“Are you tryin’ to sneak out of my birthday party?” It was hard not to notice her, though it seemed as if the younger woman was working to seem not noticed. “Rude. Oh, maybe you find bein’ surrounded by old men like me just a bit too borin’ for your taste?” A tease signified by the warm smile on his lips, blue eyes twinkling with amusement — until he heard a crash from the ballroom just a few steps from them, causing him to look to the door and hearing loud laughter soon follow. He cringed a bit, narrowing his eyes at his former colleagues that clearly couldn’t handle their liquor. Crying shame, that was. “On second thought, can’t really blame you.” There was definite liquor in him, if not in the glass that still remained in his hand, raising it to his lips and emptying the brown liquid into him, groaning in appreciation as it traveled down his throat, that good burn telling him that good whisky was had. Letting out a soft hiss as he looked back over to her, the warm smile returning as his gaze went over her. Perhaps he was affected by the liquor as well, but instead of being a blubbering, stumbling fool, it only allowed him to not hold back when looking at her. The angelic like beauty of her face, her lips that when they turned into a smile, oh, he was a goner. His own smile grew, placing the glass down at the nearest table. “Mmm, someone tells me I got you to thank for the majority of this. Which I believe, I love ‘em, but when it comes to surprises and party plannin’,” he shook his head, “Absolute worst, and their go to would be to put it on the intern, so, t h a n k y o u for doin’ all this, it’s...” He chuckled, giving a nod, “It’s made the sting of nearly bein’ forty less...painful? Annoyin’? I dunno, but, somethin’ like that?” He wasn’t even sure what he was saying, licking his lips. “It was just...nice, you bein’ here. I’d hate to see you go. Did you even get cake? It’s really good cake — Ah, I know, I know, you chose it so of course you know, but... I mean... There’s more in the kitchen, if you want.” Pausing for a moment, he gave a shrug, “Unless you got a...hot date waitin’ for you. Which, I’d understand. Though... Have some cake anyway, yeah?” He let out a sigh, leaning over, “Gimme an excuse not to walk back into...whatever the hell that is, please? Don’t make me go back in there, I’m beggin’.”