"Mmmmmmmmm!" Rory moaned as she shoved the last syrupy waffle into her mouth. Logan chuckled as a glob leaked out of the corner of her mouth and ran down her chin. He had finished his breakfast four courses ago and was quite content watching Rory's impression of a black hole. He reached across the table with a napkin and swiped at the goo before it dripped down to her shirt. "Ffankffs," she mumbled around her food.
"No problem," he offered an amused smile. Rory returned a shy one, which led to more of the syrup sneaking out of her mouth and drooling down to her chin. Logan repeated his previous action again with a smirk donning his face. "And you call me the Wookie." Rory chewed determinedly for a minute and swallowed the rest of the food in her mouth with an indignant expression on her face.
"I can't believe you just said that! You get the couch tonight mister!"
"My place or yours?" he quirked an eyebrow.
"A for a speedy response but a D for originality. C'mon Huntzburger, I expected a little better from you," she scolded slightly.
"Sorry, I guess it's my mind's turn to be sluggish. I'll have another cup o' Joe and maybe it'll work wonders on me as well…" he suggested as he signalled for the waitress.
"I like the way you think." The waitress, thankfully one who had not encountered Logan before today, appeared and Logan ordered some more coffee. Once the woman had made a note of it she turned and began to gather up the empty plates that had been resting in front of Rory. Rory picked up a few from the opposite side to help her out and handed them to her. Then the waitress vanished in the general direction of the kitchen. When Rory turned her attention back to Logan she found him staring at her hand.
"You going to keep that on there?" he pointed to her ring finger and the diamond still proudly displayed here.
"Oh, well you know. I thought I should keep it on until we were sure that you hadn't dated, or was supposed to but didn't date, any of the waitresses here…" she replied smugly. She shifted her ring back to its original finger and the two sat in silence for a moment. It wasn't quite awkward, but it was definitely charged. It wasn't until the waitress had come and gone with their refills and left the bill that the spell was broken.
"Thanks for being so… gracious about the scene earlier…" Logan trailed off.
"What did you expect me to do? I couldn't very well yell; I wouldn't have been heard over her banshee screams. And really, I'm not one for big scenes so I though it would be best to just get out of there," Rory replied with a shrug. Another beat of silence. "So what is your version of the story?"
"I was wondering when the reporter would pop her head up…" Logan replied and glanced at his watch. "Congratulations. I didn't think you had enough restraint to wait so long."
"Thanks. I try to be unpredictable. So how'd it play out, Shakespeare?"
Logan let out an audible sigh, "My side is unfortunately very similar to hers."
"So there's no excuse? You were just an ass and stood her up for her best friend?" Rory was surprised that he hadn't even attempted to smooth-talk his way out of it.
"I was young. I thought I would be finished on time to pick her up for prom…" he attempted to lighten the subject. He shot her a charming smile that was countered with a sceptical expression. Logan sighed again knowing he wouldn't be able to dance around the subject. "My excuse is that I was young and stupid and often followed the logic of the wrong head."
"Really?" she asked dubiously, "That's it? That's your explanation?"
"Well what do you want me to say? That I was kidnapped, stripped, and held against my will in that luxurious room? And when I tried to escape I tripped and fell and landed on the bed which was conveniently occupied by her friend who had also been captured and stripped?"
"Well, no…" Rory started but Logan cut her off.
"I was just trying to honest with you; I figured after your help it was the least I owed you. Do you want me to cook up some cockamamie story?"
"It would have been the more predictable route…"
"Well, like you Ace, I don't like to be predictable all the time."
"That won't work with me, Huntzberger," she tried to smother a smile.
"What won't work?"
"Being cute. I won't be sidetracked."
"So you think I'm cute," Logan smirked.
"I think… that you think you are," she fought to keep a blush from forming on her cheeks. "And we are way off topic now," she tried to regain her composure as the inquisitive journalist.
"Ace," he reached across the table and rested a hand on top of hers, "There's nothing more to say. I was young. I was foolish. I've made mistakes and plenty of them."
"It doesn't bother me that you appear to live up to your reputation…"
"Ouch," Logan interjected with a wince. He wasn't used to feeling bad about his reputation. He had always been slightly proud of his 'ladies-man' persona, but when he was around Rory he was ashamed of it.
"Everyone has made mistakes; Lord knows, I'm certainly not one to cast stones…" Rory remembered the less-than-ideal circumstances that she and Dean had reunited under, "But it's not what you did that's bothering me. It concerns me that you don't appear to have any remorse for what you did. You said you apologized as if that fixed it. Even when you can see how your mistake haunted that girl, you just sweep it under the rug. That's what worries me," she explained. She wasn't angry with Logan and she made sure to make her voice convey as much. Rather, she was disappointed that he could do something so vile and just brush it off afterwards.
"As I said, it happened two and a half years ago. And every time I've seen her since I tried to apologize or make it up to her but it has always ended like it did in the restaurant… actually, it always ended with random sharp objects flying at my head." Logan paused and gripped her hand slightly tighter to bring his point home, "So, yes. I've gotten over it. It happened, I don't like that it did, but there's nothing much I can do to change it, especially when she becomes a MLB pitcher every time I try to rectify it. I understand the magnitude of pain that I caused Charlotte. And, truthfully, I hate myself for it. However, I can't dwell. Look at what dwelling has done to her. She's bitter and angry and possibly unemployed now. But if it's any consolation, I'm not that person anymore. I learned from my mistakes and I'm just trying to get on with my life."
Rory's gaze left his face as she considered what he said. He had obviously thought about it more than he had let on and she couldn't really begrudge him for his youthful indiscretions. She knew that he had plenty of skeletons in the closet when she had signed up for today's adventure. Besides, his little monologue showed that he had matured a lot since then. She liked that he was so open and honest. It was a rarely seen side of the unflappable Logan Huntzberger and she was glad that he had shown it. Logan ducked his head lower to catch her eye again to gage her reaction to his little speech. Rory offered a weak smile and squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry," she mumbled bashfully.
"For what?"
"For prying. For pretending that it had anything at all to do with me. For thinking that you didn't care. All of the above."
"I forgive you if you keep this little heart-to-heart between us."
"Off the record. Got it."
"So we're… good?" he asked uncertainly.
"Always were," she smiled wider to emphasize her point.
"Great," his face divided in a relieved grin, "Let's get this show on the road then." Still gripping her hand, Logan stood up and pulled her to her feet. He grabbed the bill with his other hand and they walked to the front counter where Logan had to pull out his Platinum card to pay off the ridiculous fee of their brunch. As they sauntered out of the restaurant side by side Logan nudged her with his shoulder, "Next time you pay."
