Glass Heart

A night on the town with Tony Stark would be nothing short of legendary.

Or at least that’s what she’d been told for the last hour and a half by the man himself. Scarlett had finished getting herself ready only to be met at the door by a goofy, awkward looking man in a black suit and tie. Apparently Tony had sent him out to get her something more appropriate to wear for the night, along with a pair of heels to match whatever it was he’d chosen. Initially Scarlett had planned on rebelling against Tony’s clothing but was surprised by how tasteful the dress actually was in comparison to what she’d expected.

Unfortunately, their evening was feeling more and more like a date as time crept on, which was exactly the opposite of what Scarlett had wanted. All she’d asked for was some scotch and a meal, not even an overly nice one. Why did it have to turn into some extravagant outing? If nothing else, she was relieved when she was reassured that Pepper and Happy, Tony’s driver, would be meeting up with them at the restaurant later. At least then, Scarlett would have other people to help her handle Tony’s outlandish behavior.

Dressed in the surprisingly elegant silver, shimmering dress that had a very predictable plunging neckline matched with equally startling red heels, she walked down the stairs of Stark mansion. There was no one in the living room, not even the awkward driver who had brought her clothes. Maybe Pepper and Happy had already left.

"Mr. Stark is waiting for you downstairs in his basement."

"That's not creepy even a little." Scarlett spoke under her breath. "Thanks Jarvis." Slowly she descended the familiar floating staircase that led into Tony's basement. It felt far less cold now that she wasn't being held prisoner within its walls. Distantly she could hear Jarvis speaking in the room below, presumably warning Tony of her arrival. What had astounded Scarlett the most was that he’d given her a dress long enough to cover the entire burn on her leg. The fact that he’d considered something other than himself for more than a few seconds had boggled her mind long enough to keep her objections about the rest of the dress at bay. It was even something she might have picked out on her own.

Tony was leaning against his desk and turned to face her when she walked in, a sly smile on his face. He was pleased with himself for his choice in dress and even more pleased that she'd put it on without complaint, at least so far. He started toward one of the many cars at the far end of the room.

“Audi R8, huh?” It had been years since Scarlett had seen a luxury car in person, but she’d always kept up on the new makes and models when she had time to spare. When she was young she'd worked on cars with her father. Soon it'd just become her taking the machines apart to reassemble them. It had been her first taste of engineering. While her mother had strictly forbidden pursuit of the hobby, she’d pursued it in secret. She had been a local at every mechanic’s shop in the neighborhood, requesting to do work under the table or simply for the learning experience.

“You like it?” Tony had cleaned up rather nicely, having styled his hair and slipped into a casual pair of slacks, a colorful button up shirt and an open sports jacket that matched his slacks. Slipping on a pair of designer sunglasses, he got into the driver’s seat of the car. Scarlett got in on the passenger’s side, having half expected him to hold the door open for her with the way things were going. With any luck, maybe Tony wouldn’t treat the night out like a date as she’d expected he would.

“I do. You may be an arrogant son of a bitch, but I can’t argue with your taste in cars.” Scarlett glanced around the interior of the superbly crafted machine. “I’ve wanted one of these babies for years. Well, either that or I wanted a V12 Vanquish but seeing as they discontinued the line I’d have to settle for a different model from Aston Martin.”

“I didn’t peg you for the kind of girl who fawned over James Bond.” Tony took a fleeting look at her curiously over his glasses before turning over the engine with the push button start of the car.

“Just because I like the Vanquish doesn’t mean I have to be a Bond fan.”

“Scarlett, you practically walked out of a Bond movie. You can’t tell me you’re not a fan.”

“Does it matter, Stark? Can we please just get some food? The painkillers I told you not to give me are killing my stomach.”

“Right, right… You know, I’m going to break down that wall you’ve built between us. I’m gonna drive right through it and you’re gonna like the hell out of me.” Tony waited for Jarvis to let him know that the garage and driveway were clear before slipping the car into gear and driving into the setting Malibu sun.

“Jarvis is in your car?”

“Jarvis is in pretty much everything I own.” Tony shrugged. “I pride myself in my work, thank you very much.”

“You, have pride in something you’ve done? Oh, I’m completely and totally floored by this news, Stark! Color me surprised. Wow.” Rolling her eyes, Scarlett looked out the window of the car at the coastline as they drove down the extensive driveway.

“We’re seriously still playing this whole ‘Mr. Stark’ game? I bought you that nice dress and those sexy shoes and you’re still going to call me that? I should’ve gotten you a latex body suit and a riding crop. Then you could call me Mr. Stark all you like.” Tony smirked, shifting the gears.

“Go ahead. I’d be happy to put you in your place.” Becoming accustomed to the constant sexual banter from the man in the driver’s seat, Scarlett didn’t even bother to turn to look at him.

“You know, we could just skip dinner if that’s the case.”

“Just drive, Stark.”

“Hold on tight.” Tony rose his eyebrows comically and sped down the winding driveway and onto some deserted looking roads. It didn’t surprise her that he lived in the middle of nowhere. What with his overwhelming wealth he’d likely bought the entire cliff side simply to avoid having neighbors.

“The dress is nice though.” Scarlett commented after watching the scenery pass by.

“Oh wait, what was that?” Tony perked up while he kept attention on the road. “Was that gratitude I heard from the usually venomous lips of Scarlett Damien? Or was it even a compliment wrapped up in a sweet little package with some gratitude on the side? Scarlett, I’m honestly shocked. I don’t know how to react! You’re being nice to me. I didn’t think you were capable.”

“I take it back. The dress is hideous and red shoes with a silver dress? Well that is just a terrible decision.” Turning back to watch Tony driving she didn’t blink an eye.

“That’s only because you don’t know how I feel about high heels.” Tony’s expression didn’t change. Scarlett couldn’t tell if he was serious or joking, but that seemed to be the overall problem with Tony’s attitude since they’d met. He was sarcastic so frequently that she could hardly tell the difference.

“I’m not sure if that was supposed to be funny or… a little sad.” Scarlett drifted off, starting to poke around the car in search of the owner’s manual.

“I guess you’re never going to know.” Tony chuckled under his breath and steered his car into the more populated areas of Malibu. Scarlett felt less and less comfortable in the passenger’s seat as the crowd of people on the sidewalks increased tenfold the further they drove. Tony pulled the car in front of a loud and boisterous looking club. Suddenly they were surrounded by socialites and twenty-something's out for a night on the town.

Scarlett didn’t realize that when Tony told her it’d be a night she wouldn’t forget that it would be a star studded evening surrounded by throngs of people who would be fighting for the billionaire’s attention. A strange buzzing noise drowned out her thoughts. It started quietly but soon became so overwhelming she couldn’t think of much else. It felt like a warning siren. It didn’t make any sense. Why was the crowd suddenly so bothersome? She’d never been intimidated by crowds before. In fact, she’d preferred them because it was far easier to make herself scarce in a crowded room than it had been in an empty one.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she knew she wouldn’t be able to hide standing next to Tony Stark in a crowded room. What sort of game was he playing? If people saw her with him, what would they assume? Would he make jokes about it?

She wanted anonymity not publicity.

She needed it.

Tony hadn’t noticed her discomfort and had instead kept talking about the places they were driving past, much like a tour guide. He retold humorous anecdotes about things he’d done or stories he’d heard. Clearly, he’d lived a lot. When Scarlett hadn’t batted an eye when he’d started hinting at the more sexual aspect of things he’d done he decided to test the waters. She looked lost in thought and while he wasn’t worried, he was partially annoyed she might be ignoring him.

“You see that restaurant on the corner there? There’s a big private room in the basement reserved for the big money makers. Well considering I’m the biggest money maker around, they let me do whatever I want down there. I remember having a cigar party one night and well… I paid the entire staff to stay on until four in the morning. Then we had an orgy in Jell-o pudding.” When Scarlett didn’t budge in her seat he grabbed her knee to get her attention.

She snapped to face him, instantly grabbed his wrist and dug her nails into the coat of his jacket. Eyes wide, Tony didn’t try to pull his wrist away. The car in park now, he had no need for it. The valet was waiting for him to unlock the door but as far as he was concerned, the world could wait on him.

“…Scarlett?” Tony very carefully grabbed her hand with his left one and pried her fingers off of him one by one. He then set it back down on her seat and patted it awkwardly. “You weren’t listening to a word I was saying, were you?”

“What?” Scarlett hadn’t realized she’d grabbed onto him at all. She’d instead been thinking about how she was going to avoid being in the limelight for the rest of the night.

“Wow, maybe you have a concussion or something…”

“I tuned you out so I must have some sort of head injury? You must think you’re incredibly interesting, Stark.” Scarlett mocked, recovering the best she could. She could only hope she sounded convincing.

“Sure, I bet it was because I’m so terribly boring.” Tony smirked then got out of the car, tossing his keys to the valet immediately. There were some surprised whispers amongst the crowd followed by screams of. Tony Stark had just joined the party and the crowd was excited as always. The valet walked around to the passenger’s side door and opened it for Scarlett. Hesitating, she got out of the car and walked around the front of it. The valet closed the door and walked back to the driver’s side to try and get more attention from Tony.

“Hey, hey buddy…” Tony held his fist out the valet. “Pound it.” Momentarily startled that Tony Stark was addressing him, the valet hesitated then did as he was asked. Tony grabbed his hand afterward and slipped him some cash for a tip. “Don’t take a joyride in my car, okay? Any other night I’d say go for it but. Be good to her tonight.”

Scarlett walked around to meet Tony finally, but was partially relieved when he’d been distracted by the people surrounding him. He was mingling and talking with his admirers as much as he could. He tried his best to shake every hand and answer every question. Scarlett had long since tuned the sound of his voice out and opted to instead watch his lips move. People were asking her questions she couldn’t ignore, about what she was doing with Tony, about who she was. No matter what was happening around her could she only think of one thing.

This was exactly the opposite of what she’d needed.

The sounds of laughter echoed all around Tony while he amused his fans. Slipping the sunglasses off of his face he tucked them into his coat pocket and then held up his hands in a boisterous manner. “First round is on me! Come on, everyone get inside. I came here to drink and eat and have a damn good time. While the sidewalk would not be a first for me… I think I’d much prefer my food on a clean table.” The crowd cheered loudly, several people patting Tony on the back in thanks and greeting.

Scarlett on the other hand, had used the distraction to her advantage and crept through the crowd. She brushed off someone who attempted to ask her if she was alright or needed to use the restroom and practically ran down the street. For a moment, she wondered if she looked ill. Taking to shoving at shoulders to get through the stubborn crowd, she hurried down the sidewalk and around the nearest corner, and into an alleyway between the club and another restaurant on the same block.

Tony was on his way into the club when he turned to make sure that Scarlett was following him and enjoying his hype as much as he was. Instead he found her gone. The bouncer asked him if he’d forgotten something in his car, but Tony shook his head.

“Start a tab for me, one round for each please, don’t go crazy…” The notion of paying for all the people inside the popular and now very loud club was already insane, but the bouncer nodded his head to assure him he would follow orders. Tony watched people enter the club, though several women had stayed outside to greet him in hopes of getting his attention for more than just a drink or two.

“Hey Tony… We’re up for a good time if you are.” A tall red headed woman wrapped her arm around her shorter blond friend, blocking Tony’s path. Stopping to consider this proposal, Tony put a hand on both women’s shoulders and looked at them seriously.

“Wow, really very nice and all. You know what?” Tony peered past the women in search of Scarlett but didn’t see any sign of her. While it was very tempting to let the woman slip away in favor of enjoying his night with these people who welcomed him with open arms, he had gotten past the days of bringing strangers into his bed. Besides, he wasn’t aiming to only lure Scarlett to sleep with him. He had a lot more riding on her becoming comfortable around him than a good time. “Go inside the club. I’ll meet up with you later. I’ve got something to do first.”

“Don’t keep us waiting for too long.” The blond blew him a kiss and while Tony gave each girl a flirty smile and a wink, he was racking his brain with ideas of where Scarlett had gone. Was it her plan all along to get out somewhere in public with him to give him the slip? Had she encouraged him to trust her only to deceive him and take his kindness for granted? Furious, he marched down the sidewalk and continued his search.

“Damnit…” Cursing under his breath he took to a run but stopped very suddenly when he realized someone was in the alleyway.

There was no way it could be that easy. Cautiously he turned into the alleyway. It could just be couples sneaking away for privacy. But it wasn't. Scarlett was leaning against the wall next to the trashcan, which looked rather odd since she was now wearing a very expensive dress. Unsure of why she was hiding in the alley, he approached her carefully. Cracking his neck, he wiped his hand over his perfectly manicured goatee and contemplated his words wisely.

“Don’t start with me, Stark. I’m not in the mood.” Scarlett held up her hand, threatening him with unseen consequences. Somehow she knew he was about to scold her. Her hand was visibly shaking and she seemed out of breath.

“What did you think you were going to do, huh? Get me to spend some money on you then run out without giving me anything in return? Not even a thank you?” For once, Tony wasn’t referring to only sex.

“I didn’t realize this meal was conditional.”

“Oh come on, you’ve been manipulating me from the very start, haven’t you? I finally start having some fun and you run away! Terrible choice of hiding places by the way. How much more obvious could you get?” Tony wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“I did not come out with you tonight to be your arm candy! I didn't come to watch you show off. I came out to get food because I haven't eaten in god knows how long! Scotch just sweetened the deal. This was all you. The dress, the shoes. I would've eaten a bowl of fucking ramen if it was just me.”

“Enough with the dumb act, Scarlett. I’m not buying it.” Tony slammed his left hand against the wall next to her head and narrowed his eyes at her dangerously. “You know damn well what I'm like and I only warned you about thirty times what going out with me would be like. You seemed intrigued by the notion of getting so fucked out your head that you couldn’t think anymore! Don’t play it like I’ve deceived you! I didn't trick you into coming out with me.”

“So now I’m dumb? I told you before we left the house that this is not a date and I am not some bimbo that you’re going to flaunt! Unlike you, I don’t like to make a spectacle of myself in public!”

“You’re a goddamned liar.” Tony turned from her and rubbed his hand over his goatee again, which was very quickly becoming a nervous habit in the presence of the stubborn woman.

“I told you what I wanted before we left and now all I want to do is to vomit all over your shoes! You act like I’ve been lying to you!” Scarlett practically growled, leaning her head back against the wall of the alleyway. Closing her eyes she forced her surroundings to stop spinning in front of her. There was a very long string of curses happening in her mind at the moment. Her chest was aching, her head pounding. Something was very wrong. Whether the anxiety was a side effect of the medicine or just an after effect of what had happened to her in Africa, she didn’t care. She wanted it gone. The progress she’d thought she’d made with Tony in his mansion had clearly not been nearly as fantastic as she’d told herself it’d been. He was still incredibly suspicious of her.

In fact, now it seemed like he was trying to use her in the same way that she was trying to use him: for information.

Why would he need information if he was behind what had happened to her in Africa? Once again, Scarlett damned and cursed the doubts out of her mind. Then she focused on forcing the nausea that had crept into the back of her throat back into the pit of her stomach. If she didn’t get food in her system soon she really would throw up on Tony’s shoes. And possibly pass out.

Still unsure how to recover from his fit of anger, Tony began pacing the alleyway and contemplating having to wash vomit off of his shoes. Then, he realized what had been pretty obvious in the first place; he just hadn’t been looking for it. Turning to glance at the woman leaning against the wall, he kicked himself. She was uncomfortable in front of the crowd he’d stirred up. She hadn’t been trying to sneak away from him at all.

Why hadn’t he seen it?

He'd been too busy showing off, that's why.

Recalling how it’d felt when he’d called the press conference to announce that his company would no longer be producing weapons, Tony had barely been able to handle the nerves in his stomach. It had taken all of his willpower to keep his composure after what he’d been through and while it was something he hadn’t admitted to anyone since then, he knew exactly what Scarlett was going through. He hadn’t considered the sort of anxiety she’d be suffering if brought to such an intense place.

This, of course, was the perfect chance for Tony to mock Scarlett for being afraid of a small crowd and a night out on the town. He recalled when he'd startled her in the car. What else was Scarlett capable of? He definitely didn't want her grabbing anything important like that. Deciding that making fun of her was probably not in either of their best interests he saved it in the back of his mind for when she was feeling less vulnerable.

“This place is overrated.” Tony shoved his hands in his pants pockets after flipping the corners of his jacket out of the way. Scarlett turned her attention to him with a skeptical look. Why was he suddenly so calm? He still seemed rather bothered so it didn't make much sense. Usually she would have fought him. Unfortunately that part of her seemed to be broken. Scarlett couldn't make sense of her own thoughts. What else would be different now? That very idea only worsened her racing thoughts.

“What?”

“Really, I mean… it’s popular and it’ll get the attention of all the right people but as far as I’m concerned, I am the only right people so… let’s do something a little more low key.” Scarlett was about to object and tell him not to baby her but he continued talking over her, making a point to refuse her objections. “You can’t talk me out of it Scarlett. I know you want to party and such but I’m not feeling it tonight. I know a much better place. Besides, the scotch is always flowing there and it’s way better quality.” Tony turned away from her and nodded toward the sidewalk, hands still in his pockets. Completely surprised and unsure of how to respond, Scarlett felt almost angry that he was taking pity on her.

It still hadn’t changed the fact that he was manipulating her as severely as she was trying to manipulate him. Trust had become the biggest issue between the two of them, and while she was sure there was never a chance that Tony Stark would be worthy of her trust, she could at least pretend it meant something to her. Weren’t most women bothered by the idea of trusting the people they were getting close to? Scarlett had never been the type to trust anyone completely, so it had never been of serious importance to her.

“Just like that, Stark?” Stepping away from the wall, she folded her arms over her chest and did her best to look defensive.

“Just like what?” Tony turned his gaze to the side, just enough to catch her in it.

“You go from calling me an idiot and a liar, to trying to get me to go somewhere quieter with you? Is that how fast you can switch gears? Or are you simply desperate to keep me around?” Scarlett walked in front of Tony, feeling the panicking grip on her chest finally relenting and allowing her breathing to even out.

“I’m never desperate.”

“You’re the liar here, Stark. You’re a joke and I’m not laughing anymore. This isn’t a game to me.”

“You knew what I wanted from the beginning. I told you that, didn’t I? I need information about what you were doing in Africa and I’m going to keep asking for it.” Tony did his best to keep from sounding upset. The rage he’d expressed only moments prior was still hanging on the edge of his tongue. He knew he would lose control if he started fighting with Scarlett again so soon. It was unlike him to get so angry but she somehow managed to press all his buttons.

“I’m done playing games with you. I’m done joking around, and I’m done catering to your whims.”

“Catering to my whims? I think that’s exactly the opposite of what’s been going on here from the very beginning.” Brow furrowed, Tony argued under his breath, making a fist in his pocket.

“Goodbye Stark, I can’t trust you and you can’t trust me. We’ve both made that pretty clear.” Scarlett knew walking away would be a bold move. He’d overreacted when she’d sought refuge from the bright lights and loud noises in the alleyway. How would he react when she deliberately left? Walking away from the sound of the club and around the opposite corner, she slowed her walk and gave him a chance to catch up to her.

Despite how she’d managed to formulate a plan to have him chase her in her mind, she mentally confessed that she’d wanted a few moments to think as well. What had happened to her when she’d gone into the crowd? She’d never had a hard time handling people before. As a matter of fact she’d always been a bit of a show stealer. There hadn’t even been that many people. Was it the way they’d crowded around her so quickly to ask her a thousand questions she hadn’t been prepared for that had thrown her so off guard?

Why hadn’t she been prepared for them? Tony had been right about one thing, if nothing else. She knew exactly what she’d been getting into when Tony offered for them to go out on the town and yet when faced with the reality of the situation she froze. What was happening in her mind against her will was not conducive to what she was hoping to accomplish. For the first time in her life she felt very bad at her job.

If she wanted to get anything done the right way she would have to get a grip on her new reality. Was she losing her mind? It didn’t feel like insanity. She had to admit, she didn’t at all like how it felt when her mind wasn’t completely in her control.

“Hey,” Tony’s voice called to her from a few feet behind her. Scarlett hadn’t realized she’d stopped walking but she had. Cursing under her breath that she was losing her acute awareness, she turned to look at Tony. While she was none too surprised that he’d followed her, she did her best convey an initial look of surprise.

“What do you want?” After feigning shock, she did her best to look annoyed by his continued presence, resting a hand in irritation on her hip.

“Well you just sort of stomped out of there. I didn’t really get to say my piece.” Tony approached her cautiously. It had taken him a moment to decide on whether or not to follow her. He could’ve simply let her go and have been done with her but there was that nagging voice that reminded him he needed the information locked away in her mind. Then of course there was the intrigue. She was like a puzzle he wanted to find the missing pieces for.

“If you want to be reimbursed for this stupid dress and the heels then I’ll send you a check for them later. It shouldn’t be too hard to find the address. I’ll just look up ‘big arrogant dick’ on the internet.” Scarlett glanced away, avoiding looking at him the best she could. He’d followed her faster than she thought he would. Leaning against the wall, one hand in his pocket, the other wiping nonchalantly at his face, he shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s not why I followed you.”

“Then why?”

“To keep you from walking off and doing something you’ll regret.”

“I’m pretty sure everything I’ve done in regards to you has been regretful.” Scarlett scoffed, shifting in her heels and doing her best to look uncomfortable, which at the moment wasn’t all that far removed from how she actually felt.

“Don’t leave.” Tony was tired of dancing around what he was actually trying to say. It was obvious to him that Scarlett was just as tired of it.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Scarlett immediately responded. “The only reason you want me to stick around is to either tell you what happened in Africa which is so incredibly important to you for whatever reason you’re not entirely being honest about and of course, there’s the prospect of some kind of angry sex you keep envisioning us having. Neither one of those things seems appealing to me.”

“I offered you a job too, didn’t I?”

“Simply to keep me around for the reasons I listed just about ten seconds ago in case you tuned them out.”

“No, I offered you a job to give you incentive to stay. Yes, I do want those things from you but that’s not the reason I’m asking you now.”

“Oh yeah, then why are you asking me to stay, Stark?” Scarlett took a step toward him, curious. While she’d claimed she wasn’t playing a game with him, she definitely thought she was winning. Sort of. She was very confused.

“You’re really going to make me admit it, huh?” Tony smirked and then held up a finger in objection. “And it’s Tony.”

“You’re going to have to get over the first name thing, Stark.” Scarlett leaned against the wall, resting her head against it to mimic the way he was leaning. While her head was pounding from stress and lack of food, she wanted to remain as convincing as possible. “And yes, I’m going to make you admit it. You just cornered me in an alleyway and called me a liar, a cheat, and a brat so… I think I deserve some sort of an honest explanation.”

“Fine… fine that’s fair.” Renewing his smug smile, he continued on. “I want you to stick around because well, I’m not bored when you’re around. You have no idea how bored I usually am.” Smile still on his face, he chuckled under his breath. “Is that reason enough, Scarlett?”

“Why are you being so nice?” Scarlett continued to be defensive. It wouldn’t make sense for her to drop her guard now. Unfortunately, it would take her more work than she’d anticipated to crawl as far into his head as she wanted to be before she made her strike. The good news was that she was definitely still ahead of the game.

“Call it the lack of alcohol.” Tony stepped away from the wall, both hands in his pockets again to keep from fidgeting. “Or maybe I’m a nice guy, take your pick. Whatever you choose to believe.”

“Well it can’t be that.” Scarlett smiled a little then continued. “I guess we better get some alcohol in your system before you turn into a teddy bear.”

“Does that mean you’re sticking around?” Tony smirked, walking toward the curb, holding his hand out as a yellow cab drove past. The car pulled up to the curb. Holding open the door to the cab, he turned back to Scarlett expectantly.

“I guess for now. We can see how dinner goes.”

“You know that job offer is still on the table.” Tony spoke then leaned his head inside the cab door to give the driver an address and tell him to hold on a moment while he convinced Scarlett to get into the car with him.

“Don’t push it Stark, I still don’t want to work for you.” Scarlett walked toward the cab but stopped as she got to the door, holding onto it and standing closer to Tony than she’d dared to at this point. “I thought we drove here, why are we taking a cab?”

“I don’t feel like driving anymore.” Tony shrugged, not bothering to get into the cab quite yet. “I’ll have Happy let Pepper drive the car back home.”

“It’s your car, so if that’s what you want. Come on, get into the cab, I’m starving. I really will throw up on your shoes if you don’t get me some food soon.”

“Fine, fine…” Tony laughed and got into the back of the cab, followed by Scarlett. With a screech of tires, the cab joined the other cars on the busy street.

“So where are we going now? I don’t feel the club scene right now. Particularly when I’m bandaged in three different places, that is.” Scarlett watched as they passed the boisterous club that had given her such a terrible panic attack.

“I didn’t think of that.” Tony chuckled. “Sorry, but I didn’t picture the wounds, considering they’re so beautifully hidden.”

“Yeah, well this dress is rather convincing.” Scarlett pointed to the edge of the gauze sticking out the bottom of her skirt from the way she was seated.

“It is, and I’ve got much better things to focus on than the gauze on your arm.” Tony smirked, not bothering to answer her initial question.

“So, is this place a mystery? Are you going to take me out back and try to kill me?” Watching the scenery outside her window put Scarlett at ease. The anxiety was finally fading, leaving Scarlett with a sense of completion. Despite the panic that had bubbled inside of her momentarily she’d managed to make it work to her advantage.

“Trust me, if I’m taking you out back that’s not the kind of killing I’m plan on doing.”

“You know, you keep talking about your sexual prowess I’m almost positive that if I gave in you’d be disappointing.” Pursing her lips and doing her best to hide a smile, Scarlett turned to face him.

“We could test that theory. Or you could just ask all the women who’ve walked out of my house completely satisfied.” Tony shrugged his shoulders. “I’m far beyond my reputation but I suppose you’ll never know unless you finally admit you like me.”

“Good luck, Stark.” Scarlett continued. “Now tell me more about that Jell-o pudding orgy you’d mentioned on the way over.”

“Oh, so you weren’t ignoring me…” The two chattered about nonsense while the cab continued onward. The drive ended quickly, the yellow car pulling up to the curb in front of a far more formal looking restaurant. Tony got out of the car and held the door open for Scarlett to follow after him.

“Don’t pretend to be a gentleman now.”

“I have to work back into your good graces somehow.” Tony was well aware how he’d crossed a lot of lines in the alleyway and while he wouldn’t be caught dead admitting it, he was feeling rather guilty for having jumped down her throat.

“Kissing my ass? I had no idea you were capable of such a thing.”

“If I have to kiss someone’s ass, then I’d prefer it’d be yours.” Tony paid the cab driver then closed the door before he could start asking questions about who he was.

“I once again renew my objection to how gross you are.” Scarlett couldn’t help but be amused.

“And yet you’re smiling. What does that say about you?” Tony walked past her, and to the door of the restaurant which was opened for them by the concierge.

“Mr. Stark, what a surprise!” A man in a neat three piece suit walked over to Tony and offered his hand to shake. Scarlett, with a hand on her hip, did her best not to let on how sore her leg was from the effort of walking in such high heels with a severe injury. It was nothing more than a bother, she wouldn’t let on that it was irritating her. Besides, it was good practice. She'd been unable to stomach her pain the way she used to since she woke up.

Tuning out Tony’s conversation with who was apparently the owner of the restaurant, Scarlett observed this new, far quieter establishment. It was much easier to relax when the only other people around them were people hoping for a quiet night on the town.

Unfortunately, quiet restaurants also meant that every other group in the joint was there for a romantic night. Scarlett was not into the romantic date scene, at least not with Tony Stark. Now that she’d actually thought about it, the last romantic date she’d gone out on had been with Scott and it had been the most painful two hours of her life. In fact, she wasn’t sure stuffy restaurants such as this could be fun without at least two bottles of wine.

“This way, please.” The owner bowed his head politely, and then led them along a winding path through the tables. “I’ve got the back room free, Mr. Stark if you prefer.”

“Please, it’s Tony and yes that’d be great.” Tony offered his arm to Scarlett who merely looked at it like it was offending her then walked past it. Mentally deflating, Tony collected himself then continued behind her as they followed the owner of the restaurant to the back of the building and into a room where they must have held private parties.

“Who is your lady friend tonight?”

“His lady friend is named Scarlett and she is not his lady friend but rather starving and desperate.” Scarlett sat down on a dark red plush couch at the far end of the room, relieved to be off of her feet. The owner of the restaurant chuckled at her response.

“Yeah, what she said.” Tony smirked then shook the owner’s hand again. “Thanks… Hey could you bring us a bottle of your finest scotch? On the rocks please.” Tony looked over to Scarlett as if to ask her if she preferred hers the same way.

“Yeah, I like my scotch with one ice cube. Just one.” Scarlett nodded her head and crossed her legs carefully. Beneath the gauze was tenderly throbbing.

"I’ll have it out right away along with some bread and oil.” The owner of the restaurant pointed to Scarlett and smirked. “I like this one, Tony she’s feisty.”

“Oh you have no idea, my friend.” Patting the owner on the shoulder, Tony walked past him and sat on the couch next to Scarlett, resting his elbows on his knees casually.

“I like this place.” After observing her surroundings, Scarlett decided while this restaurant was far more boring than the club would’ve been it was just what her nerves needed as long as Tony wasn’t going to make some pathetic attempts at romance.

“It’s alright. I mean,” waving his hands around while he spoke he continued, “I’m going to have to work a lot harder here to get you to dance provocatively and make terrible decisions with so few people around, but I’ve made miracles happen before.” Scarlett actually laughed at this joke.

“If we’d made it into that club I would’ve danced with every guy except for you simply to prove a point.”

“Ouch.” Tony couldn’t help but laugh. “So what is this, huh? You just want to take my ego out completely? I warn you, this took years of getting everything I wanted whenever I wanted and you’re destined to lose.”

“You are not the only master of broken hearts in this room, Stark.” Scarlett smirked, then thanked the waiter who came back to bring them each a glass with a few chunks of ice in them and a glass bottle of imported scotch. She pulled the excess ice from her glass and placed it on one of the nearby plates. “I have never been so incredibly excited to get drunk in my life.”

“Please, drink away.” Tony grinned, picking up the bottle and pulling the glass cork out of it. “Here…” He held the bottle close to her so she could take a smell of the earthen scented beverage. Closing her eyes, Scarlett enjoyed it momentarily and then nodded to her glass.

“Any day I’d be raving about how amazing that smells but right now I just need to see how amazing it tastes.” Scarlett pointed to her glass a second time. Tony complied and poured them each a half glass of scotch. Setting down the bottle he picked up his glass to propose a toast only to find that Scarlett was two steps ahead of him, drinking her scotch.

“To compromise, I suppose.” Tony laughed then took a drink of his scotch.

“God that’s good.” Scarlett chuckled and then set down her glass when the waiter came over to them to read the specials and take their order. He placed down a basket of bread, poured some oil on top of spiced and balsamic vinegar. She picked up the bread and ate a small corner of it to test the waters. Now that she’d tasted the scotch and remembered how good something could be, Scarlett knew exactly what she needed to eat. Placing an order for a rib eye steak with a side of veggies and potatoes, she nursed her scotch once again. It was hard to remember to take it slow. She’d be drunk before she could get her food if she drank at the pace her tongue wanted her to. Tony followed her lead and ordered a steak of his own, but with potatoes and a side of pasta. She continued on the bread. Even if she couldn't eat her full meal, at least she'd have something in her stomach. Her only worry was that she would get very sick and not from the alcohol. She could have been wrong but she thought Tony was thinking the same thing.

“So, let’s talk about you staying for awhile and the job I offered you.” Tony set down his glass of scotch and turned to sit sideways on the couch, one foot on the floor.

“If you insist.” Scarlett sighed and leaned her elbow on the back of the couch, supporting her head in her hand. “I’m never going to work for you, Stark.”

“It’s Tony, and why not?” Instead of listing off the three thousand reasons he thought it was a good idea, he instead chose to let her talk. No matter what he did, he heard Pepper nagging in the back of his mind that he’d approached this woman the wrong way.

“Oh wow, you’re actually interested in the reason?” Scarlett seemed surprised, but was glad that he wasn’t trying to turn this into a romantic endeavor. Perhaps she’d even end up having a good time after all.

“Yes, as long as you promise not to start ranting about all the reasons you hate me, that is.” Tony smirked, picking his drink up to take another sip of it, but never taking his honey brown eyes away from Scarlett.

“I’ve spent years working for companies that I despise.” Scarlett considered her words carefully. “I stopped doing that for years after a bad experience. I worked on my own terms… until MedCo offered me a job.” Tony didn’t speak. He had, of course, a thousand snarky responses, but if she was going to reveal something about what had happened in Africa he wasn’t going to interrupt. Instead, he took a drink of his scotch and held the liquid in his mouth to keep any remarks he came up with at bay. Impulse was one of his biggest downfalls in these sorts of situations. “I don’t like Stark Industries and I’m not particularly fond of its CEO either so I’m going to have to decline working for you. Despite how you think it’s such an amazing opportunity. I follow my instincts from now on. I'm not making the same mistake twice.”

“What if you worked with me instead of for me?” Tony spat out before he lost the nerve. It felt oddly calming to actually make the offer he’d been milling over rather than spending hours trying to talk her into something that she was so incredibly against. “You’d be a partner on the project, not an employee of my company. Your name would go right next to mine where credit is due. You wouldn’t have to work for me.” Scarlett was truly taken aback by the offer. Was he seriously offering her a partnership? Her surprise was written all over her face. “Really? You’re that shocked that I can compromise?”

“Absolutely.” Scarlett scoffed then leaned so she was facing forward on the couch again. Picking up her scotch she toyed with the idea of working alongside Tony Stark. It wasn’t nearly as obnoxious an offer now that she wasn’t required to be his subordinate. She chewed on a third piece of bread. As hungry as she had been, eating was making her nauseous. Still, she forced it down.

“Haven’t I proven that I’m a decent guy yet?”

“Not really.” Scarlett held up her hand to stop him from arguing with her on the subject for the thousandth time. “I have to think about the offer for the night, okay? I’m just not sure about my answer.”

“What’s there to think about, Scarlett? This is the offer of a lifetime. How many people have had their name next to mine on a project? None! None. I don’t work with anyone. People work for me not with me.”

“Stark, calm down.” Scarlett turned her attention to the bottle of scotch, refilling Tony’s glass and her own before continuing. She was playing this game better than she thought she’d be able to. Was she a natural? Was it even an act anymore? It was becoming hard to tell. Why was she enjoying their back and forth so damn much? Maybe it wasn't an act at all. “Working with you is trouble for me, so I have to think about it.”

“Why is it trouble?” Tony held out his glass to be refilled and then took another long drink of it, ready for another speech about how much she hated his company. Instead, what he heard was far more intriguing.

“Because, I don’t find you boring either."