Veronica Mars was a girl who loved solving mysteries. Finding the truth and seeking justice was in her blood, it was the family business. But her biggest unsolved puzzle was that guilty exhilaration every time she got close to Logan Echolls.
His hungry eyes radiated enough heat to melt the polar ice caps. Hungry and furious about her recent encounter with a certain tall, tattooed and delicious Eli Navarro.
If only he knew only one brooding bad boy owned, and then broke her heart.
Which is why she had established Operation Snowstorm… the ground rules of Echolls engagement.
No sex.
No falling in love.
Only exchange dialogue if absolutely necessary.
Don't remove her own clothing, or any of his… Much safer to live that side of her life in her head.
Never let him know how badly he got under her skin, or how badly she wanted to explore every inch of his.
It had been a summer fling… she may have fallen hard but no matter how many cameos he made while she hunted for clues. Her gut told her to keep her distance while her heart protested. She would not rekindle their relationship.
How did you get over a guy when your own body wouldn't give you space?
Why can't it ever be some other guy twirling his imaginary moustache?
This wasn't her first blackmail case this year, and knowing her Hellmouth of a school, it probably wouldn't be the last. A few months ago a blackmailer was terrorizing the Pirateshippers. It ended with the villain being one of their very own Neptune LGBTQ+ students, but now a new nemesis had appeared determined to take down her classmates.
The Game was on… and Logan Echolls looked delicious today…
"Dude, it's perfect, you just keep an eye out for empty hearts… or get a hall pass while everyone is in classes. Then BOOM, shoulder to cry on becomes a Dick to ride on," Dick Casablancas said as he pulled a Valentines day card out of the folder on the locker.
Life takers and heart breakers…
His best friend looked like a kid on Christmas morning grinning at all the possible insecure girls who would jump into his devious arms. Dick was still relishing his 'reject the rule of women' mantra since his break up with Madison Sinclair.
"Mastermind that one all by yourself?" Logan sighed. In truth, he envied his companions vagabond libido, his ego was Teflon.
Veronica Mars.
Pixie-sized sexy sleuth. Frequent visitor of his dirtiest dreams.
Cupids bow had struck hard, and even now he still didn't know how to be without her.
How did you win the heart of a girl who wrapped hers in barbed wire and put up perimeter fencing?
Logan knew better than most that lies catch up to you. He was good at lying, but no self-assured pep talk he ever gave himself was convincing enough that he didn't doubt that she would not appreciate knowing she was the star of every R rated movie in his head.
Everyone lies to protect the ones they love.
"Nope… it would be safer kissing a barracuda. I mean if you want a painful Valentines Day man, I could give you some sandpaper," Dick said shaking his head, standing in front of Logan like he was about to call some emergency intervention.
A man on a mission to save his buddy, and Dick with his 'Please be my Valentine Naked' t-shirt was a welcome distraction.
Veronica might have been drawn to Weevils rugged tattooed biker looks but Logan knew at the end of the day, she was all business. Since Duncan had taken off with his love-child she had resolved to avoid men, and him, at all costs. But if Veronica thought he knew something then her demanding nature would need placating or she would almost spontaneously combust. Unable to resist baiting her even a little until she figured out what he did or didn't know, hearts and flowers would be the last thing on her mind.
Spending time with her might just be worth the sting…
Unless she wanted to make him a little crazy with jealousy. The image of her with another guy is sure to get the fires going, and the idea of her with Weevil cut deepest of all.
Logan catalogued every part of her. The mesmerizing way her blond hair fell around her face and cascaded over delicate sun-kissed shoulders, the way her pink lips pressed together as her blue gaze met his, and how it made him ache to kiss her.
Dick had hypothesized to Logan that his love for Veronica was a simple case of psychological reactance.
He wanted her because she didn't want him, but he wasn't sure it was that simple.
Weevil was in trouble again, and Veronica was coming to the rescue. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, recalling how a few months ago he'd had to ambush her and plead for help.
Neptune was an insidious, inescapable web and she was tangled up with him. They would never have the cutesy normal romance his heart longed for. There would be no adorable miniature pigs and candy hearts in their future.
Unseen forces always threw his life in some horribly wrong direction.
Perhaps that's why he still had a teddy bear in his glove compartment since beginning of senior year.
I still luv you beary much, Veronica.
Logan hated feeling pressured into doing the speed dating to find a partner for the Valentines Dance, but Dick had insisted on his wingman status. Declaring them both so single they had no one to drunk text.
"Now there's a swoon-worthy idea! You should lead with that," Logan quipped.
Maybe he should invest in a leather jacket.. get some ink…
"I thought about just going in direct offering up a sensual massage with a happy ending." Dick grinned.
"That sounds about as successful as the lightbulbs you were handing out last week," Logan said dryly. Recalling the blond surfers attempt to woo the female population of Neptune High by giving out lightbulbs to girls he thought were worth doing with the lights on.
"Ground work man, someday they will try revenge screwing me in college," Dick shrugged.
"Always about the long game," Logan remarked with a weary laugh.
"The philosophy is deeper than that dude, it's all about creating and seizing opportunities," Dick counselled white removing a small box of chocolates from Caitlin Fords locker. His friends pick-up artistry escapades were legendary, his current approach for giving girls back-handed compliments to get them interested was obscenely effective. "Women are not the source of your feast of famine man, you are." Dick continued opening the box and chewing down, even almost two years after their break up he kept messing with Logan's ex-girlfriend.
"Messing with a girls chocolate Dick? That's one way to end up alone with your hand tonight. I mean tomorrow it's all half-price…" Veronica commented.
"Logan has a gift for you," Dick retorted holding up his chocolate covered middle and index finger wrapped in a pink bow. Veronica flushed at the crass implication and Logan cut a disapproving glare to his companion. Logan deserved an Academy Award for being the best male actor of the year trying to stop himself from looking at her. The mental images of her moaning his name, her back arching into his touch made him swallow hard, and clench his fists.
Physical intimacy between them had been a forbidden topic from their banter in weeks since Duncan's departure, but Dick gave no fucks as he smirked in Logan's direction. "Get this little ho-mance out of your system by tonight dude, remember, today is Dicks before Chicks," he sighed tossing the box of chocolates into the trash behind him and heading off towards the art department.
"Does that mean his side chick is you?" Veronica quipped as they watched him add two S's onto a Heart saying You Complete Me.
Not even a sniper but taking him out would do so many girls a favor…
Logan followed her disgusted gaze, amused he nodded. "Complete with a long blonde wig, eye shadow and pink lipstick. He has so much love to give… he just sucks at expressing it."
"So glad I swiped right for this conversation," Veronica said she crossing her arms glancing over at a card Dick had amended to 'I love you-R to Bits.' She had seen Principal Clemmons confiscating a box of screws and nails from him this morning.
Dick Casablanca's ladies and gentlemen… the number one reason to become a vocal advocate for birth control.
Logan felt the invisible hand pull him to towards her, his eyes devouring every detail like he was starving. It was true, the more scarce the contact… the more attractive a woman could be to men in general.
Agony is no reward…and chasing an Ungettable Girl is the road to ruin.
"You know if you wanted a card… a man cannot miss that which he sees every day," Logan told her sarcastically.
"I'll remember that next time I meet a man," Veronica quipped, the petite detective had a special gift of keeping him off balance.
Frowning he realized that perhaps Dick had a point about that negging theory, it elicited the right response. A few witty barbs from that sharp tongue and he became like putty in her hands.
What a summer that was.
Until it all ended-badly.
"Sure, you must have mistook me for that other hot guy you follow around in a non-stalker way at places you frequent," Logan wisecracked, the jealousy evident in his voice.
Veronica was only talking to him because she was duty bound to save her precious Weevil and that fierce loyalty made her wave the white flag.
That blackmail letter was the only reason for his reunion with the sassy private eye.
If he thought there was any chance it could mean something to his little Nancy Drew beyond her pumping him for information. He'd gladly bankrupt ever account to shower her with every commercialized cliché in this building to earn a smile that turned his insides to jelly.
Valentines Day Sucks...