Longer chapter this time. Thank you guys for reviewing and alerting this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
The charity function was being held in the ballroom at the Gotham City Grand Hotel. This party was being held for the GCPD and most of Gotham's elite who donated to the department. Emma used parties like these for net working though she did always take some time to admire the décor of the room. What she loved about the ballroom at the Grand was it had the most beautiful antique chandler she had ever seen. After admiring the chandler for a moment she headed over to the bar to get a drink.
Apple martini in had she began to mingle, saying hello to former clients, trying her best to put her best foot forward and seems as professional as possible, however this idea was quickly shattered when her best friend Charlie found her.
"Em! How is Gotham's greatest interior designer doing?" He said putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her over to him and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Charlie and her had grown up together and had know each other since kindergarten. He had dark hair and bright blue eyes.
"Really Charlie I'm trying to network. Mustache?" She said taking his arm off her and turning to face him.
"Yeah, I think it gives me the sort of Jim Gordon super cop look. Speaking of the commission I might be up for a fucking promotion isn't that the shit." Charlie had a bit of a problem with swearing to much, but Emma loved him all the same.
"Charlie, language."
"Yes mom." He said rolling his eyes.
"Well maybe if you acted your age instead of your shoe size I won't have to scold you like a mother." She said with a small smile.
Charlie however did not continue with the jovial mood instead he turned rather serious. "Hey you know your dad's been asking about you. I am visiting hours are pretty flexible down at county and…" He said in a near whisper Emma however didn't let him finish.
"I know where this is going Charlie and I don't want to talk about it. I will see him especially not after what he did." Said Emma in a harsh whisper.
"I know it's awful alright I agree with you, but it's been 10 years and the man's in there for life."
"No! Charlie I am really not talking about this, not here, not ever again." She said clenching her teeth to hold back her temper. "I need another drink." She said once she noticed most of her martini was already gone. She did not wait for him to respond and instead left for the bar again.
Bruce Wayne had arrived as usual fashionably late or course this time he actually had a legitimate reason. After scanning the room for a moment and talking with a few people he made his way over to the bar. It was then that he noticed Ms. Carpenter looking amazing in a red evening gown her blonde hair still pulled back in the same tight bun as earlier today. He also noticed she looked upset about something.
He placed the rather large contract he had been carrying on the bar next to her. He had rather been hoping he would find her at this party early so he could talk to her about it. "This is ridiculous." He said pointing to it. He notice the moment he spoke to her she changed her expression hiding whatever might have been bothering her.
"I had five lawyer help me right that and none of the other clients complained." She said taking a sip of her drink.
"Maybe they just didn't want to take the time to read a new book." He scoffed looking over at the contract.
"I just have to be safe. Alright apart from it's size what about the contract displeased you."
"I don't know I didn't finish it. I had to come here."
"Well then that Mr. Wayne is your problem, however the more time you take to sign this contract the less time I have to get the job done and then it becomes my problem, so what do you propose we do about the contract."
"Look how about this, I don't care what you do with the house or how much you spend so long as you don't go in the south corner or to far out in the ground, and you don't tell the tabloids anything about my personal life." He said with a charming smile.
"Um no that contract is airtight and safe so I don't get sued…"
"That contract is bigger than my college reading assignments." Said Bruce interrupting her.
"And your house needs hiking markers and caused my feet a great discomfort!" She snapped at him but quickly recovered "I'm sorry that was rude, I'll just have my lawyers draw up another contract." She said with a sigh.
"Look here I'll make you life easier and just sign it." He said pulling out a pen and signing it. He could tell that she was under a lot of stress and didn't want to give her more.
"Thank you." She said with a smile. She took the contract and now held it in her hands. The two or them stood in silence for a few moment neither one of them saying a word, just looking around.
"Do you want to dance?" Bruce asked her with another charming smile. She could see why most woman swooned at that smile, she however was not most woman she had a wonderful fiancé waiting at home for her.
"I don't think that is a good idea, as of a few minutes ago you are officially a client of mine, that would be unprofessional."
"So if I hadn't of signed that contract you would have said yes?"
"No, I'm engaged. And although me dancing with you would help your playboy act it wouldn't be a good idea for me."
"What makes you say it's an act?" He said intrigued by what she was saying. He had also ditched the smile and was now waiting for her response.
"People only see what they want to see, you're just giving them what they want. Honestly the razzle dazzle them trick is one of the oldest in the books. It's easy to hide something when you tell yourself you have nothing to hide." She said her expression blank she was far off from her, probably visiting some dark memory from her past.
"You seem to know a lot about this, Ms. Carpenter." He said with a smile but his gaze was focused on her. She had noticed her was like her in the sense he hide whatever it was that was causing him pain from everyone else.
"That Mr. Wayne is a dance I know all to well. If you will excuse me I should probably be getting home, my fiancé is waiting." She said with a small smile before taking the contract and leaving. His eyes followed her as she left and despite his better judgment he really wanted to know why she knew about hiding something so well.
He left the party soon after she did. Once home he went looking for Alfred who was in the kitchen.
"Hey Alfred did you do that background check on Ms. Carpenter like I asked?"
"Yes, Master Wayne she has no criminal record."
"What about that Todd guy?"
"Ms. Carpenter's fiancé?"
"Yeah, Alfred the fiancé." Said Bruce opening up the fridge and pulling out a carton of orange juice.
"Nothing too out of the ordinary, he was arrest twice for some violent protests involving animal rights. And I noticed his company did once do business with the Falcone family but it seems like it was a legitimate business deal."
Bruce just seemed to grunt in response
"Is something the matter Master Wayne?"
"She saw through it Alfred."
"I'm assuming we are talking about Ms. Carpenter, what did she see through?"
"The whole, playboy billionaire act, the one you insisted I use." Said Bruce putting the juice back in the fridge.
"Only because you insist on running around in Kevlar every evening, spending your nights beating down criminals. Speaking of that with the Joker gone and the mob nearly beaten when exactly will you be giving that up?"
"I can't right now."
"Will you ever be able to Master Wayne?"
"I could give it up today if the time was right or even tomorrow, but today is not that day is neither is tomorrow." Said Bruce slamming the refrigerator door. "I'll be back in the morning." He said leaving the kitchen.
888 Emma's Apartment 888
"Heels are the devil's assistant. They lure you in looking all cute and strappy but then they given you blisters from hell." Said Emma kicking off her shoes and once again sitting down on the couch.
"How was dealing with the pompous Gotham elite and the corrupt police officers?" Said Todd who was in the kitchen making a cup of tea.
"Not all of Gotham's elite are pompous and not all police officers are corrupt." Said Emma moving around on the couch trying to get comfortable.
"Most of them are though. Which one of them have you sold your soul to now?" Todd said with a teasing smirk. Handing her a cup of tea and taking the contract out of her hands.
"Bruce Wayne, and I do not sell my soul to my clients. I am just very dedicated to my work, plus what do you think paid for all this." She said gesturing to the apartment.
"Really and how is Gotham's most notorious playboy, I bet he's got to be one of the pompous ones." The mention of Bruce made Emma think once again of the pain in his eyes.
"No…I think there is more to Bruce Wayne then meets the eye." She said thinking about how dark and empty his mansion had seems, for a man who was supposed to have everything he seemed very much alone.
"Of course that's what guys like him want you to think. But it isn't honest and that's why is doesn't work for long term, take us for example we are completely honest with each other about everything in our lives, right sweetheart?"
"Yeah, honest." Except Emma had never told Todd about her father being in prison or how he got there. She figured it was a don't ask don't tell sort of thing it wasn't dishonest it just wasn't complete honesty. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable so she quickly changed the subject. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about earlier?"
"Yeah, that um, well my company is going down to Africa to help give out the malaria vaccine to villages all around the continent and they want me to go with them."
"Oh when would you leave?"
"The plane leaves tomorrow, I know it's sort notice but my friend who works for the CDC offered and well…"
"No I understand, um when would you get back?" Emma said not really to happy with the idea, her face however did not show this, after all she would be a horrible person if she said no to something like that.
"A week before the wedding." Said Todd with a sheepish expression.
"You would be gone for Christmas and we were planning on spending it with your parents so I could meet them before the wedding." She said letting a little of her anger show.
"I know sweetheart that is why I have your friend Misty flying in from London to spend Christmas with you and your friend Charlie, I already called my parents and told them we couldn't come."
"Seems like you could have given me more notice if you had time to do all that." Said Emma holding back her anger after all Todd did at least do something to cushion the blow, Emma had not seen her other best friend in years.
"Sorry sweetheart but you are always busy with functions or work. I just can't wait to spend more time with you when we go on our honeymoon." He said giving her a kiss on the cheek and heading towards the bedroom.
"Wait don't you want to hear about how my day went and then you can tell me about yours?" Said Emma setting her tea on the coffee table and sitting up to get a better look at him.
"You know I want to Sweetheart but I have an early flight tomorrow and I still have to pack so I'm going to hit the sack." He said leaning against the doorframe. "You coming to bed to it's late."
"Mm, I'm not really that tired yet, I'll finish my tea, watch some tv and then I will join you."
"Okay don't say up to late."
"I won't" She said reaching for the notebook she had used earlier today to write down information an Wayne Manor. She let out a sigh realizing how much work it would be decorating that house, not to mention that Todd wouldn't be around to help her pick out thinks for the wedding, which she still had not idea what she wanted to do for that. While most girls had there dream wedding picked out since they were 7 Emma did not, nor did she really had a dream guys she always wanted to marry. "This wedding is going to be more of a nightmare to than a dream, god some much work to do and so little time to do it." She thought to herself as she flipped through the notebook.
Well there you have it another chapter, don't worry the relationship with Bruce and Emma will start to surface as the story moves on. Also don't forget to review, reviews make my world go round!