Just another quick little chapter before we get to experience Tony and Pepper's day together. That means there's some more tastey Pepperony coming your way soon, guys! (That pun just never gets old, does it?) ;)
You guys are awesome! See you soon!
Happy Reading! :D
Happy had been alerted by Tony that he would be shuttling Ms. Matthews back to her hotel that morning. So, given that he was already at the mansion from dropping off Pepper for the day, he stuck around, flipping through an issue of Sports Illustrated to bide his time, until he spotted her walking outside.
He whistle to himself in admiration of her, not minding the view at all of the various and sundry parts of her anatomy jiggling and jostling around as she strutted in his direction. He was sure that dress she had on would split wide open at any minute, if it had to endure any more punishment from her voluptuous figure. He wondered if she cared a shoe horn with her when she wore that dress, to help with working herself into, or out of, it. "Not bad, Tony," he muttered. "Looks like you managed to bag her after all. Well done."
As she got closer, he realized he needed to stop drooling and quickly pull himself together before she reached the car. So he tossed the magazine in the passenger's seat beside him, and straightened his jacket and tie in the rear view mirror. Then he exited the town car, and quickly jerked the backdoor open, nodding politely. "Morning, miss," he said, smiling when she'd reached him.
Vanessa just flashed him a half-hearted smile. But Happy wouldn't have noticed if any words had come out of her mouth at the moment. He just watched out of the corner of his eye as she delicately climbed into the car, taking one last admiring glance before shutting the door behind her, and walking back to the driver's side.
Soon, he pulled out of the drive, and down the road toward the highway, flicking his eyes back and forth between the road and the rear view, trying to be discreet. Vanessa paid no attention to his oogling her, as she was busy examining herself in a makeup compact mirror.
"I hope your evening was pleasant," he offered kindly. But it seemed Vanessa didn't hear him.
"I said, 'I hope your evening was a pleasant one'," he offered again, this time a little louder. He knew she had to have heard that, but still there was no response.
Happy scowled. Is she TRYING to ignore me?, he wondered.
"Driver? Privacy window," she demanded flatly after a moment.
Happy just scowled. You know, lady, I might be just a lowly chauffeur to YOU, he thought. But a little common courtesy would go a long way toward...
"Driver?! I said privacy. Did you not hear me?" she spat out sternly, her jaw set hard and her eyes menacing.
Happy just shook his head in disgust, and punched the privacy window button. He saw her relent finally, and start rummaging in her handbag. He waited until the window was all the way up, and then jerked his finger off the button with indignance. "Yeah, nice talkin' to you, too, you uppity bitch," he muttered bitterly.
XxXxXxXxXx
Vanessa found her phone in her purse, and opened her list of contacts to find Obie's number. She put the phone to her ear, and flipped her hair to the side, fiddling with it as the number was dialed.
"Ms. Matthews! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Obadiah said, once he answered.
Vanessa bit her lip, and squealed in delight, grinning slyly. "Oh, Obadiah Stane! Do I have a juicy bit of news for you!" she gushed.
"Oh? Spill the beans, my dear. Why keep me in suspense?" he replied.
"You'll never guess whose cliff-side, Malibu mansion I am just now leaving!" she said, in a sing-songy voice.
There was a moment of dead air on the other end. "Get out," Obadiah said finally, in disbelief. "He finally called?"
"Better," she replied. "A woman I met at the conference insisted we take advantage of the night life last night. So, I decided to go, and she dragged me to this horrid little place called the Romero, I think it was? Anyway, we were sitting at the bar, when who do I spot behind me?"
"No," Obadiah gasped. "He was there?"
"In the flesh, darling. And I didn't even have to try to get him to bring me back to his place," she explained. "I just gave him a taste of what was to come, and the rest, as they say, is..."
"Wait," Obadiah interjected. "Was Pepper the one to toss you out? No offense," he asked.
"None taken, and no, love. She was present and accounted for, but I was walked to the door by the man himself. Who let me give him a little parting gift in front of one Ms. Pepper Potts, in fact. She didn't seem too happy about it, either," Vanessa cooed.
"Good, good. This is good," Obadiah purred. "I'd be worried about the strength of your foothold with him if he'd told Pepper to do his dirty work. But the fact that he personally saw you on your way. Well, that's...that's something," he remarked.
Vanessa smiled smugly to herself. "Well, I've given him plenty to mull over, just to stay top of mind," she revealed.
"Do tell," he responded.
"It seems I have need to fly him to London in the near future. There are new uses for nuclear energy we are experimenting with, as you know, and I simply must get his professional opinion about them," she quipped sarcastically.
"Well, if you must, you must," Obadiah replied, and they both chuckled darkly at her words.
XxXxXxXxXx
About an hour later, I jogged downstairs, to be greeted by a very peeved looking Pepper Potts. She scowled even more once she saw me, and then made a move to heave herself off the couch. She sighed. "Ready?" she grumbled, lumbering to come to a standing position.
I frowned. "Pep, what is up with you this morning?" I asked. I shrugged and shoved my hands in my jean pockets. "I thought you were excited to be getting back in the swing of things."
She just stayed silent, frowning at me, though I could tell she had something to say to me. Yet, no words left her lips for a long while. "I...just..." she stammered finally. She exhaled. "I didn't expect, on my first day back, to find...what I found when I got here, that's all," she explained. Her cheeks reddened slightly. "If it isn't too much trouble, I would like a little notice going forward, if you're...evening...carries over to the next business day. Fair?" she asked, looking me expectantly.
"Well, on the subject of fairness," I said, stepping closer to her and removing my hands from my pockets to gently grasp her shoulders. Then I tilted my head down to look deeply into her eyes. "You don't currently have a phone with which to give you said notice," I reminded her, wincing.
She realized I was right, and a sheepish grin broke out across her lips. I chuckled and she nodded in agreement. "I guess that's true," she admitted softly.
"Yeah," I said, smiling at her impishly, and trying not to laugh. It was nice to see her smile again. "But that's on our to-do list for today, right? Get Pepper a new phone? And then I promise. After that? Proper notice of my house guests' extended stays will be given. Deal?"
She nodded and smiled. "Deal," she said.
"Okay!" I said, sidling up beside her, and clapping my arm around her shoulder. "Now, let's go do a little shopping,huh? Then a little lunch, maybe? With my best girl?" I said, as we started walking. She was grinning as she listened to me trying to brighten her mood with promises of what was setting up to be a very enjoyable day. Then she rolled her eyes in my direction and smirked at my last statement.
"You're calling me your best girl?" she challenged.
I stopped us in our tracks, and turned to face her, feigning a look of confusion. "Well, aren't you?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.
She looked at me wryly. "By any chance, is this your attempt at trying your darnedest to make me feel better about this morning? Is..is that what this is?" she asked, teasing me.
"It is if it's working," I replied, matter-of-fact.
She chuckled. "I thought so," she muttered, as she walked to the stairs leading down the shop.
I know the Lamborghini was still parked in the driveway at this point, but I also knew Pepper wouldn't be caught dead in it. She always hated that car. She thought it was too flashy and ostentatious, and she always complained, with great disdain, that it smelled of "cheap body spray and stale cigarettes" whenever I brought someone home in it after a night out. She needed to ride in something a bit more refined, I knew. So we hopped in the Tesla, and roared out of the shop and onto the town to spend the day together. And I can't say I wasn't looking forward to it, even it it was pretty much just to pick out new office supplies, and grab a bit to eat.
