Chapter ll

Anastasia

I watch as Harley comes in later that night, looking as though she's seen a ghost.

"Dear, you're looking horribly pale. Are you well?" Katherine immediately notices her clammy looking skin and pats her forehead.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine." Harleen nods. "I've just been feeling very odd today, is all." She replies, heading to the stairs.

"Lewis said he'd like for you to join him by the pool when you're done." Katherine tells her next.

"Of course he would," Harleen mumbles. "I get home and I can't catch a break." She tells me. "It's horrifyingly chaotic working at Arkham and then I come home to the biggest monster of them all." She sits on her bed and pulls her heels off. "Can you be a doll and put these in my closet, Ana?" She hands me the expensive shoes and I do as she asked and she gives me a gracious smile. "You're so beautiful. How're you still single, huh?" She raises a brow. "Do tell me your secret. I'd like to get rid of a few men of my own." She half-heartedly jokes and I frown a little bit.

"I don't have a secret of repelling men. It just happens." I shrug.

"There's no way it just happens." She scoffs. "With that elegant, porcelain skin and that beautiful hair—not to mention your perfect body structure."

"I'm just single, Harls." I chuckle.

"I suppose you wouldn't possibly know the answer as to why men are so 'repulsed' by you." She rolls her eyes. "You probably tell them you have a lover in The Bronx who's just as beautiful and soprano as you." She winks.

"Oh, I wish I were attracted to the same sex." I admit. "It'd be much easier to find someone and settle down. Men are way too much to handle."

"Tell me about it." She grumbles. "'My wine isn't rich enough'. 'My steak isn't tender enough'. 'My horse isn't horsey enough'. 'My hair is starting to grey because of stress'." She mocks Lewis. "Not to mention the complete dissatisfaction in the bed." She blurts out and I have to keep myself from choking. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Lewis with all my heart. He's my husband, but he doesn't act like it sometimes and I usually lose sight of how our love even first began. At times I feel we got married just to make my mother happy. Not because we really loved one another."

"And does he feel the same?" I boldly ask and she thinks about it a moment before answering.

"He does. In his own way, of course. I'm sure." She says it as if she's trying to convince herself more than me. "I hope." The two words let me know that she honestly has no idea if he feels the same as she does, or if he's just avoiding conflict by disregarding her opinion about anything.

Then my mind drifts back to what I'd found earlier.

Who was Jack? How'd he know my cousin?

"Can I ask you something, Harleen?" I feel myself getting giddy like a child to discover the truth behind it.

I always tried not to be a gossip, but the development of new information and dirt on other people—particularly people I didn't like—made my head spin and my jaw drop in whatever shadow their scandalous endeavors threw about as the words slipped from someone else's mouth.

But I loved Harley, and I wasn't giddy to hear about every detail, I just wanted to simply know. He was an attractive man—of course Lewis was too—but Jack had something that made Harley smile like a complete fool. And Lewis just tended to make her feel like one.

I guess I was excited to know whether or not she was actually happy at one point in some relationship, because I never knew if she ever experienced genuine happiness with Lewis or not.

"Yes?" She stripped herself of her work cloths and put on a light pink silk nightgown and a matching robe.

"Who's Jack?"

The question is immediately regretted the second it comes out of my mouth.

It's none of my business and I shouldn't have let it just blurt out like that.

But she stands, unfazed by anything and everything. She just raises a brow and smiles a little.

"You've been snooping, I see." She teases me.

"I have." I admit. "I'm worried about you."

"Oh, Ana. There's nothing to be worried about. I promise."

"You and Lewis are always—"

"—It's my fault what's happened between me and Lewis. That's what I get for marrying a complete barbarian." She assure me softly. "But if you must know," the tone in her voice implies that she's just going to tell me enough to satisfy me. She's not going into detail . . . and I don't blame her. "Jack Napier was a friend of mine. We were friends for several months before he was shipped off to the war and I never saw him again. I assume he was killed, or found a special someone and decided it was best not to have any girl friends. Which is completely understandable." She points out.

"Do you ever miss him?" Again, I have no idea why the hell I'm asking this question.

"I do." She responds, giving me a tight smile that tells me that she doesn't want to discuss it further.

"Harleen!" Lewis calls up to her and she rolls her eyes before closing them tightly.

"Give me a moment, Ana. Just a moment." She rushes from the room and I furrow my brows, trying to listen to their conversation.

"I'm going out," he tells her. "Heading uptown for some business."

"Business? With who?" She asks and I sigh lowly.

"Just business." He repeats. "I won't be too long, I promise."

And with that, he's gone.

Within seconds it seems, Harleen busting into the room and stripping her cloths again.

"He's going out," she says to herself. "Then you're going out, too."

I ignore her comments, knowing she's not aware she's saying it.

She changes into an extravagant, champagne colored, sparkling, beaded flapper and puts on a little makeup.

"I'm going to the Gotham Royal," she informs me.

I wanted to tell her not to, but I couldn't bring myself to.

I just smiled and nodded, completely unaware of exactly what business she had at the Royal until she came back home later that night.

Third Person

Harleen slowly walked through the lobby of the royal and looked around before heading to the ballroom.

Upbeat Music filled her ears and the air transformed.

Rich liquor and wines were being served around the mass of dancing, laughing, and talking aristocrats.

New money and old money littered the entire ballroom.

But Harleen was looking for a distinct mix of the two.

Someone who wasn't too high maintenance to mingle with the newly rich, but not too ignorant with his money to not appreciate family blood lines that've been in Gotham forever.

And after what felt like hours of looking for him, she finally caught a glimpse of the back of a fine suit, slicked back black hair, and brand new leather shoes.

She smirked, content with her finding, and started over to him.

A frail, slim hand rested on his shoulder and when he turned around, the biggest smile she'd ever seen in a while.

"Is my vision goin' bad, or is that Harley Quinn I see?"

Johnny Frost.

The man was a complete vision in any light you saw him in.

He had dark hair and stood at 6'4, and the fresh age of 34 clung to him like a second skin. His mood went with whatever occasion was taking place. He was a chameleon, he always adjusted. He had muscle and a bruiting side when necessary, but he never fought or caused a scene for the hell of it.

"Johnny!" Harleen beamed up at him in pure joy and threw her arms around his neck.

"Where've you been, you crazy little minx, huh?" He hugged her just as tightly and pulled away to have a good look at her but kept her hands held in his. "God damn, Harleen Quinzel, if you aren't gettin' better lookin' with age."

"Oh, stop it, you're making me blush." She replied happily and he pressed a kiss to each hand.

"It's been what, six years?" He continues to look her over.

"Yes," she nods.

He's about to ask her something else until he feels something cold and large on her hand.

His eyes fall to the rock on her ring finger and his mouth flys open.

"Holy shit, who's the lucky bastard?" It comes from his mouth before he can help himself and she blushes even more because of his racy language.

"Shh," she smiles nervously and looks around them.

"Oh, sorry, doll." He apologizes for his mouth. "I just—wow. I mean, I doesn't surprise me because you're you and no woman as beautiful as you can go that long without being married but . . . wow. Felt like you were a child when I last saw you and now Harleen Quinzel ain't a little girl anymore." He shakes his head slightly.

"I was a child. I was 19 and had everything figured out." She tells him.

"I just can't believe it's been that long." He chuckles. "You got any kids?"

"Oh, no. Lewis doesn't want any." I shake my head.

"Lewis?" He raises his eyebrows. "Sounds like a prick name."

"Lewis Dence." She adds and it makes sense to him.

"You're married to that son of a bitch?" He whispers and she can't help but giggle before confirming it with a nod. "Shit, Harley."

"Five years." She glances around and he widens his eyes.

"Doesn't take you any time to move on." He teases her and she hits him.

Before she can reply, someone's pulling on his sleeve.

"Boss needs you," he tells him and Johnny looks at Harley.

"Excuse me a moment, Harleen." He tells her before slipping off into the crowd.