"Two drinks at max and I'm out of here," I made myself very clear and Caleb and Alex rolled their eyes as we entered the last place I would want to go.

Since Caleb was in town, so Alex and him had decided that it was a great idea to torture me. They said that they wanted to loosen up and party a bit together and I obviously agreed not knowing they were dragging me to a club.

So much for loosening up.

"This place is packed, dude," Alex exclaimed as we made our way to the the stairs that led us to the second floor which was less packed and did not have hormonal people dancing right in the middle.

"That's what I'm saying. Let's go somewhere else," I yelled over the music to Alex and he narrowed his eyes at me and said something along the lines of 'nice try'.

We seated ourselves on the sofas and I rolled my sleeves up and tried to relax back on the headrest.

Small places with a lot of people? Definitely not my thing.

Caleb brought the drinks and I downed the brandy and shook my head a little as I felt the liquid burning my throat.

"This shit is strong," Caleb whistled and I nodded.

As I put the glass on the side table, my eyes caught something, or rather someone on the dance floor and I frowned and rubbed my eyes to look clearly.

What the—

Isabelle, the same professional Isabelle, who worked for me was dancing right in the middle of the dance floor with a guy. My hands formed fists as I saw the guy wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer to his chest.

I couldn't make out the guy's face because his back was towards me but the silhouette seemed oddly familiar.

I waited impatiently for a few minutes, trying to divert my attention to anything but the girl right in the middle of the dance floor. I couldn't even make out what Caleb and Alex were talking about.

As they danced, I felt myself getting more and more uncomfortable and I sat there, seething with anger. Either I left right now or I watched them grind against each other because there was no way in hell I could move my eyes away from them.

Finally Isabelle moved around and turned her back to me and the guy went in front of her so that I could see his face. The disco lights dimmed and I saw that the guy was none other than Daniel Jones from work.

By this time, I was probably red with anger. If I didn't like the fact that Isabelle was dancing with another man, this man added more to ignite the fire.

The couple made its way to the counter and I saw Isabelle laughing at something Daniel said. She looked really drunk by the way she was walking and holding on to something again and again for support. Even the receptionist from first floor was here.

What a party.

They sat on the stool with a bunch of other people I didn't recognise. Daniel said something to the bartender and he nodded in response.

After a few moments, he was back with shot glasses and placed them in front of the group.

Everyone downed the drinks except Isabelle. I saw her shaking her head and stepping back from the counter.

She already seemed drunk enough because as soon as she let go of the counter, she bumped into someone and almost fell on the ground if it wasn't for the man who she had bumped into caught her.

Daniel caught her arm and she threw her head back and laughed. I took in the scene as she sat on the stool beside Daniel and took her jacket off.

That was when I noticed something else, the man who was previously sitting with the receptionist stood up and made his way over to Daniel and handed him something.

I saw as he said something in his ear and Daniel grinned. The next thing that I saw was enough to make my blood boil in rage if it wasn't already.

Daniel added something to the drink sitting in front of Isabelle without her noticing. I stood up from my seat and fixed my shirt as Alex and Caleb saw my furious expression and stood up themselves as well.

"What's up, man?" Alex asked as I looked over to him.

"How long has it been since I fired someone, Alex?" I smirked and left, almost running down the stairs towards the counter they were seated on.

As I got closer, I quickened my pace and everyone in my way stepped aside, either realising who I was or just out of the terror-strickening vibe I radiated.

"But buffalos don't fly you know," I heard Isabelle say as she brushed off the her hair from her face.

"Belle, just one last drink, you need to have this one," Daniel made her look at him and I clenched my jaw as I tried to keep the anger to bay.

"Or maybe she doesn't," I said, very calmly as I stood there towering above them.

Daniel turned around and the look on his face said it all. The colour of his face drained and he looked at Isabelle then at me and then back at Isabelle.

"Oooohhh look who joined the party Danny boy, now I'll win this argument. Hey man, buffalos don't fly, right?" I noticed that Isabelle was now addressing to me and I couldn't help but get amused at her way of acting.

I shot her a wink and turned back to Daniel, "Care to share why you spiked that drink?"

"I..." he threw his head down as I noticed the man who gave him the drug standing up and making his way out.

I didn't want to create to scene right here and by the looks of it, we had already gathered enough attention than necessary so I decided to let it slip.

But boy would I be damned if this man stepped in my office again.

"Come on Isabelle, you've had enough," I said and wrapped my arm around her waist, grabbing her jacket from Daniel hands, I gave him one last death glare before turning around and walking towards the exit with Isabelle pushed against me.

"Danny was telling me that buffalos could fly. He's sooooo stupid, buffalos don't fly," Isabelle said to me as soon as we out of the club and I looked down at her.

I wasn't angry with her anymore. I sure was seething with anger when I first saw her dancing with him but somehow looking at her staring at me with wide eyes, I couldn't stay angry with her. When I saw at those hazel orbs, all I saw was innocence.

And moreover, I wasn't supposed to be as well. Isabelle and I were not in a relationship and I really couldn't blame her for enjoying herself, unfortunately with the wrong people.

Isabelle stopped walking and I looked down and fought back an amused smile when I saw her face, "What now?"

"I'm tired. I'm your princess and princesses don't walk," she broke free from my hold and folded her arms across her chest. I couldn't help the satisfaction her words gave me.

I sighed and did the only one thing that came to my mind, without much of another word I swiftly picked her up bridal style and started walking towards my car. Good thing we came in two cars and although I was Alex's ride, I doubted Caleb would mind dropping him off.

Isabelle snuggled in my chest and I tried not to get affected by it.

"You shmell sooooo good," she slurred and I smiled and shook my head in amusement.

I wondered what professional Isabelle would say about this.

We reached the car and I unlocked it before making Isabelle sit on the passenger's seat. As I was about to untangle myself from her she wrapped her arms around me.

"You smell good don't go away please," she gave me those puppy dog look with almost tears in her eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere I'm coming back to sit with you princess, I promise," I reassured her and she lightly but reluctantly let go of me.

I circled around the car and opened the door and sat in the car with her. She had already removed her heels and was now sitting crossed legged with a innocent look in her eyes.

When she refused to put on her seatbelt, I sucked up my emotions and practically laid all over her to put on her seatbelt.

She did the worst thing possible. She wrapped her arms around my torso and rested her head in the crook of my neck.

"Yayyy hugs. I love hugs," she said and made herself comfortable on my lap when I moved back.

I looked out of the window. This girl was testing me and I was not far from losing whatever restraint I had left.

"Look Isabelle, I can't drive if you're sitting on my lap," I held her face in my hands and looked straight into her eyes.

Her hazel orbs shone brightly as she looked up at me for a few moments before her face broke out into a cheeky smile and I beamed at how adorable she looked.

"You talk like papa. I love my papa," she lightly removed her arms from around me and sat back on her seat as I noticed her eyelids drooping low.

I started the car and sped off, contemplating if I should take her to my place or drop her at her home.

I didn't exactly know where she lived but figuring that out wouldn't be a problem because I had all necessary information of my employees.

I sighed and decided to drop her off at her own place because the sober Isabelle that I knew would freak out if she found herself in somebody else's bed in the morning.

I got on the main street while I made a call to Jonathan who usually had all the information of employees in his laptop and asked him to let me know about Isabelle's residence.

Thankfully unlike Alex, he didn't ask questions and did was he was asked to do.

"You know you look like someone. Someone I can't remember right now —oh wait I rememberrrr, you look like my boss!" Isabelle exclaimed loudly as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Really?" I looked at her and cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes. Except you're not. You're sweet and caring. My boss is soooo rude and sooo hot. He is so sexy that my heart goes whooooooo when I see him. Everytime I'm with him I think that he won't get on my nerves this time but nooooo. It should be illegal for him to walk on the roads looking that sexy," Isabelle ranted and every fibre in my body was asking me to stop the car on the side and just listen to her talking like that.

I think drunk Isabelle was my favourite person now.

Driving for a few more minutes, we reached her place and I turned my head and saw Isabelle curled up on the seat, fast asleep.

"Isabelle?" I said as I took the seatbelt off her.

"Mhmm."

"Come on we're home," I said and lightly shook her.

"I don't wanna go home," she whispered with closed eyes and held my hand, putting it under her head, she smiled.

I sat there for a few moments and took in her face. I had to admit that I was attracted to her, as bad as it sounded, I had liked her the day I saw her first time on a bus. Although she didn't recognise me but the day she barged into my office with Gwen hot on her heels, I knew it was her.

But no matter what my heart said, I couldn't be selfish when it came to her. And I couldn't give her what my heart and maybe hers wanted too. Because everything that I touched, sabotaged and couldn't let that happen to her.

I climbed out of the car and circled around as I opened her door and snaked my arm around Isabelle. I lifted her up in my arms bridal style and closed the door as I walked to her front porch.

"Don't touch me, it burns," she mumbled and snuggled deeper in my chest, making me hold her tighter.

I tried to ask her where the key was but she didn't answer instead kept mumbling incoherently under her breath.

Finally I sighed and knocked at the door, hoping that her dad would be home.

According to the personal information that she gave, she lived with her dad at this very place so I was hoping that her dad would not mind her daughter coming home drunk past midnight with her boss.

The door opened and what I saw made me realise that I had knocked at the wrong door. I frowned and took a step back.

"I'm sor—

"Holy shit. Belle?!" the man gasped. He looked in his mid twenties.

According to what I knew, Isabelle was currently single and did not have any siblings so I couldn't help but get a little suspicious at the man standing in front of me.

"What did you do to her?!" the guy said and stepped closer with a murderous look in his eyes.

"She got drunk.....?" I frowned, not knowing how to react to a man I didn't know being so protective of her.

"Oh-

realisation dawned upon him and he nodded

-alright give her to me"

Like hell I am.

"I'm sorry who are you...?" I stepped back and cocked an eyebrow, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Oh I'm her bestfriend. Now come on give her to me," the guy said but I still wasn't convinced but seeing as he was in her house, I actually couldn't do anything about it.

I reluctantly let go of her. As he scooped her in his arms like he had done it a thousand times before, my hands formed fists and my jaw clenched but I tried not to show my anger and kept a straight face.

"Are you Ace Rhodes?" the man asked and I nodded, hoping it would bring some change in the way he was talking to me.

"Okay thanks for bringing her home. Bye." The door was slammed on my face.

So much for being kind.

As I turned around and started walking with an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach, I heard the door click as it opened and the man spoke again.

"And listen, you can breathe now. I am gay."

*************

❤