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Summary: Tony restructures Stark Towers security and finds more than he had expected.
Date: June 28, 2010
Log Title Shoring up Secuirty
Rating: R- There is suggestive language. It's Tony after all!
NYC- Stark Towers
A paper had graced the desk of the NYC police department early in the morning. It was from the desk of Anthony Stark. That alone had nearly given the Police Chief a heart attack. When he read it he began to panic. The paper said:
Due to recent disastrous events concerning the security of Stark Towers(or more to the point the lack of) and the increasing threat of attacks on the building and surrounding area, Stark Enterprises is requesting that the NYPD make their officers available to provide increased security to Stark Towers to maintain the peace in the East District.
Please submit to your officers that there will be only two available positions. All interested candidates must be screened by the NYPD and their information sent to be looked over by Mr. Stark himself. An interview process will then select the two officers. They will remain active duty NYPD, and paid handsomely for accepting the position to guard not only Stark Towers but Mr. Stark himself when he is on the premises.
The letter ended with the closing by Pepper Potts and information on where to send the prospective candidates information. The list was to be compiled before noon and then the interview process would begin in the afternoon of the same day.
With that letter, so it is that one Officer Fiore finds herself waiting to be shown in to see Mister Stark. No longer in her uniform blues, instead dressed in black dress pants with her usual heeled boots, a purple button down, and that red hair tugged back from her face with combs, only to spill down her back in a curling fall. Blue eyes are steady, her expression and stance showing next to no nerves at all. She knew from the beginning she'd pass the screening, with her perfect record, and several commendations for busts that went above and beyond.
The office that the officer was shown into by a secretary was spacious. The desk would seem cluttered to anyone other than the man who called it organized chaos. The long windows behind the desk were shaded to block out the sun and the man himself seemed to be missing. The secretary apologized having no idea where Mr. Stark had gotten off to. Tony had just stepped into the bathroom off his office for a moment. "I'll take it from here," he smiled at his secretary who nodded briefly before leaving the two alone. "Please, have a seat." He gestured to the seat in front of his desk as he walked over to sit down in his chair.
Blue eyes lock onto the famed Mr. Stark, an inclination of her head. "Of course." While her demeanor is cool, her posture able to make miss Manners proud, her eyes hold a certain curiosity, a certain amount of warmth. A smile forms, as one leg crosses over the other, hands folded neatly in her lap to wait for him to begin. Admittedly, she lowered her shields a bit on coming in, in order to get a better read on the man.
Tony is wearing a business suit that isn't too flashy. A simple grey with a black shirt sans tie. He has turned a file folder around on his desk that has her information in it. "I think formal introductions are a bit pointless." He offers her a slight smile as he leans back into his chair casually. "However, as you know me, and I only know a paper version of you, what would you prefer I call you?"
"Fiore is fine, if you prefer last names. It's what Ah'm used to. Alessia or Al work just fine, as well. It depends on how formal you'd like to be, Mr. Stark." Her smile remains, even as she lets her empathy creep out towards him.
If Alessia were picking up anything she would get a sense that Stark was as cool as a cucumber. He is curious about numerous things involving her career and where she hails from. Not to mention she would probably pick up on the fact that he's got a thing for red heads. "I have a fondness for calling people by their last names," he admits. "Feel free to call me, Tony. I only have a few questions to ask you. I promise its nothing painful or dreadfully boring."
"That's fine by me." Her head shakes a bit, spilled red hair over the shoulder of her neatly pressed shirt. "Ah'm a police officer Mr…Tony. Painful and boring are nothin' new to me." That smile ratchets up a notch, warming her features. "Ask away. Ah promise to be at least an open chapter, if not a whole open book."
Tony is smiling as he pretends to look through some of the papers in the file on his desk. The sad fact of the matter was that he didn't have questions prepared for any of the candidates. He was going on instinct with each of them. "You are aware that I have had several breeches of security in the last week. My safety aside; are you aware of the dangers taking this job will entail?"
Alessia sits back in the chair, just a little bit. "Ah am, hence why Ah am here. Yes, sir, Ah'm aware that this job is dangerous. There are some definite weirdos out there who would like to strike out at you, or make you look bad any way they can, be it aiming at you, your people, or the buildin'."
With a nod in agreement he continues along those lines. "I am sure that you or any other available officer would be willing to protect innocent people here at the Towers or myself from any nut job on the streets but there may be times where there are, erm…more difficult individuals arriving on the doorstep. Are you comfortable with having to deal with killer robots, Big Foot and the occasional Jolly Green Giant?"
"Ah am well aware of the things beyond the norm, si—Tony. Ah am prepared to deal with whatever and whoever needs to be dealt with, in the line of duty. Killer robots and all." Al smiles just a touch more, a flicker in her eyes as she watches the older man.
He is not entirely sure that she understands quite what she would be up against. The mind may be willing but facing things such as that, no one can really be prepared to face for the first time. "I have to put out there, in advance, that the most I would require in a very hostile situation is that word is given to me in advance of the threat and that as the officer on duty you would work with others in the department to make sure that innocent people are kept out of harms way. That will always be the priority regardless of what is happening with me."
"Of course, sir. Though Ah think you may find with me, that once innocent civilians are out of the way of harm, Ah have a tendency to want to make sure things are dealt with as they should be." Her expression goes serious, watching his face.
The response was interesting to Tony. She seemed quite brave and very loyal to those she was sworn to protect. "Would you have a problem removing yourself from the fight should you be asked to do so? Regardless of how bad it may be going."
Alessia pauses at that question. "It would go against my nature, if Ah'm honest. But if there was a need for me to remove myself from a confrontation, a reason behind an order, and Ah trusted whoever gave it to me, Ah would do so."
"I appreciate the honesty. That brings up another very important issue for me. There may be a time where I may have several important people with me. Not businessmen but people I consider my family. Are you comfortable making them your priority in a hostile situation? It may sound similar to the previous questions but this is quite different for me, personally."
"Of course, Tony. Ah understand how important family is. Ah was sent here to be security for you, yours, and your building. Your family may not have the practice with hostile situations that you have, for just bein' you."
Tony finds himself in an interview that seems to be going well. None of the others that he had interviewed so far were remember-able. Alessia seemed to be connecting with him far better than the others which was a definite plus considering she may have to coordinate with him quite a bit on a daily basis. "Would you have a problem working with my personal bodyguard? I ask because at times he may appear as a rather large black wolf or a six foot tall version that's armed to the teeth."
Alessia blinks. "Well, the wolf thing may take a time or two seeing him in that form to get used to, but Ah don't see it being any sort of problem, no. No offense, sir, but it would only make sense, if Ah'm to be helpin' to protect you, that he and Ah communicate rather often. "
"None taken, Alessia." Tony holds up a hand as if to say that he hasn't been offended and is casting that aside. "I had to ask. There have been instances where I have seen people turn hostile simply because a person is different. Regardless if its simply race or fur." Tony picks up a silver ball from a stand on the corner of his desk. "I will give you a situation and I want to know your honest reaction to this," he begins as he shifts the ball around between the fingers of one hand. "A unknown individual enters the building making a beeline for the elevators. Security does not detain the individual and allows them to go up to the floor where I am working. This individual eventually enters into the conference room I am in and reveals an unknown device and proceeds to jack themselves into my network." Tony pauses to let that sink in for a moment. "As an observer of that situation, what do you thin of it? How do you feel about what has happened?"
"Ah would never have let him into the conference room, for a start." Alessia states, legs uncrossing to set both feet on the floor. "If Ah was unable to ascertain what the device was, and whether or not it had a dead man's switch, Ah would first get you out, then order your servers to be powered down. If circumstances permitted, Ah would then try to corner the individual, and deal with them in a proper fashion." There's a glimmer of a smile. "Differences are not somethin' Ah look down on, Tony. Some people have differences that can be very useful."
The fact that Alessia seemed to accept his furry counterpart was a plus. One of the other candidates had tried to hide their actual beliefs on mutant kind from him which had not turned out well for the young man. "Most of what you would have done in that instance I approve of. For an interesting tidbit you could power down the particular buildings computer system but not the entire dataspine. In fact, shutting down the dataspine would prove extremely bad for me." He won't delve further into the matter but suffice to say it wouldn't be in his best interests to have someone hack, or take down his system. "The situation, if you hadn't all ready guessed, actually transpired. Fortunately for everyone involved I knew who got past security. You, however, can garner why I am not a happy camper."
"Ah can take a wild guess." Al says, with a hint of humor, before her eyes darken. Her expression sobers, as she keeps looking at him. "Truth is, Mister Stark, Ah'm different myself. Ah don't have fur, or anythin' physical, but…Ah am…different."
"Oh? If you don't mind my asking, what is it that makes you different? You can refuse to answer that, and I won't hold it against you." Tony tries to appear more of an interested friend than a prospective employer. He would rather not have her worry about whatever it is she is troubled by. At least, that was how he was reading her expression at the moment.
Alessia takes a deep breath, eyes and all her senses and powers trained on this man. "Ah'm what is commonly called a psychic, Mister Stark. Ah'm a fairly skilled empath with lesser telepathic ability."
This was an interesting development for the industrial genius. "Hmm, if you've reached out and tried to touch me, you'd probably know I can not be affected by telepathy." He watches for any reaction to this and presses on. "Do you use your empathic, and telepathic abilities against people; or do you just read them?"
"Ah don't make a habit of usin' my powers against people. Ah tend to receive, more often than use them projectively. Truth be told, Ah've not had much practice in usin' 'em against people, more than an empathetic nudge to make someone less depressed, or less angry when dealin' with a domestic dispute."
"Good thing to know," Tony comments. He tries to think of anything else that he might find pertinent to ask in an interview. "I have to point out that this position won't conform to any set hours. As your primary concern will be focusing on the times I will be present at the Towers. That could mean a free week of paper clip towers in the lobby or several days of working Dawn to Noon."
"Ah'm aware that my hours here may not be normal, Tony. It's not something that bothers me, personally. Ah have no …personal life to speak of."
Tony chuckles helpless to stop it from happening. "Nor do I or my PA. I think you would fit right in with us." Tony smiles as he turns the file folder on the desk around to push over towards Alessia. It wasn't her information after all, it was paperwork that would make her officially one of the two people hired on at the Towers. "If you want to slave away here at Stark Enterprises and suffer my mercurial ways, welcome aboard, Alessia."
"Mister Stark, Ah'm an empath, who is sometimes subjected to multitudes of people's influences. Ah could probably beat you at mercurial, if Ah allowed myself." She rises from that chair, in order to sign that paperwork.
"Hmm, perhaps its best to admit I'm more eccentric than mercurial." Tony glances over at his computer to see the string of messages about the rest of his day. The other two interviews would not be for another two hours. "Be glad you won't have to deal with the Avenger Mansion. I would hate to have you walk in the door and buckle under the insanity."
"Ah keep my focus pretty well these days, Mister Stark. It was just when Ah was younger, it was a hard thing." Alessia straightens up, sweeping that red hair all over one shoulder. "Ah can't be eccentric, not enough money."
"Point," he grins. He hopes he isn't flooding the poor women with his impulsive reactions every time she flips her hair. At least, he hadn't seen anything that would lead him to believe she was displeased by his appraisal. "I think you might have more opportunities when you get to the salary page. The current security team in place in the other towers has been around for several years. The team that was here I've relocated." Tony sets the silver ball he's been toying with back down onto its holder on the desk. "You will have complete control over Security in this building. Whomever else is hired will be dealing with the other two towers primarily."
Alessia arches an eyebrow, leaning down to read the papers more clearly, that hair just happening to fall and pool on his desk. "You're puttin' me here, in the main tower, jus' like that, huh? Was it because Ah'm not freaked out by the idea of workin' with a wolf?"
"No, not at all." Tony laughs. His grin actually hurts its that wide. "To be honest, I think you have a good grasp on what life might be like around me. At least from a security perspective. I attract a lot of attention from all sorts of individuals. Its also a bonus that you are not remotely intimidated by me. I swear, the first person in here today was so nervous they couldn't even look at me."
Alessia smiles faintly, flipping through pages and reading along. "Well, Ah'm aware helping protect you will not be normal, Mister Stark." There's a pause, blue eyes looking up from under lashes. "Intimidated by you? Should Ah be? "
Tony stands up from his chair, arms folding across his chest as he wanders over to peer out one of the long glass windows down onto the ground below. "Should you be? I hope not. That would make for a terrible working relationship." He teases Alessia then leans up against the wall. "I should really give you a tour of the important areas of this building. I may have to veer towards the cafeteria to see if there is anything edible available if you wouldn't mind the detour. I'm pants at fixing something for myself and I haven't got time to track down the runner that brings the take out up here."
"Well that's good, since no offense? But Ah'm not. You're just another person to me." Alessia finishes up looking over that paperwork, before she moves over to take a peek out the windows. A low laugh. "Well, maybe if you're a nice boss, Ah'll bring ya in some gumbo an' the like from home."
"All ready you're spoiling me," he smiles softly at her. "I don't think I have to tell you how rare it is to find someone who sees the man behind the mask." Tony pulls sunglasses out from a suit coat pocket to put on even though he's not going outdoors on the tour. "I like gumbo. I may have to be on my best behavior for as long as I can manage. No promises!"
"Well, Ah /am/ a psychic, Tony." Al drawls, a hint of a smile. "An' while Ah don't go readin' minds, Ah've seen enough to see you a little bit. An' your likin' of redheads, which Ah am willin' to forget."
An eyebrow raises from behind his designer specs. "Oh? Are you to be forgetting that I'm partial to beautiful red headed intelligent, and independent women or that I may like you in particular? Seeing that you are indeed an intelligent, independent and beautiful red head?" He tosses in for additional measure, "I'm however not attracted to the Wendy's girl. Reminds me too much of Pippi Longstocking, and I don't want to wake up one morning to find a woman in flight by her pigtails."
"Well, Ah wouldn't have wanted to make things awkward by goin' that far." Al gives him a smile, even as her face flushes slightly. "After all, might seem a little unfair, seein' as you don't know what type of fella Ah go for an' all."
Tony covers his heart, "Are you suggesting I'm not your type?" He's amused at the moment and gestures towards the office door. "I've had another woman say just the exact thing a week ago. In my defense, she was a cyborg." That thought reminded him to check and see what Allie was up to. Hopefully she hadn't come upon anything ill in the last week. He opens the door for her and waits till she passes through before locking up his office. "This floor is mainly my office and a conference lounge."
"Ah'm sayin' ya don't know if ya are or not." Al shrugs one shoulder lightly, heading out of the office. "Thank you." Murmuring as he holds the door for her. "Though if Ah'm honest, don't know if Ah have a type."
"Hmm, no type is actually better than having a type," Tony comments sotto voce. He walks with her to the elevator, saying hello to those that pass them. Once in the elevator he presses the key on the panel for the 93rd floor, then the pass code. "My personal residence is the entire 93rd floor. No one to date has ever gained access without my knowledge and I hope to keep it that way. If for some reason you need access it can be setup up fairly quickly or you could always ride up with someone who has a code."
"Ah would have to ..what's the term? Played the field?" She watches him enter the passcode, brows arching. "Ah would prefer my own code, if it is all the same to you. If something is an emergency, Ah wouldn't want to be flailing about waiting for a code or someone with one."
"You have a point there. Hopefully you would never have to use the code for such a situation." Tony remains silent for the rest of the ride up to the apartment. He is thinking that he may need to decide who knows of his medical status in case something does happen that requires outside intervention. Before he can come to a decision the elevator has arrived and he steps into his apartment. "Why don't you take a look around. I need to grab something in order to get you a code." Tony takes off down a hall to his bedroom searching for one of his computer pads that is large enough for a hand to be placed upon it. If Alessia looks around the main room there are various pieces of leather furniture, numerous flat panel tv's on one wall and an assortment of electronic devices scattered about.
Alessia is all too aware of the silence, watching him from under lashes. "Somethin' ya need to tell me, Tony?" A soft, quiet question, before he is taking off down the hall. While the electronics hold her attention, she simply takes a seat to wait.
Tony takes his time finding the right panel in his bedroom. When he's found it he works through a few screens to make sure he has her information entered correctly. He finds himself staring into space. Putting pieces in place to ensure that certain unpleasant things do not happen seems to be revealing chinks in his own armor. Not the Iron Man armor. He comes back down the hall to sit on the couch laying the panel down near Alessia. "You can punch in your own code and then offer up your hand print. This will also grant you access to the basement level where my lab is." He watches her look over the computer information for a moment.
"Are we ignorin' my earlier question?" Is softly asked, as she reviews the information. A code chosen, before she's allowing it to scan her hand. "Well, lab access will be good, if something emergent happens and that's where you are."
Tony is not one to easily open up but this case is about as unique as his situation with Kaji. He had to allow certain people, especially those that will be risking their lives to keep him out of trouble, to know what they may have to deal with. "I'm not avoiding your question, simply trying to figure out what I can say." He doesn't intend to have that sound as if he doesn't trust her. "I will give you a list of doctors that are capable of putting me back together. Anyone else is unacceptable." He was going to expand upon that but has hit a road block. The thought of being stuck in an MRI machine, and its resulting outcome is enough to make him feel sick.
Alessia looks up from letting the pad scan her hand. "Tony…" She sets it aside to get to her feet, offering a hand out to him. "Ah realize most of what ya know of me is on paper an' what Ah've said. But ya already know more about me than anyone else in this city. Ya say ya can keep telepaths out, but all Ah can offer, is ta let ya feel the fact when Ah say ya can trust me to be totally discreet, Ah mean it wholeheartedly."
Tony takes a hold of her hand. He is unaware that he is rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand as he thinks to himself. "I don't mean to offend you. You know what dangers there are to people finding out too much information." He may be digging himself a deeper hole to have to drag himself out of but the struggle to tow a certain line is blatantly clear. Skills or no skills. "I'm not entirely human any longer." He looks up from their hands to lock gazes with her. "I am Iron Man inside and out. The fewer that know that the better. Dr. Donald Blake is the first person you would need to get a hold of. Anyone outside of the list I will give you could inadvertently kill me."
Alessia takes a moment to digest this, eyes lowering from his to run over him, the attempt to submerge curiousity a failure. Her head tips back up to look at him, very aware of his thumb stroking the back of her hand. "Ah know what it is to have somethin' that could end up hurtin' ya, if everyone knows, yes. Ah assure you, no one will find out from me, but knowin' who to call to aid you if it needs to come to that is sort of important for me to know, Tony, if Ah'm gonna protect you."
Tony offers a tight smile, even looks a bit sheepish. "I honestly hope all you will have to do is keep the chaos of daily business under control. If something does happen I'm sure you will do fine." The feeling of doom and gloom has settled over Tony like a dark ominous cloud. He squeezes Al's hand and heads off into the nearby kitchen. When confronted with things he'd rather not have to deal with he always finds something else to do.
"Tony, we should always hope for the best, but should also be prepared for the worst." Alessia says softly, following him into the kitchen. "But now Ah have ruined your mood. This is no good."
"You haven't," Tony tells Al as he searches through the kitchen for something edible. "If I find something decent hidden in the cabinets would you like something?" He's quite certain that anything edible in the fridge has passed its shelf life. He manages to dig up some Wheat-Thins and a half a container of Oreo's. He sets them out on the counter and pulls out a a pitcher of juice from the fridge. "You know, if you want to brighten my mood you could sit in on my last two interviews and look imposing. We could see who cracks under the pressure."
Alessia watches him move around the kitchen, a sigh. "Ya've got an amazin' kitchen like this, an'…it's goin' to waste. Oreos and Wheat Thins. Good gawd, ya weren't kiddin' about not bein' any good with the kitchen, were ya." She takes up a lean on the counter, an eyebrow arching. "Ya expect me to look imposin'." She looks at him sharply, then down at herself.
Tony chuckles seeing her posture, "Something like that." He finds two clean glasses in a cupboard and pours out the juice. He places the pitcher back into the fridge and leans back against the nearby counter. "I wasn't joking about the kitchen. If I even remember to eat, my idea of how to acquire food is to call someone on my cell, and remember to find a fork before the food arrives at the door."
"You're nuts, ya know. My skills are layin' low, people not suspectin' what Ah really am. Even in my blues, people somehow fail to notice Ah'm a cop." Alessia sighs. "Breakin' my heart, Stark. If Ah had a kitchen like this? Good gawd. Before ya know it, Ah'll be beggin' ya to let me put things in your cupboards an' make use of the space."
"Commandeering my kitchen? Was that a part of the employment contract?" He smiles before popping an Oreo into his mouth. "I can build a Space Station but ask me to cook pancakes and you'll have to call the fire department up here." He eats another cookie before sipping at his glass of juice. "My apartment is Grand Central Station after noon. If you want to stop by to cry over my unused stove top just warn me you're on your way up."
Alessia eyes him. "Well, ya /did/ say ya liked gumbo an' all. Be a whole lot easier for me to make ya a batch here an' freeze it for ya, than truck it from home." A hint of teasing threading along her drawl. "Ah could save you gosh only knows how much, by makin' ya actual meals all ya have to do is heat up, rather than orderin' take-out. /And/ it'll be good, homemade stuff."
Money has never been an issue for Tony but he understands the difference between take out and actually eating something prepared in one's own kitchen. "Hmm, I think you might be trying to win me over with my stomach. Or you're all ready looking for a raise." He smiles as he checks the time mentally. His next interview was in a half hour. "I just think you want me for my kitchen. I feel so used."
No, but Money still matters to the redhead, and she's not used to working for a rich man. "Well, ya know what they say about a man's heart an' his stomach." A hint of a chuckle, as she takes a few steps towards him, head tipping back to look up at his face. "Would ya rather Ah used ya for your body?" A grin popping up.
Tony smirks devilishly, "You didn't get the memo that I haven't a heart?" He reaches up loosely twirling a stray curl of her hair around his finger before tucking it back behind her ear. "You know I hate making decisions. Kitchen or me? Kitchen or me?" He winds up laughing, his mood having shifted back to more playful than Eeyore.
"Even if Ah got the memo, Ah know the actual heart isn't where things of importance reside, now don't Ah?" She stills when he's twirling a lock of red around his finger. "Ah figured we might as well make it clear there's no sexual harassment suits in the future between us."
"Oh?" Tony inquires softly. "I'm not entirely sure I'd be opposed to you arresting me. It would be a terrible first day on the job, protecting me by locking me up." He finds her hand with his and wonders if she can sense that he isn't serious.
"Ya just want me to use my handcuffs on ya, admit it." Al sasses him, cheeks warming some more as he takes her hand. "Have you ever known a psychic before, Tony?"
"I've known a few but I've never spent considerable time with them. I've been attacked before, hence the blocks that are in place now." Tony reaches up with his free hand to pull his shades off to set on the counter top next to them. "Why do you ask?"
"Just… it's my understandin' most of them don't like bein' touched overmuch. Ah know it makes it harder to block people out. Ah'm givin' ya liberties, is all." She grins at him a long moment.
Tony's eyes widen for a moment. He leans his head down so that he's speaking right next to her ear. "Is it because you can't read me?" Perhaps she can feel the smile tug the corners of his lips. "Or maybe I am your type after all." He leans back against the counter looking into her eyes. He doesn't make it a habit to flirt with people that work for his company but he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity. So sue him; he's Tony Stark!
Alessia stiffens, stills when he's whispering in her ear. "Ah can still pick up things about you, Tony." A hint of laughter in her voice. "Maybe. Ah wouldn't know. Ah do know one thing, an' that's Ah'm really not yours."
Tony sighs rather dramatically, "I really would ask why you think that but I do have to get back down to my office to grill the next hopeful prospect." He gives her hand a affectionate squeeze before releasing it. "Don't think you're getting out of bringing gumbo by. Tease me as you please but my stomach?"
"Because you're used to women who know how to play your game, aren't you?" She starts to move for the elevator. "Did you really want me to sit in on the interview?"
Tony shoves another cookie into his mouth and drains the rest of the juice before following after Al. "You'd be surprised." He says as he calls the elevator. "Last woman that I tried to have a relationship with was murdered. The one before that shot me. The rest was forgettable."
"When was the last time you had a complete virgin, Tony?" The question is blunt and direct, though it's delivered with a light tone.
Tony has frozen in place, not entirely sure if he heard that right. Asking her to clarify would be a terrible faux pas. "You know, I think you know more about me than anyone else living. Frankly, I have no idea how we've managed to skip over all sorts of boundaries but what you really should know is that I never dally with people I'm serious about."
Lucky for him, Al notices him freezing like that, stepping into the elevator and leaning back against the wall. "An' you know more about me than anyone else livin'. But ya didn't answer the question. Or have ya never had a girl that's never even been to second base before?"
Tony pretends to be putting out small fires about his person as he steps into the elevator. "I knew when you walked in my office you'd be trouble." His smirk belays the seriousness of his tone. "If you really want to know, and if this gets out to the press I know where you work," He steps up to her and all but whispers the answer to her. He has just enough time to turn around, step to the side and look completely impassive as the elevator opens on a floor admitting several businessmen.
Alessia laughs when he pretends to put out fires on himself. "Trouble? Me?" She gives him her most innocent expression, which is actually pretty sincere. She blushes hotly with that whisper, biting on her bottom lip when they're joined by those business men. She does her best to ignore them and seem preoccupied with other thoughts until she can get off the elevator with Tony to head for his office again.
Tony knows he's shameless but she did ask. He's feeling upbeat and there is a slight bounce to his step once they arrive on the correct floor. He walks past his secretary to open his office allowing Alessia to enter before him. "You want to look over this guys file while I disappear for a moment? Let me know what you think. You will have to deal with him if he's hired, after all."
She waits until they're alone in his office, before she speaks. "Ah thought men who liked their variety stayed away from girls like me. Afraid of cling." A hand comes up to push red behind her shoulder. "Sure, Ah'll look it over."
Tony pushes his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "Ask me about that particular subject again sometime when you take over my kitchen." He nods towards the file sitting on the side of his desk with the candidates name on it. "I'll be back in a minute," he says striding off to the connecting room to take a moment to get back on task.
