"Argh! Why me?" Alice wailed in despair, her members spread like a starfish on the wood floor.
"Don't be so dramatic." Lea rolled her eyes from her position on the sofa.
"But I don't want to go."
"You sound like a child while on a tantrum. If you didn't want to go, you should have never accepted the invitation in the first place."
"You know I tried to reject it…" The memories from a few days seized her mind, and she pouted recalling how the day was going well until the moment she and her niece stepped on the parking lot of Gotham Academy. Right next to their old vehicle, was a shiny black car that screamed rich people all over. As she and Lea walked past it, an old man exited the vehicle and spoke to them.
"Excuse me, Miss Silver?" A rich British accent filled her ears evoking a feeling of nostalgia deep in her chest. The man couldn't be more than sixty years old, with a flawless posture, balding dark hair with scattered silvers threads, and an immaculate thin mustache. His clothes showed he was some kind of motorist or something.
"Yes." Unsure about the man, Alice pulled Lea closer to her. After the horrible experience she had on her first week in Gotham, she had become a little paranoiac. You cannot be too careful as her mother used to say, and she decided to follow this rule to the letter in Gotham.
"I'm Alfred Pennyworth, the butler of the Wayne family and on their behalf, I'm here to extend an invitation to an event that will take place next Saturday. All the information is inside." His white-gloved hand extended to her, an envelope resting on his palm.
What the heck…? Teal orbs gaped at the man, moving to the envelope and again to the impassive butler's face. "What?" That was all Alice was able to say.
"Wayne like in Damian Wayne?" Lea asked frowning, less affected by the situation than her aunt did. The old man, Alfred, looked at the petit girl the corner of his lips curving up slightly.
"That's right young miss."
"Why am I being invited to…uh this event?" Alice glanced hesitantly at the envelope as if it was a snake ready to bite.
"It's a way of thanking you for clearing Master Damian's name."
"Ah, that! There is no need to thank me for such a small thing." She waved as if her actions were nothing important. And they weren't, mainly because it was Lea who saved his ass and not her. Besides, what they did for Damian they would have done it for anyone else who had the misfortune to become a scapegoat.
"I must insist." Alfred thrust the paper further to her.
"It was no big deal, I can't accept this. Moreover, I don't have anyone to look after Lea." The brunet tried to make an excuse since the butler was not taking a no for an answer.
"That won't be a problem, Master Damian will be there and I'm sure he will be delighted to have a company of his age." The man smiled warmly, secretly enjoying her useless attempts to politely refuse him.
Next to them, the black glass window from the back seat descended reviling an angry Damian. "Don't put words on my mouth Pennyworth." The boy glared first at the butler and then at the two girls. "Just accept the damn invitation, he won't give up until you do and I'm tired of waiting."
"Master Damian, mind your manners." Alfred reproached.
"Tt." With his point made, the dark window closed once more.
"Well, now that this is resolved…" Alfred approached, holding Alice's hand in his and placing the envelope there. He patted her hands kindly like a grandparent would do their grandchild. "We will be awaiting you at the party. Have a nice day."
That's how the conversation went, with Alice not really accepting the envelope but ending with the damn paper on her grasp and now regretting having to go to the party.
"Maybe it won't be that bad…" Lea tried to reassure her aunt, finally showing some amount of sympathy.
"Just thinking about it makes me sick." She whined, rolling into her stomach and grabbing her phone. The screen glowed showing the time, it was almost eight pm and they needed to be there before nine.
With a grunt, she got up and went to her room. "Lea start to prepare yourself, wear one of your dresses, it didn't say anything on the invitation but I'm sure there is a dress code for this kind of stuff."
"What is this party about exactly?"
"It's a charity event, for the new scholarships of musical and arts education." Alice shouted, head inside her closet, as she roamed and searched among the scarce options she had. Honestly, she only had four dresses and only one fitted the dress code. With a sigh, she took out her old navy blue long dress, with a V-neck cut. Despite having it for five years, she could count with the fingers of one hand the number of times she used it. The smooth material gently hugged her curves, falling in a cascade of fabric at her feet and concealing her inappropriate black boots. She didn't use nor own heels, simply because she wasn't able to walk with them. The first time she tried a pair of heels, she fell face-first into the ground within the first four steps.
"Alice is this ok?" Her niece asked, entering her room. She had chosen the lacy knee-length dress, with long sleeves and to match a dark blue classic 'mary jane' style leather shoes. The dress was a present from her father that he gave her a few years back, then, too big to fit her. He had seen the dress in a store but they didn't have the model in her size and so he purchased it giving the excuse that she could wear it in the future when she got older.
"You look adorable!" The complement made the girl blush, her round cheeks getting pink and enhancing her cuteness. It was a bittersweet feeling seeing Lea wearing the dress because it reminded her that her brother never got the chance to see his daughter wearing it. "Come here, I will arrange your hair."
"Since when are you able to do any kind of hairstyle?" Arching an eyebrow, Lea crossed her arms a mockery smile on her pink lips. Even so, she complied.
"I'm not particularly good at it and usually it's too much work, but I think it will look good on you." Her fingers brushed the light brown strands, after a few minutes of braiding and twisting, she was capable of making a half-up updo. It wasn't perfect, but it looked good, especially with her niece's naturally wavy hair that she inherited from her side of the family.
"All right, all done. Go fetch your jacket, it's too cold to go out without one and call a cab I don't want to drive towards who knows where. I will only take a few minutes to get ready." Dismissing her niece, Alice rushed to get ready. She applied a little bit of makeup, nothing too complicated since her skills were limited to basic stuff, besides she didn't like the feeling of too much makeup on her skin.
Brushing her chocolate brown curls to one side, she considered her reflection on the bathroom mirror. Not bad… It could be worse right?
Maybe, just maybe she could survive this night without embarrassing herself. After receiving the invitation, Alice had made some research about the event and found out it was a top-notch party, the type of where you see politicians, actors, models, all the high-class society, not a nobody like her. All that made her even more reluctant in going. A place where she didn´t feel comfortable, full of snobby people was not the way she wanted to spend her evening. She would rather stay home watching movies in comfy clothes or playing video games with Lea, or something similar.
"Alice the taxi is here. Are you ready yet?"
"Sim!" (Translation: Yes!) Grabbing their things, Alice stopped at the entrance, the bowl where she usually left her keys empty. "Lea do you have my keys?"
"No. Aren't they inside the bowl?" The young girl asked as she pressed the button to call the elevator.
"No, but I'm sure I put it here, as I always do…"
"Maybe you placed it somewhere else or lost it. I have my keys so let's go or the taxi will leave." Passing her own set of keys to Alice so she could lock the door, the two rushed outside. The taxi was parked right outside the front door.
"Do you have the invitation?" Lea asked as they entered the yellow vehicle.
"Yeah, I have." She confirmed, examining once more the fancy paper, before facing the driver. "Good evening, to Wayne Manor please."
The scenery outside started to change after almost half an hour on the road, the grey big buildings started to be replaced by single houses, each bigger than the one before, until there was nothing but trees. As they entered the greenery-surrounded road, the driver looked at them by the rearview mirror, taking in their appearance.
"I'm guessing you're attending the charity event, the Music and Arts Night?"
"You know about it?"
"Of course, everyone knows about it."
"Is this event that well known or important?" Lea took her phone out, ready to search about it if necessary.
"Everything with the name Wayne plastered on its big news around here." The man joked. "Look at the number of journalists and photographers at the entrance. This is going to be front-page for sure, well that is if no one decides to explode something or someone tonight."
As they arrived at the big iron gates, Alice was able to see what the man was talking referring to. Alice touched her neckless as she nervously observed the huge crowd, of at least twenty photographers and journalists in front of the gate and scattered along the road, flashes lightened the limousines and expensive cars, trying to capture the identities of the guests. Security guards prevented their entry, only allowing the passage of vehicles with the display of the invitation card, yet the paparazzi still tried to enter or surround the cars to take a good shot. They looked like bees during spring hovering over fresh and beautiful flowers. Because that was what the people entering the mansion looked like, everyone and everything was so dazzling and overflowing with ostentation. She felt like a wildflower trying to infiltrate into a botanic garden.
"We just need to stay for half an hour or so and then we go home." Lea tried to reassure her aunt, sensing her growing discomfort. But to be sincere, she wasn't faring better herself, the simple thought of being in a room full of people made her stomach flip and her hands sweat.
"Ok. We can do this." Paying the man, Alice took a deep breath before opening the door. The mansion towered over them in a majestic but almost taunting way, making every step forward heavier than the previous one. Holding her niece's hand, they climbed the marble stairs. Once inside they presented the invitation once more.
"Amazing!" Alice gaped, overwhelmed with the magnitude of the mansion. The high white and beige coffered ceiling was encircled with elaborated crown moldings, adorned with intricately carved patterns painted gold that matched the wall trim. Majestic chandeliers hanged like hives from a tree, emanating a bright yellow warm light contributing to the enchanting vision. Big arched-shaped double windows that raised from the darkened aged cherry wood floor into the ceiling, its top almost touching the ceiling, were now covered in heavy silk curtains, providing some privacy from unwanted prying eyes. Every detail was excessive, not as much as the baroque style, it possessed a more refined and simple (not that was a good adjective to portray the manor) elegant design.
Lea waggled Alice's hand several times until she was able to get her attention. "What's wrong?"
"It's like entering a palace or a castle everything is extremely luxurious," Alice whispered.
An attendant escorted them out of the atrium through a hallway, and into the party room. The space was even more extravagant than the rest of the manor, with all the expensive-looking decoration. It was a big open area, with a half-circle stage on the opposite side of the door, where a band of very, very young-looking members was playing some soft classical melody. The floor was made of a beautiful glass tile with black embellished patterns incorporated all over its white surface. The right wall was covered with windows, exposing a lovely green area outside, while the left exhibited multiple paintings presenting varied styles and topics. Several round tables, each with four or five chairs, were scattered over the area, creating a ring, leaving the center of the room free, allowing people to pace, dance, and talk. A bar with a few high benches was located on a corner near the windows.
People she recognized from the television and news, from actors to politicians filled the space, strolling around the room, chatting, laughing, and appreciating the music and art.
"Let's sit down for now." Not knowing anyone and feeling so out of place as she never experienced before, Alice led her niece away from the confusion of bodies. Lifting the little girl under her armpits, she placed Lea on the leather cushion stool before taking the seat next to her, giving her back to the party and asking for a drink from the bartender. "An 'old fashioned', don't cut off on the sugar please."
The man scanned her over and with an uneasy frown, he asked to see her identification.
"You must be kidding me." She chuckled at the joke.
"Sorry Miss, but there are underage guests I need to check it."
With an audible tired sigh, Alice took her driver's license out of her wallet and gave it to the man. As soon as he saw her date of birth, his eyes went wide almost popping out. It was quite funny the stunned expression on his face, it almost compensated for the fact he had doubted her about her age.
"You're older than me?" It wasn't a question, since he already knew the answer.
"Can I have my drink now?" Her smile growing, as she took her license back from his fingers. "And can you get a lemonade for my niece, or does she need to show her identification first?"
That seemed to get him out of his state of shock as he threw his head back and barked a laugh that rapidly dissolved under the surrounded noise. With a smile on his face, he turned around and grabbed a mixing glass, and started to pour a generous quantity of sugar, first white and then brown, muddling it together before infusing two different kinds of bitters and a splash of water to better dissolve everything together. His hands were precise moving elegantly and in a flourishing manner. He poured some whiskey and using a silver bar spoon stirred it up with the rest of the ingredients. Concluding, he added some ice, mixing it for the last time. Taking a round glass from behind the counter he flipped it in the air, before putting two cubes of ice inside and filling it with the golden liquid, presenting it with a slice of orange.
With the same show of hands, he placed a cup of lemonade in front of Lea.
"Tell me what you think."
Grabbing the glass, Alice took it to her lips. The cold drink filled her mouth, the sweet flavor of sugar and orange perfectly balanced with the smooth spicy taste of whiskey faintly burning down her throat in a pleasant way. She had to admit it was a damn good drink.
"Probably the best 'old fashioned' shot I ever had."
"And you little lady, how is your drink?" He smiled towards Lea.
"It's good, but I had better."
"Ouch, I was expecting more than that." He feigned hurt.
Alice laughed, feeling less and less anxious with each swig of her drink. The bartender, whose name was Tyler, was really nice and easy-going. He was the second generation of bartenders in his family; his late father had been working with the Wayne's for a long time, always being called when they organized big parties like this one. Since his father died three years ago, he had taken his place. They spoke about small things, like his work, the city, and his boyfriend, with who he was deeply in love, Alice easily concluded, as he praised him every time he could, interrupting the talk only when someone asked for a drink. What happened less than she was expecting. The bar seats were empty beside her and Lea, the guests preferring to socialize on the tables or just standing near the paintings discussing them, accepting the champagne that the waiters were constantly offering. They prowled and circulated the room like ghosts, a silver platter always full.
"So tell me, why are you here? No offense, but I can tell you two are out of your element." The Silver girls chuckled at his remark.
"No shit." Gulping down the last of her drink, Alice waved her glass in Tyler's direction. Taking the hint, he gave her another. "We were invited as a gesture of gratitude."
He looked a little confused. "You're saying the Wayne's invited you as a thank you?"
"Yup. Aren't we lucky?" Sarcasm dripped from her words.
"I guess it was not the best way to thank you." He seemed amused.
"You can say that again," Lea murmured rather loudly. She hadn't been paying much attention to the whole conversation had found her phone more interesting, but even that was starting to get boring. And she was starting to get hungry too. "Alice I'm hungry."
"Me too." Turning on her seat, the brunet scanned the room, her eyes stopping on a long table full of food where people could serve themselves. "Tyler we're going to grab a bite, we'll see you later."
"Try and enjoy yourselves."
"I'm enjoying this." She said, raising and shaking her glass and walking away with Lea in hand.
The table with food was like a paradise island taken directly from her dreams, full of the most delicious smells and stunning-looking dishes she have ever seen. Of course, having a sweet tooth she focused her attention on the right side of the table where the desserts were placed. Alice almost drooled with the sight before her, everything looked so damn good she didn't know where to start or what to pick. The cubes of lemon meringue pie seemed refreshing and sure to melt in her mouth, but the mini red velvet cakes appeared to be so fluffy, and that bowls looked good too, she wasn't sure what it was but it had chocolate so she was sure it was to die for. Taking two plates, she filled the first one with what Lea wanted, giving it to the girl when she was done. Licking her lips in anticipation, she started to place food after food on her plate, however, after placing four different kinds of desserts, there was no more space left on the porcelain surface. No worries, I will return for the rest of you. She mentally said, eyeing the strawberry shortcake.
Turning around to go and find a vacant table for her and Lea to eat, she bumped into something hard. She stumbled back from the impact, somehow being able to regain her balance and not making a fool of herself, however, the glass with the remaining 'old fashioned' slipped from her fingers.
Merda! (Translation: Shit!) Seeing the cup falling she waited for the inevitable, yet before she saw the glass crashing into the floor and breaking in hundreds of small shreds, a hand caught it. The ice inside jolted and the golden liquid spattered against the glass walls, spilling a few drops on the floor. She released a sigh she didn't know she was holding.
"Nice catch." She said relieved, her head falling back as she eyed the person in front of her, who she had slammed into. The man was tall, and she felt so much shorter than her 5'4 feet. She quickly eyed his expensive-looking tux for any possible stains left by her beverage. When she found none she smiled, those clothes probably cost more than her monthly salary. "And sorry for bumping into you. I didn't notice you."
A charming smile formed on his lips as he gave her glass back. "Mere luck, and don't worry about it."
"I thought only one of you was blind, maybe I was wrong." A sardonic tone she recognized to belong to a bossy ten years old, appear behind the man.
"Damian." The tall man, which Alice easily deduced was his father, the famous Bruce Wayne, scolded.
"Damian, it's always a pleasure." Alice mocked back, knowing that if she became angry or offended that would be the boy's win. He seemed to like a game called pushing people's buttons.
"Yeah right," Lea commented.
"What did you say, Silver?" The boy dared the other child to repeat herself.
"Damian, that's enough." Bruce glared towards his son, before looking back at Alice and covering it with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry for my son's attitude. I'm Bruce Wayne, I assume you must be Alice and Lea Silver."
As if just noticing the plates on the two girls' hands, Bruce asked them to join him and Damian on their table, which Alice refused quickly. That made him a little disappointed, and the brunet tried to hastily justify herself. "You don't need to burden yourself with us, I'm sure you have other things to do."
"I don't. I would be very happy if you could join us." His voice was smooth and throaty, an enticing tone underneath the friendly and easygoing layer. With a hand on her back, he guided her and her niece to one of the tables near one of the large windows. She sat down with Lea on her left, Damian in front of her, and his father on her right side. For a couple of minutes, there was an awkward silence between them, the music and voices muffled in the background. Lea was hungry so she ignored everyone in favor of the food, Damian crossed his arms his permanent frown more defined than normal, clearly fed up with being there.
You and I buddy. Alice thought.
To make things worse she was still a little suspicious about Bruce Wayne, after all, she treated his son from a nasty cut, which the boy lied about and refused to tell her the truth. For all she knew, he could have been the culprit.
On the other hand, Bruce appeared to be totally at ease, his posture relaxed and his face a contrast from his son, carefree and pleased. However, there was something that made Alice doubt the easygoing feeling emanating from him.
His eyes are too guarded…
"So Miss Silver, Damian told me you're new in Gotham, how are you liking so far."
"Call me Alice and I will call you Bruce if you don't mind, I don't like to use surnames. We're still getting used to it." She responded with a shrug of her shoulders.
"I don't mind at all." He preferred this way as well, it was easier to get close to someone and get them to open up if they were on a first-name basis. "How long have you been living here?"
"A month and you?"
"All my life."
The piercing icy blue of his eyes soothed a little for a second and Alice saw the love he had for the city. "Hmm, you really like this place."
He looked a little taken back but quickly placed back the smile on his lips. "Yes I do, despite all the problems, I wouldn't pick anywhere else to live. I hope you two haven't encountered any complications."
"Is being mugged considered a complication?" Lea inquired sarcastically.
"You have been robbed?" Bruce feigned surprise.
"Yeah, but it wasn't a big deal, besides one of the vigilantes saved me." Alice brushed it off. "The little one."
Damian frowned at her comment, if he remembers correctly she was stabbed and beaten up, that was no small thing, at least for a normal citizen. "You don't sound affected by it. Are you used to being assaulted?" He then pouted, offended. "And his name is Robin and he isn't little."
"Damian," Bruce warned his son once again.
"No." Alice regarded the boy with a strange look on her face. How could anyone get used to being assaulted? "Actually, it was the first time I was mugged. It was really scary but everything ended well so there is no need to dwell on it." Not wanting to talk about that night and her stupid actions, Alice tried to change the subject. "So, Bruce, tell me more about this Music and Arts Night."
"This is a charity event to finance the new scholarships for the Gotham Academy. With this party, I hope to give an opportunity to the talented children whose parents can't afford this kind of education." Bruce gazed around the room, a pleased expression on his face. "All the paintings displayed on this room were made by students from the Academy and are for sale, the musicians playing here tonight are also students who offered their time and skills to contribute to this cause."
Feeling a little more at ease, Alice finally took a bite of one of the deserts. The rich flavor exploded in her mouth, and she almost moaned at how good it was. She was definitely going for seconds.
In the end, they stayed longer than expected and Alice found herself having a pleasant and interesting conversation with Bruce. It was past eleven pm when Lea started to yawn, telling her it was time to go home. "Well we should go, it's getting late. It was nice meeting you, Bruce."
Standing up with her, Bruce extended his hand for her to shake. His big hand enfolded hers completely in a soft and warm grasp. "It was a pleasure. Have a good night." She squeezed back, a too formal goodbye that for some reason didn't feel right after their friendly chat.
They left, but not before saying goodbye to Tayler, that was quick to tease her about her change of heart towards the invitation. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"From here you looked like you were enjoying the company." He laughed when she blushed and before he could say more, she was out of the door pulling a sleepy Lea with her.
Until next time,
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