Day 12
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The week passed by quickly. Pepper was mostly busy with the arrangements for the party while I spent three days on a mission in Irak. When I came back Pepper was waiting for me down in the workshop with the aid kit safely in her hands. I smiled at her while the robots took the suit off my sore body. She made sure I didn't crack my ribs and put ice on the worst bruises.
That happened yesterday.
Today was the big day! Even though it's Saturday Pepper promised she'll stay more than just till the lunch break just to make sure I was going to shower and dress properly. She told me that if I wanted a suit then I wasn't going to dance because I was going to sweat like a pig but she also told me that I can pick whatever I want to wear. I decided on a purple t-shirt, some dark jeans and a blazer.
It's two pm and I'm anxiously waiting for Pepper to tell me the last details on the party.
"Sorry..." She says as she opens the door of my bedroom. She doesn't even look up as she speaks. I'm dressed only in my boxer briefs and a white wife beater.
I decide to get her flustered even before the party so I try to take off the wife beater but I pretend I can't because I'm too bruised and my back hurts like hell from the last mission.
She looks up then with a small smile.
"I might need a little help here." I hiss and bring my hands back in their usual position.
She hesitates for a couple of seconds and I look at her questioningly.
"Okay. Okay..." She comes behind me and lifts the hem of the wife beater up. I groan softly as she moves her hands over the bruise on my back and lean into her touch. She retracts her hands then and backs off a few steps.
"All done. The party starts at seven but you have to be there at half past six. Happy will wait in the front of the mansion but now he's with the limo at a car wash - I don't know where, but he's also coming to the party." She says almost too quickly for me to catch anything but I smile and motion her to continue.
"The guest list is in the living room on the coffee table. You need to shower and trim your goatee-" Yeah I forgot to mention that my goatee has grown back over the days I spent in Irak. "The hair-stylist will arrive at half past four and --" She's talking frantically and I find myself grinning at her nervous state.
"You get it right?" Her voice is all raspy from too much talking.
"Of course. Uhm... you going home?"
"Yes." She replies and checks her BlackBerry. Her hands shake visibly and I tip her chin up. She looks at me with her steel blue eyes and I swallow hard. She's so beautiful like this. It makes me wonder how she'll look tonight. I was honestly dying to know.
"You feelin' okay?"
She stares right at me - her eyes shining strangely. She looks nervous. Hell, I've never seen her so nervous. She's biting her lip and her skin is flushed and everything is... oh god. She's trembling.
"I'm..."
Is it because I'm only clad in my boxers?
I raise an eyebrow and look at her longingly.
"You're what?"
"Look it's nothing, Tony."
"Like hell!"
"If you promise you'll behave tonight with your guests maybe, just maybe I'll tell you."
My jaw dropps suddenly and I breathe deeply through my nose. Her scent fills my senses and I have to back off a few steps or else I would do something wrong that I'll regret later. I can't stop the huge grin on my face though and I think I know what she meant. I guess I'll have to 'behave' tonight.
