The Date Of A Lifetime

Tony didn’t normally mix business with pleasure and he didn’t really intend to tonight. He had seen her face while she was tied to that chair. And all he needed to know was what he saw in her eyes. Isabella was a strong woman but he knew she had been on the brink of hopelessness. That point when someone had wished for an end...any end that would take them away from the pain. He could see she was tough but no training in the world could have prepared her for that.

He also assumed that she felt an enormous amount of guilt over those 8 dead soldiers. But he knew as well as anyone, it was a warzone out there and anyone willing to walk into that knew what they were getting themselves into.

Tony dressed in a tuxedo with a black bowtie. There was an art showing at the 47 Canal Gallery and since it was in Little Italy he wanted to take her to De Nico’s on Mulberry street. Happy drove him in his black limo and as he stopped outside of her apartment he got out and came up to the security door. He buzzed it and he stepped inside when she buzzed him in. It was a few flights of stairs up and the building was newer and had a sharp, edgy modern feel to it. He had brought her roses and he knocked on her door.

When he first saw her he thought that it hadn’t been a dramatic change but Isabella was beautiful. He believed it might be so without makeup and if he played his cards right he might get a chance to see that. “These are for you,” He said and it was then that she noticed he was wearing a tux. He saw her looking at him. “Oh, there’s a gallery we’re stopping by at...a showing for a friend. You’re a little underdressed but we can work with it I think,” he said casually as if it wasn’t anything important...like over dressing his date.

Isabella was actually a little nervous about this date. She hadn’t been out on a date in a while and Tony wasn’t an ordinary guy. He was a billionaire and a playboy with a reputation. She felt he was way out of her league but he had asked her out so it had to mean something.

She downed the rest of her drink when she heard the buzzer and went over and buzzed him in. She paced back and forth slightly as she waited and when she heard him knock at the door she drew in a deep breath before walking over and opening the door. Tony was incredibly handsome and she actually smiled a little when she saw the roses. She took them but then saw Tony was wearing a tux. She listened as he told her where they were going and suddenly felt under dressed. “Well, I can change...”

Isabella walked back to her room to change. She grumbled to herself as she did. She had taken the time to look nice and apparently it wasn’t nice enough. Luckily for Tony she had one really nice dress. It was a floor length black dress with a very deep v cut in the front that just covered her breasts. She put in a drop necklace that hung down into her cleavage and then changed her shoes to a pair of black strappy heels. She grabbed her black clutch and headed back out to where Tony was waiting for her. “You know, if you had given me an idea of where you were taking me then I would have been properly dressed to begin with.”

While she changed Tony moved around her apartment. He looked at the pictures in frames on her fireplace mantle and at what she had in the fridge. He paused when he heard her speak from the bedroom.

“A slight design change, if it only take us 5 more minutes, lets call it a win,” he said and smiled as he looked over her bar and noticed that there were 3 glasses. He looked around once more and saw the slight damage to the point on one wall and knew that the woman might have a temper. Or...or she had just went through a traumatic event. He poured a good finger’s worth of whiskey into a glass.

When he heard movement he turned and looked in her direction. He smiled as he tilted his head. “Well Miss Corsetti, you look amazing,” He said honestly though as always he kept his cool. He moved smoothly and plucked a single rose from the bouquet that still lay on the table and stepped up to her. He gave the glass first. “I thought you might need this,” he said softly. And his eyes went wide when she downed it in one quick swallow. “And this...well, one rose won’t make much difference...you’re already beautiful,” He murmured quickly then cleared his throat. “Shall we go?” he asked and escorted her down to the car. Happy was there and smiled when he saw them come out. He opened the door for them and Tony stepped aside and held his hand for her to take to get in. Once in Happy gave him a thumbs up and then closed the door after him as he took his seat next to her.

The limo was modified for protection. She’d be able to see that right away but it was very nice. With walnut accents and a cream colored leather interior that felt softer than any leather she had ever felt.

“So, you have a brother? What does he do?” he asked to get the conversation rolling.

Isabella felt her anxiety rising as she downed the glass of whiskey, but outwardly she showed no signs of it. She told herself to just relax. She allowed Tony to escort her down to the limo. She took his and and let him help her into the car. She took a seat and adjusted her dress and put her clutch in her lap. The only other time she had been in a limo was for her senior prom and it wasn't nearly this nice. She didn't even want to imagine how much this car cost...although for Tony it was probably pocket change.

"Luca is a partner in a legal firm downtown. He's four years older than me. He's married now with two children. Is...is there anything to drink?"

WIthout speaking Tony leaned forward and pressed on the center console. It folded open to reveal a fairly well stocked bar. He turned over 2 glasses then poured bourbon, some of the best he knew, into the two glasses. He sat back and handed her a glass.

“So a lawyer and a spy...you’re parents must be very proud,” he said and clinked his glass to hers. He took a small sip and savored the smooth taste that went from oak and earth to just a hint of toffee and chocolate. “So are you into art at all? Paintings, sculptures, anything?” he asked trying to get her to talk. He could see she was anxious and he felt her talking might get her to think about something else.

Isabella took the glass and took a small sip with a slightly trembling hand, which she hoped Tony didn’t see. She was too anxious to be able to really appreciate it’s taste though she was certain it was one of the best one could get. She looked over at him when he asked her about art. “I appreciate art, especially the Impressionists, but I’m no art expert. What kind of art gallery is this?”

“It’s Canal 47, paintings mostly but there are some sculptures as well,” Tony said. Canal 47 was one of the top 10 galleries in new York and new York had several. “This exhibit is showing Jean-Michel Basquiat, an famous urban painter in the 60s,” he explained. He went on to add in more artists who were part of the exhibit but it was clear Tony was interested in Basquiat more than the others.

“Did you always want to be an agent or was that something that came to you later?” Her asked. “It’s not a typical life that you have chosen for yourself Isabella,” he said.

Isabella had heard of Canal 47 but had never been there. The artwork sounded like it might be interesting. She took another sip of her drink and could feel it starting to effect her. She had hoped it would relax her, but she still felt anxious.

“I didn’t want a typical life,” she responded. “I wanted to be challenged and no other jobs seemed right for me. My parents...they didn’t want me to become an agent. They...” she suddenly felt a rush of anxiety come over her. They were stopped at a red light and suddenly a car next to them back fired. Isabella jumped and dropped her drink. She was suddenly shaking and nearly hyperventilating. “I can’t breathe...”

Tony managed to just catch the glass though some of the bourbon got onto his hand and wrist. He set it down and leaned forward. “Happy, we need to take a walk...that park over there,” he said quickly and Happy nodded in his rear view mirror. The limo moved through traffic and in a few moments they were stopped and Tony opened up the door. He helped her out and shut the door but Happy just watched them as Isabella got control of herself. Tony took her hand and led her to the park that was deserted at this time of night. There were trees and plants and a walkway as well as several park benches.

There was a slight breeze and he put has hand onto Isabella’s back. “Are you alright Isabella? We can take a few minutes…” He said and he knew what was happening. She was very out of sorts from her near death experience.

Isabella felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest. She felt hot and yet shivered like she was ice cold. She felt panicked and was on the verge of tears. She let Tony take her hand and lead her into the park. Thankfully there was no one else around.

“No...I’m not ok,” she replied as tears began to stream down her cheeks. “I can’t sleep because every time I close my eyes I hear the screams of those soldiers that were killed. I...I almost died. They tortured me and were going to rape me and then kill me and there is no amount of training that can prepare you for that. I thought I would be fine... but I can’t stop thinking about it all.”

Tony moved so that he was in front of her. He could hear the desperation in her voice and he wiped her tears away softly with his thumbs. “Ok...ok Isabella, it’s going to be ok. You wanna go home? C’mon, I’ll take you home. Do you like japanese or chinese? I’ll order us some take out,” he said as he smiled at her. He could tell she hated being weak in front of him but there was nothing for it now. When she nodded he smiled again and touched her cheek.

He ordered the food on the way and Happy hopped out to get it. They were back at her apartment in under an hour and he took her keys from her hand and opened the door for her. “Go put on something comfortable and I’ll build us a little picnic right there on the coffee table,” he said as he held the bag. As she left to change he got out forks and napkins and found a bottle of white wine. He popped the cork and poured them 2 glasses and brought everything to the coffee table that sat in the middle of the room. He began taking out all of the food. Fried Rice, Noodles, a beef dish, a vegetable dish and a dish with chicken. There was 3 kinds of sushi and then also the wine. Tony took off his coat and pocketed his bowtie as he loosened up his collar. He was still hopeful something might happen tonight but he wondered if it did, she might in turn hate herself for that to. He turned on the television and not knowing the channels kept flipping until there was an old black and white movie on and it looked like some sappy romance. He decided to just leave it and put the sound on low so they could talk if she wanted to. He waited for her to come back out but the smell of the food made him eager to dig in.

Isabella hated being vulnerable and weak in front of Tony, but she couldn't stop her tears and she silently thanked him for not making a big deal of it. Instead, he suggested that they go back to her place and order some food. She didn't argue with him and let him take her back to the car. She actually sat closer to Tony in the car and kept her hand in his. She just needed some support. She let Tony order the food, telling him that anything was fine with her. When they got back to her apartment she went back to her bedroom to change. She changed into some black leggings and a Harvard tee-shirt, which was where she had gone to college. She had taken off her jewelry, but left her hair down. She had relaxed some, but still felt a little anxious.

When she walked out into the living room she found that Tony had put everything out and had poured them each a glass of wine. Looking at the tv she saw an old romantic movie playing. She took a seat on the couch and then looked at Tony. "You didn't have to do all of this. You should have gone to the gallery...but I'm glad you're here."

Tony sa wright away that even in what he presumed were workout or maybe sleeping clothes, Isabella looked incredible. That and she seemed to have lost that edginess that she had always held toward him. She actually sounded...relieved for him to be here. That was a good thing right? He wondered. “It’ll be there all week...you look like a noodle lady to me,” he said and set a pair of wooden chopsticks in the white carry out container and handed it to her with a napkin. He picked up one of the sushi bowls and he downed a large piece of sushi. All of the food tasted wonderful, Tony knew where to find the best wherever he was it seemed.

After they had begun to eat isabella really did look much better. He wanted to talk to her but he wanted to stay clear of her investigation. “If I tell you a secret, can I trust you to keep it to yourself?” he said. He sounded serious and he was but serious for him was almost musing to other people. When she nodded he smiled and decided to continue.

“I assume you know Captain America?” he asked. And was pleased to see her interest level suddenly pick up. “You know, Red, white and blue, large shield, oversized boy scout?”

Isabella felt hungry now that some of her anxiety had dissipated and the food did smell wonderful. She smiled a little when Tony handed her a container of noodles and some chopsticks. She began to eat and the food tasted as good as it smelled. She began to really relax around Tony and let her guard down. She hadn't meant to be so irritable towards him. She was actually starting to think he might really be a good guy deep down.

She was relieved when Tony didn't bring back up the subject of her capture. When he mentioned Captain America she became visibly interested, particularly when he also mentioned her keeping a secret. "Of course I know who Captain America is. What's the secret?"

Hook line and sinker, Tony thought seeing her interest perk up. If nothing ‘did’ happen tonight at least she will have something else to think about besides what happened during her mission. “We’re talking about putting a team together,” he said in between bites. He picked up his glass and took a sip and looked over at her. She had that expression people got when they wanted to know more and so he continued.

“You know, me, Cap, Thor, The Hulk, maybe Hawkeye and Spiderwoman as well,” he said as if he were just talking about something mundane. “Not quite as interesting as say, the village people,” he said jokingly and his muse seemed to have the desired effect when she nearly choked on her noodles as she laughed. “Ah, so you agree” he said smiling and was pleased to see she was still as well. “I figure we’d start small, you know like a garage band type of deal and work our way up to the occasional Barmitsa,” he said continuing on with the joke. There was a far more serious side to all of that but now that he had gotten her to smile he didn't want her to begin worrying about things that were out of her control.

“You know your gorgeous when you laugh,” He said. He sat on the floor in front of the couch and she sat with her legs underneath her on the chair closest to him. He was looking into her large, brown eyes that he felt he could look into forever and the silence between them stretched. “You know if you don’t want to be alone tonight,” Tony said suggestively, deciding to lay it all out there.

Isabella couldn't stop the look of interest in her eyes when Tony told her that he and Steve Rogers were talking about putting a team together. That sounded...incredible. The world needed some protecting. She felt very privileged that he had told her about this. The alcohol she had consumed had really kicked in, though she was far from drunk. She felt extremely relaxed and she didn't even realize her anxiety had vanished. She laughed at Tony's comparison of the group to a garage band and smiled at him.

Isabella looked at Tony as a comfortable silence settled between them. She looked into his eyes and realized that she didn't want him to leave. She wanted to be with him...to feel his arms around her, holding her tight and comforting her. "I don't..."

Tony smiled then lifted up the half empty bottle of wine. “Then have a little more wine,” he said smoothly. They talked and talked for what seemed to be hours. He asked about her family and what her times in college were like and he spoke about some of his adventures as Ironman. It was getting late and there was another awkward moment when two people were about to sleep together but there had not yet even been a first kiss. He stood as she did and she held the takeout container in her hand as if she were about to clean up. He bridged the short gap between them and took the container from her and set it down on the table behind him. Without wasting anymore time he leaned into her and pressed his lips onto hers.

Tony had had alot of practice in this area and he felt he might have the edge in this but he found that if he did she was a faster learner. They had made it to her room and she pawed at the buttons of his shirt. They both had killed the bottle of wine but they weren’t near drunk enough to not know what they were doing. He could see she wanted him by the way her breath quickened each time that he kissed her. It wasn’t long after that he was on top of her, their naked bodies pressed together as they made love to one another long into the night.

When she woke a ray of sun assaulted her eyes. Her mouth felt thick and dry and as she reached for the man that had made passionate love to her last night...several times, she only felt the sheet where he had been. As she looked around she noticed all of his clothes were gone but on his pillow was a small, white piece of paper. On it was only a string of numbers, 10 in fact, Tony’s number.

Isabella had never had anyone make love to her the way Tony did. It was passionate, but not frenzied. He was a generous lover as well and she lost count of the number of orgasms she had. He made her forget everything she had been thinking about and in place of all of that was him. She no longer cared if she was just another notch in his bedpost...she would never forget this night.

When she awoke she was laying on her stomach with the white sheet of her bed only partially covering her. She reached out for Tony as she began to open her eyes, but found he wasn't there. She sat up and looked around and saw that his clothes were gone. She felt a genuine sadness at the thought that she might not see him again, but then she spotted the little sheet of paper. As she picked it up she realized it was his phone number. She smiled happily and laid back down on her bed as she looked at it and memorized it.

She eventually got up, showered, got dressed and headed in to work. She was able to finish her report, though she kept thinking about the night before. She smiled at the thought of it. Finally, she left work and headed home for the day. As she was walking up the stairs to her apartment she dialed Tony's number. When he picked up she smiled. "Hey...it's Isabella."

Tony just narrowly dodged a rail car as the Titanium man threw it at him. He had fought Titanium man before but this time he had made improvements on his suit and he had damaged Tony’s. Jarvis was still online and he was trying to repair a power problem that was making Tony’s boot jets kick out every so often. He blasted at Titanium man and the silvery suit fell back into the train. It was a surprise when his phone went off, his digital readouts of his suit and his surroundings changed constantly but his awareness was mostly on the man who was trying to kill him right then. He knew whose number it was, he had memorized it when he had hacked it from her own phone before he left.

“Oh, Hi Isabella, I...had a thing early today and had to sneak out. I...didn’t want to wake you,” he said as Titanium man began to spin a large chain around himself then lash it out at him. Tony dodged and weaved but it hit him once and then twice before tony grabbed hold of it then used his laser cutter and cut it in half.

“I really enjoyed last night and I was just wondering if you were free again tonight,” he said as he used his beams again on Titanium man. IT sounded as if there was some interference on the phone. Either that or he had a window open in the limo and large trucks were moving by.

Isabella got out the key to her apartment and unlocked the door. She stepped in as Tony picked up. Immediately, she could hear some kind of interference and Tony's voice sounded...odd. She took off her jacket and removed her heels. She smiled a little when he asked if she was free that night. "I might be." She heard something else and she began to become concerned. "Tony, are you alright? Where are you?"

“I’m...working, what are you doing?” he said in hopes to deflect her question. “You up for trying to go out with me or do I just meet you at your place and we play it by ear?” He asked as Isabella picked up her remote control and turned on her tv. It was on the news and they were in the middle of a special report it seemed as someone, likely a cameraman, was taping something live.

“The notorious criminal known as Titanium man was spotted today trying to bash his way into a bank on 46th street. We’re here at the Grand central terminal as Ironman is in a desperate fight to stop him,” she said. The camera shot zoomed out beyond her to catch the two suited men. Ironman punched him but Titanium man grabbed hold of him and began bashing him bodily into the ground. He tried to stomp on Ironman but he used his repulsor beams and Titanium man got knocked up into the air several hundred yards.

Isabella sat down on her couch and picked up the remote as she considered Tony's question. She was about to change the channel when suddenly something...or rather someone caught her attention. It was Tony! "Are you...fighting Titanium Man while talking to me? You know you could have just called me back. Clearly you are busy right now. But yes, let's go out. I promise I will try not to have a breakdown tonight. See you later...and be careful."

She hung up and continued to watch the news. She watched Tony win the fight and then went to go get ready. She actually sang a little to herself as she got dressed. She was...happy. She didn't know how long this relationship might last...but for right now she decided she wasn't going to worry about that and she was just going to enjoy it. After he picked her up she sat in the limo with him and was much more relaxed than the night before. They kissed a little and then she pulled back and smiled at him.

"So...I've been thinking about what you should call your 'band.' What about 'The Avengers?'"

“Ooo, I like it!” Tony said excitedly. “I’ll bring it up at our next rehearsal,” he said jokingly. She had completely taken his breath away with that last kiss and she had completely scattered his wits. It was fortunate that they had arrived at the art gallery or likely something was going to happen in the limo right there.

The galleries entrance was filled with people trying to get in. There was a lot of security and a guard who saw him waved at him. Tony stepped aside all of the people in line and with Isabella in tow they circumvented the security check and went right in.

“Welcome Mr Stark. Do you require,” he began. He was an older man with balding, with black and silver hair on the sides. He wore wore framed spectacles and wore a tux like Tony did. “Henry I think we can find our way, may I present Miss Costini,” he said as he urged her in line with him. The man saw her and smiled. “Oh how lovely you are Miss Costini, if you need anything, anything at all, just you dial me up,” he said and handed her his card.

The room quickly opened up and Isabella quickly saw some of New York’s finest there. Politicians, actors and actresses and wealthy people from New York and from other places. Tony snatched up 2 flutes of champagne and handed her one. The smell alone told her what it was, Dom Perignon. He smiled at her and touched his glass to hers. And as she would have guessed, it was delicious!

There were paintings everywhere and other pieces of art and though Tony didn’t know a lot of the pieces he obviously had his eye on some of them. He explained all about them in detail and even included a brief history of the painter. As the moved from room to room there were hors de’vors of differing types and each one they tried was just as delicious as the last. Tony seemed to know so many people yet he didn’t really want to talk to most of them. He always seemed rushed or hurried as if he had some place to be or perhaps his mind was thinking about something...technical. However there were two men who were watching them from a short distance away and Isabella knew who they were. Nick Fury and a tall blonde woman in a very sleek dress, Carol Danvers. They were looking st Tony and both appeared to have grim faces though she thought that Nicks frown was permanent.

Tony looked at Isabella and touched her arm. “I gotta take this,” He said and kissed her cheek. When she nodded encouragingly he seemed to not feel so bad at leaving her and he actually didn’t.

“Isabella?” A man called out to her and when she turned she was surprised to see Noah of all people. He had a beard now, that was new and he was in a very nice blue-gray suit with a light blue tie. His blue sparkling eyes looked at her the way she knew meant that he was still in love with her.

“My god do you look incredible,” he said and leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’ve been meaning to call you by I keep chickening out,” he said and chuckled.

Isabella was thrilled that Tony liked her name idea. She wasn't sure if they would actually use it, but at least Tony seemed keen on it. She would love to have even a small part in this team...even if it was just suggesting the name. As they arrived at the art gallery Tony stepped out first and then took her hand to help her out. There were photographers there who began to snap pictures of them. The people already in line began whispering when they saw him and some of the girls looked like they might faint. Isabella was a little overwhelmed, but she kept her cool and never once faltered. She knew that Tony was watched everywhere he went and if she was going to be with him, even if it only lasted a week, she needed to maintain the image he projected. People seemed curious about her, but she only politely smiled and stepped with Tony up to the front of the line. There they were shown in and Isabella was overwhelmed again. The place was quite large and filled with art and people. She walked arm in arm with Tony until they came across a waiter with a tray of champagne filled flutes. She took a glass and smiled back at Tony with a sparkle in her eye as he touched his glass to hers. She took a sip and knew in that moment she was in heaven.

She moved with Tony throughout the art gallery. She listened intently as he talked to her about the different pieces and artists and she could see he was considering purchasing at least one. There was one in particular she really liked as well, but it was well beyond anything she could afford, though she could not have guessed that Tony paid close attention to which one it was. People continued to come up to Tony to talk to him. Tony was always polite, but never chatted with them very long. However, there was one person in particular who Tony did seem to want...or need to talk to. She recognized the man was Nick Fury, the Director of SHIELD. Isabella had been approached recently by Agent Coulson from SHIELD about joining their organization, but she had yet to give him an answer. She did not recognize the blonde woman who was with Nick Fury, but from the look on their faces she could only assume that something was going on.

She watched as Tony stepped away to talk to them and took another sip of her champagne as she looked at another piece of art. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice call her name. As she turned around she saw Noah West, the man she had dated for over a year. They had broken up six months ago when she had started working overtime on her mission. She smiled at him when he complimented her. "Thank you. How have you been?"

“Dreadful, since we broke up. Do...do you have a moment to talk...I’ve been thinking about how we left things and I’d really like us to try again,” he said plainly. He looked happy and sad at the same time. Likely happy to see her and sad that she wasn’t on his arm tonight. He reached up and touched the side of her neck and softly rubbed her jawbone like he used to do. “I’m...really sorry Isabella, for not trusting in us more...for not understanding how much your career means to you. How much you mean to me,” he said softly.

“Madame Masque is back Tony,” nick said. “I can’t make it any plainer then that. She stole several missile codes and plans to sell them to the highest bidder. We need to find those codes and fast,” Nick said but Tony was only half listening. He saw the man talking to Isabella and he knew right then that what he felt for her wasn’t...normal. At least normal for him. She wasn’t just another pretty face or conquest. She was a woman, someone he could really talk to. He was beginning to care about her and a pang of jealousy came over him. He looked back at Carol.

“So what do you want me to do? You have all the muscle you need right here,” Tony said.