Ririko kept a smile on her face as she coaxed Oswald:
"I'm Ririko. We're good friends. Ask Edward if you don't believe me. If you don't want this chocolate... I'll eat it."
She slowly peeled the gold foil off a chocolate, popped it into her mouth, and took her time savoring the expensive treat.
Oswald swallowed.
After finishing it, she licked the chocolate off her fingertips, her gaze settling on Oswald's longing eyes as a wicked smile curled her lips.
She took another chocolate from the box, held it in her palm, and extended it toward him.
"Come try one. It's really good."
Oswald slowly edged out from behind the linen cart.
He took tiny steps, each one tentative.
He stopped in front of Ririko and held out his right hand.
Ririko placed the chocolate in his palm, deliberately brushing her fingertips across it to touch his sensitive skin.
Oswald snatched his hand back as if burned and sprang behind the linen cart again, his back pressed against the stacked towels as a blush spread from his ears all the way down his neck.
He lowered his head and stuffed the chocolate into his mouth, his cheeks bulging as he chewed twice. The salty richness of caviar mingled with the cloying sweetness of chocolate, and he gave a muffled hum.
Ririko slipped around the linen cart and came to his side.
"I wasn't lying, was I? It's delicious, isn't it?"
With his back to her, Oswald nodded.
The tuft of hair sticking up at the back of his head bobbed slightly as he chewed.
"Thank you..." he mumbled.
"You're actually a very impressive man," Ririko coaxed gently. "You were the mayor of Gotham. The entire city was once in your hands."
Oswald turned around, confusion and curiosity in his eyes.