17 Chapter 17

The bartender must have thought Tony had changed her for another woman. Which, fair, Tony is considered a playboy. Still, she can't help but feel offended on his behalf, even if she's not sure if he's still a playboy. He did get together with Pepper in later movies, after all.

She decides to go with upset on her friend's behalf. So she drinks her Hugo, glaring at him and probably giving more ammunition to the fact she's a castaway. She doesn't care as the drink is really good. Maybe she will forgive the bartender, after all. He does make good drinks.

Also, she's hungry, too. So she can try some of the small food on a stick that they've got around here. She's grabbing one of the cutest when she feels someone standing next to her. She glances and sees Tony. As he watches her, she puts it in her mouth.

It's that small, yes. Unsurprisingly good, too.

"Are you mad at me?"

She frowns. She's still eating, so she speaks inside his mind. 'No, why should I?'

"I kind of ditched you for a second there."

She rolls her eyes, wanting to say how she's not bothered, as that's his future wife he's talking about. Though she would have been annoyed if it was a random girl he ditched her for. There's the 'bro before hoes' rule, after all. She's a bro.

"I'm fine. Anyway, how it went?"

"... How it went?"

She nods, a cheerful smile on her lips. She usually doesn't like gossip, but Tony and Pepper are a cute couple. "Yeah, like, what did you talk about?"

"She thinks I wouldn't be able to tie my shoes without her help," he says dryly.

"Well, she's not entirely wrong." At his incredulous look, she amends, "I mean, I saw you do it, so I know you can, but do you even know your social security number?"

"She said the same, actually." He smiles. "Were you spying on us?"

Huh. Probably she remembered that from the movie, then. "Not really."

He doesn't seem to believe her, if his widening smile is anything to go by. "Anyway, she was afraid of how others would see her just because we danced. I mean, it was just dance, right?"

"I mean, I got looked at pitifully because people thought you ditched me for another girl, so I can understand her worries. You've got a reputation, after all."

"Yeah, I know." He sighs. "But I changed. I don't think I want anything frivolous anymore. I'm not.—I mean, I can't even sleep well without nightmares. I want something steady, I think. But it will be hard if everyone thinks that way."

He looks upset, so she touches his arm. "Everything will be fine, Tony. Don't worry, you've got people who care about you and they are the only opinions that matter. And if you want frivolous sex or get steady with someone, that's okay, too."

Then she sees Pepper approaching them and, not wanting to be seen so intimate with the future wife, she lets go of Tony. He looks up at her, surprised, though not as surprised as Pepper when she sees her.

Tony turns to where Eva's looking and sees his assistant there.

"Oh, hi, Pepper. Did you get your vodka, then?"

"Vodka martini, yes." she tips her drink and Eva sees the three olives inside it.

Ew. Olives, her worst nemesis.

"You're glaring," Tony says, sounding amused.

She doesn't tear her gaze away from the drink. "I hate olives."

"Sure you do."

Pepper finally looks at her with other emotion besides dismissal. "Excuse me for not introducing myself before. I'm Pepper."

"I'm—"

A woman stops her from continuing. She goes directly to Tony and smiles at him with the fakest smile she's seen."Fancy seeing you here."

"Oh, Carrie," Tony says, looking unsure.

"Christine."

Tony looks uncomfortable. "That's right."

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here tonight. Can I at least get a reaction from you?"

"Panic," Tony says, glancing at Eva. "I would say panic is my reaction."

"'Cause I was referring to your company's involvement in this latest atrocity."

Oh. Right. I remember this. Shit.

"Yeah. They just put my name on the invitation. I don't know what to tell you."

Christine lets out a low laugh. "You know, I actually almost bought it. Hook, line and sinker."

"... I was out of town for a couple months, in case you didn't hear."

Christine rolls her eyes before rudely placing a couple of photos onto his chest. "Is this what you call accountability? It's a town called Gulmira. Heard of it?"

Tony looks at it and frowns, his shoulder becoming tense. She doesn't need to look to know what's in there. She puts a supporting hand on Tony's shoulder and it does help, if marginally.

"When were these taken?"

"Yesterday."

Tony looks up. "I didn't approve any shipment."

Christine shrugs with a roll of her eyes, as if she doesn't believe him. "Well, your company did."

This time Eva moves forward between them, not liking the disgust in her tone. "He's not his company, lady. And I would like if you could move away."

Christine scoffs at her, but before she can say whatever mean thing she's thinking about, Obadiah steps in. "Please, do you mind?"

"Have you seen these pictures?" Tony is quick to say, once Christine leaves and Obadiah is left with Pepper and her. "What's going on in Gulmira?"

"Tony, Tony," Obadiah says in the tone of a child trying to correct his son. She hates it. "You can't afford to be this naïve."

Tony glares for the first time at Obadiah. He then grabs her around the waist and moves to leave. "You know what? I was naïve before, when they said, 'Here's the line. We don't cross it. This is how we do business'. However, if we're double-dealing under the table..."

"Tony, your picture, please!" a reporter shouts as soon as they step out.

Obadiah laughs as he approaches close. "Let's take a picture. Come on. Picture time! Tony, could you leave your girl, please?"

"No, I don't think so," he says, but still moves near for better photos with her.

"Who do you think locked you out? I was the one who filed the injunction against you," Obadiah whispers in a way she finds hard to follow. "It was the only way I could protect you."

She wants to snort, however Tony's tightening grip on her stops her. Wanting to punch Obadiah, but choosing to smile instead, she leans into Tony and says loud enough for others to hear, "Ready to go?"

That snaps Tony out of his thoughts. He nods, but doesn't say anything as they go.

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