Taking a deep breath, Gabby wondered for the one hundredth time what she was doing. Arriving had been easy enough, and one of the single men was more than happy to have her on their arm for the sake of the cameras and security. He'd promptly left her at the door, and she fought the urge to pat her brown hair or smooth her gown. She could hear her friends' voices in her mind as she stepped into the party.

"Those Stark parties always look amazing." "It would be so cool to go to one." "Gabby, you can go! We'll make you a dress and everything."

Snagging a glass of champagne from a passing tray, she did her best not to gulp it down as she looked around. It was everything she hoped it would be and more; A-listers wandered the room in couture gowns and tuxedos, waiters moved with high-class drinks, and an eight piece orchestral set played in a corner. Gabby was going to have some serious stories to tell her friends. Taking a peek to make sure the deep green dress she wore was still immaculate, she made her way to a table where food was set out.

Tony held back a yawn as he watched the crowd. Parties used to be one of his favorite activities, but now he'd rather be up in his labs working on a new suit. People passed by, women with flirty smiles and men with a calculating look. Most of the people here were business associates; those who either wanted him back in the arms business or wanted to buy into his current company. Honestly, he was only going to stay the amount of time it took to be polite. That was before he spotted the beauty in the green dress stuffing an entire hors d'oeuvres in her mouth. It was so…normal. Setting his drink aside, he made his way over to her.

"Enjoying yourself?" Gabby nearly choked on the little crab cake, turning quickly. Her own eye blue eyes connected with a pair of familiar brown eyes: Tony Stark. Her eyes widened as she realized who was smirking down at her, and she was quick to swallow the food. They hadn't planned on the host himself finding her; briefly, she wondered if he was here to discreetly throw her out.

"Erm, yeah. It's a pretty great party, Mr. Stark." Gabby wanted to kick herself for the lame response. Of course it was a great party; Stark didn't settle for anything less. He seemed amused as he looked down at her.

"Glad to hear it, Ms…?" The rational part of her brain told her she shouldn't give her real name. The other part wanted to know what it could hurt. It's not like he'd find her after tonight.

"You can call me Gabby." She gave what she hoped was a friendly smile, earning one from him in return. He scooped up another crab cake, answering before taking a bite.

"In that case, call me Tony." He looked down at this girl who clearly didn't belong in his usual circles. Her dress, a dark green number with a high low skirt, wasn't done by any designer he knew, and her hair and make-up was certainly not professional. She was still very pretty, however, and certainly more interesting than the models chatting about their next photoshoot.

"Okay then, Tony." She seemed a bit out of place, and so he led her away from the crowd towards the gardens. She went willingly, if a bit stiff, and he wondered if she was worried about him tossing her out. He wouldn't, of course, she was far too entertaining already for that.

"So, Gabby, what brings you to my party?" He glanced down to see her nibbling at another crab cake, and he wondered for a moment when she'd gotten the time to grab it. She seemed to think over her answer carefully.

"Why not? Stark parties are legendary." She shrugged, not meeting his gaze. She couldn't wait to tell everyone what happened here tonight, but first she had to make sure she wasn't tossed in a cell for the night. He seemed happy with her answer, however, and it gave her a reason to relax.

"Well, you're not wrong there." They lapsed into an easy silence as they wandered through manicured bushes and carefully planted flowers. She began to wonder what this place would look like in the daytime, filled with colors and shapes she'd likely never seen. "I hope you're enjoying yourself at least." She was pulled from her thoughts by his voice, and turned to look up at him.

"I am, thank you." Her voice was soft and a bit nervous, and it made Tony want to find a way to get her to relax. He led her to a bench and gave a smile as she sat next to him, though he noted she left plenty of space between them.

"So, can I ask how you got in? Because I think I would have remembered inviting you." Though his tone was joking, he was genuinely curious. Gabby stiffened, eyes widening a bit as she seemed to search for an answer to give. A strange buzzing sounded, and she was quick to pull a cell phone from a hidden pocket in her gown. With a look of relief, she stood.

"I have to go. Sorry!" She was already rushing off before he could say anything, leaving him stunned. No one had ditched him like that in a long time, but he wasn't angry. Instead, he wanted to know more about her.

Gabby had never been happier for her phone to interrupt. The text from her best friend Sadie was a godsend; her ride was here to rescue her before security got wind of her. She didn't care that people were watching her as she practically ran to the front doors, and she didn't fully relax until she was safe in the passenger seat of Sadie's Accord. As they drove away, Gabby couldn't help but wonder why Mr. Stark had singled her out. She quickly shook the though away; it's not as though they'd see each other again.