"Jack, would you grab my phone for me please?" Sarah shouted from the kitchen.
"Yeah, this is she" she said a moment later.
"Oh! Thank you so much. I can meet you there in an hour's time if that's okay" she said at the tail end of the call, hanging up shortly after.
"Jack, do you know a Miss Regina Smith?" she asked her son who had been watering the plants a few steps from her.
"Yeah, I met her today, I accidentally walked into her and she dropped her bag, why?"
"That was her on the phone" Sarah responded
"What! Did I do something wrong? I didn't mean to, I swear" the boy spoke nervously.
"No honey, take a deep breath. She just called to inform me that you'd left your book at the library and since she had my number, she thought it'd be easier to get it back to you" Sarah said.
"I'm meeting her in an hour at the Palace"
"Can I come with you, I'd like to thank her personally"
"I suppose..." Sarah said, looking a bit sceptic at first.
"Miss Smith!" Jack's face beamed as soon as the waiter showed them to Regina's table.
"Please call me Regina," she smiled, standing up to ruffle his hair and smiling at the shy line that pulled at his lips.
"This is my mom, Sarah Bennett" the boy said giving way for his mother to shake the other woman's hand.
A smile drifted over Regina's lips as she looked the woman standing in front of her, up and down. Dressed in skin tight jeans and a red leather jacket over a blue tank top. Suddenly her face felt overheated as she took in the beautiful face staring back at her. She didn't understand why the said woman was having such an effect on her given the fact that they'd just met but if she was being honest with herself, she didn't hate it.
"Um...We should get going, kid" Sarah said, breaking the awkward silence.
"Yeah, Of course", Regina said as she reached for the book that was on the chair next to her and handed it to Jack.
"Thank you, Regina" he smiled.
"You're more than welcome" she said returning the boy's smile.
"Thank you, Miss Mills. We really appreciate it" Sarah said turning her attention from her son to the woman he'd clearly taken a lot of liking to. "We should let you get back to your date" she smiled at the elegant looking woman. Her eyes accidentally stopping at the perfectly painted lips. She unconsciously bit at her lip as she stared for a bit longer, wondering how it'd feel to taste them.
Sarah had to count to ten to regain the composure she'd lost and so desperately needed. What the hell was wrong with her? Had it been that long?! She hadn't slept with anyone in more than a year as far as she could remember. The last serious relationship she ever recalled having was with the father of her son whom she tried as hard as she could to forget. He'd left her alone when she needed him most and she would never forgive him for that. She'd even told Jack that his father was dead and she didn't feel the tiniest regret about it because to her, he was dead .
"Oh, no no. Its not a date. I was out running errands when you called so I thought it wise to grab some dinner while I waited for you. It's a nice change of pace" Regina found herself explaining to the blonde.
Regina's words brought Sarah back from her consuming thoughts and she gave the other woman a small nod and smile.
"So you stay in the city?" she asked.
"Sometimes" Regina responded.
"Here for business or pleasure?" Sarah found her curiosity getting the better of her
"Pretty much both," Regina replied. "I'm trying to secure some horses from an estate nearby for my ranch back home. I'm really passionate about horses" she smiled.
"Ok, so that's the business part, what about the pleasure part" Sarah asked, realizing that her son was just standing next to her as soon as the words left her mouth, she looked down as she blushed and her face turned red.
Regina smiled, trying her best not to sound inappropriate in front of the boy, she said "I love riding them that's pleasurable I suppose" she smirked at her smart ass response as the blonde brought her gaze back to the brunette's face.
"You ride horses?!" both women jolted from their tension filled exchange at the boy's sudden outburst.
"Yes Jack, I do" Regina answered, smiling at the boy's interest in the subject.
"Cool!" he exclaimed.
"You think so? Do you ride?" she found herself asking.
"No", the boy pouted. "But I'd really like to, someday" he said, turning to his mother as if to seek some kind of validation.
"Tell you what?" the brunette said. "I will be visiting the ranch tomorrow. How about you come with me and check the place out. That way, you can see the horses and learn a thing or two. Both of you"
"I'm sorry, work tomorrow" Sarah replied, earning a sad look from her son and an expression she couldn't quite read from Regina.
"Please mom" the boy begged.
"I'm sorry kid, but I will be working tomorrow and you can't go there alone" she said.
"He won't be alone. I will be with him the whole time and I promise to bring him back myself" Regina said.
"Please, please mom. Its a Saturday and I won't be doing anything, please" the look on her son's face made it impossible for Sarah to say no and something in her gut told her that she could trust the other woman, if with nothing else, her son. So she nodded and said,
"Okay, but you have to behave"
"Don't I always?" the boy smirked throwing himself at his mother,
"thank you Mom!" he said excitedly.
"Ok, its getting late, we should be on our way" Sarah said turning her attention to the woman sitting down. "Call me tomorrow to work out the details?" she asked.
"I will" Regina said, smiling at the two. "Goodbye Jack"
The boy leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheek before replying "Goodbye Regina"
Regina watched as mother and son walked away from her, finding herself smiling at the thought of seeing them again tomorrow.