Rotten Judgement

Chapter 4

You and Steve walked hand in hand down the street, enjoying the cool breeze. You knew you had angered Bucky, but you didn't care. You would deal with him and his silly pride later. Right now, you wanted to enjoy your time with Steve. He was charming and, quite literally, perfect.

"I've got a friend who wants to meet you," Steve said.

"You told your friends about me?" A slight blush crept up his cheeks, making you chuckle. "Relax, Cap. I'd love to meet your friends."

He gave you the most beautiful smile you'd ever seen. It made your stomach do a pleasant flip. You felt your face heat and bashfully lowered your eyes.

It's too cliché, you thought. Get a grip, girl!

You raised your head when you reached a restaurant. It wasn't just any old restaurant; it was SHIELD. People queued outside for hours to get a table. You skipped the line and went straight to the bouncer. Steve held the door open and motioned you inside.

You stepped into a room so large that it didn't seem that crowded. The restaurant had black mahogany tables and oak chairs with plush dark purple cushioned seats. The owner, a blond man in his late sixties, stood behind the bar, staring into space.

Alexander Pierce.

You recognized him easily, everybody in town had heard of him. Pierce had given up a lucrative career as a financier to open a restaurant with his associate, Nick Fury. Their restaurant became the hottest spot in town and they became even richer.

"You alright?" Steve asked him as you approached.

Pierce closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Lost a friend last night," he said, a sad smile on his lips.

Steve touched his upper arm, offering comfort. "I'm really sorry."

"Life's full of surprises, huh?" Pierce said before he turned his attention to you. "Steve has told us so many good things about you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," you replied, shaking his hand. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," he said, smiling sweetly. "Please, make yourself at home."

You let Steve lead the way. The thick, dark purple curtains were all that separated the VIP section from the rest of the restaurant. The room felt more intimate than the main room. In the back, there were two pool tables and a dart board. You noticed that all the darts formed a circle in the centre of the board.

A waiter brought a bottle of red wine and poured a small amount in Steve's glass. When Steve said it was good, the waiter poured the red liquid in two glasses.

"It's delicious," you said, licking your upper lip.

"They have some really good wine," Steve agreed.

You set your glass down on the table. "Pierce seems like a nice person."

Steve sighed. "Yeah, I'm worried about him though. His associate died a few weeks ago, he had a heart attack. Nick was his best friend. It really took its toll on him."

"Two friends in a month? He must be devastated." Your heart ached for the man. "How did you meet him?"

Steve shifted in his seat, a half smile curling one corner of his lips. You cocked a brow at him as you took another sip of wine.

"That's why we're here. I have something to tell you." He waited until you nodded before continuing. "I'm not an ordinary man."

He raised his hand, the long claw marks left by Nat were gone. You reached out and took his hand, examining it closely.