Chapter Text
“Hey, the Oaxaca is back in stock!”
The voice was sudden and assertively cheerful, and Regina, who had been minding her own business reading the ingredients list on the superfood granola to check for quinoa, started. Looking up, she saw that it was the very attractive blonde employee who was really one of the best things about shopping at this natural grocery store, whose nametag, with its little rainbow over the “Emma,” she knew she should not have memorized. And she had no idea what she had just said. “I’m sorry, what?”
“The bulk single-origin Oaxaca coffee? You were looking for it last week and we were out.”
Regina knew she shouldn’t be quite as pleased by her remembering that and seeking her out to tell her as she was, and she managed to keep her response to a “That’s so kind of you to remember” that she hoped sounded casual.
“Well, I see you here a lot- I mean, you’re such a loyal customer, and it’s- uh- important to keep people coming back?”
“Right,” Regina said with a little chuckle. The way Emma would trip over her tongue sometimes was so adorable. But she knew she shouldn’t linger, and instead just pushed her cart off in the direction of the coffee.
--
“Hey, the Oaxaca is back in stock!” Emma managed, just barely, not to wince at her own excessively cheerful intensity.
The dark-haired woman looked up, startled. “I’m sorry, what?”
“The bulk single-origin Oaxaca coffee? You were looking for it last week and we were out.”
The woman smiled. “That’s so kind of you to remember.”
“Well, I see you here a lot- I mean, you’re such a loyal customer, and it’s- uh- important to keep people coming back?” Well that was phenomenally stupid.
“Right.” The woman chuckled, then pushed her cart off in the direction of the coffee.
“Smooth, Swan,” Ruby said from where she was stocking on the other side of the aisle.
“Shut up.”
--
“Lasagna?” Emma asked.
The woman was startled again. She really had to stop doing that. “What’s that?”
Emma pointed at the groceries that were in her cart. “Looks like you’ve got ingredients for lasagna.”
The woman raised an eyebrow. “What gave it away, the noodles?”
“No- I-” Maybe someday she’d stop sticking her foot in her mouth with this woman, but she was so gorgeous that she really doubted it.
The woman laughed. “But I’ll let you in on a little secret.”
“Yeah?”
“This is the best lasagna you’ve ever tasted,” she said, her voice low and conspiratorial.
“Really?” Emma felt her mouth water, and she was not entirely sure if it was for this woman or her cooking. “What’s the magic ingredient?”
“Ingredients. Including pork in the meat, bechamel, and red pepper flakes.” She counted them off on her fingers.
Emma stared at her hands, mesmerized, for longer than she should, then blurted, “I’d love to try it sometime- uh- I mean- with the recipe. Not, uh, inviting myself to dinner.” Then she laughed uneasily.
“If I gave you the recipe, I’d have to kill you,” the woman said, then chuckled at the startled look on her face as she walked away.
--
“Lasagna?”
Regina looked up guiltily from where she had been pondering the wine. She knew she should not be embarrassed that she was contemplating buying rosé, but it felt like UGGs or a Pumpkin Spice Latte, a guilty pleasure she wasn’t supposed to like, and especially embarrassing to be caught looking at it by her favorite employee, who was standing beside her. But really, the store had decided to carry it in the first place, so it couldn’t be that déclassé. Right? “What’s that?”
Emma pointed at the cart. “Looks like you’ve got ingredients for lasagna.”
The idea that she was monitoring her purchases didn’t help with feeling exposed about her wine choices, and Regina bristled. “What gave it away, the noodles?” she snarked.
Emma’s eyes went wide and she sputtered “No- I-”
The panic was adorable and Regina relented, laughing. “But I’ll let you in on a little secret.”
“Yeah?”
Without quite deciding to do it, Regina leaned in and said in a low, intimate voice, “This is the best lasagna you’ve ever tasted.”
“Really? What’s the magic ingredient?”
Regina was pleased that Emma seemed so riveted, so she kept the secretive tone going. “Ingredients,” she emphasized. “Including pork in the meat, bechamel, and red pepper flakes.” She counted them off on her fingers.
“I’d love to try it sometime- uh- I mean- with the recipe. Not, uh, inviting myself to dinner.” She laughed uneasily, and her discombobulation was adorable.
But Regina also realized that she was getting far too intimate with this person she knew only from being an employee in her store. You really ought not to flirt with someone in their workplace, after all. So, regretfully, she ended the conversation with “If I gave you the recipe, I’d have to kill you” and a light chuckle as she walked away.
--
Spotting Emma stocking in an aisle, Regina found herself walking over toward her without really meaning to. She needed a reason, and preferably before she was spotted bearing down on her with a shopping cart. Just as she arrived, it came to her, and she blurted, “What’s new?”
Emma looked up, startled. “I’m sorry?”
Regina felt like an idiot as she clarified, “Any new products I should know about?”
“Oh,” Emma said with a small laugh. “We’ve got some nice new organic quinoa.”
“You know, it’s weird, but I can’t have quinoa.”
“That is weird, it’s true.” Regina saw her go almost cross-eyed as she realized how that would sound, and it was adorable. When she added “We also just got some nice mozzarella di bufala that might be up your alley?” it came out in a rush.
She couldn’t help teasing her. “Now you’re just trying to get yourself invited for lasagna.”
Emma relaxed a bit. “Is it working?” Her smile could light up the whole room.
“Maybe,” Regina answered, feeling entirely too smitten.
--
“What’s new?”
Emma looked up, startled. It was her favorite customer. Trying to- ask how she was doing? “I’m sorry?”
“Any new products I should know about?”
“Oh,” Emma said with a little uncomfortable laugh at her own stupidity to think it was anything else. “We’ve got some nice new organic quinoa.”
The woman’s brow furrowed adorably. “You know, it’s weird, but I can’t have quinoa.”
“That is weird, it’s true.” Fuck, why did I tell her she’s weird? “We also just got some nice mozzarella di bufala that might be up your alley?” she hastened to add.
“Now you’re just trying to get yourself invited for lasagna,” the woman said with a raised eyebrow.
“Is it working?” Emma said back with a grin.
“Maybe.”
--
Regina looked at the map of the booth area that she’d gotten at the entrance to the Pride Fest. She never liked going to the parade, because standing around in the sun to watch a bunch of stupid floats go by seemed like a terrible way to spend an afternoon. But going to the festival was always a great opportunity to see if there were any new community organizations or queer-owned businesses since last year.
She was plotting out her route for maximum efficiency when a flash of bright color caught her eye. Turning, she saw that it was a pride t-shirt moving in the breeze at a nearby booth. She usually thought pride merchandise was a little silly, but the shirts at this booth actually had some pretty good puns, and she did appreciate clever wordplay. Maybe she’d get one. Then there was motion from her other side, and she turned just in time to see her favorite employee from the natural grocery store stumbling toward her.
Emma straightened up, looking a bit embarrassed as she pushed her hair back and said, “Hiii.”
“Hi,” she replied, startled.
“Fancy meeting you here.”
Regina bristled. Had Emma assumed she was straight? “Why wouldn’t I be here?”
“Um- uh- I mean- just- it’s not where I’m used to seeing you?”
Regina relaxed. She knew she shouldn’t be so touchy about it, but so many pushy heterosexual men had hit on her just this week, and it felt especially annoying during Pride month.
“I’m Emma, by the way.”
“I know.” She couldn’t help laughing at the confusion that crossed Emma’s face. It was somehow adorable for her to have forgotten what her own work uniform involved. “You’re usually wearing a nametag,” she explained gently.
“Oh. Right.” Emma nodded, and kept nodding expectantly.
Then it hit her. “Oh, I’m Regina. I realized I hadn’t said that.”
“Nice to meet you. Like, officially.”
They smiled at each other for a moment, and it felt like they were on the edge of something.
Then suddenly, Emma blurted, “So, I just got here and I haven’t walked around to see everything yet. Have you?”
Regina blinked in surprise for a moment, but answered, “No, not yet.”
“Want to go together?”
Regina smiled. “I’d like that.”
--
“Hey Em, isn’t that your favorite customer?”
“What?” But she followed Ruby’s line of sight and sure enough, there she was, the gorgeous brunette from the grocery store. At the pride festival. “Shit, it is.”
“Well go flirt with her, dummy!”
Emma wanted to. She really, really wanted to. But it felt too good to be true. “She’s probably just a lesbian supporter.”
“You better hope she’s a morosexual, because you are fucking dumb, Swan.” Ruby hooked her arm into Emma’s and dragged her over to where the woman was standing. By the time they were beside her, she had turned to look at a booth selling pride t-shirts. Ruby grabbed her arm harder as if to say I told you so, then shoved her in her general direction.
Emma stumbled, but managed not to crash into her, straightening up and pushing her hair back as she said, “Hiii.”
“Hi,” she said, startled.
“Fancy meeting you here.”
“Why wouldn’t I be here?” the woman asked sharply.
“Um- uh- I mean- just- it’s not where I’m used to seeing you?”
The woman relaxed and Emma did too.
“I’m Emma, by the way.”
“I know.” She laughed at Emma’s startled expression. “You’re usually wearing a nametag.”
“Oh. Right.” Emma nodded absently, because now she was stuck because the woman clearly didn’t want to share her name and the conversation was over and she needed to get out of it before it got any more awkward-
“Oh, I’m Regina. I realized I hadn’t said that.”
“Nice to meet you. Like, officially.” They smiled at each other for a moment, and it was casual, but Emma still had butterflies. But the moment was stretching on again and she had to get the conversation moving before it shifted into awkward. “So, I just got here and I haven’t walked around to see everything yet. Have you?”
“No, not yet.”
“Want to go together?”
“I’d like that.”
--
“Well I guess that’s everything,” Emma said as they completed the circuit of all the various vendors and community organizations. She felt like she should give Regina an out if she wanted to go do something else, but she found herself wishing their time together didn’t have to end.
“It was fun. We should get coffee or something sometime.”
“Yeah, sure.” Definitely not the worst way to see her again.
“Not much for coffee?” Regina did not miss much.
Emma shrugged. “I can get hot cocoa or something.” She smiled.
“Ah, I thought that maybe you were angling for some of my lasagna.”
Emma’s stomach chose that moment to growl, and she looked down at it like it had betrayed her.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Regina said with a laugh.
“I mean, I wouldn’t turn it down. You did hype it up pretty good.”
“It’s worthy of hype, if I do say so myself,” Regina said with a raised eyebrow. Then she held out her phone. “Here, call yourself.”
“What?”
“Call yourself,” she repeated. “On my phone. So I’ll have your number and you’ll have mine.”
“That’s really smart.”
Regina’s “I know” was impossibly sexy.
--
Realizing that they were getting close to finishing walking through all the various vendors and community organizations, Regina felt disappointed that their time together seemed to be coming to an end.
“Well I guess that’s everything,” Emma said, and there was something expectant about the way she was looking at her, and maybe she didn’t want this to end here either?
Regina decided to test it. “It was fun. We should get coffee or something sometime,” she said, carefully casual.
A little disappointment crossed Emma’s face, almost too fast to see. “Yeah, sure.”
“Not much for coffee?”
Emma shrugged. “I can get hot cocoa or something.” She smiled.
Regina smiled back at her, then decided to tease. “Ah, I thought that maybe you were angling for some of my lasagna.”
At that very moment, Emma’s stomach growled, and the way she looked at it like it had betrayed her was so adorable that Regina couldn’t help laughing. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“I mean, I wouldn’t turn it down. You did hype it up pretty good,” Emma said, sounding a bit defensive.
Regina felt a little embarrassed at that, but decided the only thing to do was have fun at her own expense, raising her eyebrow and saying, “It’s worthy of hype, if I do say so myself” in a way that she hoped was clearly silly. Then she reached into her purse and held out her phone. “Here, call yourself.”
“What?”
“Call yourself,” she repeated. “On my phone. So I’ll have your number and you’ll have mine.”
Emma looked at her with something like awe. “That’s really smart.”
“I know.”
--
Taking a deep breath, Regina checked the text one last time. Since somebody’s store had all of the ingredients of my lasagna on sale (don’t think I don’t suspect you deeply), I think I have no choice but to make it. Are you free Saturday night? It was playful. It was casual. It didn’t betray any of her anticipation of having Emma in her house where there might be kissing. She pressed send.
--
Looking down at the text, Emma had a sudden panic. Taking a screenshot, she sent it to Ruby. Is this a date?
A second later her phone rang. As soon as she picked up, Ruby exclaimed, “She’s making you dinner at her house!”
“But talking about her cooking is our thing. Because we met at the grocery!”
“You are the very personification of that Tumblr post about useless lesbians.”
“Am not,” Emma grumbled.
“Alright,” Ruby sighed. “Let me put it this way. If it was me? I would show up showered and shaved and with well-cut nails.”
“Can’t have sex right after you cut your nails,” Emma muttered. “They’re sharp.”
“File them then! You get my point.”
“Alright,” Emma said. She took a deep, steadying breath, trying to let it sink in that she had a date with the gorgeous customer she’d been swooning over for months.
Then it hit her. “What am I gonna wear?!”
--
Regina double—no, she realized, triple—checked that the apple turnover was browning properly. It wouldn’t do to have it come out looking raw. She’d also checked and rechecked her measurements on the lasagna, even though she’d made it dozens of times. She knew it was just nerves, but she felt strongly that after all the talk about her recipe she needed to deliver. And she wanted Emma to have a nice time.
Then the doorbell rang, and she started. Still had those nerves, then. Shaking it off, she went to answer the door.
When she opened it, Emma’s expression of awe as she looked her up and down and said “Hiii” told her the blue dress had been the right choice. Emma looked pretty good herself in some dark-wash jeans and a button-front shirt.
“Hi,” she said back, taking the bottle of wine Emma held out. It was of a decent vintage, and she was impressed. “Thank you,” she added as she took it and stepped back out of the doorway to let her in. “The kitchen’s just through here.” She pointed, then led the way. “I hope you don’t mind. I’m still finishing up.”
“How dare you,” Emma said.
Startled again, she looked up at her sharply.
“That was a joke.”
“Oh!” she said, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Sorry, I’m a little nervous.” Why had she admitted that? She really must be flustered.
“You are?”
Well, there was nothing to do but go straight into it now. “The charming grocery worker I’ve been admiring for months is in my house. Who wouldn’t be nervous?”
Emma looked startled. “You’ve been admiring me for months?”
“Of course.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.” She restrained herself from saying, you idiot. “You’re both cute and also smart and fun. A highlight of my grocery trips.”
“Wow. Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
Regina was aghast. “You can’t flirt with people at their workplace!”
“Why not?”
“Because you might think if you turn me down, I’d get you fired!” How did she not understand that?
“Oh. I don’t think that.” Emma paused. “But I did think that if I hit on you, it might make you uncomfortable and you might get me fired.”
“Then you see what I mean. The power dynamic is very questionable.”
“That’s a good point.” Emma grinned. “It’s a good thing I ran into you at pride.”
“Yes.”
Then her stomach growled. “Now, about that lasagna.”
Regina laughed, because it was adorable and so very Emma.
--
As she stood on the step waiting for Regina to answer the doorbell, Emma couldn’t help noticing that the house was gigantic and gorgeous. It made sense given that she could afford to shop so much at the natural grocery store, but made her a bit self-conscious about her own sad little apartment. Well, it was hers and she was independent and free of her creepy ex, and that meant everything.
And then Regina opened the door in a form-fitting blue dress and smiled, and it was really too early in the evening for her brain to be so completely off.
“Hiii,” she said in a daze, holding out the bottle of wine she’d brought.
“Hi,” Regina said, sounding a bit startled. Then she added, “Thank you” as she took the bottle and stepped back out of the doorway to let her in. “The kitchen’s just through here.” She led the way. “I hope you don’t mind. I’m still finishing up.”
“How dare you,” Emma deadpanned.
Regina looked up at her sharply.
“That was a joke,” she explained, feeling like a bit of a jerk.
“Oh!” Regina said, startled. “Sorry, I’m a little nervous.”
“You are?” Emma blurted before she could think better of it.
“The charming grocery worker I’ve been admiring for months is in my house,” Regina said, eyebrow arched. “Who wouldn’t be nervous?”
Now it was Emma’s turn to be surprised. “You’ve been admiring me for months?”
“Of course.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. You’re both cute and also smart and fun. A highlight of my grocery trips.”
Emma was floored. “Wow. Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“You can’t flirt with people at their workplace!”
Emma knew she shouldn’t find the consternation as adorable as she did, so she just asked, “Why not?”
“Because you might think if you turn me down, I’d get you fired!”
“Oh. I don’t think that. But,” she confessed, “I did think that if I hit on you, it might make you uncomfortable and you might get me fired.”
“Then you see what I mean. The power dynamic is very questionable.”
“That’s a good point.” Emma grinned. “It’s a good thing I ran into you at pride.”
“Yes.”
Just then, her stomach growled, and she decided to just lean into it, saying, “Now, about that lasagna.”
Regina laughed, and Emma swooned.
--
Emma had waited until after dinner, but now her excitement was too much to resist any longer. “So, it’s our one-month anniversary.”
“Yes.”
“And you remember how Pride was our first date?” Emma asked.
Regina scoffed. “It certainly was not. I know you’re not calling that a date.”
Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Will you just humor me?” Regina raised an eyebrow, but nodded. “As I was saying, remember how Pride was our first date?”
Regina’s “Mmhmm” was distinctly sarcastic, but Emma let it go.
“Well, I got you something to remember it by.”
“Because I’m in danger of forgetting,” Regina deadpanned.
Emma gave up on trying to make this a big moment and just handed her the box, muttering, “Take the damn gift.”
The way Regina’s face lit up when she saw the brightly wrapped gift made it immediately worth it, and the million-watt smile when she saw what was inside was even better. “How?”
She wasn’t quite sure herself how she’d pulled it off, but with the aid of the flyer listing the vendors at the Pride Fest, she’d found the store for the booth Regina had been standing next to. “I tracked down the vendor and asked what you were looking at.”
“It’s perfect.”
--
After dinner, Emma abruptly said, “So, it’s our one-month anniversary.”
“Yes,” Regina said, mystified. That had been why they had made sure to be together tonight after all.
“Do you remember how Pride was our first date?” Emma asked.
Regina side-eyed her. “It certainly was not. I know you’re not calling that a date.”
“Will you just humor me?”
Regina was skeptical, but nodded.
“As I was saying, remember how Pride was our first date?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Well, I got you something to remember it by.”
“Because I’m in danger of forgetting.”
Emma glared at her for a moment, then shoved a brightly wrapped box in her direction. “Take the damn gift.”
Regina softened immediately. She loved presents. She loved having somebody who cared enough to get her presents. It almost didn’t matter what was in it, but when she opened it, she saw the exact t-shirt she’d been looking at when Emma had come up to her at Pride that day. “How?”
“I tracked down the vendor and asked what you were looking at.”
“It’s perfect.” Regina didn’t even like silly t-shirts, not really, but Emma going to all the trouble to find this one was so wonderful. And to add on top of that the fact that it had the pansexual pride flag and the slogan “It’s not about cookware.” It was definitely, definitely perfect.