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What had happened to their awe at the gorgeous views? Maybe an outdoor activity had been the wrong track with them after all. She was usually able to overpower them with enthusiasm and force of will, but that didn’t look like it was going to work tonight.
“Come on. I promise it’s safe. And there’s s’mores!” Her cheery voice was sounding strained now as they gathered in one big clump in front of the now parked trams. She held out her arms to them and gave them ‘come here’ fingers but no one stepped forward.
Grace had just turned a beseeching look on Lou to rally the troops when she heard the rap of knuckles against the metal siding of the tram. Everyone turned to look and Grace almost growled when she saw it was Anton.Great.
What was the big jerk going to do now?
“Did I hear mayhem?” Anton asked, stepping off the cable car with all the pomp of a prince, a bottle of Moët and Chandon in one hand. “Because you can’t just bandy that word about without intent. It isn’t civilized.”
“There’s mayhem, alright, especially with three dozen agoraphobes dumped on a mountain top,” Lou retorted, looking around herself.
Anton wrinkled his nose as he walked forward, fingers already moving to pop the cork from the bottle he held.
“Sounds beastly when you put it that way. Like one of those reality television ordeals. Tell you what.” He popped the cork with a flick of his wrist and gave Lou as charming a smile as Grace had ever seen. “Why don’t I pour you a glass of this...” He held out a hand and Grace watched with disbelief as his assistant magicked a small plastic cup out of the ether. “And we’ll see if that doesn’t put some courage in your heart.”
Lou eyed the glass. “I don’t know. It may be for the best if I keep my wits about me, given my track record with nature.”
He gave the cup a little wiggle. “It would be irresponsible not to drink.”
“How so?” Lou arched an unconvinced eyebrow at him while the scientists at her back mirrored her skepticism at Anton’s logic.
He nodded at the bottle in his hand. “Already popped it. Absolutely cannot go to waste. That means it would be wastefulandirresponsible.” He paused and gave Lou another winning smile before he shifted his gaze to Grace. “You can’t have s’mores without booze. Besides, Grace, ah, went through some effort to put this outing together. So drink.” Anton began pouring out glasses for everyone as he spoke, and Grace dimly registered the faint popping sound of another bottle that his seemingly magical assistant had uncorked. The woman was a slight of hand master.
“Get some fresh air, for god sake, it’s good for you,” he told the group with a fresh bottle of champagne in hand.
Grace watched Anton administer Moët to the troupe of scientists, who were considerably more compliant with a glass of bubbly in hand. It was astonishing how fast the man had turned the night around.
He had saved the start of the party. Did that mean he’d been the one to assert dominance? She pursed her lips, not liking that. She wanted the party to go off without a hitch, but Anton…dominance…no.She wasn’t going to even go near that. That was the sort of thing she was into when it came to picking out her next read. Not when it came to Anton.
Grace stepped off to the side in shock at the realization and watched Anton continue to rally the scientists. He had an easy charm. An effortless way to him that drew people to him, made them want to be a part of his world and whatever it was that he was doing. Grace understood it. She’d fallen for it herself, and she’d never had him pouring her champagne.
“Grace?” Anton appeared suddenly at her side with a glass extended toward her. “Would you care for a drink?” His voice was gentle. Perfectly amicable and warm. It stirred her old feelings up for him like a blender turned on high.
“What?” she whispered.
“Champagne? Or do you want something else?” he asked her and looked behind him with a frown. “There’s nothing else here, but I can make you something else as soon as we’re at the party site.”
Her eyes fell to the glass in his hand in astonishment. First he had saved the party, and now...he was serving her? Offering to make her a drink? Had she fallen into an alternate timeline? Her heart ached in her chest. This,thiswas her Anton. But for how long could she count on him staying?
“No, no this is fine. Thank you,” she told him quickly. Grace took the cup with a weak smile. Anton gave her a quick nod, and she tried not to notice how he fell into step beside her as she started towards the trail that led up to the bonfire. She’d lined the trail with fairy lights to keep her science tribe safe from wandering off. The effect was both pretty and a safety measure. How they could navigate the cosmos but lose all sense of self and direction the moment they set foot outside the lab she would never know.
She took a quick drink of her champagne. “Alright, you lushes! Follow the pretty trail to s’mores and stars!” She put a heavy dose of bravado into her voice as Anton kept walking close to her. It was hard to sound anything near confident with him so close and acting like his old self.
“Will there be more of this?” An anonymous hand waved a glass of champagne out from the throng of scientists.
“Yes! Bottles on bottles of it!” Grace answered, prompting a little cheer from the physicists clamoring up the trail on their merry way to the bonfire site. Grace blew out a sigh, watching the pack of happy people, and she relaxed at the sight. Or she might have, if Anton’s arm hadn’t brushed against hers. She sucked in a breath and shied away from him, but Anton moved right along with her.
“Fickle bunch,” he commented, leaning close to her.
Grace tried not to notice how they had fallen behind the group, who in their excitement had pushed ahead at a surprising pace, leaving her alone with Anton. She shrugged in answer, but Anton kept speaking,
“It’s nice that you did this for them, Grace.”
“Well, you know how science minions are.” The words slipped out before she could stop them, and she took a hasty sip from her cup when Anton laughed. Her heart did a somersault in her chest and she dropped her eyes. If she didn’t, she’d stare at him. The man had a sensational laugh. She’d always thought so during their late night phone calls, but the effect in person?
Dazzling.
She wanted to fall right under his spell just like the scientists had moments before. And when his arm brushed hers again she wanted to lean right into it and just…just…she didn’t know but she knew it involved getting cozy.
