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Saturday late morning isn't generally a huge time for the Hellfire Club, but there's a light brunch, Mimosas, and a quiet place to work that isn't the Carnegie Club downtown where Pepper gets constantly judged for being a female executive. So, she's taken some paperwork with her to the place and is currently sipping on a mimosa while she neglects a bagel by her hands, filling out a ledger in front of her. She looks the best she has in ages, her frame having filled out again, hair long, cheeks soft and high with color. But maybe that has to do with the fact the tabloids have caught her and Tony together again. Or that Wayne Industries stock is the highest it's ever been.
Janet Van Dyne is a rather frequent visitor amongst the club's members, not so much for doing work quietly, as for partying and unwinding. Lately she's been more preoccupied with both her business and superhero life, which can be exhausting in parts. So, no surprise she's here for awesome brunch and chill mimosas, oh, and the peach bellinis too. She has them all. But when she spots Pepper, Janet walks over to her table, two glasses of mimosas in hand, offering one to Pepper, "hey, look at you looking good and definitely not on any kind of drugs, good for you, Pepper."
Having been so engrossed in her work and trusting this place, so her guard isn't up, Pepper didn't even realize someone was coming close until Janet was speaking. The red head jumps a bit, but her smile is immediate (if slightly apologetic. She will forever be slightly apologetic around the woman) and some light shines in her eyes as she sees Jan. "Janet! Goodness, I feel like it's been forever… Thank you. Sit! Sit… I just… I felt like being in office on a Saturday is too much. So… brought my work here." She admits with a faint laugh, motioning to the books. "And definitely no drugs. Well… booze." SHe raises her glass for a quiet toast and takes a sip, "And the occasional cigar, but… that's it. How are you?"
"It has been forever," Janet says with a bright pearly smile, "but I'm very happy to see you doing so well. A woman executive, huh? Who would have thought…" she does gladly take the offer to join Pepper, sitting across from her, and pushing one of the mimosa glasses towards her, "here, noticed you were doing more work than is legal around here…so have another drink." Janet clings her glass with Pepper's, and drinks about half her mimosa, looking quite pleased. "This place is easily my favorite in the city." She takes out a cigarette from her purse at the mention of a cigar, and lights it up, "I've been good, feeling more at home with being an Avenger now."
"How *is* that going? Tony doesn't talk about it much, but… I don't push either. Still… I worry about you all." Pepper admits, her brows pinched in that quite common, for her, expression. Worry seems Pepper Potts' natural state. She does echo the clinking glasses and happily takes a deep sip of her drink, shutting the ledger for the moment so she can focus on the woman beside her.
Janet laughs as Pepper mentions Tony staying mum about the Avengers, "surely, he can't tell about such 'manly' things to a woman such as you, Pepper," Janet says amidst rolling laughter. Once she calms down her laughter, she grins and adds, "for the most part it's fun, you get to help people, and as a perk, beat up on real scum! But every now and then you're in a life threatening situation, or global catastrophe, like with the nuclear weapons, and that's not fun at all…" Janet nods to herself, as she remarks, "I think I really matured because of my work with the Avengers." She does look pleased with Pepper's concern, "it's good to have people who care about you, I'm worried about you too, you're not really in the friendliest environment, I read some of those articles doing headstands to try and pin Wayne Enterprises success on anything but your appointment."
A small, dismissive sound comes from Pepper's throat as Janet mentions the headstands. Pepper waves it off, "I don't care. If they are jealous, they are. Everyone knows the writing on the wall and cannot ignore it, no matter what they write. I prove and make room for more female executives, that's worth it. I don't care what is around me. I do my job, that's all that matters. I'm fine." Pepper does actually seem to mean that, far more steel in her spine now than when they chatted ages ago. "…And that's good, about the Avengers. I still worry, but… good. You're all adults and quite strong. You can handle it…right?"
"I think it's just stupid, arguing that a color isn't a color, while you're looking at it," Janet shakes her head, naturally, her metaphores tend towards the world of fashion. "So, I see working for Wayne has done you good, I'm happy to see that for myself." She finishes her mimosa, and signals a server to get her a plate of benedicts. Delicious. "So far I've been handling it, nothing more satisfaying than blasting an megalomanic idiot with huge ego and world conquest aspirations in the face. A bit petty, perhaps, but I do enjoy it quite a bit," she says with a playful wink. "I also figured my Halloween costume for this year. Tinker Bell, makes such perfect sense."
The halloween costume actually makes Pepper laugh loudly, warmly, her eyes twinkling a little bit in the amusement of it all. "Yes… I will remember that. Goodness, you should be. Hmm….maybe I should organize a big halloween party for all of you. You're so busy, I can do all the planning, let you all relax for a night. I know Tony would enjoy it!"
"Oooh, a Halloween party with you would be great! I'm all for it, I can help organizing it!" While Janet does offer, maybe it's for the best if she didn't have a hand in organizing anything quite yet. But she'll get there! Very soon she will! "Mmmmm…I do like the idea of relaxing while others do stuff for me, is that selfish?"