A/N: Well it seems we're off to a good start so far! And since I've been in a writing mood...here comes Chapter Two!
Enjoy and destroy!
Chapter Two: A Proposition vs A Proposal
Once the awkwardness wore off, dinner with Bruce was a pleasant affair. We reminisced about happier times in the villa, life in Gotham, everything else.
We didn't talk about his sudden departure after Papa asked him to join us in the capital city. Nor did we talk about him not disclosing that he was the missing Bruce Wayne from Gotham City during his stay.
That's not to say Bruce wasn't charming. He most certainly was. Cracking jokes and making us laugh…but there was something behind his happy go lucky demeanor that felt…forced. His smile never quite reached his eyes and his laughter was tired as if he had given it all day long and was sick of giving it.
A pang of worry tinged in me like a tightening violin peg.
This man sitting with us, laughing as he helped Mama and me with the dishes…that wasn't the man I knew from the villa.
The man I knew from the villa was quiet, solemn, thoughtful and while private, he was caring and always made time for me.
I didn't think this man sitting in front of me would so much as give me the time of day unless he wanted something from me in return.
Soon, Mama excused herself.
"I'd like to lie down for a bit. But you don't need to leave on my account, Bruce! Grace, pour the digestivo. I think you two have much to talk about." Mama said, giving me a look.
I had a sneaking suspicion that Mama called Bruce here to discuss a possible engagement with me. But I didn't want to confront her right in front of a guest. "It's all right, Mama." I said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Have a good night."
"I will you too. Good night Bruce."
"Good night, Rebecca. It was good to see you again." Bruce said.
We watched her head to her room before I went to the alcohol cabinet. "Is there anything you'd like? We have some grappa from the year you were at the villa." I asked, taking down a couple of glasses.
"That would be good, thank you, Grace." Bruce said.
Soon we were settled before the crackling fireplace, enjoying the warm and sweet after dinner digestive. "So what brings you here, Bruce." I said after a minute of studying his thoughtful profile.
"What makes you think I'm here for reasons other than saying hello and catching up with old friends I haven't seen in close to five years?" Bruce asked, keeping the act of the shallow and self-absorbed playboy up.
"We've been here for four months and you've been back in Gotham for close to a year. If it was just a friendly chat, I'd think you'd have come sooner." I said, my tone level.
Bruce paused, the mask he was wearing cracked. Right then, I saw the image of the caring and quiet stranger who spent that happy summer with us return.
"Your dad always said you were too smart for your own good." Bruce said, putting down his wine glass and looked at me. "I have a proposition to help us since we're both in a similar dilemma."
"You've got to get engaged too?" I asked.
"More than engaged." Bruce said, tapping his fingers on his knee. "Thanks to the Solomon Principle, if I want to keep Earle away from my fortune, I have to get married by the time I turn thirty."
"The Solomon Principle?" I asked, sipping on my wine.
"Solomon Wayne. My great-great grandfather and builder of Wayne Tower." Bruce said, pointing out the window at the tower shining in the distance. "His oldest son, my great grandfather, was a bit of a philanderer and Solomon said that 'a love of a good woman would make him settle.' Told his son that if he didn't marry and get settled down by the time he turned thirty, he'd give the family fortune and control of the company to the Earle family."
"Did it work?" I asked.
"It must've. We still have control. Mr. Earle, who I ousted last year, has been trying to get his hands back on the company my family controlled and found that old loophole." Bruce said.
"And since you turned thirty about nine months ago…" I said, putting the pieces together
"I need to get married." He said.
"And since according to the Constitution of Corte Maltese I need to be engaged by the sixth month mark of my reign, I'd say that puts us both in a bad spot." I said, shaking my head. "How did you find out?"
"I learned that you were in Gotham a few days ago when I read the paper. Don't really know much about the news otherwise. So I called up your mom and she told me about the spot you were in." Bruce said.
"This is like something out of one of those godawful romance novels." I said, sipping.
Bruce chuckled, the crinkles touching his eyes. I knew that smile was real. "Well I just hope I'm better looking than that Fabio guy."
"You are." I said, smiling. "So what do you propose we do?"
"I have a proposition. We go on a few dates, get engaged and married, have a kid and live in an open marriage. Don't worry. I won't be sleeping around with other women or anything like that. Don't want to get sick."
My eyebrow arched. "Your reputation proceeds you, Mr. Wayne. You're now dating the prima ballerina for the Moscow Ballet. I don't think she's going to take kindly to you suddenly going after me."
"Oh we're not having sex or anything like that. If anything, we're just having dinner together, going to polo tournaments and other things. I send all the girls home after we have dinner, claiming I'm tired." Bruce said. "It's casual dating. Hence why I suggested we go on a few dates and make a big fuss over getting engaged. Wouldn't make Mr. Earle suspicious to say the least. Plus, as my butler says 'pretend to have fun and who knows, you might end up having a little by accident.'"
I thought about it. It did make sense and it would be nice to go out with someone and pretend to be living a normal life. It was something Papa would've wanted for me if he were still alive. "Okay, that makes sense. So what boundaries do you plan on establishing in this relationship of ours?"
"I just have three big ones. One, if you get sick with anything during your little adventures, you tell me immediately. Two, if you get pregnant, I'd like to know. And three, if we both find someone else that we want to spend the rest of our lives with, we tell each other. This is so we can get divorced and go with the other person.
"How about you?" Bruce asked, leaning back. "Do you have any conditions for me?"
I thought for a minute. This was more than a fair trade.
Bruce gets what he needs and I get what I need.
Plus we would go out and have fun.
"The same as the first; tell me if you get sick. Two, if you get someone else pregnant, there's no need to hide it from me. And three? While I'm okay with you dating others…please don't flaunt it in front of me in public."
Bruce looked at me, almost hurt. "Don't worry. I'd never dream of embarrassing you like that."
I smiled. "I'd say then we have an arrangement?" I asked, holding up my glass.
Bruce picked up his glass. "We have an arrangement."
We clinked glasses together.
A/N: Yeah, I know it's short and sweet but Grace and Bruce have both struck me as the 'get down to business, no need to fuss over the details' kind of people, which is why (personally) I think they work so well together.
So is there anything out there I should add to this story?