Chapter 3: Happy Birthday
When she woke in her own bed that morning, she was relieved. After her second encounter with Joker, she wondered if in fact any of it had been real, it was simply too good to be true. But it was and she stared up at the ceiling for a while, wondering what the brilliant but psychotic man was up to now.
She knew she had to keep her meetings with him a secret but she didn't exactly want to shout it from the rooftop anyway. Sighing at the strange, terrifying but most of all intoxicatingly exhilarating turn her life had taken she got up and wandered into the living room.
Something soft and warm brushed up against her leg and she looked down at the soft meowing of her cat, Puddin. She smiled and pulled her kitty up to her chest and the fluffy ball of fur immediately began to purr. She placed him down and gave him some more cat food, before searching through the fridge for something herself.
She gave up on it and simply poured herself some orange juice before slumping down in front of the TV and switching it on. She flipped through the channels not settling for long on anything until lunch came and she pushed herself out of her slump and into the kitchen for something to eat, though she didn't feel hungry and wanted to save her appetite for tonight. As an afterthought she texted Bruce to ask him to pick her up at 8 and decided she would head out shopping for a while, she locked Puddin in and headed off down the road. She lived not far from the mall so decided to walk rather than take her bike.
She wandered aimlessly through the shops looking for anything that took her eye and then she spotted a beautiful black and nude coloured dress, it had a tight fitting bodice that flared out at the bottom in a beautiful mermaid cut. She went into the shop and looked around. She never usually went into shops like this, they were usually far too expensive but it was her birthday and she had a little savings she could spend.
"Hi, can I help you?" said the overly happy sales assistant.
"Oh umm yeah, I like that dress in the window," Scarlett says and the women only nodded as she led Scarlett to where there were more.
"What size would you like," said the woman.
"Umm I don't really know, I've never been here before" Scarlett admitted.
"Well your quite thin but you have a few assets," said the woman motion to Scarlett's chest.
"But I would say a medium would be good, as the bodice laces up so it should fit you like a glove," said the woman pulling the dress off the rack and heading over to the dressing room.
"You head in there and we can see what it looks like," said the woman and Scarlett smiled and took the dress from her.
It was a little snug at first but then like the woman said it fit like a glove, and it looked amazing. It made her feel beautiful and she stepped out of the dressing room to show the woman.
"Wow, that looks amazing and your hair looks great against the black," she said and Scarlett smiled.
"I really like it and it fits so well and it is my birthday," said Scarlett spinning around to look at herself in the mirror. That's when she caught his reflection, a man stood just outside the doorway of the shop, he wore a hooded top pulled up over his head and so his face was hidden in shadow, but Scarlett swore she saw slither of green hair poke out the side of the hood.
"So do you think? Do you want it? I have a really lovely pair of shoes that will go great" said the woman, pulling Scarlett out of her thoughts and away from the reflection of the man.
"Err yeah I think I'll take it," said Scarlett looking back in the mirror but the man was gone and so she shook the thought from her head. She was clearly imagining things.
"How much is it?" Scarlett asked and the woman smiled.
"Six hundred and seven dollars"
Scarlett nearly chocked, there was no way she could afford this, she felt so silly, she was going to dinner with a billionaire that evening and she couldn't cough up $700 for a dress. But she was a nurse and that was hardly the best money around.
"Oh, I'm sorry I can't afford that," said Scarlett and the woman's happy demeanour immediately changed and she practically tore the dress off of Scarlett.
She felt humiliated as she made her way out of the shop and away. She would just have to go somewhere cheaper she was sure that she would find something as nice somewhere else, even if she had slightly fallen in love with that dress.
She made her way over to one of the chain stores and began her search through the racks, eventually, she found something she liked in a light blue strapless floaty dress it was pretty and for $50 she could hardly complain, she bought some heels to match and headed home.
She took a bath shaved her leg and painted her nails, the usual and before long it was 7, so she applied her make-up, curled her hair and headed into the living room. Bruce was usually always a little late so she poured herself and drink and called in Puddin. At ten past the door bell rang.
She stood from her seat and pick up her purse before pulling the door open. Bruce stood there a bunch of flowers in hand.
"Happy Birthday Scar," said Bruce happily and Scarlett smiled and took the flowers from him. Bruce was dressed very smartly and Scarlett couldn't deny he was a very handsome man, but he was a playboy and far to in love with Rachel to pay Scarlett any mind.
She ran the tap and filled a vase before placing the flowers inside.
"Thank you," she said turning back to Bruce and smiling.
"Your welcome, you look beautiful," he said and Scarlett smiled again, she supposed there relationship was more like brother and sister than anything else, but she didn't really mind.
"So where are we off to?" Scarlett asked as she grabbed her bag from the side and pulled on her jacket.
"Criterion," said Bruce and Scarlett smiled, she only been once before it was far to expensive for her, but Bruce owned it and so often told her dinner would be of no cost, but who would she even go with if not Bruce anyway.
The restaurant was heaving as per usual, there were plenty of rich people in Gotham to fill it. It was an unusually warm evening so Bruce escorted her to the private back garden dinning area. There were only two other tables out there with people eating but both were on there last course and so Scarlett assumed within an hour they would be alone in the warm evening air.
Bruce and Scarlett chatted for most of the night, she enjoyed Bruce's company he was a kind man and though she knew they were very different people, she still at times like this felt very close to him. He was her only real friend.
"So do you want dessert," Bruce asked and Scarlett simply nodded smiling gleefully and Bruce chuckled before calling the waiter over.
They both ordered and soon the food came out, Scarlett knew they were getting preferential treatment, but she did love the service at this restaurant. The pair picked up their conversation easily over dessert but as Scarlett was about to speak, there was a loud ringing sound coming for inside Bruce's jacket pocket.
"Sorry," he said pulling the phone out before answering.
"Hello," he said and for a minute he said nothing before, he nodded.
"OK I'll be right there," he said before he hung up the call.
"Scarlett, I am so sorry, but I gotta go it's important, but I promise I will make it up to you, call a taxi put it on my tab, I'll sort it and don't worry about the bill here either," he said standing up and pulling on his coat.
She was bummed but she smiled nonetheless she understood Bruce as a business man, the head of a business that owned nearly everything in Gotham he was bound to get called away at some point, but she was bummed it had happened on her birthday.
He kissed her cheek before setting off at a brisk pace back though the restaurant. Scarlett sighed before continuing to eat her desert.
"All alone Jester?" came a voice and Scarlett heart beat sky rocketed causing her brain to go fuzzy for a second, it was incredible how his voice alone seemed to send shock waves of euphoria though her system.
"It's a shame your boyfriend had to leave," he said and she finally looked to him. That red smile and white was just as she remembered, but he was now dressed in something new. He wore a long purple coat, a blue jacket underneath and purple trousers with a green waist coat, tie and shirt.
"He's not my boyfriend, just my friend," she said as he jumped over the small wall separating the restaurants garden with the street.
"I'm loving the new look by the way," she said finding her courage as she began to feel that intoxicating warmth. It seemed to radiate off of him just by being around her.
"Thanks, you scrub up well too, Jester" said Joker as he sat down heavily in the chair Bruce had just vacated. The other tables had left hours ago and Scarlett suddenly became very aware that she was once again alone with this man.
"Happy Birthday, Jester," said Joker poking at Bruce's left over desert with a spoon and Scarlett smiled, she dared not ask how he knew it was her birthday.
"Thanks" she muttered and he looked up at her, his dark brown eyes fixing on her greys.
"What happened to that beautiful smile of yours," he asked before he stood and moved around to her side of the table. She didn't know what to say and was frozen to the spot as he leaned over her his hand coming around to grasp tightly her chin and face. Instinctively Scarlett tried to pull her head back but his grip only tightened. He brought a knife up to her face and her heart rate increased, she was pretty sure she was going to die then and there. The feeling that over took her, was like the most intense orgasm ever. She was not a kinky person, or at least she had never been before, but the cocktail of fear, exhalation, panic and excitement all mixed together was something that truly made her toes curl.
"Oh you kinky girl!" he said laughing wildly as he held her in place, clearly the feeling was showing on her face. This close he smelled of petrol and burning and she couldn't help the grin that spread over her face.
"There's that smile," he said still holding her in place still, she laughed and he grinned.
"Why aren't you scared," he asked and she laughed again.
"I am, I'm absolutely terrified and it feels amazing. I think its you, something about you, you make me feel... alive" she said smiling again.
"I could kill you" he assured her and she nodded, the blade millimetres away from her skin.
"I know, but when you feel this alive, death is not a concern," she said and he cackled in hysterics.
"You're weird. I like it" he said smiling that yellow grin.
He pulled the knife away catching her on the retreat and causing a gash alone her jaw bone. She lifted a hand to her cheek and pulled it away only to stare at the blood it left there.
"Jester you're bleeding," he said reaching forward and touching her cut, causing her to wince slightly. A look of worry past over his face for split second and he pulled a tissue from his pocket and held it out to her. She smiled and took it from him.
"Thank you," she said and his face softened and for the first time since she had met him, he looked as though he was showing a real emotion. She held the tissue to her face and Joker seemed suddenly uneasy and little nervous.
"You're..." he began his face still soft but then he cut himself off and his usual grin filled his face.
"Come on Jester let's go have some fun," he said grabbing her hand and laughing crazily as he pulled her over the wall of the restaurant and down the street. She was having trouble keeping up and her dress kept wrapping it's self around her ankles but she couldn't stop as the Joker continued to pulled her down the street his speed constant. She couldn't keep the grin off her face, she hadn't felt like this ever in her life and she wondered if this was what true happiness really was.
He stopped suddenly in front of a large fountain of three prancing horses there was no one around and he turn to look at her before pulling a grenade from his pocket.
"Here," he said placing it in her hands. "Throw it at fountain," he said smiling like he had before, before he pulled the pin from the grenade and without much thought or question Scarlett launched the object it hit the middle horse and bounced into the water. Joker pulled her away quickly.
"5,4,3" The Joker chimed, just as the fountain exploded The Joker cackled and so did Scarlett.
"ah I love it when a plan goes wrong," he said cackling like the mad man he was.
"What do you wanna do now Jester, after all it is your birthday," he said and Scarlett thought, and the images of the burning house came to her mind.
"I'd like to burn something down," she said warily, she hadn't lived out her desires for a long time.
"Oh I like your style," he said grabbing her hand again and taking off back down the street as sirens made there way towards the scene of the explosion.
He led her to the docks where the rich and the mob kept there expensive yachts. He let her choose one before throwing a flare at it and watching as it set ablaze.
She sat and watched the flames licking into the sky as the yacht began to sink and she smiled. The Joker stood next to her throwing more flares at more yacht and laughing all the time.
"So you like fire huh," said The Joker as he sat down heavily next to her and she nodded her eyes not leaving the flames ahead.
"Care to explain?" he asked and she finally turned to look at him.
"It's hard to explain." she said and he shook his head.
"Tell me anyway."
She turned back to the flames. Though she had never told anyone before, she would tell him it was the least she could do after the night he had given her.
"I killed my father and step-mother when I was 18 by burning the house down with them inside," she said, before she turned to look at him and he seemed almost shocked.
"You're not as innocent as I thought," he said and she simply shook her head.
"He was a con artist and a drug baron, my mother was a good person and she went to the police to hand in evidence about him when I was a child and we were living in Gotham. My father was imprisoned. My mother and my mothers friend were killed in front of me with a chainsaw, by a man my father paid to get revenge on my mother.
I was 4 years old and they chopped her up in front of me and left me in that shipping container for 2 days before the police found me. And when they did I was given to my father who had got out prison early with good behaviour, he took me back to England. I didn't remember what happened to my mother at all, and I didn't know it had been my father.
Not until I was 18, I overheard him talking with my stepmother one night, about how to plan things for the inside. That's when he admitted to planning and paying for my mother to be killed. After that I remembered everything, it all came flooding back to me. I could see the blood, I could hear the screams and I could smell the petrol of the chainsaw. So with them still both upstairs, I pulled the gas lead out the back of the oven and let it fill the house before I threw a match and watched it burn. I lived in foster care for a short while after that. The inheritance money was enough to put me through my nursing degree and buy my flat. After the fire, I never really thought about my mum. Not until the other day, when we met, something about that girl dying on me brought it all back again." Scarlett admitted her eyes back on the fire again, The Joker stared at her a sad look on his face.
"You did the right thing, I killed my father too, when he killed my mum in front of me," said The Joker and Scarlett turned to him and smiled.
"Seems we have quite a bit in common don't we," said Scarlett and the Joker grinned.
"So how old are you now then, Jester?" he asked standing up and pulling a large plastic bag from his pocket, it was screwed up into a tight ball.
"A gentleman never asks a lady her age" Scarlett laughed and the Joker cackled.
"I never claimed to be a gentleman" he laughed and Scarlett grinned.
"27, you?" she replied finally and he grinned.
"30," he said and she nodded. There was silence for a second then he held the bag out to her and she took it warily. He looked nervous again as he sat back down a little further away from her than before.
She opened the bag and gasped, there in somewhat of a screw up mess but completely undamaged other than the dirty finger prints was the dress she had tried on in the shop. She pulled it out the bag and stood up holding it against herself.
"How?" she asked and he giggled.
"I saw you try it on, and I overheard it was your birthday, and that you couldn't afford it. So I went back when they were shut and got it for you." he said simply not really looking at her.
"Oh you are so wonderful, thank you" she sighed sitting back down next to him and placing a kiss on his cheek. He looked up but she was admiring her dress and didn't see his smile.
"You're really beautiful," he said looking at the woman sat next to him the flames framing her face and midnight hair beautifully.
Scarlett looked over and smiled. "Thank you handsome" she replied and he grinned. Scarlett was sure that if anyone had ever seen this side of The Joker before it was a long time ago, and she felt honoured he was showing it to her.
"Well I gotta run gorgeous, but I'll see you around," he said suddenly getting up. She knew it wouldn't last but she felt sad as she watched his retreating form disappear from site. Yet she had a smile the whole way home.