tampered | (no subject)

(no subject)

When; Wednesday Evening
Rating; PG-13
Characters;

fireplacegirl
Summary; Tony promised Reinette dinner with him and his wife (Scotch) and then Jarvis opened his big mouth and mentioned Tony's cooking so he has his first house guest
Log;

The amount of time Tony had spent cooking was was obscene. He'd started around lunch and made the goat cheese salads. Then the dessert--Tiramsu and finally the entree, shrimp capricco. He'd purposely tried to steer away from French food.

Reinette is the first guest Tony has had to his beach house. It's still not entirely decorated but he's paid Natasha overtime to get it at least halfway there. The living room where he's set up a small table is mostly done, minus some of the smaller touches. All in all, he's settling in rather nicely.

"JARVIS, let me know when she arrives. I'm going to change," Tony says as he heads upstairs toward the mostly unfinished bedroom.

⌈Of course, Mr. Stark.⌋

Integrating JARVIS into the house had been his first priority once he'd found the place.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The directions Tony had given Reinette were precise down to the meter. She had no hard time in finding the house, for which she was grateful; it wouldn't do to be late when he'd gone through the trouble of preparing dinner.

The visit to Tony's home is also her first to the shore. She stops for a bit to admire the water, watching it lap against the rocks, clearer than any shore in France. No wonder he'd picked such a location to make his home.

After a moment, she hurries up the path. Even unfinished, the house was more than impressive, grander, she thought, than most buildings in the City. Tony would settle for nothing less, of course. Once she reaches the door she raises her hand, knocking lightly one, two, three times.

Jarvis warned Tony when Reinette was on the front walk so by the time she reaches the door he's coming down the stairs buttoning up his shirt. He opens the door with a smile.

"Reinette, come in. You look gorgeous as usual." He steps back, opening the door wider as he does and gestures her inside.

"And you are as handsome and charming as ever," she says, walking through the door. The interior is sparse, but still magnificent; Reinette especially can't take her eyes off of the huge picture windows that overlook the beach.

"You have a lovely home, Tony. Thank you for having me over."

The windows are really what makes the place. It's the reason he bought the house he has in Malibu and it's the reason he's picked this one here so similar although less furnished.

"It's my pleasure. I'd give you a tour but I'm afraid aside from this room everything else is a set of empty rooms." He points to an almost hidden stairwell just behind the fireplace that goes down. "That's going to be my workshop. Upstairs are bedrooms but really this is the main attraction." He gestures to the picture window.

At one time his garage full of cars would have been worth visiting. He misses his cars but then he and JARVIS are already planning on building one. He thinks he can give the Audi a run for it's money.

"Would you like some wine? I've got some of the red you had at the Lux the other night."

She moves closer to the windows, taking in the panoramic view of the beach. For all its rooms, the TARDIS afforded no views quite like this one. The familiarity of a seashore makes her long for France; she has found little in the City that has reminded her of home quite like the scene beyond the windows. The buildings, people, and technology are all alien to her, but this- This looks a bit, at least, like home.

From her place by the windows she calls out to Tony: "It will feel like home in no time, I am sure. You shall fill these rooms with such technological wonders as to render my presence obsolete. How my heart shall break when a machine replaces me as your dancing partner."

A sigh and a dramatic shake of her head fades into a laugh, and she crosses the room to stand by his side. "I would love some wine, thank you."

He pours her a glass of wine and hands it to her. "But see I'm not looking for a replacement dance partner. There are certain things it is better to have real people around for. Are you hungry? We eat now or it'll wait a little while if you'd rather sit and enjoy the view."

She takes the glass of wine and sips at it, That he had acquired a bottle of wine like the one she had at Lux was not a detail that went unnoticed; she was quite impressed.

"I would not want the meal to grow cold and see all of your hard work go to waste. The view will wait."

"You'll be able to see it from the table. Just not quite as well," Tony assures her as he escorts her to the small table set up in the living room. "My dining room isn't furnished yet," he explains as he pulls her chair out.

"My, how I wonder at your priorities," she says, smiling as she takes her seat at the table. "A kitchen stocked well enough to prepare dinner, and yet nowhere to sit and properly enjoy your hard work."

"I enjoy cooking," he says as he gets the goat cheese salads out and puts one in front of her while the other goes to his place. He takes a seat and smiles at her. "But I usually end up eating sitting next to the window or at my desk downstairs."

She murmurs a soft thank you as he puts the plate in front of her. After a few bites: "I would imagine that you, perhaps, view cooking as a sort of science? Culinary chemistry, if you will. Yet another science you excel at; this is wonderful."

"And here I thought I was mysterious," Tony chuckles because honestly, he's anything but a mystery. At least on the surface. "It is a lot like chemistry. You mix the right ingredients, in the right amount at the right time and you'll always get the same result. Thank you."

He takes another bite of his salad then a sip of his scotch before speaking again. "As you pointed out, I'm arriving toward my deadline. Would you be amiable to answer questions over the course of our dinner? I promise you a walk down to the back later if you like."

"I am amiable to both propositions. It is the least I could do after you have prepared for me what I am sure is to be a wonderful meal." She smiles over the rim of her glass of wine before taking a sip. "I think myself a bit too impatient; I would be lying if I said I have not been awaiting anxiously your questions. To wait until the end of the meal might have been torturous," she says with a laugh.

[ooc: that was beach not back. Wow I'm even wearing my glasses. I apologize for that]

"Patience as a virtue is over-rated. In fact it could be seen as thinly veiled procrastination," he smirks and then nods. "Is one man younger than the other?"

"Yes," she answers simply. "Though I must admit, you never did strike me as the patient type. I generally am more reserved, but find that my patience gives way to excitement. Terrible habit."

{ooc; All good bb o/ }

"I've never had to be patient for anything," he admits. "And that is a quality that I like. Cool, patient boredom is just boring." He puts his napkin on the table and moves into the kitchen to get the shrimp capricco. Her plate goes down first then his before he takes his seat again. "Are there differences between the two men physically? As well as in personality?"

Reinette thanks him as he sets down her plate. "The saying does not go 'good things come to those who wait impatiently.' I believe there is merit to both patience and impatience."

She takes a few bites of the dish, mulling over his questions. Technically, the pair of Doctors shared the same body. But no one who looked at them would be able to figure that out. But their personalities were, for sure, distinctly different. "Yes, to the first question, though there is a 'however' attached. Yes, as well to the second one."

"I've always heard good things come to those with the most charm and money," Tony jokes with her as he sits down. He watches her while she considers his question. "Am I allowed to ask the however?"

"What a great advantage you have, then," she says with a laugh. And then a pause as she considers his request. "I am afraid it would give far too much away."

"I'm a very lucky man." And then a pause while he takes a bite. "Was that heart-felt enough?" he smirks. "Okay. Next question then. Does the phenomenon of these 2 men actually being the same man have anything to do with alternate worlds?"

She laughs. "That could not have been more convincing. Well done." She takes a few more bites of her dish; Tony really is a masterful cook. "And as to your question- No, it does not."

"Oh good. I've been working on my sincerity. Apparently it needs work," Tony chuckles. It's something he enjoys doing and something he doesn't do often enough. Most of the women he brings to his house aren't there for dinner. "Alright." He mulls that over a moment, takes a sip of his drink and eats a bit more. "One of these men you met in your world and the other you met only when you arrived here, yes?"

"Be careful that you do not practice too much. Too much charm and sincerity and you will be a very dangerous man." She raises her glass in a mock toast.

"In a sense, we have all known each other since I was very young. However, I met the other one the way he is now only after my arrival, yes.

"I shall make note. I'd hate to overextend my power." He clinks his glass to hers in mock toast.

"And they both have the same memories of you?"

"I would be at more of a disadvantage than I already am," she says after a sip of her wine.

"Yes."