"Hello?" Max answered the phone as usual.

"Hey, Max. It's me," came the reply. She got a chill when she heard Logan's voice. The memories of last night she had tried so hard to forget - and in fact they were almost gone, thanks to Lydecker's mental eraser technique - sprang back strong as ever.

"Oh, hey. What's up?" She wondered if she sounded as nervous as she felt.

"I got a top-priority post on the Informant Net," explained Logan, himself being extra careful not to call up any references to last night's dinner. It had been rather uneventful, but maybe that's what worried him about it. He didn't want the... 'accident' (as they called it) to turn Max away. "He wants to meet ASAP. Are you busy right now?"

"Oh... No, I'm just sitting around here, waiting for an Eyes Only lead to swallow - err, follow." What?! I didn't really say that... did I? Her tone had begun with a light sarcasm, but ran off track completely at the last word.

"Uh, great. Ok, the address is 2453 Oakley Street. Top floor. The contact is a short guy, aged 25-30, should be alone. I'd have gone myself, but..."

"But the stairs would have been a little dicky. Tricky, I mean! Right. I understand." What the hell is wrong with me?! The phone was shaking in her hand. Why am I so damn nervous?!

"Thanks. This is really important."

"Don't worry, I won't blow you. Later."

She hung up the phone, then realized her fatal error. "IT!!!" she screamed at the empty apartment. "I won't blow IT!!!" But it was too late for Logan to hear.

On the other end of the now disconnected phone line, Logan stared blankly for a moment, absorbing her words. She was acting very strange, even for Max. "Later," he replied robotically to the dial tone, and hung up.