Anyone who looked at the three men sitting at the bar table would swear that the man in the middle was a statue. The two men flanking him were animatedly talking at the same time, trying to get his attention, but he sat there still as a rock. The only sign that he wasn't actually made of marble was the glass of 25 year old scotch in his hand, the amber liquid was swirling around the base of the glass even though there was no was no visible sign of his wrist making any movement.

The day had been a total grind and the control he had over his temper was beginning to strain. Anything that could go wrong had: from a flood on the third floor after a guest's kid flushed one of his toys down the toilet to one of the main ballroom's air conditioning units crapping out during the middle of a conference; it had been one misery after another. The cherry on top had been his best friend canceling lunch without giving any reason why, that was until he spotted the petite blonde walk through the lobby doors and straight for the elevators. Suddenly Duncan's blowing him off made all the sense in the world.

Without a warning, Logan slammed his glass on the table, spilling the liquid but not cracking the glass. The action shocked his companions into silence. "You two are making it abundantly clear that I clearly don't know why I am paying you, but you better start earning that salary or you will find yourself in the unemployment line." Without another word, he stood up and stalked away from the table.

He managed to time his trip across the hotel's lobby to the elevator so he could squeeze through the elevator's doors and hit the "Door Close" button without giving the woman time enough to exit once she saw him. Logan languidly leaned against the back wall beside her and casually inspected his sleeves cuffs.

"My, my. If it isn't Veronica Mars," he commented.

Veronica stood stiffly, her hands in her pocket and her eyes looking straight ahead. "Great, two in one day," Veronica muttered to herself. She then gritted her teeth and returned his greeting, "Logan."

Logan looked over at Veronica who kept staring straight ahead. He could tell that she was trying hard to ignore his presence and that indifference was infuriating. Before he could stop himself he said, "Feels like old times, doesn't it. You visiting Duncan for a booty call." Logan watched the words register with her carefully. She narrowed her eyes and he could tell she was warring with herself about whether she should let it go or bite back. It was barely perceptible, but Logan didn't miss the moment she straightened up and got ready for a fight.

"And you hooking up with another man's wife?"

Logan felt like crowing but he held back. "Should I cancel? Are you offering?"

"Ha. Ha." Veronica said drolly, "You're still a comedian I see."

"And you're still tiny." Logan punctuated his statement by turning his head and looking directly down at Veronica.

"You are the expert on all things small." Veronica replied. She turned her head toward Logan and let her eyes drift briefly south before she turned her head back again.

"I've never gotten any complaints before. Not even from you" Logan replied with bravado.

"I was just being kind."

Logan let out a scoff. 'Kind' wasn't a word he really associated with Veronica anymore.

"Would you prefer if I said that I was faking it?" Veronica asked.

"I've heard you with the Donut. I know what you sound like when you're faking it, and that's not what you sounded like with me," Logan replied.

Veronica stepped forward and pushed the button for the sixteenth floor a couple of times. Logan smirked as he recognized that he was really getting under her skin. He was about to fire off another off-color comment when Veronica rounded on him and pushed him hard against the back of the elevator.

"Thanks to the FBI, I don't need a taser anymore to make a man fall on his knees and beg for mercy."

"If you need a taser to do that, you're not doing it right." Logan cut in, his words echoing from the past. Veronica let go of his shirt as if the memory of that exchange burned her hand.

"Oh, Mars. I've missed this witty repartee between us."

Logan waited for Veronica's sharp retort, but instead Veronica just said, "This will be easier for both of us if you just stay out of my way."

"Stay out of your way?!" Logan repeated derisively. "Do I have to remind you, Sugarpuss, that you were the one who dropped Hearst like a hot potato to go to your precious cop school. You turned your back on everyone here in Neptune. I stayed which means that this is my town. This is my hotel. You stay out of my way."

For a second Veronica looked taken aback, but Logan wasn't going to give her a chance to deny what he said.

"I don't care what you and the boy wonder do in that hotel suite when you get up there, but after tonight I recommend you take it to the Camelot down the street; because if you step foot into my hotel lobby again I will have security toss you out on your tight little ass."

Neither of them noticed that as he ranted, they had inched closer and closer together such that when he was done they were standing toe to toe and their faces were inches apart. Their eyes were locked on each other and the only movement either one of them made was the rise and fall of their chests as they breathed in and out.

Like at the end of a boxing match, the elevator bell rang signaling the two opponents that this round was over and they both stepped apart from one another. As soon as the doors opened, Veronica turned on her heel and stalked out.

As the doors began to slide shut, Logan realized that there was one more thing he wanted to say to Veronica. He forced both doors open with his hands, leaned out and yelled, "Go ahead Veronica, run away. You've always been so good at that."

Author's Note - Thanks to everyone who is reading and following this story. Special thanks to everyone who left comments. I wish I could answer you questions and concerns directly, but I worry that would be giving too much away. Hopefully bringing Logan back makes up for Duncan's creepiness. My plan is to publish the next chapter on Thursday. See you then.