"We should be on time," Bucky says, though there's a regretful note in his voice. He guesses it isn't going to be that difficult at all to do this as long as he turns his brain off and just stops overthinking it. He cups Natalie's cheek with his right hand.
"So I guess we can pick up later, if you're feeling up to it. I would say we should go late but Tony will be late so I should be there on time to represent the company in his stead."
"Fair enough." Natalie obligingly slid off of Bucky's lap, smoothly stepping over to her duffel to start laying out her things for the coming party. "If I'm posing as your girlfriend, we'll need to coordinate some details, too." Her smile flashed at the excitement of the clandestine.
"Like where we met, how long we've been dating, our favorite things to do together, that sort of stuff." She pulled out a slinky green gown, covered with sequins, and hung it on the top of the closet door. "Any ideas?"
Turning back to her duffel, she offered, "As for me, I'm Natalie Rushman, I'm originally from Los Angeles, but moved to New York to go to college for computer networking. That gives us somewhat of a common denominator, huh?"
"We met at a coffee shop, I think," Bucky says. It's a little boring but he thinks that he can work with it. "No, no, I've got it. You were dropping your friend off at the doctor and I was waiting for therapy. I was reading an engineering journal and you asked me about it - because of your degree. I got your number before you left and that's how we got together."
It seems natural enough, honestly, and therapy is the only place he really goes besides home and work - he even has his groceries delivered at this point. No time for anything else.
"You wouldn't even have to talk shop for that - you're in networking, not in engineering, so nobody would expect you to know what I'm going on about anyway other than broad strokes."
Pretending to consider, Natalie finally gave a nod, pulling a pair of white diamond heels out of their bag. "I like it," she approved, placing the shoes on the floor near the bed. "And I prefer tea over coffee, purple is my favorite color, I wear Chanel perfume, I bite my fingernails and can't carry a tune in a bucket." She laughed, admitting the last two.
Moving to the dresser, she began taking out her cosmetics and other ladies' paraphernalia, even flourishing the perfume bottle a little playfully. "See?" She sprayed her wrist lightly, then held it out for him to sniff. "You like?"
"We're not going to karaoke because I can't sing either," Bucky says, laughing softly. "And maybe you'll have something from Chanel show up in your bags."
When she offers her wrist for him to sniff, he inhales and it smells good. He's never really had an opinion on perfume before but Natalie's smells amazing and he's decided he'll buy her another bottle and slip it into her bag before she leaves.
Her eyebrows went up, but she shrugged nonchalant acquiescence; it wasn't her business what he spent his money on. Going back to her ablutions, she capped the bottle and set it aside, glancing up at him in the vanity mirror.
"So, care to return the favor? What are some little things I'd know about you, huh? Favorite color, favorite food, favorite movie, that sort of thing."
It'd be interesting, to see how many of his answers coincided with what she already knew.
"Favorite color is blue, favorite food is chocolate, and favorite movie is...well, it's hard to pick, but I'd have to say West Side Story. I like musicals. I know it's weird, I just have always liked them."
It had made him a very good dancer, at least.
"I like old music, I like playing it on a record player and not CDs, and I love to dance. Anything else you want to know?"
Well, they really were going to get along perfectly. Natasha made a mental note to give that idea a little more thought, but later. "Musicals aren't that bad," she told him, "and I love to dance, too. So we should impress tonight, right?" She'd studied ballet when she'd been younger, but in her teens had learned all of the ballroom-big-band dances, too, given the company she would be instructed to keep.
"So, I think we ought to do just fine," Natalie said with a small smile. Then turned and leaned against the dresser, crossing her arms lightly. "Now get outta here so I can shower and dress, unless you'd rather join me in the shower?" A teasing eyebrow went up at her invitation.
"Oh, uh, no...you feel free," Bucky says. He's a little shocked at the bold invitation but he guesses that's all part of the game. He is more than happy to use the other bathroom to get ready while Natalia uses his and gestures his hand toward his own.
"Go ahead, do what you need to do. I showered earlier so I just need to get dressed. Take as long as you need."
An hour and a half later, "Natalie Rushman" descended the stairs in Bucky's townhouse in her gleaming emerald gown, primped, pressed, and curled, looking every inch as if she absolutely belonged in Manhattan's high society. She held a small dark green clutch, her red curls swept to one side and cascaded down over her smooth, slender neck, and delicate emerald and gold earrings complemented the gold necklace and emerald teardrop resting at the hollow of her throat.
She knew she looked amazing, and she had a silent bet going with herself that her client would absolutely knock the socks off of any female lucky enough to get within a hundred yards tonight. Women, and probably a few men, too. But the afternoon had gone well, and she was absolutely looking forward to whatever the night might bring. ...unless it was an up-close and personal interlude with his post-war trauma, poor man.
Hopefully her presence would be enough of a palliative and keep him stable, at least until they arrived back at his place.
Bucky is finishing up with a cufflink when he steps out and sees Natalie and he drops the damn thing in shock. He's seen beautiful women before, of course, but beautiful women aren't normally going out with him. Nobody's going out with him because he doesn't let anyone within arms length of him and he doesn't have the time.
Natalie, though, doesn't have those barriers to cross. "Sorry, I dropped my cufflink...let me just," he bends down, retrieves it, and as he does he gets a look at her from the hem of the dress all the way up. It's enough to almost make him drop the cufflink again.
"Can you help me with it? I'm clumsy with my left hand. You look stunning, by the way."
Her perfect eyebrows flew up when she saw him drop the cufflink, but she carefully didn't laugh. Her lips did curve in quiet amusement, however, at his reaction to seeing her. Satisfying, that. A very good sign. She continued her slow pace down the stairs, coming up to him as he held out the small gold button to her.
"Of course." Taking the cufflink, Natalie carefully attached it to his shirtsleeve, automatically straightening it when she was done. "There. All done." Then she went up on her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips, gazing at him with bright green eyes.
"Spasibo, by the way, for the compliment. Thank you." She eyed him boldly, flicking an imaginary mote from his shoulder. "You look good, too. 'Devastatingly handsome' about sums it up, I think."
"I don't think anyone has said that to me in longer than I remember. Thank you," Bucky says. He tugs a glove onto his left hand and leans in to kiss Natalie's cheek.
"I don't want to mess up your makeup but I wanted to kiss you so that's the compromise. I think the car's out front. I need to warn you first, though. I don't...it happened when I was in a humvee, you know? So I don't like riding in cars. I usually just use my motorcycle but I can't for this so I'm going to be uncomfortable. It's not because you're doing anything wrong, okay? It's just me."
He leaned towards her and Natalie offered her cheek, lashes drifting closed to smell his clean skin and cologne. It surprised her, though, when he offered details about his accident right up front, and she couldn't help but be touched. Maybe the man really was working through his PTSD as hard as he could.
"It's okay, James." She reached for his left hand with her right, pressing their palms together, warm skin to cool leather. "I'll be with you the entire time, and we'll be okay, da?" A pause at the door to adjust his jacket and for her to swirl her matching shawl over her bare shoulders, then the chauffer was bidding them both a good evening and holding open the door to the sleek white limousine.
It wasn't the first one she'd ever ridden in, and Natalie slid right over, arranging her dress like a pro, and once more reached for Bucky's left hand when he joined her and the door closed. "I brought more lipstick with me," she told him in her husky, low voice, and delicately placed fingers against his chin to turn his head to her. A kiss awaited, his mouth just as delicious as before, and Natalie didn't even realize they'd pulled away from the curb and into traffic until they were halfway to Stark Enterprises.
Bucky knows he's going to be wearing her color when the kiss ends but he doesn't really care about that. What he does care about is how good it feels to kiss a woman and spend time with her, to feel special to someone, and he feels special to Natalie right now. He cups her shoulder gently with his right hand to keep it from wandering anywhere else and other than coming up for air a few times, he doesn't stop kissing her until the driver says they're at their stop. Oh. He hadn't even noticed the drive.
He pulls away and brushes his thumb just beneath Natalie's lower lip. "You'd better fix your lipstick and get it off my face because I'm not sure it's fashionable for me to walk in wearing it."
She laughed, the low sound wicked in the dimness of their backseat, and handed him a makeup wipe from her clutch. "Here, this'll help." Then she fixed her own face in a matter of seconds, an old hand with touchups on the fly. In less than a minute, she appeared just as perfect as before, and had her "working" smile in place when the chauffer opened the door.
Taking the offered hand, Natalie stepped out, adjusted her shawl, and waited for Bucky, a little disappointed that she didn't have enough time to put a few marks on that thick neck before they'd arrived. He'd look mighty fine with a few hickys, and it'd help sell their cover further, too.
But, perhaps later, because right now was for taking his offered arm and letting him lead her inside, amid all the glitz and glamor of a Stark gala, the ballroom already nicely crowded even at this early hour.
It is already crowded even though Tony wouldn't show up until at least two hours in and Bucky barely hits the door before people are crowding in to see him. He gets questions about Natalie and fields them as best he can, using his "I'm making a presentation to investors," smile to its full advantage. When he finally gets a moment to break away, he slips his arm around Natalie's waist.
"I'm beginning to think I'm not going to get a chance to have a drink or get to dance. Do you want to go with me to the bar and see if we can at least get some champagne out of this?"
It was startling to see just how popular Barnes really was in this company. From the moment they hit the door, he was surrounded by people, and even she could admit that he needed a breather. When he finally got the chance to talk to her, sliding his arm around her waist, she took full advantage and abruptly towed him off towards the far end of the room.
"Yes," she agreed with a light laugh, ducking behind a few tables and columns to stay out of direct line of sight. "Good God, and we haven't even made it all the way across the room yet." Her lips twitched, bemused. "I'm starting to get why you work from home, James. Do they mob you like this at the office, too?"
"Yes, which is why I only come into the office once or twice a quarter if can help it. It's easier to deal with all of them when they're emails and phone calls. I can turn those off if I want to. I cannot turn off people in my actual face."
He manages to get to the bar and snag two glasses of champagne, offering one to Natalie.
"This is a Stark party, he only buys the good stuff. Let's hide back here so I actually get a chance to have a date instead of being mobbed about work. I would think these people wouldn't want to talk about the job but I guess they really want me to hear about their projects like I don't have my own."
She took the offered glass with a smile of thanks, sipping lightly. And Bucky was right, it was very good. "I'm fine with hiding," she promised, linking her free arm with his as they slowly strolled behind the columns.
Taking another swallow of champagne, Natalie remarked with a saucy twinkle, "I'd even be up for sneaking off to fool around a little, isn't that what couples do at these work parties?"
"It is and I would but the last thing I want is for one of my employees to find me with my pants down in a broom closet," Bucky says, laughing nervously. "Maybe if it was just a club or something but not when I might have to look the person in the eye again one day."
"But we can play hide and seek and see if we can find a place to kiss? As long as all the clothes stay on, I think I can manage to recover if someone catches me."
"What about your office?" Natalie asked him, giving him a slyly coquettish look from beneath her lashes. "Surely no one would dare bother us in there, right?" But she could concede the point; an executive should know better, and she doubted James Barnes would ever do something so crass. Still, the thrill was definitely there.
"But we don't have to go that far if you don't want to, James." And really, he shouldn't have his first time in so very long as a quickie in a locked office at a party. But she had to play the part, and doing so required being a little crass, sometimes.
"Making out a little would definitely be fun," she agreed. Then gestured out over the crowd. "And you can't tell me that we'd be the only ones in here to do it, either. Honestly."
"We will definitely not be the only ones doing it. You have a point about my office, though. I think no one would bother us up there and I have a couch. We could actually kiss without having a schematic shoved in my face every five minutes," Bucky says, laughing softly.
He tosses back the rest of his champagne and puts the flute on a table before wrapping his arms around Natalie's waist. "I'll steal us some more champagne and we can go up there. We can get some privacy and a good view."
The man had a beautiful smile and a wonderful laugh; again, why was he still single? She just couldn't fathom it - even with his emotional trauma he shouldn't have to be paying for anyone to show him affection. Christ, all he'd had to do tonight was walk in the damned door.
Natalie drained her glass and set the flute aside just as Bucky's arms came around her waist, and she twirled with him, the skirt of her gown flaring lightly. "Sounds like a plan, handsome. Let me just go visit the little girl's room, and I'll meet you by the elevator, da?"
A quick kiss sealed her promise, then she slipped out of his grasp and sashayed towards the corner of the room, making sure to give her hips enough sway that he wouldn't be able to help himself watch her leave.
No, he can't help but watch Natalie leave and the idea that she's here with him and he doesn't have to worry about that and can just be himself takes a lot of weight off his shoulders. He tries to act casual as he waits but he ends up fiddling a little and when he spots her, he knows he's staring.
"It's going to be a very, very long elevator ride," Bucky says, shaking his head and smiling a bit. "You look beautiful tonight. I think I said that already but it bears repeating."
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"So I guess we can pick up later, if you're feeling up to it. I would say we should go late but Tony will be late so I should be there on time to represent the company in his stead."
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"Like where we met, how long we've been dating, our favorite things to do together, that sort of stuff."
She pulled out a slinky green gown, covered with sequins, and hung it on the top of the closet door. "Any ideas?"
Turning back to her duffel, she offered, "As for me, I'm Natalie Rushman, I'm originally from Los Angeles, but moved to New York to go to college for computer networking. That gives us somewhat of a common denominator, huh?"
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It seems natural enough, honestly, and therapy is the only place he really goes besides home and work - he even has his groceries delivered at this point. No time for anything else.
"You wouldn't even have to talk shop for that - you're in networking, not in engineering, so nobody would expect you to know what I'm going on about anyway other than broad strokes."
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Moving to the dresser, she began taking out her cosmetics and other ladies' paraphernalia, even flourishing the perfume bottle a little playfully. "See?" She sprayed her wrist lightly, then held it out for him to sniff. "You like?"
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When she offers her wrist for him to sniff, he inhales and it smells good. He's never really had an opinion on perfume before but Natalie's smells amazing and he's decided he'll buy her another bottle and slip it into her bag before she leaves.
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"So, care to return the favor? What are some little things I'd know about you, huh? Favorite color, favorite food, favorite movie, that sort of thing."
It'd be interesting, to see how many of his answers coincided with what she already knew.
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It had made him a very good dancer, at least.
"I like old music, I like playing it on a record player and not CDs, and I love to dance. Anything else you want to know?"
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"So, I think we ought to do just fine," Natalie said with a small smile. Then turned and leaned against the dresser, crossing her arms lightly. "Now get outta here so I can shower and dress, unless you'd rather join me in the shower?" A teasing eyebrow went up at her invitation.
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"Go ahead, do what you need to do. I showered earlier so I just need to get dressed. Take as long as you need."
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She knew she looked amazing, and she had a silent bet going with herself that her client would absolutely knock the socks off of any female lucky enough to get within a hundred yards tonight. Women, and probably a few men, too. But the afternoon had gone well, and she was absolutely looking forward to whatever the night might bring. ...unless it was an up-close and personal interlude with his post-war trauma, poor man.
Hopefully her presence would be enough of a palliative and keep him stable, at least until they arrived back at his place.
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Natalie, though, doesn't have those barriers to cross. "Sorry, I dropped my cufflink...let me just," he bends down, retrieves it, and as he does he gets a look at her from the hem of the dress all the way up. It's enough to almost make him drop the cufflink again.
"Can you help me with it? I'm clumsy with my left hand. You look stunning, by the way."
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"Of course." Taking the cufflink, Natalie carefully attached it to his shirtsleeve, automatically straightening it when she was done. "There. All done." Then she went up on her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips, gazing at him with bright green eyes.
"Spasibo, by the way, for the compliment. Thank you." She eyed him boldly, flicking an imaginary mote from his shoulder. "You look good, too. 'Devastatingly handsome' about sums it up, I think."
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"I don't want to mess up your makeup but I wanted to kiss you so that's the compromise. I think the car's out front. I need to warn you first, though. I don't...it happened when I was in a humvee, you know? So I don't like riding in cars. I usually just use my motorcycle but I can't for this so I'm going to be uncomfortable. It's not because you're doing anything wrong, okay? It's just me."
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"It's okay, James." She reached for his left hand with her right, pressing their palms together, warm skin to cool leather. "I'll be with you the entire time, and we'll be okay, da?" A pause at the door to adjust his jacket and for her to swirl her matching shawl over her bare shoulders, then the chauffer was bidding them both a good evening and holding open the door to the sleek white limousine.
It wasn't the first one she'd ever ridden in, and Natalie slid right over, arranging her dress like a pro, and once more reached for Bucky's left hand when he joined her and the door closed. "I brought more lipstick with me," she told him in her husky, low voice, and delicately placed fingers against his chin to turn his head to her. A kiss awaited, his mouth just as delicious as before, and Natalie didn't even realize they'd pulled away from the curb and into traffic until they were halfway to Stark Enterprises.
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He pulls away and brushes his thumb just beneath Natalie's lower lip. "You'd better fix your lipstick and get it off my face because I'm not sure it's fashionable for me to walk in wearing it."
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Taking the offered hand, Natalie stepped out, adjusted her shawl, and waited for Bucky, a little disappointed that she didn't have enough time to put a few marks on that thick neck before they'd arrived. He'd look mighty fine with a few hickys, and it'd help sell their cover further, too.
But, perhaps later, because right now was for taking his offered arm and letting him lead her inside, amid all the glitz and glamor of a Stark gala, the ballroom already nicely crowded even at this early hour.
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"I'm beginning to think I'm not going to get a chance to have a drink or get to dance. Do you want to go with me to the bar and see if we can at least get some champagne out of this?"
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"Yes," she agreed with a light laugh, ducking behind a few tables and columns to stay out of direct line of sight. "Good God, and we haven't even made it all the way across the room yet." Her lips twitched, bemused. "I'm starting to get why you work from home, James. Do they mob you like this at the office, too?"
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He manages to get to the bar and snag two glasses of champagne, offering one to Natalie.
"This is a Stark party, he only buys the good stuff. Let's hide back here so I actually get a chance to have a date instead of being mobbed about work. I would think these people wouldn't want to talk about the job but I guess they really want me to hear about their projects like I don't have my own."
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Taking another swallow of champagne, Natalie remarked with a saucy twinkle, "I'd even be up for sneaking off to fool around a little, isn't that what couples do at these work parties?"
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"But we can play hide and seek and see if we can find a place to kiss? As long as all the clothes stay on, I think I can manage to recover if someone catches me."
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"But we don't have to go that far if you don't want to, James." And really, he shouldn't have his first time in so very long as a quickie in a locked office at a party. But she had to play the part, and doing so required being a little crass, sometimes.
"Making out a little would definitely be fun," she agreed. Then gestured out over the crowd. "And you can't tell me that we'd be the only ones in here to do it, either. Honestly."
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He tosses back the rest of his champagne and puts the flute on a table before wrapping his arms around Natalie's waist. "I'll steal us some more champagne and we can go up there. We can get some privacy and a good view."
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Natalie drained her glass and set the flute aside just as Bucky's arms came around her waist, and she twirled with him, the skirt of her gown flaring lightly. "Sounds like a plan, handsome. Let me just go visit the little girl's room, and I'll meet you by the elevator, da?"
A quick kiss sealed her promise, then she slipped out of his grasp and sashayed towards the corner of the room, making sure to give her hips enough sway that he wouldn't be able to help himself watch her leave.
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"It's going to be a very, very long elevator ride," Bucky says, shaking his head and smiling a bit. "You look beautiful tonight. I think I said that already but it bears repeating."
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