CHAPTER FOUR

While mingling, I tried to get in as much alcohol as possible. I was uncomfortable, especially when Mary Anne kept leaving me alone to talk to her friends.

While she was off talking to someone, I spotted Logan in the see of people. Of all people, Cokie Mason was trying to put her paws all over him. As usual, he was ignoring her and staring out into the crowd, presumably trying to find Mary Anne.

I decided that it was my duty to save him. Cokie Mason was still attractive, but she was not match for Logan.

I marched over to them and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Is that a banana in your pocket or are you happy to see me?" I said ridiculously. I couldn't think of anything else to say!

"It's definitely not a banana," he said, looking me over. Cokie, knowing that I was going to take the situation away from her, huffily walked away.

"Damn Kristy," he said in his southern drawl. "You look hot!"

I blushed. In all honestly, he was looking damn good himself.

"Thanks babe. You're not so bad yourself!"

There was a few awkward seconds of silence, and finally he asked.

"So, where is she?"

"She's in here somewhere, Logan. She misses you. I know she does."

He sighed.

"I thought I missed her too, Kristy. But then I got involved with someone else, and I just realized that it wasn't really her I missed, you know? It was the idea of passionately loving someone for so long. It was the idea that I found my soulmate at such a young age."

"I know what you're saying... Mary Anne has pretty much said that exact same thing about you. I'm glad you guys realized that."

He nodded.

Realizing that my friends had abandoned me, I asked him, "Want to go outside for a minute or two?"

"Sure," he said, giving me his famous grin.

I was just happy to see a familiar face that wasn't mad at me. I know Mary Anne tried to put on a happy face for me, but I also knew that she was also bitter about me leaving her all alone in California after we made plans to go out there together. She'd never say it, but I knew she felt I stabbed her in the back.

"You really do look great, Kristy. What's it like to live in France? A little different from Connecticut, I would imagine."

I snorted.

"It's a different world out there. It took a lot of getting used to, but I love it so much. I've been away for 3 days and I miss it already."

"What do you do out there?"

"I'm in marketing. I have a degree in teaching, but I realized that I have a knack for marketing. They love me out there, Logan."

We talked for another thirty minutes. I knew I should have tried to find Mary Anne to tell her about Logan, but I just didn't get around to finding her.

We were knee-deep in conversation about our jobs (he was a football commentator for a local radio station in Texas), the outside door opened and I heard Mary Anne say "Kristy? Are you out here?"

Logan spun around when he heard her voice.

"Mary Anne! Wow. It's so great to see you."

To her credit, Mary Anne only let herself look confused for a split second. Then she broke into a huge grin and practically jumped on Logan with a big bear hug.

"Logan! I missed you so much."

I smiled and went back inside the school. I wanted their reunion to be private. And honestly, my feelings weren't all that pure at the moment, I must confess.