Chapter Text
When Tony first met her he was, quite frankly, underwhelmed by what he saw. The small, unassuming, bespeckled young woman dressed in a cardigan, dress and mary janes who currently stood before him looked like she should be teaching five-year-olds the alphabet, not interviewing for the highly competitive position of Tony Stark’s PA.
“I’m sorry, did you somehow get lost on your way to the daycare?” He snarked, looking her up and down from where he sat at his desk. “Because I’m looking for a personal assistant who can comprehend the details of the tech industry, not a preschool teacher whose job is to sing nursery rhymes and teach toddlers all day.” He added with a smirk, fully expecting her to burst into tears and run out the door like the last five candidates Pepper had sent his way.
To his surprise, however, she smirked right back. “Well, Mr. Stark, unless they’re teaching Physics to toddlers, I doubt I’d be of much use to the daycare center for much other than my darling personality.” She quipped, leaning back in her chair.
‘Brave girl.’ Tony thought, mildly impressed. He stood, walking around the desk to get closer to her. “So, tell me, what makes you so much better than all the other people who applied for this job?” He asked, leaning on his desk. “ I’m sure you know only the best and brightest got far enough to have an interview with me. So, Emery Wren, what makes you so special?” Tony asked, his eyes boring into her.
She stared right back at him, seeming almost unimpressed. “I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Columbia-” She started.
“And?” He challenged “You and everyone else who got this far, and from just as, if not more, impressive schools. MIT, Harvard, Yale-”
“If you’d let me finish” Emery interrupted coolly, well-contained irritation in her eyes “you’d know that I graduated with Doctorates in Mechanical Engineering, Physics, and Bio-Chemistry, as well as a Masters in Business. Top of my class. Not to mention, I was here well before my scheduled time, and I saw each and every one of those other "cream of the crop" candidates scurry out of their interviews with their tails between their legs not even 5 minutes in.” She leaned forward, steel replacing the previous irritation in her eyes. “ And I’m currently at five minutes and 53 seconds, so if you want an assistant with a spine, I’m your best bet.”
He grinned, glad to finally get someone that didn't run at the first sign of sass, and offered his hand.
“You’re hired.”