The Gala

Throughout my stay, I had been able to confirm that New York was indeed the city that never sleeps.

I didn't know about it being a big apple, though. Maybe that's a reference to the forbidden fruit of the garden of Eden? Who knows? People can be weird like that.

Anyway, I was as prepared as I could be as the city lights of New York blurred past me in arrays of gold as my car drove nearer to my destination.

I leaned back in my seat, reminding myself to give my driver a bonus when this is over. Yes, he was doing exactly what he was paid to do but he was so good at it that with my eyes closed, I had trouble telling if I was in a moving car or not.

Or maybe that's just me sleeping inside the car.

My mind went to the report I'd received, going through the names, alliances and histories I'd memorized.