Espionage

Isaac-Chapter 28

A frosty breath escaped him as he sighed. He had a bad feeling about Ultimatum. A really bad feeling that he couldn't shake.

Behind him, the door to the roof opened and Chris poked his head around the corner. "What are you doing out here?" Chris asked as he came to stand beside Isaac. "No one is hardly working anymore and they're starting to pour the drinks. The ladies are asking where you are."

Isaac snorted in laughter. "Ladies? Or do you just mean Grace?"

Chris rolled his eyes. "No, lots of the ladies. You've got a few girls crushing on you in the office."

Isaac chuckled as he took a deep breath. It would take the performance of a lifetime to get back in there and pull off what he needed to in order to seem like normal Isaac. He didn't feel like being himself right now. He felt too down to do that.

"I don't know how to get back in there. I got an assignment and I have to leave tonight. Perfect timing, right?"

Chris frowned. "That sucks, man. Do you know when you'll be back?"

With a shrug, Isaac said, "I don't know. Hopefully soon."

They were silent for a few minutes as both of them dwelt on it before Chris clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on," Chris urged. "Whatever you're worried about can wait. It's the Christmas party today. Have a little fun! Have a few drinks, play some games. Come on."

A smile pulled up on Isaac's face as he nodded. "Okay. I think I can do that."

He followed Chris back inside, doing his best to push his worry behind him and enjoy tonight. Besides, he really wanted to have a fun time with Grace before he left for Stockholm, so he needed to be himself.

His eyes lit up as he took the room in. Someone had dimmed the overhead lights and plugged in the Christmas lights strung all around the room. Whoever had done this definitely went above and beyond.

Across the room, he met Grace's gaze, and she immediately smiled at him as she spoke to several other coworkers. Wow, she completely took his breath away. Grace was probably one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. He could stand there for hours looking like a lovestruck idiot as he gazed at her. There was something about her that made his heart soar, something about her that always made him feel like he was okay again.

"Dude," Chris said as he clapped Isaac on the back. "You're in big trouble. I've never seen you look at a girl like that before."

"I know," Isaac chuckled. He had never felt this way about another girl before either. He continued watching her as she talked animately to their coworkers beneath a string of green and red Christmas lights. He watched the way her perfectly curved mouth moved and the way she used her hands as she spoke. She looked so beautiful.

The group dispersed and Grace returned to her desk and began digging in one of her drawers. He didn't know what exactly she was looking for, but he knew that this was finally his chance. He was going to kiss her.

Isaac grinned as he spotted a mistletoe hanging from the doorway of the empty office right next to him before plucking it right off and making his way over to Grace. He held the mistletoe above their heads and cleared his throat. Grace spun around in surprise, her eyes lighting up when she saw him. But then her eyes traveled up his arm and rested on the mistletoe hanging over them.

She burst into laughter as she looked from Isaac, to the mistletoe, and back to Isaac. "I'm gonna venture out on a limb here and say that you want something from me?"

Isaac's mouth quirked up into a grin as he moved the mistletoe back and forth over their heads as if ringing a bell. "My lips are waiting."

Grace smiled at him and bit her lip. She didn't say another word before she leaned in closer to him and placed a hand on the side of his neck. Isaac took it the rest of the way by wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer. He dipped his head and kissed her.