2014.02.14 - Roses for my Valentine

Friday, February 14th, Valentine's day. Out on the snow covered streets the couples met to try to have a few nice hours in the cold of winter, or they had stayed at home at all. But some did not have a valentine or simply had to work and postponed the time together.

Around noon a small, white truck, not too unlike the parcel delivery cars, pulls to the side in front of the Stark Tower. As the side door opens it gets easier to notice, that it is owned by a florist, as dozens of bouquets lined the racks. A young woman in a green overall looked at the clipboard hanging next to the now open door, and then picked up two of the deliveries, and the clipboard and went to the entry of the tower, closing the door to the truck as she left it. With a smile she greeted the porter, showing him the delivery document "I have three deliveries for here. These two for the offices 206 and 825 and the one still on the truck. They didn't told me where to bring it exactly, but it's for Virginia Potts." she explained, pointing on the entries. "Would you mind calling her to ask if I should bring it up or if she wants to get it down in the lobby?"

In Virginia Potts' book, February 14th is just another day. She's just finalizing the next week's meetings when she receives a call from the lobby. "There's what?" She sighs and nods to dismiss the assistant, then scoops up her bag and phone and heads down to the lobby.

The lobby's elevator doors open less than two minutes after the flower delivery girl enters. And in that time the other two delivery recipients have been notified as well so they could also receive their flowers. For her part, Pepper walks toward the lobby desk ad offers the young woman a smile hello.

In the Lobby waits Julie, in the green overall of the florist she had taken this help job from. Handing over the two bouquets to the two workers - it's a pink and yellow one for the obviously gay lower manager in the second floor and one of dark blue roses (dyed, not grown) for the secretary on the 8th floor - she checks her clipboard. "Miss Potts?” she asks as the businesswoman closes in offering a gentle smile "I have a delivery for you, but I want to make sure you want to have it before I get it out of the truck. It's kind of big." she explains, handing the clipboard to Pepper "50 red roses in bundles of 10 in white vases, a box with 30 yellow-orange roses and a bouquet with a greeting card." Obviously the office decoration comes with a personal delivery together today.

"Yes, hello." Pepper smiles at Julie, but the smile slips as the sheer scale of the delivery is listed. "Do you... have the name of the person the flowers came from?" Because that's ... a lot. And she's really never been that much of a fan of cut flowers. They're technically already dead. Not to mention, she thought she'd made it clear to Tony YEARS ago not to drown her in flowers.

Julie takes back the clipboard "let me check... It's listed here that the roses in vases and the box of roses are payed from a credit card, while the Bouquet was payed cash. Let me see... The holder of the Credit card is Stark Enterprises as it seems. I'm sorry Miss Potts, I can't find out who sent that bouquet without opening the letter on it, which I may not. Shall I bring the stuff in or not?"

When Michael Jon Carter walks by with a tablet in hand, he pauses and actually backs up a few steps to look at the mass of roses. One eyebrow arches, and then he resumes walking so he can stand by Pepper, nodding to Julie politely as he goes. "What's all that, Ms. Potts? Is Mr. Stark apologising for something?" This may be a joke, even though he says it with a deadpan sincerity.

Pepper Potts blinks. "I..." She really is a bit flabbergasted at the thought of that many flowers in her office. "All right, yes. Bring them in," she sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose the moment that Julie turns away. "I honestly have no idea, Michael. But if he is, it's got to be a doozy."

Julie smiled as she turned around to get to the delivery car and returned with a parcel, a bouquet painted to the sides of it to indicate the contents, and a box full of short cut yellow-red roses, each of the length you use to put into slim vases on meeting tables or as decoration. "That's the bouquet and the box... Where shall I place the vases?" she then asks, almost on the way back already.

"Wowzer. How many are there?" Michael seems to be boggling slightly, and both of his eyebrows are arched upwards now. He -had- been kidding, but now he looks a little concerned. If this actually is an apology from Tony, then something terrible must have happened. The tall man glances at his tablet, tapping it with his fingertips, possibly trying to see if he missed something in the news. He is still getting used to a touch-screen interface, but it has its advantages; the two-dimensional nature of a tablet versus a holo-projector affords more privacy.

Pepper Potts looks at the bouquet and the short-stemmed yellow-red roses and FINALLY understands her mistake. "Ohthankgod," she breathes before offering the box of roses to Michael while addressing Julie. "Please set the vases around the lobby here, if you would. Michael, these are for the conference rooms. If you'll call each floor's admin and distribute them, please?" Then she opens the bouquet to pluck the card free and open it.

Julie nods with a slight smile, going to get the barrow to move in the vases, which takes some 10 minutes or so in which she frequents between the truck and the lobby. Meanwhile Pepper opens the box - and instead of a bouquet as on the outside, it is a potted plant - a pinkish red rose, carrying a little notice - In a female writing there is first a note "1000 Roses in the name of Tony Stark" - and then the QR code to Tony's Twitter. But then again it is signed with '@lightspeedofpp' - another twitter account.

"Oh!" Michael looks rather relieved as things are cleared up. He takes the flowers from Pepper when she hands them over, saying, "Of course, Ms. Potts. I'll get this taken care of." As his tablet lacks the ability to hover, he tucks it under his armpit to free up his hands. "There's some holiday, isn't there? I remember seeing some stuff about it." Apparently they don't do Valentine's Day, where he's from.

Pepper Potts reads the card, frowns faintly, then looks at the contents of the box again. "OH!" She actually looks relieved and amused now when she sees the potted rose plant. She might have to rearrange her office to make room for all of the plants. "Yes, Michael. It's called Valentine's Day, and is supposed to be for people to celebrate their romantic attachments, though many people celebrate with all sorts of loved ones." Now she's got to get the potted rose up to her office, and it looks kind of on the heavy side.

Julie eventually brings in the last of the vases, getting closer to Miss Potts again, the clipboard extended "Oh, may I ask for a signature here, indicating that you got the flowers? I hope you like them." she asked, hoping to get the attention before Pepper left with the plant. It was not too heavy - after all Julie had been able to carry the single pot in in a cardbord box, and she is by far not superhuman strong.

"Interesting. And lots of flowers involved, that's kind of nice." Michael is peering at the roses he is holding, and ends up fondling some petals, probably checking to see if they are real. "Neat. I'll get the rest of these distributed immediately, Ms. Potts. Nice," he says again, and this time he grins at Julie, and gives her a wink, before stepping aside to deal with the redistribution of the vases.

Pepper Potts ohs and smiles. "Of course." She accepts the clipboard and signs the form there before offering it back to Julie. "And thank you, the roses are all lovely. Especially these." She indicates the potted plant.