely at Killian and I hear him scuff his shoe on the concrete. I look at him and he seems deep in thought. Then I have to strain to hear him say “Emma please.” Emma closes her eyes and says gently “Killian, let it go. You only want me because I do not want to date you anymore. It was not fun for me and I should have never agreed because you are not my type.” Her eyes leave him for just a second and her eyes flick to me for a brief second before going back to him. There was a small fire behind those eyes and for the briefest of seconds I thought they were slightly darker. I lose what she is saying to him then because what did that look mean? Did she look at because she is interested in me like I am interested in her? I just want to get to know her.
I get pulled back to reality and their conversation by Killian shouting. I think I missed something important because I hear “is there something going on between you and David?” David, who is David? Oh Charming! Wait? Are they together? It seemed to me that this David was trying to help her get to know me. Why is this so confusing, so I go back to Killian’s shouting. “Emma, are you in love with him? Is he cheating on you with Robin? Does Robin know?” Emma puts her hand over her face and takes a deep breath. She is not in a hurry to correct him and who is Robin?
All of sudden, Killian is coming around the table at her and he goes to hit her and I see her flinch and freeze like someone who has been abused. She snaps out of it and jumps from the chair and somehow manages to pin Killian to the building. I do not know how her writhe frame was able to do it, but damn that was hot. “Killian, you know damn well there is nothing going on between me and David. He is gay and he would never cheat on Hood.” Oh Mr. Hood from my class and now it explains why he would openly make fun of Killian in front of his fellow students. He is friends with Emma and he knows Killian is harassing her. “Killian, I love David like a brother and he has been there for me through a lot. He is one of the most important people to me and you could never accept that. You were always jealous of the one person who would never had tried to come between us. Now please stop embarrassing yourself in front of our customers and get your shit together because Lou has been standing at the door staring this whole time. If I let you go, will you be calm?”
He gives a subtle nod of his head and she lets him loose then takes a step back. She is still eying him warily, which turns out to be a wise choice because he goes at her again. She was prepared and kicks him in the balls…again. She shouts “Damn it Killian! What the Hell?” He groans on the ground.
Right then the door for the store opens and a woman in her late fifties with white hair and glasses comes out in a Starbucks apron. She rubs her hand on Emma’s back and says something in her ear. Emma subtly nods and backs up from them. Emma looks a little scared, so I walk up and grab her hand. I intertwine our fingers and she flinches at the initial touch, but then looks at our hands then. She gives me a small smile.
“Lou, did you see Emma attack me for no reason” Killian grunts out to the older woman. The woman rolls her eyes and speaks with a sharp gruff manor “Killian, I saw the whole thing as did a lot of our customers. Emma has also been smart about reporting your harassment of her to me. Killian, why in the hell have you been outside her door at 3 a.m. every morning for the last two weeks?” Killian does not respond, but has the decency to look ashamed. The problem is it is not the appropriate level of shame for the situation, but rather a kid who has been caught taking a cookie jar before dinner level of shame. He is acting like he has not done anything wrong well nothing bad.
All of sudden what Lou said hits me like a ton of bricks and I feel like I need to sit down. I look at Emma because I am scared for her because he is stalking and attacking her. What else could this man have been doing to her, but that blank face is back and not giving anything away. I squeeze her hand and for a second I thought she wouldn’t respond, but she gives me a quick squeeze back.
The woman named Lou is still yelling at Killian and has apparently told him to not come back until she has called corporate. Killian is up on his feet again and staring at Emma. “Emma” he bites out. “Do not do this. I know there is something between us. We could be good together again." He takes a step towards her, she takes a step back, and I notice her hand is not in mine anymore. All of a sudden, David is standing between Emma and Killian. I am jealous that David was able to be there to protect her because so far I have only stood to the side and watched. David eyes Killian for a moment and Killian still doesn’t move.
“Killian, you need to leave. Emma is done, man. Hood will call your dad if you don’t let this drop and I know you do not want the captain in Charleston.” Killian gives David the evil eye and mutters something about telling Robin about Emma and David. After Killian has successfully walked away, David whispers something in Emma’s ear, rubs her back, and then pulls her in to a bear hug.
I see now why Killian was so jealous because right then David picks Emma up and spins her around before he puts her down. She gives him a peck on the check. As I am watching the scene, I look in to their eyes and I see that while they do love each other they are not in love with each other. David says something about getting his things and then they can go. Lou says something to Emma before walking back into the store and Emma nods.
Emma walks over to me and gives me a soft smile. “Thank you for everything back there. I am really sorry that you had to see all of that and I am unsure what has gotten into him.” She looks like she knows exactly what has gotten into him, but she doesn’t say. I study her for a moment, “Emma, I did not do anything, but you were so brave and you are so beautiful.” I go to move her hair behind her ear, but right at that moment David says her name and I snatch my hand away. “Ready Em? You okay?” Emma is staring at me and she looks a little dazed. She looks at David and nods with a smile.
“Regina, I had fun talking to you today. I am sorry it got interrupted and I hope I get to do it again soon.” At that moment I feel her hand in mine and she gives it a quick squeeze before dropping it again. I give her a smirk “No problem dear and now that you know my name, who knows what trouble we will get in to.” I give her a wink and start to walk away. All of a sudden I hear a whistle and I turn back and David is pulling his fingers out of his mouth. Emma wakes up from clearly checking me out, which was the plan, and punches David in the shoulder. He starts laughing while she is pushing him away and she gives me another small wave before they turn to go.
I chuckle to myself and head home because I have to get ready to go out with my sister Zelena while she is town. Plus, we have to celebrate my move and check out the Charleston night life. I have no idea how she got away from my mother because Zelena is her chief of staff. I do know how she got away and I choose to ignore it. Zelena is here to spy for mother, but we have an agreement about what she shares with her. This way we can still enjoy being sisters and mother will get off my back for a couple of weeks. Tonight is going to wickedly delicious.