Insomnia

Chapter 32

I was playing with Artemis when Cal came into the living room.

"You know why I love you?" He said while coming to sit next to me on the couch.

"What do you want?" I said with a groan. I looked up from Artemis to look at him. He had an innocent look on his face.

"It's because you're so kind and giving."

"Not really-"

"So," He pulled out a card that had fancy writing on it. "You're going to go to a New Year's Eve party with me."

"Oh, why didn't you just ask me." I said. He smiled a bit.

"It's for work." I gave him a deadpan look.

"No." 

"Come on! You were going to go before I told you who it was for."

"Yeah, exactly why I'm not going."

"What's so bad about it. If anything, I should be complaining about it more than you."

"I didn't want to go to a party in the first place, but now I know I'll have to be respectable around Bill, Laura, and Noah." I shuddered a bit.

"Exactly why you should come with me."

"Why don't you just not go?" I groaned and petted Artemis.

"Because that would give me a bad image."

"Why do you always invite me to work related things. No, wait, you force me to do work related things." I glared at him. He smiled back and shrugged.

"Please?"

"Cal..."

"Pretty please?" I threw my head back and groaned.

"Fine." He almost jumped up in excitement. I glared at him. "Calm down."

"No, this is like the first time I got you to agree to something. I didn't have to force you."

"Do I have to look fancy?"

"Semi-so, yes."

"Why is the card so fancy?" He just shrugged.

"Professional look?" I rolled my eyes and went back to playing with Artemis. Her bright blue eyes looked back up at me. "You guys have the same eyes. She's like our child." I snorted.

"She's ginger." He waved me off.

"Genetics and stuff..." I laughed and he joined.

"I'm sure that's not how it works."

~*~

"This is not semi-fancy," I said while glaring at Cal. He was tying my tie while I was dressed in my fancier suit. "Liar."

"You wouldn't have agreed if I told you it wasn't."

"You're damn right." He pointed a finger at me.

"It's too late now."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I sighed. "I don't want to go to a party with a bunch of old people."

"Actually, the majority of the people there will be our age."

"And old enough to drink," I added with a frown. He nodded and opened the car door for me. I got in reluctantly and pouted.

"Don't give in to temptation," Cal advised with a teasing smile.

"I am not tempted."

"It's okay, Rory. I won't drink either." I glared at him.