In Another Life Vii

Chapter 2

"Well, good luck for tomorrow, Matt. Or should I say Ernie Henshaw?" Stella asked, raising her glass of champagne to him.

"Yeah, that's taken some getting used to!" laughed Henderson. "But everyone at the station has been calling me Ernie for the past two weeks, so I should be used to it by now!"

The entire GCPD had gathered to toast Henderson before he started the undercover operation tomorrow, and Harleen had been invited along to wish him luck. She had accepted readily, since she was intending to eavesdrop over his briefing, when he would be given the details of how to get in contact with the Joker's gang. Stella had determined that Ernie Henshaw would not be the only person there to meet them.

"Everyone, can you please join me in toasting my wonderful teacher, Dr. Harleen Quinzel," said Henderson, raising a glass. "Any success I have is going to be owed all to her. She has an incredible insight, and a warm teaching manner, and I could not feel more confident about this operation tomorrow thanks to her fantastic advice..."

"Just kiss her already, Henderson!" shouted a voice, and everyone laughed.

Henderson looked embarrassed. "Um...to Stella Collins," he said, raising his glass and drinking from it.

Gordon came over to Henderson, and they headed over to the drinks table. Stella tried to look nonchalant as she drained her champagne glass and then sauntered idly over to the drinks table to help herself to punch.

"Tomorrow night you're to go to a bar called The Stacked Deck – some of Joker's goons are known to hang out there. You start asking around, see if anyone knows anything about the Joker, and let it slip you're interested in joining up. Then if all goes well, one of his guys will approach you, and you're home free. How's the punch, Dr. Collins?" asked Gordon, noticing her.

"Good," she said, innocently. "Want some?"

"No, thanks," he said. He clapped Henderson on the back. "Good luck," he said, heading back to his office.

"Ernie? Punch for you?" asked Stella, holding out a cup to Henderson.

He took it from her, smiling. "Um...Stella, do you think I could talk to you...privately for a minute?" he asked.

"Oh...sure," she said, surprised. "Let's go outside."

They left the assembly room and headed out into the hallway. "So what is it, Ernie?" she asked. "Some last minute questions about the Joker?"

"Uh...no," he stammered, looking down at his shoes. "I...don't really want to talk about him right now. I...uh...wanted to ask you...if..." He looked up at her. "If...when I get back from the operation...you'd like to...go out for dinner sometime."

"Oh," said Stella, surprised. "Oh...yeah, that'd be nice," she said, nodding.

"Great," he said, beaming. "Gosh, I was more nervous about asking you that than I was about this whole operation tomorrow!" he laughed. "I just...think you're amazing, Stella. Smart and beautiful and...well, I'd really like to get to know you better."

Stella smiled at him, not quite sure how to respond to that. Henderson was a very nice young man, but she didn't really have any romantic interest in him. But that would probably change the more she got to know him, she assured herself. After all, two weeks was barely any time at all. And since they were going to be on this operation together, unbeknownst to him, maybe that would bring them closer together too.

"So...uh...you'll wait for me, huh?" he asked.