About Time

Chapter Twenty Five - New Year's

The next few day were rather boring. They didn't do much, mainly just sat around the house. Cal had worked on his new book a little on the typewriter Gillian had given him but that was about it.
"Dad, can I go out tonight?" Emily asked.
"You don't live here anymore, Em. As much as it pains me to say so, you don't have to ask my permission every time you step foot out the door."
"Well, it's New Year's Eve and I didn't know if you and Gill were going to do something and if you needed a babysitter."
"We do have plans with Loker, Torres, and Anna, but don't worry about. We can just drop Sophie off at Reynolds'."
"As in the FBI agent?"
"Yeah."
"He's going to enjoy that."

Ria, Eli, and Anna were sitting at the bar waiting for their bosses to arrive. They were ten minutes later than they'd said they would be.
Finally, Ria saw Lightman dragging along a very reluctant looking Foster, who was wearing a very low cut, short black dress. Lightman was in his usual work attire. Slacks and a button down.
"It's about time you two showed up."
"Had to drop Sophie off at Ben's. She wouldn't let us leave."
"Whose idea was it to leave her with Ben?"
Gillian pointed at Cal.
"Also Gill would like to know whose idea it was to invite the pregnant woman to a bar."
"She doesn't have to drink. You can dance."
Eli turned to the bartender and ordered a round of shots.
"Don't want one. If she can't drink then I won't either." Cal said, referring to Gillian.
"Cal, it's fine."
"Nah, we can be sober together. Let's go dance."
Gillian gave the rest of her employees a look as if to ask for help but allowed herself to be led into the dance floor.
The song was slow and no one from The Lightman Group recognized it. But Foster had her arms wrapped around Lightman's neck and they were looking into each other's eyes as if no one else existed.
Ria took out her phone and snapped a picture. Their love for each other was clearly displayed on their faces. The song ended and she turned to Eli and Anna.
"I say we make a bet."
"On what?" Anna asked.
"On how long it takes him to propose."
"I bet you $100 he'll wait. For a year at least." Eli said.
"No way. Six months." Anna told him.
"I say for her birthday. In March." Ria chipped in.
"And I say it'll be right after Valentine's Day. Like a week after."
They all turned tomato red at the sound of Gillian Foster's voice.
She asked for a glass of water.
"Please continue. Don't let me interrupt your gambling." She told them as she walked away with her glass.
Gillian didn't know why she'd even bothered to bet. She knew Cal wasn't going to propose anytime soon. He hadn't even been able to pluck up the courage to ask her to officially move in, it just kind of happened. She wasn't even entirely sure he would ever propose. They didn't even tell people they were a couple, if that's what they even were. There were still moments when Gillian wasn't entirely sure.
She placed the glass of water down on an unoccupied table and went back to Cal. They danced for a while and then got bored. Cal had an idea.
He led Gillian back to the bar where his three employees were getting tipsy.
"What do you say we go somewhere else?" He asked them.
"Like where?" Ria slurred. Okay, so she was more than tipsy.
"It's a surprise."
"I like surprises. I'm in." Anna said and hopped off of her bar stool.
It was only a few minutes past seven. There was plenty of time to get where Cal had in mind.
It was decided they would take Anna's car since all of them would fit and they would come back for everyone else's later.
They all climbed in. The younger ones let Foster have the passenger seat. They didn't really feel like putting with either of their bosses being in an irritable mood because they weren't sitting together for the length of this car ride, no matter how long it was going to turn out to be.
They drove for thirty minutes, they weren't even in D.C any more.
"Cal, where exactly are we going?" Gillian tried to get him to answer but he was having none of it.
"You'll see when we get there."
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number Gillian didn't recognize.
"Oi, Landry! It's Lightman. I'm calling in that favor."
Whoever was on the other end of the line said something.
"Good, that's where we're headed. Save us spots. We'll be there in about three and a half hours."
Another exchange of words and he hung up.
"Are you going to tell me what that was about?"
"Nope."
Torres took that moment to start drunkenly singing the new Adele song that had just come on the radio off-key.
Cal gave Gillian a look. This was going to be a long trip.

They finally realized where Cal was taking them when they reached New York City three hours later. They drove for another thirty minutes until Cal finally parked the car a few blocks from Times Square
"Everybody out."
"Cal, it's going to be ridiculously crowded. Some of these people have been here since early this morning."
"That's why I called ahead."
They walked to Times Square and Cal pushed through the crowd until he came to a stop at the front near a tall man smoking a pipe.
"Landry."
The man turned around and the four with Cal watched the exchange.
"Lightman. It's been what, ten years?"
"Eleven."
"And this is your favor?"
"Yeah."
"We're even now."
"Yes. But it would be nice if you would put that out."
"Why would I want to do that?"
Cal motioned to Gillian.
"She's pregnant."
The man named Landry immediately extinguished the pipe.
"Sorry, sweetheart. I'm Kelvin Landry."
"Gillian Foster."
"Nice to meet you."
"You as well."
She and Cal made small talk with him while Ria, Eli, and Anna left to go see something that caught with their eye. They returned forty-five minutes later with a bottle of vodka a piece.
"You three know public drinking is illegal in New York City, right?"
Ria scoffed.
"You're a fine one to talk about doing things that are illegal. You commit a felony a week."
"You know, Cal, she has a point." Gillian told him.
"Once again I say do as I say, not as I do."
"Sure. Tomorrow." Eli said and took off the top and drank the vodka straight from the bottle.
They stood and waited as the minutes turned into seconds. Cal pulled Gillian close as they counted together.
"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1!"
Cal kissed Gillian as the giant ball in front of them dropped.
"Happy New Year, darling."
"Happy New Year, Cal."