What's this?! A two-fer?! And on a SATURDAY?! Unheard of! ;D
Happy Reading! And thank you as always for all of the love! You guys are awesome!

Nick and I had finished dinner, but were reluctant to end our date. We'd enjoyed each others company immensely, and it seemed as if time had stood still for us, almost as if in a dream. He was completely charming, funny, intelligent, and so so easy to talk to. And I already couldn't wait until our next date, as silly as that seemed. I'd never believed in love at first sight. That is, until now. He was everything I'd wanted in a man. And I was finding it extremely difficult not to fall for him. Hard.

The rain had let up to just a slight, misty drizzle, so Nick had suggested we go for a stroll. He knew of a romantic little park nearby where he was sure we could get some after dinner exercise and enjoy some scenery, and I agreed. As we walked huddled together under his umbrella, I in a knee-length trench coat, and he in his long black wool coat, we continued our dinner conversation about our interests, our likes and dislikes, our upbringings, our jobs (though I tried to keep the conversation focused more on his than on mine, for obvious reasons), and when it seemed we'd reached the end of the path at the park (however much time had passed since we'd set out. I honestly had no idea, as it was nearly impossible to keep track, being with him and loving every minute of it to be sure) he turned to me, underneath the light of an old gas street lamp converted to electricity, and looked deeply into my eyes.

"Ginny," he murmured, cupping my cheek, and looking at me in adoration.

I blushed and smiled, but laid my hand over his softly. "Nick," I said, looking dreamily into his eyes.

"You're incredible," he said.

"So are you," I cooed back. "Tonight was..."

"Amazing? Fantastic? Spectacular?" he offered, jokingly.

I giggled. "Yes," I said. "All of those things. I'm really glad we did this."

He nodded. "So am I," he said, and leaned in. I tilted my lips upward, but he hesitated. "I'm sorry," he said, stopping.

I looked at him in confusion. "Sorry?" I asked, perplexed.

He chuckled bashfully. "It's not very gentlemanly to kiss you without asking," he said. "It's our first date, and I understand if you don't want to..."

"I want to!" I blurted out hurriedly, my cheeks blushing even more. WHY do I keep doing that?, I thought to myself in embarrassment at my loss of self control.

He spluttered and chuckled, nodding. "Well...okay then!" he said enthusiastically, with a dopey grin. He cupped my cheek again, and we both leaned in, our eyes closed, our collective breath held, our lips millimeters from impact when suddenly, my phone rang.

I deflated, and Nick grimaced, pulling away. I yanked my phone out of my pocket and saw that it was Tony. "Damn it," I grumbled. I looked at Nick impishly. "I'm...I'm sorry. It's Tony. I... I should," I stammered.

He waved a hand in dismissal, and stepped back. I mouthed a "Thank you" before I swiped to answer. "Hello?" I asked, not able to help the annoyance and shock of him calling me at this very moment from soaking through my voice.

"Pepper! P-pep, you...you gotta..I'm in trouble," he said, his speech severely slurred. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to temper myself. "Tony, you sound drunk. Are you drunk right now?" I asked curtly. I exhaled sharply. "If you are, I'm hanging up. Didn't you get my message? I'm..."

He cut me off. "No, Pep. I swear. I swear. I'm not drunk. J-just listen, mmmmkay? It's Vanessa. She..."

Then I heard some muffled rustling and Vanessa's squeaky fake laugh come on the line. "Yes, is this Miss Potts?" she asked, her voice sugary sweet.

"It is," I replied coolly.

I heard her laugh again. "Tony! Stop! You naughty boy!" she cackled into the phone, and I rolled my eyes, huffing. This was the last thing I needed to hear at that moment. Really, Tony? Really? You're going to drunk dial me in the middle of one of your rolls in the hay with HER? Haven't I been subjected to enough?, I seethed to myself.

Vanessa continued. "He really is a cad, isn't he? And he just can't seem to get enough of me!" she bragged, and I felt a wave of nausea course over me. Thanks for the update, your highness, I grumbled mentally. "But I assure you, he's in very capable hands. So go back to your evening, my dear! Sorry to have bothered you!" And instantly we were disconnected.

I frowned at my phone in my hand. "Unbelievable," I muttered, disgusted. I could only estimate that Tony had received my message about my date, and decided to try to parade his relationship with Vanessa around in front of my face to...what? Try to make me jealous? Throw me off of my own game for the night? Dig the knife in? Honestly, this was the last straw. I was happily teetering on the edge of getting heavily involved with a really great guy, and Tony clearly couldn't handle that. Why was beyond me, however, as I could only gather that his need to keep me from having a normal love life was because of his possessive, narcissistic tendencies that made him believe I had to be at his disposal at all times, and only his needs mattered. And that I was somehow undeserving of anything other than fulfilling his list of daily demands, and keeping his responsibilities with his company handled in order to make him look half way competent enough to keep his position in the eyes of the board of directors. Well, my patience was wearing thin. I'd let him sleep this little soiree with Vanessa off, as I, too, was in the midst of one of my own and didn't care to disrupt it further by dwelling on his ridiculous behavior any longer. But I vowed, as soon as possible the next morning, he and I would have a long discussion about the boundaries I needed to put into place concerning his intrusion on my personal life, and what was considered appropriate professional behavior after hours.

"Everything okay?" Nick asked, pulling me from my thoughts. I smiled sheepishly, and nodded, shoving my phone back into my coat pocket.

"Oh! Yes, everything is...I'm fine," I said, trying to push away my exasperation with Tony.

"Okay," he said skeptically. "I don't believe you, but...maybe..I can help?" he offered sweetly. He gently cupped my cheek again, and leaned in, gently planting his lips on mine. My eyebrows raised, and I felt into the kiss. However, as our lips moved in tandem, I kept searching for that spark. That fluttery thrill in the pit of my stomach that would lead to fireworks going off in my brain. But, much to my disappointment, it never came.

The kiss ended, and slowly we both opened our eyes. Nick grinned and sighed with deep satisfaction. He stroked my cheek with his thumb, and touched his forehead to mine.

"Wow," he murmured.

I smiled warmly, and bit my lower lip, saying nothing.

He raised his head and nodded. "I...could get used to that," he cooed.

I chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah," I muttered dumbly, unable to think of anything else to say.

XxXxXxXxXx

Nick and I had walked back out toward traffic after that, where I could catch a cab, and we'd part for the evening. He seemed euphoric, and wore a big dopey grin all the way back down the path through the park to where we'd leave each other. He hailed a cab for me, and I thanked him for a lovely evening, happy to oblige the offer of a second date. I wasn't ready to officially kiss him off, no pun intended. He was a great guy. And wonderful to be with. And who knew? Maybe that spark between was dampened by Tony's intrusion on the moment, and I needed to give it a second chance.

But as I went to get into the back of the cab, he gently pulled me to him. "One for the road?" he asked smirking. I chuckled and agreed, and his lips fell on mine yet again. I held my breath, engaging in the embrace with everything I had, but still. There was no spark. I couldn't understand it. It wasn't that he was a bad kisser. He was actually quite skilled. And it wasn't that I didn't want to kiss him. Clearly, I would have abstained if that were the case. There just wasn't any passion behind it. At least, not for me. Still, as he and I parted, after one last peck, and I climbed in the cab, waving to him as he waved goodbye, I felt into deep thought, and reached a conclusion.

"Damn him," I muttered, speaking again of Tony. I was convinced he'd infiltrated my psyche so much over the years, brainwashing me into feeling guilty for indulging myself romantically with a man, that I was now incapable of enjoying myself. Nick was perfectly wonderful, and his kiss was perfectly wonderful, too, I decided. I just needed Tony to be filtered out of my mind enough for me to enjoy it. So I decided, then and there, to keep seeing Nick for the duration in hopes that one day, that long-awaited spark would ignite, and the passion between us would be mutual, as I so badly wanted it to be.

XxXxXxXxXx

The next morning, at eight o'clock sharp, I rapped on Tony's hotel room door, ready to confront him about last night. And I was met with the sound off Vanessa's voice, instead.

"Coming!" she chirped in a sing-songy tone before whipping the door open, wrapped in nothing but a bed sheet, and her hair predictably mussed. She grinned at me with a deviant smile. "Hello, Ms. Potts. He's exhausted, I'm afraid. But do come in," she purred.

I gave her a suspicious frown and slowly walked past her in the doorway. She closed the door behind me, and I immediately spotted Tony sitting in a chair facing the window, wrapped only in a towel from the waist down, and staring, almost catatonic, with a scowl on his face.

"Tony?" I murmured as I approached his side, my alarm growing at the bizarre state he was in.

He slowly turned his head in my direction, and shifted his eyes slowly upward to meet mine, the look on his face startling, as if he'd only just noticed my presence that moment. He smiled weakly. "Oh, hey, Pep," he murmured softly. His expression was devoid of any of its usual spark, and his eyes were full of a kind of wistful sorrow. He reached for my hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Your date? How'd it go?" he asked.

I ignored the question, and crouched down beside him to study his face, my head slowly shaking from side to side in denial. "What's wrong with you? What's happened?" I asked softly.

Just then, Vanessa walked up behind him, and snaked her arms around his neck and down his chest. "He's just worn himself out, I'm afraid. The poor baby," she said, with a cutesy lilt. I glowered at her and stood up abruptly.

"He's never like this, Vanessa. And you know it," I said firmly. "I want to know why he's...

"Pepper, stop," Tony said, grasping my hand, and patting it reassuringly. "I'm fine. Don't worry. She's right. I'm...I'm just tired," he said, speaking slowly, drowsily.

"There, now. You see?" Vanessa urged. "He just needs a good long rest, and he'll be right as rain, dear."

"But...I..." I stammered, unable to make sense of what I was witnessing.

Then Vanessa gasped. "Oh! Tony! You silly ninny!" she suddenly cried. Tony didn't move a muscle. He just stayed exactly where he'd been- sitting in the chair, and staring out the window. Vanessa continued, shoving her left hand in my direction. "Would you just look at what Tony gave me last night?! I can't believe we almost forgot to tell you our wonderful news!"

My stomach lurched as I slowly took my eyes downward to her ring finger on her left hand. There, in all its brilliant glory, was a massive solitary sparkler, at least 3 carats in weight.

I flicked my eyes to Tony, who still remained motionless, and then back to Vanessa, whose sickeningly distorted leer was plastered over her face like a clown in a funhouse mirror. I swallowed hard. "You're...engaged?" I muttered, through gritted teeth.

"Yes! Isn't it marvelous?! It was completely out of the blue, and totally unexpected. But how could I say no? I mean, just look!" she cooed, jutting her hand at me again. "Isn't it just brilliant?"

My chest began to heave. I glanced back to Tony and then back to Vanessa, speechless.

"Oh! And the best part is? We're getting married right away! Tony simply couldn't wait any longer! Could you, darling?" she said, looking at him expectantly. He didn't respond. She continued. "We're flying to the Cayman's this afternoon for a quick beach wedding! No need to dilly-dally, he said!"

"He said that?" I asked sarcastically.

Tony then slowly turned his head to side only to speak. "No need to wait, Pep. Aren't you happy for us?" he asked, his voice indifferent. I slammed my eyes shut, and shook my head, the blood rushing in my ears, and my cheeks burning with rage. And hurt.

"Excuse me," I spat out. "This is all just...it's just...a bit much," I stammered, rushing for the door. The last thing I saw was Vanessa, grinning at me like an idiot, before I slammed the door behind me and stormed back down the hall to my hotel room. I jammed the key card in the lock, and shoved the door open, slamming it behind me. I march to the small sofa in the sitting area, and collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure why at the time. But I just let it happen. I had to. I didn't have a choice, as I was powerless to stop the tsunami of emotion that came rolling out of me.