#ckingsbury1967
The Lab - Cheryl/Helena
“Ya think?” Cheryl chuckled under her breath, resting her elbows on the table between them. Her twinkling eyes seemed to laugh as well. She glanced at Stark schmoozing with the other patrons before returning her attention to Helena.
“To be honest? Most people freeze up when they try to talk to him,” she complimented her companion. “Or they open their mouths to speak and gibberish comes out. You actually did really well. Tony’s just so goddamn charismatic, he has that affect on people.”
“Not my fault that I didn’t expect to meet the mega-boss here!” Helena laughed, the crimson colour on the tips of her ears starting to fade away, clearly shaking off the embarrassment. She couldn’t help but keep think of she did or said the right things; She was just thankful Cheryl could bring her back to ground-level.
Glancing to the patrons and employees as they seemed to fluster about to get Stark a warm bagel, she listened intently to the woman across from her. “I don’t blame them one bit,” Helena chuckled, taking a sip of her beverage. “And thank you, I think if I’d been alone at this booth I would have frozen up like everyone else too.”
“The trick is to, like….let it happen, let yourself be blown away, and then over time the feeling will dissipate,” Cheryl suggested to her younger colleague. “When you see the guy in the office every single day, the novelty begins to wear off. You stop seeing him as Super Famous Dude and more like The Guy I See In The Hall On The Way To the Cafeteria.”
She snickered at the flurry of activity happening around Tony. “And the other suggestion is to just stay out of the ‘flurry’ of whatever’s going on,” she added, sipping her coffee. “He’s Tony, he’s gonna have fans around him, and that’s OK. You’ll get used to it.” @helenabennet
“Right- You’re right,” Helena nodded along to what Cheryl told her, almost mentally noting all this. “Like the magic starts to wear off and just… yeah, goes away. Maybe kind of like when kids find out Santa isn’t real.” She chuckled a bit.
She couldn’t help but notice how a lot of people seemed to fawn over Stark’s mere presence and existence in the shop, it was a bit amusing after all. And she couldn’t blame the way they acted, since she, herself, had been quite nervous but giddy at the same time too. “It just seems crazy getting weird to having a guy like Tony Stark around as your boss at work. At least right now it feels crazy.”
The Lab - Cheryl/Helena
Tony paused and looked at Helena for a moment, sizing her up. He offered her a sideways grin, tilting his head as he looked. “A man like me? You mean, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist?” he teased, winking playfully. “I’m just messin’ with ya, Helena Bennet. Stay sharp.”
He took his eyes off her and grinned at the waitress, exchanging a few words with her as he took the coffee and sipped it. Cheryl wadded up a napkin and lightly bounced it off Helena’s shoulder. “Smooth,” she giggled.
Helena laughed and shook her head slightly, realising just how nervous she was and probably seemed as well. She didn’t mean to be so cautious, but since it was, well, Tony goddamn Stark, a man with a high reputation and her boss. “You read my thoughts word for word,” She joked with a light chuckle. “You too, Stark.”
She felt a sigh of relief heave out of her chest as he seemed to turn his attention elsewhere, looking to Cheryl with a grin, jokingly pretending to wipe a pearl of sweat off of her forehead. “I got a bit fidgety,” She giggled along with her.
“Ya think?” Cheryl chuckled under her breath, resting her elbows on the table between them. Her twinkling eyes seemed to laugh as well. She glanced at Stark schmoozing with the other patrons before returning her attention to Helena.
“To be honest? Most people freeze up when they try to talk to him,” she complimented her companion. “Or they open their mouths to speak and gibberish comes out. You actually did really well. Tony’s just so goddamn charismatic, he has that affect on people.” @helenabennet
“Not my fault that I didn’t expect to meet the mega-boss here!” Helena laughed, the crimson colour on the tips of her ears starting to fade away, clearly shaking off the embarrassment. She couldn’t help but keep think of she did or said the right things; She was just thankful Cheryl could bring her back to ground-level.
Glancing to the patrons and employees as they seemed to fluster about to get Stark a warm bagel, she listened intently to the woman across from her. “I don’t blame them one bit,” Helena chuckled, taking a sip of her beverage. “And thank you, I think if I’d been alone at this booth I would have frozen up like everyone else too.”
The Lab - Cheryl/Helena
Cheryl chuckled under her breath as she saw, out of the corner of her eye, how Helena was sitting up straighter and trying to look professional. Everyone had the same reaction to meeting Tony Stark. Whether male, female, or non-binary, everyone seemed to want to make a favorable impression on the millionaire philanthropist.
“Tony, Helena. Helena, Tony.” She waved vaguely, as if introducing them was her job or something. “What brings you here, boss? I thought you were in Geneva with Pepper.”
“Plans change, Kingsbury, plans change,” Tony answered glibly, his eyes already up and looking around the diner, his fingers busily buttoning and unbuttoning his suit jacket. “You happen to know where Banner is? And hey, don’t mean to ignore you, Ms. Bennet,” the man added quickly, giving the woman a little salute. “Got a lot on my mind.“
Helena wasn’t used to interactions with people who were considered very important, influential and in some cases highly famous, and she practically felt at a loss for words. She could quickly see how being more genuine and relaxed would be better, after all, impressions aren’t based off of posture and a formal tone. At least not nowadays.
She nodded along to Cheryls words and kept her polite smile as the two conversed about a trip and Banner.
When she was mentioned, she shook her head and made a slight waving hand gesture and said: “No worries, wouldn’t expect a man like you not to have a lot on your mind. That’s meant in a good way.” She added.A server came to the table, almost graciously handing Stark a cup of coffee, telling him it was on the house and from the owner of the café.
Tony paused and looked at Helena for a moment, sizing her up. He offered her a sideways grin, tilting his head as he looked. “A man like me? You mean, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist?” he teased, winking playfully. “I’m just messin’ with ya, Helena Bennet. Stay sharp.”
He took his eyes off her and grinned at the waitress, exchanging a few words with her as he took the coffee and sipped it. Cheryl wadded up a napkin and lightly bounced it off Helena’s shoulder. “Smooth,” she giggled. @helenabennet
Helena laughed and shook her head slightly, realising just how nervous she was and probably seemed as well. She didn’t mean to be so cautious, but since it was, well, Tony goddamn Stark, a man with a high reputation and her boss. “You read my thoughts word for word,” She joked with a light chuckle. “You too, Stark.”
She felt a sigh of relief heave out of her chest as he seemed to turn his attention elsewhere, looking to Cheryl with a grin, jokingly pretending to wipe a pearl of sweat off of her forehead. “I got a bit fidgety,” She giggled along with her.
