About Time

Chapter Fifteen - Black Friday

I forgot to tell you guys that I wrote another Lie to Me fanfic a few weeks ago called Crashing Down. It's complete so go check it out if you want!

"I'm never coming Black Friday shopping again."
"Shut up, Loker." Cal muttered. He wasn't enjoying this outing either but Gillian was happy, currently comparing shades of makeup in Sephora with Emily and Ria. Sophie was playing some kind of app on Gillian's phone in the stroller in front of her. Anna had gone to some other store there in the mall.
"We aren't doing anything but standing here!"
"Then go ahead and leave! I don't care."
"Fine. I will."
To Cal's surprise, he actually walked away. After five minutes, Cal decided he really must not be coming back.
Ten minutes later, the girls finally came out of the store.
"Gill wants cookies." Emily informed him.
"Me too!" Sophie chimed in.
Cal opened his mouth to say something about it nearly being time for dinner but looked at Gillian's face and decided cookies weren't the end of the world.
"There's a place in the food court." He said.
Gillian's phone dinged and Sophie handed it to her. She checked the screen.
"Anna's heading home. She said she'd see us at the office on Monday."
Gillian looked up and realized Eli was no longer with Cal.
"Where'd Loker go?"
"He left. Said he was never coming Black Friday shopping again because all he did was stand here."
Gillian shrugged but Ria rolled her eyes. Both Cal and Gillian could tell there was something between the two, just as Eli and Ria had known there was something going on between them.
"I'm surprised you didn't leave with him, Dad."
"And leave you and Gill alone with my debit card? Not a chance, love."
"Hey, I'm using my own!" Gillian defended herself.
"But if I left, you probably wouldn't."
"Can we just go get cookies please?" Gillian asked, changing the subject.
"Sure, love. Let's go."

Ria ended up going home herself and Gillian ended up eating two double cookies- the kind with frosting in the middle, a slice of cookie cake, and a three regular cookies.
"Gill, love, you're gonna go into insulin shock."
"Dad, she metabolizes sugar like crack to a junkie."
If looks could kill, Emily would be dead. Her dad was staring at her, all humor gone from his face. Then Emily realized what she'd said.
"Oh god! I'm sorry!"
"It's okay, Em." Gillian said and placed a hand on Cal's arm. "Really."
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Sophie finished her cookie.
"Cal, there's only one more store I want to go to. You don't have to stay if you want to go home. I can ride with Emily."
"I've endured it this long, I can handle one more store. But I actually have to go buy something too. Where are you headed?"
"Neiman Marcus."
Cal looked at his daughter.
"I'd like to still have a balance on my card when you return it."
"Don't worry, Dad. I won't break the bank."
He stood up.
"I'll meet you there in fifteen minutes."
"Where are you going?" Gillian questioned.
"Someplace I have only been once. But I know exactly what I want."
He turned and left, leaving Gillian, Emily, and Sophie to head the opposite direction.
"Do you know where he's going?" Gill asked Emily.
"Nope."

The car ride home was uneventful. Gillian still didn't know where Cal had gone. He said he'd bought what he'd gone to get but she never saw a bag.
"It's quiet." Cal noted.
"That's because Sophie wanted to ride with Emily."
"It's strange to not hear her singing nonsense in the backseat. I've gotten used to it."
"Will you drop me off at my house please?"
Cal was surprised by the sudden change in the conversation.
"Why?"
"I need to get some things. Also some of the stuff I bought today is for Christmas and we both know you'll go digging if I leave them at your house. And I still have dishes in my kitchen sink from two weeks ago that I really need to clean because every time I've been home, I'm always in a hurry. My car is there, I'll drive over when I'm done."
"Whatever you want, darling."

Cal dropped Gillian off at her house and then headed to his own. Emily and Sophie were already sitting on the couch watching TV.
"Hey, Dad. Where's Gill?"
"She had to go by her house. She'll be back in a bit."
"Dad, why don't you just ask her to move in? She's practically living here anyway."
"Em, it's too soon for her. She's still trying to process some things and so am I. She can stay here as often as she wants but I'm not asking her to move in. Not yet."
"Whatever, Dad."

Sorry it's a rather short chapter. The next few are just going to be fillers so they probably won't be very long.
And as always: thanks for reading my loves.