Pepper kept her face innocently impassive in the aftermath of her presentation, letting Tony handle the lack of questions, and the amusing umbrage of one Ms. Dandridge. It was clear to Pepper that the older woman wanted into Tony's pants, and she was more than sure that Tony was aware of it as well. As obvious as her interest in Tony was, her disdain for Pepper was equally clear. It softened the blow of Dandridge's completely and utter dismissal now, entirely, to the point that she almost started laughing at Tony's parting shot as the board members hurried out the door, clucking among themselves.
Gathering her equipment into a small, easy to carry stack, Pepper didn't look at him when he spoke to her. "And if I were the sort of employee who needed validation from her boss, I might be touched." She started to pick up her things, but stopped, closing her eyes as she cursed herself internally.
Rubbing her forehead delicately, Pepper quietly said, "I'm sorry. That was... unfair and disingenuous. What I meant to say was, 'Thank you." Taking a chance, she looked up at him, chancing a smile. "You know how I like to be prepared for anything." She tried to relax her posture, but until she knew how he'd respond to her passive-aggressive antagonism, her body was fighting to stay on guard, despite what any of her other instincts might want. This was the first time they'd spoken more than a few words to each other alone in nearly three months.