Avengers: Altruism [N. Romanoff]

7. Personal Chauffeur

CHAPTER 7
Personal Chauffeur

23 October 2008

Claire stood at a standstill in the overflowing New York traffic, her cat in the seat next to her watching the blinking of the cars indicators turn on and off. Her hands slammed against the steering wheel as a growl escaped her lips, she only wanted to pull into a parking spot on the side of the road, three feet away.

Stark towers loomed above her, a shadow casted down on the rainbow traffic below. A round building that travelled upwards, then the floors slimmed down until it reached a long platform extended from one of the higher grounds. It was completely noticeable from any corner of the neighbourhood, especially with the bright, blue surname illuminating on the side.

Simba rose from the front seat, making a loud meow to wake up Claire from her day-dream and help her realise that the traffic had moved a couple of feet. This allowing her to squeeze past into the small gap next to the tower, making sure not to touch the vehicles tightly pushed in front and behind her small car.

Claire's keys jingled as she pulled them from her ignition, shaking the vast amount of keychains attached from the most random events and destinations. Simba stared at her, waiting for his cat-leash to be clipped onto his collar, and not allowing Claire to forget that he had to spend the entire car ride atop a briefcase for a specific reason.

A sigh emitted from her rosy lips as Claire contemplated the next few hours in her mind. She was scheduled for a meeting with Tony Stark's personal assistant, Virginia Potts. Fury had an agents call in, hack in, or whatever he was calling it these days, to somehow convince 'Pepper' Potts that a job proposal for the world's finest Hypnotherapist was an order for her boss.

Claire never found out how this had happened, nor what had been said, but she always held a suspicion that SHIELD had somehow wormed their way into Stark industry already, especially with the rumours of Tony Stark and a metal-suited hero flying around the media.

She clipped the light-blue leash onto Simba, and called him out the car. As her head popped out, she stared with sympathy at the slow flowing traffic, and locked the doors of her car. She felt that vibration and ringing of her phone matched the scenery surrounding her, and answered Phil Coulson's call with a hearty smile as she led the way.

"Doctor O'Connor," he greeted her.

"Phil," she teasingly replied with a sweet honey voice.

"I'll meet you on the bench of the last floor, Potts will hold a meeting with myself before she is to meet with you."

"More shady SHIELD business?" Claire teased, covering up the knot tightening in her chest with each step she took.

"We will be a couple minutes," he avoided her question and hung up right after.