It was the Stark Annual Christmas Blowout, and it had begun (once again) with a bang. This time, instead of missiles, fireworks were set off, but the general effect was the same.
Tony Stark had been mingling for over an hour, and now he really needed a drink. The fact that his Personal Assistant Virginia "Pepper" Potts had apparent vanished into thin air was not helping his night either. Of course, he could have called her or activated the tracking device he'd installed in her blackberry, but this was a party, and also her night off. So Tony merely sauntered up to the bar and asked for "Scotch." After downing his drink in what might be considered record time, he began to work his way back towards where he knew Happy would be lurking. He was almost halfway there when he bumped into someone.
"Oh!" The other exclaimed, looking at Tony. Tony finally looked up to see his roadblock; a female in her late twenties to early thirties, with brown hair chopped into a haphazard pixie cut and a red blouse tucked into a knee-length pencil skirt.
"Hey, sorry." He said, stopping to look at her again. She was really quite pretty. Her skin was flawless, aside from a small scar near her hairline, and her legs were… Well, they were very, very nice as well. And her shoes…
"Admiring them?" She asked, with a smirk. "I know it's not traditional in California, but I'd rather be able to walk than just sort of hobble around."
"They're very nice… erm, what do you call them?" He asked.
"Ballet flats. In some places, at least." She replied.
"Tony Stark." He said, offering his hand. She shook it, her grasp firmer than he'd have guessed.
"Dahlia Drake." She replied.
"So, Dahlia, you come here often?" Dahlia laughed at the corny pickup line, but ignored it.
"No, actually. I just got back to America, and damn is it nice to be home." She said, grinning.
"Where were you then?" Tony asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Not allowed to disclose that, at least not here." She replied. Even though she didn't wink, Tony felt as though she had. Come on, he thought, that's just seeping with unsaid innuendo.
Seeing the look on Tony's face, Dahlia gasped and mockingly hit him on the shoulder.
"No, I'm serious." She said. "Just gimmie a sec, I need to find my P.A. He's here somewhere." She reached down her blouse and pulled out a phone unlike any other Tony had ever seen. Which was shocking, since he had seen most of the world's phones.
"Locate Dory." She asked the phone. The phone flipped out, much in the manner of a T-Mobile Sidekick, Tony noted. Maybe a custom job?
"As you wish, Ms. Drake." An automated voice with a slight Irish accent replied, and a grid was projected slightly above the screen. Dahlia looked at the grid, which Tony now realized was the layout of the building they were standing in, and with a twist of her hand, turned the whole thing around so that she could see the glowing orange blip on the hologram. Using two fingers she zoomed in on it.
"Oh, so that puts him…" Dahlia trailed off, blushing slightly.
"Exactly 1 and a half feet behind you, Ms. Drake. Will that be all?" The automated voice said.
"Yes, Sebastian. Thanks." She flipped her phone back into the smaller, black rectangle it had been and put it down her blouse once again.
"Dory!" She said, turning and pulling a slightly flushed man of around 30 into the circle.
"Ms. Drake?" He asked, straightening himself up and smoothing down his brilliantly orange hair.
"Wow, you clean up good." She said, pulling on the lapels of Dory's suit with a sly grin, which widened as he coughed uncomfortably. "New suit?"
"Yes. It was a gift from you, actually. From 2 years ago." He said.
"Why haven't you worn it yet then?" She asked, moving even closer to him. By this point he was a brilliant shade of red, even his ears.
"W-well, the opportunity hadn't really presented itself yet, Ms. Drake." He replied, and she instantly moved backwards. Dory heaved a sigh of relief and loosened his tie.
"Oh, flirting with your P.A, could count as sexual harassment…" Tony said in a teasing tone.
"Well then you'd be in jail for so long they'd have to invent the elixir of life just to keep you alive for the whole time." Pepper said from behind Tony.
"Ah, Pepper!" He said, grinning warmly. "Pepper, this is Dahlia Drake and her somewhat unfortunately named assistant Dory."
"My name's not actually Dory." Dory said, speaking for the first time to Tony. "It's Jeremy Zeidae."
"Then why…?" Tony asked, curious.
"The common Dory is a fish in the Zeidae family." Dahlia explained, shrugging. "I've called him Dory forever. Just the same was I'm guessing your name isn't really Pepper."
"Virginia Potts, nice to meet you." Pepper said, shaking Dahlia's hand. Tony grinned.
"I can't believe you named your P.A after a fish." He chuckled again.
"I can't believe you name your P.A after a condiment." Dahlia mocked.