As I turned to leave, Caramel called out, “Oh! Ives! Something came for you.”
I turned with no control over my ‘what the fuck’ expression. “What do you mean something ‘came for me’?”
“I mean someone dropped it off when you were on stage tonight.”
She held out a small pink box tied with a gold bow that shimmered subtly in the light. Both girls stared eagerly as I turned it over, searching for any sort of tag or writing.
Nothing.
“Open it!” Nova demanded.
“Hmmm,” I hummed under my breath and pulled one end of the ribbon. The bow fell apart just as easily as the lid slipped from the box.
“Well?” Caramel asked, her voice squeaky and impatient. “What’s in it?”
I pulled a folded note off the top and marveled at what sat on the pearl colored cushion inside the box.
Ivy,
Somehow, I thought it would be less creepy if I brought this to your place of business rather than your house. As I’m writing, however, I realized that it was a lose/lose situation. Anyway, I thought you should replace your pepper spray with mace. Did you know mace has small amounts of tear gas in it? I’m hoping you don’t decide to use it on me since this is probably the creepiest thing I’ve ever done.
I took the mace from the box and smiled as I rolled it between my fingers. It was pink and pocket sized. Underneath it was a small chain necklace.
I couldn’t find any rooftop sized bat signals on the internet so I settled for a necklace. I thought maybe you could hold it in front of a flashlight if you ever needed non-saving again. Or, maybe even if you just wanted to see me again? Because I’d really like to see you, Ivy.
Awkwardly,
Batman/Joe
I lifted the necklace from the box and could feel the flush of my cheeks extend down to the base of my neck. I tried to hide my smile by biting my lip. I couldn’t stop it if I tried.
P.S.
I forgot the flashlight because I suck. Meet me for coffee and I’ll reimburse you?
“Ivy’s got a stalker! Ivy’s got a stalker!” The girls chanted in unison.
I rolled my eyes and popped the lid, pretending my pulse didn’t skip. The ribbon was satin-slick under my thumb.
“Shut the hell up.” I threw the box lid at them with a mischievous smile, heat flushing my neck in spite of me. “He’s not a stalker. He’s just some guy.”
Just some guy.
A guy who pulled a gun to save me; who made my thoughts race and go impossibly quiet all at once. The wounds on my knuckles from last night ached as if my mind was manifesting the guilt just to shove it in my face.
How would a vigilante like Joe feel about a murderer like me?
“K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Caramel, Nova, and Raven sang aloud.
“Whatever, hoes,” I grumbled to hide the shaking in my voice. I had to get the fuck out of there. “I’ll see you later.”
I gathered Joe’s gifts and practically ran out the door to flag down a taxi. There was no way I’d be walking after twelve hours in heels.
The worn leather seat creaked as I settled, and I tried not to count how many patches of black duct tape held it together. “Park place building,” I said breathlessly. “Break the speed limit the whole way and I’ll throw in an extra fifty bucks.”
Because I needed to know the meaning behind what he’d sent. I needed to decide if “just some guy” was a problem or a possibility before I talked myself out of both.
The way the cabby took off damn near gave me a serious case of whiplash. We made it to my apartment building in record time. He grunted a thanks as I threw the bills through the plexiglass partition and the car tires were squealing away before I even made it to the stoop.
