Love is Merely Madness ~ Book 1 ~ Batman Begins

Chapter 5: Queen of Death

Chapter 5: Queen of Death

Disclaimer: read chapter 1

"Whoa."

Kathryn returned to her apartment, expecting to see messy blankets on the couch and endure the sweet-bitter odor of Elise's vomit. She was surprised to find the apartment was spotless, including her bedroom. She could almost taste pumpkin pie which came from a scented plug-in attached to the outlet on the wall - almost too strong for Kathryn's liking. She noticed the alignment of the tv remotes on the coffee table, the dishwasher was empty, her laundry was put away in its proper storage containing a hint of fruitiness. Kathryn didn't remember buying laundry detergent with fancy writing on it, no doubt, it's expensive. Elise didn't seem like the type to pick up after herself or someone else's mess, not that Kathryn was complaining - this was very nice of her.

Kathryn hooked her coat on the bedpost and jumped on top of the mattress, huffing with exhaustion. She had to reach for the remote on top of her nightstand, straining her muscles in the process. She was used to having the remote on the bed, prepped and ready to watch The Andy Griffith Show on TV.

Her mind began to wander, thinking about tonight's event. She was talking to Jonathan without dumping food on him, that was a major accomplishment. Her heart was racing, and her stomach was twisting into a big knot. Kathryn laid her hands on her stomach, attempting to calm herself.

'What is happening to me?' she asked herself. Kathryn had this feeling in her stomach when she was nervous, but that wasn't the case. She had no reason to be, so why did she feel so anxious? Maybe it wasn't anxiety, it's anticipation. Eager to see him again. How she's looking forward to seeing more of Jonathan's humanity.

Her phone vibrated and played the song against her side, interrupting her thoughts. Kathryn glanced at the screen to see Elise calling her, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kat. Listen, I just want to call to thank you and apologize-"

"Lise, you don't need to apologize. I don't mind you coming over, especially if you are going to clean house after."

"You like it? I paid Anetta to make sure the place is spotless, clean your home the way she cleans mine."

Elise got a maid to clean her condo? Seriously, how could a full-time waitress - who makes minimum wage - afford a condo, a wine collection, and a maid? Was her mother spoiling her daughter on the side?

"She did a good job," Kathryn complimented. "You didn't have to-"

"Spare the talk, Kat, I want to. It's the least I can do."

"Well, I appreciate it. Thank you. Listen, I'm sorry I didn't answer your call, I was talking to someone."

"Really? Who?"

Kathryn paused for a moment, debating whether or not to answer that question. She merely shrugged with a nonchalant answer, "Just a co-worker."

"Just a coworker?" Elise asked, emphasizing the word 'just'. "You don't have work today."

"No, but I ran into him at the bar."

"Him? Who is he, Kat?" Judging from the teasing tone in Elise's voice, she assumed something erotic was going on.

"It's not like that, Lise. We just talked."

"That's not an answer to my question." Kathryn sighed, feeling tempted to just hang up the phone. Elise was the type to be persistent. She won't rest until she knew the answer; Kathryn didn't have a choice.