Alexandria Mackenzie Stallion stood outside the front door of the Stark Industries building. She fidgeted nervously with the wavy locks of her dark hair trying work up the courage to go inside. She had a very important meeting scheduled with the company's CEO, Virginia Potts, who was probably very busy and probably didn't like to be kept waiting.
Besides, she sighed to herself, proper business women don't nervously play with their hair. They hold their shoulders high and tackle their problems head on. So that's exactly what she intended to do. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her shoulders back, tilted her chin upwards and opened the door. The main lobby of the building had a clean modern look to it. It lacked color, being decorated mostly in white and chrome. A broad shouldered man in a suit was sitting behind the counter of a security station, he beckoned her over as she stepped inside the building.
"Hi," She greeted, jostling the handbag that was slung over her shoulder. She stepped up to the security station and smiled. "I have an appointment with Ms. Potts." She riffled through a stack of folders in her hands before pulling out the appointment card that had been mailed to her from the office. The security worker took the appointment card from her and glanced it over. While he read, Alexandria took the opportunity to study his name badge. Hogan, Happy. It read in a firm, black, typeset.
"Is your first name Happy or your last?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. He typed some information into the computer before looking up.
"First." He told her with a smile. His attention turned back to the computer screen for a few more seconds and he started typing again. "What brings you here today, Miss Stallion?"
"I'm a student at New York University and I'm here to interviewing your C.E.O. as part of a research project for my Analysis of Corporate Structure class."
"You must be glad Pepper was able to find time to squeeze you in then." Happy continued to smile as he handed her back her appointment card. "You might need this again once you get upstairs, but it looks like everything checks out, Miss Stallion." His fingers danced across the keyboard a final time before a small plastic visitor's badge printed out. Happy attached a clip to the badge and instructed her to wear it on her outermost layer of clothing. He then gave her brief directions to the C.E.O.'s office.
"Thanks so much, Happy." She smiled, taking the badge and attached it to the collar of her blazer. "I'll see you again on the way out."
The elevator ride up to the top floor was absolute turmoil. Not because Alexandria was worried about her interview. No, she had been practicing for an important interview like this pretty much since childhood. Being raised by a Stock Trader had prepared her for nearly every social situation but there was no way you could really prepare to ruin someone's life.. She caught herself combing through the tangles of her dark hair again and immediately snapped her hand to the side. As a distraction, she thought over her interview questions again trying to decide what the best order was, the best way to phrase them. When the elevator finally dinged open, she took another deep breath and stepped out into the reception area.
After a brief conversation with the receptionist, Alexandria was ushered into the office of the illustrious Virginia Potts. She carried herself in such a way that made it clear she was a no-nonsense type. A characteristic that Alexandria's step-father had taught her to admire in all people, but especially other women. People are often turned off by strong women. He had explained. You'll be a strong woman someday too, and you'll need allies out there on the battlefield. Don't be one of those fools who underestimates women who take their lives seriously. She could only hope Mrs. Potts would be her ally through what was about to happen.
"Hi," Pepper greeted the nineteen year old who had just entered her office. She tried to put on her warmest smile since the girl already looked nervous. "You must be Alexandria."
"Yes, hello," The girl extended her hand, which Pepper gave a firm shake. "But please, just Alex or Lex. Alexandria is such a mouthful."
"Very well, Lex, please take a seat." The C.E.O. gestured an open palm to a nearby chair. Nodding, the younger woman took a seat and began riffling through her paperwork.
"So, Ms. Potts..."
"Pepper."
"Pepper." Lex repeated. She tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear and looked up. "As you know I'm conducting this interview as part of a research project, and so I'd like to start off by asking you if you believe the C.E.O. is the most important job at Stark Industries."
"Wow you're not playing around." Pepper raised her eyebrows clearly impressed. "I suppose you expect me to say that yes, I do think the Chief Executive Officer is the most important job at Stark Industries, but that simply isn't true. Every single person who works for this company has the most important job."
Lex couldn't help but smile as she transcribed Ms. Potts' answer. This was the type of woman who saw the value of each individual person. The type of woman she wanted to be. Looking up from her notes, Lex asked her next question.
"Before becoming C.E.O., your previous position within the company was the Personal Assistant to Mr. Tony Stark. It's also public knowledge that you and Mr. Stark are currently in a relationship, how has that impacted your dynamic here at work? You are, after all, now the boss of many people who used to be your superiors."
"You'd have to know Mr. Stark the way the rest of us do." Pepper laughed. She was normally very calculating about the information she gave out in regards to Tony, but something about Lex made her feel oddly reassured. Maybe it was the girls warm brown eyes that somehow managed to convey excitement, respect and curiosity at the same time. There was something about those eyes that seemed so familiar. "Although I was just his personal assistant on paper, my responsibilities covered much more than that. My colleagues were well aware of this fact, and so it hasn't been a very difficult transition for any of us."
"I see." Lex nodded and mark down a few more notes before asking her next question. The interview continued on in the same manner for another fifteen or twenty minutes before Lex put her pen down with a shaking hand. Her heart was racing as she stared into the cerulean eyes of Stark Industries most powerful women.
"Well," the young girl gulped, trying to steady her faltering voice. "That is the end of all of my official interview questions. But I was hoping to ask you for some personal advice, off the record of course."
"I'm not sure how much I can help without knowing what you want advice on." Pepper frowned. "But I can certainly do my best." She leaned forward in her chair and rested her head on her chin.
"My dad has always been a well-rounded father. He taught me how to ride a bike when I was a kid. He took me to open my savings account and taught me how to manage money. He took care of my mother and I my whole life. My mom was practically perfect too. She wasn't around as much as I wanted but that's the life when your mother is a very important geneticist. She would cut the crust off my sandwiches when I was a kid and she would take me out to the movies whenever she had time."
"I'm sensing there is a 'but' coming very soon."
"but, my mom died of Lung cancer when I was fifteen. So Dad thought that was the best time to tell me that he's not actually my father. And I've had time to get used to the idea, having lived with it for four years now. He's raised me this whole time, even knowing I wasn't his. He taken care of me and I love him for that, but I would really like to know who my father is."
"If you don't mind me asking, why have you waited so long to look for him?" Pepper found herself captivated by the girl's story.
"I wanted to wait until I was at least eighteen." She explained. "It's very important to me that my father know that I'm not interested in any of his money. I really just want to get to know him."
"So you already know who your father is?" Pepper leaned back in her chair.
"I know his name, I know where he lives and where he works but I don't know who he is." Lex said. "The problem is, I know my biological father doesn't know that I even exist. And as much as I want to meet him and get to know him, I think his life might be better off without me. And I don't know if it's right for me to want to know this man when it would bring him nothing but trouble."
"Tony's your father." Pepper said coming to the sudden realization. That was where she had seen those warm brown eyes before. Lex even had Tony's tousled brown hair. That seemed to be where the resemblance ended, but it was enough. Pepper reached out and held down the intercom button on the telephone that sat on her desk. "Cancel my appointments for the rest of the day and have a car brought around front."