Over the next week, Harley lived her life as though she were constantly flirting with the Joker. When she was alone in her room, she'd sit as primly as possible, and flip her hair every so often, knowing he was watching. When she was walking between classes, she made sure she walked with her head held high, and would peer at shadows beside buildings, hoping she might catch his eye. But alas, he remained aloof.
The night of the first dress rehearsal for the show had come out of seemingly nowhere. That morning, on her way back from class, Harley caught sight of Alison and Redgie. She appeared to be using him, grabbing his coffee to take a sip, then turning to flirt with the Rugby team. Better yet, Alison looked like she'd been putting on a little weight. Harley smiled to herself. Karma is a beautiful thing. A sudden panic gripped her as she realized that Alison would be wearing her masterpiece gown tonight. As much as she wanted to keep that from happening, Harley knew she had to bide her time. Meanwhile, she would have to stop by the fabric store to pick up some more of the scarlet chiffon. Alison was not going to fit into the dress unless Harley let the fabric out at least two, maybe three, inches at the waist.
Harley pulled her phone out of her jeans, and texted Clarissa to let her know she'd have to skip dinner with the gang tonight. Her friend texted back a sad face with an "ok". She felt a little guilty about skipping a meal, but there wasn't time between the end of her last class and tonight's rehearsal to buy more fabric and eat. So, her responsibilities yet again came before her health.
Usually, Harley hailed a cab to go anywhere downtown alone after six, but she felt safe knowing the Joker was surely following her. So, instead she made her way to the bus stop. When she got there, she carefully inspected the bench for any gum that might be stuck to it, than sat down to wait. She started to get nervous after five minutes. The street was empty, except for a stray dog and the sports section of yesterday's Gotham Globe. Suddenly, out of seemingly nowhere, a young man was standing next to her. Harley let out a sharp gasp, then shamed herself for acting like such a child. The man looked maybe two or three years older than herself, and was dressed sharply with a thick scarf covering his mouth.
"Sorry, I'm a little jittery tonight"
"A beautiful girl waiting all alone for the bus? I'd be pretty jittery if I were you, too"
Harley thought she could see the corners of his smile peek out from behind the scarf, but that wasn't really anatomically possible. She smiled back nonetheless. He was handsome, with tan skin and blond hair in tight curls that cascaded to his shoulders. The more Harley examined him, the more familiar he looked to her.
"Um, this is gonna sound weird, but uh…do I know you?"
"Not unless you hang out at a lot of coffee shops after ten"
Harley looked up at him, cocking her head in confusion.
"I'm a struggling stage performer-I try to do shows at coffee shops. College students are much more forgiving audiences than most. Name's Jack, by the way"
He reached out a gloved hand, and she shook it. She realized his gloves and scarf were the same light green, the same green in the tiny pin stripes of his tailored suit.
"My name's Harley. And what a coincidence that you're in theatre. I'm just on my way to get some costume supplies. I'm a designer at the fine arts school"
"I know. I've seen your pieces. Harley Quinn, right?"
She nodded. That was the second mysterious man in a month that knew her name without ever having met her.
"They're beautiful, paling in comparison to you, but lovely anyways"
"Thank-you…I didn't know anyone outside of the drama department, much less the school, knew I existed"
She paused for a moment, flattered. But there was something else. She kept feeling like something wasn't right.
"So, Jack, what kind of stage performance do you do? Musical acts, Shakespearian interpretations…"
"Musical? Heaven forbid I think the police would lock me away if I tried to sing or play an instrument. No, I'm actually a magician"
The Joker couldn't believe how well things were going. For the last few weeks, he'd been able to complete his set-up for breaking into the Wayne Center for Research in Physics and Industry and follow his beautiful Harley. He knew that she'd felt his presence over the last fortnight; before he'd sensed she suspected something, but ever since the night in the theatre, things had changed for the better.
And now, he was talking to her. She didn't know it was him. His disguise was too well done and she wasn't expecting him to 'come out of the dark'. But as Jack, he could more efficiently gain her trust. It would be much easier to manipulate her from the position of his alter ego.
"Would you mind terribly if I accompanied you for your costume shopping? My show doesn't start tonight for another two hours, and its terribly lonely just sitting there sipping cheap coffee"
Harley thought for a moment. What if the Joker were watching? All the better, thought Harley, then if this guy turns out to be a total creeper, Mr. J will come and save me. Otherwise, it wouldn't hurt to have a normal companion for at least a little while.
"Of course! I get really easily wigged riding alone on the bus during the day, at night, it's a miracle I don't hyperventilate at every stop"
She thought she saw his smile again, but the green scarf he wore came up to his eyes, covering his nose. She suddenly realized that his eyes were green too.
"Ah, our chariot has arrived, after you milady"
He executed a courtly bow as the bus doors slammed open. Harley returned his bow with a curtsy and daintily entered their 'chariot'. He followed her and stood next to her seat. She wondered why he remained standing, even though there was an open seat next to her,
"Afraid of catching bus sickness by sitting down?"
"No, I just prefer to stand. I like to be ready"
"Ready for what?"
"Oh, you never know what might happen in the streets of Gotham after dark"