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“Do you think they’ll be okay?” Grace twisted her fingers and turned her head, looking behind her in the direction of the labs. Anton had whisked her off in a waiting car and driven with the speed only someone familiar with Geneva could manage. She glanced his way and wondered how he had gotten so comfortable in the city. It was obvious from the short cuts, and the speed he took them at, that the man knew his way around the city. Outside the sun was shining brightly and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
It was the perfect day to get out of the labs.
“Of course they’ll be okay. Why wouldn’t they?”
She didn’t know the answer to that, so she merely shrugged and looked back towards the window. It was pretty out. Too pretty to have the windows up, so she rolled hers down. A beat later Anton did the same and crisp air rolled in, filling the car and she smiled, leaning against the door to look out the window. Grace held out her hand, letting the wind blow over it. It felt so good to be out of the labs. She’d needed this more than she realized.
From the moment their plane had touched down and the gear unloaded in the labs there, her days were utterly and completely filled with hours in the lab. Hours and hours within the same four walls, with the same team, with the same routine. It was…well, it was their dream, but it was also draining. When it was time to clock out she went to dinner with Lou and the others. Sometimes there was a jaunt to the bars, but not much else.
Suffice it to say, cabin fever had probably set in, not only to her, but to the others, with the work pace they were keeping. She was going to have to talk to Lou about giving the science brood some time off to remember how to people.
“Enjoying the weather?” Anton asked her. He was driving, looking utterly chic with his dark Ray-Bans over his eyes, the wind ruffling his hair into a perfectly tousled coif. He looked relaxed and sure of himself behind the wheel of the shiny red sports car they were driving. Because of course Anton drove a shiny red sports car in Europe.
She smiled at him and reached over, running her hand through his hair, mussing it up even more.
“Loving it.”
“Hands off the hair, woman.”
She rolled her eyes but did as he asked. It felt good with him like this. Not just because the sun was shining and the weather was fine, but because it was with him. She’d think it was good even if it was raining, or snowing, or sleeting, or whatever it was the postman took oaths about not being deterred by.
Anything with Anton would be good. That good kept right on coming, filling her stomach with butterflies while her pulse sped up as Anton opened her door for her. It continued when he took her hand and led her up the sidewalk to a trendy, but cozy, eatery. She paused then, all the happiness and butterflies in her coming to a screeching halt when her mind turned to one thing. If she was here enjoying herself…what could be happening at the labs?
Were they all right?
She hesitated in the doorway and looked in the direction she supposed they had come from, though she knew little of the city’s layout. It was a beautiful place. A compact city that was a mix of old and new, the charm of French architecture, with sweeping arches and old stonework alongside glass buildings and gleaming chrome. All of it was tucked around Lake Geneva, the lines of the city hugging the shores of the lake, the very definition of a European picturesque holiday. She raised a hand and shielded her eyes against the sunlight and took a hesitant step away from the door, eyes on the part of the city she knew the labs were homed.
“They’re fine. Stop worrying. Mindy is the best in the business,” he said, holding the door open for her.
She frowned but dropped her hand and looked at him. “And what business is that?” she asked.
“That whole keeping-depraved-and-destructive-scientists-semi-functional business. She works with me, and let me tell you, I practically have a corner on that market,” Anton replied. He reached out a hand to her and gave her a smile. “Come on in. I’m starving, aren’t you? If we wait any longer, brunch is going to become lunch. And that’s not as couple-y.”
“Oh it’s not? “She asked, slipping her hand into his.
“No. That’s just eating. We’re going for romance, remember?”
She hummed in agreement. “How could I have forgotten?” she said, and she might have continued on with the banter, but she fell silent. Because Anton wasn’t holding her hand anymore. His hand had moved to the small of her back as they stepped into the building, and Grace looked away, knowing she was blushing from that small touch alone. She gave a nervous giggle and cleared her throat, eyes sweeping the restaurant.
“So this place is nice, huh?” she asked him and ducked her head, looking away from him. If she didn’t look at him then maybe he wouldn’t notice the tightness in her face, or hear the tremor in her voice. If anyone did, they might mistake those for nervousness, but it wasn’t nervousness—although she should be plenty nervous at having Anton’s hand on her lower back. The warm and gentle pressure of it would normally be enough to do it, but her mind was elsewhere.
It was back in the labs.
Wondering about their state, but also mostly wondering if they would be just fine without her constant presence.
She frowned at the unbidden thought, but forced the expression off her face when the hostess arrived, a pretty blonde who was all smiles as she ushered them to a table overlooking the Rhone River. After they were seated, Anton leaned back in his chair and considered Grace for a moment as she took in the view and sipped from the coffee their server had just set in front of them.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, dark eyes on the river and the view of Mont Blanc in the distance. “Do you come here often?”
“This is my favorite place to come to, because of the view.”
“Thank you for bringing me.” Grace smiled at him over her coffee cup.
“You deserved a little break from the labs after last night.” He tapped his finger on the saucer that held his coffee cup. “You work long hours there. Maybe too long,” he commented.
She waved a hand at him, “I work just the right amount. If I didn’t, then who knows what would happen. You saw them. They were unholy terrors last night.” She squeezed her eyes shut and gave a little shake of her head. “I am so sorry about everything last night.”
“What do you have to be sorry for?” he asked, and he sounded genuinely surprised, which made her laugh.
