Erin

The magazine hit the makeup table in front of me and I looked up to see my publicist. She looked unhappy and I reached for the magazine. Images of my date with Steve from last night were plastered across the cover. The headline Hollywood Starlet Snags America Golden Boy written in big bold letters.

"What do you have to say about this?" Lynn asked tapping her foot. An image of Steve and me strolling through a park, caught my eye and the tag read "Match made in heaven or recipe for disaster?" Sighing I put the magazine down.

"I don't know what you want me to say." I said, a small smile on my lips. we had only been together a few weeks and let me tell you it had not been something I expected.

Chelle was a good friend of mine, I'd go so far as to call her my best friend really. It was an easy friendship with her, one that was instant, we met and it just worked and we'd been each others rocks for the better part of a decade. We'd been through everything together, breakups and get togethers, box office bombs and box office hits. You name it, Chelle and I had weathered it together.

So when she told me she wanted me to meet her boyfriend, I knew she was serious about him. I wasn't so easily convinced. I knew about Tony Stark and his playboy ways, though I had never actually met him. I knew about his Iron Man and his desire to have the world see him. I knew about his Avengers and the general idea of who made of the team, I just didn't care to know much more than what their costumes looked like. Their names? Who cared...Not me.

"Erin! Come on, we are going to be late!" Chelle yelled, her voice echoing off the marble, making my ears ring as I ran down the hall. I was, as typical, running a little behind. I was still living out of my suitcase, having just flown in from Dallas, and my stuff was a bit scattered.

"I can't find my shoes!" I yelled, coming to a stop just before hitting the door of Chelle's room. "I'm stealing a pair of yours."

"Good God woman, you'd lose your head if it weren't attached. Come on! Tony and Steve are waiting for us." I paused in my search for shoes and slowly walked out of the room.

"Who's Steve?" Chelle bit her lip and fidgeted slightly. "Are you...Oh my GOD! You're setting me up!"

"No! No... That's not... Yes. I didn't tell you because I knew you'd say no."

"You're right. No." I turned around to walk back to my room but was stopped by a hand pulling on my belt.

"Oh look at that, your shoes!" Chelle said dragging me, my purse and my shoes outside. Chelle stuffed me into the car and ran around the driver side before I could collect myself enough to get out. The car was on the move by the time I had and I sat fuming in the passenger seat.

The drive was fast and silent. I didn't say a word the entire ride to the restaurant, I was so angry at the setup, but mostly I was angry that I had fallen for it... again. Chelle liked to sneak attack me when it came to dates. She didn't like seeing me alone and after the last break up, I'd sworn off men for a while.

"Here we are." Chelle said as we pulled up for the valet. I didn't move as the door was held open for me.

"Erin come on, are you really going to sit in the car the entire time? I think that might freak the valet out." I scoffed, slipped my feet into the black ballet flats and grabbed my purse. The thought of walking home crossed my mind, but I'd never hear the end of it if I didn't suck it up and just suffer through the awful blind date.

"You owe me, big time." I said stepping up to stand beside my best friend. "So big." Chelle just smirked and dragged me inside.

"Hey, baby," Chelle said when we reached the table that Tony and Steve sat at. Both men stood Tony kissed Chelle on the cheek and I to my credit resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Instead, my eyes landed on Steve. Mr. tall blond and beautiful.

"I'm Steve," the blond guy held out his hand for me to shake, a seconds hesitation had me considering leaving, just to spite everyone, but I took the warm firm hand in mine and introduced myself.

"Erin, this is Tony." I released Steve's hand and looked over at Tony. Chelle had good taste in men, I'd give her that, but I wasn't sold on the personality.

"I know who he is." I said, not willing to drop the bad mood. "Shall we sit? Or is blocking the wait staff the new it thing to do?" Chelle kicked me as I rounded the table.

"Be nice." She said under her breath. I clucked my tongue and made to grab my chair.

"Let me get that for you." Steve's hand grabbed the chair and pulled it away from the table. He motioned for me to sit and I, in all my bluster just stared at him. I sat and Steve pushed the chair in. The slight heat to my cheeks had nothing to do with the man who sat across from me... nope nothing.

Dinner went alright, when I wasn't being a total bitch to Tony and trying so hard to ignore Steve. It didn't always work and he busted me staring a few times. When dinner ended, I had to resist the urge to sigh in relief. I was happy to be heading home. Tony and Chelle headed out first followed by Steve - who had pulled my chair out and held out his hand to help me stand – and me. Chelle's purple Bentley and Tony's red Audi were both already waiting when Steve and I reached the door.

What I had not expected was to find Tony in the passenger seat of the Bentley.

"Steve, make sure Erin gets home safe." Tony tossed Steve the keys to the Audi and Chelle sped off. Steve stood there holding the keys, a shocked look on his face. I on the other hand should have expected that.

"Come on, big guy, take me home." I said moving over to Tony's car. There wasn't anything else for it.

"Sorry about that." Steve said, sliding into the driver seat. "I should have known Tony would pull something like that."

"Yeah, Chelle's known for doing that to me too, not really sure why I didn't see it coming."

"Well, it didn't look like you were having that good of a time, I'm shocked she would still ditch you."

"It's not that I wasn't having a good time..." I leaned over and input my home address into the GPS, so that I wouldn't have to give directions. "I was mad at being set up, no offense." I said quickly.

"I don't understand, why were you mad? Didn't you agree to the date?" Steve said taking a turn when the GPS told him to. I didn't answer, I was still too angry. Instead glaring daggers at the passing shrubbery seemed like a better idea. "Wait... Did Chelle not tell you about the date?" I shook my head and kept my gaze focused on the window and everything that was passing by. "Well then, you have every right to be mad. I'd never want to make you do something you didn't want to. Had I known..." Steve really was a decent guy, in just the few words we'd spoken to each other I could tell that much.

"It's not your fault Steve. Chelle just really wanted to set me up with you for some reason." I shrugged. "I'm sorry I was so awful tonight." The car pulled up to the door and I made to get out, the car was shut off and Steve was exiting the car before I could understand why. My door was opened and a hand was once again offered. This guy had to be something out of a fairytale, I couldn't help but keep thinking. No one holds chairs out for girls and opens car doors any more. Guys don't walk girls to their doors unless they think they are going to be seeing the inside. Steve had to know that wasn't going to happen.

"You weren't that bad," he said as I opened the door. A soft smile on his face.

"See ya around, I'm sure." I said, shutting the door.

My head hit the door once I was sure Steve was gone. I had blown it, I was sure of it, and for the first time in a while, I was mad that I had been such a bitch to such a nice guy.

I wasn't one to regret my actions, typically I lived by my own code and did what I wanted with no reservations and no fears. What other people thought of me didn't matter. It was one of the reasons I survived in show business, but Steve's opinion mattered for some reason and that wasn't a good feeling. The worse part was I probably would see him again, he was a friend of Tony's from what I understood and with Chelle and Tony dating... We were bound to cross paths again.

I'd just have to work a little harder to fix his first impression.