Miss Fire

“So who do you have a date with tonight?” Gretchen asks as I Skype her while getting dressed, “you’re looking mighty classy.”

“If I told you, you’d never believe me.” I laugh as I continue to do my make-up.

“Some big time business man or maybe even a handsome lawyer?”

“Try Tony Stark.” I smirk, when I notice how Gretchen’s jaw hit the floor, “yea talk about unbelievable.”

“How did you even meet him?” She asks, “and why didn’t you tell me?”

“Remember that guy I was talking to the other night at the benefit?” I ask, “the one I was talking to about AC/DC?”

“He was Tony Stark?” Her eyes widen as she asks.

“Yep, I didn’t know until the next day when I got an invitation to a benefit Stark was hosting himself.” I reply. “We talked and he said he’d find me a new agent, one that’ll let me work, but the price was a dinner with him tonight.”

“Tony Stark, asked you out to dinner?” She slowly says, earning an eye roll from me. “Mike would have freaked out if he heard this.”

“I know he would.” I smile, “but it’s just dinner, nothing more.”

“It’s nothing now but just wait; you’ll fall prey to Tony Stark’s charms.” Gretchen smiles, “you’ve got to move on anyway. It’s been five years since Richie died; you’re going to have to move on. He would have wanted you too.” A frown appears on my lips when she mentions my last serious boyfriend. Sure I’ve dated here and there but nothing lasted, no one seemed to have compared to my high school sweetheart.

“I know.” I sigh, “it’s just hard, no one compares to him.”

“Tony might.”

“Tony’s not my type.” I counter, “he’s just a playboy, dating him isn’t going to end with a happy ending.”

“You may never know until you go for it.” She counters, “Tony might be the thing you need to move on and live your life.”

Just as I’m about to open my mouth, I hear a knock on my door. I look at my clock and see that it’s 8 on the dot. A sigh escapes my lips as I give Gretchen my full attention, “looks like my date’s here.”

“Have fun.” She smiles before logging off. I get up off my vanity chair and quickly putting on my red dress and slipping on my heels before walking into my living room. I go to the door and opening it, revealing Tony Stark with a dozen roses.

“I thought this was just dinner, not a date?” I ask, looking at the gorgeous red roses in his hand, “and for someone that’s apparently been stalking me, you got the wrong flower. I’m a lily fan.”

A chuckle escapes his lips, “I should have known.” I let him into my apartment, taking the flowers from him and putting them in the empty vase in my living room.

“You’re here early.” I note as I walk into the kitchen, filling up the vase with water.

“I did tell you 8, right?”

“I figured you’d be fashionably late.” I chuckle as I walk back into the room, “you just seem the type that never arrive on time.”

“I like to keep people on their toes.” He laughs, “shall we get to dinner then?” He offers me his arm like a gentleman.

I accept and link my arm with his, “let’s go then darling.”

**

“Whatever happened to your first agent?” He asks over champagne and caviar. “Your site said you guys parted because you guys didn’t have the same vision anymore.”

“She called me crazy when I told her I wanted to stop writing vampire books.” I reply, “she was a good friend too which sucks that things ended the way they did. But she was more interested in the money rather than the idea.”

“You seriously fired your good friend because she called you crazy?” He laughs, “that’s priceless.”

“I’d fire you for a Klondike bar.” I joke, earning a chuckle from Tony. “But seriously, I needed to grow and she wasn’t going to allow me. She wanted me to keep on writing about vampires and bullshit like that.”

“And you wanted to broaden your horizons.” He muses, “at least you got out and did something for yourself.”

“I felt bad for it but I’ve been putting people in front of me for years, it’s time that I did something for me.”

“So I’m assuming the beauty pagents weren’t for you, were they?” He smirks.

“My momma grew up in a small town and lived in the same town all her life,” I begin to explain, “she’s been putting me in pagents since I was 2 years old. When I got older, she told me this was my ticket out of Oklahoma. For the most part she was right, I did eventually move out of the state and moved to Los Angles.”

“What made you go back?”

“Her and my father’s tragic death.” I reply, “horrible car accident. They were hit head on by a drunk trucker driver. I moved back so that my baby brother could finish out his years in the same school.”

“You’re really selfless, you know that?” He asks, “you’re not like every other girl that I’ve met. I’ve only met one person like you and I let her go.”

“I’m assuming your talking about Miss Potts.” I say, “I figured something happened between you two; I felt the tension in the air last night at the party and at your penthouse that afternoon.”

“That easy to pick up on, huh?” He lets out a humorless chuckle.

“It’s ok to get worked up over a girl, Tony.” I tell him, “it make you human.”

“So have any boys back home?”

“I haven’t had a serious relationship in years.” I admit to him, “ no one seemed good enough. I don’t think anyone will ever be good enough.”

“You’re picky.” He points out with a chuckle, “especially if I’m not your type.”

“You’re probably old enough to be my father.” I point out with a chuckle, “even if you were my type, that’s just creepy.”

“I’m very hurt by that statement.” Tony says with a tone of mock hurt in his voice. “For that I don’t think I’m going to help you find that agent.”

“If you don’t help me find an agent, I’m going to just walk out of here and scream at the top of my lungs that Tony Stark is a sleazy bastard. I’m sure the press would love to hear my story.”

He narrows his eyes at me before a smirk appears on his lips, “you’re good.”

“I’m not as sweet and innocent as I appear.” I smile before sipping my champagne. Tony just laughs as we continue to talk about random things; things that didn’t pry into each others’ personal lives or anything about work or politics; just your usual average dinner conversation. Only difference is, I was having dinner with Tony Stark…

Notes