“Oh my,” Babsy coos.
They can't take their eyes off each other.
A dog barks, interrupting their trance.
“I should get back in there.” He finally releases her hand and looks down at the cat carrier by her feet. “Is this yours?” he says, bending down to look inside.
“Yes, she's mine.”
“What's her name?” Bruce asks her.
“Pfeiffer.”
He cocks his head to the side. “Like Catwoman?”
She nods slowly.
“I love Batman.”
Babsy's smile is instant. “Me, too.”
Standing back up, Bruce says, “I shouldn't be too much longer and then we can take a look at Pfeiffer, okay?”
A half hour later he calls Babsy and Pfeiffer to the exam room. She's only in there fifteen minutes before she comes back out, her cheeks red and her eyes lowered.
Allie and I both stand up and meet her half way. “Everything okay?”
She clasps her hands in front of her and finally lifts her gaze—trying to fight the smile that's breaking through. “Bruce finishes in thirty minutes and he asked me out for lunch,” she squeaks. “And I said yes.”
“That's amazing!” I tell her, bringing her in for a hug.
She laughs and hugs me back. When she pulls away, she reaches into her bag and pulls out her keys. “I just need one more favor from you please, Mr. West.”
“Anything.”
Her gaze shifts to Allie. “Excuse me, dear,” she says, and yanks on my arm. She turns me so both our backs are to Allie. Then she pulls me down to her ear, at the same time placing the keys in my hand. “I need you both to go to my house. Go up to the playroom…” she pauses a beat. “You know what I mean when I say playroom, right, Tyler?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“There's a change room next to the one you went in. In there you'll find an original Poison Ivy outfit. It would look absolutely stunning on your girl.”
My heart begins to race.
“And you know what's in the other room already. I'll be out for at least a few hours. And it's called a playroom for a reason.” She points at the keys in my hand. “Go play, Mr. West.”
After a few seconds, the shock wears off and I straighten to full height. My breaths are short and sharp while I try to contain my excitement.
I look over at Allie behind me.
She's smiling.
I glance back at Babsy.
She's smiling too.
Then I look down at the keys in my hand and whisper, “I'm Batman.”