Darling

(20) A Party Overdue

Chapter 20

-Kimi-

I sighed in frustration. "This is ridiculous." I said glairing at the children's book.

"I told you we'd start off small." Ria said not looking up from her paperwork.

"This 'book' literally has six pages." I said putting finger quotes around 'book'.

"The why haven't you finished?" My face heated up at that.

"When you said small I didn't think you meant a kiddie book that uses the same eight words over and over." I said glaring at her.

"This is for your own benefit, so stop complaining." She said, her eyes still glued to the work in front of her. Slowly, I read the book aloud.

"Well, I read all the words right." I said hoping that I was right.

"You did." She said. I waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"So what now?" She glanced at me before standing up and pulled a book from her bookshelf. It had been put in the wrong way, but knowing Ria she must have done it on purpose.

"This book is called, 'The Great Gatsby'. I want you to at least try to get through it, and when you do I want you to read again until you feel comfortable with it." She handed me the paperback book. Oh, she was serious.

"Umm, what happened to starting off small?" She ignored the question.

"Now, you go home, pack an overnight bag and get back here. We are flying out to New York." She said standing up. She grabbed a handful of papers and her clipboard.

"'We' as in the two of us? What's in New York are we going to to tower or something?" I asked.

"Stark is throwing you a party for being a new member of the team. I am going to babysit you all. You will be bonding with them." I internally groaned. Out of the entire team Bruce was my favorite. Thor is a close second, despite the fact that I hadn't met him yet.

"And I'm staying for only one night right?"

"Correct." She confirmed.

"...You promise?" She rolled her eyes.

"Kimi, stop being childish and hurry up. We are leaving in two hours and if you aren't on that jet-." I cut her off.

"Yeah, yeah I got it." I said waving off the threat. I turned to leave

"Two hours, Kimi." I winked before leaving out the room.

|*|

When I arrived back on base where Ria and I were suppose taking a quin-jet to Starks place, Ria wasn't so happy. I pretty much wasn't ready for the party at all. I only had time to grab a quick shower and all the stuff I needed. I'm glad I hadn't decided to wash my hair; It wasn't that dirty anyways. I changed in the back of my car in the parking lot and did my hair while walking alongside Ria. And I thought dodging bullets was a struggle.

"I gave you two hours." Ria said in a mocking tone. I glared at her.

"It takes thirty minutes to get to my house and thirty minutes back, so technically you gave me one hour. And besides the fact that there was a fricken detour on every street I turned on made the ride a lot longer. Took me so long I did my nails and they dried before I got off the street I started painting them on." I said holding bobby pins in the corner of my lips. SHIELD had lent me a car since my other one was back in New York. "I would've done my makeup in the rear-view mirror but there were potholes fricking everywhere so I put on my earrings instead."