Chapter 24
The two didn't automatically return to the stage once Guinevere left and they weren't specifically speaking about work as the two sat down on a green lounge sofa that was ironically placed nearby. Howard took the green theme serious, deciding that nearly anything and everything had to be the outrageous green.
Seated next to him, his hand on one of her knees, the two got lost in time. The same time that planned to provide only a limited amount to the two of them, as everyone loves a tragedy it seemed. Yet, the two were all smiles as they laughed over Anneliese's admitting that she had in fact, blackmailed her way to the very top.
Neither paid any attention to the the other business men that tried their best to gain some alone time with Howard Stark or Anneliese - believing they could get to Howard through her. Instead, the conversation shifted dramatically, a sudden chill itching its way across her cheeks.
"Why didn't you take the day off?", he question. Again.
Sighing, Anneliese dropped her gaze to stare at his fingers trailing intricate designs on the velvet fabric covering her skin. Unsure how to express the loneliness she felt in her own body, the confusion and the conflict dancing across her mind at every second. She knew there were no words other than one that could express what she wanted to say.
Yet, those words did not leave her lips.
It was a tragedy after all.
"You know me," she joked, "I can't take a day off."
Her eyes remained down, knowing that Howard had some unknown skill in reading her better than anyone else. If she was to be a liar, she didn't want to be caught. And he was the one that seemed to catch every single one of them.
And then she felt his other hand gently tilt her chin up slowly, forcing their eyes to meet. He didn't automatically remove his hand from his chin, allowing his fingers to explore her skin and gently pull down her lips. A liar didn't deserve this, and she was becoming his poison. She was far too crippled to do anything but burn out the golden spark in his eyes-
-And yet she watched it ablaze in front of her. His eyes expressing what words could not: A fiery hell and a realm of golden lightening bolts. In only the smallest colours of his iris, he presented what Anneliese denied, believing herself to be nothing but his doom, when she was in fact the oxygen he so desperately needed.
If Howard Stark was the flame.
Anneliese was the oxygen.
Invisible and utterly transparent to the other.
"Ana," he whispered, and Anneliese knew she couldn't deny him.
It was everything, and she knew he had somehow made him... her everything. The bundle of emotions she had tuck deep into the pit of her stomach from when she left her house earlier that day cracked, more so than when she was caught kissing him. It was an avalanche of emotions, and for the first time.
Anneliese wanted to handle it all, every single one of them. Even if she was to break from holding it all above her head, even if she knew that consequences were always given to lovers that aren't meant to be together. It was fate after all, no bigger insult to life itself for the sweetheart of Hydra to be falling in love with the Allied forces biggest weaponry supplier.
It was all addicting, he was addicting.
Closing her eyes, Anneliese knew she had a duty to her parents and a duty to America. To ensure that she remained strong, that she remained able to assist and eventually rid the earth of Hydra in all its forms. This duty was to take priority, and she allowed it to consume her completely.
But she forgot the duty she had to herself. To breath, to sing and to enjoy all that life is to offer and she was so blessed to be given Howard. A man, unlike all those she met before, that adored her for all her flaws and her interests. That was equally intrigued by her mind and her beauty, to be cared when she suggested a solution or when she needed one herself.
Howard had poisoned her mind... and it felt exactly how vodka tasted.
"A secret for a secret?", she whispered, her lips trembling in fear.
Without any instruction, Howard took the initiative as she felt him lean in closer, his warm breaths flooding her cheeks. Whispering, "Guinevere believes that I am both the cure and poison for you. And I couldn't disagree at all, I'll happily be the poison if I get to spend another five minutes with you."
Fluttering her eyes, her heart melted at his words. Her cheeks didn't need to grow red in the slightest as her eyes betrayed her, messages of affection left them before she could stop them. her adoration now impossible to stop, Anneliese had to come to a quick conclusion, one that she had already come to terms with.
"I don't think I want to pretend anymore," she whispered, meeting Howard's gaze through her eyelashes. Chewing her lips, Anneliese knew her voice came out small, "I used to believe I could do it, pretend that it was all an act, only an act. But it seems it's impossible with you, absolutely, unbelievably impossible."
In times such as this, words carried more weight than anything else and Anneliese had dropped a tomb worth of midnight thoughts. She had opened pandora's box, and even though she knew her words would be met graciously, there was still a small voice in the back of her mind, screaming for her to stop.
Alas, such screaming was nothing compared to her thumping heart - beating louder by the second until it nearly leapt out from her throat. Especially when Howard moved his hand from her chin to her cheek, cupping the side of her face completely with his hands. The touch breathed life into what Anneliese has come to understand was a child lost in her body, seeking and searching for comfort that didn't come at a massive consequence.
His smile was gentle, no smirk or sneer in sight. Even his eyes glowed more amber than gold, a specific type of amber that Anneliese had never witness before. And perhaps she had, when she was too busy crying her dry tears into her shirt when the past came crashing through her mind.
"I know you do," he mumbled as he leaned in and kissed the top of her hair and wrapping her into a hug, "I know you do," he repeated.
This was a man sent from the heavens, and Anneliese was by far the luckiest demon to ever walk across water. It was both bright and dark, but with Howard she could see clearly now. It was no longer sinking with darkness; night's incarnation. It was a simple beacon of hope, the forgetfulness of horrors and a sense of belonging. Perhaps all it took to feel safe had just been the sound of his breathing.
Warming her skin, she savoured the hot breaths from Howard, as he whispered softly, "I adore you Anneliese. All of it, past, present and future."
And with all great things, comes at a consequence, and this one came in the shape of Alexander's boyish grin as he happily said far too loudly into his microphone, "Howard could you please return Anneliese back to the stage, yeah?"
Would Howard still adore her is she was to murder Alexander in that very second, and a simple glance to catch his contorted face, she knew her answer. Howard would happily pass the gun.
Upon returning back to the stage, Anneliese knew the public was be relentless, obviously from Alexander's double meaning commentary has sent the questions into wildfire. Lucky for Anneliese, Howard was unbelievably amazing at causing scandals and even better at avoiding them when he wanted to.
His hand rested over hers throughout the panel, and Anneliese only intervene with the questioning when any of the leadership slipped up massively. Her role has always been cleaning up the damage made by men, and she knew the consequences if she didn't do her job perfectly. And unfortunately for Theodore, he would face it all.
"A question for the men," said a small feminine voice asked, and Anneliese's eyes snapped to meet the eyes of no other than Maria Bernard. Her smile dripped in danger as she spoke, "I'm curious about your thoughts on Miss Lorenz, considering the outstanding press coverage she offers for every single one of you."
None of them spoke, and Anneliese noticed that Howard was holding back a grin.
"I am asking if you could compliment her, after all, this entire panel has been awfully dull and I'm sure you all have plenty of opinions."
Her question should have been met with disgruntled noises, instead the audience seemed more than interested in the opinions of her co-workers. She was also just as curious, knowing some of the answers would be poorly fabricated together, as none of them would have prepared for such a question.
Alexander started it all, as always. Begin with a bang and make the rest look like fools. He sent a wink at her before answering, "Well she is my best friend-"
"-Hold up, I thought I was your best friend," Howard interrupted.
Laughter rippled across the audience as Alexander continued, his boyish smirk frozen on his lips, "You were my best friend, when you decided to ditch me for Anneliese... literally twelve minutes ago."
There it was, the usual Alexander charm.
"I'd say she is pretty outstanding," Howard said into the microphone, "Probably saved Stark Industrials from crashing a few too many times."
Harold Lockes spoke next, "She's the only one that cares for documents to be done correctly."
Maria was a genius, no matter how much Anneliese despised the question, she was a genius. The public was hungrily taking in this information, eyes wide as they listened as the rest of her co-worker struggle to form a somewhat interesting compliment. It was a dessert for the ears, and Anneliese couldn't help but watch as they struggled.
"I don't work often with Miss Lorenz," Martin Lang prompted, "But she's the only one that gets Mr Grey to complete his files, so I respect her work ethic."
Rupert Green followed, "I guess she's pretty smart."
Next was John Mckinnons, "Also quite pretty."
And then it was Theodore Edwards turn. She watched as his grimace struggled to form a smile or a sentence, his eyes blazing with incorporation, but he answered the question regardless. Stereotypical type answer, but an answer fair enough.
"Can't really say anything negative about the boss' girl", he started. Laughter seemed to only come from the male audience, but that being said, the audience was predominately made up of men. "I'd hope she's good at her job, considering her rank."
Ah, there it was.
He was still upset about her promotion.
The panel concluded shortly after, and as the crowd slowly begin to disappear, Howard signalled for everyone to join him backstage to discuss some new pressing information. Of course, Anneliese knew exactly what he was about to say and was looking forward to it. Walking at the front of the dysfunctional line they made to a secluded corner, she stood proudly next to Howard and Harold.
The same man in black returned and passed Howard a massive bulk of paper work, and a small glimpse of the title and she knew it was all the information they have collected on Theodore. Success never had tasted sweeter.
"You may be asking why I've asked to have a discussion when you are all itching to leave," he begun and all the men gruntled in agreement. Howard straighten his back as he continued, his voice, thick with authority, "It has came to my attention that funds have been incorrectly used and taken, even worse, I have it on correct information that it's an indiviudal in this circle. Would you like to take a guess who?"
Anneliese's eyes met with Theodore's, and she could just see a small drip of sweat run down his forehead. Opening her mouth, she whispered with no sound coming, 'You lose'. And that was when all hell broke loose, at the simple drop of Theodore Edward's name from Howard's lips. He continued informing the group on the embezzlement that had occurred, and Anneliese had never seen Harold so outraged. That his conclusions were correct and his spreadsheets being incorrect had everything to do with Theodore's treachery and nothing to do with his miscalculations.
Glee filled her eyes as she watched the chaos ensue, the yelling amongst the men growing the attention of bystanders and press that was allowed exclusive access to the panel, including Mr and Mrs Thomas from the New York Press. Ginny had waved a small finger in her direction, a cue to spice it up.
And Anneliese had every intention to create a scandal that would last months, and not days.
Coughing lightly, it brought their eyes to her and silenced them all. Smiling at Theodore, and then sadly so at Rupert Green. She had no information to prove Theodore was having an affair with Rupert's wife, but the stock manager wasn't any better at his job than Theodore. She was killing two birds with one stone.
"And to think you were using company money to pay for your holiday's with Rupert's wife."
Silence.
And then screams.
With Howard's hand resting around her waist and hanging off her hip, Anneliese leaned into his chest as she watched Rupert and Theodore rip each other to shreds. Providing enough reason for the termination of both managers in one night. Who threw the first punch? She didn't know, but she did remember who stopped the last one and she did remember the vile anger growing in Theodore's throat.
For what was a rumour, Anneliese wasn't awfully surprised to find out Theodore had been having an affair with Rupert's wife. Nor was she surprised that both men decided that it wasn't each other's fault, that men would be men, and decided the only one at fault was her. That Anneliese being a gossip was what caused all of this, that she whored herself out to her promotion after promotion. Which couldn't be the furtherest thing from the truth.
"You have until morning to resign," Howard said unmoving, "The press is already aware of the affair and the embezzlement, depends on your next actions will decide what story they will follow through on."
This caused whatever restraint either men had to disappear.
Theodore matched right into Anneliese's face, screaming profanity after profanity.
Whore.
Slut.
Stark's mistress.
Dirty German.
Whore.
Slut.
Oh, and Stark's whore and Stark's slut.
What annoyed Anneliese the most wasn't so much the words, but the spit that was coming from his mouth and landing on her dress. It was definetly stain and she wasn't impressed in the slightest.
"Could you kindly stop yelling at me?", Anneliese said firmly, colder than the weather outside.
Theodore laughed in her face, "Than stop fucking your way to the top ay? Keep your cunt in your skirt, yeah?"
She sensed Howard's anger - no, she felt it - as his grip grew tighter around her waist and he pulled her closer to him. Animosity created between the two men that were far too close, well Howard wasn't too close, but Theodore certainly was.
"I'll have you know, I haven't fucked my way to the top," Anneliese said, dropping the profanity easier than expected. The chuckles of laughter from Alexander barely heard from her own raising anger. "It hasn't been an easy way to the top, but I have ambition which you clearly lack. If you wanted my job so much, you should've started playing by the same rules I play by."
The room was silent at this point.
"I simply do not throw open my legs and get a promotion, no. I knock out my competition, I remove them as an option... as no one is going to choose a woman over a man... no one is going to choose a German."
Each word was said in crisp clarity. Flashing Howard a smile, who matched with his same grin. Anneliese continued with her rampage.
"And I'd say, it isn't a smart move to insult the boss' girl. The chance of promotion was long gone, but the possibility that Howard won't release all your crimes have disappeared."
"You can't speak for Howard!", he cried out.
Anneliese didn't need to speak, because Alexander did.
"You seem to forget your place Theodore, buddy," he begun as he stepped in between Anneliese and Theodore, "Anneliese here has been working with the press for a number of years, if Howard doesn't allow her to produce the documentations... it is complete fair game for her to suggest a gossip idea to the press. You're simply fucked, my man. I hope you've saved enough money for your children's college expensive and the lawsuit I'm excited to throw your way."
Security pulled Theodore out of backstage after Howard informed Theodore that he expects his letter of resignation by tomorrow morning, and if not, he was to be fired regardless. Rupert Green was similarly fired, for his violent display. Never before has Anneliese been so overjoyed to have individuals fired.
This was nice.