Life Goes On Chapter Twenty One Friday February 16th 2007, evening
Logan put John Zacchara in a cab at three am. He paid the driver and told John "Come back for your ride tomorrow, okay, man?"
Johnny was very drunk at this point, all smiles and thinking Logan was his new best friend. "Sure. Maybe we can hang out when I come by. Have a drink or something."
"Sounds good! Although you will probably still be wasted then." Logan laughed. "Later, man."
"Later."
The cab left. Logan let out a sigh and walked back to his apartment. Only Cooper, Winnie and Georgie were left. He looked at Cooper "All right, buddy, you know I love you like a brother from another mother but you gots to go. I wanna say good night to my girl alone. Catch up with you tomorrow."
Cooper got up. Sweetly he offered his hand to Winnie to help her up. She was quite surprised that he was such a gentleman, as if she was used to only meeting jerks.
She said to Logan "Well, good night. Call me tomorrow so we can discuss that computer training you're interested in."
"Oh, I can hardly wait," Logan sneered.
"Remember it is you who needs me and not the other way around. But I take my job serious so I'll put in all the hours it takes to get you up to speed."
"Wow, how did I get so lucky to have you come into my life?" Logan asked.
"And I will only charge you twenty five dollars an hour."
"A bargain," Logan said, rolling his eyes. "Coop, you have fun with this one. She seems like a barrel of laughs to me."
Cooper just glared at Logan and left. Logan threw up his hands at that response, thinking Coop was playing boy scout again. He closed the door after they walked out and then turned to see Georgie standing there with her arms crossed.
Georgie said "If she is offering to tutor you don't you think you could say thank you and not be so rude to her? What is your problem with her anyway? She's a nice woman."
"She's strange, you ain't noticed that yet?"
"She's different, yes, but it seems like all hackers are. So what? Its just a sub culture like goth or emo. Does everyone have to be like you? Not everyone hunts, fishes, drives a truck and keeps guns around, you know? And that's perfectly okay."
"Are you calling me a hick?"
"I wouldn't be so rude as to say that but if you want to put two and two together, feel free."
He came over and touched her arms. "Aw, Georgie girl, why are you always so mad at me? It hurts me. It really does." He patted his heart. "In here."
"Don't try and charm me," she said, smiling a little.
"Fine, no charm. I am turning the charm off. Now, can I have just one little hug before I walk you to your car. I kicked my best friend out just so I could hug you a very inappropriate amount of time."
Logan put his arms around her and she responded by wrapping hers around him. Soon she was melting into his embrace and all the warmth that he sometimes felt around her was back in spades. He could hold her forever if it always felt this good.
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Maxie and Spinelli ended up back at the Penthouse, eating snack food, watching movies, and smoking weed. Her shoes were kicked off as she sat on the couch with her feet tucked under her.
They chatted about the movie plot and their favorite actors and actresses.
"You know what, Spinelli? You're like a friend and a lover at the same time. That's kinda new for me. I think I like it."
"Were you never friends with your past paramours?"
"Sure I was, before we started sleeping together. But its kinda hard to be real friends afterwards. It gets really complicated and I always had to scheme or fight to keep who I want or they end up not being who I think they were or something bad happens but...you're different. Its like we're cool, in and out of bed. I don't know. I just like hanging out with you. Maybe it's the pot talking."
"Perhaps."
"And maybe its just that I like gangster stoner boys." She crawled toward him and they started kissing. She loved threading her finger through his slightly shaggy hair. And she loved stripping off his clothes because he always seemed to give her a look that said: You are the most beautiful woman in the universe.
And Maxie loved that look. She really did.
That night they made love and finally slept holding each other. She woke up a little shy and confused about what had happened, since she had been drunk and high, but seeing a sleeping Spinelli made a small grin come to her lips. She flashed back on the night before and smiled larger.
Things were going good. If it stayed like this he would certainly make her his girlfriend next month.
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Saturday February 17th 2007, morning
Johnny woke up in a bed in the Cosmopolitan hotel. He could not be happier either. Though he had a throbbing headache and his date with Serena had been a bust- she barely talked to him at all last night- he knew one thing and it made all the difference. He was free of that mansion in Crimson Point.
Trevor was supposed to keep Anthony off Johnny's ass. Trevor gave Johnny a job and was gonna get him a place to live. Turns out that Johnny didn't need the Zacchara money after all. He could make it on his own, with a little help from the man who thought of him as a son.
Johnny had his issues with Trevor but today he was not about to let that upset him. He was finally getting some freedom and it tasted so sweet.
He called his sister and told her the good news. She lived in Milan. "Claudia, you ain't gonna believe this. I did it. I left home. I moved out last night and I ain't going back to live there ever again."
Johnny had a big smile on his face. Nothing could bring him down today.
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Sunday February 18th 2007, evening
Georgie always had Sundays off. She went to church in the morning and had dinners at home that night with her dad. Logan had asked her if she'd spend the in between time with him.
They met at the movie theater and after seeing Because I Said So they went out for coffee. They fell into a long conversation that lasted three hours until she looked at her watch. "Crud! I'm gonna be late for dinner with my family. And Robin is coming this week. That makes it special for my Dad so I need to be there."
"Okay, girl, well let me walk you back to your car then. Thanks for coming out with me today."
She smiled at him. "It was really nice. Thank you for asking me."
"Anytime, kid."
"Kid? I'm not a kid. Far from it. Do I look like a kid?"
"Nah, girl, you look far from a kid." But Logan thought she sometimes acted childish and maybe that was what was keeping him from kissing her, or maybe it was just that he was scared to mess it all up. He wasn't sure. Something was holding him back though.
As hot as he thought Georgie was and as much as he felt connected to her he ignored every urge he had to grab her and kiss her senseless. Still the memory of their perfect dance on Valentine's Day lingered in his mind and that had been romantic.
So there was something beyond friendship going on with them. He just still wasn't sure when they'd cross that line. Right now he wasn't in a rush though and that kinda worried him.
He used to always jump into the sexual part of relationships quick. And if the sex was good he figured that was enough for him. But this time he was trying to make her see the good in his heart and soul, even if it sometimes was hidden beneath his bitterness, pain and blunt way of talking.
Logan wanted Georgie to truly like him, not just want to fuck him. But if he waited too long would he be stuck in the friend zone with her forever?
All he knew that day was it didn't feel right to kiss her lips yet so he settled for brushing a kiss along her temple and sending her home to her Pops for Sunday dinner.