Disclaimer: I don't own Big O, but I love it.
A fun bit of fluff for a friend who was ill and had to stay in on New Year's Eve.
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Dorothy felt oddly restless tonight
She had thought to take advantage of Roger's absence to put some time in at the piano, but after only a half an hour, she closed the cover. Somehow, it seemed a pointless exercise.
Roger had gone to a New Year's Eve Party, just as he had every year since she had come to the mansion. It hadn't bothered her at all to be left behind in past years, so why was it bothering her now?
Norman looked up from the book he was reading when she entered the parlor. "You look troubled, Miss Dorothy," he said. "Is something wrong?"
"Not really," she answered, sitting down in the easy chair nearby. Norman had returned to his book when she spoke again. "Do you think Roger is having a good time at the party?" she inquired.
"I'm sure he is," Norman answered.
"I saw some people who looked like they were also going to a party when I went to the market," Dorothy said. "The women were wearing fancy dresses, and the men were all wearing tuxedoes. Roger didn't wear a tuxedo to his party."
"Usually men only wear tuxedoes to a very formal occasion," the butler said. "I think Master Roger's party was a more casual affair."
"The dresses were lovely," Dorothy said. "I used to have dresses like those."
Norman looked slightly startled. "Do you miss them?" he asked.
"It doesn't really matter," she answered. "It would be a waste to leave dresses like that in the closet, and that's where mine would be. I don't have any place to wear them."
"Master Roger isn't much for entertaining," the elderly man agreed. When Dorothy didn't respond, he turned back to his book.
"Do you think that Roger will wear one of those shiny hats?" she asked a few minutes later.
"Perhaps," Norman gave his companion a searching look. "Are you disappointed that Master Roger didn't invite you to go with him to the party?"
"He's never invited me to go to a party with him, so I wouldn't know," she said. "I'm sorry. You're trying to read your book and I keep interrupting you." She rose and left the room, ignoring Norman's protest that he didn't mind having her there.
She went out to the balcony and stared out at the domes, brooding about parties in general and wondering if Roger would ever bring her to one. She had thought that maybe things between them would change now that it really was a New Year thanks to Big Venus, but so far, that hadn't been the case.
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On the other side of town, Roger Smith was feeling vaguely discontented. Usually he enjoyed this kind of evening. The liquor was top-shelf, the women were beautiful, the music was first-rate and the conversation was interesting, although that was slowly degenerating as increasing amounts of that top-shelf liquor were consumed.
Ordinarily, he wouldn't have noticed, but he was only on his second drink. The lovely brunette seated to his left was on her fourth or fifth and was somewhat worse for the wear.
Angel and Dan looked like they were having a good time. She'd seemed surprised that he had arrived alone, but made no comment about it. At midnight, he knew, the pair would be announcing their engagement. He was truly happy for them, and it was the main reason he'd accepted the invitation.
The brunette seated next to him said something admiring and he forced himself to reply affably. The more she drank, the more vapid and irritating she was becoming. He glanced at the clock that had been brought in for the midnight countdown. It was just after ten, meaning he had to find something to do with himself for another two hours before he could say his goodbyes and head home.
He got up with the intent of mingling a little and the brunette followed him. He tried introducing her to some of the other partygoers in the vain hope that she would find one of them more interesting.
He was able to escape for a short while by taking several of the ladies he knew for a turn on the dance floor, but by eleven, he was back at his place, still nursing his second drink and wishing the brunette would latch on to someone else for a while.
It suddenly struck him that he had never invited Dorothy to a party, and he wondered if she would have gone with him if he'd asked. He would have far preferred her acerbic wit to the increasingly amorous brunette, who was drunk enough now that she was mistaking politeness for attraction.
The next half-hour crawled by, and he was relieved when the waiters began setting up for the midnight toast. He excused himself briefly and went to the coat checker to retrieve the gift he'd brought for the happy couple.
At twenty minutes to twelve, the brunette tried to put one of the party hats on him, draping herself over him in the process. He gently extricated himself from her grasp. "No, thank you," he said, looking around for a waiter. Hopefully they could get a bouncer up here just after the midnight toast and get the young woman safely into a taxi and on her way home.
She didn't take the refusal at all well. "What's your problem?" she demanded, abruptly belligerent.
He endeavored to be charming in the hopes of avoiding a scene, but his soft reply only seemed to enrage her further. "I should have known," she sneered, her volume rising to the point that heads were starting to turn in their direction. "You're the man who's in love with his android."
The band had just finished a song and her words were loud enough to have been heard by everyone in the room. "That's right," he said into the silence. "I apologize for not making that clearer to you at the beginning."
He picked up the gift and brought it over to Angel and Dan. "I'm sorry for the unpleasantness," he said as the bouncers finally appeared to escort the brunette out of the room. "I hope you'll forgive me for leaving early, but there's someone I should be greeting the New Year with, and if I hurry, I should just make it."
"Go on then," Angel smiled as the band quickly began another tune to cover the awkward moment. He gave her a peck on the cheek, shook Dan's hand and left.
Quarter to twelve. He went as quickly as he could, breathing a sigh of relief when he was on the highway and away from the New Year's revelers lining the streets waiting for the big moment.
Five minutes to twelve. He pulled the Griffon into the garage, turning off the engine and taking the stairs at a dead run.
She wasn't in the kitchen, or the study, or the parlor, which left only one place. He hurried to the elevator and took the last set of stairs three at a time.
"Dorothy!" He burst out onto the balcony just as the bells in the city began to toll the hour. She turned to look at him, surprised, and he went to her and put his arms around her and kissed her just as midnight arrived.
"Happy New Year," he grinned at her after a long, sweet moment.
"Happy New Year," she said, still looking a little surprised, but she was clearly not displeased.
He put his arm around her waist and they stood together, listening to the noise of horns beeping and firecrackers popping as Paradigm City rang in the New Year.