Carly Rogers shouldered her laptop bag and sighed. It had been a long day at the office and she was ready to make her way home and enjoy a nice warm bath. Of course as she started to leave the nineteenth floor of the Wayne Enterprises building, her secretary Clyde called out her.
"Ms Rogers! The big boss man wants you up on the top floor. Said it was urgent." He explained, his expression apologetic.
"It's always urgent with him," She rolled her eyes. "Any chance you can tell him that I already left?"
"Sorry," Clyde shook his head. "He said he saw your car in the Parking garage so…"
"Okay. Have a nice night Clyde. I'll see you in the morning." The 'Big Boss' in question was Carly's best friend and CEO of Wayne Enterprises, Bruce Wayne. As best friends went, Bruce was practically perfect. He cared about her more than she could ever remember anyone doing. Sure, he was distant, demanding, and forgot things like Christmas or birthdays, but it wasn't like she was any better. She would get absorbed in her work and forget to reply to his text messages.
Most recently, Bruce had been unreachable for two weeks. Whatever he'd been doing had caused him to miss her birthday. In retaliation Carly stopped taking his personal calls and insisted Clyde ferry all work related ones. As it turns out, it's hard to give your friend the cold shoulder treatment when he is also technically your boss. So she dragged herself into the nearest elevator and waited for it to lift to the top floor. Once she arrived, she let herself into Bruce's office. She didn't bother stopping to exchange pleasantries with his secretary, Cecilia, but did snatch a fresh apple off the table of the reception area.
"Stop using your power as CEO to intimidate my secretary!" Carly demanded before taking a bite of the apple in her hand. A bite which she immediately spit out onto his carpet. She'd bitten into a wax fruit.
"Since when are these fake?" She lobbed the useless mass at his head and crossed her arms. Bruce caught the faux apple with graceful dexterity. He knew he had no one to blame but himself for missing her birthday. Now he had to make it up to her.
"Since Cecilia told me you've been sneaking up here just to eat my fruit. These," He gestured to a large bowl on his desk, "are real." With an effortless flick of his wrist, he launched the bitten fruit imposter at a trash can on the other side of the room. It landed inside the basket with a triumphant whoosh. Carly studied the bowl carefully before removing a pear.
Fool me once… She thought before taking a cautious bite. Relief washed over her when it turned out to be a genuine fruit.
"I meant what I said about Clyde." She snapped, her mouth half full of pear.
"If you would answer my calls I wouldn't have to scare your secretary."
"Because I don't want to hear your silly excuses, Bruce! Where were you this time? Parasailing with models in Belize? Skiing with royal family in Russia?"'
"I brought you some of those caramels you like." From a desk drawer he removed an expensively wrapped package she knew would contain German caramel candies. This was Bruce's typical routine. If she was mad at him but he didn't know why, he'd send for a pair of Italian or French designer shoes. When she was sad or sick it was European tea or chocolates. When he was feeling genuinely apologetic, it was German caramels. She turned up her nose at them on principal.
"I know you're sorry, Bruce, but it was my twenty-fifth birthday! Twenty-five and I spent it alone with Leo." Leo was her cat. He liked Bruce well enough, but his favorite activity was swatting playfully at the man's ties.
"I really am sorry, Car. I promise it was important work. I wouldn't miss your birthday just to go skiing with a royal family. Listen, the circus is in town. Why don't you let me take you?"
"Bruce, I…"
"Matter of fact I'm hosting a gala tonight. I've been trying to invite you, but you haven't been answering my calls. Come to the party and spend the weekend with me. I'll make up for all the birthday time that I've missed." He was still holding the box of candies out, hoping she'd finally accept his apology.
"I wouldn't want to impose." Of course she knew he was throwing a party tonight. It was all the whole company had been talking about. Actually, it was all the whole city had been talking about! Parties at the Wayne Mansion were always an exclusive invitation only event, but she never had to worry about that. Bruce's loyal butler, Alfred, always made sure a shimmering golden ticket found its way to her. Even during the rare occasion when she wasn't on speaking terms with her best friend. "You're so busy these days. I have work to do myself. I was looking forward to relaxing…"
"What's more relaxing than a mansion?" Bruce set the box of caramels down and chuckled. If only she knew how busy he really was! He wasn't ready to tell her about all of that just yet though. "I have a hot tub and…"
"I know the contents of your house. I grew up there too, remember?" Even as she snapped at him the idea of curling up in one of the plush Wayne Mansion bathrobes next to her best friend sounded like a perfect night in.
"Fine." She huffed. "I'll spend the weekend. But I'm bringing Leo. And as far as the gala goes…I guess I can wear that green dress Alfred picked out for tree lighting ceremony two years ago. Maybe the shoes you gave me for Valentine's Day… I'll throw something together."
"No need. Alfred bought you a new dress last week." He smiled. This didn't really surprise Carly much. Many of Gotham's social elite attended the parties Bruce threw. Because of this, Alfred usually discouraged her from "recycling" outfits. So there was an entire closet at the mansion full of elegant dresses that had been purchased for her as "gifts" over the years. (If something she could only use once could even be considered a gift.) Though they were technically all her property, she'd been warned at a young age that it was socially unacceptable to wear any dress more than three times ever. So in the closet the extensive dress collection stayed.
"I'm told you'll love it." Bruce said.
"I always do." She sighed. "You already told Alfred I was coming, then?" Carly put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Only because I knew you'd say yes. You love the circus."
Yes, but I love you more. She decided to keep that thought to herself as Bruce put on his suit jacket and they stepped into the elevator together.
A/N: This is the first chapter in a new Batman story I'm starting. I had originally promised myself that I wouldn't start any new stories until I finished some of the others I have still in-progress. Which would have worked out, had my laptop not recently died on me. :( I have a lot of research and documents saved on there that I need to finish most of my current stories. So Until I can get a new laptop and recover my files from the old one, I'm stuck using my tablet. Because of this, I probably wont be posting any new chapters for Genius, Billion-heiress, Socialite, Hero, or The Story of Aunt Elenora any time soon. With Christmas coming up, I would like to at least attempt to work on some chapters of Christmas with the Calvins, (which I have already gone back to working on.) So at least we have that to look forward to! In the mean time I will be working on this Batman fic, and would love to hear your thoughts or opinions in the form of reviews or even PMs!
