Ririko walked back to him, rested her hand on his tie, and pulled him closer:
"Little Oz, you're the mayor by day and the boss by night. Where would you find time for romance?"
Oswald was momentarily at a loss for words. He licked his lips and argued:
"I am busy, but that doesn't mean I can't make time for a relationship."
Ririko curled her lips into a smile, sliding her fingers a little way up his tie.
She leaned close to his neck and caught the scent of his cologne.
It was a refined blend of pine and smoke, with a hint of winter snow in the dry-down.
When it came to taste, Oswald really did surpass most of Gotham's lunatics.
"Then if we're dating, does that mean I can get involved in your business too?"
Oswald's brow furrowed. "You want to get involved?"
Ririko leaned even closer to his ear:
"I'll finish school someday. I'll need something to do then. Spending money all day would get too boring."
Oswald let her sweet breath brush lightly over that sensitive patch of skin at the back of his neck.
He stayed still, his mind on something else. Ririko was being far too forward today-so forward that something felt off...
But with Ririko having gone this far, he couldn't easily refuse her outright.
Oswald fell silent for a while before finally asking, "Then... which part interests you?"
With her lips against his ear, Ririko said softly:
"I heard the club is opening a new branch. Why not let me handle it?"
Oswald shuddered, whether from the tickle against his ear or from her words.
He hadn't expected that to be what she was after.
But that plot of land was too important. It was tied to a whole series of future