Natasha glanced around the ballroom, Stark's charity auction had a good turn. This year there was a ball before the auction, so everything was extremely elegant. Shimmering chandlers, dripping with crystals, hung from the vaulted ceilings, casting shadows on the dancers below. The room was full of silk, satin, and taffeta skirts swirling in every direction and crisp, clean cut, suits. The sound of hundreds of people talking and laughing filled the air along with strains of classical music.
The people that weren't dancing were gathered by the side of the dance floor, talking next to the huge floor to ceiling windows that graced the walls of the room. Others had stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air on one of the many balconies. And some still were at the fully stocked bar talking and drinking fancy little cocktails.
Natasha was perched gracefully on one of the black leather bar stools that lined the bar, sipping a cocktail. She had been there for about thirty minutes, enough time for the target to notice her. Mark Daniels seemed to appreciate the short beaded cocktail dress she was sporting. She had seen his gaze drift her way more than once. Natasha smiled into her drink, this was her favorite part, seeing how gullible men were. It always amused her.
Just as she was finishing her drink, Clint's voice came over her comm link.
"Hey Nat! How's it going?" he said, his voice slightly muffled by the wind on the roof.
"Good," she said, careful to barely move her lips, so no one tell she was talking. "Are you in position?"
"Yep. Do you have eyes on Daniels?"
"I sure do. He's been eyeing me like a piece of meat for the last twenty minutes. I shouldn't have any trouble luring him away from the crowd for a few minutes."
"Yay. I'm so gland you attract him," he said disgust coloring his voice.
"Oh, get over it Clint. I mean really! You're like this every mission. It's getting old."
"Fine. I'll shut up but that doesn't mean I like it."
"You don't have to and shut up for real. Daniels is heading my way."
"Ok. Bye, be safe."
"Same," she said before swinging around in her seat to come face to face with Daniels.
He cleaned up nicely, she supposed. His greying brown hair was swept back and his beard was closely shaven. He was wearing a fresh looking black and white suit with a gray tie. However, his eyes ruined the picture, they were dark and cold, like a shark's.
"Hi there!" she said, slipping a bubbly element into her voice. She smiled internally when his eyes flickered from the empty glass in her hand back to her face. He had fallen for the giggly drunk act hook, line, and sinker. Now she just had to reel him in.
"Well hello," Daniels said, "What's a pretty thing like yourself doing here all alone?"
"I don't know. Would you believe me if a told you it was fate?"
"Well that depends, fate is a curious thing. So tell me darling, how did fate bring you here?"
"Well..," Natasha said before giggling and almost falling out of her chair, "Fate decided that he fancied someone else and left yours truly here all alone. But I've had a few drinks and now you're here so I should be ok."
"If that's the case I'll have to thank fate later, I'm glad he left you to hang with me"
At this Natasha smiled and giggled again, sliding out of her chair and into Mark Daniels's arms, almost tripping over the one of the legs of the stool. As he pulled her up he whispered in her ear, "I never caught your name, sweetheart."
