May I just say I'm very sorry for being a bit slow at posting each chapter. Try to write as much as I can in my spare time, thanks for everyones patience :)

I'd never been to an office party before. I just assumed it would be a group of bored people mingling and a weak fruit punch. I couldn't have been more wrong.

The room was like a sea of white and black. Women were draped all over men in modest white gowns, whilst the men strutted about in black tuxedos. I noted that none of them looked as good as Arthur did in his. Focus, Ariadne, I thought sternly. Eames was looking like his dreams had come true as he took in all the women tottering about. I elbowed him; clearly I wasn't the only one who needed to focus! I started to make my way towards the food and drinks table so we could start mingling, when an arm draped across my shoulders. I looked round at Eames in disbelief, and he sheepishly removed it.

"Just playing along!" He said hastily.

I rolled my eyes and decided to start the drama a bit earlier.

"Just leave me alone...Johnny!" I said the first name that came to my head. "I'm sick of you clinging to me all the time."

Eames frowned for a fraction of a second before realising my game. "But I love you darling." He managed to whine and slur at the same time. We can be together forever."

I shoved him away disgustedly. "You're pathetic. Why did you have to get drunk again? You're always embarrassing me!" By now, a lot of people were staring at us. I expected to receive shocked looks, even glares, because I was being a bit of a bitch, but instead everyone was sharing my disgust for Eames. Snobs, I thought again. Whilst Eames blabbered on some strange 'drunk' talk, I quickly scanned the crowd for Lucas Ford. I spotted Yusif, chatting animatedly with a member of the crowd. I saw Cobb, mingling with business men and working his charm. Then, the best till last, Arthur. And he was talking to Ford.

The comparison was startling. It was like a shaft of sunlight was just illuminating the one of them whilst the other skulked in shadows. Arthur had his hand casually in his pocket, a half smile on his face as he appeared to talk carelessly to Lucas, the perfect God, whereas Lucas looked uptight, standing ram-rod straight in a too tight charcoal suit. He reminded me of fischer a bit, always looking a bit tense. He was handsome yes. But Arthur handsome? No, that was a whole new level he'd never reach. And neither would I.

"You're such a toffee-nosed bitch!" A sudden shout brought me back down to earth. Eames has his hand raised and was looking at me meaningfully. Dammit. He'd obviously noticed my attention wandering.

I emitted a high pitched scream of terror. "Security! Help me!" Before they did, a fist came sailing through the air and punched Eames in the nose. It was awful and hysterical at the same time as I took in the picture on his face. As he was dragged away, moaning pitifully in a very realistic way, I turned to thank my savior.

"Thank you so much sir."

"Not at all, my damsel in distress." Urgh, really? "I'm Lucas Ford."

I looked into the coldness of his handsome features and felt a big fat nothing for him. "Ariadne. It's a pleasure to meet you." He took my extended hand and kissed it lightly. A tad cheesy?

"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine." His eyes tried to smolder into mine, but instead it felt like an icy glare as he tried to be sexy. Again, so like Arthur. Except Lucas just failed at it. I realised he was flirting with me-yikes, this might be easier than I thought. I felt a surge of power and smugness.

"So what do you do, Mr Ford." I aimed to be demure, and hoped that I didn't sound like a complete fool.

"A bit of this, a bit of that."

Wow, thank you for overpowering me with information.

"Sounds interesting."

He laughed. "Oh baby, you have no idea how interesting I can be." He winked at me.

Oh please, excuse me while I vomit.

"Anyway," he continued, "Mind telling me what the hell a dazzling beast like you is doing with a loser like him?"

Beast? What am I a lion?

"I guess I just got involved with the wrong kind of guy." I looked down forlornly. "I never seem to pick them right."

Giving Ford a massive cue to jump in and take advantage of my vulnerability. Scumbag. "Well, perhaps you just needed to wait for the right guy." He tried to do the smolder again.

Oh god, this cheesiness was making me gag. No wonder I'm lactose intolerant.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting we dance, get to know each other, and I prove to you that I'm the one." He winked again. I'm was silently pleading for him to stop before I poked his eye out in annoyance. But of course if I did that it wouldn't exactly warm him to me.

Leaving me no choice but hold out my hand in acceptance and let myself be dragged onto the dancefloor. I placed my hands politely on his shoulders, only to be pulled into an intimate embrace against his chest as we did a slow turn on the spot. Woah pal, I thought, I've only just met you. I frantically tried to meet one of the teams' eyes over his shoulder to get me out of the situation. The only eyes I met of course, were Arthur's. He stood there watching me moodily, and I drew up my hand silently behind Ford's back and made a phone sign. It was a classic movie get-out scheme. My phone rings, I pull away and pretend it's urgent, giving me an excuse to leave the party and Ford hopefully wanting to see me again.

At least, that was the plan. I frowned fiercely at Arthur, making the phone sign again. Instead of complying, he turned and walked away. I could of snarled in frustration, but didn't want Ford to think of me as a beast more than he already did. Suddenly, I registered ford's hands sliding down my back. Aargh, aargh, aargh! What do I do?

A loud ringing was the most beautiful sound I'd heard. I practically launched myself out of his arms and got out my phone from my handbag. It was Cobb. I could barely contain my grin as I turned to Ford.

"Please excuse me. This is urgent." The look on his face wasn't happy, and I guessed this was the first time a woman had chose something else over him. Too bad. I hurried out to the foyer and answered the phone.

"Cobb?"

"Ariadne? What are you doing? I told you not to get intimate!"

The anger in his voice stabbed at me.

"Wait, how did you see?"

"I was on the balcony, with a number of other people, all of whom got a good look at you draped all over Ford!"

"I didn't know he was planning on getting intimate! I was figuring out a plan whilst we were dancing but-"

"Well don't let it happen again. Make an excuse to Ford and meet us out front."

"No." I said sharply. "I'll make my own way home, thanks." And I hung up so brutally I damaged my thumb.

"Shit. Shit, shit SHIT." I was so angry. At Arthur, Cobb, myself for relying on other people to get me out of situations.

"A lady really shouldn't swear like that."

I turned. Ford was standing in the entrance to the party, arms folded and watched me shrewdly. Gulping, I brushed my hair out my eyes and tried to appear calm.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. My idiot ex-boyfriend Johnny has had an accident and I have to go check he's ok and hasn't done anything idiotic."

He raised an eyebrow. "You'd do that for him? But he's a loser. Why waste time with him when you could be having fun with me baby-"

I'd had enough with the bravado. "Because I have a heart, unlike you." And with that, I stormed out into the night that now seemed so welcoming.

I was dead. I was so dead.

I had somehow managed to piss off Arthur, Cobb and, most importantly, Ford in the space of five minutes. And ruined the job probably, since I doubted Ford would want anything to do with me now. Great job, Ariadne. To complete this happy evening, I was now freezing and standing, somehow keyless, outside my apartment.

"Fuck! Arthur, I HATE you!"

"What did I do?" Standing in the shadows, Arthur was holding my keys and looking bewildered. Oh boy, I should correct my earlier statement. He was dead. He was so dead.

If anyone is confused over how arthur has her keys and why she's angry at him it will be cleared up in next chapter :)