8D It began as a joke, and then it evolved into a challenge, so of course he had to take it. As soon as Tony officially moved into the townhouse, Steve drafted a careful battle plan and went straight ahead with it without telling anyone. The first step was to get undercover and scout the area, so he could take detailed notes of his target’s habits, dressing code, and other details that would help him mingle without raising more suspicion than necessary.
The Sacred Sisterhood of the Ladies Who Lunch, as Tony had oh-so-jokingly put it, gathered in one of the fanciest restaurants in the city—probably the country—, in a terrace specially designed to provide a nice view while at the same time covering them from rain and snow. They dressed well, although not overly so, and Steve realized, relieved, that what he had in his closet that would give a good impression from the start. It made things easier—and it also meant he could start buying new stuff again soon enough.
Steve knew some of his circumstances could play against him, like his status as a public figure—if only because of the kind of lifestyle he had retired from more than the one he had now—, the fact that he would be the only male on the table, and probably his time displacement. He tried to keep up with the current trends, but those were still more than 70 years of pop culture to catch up with, and his list of suggestions only grew longer with each person he met, no matter how much of it he listened, watched, or read. On the other hand, this would give them a chance to educate him. People loved feeling helpful. He’d have to wait and see how that played out.
What he could control, however, was trying to present his best behavior. Contrary to what he made everyone believe, he had read the manual from the PR department, and he did apply it. When it made sense to do so. It was all they had the right to ask of him. He kept away from the actual battlefield, and he didn’t interfere with the Avengers’ affairs. He had forfeited the shield and he was ready to pass on the name of Captain America to the next worthy person as soon as Tony let go of his nostalgia and allowed him to do so. Steve was even willing to train this new individual, but he didn’t even dare to suggest it. Not yet.
Anyway, it was time for step number two. The very next Sunday, Steve approached one of the Ladies in a cocktail party hosted on her husband’s yacht. It was easy; he was still a novelty and plenty of people all but queued to talk to him. It was so strange, to remain a novelty after 90 years—but it still had its uses.
As it turned out, he got lucky. He didn’t have to bring up the fact that they were on the same situation—she did it herself! And she seemed extremely amused by it. Contagiously so. Margaret, her name turned out to be, even introduced him to some of the other Ladies who happened to be there too. As expected, they were fascinated by him and, interestingly enough, he found himself charmed by them. They had more things in common than he had anticipated, beyond the fact that their husbands were so rich and powerful that neither of the Ladies had to work. Which was why they had enough time to get together and Have Lunch. They had a sense of humor, too, and would openly mock how their husbands, despite being so powerful and in charge of the fate of the world, could be so helpless sometimes.
“Oh, I can relate to that,” Steve replied, laughing honestly and completely at ease between these women. Weird how he used to be tongued-tied when around them before, but ever since he started sleeping with Tony, it had become a non-issue. He would never admit how true it was that all he needed was to get laid, though.
They all laughed back, again without affectation.
“Why don’t you join us next Friday?” another one, Loretta, said, touching Steve’s arm lightly. And not feeling him up for once. “We’re having a yoga session with our dogs. Those we have at least. You do have one, don’t you, Steve? I saw it in a magazine.”
“Rex, yes,” Steve replied. “It would be a challenge for the both of us to remain still for so long, but we’ll try.”
More laughter, soon after, Steve found himself confiding them that Tony called their dog Cmhere despite him having an actual name, and all the ladies were appropriately offended.
Thus, a friendship had been born.
And, just like that, Steve became a member of the Ladies Who Lunch. Not an honorary member, either, but a permanent one. In time, it stopped being a surprise how much he had enjoyed it from the beginning.