Stark Industries [Tuesday]

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

Between the phone calls this weekend, which Pepper had finally figured out were misdirected calls (and was now wondering who had gotten hers), and the snow, which prevented her initial choice of outfit, Pepper was not having the very best day.

She was still wearing her coat inside at her desk, too. Malibu girl and all.

Comments

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Ray Kowalski did not do waiting hesitantly outside of buildings. For one, it was not cool. And for second, it, uh. It just wasn't cool.

Instead, he barged straight in, walked up to the desk, and said "Hey, did you or did you not call me last weekend?"

There. Cool.

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

Well. That was a way to make an entrance.

Pepper thought for a moment, then replied, "I did...not. As far as I know. Oh, god, did you get a message from me? Because I kept getting ones that I'm pretty sure weren't meant for me and I'm pretty sure my return messages didn't make it to the intended recipients."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Okay," Ray muttered, nodding, "That's, um, that's good. So you, uh, don't think I'm too old or anything?" Hey, it was more tactful than, uh, mentioning the naked thing.

Shut up.

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

Pepper stared. "No. No, not at all." Now she kind of wanted to ask how old he was. "I mean, honestly, your age never actually occurred to me. Like, at all."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Okay," he repeated, ducked his head, nodded again, and fidgeted with the inside of his pants. "That's all I needed to know. Um, thanks." Ray should probably get outta here now.

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"Did I say something about that?" she asked, because she couldn't not. "I'm trying to remember what I said on those calls, because seriously, some of the ones I got were, um, questionable? So I am so, so, so sorry, if you thought that whatever horrible thing I said was meant for you. I was probably trying to yell at my landlord who left a message about my bra, or something."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Just some, uh..." Okay, words coming harder than usual. He rubbed at the back of his neck, "Stuff. About lists and being on 'em. Obviously not... my business or anything."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

Pepper thought, trying to remember which message had lists.

"...oh my god, you got the one meant for Tyler." She wanted to beat her head into the desk, but that was hardly dignified. Not that dignity was really showing up here, anyway. "No, no, no, that was for, um, my boss's....well, they're not 'boyfriends' but whatever, his thing? He left me this message about going to the onsen with someone my own age, and he really is pretty close to my age and so that threw me. And also that would be a terrible idea because you know how Tony is, plus I like someone else and am just not interested in that, so I am so, so sorry you got that."

She was not touching the list thing.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Ray had had a lot of practice listening to diatribes like that. This one? Not about polar bears or whatever, but it still took some attention.

He got one major point out of it that hadn't been established yet (beyond the damn relief that she hadn't been talking about him. So maybe he was still waiting to fuck up, sue him).

"You like somebody?"

Hey: sometimes he could get to the heart of the matter.

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"I know, how junior high did I sound there?" she replied, completely missing the point.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Ray said, with something a little close to a hopeless laugh, "That's pretty junior high right there. Pretty bad."

She was such a dork.

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"What I mean to say," she said, trying to compose herself despite blushing pretty badly by now, "is that I like you. And I'd like to go out with you again, if you're amenable, even though I accidentally left you a message that screams mixed signals, and I ended up in my underwear on Friday, and even though I'm...kind of babbling. Wow, I have got to stop talking."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Nah, hey, I like you talking." And that wasn't cheesy. Shut up. It was adorable. "Dork," he couldn't resist adding, which was up there on the scale with 'freak'. Catching himself, Ray wrangled himself back to his usual cool. "So, um, sure," he offered, "I got plenty of time this week."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"It takes a lot to actually make me nervous," she admitted. "I think it's been the island's mission for the last few days."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"I was kinda hoping Sunday was gonna be the last," he muttered, and peered out at the snow outside. "But I'm gettin' this feeling in the back of my neck..."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"This isn't normal, then?" she asked, gesturing to the stupid snow.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Snow? Sure. This place?"

He rubbed the back of his head again. "Got a funny feeling. Um. Dinner?"

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"Dinner would be good," she agreed, looking out the window at the snow. "Um, probably before the weekend, because of that thing, which I would guess probably is going to have you pretty busy, too."

She bit her lip, studying the snow, and decided, "You could just come over, if you want. I can't really cook but we could order in, or something. I'm just thinking that if this keeps up, it might be a safer idea, you know?"

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Her place. That had to be some kind of sign.

No, not that kinda sign. She didn't seem like that kinda girl. But a good sign. So he grinned. "Sure," he said, "Your place sounds good. Can't go wrong if you're at home, right?"

Ohhh, jinx.

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"Exactly! And even if things do go awry, what's the worst that can happen?"

Oh, Pepper. It's like you haven't learned anything.