Thin Walls

Chapter 11

"I have a complai.. Regina?"

This moment was bound to happen. Of course, someday Emma would find out I was the mayor, I just really hadn't hoped for it to happen so soon.

She stood still in my office and looked at me. I was in the middle of reading over some paperwork, but I knew it would be a while before I would continue. I had a hell of a lot explaining to do.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked, in utter dismay. She looked at my door. It had "mayor" written on it, in big letters. There was no way I could lie around it, I had to face reality. Her expression hardened. "You're the mayor?" She stayed awfully calm.

"I.. I'm so sorry I lied," I muttered and got off my chair. "I can explain."

"Okay."

"You know I was, and in some ways still am, quite like Robin when it comes to.. sex. I was raised with the idea of it all being filthy and disgusting, so when I heard your shop was opening in my town, I didn't think rationally," I started, but I could see I wasn't getting any of Emma's sympathy. "However, part of me was curious, so I went to your store with very mixed feelings and then I met you. You were so nice, so patient and so attractive."

Emma clicked her tongue. "So, what I'm getting from this, is that you didn't tell me you were the mayor, because you wanted to get in my pants? Real nice."

She stepped back, but I grabbed her wrist. "No, of course not." She glared angrily at me and yanked her wrist free. "I'm sorry, Emma. I.. we were getting along so well and I was too afraid to confront you about me being the mayor. It was weak of me."

"Yes, it really was," she replied and put dollar bills in my hand. "Here's your own money back. Thanks for loaning it me, by the way."

"No, you take it," I said, as I forced it back in her hands.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You think you can buy my forgiveness? What you did was really shitty, Regina. For weeks, I've felt horrible about the mayor, not knowing why he.. well, she, hated me so much. You've tried to boycott me and my store, one that's already hard enough to handle. I just.. I don't want your money."

"Just do something fun with it. Take me out to dinner, hire a hooker, do whatever you want with it. I'm not keeping it," I said, stubbornly, but Emma was just as stubborn.

She dropped the money on the floor, turned around and left my office. I looked at the closed door and sighed softly. I'd completely ruined it and I really should've done something about the complicated situation between Emma and "the mayor" sooner.

I grabbed the dollar bills off the floor and sat down behind my desk again. Though I had absolutely no idea how to gain Emma's forgiveness, I was sure about one thing: I was not keeping this money.

~~~~~

It was busier than I expected, so I waited in the bakery, until I was certain no one was in the erotic store anymore. They didn't need to know that their mayor was going to spend eight hundred dollars on sexual equipment.

I had absolutely no clue what to do with all the toys I was going to buy, but Emma couldn't possibly forbid me from doing so. I also didn't know why I was so determined on giving this money to her, one way or the other.

Perhaps I was trying to buy her forgiveness. It was rather childish, but I'd often used money to get what I wanted. I knew Emma wasn't just going to let it slide, but I was ready to complete the challenge of earning her friendship again.

What I'd done wasn't that unforgivable, right? I still felt like I had a fair shot of fixing it all.

The store was just like I remembered. Emma was organizing some things on the shelves and turned to me when she heard the little bell above the door jingle. Her smile faded away and she sighed softly.