The Girls - New AU Adventures

Scarlett

     "Excuse me, could you call up to Mr. Stark's office to tell him that -"

     Scarlett held up one, recently manicured finger, signaling to the person at her desk to wait. "Stark Enterprises. Thank you for holding. How may I direct your call?" Scarlett stared at the computer screen in front of her. "Yes sir, one moment." A few clicks on the phone and the most recent of a seemingly never-ending stream of calls was on it's way within the large office building. She soon found out that this was considered a slow day at her new job. She desperately tried to keep her calm when the man before her tapped the small counter in front of her desk.

     "Miss, it's really important that you call up to Mr. Stark's office and tell him that -"

     "I'm sorry sir, I heard you the first time. I'm -" She frantically looked up the extension number to assist the well-dressed, dark-haired man in front of her.

     The man crossed his arms in front of his chest and rolled his eyes in frustration. "What's your name?" He began to tap his foot impatiently.

     Scarlett looked up from her search. "Scarlett Royce, sir. I'm n-"

     "Do you KNOW who I am? You're not paid to be incompetent." He snorted to the man standing beside him.

     Scarlett decided at that moment, that no matter how prestigious the job sounded to everyone else, she was going to stand up for herself against yet another self-absorbed businessman demanding she drop everything to accommodate him. She stopped what she was doing, placed her hands on her hips, and straightened herself to her full, nearly six foot tall, height. "You're right. They don't pay me to be incompetent – they pay me to answer and transfer phone calls and be as nice as possible to assholes like you that come in demanding things despite it being very clear that I was searching for the extension number. So do us all a favor and check that huge ego of yours at the door and give me one moment to find the exact extension to Mr. Stark's personal assistant. I'm sure she's paid more than I am to deal with your arrogant self-importance." The business man stood silently, his mouth slightly open in shock. "Here it is. Extension 2322. One moment please." The man reached down to press the receiver button on the phone, cutting off the phone call. Scarlett ground her teeth. "You've got to be kidding me."

     "You have absolutely no idea who I am, do you?" The man raised a questioning eyebrow.

     "With all due respect sir, I've only been in this position for the past week, and everyone coming to my desk insists that they're of such importance, that I should automatically know why I need to allow myself to be verbally abused by them. I've found the number and if you'd so kindly remove your fingers from my phone, I'll happily call up for you and let you leave with your fingers intact. And while I'm at it, take your sunglasses off. We're inside a professional building, not leaving a bar during sunrise after a rave."

     The man removed his blue tinted sunglasses, revealing his deep brown eyes. "I must say, I've never been spoken to like that here." His voice much less aggressive sounding than it had.

     "You're the lucky guy that hit my limit." She softened her stance into a more relaxed pose and cleared her throat. "May I ask who is requesting a meeting with Mr. Stark?"

     The dark haired man leaned on Scarlett's counter. "You're feisty. I like that."

     Scarlett rolled her eyes. "If you'd rather I call security to throw you out, then by all means keep doing what you're doing."

     He stepped back from the desk, holding his hands up in mock defeat. "She's got me, doesn't she Happy? I better behave so I don't get thrown out of Stark Enterprises."