(Untitled)

[gothams_son]

(open to freelilahBruce had finished up business and packed the tux early on Friday. Before he left LuthorCorp buildings he emailed Alexander and Harry to let them know he was in the LA area for the weekend and he'd like to see them if they had the time

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[freelilah]

The place Lilah asked Bruce Wayne to meet her was in front of a much nicer building than the one she actually inhabited these days. She had parked her car behind, though, and slipped into the lobby behind a delivery boy. No one questioned that she belonged there, though; the elegant green dress with the plunging neckline, and the diamond choker that accompanied it, made sure of that

[gothams_son]

"It's nice to meet you in person Miss Morgan." he held out the bouquet to her with a carefully practiced smile.

"You seem to me the sort to appreciate something less pedestrian and overdone than roses. And someone who looks like you do in that dress deserves something less common than something I could get in any florist."

[freelilah]

Lilah took the bouquet and looked down at it with renewed interest.

"These were grown"

She was about to quote the old General's line in one of her favorite movies. Nasty things. Their flesh is too much like the flesh of men, and their perfume has the rotten sweetness of corruption.

But when she raised the flowers closer to her face, she realized they don't smell like much of anything. She felt vaguely disappointed. The movies had lied to her. Now whether Bruce Wayne could live up to his billing, that was another question.

"How do you find the City of Angels?" she asked.

[gothams_son]

He watches her smell them, or try to, even though they are from Hawaii and have more scent than a southern orchid they are still fairly perfumeless.

"Sorry, it is hard to find anything that both smells good and looks good. If it was a different season I would have brought roses since mine haven't been bred out of the ability to smell like so many have." Yes, he's dropping the carefully social talking. He finds it tiresome.

"Much as usual, all steel and glass and very little soul. But an interesting city just the same."

[freelilah]

Marcelo's is around the corner. It is well-appointed and elegant, and, Lilah observes, sneaking a glace at herself and Bruce in the mirror of the lobby, it is really the perfect setting for two people so lovely as themselves. It's also about as easy to walk into on a weekend night as Fort Knox.

Still, Lilah has slipped Giovanni the Maitre d' enough fifties over the years that she may even be able to pull it off without Bruce's assistance. Not that she's going to try very hard. She'll give the man a chance to throw some weight around, a harmless boost to the ego.

She catches Giovanni's eye and gives him a smile. He smiles back, but it's just a fraction of a second too slow. Uh-oh, Lilah thinks. Who's he been talking to?

"Miss Morgan," Giovanni purrs, approaching her. "It has been -- far too long." He gives a bow of welcome that also encompasses Bruce.

[gothams_son]

It's a nice restaurant and certainly they are dressed for it. Not that Bruce actually cares about his appearance beyond the fact that he's playing a role tonight and he needs to fit the part. The perfectionist in him demands it.

Bruce stops looking around and pays attention when the Maitre d' approaches them, there is something odd going on with the way the man reacts but he'll play dumb happy billionaire for now.

"Miss Morgan and I would like a table for two if you have one." The benefit and drawback of being on this coast is the fact there isn't instant recognition of his face. But he likes to see if they will before he tosses his name out.

[freelilah]

Giovanni has to make a quick decision; fortunately, his training equips him -- he weighs his past experiences (very pleasant and lucrative) with Lilah against the strong hints being dropped by certain individuals associated with Wolfram & Hart, that Ms. Morgan should be considered persona non grata.

One factor which he neglected to weigh, however, was the identity of Ms. Morgan's boytoy. Giovanni registered that he looked vaguely like one of Hollywood's generic pretty boys who stopped in from time to time; but no, that man had an English accent; this one looked and sounded like some American college boy. Maybe a Wolfram & Hart intern; hardly old enough to reach the levels of seniority of those who were blackballing Lilah.

"I must regret, signior," says Giovanni. To receive a table at this time is quite impossible."

Lilah gives Bruce a questioning look. This should be good.

[gothams_son]

He smiled, utterly unoffended. Bruce liked to use that look to put people off their guard.

"That's too bad." Still a very pleasant voice. "My name's Bruce Wayne, it's too bad you don't have a table I'd heard your rack of lamb was to die for."

[gothams_son]

Bruce had seen the man coming up behind Lilah and had no illusions he was their waiter, he had palmed the steak knife as he saw him approach just in case. Thing was how to play this out without getting anyone shot or completely blowing his cover?

"I'm sorry, it doesn't look like Miss Morgan would like to accompany you anywhere." He kept a slightly puzzled smile on his face while he talked. The sound of his voice made the gun waver slightly in his direction which was his goal.

His hand flicked out and the steak knife stuck deep into the man's gun hand making him drop the weapon with a startled oath.

"Lilah, run!"

[freelilah]

Lilah has time to be surprised by Wayne's quick reaction time -- impressive for a guy who never has to do anything; maybe it's all the extreme sports or whatever he has as a hobby.

She does appreciate the gesture, but she's not running anywhere. "Why don't you run?" she snaps at Bruce. Then she turns to Marcus Hamilton, personal gofer and boytoy of the Senior Partners at Wolfram & Hart. "Nice gun work, dipshit. And aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"You're one to talk," Hamilton grumbles, and looks peevishly at Wayne. He pulls out the knife and massages the back of his hand, although that doesn't make it any less obvious when the wound spontaneously heals. "Who's Mack the Knife over there?" he asks. Without waiting for an answer, he scowls at Bruce and says, "I could kill you with my bare hands." He's just saying it for the record, it's not a real threat. He doesn't kill people unless absolutely necessary. Too much paperwork.

[gothams_son]

"Ok, what the fuck?" He doesn't usually swear but this is a new situation. He sizes up the guy, even with instant healing he doesn't know as much about combat as Bruce does, and he bets he can't heal his way out of being hog tied.

"No, you can't. But you could try." He doesn't like the way this evening is going.

"Ok, Lilah what is going on."

[freelilah]

"You're asking me?" Lilah retorts. Way to blame the victim Bruce. On the other hand, she's impressed with the way Bruce doesn't back down from Hamilton, who's considerably taller than he is. She would sort of like to see them fight. Of course, seeing as Hamilton is immortal, and that she's witnessed him punching another human not only in by through the stomach -- it would be a short fight. But she likes that Bruce thinks he could pull it off. And knowing Hamilton, he might tank it to avoid filling out the Incidental Homicide Report. Lilah can't blame him. The IHR she did on Billy Blim was a bitch, and he wasn't even strictly human.

"Ms. Morgan and I need to talk," says Hamilton.

"Right now?" she shoots back. "Can't your supercharged Terminator eyeballs make out that I'm on a date with Mr. Wayne. Mr. Bruce Wayne?"

Hamilton flicks his eyes at Wayne. "Never heard of him," he responds. But he sounds much less confident.

[freelilah]

"Not my employee," says Lilah. Her replacement, sort of, but that's too convoluted to get into. Anyway, she doesn't want to give Bruce the impression she would have hired that guy on purpose.

"But are you telling me nobody has a grudge against Bruce Wayne?"

[gothams_son]

"Oh, I'm sure someone does. Thus, self defense classes." He's good at playing the nice clueless man.

[freelilah]

Lilah has a hunch. Self-defense classes, my ass, she thinks.

"You're telling me you've never been in a fight? Not even a little one?"

At least, this should be a good story.

[gothams_son]

"Oh sure. I mean I went to school with Alexander and Harry there wasn't much chance of getting out of them sometimes. They did like their walks on the wildside." He's watching her from behind his brandy glass though he still hasn't tasted it.