2012-08-09 Hire Learning

Stark Industries is doing a little bit better today. Perhaps someone has taken pity on Stark trying to run this company without assistance and returned to work to help. Or! Perhaps the temp agency has sent over more than just ditzy blondes that want to be near Tony Stark. Whatever the case may be, the workload is sufficiently less heavy on Stark's nonexistent heart and more up to his normal speed. Either way, though, Stark is in his office and playing HoloGolf at this very moment.
"Sir."
"Not now, JARVIS. Backswing."
"Ms. Cabe is on her way up."
Tony's focused on holding the hologolf club. "Who?"
JARVIS pops up a picture of Bethany Cabe (Her Royal Hotness) right in front of Stark's face. Which totally messes up his swing, but he's smiling anyway. "Oooh. Nice. Shut it down." And Stark's moving to pop back behind his desk, while JARVIS shuts down the game that was previously taking up the entire office.
 
Mr. Stark can thank Coulson's timely application of charm and cupcakes this morning for Bethany's much improved mood. A slightly frazzled woman--not Pepper Potts, to Bethany's surprise--meets Bethany at the elevator and ushers her along like a border collie while asking her for her coffee order. 
Just black coffee? Is she sure? Nothing else?
No, really. Just the coffee.
Bethany is waved through the into the hallowed inner sanctum of Stark Industries and she's dazzled by the... well, no. But it's a nice office and Beth's rather gratified to see that the walls are magnificently devoid of posters of swim suit models. Good. A man in Stark's position should be able to afford holograms or live models that can be shooed out when necessary.
Bethany looks a fair sight different than the last two times Tony saw her. No running gear, no cut-offs. For today, a tailored grey silk suit and very high heels.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Stark." Bethany gives him a warm smile. New setting, fresh start. She's willing to be fair.
Tony Stark is competely ready to pop back up from the desk the moment that Bethany saunters in. Whether she is actually sauntering or not, doesn't really matter. Stark has managed to spot a nice silk suit and high heels which automatically makes any females in his presence wearing that height of heels... saunter. It could almost be considered something along the lines of Stark-o-Vision. Whatever. It's all good.
For all of Stark's own rememberance of possible things that may have been said... he doesn't even remember. To him, this is probably the first meeting. He's not the best with remembering females he may or may not have wronged. It comes with the territory of being Tony Stark. And thus he's moving around to the front of the desk to motion with a hand towards the clean and comfortable seats in front of him.
"Ms. Cabe. Thank you for coming. Really. I appreciate it." Tony flashes a bright smile, if only because he's not even sure what this meeting is about. Pepper made it. "You'll have to forgive me for asking, as Miss Potts is away from the office right now, but exactly what can I do for you?" So different than on the street with delicious Gatorade. It almost sounds like he has... manners.
 
"Well, Miss Potts only made a general appointment. And why don't you call me Bethany?" Bethany gives Tony a rather sympathetic look as she shakes his hand. Poor guy is clueless without Miss Potts. No surprise there. "Let's start with whether or not you're aware of what Cabe-McPherson does and go from there." 
Bethany puts her briefcase down and takes a seat in one of the chairs on her side of Tony's desk. "We're a security company. Here in America, that means mostly personal bodyguard work, driving important people around safely, and training security for other companies. The company is mine and my business partner's, we've been in business for ten years. Most of our field agents are female, that's what sets us apart. So. With that in mind--and assuming you don't need me to recover a kidnapped heir or break someone out of a foreign prison--what can I do for you?" She crosses one leg over the other, leans back in her chair, and gives him an expectant smile.
"Bethany." This is almost as if Tony is attempting to commit her first name to memory. And then he's paying attention. He really is. Honestly. Just because he's staring at her eyes and her lips during this entire spiel of what the business is, doesn't mean he's thinking about things that he should not be thinking about in a business meeting. It is not until she drops the 'Female' bomb does he finally seem to be more at home with this idea.
"Honestly? I'm not exactly sure why she thinks I may need a bodyguard. I'm Iron Man." Stark cannot resist the chance to clearly talk about how awesome he and his Iron Man armor are. Still, though, he's taken to getting more comfortable with the leaning back against the desk. "But. You seem to have managed to sell me with a few of your points." Like: Female.
Stark smiles just a bit in the next moment. "And considering that I'm not always ready to suit up, I believe more protection could be beneficial. So I guess you're hired." Wait. He doesn't even know how much it costs. Wait again. He's Tony Stark. What the hell does that matter?
 
"Well, you've hired my company, at least," Beth says smoothly. In this setting, Tony Stark is actually less irritating and... well, a bit of a bumbly puppy, to be honest. "I'm sure you can't wear your Iron Man suit on every occasion, and some of your more valued staff might benefit from a little looking after once in a while." 
Bethany regards him evenly for a long moment. "To be honest, Mr. Stark, the more you do in public as Iron Man, the more vulnerable you and anyone around you will be when you're simply trying to be yourself. I'm aware that Stark Industries has a perfectly decent civilian and industrial security department, but you--a private citizen--are stepping into a whole other world in your work as Iron Man. That kind of work follows a person home. While you may be fine, the people around you, who are loyal to you and would do anything to protect you, may not be. I'm fairly certain that's where I can be of some service--you have amazing technology, you just may need a bit of advice as to where to point it." 
Bethany taps her cheek with one finger, looking both amused and affectionate. "Besides. I'm certain that when Tony Stark appears in public, he'd rather be surrounded by highly proficient bodyguards who could also hold their own in any of your American beauty contests than burly grunts."
Stark is listening. Perhaps, for the first time this meeting, actually listening. If Beth pays enough attention to the eyes of Tony Stark, during that speech about his life and his status as Iron Man, things are starting to become much more clear and... worried. He's clearly not going to be satisfied until he is completely sure that the people closest to him are protected.
"I want everyone." Stark says, sounding more serious than he usually does. "I don't care if they have to 'work' here, but I want this place crawling with your agents. And I need agents for Pepper. Your best ones." And here comes the part where the rich billionaire is definitely trying to make all this happen because he knows he can afford it.
It takes him another moment to fall back into his usual self, which is something a lot less focused and way more fun. And then he's smiling, back to his old self with ease. "As far as myself goes, I'm definitely going to need your prettiest and most flexible agents. And, because I have the best cover idea in the history of covers, they're going to need to know how to dance." And there's the Tony Stark Grin. Uh oh.
 
"Dancing, Mr. Stark, is part of the training of all our private citizen protection agents. So are languages and etiquette from cultures around the world. We don't just want to protect your person, we want to protect your reputation as well. Whether you'd like protecting from being sullied or being polished is up to you," Bethany says easily. 
She does look a little stern as she considers his other needs. "One of the things we now offer is training. In addition to providing Miss Potts with the agents of her choice--I will send her a portfolio if she desires--I'll be happy to undertake giving her whatever training she feels would make her life easier. I've been doing this since I was eighteen, I know the price of failure in this area, and I will do everything I can personally and through my agents to make sure that price does not have to be paid by Miss Potts or anyone else close to you. I'll make sure to make myself--or whomever she prefers--available to her for that."
Tony almost frowns but he manages to catch himself and thus turns it into some kind of weird grin that disappears the moment he realizes it looks weird. Apparently, the thought of something bad happening to Pepper is not something that he's willing to think about for more than a handful of seconds. He doesn't want to think about it at all. And the more it gets brought up, the more worried he gets. He's going to have to call her the second this meeting is over with. That's for sure.
"And what about me? Will I get to see any of this personal attention? I don't know how to throw a punch from Adam." Stark says, though he's obviously more interested in something a bit more in depth than standard training procedures. That is very clear from the blantant once-overing that's happening at this very moment.
 
"I'd be happy to undertake your training as well, Mr. Stark," Bethany says in a cool, arch tone that suggests "training" could be taken any number of ways, all of them involving Tony doing exactly what he's told, then she softens it with a sly smile that makes her eyes sparkle. "I'm sure you could benefit from it greatly. Everything I know is yours for the learning."
"Did I say you're hired already? Because you're hired."
Stark is pushing off the desk now, moving to put some space between himself and Bethany. This is going to be great if he has anything to say about it. "Total up everything. Make it for a couple years. Send the bill. I'll take care of it, pronto." Tony wants to make the talk about pricing even easier. "I'll need to meet with my agents as soon as possible. They're going to need to be fitted and I'm going to want to be there for that." Tony grins. "What do you think... twelve? thirteen? That should be a good number of agents to start with, right?"
 
"Absolutely, if you'd like all your agents of choice on call around the clock," Bethany says, trying not to smile too much--it's not the money, it's Stark, he's hilarious in his natural environment. Sure, she'll have to hire fast and move people around, but she'll manage. "If you'd like, I can liase with your security department to make sure we're all on the same page. I'll send the contracts over as soon as possible." 
Sal and Ling are going to kill her. She's just going to make sure she's somewhere nice and safe--maybe a pocket dimension somewhere--when she drops this on the company. But, it wouldn't be CMS if the C-part of the equation wasn't making everyone else crazy. She has a feeling that she and Tony Stark have that much in common.
Rising and gathering her briefcase, Bethany offers her hand to Tony once more. "I'll get the information I need from your staff so I don't take up more of your day." She likes talking to staff--they know the score. "All the information you need to contact me is already on file, I'm sure. I'm looking forward to working with you, Mr. Stark."
Stark is only shaking her hand because it gives him the chance to touch her and that's going to get him through the rest of his golf game. Not that he doesn't have some serious work to get done also. But he's definitely just trying to make sure that he gets a feel for her. "Oh, you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to it too." And yes, talking to his staff is probably the best bet in finalizing everything. He just signs the checks. "Until the first night I need you, Bethany." And he's even adding a small bow with that statement. Just because he's Tony Damn Stark.
 
Bethany comes across as elegant and pale and refined--until one makes physical contact. She's got a strong grip and calluses from firing guns and liftng weights, a fearless way of looking someone in the eye and standing just so--not challenging, just immoveable. And then she smiles and winks like it's a short hand for outright laughing. 
"I look forward to it. I do love being needed." As soon as Tony lets her go, she turns to leave with a little wave of her fingers. "You have a fantastic day, Mr. Stark."
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