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Max leaned her forehead against the cold metal of her locker. She was exhausted. She had done a few more runs than she normally did, so Normal wouldn't be so hard on her if she was a little bit late tomorrow. She opened her locker and took out Logan's gift. She put her backpack on the floor, and bent over to put the gift in it. As she stood up, something brushed her hair to the side. Immediately she sent her hand up to cover her barcode, and turned around to face whoever touched her. Devon. Damn it. Max slammed him into the lockers, just the same as she did in the morning. "I'm not in the mood," she hissed at him through a clenched jaw.

Devon smiled at her. "Sorry, thought you were someone else."

"Yeah well, you thought wrong. Now beat it." Max released him, and he turned away and left her standing there steaming. I swear, sometimes I wish I wasn't so strong, so I could just bitch slap this creep. Max shrugged her shoulders, and headed towards the door. She rode through the streets letting the cold winter wind cool her down. She was lost deep in her thoughts when she was abruptly pulled out of them with the sound of her pager blowing up. She pulled over to the side of the road to check the number. Why would someone be calling me from my place. Kendra must've gotten home early. Max checked her watch. It's still early, I guess I'll swing by to see what her gift from Mr. Multiples was. If she even mentions sex though, I am going to be out that door so fast. Max tilted her bike up and started to peddle away. Oh well, I can tell her about that creep at work. She'll like that. Max headed towards her building, weaving through all of the couples holding hands, and passing stores that had signs that were advertising special Valentine's Day sales. Mostly of old candy and dried flowers. Max pulled up in front of her building, and walked her bike to the elevator. Oh well, this is good. It gives me a chance to change, and now I can ride my baby over there instead of this bike. Max wheeled her bike to the door, and put her key in the lock. She opened the door, and without looking up, started to talk to Kendra. "Hey Kendra, you would not believe the day I had. This guy at work..." Max stopped, and almost dropped her bike. She caught it, and leaned it against the wall, just inside the door. She couldn't believe her eyes. Her entire crib was filled with balloons. There were red ones, there were pink ones, and there were white ones. They were everywhere. Then she looked at the floor, and swore that her heart skipped a beat. Just like in her dream, there was a trail of rose petals. Unlike the ones in her dream, which were red, these ones matched the balloons, some being red, some pink, and others white. It wasn't like her, but Max felt a smile creep across her face. Then, it turned to an outright grin. She followed the trail of rose petals, pushing her way through the hundreds of balloons that were floating around. The trail led right to her bedroom. This is so close to my dream. I swear, if Logan is standing behind me... Max turned around, but Logan was no where to be seen. Oh well. Then she noticed something on her bed. She walked over to it. There, lying with a card, were three long stemmed roses. One red, one pink, and one white. Max couldn't wipe the grin off of her face. She leaned over and picked up the roses to smell them. The whole apartment smelled of freshly cut roses, but these three smelt almost heavenly. Max closed her eyes and took in as much of the smell as she possibly could. She swore she could smell a little bit of Logan on them. Then she remembered the card. She opened her eyes, laid the roses back on her bed, and picked up the card. She opened it, and read it.

Max,

When I first saw you, you took my breath away. Even now, each time I see you, you simply amaze me. I was so happy at Bennett's wedding, knowing that I was with the prettiest girl there. I realize now, that the speech I wrote, applied more so to you and I, than he and Marion. And yes, I know it's Marianne. Just checking to see if you are actually paying attention to this note. 'They crossed paths by fate, but became partners by choice, and together, they are embarking on the greatest adventure two people can share.' We became partners by choice, and although we are not embarking on the adventure that I spoke of in the speech, I do think that we have embarked on an incredible adventure of our own. And, with that, I give to you your Valentine's Day present. You've only seen the beginning of it. Come over, and let me give you the rest.

Logan.

Max smiled at the joke that Logan had included in his note. She sat on the edge of her bed, and reread the note over and over. She then looked around her room. It was simply stuffed with balloons. It was a simple gift, but it was so sweet. And then the matching roses. Yet another reason why I find Logan so interesting. He can make the most subtle thing become incredibly important. This is such a great gift. I can't wait to give him mine. But then again, in his note he said that this is only the beginning. What else could he possibly get for me? Max stood up from her bed, and picked up the roses to smell once again. She closed her eyes to once again get the full affect of their aroma. She put them back down on her bed, and decided that since Logan had said that this was only the beginning of her gift and he was planning on doing something else for her, she would get changed out of her work clothes into something else. Max waded her way through the mounds of balloons to her closest. She pulled out a pair of her tightest blue jeans, and a tight blue shirt. I want to look good, but at the same time, I want to look like myself. She grabbed her leather coat, and her backpack, and headed towards her baby. Wheeling her bike through the balloons was harder than she thought it was, and more than a few of them popped. Oh well, I'll clean that up tomorrow. With that, Max headed out the door, careful to lock it so that no one could come to take her balloons, and headed down the hallway to the elevator.

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Logan looked around his kitchen to make sure that he had all of the ingredients he would need for the meal he was planning on preparing for Max tonight. Satisfied that he did, Logan set into making the dinner. He picked up six cloves of garlic and began to clean them off. I know the recipe calls for 12, but I don't want that taste lingering in my mouth all night. Logan smiled at his own thoughts. I can't believe I'm thinking about this, but still... He then took a sauce pan, and added a cup of pre-pulse white wine, a cup of white vinegar, the garlic, and two table-spoons of sugar. He let it simmer for about half an hour. While he was waiting, his mind was swirling with dreams of what tonight might bring. He leaned back against the counter, and lost himself in this thoughts. I wonder what Max is going to wear. Knowing her, she'll probably come straight from work, and be in those tight biking pants. No, I can't think like that. Max is just a friend, but still... No, stop it Logan. He looked over at the sauce he was creating, and noticed the liquid was almost gone. Whoa, I better get going on the rest of the meal! Logan took the two lobsters that he had found in the market earlier in the day, and placed them in his steamer. After about ten minutes, he took them out, broke off the tails, and picked the tail meat out. He then put the claws and the bodies back in the steamer to finish cooking them, for every good chef knows that the meat is easier to remove if the lobsters are steamed. While the lobsters were steaming, Logan took out his large skillet, and melted two sticks of butter in it. He then added the lobster tails and the sauce. He watched the lobsters cooking very carefully, and took them off the heat after just the right amount of time. He arranged each lobster over a bed of lettuce on a plate, with the claws that had finished cooking in the steamer. On the side, he threw a bundle of green and yellow beans into his steamer. After they finished cooking, he placed them beside the lobster on each plate, and drizzled lemon juice for an extra bit of flavor. For desert, remembering Max's love for coffee, Logan had taken a lot of time earlier in the day, and made a tiramisu. Something he figured that Max had never even dreamed of. He opened up the fridge and looked in on it to make sure it was still there, and untouched. Good thing Bling wasn't in here, otherwise this probably wouldn't still be here. Logan chuckled to himself, and then looked further into the fridge. He pulled out a bottle of pre-pulse wine that he was saving for a special occasion, and walked over to the table to pour it into the two wine glasses that were sitting beside the plates of food. He put the half empty bottle down and took out a lighter to light the candles that were on the table. He dimmed the lights in the apartment, allowing the full luminescent glow of the candles he had strategically placed around the apartment, take full effect. He stepped back to take in his creation and then sat back on the kitchen counter to wait for his Valentine.

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Max raced through the streets on her way to Logan's. She couldn't stop smiling about how taken aback she was with all of those balloons. Only someone like Logan could think of something like that to do. She parked her bike in front of Foggle Towers, and got off. She looked up towards Logan's penthouse. There was only a soft glow coming from his windows. Max looked at the doors to the building, took a deep breath, and then walked through. The ride up to Logan's apartment seemed to take longer than it normally did. It could have been her excitement to see him, or it could have been her apprehension as to what exactly would happen on this night. Either way, the elevator ride was definitely taking longer than normal. Finally the doors opened, and Max stepped out into the hall. She slowly approached Logan's door, and then hesitated. Should I pick the lock? Or should I knock? Figuring that this night shouldn't be any different than any other night, Max picked the lock, and walked in. Inside, she found none of the lights on, but there were candles leading towards the kitchen. Max quietly closed the door, and turned to follow the trail of candles. Before she could however, she suddenly realized that she could smell roses once again. She looked down, and sure enough, there was a trail of rose petals, also leading towards the kitchen. This time however, they were all red. Max smiled, dropped her bag by the door and slowly walked towards the kitchen. She walked down the hall, turned the corner into the kitchen, and saw Logan standing near the far wall holding two glasses of red wine. He was wearing a dark turtle neck sweater, and lightly colored cargo pants. He looked into her eyes and smiled that radiant smile of his when he saw Max enter. I always was a sucker for that smile. Max smiled back at him, and he walked slowly over to her, never letting his eyes leave hers. He came up to her, put the two glasses on the counter beside her, and gave her a hug. "Happy Valentine's Day Max" he whispered into her ear. The slight contact of his lips on her ear, made her tense a bit, which she prayed that Logan did not feel. Logan pulled away from the hug, and picked up the two glasses, giving one to Max. "And now, for your dinner." He grabbed Max's hand and led her to the table. Max couldn't believe how inhibited Logan was this evening. I hope this doesn't go somewhere that we will both regret later on. She let him lead her to her chair, and sat down. She looked at the wonderful creation that was in front of her, closed her eyes, leaned over the meal slightly and took a deep breath to allow all of the wonderful aroma enter into her body. She leaned back and opened her eyes so that she could look at the creator of this culinary miracle. "Logan, what is this?"

"It's called lobster. I managed to find a couple of them at the market earlier today. You'll like it, I promise." He picked up a cup that he had filled with melted butter. "Here, you dip the meat in the butter. It makes it taste even better, if that's possible."

Max quickly ate through her dinner, trying to get as much of the incredible taste into herself as she possibly could. Logan stared at her the entire time, smiling to himself about how fast she was going through the meal. I hope she isn't rushing so that she can get out of here. Logan stood up and took her plate when he saw that she was done. "I take it that you enjoyed your first taste of lobster." He smirked at Max.

"Oh my god. It was delicious. I don't know how I can ever thank myself for trying to break in here months ago. If I didn't, I would never have found such a wonderful meal ticket!" Max sort of half chuckled at her attempt to put some of her trademark sarcasm into the evening. What day would be complete without some kind of sarcastic remark coming from her mouth?

Logan laughed at her joke. "Yeah, well, I'm glad I could be of some service to you, but the meal isn't over yet. I have something else that I think you will enjoy." He walked over to the sink and put the plates in it and then headed towards the refrigerator. The whole time he was up, he could unconsciously feel Max staring at him, but it didn't bother him in the least. He took out the tiramisu, and put it on the counter so that he could slice into it. After putting a slice on each plate that was there waiting for him, Logan walked back over to the table, placed one dish in front of Max, and sat down to dig into his own piece. The two ate the desert while gazing into each other's eyes. The candles in the room seemed to create an atmosphere that allowed the two to forget all of their past worries. After finishing her piece, Max leaned back in her chair, full and satisfied. "That was amazing Logan. What was that called?"

"Tiramisu. I thought you'd like it. It kind of has that coffee taste to it."

"Yeah, it was so good." Max winked at him. "I think I might just have to make sure that you make that more often."

Logan smiled. "I'll have to make a note of that." Logan paused, as if thinking about his next words. Finally, he looked away from Max, and then after getting his composure, he looked her right in the eye. "Well, I'm kind of getting drowsy from this wine. Would you like to go and sit on the couch and tell me about your day?"

"Sure!" The word escaped from Max's mouth too quickly. That sounded WAY too over eager.

Logan grinned even more at Max's enthusiasm, stood up, leaned over the table, and extended his hand to her. She took it, and the two walked hand in hand over to the couch. Logan sat down first, and motioned for Max to sit right beside him. Sensing that the evening could go further than she was comfortable with, Max sat about a foot away from Logan. She could see the disappointment creep across his face, but she didn't want to make any mistakes with him that she would later regret especially if it affected their friendship in anyway. She quickly looked at her feet on the floor so that she wouldn't have to look into his eyes.

"So how did you like the balloons?"

The sudden sound of Logan's voice made Max jump a bit, causing her to forget what she was thinking about. She looked up into his eyes, and hers were filled with absolute joy. "They were wonderful! I couldn't believe it. It was simply amazing. I think Kendra might think that there is definitely something going on between us when she gets home and sees that though." Max smiled. She was happy to finally be able to bring some humor into the tension that she was feeling in the room.

"I'm glad you liked it. I figured that it would totally surprise you."

"Completely. They were such a surprise! Where did you get so many?"

"Ah, but a true romantic never tells his secrets." Logan gave Max his mega-watt grin. Thank God she liked them. I was so afraid that maybe she would have thought they were too much.

"Oh! I almost forgot your present!" Max's face dropped for a second. I can't believe I almost forgot to give it to him! That smile of his just makes me lose all of my thoughts. And, after all the time I spent on that letter too! Max gave Logan a quick smile, and then jumped up from the couch and headed back towards the door where she had left her bag. She came back clutching it in her hands. She stopped right in front of Logan, and without letting her eyes leave his, she opened the bag, and took out her present. She kept it in her hands and let the bag fall to the floor. The note was on top, covering the picture, and she handed it to Logan so that he would be forced to read the note before he could see the picture. Logan smiled and took the gift from Max. He opened the letter, and began to read. Max could feel her heart begin to race as she could see Logan's eyes floating from word to word. As he was nearing the end, she could see a tear develop in his left eye. Does that mean he likes it? Maybe it was too sappy. Oh man, I don't know if I want to see how he reacts to it. I could leave right now, and I would never have to know. Logan's movement to move the note behind the picture so that he could see the picture stopped Max from moving from her spot. I've got to see his reaction. Even if it's bad, then at least I'll know. Max kept staring at this face to see if it would give anything away, but it was almost entirely unreadable. He then looked up at Max. "I think that this is the best gift I have ever been given. Come here." He held out his hands to Max. Max felt as though her heart was going to jump out of her throat, but at the same time felt relieved that Logan had liked her gift. She placed her hands in his, and let him pull her down onto his lap. He wrapped his hands around her back, and took her in the biggest hug. He then loosened his grip and pulled away so that he could look her in the eye. It seemed as though they were both thinking the same thing, and at the same time, closed their eyes, and leaned into each other. Their lips barely touched, but then Logan grabbed the back of Max's head and pulled her closer. They kissed passionately, giving into their dreams, and the appeal of Valentine's Day. They both pulled away from each other after what seemed like an eternity. Logan kept his eyes closed, so that he could keep the wonderful feeling in his head that much longer. He tried to talk but only barely managed to get the words to come out of his mouth. "Would you like to stay here tonight?"

Without even pausing, Max answered Logan's question. "Yeah, I'd like that."

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K everyone, that's all I was planning on writing, but from some of the wonderful reviews you have been giving me, I can keep going if you want me to. I have a bunch more ideas that I can run with, so tell me if you want me to continue. Hope you liked this much!!