Motives of the Heart (Vicki Vale, Harvey Bullock)

[Deleted]

In her office at The Gotham Gazette, Vicki Vale smiled to herself as she read the e-mail she’d received from Ethan Young, who was away in Brazil.  She missed her friend so much and was glad he had contacted her to let her know he was doing all right.

After sending a quick response, Vicki was interrupted by four of her co-workers who walked in and presented her with an arrangement of twenty-four, long-stemmed, red roses.

“Oh, guys!  You shouldn’t have!” Vicki gushed, standing to her feet as her eyes welled with tears.

“Don’t worry -- we didn’t!” Tommy laughed.  “They’re not from us, silly girl.”

“They arrived for you a moment ago,” Ginger the receptionist said.  “I signed for them.  You’ll never guess in a million years who sent them!”

With a puzzled look on her face, Vicki frowned, shook her head, and took the beautiful vase from Ginger and placed it on her desk.  To her surprise, the quartet invaded her personal space by huddling closely around her.

“C’mon!  Read the card already!” Frank barked over her left shoulder.  “Ginger hasn’t said a word to any of us, and we’re all here to see the expression on your face!”

“Hurry up!” Pearl ordered with a sense of urgency.  “I can’t take any more of this mystery and intrigue!  The suspense is killing me!”

“Yeah,” Tommy agreed.  “Get it over with!  I have a corn beef on rye waiting for me at my desk that isn’t getting any fresher!”

Everyone’s eyes widened with Vicki’s as she read the card aloud:



Dearest Vicki,

I liked your piece on Hawkgirl and Commissioner Gordon.  Good stuff!  Congratulations on a job well done.

~ Love, Bruce

P.S. – Let’s plan on getting together SOON!  It’s been too long.



“It was from Bruce Wayne?!?  OMFG!” Pearl exclaimed, swooning at the mention of the billionaire playboy’s name.

“See?  I told you she’d be surprised!” Ginger stated smugly.

Tommy began singing, “Bruce and Vicki, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

Meanwhile, Vicki was frozen in place and remained silent.

“What’s her problem?” Frank whispered emphatically to the others when they finally exited the room in single file.  “She doesn’t seem very excited to me.  In fact, she looks like she lost her best friend.”

“It could be shock,” Pearl explained.  “It was from Bruce Wayne?!?  OMFG!”

“We heard you the first time,” Ginger scolded, closing the office door behind her.

Alone once again, Vicki sat back down at her desk and read the note several more times.  She couldn’t help but wonder what Bruce’s true motive had been.  Was it really a kind gesture on his part, or had he sent her flowers out of guilt for neglecting her all this time, or to mess with her head?  She hated the way Bruce always came out of left field when she least expected it.  He was as good at that as Batman was.

Putting the card back in its envelope, Vicki filed it away in her desk drawer and tried to get back to work.  The last thing she needed was this distraction.  For Vicki, it was more cruel than flattering.

Although she tried focusing on her writing with all her might, her mind wandered, and soon she was in a state of deep reflection, pondering all of her friendships with men that had led to dead ends.  Bruce Wayne, Vic Sage, Rowdy Yates, and Ethan Young were the first to come to mind, followed by the temptation that was known as Edward Nigma, a true decadent morsel of male eye candy.  For a few seconds, Vicki blew out a harsh, agonized breath and rubbed a hand along her jaw, remembering Edward’s elevator interview.

Vicki had to admit that she’d enjoyed having coffee with Commissioner Gordon the day she wrote the Hawkgirl story.  It was nice to sit down and catch up with her friend. And that’s what Jim was - - a friend.

Vicki couldn’t help but smile when another man came to mind -- Harvey Bullock – and she began wondering how he was doing.  The last she'd heard, he had been sent on leave to get some rest.  Harvey was a workaholic, just like Vicki was.  That was one trait they had in common and one of the reasons she liked him so much.  The fact that he was a reliable source for her at the GCPD was another reason.  If she ever wanted to know something, she knew who to call.  She also knew how to play the game with Harvey and get the information she needed out of him.

But this time, Vicki wasn’t thinking about Harvey for personal or selfish reasons.  She was genuinely concerned for his health and well-being, and decided to give him a call out of the blue.  Heck, if Bruce Wayne could do something unexpected and spontaneous, why couldn’t she?  Maybe she’d make his day with her cheery voice and he’d make her laugh.

Yes, Vicki needed to laugh right now, and Harvey Bullock was a comedian by nature.  He didn’t even have to try to be funny.  He was humorous just by being himself, and she found that quality very endearing.

Retrieving her cell phone, Vicki found Harvey’s work number that was already programmed and dialed it.  When he answered, she closed her eyes and tried to sound as happy and perky as possible.

“Harvey?  Hello, cutie!  This is Vicki Vale.  How are you?”

[Deleted]

"I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW, RENEE! Lt Bullock, whaddya want, and no I ain't buyin' nothin'."

Harvey made even more of a grimace at the voice on the other end.

"I been better. Look, Vicki, if yer callin' about Joker messin' up that club the other night, I was off and I didn't work it. All I can say is Joker is outta Arkham and we're working on getting him back there."

Harvey was hunched over his death with about ten other co workers gathered somewhere off to his left watching a video on youtube of someone doing something stupid. Yes, they were hard working people, but even a room full of detectives liked to stand around and laugh at a video of a kid who just got out of a dentist's appoinment, or a cat in a shark costume chasing a duck.

Harvey had the phone cradled between his shoulder and his ear while he was typing something into his computer furiously. He kept holding shift down accidentally and the system continually asked him if he wanted to use sticky keys. Eventually he began beating the keyboard with his fist.

"NO" he barked at the monitor. Then the sounds of him pounding the keys more again came through the line.

"Anything else ya need, blondie?"

[Deleted]

Vicki didn’t know what to say when she heard Harvey’s gruff voice and all the background noise.  With each passing second, his work environment seemed to be getting more chaotic.  “Have I called at a bad time?” she asked, unsure if Harvey could even hear her voice over the noise.  “Look, I’m calling to check up on you.  It’s been a while since we’ve spoken.  Thanks for the tip on Joker, but I’m already working that story.  I’ve got my rough draft in front of me, and the final version will be going to press in a few hours.”

She paused when she thought she heard Harvey attacking his keyboard.  She offered to give him some guidance, but she had no idea what the problem was.  He seemed to be off in his own little world at that moment, and so she waited for a lull in the activity before she started speaking again.  She was so startled by Harvey’s loud “NO!” that she literally jumped in her chair!  Then his voice barked at her again, inquiring if she needed anything else from him.  She got the impression that he was being so terse because she was bothering him and he wanted to end the conversation so he could concentrate on whatever it was he was doing.  She didn't care for the nickname "Blondie" either, but she let it slide.

“No, Harv, I’m not calling you about anything work-related,” Vicki tried to explain to him quickly before something else noisy started up.  “Actually, I wanted to ask you out to dinner tonight -- my treat.  I’ve been dying to take you to Rowdy’s.  That nightclub is the best in Gotham City, and I know the owner personally!  What do you say?  I guarantee we’ll both have a good time!  Care to 'humor' me by taking me up on my offer? ”

Vicki loved her play on words and smiled.

[Deleted]

Harvey was too absorbed in the chaos. Whether he realized it or not, he lived for it.

"Yeah, sure, see you later, Vicki, sounds good."

Harvey hung the phone up and went to yank the keyboard out and throw it away. It was not meant for big hands like this and that irritated him.

It wasn't until about ten minutes later, while guzzling down a coffee that he realized he'd set up to go to dinner with Vicki tonight. He spit coffee allover the hallway he was in.

It did not take long for him to make it back to his desk and call her back. When he got an answer he cleared his throat.

"Sorry, I forgot to get a time from you. I was breaking my keyboard."

[Deleted]

Vicki was surprised when her office phone rang.  She had no idea it was Harvey Bullock calling her back, but when she answered it and recognized his voice, she realized he didn’t have her cell phone number.

“Hello, Harv!  Long time, no chat!” she greeted cheerfully, making herself comfortable in her leather chair.  “What’s up?  Backing out on me already?  Sorry!  That’s not an option!”

Vicki laughed out loud when Harvey apologized for calling back to get a meeting time because he had been too busy breaking his keyboard to ask the first go 'round.  “Tsk! Tsk!” she teased playfully.  “Destruction of city property is a criminal offense, y’know.  Don’t worry though.  I promise I won’t tell the Commissioner about it . . . .”

She paused for a second to stifle a giggle.

“. . . until after our dinner date is over,” she finished.  “I want to make sure you have a good meal before they haul you off to jail!  I hear prison food is the worst!”

She waited for a response and then got serious.

“A time?  Okay.  I’ll pick you up at your apartment at 7:00 pm,” she informed him.  “That should give you plenty of time to get ready.  Stone building near Robinson Park, right?  Fourth floor, end of the hall? Apartment number 42?”

Smiling to herself, she tried to imagine the expression on his face at that very moment.

“Yes, Harv, I’ve done my homework,” she explained.  “You’d be surprised what I know about you.  After all, I am an investigative reporter.”

[Deleted]

Harvey was unsure about this, but he wasn't going to back out. He smirked a twinge behind the phone at her comment.

"Yeah, the day I go to jail is the day this town really goes down the crapper, Blondie."

He called her that because he always thought she looked a little bit like Debbie Harry.

He listened to her tell him she'd pick him up at his apartment. He furrowed his brow a bit suspiciously.

"How do you..."

She answered him quickly.

"Alright, fine, see you then, stalker."

Harvey hung up the phone again and shuddered a little. He'd have to see about checking to make sure his address wasn't listed anywhere. It was an honest concern of his. He didn't want the wrong people knowing where he lived.

[Deleted]

Vicki listened to the dial tone of the telephone for a few seconds and wondered if she should call Harvey back or not.  It had not been her intention to freak him out by spouting off his personal information, and she was concerned that she had gone from “Blondie” to “Stalker” in one fell swoop.  She decided she’d apologize to Harvey when she picked him up that evening.

“Dammit!” she cursed under her breath.  “Why did I do that?  Now, to smooth things over with Harvey,  I’m going to have to splurge for dessert!  When will I ever learn?”

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vicki spent the rest of the afternoon meeting her deadline.  She was very proud of her finished article and mentally patted herself on the back the second after she e-mailed it to her editor.  Gazing at the clock, she made sure of the time before she lost herself in another writing project.  The last thing she wanted was to be late picking up Harvey.  She wasn’t planning on driving to her house to change clothes.  The light-blue blouse and black mini-skirt she was wearing would have to suffice.  After all, it was just Harvey.  There was no need to dress to impress.  She doubted he would even notice what she was wearing anyway.

An hour later, Vicki drove to Harvey’s place in her yellow camero.  She called it “The Bumblebee” because its black-striped design made it look like a bumblebee to her. 

After she parked the vehicle, she entered Harvey's apartment building and made her way to the fourth floor, purse in hand.  Finding Apartment number 42, she knocked and waited patiently for Harvey to answer the door.

[Deleted]

A song could be heard beyond the door. Inside Harvey was putting his last touch on. He had gotten home in enough time to at least change shirts, the one he had worn to work today eventually got some coffee splashed on it thanks to a clumsy rookie bumping into him while passing him in a hallway.

He adjusted his tie and ran his index finger and thumb along the front of his hat's brim. Just as he did he heard the knock at the door. He picked up his suti jacket off his bed as he passed it. Then down the hallway and through the living room to answer the door. He grabbed his trenchcoat off his coat rack and began putting it on while he opened the door.

"Alright, Blondie, you ready? I'm starvin' and you look skinny enough to need some stew er something."

Once Harvey had the coat on he straightened it a bit to even it out so the lapels were level with each other. He stopped and quickly turned.

"Just a sec."

He walked to his turn table and turned it off, the music slowing to a halt.

"Don't like to leave it on."

He headed back to the door and walked out, closing it behind him, locking it with his keys and then trying to open it to check that it was locked.

"Alright, we're a go."

[Deleted]

As Vicki waited outside in the hallway, she heard music and movement coming from the other side of the door.  Immediately, her artistic side tried to visualize what was happening in there.  Taking off her black gloves, she stuffed them in the pockets of her gray overcoat and counted the seconds before the door opened.  She tried to imagine how Harvey would look dressed for dinner and wondered if her expectations would come true or not.

“What’s the matter with you, cutie?” she asked playfully as the door swung open and Harvey came into view putting on his trenchcoat.  “Don’t you know it’s impolite to keep a lady waiting?”

Before he could say anything, Vicki stepped over the threshold and placed her right index finger over his lips.  “Don’t you dare say a word,” she ordered.  “I was just kidding.”

Then she stepped back and admired his attire.

“You look very dashing tonight, Harv,” she complimented, straightening his tie for him.  She couldn’t remember when he ever looked this good.  “You clean up well!  Have you lost weight?  I can really tell!”

"Alright, Blondie, you ready?” Harvey shot back.  “I'm starvin' and you look skinny enough to need some stew or something."

"Thanks for noticing!" Vicki giggled, turning and stepping back into the hallway as Harvey straightened his coat.  She thought he was following close behind her, but when she peered over her shoulder, he was walking back into his apartment.

"Just a sec," he told her as he turned off his turn table, putting an end to the music.  "Don't like to leave it on."

There was an awkward moment as the beautiful music was replaced by deafening silence.  Then Harvey's footsteps,  the door slamming, and the jiggling of keys sounded in perfect synchronized harmony, ending with the crescendo of the lock snapping into place.  Then Harvey rattled the door to make sure it was locked.

"Alright, we're a go."

Vicki waited for Harvey to catch up to her, and then she wrapped her hands around his arm.  “Thanks for having dinner with me,” she said as they made their way down the hallway.  “I’ve been looking forward to this all afternoon.”

Suddenly, without warning, Vicki stopped walking, leaned in, and gave Harvey a quick kiss on the lips.  Normally, she wouldn’t have been so brazen, but at that moment, she needed it more than he did.

[Deleted]

Harvey was stopped from responding by a finger on his lips. He gave her a confused look before continuing getting ready to go.

"Ah, thanks. Yeah, you hadn't seen me in a while. I have been trying to get my weight down, though there ain't much left to lose now."

And then he got a little surprised by her, she kissed him. One of the last times he had seen Vicki he had managed to say something crass enough to get slapped across the face. So it was pretty reasonable for him to be surprised. He looked at her when she was done. For now he'd just write it off as a lady being sweet.

Wait... Is this a date? Awww shit.

Harvey's recent night with Selina combined with his remaining uneasiness with women that had been building up over the years made him a little weary. At least he had his guards up. He began walking down the hall, stairs and out of the building with her.

"So, how's it been going, Vic?"

[Deleted]

Vicki smiled on Harvey’s lips before she broke contact with them.  For a man who wasn’t even trying to be a good kisser, his lips sure felt great on hers.  Pulling away, she stared at his face for a few seconds, the affection in her gaze unmistakable as she took in his features.  The kiss was a bold move on her part, but she couldn’t deny that Harvey attracted her, especially his quirky sense of humor, which had grown on her.  She swallowed hard as she watched him contemplate something that had hit his brain.  “Penny for your thoughts?” she asked playfully, her curiosity getting the best of her.  She deliberately kept her voice light and teasing.

When they started walking again, Harvey made small talk by asking her how she’d been.  “On the surface, I’m doing okay,” she answered honestly, a faint smile tipping up one corner of her mouth as her hand tucked securely in his.  Honestly, she didn’t care what other people thought of them being together.  It felt good.  Then she changed the topic of conversation altogether.  “Enough about me.  I know you’re going to love Rowdy’s!   I've eaten there like ten times now, and it just keeps getting better and better!  Tomorrow, make sure you tell the boys in the department about the great time you had.  Like I always say, word of mouth is the best form of advertising!”

When they reached the front entrance, Vicki withdrew her hand to put on her gloves again.  Then she braved the elements and opened the car door for Harvey before scooting around to the driver’s side.  Once they were both situated inside the vehicle, more small talk about the cold temperatures and the weather followed as Vicki started the car, turned on the heater, and got them on their way.

“Speaking of Rowdy’s, the owner, Rowdy Yates, got caught in that freak snowstorm last week,” Vicki reported as she drove.  “Luckily, he was at the museum, instead of actually being out in the storm itself.  I can’t wait for you to meet him.  He’s a great guy.  Just like you.”

[Deleted]

Harvey took note of her answer to his question. On the surface. Harvey was beginning if this was some sort of rebound date thing. It wasn't uncommon for women in his acquaintance to occasionally look at their lives and their failed relationships and then think about men they knew that were available. Harvey was one of those types of guys lonely, down-on-themselves types of women seemed to have a knack for calling up for a random date.

Harvey was never pleased that he was so many people's last round picks. It was a little insulting, but he wasn't going to say anything about it unless he felt he was being treated unfairly beyond that. Sometimes a lady just needed a friend and he was praying in his brain that was what this was.

"Ah, well, I think I heard of th'place but I ain't gone to it yet. Then again, I dunno if I should take your word for it, as long as I known you, you been skinny as a rail. You eat like a bird."

Harvey always found a way to tease and ruffle womens' feathers. It was like a hobby of his. He didn't like the negging thing so many young men seemed to think was a valid way to pick up women, but he sure liked pulling girls' pigtails since he was just a tike.

[Deleted]

Vicki may have been smiling on the outside, but she was scowling to herself on the inside.  It seemed like flattery wasn’t getting her anywhere with Harvey.  She wanted to ask him so badly what his problem was, but she declined to carry that through.  Honestly, she felt like Harvey was dancing around her actions and comments like an accomplished ballet dancer at an impromptu recital.  Or like a soldier stepping carefully in an unmarked mine field.  Either way, she had to give him some credit.  He was maneuvering quite well, but it got her wondering if all men were like that  -- going out of their way to avoid showing their emotions, vulnerability, and commitment to relationships.  Well, in this case, friendships.

Perhaps the old cliché was correct after all  -- the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.  Oh, well. It looked like she’d find out tonight.

Being a writer, the last word that Vicki Vale would’ve ever used to describe Harvey Bullock was “shallow.”   They had been acquaintances for years, and she knew there was more depth to him than he was portraying.  There had to be!  The man definitely had personality -- yeah, that was a good word for it -- but he seemed so guarded tonight.  Had she done something to offend him?  Did her public displays of affection embarrass him in some way?  Was there someone else in the picture that she didn’t know about?  Was she mistaken to assume that he was lonely, too, and needed a friend who appreciated him?  Was she trying too hard to reach out to him?  Did he see her as being desperate?

God, this was getting complicated.  Then again, matters of the heart often were.

Just then, Bruce Wayne came to mind, and she had to turn her head away from Harvey so she could roll her eyes.  She had to admit to herself that her doting and concern for Harvey was showing him a different side of herself, but she was enjoying it.  Was he?  Hmm.  Like it or not, it looked like Harvey Bullock had become her target – the latest conquest in the love-life of Victoria Elizabeth Vale. She hoped he wouldn’t wind up a casualty like all the others.

When they got to the nightclub, Vicki parked in the private parking deck Rowdy owned right nextdoor to it.  Then she waited for Harvey to get out of the car before she used her remote to lock the doors and set the alarm.  With an outstretched hand, she reached for Harvey to take it so they could walk together in the brisk cold and shield each other from the chilling wind.

A large Afro-American male was standing at the door, making sure “undesirables” didn’t enter the establishment.  He was twice Harvey’s size, with muscles to match. The stern look on his face disappeared when he saw Vicki approaching with her guest.  “Vicki! Welcome, darlin’!” he greeted with a toothy grin.  Opening the entrance door,  he motioned for her to go right inside.

“Thank you, Willis,” Vicki said, stopping for a second to give him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“That’ll keep me warm for a while!” Willis exclaimed with bold laughter, cutting his eyes at Harvey and winking.  “Welcome to Rowdy’s, sir!   Are you a virgin?”

Vicki’s eyes widened, and she turned to explain the question to Harvey.  “He means, is this your first time?  Here, I mean.  At Rowdy’s.”

Omigod.

[Deleted]

Harvey made a low whistle as they walked up to the place.

"Well, ain't this place slick lookin'."

Once they approached the bouncers Harvey just had a neutral look upon his face. At the question of virginity Harvey just narrowed his gaze at the bouncer and furrowed his brow, turning his face to spread a grimace across it from ear to ear, chin to hairline.

"Scuse me?"

Harvey did not like the question and found it extremely offensive. Of course he wasn't, God. No one had thighs like his without having used them quite vigorously. Harvey then turned his attention to Vicki and that look of realization got across his face. He snapped his grimace back at the bouncer.

"I ain't been here before and I don't find that question too welcomin'. Also, let it be known that the only time it is appropriate to ask that is if you're my doctor or I'm walkin' in to a live viewin' of Rocky Horror, pal."

Once they moved into the club Harvey gave it a nice look over. He nodded his head.

"Well, so far, so good, save that bouncer."

Harvey turned his attention to Vicki once again and put his hands in the pockets of his coats.

"Well you're more familiar with this place, where you wanna sit and all that jazz, Vic?"

A group of three women waved to Harvey. Two were red heads, the other a brunette. He gave them a wink and a wave and then back to Vicki.

"Don't ask. Lets just say I gotta lotta friends."

No, Harvey didn't have friends, well only a few really. Those three women, while Harvey was off the force and working as a private investigator, came to Harvey for help on the matter of roughing their bosses up a little. They were burlesque dancers at a local club. No doubt a drink or two might come after Harvey this evening. In return the three of them serve as informants for Harvey. If he needs to know about someone that may have come through their neck of the woods recently they never hesitated to help Harvey.

He was a resourceful man. Favors for favors.

[Deleted]

Vicki listened as Harvey spoke candidly to Willis.  She was embarrassed for him, and she was glad Harvey hadn’t caused more of a scene.  Hooking his arm with hers, she shot Willis a stern look as she guided Harvey into the building with her.  She agreed that Willis had done wrong by asking that question and apologized profusely.

Once inside, Vicki waited for a moment for Harvey to take in the view.  She was glad he was impressed, except for Willis, which was a given.  Harvey seemed to be enjoying the ambiance – a little too much when he made eye contact with his three lady friends.  At first, Vicki felt offended, but then she realized Harvey was bound to have friends.  It just never occurred to her that they could be female friends.  In that moment, she had doubts and began thinking that maybe she wasn’t as special in Harvey’s life as she thought she was.

Smiling smugly at Harvey, Vicki tried her best not to let her jealousy of the female “Three Stooges” get to her.   Instead, she focused on the dinner she and Harvey would be having together. 

Yes, food.  That’s why they were here.  Dinner.  Right.  Okay.

Vicki guided Harvey to her favorite table and took off her gloves.  As she peeled off her coat, wolf-whistles sounded from all directions.  “LOOKIN’ HAWT, BAY-BEEEEEE!” one man yelled from the bar, admiring her long legs.  “SMOKIN’ HAWT!”

“Thanks for noticing!” Vicki called back, smoothing out her blouse and tugging at her miniskirt before she gracefully took her seat next to Harvey.  They had a perfect view of the stage.

Then a waitress came to take their drink order.  “What will you two fine folks be having?” the young woman asked.  “It’s on the house, compliments of that gentleman over there.”  She pointed behind her to a handsome man smiling and waving in the distance.

“That’s him!  That’s Rowdy!” Vicki told Harvey, excited to see her friend.  Standing, she motioned for him to come over to the table.  More wolf calls commenced.

When Rowdy finally got to the table, he kissed Vicki on the cheek and then flashed a smile at Harvey.  “Any friend of Vicki Vale’s is a friend of mine,” he told Harvey, staring him squarely in the eye while offering him a handshake.  “I’m Rowdy Yates.  It’s nice to meet you.  And you are --?”