Getting her number is easy. The hard part is typing it out on his phone and actually hitting call. After three failed attempts, he finally masters enough courage to do it at 10 p.m.
Kara is just settling in with her mug of coffee and her blanket to watch reruns of her favorite sitcom when her phone rings. "Hello?" She answers, balancing the phone between her ear and her shoulder while she grabs the remote to mute the television.
Mike swallows. Just hearing her voice brings up this weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. He can't put a name to it- he's never felt it before- but he's sure he doesn't like it. "Hey," he starts with a shaky voice, then clears his throat. "It's me, Mike. Please don't hang up."
Kara is taken completely by surprise. She was so not expecting this call. "Why are you calling me? Did you have an insult you forgot to add when we met?"
Mike winces. "Look, I- it's been pointed out to me that I was kind of an ass to you, and I think I may have been. I just wanted to apologise for my behavior-"
"-Save it," Kara cuts him off sternly, before he can finish reading off a statement, which is what she knows he is. "You can tell your publicist not to worry. I'm not going to run a story about our encounter. I don't act on personal vendetta. That's not the kind of person I am. So you can relax and go back to whatever woman is currently in your bed."
Mike glances over his room quickly. It's as empty and lonely as it's always been. A giant bed, a dozen pillows, sheets with ridiculous threadcounts, curtains that his interior decorator specifically picked for this season, and a highly priced painting called the "Fortress of solitude" - that's all there is in his room. He had considered placing a family photo by his bedside, but what's the point? He hasn't spoken to his parents for over fifteen years now, not since his father cheated on his mother and his mother retaliated by stabbing him in the chest. Things hadn't been better before that either, there were the constant fights and the disappointment of never meeting his mother's expectations. But the stabbing was the last straw. He ran away from home and straight to LA. He is lucky to have made it the way he did. But he is still lonely. No matter how many women he has slept with, there is nobody he has connected with, ever. All he knows is the thrill of the chase and the high of the conquest. And for the first time in his life, he's starting to see the ugly side of it.
"How's your hand?" He asks, his voice so soft that it surprises even him.
"Fine," she answers curtly. "Can you mail me the bill for the damages to your property?"
"Don't worry about it," Mike assures sincerely.
It's Kara's turn to hesitate before she speaks. "I may not like you, but violence is never the answer, and I'm sorry."
"No, no, it's my fault," Mike argues, "I pushed you to it. Besides, it's not like you hurt anyone, except yourself."
"Right," Kara trails off, unsure what else to say. She can feel the volcanic anger in her starting to dissipate. It's like she's talking to a completely different person. She's not buying this sweet and sensitive act of his for a second, but thankfully, being civil to each other is doing wonders for her own mental health.
Mike takes in a deep breath. "I was wondering if I could see you again. I hate how we left things off the last time."
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Kara tells him honestly.
"I understand," he says quietly. "Anyways, have a nice weekend."
"You too," she replies before she hangs up.
It's the first week without any new stories from women. Kara guesses he got them to sign NDAs when he couldn't get through to her.
That's fine with her. These women know what kind of monster he is and are still putting themselves at the palm of his hands. They have been warned and they have chosen to ignore the warnings. There is nothing more she can do for them.
Her parents (adopted) visit next week, and she finally relaxes, surrounded by the people she loves. Her father gets them tickets to a play for Tuesday, and they're all excited for their first family outing in months.
It turns out to be a play Mon-el is starring in. Kara pales when she notices his name on the signs outside. This has got to be fate taunting her.
"What is it, honey?" Her mother, Elizah, enquires to Alex in a hushed tone.
"You couldn't have gotten us tickets to another play? Any other play?" Alex snaps back, half annoyed and half panicked. "That's the guy Kara blogs about."
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, sweetheart," her father, Jeremiah, apologizes immediately. He places a hand on Kara's shoulders gently. "Forget the play. We don't have to watch that. We can just go to dinner."
In a split second, Kara makes up her mind. She's an adult, and she can do this. "No, no. It's fine. Let's watch the play. I've heard it's really good."
Alex eyes her skeptically. "Are you sure?"
Kara sucks in a deep breath. "Positive."
It's another night, another performance, the same other feeling of something being terribly wrong. Mike puts on his show face and goes on with the role. Thirty minutes into the play, he spots Kara, sitting in the middle of the theatre, her eyes glued on him. He is so shocked that he freezes on stage for a moment. At the same time, he feels some kind of invisible weight lift off his shoulder. He carries out with the rest of the show feeling much happier than he has in a long time.
Kara, for her part, is mesmerized by Mon-el's performance of the charming gentleman wooing a Victorian lady. She manages to put aside their personal enmity and actually enjoy the play.
"That play was something," Jeremiah comments at the end of it, unsure what else to say.
"Mon-el's a great actor, I'll give him that," Kara admits.
Elizah puts on her coat and they are ready to leave, when an usher meets them on the way. "Miss Kara Danvers? Hi! Mr. Matthews would like to have you join him backstage. I mean, he said, he's really happy to see you here and would love to talk to you if you'd be willing to?"
Kara's eyebrows rise up in amusement. Is he trying to charm her? Into what? Not publishing her stories? Isn't that already taken care of? Or are there more ghosts in his past? What exactly is he trying to pull?
There is no reason for her to go. She can tell him to screw himself and just get out of there. But something in her keeps her from doing just that- she'd like to call it curiosity. She excuses herself from her family, assuring them she'll be fine, and tells the usher to lead the way.