Project: A Stark Winter

Chapter Twenty-Two: Plead the Fifth

The minutes flew by into hours as the women surrounding you fussed and tweaked every last detail of your appearance. Wanda had practically torn your closet apart trying to find the perfect outfit for tonight's date and sifting through the new clothes you had gotten a few nights prior as Natasha plucked at your eyebrows with little mercy.
"Ow! Nat!" You cried out in pain as the sudden sharp sting of a hair being pulled brought a small tear to your eye.
"Stop being a baby." She scoffed as she set her assassin sights on the next target.
"Do you know how to be gentle?" You asked her sarcastically with a roll of your eyes. She paused her tweezing motions and eyed you with a mischievous grin.
"Oh so you like it-"
"Nat! Not what I meant." You shriek cutting her off. She giggles and with a shrug, finishes her task at hand; this time a bit softer. Wanda came rushing out of your closet holding a black satin dress to her body.
"What do we think?" She asked the group as all eyes turned to her. She held it smooth over her curves as she did a swaying motion to give it the full effect. Just as you're about to say it might be a bit much the other women chime in.
"It's wonderful!" Pepper offers with barely concealed excitement. She sets her phone down on the bed where she sat cross legged and leaned forward to grab hold of the smooth fabric.
"I think the slit on the side shows the perfect amount of leg and the spaghetti straps make it chic and elegant." Natasha chimes in, her analysis of the dress eliciting nods from the others. Wanda tosses you the dress and stands bouncing on the balls of her feet and clasping her hand in front of her. You sigh deeply, take the dress, and head to the bathroom to change; dragging your feet on the way. Once you're safely out of the eyes of the women, you release a held breath. This entire afternoon had been overwhelming as they had dressed you up like a living Barbie. Shrugging out of your clothes, you tug on the silky fabric and pull the thin straps over your bare shoulders. As you are about to leave the bathroom, the sight of your reflection stops you in your tracks. Your eyes go wide as they meet those of your mirror image. The woman standing before you was almost unrecognizable. Your hair had been tucked and pinned in loose curls by Pepper in a perfect updo. A few strands were pulled free and gently framed your face. The makeup Natasha had done was stunning as the colors emphasized your eyes in a subtle yet beautiful way. Your eyes trailed over your figure as your hand rested on the neckline of the dress, taken aback at how good you actually looked. You were strikingly beautiful all dolled up like this. Everything about you would turn heads this evening and the confidence you once had started to filter in once again. You smiled to yourself and did a giddy bounce, allowing excitement to take over and pushing the nerves to the back of your mind. Taking a deep breath, you step out from the bathroom as Natasha, Pepper, and Wanda all fall into silence at the sight of you. Feeling nervous by their lack of reaction you attempt to fill the silence.
"Is it too much? The slit is a little too high and I don't know maybe the eye makeup just isn't right for this-"
"You look perfect." A baritone voice cuts through your nervous babble. Your eyes dart to your bedroom door to see Steve leaning casually against the door frame. His smile was wide and showered you with warmth and reassurance. The rest of the women began showering you with praise and compliments as they added their final touches on your look, though your eyes never left Steve's. He gave you a bashful smile, cleared his throat, and crossed his arms; the white t-shirt pulled taught over his large muscles.
"The lawyer is here to pick you up for your date ." He announces, only the slightest amount of distaste laced in his words.
"Okay, she'll be out in a minute!" Pepper scolded, her usually calm demeanor cracking from the commotion. Steve nods his understanding and shoots you one final smile before ducking out of the room and wandering back down the hall. Natasha grabs your chin firmly and pulls it in her direction as she wields a tube of dark red lipstick.
"Hold still. Pucker your lips a bit, no, not like that, like, yes. Thank you." She mutters as she begins lining your curved lips with the dark red color. She helps you step into a pair of stiletto heels and holds your arm while you try and regain your balance. Giving one last look of approval, she nods and takes a step back to survey her work.
"She's ready." Natasha finally declares after a beat and the women begin rushing you down the hallway toward your date. The clicking of your high heels echoed in the hallway as you marched on toward your impending fate. Your stomach did flips as your palms grew sweaty with nerves. This was a major step in the direction of your new life and everything felt overwhelming the closer you got to the kitchen. Your ears roared as your senses began to spin in every direction all at once, vertigo making you stumble slightly, but when you stepped into the kitchen and saw Tony interrogating Matt, whose back was to you, everything fell into a fragile peace.