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Lou’s hands shot out and grabbed Anton by his coat lapels and jerked him down until he was eye-to-eye with her. “I love you. I respect you. But if you think you’re going to take advantage of my best friend I’ll maim you and make it look like an accident.” She paused and then added, “But not before I get your suggestions for how to retrofit the telescope. I need those.”
“Just keeping me around for my wares then, I see.”
Lou shrugged and gave him a shake. “Tale as old as time. Now, like I said, I’ll maim you once we get the new infrared lens rig in, then....”
Anton’s eyes widened at the threat. “Wow, Lou. That’s dark.” He held up his hands. “It was a joke, okay? I’m not going to do anything with Grace like that…unless she wants me to, because have you seen her? I can’t tell her no, and-”
“Just say you’re sorry.”
“I-what?” He blinked, trying to keep up with the sudden shift in direction from Lou’s threat, and cleared his throat. “Sorry, I’m still back where you were threatening me.”
“Promises aren’t threats, Anton.” Lou let him go and he felt a shiver go down his spine at the sure look in Lou’s eyes. He made a mental note:never cross Lou Wright. Ever. Not even on pain of death.
“You’re scary,” he told her.
The tiny woman shrugged. “Say you’re sorry. It’s that simple.”
“To Grace?” Anton ventured, taking a small step back now that he was free from Lou’s grip.
“She doesn’t need fancy words, just real ones, Anton. If you say you’re sorry and mean it, then all will be forgiven and you’ll get bagels with your coffee. She’ll even let you take her on that date. A sincere apology is all it’ll take.”
Anton squirmed at the remarkably simple suggestion. He wouldn’t need flowery language or the right mood lighting to win Grace over. It was that easy, that honest, and he frowned at not having thought of it himself. An apology had been the furthest thing from his mind when the party invitation had been announced.
All day he’d thought of her as a problem to be solved, an equation he hadn’t quite grasped, but she was neither of those things. Anton wasn’t sure he liked what that said about him, or how he lived his life. He pushed the troubling thoughts away. This was not the time or the place for soul-searching, so he pasted a thousand-watt smile worthy of the paparazzi on his face and nodded at Lou, all pretense of his unsettled thoughts gone.
“I like bagels.”
“That’s not the only thing you like.”
Anton’s cheeks flushed. “She’s smart and funny, so sue me.”
Lou waved her hands at him and turned on her heel, clearly done wreaking havoc in his word. “Just apologize!” She yelled over her shoulder. “It’s that simple!”
Her words echoed in Anton’s ears as he got ready to meet Mindy. Even though he wanted to believe Lou’s words that it was as easy as “I’m sorry,” he couldn't shake the feeling telling him things wouldn’t be that simple when it came to winning Grace over.
eight
“Everything is theoreticallyimpossible until it’s done.”—Robert A. Heinlein
“It’s beautiful.” Lou leaned closer, her palms on the glass of the tram car they rode to the top of Mont Salève. The cable car swayed as it moved up the mountainside, a full view of Geneva sprawling beneath them, creating a breathtaking sight.
“It’s magical,” Grace added, coming to stand beside her friend. The tram car was full of science minions, and while they were normally a chattering and bustling group, the scenic view was enough to render them silent, if only for the short duration of the ride. Grace turned, smiling at seeing the scientists all staring out into the night. They seemed contemplative and even calm, which was what she had hoped for. It was no easy feat to relax the scientists under her care. The group was wound tighter than a two-dollar watch, and from what she could see Anton’s group was more of the same.
It was a damn lucky thing she had over ordered on the booze. It was going to be just right, even after she paid off the crew that had helped her get party supplies in place.
She looked out the window behind Lou to the tram car behind theirs. It was packed full of Anton and his own anxiety ridden science tribe. The tram was far enough away that she could let herself look for Anton without worrying that he’d see her.
She scanned the faces as the tram swayed, but she only had to search for half a minute. Her eyes went right to the jerk. Dark hair falling just so over his forehead. He looked...good. Real good, in his dark peacoat and tousled hair. Why did he have to be so attractive?
He was turned in profile, talking to someone she couldn’t make out. When she moved close to the window and bumped her nose against the glass she took it as a sign to stop creeping on him.
She turned away with a frown. She needed to stick to doing her duty as Lab Queen, albeit a Lab Queen obeying orders from her best friend to be polite and professional with the man. She wasn’t about that professional growth and civility life, but it had to be done. It was like doing taxes or making sure you kept your dentist appointments. Necessary, but kind of bullshit.
The cable car came to its summit and lurched to a stop. She took in a deep breath and nodded to herself. All right, they’d made it. It was go time. She had booze to peddle and s’mores to cook for her science brood, lest they rise up in mutiny. Already there were grumblings about“being forced into the wilds,”and Grace was sure she’d heard Lou utter an oath at nature when the tram doors parted with a whoosh.
Grace leaped out of the tram with a wave of her arms. She had to get out in front of this and control the vibe. The science brood was pliable, but you had to assert dominance as quickly as possible.
“Follow me to mystery and mayhem!” she called. She did her best to keep her voice excited, but when she twirled around to beckon them forward she saw a quiet group of science minions shuffling off the tram. She bit her lip at the sight. They looked more like extras from a zombie television show than would-be revelers. Shell-shocked survivors abandoned to their doom, not partygoers.
