Agent Jones- Book One

| Chapter Nine |

There was a man standing in the hallway. Alone, confused, and familiar. He looked a bit panicked as well when he saw me standing there.

"Well hello there," he greeted, collecting his composure back. I gained my own composure back, and rolled my eyes. As I walked up to the door, I felt him staring at me.

Sticking the key in, I decided to say something to him. "You know it's very dangerous for you to be out here right now," I said. The key turned and I opened the door. "Especially on the third floor. Miriam will have your head if she sees you out here." I nodded my head, motioning for him to take shelter in my room for a moment. He smirked and hurried inside. I took the key out of the door handle and closed the door.

I knew Howard Stark's reputation for seducing women and all that, but I also knew that he was wanted by the SSR and the federal government. The latter would probably turn him serious once I mentioned it.

I turned around and saw him standing in the room. "So, wanna get this started?" he asked, arrogance swimming in his tone. My eyes rolled again and I walked further into the apartment and towards the dresser to set my bag down.

"I only let you in because I was serious: Miriam will display your head on a silver platter if she spots you 'corrupting these young women'." I turned and gave him a hard stare. "I have a gun so no funny business."

He gulped audibly and held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, my apologies. I was just waiting for my cousin." There was a pause and he asked the question I knew was coming. "Why does a lovely young woman like you have a gun?"

"Self defense. We are in the city after all," I answered. He nodded and I walked over to the kitchen. "Please, take a seat for a moment. You don't have to stand in the middle of the room like an awkward teenage boy. I thought you were smooth and knew how to handle yourself while around a woman?" I asked, mostly in a teasing manner.

He sat down and said, "I usually am, but they usually don't have guns on them." I shrugged and grabbed some coffee from out of the cupboard.

"Fair point." It was silent again as I started making some coffee. "Would you like some coffee?" I asked him. My mother had raised me to always ask company if they want something, especially if you're making it for yourself. Little did she know I'd use this advice on Howard Stark.

He declined and I poured myself a cup. I walked back out to the main area and looked at him, sitting awkwardly in the chair. "For goodness sakes man I'm not going to shoot you where you stand. It was an empty threat to let you know I wasn't up for anything with you," I said. He visibly relaxed a bit as I sipped my coffee. I opted not to sit and rather leaned against the wall. It was quiet once more as I drank my caffeine and he sat there observing the room.

"So," he started. "You're new here?" he asked.

I nodded and set my now empty cup down on a small table next to me. "I am. Just moved in here today. How'd you figure that one out?" I asked.

"The bed has no impressions in it and this space doesn't exactly seem like its been lived in. I'm good at observing when nothing else is going one." There were footsteps coming down the hall and Stark got up from his seat and hurried to the door. He looked out the peep hole and sighed. "Well, that's my cue. See you some day, Tiffany."

"Bye Stark," I said back. He carefully left the room and closed the door behind him. I was truly not expecting to ever encounter Howard Stark, yet here we are. I got myself out of my thoughts and cleaned my cup and put it back into the cupboard, then went back out to the main area. Stark was right: the space didn't seem lived in. There wasn't much around since I only had time to just put away what clothes I did bring and put a few little things up.