afterglow - tony stark

16

It had been months since she'd seen Tony. She had moved to New York (although, she never ate any pizza). Currently, she was at one of the fanciest restaurants in the city and she was only wearing some jeans and a sweatshirt.

People gave her looks that she was oblivious to. She had a smile on her face as she talked to the bartender who knew her as a regular. Her name was Natalie.

But one man in the corner with his friends did not give her a distasteful look. Instead, he stared in awe of her smile and the way that she didn't give a damn.

He started to get up but his friends tried to persuade him otherwise, "Don't, man, she's a weird one."

"Not in my book," he said easily as he left his table and approached her at the bar.

He took the seat next to her and she looked at him for a moment. He had hair as yellow as straw and his eyes were a bright blue. He had a strong jawline and some small stubble.

Then he threw her a smile before he stated, "You know, all my friends call you weird."

She got an offended look on her face before she replied carefully, "Well...do you think so, too?"

He leaned in towards her to utter quietly close to her ear, "I think you're beautiful."

She blushed a scarlet red and neither one of them noticed Natalie glared at the man. His smile widened as he spoke again, "So what should I call you, beautiful?"

She paused for a moment. She almost wanted to say Snow but that name was reserved for one person. So she replied with another.

"Eira."

"Jason."

"So can I buy you a drink?" he asked.

"I don't drink alcohol."

"No?" he said in surprise. "Alright. What about a favorite smoothie?"

She answered hesitantly, "Pina colada."

"If you can get her as many pina colada smoothies as she wants," he looked at Natalie. "And every day she comes here, they're on me."

Eira started to smile widely.

           _____

         She started to meet Jason there in the evening almost every day. She learned that his father was a wealthy businessman which made him really wealthy. He didn't really know what to do with his life but he loved literature.

               They would go into the back alley of the restaurant and he would read to her a chapter a night. He had such a nice, smooth voice that she could stay forever listening to it. He was reading Wuthering Heights; she thought it was awfully sad.

              When he finished, she stayed processing the chapter as she leaned against the wall. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear as she slowly smiled.

            "When are you going to let me take you out?" he asked.

              "Take me out?" she asked in confusion. "We are out."

               "I mean on a date, beautiful," Jason clarified. "To some place other than here."

               "A date like...romantic?" she said with wide eyes.

             "Yes, beautiful, romantic," he chuckled slightly.

                "I...I don't know," she said nervously. "Maybe when we finish the book."