Pepper snuck out early and avoided Tony. She didn't want to speak to him after the way he accused her last night. She was focused on having a nice day all to herself. She exited her salon and she had a renewed spring in her step. She had a fresh wax, fresh nails, a fresh color and cut and beautiful new lash extensions. Her next stop was to Dr. Blaine's office for her mommy makeover consultation.
She checked in at the desk and turned in her paperwork, she pre signed to save time and waited to be called. She was so happy she was finally on her way to having the body she had before having children.
"Virginia Stark," the medical assistant called and Pepper followed her into the room.
Hearing Stark as her last name was still a shock to her system. She was Potts for as long as she could remember.
She began her full medical pre-check and then came the question.
"Any recent surgeries?"
"I had an accident a few months ago and I was in a coma. I got hit in the head with a coconut and I have some retrograde amnesia," she admitted.
"Have you had any occupational therapy or any other treatment for this?" the assistant asked.
"My husband has a machine, B.A.R.F, and he's close to getting it to retrieve memories from a damaged thalamus," she said.
"I'm sorry. Barf?," the woman said looking at her like she's crazy.
"It's short for Binarily Augmented Retro framing. It's a machine my husband invented. It's a complex holographic system that connects with the user's hippocampus, allowing it to find a certain traumatic memory and alter it before projecting it onto an external infrastructure, but he's fixing it to retrieve my memories. My husband is a genius," she said proudly.
"Ok, I will need you to undress from the waist up and put this on and the doctor will be in soon,"
Pepper undressed quickly and waited anxiously for the doctor to come in and after what felt like an eternity she finally opened the door.
"Welcome back Virginia," the Dr. said.
"I go by Pepper," she said quietly.
"Ok Pepper,"
"It's a nickname from my former boss, who is now my husband. I used to work in the finance department and there was a mistake in his math and my boss laughed it off, but the mistake would have cost him millions so I took it upon myself to go directly to his office and his security wouldn't let me in and I threatened them with pepper spray and he also loves my red hair and freckles so I was Pepper ever since, only my parents and a few friends call me Ginny," she said in a mouthful.
It was nervous chatter that she couldn't shut off.
"Ok Pepper you're here to talk about the mommy makeover. You've been here for a consultation for this before and then you changed your mind why?" the doctor asked.
"I don't know. I can't remember. I asked my husband and he told me I never told him why,"
"And why do you want the surgery now?" Dr. Blaine asked.
"Because I had an accident and I was in a coma and I woke up in my fifties with sagging breasts and loose skin around my stomach and hair growing in places I normally remove it. I took care of the hair this morning and I need you to take care of the rest. I hear you're the best," Pepper explained.
"I'm not sure this is the right time for a surgery like this,"
"But I don't feel comfortable in this body. I don't feel like myself. I have three kids and I don't regret that but I didn't expect to look this bad. Everytime I see my naked reflection I cringe. I just want to restore my breasts and this skin around my stomach to the way they were before kids. I eat right and work out and nothing works,"
"You are doing it for the right reasons, but due to the trauma you received to the brain and the fact that you cancelled your surgery in the past, I think we need to tread lightly and you should try some occupational therapy first," the Doctor explained.
"I don't need occupational therapy. Things are going fine at home. I need this surgery," Pepper argued desperately.
"Give this Doctor a call and reschedule with me for six months and if you still want the surgery we can do it then,"
Pepper was seeing red. She stood up and got dressed and marched out of the room and right out of the office. She felt tears welling up and she needed comfort. She texted the first person that came to mind.
Can you meet for a drink? she texted.
Her phone buzzed almost immediately and she smiled as she headed to one of her favorite spots to meet the one person that could cheer her up.
She got a table outside to watch people and then her knight in shining armour arrived.
"Hey gorgeous," Brad said as he sat down on the seat across from her.
"Thanks for meeting me," she said.
"I would do anything for you," he said and it made Pepper's heart skip a beat.
Her phone was ringing and she saw Tony's picture across the screen and she quickly hit ignore.
She ordered a dirty martini, dry with 3 olives and her mind flashed back to that memory that came back to her of her and Tony and dancing again and the intense feeling of wanting to desperately kiss her boss and knowing that it would be completely inappropriate. She pushed the memory away because she wanted to focus on Brad. Brad was familiar and he made her feel good.
"What's wrong?" he asked. He always knew just what to say.
"Nothing. I had a great day at the salon and now I'm here with you and then I want to do some shopping and I have to head home. Tony is having some friends over so I'll need to entertain,"
"How do you do it? CEO of Stark Industries, wife to an avenger, super mom to three kids and still looking as beautiful as I remember," he asked.
"If only you knew what was really going on," Pepper let slip out.
"You can tell me anything," he said as he took her hand and she looked down and her wedding ring was the only thing she could see. If only she could remember the wedding.
"A few months ago I went to the Maldives with Tony and I had an accident. I got hit in the head with a coconut and I went into a coma. When I woke up I was so freaked out and confused. It turns out that I have retrograde amnesia and I don't remember anything from the last eighteen years including my romantic relationship with Tony and giving birth to my kids. I'm extremely behind at S.I. and I've been catching up a few hours a day, Tony and I are not having sex and I can't remember what my kids like to eat or watch or play or what bedtime story to read them and Morgan understands, she's smart like Tony but the twins get so upset with me. I can't remember any of my friends in town and I miss Malibu. I'm not even close to having it together," she said letting it all pour out.
"Hey it's ok," he said, putting his arm around her.
Pepper wiped away her tears and smiled at him.
"If you ever need anything I'm here for you. Even if you want me to fuck you silly in some hotel, I don't care that you're married,"
Pepper was taken aback by his words and she didn't know what to say.
"What did you just say?" she asked.
"Come on we both know how good we were together," he said as he cupped her face and leaned in for a kiss.
Pepper pushed him away quickly.
"Brad I'm married,"
"I don't care,"
"I do," she said.
"Do you even love him?" he asked.
"That's not fair. I have no memory of our relationship. I believe that I did love him," she said feeling stressed.
"I gotta head back to the office, think about it. Just don't ask me to go down on you, it's not you personally you know this, it's just not my jam," he said as they both stood up.
He was about to walk away when he pretended to slip and put one hand on her arm and the other directly on her breast to break his fall.
"I'm so sorry Ginny. I slipped," he said.
"It's ok." she said as she looked down and Tony was calling again and she hit ignore as she tried to pull herself together.
Tony was angry. He grabbed his phone and sent a text.
The kids are asking for you. Will you be home in time for dinner?
Pepper was sitting there stunned. Brad made a move on her and subtly groped her breast. She looked down at her screen and she downed the rest of her martini. She needed the strength to face dinner with her kids that she wasn't even sure she loved. She wanted to love them, but she wasn't sure she did. She felt like she was faking it. She was faking everything it seemed since she woke up.
Tony was exciting and full of surprises. Nothing was routine and she knew for a fact he gave oral sex because she walked in on him giving it more than once in the years she was his assistant, but she couldn't remember her love for him. She felt sexual attraction for him and lust but she was desperate to connect. And Brad wanted to have an affair. He was familiar and everything was routine. Nothing he said or did ever surprised her. And he didn't give oral sex to females which was extremly selfish but Tony was selfish too. She endured five years of unsatisfying sex because her and Brad fit together.
I can't have an affair. Tony was faithful to me all these years. And what kind of affair would that even be if he hasn't changed his views on oral sex.
Pepper grabbed her phone and kept it simple.
I have one more stop and then I'll be on my way.
Pepper went to her favorite lingerie store Le Petite Coquette to pick something out to wear after she had her surgery. She wasn't giving up. She was going to call other surgeons. She didn't need occupational therapy.