Chapter lX

Harleen

"We can't keep doing this." I state as I raise a brow, sighing.

J looks at me, a blank expression on his face. He finishes pulling his pants on.

"Why do you say that?"

"My husband's getting suspicious, J. If he finds out, he'll have you arrested."

"And I'll have him killed." He growls.

"He's my husband, J." I argue and he scoffs.

"Yeah, trust me, I know. You remind me all the damn time." He grumbles under his breath.

"J, it's the truth. I am a married woman—"

"—I'm aware of that, Harleen. But I'm also aware of the fact that me and you aren't just friends, anymore, now are we?" He points out and I sit up, keeping the sheet over my chest.

"I don't know what we are. But I know what I am." I state harshly and he looks at me over his shoulder.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" He goes back to putting his shoes on and I cross my arms.

"I'm a doctor. I have my MD, I'm one of the few women actually working in that Asylum, and I'm very successful. I have a husband with more money than god, who has a career that doesn't require him to kill people to get to where he is and I'm rather happy about it." I continue. He doesn't stop dressing once. It's as if he didn't hear what I'd said. "But here I am, rolling around in the bed sheets with my own patient, a criminal at that. And I often catch myself thinking 'what the hell are you doing?'" I chuckle without humor. "And I still don't know the answer to that question."

He pulls his button up shirt over his arms, and starts buttoning it.

His back and shoulder muscles rippled with each movement and I take a moment to admire him.

I feel like a child who'd just walked into a candy store. I always feel that way about him. It isn't just the sex, I genuinely believe he makes me feel like myself. I don't have to wear the pretty little fake smile I put on for everyone to keep them happy, I don't have to be a lady and sit cross legged. I don't have to be anything for him to want me. And it's liberating.

I get up on my knees and crawl to him clumsily, wrapping my arms around his neck, resting my forehead against his hair.

"I love you." I tell him lowly. "But we can't keep doing this."

"So we tell them." He says and I squeeze my eyes tighter and grind my teeth.

"Yes, we tell them." I mumble. "We tell them Doctor Harleen Quinzel slept with her patient, cheated on her husband, ruined her career and reputation and committed social suicide. We tell them she won't have a life, or a husband, or money. We tell them she's going to be thrown in the first penitentiary possible and lose everything." I say it bitterly and he turns to face me, an almost piteous look on his face as he cups my face in his hands.

"Oh, Harls, you won't lose everything." He assures me sweetly before his face twists to something sinister and aggravated. "You'll still legally have your M.D."

With that, he gets up and gathers his things.

"I'll see ya later, Kid." He tells me, giving me a quick peck on the lips before leaving.

Ana runs into him as he's leaving and my eyes look down in shame as she looks over me.

"Harleen," she says lowly and I shake my head.

"I don't wanna hear it, Ana." I get up, throwing my robe on, going to the kitchen to get some coffee.

"You're sleeping with another man. And I'm sorry, but fornicating in the guest bedroom doesn't make it any less horrific." She states and I roll my eyes.

"Lewis does the same thing to me, Ana. In fact," I look at the clock. "He's most likely giving it to her right now. And The fact he doesn't do it in this house doesn't make it any less horrific." I mock her, pouring the coffee into a mug.

"Harleen, don't stoop to his level."

"I'm not stooping. In order for me to stoop, I'd have to be doing exactly what he's doing: run around with worthless pieces of gutter trash I find downtown on the street corner and hump them in some run down motel that reeks of over-priced generic Cigars, and unclean female genitalia." She wrinkles her nose at the image I placed in her mind. "But I'm not doing that. I'm not stooping at all. J is beyond, beyond, the man that Lewis will ever be. He doesn't pay for 'top notch' whores or settle for street rat scented hussies. Nor does he disrespect me or treat me like I'm stupid. And he's not greedy during sex either. So no, I'm not stooping. And being that I've spent five years of my life being treated like a child, spit up and chewed out, taken for granted, played a fool and pushed around, by my own husband, I think I deserve some fun with the man I should've married, damnit. So," I yank a cigarette from the cupboard. "please do me and J both a favor and piss out of our business. I understand you're worried, but I'm a grown woman. I don't need my baby cousin telling me who I can and can't sleep with." I light it and take a deep breath, inhaling the smoke. It calms me immensely and I feel myself relax a little.

She's staring at me blankly.

"I just don't want you or J getting in trouble, is all." She explains to me and I sigh.

"I understand that, Ana. But you have to understand and trust that we know very well what the risks are. We understand the consequences of our actions if we're found out. And we're willing to take those consequences if it means we get to be together. I love you, and I appreciate you looking out for us. But we can handle it. We're adults." I assure her.

"As long as you know what you're doing." She mumbles.

"I do." I mutter, taking another drag of my cigarette.

Anastasia

I leave Harleen alone, walking up to my bedroom.

I see a letter on my bed and I furrow my brows, seeing my name written in a handwriting I don't recognize.

I pick it up and look over it, sitting on my bed.

Anastasia,

I will be hosting a party tomorrow night at one of my mansion. I need you to bring Lewis and Harleen. Don't worry about me getting caught and turned in to the police, I have that part covered.

—J

I raise my brow and think a moment. Was it worth it? Was any of this worth it? I was helping my cousin cheat on her husband.

My stomach knots up nervously and I take a deep breath and think a moment.

When I hear the front door opening, announcing Lewis's arrival home, I get to my feet and go downstairs.

"Lewis," I wave him down and he looks at me.

"Hmm?"

"Are you busy tomorrow night?" I ask him and he looks down at me.

"No, why?"

"Darling, how was work?" Harleen kisses him.

"I've been invited to a party tomorrow night."

"By who?" He asks and I glance at Harleen.

"That doesn't matter." I reply.

"Tell me it wasn't that tattered, pathetic, reck you were tangled up with at the last party we were at."

"Oh, Lewis, please. She'd never associate with one of your other women." Katherine pops out from the kitchen and Harleen shoots her a look.

Lewis throws a threatening glare at Katherine, who looks at me and smirks.

"I for one would love to go. There's no such thing as too much partying." She tells us.

"Hmm," Lewis scoffs. "The elasticity of what's between your legs, says otherwise."

Katherine looks offended, about to throw something back at him, but Harleen intervenes.

"Oh, will you two stop it?!" She barks. "You're acting like children!"

Lewis and Katherine remain silent, ashamed of their behavior. Well, Katherine is. Lewis probably could care less.

"Now, Hadlynn wants us to go to this party. So, since we've dragged her all over this city ever since she's been here, I think it's only fair we go to something she wants to attend, for once." My cousin obviously doesn't have an idea whose party this will be. Not that she would care knowing it was Joker's.

"Fine," Lewis huffs, giving me almost an evil eye. "I'll send for a new pair of dancing shoes. Mine are getting worn out." He grumbles, going up the stairs.

Harleen looks almost sad, sitting down on the couch, taking another cigarette from inside her robe pocket, lighting it with a lighter from on the coffee table.

"That man is something else entirely." Katherine says as she plops down beside her.

"He would cut his own foot off if it meant he'd have one more minute to be in her company. But god forbid the man have to spend a night out with his family." Harley takes a deep breath, tears threatening to spill over her eyes.

Katherine and I look at one another, knowing why he was so hostile towards her lately.

He was growing suspicious of her. He didn't know Joker was the one she was seeing . . . But he suspected she was seeing someone.

We sit in silence until she finishes her cigarette.

"I need a new dress," she speaks aloud. "Lewis spilled Liquor all over my favorite one when we got in the car and he couldn't keep his hands to himself, and the stain never came out."

"Which one? The one from the liquor or the one from his bodily fluids?" Katherine asks, fascinated in her nails.

Harleen hits her gently.

"Liquor. Point is," she stands. "I need a new dress. You wanna come with me, Ana? I'll get you a snazzy little number, too." She grins, her eyebrows raised.

"I suppose." I nod and she squeals.

"Oh, wonderful. Let me get ready to look presentable." She rushes up the stairs and me and Katherine are left alone.

"It's his party, isn't it?" She asks quietly and I nod slowly.

"That whole situation is going to tear Harleen a part. That's not the same man. I don't think she understands that." She continues.

"I've trie talking her out of it." I state and she nods.

"Sounds about right. Harleen does what she wants, when she wants, with who she wants." She stands, brushing her dress off. "Still, any man is better for her than Lewis is. You mark my words when I tell you that."

Joker

I still hear her moans in my ear, I still feel her lips against my skin, her legs drawn around my hips, keeping me close to her . . . I'm sitting down at my desk, nursing a glass whiskey, my body itching with excitement.

Ana had just called to tell me they were coming tomorrow night.

I look up at Johnny, who's standing with his hands in his pockets, waiting for some instruction.

"Johnny," I raise my brows and he looks at me, paying attention. "We need booze for tomorrow night." I tell him. "Lots of it."

"Got it, boss." He heads to the door.

"Wait," I pull the neatly folded piece of paper out of my pocket. "I need you to go to the Jewelers, not the cheap one on 23rd, the real classy one, uptown. Tell them I want this custom made, by tomorrow night. I'll pay them whatever they want, just tell them to make it happen." I hand him the piece of paper with an intricate sketch of a beautiful jewelry piece on it.

"Got it, Boss. Be back in a few minutes."

With that, he leaves and I finish my drink.

A wicked, hilarious plan drifts into my mind and I smile. The utter realization that my original plans were starting to fall into place makes me chuckle deeply, which turns to cackling, which then turns to me laughing so hard, I'm bent at the waist with tears in my eyes.