Lamborghini | Tony Stark

SIXTEEN - CRAZY

The corporate dinner that evening was being hosted at an over-priced restaurant in downtown Manhattan. Once a bank, the grand building stood tall with white pillars and high ceilings, murals painted on old walls with golden windows and chequered marble floors.

Sasha checked her reflection in a compact mirror for the fifth time in a ten minute cab journey, pushing her hair in different ways and dabbing mascara smudges from her eyelids, wiping lipgloss from the corners of her mouth.

Tony groaned, "You look great, would you stop already?"

Sasha snapped the mirror shut and turned to him with a glare, "I don't usually go to things like this, I avoid them if I can. I'm only going because I think it might help me get a promotion, and because I need a drink after the past few weeks. So excuse me if I'm panicking, alright?"

He rolled his eyes and sighed, noticing the way she tensed up as the cab came to a stop outside the restaurant. Her eyes looked like they'd seen a ghost, her jaw clenched and her shoulders turned inwards as Tony slipped the driver twenty dollars.

He jumped out of the taxi and walked around to the other side, opening the door for Sasha and offering her his hand. She looked up at him and he flashed her a reassuring smile, feeling warmth as she took his hand and stepped out of the car, careful to keep her dress off the ground as they made their way inside.

The entire venue had been hired out specifically for the dinner, the company needing a space large enough to cater for over four hundred guests. The firm operated five offices across New York City, meaning that most of the people attending that evening would all be strangers to one another.

Holding up her dress with one hand and clinging to Tony's arm with the other, the pair of them made their way inside, happy to get into the warmth after they'd sat shivering on the brink of Winter with the windows open in the taxi.

The place was filled with men in expensive suits and women in even more expensive gowns. There were Louboutins and Jimmy Choos every which way, Birkins and Cartier jewellery reflecting light from every corner of the room.

Sasha couldn't spot a single face she recognised until she saw her boss making his way through the crowd, already looking like he'd made the most of the unlimited tab the firm had put behind the bar.

"This is my boss," Sasha nudged Tony, "Be nice."

"I'm always nice," he replied with a scoff, "What's his name?"

"Ryan Taylor."

"Sasha! So glad you could make it, and oh, you didn't tell us you were bringing such a high profile guest!"

The look of shock and intimidation on her boss' face made Sasha stifle a small laugh as she received a kiss on both cheeks from him, letting go of Tony's arm as the men shook hands.

"What an honour, Mr Stark, I'm Ryan-"

"Taylor, right?" Tony said, squeezing the man's hand with a half-smile behind his red glasses, "Sasha's told me so much about you, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Didn't she do an amazing job at the trial this week? God, I think that deserves a raise, right?"

"Y-yes, actually we have a meeting planned next week to discuss your recent work, Sasha, we've recognised what a great asset you've become to the firm."

Tony turned to Sasha with a mischievous grin on his lips, "You here that, Sasha? You're a great asset."

Sasha glared at him, pursing her lips with thundering blue eyes as he held back a laugh, sending her a wink before turning back to Ryan.