She rolled her eyes back at him. "That would be the one," she confirmed. She wasn't aware of that part of the story - Richard hadn't told her that. He hadn't told her anything, actually, beyond an explosive oath about "that asshole" having better security than the president.
However exaggerated his comment, and idiotic his behavior; no matter how furious Pepper was with him for being angry over her job when she'd warned him what to expect from the beginning, or angry with Tony for exacerbating the situation just by being Tony, she should have just kept her mouth shut till he'd calmed down.
Instead, Pepper said with exasperation, "He makes weapons for the military - he's one of the most powerful civilians in the world, Rich! Did you really expect to march up to his doorstep and punch him in the nose? And if you did, you'd probably be in a military jail, being questioned by men with steel-toed boots, right now."
"And you're personal safety was never threatened by him again. He was gone by morning; I haven't seen him since." Pepper's smile was weak, but she had no lingering regrets, or emotions of any kind, regarding Richard. All he'd done was solidify her belief that she had no room in her life for a relationship and her career, for two very important reasons. Rich, on his way out the door, had picked up on both of them.
"I don't know if you're blind, stupid, or just kidding yourself; you're in love with him, Pepper. As soon as he figures that out, he's going to use you up and spit you out."
"He said it was clear where my loyalties lay, and that no one would ever be able to compete, and he was tired of trying." That was the second thing. The first reason, Pepper had immediately dismissed as ridiculous, shoving it to the back of her brain and locking it away where she wouldn't have to look a it, but the second was more or less true. Her job always came first, and any man she'd gone out with had been apprised of that fact. It wasn't a competition; she was proud of her work, and always gave her best. It was expected of her. If she were a surgeon, would her boyfriends expect her to choose them over performing an emergency apendectomy? If Tony was the President, would that make her compliance any easier? It was easier not to date.
His question was almost... no, it was ridiculous, but she knew that saying anything about the fact that they were talking, or that they hadn't been for months, would make this awkward, tenuous moment between them even more awkward. It might even shatter it, and Pepper was anxious, right now, for it to last as long as it could.
She scrambled for something to say. "I've got a temporary intern coming in for the week of the Gala," she remembered to tell him. "She's young - she works for Sue and Reed at the Baxter Building, actually. I think Reed's going to offer her a position on the team sooner or later. Especially once they start a family. She's a mutant with a body of living mercury, so be nice and behave yourself, please." Pepper smiled, not without affection.
"Sue's coming Thursday to help us start setting up, and the boys are coming Friday, but Sue and Reed will be staying after the Gala for a few days, so you'll have a friend to play with."
Standing next to him, Pepper closed her eyes for just a moment as the quiet words came out before she could even think about stopping them.