A Thief and a Queen

Vacation Buddies

For OQ Prompt Party #152. Robin and Regina meet at a singles vacation resort, have a blast together, and agree not to see each other when vacation is over. But then someone breaks that agreement....

She was absolutely pathetic. That's what Mother would say if she knew how Regina was spending her weeklong vacation and she probably would be right. But as much as she loved her friends, she was tired of being the fifth wheel between Mary Margaret and David as well as Emma and Killian. Mal had Lily, so she couldn't come with her, and Regina had learned not to invite Cru on vacation ever. Not if she wanted to make it out with her liver intact.

All of that meant that, yes, Regina was going on vacation alone. She was staying at a singles-only vacation resort, which was probably the only part her mother could possibly approve of since it meant that Regina would be surrounded by single men. Mother would hope that she would be able to bag one by the end of her vacation, Regina knew.

Good thing she wasn't planning on telling Mother about this. Ever.

Regina checked in and was handed the key to her room. The clerk then smiled at her. "Would you like someone to help you with your bags?"

"No," Regina said. "I think I can handle it. Thank you."

She rolled her suitcase behind her as she approached the automatic doors. They slid open, letting her out of the air-conditioned main building and into the heat of the tropical sun. People in bathing suits milled around the patio. Some laid on lounge chairs, soaking up the sun, while others played volleyball together in the pool. Regina made note of the bar that one could swim right up to and order. Despite it being the morning, several people already had alcoholic drinks.

Music blared through speakers tied to the palm trees around the pool deck and people danced. A large bulletin board listed several activities for the day and Regina knew she wasn't going to be bored. She also noticed there were hammocks and other places where one could go to just have some quiet time to oneself. It seemed peaceful.

By the time Regina got to her room, she believed she had made the right decision to come here on vacation—even if she was by herself. She stepped into her room, taking in the little kitchenette area—a refrigerator, a coffee maker and a microwave. It was nestled next to her sitting area, which included a couch, a coffee table and a desk. Moving further into the room, she came across her single queen-sized. The TV was mounted to the wall across from the bed, right over a set of drawers. A closet was between the nightstand, which held a clock radio and the phone, and the window. The last part of the room was the separate area with the mirror and a sink while a separate door led to the bathroom.

The piece de resistance, though, was next to the set of drawers. It was the minibar—which was literally a bar. Regina ran her hand over the various nozzles, which had several types of draft beers and handcrafted liquors ready for her to use. The room price had been all inclusive, so she was free to drink however much she wanted. It had been one of the selling points for her to choose staying there. Regina Mills was no lush but she was definitely going to unwind and have fun this vacation.

Unzipping her luggage, she retrieved her toiletry bag. She was going to shower and then change out of her traveling clothes into something appropriate for her tropical paradise. And then she was going to really start her vacation.

*****

Almost an hour after she had arrived, Regina was lounging by the pool. She had found an empty lounge chair and she set up camp, rubbing sunscreen on herself before letting the sun warm her skin. Her goal was to return home to Maine with a nice tan, something she wasn't able to work on between her long hours at the law firm and the long winters, something she had escaped. She closed her eyes behind her sunglasses and let herself start to relax.