Harmless Flirtation? (August 2011)

Logan glowered. “Let em come after me. Let em come after us, we’ll tear them all new assholes and you know it. No...I saw this Malcolm guy, he was into you lady and you stepped away like a little bitch,” Logan said as he proceeded to get into her shit. “Well, I guess you’ll never know now,” He said. He really thought she liked him.

Isabella’s wrist comm went off. It was Richard from security. “Uh, Mrs. Stark, there’s a flower delivery down here...for Natalya Sokolova? Lots and lots of roses,” He said.

Isabella was in the kitchen with Tony getting breakfast ready. Isabella and Tony had been through a lot during their marriage, but their love remained as strong and as true as it had ever been. They didn't always agree, but they knew how to work through their disagreements to come to a decision they both would be happy with. Isabella ran the Stark Foundation, the Tower, was a company shareholder, founding member of the Avengers team, and a mother. She was both Sapphire and Isabella Stark. She was just as well known as her husband now and was a role model to many young women.

Isabella had put the breakfast casserole into the oven a few minutes before, but was now distracted from setting the table by her husband, who had begun kissing her. She only slightly resisted before giving him, but before things could get out of hand her comm link went off. She pulled back from Tony's embrace and blinked at what Richard had said. Had she heard him right? A flower delivery for Natalya? She glanced at Tony, but he only shrugged.

"Alright, Richard. Send them up."

Logan and Natalya rarely fought like this. They were best friends...companions and partners. Logan had spared and saved her life when she needed him the most and he had adjusted his life around trying to help her. They understood each other in ways no one else ever could because they both had been created to be monsters. Natalya finished getting dressed and then stepped out of her room and started to head towards the kitchen...

Long ago Tony had been one of the world’s greatest batchelors. He slept with alot of women and did what he wanted, when he wanted. That all changed when he met Isabella. She was strong, confident and did not put up with his bullshit. Tony fell in love with her hard and never looked back. They had a whirlwind romance and had a wonderful daughter. Isabella complimented him in every way and he loved her. This morning he had tried to keep her in bed but she had planned on making a breakfast casserole. Once she got it into the oven though he tried to drag her back toward the room but she received a call from security.

Men in delivery uniforms began to march in with vase upon vase of red roses in bouquets. For a time there seemed to be no end to them and before long flowers were on the counter, on the table, on the floor and against the wall. Tony grinned as this brought back a very good memory. He had done this to Isabella, twice, though the second time was not roses because she told him not to give him ‘roses’ again. He complied but just selected Orchids instead. Logan smirked at Natalya. “Well, I guess you did make an impression,” Logan said. “I guess Malcolm Cross wasn’t ready to let you go so easily,” He said.

“Uh...Malcolm Cross, the baseball player?” Tony asked. He and Isabella knew him, he was involved with one of their charities and was actually a pretty nice guy. “What did you do?” Tony asked curiously. “What do you think she did,” Logan grunted amused.

Natalya was stunned to say the least. This was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. No man had ever gotten her flowers before...not even Logan. This was so unprecedented that Natalya didn't know what to say or do. She was trying to resist Malcolm...to keep her distance, but he was clearly going to make this difficult.

Isabella spotted a card in one of the vases and she plucked it out and handed it towards Natalya for her to take. Natalya hesitated before taking the card and opening it up to read.

The card was flat black with gold letters. It read:

One of these roses is unique and more beautiful than the others.

I found mine already.

Malcolm

On the back was just a phone number.

Steve and Kate stepped out of their room when they heard a commotion. Kate’s hair was still wet from her shower but they were both dressed. Steve smiled at the flowers as they kept coming. Their had to be hundreds of roses. Natalya found the one that was different. It was tucked into one of the vases and surrounded by red ones. It was such a dark red it looked black. And the tips of the petals were dipped in gold.

“Wow,” Logan said and smiled when he saw her pluck it out. Everyone was smiling at her. "Well I'll give this to him, he's persistent," Logan said.

Natalya felt the eyes of everyone on her as she picked out the rose that was different from the others. They were all watching her closely and seemed to be waiting for her to do something. She turned and walked away from everyone and went back to her room. She closed the door and locked it behind her so Logan wouldn't be able to get in. She didn't quite know how to handle this because this situation had never happened before. She picked up her cell phone and dialed the number on the back. It rang a few times before Malcolm picked up.

"You need to stop sending me flowers Malcolm. I told you that last night was just a one night thing."

Malcolm was just putting on his shirt when his phone rang. It was an ‘Unknown Caller’ but sometimes the reception in the building wasn’t all that great even being in the Penthouse. He answered it.

To his surprise he knew that voice, it was Natalya and she started in on him immediately. “Good morning to you too Natalya,” Malcolm said. “And I told you not to put labels on that. A thing is done only when it is done. We aren’t done Natalya. Can’t you feel that? If you close your eyes and really think about last night. Is there any part of that that even feels as if it’s over and done with? It doesn’t to me. I want to see you again, tonight,” Malcolm said and his voice took on a commanding and insistent tone near the end.

“Logan...what’s going on? I thought you guys just went to the bar,” Tony said. “We did Tony but Malcolm Cross was there,” Steve said and he drew out his 2 baseball cards. Malcolm’s rookie card and his MVP card for the 2008 World Series. Tony looked at them then smiled at Isabella. His smile faded though when he began to really think about Natalya. Isabella and Logan had done alot of work with her and he was concerned that Malcolm might upset that. How would she handle a love affair? What if she really fell for him and he rejected her in the end? All kinds of scenarios began to move through his brain and Isabella would see that right away. She knew him as well as she knew herself.

Natalya was somewhat surprised by Malcolm's almost commanding tone. He maintained that air of confidence and, to be perfectly honest with herself, she did like it. However, she knew that she couldn't get involved with him. He likely had a family that would also get hurt by the SSB if they found her and she couldn't let that happen.

"No," was all she said before she hung up. She then turned off her phone so he couldn't call her back. She was no longer feeling hungry so she got dressed in her workout clothes and went down to the exercise room.

Isabella and Tony knew Malcolm Cross through one of their charities and she knew he was a nice guy. She could see why he had fallen for Natalya. Natalya had slept with guys before, but they were always one night stands. Malcolm, though, clearly hadn't gotten that message. Natalya walled herself off from love and feelings of intimacy and affection. Isabella believed a lot of this had to do with what the SSB did to her. Love had clearly not been apart of her training. Natalya was one to hide her feelings deep inside herself. One glance at her husband was enough to tell Isabella that Tony was worried about this situation. She walked over to him and lowered her voice.

"It'll be alright Tony. If we have to, you and I can talk to Malcolm and let him know what he's getting himself into."