AS209 Much Ado About Something Chapter Eight, a dark angel fanfic

AS2.09 Much Ado About Something by Star24 and Lelu2

Chapter Eight

Logan sauntered across the room, aware of the eyes following him. It had been many years since Logan had attended a formal affair with the elite of Seattle society and he knew he was under scrutiny. He walked with studied indifference to the eyes and whispered conversations. He glanced back at Max. Seeing that she was like a flower to bees, already surrounded by male admirers, he smiled and made his way to the spot where Aunt Margo held court.

Margo Cale, the Grande dame of Seattle society, was holding sway over a large group of Seattle's most notable luminaries. Upon seeing Logan, she drew herself up imperiously, nodded, and said "Logan, how nice to see you here. I'm glad to see that you are finally accepting some of your social responsibilities. Did you come alone?"

"Aunt Margo." Logan leaned down and placed a slight kiss on the proffered cheek. He wondered why, at thirty-two, he still allowed Margo to make him feel like he had committed a social faux pas. He was saved from having to reply further by Bennett, who came to his rescue.

"Logan, it's great to see you! We'd heard you managed to get back on your feet. That's great. Where's Max?" Bennett flashed a quick smile at his mother and dragged Logan away.

"Thanks, Bennett," Logan smiled, relieved at being rescued from his aunt.

"Not a problem cousin, just be on the lookout. She has three suitable women for you; be careful. "Bennett frowned slightly, and then sighed, "I'd better mingle or Mother will kill me; business contacts you know."

"I understand, and I'd better get back to Max before one of my friends propositions her and she kicks his ass... Oh, Bennett, one thing, is there anyone here who's having financial difficulties?" Logan added disingenuously.

Bennett grinned at him. "I knew it! You aren't here for pleasure but I won't ask, because you won't tell anyway. I'm not really sure about the finances. I'm working day and night to get Cale Industries back on track. Claire would know... she knows everything. Marianne's waving at me; if I don't go I'm dead. See you later, Logan." Bennett hurried away to his other social responsibilities.

Logan grinned after Bennett. He put his hand in his pocket and insouciantly walked off to find Claire Marlow.

Max looked into John Endicott's eyes and nearly yawned. She was tired of hearing him drone on. He hadn't said anything of interest in the last thirty minutes. Geez, no wonder Logan doesn't hang with these people, they are so boring. And you have no chance, Bozo...as if!

Max's ears perked up as she overheard a different conversation. She tuned her finely honed hearing into the conversation while smiling vapidly at the windbag with whom she was stuck at the moment.

"So why do you think he's here?" a male voice questioned. "Logan Cale doesn't do society functions. How'd he get back on his feet? The last I'd heard he was still in a wheelchair."

"Gene therapy is what I heard. Maybe he came to show off that little hottie he's with. I'd like some of that. Cale always did have good taste in women," another voice leered. "I think I'm going to go introduce myself. Can't let Endicott have all the fun."

Max seethed, but ignored the conversation as a group of people approached. Endicott frowned at the intrusion. "Teddy, I knew the lure of a beautiful woman would bring you out of the woodwork."

Theodore Gunnison, a. k. a. Teddy, leered openly at Max, undressing her with his eyes. "Are you Cale's latest trinket? He's been out of circulation so long that I didn't think he had it left in him."

Max smiled brightly at Teddy and tilted her head as if thinking. "Trinket? Logan, would you call me a trinket?" she said to Logan, who had quietly walked up to the group of people.

"Trinket? I'd call you many things Max, but never trinket." He let his cool gaze run appraisingly over the gathered men before settling his eyes on Teddy. Teddy fidgeted and looked down, refusing to meet Logan's eyes.

"John, thank you for entertaining Max while I paid my respects to my aunt. Max?" he asked as he held out his arm for her to take. "Gentlemen," he said, his tone indicating otherwise as he and Max strolled away.

"Thanks," Max said quietly, annoyed and almost unbelieving that these were the people with whom Logan had spent his childhood.

"Well," Logan drawled, "I thought I'd better rescue those guys, because you looked like you were ready to do some serious damage."

"God, how do you stand those jerks?" Max asked irritably.

"I don't, Max." he replied as he snagged a couple of glasses of champagne from a passing waiter. "I tolerate them when I have to." He handed Max a glass. "Let me take you to Marianne. She can introduce you around and you can get an earful from the ladies." Logan winked at Max, his eyes twinkling.

Max grinned up at Logan, "What? Don't trust me around the men?"

"Umm...let's say I don't trust the men around you, and knowing you, I'm afraid the body count would go fairly high." Logan took her arm and guided her toward Marianne who was talking to a group of women.

"Max, I'm so glad to see you. Bennett and I were hoping you would come." Marianne smiled and took Max's hand, squeezing it gently. "We need to get to know you better."

"If you'll excuse me, I need to find Claire. Will you take care of Max for me, Marianne...at least keep the sharks at bay?" Logan grinned teasingly.

Marianne snorted, a very unladylike sound, and laughed. "I do believe that Max can take care of herself Logan but I'll be glad for her company, if only to learn what you've been up to."

Max looked at Logan seductively, sending a flush to his face. "Sharks come in both sexes, you know." Max turned and sashayed toward Marianne knowing Logan's eyes were on her as she walked. Touché. As if I need taking care of.

Logan shook his head, trying to clear it of what he wanted to do to Max at this moment. Eyes on the mission Cale, eyes on the mission. He walked away to look for the elusive Claire.

"She's very pretty, but not his type. He's always gone for the tall, leggy blondes. Look at Daphne and Valerie."

"How would you know? Logan hasn't been in our social circle since he got back from Yale. He's been Mr. Crusader Do The Right Thing."

"He's always been that. It just got worse after college."

"Don't you mean after his mother died? He changed completely after her death."

"Do you think he met this woman in New Haven? After all, she is from Greenwich."

"No, I don't think so; she would have been very young then, plus he was on top of his classes."

Laughter, "That's not the only thing he was on top of my dear. Logan may be a do gooder, but he was also a very randy boy while he was at school..."

Max heard gales of laughter as the conversation drifted away. She watched as a gaggle of women followed Logan's progress with their eyes. She just smiled.

Logan kept moving around the room, greeting old acquaintances and making light conversation. He kept hearing snippets of conversations, mainly about him and Max. It was hard to keep his mind on the task at hand.

"Is he still on the board of the Mallory/Lowell fund?"

"Yes, but that won't do us any good. I know you invited him to see if you could get him to invest, but Mallory/Lowell only invests in socially responsible companies. You haven't talked in fifteen years. Don't you think he'll be the least bit suspicious?"

"Why the fuck do you think I'm doing this charity and building the children's wing? So I can be socially responsible? Fuck no, I need the money and if I can attract investment from Mallory/Lowell..." the conversation drifted away.

Logan finally spotted his quarry and he stepped from behind the large flower arrangement and crossed the room. "Claire! I've been looking for you," he exclaimed as he enveloped Claire Marlow in an affectionate hug.

"Logan, it's been much too long." Claire responded with a smile. She was a tall rangy woman, nearly as tall as Logan, with deep auburn hair pulled back into a loose French braid. Her face was covered in freckles and her smile was the first genuine smile Logan had encountered that night, with the exception of Bennett and Marianne. She and Logan had been friends for twenty-five years. "How have you been doing and what brings you out of seclusion? You're not here for the social interaction."

Logan laughed, "You know me too well, Claire. Maybe I just wanted to reconnect with my roots."

"And pigs can fly," she said, arms folded

"Okay, you win. You always did." Logan groused. "I came across some information and I'm writing a story. Is anyone involved with the charity having money problems? Bennett said you would know."

"Logan, the better question is who isn't having money problems."

"Claire..."

"Logan," she sighed. "I could never refuse you anything; it's not fair, really. Kip Masters is having a lot of problems; he has a bad habit of gambling. John Endicott is in some financial difficulty, as are most of Seattle's brightest and best.

She hesitated for a moment, her brow wrinkled in thought.

"Logan, you have the most beautiful eyes," she said apropos of nothing. "Those of us who know you well would recognize them anywhere. You're playing a very dangerous game. Don't get caught."

Claire smiled brilliantly at him and then sighed. "Too bad we never loved each other at the same time." She kissed Logan lightly and briefly put her hand on his cheek before she turned and walked away.

Logan looked after her. He smiled and went to find Max. He found her standing with a glass of champagne in her hand, taking in the crowd.

"Dance with me?" he asked as he took the glass from her hand and placed it on the tray of a passing waiter. Logan took Max's hand and led her to the dance floor. He put his hand on the small of her back and led her into a waltz. His eyes held hers as if she was the only person in the room. They swirled and danced, lost in each other. Every eye in the room focused on them and the dance floor cleared. Claire Marlow watched Logan with Max and thought, Good for you Logan.

End of Chapter Eight…TBC…