Quick note: a VERY special thanks to lizbet0 taking the time to help me edit this chapter a bit...If you are reading it for the second time (or third or fourth time! grin), then the changes might stand out to you...but other than that, they are rather subtle. On with it!
Chapter 20: Moving Closer Still
"Sir, please…Sir! You can't come in here without a reserva--" The young hostess tries her best to stop Tony from making a beeline to the back of the restaurant, but fails horribly. Tony is quite amused by her attempt though, and after arriving at the edge of the patio door he promptly turns around and stuffs a hundred dollar bill into her hand.
"Thanks for showing me to my table." He says nonchalantly, a trademark playboy smirk playing across his features. The hostess makes an incoherent noise at seeing the money in her hand, then turns on her heel and heads back to the front entrance.
Tony's smirk is replaced by a warm smile as his eyes settle on the woman in front of him. "Hey," he says simply.
Pepper's surprise and distress at seeing him have since faded, and despite the unbearable urge to get up and make a hasty exit, she can't help but feel charmed by the sincerity in his eyes, and she finds herself smiling back at him. "Hi."
Estelle's eyes flicker back and forth between the couple's intense stare and she suddenly feels utterly out of place. "I, uh—I'll just be over…" she mutters and leaves quietly, shutting the patio doors behind her.
Tony points off to his right, indicating the beach behind the café. "I was just in the neighborhood…" He says casually, taking his time with his words as he takes in her appearance. Even though she is dressed casually, an authentic gracefulness emanates from her, and he finds himself grateful to be back in her presence after such a long absence. His lingering gaze causes her to look away, and even though the sadness he remembers seeing in her eyes on that night three weeks ago is no longer present, there is still an uneasy cloud that looms over her features.
"Mr. Stark," she starts. He winces slightly at the sound of his last name. "…you are never just 'in the neighborhood' anywhere. How did you--"
"Jarvis." He interrupts, taking the now vacant seat across from her. "You have that anti-theft security system thing on your car…"
She nods in her head in understanding. "Satellite…" she shifts in her seat, sending her eyes to focus on the darkening beach behind him. "You know, some people would call that an invasion of privacy."
His eyebrows lift innocently. "Really? Why? The government's been doing it for years. Think of it as a form of flattery. I mean--"
"What are you doing here?" she asks suddenly, her eyes finally focused on his.
Her face is somewhat stern, and for reasons he can't explain, he feels compelled to continue their banter a while longer. "The sweet potato fries. I hear they're excellent here." He picks up a discarded menu and pretends to read it.
"Tony…" she warns. He smiles at hearing his first name.
"Oh good, we're back to Tony. I was beginning to think you were mad at me—which would be quite an interesting scenario considering you are the one who has disappeared for nearly a month now."
Pepper's mouth opens and shuts speechlessly. She is dumbfounded by his words and can't stop the flush that has crept up her neck due to the irritation she now feels. Tony grins, and it only serves to add more steam to her near inevitable outburst. But he's prepared, and is already in the process of deflecting.
He tosses the menu down and throws his hand in the air, effectively stopping the words from coming out of her mouth. "Now don't get me wrong. I totally understand the need for some space. I'm all about the space. I get it."
"You get it? Then why are you here? And don't give me the French fry defense again." Her words are gentle yet strong and not without seriousness.
He takes time to think about his answer, leading Pepper to the conclusion that he came here on an impulse—which isn't surprising in the least. After all, impulsiveness was actually one of Tony Stark's better qualities, and if Pepper were to admit anything aloud, it would be that she admired it in him, because it was often lacking in her.
Finally, he laces his fingers over his stomach and sits back in his chair. "Well, for reasons beyond my control, I have been without the aid of a personal assistant for a little more than three weeks now, and even I know when it's time to scream for help." He lick his lips and continues, "Pepper, I haven't seen my desk in two weeks…I have about one hundred people calling me at all hours of the day and night and I have no idea who they are and why they keep calling…Hell, I had to send one of the interns out to buy all new shirts for me because I have no idea where my dry cleaner is, and I think I just signed a form yesterday agreeing to fund research for using vegetable oil as an alternative fuel source."
"Is that it?" she replies flatly, doing an excellent job at appearing uninterested in the happenings at Stark Industries during her absence; whereas internally, she is doing a celebratory dance at being sorely missed. The stoic look on Pepper's face doesn't falter, leaving Tony with no choice but to up the ante.
"No." he says brusquely, making her head snap up.
There is a long pause as she studies him, trying to determine exactly what game he's is playing right now. Unable to figure it out, she concedes slightly. "I'm not sure what you want me to say--"
Tony breaks in. "Ask me again."
"What?…ask you…?" Pepper's patience is wearing thin, and she is beginning to feel like she is losing control of the conversation.
"Ask me…why…I'm here, again." He says each word slowly, as if to emphasize a point only he is aware of.
Pepper sighs, and even though she is not in the mood for a run-around tête-à-tête, her curiosity gets the best of her. "Alright, I'll play along. Why are you here, Tony?"
"Did you know that smell is the strongest sense that is connected to one's memory?"
His words are so casual and off the cuff that the sudden change in topic catches Pepper off guard. She recovers quickly, intent on keeping the man across from her from monopolizing the conversation. "Yes. The olfactory senses form a direct link with the amygdala and the hippocampus. One is tied to emotion; the other, memory."
Tony's eyebrows shoot up and his smile widens "God, I've missed you." He smirks, thinking to himself that one day he'll have to let her know that this specific insolent smile is one that he only wears for her.
Feeling generous and somewhat flattered by his words, she indulges him for a moment. "I did get an A in biology. Anyways, what exactly is your--"
Her words are abruptly cut short as her eyes settle on the small object Tony has managed to produce seemingly out of nowhere. A tiny glass bottle--no larger than a lighter--sits in the palm of his hand, sparkling in the glow of the heat lamp above them. She reaches for it slowly, as if it is an apparition that threatens to disappear if she moves her hand too quickly.
"Where did you find this?" she asks, taking the bottle from his hand.
"On the floor of my living room." He shrugs impassively, "I, uh…fell asleep there about a week ago and woke up with that little guy staring me in the face."
"I've been looking for it everywhere. It's my favorite perfume…" she laughs lightheartedly to herself. Tony's heart warms at the sound. "I've been looking—searching for it in every store I've ever gone into. I can't find it anywhere. I guess they don't make it anymore." She tears her eyes away from the bottle and brings them back up to his. "Thank you for returning it to me."
He smiles fondly back at her. "You're welcome."
She eyes him curiously, and then holds up the tiny bottle. "So…you didn't search me out to just return this little bottle. What does this have to do with your chosen topic of conversation?"
His eyes widen with the realization that he never got to his point. "Ah! Yes, well…you see, I woke up…uh…"
"On the floor…" Pepper assists.
"Right, thank you. On the floor…and I found your little bottle sitting there." He pauses, straining to find the right words to describe the fractured memory. His face drops the playful mask he'd been wearing, and when he speaks, his voice has lost its glib tone. "The smell of that bottle is just so…you. It flooded my memory with images and I found myself sitting there—on the floor—for an hour straight, just holding the damn thing."
Her silence persuades him to continue. He leans forward in his chair and struggles to give voice to a form of sincerity that even she has never beared witness to.
He sounds almost angry with himself when he speaks. "All I could think about was how little I truly know about you. I can't even remember when your fucking birthday is, or--or how you like your coffee… I haven't the slightest clue what your favorite baseball team is—or even if you like the damn sport!" He laughs incredulously at himself and brings his hand up to run across his goatee. "I realized that the only real memories I have of you, all involve you having to sort through my bullshit. Not to mention the fact that, because of me, you were put into a situation that was…well, not without consequences."
He lowers his head to say softly, "Thank you, by the way…for saving my life." There is a sadness in his voice that tugs at her heartstrings, but she remains silent, motionless, determined to hear him out. Unable keep her emotions in check, she glances down briefly to take a deep breath and notices his hands laying on the table in front of him. They are still streaked with grease and grime from his workshop, and what looks like a fresh scrape along his left thumb. His hurried departure earlier in the evening left must not have left him with much time to clean up, and for the first time since he's arrived, she really looks at him. His goatee has grown in a bit, and his hair looks as if he just ran a wet comb through it. Even though he is smartly dressed, it is obvious he'd just bought the outfit due to the natural creases that cover the expanse of the material.
She wants to tell him it's OK. It's OK that he doesn't remember her birthday or know that she likes her coffee black—it's ok that he doesn't know that she really doesn't care for baseball, but is a huge Lakers fan. Those things don't matter to her, and the fact that they now suddenly concern him only serves to make her more nervous about the reason he's here tonight.
But more seriously, she also wants to tell him, to reassure him that if she ever was in the same position as she was that night nearly a month ago, she would pull the trigger again.
"But--" he continues, taking a breath to steady himself, "…what I also managed to realize was how much I miss the way my office smells after you've come and gone. And I miss the click of your heels when you come down the stairs to my workshop, trying to push my sorry ass out of there and up into the world. I miss the way we can sit and work next to each other on my couch for hours and not say a word to each other."
Pepper's chest suddenly feels tight, and she wonders how her breath is working its way through her lungs and out of her now parted lips. Pepper can feel her heart beginning to pound harder than it did when she'd first seen him enter the restaurant.
"Tony…" she breathes, but is still unable to form the words she really wants to say. He glances at her for a split second, allowing her a moment to speak. But when no words come, he continues.
He steals himself one last time, "Pepper, over the past few months you and I have been dancing around this attraction to each other and the fact that we are both scared shitless about how to handle it. I don't want to lose you, and if that means that we ignore what's happened between us and what is happening between us and go back to work like nothing's changed—then so be it."
His eyes are intense and focused; his own heart is beating faster than what is deemed normal; and his mind is struggling to remain patient as he waits for the woman across from him to respond.
The brave front she has been wearing begins to falter somewhat and he can't help but notice that her lower lip has begun to tremble slightly. She pulls her lips into her mouth to keep the tremble at bay, and when she releases them, they are wet, causing Tony to squirm unconsciously in his seat.
"You really know how to make a point when you want to." she smiles shyly up at him as her head dips, hiding her shimmering eyes.
"I have my moments."
A laugh escapes her and before she can stop herself, her hands reach across the table to grasp his. She doesn't speak right away. She just holds onto him, running her fingers in between his and reveling in the warmth that emanates from them. Her index finger runs along the reddened cut on his thumb, and she smiles again, knowing that in his rush to come and talk to her, he didn't even take the time to throw a band aid on it. "You really need to learn how to take better care of yourself." She says, indicating the cut with her eyes.
He looks down at his hand, then back up at her. "That's what I have you for."
She releases his hands and retreats back to her side of the table. "Yeah, well…I'm not going to be around forever, Mr. Stark," she remarks playfully, not really meaning anything by it.
"Not if I have anything to say about it, Miss Potts," he returns seriously, a tentative smile tugging at his lips.
She breathes in deeply, giving her lungs the much needed air they had been deprived of for the last few minutes. "I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon," she pauses, notices his relieved intake of breath, and continues, "and I would hope it's safe to say that with me around, you will be in a better place to make the same statement—for your business' sake, of course." She smiles up at him, then, choosing her words carefully, continues, "Our...relationship... has always been quite unique. I think that now, after everything that has happened, it only remains to continue becoming...stronger than before." She looks up at him with a glimmer of something more than a professional air. There is something else in her eyes; something more personal; a private message too afraid to be spoken aloud…for now.
He returns her smile, then reaches into his pocket once more, pulling out an envelope. She looks at the object in his hand, then back up at him, waiting for him to speak.
"I…I know what your first reaction to this might be," he begins cautiously, "but if you'll indulge me just this once, you might make a new man out of me." He winks at her, placing the envelope on the table between them. "Consider it."
Leaving the envelope on the table, he stands abruptly, causing Pepper to flinch at the sound of the chair scraping across the concrete. She stands as well, watching him as he approaches her cautiously. Taking each step slowly, he makes his way to stand in front of her, looking firmly into her eyes. A yearning suddenly pulses through her body and she clears her throat nervously to keep herself from reaching out towards him.
"Until next time, Miss Potts?" he drawls slowly, and then, despite his best intention of keeping his distance from her, he reaches for her hand and then leans forward and presses a light kiss to her knuckles. His lips linger, and the scratch of his beard causes goose bumps to pebble her skin. She reacts only in enough time to see him already pulling away. He gives her a slow, promise-laden smile, slides his hand out from hers, and walks past her and out through the restaurant.
Pepper keeps her eyes forward, and watches over the green shrubbery as Tony slides into his car and then speeds off down the street. Her hand is tingling with a sensation akin to the feeling of sand sliding across her skin, and she licks her dry lips as she glances down at where the white envelope lay on the table.
Bursting through the doors and breaking the comfortable silence left in the wake of Tony's departure, Estelle squeals in delight. "OMYGOD! What in the world was that?! I saw the hand holding and the hand kissing and the…the…" She halts her ramble as she takes notice of the envelope Pepper is holding. "…what's that, sugar?"
"I don't know." She replies, and then begins working the flap out from where it had been tucked into the back. Estelle claps her hands together in furious excitement, adding to Pepper's already anxious anticipation of what lies beneath the soft paper.
Pulling out the contents of the envelope, she discovers it is an invitation. Written in elegant gold letters across the front:
Mr. Anthony Stark
You and a guest are cordially invited to attend this year's
Annual Halloween Costume Ball
Taking place at the City Center.
The theme for this year is Dreams and Fantasy
On October 31, 2007,
The festivities begin at 8:00pm…
Costumes are not required, but are encouraged…
Estelle makes another high pitch noise as she reads over Pepper's shoulder. "Are you gonna go?"
Her question was simple enough, but Pepper had no real answer for her other than, "I don't know." A smirk pulls at her lips when she thinks of what Tony's reaction might be to her answer.
"Well…that's not a 'no'." she imagines him saying. "Consider it." And she will.
Pepper turns to Estelle and kisses her on the cheek. "Thank you so much, for everything Estelle!" she blurts, while grabbing her belongings. "I have to get going!"
Pepper is already half way through the restaurant before Estelle is able to realize she has left. She runs over to the bushes and shouts to her friend as she is getting into her car. "You just make sure that he regrets not coming to find you sooner!!" She yells.
Pepper smiles at Estelle's words as she starts her car and heads for home.
The weekend flies by faster than usual and come Monday morning, when Tony Stark enters his office, he is thrilled beyond belief to see a steaming cup of coffee waiting for him on his now clean desk, and the familiar figure of Pepper Potts, clad in her trademark stiletto heels, sitting in one of the overstuffed leather chairs, awaiting his arrival.
888888888888888888888888888888888
A/N: Well, now that I have moved passed the serious action adventure part of my story—I feel it is safe to warn you all that some serious fluff may ensue during the next two chapters…as they will be the last…
I am planning a sequel, but let's get through this one first, shall we?
Big thanks to all of the new voices and story alert peeps who have introduced themselves—I try to make it a point to reply to all of your comments, so please let me know if I have missed you…
Until next time…Read, enjoy, review/comment!!