(no subject)

[pepperred]

You've reached the voicemail of Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries. I'm either away from my desk or on another call, so please leave a message after the beep.

*beep*

Comments

[shields_widow]

Voicemail? Seriously? You need a few handsome men answering phones for you. Would serve Stark right. It's Natalie Rushman. Call me.

[pepperred]

Pepper listens to the message, then presses 4 to review, then presses 7 to delete. Finally she presses star to make an outside call.

"Natalie? It's Pepper, returning your call. I have handsome men answering phones for me; they're called department heads."

[shields_widow]

An ever-so-slight pause passes before the woman on the other side speaks. "Your department heads answer phones for you? I wondered who took the job when I left."

[pepperred]

"The idea is that they handle a lot of the routine calls so that I don't have to." Pepper leans back in her chair. "You've been busy since you left."

[shields_widow]

"Have I?"

She has, of course.

"So have you. Been busy, that is."

[pepperred]

"It's going around. New York made things busy for a lot of people." Funny how the name of the city means more than just the city these days. "And yet you made time to call me, busy lady that you are."

[shields_widow]

New York. Its mention helps establish a lot as far as where the conversation might go and who knows what...though Natasha certainly hadn't been hiding her identity after the Expo went to hell a few years back. Furthermore, she was relatively certain that Stark had told Pepper everything he knew about S.H.I.E.L.D. and her involvement in it.

"I'm not in charge of a multibillion-dollar multinational corporation. Most of the time I just lie around at home, shooting the breeze. But I happen to be in Los Angeles for the week."

[pepperred]

She's in California?

"Oh? Business or personal?"

Business meaning something involving the Avengers.

Personal meaning something involving Tony. Somehow. Like him not telling her about how he was dying, though she'd guessed that disgusting green drink wasn't just the average wheatgrass smoothie.

[shields_widow]

"Maybe a little of both. Can I steal you for a few hours this week?"

Hey, at least she's asking.

[pepperred]

Pepper looks at her calendar. The answer should be no. That's what a responsible CEO should say.

"Sure," she replies. "When?"

[shields_widow]

"You look free tomorrow until 1:30."

...which Pepper's calendar did not look earlier in the day.

"I'll pick you up at 8:30. It'll be nice to see Happy again."

[pepperred]

Pepper frowns a little as she checks her calendar again. That sneaky ... secret agent.

"Eight-thirty," she repeats. "I'll be ready." For ... something. She should probably wear pants and flats rather than a skirt and heels. Just in case.

[shields_widow]

"Great. See you then. Oh, and Pepper? How about we keep this between just us until tomorrow?"

That's her way of saying, No reason to tell Stark one of his least-favorite secret agent types is nosing around.

[pepperred]

"Under the girl code. Got it."

Though she wonders if she should leave a note of some kind. But she wouldn't put it past SHIELD to have someone sneak in and take the note.

[shields_widow]

"Thanks." There's a soft click as the line disconnects. Nothing is ever as it seems with that crowd, is it?