Stark After Dark

Chapter 18

Tony was nervous. He felt that he had overcome many hurdles with Pepper but this was the big one. They were driving from the airport to Greenwich Connecticut to spend an extended weekend at her parents house. He couldn't mess this up. He knew how close Pepper was to her family and if they didn't like him they would tell her and he would be history. Tony was focusing on the road while Pepper was playing around with the playlist and he didn't even notice.

"If you put it on a reasonable volume you can put on Black Sabbath," she said.

Tony turned to Pepper and smiled. He needed to win her over.

"Nope. Whatever you have on is fine dear," he said.

Pepper looked at him strangely.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah whatever you want," he said with a smile.

The car fell silent and Pepper stared out the window. She felt like Tony was being strange and it was worrying her. She wondered if she did something wrong and Tony wasn't really wanting this. She was so glad that she didn't sleep with him or things would be really awkward.

They pulled into the driveway and Tony immediately came around to open Pepper's door. He wanted them to see that he could be a gentleman.

"Tony what is all this nonsense," she asked as she got out of the car.

"It's not nonsense. And put that down I got it," he said, grabbing the overnight bag from her and slinging it over his shoulder while he carried his own bag.

Pepper headed to the door and walked in quickly and her mother was there to greet her. They hugged and she turned to introduce her mother to Tony.

"Mother, this is Tony. Tony this is my mother Denise," she said as she stepped out of the conversation.

"It's so nice to meet you. You have a very lovely daughter,"

"This is so exciting. You're like a celebrity around here. Everyone knows my daughter works for you and now she is bringing you home as her boyfriend," she said sizing him up.

"Mom, he's my date, not my boyfriend. I explained on the phone this is a trial run," Pepper said with an irritated tone.

"Where can I put our bags?" Tony asked with a pained look on his face.

"Your room is at the top of the stairs to the left and Ginny's room is down the hallway. The last door on the right," Denise said.

Pepper looked at him with apologetic eyes.

Different rooms. Great. Tony thought.

Tony made his way up the stairs and he could hear Pepper and her mother talking in the living room.

"Honey, he is a very handsome man. What took you so long?" Denise said.

"He is but I need him to be more than just handsome," Pepper said.

Tony came back down and found them in the kitchen.

"Can I help with anything?" he offered.

"Tony, you don't know how to use anything in the kitchen. Let's go say hi to my father,"

Tony followed her and stopped her quickly. She turned to face him.

"If you had just told your mom that we're a couple maybe we wouldn't need to have seperate bedrooms. It's not like we're having sex," he said.

"We're not a couple," she reassured him.

That hurt Tony so deep. She disliked him so greatly and she was so irritated with herself for entertaining this that she can't even acknowledge what is happening between them.