Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 7

One month later
Stark Industries

"Yes, I'm aware of that but that shipment was supposed to be here a week ago." Kristina is on the phone in the conference room. Pacing back & forth. Happy steps in, whispering her name. She looks over at him, mouths sorry & gestures to wait.

"I understand, trust me. However, that shipment is important & is a week late. Now with that being said, Stark Industries must receive our shipment by the end of this week. If not, not only will you refund our money in full but we will be cutting ties. You are aware of how much Stark Industries makes a year, correct? Do you really want to mess this up?", she says sternly & politely.

Happy sits back watching her work. He's turned on by her confidence. She smiles.
"Glad you see it our way. I will be keeping in touch. Have a great day. Bye now." She hangs up.

"Sorry about that. What's up?", she asks drinking her water.
"One, that was hot watching you work & two, you have a visitor in your office."

She grabs her stuff.
"Very flirtatious, Mr. Hogan. I appreciate the compliment." She winks. They walk out together. Happy goes into Tony's office. Kristina steps into hers. Sitting in the chair across from her desk is someone she didn't expect to see.

"What the hell are you doing here?", Kristina asks shutting her door.
"Is that any way to speak to your father?" She rolls her eyes.

"Oh, so now you want to be my father? How did you even find where I work?", she asks sitting down.
"I've kept tabs on you." She scoffs, sitting back.
"What for? I'm not your daughter anymore, remember?" A sad look appears on his face.

"I should've never said that. I'm sorry."

"Shouldn't have said what, David? That I'm a whore, that Peter was never good for me? That to you all he was going to be in life was nothing or that I was no longer your daughter & you kicked me out with nowhere to go?"

"I didn't approve of you stripping--"

She interrupts, "I wasn't stripping! It was Burlesque. I danced in lingerie, I was never naked. I told you that repeatedly! But you never believed anything I said. Plus that made me more money than that office job."

"I know I made some horrible judgment calls but I love you. You are my daughter." She stands up.

"Am I? Was I your daughter when you kicked me out & banned me from my childhood home? Or am I all of a sudden your daughter because I'm working for a billion dollar company?"

He looks shocked by her questions. The door opens.

"Hey, are you ready?", Tony asks looking up from his phone. Kristina sighs.
"Who's this?", Tony says looking confused.

"This is David, my dad. This is Tony Stark." They shake hands.
"Nice to meet you", David says.
"Likewise."
"We're kind of in the middle of something. I'm sorry." Tony nods.
"Don't be. Take your time. I'll have Happy come back for you." He leaves abruptly.

"I can't believe you would think that", David says turning his attention to her.
"What am I supposed to think? I tried contacting you, you refused to even speak to me. That was four years ago." She begins to cry.

"Nothing I did was ever good enough for you. I was always rebellious in your eyes. I wanted you to trust me & my choices. But you wouldn't. You always said Peter was nothing but trouble. He wasn't a thug or a street kid, dad. He was good to me. I know you disapproved of my job choice but I made good money doing Burlesque, I liked it. I had alot of fun. I even bought you a gold Rolex as a surprise. I remember you always said how you never had enough money to buy one."

She wipes her eyes & her dad tears up.

"Peter broke up with me a day or so before you kicked me out. He let me stay with him until I left for Malibu. I got a refund for that Rolex & bought a bus ticket to see Genevieve. I paid to have my things moved from Buffalo to Malibu. I made something of myself. I'm proud of me even if you aren't."

Her dad stands up to hug her but she pulls away.

"So many things have happened over the last four years & you refused to speak to me. I don't know why you showed up here."

"I know I made mistakes. I shouldn't have said all those mean things to you. I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I just wanted to see my little girl. Regardless of what you may think I do love you. I've missed you & I will always be proud of the beautiful, intelligent woman you've become. Your mother would be too. I just want a chance to make things right with you. I want us to have a relationship again. But only if you want to. I'm hoping one day you can forgive me."

He pulls out a card with his info & sets it on her desk.
"Call me sometime, if you want. I'll show myself out." He walks over to the door.
"I love you, Kristina. No matter what." When the door closes behind him, she breaks down on the floor.

About thirty minutes pass by while she sits on the floor crying. Happy walks in not long after.
"Kristina? Are you ok?" He sits down by her & pulls her into a hug.

"Shh, it's ok. Let it out." He says rubbing her back. When they pull away, he grabs tissues & hands it to her. She wipes her eyes.

"Wanna tell me what happened?", he asks. She nods. Sighing then she explains everything.

"Wow. I'm sorry. What are you going to do?", he asks. She shrugs.
"I don't know. I love my dad, I do. But I don't think I'm ready to forgive him, let alone bond with him." He stands up, pulling her up as well.

"You don't have to decide anything right now. Ok? Give it time. Now...Tony wanted me to come get you for the photoshoot." She chuckles.

"I don't know why he needs me there. I'm not the one being photographed. I'm ready to go but I just need to check my makeup." She grabs a compact from her purse.

"You always look beautiful to me", Happy says smiling. She checks her makeup & closes the compact. She walks over to him, kissing him lightly.
"Thank you for always being here when I need you."

He pulls her in, kissing her. He pushes her against the wall. She pulls away, smirking.
"Happy, as much as I would love to continue this, we have to get going." He lets her go, she grabs her stuff & they head out.