❤ Chapter Nine ❤
Since Logan re-appeared, I would wake up every morning with a headache that even the largest cup of coffee in the Guinness records couldn't cure, and find my way to work in a daze. I would then suffer through the numerous torments of my best friend, and the man who decided to walk out of my life, then waltz right back in. Why did I surround myself with people who made my life a bigger challenge than it already was? I seemed to have become a magnet for drama, and reminders of my mental turmoil followed me around like a moth to a flame.
Sitting on my bed on a Thursday night, I called my mom. It was one of the few activities left that could comfort me.
The phone rang twice before she picked up.
"Hey there mate, you want a laugh?" She had already picked up some Australian slang.
"Hm, laughing would be magnificent." Smiling, I could feel my troubles fade.
"This morning, Luke did the funniest bit. It was hilarious, you should have be-"
"I did not do a bit." Luke's annoyed voice could be heard through the phone.
"Yes, you did," My mother said to him matter-of-factly. "The bit! It deserved its own category in the Oscars."
"It wasn't a bit. I was feeding Connie, he sneezed, apple sauce landed all over my face and I was in pain from the pieces that went in my eyes." I heard a burst of giggles from my little brother and Luke's voice saying, "Oh, you think that's funny, don't you?"
"Oh, right! It was Connie's bit," My mother exclaimed. "Man, that kid's a genius. He's just writing up scripts here and there. He'll be the next Woody Allen."
I chuckled, "I look forward to my future VIP pass to the Oscars."
"Oh, hey hon. How was your interview?" She must have forgotten I was on the phone.
"It was fine."
"Aw, what happened? Did you not listen to my advice about telling them about the kangaroos? It was your favorite animal for entirely three days when you were four. How could they not appreciate that?"
I smiled and half-rolled my eyes. "It really was fine. What makes you think something's wrong?"
"You've got Bambi voice," She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I do not have Bambi voice."
"Just spill, Bambi."
I sighed. "I was just… really distracted this morning."
"By the dancing gorillas surrounding your desk? By a reverie of Orlando Bloom?"
"By the fact that I got into a fight with not only my boyfriend, but also my ex-boyfriend at last night's dinner. If I had any other boyfriends or former boyfriends, for that matter, just throw them in too. I'm sure I would have in some ways managed to piss them off collectively." I flopped down on my bed dramatically. You'd think you were leaving the drama behind once your age hits the quarter-century mark.
"Whoa, slow down. First of all, you say that like you've had too many boyfriends to count when we all know you're not exactly voted as Ms. Promiscuity. Well, there was that one time during spring break with Paris, but let's not go there."
"Ew, Mom!" My stomach twisted at just the memory of the kiss with Paris. "Why are you bringing that up?"
"Okay, let's just take a step back here. You say you guys got into a fight-"
"A huge fight. Gigantic. Humongous. Colossal."
"Right, so you'll make up. Hug it out, smooth it over, pound each other chest to chest, or do whatever it is you kids do these days."
"You say that like it's easy." I switched the phone to my other ear. Holding a phone to your ear while lying down can be a workout - for a Gilmore anyway.
"It is easy. Again, everything I previously suggested is the way to go. Throw in the kangaroo tidbit too. That can't hurt."
"Okay, while those are all really helpful tips, Mom. Never mind me. Let's just talk about you." I wanted a distraction and no one did that better than my mom.
"What's there to talk about when it comes to me? Except that I might have accidentally let the whole town know about you moving in with the Aussies and working with Logan."
"What?!" I sat up.
"I was just talking to Luke about it at the diner and, well, what do you know, Kirk has some gigantic ears. Before the sun had set on that beautiful day, everyone in town was talking about it," She explained calmly as if she was telling me what was for dinner.
"Mom! I'm going back next weekend! Everyone's going to be pestering me about it," I whined.
"Yeah, about that... The whole town's in a frenzy and Taylor might be cooking up some sort of a protest." There was amusement in her tone. She was amused at my expense. Her one and only daughter.
"I look forward to it." The words seethed through my teeth.
"Oh, I meant a protest about you going away, not the Logan part. Everyone loved Sam, but they had also loved Logan when he visited a gazillion years ago when the dinosaurs ruled the Earth."
"What's your point, Mom…?" I was afraid to ask.
"There's sort of a new ribbon system in town, only this time they aren't actually ribbons per se." She paused for theatrical effect.
A heavy sigh came out my lips.
It must have been enough of a reaction because she continued, "They're distributing those little buttons."
"Oh no," I groaned. I was pretty sure I knew what they were. After the whole ordeal with the blue versus pink ribbons across town when my mom and Luke had briefly split up, I was now certain I would get a similar treatment next weekend.
"Yeah, they're quite cute, really. There are the dark red ones with Logan's face on it. Then, there are the baby blue ones with Sam's. I've saved some for you. It would go really well with whatever outfit you are planning on wearing to Grandma's." She could have practically been slapping her knee at her own delight.
"Mom. There's nothing going on between me and Logan. I don't understand why Taylor would need to do such thing," I scolded, trying to get some sense into her.
"Sorry, hon. I'll stop. Next topic," she spoke as she stifled a laugh.
My cheeks flushed as I rolled my eyes. Praying I would never have to explain about this to Sam, I thanked my lucky stars that he wasn't going to Stars Hollow with me next weekend because of upcoming exams. Eventually, our conversation steered clear of the boys in my life and focused on Connie and the things that were going on around town (aside from gearing up for the Anti-Rory's-move-to-Australia riot). Talking with my mom loosened my nerves as expected. I was so thankful to have her in my life. She was the best friend I could ever have.
❤ Leap of Faith ❤
The next phone call didn't start as joyously. However, as soon as I heard Sam's voice, I was immediately overcome with affection. All I wanted to do was tell him I loved him and put everything that happened behind us. I wanted it to be just us in a safe cocoon, where no outside forces could poke holes into the walls of our castle, testing their strength. Like various times before, we made up easily and were back to our old selves in no time. However, although we had seemingly resolved our fight, I couldn't help but feel that something was different in the way he talked. There was the slightest sense of insecurity in his words, which broke my heart.
After Sam and I said good night, I laid in bed thinking about everything that happened in the past few days. My heart thumped with more force whenever I thought of Logan. It's like he was my adrenaline, and inspired every breath I took. I knew then that I could never completely get him out of my system. My feelings for him were a living, breathing thing, only growing with time. Every word he spoke and every smile he offered was my nourishment. I came to an acceptance that I would always care about him.
Then, I thought of Sam. He was the sweetest man I knew. After the three years we've shared, I couldn't imagine my life without him. I thought of all the times we've had together. The many nights we stayed up late watching cheesy black and white films that nobody even remembered the names to. The one time I was working late on an article and he cooked chicken soup because he read it replenished your brain cells. And finally, the night after we had our first argument over something silly and he left a note under my door. It was a small piece of paper that was now clipped to my fridge with the lyrics to one of our favorite 80's hits.
Logan, in many ways, was my first real love. I will always hold a special place for him in my heart. He will always be the boy I kissed at my grandparent's wedding renewal, the boy I cried over while lying on the bathroom floor, and the boy who said would wait for me for forty years in space if we ever parted ways. More and more, I understood. Firsts were important. They would always be significant. However, I was certain that lasts were even more important. All I needed to do was to think about the boy who would be my last. My forever. My always.
❤ Leap of Faith ❤
Logan hovered over my shoulder, making me force silent gulps down my throat. He reached over to take control of the mouse pad on my laptop, showing me the files that Shannon left for the conference. I wished he would do so in a less nerve-wracking manner, but he seemed oblivious to the sweat forming behind my neck and blush creeping up my ears.
"Here are the files for interviews, research and their work." He said in a professional manner. "There'll be around fifty potential business partners at the conference. I need us to complete the investigation on each of them so that we can identify a list of around fifteen of the best fits according to the interest of our department. I can then interact with them after their presentations."
He opened an Excel file from one of the folders. "Here's the spreadsheet Shannon created. It contains links to all the interviews, articles written about and by each figure, their information and much more. It's very extensive and she was only able to complete the research on thirty people. Our job is to finish the remaining twenty and I will compare them and figure out the list by tonight."
"That sounds like a lot to do. Will we have time?" I scanned over the information and reasoned that it must have taken Shannon half a day to research just one person.
"It's going to be very tight in terms of schedule. I only learned about the conference a week ago, but I'm hopeful we can get it done." He turned to give me an encouraging smile, his eyes twinkling with warmth. This glimpse of the sweet Logan I had known was a rarity since our fight. My heart did an elated dance.
"Here are some files to read regarding the department and our goals. This will help you decide which information is relevant." He was back to business.
When Logan was done familiarizing me with the work, he asked me if I had any questions. I shook my head as I watched him. He seemed like a stranger standing before me. We were strictly working as business partners just like he said. I wondered how it was so easy for him to put everything aside, whereas I was drowning in memories every time his eyes met mine.
My expression must have given away my thoughts, because Logan's face changed. He looked at me with a slight frown.
"What is it?" I asked softly, my breath suddenly caught in my throat. His body was so close that I could smell his faint cologne. His scent was exactly the same as I remembered.
He lowered his head for a second and sighed. As he looked back at me with gentleness in his eyes, he said, "I'm really sorry about the other night, Rory. I was way out of line. I hope we can get past it."
Startled by his sudden apology, I mumbled, "It's okay. I'm sorry too. I should have stayed calm."
"I don't ever want to be yelling at you. I can't take that. It kills me. You have to know that." His expression was pained. "It's just, seeing you with him. I just lost it. I'm sorry."
At that moment, he looked so fragile and young. I wanted to reach out and hold him, comfort him and tell him it was exactly how I felt too. Instead, I said, "I understand."
Afterwards, we silently went to work on the tasks at hand. He sat at his computer across from me while I worked on my laptop. We split up the remaining list of people and started our research. After two hours, I finished the first figure on my list. At this rate, we would never reach our goal. I told myself I needed to work smarter. Instead of finding out every detail on the file, I decided to highlight the most important categories and work from there. The strategy helped a bit, allowing me to finish the next two figures in two hours. Logan had been working across from me, only stepping out of the office once in a while to take a call. We both knew there were a lot of work to be done and didn't spare any time for chit-chat until lunchtime rolled around. Logan stepped out for a while and came back with Chinese take-out boxes and three large coffees. He placed two cups of coffee and a take-out box beside me and kept the other for himself.
I closed my laptop. "Thanks."
"My pleasure, Ace." He smiled.
We temporarily put the work aside and ate our lunches while facing each other. The small width of the desk meant we were sitting quite closely together. If we both leaned in at the same time, we would bump heads. There was something magical about this time with Logan. There was a mutual understanding that we were both happy to put the fight behind us for today and work together. For now, we didn't need any further explanations or apologies. We were content just being in each other's presence, enjoying a meal like we had done countless times in the past.
"I really appreciate your help, Ace." Logan looked at me with sincerity. "I know this was sudden and not exactly in your job description."
"My pleasure, Logan."
He tilted his head slightly. "I thought I was 'Mr. Huntzberger' to you." He was back to his charming, confident self. Mercurial might be a good word to describe the man in front of me.
The familiarity in the way he smirked made my chest bubble. Without thinking, the sentence flew out of my mouth. "There are just so many things I could call you."
He raised an eyebrow at me, making me giggle.
As I was savoring my sesame chicken, my eyes fell on the photo frame I saw on his desk the other day. Hoping to take advantage of the easy atmosphere, I asked, "Mr. Huntzberger, I was wondering if I could take a peek at the lone photo you had chosen to place in this grand office of yours. Purely for anthropic research purposes."
He chuckled. "That's an interesting research you're leading." He grabbed the photo and passed it to me.
I took it from him curiously. Inside the simple silver frame was a picture taken with a snowy white background of four people smiling happily at the camera despite their red noses and cheeks. On the farthest left was Logan in his snowboard attire. To the right of him were his sister, Honor, and her husband, Josh. In Josh's arms was a darling boy around the age of three, bundled up in a bright blue scarf and tuque. He had pale blonde hair and big round eyes. They were all holding onto each other, displaying a close-knit bond. At the bottom right of the picture was a note written in black ink.
It was great to spend time with you, little brother!
Hope to see you again soon in Aspen. XOXO
"Honor got the cabin from my father when Adrian was born," Logan explained.
I looked up from the picture. "That's a pretty name. He's so precious."
"Yeah, sometimes when I look at him, I feel like all is right with the world, you know?" Logan looked at the picture, a slight frown marring his face.
"I know what you mean. It's how I feel when I see Connie too." I smiled, remembering how Connie would run toward me as soon as I walked through the door and hug my legs while screaming my name "Rwor".
"Connie?"
I forgot that Logan didn't even know about my mom's wedding. It reminded me how long it had been since those days when we were inseparable.
"Conrad Danes, my two-year-old brother. Mom and Luke had gotten married about three years ago."
"Wow. It really has been a long time, huh?" A small, sad smile sat on his lips.
"Yeah. It has..." I bit my mouth, unable to look at him directly. Instead, I continued to study the picture in my hands. I felt a warmth rise in me for Logan. It made me proud that he kept a picture of his sister in his office. It showed how close he was to her. Also, I was probably a bit relieved that the photo wasn't of a girl in his life.
Feeling uncharacteristically brave, I caught Logan's eyes, and said, "You got to ask me this, but I never got an answer in return."
"What is it?" His face shifted into a closed-mouth smile while his eyes squinted with amusement and curiosity.
Cocking my head, I asked as indifferently as I could the exact words he had used. "Would someone as remarkable as yourself be currently seeing anyone?"
His smile turned into a flippant grin as his eyebrows shot up. "Would that question happen to be for anthropic research purposes as well?"
Not recoiling from his mockery, I said, "Maybe."
"No, Ace. Although I am remarkable, I'm not currently seeing anyone." He nodded as he spoke with a sweet arrogance. It was a very Logan Huntzberger reply, which made me let out a chuckle. I was practically beaming.
❤ Leap of Faith ❤
"Ace, you should take a break." Logan reached across the desk and touched my arm.
I was startled out of my daze, realizing I had been staring at the screen while trying hard to keep my eyes open. We had been working nonstop since noon and it was now well past nine. Logan had gotten a few stretches in by taking some phone calls, but I had been glued to my spot for eight hours straight. I suddenly felt the strain in my eyes and rubbed them ferociously with the back of my hands.
"Actually, you're done for the day. I can take it from here." He got up from his seat and walked over to me. After pulling me up by the arms, he led me to the sofa.
I began to protest though my voice was weak. "No, I'm fine. I'm almost done."
"Sit. Lie down for a bit. I'm almost done, then, I can drive you home." Logan walked over to the wall and opened a closet door that I hadn't notice before. He re-emerged with a fleece blanket, which he draped across my chest.
I swung my arms in front of me, fighting the sleep overcoming my body. "Must finish Mr. C. Ziltener…" I was babbling with fatigue.
I heard Logan chuckle as I failed to force my eyes open. "Rest, Ace."
I vaguely remembered feeling his hand graze the side of my head before I lost consciousness. I didn't know if the touch was my imagination, but it didn't matter whether it was real. It was all I needed to drift into a deep, peaceful sleep. It was the best sleep I had gotten since Logan and I met while I stood frozen on the wide, carpeted steps on that fateful April night. On Logan's dark grey leather couch, wrapped in his sweet, familiar scent, I dreamed of Eiffel towers, rocket models and a pair of warm caramel eyes.
Thanks for reading! Please leave a review. I would love to hear your feedback!
Let me know how you feel :)
Also, I need your input regarding the next few chapters:
I am going away for a week in mid-September (for a conference, yay!) I am planning to write chapters 10-12 before I leave. I am not sure of how I should release the chapters. I couldn't make up my mind, so I thought why not let you guys decide (since you guys are awesome).
Below are the 2 possible schedules for how often the chapters will be released. Choose your pick:
1. I can release Ch 10-12 every 3-4 days as I have been. However, this means Ch 13 won't be out until 2 weeks after Ch 12.
2. After I finish writing the chapters, instead of releasing them right away, I can hold onto them and release Ch 10-13 each 1 week apart. This way it would be more consistent.
Let me know which you prefer!
Special thanks to all my readers and for all the reviews, follows and favorites!
P.S. The song mentioned is Wake Me Up Before You Go by Wham!, and I do not own the lyrics.