So far the shoot was an absolute mess. The make-up artists hired by the magazine had started the day by arriving late. Finally, 5 minutes past starting time, they were set up and ready to go. Though now the were running late and everyone was agitated. Most of the models were compliant but there was always one in every batch who thought her job was so much more then it was. Strutting around, making demands and wanting input on the state of the sets and lighting as if she was anything more then a pretty face to print on a page. As if she had any sway on the magazine official on site or the photographer. She thought she was bestowing some sort of gift upon them with her thoughts when really every time she broke rank or tried to strike up conversation she was really just holding up the shoot.

This is exactly why Sarah preferred to work with her usual models and make-up crew. They were always on time and always reliable. They knew what she wanted and they didn't question her choices or style knowing that is exactly why she was hired in the first place. She didn't come to be one of best in the nation by not knowing what she was doing and she certainly didn't get there letting the models tell her what to do.

"Alright, everyone." Sarah sighed, cutting off yet another suggestion on the lighting from the aforementioned model. "Lets take five." She hated to take a break when they were already running this far behind but she had just about had it with the studio chosen hands.

She took the break to switch out the lenses on her camera and have the lighting adjusted for the second half of the shoot. She wanted to do it quickly while the interfering model was distracted. The studio became a flurry of motion as the stagehand hired by the magazine hurried to do as she instructed. They had all been on the receiving end of an upset and high-strung photographer and were trying to avoid it this time around.

"Move that over." "No not that one I want that all the way down." "Get rid of those. I want to try a few compositions without them." "With all do respect, sir, you hired me. So, how about you let me do what you paid me for." It's like they didn't trust her to do her job. They hired her for a reason so why do they insist on second guessing her?

She was so caught up in her work that she didn't notice the small commotion forming behind her until it started interfering with her ability to get her work done. "Alright everyone!" She called. "Back to you're places!" When only one of her three models returned she became a bit irritated.

"I would like to finish this shoot today, please!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?" No! This could not be happening! Everything was already terrible of course he would show up and make it worse.

"What. Are you doing here, Mr. Stark?" She asked through gritted teeth.

Stark smirked, like he did before in her office. "I was in the area. Thought I'd stop by a say 'hi."

"I'm flattered." Sarah rolled her eyes. "Now that you have, you can go. You're distracting my models and I wanted this over hours ago."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a distraction." His tone told her he meant to be exactly that. "But since I'm here I thought maybe we could talk about my shoot."

Oh I'd like to shoot you alright. She thought, wishing with everything she had that Pepper Potts had been the one to walk through her door the other day. Even better, that there had never been a meeting in the first place. "So you chose a professional model?" She asked, refusing to look at him. Instead she adjusted the lens on her camera.

"Nope." He said easily. This time he didn't seem so put off by her behavior.

"Well then we're done. I don't work with amateurs."

"So you keep saying." He said, moving in a slow circle, trying to re-enter her line of sight but every time he did she'd move away. "But... It's a lie."

That got her to face him and she looked far from amused. "Is it?"

"Ariea May." He said matter-of-factly. "You were a celebrity judge at teen beauty pageant three years ago. She didn't even win and you've been endorsing her modeling career ever since!"

Sarah scoffed and rolled her eyes, again putting some space between them. He looked so damn proud of himself for doing a little bit a research. "The difference, Mr. Stark," She started. "Is that I picked her. She didn't interrupt one of my shoots or waste my time."

Stark sighed. "What can I do to change you're mind?"

"Pick a real model."

With that several of the girls started cheerfully offering their services to which Tony only responded with an acknowledging smile but he wouldn't be taking any of them up on it. He'd already made up his mind. "Alright." He sighed. "Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. Our first meeting didn't go so well." Again Sarah rolled her eyes. "Maybe we could try again. Over dinner?"

She froze. The very thought of that made her pulse speed up, though not the way he would have wanted. Going to dinner in a restaurant full of complete strangers, with Tony Stark, a man she barely knew who was forcefully intruding on her life, was the last thing she ever wanted to do. Thinking about it nearly gave her a panic attack.

"No." She said flatly, not letting her feelings show. The last thing she needed was for Tony Stark to see her freaking out.

This time Stark did falter. He wasn't used to being flat out rejected. Unless, of course, they were playing hard to get and Sarah was clearly not playing, but he quickly recovered. "You're not even going to give me a chance?"

"I gave you a chance, Stark," She said confronting him directly for the first time since he'd arrived. "When I let you in my office."

"I'm a firm believer in second chances."

Sarah sighed. "Mr. Stark... Tony." The millionaire straightened up when she used his first name. Seems like he'd finally worn her down. "You're clearly not a man who takes no for an answer." Tony smirked. "You couldn't have come this far if you were... But there's a first time for everything." His shoulders fell and he fell back onto his heels. Maybe they weren't making so much progress. "If you don't mind I have a shoot to finish. I must ask you to leave this studio before I have you removed."

Tony sighed and put up his hands in surrender while a few of the girls who continued to linger in the hopes that his attention would come back to them looked surprised that she would speak to Tony Stark that way. "Fine! Fine! I'm going!" Even as he turned to leave Sarah couldn't help but notice that stupid smirk still firm on his face. "But you're right, Ms. Sulivan. I don't take no for an answer."

"Your smart. You'll learn." She said after him before turning back to the set. "Now can we please get on with this shoot?!"

At the ground floor the playboy millionaire slid his hands into his pockets as he crossed the lobby in long confident strides. No one would ever guess that he had just been shot down for the second time this month by the same woman.

Pepper was not going to be happy to hear this. But he hadn't been lying. He wasn't taking 'no' for an answer, not yet.