Legend

At the start of the next week Damian had a cactus delivered. I looked at it in dismay, then looked it up on my phone right there at the desk. The definition made me laugh--endurance. I didn't particularly like cactus, so I put it on the reception desk downstairs. Fortunately, Doug liked it. I sent a picture of wallflowers, 'faithfulness in adversity.'

Aside from that bit of lightness, the week was pretty grim. At the end of the week, I dragged myself up to Tony's office. "Tony, I'm having to rethink things. I know you want an acupuncturist to see to Colonel Rhodes, so you should think about hiring somebody. I'm going to finish out the massage course, but I really don't think that I can handle a course of study that takes as long as the acupuncture course. Massage is an associates degree, acupuncture is a masters. My schedule isn't sustainable over the long term. I've been working eighteen hour days."

"I can work around the clock," he grumped.

"Until you crash, then you're down for at least a day, usually two or three. I don't have that luxury. I have clients who need me to be reliable, and I'm a one-woman operation."

His face, which had been tight--Tony doesn't take well to having his plans upset--eased as he really looked at me. The concealer I used wasn't doing a very good job with the black under eye circles. "So hire more staff."

I actually tried, but I couldn't suppress the eye roll. "Tony, I can't afford to pay my salary consistently."

"Jesus, Alex, don't be so stubborn. You need more money, ask."

"It's my business, and I'm not willing to make it a subsidiary of Stark Tech."

From there we got into a yelling match. I was too tired to be tactful or handle him the way I usually did, and nobody really yelled at Tony. Emma didn't have to anymore, and she was the only other person who had on a regular basis. I stomped out before I could say anything I'd regret, then had to text J that I might have put our business in jeopardy.

J: Don't worry. Proud of you for standing up for yourself. If Stark gets too demanding, we'll figure out another way.

I was so tired that I was more emotional than usual and fortunately had a brief respite where I could get myself under control and fix my makeup. I hate to feel this stretched; I feel like I don't have resources to deal with anything properly, and the hated stress crying tends to pop up. I'd never been able to figure out how to quit that. I also wanted a hug, so I went in search of my uncle. I was a little horrified to realize that what I really wanted was a hug from Damian.

I squashed that down and got an Uncle Bucky flannel special hug instead. Then he sat me down and listened to what I had to say. "Listen, sweetie, I've never run a business, but I think you need to consult somebody. Rethink your business plan; thing have a way of going haywire when Stark gets involved, because if you deviate too far you're going to be in trouble. He has enough resources so that whenever he gets a wild hare, he can afford to implement it. You don't have those resources, so either you need to retrench or you'll risk somebody actually owning your business." He continued to give me good advice about separating out work and personal life. "You and Stark are similar in that you both work hard and play hard, and it's the play time that makes life really worth living. He'll figure that out when he calms down. But again, it's a question of resources. He has a multi-billion dollar empire and hordes of employees. You have yourself, really, Doug's on loan, isn't he?" I nodded. "You need to restrict your work hours. I know you don't want to turn people away, but if you burn out, what's going to happen over the long term?" He took me off teaching for a week in order to give me some more time to figure things out and said sternly that it would be more if I needed it. I was afraid that he'd also cancel our lessons--I needed to work out hard, otherwise I got really antsy--but we both agreed that wasn't negotiable. I stayed at work until six, then put out the sign directing after hours clients upstairs for emergency care at the clinic. I went upstairs and took a nap.

I was going to cancel plans with Margaret and Aslyn, but I also needed to vent and have some fun. They listened sympathetically and we changed our plans from dancing to talking over cocktails at a cozy booth in our favorite speakeasy. I probably wouldn't last the whole night, so they could still go dancing. And that's what happened; even with non-alcoholic drinks and a nap, I went home at eleven, feeling much better for the conversation.

I was woken up at around two by a call from Aslyn. They'd called it a night at around one and shared a cab home, as Margaret was more or less on the way to Aslyn's. They couldn't approach the building because it was going up like a torch, so Margaret was going to stay at Aslyn's for the time being. We agreed to meet for brunch later, and I went back to sleep. When I showed up for brunch, I had a tote with some clothes--we were all about the same size--and another bag with toiletries in brands I knew she liked. She burst into tears--they'd gone by the building on the way to brunch and the building was just a shell. The news was reporting another strike by the S'mores arsonist. All her things were gone, and although she had renter's insurance, it never seemed to pay for the real cost of replacement. Fortunately she'd been wearing her diamond earrings and her other most prized possession, her diploma from MIT, was framed and in her work office. Her tears set off Aslyn and me, we were sympathetic criers.

After Margaret calmed down some and we all mopped up and refreshed our makeup in the bathroom, she changed the subject to tease me about Damian. "When does he get back?" she asked.

"Thursday or Friday," I said, holding up crossed fingers.

"So we shouldn't plan on seeing you Friday night?" Aslyn asked slyly. Friday night was our night together, date nights were Saturday.

"Depends on how jet-lagged he is," I said, then made a face. "I'm sorry, guys. I don't want to blow you off, but--"

"You'd rather be blowing Damian," Margaret said saucily, and we burst out laughing.

"I am rather desperate to get him where I want him," I acknowledged.

"And where's that?" Aslyn asked archly, sipping at her mimosa.

"Well, between my legs for starters, then I need to have him teach me how to run a business. I asked before he left, and he agreed. To the teaching part," I said, smirking, "but I bet he'll be on board with the bed part too." That got everybody laughing.

"You have his elite education to tap, but he's also got practical experience," Aslyn pointed out. "Bruce Wayne's been grooming him for the business forever, and while a business empire isn't the same as a fledgling small business, I have no doubt that he'll be a good teacher." She shook her head. "I still can't get over it. He was such a punk in high school."

"People change, thank heaven," I shrugged.

"Does he know about the whole...Joker thing?" Margaret whispered. I nodded.

"He knows the basics of what happened," I said quietly. "I told him, back in high school. Just yelled it at him, really," I sighed. "I thought for sure that that bridge was burned."

"You didn't seem to know he was going to Harvard," Aslyn said, and I nodded.

"We weren't talking when the regular acceptances came out."

"He seemed to try awfully hard to repair that bridge," Aslyn said, smiling. "Once in the coffeehouse, I saw him really exerting himself to be charming, doing a pretty good job of it too, but he was actually sweating when he left."

"Do tell," Margaret said, fascinated.

She didn't have much more to say, but that made me review my past a little and make some notes. I didn't really want to bring that incident up again with him, but at some point I'd ask him about how he felt in college. My phone chimed, and I got a picture of lavender heather, signifying admiration. I sent him a picture of stock, meaning bonds of affection. I had the website bookmarked. The girls teased me about the little game, but they were charmed by it too. "Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a flower for 'get your ass back here,'" Aslyn said absently. She looked up and grinned. "Think he'll be kinky enough for you?" she asked, and I flushed.

"Only one way to find out,"I said, and they laughed.

"I think kink can be traded off if the sex is otherwise really good," Margaret said, and we looked at her with interest. It was her turn to blush, and she came clean about how she was getting more interested in a guy she'd been seeing casually. "He's as vanilla as it gets, but he can go for hours, he's enthusiastic and attentive, and his cock is huge." She reflected on this for a moment with some smugness.

"You're such a size queen," Aslyn teased her, and by the time we left, Margaret was cheered up and as back to level as you could reasonably expect.

I went back to the tower and went to work. Mid-afternoon, I got a call from Damian and happily suspended the paperwork I was doing. We got the business part of the phone call out of the way, in which I asked about his trip and he offered to help me with my mess, exchanging news like the arson, then we got into the slightly gooey talk that you get at (hopefully) the beginning of a relationship. "I haven't been able to find a flower for 'missing you,'" I said wistfully.

He made a pleased humming sound. "I get back after midnight on Thursday night, actually," he said. "I'm going to meet with dad in the morning to go over the trip, clear up the details, but there shouldn't be much, I've kept him posted through the whole thing, then I'm going to get some sleep. I can't wait to see you. Will you have dinner with me Friday night?"

"I'd love to," I said, and he invited me for dinner at the hotel. "Does this mean that you'll finally take me to bed after?" I purred, and he groaned.

"Don't talk like that," he begged. "I'll be hard for an hour."

"Only an hour?" I teased, and we ended up having a satisfyingly adult conversation that mixed pertinent information along with a lot of teasing. I couldn't wait for Friday.

Of course, the week dragged. I could have sworn there was two minutes' time in each elapsed minute, but I kept my head down and plowed through the the boring parts. Working out with my uncle and helping the clients were the bright spots, and finally, grudgingly, Friday got here.

I clocked out exactly at five, taking a few minutes to greet the nurse who'd be manning the clinic that evening, and bolted upstairs. I had to decide on the dress and settle the question of lingerie or no while I was in the shower. (Yes, the sexiest set I had that made my boobs look spectacular. First impressions, after all.) I curled big waves into my hair and put it up in a knot that was held with only a couple of pins that could be removed easily for a sexy tumble of hair. Minimal makeup, using the waterproof mascara that I didn't like because it wasn't easy to get off. But raccoon eyes aren't terribly sexy. Stockings and high heels, naturally. I put on a crimson knit dress with a flared skirt; body hugging and hot without trying too hard. I grabbed my clutch and ran downstairs, skidding to a halt outside when I saw Damian and his car waiting for me. There was heat in his eyes and a huskiness to his voice as he gave me a light kiss and held the door to the car for me.

We did the sensible thing and had dinner first, although I couldn't tell you what we ate, except that there were no oysters this time. Then the elevator, where we had to be casual since we weren't the only occupants. Restraint was abandoned the second the lock clicked open and a handy section of unadorned wall presented itself and a condom could be hastily rolled on. This had an unfortunately early end, though, and Damian set me down carefully, embarrassed. I stooped to pick up the empty condom wrapper and we went into the living room. I dropped the packet in the trash and went around drawing the draperies before returning to him and snuggling up. He put his arms around me and sighed.

"That was not what I had planned," he said regretfully, and I shrugged.

"It's kind of flattering to know that I can make you lose control," I said.

"I never flatter you," he said, stroking my back. "That implies insincerity and dishonestly. I always tell you exactly what I feel." I looked up, startled, and he leaned down for a kiss. "Well, since we've got some time, do you want to dance?" he offered, and stepped away to pull up a playlist. All different kinds, the only commonality that the songs had was that they were great for slow dancing to. And kissing to. He excused himself and I took the opportunity to visit the bathroom. When I came out, he drew me into the bedroom, where he'd lit a Yankee Candle stores'-worth of candles, all safely in candle holders of one type or another. The air was sweet with the perfume from bouquets scattered around the room, the bed stripped to the bottom sheet. I smiled and unpinned my hair. Like a gentleman, he helped me with my dress, although unfortunately the zipper got a little ripped. I peeled off the lingerie myself. The second encounter was much longer and satisfying.

When I woke up, it was about three in the morning and the candles were mostly burned out, although the tall pillars guttered in their wax. I stretched. This was when I usually left, but for the first time, I just turned over and cuddled in. Damian mumbled something, and I went back to sleep.

I woke up around eight, feeling like the world was my oyster, but the bed was empty. I could hear rustling somewhere in the suite, so I was unconcerned and went to the bathroom. You never knew if somebody was going to be weird about the toothbrush issue, which always seemed dumb to me after sharing body fluids, but some people just don't like to share. It's easier to ask forgiveness than ask permission, anyway. After I was done, I went in search of Damian with an offer to conserve water and shower together. I found him in the living room, draperies open. The light was gray from the snowstorm that was tossing flurries against the window, but it was plenty bright enough to admire his muscular body. He looked up and smiled, holding out a hand for me. I stepped up to him and pressed myself against him for a kiss.

"I brought you something from a stop in Japan," he said. "I was there for a day and this reminded me of you." He handed me a box, and I pulled off the ribbon, giving him a sly smile and taking a moment to tie it around his penis with a bow. He laughed, but his concentration was on me. There was a blue oval case, which contained, it turned out, a double strand of exquisite white pearls and matching earrings sat in the center of the case. I was literally speechless. I couldn't speak, not a squeak. He started to look anxious.

"It's so beautiful," I managed to say, and started to tear up. I'd never gotten jewelry from a man before, let alone something like this, and wasn't sure of the protocol. I thought a kiss was in order while I tried to find my words. He took the case from me and gently settled the necklace around my neck.

"It looks perfect on you," he said, smiling a little. "Just as I pictured." I ran my fingers along the cool smooth pearls. "And don't say that I shouldn't have, or that it's too much," he said as I opened my mouth. "I wanted to give you something as beautiful as you are."

"Thank you," I whispered, and the passion flamed again. He drew me down to one of the sofas and I hastily took off the bow. I laughed a little when we accidentally rolled onto the floor, but I could afford to, I was on top. He grinned and rolled so that I was on the bottom, and I sighed in pleasure when he entered me. My focus was completely on Damian and the two of us together.

So completely, in fact, that I totally missed the lock clicking and the door opening, until a deep voice said, "Damian, where are you?"

Damian started violently and his head popped up. "Dad! Jesus, what are you doing here?"

There was an appalled silence all around. "Interrupting, apparently," Bruce said, retreating rapidly. "I came by for the contracts. You weren't answering the phone, so I thought I'd just retrieve them..."

"Shit, Dad, I'll meet you downstairs," Damian said, flustered. I was flustered too, but I couldn't go anywhere with Damian between my legs, pinning me to the floor. And he provided cover, anyway.

"We'll have breakfast," Bruce said. "Bring Alex." I flushed red. Neither of us so much as twitched until we heard the door close.

"I moved out precisely to prevent this kind of thing," Damian growled. "Damn it!"

I started to laugh. "Come on," I encouraged, "that's a mighty fine erection you're boasting. It would be a shame to waste it. Your dad can wait a bit." We were a little hastier than I was hoping for when we started, but awesome nevertheless, and after a quick shower, he found a black pair of track pants that weren't actually horribly long and a dress shirt from the back of the closet that was too small for him. I had to wear my pumps from the night before, but the pants were long enough to cover them. My improvised ensemble actually looked pretty good.

"You look good in my shirt," he said, playing with the button between my breasts as I rolled up the sleeves, then capturing my hands when I tried to take off the necklace. "Let's go fuel up, I'll give Dad the damned paperwork to get rid of him, then we can come back up and I'll take it off. If I have to, I will put a chair under the door," he promised, and I chortled and let him pull me toward the door.