Painted Into a Corner
"Will you be sitting down and relaxing, already?" Clancy asked for the third time.
Dick smiled uneasily. "I'm relaxed, Clancy," he lied looking out the window at the helicopter searchlights. An illegal arms shipment, bound for Blockbuster's arsenal was expected to arrive at Lanely Point tonight. He'd tipped off the BPD earlier, but he needed to be out there now, just in case.
Clancy wasn't cooperating with the plan. She'd turned up at his apartment armed with a bottle of good wine and two bags full of groceries and announced that she was there to 'make good on that rain check from our last date, boyo.'
So, instead of helping the police put a dent in Blockbuster's operations, Nightwing found himself trapped in his own apartment, with a mad chef.
"Dick! Can y' tear your eyes away from the outdoors for five minutes and talk to me?"
Yep. The chef was definitely mad.
He had to get out there.
"I'm making something special for you, boyo," Clancy continued, as she hefted meat and vegetables out of her bags. "Irish roast pork with potato stuffing," she pivoted to face him, her expression fierce. "An' you're going to sit here and enjoy it, d'ye hear me?" She glowered at him for another moment before going back to the recipe.
"Um, sure, Clancy!" He forced a cheerful note into his voice. "It sounds great!" It sounded like he wouldn't be able to get out of here without looking like a first-class jerk. And, he reminded himself, this wasn't just his date. This was his landlady. If she put her mind to it, she could make his living here downright unpleasant. He had enough going on in his life without sticking apartment-hunting on his to-do list. Besides, he liked Clancy.
But he had to get out there.
"Um, Clancy?"
"Not now, boyo," she called back. "I'm rubbing the meat."
"Mind if I... er... take a shower? I had a long day at work. I was just about to hop into one when you came up."
Clancy stepped away from the counter and turned to face him again. This time, she looked stricken. "Dick! What was I thinking, barging in like this? Go on with ye. Supper won't be done for another hour. Just," she ducked her head, smiling, "don't forget t'take your towel in with ye. Unless, of course," she turned back to the pork, but not before Dick saw a slow flush begin to spread over her cheeks, "ye want to."
Dick grinned. "C'mon, Clancy, it's only our first date. I'll try not to take too long."
Locking the door behind him, Dick ran the water full-blast as he changed into the Nightwing suit. The bathroom window faced out on an alley. It would be a tight squeeze, but if his luck held, he should be able to slip out of the building, make it over to the waterfront long enough to ascertain that the BPD didn't need his help, and make it back inside. If they did need his help, well, then they needed it and he'd have to figure out what to tell Clancy later. For now, he had to think positive. He tugged on the window.
It didn't budge.
He pulled harder. It remained stuck. This wasn't happening. Not tonight!
"By the way, Dick," Clancy called, "I owe ye another apology. I thought I'd be nice an' give one of those student painting companies a crack at doing some touch-ups, but the amadans sealed half the windows in this place shut b'fore I caught them at it. I'll have them fixed by the end of the week. Just as well winter's on its way, I can't think many folk here'll want theirs opened before spring gets here."
Great. He was trapped here. Well, he supposed he might as well relax and enjoy the shower after all. He had been planning on taking one before leaving on patrol...
It wasn't until five minutes later, after he'd worked up a good lather that the realization hit him. He'd forgotten his towel.