BAE Chapter 9

Barbara scowls as water pours down her body. She will head home after she’s finished here.

It’s not something that Bruce ever talked about, but she and Dick were open about it when they were together: the feeling after a night spent on the town, so to speak. It was exciting. It had a way of getting the juices flowing. Barbara wasn’t proud of it. She didn’t want to think that **** was a turn-on for her. It wasn’t the ****. It was the excitement and the sense of doing something that mattered.

But whatever the reason, it had been a lot less irritating when it had just been a warm tingle her in nether regions and a little moisture in her underwear.

She glares at her throbbing erection as though it’s done something wrong. Images of Riley Beaumont come to her out of nowhere. Her wet hair, perfect lips and skin…

Barbara puts one hand on the black, marble wall of the shower and wraps the other around her shaft. Her knees wobble as she pulls on it briskly, not trying to savor or prolong the process. As annoying as this thing can be, it does feel good. Every stroke makes the pleasure spread farther through her body, the sense of heat and tightness growing between her legs. She pants as her hand moves rapidly, bending farther and farther at the waist until she’s fully bent over, supporting herself with her hand on the wall.

She squeezes her eyes shut and grunts quietly, letting go and sighing as she feels all the night’s tension pouring out.

“Oh,” she sighs, opening her eyes and blinking the water out of them. She looks down at the semen swirling around the drain for a moment, then finishes cleaning up.

With one black towel wrapped around her body and another around her hair, she walks barefoot back out into the cave, finding a tray of hot pastries and a pitcher of orange juice on the table by the Bat Computer.

Barbara enters her notes and opens a case on Amelie’s ****.

“Ms. Gordon, are you decent?” Alfred asks over the intercom.

“It’s fine, Alfred,” she replies distractedly. His footsteps approach, and only then does it occur to her that he’s the one who has to clean that shower. Oh well. Too late to do anything about that now, and he’s probably seen worse.

“Ms. Gordon, you look fetching in black,” he says, offering her a folder.

“What’s this?” she replies, taking it from him and opening it.

“Your schedule.”

“I already told you. I’m not going to be Bruce.”

“It’s too late, Ms. Gordon. I informed Mr. Fox of your internship and scholarship, and as chairman of the board, he took it upon himself to make certain changes to the program,” Alfred says.

“What’s he up to?” Barbara muses.

“At one time he hoped to have a Wayne who was interested in the running of the business. He’ll settle for a Gordon,” Alfred says sadly.

Barbara snorts. “I’ve never even met him.”

“Your reputation precedes you.”

“What is my reputation, Alfred?”

Alfred smiles dryly. “There are those who regard you as the one bat who has a brain.”

“Tim’s got a brain,” Barbara protests. “It’s why he stays far away.”

“Precisely.”

Barbara sighs. “All right. What do I have to do?”

Alfred knows better than to schedule anything before noon. Barbara has daytime obligations now as well. Her own life must take a backseat to this. Tomorrow, she will tour Wayne Enterprises with Lucius Fox as part of a prestigious internship.

Fox has moves that he wants to make with the company that can’t happen with Bruce to sign off on them. Barbara is now officially the heir to the throne. It might be premature, but Fox will be able to defend anything that they do by saying that Bruce was the one who selected Barbara for this role.

However, being responsible for a big company is nothing compared to being responsible for the safety of an entire city. Barbara is not worried. There just aren’t enough hours in the day.

There’s a charity gala tomorrow night. That’s a chance to interact with important people in Gotham. Important people affect the city.

There’s also a board meeting. That’s a chance to influence the company. The company affects the technology at Barbara’s disposal.

Barbara can only attend one of these events. Should she attend the gala or the meeting?