Chapter 2
Pepper was in Tony’s kitchen eating breakfast waiting for him. Since he dismissed her for the day after lunch because he was just too angry and distracted to work. He thought he’d feel better after a shower but he didn’t. So now she didn’t know what Tony to expect.
“Morning Miss Potts” Tony said as he appeared in the kitchen.
Pepper wasn’t sure how to read him. She slid his coffee over to him.
“Morning Mr. Stark” she said.
“What’s on the schedule today?” he asked.
“You have your budget meeting at two” she said knowing how much he hated those.
“Perfect” he said clapping his hands together.
That was an extremely strange reaction from Tony.
“Tony you hate budget meetings” Pepper said.
“I do. That’s what I have you for. I need to go into the basement and get some personal items” Tony said.
“You’re going to leave me in the budget meeting by myself?” Pepper asked.
Tony just shrugged.
“I talked to Rhodey by the way and he’s going to the MIT reunion” Pepper said.
“He is?” Tony asked.
“Yeah he is.
“Is he bringing a date?” Tony asked.
“That’s what he said”
“Well if he goes then I should go but I need to have a hot date to show off. I can’t have Rhodey bring a date and not me”
“So what would you like me to do? RSVP yes?” she asked.
“Not until I have a date”
“Ok well you need one by tomorrow. That’s the rsvp date” Pepper stressed.
“You” he said.
“Me what?” Pepper asked.
“You will be my date” Tony said.
“What? Tony no. You’re my boss. I can’t-
“Great it’s settled. RSVP yes for me and my plus one” he said as he walked away.
Pepper knew it was a bad idea but she did as he asked and RSVP’d yes for him with a plus one. The minute she hit the send button the realization that she was going to be Tony’s date hit her and she started to panic and tried to think of what she was going to wear. She went online and started browsing dresses. She had like 3 different ones in her cart when Tony’s email pinged again. Her heart started to race a bit when she say that there was another one from Rachel. She didn’t want to upset Tony, and she didn’t want to invade his privacy and read it behind his back and she didn’t want to just delete it in case it was important.
“Tony?” Pepper asked into the intercom.
“What’s up Pep?” he said back.
“Can you come up here for a minute?” she asked.
“Pep I’m busy. Can’t you figure it out?” he said back.
“Tony I’m sorry. I don’t think I can” she said.
She heard him sigh and hang up the intercom.
“What is it Potts?” he asked a minute later as he was standing behind her.
Pepper had a look of intense discomfort on her face.
“There’s another urgent email from Rachel” she said preparing herself for Tony’s explosion.
“Read it” he said
“Tony I know you must hate me but please I am begging you to meet me. It won’t take more than five minutes and you’re the only person I can go to. If you can’t make the reunion I can come to you. I will meet you anywhere. This is time sensitive and all will be explained. I just need five minutes. I am in dire need to talk to you. I hope these letters are reaching you. If not I have lost all hope. If I could write an email explaining everything I would but you never know whose eyes are watching. Regards Ray” Pepper said.
Tony stopped for a moment to think. The words “you never know whose eyes are watching” sounded really strange and she signed it Ray and he knew he was the only person that she let call her Ray. She hated the nickname Ray.
“Tony? I’m talking to you “Pepper said breaking him out of his trance.
“I’m sorry. Something isn’t right. Tell her I’ll be at the reunion and we can meet up after” he said as he went upstairs to get ready for the budget meeting.
Pepper followed him upstairs.
“Tony I think we should talk about Rachel” she said putting her hand on his back.
“She’s my ex-girlfriend. I met her when I was seventeen and I had just started at MIT. We dated two years. Ok” he said as walked into his bedroom.
Pepper was floored. That was not what she expected to hear from Tony.
“Are you joking? You had a real relationship?” Pepper asked.
“Yes I did. And then I realized what a burden it is and I’ll never have another one” he said as he started taking his clothes off.
“Oh my God Tony did you have your heart broken? Is that why you’re like this?” Pepper asked.
She didn’t know what this Rachel girl did to him but judging by how angry he was yesterday things were starting to make sense.
“Pepper the longer you stand here and ask me questions while I’m undressing eventually I’m going to be naked. I’m just trying to take a shower” he said.
“Whatever I’ll wait for you downstairs and we can continue this conversation” she said as she hurried downstairs.
Tony let the water wash over him. He had it ice cold. The words in the email were haunting him. “I am in dire need to talk to you. I hope these letters are reaching you if not I have lost all hope”. He wished he could walk away from this but no matter how much she hurt him and no matter how angry he was she was someone he loved with all his heart and he couldn’t just walk away. It’s been fifteen years since he seen or heard from her. And then there was Pepper. He didn’t know what was happening between them and he knew he wanted her with him every day. She would be waiting for him when he went downstairs with more questions. And she deserved the answers whether they made him uncomfortable or not.
He toweled off and put on his suit that Pepper picked out and grabbed his tie that he was going to need her to tie.
“Hi” Tony said entering the living room.
“Here let me get your tie” she said as she went to tie.
They stood there for a moment staring at each other. Tony was feeling a mix of emotions he didn’t know how to cope with. He wanted to kiss her but he knew he shouldn’t so he didn’t. He didn’t understand why he was feeling this. Women are one and done for him. Urges to kiss Pepper were not part of his plan.
“In answer to your question she disappeared. One day we were together and the next day she literally disappeared. Her entire family up and left. I tried looking her up and calling around. No one knew anything. I kept thinking she was going to call me or write me. She told me she loved me. I gave it until graduation and then I apparently blossomed. I was no longer a nerdy teenager and I realized that girls wanted to have sex with me and that they would with or without a relationship and that’s it” he said.
“Oh Tony I’m so sorry” Pepper said.
“I’m not” he said as he poured himself a drink.
They arrived at the budget meeting and Tony was so distracted. He was angry at Rachel but opening up to Pepper made him feel better. He watched as she took notes for him so he could play on his phone. She was the best person he knew and he couldn’t come to terms with how distracted she made him from everything. He was unsure of himself around her and that unsettled him. He looked at the clock and since there were only twenty minutes left he stood up.
“You’ll have to excuse me for a moment” he said.
He hurried out and headed for the elevator and took it down to the basement. He combed the rows and rows of boxes and records and then he found the box right where he left it. He picked it up and brought it back up with him to meet Pepper.
“Where did you go?” she asked.
“I told you I had to get some stuff from the basement. Hey Pepper I almost stayed for the whole meeting. That’s progress right?” he said.
“I ordered a dress for your reunion” she said.
“Do I get a sneak peek?” he asked as he raised an eyebrow at her.
“No sorry Tony. You’re just going to have to be surprised” she said.
When they got back into the house Tony changed and dumped the contents of the box on his bed. He flipped through pictures of him and Rachel and pushed memories his brain wanted him to see back down.
Tony dropped the picture of the two of them that he had been holding and he didn’t feel any better. He wasn’t quite sure what he thought he was going to find in the box or how it was going to make him feel. He honestly wanted to throw all of it in the fire but he decided to wait to listen to what she had to say first and give her the opportunity to take it if she wanted it.