2013.08.13 - Special Delivery

So the open of the Stark Expo went reasonably well for Hammer. Yes, the opening was flashy and over the top, and Stark calling out all the other CEOs was more than a little irritating, but it still wasn't horrible. By the end of it Justin got a chance to flaunt the fact he's friends with the Asgardians to the Stark crew, and he gave the press a few good soundbytes at his pavilion.
Day two also seemed to be shaping up fairly well. Most of the displays in the pavilion went off without a hitch, only a few minor glitches cropping up that were repaired fairly quickly. There was a steady stream of people filtering through, and the projects on display seemed to be going over well. Justin himself, having pulled away from his demo preparations to spend some time at the Expo itself, is currently engaged in a rather animated conversation with a high-profile physics professor from NYU. The two are going over some of the finer points of a new ballistic vest system that Hammer has on display. Justin, dressed in his trademark three-piece suit, is smiling broadly as he converses. He's definitely full of confidence at the moment, and it shows.
Fern has returned to the Expo, but this time as a worker and not a 'tourist'. Instead of the dresses they wear at the restaurant, the girls have been allowed the leniency of wearing white button front shirts and black skirts, but they still have their nametags on. Fern's now has a piece of masking tape over it, with her name written correctly on it. It's one thing to wear it at the restaurant, but she doesn't want everyone at the Expo to think she's named Fren! She's been helping to man the booth through the lunch crowd, and it's break time for the little waitress. 
 
Of course, she heads almost immediately over to the Hammer pavilion, carrying a brown paper bag and a can of cherry soda. She's not one to barge in and interrupt Justin, so she hangs back as he talks to the professor, looking over the displays, lingering at the 'Safe at Home Initiative'. Glancing over, she smiles at Justin's demeanor, enjoying seeing him so much in his element and finally looking more relaxed than he's been lately. She doesn't have to hurry back, so she's content to bide her time patiently. 
The CEO and the professor shake hands as their conversation comes to a close. Justin glances around the pavilion, taking a moment to see who may have wandered in while he was occupied. Fern's bright red hair is hard to miss, even if she isn't dressed in one of her typical loudly colored ensembles. Hands in his pockets (he's never going to break that habit) he walks toward the waitress as she looks over some of the displayed items. "Hey, is that Miss Fern Fiddlehead?" he asks the woman when he's close enough not to shout, though he's still his usual obnoxious self. A couple of the employees that are manning the demos and displays look up curiously as the CEO himself takes interest in what appears to be a common food service worker.
The voice turns Fern around at once, and her smile kicks up a notch. "Justin!" She'll give his employees something to talk about yet again as she steps forward, bag in one hand, can in the other, and wraps her arms around him for a greeting hug. She's still smiling broadly as she steps back, "I saw you in the crowd last night but figured you would be over-run with people, so I decided to wait until today to come see you. How's it going? Your displays look great!" Not that she would know or even say if they looked anything but, she's here to keep her friend's confidence up. 
Yep, the waitress' treatment of the short-tempered and sometimes frightening CEO draws several looks from the Hammer Industries employees and interns. There's sure to be rumors and whispers later to go along with the ones already floating around the office. Justin returns Fern's hug as he always does, politely and with perhaps a bit of distance. "Yeah, I was pretty in-demand last night," he offers with a smirk before continuing. "It's going well, and thanks. I'm pretty proud of what I've got here. I think it came together pretty well." He again glances around the pavilion before returning his full attention to Fern. He notices the bag and soda can, as well as her attire. "So you workin' here somewhere?"
"You ought to be proud," Fern says, proud of her friend in his own right. "I've heard people talking about you all day." She doesn't pay attention to any who say that Justin Hammer is a bit of a jerk, they don't know him, but they've said good things too! The question gets a nod, and she holds the bag and soda out toward him. "Anita Bella is set up here. And I thought you might forget to eat something in all the excitement." She actually wasn't even sure he'd be here, but she came prepared anyway. If he wasn't here, she'd just have them herself. "There's a container of lasagna, it's still hot, and a couple cannoli." 
The poor waitress. If Justin's lucky, she'll never find out that he really is more than a little bit of a jerk, and pretty morally skewed. Unfortunately, Lady Luck has never seemed to favor him. Smiling the CEO looks toward the offered food. It's true, he hasn't eaten yet, being caught up in the excitement of the Expo. "Really? They're talking about me? Hope it's good things," he replies with a chuckle. "And lasagna sounds amazing. Glad to hear that Anita has a set up here. I know where I'll be getting lunch from this point out." He takes the offered goodies, then nods toward the back of the pavilion. "Join me for a break, then?"
Fern nods toward the 'Safe at Home Initiative' display, "Lotta buzz about that. I think people are surprised that you normally do such big stuff, like, government stuff, and you're coming out now as concerned about Joe Average." She grins, "I'll be here a lot, so I'll make sure you eat properly." The offer gets a nod of acceptance, and she steps after him, still talking. "There's a lot of good food here, you need to try some of everything. They even have steak on a stick!" She's clearly delighted about that. "Everything tastes better when it's on a stick, I think." 
Justin leads the way toward the back of the pavilion and out of the main traffic flow. Behind one of the display walls is a folding table and a pair of metal chairs. Not luxurious, but it works. He sets the soda and the bag down on the table then motions for Fern to sit. One of these days he'll act like a proper gentleman and actually pull the chair out for her. "Glad to hear it's got people talking," Hammer says as he sits down. "That was the point of having it here." He offers a grin, then digs into the bag, pulling out the contents one thing at a time and setting them on the table. "I'll make a point to do that. So far I haven't had much of a chance to pull away to look at anything else, as you can see."
Fern doesn't seem to notice any lack of manners on Justin's part, taking a seat and resting her elbows lightly on the table. "I can always walk around and take pictures for you on my phone," she teases lightly, "Mister Workaholic." She even remembered plastic silverware and paper napkins in the bag! "I hope you like cherry soda." There we other choices, but cherry is her own favorite, so it's what he gets. "I saw you talking to Tony Stark last night," is noted lightly. "The meeting of the brilliant minds?" 
"I may have to hire you to do that," Justin replies. "And what's wrong with being dedicated to my company?" The last phrase is offered in mockingly defensive tone. Though, in reality his obsession with his work is one of the things that killed off his marriage. Opening the lasagna container, it doesn't take him long to start eating. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until the food was in front of him. "Cherry is fine. Thanks Fern, how much do I owe ya for lunch?"
The mention of Stark gets a flicker of a frown, but Justin manages to cover it quickly with a bite of food. Maybe Lady Luck is a little fond of him, as he seems to have either food or drink on hand when that name gets brought up. It's great for hiding his obvious dislike for the rival CEO. "Yeah, yeah, meeting of the brilliant minds. We got a chance to catch up a bit. It's been a while."
"There's nothing wrong with being dedicated, especially since it is your company," Fern says lightly, "But remember that there's more to life than things that go boom. And as if, Justin. Your money's no good with me." She sits back, happy that he's eating. She done good. "It's always nice to catch up with friends. I bet you two always have tons to talk about." Her face takes a thoughtful cast as she looks down to her fingers drumming lightly on her knee. "You two seem like such different people. I'd never dream of taking lunch to Tony Stark. He's always got, like, a zillion people around him, and he's so... imposing." Her eyes come back to Justin, along with a grin. "You're so approachable and open. I like that about you." 
"There is?" Justin says, half jokingly, at the comment about there being more to life than things that go boom. He nods lightly, smiling. "Well, thank you for lunch, Fern. Next time it's on me." When Tony gets brought up again he picks up the soda, distracting himself with opening the can. He really wants to tell Fern what he thinks of Stark, but that would ruin the seemingly good image she has of him. And Hammer can't have that. He pauses, brow arched, at Fern's assessment of him. It's pretty much a 180 from what anyone else would say about him. "I can be imposing too," he says, attempting a joking tone once again. "But, yeah, we talk. I mean, mostly business stuff, but ya know." Well, it's usually Tony making snarky comments and Justin internally seething and wishing to see him flayed on a bed of nails, but hey. Though, the last couple times Hammer has run into Stark it's been a different story.
There's a nod to the thanks, and Fern says simply, "You're welcome, Justin." From his arched brow she's afraid for a second that she said something wrong, but then she laughs. "Of course you can be imposing." It's said indulgently, like she's just humoring him. "I ran into Warren Worthington last night. The young guy, not his father," she amends quickly, as if there would be a question. "We hung out for a bit, and I saw a bunch more people I know but... everyone was so busy and looked like they were having a great time. I'm sure I'll see more people as I'm here working, and they'll have more time to talk without all the hoopla going on." She wrinkles her nose slightly at those words, as if she might not have been thrilled by the whole spectacle. 
Justin doesn't miss the look that Fern gets. He chuckles. "Yeah, the opening ceremonies can be a bit... Intense. Very busy, everyone's gotta make an appearance. Personally, I thought it was a bit on the flashy side. This is about science, progress... Not pop stars and ego stroking." There's a lot of truth in his tone, and perhaps a bit of a hint as to his dislike of Stark. Though the irony of the statement can't be completely lost. "Speaking of, I'm still setting up the last details of my demo Saturday. Looking for a soundtrack. Got any ideas?" He has a few of his own, but his choice in music is often as questionable as his character.
Fern sighs softly, "Well, I guess even when you're doing science you have to give the people what they want. I guess I've just got too much of my folks' taste in music." She doesn't catch the tone as dislike as much as disapproval for making a circus out of the opening. "But there were a lot of people dancing and singing along." Her brows arch at the question, before she settles into a thoughtful look. "Hm, I think anything by MC Hammer would be predictable and trite. What kind of music do you like? There are lots of songs with Hammer in the name, like that one Sledgehammer. Or you can get away from the Hammer angle entirely...." Her words trail off as she muses. 
Justin shakes his head, though he's grinning, at the suggestions. "Been fighting the MC jokes for a lot of years," he comments idly between bites of lasagna. "Just looking for something that sounds dynamic, without being overbearing. Sort of thinking of using Final Countdown. I like the tune of the leader." If that's not enough to make you think the CEO's taste in music is questionable, then what is there?
The song he's thinking of gets a raised brow from Fern, and she presses her lips together, looking down quickly. At least it's not Eye Of The Tiger? But, she's diplomatic on her worst day, and even more gentle with a friend. "Well, that's one choice, yeah," she says vaguely, looking back up when she's controlled her amused smirk so it's just her usual fond smile. "It's certainly dramatic." She pauses, mentally rifling through her internal music collection, lips pursed thoughtfully, before she says, "Tell ya what... let me have the night to think. And I'll look for you here tomorrow?" 
Justin nods lightly. "Fair enough. Though the more I think about it, the more I think I'd like to go with Final Countdown. Unless of course you come up with something better." Of course he'll take and entertain any suggestions that Fern may come up with. If her opinion didn't matter, he wouldn't have asked. Kind of funny how he'll tell board members and people with PR degrees to piss off, but the red-haired waitress' opinion will always get a listen. "So where is the Anita Bella stand?"
Fern smiles and nods, "I know whatever song you end up choosing will be the perfect one." His question has her turning in her chair, taking a moment to re-orient herself with the pavilion's entry, and then points to the right. "It's down the walk here, and then there's a place to cut across and...." She grins and lets her hand drop. "Maybe I should just show you the way later. You should get out and look around some, be seen so people have no doubt that Justin Hammer is in the house." Her face sobers suddenly as a thought pops into her head. "How about something like the theme from Star Wars? Everyone knows it, loves it, and you said you've got, like, drones? Better though." 
The CEO looks toward where Fern points, trying to picture the area outside his own pavilion. When the waitress trails off he looks back toward her and chuckles. "Fair enough. And you're right, I do need to get out and about. I do plan on attending a demo here shortly. In a couple hours Howard Stark is going to unveil some new biotech that's supposed to be pretty advanced. I want to get a first look at what he's cooking up." Setting aside his fork, Justin takes a drink of the soda. "So what do you think of all this? The Expo. It's a hell of a sight, huh?"
"Howard Stark? Is that any relation to Tony?" Fern asks curiously, knowing very little about Iron Man in any guise. "You'll have to let me know how it goes. I can't wait for your show, I'm so excited for you." Her grin, of course, returned at once and it holds as Justin asks about the Expo, but turns a shade sheepish. "Honestly, all this technology kind of makes me want to go to the park," she admits. But she's quick to add, "Don't get me wrong, it's all very exciting and stuff. But... it's just a little bit of overload for me. I do like getting to meet new people and see friends, though." 
"His cousin. Supposedly," Justin remarks. He lets some of his suspicion of the young Stark show through. "I'll give you a rundown, for sure. Not exactly sure what to expect, the blurb on the demo was pretty vague. Then again, so was mine. It's a game, keeping people in suspense as long as possible." The CEO grins at the waitress as she states that being around so much tech makes her want to go to the park. "I can sort of understand that. It's pretty overwhelming, even for a lot of the tech-heads that are here." His mind drifts back to his own demo, and his expression grows slightly more serious.
Fern grins, her nose wrinkling at the CEO of Hammer Industries, "I'll probably hit Central Park after I get out of here today, if it's early enough." She lets silence fall for a moment, noting that subtle shift, before she asks with gentle concern, "What's on your mind, Justin?" Anyone could guess that it's something about the Expo, it's the top thing on his mind right now. 
Hammer looks back toward Fern at her question. He offers a smile, though it's more subdued. More natural than what he normally offers. "Just thinking about the Expo presentation. Trying to run everything over in my mind, make sure it's ready. This is a big deal. I have to make a big impression. My reputation's on the line." He finishes off his meal, closing the lid on the container. "My presentation last Expo, well, it didn't go so well. This one has to be on the mark."
Without thinking about it, Fern reaches over for the empty container, to take with her and throw out for him. "It's a huge deal," she says softly, her smile reassuring as she leans closer, much to the shock of one of the bright young minds of Hammer Industries who'd been looking over as if puzzled by the time his boss is spending with a server from one of the food places. "You're totally going to own this Expo, Justin. You'll knock their socks off." Hopefully not literally. That may be why she discarded the phrase 'knock 'em dead'. 
Justin is too lost in his own thoughts to notice the look from the employee, or the fact that Fern is cleaning up after him. Resting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together, he rests his chin on his hands. "I'm certainly gonna try," he says, a smirk growing. "That's why I'm here. I'm gonna walk in there, and I'm gonna give Stark something to be afraid of. I'm gonna wow everyone with this thing." The way he's talking it's more like a competition and less like a show of innovation.
"It. Will. Be. Great." Fern says, leaving no room for argument as she stands, reaching to pat Justin on the shoulder lightly. "Take a couple minutes to yourself, ok? Recharge before you get back to schmoozing." She leans over to get the empty container, and drops a kiss on top of his head with a loud, "Mwah! You'll get 'em, Tiger," she grins as she steps back, turning to go. "I'll catch you later!" is called back over her shoulder as she waves one hand without looking back, flashing a big smile to the junior genius as she passes on her way out. 
Justin has gotten used to Fern's forward behavior, the hugs, but that caught him off guard. He blinks, sitting up straight and turning to follow her movements. "Yes ma'am," he returns to her as she makes her way back out to the main part of the pavilion. He watches the young woman go, a look about as shocked as the one on the young employee's face gracing his own.
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