Echoes

“Are you sure you’re prepared for this?” Scarlett checked her phone but didn’t bother looking up from the screen. She had gotten changed while Tony waited in the hallway observing the quieter areas of the building. During that time he’d cleaned up and managed to recover his stamina after his fit in her workshop. As far as he was concerned he was back to his usual self and looked as good as he had when he’d first arrived.

“Fresh air? Drinks at a dive in Boston? What’s hard to handle about that?” Tony chuckled, straightening his tie and taking in the beautifully decorated modern lobby of Refuge.

“The press, not our liquid lunch.” Scarlett finally turned away from her phone and tucked it into her clutch purse that she slipped under her arm. She absolutely hated purses, but where was she supposed to hide her phone and more importantly her gun in a dress like the one she had on now? There was no room and while it was inconvenient to carry around, her clutch provided the space she required.

“The press?” Tony peered out the glass front doors and widened his eyes. He hadn’t realized what was waiting outside for them but it didn’t change his mind either. There was a very short list of things that Tony was afraid of and while that list had recently grown quite a bit thanks to whatever had caused his apparent PTSD, the press still wasn’t on it. He found the reporters more amusing than anything else. Besides, given where he was and who he was with, he highly doubted that the media would ask about New York or anything that would be a trigger for him. There were far more important questions they had burning in the back of their mind.

“They stalk me these days.” Scarlett spoke with distaste and walked next to him, folding her arms over her chest. Tony glanced at her and then tilted his head in approval.

“I can’t rightly blame them.”

“Maybe they’ll bother you a little more now that they see you’re out of hiding.” Scarlett watched the media outside. For hours they waited, hoping to get a moment of her time. Hopefully after the hype died down about her company going public they would find something better to do with their time. S.H.I.E.L.D. told her publicity was good, it was important that the public cared about her. She hated knowing they were right. “So are you ready for this? Or do we need to find a back exit for you? You could always meet up with me in that suit of yours.”

“You don’t want pictures of us together, do you?” Tony shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at her accusingly.

“That’s not what I said.”

“You’re afraid that between the rumor mill spinning behind you and my lengthy but historic reputation…”

“Historic is not the word I would’ve chosen.” Scarlett laughed but she couldn’t deny that it was exactly what she was concerned about.

“I’m sure at some point I broke some kind of record, so historic is precisely the word that should be used.” Tony walked toward the glass door. “Nothing they say about your personal life matters ultimately, except for the confirmation that comes from your lips. Now let’s get going.” Before Scarlett could say another word Tony walked out the door and down the stone steps that led to the street in front of Refuge. At first the press was quiet and didn’t bother turning their attention toward him. That lasted a mere few seconds before they turned their attention toward him and whispers spread around to confirm his identity.

Scarlett watched out the glass doors and sighed heavily. Tony stopped at the second to last step and turned his attention back to the doors, staring at her expectantly through the glass.

“Here goes nothing.” Scarlett pushed them open and joined Tony on the stairs. At once the media swarm grew and the questions being asked were drowned out by the sheer enormity of the voices clamoring all at once. Flashing lights went off left and right to catch a picture of them together. The questions Scarlett had expected to hear hummed around her but she chose to ignore them. Tony waved to the press before slipping his sunglasses on and starting down the steps. When Scarlett didn’t at once follow he marched back up them. Resting his hand gingerly on her back he escorted her down the stairs. “You love every second of this, don’t you?” She shook her head in disbelief as they continued down the steps and across the lengthy decorative entrance to Refuge.

“I’d be lying if I said no.” Tony waved to the press and nodded to the black car at the end of the drive. “That one yours?”

“Yeah, it’ll take us downtown.” Scarlett stopped when the press dared to move closer. She opened her mouth to speak but Tony did first and she mentally deflated.

“I’ve missed you too.” Tony held his hands up to silence the questions and much to Scarlett’s surprise, they actually quieted. “This is just a working lunch so don’t get any ideas.”

“And we will not be answering any questions about it as I’ve said before in the past. If you want information about any work that will be happening in the future you can consult a press release.” Scarlett grabbed Tony’s arm and nodded to the car. “Can we…?”

“Just a minute, why not take a few questions?”

“Mostly because I don’t want to.” Scarlett had been hoping to avoid this exact scenario. Her voice was drowned out by reporters shouting out questions at Tony’s behest. Many asked about their involvement with each other. Some addressed her reputation, the rumors of her relationship with Nathan and how this deal with Tony would affect that.

“The last I checked the word work has very little to do with romance.” Tony nodded his head and pointed to another reporter. “You, do you have a question for me?” A pretty blond held up her digital recorder and batted her eyelashes at him. “Oh, I sure hope you do.”

“Rumor on the street has it that your relationship with your former assistant is on the…” Before she could finish Scarlett talked over her much to the amusement of the crowd of reporters.

“That isn’t news. When you’re done playing around, Tony, I’ll meet you in the car.” Questions were immediately raised at how defensive Scarlett had seemed on the subject. As promised she walked away from the questions but half of the reporters followed after her in hopes of a sound bite.

“Miss Damien! Miss Damien, I have a question!” A dark haired, dark skinned reporter pushed through the crowd to follow alongside Scarlett who stopped short at the door of the car being held open by its driver.

“You have twenty seconds.” Scarlett leaned against the door and looked toward the reporter. Tony was regaling the crowd with something Scarlett was sure was going to get her in trouble in the paper soon enough. “Maybe thirty, depending on chatty Kathy over there.”

“Miss Damien, your company going public reflected one of the best days on the market this year, what do you have to say to that?”

“Oh, look at you! A real news question.” Scarlett leaned against the frame of the door and considered her answer. The reporter was one she was familiar with. “Miss Hendricks, right?”

“Mrs.” The pretty reporter responded, surprised she had been remembered.

“Since you asked me a real question that actually pertains to the validity of my corporation, I’ll give you a quote. It would be naïve to think that the Dow Jones jumping three hundred points and my company going public was a coincidence. It’s the best day the market has had this year, you’re right. I think it’s good news for Wall Street. People are interested in what they’re buying again. With any luck, I’ll deliver on everyone’s hopes very soon and other companies will follow suit.” Scarlett turned away from the reporter and back to Tony who was still answering questions. “If you don’t get in this car then we’re not going to lunch.” Tony perked up at the sound of her voice and turned to face her.

“Sorry folks, that’s all for today.” Tony winked and started toward the car, his hands again in his pockets.

“Mr. Stark! One more thing.” Tony turned to face the group of paparazzi snapping pictures. “It’s good to see you back in the public eye.”

“It’s good to be back.” Tony waved both his hands once more to the crowd and then got into the car where Scarlett was already waiting for him. “So where are we going?”

“The driver already knows. I’m a member of a cigar club downtown. It’s private and the press won’t hound us in there.” Scarlett leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and rubbed her temples.

“You really hate that, don’t you?” Tony nodded out the window. Scarlett threw him a look that told him what he’d done was clearly uncalled for but then nodded her head.

“You seem to love it.”

“They eat up every word, it’s hilarious. You can’t take them so seriously. They’re going to print whatever they want about you regardless of how you handle it. Being bothered by them is only going to add fuel to flame.”

“Thanks, but I think I’m doing just fine.” Scarlett sat up straight as the ride progressed. They talked about cigars and the paparazzi for the remainder of the ride. Soon enough they pulled up in front of a building on a Boston street corner that seemed rather abandoned in the middle of the afternoon. They walked up a flight of stairs and through a series of glass doors, the second being held open for them by a large man with a stern face wearing an archaic-looking suit. Scarlett didn’t bother showing her credentials. The man at the front desk greeted her like an old friend and told her that her customary table near the window was ready.

Tony followed her through the cigar club curiously. It was dank , dark, and most importantly, it was private. Scarlett had a corner booth on an elevated platform guarded by a few decorative partitions. To say Tony was impressed was an understatement. This place was classy; it reminded him of a club he used to go to downtown after his workday in Manhattan. He shook the thought of the city from his mind as quickly as he could manage. The last thing he wanted was to have a meltdown in a prominent public place.

So far his return to the limelight had been entirely successful. Even he’d been impressed with how he’d handled the questions from the reporters. Most of them had been in regards to his involvement with Scarlett and the way she’d shoved off any rumors before they’d begun but it had been fun addressing them nonetheless. He wouldn’t have been surprised if he got home and found the paparazzi outside of the gates to his driveway like he had in the old days.

“This place is nice, I like it.” Tony sat down across the table from Scarlett who was already looking at the drink menu. He couldn’t believe that only a half an hour ago she had brilliantly distracted him out of having a panic attack. Things felt completely different now than they had then and yet he knew, somehow, that he could continue to confide in her. Tony had never quite trusted as easily as he was at this moment. There was a feeling he had about Scarlett Damien. He wasn’t sure what that feeling was quite yet, but somehow he just knew that she was there to help even if she didn’t know it yet.

“It’s about the only place I can keep the press out of my hair in Boston.” Scarlett scoffed and then offered him the drink menu. “The food is pretty good here if you’re hungry. Sorry the place stinks, it is a cigar club after all.”

“I like cigars, actually. For a ritzy place, it’s pretty dead right now.” Tony peered over the drink menu but knew exactly what he was going to get without having to look. He wasn’t feeling particularly hungry but he could always go for a glass of scotch and hopefully it would be fine enough that it wouldn’t need ice. He guessed in a place like this that the scotch was both expensive and fine and his worries would be for naught.

“Give it an hour and it’ll be filled with semi-celebrities from all over the city retiring for the evening. I met Matt Damon in here once, probably the coolest celebrity I’ve run into so far. Very busy guy though, didn’t have more than a minute to chat. Made a point to introduce himself though.” Scarlett shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

“Very nice. And what about me? I don’t outrank Matt Damon?” Tony laughed and folded his arms on the table. “So who was that reporter you talked to? Nice skin, a little short… but pretty.” Tony remembered, quickly changing the subject.

“That is what you’d recall, I suppose. Her name is Dianne Hendricks and she’s an annoyingly persistent pain in my ass. Somehow she always manages to find out where I am and tries to weasel a story out of me.” Scarlett rolled her eyes but Tony could see a smile on her lips. She obviously was more amused with the press than he had suspected earlier. Maybe it had just been being in the press with him that had bothered her. He couldn’t rightly blame her, given everything he’d read about her in the past few days. “And no, you don’t outrank Matt Damon. Are you Jason Bourne? I don’t think so.”

“If she’s annoying then why bother to throw her a bone like you did?” Tony countered and then tapped his fingers on the table. “And I’m Iron Man, a real life super hero, not some fictional super spy.”

“Because she’s one of the only reporters who bothers to ask me about anything that matters,” laughed Scarlett with a smile. “So since she’s so persistent and obviously very passionate about her job I don’t mind giving her an actual story when it’s not about my love life. All anyone seems to care about is my love life. People are so nosy” She rolled her eyes and rested her chin in her hand. She neglected to respond to his ego. It seemed he wasn’t very good at staying on topic anyway and didn’t need any help being distracted.

“What is going on with that by the way? I can’t tell who you’re dating and who you’re not according to magazines. It’s all very confusing. Honestly I think you might be dating me now according to the papers.” Tony had intended for the joke to be amusing but guessed that was exactly what Scarlett was trying to avoid. “Is it that guy you were on the conference call with? Nathan you called him, I think? Is that the British theater guy who invested in your company who you’re apparently shacking up with at every given opportunity? Or maybe your obsession with Matt Damon is more than that and it’s him or something.”

“Let me ask you a question, Tony.” Scarlett began nonchalantly as the waiter started toward their table. “How well are things actually going for you and Miss Potts considering the only person the press ever sees her with is your driver?” Scarlett looked up at the waiter and smiled pleasantly. “MacCallan, Twelve year please. Neat.” She turned her gaze back to Tony who looked completely taken aback. Scarlett’s fire had returned and quickly. He thought she would become defensive or sheepish but instead she’d done quite the opposite.

“Touché.” Tony pursed his lips and then nodded to Scarlett but addressed the waiter. “I’ll have what she’s having. Not the British theater guy or Matt Damon but the scotch.” Tony clarified and then smiled smugly at Scarlett who shook her head at him in dismay but with a smile on her face.

“We’re here on business so why don’t we keep talking about this energy project you have going on. I’m fascinated by it, really.” Scarlett nodded, diverting the conversation artfully away from personal topics. Tony wasn’t surprised, considering how popular she’d gotten in such a short period of time. She had to have mastered the art of diverting conversation away from topics she didn’t wish to discuss. Not to mention there was literally no personal information of any kind other than romantic speculation on the woman. She had been interviewed about her past-times and hobbies of course, but Tony thought for some reason all of those interviews had seemed staged.

Scarlett was still as much of a mystery as she had been when he’d arrived. Somehow she knew how to calm him down during a panic attack and had recognized that he was suffering some kind of post traumatic stress. There was a story in there and Tony vowed silently to get to the bottom of it.

“I suppose that’s reasonable but I haven’t gotten my drink yet…” Tony held his hand up as the waiter approached, to silence her and then thanked him promptly. Bread and oil was brought over to the table as a complementary service for the two of them to share. Tony picked up his glass of scotch and swirled it, inhaling the earthy but oddly sweet aroma. To him, scotch smelled like Christmas not because it reminded him of pine, but it reminded him of warmth and happiness. “To newfound partnerships.”

“To not jumping the gun.” Scarlett corrected but picked up her own glass to clink against his. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.” Tony took a long drink of the amber liquid. It burned as it went down his throat but it was also smooth and lingered perfectly the way a fine scotch should. “That’s the good stuff.”

“I’ve always been fond of MacCallan.” Scarlett set down her glass and looked to him expectantly. “So this energy thing…”

“Right, well I have a confession to make about that actually.”

“I swear if you made the whole thing up just to irritate me and throw off my day.” Scarlett began but she knew there was no way that Tony had faked the story about the project or that he was interested in her involvement. He’d been able to pull details out of the wind when his mind had clearly been in some distress. None of what he’d said in that stairwell had been a lie, even if half of what he said earlier had been. She had the distinct feeling that Tony wasn’t very used to lying in general. He was used to saying exactly what he wanted to say and having enough money for people to deal with it without much of a problem.

“Not at all. But I haven’t physically gotten to work on this project in months. Not since before I moved back to Malibu.” His brown eyes met her blue ones in a brief glimpse of understanding. She nodded reassuringly.

“That’s fine. You said you were running tests still and I assume that meant your staff and not you. I think it’s about time to get your hands dirty again, Stark.”

“Oh, you have no idea how badly I’d like to do that with you.” Tony swirled the glass of scotch and watched the tiny vortex that formed before he looked back to her when he realized she was narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. “To be honest lately I’ve been swept up in working on my newest Mark.” Scarlett suddenly became far more interested in their discussion and turned her eyes away from the window where they’d drifted. Tony was surprised at just how interested she was.

“The one you flew into my office?”

“You see, the target was your balcony. I’ve been running a few crazy tests on this thing and building in a way I don’t usually build to try and break some bad habits and develop some new technology. Problem is, it’s not going at all the way I planned. Then I see this article about you and your artificial limbs. You’ve developed technology so seamless with the human body that it can be controlled without brain surgery. That’s remarkable.” Tony stated rather than asked though the question burned in his mind. So far he’d only seen public demonstrations and press conferences on the matter. He needed to hear firsthand just how far along her project was. She curled her lips into a confident smirk but kept him waiting. Time seemed to pass slower than usual as she mulled over her answer. “Well, is it true?” Tony couldn’t wait any longer, he had to have an answer.

“It is.” Scarlett nodded reassuringly, confidence on the matter oozing off of her. “Completely seamless. The technology was the easy part but the regenerative cells were a bit tougher. I’ve been working with a few doctors and scientists around the country to develop it further and make the limbs themselves as lifelike as possible. That technology is still in the works and will take awhile to come to fruition. But the control is done. Completely finished. You’re not to say a word about how far I am to anyone.”

“Wow.” Tony set down his glass and leaned back in his seat. The very idea of what she’d developed was astounding.

“If you don’t mind me asking before I’ve actually agreed to do any work with you, how does what I’m doing pertain to what you’re doing with your suits?” Scarlett pointed toward the spot where she knew his reactor was hidden beneath his shirt.

“That is a good question.” Tony was still astounded by how enraptured she was by his every word pertaining to the arc reactor. He didn’t think he could’ve gotten her to have that much interest in it but she was positively eating out of his hand. “My current Mark well… I’m trying to find a new way to summon it. For awhile I carried one around in a briefcase but it couldn’t fly and the design was limited due to the constriction and well, the fact that it weighed a ton and I couldn’t always carry it with me. Then I had bracelets that I’d tested and would wear and it could locate me from there and come when I called it as long as I was within range.”

“Bracelets, really?” Scarlett looked surprised and searched his wrists for them but found only his expensive watch there instead. “How did that work?”

“Well, each bracelet had a geo locating chip inside of it. From there I was able to map out the rest of my form in relation to the bracelets. The technology inside of the Mark VII was able to find the bracelets, do a quick calculation to make sure that the positioning was correct and I wouldn’t be crushed, then engulf me. I could show you, it’s far simpler than it sounds.”

“It sounds brilliant.” Scarlett scoffed.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Tony was impressed that she offered them so freely.

“You should.”

“If I didn’t know better I’d think you were a Stark fangirl.”

“Oh god, no. I’m not one of those.” Scarlett laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Tony couldn’t help but be enamored by it. “I couldn’t stand you for the longest time, actually. You see I worked overseas for years and years. You were always in the paper back then and all over the news. Other engineers and scientists sort of despise you sometimes. You give the rest of us a bad name, well you used to at least. It took me a very long time to realize that you’re not a bad guy, not at all.” Scarlett shook her head knowingly. “A pig and a dirt bag maybe, but you’re genuinely a decent human being who just can’t help himself in front of a camera.”

“I have mixed feelings on how this compliment thing turned out for me.” Tony furrowed his brow but understood where she was coming from. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that sort of accusation from someone he worked with or had pursued. Other scientists and greater minds were always put off by his public persona. Only when they worked with him and realized that he was as talented as the papers claimed him to be did they learn to tolerate his personality quirks.

“You’re getting off track. You had bracelets and now what are you trying to do? Didn’t that work well enough?” Scarlett very much wanted to talk about the Iron Man technology and she made no attempts to hide it. Why should she? It was fantastic technology.

“Eager, aren’t we? Practically chomping at the bit.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Wow.” Tony was impressed still by the way she handled dealing with him. He hadn’t been so frequently wowed in a very long time. “So, the bracelets were a brilliant idea, if I do say so myself, and they worked for a little bit but there was a massive problem with them in the long run.”

“Which was?” Scarlett waved her hand in front of her before taking another long drink.

“With distance the signal would get lost. So I had to always be within a few miles of my suit. That would be fine if the suit wasn’t so cumbersome. I needed to come up with a way of summoning my armor to me without having to carry it around over long distances.”

“That would pose a problem.” Scarlett racked her brain to try and think of an answer to his predicament but none immediately came to mind.

“I worked on my technology but nothing helped me solve this issue. I enhanced many other features and created a crazy amount of new weapons tech in the process. But I still couldn’t fix the one thing I wanted to. Which is where this particular Mark comes in.”

“The one in my office, you mean.”

“Yes, it’s not there anymore because I had Jarvis bring it back to my plane while we were gone.”

“Jarvis?” Scarlett had heard rumors of Tony’s super computer, an artificially intelligent being that worked for him almost as a butler.

“Just a Rather Very Intelligent System. Clever isn’t it?”

“I guess.” Scarlett shrugged her shoulders.

“When you see him in action, you’ll be far more impressed.” Tony reassured her, looking at her over the rim of his glass as he took another drink.

“If I see him in action.”

“Still not sold, are we?” Tony cocked an eyebrow.

“No, I’m not.” She smiled softly. “I am, however, very curious and that’s a good sign for you.”

“I can tell.” Tony tapped his fingers against his leg. “I was thinking that maybe with your technology we could rig up a way for me to summon my suits piece by piece to me without brain surgery. I’ve tried sensors under the skin but it’s incredibly painful and eventually they have to be removed because my body treats them like an infection.” Scarlett winced and looked away at the very sound of that. “Don’t ask how I found that out.”

“I won’t, I got the picture, very vividly.” Scarlett waved it off, still making a rather disgusted face. “That is an intriguing idea though, Mr. Stark.”

“You’re literally killing me, calling me by my last name. Mr. Stark was my dad.”

“You’re in your forties, I’m pretty sure it’s socially acceptable to refer to you as Mr. Stark.” Scarlett laughed under her breath.

“Hey! Hey, we don’t have that kind of talk. You’re only as young as you feel.” Tony warned, but smiled over his scotch. The panic he’d felt earlier seemed like a distant memory. Even when he’d gone drinking with Rhodey a few days ago he hadn’t felt quite like his old self. Scarlett had seen him at his worst and wasn’t babying him or giving him that look, the look of pity that Rhodey so often gave him.

“So you want to treat your Marks… that’s what you called them, right?”

“Correct.”

“You want to treat them like a high tech prosthesis?” She wasn’t sure she correctly understood. As entertaining as it was talking to Tony Stark she was far more interested in the work he wanted done on his suits. Honestly she was surprised that he would trust anyone to look at them. Considering the stink he’d thrown about them in a public setting about how they belonged to him and only him, she was still flummoxed as to why he’d choose her of all people.

“That’s exactly it. The suit and I are one. I’ve said that on more than one occasion. I am Iron Man now. It took me a very long time to accept that.” Tony watched her curiously as he nursed his glass of scotch. He had to be careful that he didn’t drink too fast otherwise he might say too much. He had to hold his cards close to his chest or else he might never be able to lure her in to taking the job. Why it mattered to him so much that she actually took it was beyond him. It wasn’t just her anymore, it was a symbol for something. If Tony could talk her into working with him then he still had parts of his old self buried somewhere deep within.

She seemed particularly interested in his technology and for that he couldn’t blame her. His mind recalled when he’d first seen her, all dolled up like a glamorous movie star, one you didn’t see much in the papers anymore and surrounded by security. Oh right, that was something Tony had wanted to ask. Scarlett had been surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents at the press conference. While he’d found no sign of S.H.I.E.L.D. at her office he was still curious as to what their involvement was. He couldn’t explain it but he had this feeling that it didn’t have anything to do with the product that Rhodey had been describing.

Somehow Tony knew that there was some real mystery to Scarlett Damien and he wanted nothing more than to find out what it was. But she didn’t trust him and she’d made that perfectly clear from the moment they met. He may have felt this strange tug to her but she was holding back and he assumed it was for good reason. Something told him that if he asked her about S.H.I.E.L.D. now he’d get the cold shoulder. No, right now he had one too many demons to battle before he got what he wanted. If he convinced her to work with him then he’d have plenty of opportunities to pry further into the enigma that was her life.

It was like a puzzle for Tony, a fascinating and sexy puzzle. Tony knew he couldn’t start putting the pieces together until he had them all laid out on the table. It would take a lot of work to get to the final picture but he had a feeling that when it was all put together it would be well worth the effort. Instead, Tony shoved the thought of S.H.I.E.L.D. into the back of his mind for a time much further in the future and concentrated on what obviously interested her.

“You are incredibly fascinated by the Iron Man suits, aren’t you?” Tony smirked and then looked down at her glass in surprise to find that she had drained it. “Thirsty, are you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I can hold my liquor just fine.” Scarlett nodded resolutely and leaned back in her comfortable seat. “And of course I’m interested in your suits, Tony. The most intriguing thing about you is your Iron Man armor.” Tony instantly frowned.

“The most intriguing thing about me?”

“What did you expect me to say? As an engineer and a scientist particularly interested in new technology, specifically robotics, it’s very interesting for me to see the suits close up. Plus you make such a display with them it’s hard not to be curious.” Scarlett laughed but Tony looked deeply offended.

“I am clearly a very interesting man! Are you missing all of this?” Tony waved his hands in front of him, the right one still holding his glass of scotch. Scarlett laughed and shook her head from side to side.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Oh, please do elaborate.” Tony set down his glass and folded his hands in front of him then batted his eyelashes.

“I know only a few things about you that are true Tony. You’re a genius, yes, that much is obvious but welcome to the club. You’re dating, which takes a lot of the interesting things about you away, at least what I know from your reputation. Then of course, I know that you’re Iron Man and that is very interesting to me. So what is it you would like me to elaborate upon? The obvious conclusion drawn here is that the most intriguing thing about you to a woman like me, who you also know very little about, is that you are a super hero without any supernatural abilities at all.”

“Oh, I have supernatural abilities. I just can’t show them to you here because I’m pretty sure indecent exposure is still a thing even in Boston.” Tony took a curious look around at the cigar club that was filling up at long last. No one gave them a second look. That surprised Tony. Even in private clubs in Los Angeles he got looks, but not here. Had Scarlett given them a warning of some kind? He couldn’t blame her. She didn’t seem anywhere near as fond of the limelight as he was.

“You know I’ve discovered something interesting about men who brag too much.”

“And that is?” Tony leaned eagerly over the table to hear her insight. A buzzing sound beneath the table distracted him and caught his gaze. Reaching into her pocket, just as distracted, Scarlett pulled out her phone and scrutinized whether or not to answer the call from her assistant.

“Often they’re compensating for something lacking.” Scarlett smiled then slid out of her chair and held up her phone. “Excuse me, I have to take this. She’ll just keep calling if I don’t.” She walked off, phone in hand, buzzing until she answered the call.

“Hang around with me long enough and you won’t need that thing anymore!” Tony smirked and watched her walk away, hoping she caught his sexual gag.

“Jinx, I swear if this is about this morning I’m hanging up.” Scarlett walked away from the table so Tony wouldn’t overhear her conversation but stifled a laugh as she did. For someone who wasn’t single Tony sure made conversation like he was.

“Widow’s waiting for you.” Jinx’s tone was quiet and serious. The mood around Scarlett changed entirely and her heart dropped into her stomach. She stole a glance back at the table where Tony was chatting up the waiter, paying her no mind. Nothing good could’ve happened if the Black Widow had shown up out of the blue.

“Right now?” Scarlett sighed, longingly thinking of a glass of red wine and knowing she wouldn’t get it, at least not tonight.

“Right now.” Jinx confirmed. “She says it’s important. I have her waiting for you upstairs.” Resounding to the fact that she would have no red wine in her near future, Scarlett nodded resolutely and heaved a sigh.

“Fine, I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m downtown so it’ll be a little bit.” Scarlett went to hang up but Jinx spoke before she could.

“Though if we could talk about this morning just for a minute…”

“Goodbye, Jinx.” Scarlett hung up her phone and brushed her fingers through her hair. She’d been having a nice time with Tony, talking about work even if most of what they discussed seemed more like flirting and casual conversation.

“So you don’t know anything else? Not even a confirmation of some gossip or something?” Tony scrutinized the waiter carefully before sipping the very little that remained of his scotch. “Oh hey, you’re back.” Tony turned his attention away from the waiter and back to Scarlett with a smile. But something about her had changed. Her blue eyes had dulled and she seemed somehow more intimidating than she had previously. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m sorry I have to cut this short.” Scarlett smiled apologetically but Tony pouted anyway.

“We’re only one drink in, I’m still sipping.” Tony showed her the near empty glass and then reclined in his seat. “Put it off until tomorrow. What is it anyway that could be more important than drinks with me?”

“You mean drinks with a practical stranger? Gee, I can’t imagine…” Despite how she joked with him Tony got the distinct feeling that whatever had happened during those few minutes she’d been gone was serious enough to leave her shaken. Something nasty had gotten under her skin.

“Are you sure everything’s okay? Maybe I could come with you and help out. You seem perturbed.”

“It’s nothing.” Scarlett waved her hand and then held it up to stop him from arguing. “Something came up at work and I have to go.”

“That’s what I say when I’m trying to make a quick exit.” Tony pointed one finger of the hand that still held his glass.

“Someone arrived this evening who I wasn’t supposed to see until tomorrow. Unfortunately she’s not the kind of person who likes to be kept waiting. So I’m going to have to take a rain check for this drink. It’s unfortunate. I don’t even have a buzz yet.”

“Me neither. I was hoping to get a bottle of Cabernet and some food out of the deal.” Tony resigned to the fact that he wasn’t going to talk to Scarlett anymore that night. Now that he realized how late in the afternoon it was he knew he should be getting home anyway. Pepper was going to be mad enough at him as it was. He found himself wishing that he didn’t have someone to check in with. Then he could’ve gotten a hotel for the night in Boston so he could pursue Scarlett until he’d had a concrete answer to whether or not she would work with him.

“As tempting as that sounds I really can’t. You have no idea how badly I want a good Napa Cab.”

“So where does this leave us then?” Tony set down his glass and watched her curiously. “Have you decided yet?”

“No.” Scarlett shook her head and folded her arms over her chest. She knew that she should decline but she was intrigued by what he was offering. S.H.I.E.L.D. had told her to remain in the public eye, after all. Working with Tony was probably a good way to do that without having to involve anything that was rumor based. Then again, working with Tony would also introduce a whole new series of rumors for her to deal with. “Before I agree to anything I need to do my research. Which means I’ll have to travel to Malibu and I unfortunately do not have the time for that today.”

“But you’re considering it at least?” Tony seemed hopeful. After hearing her gush about his suits he was almost positive she would’ve accepted on the spot. But like any good businesswoman she was going to look into it. Tony was both impressed and insulted. Stark Industries was more than a reputable company and Scarlett should’ve been honored to work with him. At the same time, he liked that she wasn’t desperate for the publicity and financial gain. It was appealing to work with someone who would want to work with him just for the sake of it. Not to mention, Tony was just as eager to work with her as he was hoping she was with him.

“Yes, obviously. Getting you drunk would’ve been a poor way to turn you down.”

“Or a brilliant one, depending on how it all wound up.”

“Look, I have to go.” Scarlett laughed but her smile was strained. Tony’s thoughts wandered back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. detail she’d had and wondered if it was something more serious than just business that took her away from their time together. “Do you have a way to get back home? I have a jet that I can send you in. It might take a little while to get all the proper permissions and such but it’s a free ride home. And if you tell Antonio over there at the bar that you need dinner and you’re friends with me you can have a meal while you wait. The food is pretty good here and I have a longstanding tab.”

“Wait, wait, what?” Tony’s jaw dropped and he stared at her in awe. He couldn’t believe what was coming out of her mouth.

“Should I call my guy?” Scarlett didn’t understand why Tony was so confused by her offer. It seemed pretty straight forward to her.

“I have never, literally never, been offered a ride home in a jet from a date before. Not in my life. This is a first for me.” Tony folded his hands over his lap and stared at nothing in particular in front of him, clearly contemplating this moment and leaving it forever engrained in his memory. “Is this what it feels like…?”

“Well, you still haven’t because this wasn’t a date. You’re not single and it was a business lunch… well, almost dinner. I didn’t realize how late it was when we got here.” Scarlett checked the time on her phone impatiently. Tony laughed under his breath and nodded his head.

“Yes, yes right…” Why did that suddenly make him sad? He wished it was a date. Even though it had been short lived it was the best date he could recall going on. Most dates had been him talking endlessly about himself or listening to some woman he wasn’t interested in rattle on about things he didn’t care about. He’d always paid for everything and while that had never bothered him he hadn’t realized how nice it was to be treated to something. Not that he would’ve let Scarlett pay for dinner but the sheer fact that she hadn’t expected him to do it blew his mind. Would it have been terrible for him to consider, at least in his own mind, that this had been a date? If he didn’t tell Pepper or Scarlett then it wouldn’t hurt anyone and he’d still retain the memory as a date and one that could’ve been the best of his life.

“Tony, I really have to go.” Scarlett had no idea what was going on in the billionaire’s mind but she had too much on hers to argue with him. What did the Black Widow want with her? Why would they interrupt her tonight when she had a meeting in the morning with S.H.I.E.L.D. anyway? How many times was she going to have to clarify that they weren’t dating and he wasn’t available to do so? Why did Tony’s opinion of what they were doing together matter to her in the first place?

“Don’t worry about me. I didn’t fly in my suit here. That would’ve been crazy. I have my own jet waiting for me at the local airport.” Tony got up from where he sat at the table and buttoned up his jacket before offering a hand for Scarlett to shake which she did. “I expect to be hearing from you soon.”

“I promise. Even if I decline your offer you’ll hear from me.” Scarlett nodded resolutely. Realizing she was still holding his hand firmly in the shake she pulled it back quickly and slipped on her own jacket to ward off the chilly autumn air.

“I’m counting on that.” Tony smirked and then nodded toward the door. Saying goodbye felt awkward and ill timed. Not because either one of them didn’t belong, but because it was obvious that they hadn’t been finished with each other. Perhaps in another time and another place things could’ve been different but as for now things were beyond their control. Tony didn’t see what other choice he had in the matter. Usually he would’ve fought through hell and high water to get what he wanted, but he couldn’t this time.

Tony definitely did not like this arrangement, not at all. Finally Scarlett turned away and started out of the club. She didn’t have any more time to waste hanging around and waiting for goodbyes to come naturally.

“Hey, Scarlett?”

“Yeah?” She turned to look at him over her shoulder.

“It was nice to meet you.”

“I’d say the same except you caused me a good amount of property damage this morning.” Scarlett’s smirk betrayed her words as she waited for one of the waiters to open the heavy glass doors that led into the stairwell.

“I’m going to pay for that, I swear.” Tony laughed. She rolled her eyes at him and then waved a final goodbye before walking out the door. Tony watched her go and shoved his hands in his pockets. There was no reason to stay but he couldn’t find a reason to head home either. So instead Tony sat back down at the table and hailed the waiter over. He might as well have dinner before he started back to Malibu.