Selina paced back and forth in her living room, clasping her hands together and biting her lip. Isis followed her across the room, unsettled that her owner wouldn't relax, and she let out soft mews from the anxious atmosphere. Rosa was cleaning the kitchen and looked up from the countertop she was scrubbing.
"Chica, you'll wear your carpet thin. Why don't you sit down?"
Wordlessly, Selina plopped down onto the sofa and lifted her head towards the ceiling. Isis hopped in her lap and watched her with wide, curious eyes. Selina petted the cat absent-mindedly and sighed.
As much as she refused to admit it, she was nervous. Two encounters with Bruce Wayne and she can't even greet the third without her heart threatening to pop out of her chest.
This is ridiculous, she thought to herself. Men don't make me nervous. Business tycoons like Wayne shouldn't make me nervous. This is just business, it's nothing personal. This isn't a date. I paid for this opportunity so he could make more contributions towards wildlife. Maybe he can even throw in a donation to my preservation fund.
Selina let out a tiny snort and closed her eyes. Who am I kidding? The man is melt-your-face gorgeous. One look and I fall to pieces. This is going to be a nightmare. I can't let one of the world's richest bachelors see me in a nervous wreck.
She ruefully thought back on what she had initially thought about him. At first, she perceived him to be a pompous, simple-minded bureaucrat with lots of money to waste without a second thought about anybody else. However, he turned out to be the exact opposite. Bruce Wayne was a gentleman, he was thoughtful, he was witty, he was a good sport, and he contributed millions of dollars to those that needed it. She was better off when she thought less of him, because then she could at least be indifferent towards his advances. His warmth at the Triple-P charity ball had begun to melt her cool visage, however, and now she wasn't exactly sure how to act around him. Nobody had this sort of effect on her before.
Get a hold of yourself! You're Selina Kyle, for God's sake! You're a man-eater! You've stood up to Batman!
Her stomach churned as flashes of Bruce Wayne being followed by a frenzy of photographers and TMZ interviewers entered her mind. Compared to this, a night with Batman seemed like child's play.
Oh, God, I don't want my picture taken. I don't want to be branded as Bruce Wayne's latest fling. This was a bad idea.
"Bonita, are you okay? You look sick."
Selina's eyes snapped open. Leave it to Rosa to point out the obvious.
"I thought you were going to a business meeting. Why are you so nervous?"
Selina was about to reply when the phone rang. She reached over to the side table and answered. She had meant to sound cheery and polite, but her voice came out croaked with a hint of dread.
"Hello?"
"Miss Kyle, this is the front desk. Mister Wayne has arrived for you and is waiting in the lobby."
"Thank you. I'll be down shortly."
She hung up the phone and collapsed onto the sofa. Isis jumped off with a meow of protest and Rosa looked at her, placing her hands on her hips.
"You'd better go down and meet that young man, chica."
Selina stared at her with her mouth open. "How did you know?"
"You never act like this. It must be a man."
Selina groaned and put her hands to her face. "Call the front desk, Rosa. Tell them something came up. I have to cancel."
"Oh, no you don't," Rosa slapped a wet rag onto the table and leaned over Selina. "Look at you! Dios mio. You're worse than my children on the first day of school. Get up! Vaya!"
Selina reluctantly stood up and held up her arms. "Well? How do I look?"
"As always, chica, you look beautiful," Rosa admired Selina's clothing of choice. She put a hand to her chin. "I was wondering why you dress so fancy for a Saturday night business meeting." Abruptly holding up a palm, she backed away. "Uno momento, chica. Wait there. Don't move."
"Huh?"
Rosa trotted into the hallway, opened up the linen closet, and returned with a lint roller. "You can't go anywhere with that cat's hair all over you."
Selina looked down. Isis's gray fur was on her red, boat-necked dress. The dress was fitted and had a matching suit jacket for business meetings, but Selina had decided to forego the jacket and brought a matching sweater just in case the night got chilly. The dress stopped just above the knee and zipped up in the back. She wore matching high-heeled pumps and a simple pearl bracelet. This time her hair was in a French twist.
Rosa applied the lint roller to Selina's dress, checked over it two more times, and then gave a nod of approval.
"Go and knock him dead, chica," she smiled. "Who are you going out with tonight?"
Selina grabbed her purse and opened the door. "Bruce Wayne."
Rosa gasped. "Bruce Wayne?"
Selina stepped into the elevator and smiled at Rosa, putting on her business face and acting nonchalant. She was glad to be able to tease Rosa just a bit before leaving. "Yep. Maybe I'll bring him up later."
Rosa gave a small jump. "Dios mio...! Don't worry, chica, I'll have this place as clean as can be!" As the elevator doors chimed and closed, Rosa turned around in a panicked circle, looked around, closed the door, and made the sign of the cross and uttered a prayer in Spanish, asking that Selina would behave herself and for once, manage to snag someone who would deserve her.
Bruce greeted Selina in the lobby, kissing her hand as he did the previous night. Selina blushed and suppressed the wave of goosebumps she felt when his lips touched her skin.
"Bruce, you don't have to do that every time you see me. It's just dinner."
Bruce grinned at her nonetheless as he noticed her blush. "Sorry…it's just that I was raised by a British man who taught me to be the utmost gentleman."
Selina glanced at him, looking speculative. "Oh yeah?" What a crock.
Bruce led her out the doors and parked before them was a taupe, four-door Bentley. A friendly-looking white-haired man opened the door and smiled at Selina.
"Selina, may I introduce you to my butler and best friend, Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred, this is Miss Selina Kyle – the environmentalist I was telling you about."
"Of course, sir," Alfred tipped his hat and nodded to Selina. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Kyle."
Selina arched her brows in surprise at his English accent. "Oh…how do you do!" She smiled politely and took his hand, which was outstretched towards her. He kissed her knuckle politely and motioned once more towards the backseat. Selina shuffled into the car, followed by Bruce, and Alfred took the wheel, driving towards Giovanni's. Selina gritted her teeth and immediately felt foolish for judging Bruce…yet again.
The drive, to Selina, felt incredibly awkward. Being chauffeured around with Bruce Wayne was definitely humbling…and nerve wracking. Luckily, nobody had seemed to pay any attention to their departure.
"I have to admit," Selina smiled coolly, "I'm incredibly glad there weren't any photographers swarming around you. I was worried I'd be an excuse for the tabloids to attack you."
Bruce smiled back. "Not yet, anyway," he joked. He sat back leisurely and shrugged. "I've been keeping a low profile lately. Usually, when I get publicity, it's for a ribbon-cutting ceremony or some gigantic gala. Besides, I figured you wouldn't like that sort of attention, so I made sure that there wouldn't be any vultures hanging around Giovanni's tonight."
Selina smirked. "And how'd you manage that?"
"They think I'm in Paris."
Selina's smile grew wider. "You told the media you were in Paris?"
Bruce nodded.
"Well, I wouldn't want to make a liar out of you," Selina joked. "Let's blow this Giovanni's thing and go to Paris instead."
Bruce chuckled. "I'm afraid that in order to go to Paris, you'll have to promise me a second date. I never go overseas with someone the first time around."
Selina laughed and wondered if he was serious or not. Did he just imply that this was our first date? Oh, God.
Giovanni's was busy, but there was always a spot reserved for Mr. Wayne if need be. It usually took a good three weeks to make a reservation in advance, but combined with the Triple-P certificate and Mr. Wayne's request, they had the best table in the entire restaurant. It was a very private, intimate place that was usually associated with the richer debutantes and socialites of Gotham, and Bruce Wayne was no stranger here. Selina was surprised to find that there was already a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket next to their table, along with beautiful lit candles and a small flower centerpiece. There were no windows overlooking the crowded city; instead they practically had their own private room, of which only a few waiters bustled in and out.
After a waiter served them champagne and listed off the special dishes for the night, he left them alone to decide on their order.
"Jeez, Bruce, did you do this, or was this really what the Triple-P gave us?"
"I checked out the Triple-P's reservation," Bruce admitted. "I didn't really like the location of the table, so I asked to have this spot instead."
Selina gaped at him. "You what?" How egotistical!
Bruce glanced at her. "You don't like the privacy?"
Selina shrugged. "Actually, I do, but what was so bad about the other table?"
"It was in the middle of the floor. We'd have to shout at each other in order to have a proper conversation."
Selina smiled at him. "Oh." How thoughtful!
After they ordered their food and received a salad plate with some bread, Selina forced herself to relax. Once she stopped mentally picking Bruce apart, she found that he was very pleasant company. They talked from everything ranging from his work to hers, their international travels, their experiences in college, and their fundraising. Bruce talked to her about the children's hospital and he appreciated the fact that she was listening intently instead of feigning interest. She even asked questions and made suggestions. It was the same with her as she described the mountain lion fund; Bruce had even mentioned looking into her possible competition to buy the land.
"I asked around," he took a sip of water, "and found that some new company is thinking about placing a higher bid. For what and for how much, I don't know – they haven't specified – and I honestly don't know where this company came from. It's like they just popped out of the woodwork; some international firm that bought out a few companies here in Gotham and now they're making a larger investment, I guess."
Selina sighed, disappointed in the news. "I had hoped that this wouldn't happen, but I'm not really surprised. I've already warned my lawyers. I guess we'll have to dig a trench and battle it out like civilized bloodsuckers."
Bruce smirked. "I've got some people watching the deal. I'll let you know if any more information turns up."
Selina looked at him, surprised. "Bruce! That's not necessary; you've already done too much. Really, don't go out of your way for me - "
"Well, I figure since I'm going to donate a large chunk of my money to help save the mountain lions and Bengal Tigers," Bruce interrupted with a glint in his eye, "that wildlife preserve needs to be built. Our investment for that land, therefore, is important. Wouldn't you agree?"
Selina stared at him. He sat back and took another sip of water, watching her with an eyebrow raised and his mouth curled into the tiniest smile. After a long pause, Selina closed her mouth and set her fork down, leaning forward onto the table.
"You're too much, do you know that?"
Bruce smiled.
"I don't get it," she shook her head. "First it was the Triple-P, now it's my wildlife fund. What's the deal?"
"I owe you," Bruce grinned. "You paid ten thousand dollars for me, remember?"
"So you're giving ten thousand dollars back to the mountain lion preserve?"
"No, I'm giving thirty-thousand dollars to the preserve."
Instead of gawking this time, Selina suppressed the utter surge of triumph and narrowed her eyes instead. Her reaction didn't skip a beat as she leaned forward even more.
"All right, mister-big-shot, what's the catch?"
Bruce smiled. "I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me. I've hardly presented my case to you and you're throwing your money at me. I never give such large donations on a whim like this; I do my research for weeks – even months – ahead of time and even then sometimes I'm still not convinced. Yet this is only the third time we've seen each other and you have absolutely no qualms about my background. Why is that, Bruce?"
What Bruce didn't tell her was that the mysterious company looking at Selina's land also seemed to be linked to the sudden Russian movement into Gotham. He couldn't pin down any details for sure, but he wanted to investigate the matter much further and find out whether or not corrupt shareholders - and diamond smuggling - had anything to do with it. If the Russians were shopping around for turf, disguising it as a property buy-out, he had to make sure Selina got the land first. Gotham had to keep the gangs out.
Bruce leaned forward as well and spoke in a low, husky tone. "Why are you so adamant to find a fault in me, Selina?"
Selina swallowed and ignored the hot flush rising up her body. "Everyone's got skeletons in the closet."
"Even you?"
"Even me."
"Such as?"
"You first."
Bruce chuckled and leaned in even more. "You want to know? Promise me a second date and I'll tell you then."
Selina gave him a gritting smile. "I knew it. You're trying to lure me."
"Hey, I'm a man, aren't I? Even I have my limits."
"You'd contribute money towards my wildlife fund just to get a second date with me?"
"No, I really do want to give money to help the preservation. But now that you mention it, I'd probably contribute an extra thirty-thousand to score another date with you, yes."
She shook her head but couldn't suppress the smile. "You've got some nerve."
"Is that a yes?"
"You're unbelievable."
"It's a win-win situation, Selina."
"You can't buy me, Bruce."
"You haven't said no."
At first, she felt every hair on her body prick up, just like a cat's, at his gall to admitting that he'd pay an additional thirty-thousand for a second date. However, the sparkle in his eye and the tone of his voice assured her that he was only joking. If he was being absolutely serious, she would have stormed out of the restaurant already. Instead, it was all in sheer fun. He was just getting a rile out of her to see what she'd do.
"You know, offering money isn't exactly a good way to pick up women," Selina lifted up her glass of champagne and smiled at him wryly. "That sort of stuff only happens down in the narrows."
"I at least succeeded in flattering you, didn't I?"
"Hardly."
"So, next Saturday?"
Selina laughed, making his chest flutter. "All right. But only because it's a pity date. You won't lay off. It's obvious you haven't been on a date with a real woman for some time."
Bruce chuckled. "I guess I'll consider that a compliment."
"I do my best."
"Don't worry; if you change your mind, you can always cancel or stand me up later."
"I'll consider that, thank you."
They enjoyed their meal with more sarcastic banter and small stories about each other. Although it was still early in the night, Bruce decided to test her with a popular little subject he always liked to bring up in front of people to judge their reaction. It was his way of really knowing whether or not this person was worth spending time with. He was beginning to really like Selina Kyle, but to keep dating her was incredibly risky. Most of his dates were to keep up appearances only and none of them were ever serious or exclusive. Selina was different, and he knew that he didn't want to hurt her in the long run. Relationships were complicated. It was all right if she ever decided to blow him off, but if he really wanted to continue pursuing her, he had to ask the question.
"So, what do you think of Gotham's masked vigilante?"
Selina paused and stared at him for a moment. She blinked and replied slowly, "You mean Batman?"
She almost asked if he meant Catwoman, but she didn't recall seeing herself in the papers lately. Besides, she was probably not considered to be a vigilante, although she preferred that title instead of 'robber' or 'burglar.'
"Yeah. I'm just curious…I mean, I hear people praise him and I hear people think he's nuts."
Selina shrugged. "I haven't really been paying attention to the hype, actually," she lied. "I don't really value the opinions of the media. A lot of that reported news is skewed…at the same time, there are a lot of corrupt cops out there that still need to be taken care of." She sighed and set her fork down. "I guess when I compare the current Gotham to the past Gotham, I believe it's gotten much better, and I think we owe it to the Batman."
Bruce was surprised at this remark but hid his reaction well. Usually he received negative comments about Batman from the richer crowd (his being one of them as a guise), probably because they were afraid, but Selina didn't seem to care what everyone else thought of her opinions.
"You don't think he's a little…" Bruce paused and pointed at his head. "…crazy? The guy wears a bat suit."
Selina chafed a little. "No, I think he's smart. If I was a criminal and if I came face-to-face with the Batman, I'd be scared shitless."
And I was.
Bruce watched her with heightened interest. It was her last words that struck an odd nerve with him.
As much as you scare the shit out of me, Bats, I couldn't very well let you get shot while your back was turned, could I?
He started to wonder how Catwoman was doing and was painfully reminded about how he had slammed sharp blades into a woman. He shrugged off the thought of her and continued to listen to Selina.
"He wears that suit to intimidate others," Selina continued. "Besides, there's more to that suit than just bat-ears and a cape. I may not watch the news very much, but I've seen clips. That guy can do things, without a gun. Even Navy SEALs have guns."
"They can still kill with their bare hands," Bruce pointed out.
Selina smiled. "Well, there you go. He's a Navy SEAL. We've solved the mystery."
"Batman doesn't kill," Bruce cut in. He checked himself and shrugged. "That's what I've heard, anyway."
Selina sighed and mumbled, "He sure does inflict a lot of damage, though."
Bruce blinked and wondered at her statement.
"I wonder how much the taxpayers are contributing towards all his handiwork," she quickly added.
It was Bruce's turn to chafe. "Better than contributing towards a corrupt cop's salary, I wager."
Selina smiled. "So, what do you think of him? Do you think he's crazy, or do you think he's doing Gotham some good?"
Bruce sat back and sighed. "I think he's both, actually. Whoever he is, he's got a lot of guts going out there and taking on the entire city single-handedly. I mean, what's in it for him? Why do it? There's got to be a reason, crazy or no."
Selina nodded silently and thought about Batman. It was dark outside; he was probably out there on the rooftops. What if he really was crazy? No. He had to have his wits about him in order to fight crime like that. He was far from lunacy. She started to wonder at his past, however. What made him become that way?
They were nearly finished with their meal when Bruce's cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He took it out, glanced at it, and noticed that the number was private.
"Selina? I'm sorry, would you excuse me for a moment? I don't normally take calls when I'm out, but this particular call could be important."
"Sure." She understood those. Usually hers came from the SPCA. Even though Bruce wasn't a doctor, he still probably had a lot of decisions to make as the head of Wayne Enterprises and the children's hospital. She was already surprised that they got through dinner without a single interruption.
Bruce passed the crowded tables and spoke in a low tone. "Alfred? Yeah, I'm coming. No, I wasn't able to see the signal from here, there aren't any windows…what do the police scanners say? All right. Pick me up in the back, I'll meet you there."
The minutes ticked by and Selina found herself glancing at her watch. The waiter came and left, served full glasses of water, corked up the champagne, and Selina denied dessert. After twenty minutes passed by, she started to get worried. Was it an emergency? Was everything all right? Did he forget about her?
After ten more minutes, Selina stood up and was about to walk out of the room to find out what happened when the manager entered.
"Oh, I beg your pardon, Miss Kyle, but Mister Wayne asked that I leave you a message."
"Oh…is everything all right?"
"Yes, Miss Kyle, quite all right. Something unexpected at his company has just come up and he had to deal with the situation immediately. He leaves you with his most sincere apologies and promises to contact you again as soon as possible. In the meantime, he bid me to let you know that he will have transportation available for you as soon as you wish to leave. You may notify the hostess near the front entrance and she will direct you to Mister Wayne's chauffer."
"Oh…all right…thank you."
"How was your evening?"
"It was wonderful, thank you." Until Bruce bailed on me.
"If there is anything else I can do for you, Miss Kyle, please don't hesitate to let me know."
"Um…yes, thank you."
If I say 'thank you' one more time I'm going to scream. How could Bruce leave me alone like this?
Selina walked out of the room and headed towards the hostess, wondering what sort of deal Bruce had to take care of that he couldn't return to at least let her know himself. She really didn't mind all that much, since she had a terrible habit of leaving men behind without a single explanation.
Don't be upset, you do it all the time. For kittens. He's probably running a WWIII drill.
The only tiny, nagging thought in her head that wouldn't go away was if it was possible that Bruce wasn't enjoying himself and he used a phone call as an excuse to leave.
No. He's a prominent business figure and wouldn't want to hurt his reputation over something so silly like disappearing on a date.
But he's a very important man. He has the luxury to leave whenever he wants and forget about people without a second glance. Selina sighed and walked up to the hostess.
"Ah, Miss Kyle…your ride is just outside, waiting for you. It's the black Jaguar."
Selina walked outside and the car door was opened for her by a valet attendant. The chauffer wasn't Alfred, but he worked for Wayne Enterprises and was just as gracious. Before greeting him, however, the bright spotlight above caught her eye. The Bat signal was being pointed towards the dark clouds and she felt a chill as she thought about Batman.
The drive was quiet, but pleasant. The driver glanced at her from the rearview mirror.
"Miss Kyle, Mister Wayne expresses his sincere apologies for having left abruptly like that. He said he would contact you as soon as things have been resolved."
"Yes…I hope it's nothing serious…"
"Oh, no, ma'am. These little company emergencies happen all the time. It's the curse of being the CEO, unfortunately. Mister Wayne does everything he can to run the business smoothly."
Selina felt more at ease and smiled at the driver through the rearview mirror. "Well, I appreciate it very much. Thank you for taking me home."
"My pleasure, ma'am."
When Selina arrived at her apartment, Rosa was waiting for her, but her reaction wasn't happy.
"That was quick, chica. Where is he?"
Selina sighed.
Rosa's jaw dropped. "Did you scare him off?"
Selina chuckled and closed the door behind her. "I certainly hope not. Dinner was interrupted by a business call, and he had to leave."
"He what??"
"He's an important man, Rosa. It was probably something urgent."
"Nothing can be that urgent on a Saturday night, chica."
"He's the head of Wayne Enterprises. He probably had to go to China or something."
Rosa gave a disapproving shake of her head. "Men these days, no comprendo! How are these business people ever going to land a husband or wife when they can't spend the proper time with them?"
Here we go, Selina thought.
"If Bruce Wayne can't see your beauty and ingenio, then you're better off without him!"
"Rosa…"
"Lo siento, chica, it's just that I had such high hopes…"
"I know."
"I just wanted you to spend time with someone other than that Batman." She angrily motioned towards the French doors leading to the patio, which were wide open and a clear view of the Bat signal could be seen.
Selina glanced at the spotlight and a small grin spread across her face.
"Well, the night is still young…"
"No! No, no, no, bella! You're still recovering from that shoulder wound! He hurt you! Don't go looking for more trouble, eh?"
Rosa's words rang hollow, however, as Selina was already making her way towards her bedroom to put on her Catwoman suit, Isis trotting happily behind her.
