Okay, this is all I have for a while. I put this story on hold while I work on Extra Ordinary and Forever Young. Review and I might be inclined to work on it sooner. :)


Chapter Eight:
Logan pulled outside of Jonas and Margo's small mansion and set the parking break. "Ok, what exactly did you tell them?" Max asked, still staring out the window.
"Not much of anything. I told them that I, uh, we had an announcement to make."
"Lovely." Max muttered as she began to open the car door.
"Max, wait a second." Logan said. Max sat back down in her seat, raising a brow at him. "What?" She asked.
Logan reached uneasily into the pocket of his suit jacket. He didn't know why he was so nervous about giving the ring to Max, it was just window dressing, right? Right? "Uh, here." He quickly pulled out the black velvet box and tossed it unceremoniously at Max.
Max flipped open the lid. Diamonds flashed and she slammed the lid shut and shoved it back at Logan. "No way am I taking this."
"Max, it is a prop, all a part of the charade. Put it on." Logan said calmly pushing the box back into Max's hand.
"I am not going to take a ring from you that cost more than most people make in a year!" Max said shoving it back as if it was poison.
"Well, it was the only ring I had available, it's my grandmothers, and the only ring I had access to on short notice, ok?" Logan hissed back.
"Just one more reason for me not to take it! It's a heirloom!"
"Max, I don't feel like fighting with you." Logan snapped. He opened the box and pulled out the ring, tossing the box into the back seat. Logan grabbed Max's left hand and slid the ring on her finger.
For a long, silent moment, they both stared down at Max's hand, Logan's fingers still wrapped around her wrist. The trio of diamonds set on a silver band glimmered in the dim light. The ring fit perfectly. Looks like the coordinated colors weren't going to be the only irony of the evening.
Suddenly, they both jolted, pulling back from the others touch. Hey quickly climbed out of the car, desperately avoiding eye contact, and walked up the stairs to the heavy oak doors of the mansion. Silently, Logan reached forward and hit the doorbell.
A uniformed maid opened the door to lead Max and Logan through the house to well-lit dining room, where Margo and Jonas already sat.
"Junior!" Jonas said as he rose from his chair. "Nice to see you are still among the living."
"Uncle Jonas." Logan said, stepping forward to shake Jonas's hand and lean down to kiss Margo's cheek. "Aunt Margo. You remember Max, right?" He said, turning to step back next to Max who still stood uncomfortably in the doorway.
"Oh yes, from Bennett's wedding, right?" Margo asked.
"Yes, how nice to see you again Mr. and Mrs. Cale." Max said with saccharine sweet politeness. Logan had a feeling that they both were about to pull off an Oscar worthy performance.
They all sat down at the table, Logan pulling out the chair for the perturbed Max, Logan and Max sitting across from Margo and Jonas.
"So, Junior, what was this big announcement that couldn't wait another day?"
Logan turned slightly in his chair to face Max. "Do you want to tell them, darling, or should I?" He asked with a winning smile.
Max narrowed her eyes slightly. 'Darling?' "Oh, you go ahead, *dear*." She replied with a purely evil grin that only Logan could recognize as a death threat.
"Well." Logan said carefully. "Uncle Jonas, Aunt Margo, Max and I," Logan said, clasping Max's hand on top of the table. "We are getting married." He finished with a smile.
Margo and Jonas stared at them for a minute. "What?" Jonas asked surprised. "When did this happen."
"It was a whirlwind romance, right Max?" Logan asked in sickeningly adoring voice that made Max want to regurgitate.
"Well, once I met you, I knew we were meant to be." Logan wrapped an arm around Max's shoulder. Max swung her foot under the table and jabbed the heel of her shoe into Logan's foot.
Jonas and Margo could interrupt Max's look as an infatuate gaze. It was really a look that said 'hands off or die'. Logan dropped his arm, and was immensely relieved when Max took the pressure off of his foot.
Margo was the first to break the stunned silence. "Oh that is great!" She said, though neither Logan or Max could tell is she was being sincere.
"And here we thought you'd never get remarried after what happened with Valerie. Such a shame, she was such a nice girl." Jonas continued, sipping at his martini.
"Uncle Jonas." Logan said in a warning undertone while Max shifted in her chair uncomfortably.
"Oh, well, the past is the past. Plus, you picked a real pretty one, didn't you my boy." Logan resisted the urge to laugh as Max rolled her eyes subtly.
"So tell me," Margo said, leaning forward, "how did you too meet?"
"Well," Max spoke up sweetly when Logan faltered. "We had the most interesting conversation on art. Logan had the most glorious statute of Baste that I was just dying to have."
Logan bit the inside of his cheek. "After that I just had to find out everything I knew about her."
After several minuets of talking about how they had met, Margo suggested that they hold the wedding at the mansion, similar to Bennett and Maryanne's wedding.
"Well, actually, we are getting married tomorrow." Logan said carefully.
Margo just about had a stroke. "But…" She sputtered. Logan's first wedding had been the social even of the season. Margo was looking forward to a repeat performance. The quickie wedding that was going to take place in City Hall tomorrow somewhere around noon wasn't exactly what she had in mind.
"Well then." Jonas said soothingly. "That certainly is quick, isn't it? Well, if you won't let us throw your wedding, the least we can do is send you on a honeymoon. Italy is beautiful this time of year."
Before either Max or Logan knew what had happened, they had agreed to let Jonas send them to Italy.
"Uh, Logan, can you point me in the direction of a phone?" Max said semi-desperately. "I need to make a quick call."
Logan reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone. "You can use my--" Max's hand grabbed Logan's under the table and gripped so hard, Logan was fairly sure her heard something crack. "Uh, right this way."
When Logan and Max were safely out of hearing distance, Max grabbed Logan's arm. "What the hell was that? We aren't going to Italy." Max hissed.
"What was I supposed to do? If they get suspicious, none of this is going to work. The happier they are, the less they are going to think!" Logan snapped back.
"We cant--" Before Max could go on, Margo's high-pitched voice floated down the hallway. "Logan? Max?" She called.
Neither of them, especially Logan, had a single idea why he did was he did next. Not a clue in the world. They would both spend days questioning why he did it, and why she let him.
Logan pushed Max up against the wall, and before he could think of what he was doing, he framed her face in his hands and crushed his mouth against hers. At first, Max was too stunned to react. She wrapped her arms around his waist just as Margo rounded the corner.
"Oh, isn't that sweet." Margo cooed. The two jumped apart as if startled high school-ers caught making out in the backseat of a car. Max and Logan's eyes seemed to be locked together unbreakably, their breaths heaving as they shakily stepped back from each other. 'All apart of the act.' Max thought as she stared into Logan's depthless eyes.
'All apart of the act.' Logan echoed mentally as he took a slow step back.
"Maxine, dear, come join me in the parlor for a drink. Id love to talk to you alone for a few minuets." Margo said stepping up to the couple. She clasped Max's arm as she moved towards an open door down the hallway. "Logan, go make sure your uncle doesn't drink himself into a stupor."
Max walked down the hallway with Margo, and it was just a few minuets inside the door to the elegant parlor that Margo started chattering. "You'll have to excuse me, dear, if I seemed cold towards you at dinner. I really am happy for you and Logan, it just came as such a shock. Logan's been alone for so long, and then out of the blue he is getting married." Margo said as she poured Max a drink out of a decanter. "But I am so glad to see Logan so happy again. Its been a long couple of years for him, that with George and Nicole dying, and then the divorce." Margo waved her hand in front of her face as if to shoo away the thoughts. "Oh, such nasty business." She crossed the room and handed Max a crystal goblet, who had yet to utter a word to the talkative Margo. "You know," She continued as if telling a secret. "When I first met you, I was sure you were just another gold digger after his money."
"Logan is a great person, you can't help but to….love him." Max almost choked on the words.
"Oh I know, dear. Just to see you too together, it is obvious how much you two love each other." Margo said in a soft voice. "After all he's been through, I think you are absolutely perfect for Logan."
Max just about dropped her glass. She knew she was a passable actor, but this was just a bit too much. "Thank you." She finally managed, feeling sick to her stomach.
"And I see he gave you his grandmother's ring. Just another reason I know he loves you dearly. He wouldn't give the ring to Val, but he gave it to you. Isn't that just adorable."
Max was almost positive she was going to pass out. Logan was busting his ass to help her out, and here she was, openly lying to the sweet old woman, and all of it was being done for her own personal gain. 'I am a terrible, terrible, terrible person.' Max thought. 'I am going straight to hell, if I'm not already there.'