The billionaire's daughter - Tony Stark's Heir

7. Old acquaintances

Carina threw her cigarette butt on the floor and took a deep breath before entering the house she couldn't wait to escape from. She entered and headed straight into the living room from which she heard the piano melody, surely played by Obadiah.

"I'm here" Carina said.

"Good" Pepper smiled "Tony is about to arrive"

Carina nodded and then sat down on the sofa. "Uh, it went that bad?" She asked, seeing the pizza box.

Before Obadiah could answer Tony walked into the room. "How'd it go? It went that bad, huh?" Tony asked, making Pepper smile slightly. As much as father and daughter hated each other, the two were incredibly alike.

Carina looked closely at Tony, her gaze landing on his chest. It was the first time she had seen the reactor, she had heard Pepper mention it.

"Just because I brought pizza back from New York doesn't mean it went bad" Obadiah said, still playing the piano.

"Sure doesn't" Tony said rolling his eyes "Oh, boy"

"It would have gone better if you were there" Obadiah said.

"Uh-huh. You told me to lay low. That's what I've been doing. I lay low, and you take care of all..."

"Hey, come on. In public. The press" Obadiah said came over to sit to Tony "This was a board of directors meeting"

"This was a board of directors meeting?" Tony asked.

"The board is claiming you have post-traumatic stress. They're filing an injunction" Obadiah said.

"A what?" Tony asked.

"They want to lock you out"

"Why, 'cause the stocks dipped 40 points?" Tony asked "We knew that was gonna happen"

"Fifty-six and a half" Carina and Pepper said at the same time.

"It doesn't matter" Tony shook his head "We own the controlling interest in the company"

"Tony, the board has rights, too. They're making the case that you and your new direction isn't in the company's best interest" Obadiah said.

"I'm being responsible!" Tony exclaimed "That's a new direction for me, for the company. I mean, me on the company's behalf being responsible for the way that... this is great" he stood up and took the pizza box with him.

"Oh, come on. Tony. Tony" Obadiah called, starting following him.

"I'll be in the shop"

"Hey, hey! Hey, Tony. Listen" Obadiah stopped him "I'm trying to turn this thing around, but you gotta give me something. Something to pitch them. Let me have the engineers analyze that. You know, draw up some specs"

"No. No, absolutely not"

"It'll give me a bone to throw the boys in New York!"

"This one stays with me. That's it, Obie. Forget it" Tony said.

"All right, well, this stays with me, then" Obadiah said, taking the pizza box "Go on, here, you can have a piece. Take two"

"Thank you" Tony said, taking a slice of pizza.

"You mind if I come down there and see what you're doing?" Obadiah asked.

"Good night, Obie"

✴···✴···✴

The long-awaited evening had finally come. That evening, in fact, there would be the third annual benefit for the Firefighter's Family Fund.

Carina was happy that the day had finally come, because that meant her days there were about to end, and if you add the fact that her father would not be present that evening, the girl's mood did nothing but improve. In fact, by mutual agreement with Pepper and Obadiah, they had decided to tell reporters that Tony was suffering from post-traumatic stress and had been bedridden for weeks.

Carina had just gotten out of the car that took her to the party. A horde of reporters overwhelmed her and started asking her a thousand questions, to which she paid relatively attention. She was absently answering a question a reporter had asked her when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She turned and found a person in front of her, whom she seemed not to see in a lifetime.

"James!" She exclaimed, hugging her childhood best friend.   

"You are going back to America and you don't even call me?" He asked, hugging her too.   

"You know how it is, I've had some commitments" she said, smiling slightly.   

"Would you like to go inside, so let's talk a little bit in private?" He asked, pointing to the journalists who were photographing them.   

"Yeah, of course"   

The two went inside and approached the bar counter. Another thing Carina loved about that evening? The fact that the bartender was told to give her a drink too despite her age and to resign herself to the fact that she was, like all the Starks in her family, persistent, narcissistic and a lover of alcohol.

"Give me a Boulevardier" Carina said to the barman "Do you want something to drink James?"

"Maybe something light"   

"A Gin Tonic for my friend" Carina said to the barman and then turned her attention to her friend "Well, what do you tell me? We haven't seen each other for years!"   

"Well, certainly not my choice" James said, making Carina roll her eyes.   

"Oh come on, still with this story? You know very well why I did it" she said taking a sip from the cocktail the barman had just brought them.   

"Right, I'm sorry. I just missed you" he said, bringing a rebellious hair behind her ear.   

"I missed you so much too, Jamie"   

The boy looked around and then rested his gaze on his best friend, the same girl he had a crush on for years.    "Can you give me this dance?" He asked, extending his hand.   

"With pleasure" she said, taking his hand and starting to walk towards the dance floor.

He gently placed his right hand on her hip and with his left took her right hand. The two began to dance, letting themselves be carried away by the sound of music. They felt like they were children again when they enjoyed learning to dance just like adults did.   

"You look especially beautiful tonight" he whispered in her ear.

"Thank you" she smiled "You're not bad too"   

"Maybe, but the guests are certainly not looking at me. Everyone's watching us, including your father"At those words Carina's lightheartedness suddenly vanished. What was Tony doing there?

"If a look could kill, judging from your father's, I'd say I'd already be underground"   

"What?" Carina asked, confused.   

"Yeah well, I think your dad doesn't like us being too close" James shrugged.   

Carina felt confused at that moment. Her father had never shown a minimum of interest in her and instead now since he returned he behaved differently, a way that destabilized her.

"Forget him" she said taking his face in her hands "Let's forget about everyone at least for tonight. I will leave tomorrow afternoon and I want this evening to be unforgettable"   

"Are you leaving already?" He asked sadly.   

She simply nodded.   

"So if this evening is to be unforgettable we have to get out of here"   

"Take me where you want, I'm all yours" she said smiling.   

He took her hand and under the curious gaze of some people and Tony's attentive one, they left that place.