Although Veronica always made sure she looked perfect, today she unconsciously made even more of an effort on her appearance. She wore a grey dress with a modest neckline, though it hugged her shapely body in a classy, yet appealing manner. An expensive black leather belt attached at her waist.

Her grey eyes were covered in a smoldering smokey eye, which was a lot more make up than she usually used. Her blonde hair was loosely curled and down for the day.

Looking in the mirror, Veronica frowned. She looked good, but the make up and special clothes made her wonder if she was unconsciously trying to impress Tony Stark.

She suddenly laughed to herself, shaking her head. No, she wasn't trying to impress him. More so, she was trying to intimidate him. True, he dated a lot of beautiful women... but she would never in a million years go out with that man. And maybe she thought that the fact that he thought she was attractive (or so he said on the phone) mixed with the fact that he couldn't have her would bother him.

Anything to get ahead.

A text buzzed on her phone. It was from Kristina, her friend that worked the front desk at Stark Industries. Veronica glanced at the clock. 7:35. She would be late again. Fantastic.

Her black heels clicked against the hardwood floors of her penthouse and she hurried down the to the elevator of her apartment complex. She emerged outside to find Kristina's black SUV waiting for her, music blasting.

Kristina was twenty-five, six years younger than Veronica, but they still became fast friends in spite of the large age gap.

"So... you look nice." she said slyly as Veronica stepped up into the large SUV. "Any particular reason? You don't have the hots for my boss or anything, do you?"

"Oh please, Kristina." Veronica sighed, adjusting her purse on her lap. "Are you incinuating that I don't always look good?"

"No, you make me feel inadequate on a daily basis. But today I feel especially like a potato." Kristina laughed, pulling away from the curb.

"Oh stop it." Veronica told her, eyeing her friend. "You look fine."

"Wonderful adjective." Kristina said drily, merging onto the high way at a high speed, causing Veronica to grip the edge of her seat in brief panic.

"You look pale. Must be my driving." Kristina commented, amused. Veronica shot her a look.

"What is it with you Stark Industries people and your inability to drive safely?" she asked, eyes wide as they zoomed down the crowded high way.

Kristina laughed. "You mean our ability to go the speed limit?" she teased, stepping harder on the gas to mess with Veronica. She sighed as she held on to the side of the door for sweet life. Kristina was the only person alive who was able to make fun of Veronica and get away with it. They had been friends for over five years now, and although Kristina's habits drove her insane, they still had a good time together.

They reached downtown in a much shorter time due to Kristina's crazy driving, and Veronica was dropped off at her regular time. Part of her was relieved that she was on time, but the other part still shook from the transportation.

"Have fun with Tony tonight." Kristina said with a wink as Veronica stepped out of the SUV. "Use protection."

"Kristina!" Veronica exclaimed, but her only response was laughter as Kristina pealed away from the curb, heading to Stark Industries. She shook her head in disgust as she entered her building, stopping to get coffee on the way up to her office.

She worked tirelessly that day, getting all of her paperwork done early on, and the started working on her cases. Only a few calls from clients came in, but those took an hour long to take care of, at most.

Before she knew it, 12:55 rolled around, and she had to walk downstairs to meet Tony Stark. She briefly considered blowing him off, but then realized that her car would positively never get fixed if she did that.

Sighing, she stood up and grabbed her purse before heading down to the lobby. She left a note on her secretary's desk as she passed, as well.

Walking out to the street, she immediately knew that Stark was on time. An overly fancy car was waiting by a 'Fire Lane' sign not ten feet from where she stood. It was a silver Lotus, and it was blasting classic rock from it's speakers.

Closing her eyes to compose herself, she calmly walked to the car. He looked up as he approached, pushing his sunglasses down his nose to take a better look at her.

"Ms. Ferrell, you showed up!" Tony exclaimed, glancing at the clock. "A few more seconds and you would have been late!"

Veronica opened the silver door wordlessly, slipping in onto the expensive leather seating. She felt Stark's eyes on her. "You look beautiful." he purred, smirking at her. She scoffed, crossing her legs.

"From you, I take that as an insult." she snapped. "Drive."

"Whoo fiesty today, are we? That's quite alright." Stark said, shifting gears. "I like 'em with some fire."

"Good point. I'll be sure to tone it down. Just for you." Veronica replied. Her hands gripped the side of the car as Stark sped away from the curb and continued down the roads of New York City at the fastest speed that he could go without hitting anybody. He weaved in and out, using bus lanes as well as vehicle lanes.

"Would you slow down?" Veronica growled over the music, eyes wide with fear. She didn't like going fast in any type of vehicle. Rollar coasters, cars, the metro, anything. It was a wonder that she could tolerate Kristina's driving.

"Sorry, can't hear you." Stark replied, grinning at her. Veronica huffed, opting to grip harder at her door. This was it. She would die today. And with Tony Stark of all people. She was going to be sick. She clenched her eyes shut.

Suddenly, it was all over. The car was stopped in front of a classy French restaurant. Stark was out of the car, giving the keys to the valet. Veronica was dazed as he opened the door, extending a hand to help her out.

She ignored it, managing to get out on her own. She wasn't that dazed.

"You can refrain from any false chivalry, Mr. Stark." she told him, standing up to her full height. She was pleased to find that, in heels, she was exactly the same height as he was. "It doesn't work on me."

"Who's to say that it's false?" Stark questioned, walking behind her as they went in. "I pride myself on being a gentleman." He smirked.

Veronica chuckled softly. "Oh please. I know your games, Mr. Stark. I'm not your date. I'm not someone who is going to try and sleep with you for my fifteen minutes of fame." she informed him.

"How about thirty minutes of fame?" Stark asked suggestively, and Veronica ignored the comment. "I'm sure it'll last much longer than fifteen minutes."

"Bonjour, Monsieur Stark et sa belle dame. Une table pour deux a préparé pour vous." the waiter said as they approached the front desk.

"Merci." Tony answered simply, and they were led to a table right in front of the dining room, to Veronica's great displeasure.

"Euh, excusez-moi, monsieur, mais pouvons-nous avoir une table à l'arrière du restaurant?" Veronica asked quickly.

The waiter smiled. "Oui, mademoiselle. Pour plus d'intimité, je suppose?" he asked, and led them to a table way in the back of the dining room. They could still be seen, but it was much less conspicuous.

"For privacy? Why, Ms. Ferrell, I thought you hated me." Tony said slyly as they sat down.

"I do. Which is why I'd rather that everyone who enters the restaurant does not see us together." Veronica told him, opening her menu. When the waiter came back, Tony order a bottle of wine for them.

"Je veux juste de l'eau, s'il vous plaît. Avec une citron." Veronica said.

"I'm insulted." Tony said, frowning at her as she studied her menu.

"I don't drink." Veronica snapped back.

"What kind of self-respecting woman doesn't drink French wine?" he muttered, taking a sip of his once it came.

"I don't drink." she repeated irritably. "And even if I did, I wouldn't drink around you."

"What? Afraid to loosen your inhibitions around me?"

"Hardly." Veronica scoffed, sipping her water. "Sadly, for you anyway, there is not enough alcohol in the world to illicit that between us."

"Harsh."

"Honest."

"I didn't know you spoke French." Tony started, changing the subject.

"How would you? You barely know me." Veronica responded, narrowing her eyes at him. "But for your information, I fluently speak French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and a bit of Russian and Japanese."

"Who has the time to learn all of those languages?"

"Me." Veronica responded. "I made time. I find that it's much easier to converse with clients in my field of work when we speak the same language."

"You know you can just hire people for that, right?"

Veronica smiled wryly. "Always a short cut, right, Mr. Stark?" she asked, before pausing to order her lunch from the waiter. "It's quite humorous how you are considered to be one of the most influential people in the modern world, yet I doubt you do half the work you take credit for."

"We're the top name in clean energy right now because of arc reactor technology that I developed." Stark told her, sipping his glass of wine. "I constructed all of my Iron Man suits on my own."

"You are talented, Mr. Stark, I will give you that. But the fact that all of the work you actually do yourself are the projects that directly benefit yourself is my point here."

"I started being Iron Man so that I could help people."

"Of course," Veronica said sarcastically. "But then again, you seem to very much enjoy the attention you receive for your 'heroics'. Why else would you tell the world your identity if not for more attention. The Stark Expo, for example? A bunch of women dancing around in reveiling costumes that resemble the Iron Man suit, along with a huge entrance, and a big focus on you, rather than bringing together great minds to create new technology to help better mankind."

"My father created the City of the Future in 1974, and he later named it the 'Stark Expo'. Of course it has a focus on me." Stark said, leaning back in his chair.

Veronica was silent. She glanced around and noticed a few people looking at them. She took a few bites of her food, ignoring them.

"What, no witty response?" Stark asked her, smirking. Veronica shrugged.

"It will merely fall on deaf ears. Why should I waste my breath?" Veronica answered, a small smile adorning her lips. "Anyway, we should really discuss the matter at hand before I can't handle any more of your pretentious tendencies. My car. Fix it."

"Already got it covered, Veronica... can I call you Veronica?"

"Miss. Ferrell." she corrected him. "And please elaborate."

"Well, Ronnie," Stark started with a smirk. "And I've decided to have your car fixed at only the best mechanic's."

"Wonderful. And that is?"

"Me." Tony told her, grinning.

"Excuse me?" Veronica sputtered, putting down her fork and staring at him. "I told you where I wanted my car fixed."

"Yes, and I did some research on this 'Baker and Jenner' place you mentioned. Completely inadequate. I can't allow for my friend to have her Porsche fixed at such a place."

"Tanner Baker is a long time family friend." Veronica snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"Regardless," Stark said, waving his hand. "I insist! You'll get the best service. Plus, you'll get to see me more often. How about that!"

"Are you always this difficult or do you just try extra hard when you're speaking with me?" Veronica asked, fuming.

"It's a gift." Tony drawled. "So, I'll have your car brought to Stark Industries tonight and I'll get working on it."

"I don't want you touching my car. You've done enough damage." Veronica said in a monotone, an attempt to calm herself down. This was supposed to be a one-time thing. One lunch, and he'd have her car fixed. Not fix it himself!

"Ah, yes, but I am the best." Stark told her. "After all, you did say that I have talent, didn't you?"

"You are impossible, Mr. Stark."

"Thank you."

Veronica narrowed her eyes and was silent for a moment. "I want my car fixed at Baker and Jenner's." she told him stubbornly.

"Well we can't always get what we want. Unless you're me, of course."

"I would like nothing more than to sue you." Veronica informed him, crossing and uncrossing her legs irritably.

"I think you've mentioned that before." Stark said snarkily, grinning. "But suing someone isn't always the answer."

"It is for a lawyer." Veronica mumbled, meeting his eyes. Hers were steely and his were only full of amusement. "Is this how you get your kicks? Being difficult in situations that require much easier solutions?"

Stark shrugged. "I merely want to fix your car, Miss. Ferrell." he said innocently.

Veronica rolled her eyes. "It could have been halfway done by now if you weren't such an agitator."

"Yes, but now you can tell all your friends that the Tony Stark, Iron Man, fixed your car!"

"I don't understand you."

"You don't need to." Tony answered, and then glanced at her plate. "Ready to go?"

"More than you could possibly understand." Veronica snapped, standing up and marching out of the restaurant without waiting for Tony.

He caught up to her easily, and grinned at her as he walked with large strides to keep up with her pace.

"How long are you going to take on my car?" she demanded, getting in the car with him once the valet brought it back.

"As long as it takes. Probably a week."

"A week?" Veronica exclaimed, turning to stare at him.

"It's not my only priority, Ronnie." he reminded her. She flinched at the nickname. "I have mountains of other work to do."

Veronica laughed once, humorlessly. "Oh please. Let's agree not to lie to one another, Mr. Stark."

"Lie? Me? Never."

Veronica sighed in agitation. "I expect to be able to visit at my leisure to inspect your work on my car." she continued.

"Want to spend more time with me, Miss. Ferrell?" Tony asked, smiling at her. "If so, you just have to ask."

"Hardly. I just want to make sure that you're actually working on it." Veronica told him. "And to ensure that you won't be painting streaks of fire or skulls anywhere on my Porsche."

"Are you this anal about everything?"

"I like to be informed, Mr. Stark. I hardly believe that you'd give me straight answers on your progress." Veronica answered. "Besides, I'd rather see progress with my own eyes. If that's what you call 'anal', then so be it. I'd classify it as 'involved'."

Tony laughed as he pulled up next to her building. "I look forward to your visit, Veronica." he said, grinning up at her as she irritably got out of his Lotus, slamming the door pointedly.

"I don't." she told in, monotone, and turned to march into her building. She checked her phone. She was an hour late coming back.

She closed her eyes in irritation, throwing open the door to her lobby. One week. One week, and she was free of Tony Stark for the rest of her life.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

YAY NEW CHAPTER!

I love Veronica. She just makes me happy. It's so fun how she can easily insult Tony, but not with so much as one curse word or any raised voices.

I hope you liked this chapter! I'm working on Circuit Breaker now.

So don't forget to review/PM and all that! I love hearing from all of you and appreciate any input you have to give!

Love you all!

Jess