American Beauty, American Psycho
Kitty looked at the entrance to the upscale restaurant and felt a wave of anxiety. "Tony…"
Dressed in a suit, the doorman smiled widely when he saw them. He held open the extravagant door and Kitty's eyes tried to adjust to the dim lighting. A band was playing in the corner and the soft music could be heard flowing through the restaurant, mingling with faint voices in conversations. The tables, filled with men and women in formal attire, were far enough apart to ensure privacy. Kitty secretly felt relieved that she wasn't the only one dressed up; One woman wore a fur coat that Kitty suspected was real.
Tony looked down at Kitty's worried face. "It'll be okay." He assured her as they walked up to the podium at the front of the restaurant.
"Hi, do you have a reservation?" A dark haired woman asked Tony, completely ignoring Kitty.
"LeRoux." Kitty answered smoothly.
The woman (whose nametag read "Lila") ran her eyes up and down Kitty's figure, pausing slightly on her hand that was wrapped around Tony's arm. She scowled then looked down at the book on her podium.
"Ms. Vics and Mr. Stark?" Lila asked, batting her fake eyelashes at Tony, who nodded. She smiled brightly at him and turned to lead them to the table, making an effort to sway her nonexistent hips. Kitty couldn't help but roll her eyes at the woman's desperate attempt to get Tony's attention. She took them to a table in the corner where Ashley LeRoux sat patiently.
Ashley stood up and pulled out the chair across from him for Kitty to sit in. She sat down, carefully crossing her legs to show off her left leg through the dress' slit. While Ashley's eyes were distracted, she surveyed the area.
Ashley wore a deep blue suit with unremarkable brown shoes. Down by Ashley's feet lay a brown suitcase and a half empty glass of red wine sat in front of him. He still hadn't shaved and Kitty came to the conclusion that the man didn't own a razor. Despite the scruff, Ashley never had a full beard, as if he wanted to look rugged while still maintaining class. What a pretentious ass.
"Can I get you anything?" Lila asked Tony as he sat down next to Kitty.
"No, thank you." Tony replied distractedly, refusing to take his eyes off Mr. LeRoux. Lila turned around and left, disappointed in Tony's lack of interest.
"Hello, my sweet dahlia." Ashley purred. "You look absolutely ravishin' tonight."
Kitty resisted the urge to throw something and took a deep breath to calm herself. "Hello, Mr. LeRoux."
"Please, call me Ashley." He smiled at her. The smile vanished when he cooly addressed Tony. "Mr. Stark."
A male waiter showed up, holding a bottle of red wine. "Hello, everybody," He greeted, not noticing the tension at the table. "May I interest you in some wine? Or perhaps another drink?"
"No," Kitty turned to look at the waiter. He was around her age, attractive, with ginger hair and hazel eyes. He seemed to waiver under her gaze, unable to break eye contact. "We won't be staying very long." Her lips curled into her most dazzling smile and the waiter stuttered, his feet rooted to the spot. "You can go now." Kitty told him, and the man blinked rapidly as he wandered away.
"I see you have that effect on most people." Ashley looked pointedly at Tony when he said "most".
"It's a gift," Kitty quipped shortly. "Now why did you call us here?"
"All business, no play…" Ashley took a sip from his wine glass. "I would like to renegotiate our father's previous agreement between our companies."
"We don't make weapons anymore." Tony reminded him, his voice filled with warning.
"And yet, there she sits." Ashley pointedly stared at Kitty, a light smirk on his face.
"You already knew that Stark Industries got out of that business a while ago..." Kitty accused the Southern man after deciding to ignore his comment. "So, why did you really call us here?" She lightly drummed her nails on the tablecloth, unable to keep still.
"Smart and beautiful," Ashley complimented. "What a fascinatin'ly deadly combination." Tony cleared his throat loudly, and Mr. LeRoux flicked his eyes in his direction before concentrating back on Kitty. "Did you enjoy the flowers, cher?" He asked her with a sly grin. "I thought they might brighten your special day."
Kitty paused and Ashley seemed to enjoy the effect that had on her. "Tony, could you please go get me a drink." Kitty requested. "I believe Mr. LeRoux would like to speak to me alone."
Tony narrowed his eyes, not liking the shift in the atmosphere at the table. "Are you sure?" As the tension at the table grew, Tony felt regret for making Kitty give up her weapons stash.
"Yes." She whispered. Tony begrudgingly got up and crossed the room to the bar, where he sat with Kitty in full view.
"I didn't know you were in such a hurry to be alone with me." Ashley gushed, reaching one hand over the table to hold her hand. She moved it, placing both of her hands gently in her lap.
"I don't think it'd be wise to hold hands with you," She held up the bruised wrist, and Ashley visibly winced. "It didn't go so well for me last time."
"I'm sorry, my beautiful dahlia." He apologized, casting his eyes downwards. "My temper gets the better of me sometimes." Ashley's mouth twitched upward as he looked back up at her. "But you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Kitty kept her face blank and she maintained eye contact with the man.
"Now, now. Playin' dumb doesn't suit you, my dear. I came here to talk business, remember?" Ashley leaned in closer, on the edge of his seat. She could smell his cologne now and ignored the urge to leave.
"What do you want?" Kitty growled through clenched teeth, her face flush with anger and fear. She glanced over at Tony, who sipped a drink casually, but his eyes were still locked on them.
"You." Ashley answered. Kitty turned back to look at Ashley and smirked, so he continued. "To come work for me." His green eyes seemed to glow as he said that and they gave Kitty an uneasy feeling.
"And why would I work for you?" She asked, her voice like acid.
"Because you're on the wrong team." He divulged with a smile, as if proud that she wasn't a hero like the rest of the team. "I'll pay you triple what Mr. Stark is payin' you, and you won't have to restrain yourself when it comes to your...job. Besides," He leaned back slightly, straightening his back and shoulders. "I understand now that Mr. Banner is gone, nothin' is keepin' you tethered there. But his loss is my gain."
"I work security. Nothing more." Kitty denied. She smoothed her dress self consciously, which was not lost on Mr. LeRoux. He could tell that he had struck a nerve mentioning her ex. Kitty glanced down at the table before muttering, "And Mr. Banner has nothing to do with any of this."
"You were in Special Forces, and have one of the highest known list of confirmed kills. You're good at your job and you enjoy it." He tilted his head at her and smiled. "And now you work for Mr. Stark for a project, rompin' around the city catchin' bad guys. But let's face it, you and I both know that this isn't the right side for you."
Kitty rolled her eyes and smirked. "So," She shrugged. "You read my file. Is that supposed to impress me? Scare me? Because it's not working. It's actually quite a pitiful attempt."
"No," Ashley disagreed. "I have no desire to scare you, cher. It was simply to remind you that mercenaries belon' where the money is, and that's with me."
Kitty felt a burning rage surge through her, and she dug her nails into the palm of her hand. "I am where I belong. And not even money is going to change that. Now, if that's all you'd like to talk about, I believe the topic is closed." She stood up to leave, but Ashley cleared his throat, making her pause.
"I do hope you don't think I've ruined your birthday."
She turned to face him. "It's not my birthday." Kitty lied smoothly.
"What did I say about lyin'?" He chastised. "Besides, I already had your presents delivered."
"Yes, well, the flowers were lovely." She managed to choke out. "It's crossed my mind that they might be poisoned, though."
Ashley sighed. "No, the flowers are not poisoned. Besides, I'm more fond of explosives." He divulged, biting his lip slightly. "The flowers weren't the gift, though. If only I'd had it delivered this mornin' so you could have worn the one tonight. I would murder to see it on you." She didn't leave, but she didn't sit down like he'd wished. "Ms. Vics, I was hopin' you would leave this meetin' as a friend and coworker, but maybe they'll help you change your mind."
"I highly doubt it." Kitty clenched her teeth and walked over to where Tony stood. "We're leaving. Now." She grabbed his arm as he escorted her past the podium and out the doors.
"What did he want?" Tony demanded as they climbed into the car.
Kitty paused, trying to think of the best way to word Ashley's proposal. "He wants me to come work for him... As a mercenary."
"What'd you say?" He asked quietly, bracing himself for the bad news. "I'm sure he offered you a lot."
"I kindly told him to fuck off, in a few nicer words, given the fancy settin' and all." She stared at Tony in disbelief, her blue eyes wide. "Do you really think I would leave you guys for that psycho?"
Tony brightened instantly. "Well, no." Kitty raised her eyebrow, sceptical. "Okay, yeah. I didn't want to think it, but if he offered you more money, or something better…" He admitted. "Why would you stay?"
"You think I stay with all of you for the money? I made more working freelance." Kitty brushed a strand of hair out of her face and started picking at her thumbnail. "I stay because...I love you guys." She mumbled.
"We love you, too." He put his arm around Kitty's shivering frame. Tony shrugged off his black suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "So, is that all he wanted?"
Kitty shoved her arms into the jacket, gripped it closer, and looked out the window before whispering, "He knows it's my birthday."
"What?" Tony stared at her. "How?"
"I don't know. But he called when we had JARVIS look him up and now he knows my birthday." Kitty pointed out. "Maybe we should see if there's a bug or virus in the system."
Tony nodded. "I'll check on it. So, I guess that explains the flowers."
"Apparently, those weren't my "presents"," Kitty grumbled. "My presents are waiting at home."