Chapter 60 – The Dinner

Isabelle Reinhart.

I headed down to Alex's office, with a list of things to discuss for the upcoming projects. Since Ace was out for a meeting, it seemed like a good time to catch up with Alex and get his input.

Reaching Alex's floor, I confidently walked towards his office door. I didn’t bother knocking because I wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine. Maybe that would get him to stop entering Ace and my office without knocking.

But as I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, my words got caught in my throat, and I stood still, my eyes widening in disbelief.

There, leaning on the edge of Alex's table, was Natasha Pier, and Alex had his tongue down her throat. My surprise was so great that I couldn't even react for a moment.

Their lips parted abruptly, and I could see the surprise on Alex's face as he broke away from the kiss. Cursing softly under his breath, he glanced towards the door, his eyes locking onto mine.

“Shit.”

His expression was a mixture of embarrassment and something else, maybe regret.

I bit my lip, fighting back a chuckle that threatened to escape. This was a situation I never thought I'd find myself in.

“I’ll come back later,” I was about to turn around and make a hasty exit, giving them their privacy, but Alex's voice stopped me.

"Wait, Isabelle," he called after me after I was a few feet away from his office, his voice tinged with a mix of desperation and humor.

I turned back to face him, my lips quirking into a teasing smile. "Oh, don't let me interrupt," I said in a faux-apologetic tone, barely able to contain my amusement.

Alex ran a hand through his hair, his cheeks turning slightly pink. "It's not what it looks like," he muttered, glancing back towards his office.

"Oh, I think it's exactly what it looks like," I replied with a playful grin, unable to resist adding, "Enjoying your taste of your own medicine, huh?"

Alex let out a defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping a little. "Alright, alright. You win. It's a karma thing."

I couldn't help but laugh at his admission. "I'm going to leave you two alone to... discuss whatever you were discussing." My eyes twinkled mischievously as I turned to leave.

"No, wait!" Alex hurriedly followed me towards the elevator. "Belle, please don’t mention this to Ace"

I stopped in the hallway, turning to face him, “Why not?”

"It’s just. Natasha and I, it’s complicated and Ace always gets stuck in the middle of it. I’ll appreciate it if you don’t mention this to him yet."

I nodded in half understanding, “Alright. You owe me dinner, then.”

Alex smiled but I could see something was wrong because of the way his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Whatever you want, Belle,” and with that we both went our separate ways; him back to his office and me towards the elevator.

*****

The clock on the wall seemed to be moving at a glacial pace as I sat at my desk, tapping my pen rhythmically against the notebook. Only two more hours to go, but those hours felt like an eternity. Zach's birthday dinner was tonight, and I couldn't wait to get out of the office.

Of course, dating the boss had its perks, and one of them was the flexibility to wrap up my work early. With Ace currently engrossed in a meeting, I figured now was a good time to call it a day. I glanced at the clock again, then back at my computer screen. I had managed to complete most of my tasks for the day anyway. With a triumphant smile, I saved my work, shut down the computer, and began gathering my things.

I typed a quick text to Ace, letting him know that I was leaving the office early to get ready for Zach's birthday dinner. He was still in a meeting, so I didn't expect an immediate response. Our dynamic at the office was something of a puzzle to my fellow employees. They'd caught on to the fact that we were dating, but they didn't know the extent of our relationship. And that's how I wanted to keep it – no special treatment, no exploitation of my connection with Ace.

Stuffing my belongings into my bag, I slung it over my shoulder and stood up from my desk. A sense of relief courses through me as I headed towards the elevator.

As much as I appreciated Ace's offers to assign a driver, I preferred taking the subway. It helped me maintain a sense of normalcy and kept any unnecessary gossip at bay.

I finally arrived at my place, my heart racing with excitement. I headed straight for the shower, the warm water relaxing my muscles and washing away the remnants of the workday. I took my time, letting the water soothe my skin and clear my mind.

After the shower, I wrapped myself in a fluffy towel and padded over to my closet. I knew exactly what I wanted to wear tonight – a knee-length black dress that was both elegant and playful. It had short sleeves and a cinched waist.

As I slipped into the dress, I couldn't help but smile at my reflection in the mirror. I'd picked it up during one of my shopping sprees with Nate, and it had quickly become one of my favorites. I knew Ace would love it, too.

Once I was dressed, I spent a little extra time on my makeup, opting for a soft and natural look. I applied a light layer of foundation, a touch of blush, and a swipe of mascara. As I glanced at myself in the mirror, I felt ready for the night ahead.

Nate was supposed to bring Zach over. Zach probably already knew we were arranging a birthday dinner and that was fine by us. Zach didn’t really like surprises. Besides, growing up together we’d spend long enough to know what the other person would do.

The living room was adorned with a mix of playful and slightly over-the-top birthday decorations. Streamers hung from the ceiling, balloons of all colors bobbed in the air, and a glittery banner proclaimed "Happy Birthday, Zach!"

Nate and I had overdone it to embarrass Zach. The doorbell rang and I put my phone down on the table before going to attend it.

Nate and Zach stood there, both wearing dress pants and cashmere shirts.

I walked up to them, and before I could say anything, Zach pulled me into a warm hug.

"Thank God you didn't invite anyone else," he said, his voice lighthearted. "I was looking forward to spending the evening with you two only."

I chuckled, feeling a bit sheepish. "Well, I did invite Ace too," I confessed. "He should be here soon."

Zach's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he quickly recovered and patted my shoulder. "Oh, nice move, Isabelle. I can't wait to see him navigate through all these ridiculous decorations."

Nate and I laughed as we led him to the lounge and we settled on the sofas. Zach leaned back on the couch, his eyes scanning the decorations with amusement. "You guys really went all out. This is... ridiculous. Making me feel 9 again."

I grinned, feeling a hint of embarrassment. "That was the point."

As the minutes ticked by, I couldn’t help but glance at the clock. Maybe he won’t come… I brushed the thought away.

After what felt like an eternity, the doorbell rang and I all but sprinted towards the front to open the door for him. And there stood Ace, looking as handsome as ever.

"Hey," he greeted, that familiar smile playing on his lips.

"Hey," I replied, my heart doing a little somersault at the sight of him. "You made it."

“Sorry I’m late. The meeting took longer than expected,” he said, kissing my cheek and I noticed that he’d come straight from the office since he was still wearing the same clothes he was this morning. He had lost the tie and opened the topmost button which did things to my uterus.

“You came straight from work?” I interlocked my fingers with him.

“Didn’t have time to change”, he shrugged and my heart filled with warmth.

Ace stepped inside, his eyes sweeping over the decorations with a mix of amusement and curiosity. "Wow, Isabelle. You weren't kidding about going all out."

I shrugged, a grin tugging at my lips. He chuckled softly, and I led him over to where Nate and Zach were sitting.

The atmosphere shifted subtly as Ace entered the room, and I could sense a touch of awkwardness in the air. After all, it was the first time Nate was meeting Ace, and Ace hadn't been formally introduced to Zach yet. I watched as they exchanged polite smiles, and I couldn't help but feel a bit of tension in the room.

Nate and Zach stood up, their expressions friendly as they extended their hands for a handshake. "Nice to meet you," Nate said with a warm smile.

Ace returned the gesture, his usually confident demeanor momentarily replaced by a hint of unease. "You too," he replied, his voice steady.

I felt the need to break the ice, sensing the slight awkwardness hanging in the air. "We need some alcohol to smooth this out," I announced, moving toward the kitchen.

As I fetched a bottle of bourbon and glasses, I could hear the murmurs of conversation in the living room. By the time I returned, Nate and Zach were engaged in their own discussion on some topic, while Ace stood off to the side, seemingly absorbed in the pictures of my childhood adorning the wall.

"Don't bother those," I gently scolded, a smile tugging at my lips as Ace turned to face me.

He chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and made his way over to where I was sitting. Settling down beside me on the couch, he watched as I poured bourbon into the glasses. The clinking of glass against glass seemed to break the ice a little further.

I really hope I hadn’t made a mistake mixing the two groups.

As I handed the glasses around, each of us took a sip, the smooth burn of the bourbon a welcome distraction from any lingering awkwardness. The conversation gradually flowed.

With each passing minute, the room felt more comfortable, as if we were just old friends catching up. The awkwardness had dissipated, replaced by a shared understanding that we were all there to celebrate Zach's birthday and enjoy each other's company.

Or at least I thought.

Waking up in Ace’s bed the next day was definitely not in the plan.