Cheshire/Batman Pt. 02: Begin datin

The dinner was very cordial initially, but after a few drinks, everyone became more comfortable. Bruce made sure to get a seat next to Jada and they were able to have a few side conversations throughout the course of the night. It seemed like the Gotham Brazilians were excited about the project and had many ideas on how to contribute. They also had invaluable knowledge about the ways things could go wrong. Most of them still had family in the area, so all their information was recent.

Not all of the conversation was business-- Jada got to know the six Brazilians a little bit. She found out about each of the guests and shared the details of their lives with everyone. For the people that spoke a little English, she skillfully stepped in to help only when it was necessary. Her corrective feedback was gentle and full of jokes about the illogical rules of English. Therefore, it was palatable and didn't interrupt the flow of conversation. Bruce admired the ability to help out without embarrassing anyone. He felt emboldened to try a few phrases in Portuguese.

Jada really liked how Bruce was picking up a few words in Portuguese here and there and told him so.

"It's the least I can do. It's a comfortable privilege to be able to speak your own first language every day. When I go abroad, I think it's hard to speak a second language even for just a week. These guys do it all day, every day," he told her in response. Jada thought it was a remarkably insightful and humble thing to say for a millionaire.

At the end of the night, the group was bursting with positive energy. Bruce felt like he was standing in the kitchen of a friend's house during a party. Not one of his huge mansion parties. A friendly, casual party. It looked like everyone involved was going to get something good out of this project.

As he and Jada walked out, Bruce offered to give her a ride home, but she told him she lived close enough to walk. Both of them were glowing from the drinks and the high spirits. He thought this would be the perfect moment to ask her out.

"So, Jada, I'd like to see you again, but, uh... like, not for work or art stuff. I mean, dinner. Just the two of us," he asked outside the restaurant. He noticed he was doing that thing where he grabbed the back of his neck while he spoke, a nervous habit.

"Bruce..." she began. It still felt a little strange to call him by his first name, let alone consider a date with this guy. "I don't mix business and pleasure--"

"Jada, I'm not that guy you read about in the papers," he said, looking her directly in the eye.

"Oh, that doesn't matter. I don't date any of my--"

"The Bruce Wayne in the news is a... persona. Who wants to spend time with an irresponsible party boy who's gotten everything in life handed to him? It's a smokescreen. I'm not like that," he said seriously. Jada looked extremely incredulous.

"Well, I can't say I've heard that line before..." she said, restraining herself from some of the ruder comments she had about rich, entitled men who dated any woman they wanted.

"It's a front to get rid of the hangers-on. A way to get people to underestimate me. Can you relate to that at all?" he asked. Jada shifted her weight from one foot to the other and sighed.

"I'm supposed to believe that when you race speedboats in St. Tropez and date Gwenyth Paltrow, it's all a front and you really just want to date me and talk about art and Brazil and sustainable energy?" she asked.

"Uh... yeah...?" he said with an embarrassed smile. "I know how it sounds. But what's the harm in one date? If you don't have a good time with me, you never have to see me again."

Jada returned his smile. Even if he was a playboy and not serious about dating, she justified accepting the invitation by thinking at least she would have an opportunity to network. She was not going to get her hopes up anymore when it came to men. No matter how sincere their eyes were or how warm their smile was.

"Okay," she said, fidgeting with one of her earrings.

"Are you free Friday night?" he asked, silently breathing a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, okay. I could meet you at 8:00," she smiled, adjusting her scarf.

"I heard good things about Caviale. What do you think?" he suggested, referring to the new seafood restaurant of a notoriously picky celebrity chef.

"Wow, it's nice to go out with someone who can get a table wherever he wants! Yes, let's go there. And I should tell you that 8 in Portuguese means 8:30 in English," she warned, figuring she could avoid many an argument by explaining this to people.

"Ah. Thanks for the head's up."

"Yes, I'm getting better about being on time, but some people get really upset about it in The States so I try to give fair warning. I always try to be on time! I just don't want to make a bad impression," she said sincerely.

"You haven't. You won't. Don't worry about that at all. So, meet you there, Friday at 8:00 that means 8:30?" he confirmed.

"Yes, definitely. See you then," she said and paused. She considered how she should say goodbye and chose to kiss his cheeks, as that was the way the other Brazilians had said goodbye to each other and the engineers that night.

"Ah-tay loh-goo," he said in Portuguese as she walked away. Até logo meant "until later." He got in his car, still abuzz from the evening.

As she walked home, Jada was charmed that he was making an effort to impress her. But the only merit badge this guy had earned was one that said "Not an Asshole," which wasn't saying much. It only earned him a date, nothing more.

FIRST DATE

Jada didn't know exactly what to wear Friday night for her first date with Bruce, but she definitely didn't want to overdress. She tried on a black button-down shirt, dark blue denim jeans, and thigh-high suede boots with 3 inch heels. As she looked in the mirror, she decided denim was too casual. She took a page out of Sharon Stone's book and wore the button-down shirt with a formal skirt. Jada's was an emerald mid-length fitted skirt instead of the long formal style Sharon Stone had worn, but she liked the idea of combining a menswear top with a sexy skirt. She paired it with some stilettos with a tapestry pattern.

It was nearly time to leave in her mind, although, realistically, she should have already left. She straightened her hair and wore it down. With her gray herringbone coat and expensive black leather purse, she was satisfied with the overall effect. She was hoping to appear like someone who was good enough to go out with Bruce Wayne but wasn't hell-bent on sleeping with him. Which she wasn't. She had known another tall, handsome rich guy with black hair and an important job and he turned out to be psychotic.

A bank's clock read 8:27 as she walked up from the subway station. Someone's cigarette smoke sailed down the street and it both enticed and disgusted her. It reminded her of when she used to do all those things that were bad for her. Like dating psychopaths. So far, there were no signs that Bruce was any kind of psychopath, but then again, she barely knew him. Before she entered Caviale, she told herself not to get too dazzled.

The hostess took her coat and walked her to the table where Bruce was waiting. He stood up to say hello and give her a hug. As she sat down, she noticed Bruce hadn't even ordered a drink yet. Maybe it was a little paranoid to be watching how much alcohol her date imbibed, but after everything with Ayano she was determined to weed out the bad ones early on.

They chatted, ordered some drinks and food, and enjoyed the ambiance. The restaurant was designed to look like Ancient Rome but having been overtaken by nature. The lighting was a dim yellow-orange and there were vines crawling all over the walls. It was impressive, although Jada was invited to events at places like this from time to time.

"So, how did you hear about my gallery?" Jada asked, sipping the trendy cocktail that their waiter recommended.

"You know, it was an article in the Gotham Weekly. I paged through an old issue in a waiting room and then I was on my way to dinner on the East Side. I was supposed to tell some people what I was bringing to the silent auction and I had completely forgotten about it, so my driver looked you up," Bruce answered, having constructed the plausible backstory in advance. "How long have you had it?"

"Six and a half years now. I knew a lot of artists, rubbed elbows with the right people, and it turned a profit in its second year. That almost never happens, but... some of the people I went to school with, you could just tell that they were going to do something special. A few of them had true artistic temperaments, too, and did a lot of things that were good for publicity," she told him.

Jada continued to talk about the gallery, telling him about the inheritance. She clarified that she grew up with a working class single mom and only occasionally got support from her father in Japan for things like education. Bruce asked about the high school she attended.

"It was small, only four hundred people. It was here in Gotham. An international boarding school. I had some friends, but for the most part, I didn't relate to the other students. I did capoeira, they all liked ballet. I had grown up not having a lot of money, they had all been raised by nannies... During vacations, I was tossed back and forth between Japan and Brazil, but I was already in love with Gotham. I couldn't wait to turn eighteen and live a cool art student life back here. My own territory," she continued. It was getting personal rather quickly, she worried. But, maybe she had outgrown the woman-of-mystery, hard-to-get game.

"The kids at my school were strange for me, too," Bruce started, warming the Merlot in his glass with his hand. He assumed that Jada had heard about his parents' murder- it was the most commonly told crime story in Gotham City. "After my parents died, no one knew what to say to me. I stuck with the quiet kids. When I was around 12, I was sort of expected to be a jock. I like sports and all that now, but at the time, I wanted nothing to do with that crowd."

"Where did you go when you graduated?" she asked. She watched him closely. Many articles on the internet had mentioned his parents' murder. She wondered what he was like back then and if they would have been friends if they had been kids together.

"Well, I started college, but then I traveled throughout Asia. I didn't come back until I was older and had calmed down a bit. Then I became interested in technology and the philanthropy parts of the family business," Bruce paused, thanking the waiter as he brought over their salads.

"Traveling is important. I went to Japan to see my dad once or twice a year, a few weeks at a time. He was an executive at a big food, vitamin, and makeup corporation. Took his job very seriously. I didn't like how un-emotional it was over there, but I do appreciate rituals a lot. They had a calmness to them. Americans have a lot to learn about being calm," she stated. She finished her drink and started on her salad.

"Calm? At the gallery you said you're very demanding. Can you be calm and demanding?" he asked with a smile.

"Sure! You just have to make people think you're going to lose it if they fuck up!" she laughed. Bruce liked how she talked with her hands; fluttering upward like small butterflies when summoned and then returning demurely to her lap..

"I'm so glad I don't really have to supervise anyone," he said.

"Oh, I love it. I'm the oldest. I had to babysit all the time."

"Are you bossy just at work... or...." Bruce teased, looking up from the vegetables he was spearing with his fork.

"Am I bossy with my boyfriends? No, actually, in my past relationships I was not demanding enough with my boyfriends, I don't think," she concluded, thinking aloud.

"That makes me really curious," Bruce told her. "Can I ask about that, or will I go to first date hell for that?"

"Oh, definitely first date hell if you do that!" Jada laughed. She signaled the waiter and asked for another drink.

"Okay, so as of right now, I'm not going to first date hell? I'm doing okay so far?" he asked.

"You're doing great. Don't get full of yourself, though!" she said with a smile, feeling tickled that he would be feeling self conscious at all. "How am I doing?"

"I'm having a great time with you!" he said, smirking right back at her. He really was.

"Oh? But what if you don't call me for a couple days or weeks after this? What do I do then? This is why dating is nearly impossible these days." she complained, her butterfly hands gesturing outward in frustration and disappearing. The waiter cleared their salad plates and brought them their entrees.

"Yeah, I don't like that whole game-playing aspect to dating either. This might be cheesy, but how about this: I'm going to call you an hour after we leave this restaurant," Bruce proposed, preferring a logical plan in most situations.

"No, you're not!" she laughed again. It was crazy to think that the man she was dating would be straightforward with her.

"No, I swear, I will. Then we don't have to wonder for the next few days. I saw it in a movie. It will help this American learn about being calm," he proposed. "You've gotta answer the phone, though, or this whole plan goes out the window."

"Okay, I will. If it will help you to be calm," she agreed.

Jada felt like she knew him a lot better than she did at the beginning of the night. They finished their meals and ordered dessert. Neither of them wanted the date to end, but after talking over their empty dessert plates for twenty minutes, they decided to leave. As he helped her into her coat, he offered her a ride home. Jada had moved since she and Ayano broke up to get rid of some bad memories. But, seeing no danger in letting Bruce see where she lived, she accepted the ride home. She found his honesty, humility, and candor so refreshing. Metaphorically, she awarded him merit badges in each category.

He opened the door to his car for her and then got in. They gave his driver her address. Outside, it was starting to snow lightly for the first time in a few weeks. Jada felt a tingle of excitement and nervousness as she acknowledged how much she was liking this date. It probably didn't mean anything or wouldn't lead anywhere, but it was fun. And what else was fun? Kissing a hot guy, she thought.

"I think I can help you some more with your calmness," Jada said, looking a bit flirtatious.

"That would be great. I'm learning so much from you," he joked. He looked completely natural sitting there, Jada thought, and not because he was in his limo. He seemed like he was in his own world wherever he went: insulated.

"When we get to my place, I'm going to kiss you goodnight. There! Now you won't have to worry about that, either," she peered in his direction. This made Bruce's face flush red. He had a big smile on his face but couldn't make eye contact with her.

"Oh wow, thank you. Thanks. That does help. Oh! I have to set my watch for an hour from now," he said, winding a small dial on the side of his watch. Jada laughed and was surprised that she had the urge to hold his hand. She let herself do it. Bruce gently closed his hand around hers.

For the rest of the ride, they made small talk. They joked about their Nokia cell phones and how they hated where people were carelessly choosing to make phone calls in public nowadays until the car pulled up in front of her place.

"This is me," she said. Bruce was feeling middle-school levels of awkward girl feelings. Her declaration hadn't helped at all! She touched his cheek gently and kissed him on the lips. He put one of his arms around her. He stopped smiling. He had been wanting to do this for a long time.

Neither of them were rushing or breathing heavily, but carefully venturing into greater intimacy. All aspects of their first kiss were being considered by both. Placing a hand on the neck or fingers through the hair. Leaning closer. Lingering longer on the lips, using the tongue. Each movement was welcomed by the other. Jada stopped first, looking at him with restrained interest. Bruce was staring back at her. She was practically smoldering with sex appeal, he thought.

Jada thought something similar about him. Not so fast, she told herself. This was just fun. She looked out the window.

"Can you walk me to the door? I'm wearing heels and I don't want to slip," she said somewhat flirtatiously, indicating the freshly fallen snowflakes on the sidewalk. He gladly agreed and took her arm to walk her to the front steps. In all fairness, it was very slippery.

"Boa noite. I will talk to you in... 52 minutes." he smiled again, not wanting the evening to end at all. She reached up and began to kiss him again.

"Boa noite. That's very impressive. Talk to you soon," she said and turned to go up the short set of steps and unlock the door. How different this was from dating Ayano. Bruce was speaking her language. He was being upfront and sincere, even offering details about his childhood. Were men supposed to be acting like this the whole time she had been dating?

When she got in, she changed into her pajamas. Then, she didn't know what she would do with herself for the next 47 minutes, so she got out her sketchbook and turned on some music to pass the time. Finally, her landline rang. She let it ring three times before she picked up so she wouldn't seem eager.

"Hello?" she said, feeling almost giddy.

"Hi. I told you I'd call. I just wanted to tell you that I meant it, I had a great time with you, and I want to see you again," he said, pacing around in his den in front of the fireplace on the cordless phone.

"I want to see you again, too. But, I think we should take things slow and see each other once in a while... not too soon," she said firmly.

"How soon is too soon for you?" he asked, hoping he'd see her in a few days.

"Well, tonight is too soon. And tomorrow, I think, would also be too soon," she said, trying to buy time to think this through a little. Should she be excited about him? There was so much that could go wrong with all this fun.

"Is Sunday too soon?" he blurted out, wishing he was a little more aloof. He had been waiting longer than she knew, though.

"Okay, how about you call me on Sunday afternoon? I have a couple things to do but I might be free later on," she told him.

"Alright, I will. I am really looking forward to seeing you again," he said.

"I had a good time, too, Bruce. Talk to you soon."

"Good night."

"Good night," she said, hanging up the phone. She didn't even admonish herself for the smile spreading across her face.

While Bruce thought to himself: "Okay, I guess I'm doing this now." She was turning out to be a real person, albeit with a troubled past. But nothing he couldn't work with.

TEA WITH ALFRED

Bruce hung up the cordless phone. Although it was late, Alfred was still awake. Alfred hadn't been driving Bruce while he was taking a break from Batman activities due to his injured shoulder. Alfred had been enjoying a predictable sleep schedule, but tonight, his curiosity must have gotten the better of him. Bruce could hear him in the kitchen. As he entered, Alfred was pretending he couldn't sleep and making tea.

"Master Bruce. I didn't hear you come in," Alfred said casually, turning the stove's burner on under the kettle. Bruce highly doubted that.

"Yeah, I got in and then I said I'd call her, so I just got off the phone," Bruce told him.

"That's rather soon, isn't it?" Alfred commented, busying himself with the cups.

"Well, we were talking about how dating nowadays has all this 'is he gonna call?' 'should I call her?' kind of stuff, so I told her I'd call her an hour after our date," Bruce told him. "In order to eliminate all the guessing and waiting."