Caffeine Withdrawal | T. Drake ✔

[11] Close Call

Stephanie was helping Dora bake the cookies while Alex was at the counter instead, taking orders from the customers. She had placed a tray in the oven while Dora was preparing another tray and setting the round chocolate chip cookies on it carefully in the meanwhile. 

The cookies had been appreciated by their customers a lot and were quite in demand. So there was a great chance that Alex would let them continue the cookies even after the trial week.

"So anything new happened with you lately that I'm not yet aware of?" Steph asked casually as she mixed the batter for the next round of cookies.

"You won't believe what happened last night," Dora remarked, quickly achieving her complete attention, "Alex had gone for Chinatown and I was by myself, he got stuck in the storm so I had locked all the doors and windows and then gone to bed. But I was woken up by a rather strange occurrence." 

"The storm was terrible and the noise kept me up all night too," Steph added, "but seems like there was something other than the storm you were referring to."

"Yup. Something that goes by the name of Red Robin.

Steph rose an eyebrow skeptically though a smile played upon her lips, "the Burger Joint?"

"No the Bat vigilante."

"Likewise," she shrugged nonchalantly, "by the way, what happened? Did you meet him or did he swoop in for a romantic rescue?"

"Oh of course not," Dora held back the smile that was threatening to break out on her face, "there was no romantic rescue. In fact he broke into our shop and I found him in the kitchen making coffee. Apparently his flask had drowned in the sewer and he couldn't find another alternative."

Steph nodded laughing, "and by the look on your face I assume you weren't pleased about it."

Dora shook her head as if disappointed though averted her gaze to the cookies that were set in the oven, "you Gothamites are so weird. Why would I be pleased to see a stranger in my kitchen? More specifically a stranger in a caped costume."

"Valid point," she chuckled lightly, "but for me it depends really. If it was a hot stranger then perhaps..."

"Stephanie, even if it were a hot stranger I would not prefer having him in the kitchen. It's creepy."

"I could always punch him in the face and throw him out if he got creepy, don't underestimate the punching skills of a Gothamite. Anyhow you're straying from the topic, tell me what happened then?" Steph leaned closer, quite intrigued to listen to her side of the story.

"Wait, let me take this tray out first."

Dora returned to find Steph in the same position, her green eyes curiously focused on her quite intent to know what had happened next.

"Then I texted Selina to come for help and threatened him that I had called the cops on him," she resumed, "and of course I had a floor mop to defend myself with if the need arose."

Steph was enjoying the twist of events, "oooh, smart. I've heard Red Robin's the bo staff guy. So you having a floor mop wasn't a bad option until or unless he was better at deflecting the blows which I'm sure he was."

"Oh yes he does it every day, obviously he easily deflected the blows." 

"Then?"

"Selina came but instead of helping me she took his side. When he tried to snatch away the mop though, I hit him in the stomach," she mumbled though slight embarrassment took over her features recalling how he had already been hurt and his black glove had been smeared with blood.

Steph dissolved in laughter, her green eyes twinkling in mirth, "you did what? I can't believe it. You hit Red Robin in the stomach with a floor mop... This is going to go down in history."

"I mean what other option did I have? I had no idea how he had turned up in the kitchen, to me he was an intruder and all I did was in self defense. And Alex wasn't at home which made it twice worse."

"Aw come on Dora you don't have to justify anything. I know you did the right thing and I'm so proud of you," she gently squeezed her in a hug, "but the point under question is how exactly did he turn up in the kitchen? He's no ghost from all I gather and can't walk through walls or grills."

Dora sighed, "Alex had given him keys to come and take coffee whenever he pleased but he forgot to tell me that. That's why I kinda feel bad for him now, he came for coffee pit of routine but got a broken rib."

"A mop jab can't possibly break a rib, Dora. Chill, he'll be fine," she dismissed her worries, retrieving the orders from the soft board and busied herself in preparing the required flavors of coffee.

"He was already injured," she spoke up, concern flickering on his face clearly, "I hadn't known back then but I do feel awful about it now."

Steph shrugged, "he gets through shit everyday, he'll live."

Dora was pondering a little on her words as she spoke, "but you know Alex said he has been here a lot of times before as well, at unexpected hours of the night. Just for coffee. And that reminds me a little of your friend Tim. And I was thinking maybe he's just as badly addicted to caffeine as Tim is."

The laid back expression on Steph's features changed quickly to alarm but she didn't turn to face her just so she wouldn't notice that,  "oh."

"Thinking of Tim, where is he?"

Steph quickly thought of a lie, "he was so busy with all his homework and pending assignments last night. I bet he's still stuck completing his work that's why he didn't turn up today."

"Right," Dora went to take the other cookie tray out and when she was gone, Steph sighed in relief for it had been a rather close call. She did not want Dora to connect the dots and figure out that Tim and Red Robin were one and the same.

Actually Steph knew very well that Tim had returned injured from last night's patrol but she hadn't bothered to ask what had happened since it was all a rather normal routine for them. Though now that she had figured out the actual cause of Tim's injury and the hilarious antics that had followed suit, she couldn't wait to go back to the Manor and tease the hell out of him.

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