Adriana returned home as the October sun began to set. She threw her bag at her couch hard and kicked her shoes into the middle of the floor.
"Who pissed you off?" Harri laughed from the hall.
"Fucking bank got robbed," Adriana said and snatched off her bracelet.
"Like I said," Harri responded. "Fuck Gotham. You should come with me tonight to Chicago. For real, you can stay with me as long as you want."
"I'm seriously considering it!" Adriana agreed.
"Are you alright?" Harri asked and Adriana told her everything that happened, including the thoughts of the robbers. "So those little motherfucks wanted to abduct you?"
""Yeah, but fortunately they didn't have enough time," Adriana said. "They had to get out of there to get away."
"This town is full of monsters," Harri said. "The Joker sent them. Anything could have happened to you!"
"I guess," Adriana said.
"You should go online and get your ticket now," Harri said. "So you can come with me."
"How much time until the train leaves?" Adriana asked her.
"Like two and a half hours," Harri answered, with excitement. "You told me you came into some money so you won't even have to bring a lot just the essentials. You can start over."
"Right," Adriana answered. "I guess I should get started then."
Adriana felt she had no choice. She was full of anger, hatred, betrayal and resentment. Gotham would destroy her if she stayed.
Adriana walked into her bedroom and pulled the suitcase from her closet. There was nothing that she really wanted to bring with her, except her favorite jacket. Everything in her home reminded her of Damien. The towels he had used countless times, the clothes and lingerie he had touched, the shampoo that he loved to smell in her hair. She rolled the suitcase back into the closet after being reminded of a trip she took with him to Jamaica. Her wallet and a few toiletries were all she wanted to bring. Shopping would be a fun first thing to do in Chicago.
"Hey Adri," Harri came into Adriana's room. "I almost forgot. This came for you, I think. No address or anything-"
Adriana looked at the dark gray envelope in Harri's hands. "Thanks," she said and took it.
"Where's your suitcase? Need help?" Harri asked.
"I don't want to bring anything," Adriana said.
"Really?" Harri asked with surprise.
"I'll take my toothbrush and some makeup," Adriana explained.
"Wow," Harri said. "I need to finish packing myself."
"Go ahead, I'm good," Adriana said.
After Harri left, Adriana looked down at the envelope. The thought of Bruce made her feel a bit happy on this day full of anger. She knew it was from him. She held the envelope in her hands and felt her stress decreasing just from holding it. She opened it slowly, glad for the distraction and mystery of this sealed message.
There was a blank card with a ticket inside.
"College football?" Adriana asked herself out loud. Gotham University versus Texas State. She had been to enough college football games with Damien to know that the seats were not great. Up in the nosebleeds. Level 4 Section 27.
The ticket was dated for the following afternoon.
Adriana looked up at the ceiling realizing she had a decision to make. Stay on Gotham to go to a football game with Bruce or start over in Chicago with her sister.
"Adri," Harri said at the door. "I'm all done. What's that?"
"Oh.." Adriana looked down at the ticket. "A ticket to a football game."
"Damien?" Harri said already sounding annoyed.
"No," Adriana answered. "Bruce Wayne."
"Bruce?" Harri said with joy.
"Yeah," Adriana answered, already knowing that was who it was from.
"When?" Harri asked.
"Tomorrow afternoon.." Adriana told her.
"You have to go," Harri insisted. "Chicago will still be there. Unless you want to try to find another hot billionaire there."
"Harri, I already told you," Adriana said. "Bruce and I ..this is just professional."
"What's so professional about him inviting you to a game? Did you get club seating?" Harri asked and picked up the ticket. "Oh no, these seats suck. Maybe he wants some privacy with you though," Harri said suggestively.
"I don't think I can stay in Gotham another day," Adriana said.
"It's up to you," Harri said. "But I think you're in denial about how much you like him. Just go. Come to Chicago next week or whenever. I'll move all my exercise stuff out of the guest room by then so you don't have to sleep on the couch."
"Sounds like a good plan," Adriana said.
"Yes. You go to this football game. But make sure he takes you on a real date so he can at least spend some real money on you. Then sleep with him a few times until Damien is out of your system and come to Chi-Town," Harri said. "A new beginning."
"You are silly," Adriana said, listening to Harri's plan for her. "I'll go to this football game but I'm pretty sure it's going to end up being about..business and work."
"Well at least go see," Harri shrugged. "You're so angry and wound up. Look at you, you've been frowning since you came back from the bank. You're going to get frown lines unless you get someone or something to make you happy again even if just for a little while. I know for sure leaving Gotham is the best long term solution."
"I believe you," Adriana said, relaxing her tense face and frown. "I'll stay a little longer. I definitely want to leave within the next week though."
"Yes," Harri said and hugged Adriana.
"You know, you make it sound like Bruce Wayne would never take me seriously," Adriana laughed.
"Not because you're not worth it," Harri explained. "He's a young, hot, billionaire. He's not going to take any woman seriously for a long time. He seems the type to get married at 65 to a 30 year old. Just know, if you do anything with him, it's just that. Just sex."
"I'll keep that in mind," Adriana said, hearing that Harri didn't want her to get hurt.
"Ok, now get up and help me with my stuff so we can drive over to Amtrak," Harri smiled.
.
.
.
Level 4 of the sports stadium was nearly empty. Adriana saw two people sitting in the front row on the opposite side of the arena. They were so far away they looked tiny. She had to squint to make sure there were actually people over there. She arrived just as the game was starting and opened a bag of gummy worms to try before Bruce arrived. She sat down at her seat, one seat away from the isle. After eating a few candies she started to get very bored. She had always hated football. Sitting there was reminding her of Damien.
They had been in this stadium many times before. She remembered him happy and cheering while she sat eating Reese's cups or gummy candies waiting to go back home. The thoughts of how much time she had wasted with him and how he treated her were making her angry all over again. And then at the very end, at Savannah's, the memory of hitting him with a glass bowl while he treated her as if she wasn't even human. He treated her as if she was an object that owned and was entitled access to whenever he wanted. Her blood began to boil again as she remembered the nausea she felt as he forced himself on her. The anger was something that she could do nothing about and this made her want to cry. She felt helpless. Especially since he didn't even seem to care to want to apologize. He seemed like he hadn't even realized he had done something wrong. She needed to find a way to be strong. She wanted strength. Real strength. Physical strength.
"Thank you for coming," Bruce's voice came from beside her. He sat in the aisle seat next to her, "Sorry I'm late."
"That's okay," Adriana's said. As soon as she saw him, immediately, she felt better.
Bruce was wearing a full suit with a black trench coat over it. He looked very polished and out of place for a football game, but Adriana knew they likely wouldn't be staying long.
"How are you?" Bruce asked.
"Hating Gotham more every day," she answered honestly.
"I heard from Gordon what happened," Bruce said. "He caught 7 of the 8 robbers involved because of you."
"I guess I was in the wrong place at the right time," she shrugged, wishing she could shake the tense, angry and bitter attitude from her voice but it wouldn't budge.
"I'm glad you weren't hurt," Bruce said. Adriana looked into his eyes and could tell he was sincere. She felt herself become a bit softer, her fury relaxing.
"Thanks," she said.
"If you weren't there the Joker would have whatever his cut would have been out of the $7,500,000 they got away with," Bruce said.
"That much?" Adriana asked, surprised.
"They were very effective. Accessed a vault in under 4 minutes," Bruce said. "He hired the best."
"Wow," she said.
"Anyway," Bruce said. "I wanted to compensate you for this. So does Gordon."
"Don't worry about that," Adriana said immediately.
"I need to do this because that is how much I value what you have done for me. I don't know if you know this but I lost a very close friend to the Joker," Bruce said. "Ever since then..I have been angry. All day, every day, I am filled with rage. But because of you I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Finally I am a step ahead of him. I would have paid anything for that." As he stopped speaking he pulled a check from his wallet.
"Twenty-five million," Adriana exhaled as she saw the number while he handed her the check.
"Yes," Bruce said. "We have some of the Joker's best and most loyal men in custody now because of you. He will have a hard time finding such a team ever again. Especially without money. You've done an amazing job."
"Bruce," Adriana said. "I really can't accept this. I'm paying off my house as soon as they mail me some checks. I'm never going back to another bank in Gotham. But after that..even if I buy another home in Chicago, if I move there with my sister..I still have more than enough money. I just don't need this. It's far too generous. You really don't need to pay me any more money."
"I see," Bruce said.
"I'm sorry," she said and put the check in his hand.
"No worries," he replied. "You want to move to Chicago?"
"Yes," she answered. "I'm hating Gotham more and more every day."
"I certainly can see why you feel that way," he said, and she felt that she could see a bit of disappointment in his expression.
"Yeah," she said.
"Still," he said. "I feel like I need to do something for you. You've done more than what I could have ever anticipated."
"You don't need to," she said and then thought a bit. "Actually..can I ask a favor?"
"Anything," he said.
"I want you to teach me," she said.
"Teach you?" he asked. "What do you want to learn?"
"I want to learn to fight," she answered. "Like you."
"Oh," he seemed genuinely surprised by the request. "Well, truthfully, that could take years. But if you want to learn I am willing to teach you."