Logan had just gotten out of the shower when he heard knocking on his door. The previous night, Marie had given him a loose run down of the week's schedule.
Warren was in India with his father on an important business trip, and his mother was supposedly in a spa somewhere, relaxing before the wedding.
Marie and Logan both laughed at that excuse. They both knew that the woman was probably getting a refresher face lift in time for the wedding.
The absence of her fiance and in laws dumped the full responsibility of all of the last minute preparations in Marie's lap.
Seeing how stressed she was over everything that still needed to be done pulled at Logan's heart strings, so he made the mistake of offering to be there to help her with "anything".
Obviously, Marie took that literally, because a couple of days after his arrival, he was accompanying her to the final cake and menu tasting.
He sat, squished in the front seat of a tiny, two door BMW and looked around, "So...where'd you get the new wheels?"
"This is Warren's. This, is definitely NOT my style."
Logan laughed, "Yeah. I figured you'd be more practical than this little pea shooter."
Marie nodded, "This is a little flashy."
"Flashy...it's a girl car."
She swatted him on the shoulder, "Shut up!"
"The fact that your fiance drives a chick car doesn't bother you? No underlying concerns there?"
Marie laughed heartily as she hit him on the leg, "You are such an asshole."
Logan nodded in agreement, "Well, you knew that when you decided to be my friend."
Within an hour, they were sitting in front of their respective plates in the caterer's office. Marie's future mother-in-law had picked every wedding vendor since she was so well connected. Mrs. Worthington had also hand selected their wedding menu, since Marie's tastes were a bit "casual".
Marie carefully examined the bowl that had been crafted out of a small pumpkin, "Um...what is this?"
The very uppity French woman pointed to the pumpkin bowl with her pen, "Zis is ze squash zoup Madame Worthington ordered..."
"Looks like a fuckin' Halloween display", he murmured under his breath.
Marie snorted before she and Logan took a sip of, what turned out to be, a very bland, earthy soup. Logan shuddered a little and sat back, "That's uh...an interesting taste."
"Oui...and zis will be your second course...escargot with a white wine sauce" said the French lady.
"Escargot", she said as she glanced at Logan and lowered her voice, "...isn't that...snails?"
Logan cleared his throat and whispered, "What the hell kinda family are you marryin' into? Bugs...pumpkin bowls..."
She elbowed him in the ribs, sending a shock of pain through her arm as she remembered that his ribs were covered in adamantium too. Logan chuckled as she rubbed her elbow and cleared her throat, "You know what? I think we can just skip to tasting the main course."
Luckily for Logan and Marie, the main course wasn't as exotic as the previous ones. They sampled a tiny amount of petit filet mignon, lobster and chicken kiev before tasting the delicious red velvet and caramel cake.
When they left the caterer's office, they couldn't stop laughing about the look on his face when the little French lady announced the presence of snails on their plates. Marie sat down in the car as Logan joined her, "I'll be sure to keep a damn bag of chips in my pocket on the day of your...your...shit, kid...I can't believe it. You're fuckin' gettin' married."
She held up her left hand and nodded, "That's what the ring says."
Logan nodded and slowly turned to look out the windshield, "What are the plans for the rest of the day?"
"I have to drop a check off at the DJ...but after that, I'm free."
"Good...cause we should hang out a little bit before you become a boring old married chick."
Two hours later, Logan and Marie were sitting on the beach with "real" food. She pulled a hamburger out of the paper bag and tossed it to him. He caught it and eagerly unwrapped the paper before digging in.
"Mmm...now THIS is the type of food you should be servin' at your wedding", he said with a moan and a full mouth.
Marie nodded in agreement as she helped herself to some fries, "Don't I know it. I thought Warren was gonna break up with me when I initially suggested barbecue."
"Woman after my own heart."
She laughed a little and looked down, "Look, I just need you to know how much I appreciate you for comin' back and helpin' me out."
"Speaking of which, why the hell aren't frick and frack the ones helping you? Doesn't having chick-friends mean you automatically get minions to do your bidding on your wedding day?"
"Well, Jubes and Kitty are great if I need to rap to them, Sex and the City style...or help me pick out a couple of great outfits, but they're not good being decisive or helping with the serious stuff. I need someone who's not gonna be all 'oh yay! wedding!' when I'm tryin' to get shit done. I'm on a time crunch here."
Logan nodded and took another bite of his burger before turning to look out over the ocean, "To be honest, I'm havin' a helluva time wrapping my head around this...it seems like it was just yesterday when we were on the statue of liberty..."
Marie watched his eyes gloss over. She could tell he was recounting the horrifying few moments when he held her lifeless body close and pressed his lips to her skin in a desperate attempt to save her life...possibly at the expense of his own. When she came to, she'd not only absorbed his healing factor, she'd absorbed his recent memories and emotions...including the ones he felt and experienced when he thought she was dead.
The deep sorrow and pain she knew he felt from the possibility of losing her ran deep. That was when she knew that he was going to be a friend of hers for life...even if she wished it could be something more. Logan had never shown interest..save for one occasion, when she jumped into his arms and kissed him square on the lips in celebration after finding out she'd been accepted to the college of her choice.
The initial kiss had been quick and casual, but when she realized what she had done and looked into his eyes...she saw something in them that prompted her to immediately wrap her arms around his neck and press her lips back against his. He kissed her back, but the moment was interrupted by the sudden arrival of one of the students. They both dismissed the incident and never even bothered to speak of it, for fear that it might ruin their friendship.
When they finished eating, Marie practically wrestled Logan's boots and socks off before convincing him to walk along the beach with her.
She slid her arm into his as they walked, "So...you were gone for a long time this time around...hook up with any special ladies?"
"You know you're the only special lady I'll ever have in my life", he said with a brief smirk before looking down at the sand as they walked.
Marie laughed and shook his arm a bit, "I don't count."
"Why? You're a woman...aren't you?"
"Of course! But still...you need a woman you can share your life with."
Logan groaned and stopped in his tracks, "That kinda happy ending shit isn't for me, kid."
"Oh please. You can drop the lonesome wolf act for me, darlin'. I know you...and, whether you realize it yet or not, you're looking for your one."
"My one?"
Marie nodded, "Yep. Your one. The person who gets you. The person who knows what you're gonna say before you even think about saying it. The last person you wanna talk to before you go to bed and the first person you wanna see when you wake up in the morning. The person who knows you through and through..."
Logan contemplated what she said for several moments before he nodded, "That's what Warren is to you, huh?"
She nervously chewed on her bottom lip and looked up into his dreamy hazel eyes. Luckily, the rain drops that began falling around them let her off the hook of answering that question.
Logan grabbed her hand and ran with her to the car. By the time they made it into the shelter of the vehicle, they were both sufficiently soaked.
Marie laughed, "Awesome. I look like a wet dog now."
He looked at her and couldn't help but smile. Her hair was soaked and plastered to her head, and, more importantly, the white tank top she was wearing was now sheer, thanks to the blessed rain that had drenched the thin fabric. The bra she wore underneath did little to conceal her hardened nipples and the amazingly gorgeous curve of her breasts.
By the time he averted his gaze, he was on on the cusp of fighting a hard on.
Logan looked back up into her face and shifted in his seat, "You look great, kid. As usual."
"Aw. You're good for my ego."
That night, Logan decided to skip dinner in the cafeteria, and instead, opted to graze in the kitchen after the kids had cleared out.
When 9pm rolled around, he opened his door and almost ran directly into Marie...or rather, the pizza box she was carrying.
"Hey, kid. What are ya doin'?"
Marie laughed, "Oh come on...like you wanna eat dinner with a bunch of prepubescent kids..."
Logan watched as she pushed past him and set the pizza AND six pack of beer down on the desk in his room. She lifted the lid of the pizza box up and did a faux, Vanna White wave, "Meat lovers...extra pepperoni and Molson's."
"Wow. You uhhh...you read my mind."
Marie plopped down on his bed with one of his beers and took a gulp before flipping on the TV. When she noticed he hadn't made a move toward his pizza, she snapped her fingers, "You alright, darlin'?"
"Yeah. Yeah. Just wondering if I'm keepin' you from your wedding stuff. I'm sure you have better things to do than hang out with me."
She shook her head, "I have been looking forward to you coming back so that I can do just this."
"Really?"
"Yeah...really. Out of all the crazy changes I'm about to go through...and all the madness with the wedding and movin' overseas...chillin' out with you in your room is the most normal, comforting thing I can do."
Logan tried not to grin as he picked up a piece of pizza and popped a cap on a Molson.
The next morning, Logan woke up with Marie laying on top of him. At first, he was frozen, but after several moments, he wrapped an arm around her and gave a gentle squeeze, "Wake up, darlin'."
She stirred and murmured, "Hm? What time is it?"
"Almost 8", he said before sitting up and running a hand down his face.
"Oh shit! Shit shit shit."
Logan laughed, "What's wrong?"
"I have a meetin' with the florist at 9. She's this snooty, horrible, bitchy woman. If I'm late, she'll probably blow a gasket."
"But you're paying her-well, your in laws are. Has she ever heard of customer service?"
Marie searched the room for her shoes, "Yeah. Right. Not in the wedding business and you're the most in-demand florist in the tri-state area...we're so close to the wedding, she could fuck everything up. She could get away with shooting me in the face and I wouldn't be able to say shit about it because she knows that she could ruin my day by being 'late' or bringing lilies instead of calla lilies...she's just super mean...and she seems to hate me. Warren's mom is the one who hired her. She's treating me like a gold digging hick."
Logan raised a brow, "Hm. Well...look, you get dressed, and I'll come with you to your meeting with the flower lady."
"Really?"
"I'm your man of honor, right? When you need support...or whatever, I'm there."
At exactly 9:04am, Logan and Marie walked into the flower shop. A short, overweight woman emerged from the back of the shop, looking down at her watch.
"I guess some people think their time is more valuable than others", said the woman without sparing them a glance.
"Sorry, Vera. We got caught in traffic. This is-"
Vera cut her off, "I don't need an explanation. I need to get this meeting over with so that it doesn't throw off the rest of my day."
Logan cleared his throat and crossed his arms across his chest. He didn't appreciate the tone this woman was taking with his Marie. He could tell that she was stressed out, and that this woman was making things worse for her.
Vera led them to the back of the shop and directed them to sit down in her office.
She pulled out a clip board and pen and began reading off of a list, "My staff is scheduled to arrive on site at noon the day of the wedding."
"Um...actually, we were hoping you could arrive closer to 10 so that the photographer could get some pre-wedding shots in the tent after you've had the opportunity to decorate it."
"We will arrive at noon", snapped Vera before she looked back down at her paper and began reading again, "A bridal bouquet of pink roses and hydrangeas. Bridesmaids bouquets will be white carnations-"
Marie, who had been looking at her own list, suddenly spoke up, "Carnations? I thought we agreed on white roses-"
"Well, I decided to change that. You entrusted me to provide the floral vision for your wedding, and unless you'd like to do it yourself, I suggest you trust my judgement and-"
"Just who the fuck do you think you are, lady?" said Logan suddenly. Marie's eyes widened as she snapped her head around to stare at him, but he paid no mind to her bewildered gaze. He was busy staring daggers at Vera, who looked even more shocked than Marie...if that was possible.
Vera, who was now a very decent shade of red, began sputtering, "H-h-how dare you-"
"How dare me? How dare you? You're supposed to be in the business of helping women plan the most important day of their lives and you have the nerve to treat one of them like shit? Now, I may be new to all this wedding crap, but I don't know how you managed to make your clients think that they're the ones who have somethin' to lose, because the way I see it, you're dealin' with the woman who will one day hold the keys to a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical corporation and have the number of every single high class socialite this side of the western hemisphere in her blackberry, so before you say another rude word to her-no, before you even make her come close to pouting, I want you to think long and hard about all the business she WON'T refer to you because of how much of a giant bitch you were when she was planning her wedding."
Both Marie and Vera's mouth hung open as he slowly sat back in his seat and re-crossed his arms.
A long moment of silence settled over them before Vera cleared her throat and slowly put her pen down to her paper, "Um...I can...get the roses for the bridesmaid bouquets...they should coordinate nicely with the decor."
When they got in the car to leave, Marie reached over and punched him on the shoulder. At first, he thought she was mad, but when he saw the big smile on her face, he realized that she was just the opposite.
"Holy shit! Where did that come from?"
Logan shrugged, "I didn't like the way she was talkin' to you...no one should talk to you like that. In fact, I'm surprised you let her talk to you like that, kid. The Marie I know wouldn't let some flower lady bitch her out."
Marie nodded and smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, "Uh...I guess chock it up to my future-Mrs. Worthington-training I've been going through with Warren and my future in-laws. You'd think I was joining the royal family."
He frowned at that. He didn't like to think that they had broken her spirit. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the Marie he knew. She didn't need to be changed.
Logan nudged her, "Well...what's next on my list of Man of Honor duties?"
"You're off the hook for the rest of the day. I have to drop you back off at the mansion and take Jubes and Kitty to pick up their bridesmaids dresses."
"Great...how about you and me go play some pool tonight?...or is that not allowed now that you're about to become a socialite?"
Marie rolled her eyes, "You wish. You know I'm gonna kick your ass."
"Fine. You kick my ass first game, I'll buy beers for the night. You lose, you buy."
She presented her hand for him to shake, "Deal."
Logan smirked as he shook her hand, "Get that wallet ready."
Several hours later, they found themselves inside of a bar, playing pool. Marie wore a fitted tank top underneath a vest and tight fitting jeans with knee-high, high heeled boots. Her long wavy hair completed her ridiculously sexy look.
Logan found it hard to concentrate as he watched her slowly saunter around the pool table, grasping the pool stick in her hands and biting her bottom lip as she contemplated her next shot. When she bent over the pool table and tossed her hair over her shoulder to keep it out of her face, Logan's eyes wandered down to her ass, where they were glued until she straightened and announced that she had won.
"You're buyin'!" she said before bounding to the bar. He followed and leaned against the bar as she ordered them a round of beers. When their bottles were delivered, he looked at her, "You talked to Warren recently?"
He couldn't help but notice how quickly her bubbly demeanor waned when he mentioned Warren's name. She nodded and took a sip of her beer, "Uhhh...yeah. I did. He's doing great, but he's really really busy...he's always really busy..."
"I guess being the heir to such a big company comes with a lot of responsibility and work", he said, trying to make her feel better.
Marie put on a good natured smile, "How bout another round? Let's make this my special, Logan-only bachelorette party." She raised her bottle, "Here's to you saving my life...and, on more than one occasion, saving my sanity."
Logan tapped his bottle against hers before taking a gulp.
A few hours later (and several rounds of drinks later) Logan was carrying a drunken Marie into her room. She sang a Katy Perry song as he laid her down on the bed and removed her boots.
"Why are you so nice to me? You so sweeeet!"
He sighed, "I'm sorry you're so drunk, kid...I shoulda stopped you at round three."
"Pssssh! I had fun! You know how rare fun is when you're with a man who's a third? Third...who wants to be a third? Unless you're like...a film in a trilogy or somethin'..."
Logan laughed before leaning down to kiss her forehead, but Marie suddenly grabbed his face and laid a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. He would have fought it...if it didn't feel so damned good. When the kiss slowly drew to a close, she smiled up at him and murmured, "Love you..."
Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, she fell unconscious.
Logan stayed there, stunned for several moments before he slowly covered her with a blanket and left her room.
There was no way she actually meant to do...and say that to him...right?
Hey folks! Sorry for the long long space between updates. I wanted to get some things done in this chapter. This story isn't going to be as long as some of my others (chapter-wise), so just a heads up there.
Thanks so much for all the reviews! I really appreciate it and I hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!
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