Reaching for the Moon by The PekingNoodle

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Chapter Seventy-Eight: Eight Ball in the Corner Pocket

In which our hero and heroine enjoy some much needed down time…

The next few days were uneventful. Logan refused to let it be publicly known that they were back from their honeymoon, so they spent their time with each other in the penthouse, with an occasional excursion on Max's bike when one or the other felt the need to get out. Such excursions were undertaken at night with due caution not to be seen.  Logan had an extensive collection of movies from before the Pulse, and Max was content most nights to dig through them in search of gems she hadn't seen previously.

On this particular night Max was tired of movies, and tired of her own company. Logan had been buried in his computers for hours offering only her a grunt, the few times she tried to go in and see what he was doing.

"Logan, do you care if I go out?"  She stood next to him, leaning a hip on his desk.

Logan finally looked up from his screen and glanced over her, noting her tight jeans, T-shirt that rode up exposing several inches of skin, and the black leather jacket she had slung over her shoulder. "Where?"

"I thought I might go over to CRASH and see if anyone was there. If I stay in this apartment any longer, you're going to be prying me off of the ceiling."

Logan chuckled as he leaned back from the computer and gave her his full attention. "You want some company?"  Max shivered at the hot look in his eyes, as he looked her over once again, this time giving her his full attention.

"Maybe."  She retaliated, letting her eyes wander down his torso and over his long legs, which he had stretched out when he pushed his chair back from the computer.

"Lemme just shut this down and grab a jacket and I'm all yours." 

"Meet you at the elevators." Max sauntered away; fully aware that Logan's eyes were glued on her posterior as she left the room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

CRASH was crowded as they made their way down the stairs into the main room. Max scanned the room quickly, checking for possible problems, as well as for her friends. Logan smiled to himself as not a few heads turned to look her over, but he also looped an arm around her waist, making it clear that she was with him.

"See anyone?" he asked her as they made their way to the bar.

"Not yet." 

They were at the bar and Logan raised his brows as the bartender walked in their direction.

"Beer's fine." Max answered his unspoken question.

Logan ordered a pitcher and turned to lean back against the bar as they waited for it to come. He pulled Max to stand between his legs and idly let his hands wander up and down her back as they waited for their drinks. Their eyes locked as they stood there and Max reached out to trace the stubble on his chin.

"Forget to shave again today?" she teased.

He shrugged. "I meant to, but you know how it is."

"Now ain't this just the sweetest thing I ever seen." A sarcastic voice drawled.

Max smiled as she turned to look at Original Cindy who was standing next to them.

"Looks like you two listened to Original Cindy last time you was here. Good thing 'cause if you didn't, the next step was me puttin' the smackdown on you both to knock some sense into your heads. And that kind of thing is hell on a girl's manicure."

"What can I buy you?" Logan smiled at her.

"Just get an extra glass for that pitcher that's sittin' behind you and this girl's happy. We got a table over there with room for a couple more."

Max picked up the glasses and followed Cindy. Logan followed with the pitcher after he handed the bartender some money, and arranged for another pitcher to be sent over to the table. When he got to the table Max had already settled in, and she patted the empty chair next to her. He set down the pitcher and slid into it.  Besides Original Cindy, Sketchy, Herbal, and another bike messenger who seemed to be called Sky, were seated at the table. Sketchy and Sky were having some kind of debate with Herbal in which the only words of Herbal's that Logan could understand was the phrase, it's all good. He looked over at Max and she shrugged. He raised his glass in a silent toast to her and she smiled and raised hers. Original Cindy watched the two with a small smile curving her lips.

Things were calm, at least for CRASH, until the table next to them vacated and three rough looking men took it over.  For a while they were content to guzzle their beers and make loud comments about the females who passed by their table. But then their attention shifted and Original Cindy frowned as comments about the two "hot bodies" at the next table grew louder and more frequent.

"Hey boo, let's grab the pool table." Max distracted Cindy. "Come on, Logan."

Logan grabbed his beer and followed the two girls over to the vacant pool table. He perched on a stool as they racked the balls preparatory to playing.

"You want to play, Logan?" Max asked him.

"Nah, I'll watch this one. Go ahead." He demurred.

The two girls were quickly absorbed in their game and Logan sat and sipped his beer smiling as he watched Max with her friend. It reminded him of his college days and many nights spent over a pool table. When Max leaned over in front of him, stretching to make a shot, he also had a quick memory of one of the more interesting uses one could put a pool table to. Hmm…wonder if there's room for one in the apartment…Max isn't using the guest bedroom that could always be converted into a game room…

His musings were diverted by a harsh voice behind him. Logan recognized it as one of the occupants of the table next to theirs.

"Now that's one nice piece of ass there. What you wanna bet, I get me some of that before the night is over?"

"I like her friend, personally," was the response. Logan slid off of his stool and walked over to where Max was standing as Cindy took her shot. He slipped an arm around her shoulders.

"Hey. What's up?" Max looked up at him, wondering why he had suddenly abandoned his perch to come over when they hadn't finished the game.

Logan glanced back and saw that the two thugs had evidently gotten his unspoken message. They were walking away deep in conversation. He frowned for a minute, thinking that it had been a little too easy, but then he shrugged it off. "You almost done?"

"If she ain't, this girl sure is. Don't know where she learned pool, but it's all over for me." Original Cindy put down her pool cue. "Your shot, sugar. Put me out of my misery, so I can go get a drink."

Max giggled and walked over to the table. Logan followed and stood behind her. "Hey, what's this about?"

"Just givin' you a bit of a handicap," he teased as he placed his hands on her waist.

"You think I can't make the shot anyway?" Max challenged over her shoulder.

Logan leaned in and blew gently on her neck, winking at Original Cindy who stood there with a smirk on her face. "I have complete confidence in your ability, Max."

Max suppressed a shiver at his actions. She was wildly conscious of him standing close behind her and of his hands playing gently on her hips. She took a breath and willed herself to concentrate only on her pool shot. She lined up the cue and drew her arm back to make the shot. Logan continued to stand there waiting. He was humming something softly. With a smothered curse Max made her shot. The eight ball sailed smoothly into the corner pocket, followed by the cue ball.

"Oops. You lose." Logan chuckled in her ear. Original Cindy laughed.

Max turned and glared at Logan who refused to give ground. She found herself trapped between him and the pool table. "That wasn't fair." she pouted. She could feel the heat from his proximity, and suddenly pool was the furthest thing from her mind.

"All's fair in…" he stopped.

Max looked up at him slyly, "In…?"

"I forget." Logan stepped back. "Let's go home." He took her hand and pulled her away from the pool table.

"Why?" Max refused to move. "The night's just getting started."

"Exactly." Logan's eyes seemed to burn into hers. "And this isn't where I want to finish it."

"Boo, take your man home. I think he's got some other games in mind besides pool and you don't wanna be playin' em here." Original Cindy interjected. "Thanks, Logan. I owe you one." She walked back to the table leaving the two alone.

Max gave in and the two made their way up the stairs and out into the alleyway that housed the back entrance of CRASH.  They had turned to go to Max's bike, which she had parked further back in the alley, when Logan heard a shuffling noise coming from the shadows.  Next thing he knew Max had shoved him to the ground and she stood, poised in fighting position, facing the blackness of the alley.

"Bring it on." she hissed to an unseen opponent.

End of Chapter Seventy-Eight…TBC…