Veronica's Hangover
A/N Sorry. No reaction-shots yet. Part 2. I promise.
A/N2 Mama-Bear Sophia's opinions don't necessarily reflect the opinions of the author.
Chapter 8: Not So Warm Reception – Part 1
Present time - Neptune Grand Ballroom:
"Name?" Sophia asked looking up from her clipboard. She sat at a small table outside of the Neptune Grand ballroom.
The man was short and bald with a mustache. He was wearing a gray two-button suit with a diagonally striped tie in shades of blue and brown.
Once she saw the tattoos on his neck, Sophia knew that this had to be the infamous Weevil. She knew a bit about Weevil. Grandson of Logan's long-time housekeeper, the "other man" in Logan's relationship with Lilly, and Veronica's guard dog.
She knew that at one point, Logan had almost liked and grudgingly respected Weevil. He had at least enjoyed verbally sparring with him. That had all changed that night on the Coronado Bridge when Weevil had thought seven-against-one were fair odds. Logan had ended up with broken ribs and a murder rap. In addition, Logan's home had been burned to the ground, and he'd survived a round of Russian roulette. All punishment for a crime Logan hadn't committed. Surprisingly, Logan didn't seem to harbor any type of resentment against Weevil.
"Eli Navarro" the man answered, confirming Sophia's guess.
Sophia located the name on the clipboard. "You're at the head table. Seat number 10. Look for the numbered place card."
Weevil was one of the first to arrive at the party. He whistled as he took in the sight of the ballroom. The silverware alone in this room could pay his rent for the next six months.
He inhaled the mouth-watering aromas wafting through the ballroom. The predominant odor smelled like steak. A really good steak. Well, no matter what else happened tonight, at least he would be fed well. Seeing nobody he recognized, he wandered over to an appetizer table on the back wall. Half of the food on the table he didn't even recognize as food, so to be safe, he loaded up his tiny plate with cheeses and fancy breads, and some kind of chicken concoction.
He located the head table on a raised platform, and seat number 10 was third from the end on the left side of the table.
The crunchy little breads were delicious. What did the rich people call these again? Bruschetta maybe? What was wrong with the word bread, anyway?
Weevil wondered what V was up to with this party. The set-up in the ballroom looked a lot like a wedding reception. Had Veronica gone and gotten married? Duncan had only been back in town for a couple months, and they had only started dating again a few weeks ago. Weevil shook his head. He really hoped that wasn't the case. Duncan wasn't a bad guy. He'd never been as stuck-up as you would expect from somebody with his wealth, and he was certainly better than that other rich white asshole Veronica had dated. Nevertheless, Weevil hadn't liked the person Veronica became when she'd dated Duncan in high school. She'd lost her edge, became more girly, became less fun. When Duncan had left town, Weevil could see the weight being lifted off Veronica's shoulders, as she slowly became herself again.
He might have to make a second trip for more bruschetta. That stuff was delicious.
"Hello. I'm Cynthia MacKenzie."
Sophia looked up curiously. She'd spoken to Mac many times on the phone, as she was Logan's partner in his side business - "GradeMy[RandomBodyPart].net." She liked Mac - though she'd never met her in person - but Sophia didn't introduce herself, as to do so would ruin Logan's little surprise.
Sophia knew that Mac had been a good friend to Logan and she was one of the few people from his past that he'd kept in contact with. Now and then when Mac made it out to L.A., she would get together for dinner with Logan. Sophia had always been invited along, but she'd never had the opportunity to attend due to her schedule.
She examined Mac now. She was a very pretty girl with dark hair and bright, lively eyes. Mac was wearing a sparkly, navy evening gown with spaghetti straps that crisscrossed in the back. Her hair was in an up-do with soft tendrils around her face.
"You're at the head table in seat number 11."
Mac smiled and began to walk away. Sophia stopped her.
"Cynthia? Find me later in the evening. I'd like to talk to you about a job."
"What kind of job?" Mac asked curiously.
"How does Director of Information Technology sound?" Sophia answered.
Mac gaped at her in surprise. "For what company?" She asked, her interest definitely piqued.
"Find me later." Sophia gave her a Mona Lisa smile.
"Who was that woman and where do I know her voice from?" Mac asked herself as she stepped into the ballroom. Director of IT? How could that be possible? She was a good 20 years younger than the standard IT Director. They usually came up through the ranks. Maybe it was a company formed more recently that didn't have ranks? She would definitely be seeking out the enigmatic lady later.
She took a moment to take in her surroundings. The Neptune Grand ballroom was one elegant room. It was dominated by a gleaming hardwood dance floor in its center, below an immense crystal chandelier. Arranged around the dance floor were round tables, each appointed elegantly in white with black accents, candles, and greenery. Surrounding each table were slipcovered chairs. Everywhere she looked, candles flickered, creating a romantic ambience.
The head table on the dais was covered in a floor-length white tablecloth with a second black tablecloth draped and gathered at intervals with tasteful black bows. Each place setting held a bronze charger plate, silverware, and a folded napkin in a goblet. Lit candles lined the outside edge of the table.
Weevil was already sitting at the table, and Mac located her seat to Weevil's left.
"Hey Mac!" he said, offering her a complicated handshake. "How's it hanging?"
"Great." Mac answered absently, still going over the matter in her head. "Who was that lady out at the table?" she asked.
"Never seen her before in my life." Weevil answered.
"Well she just told me that she may have a job offer for me. A really really good job offer. What is this party about?"
"Beats me." Weevil said shrugging. "But you never know what Veronica is going to pull next."
"Hey, you have Dick Casablancas on that list?" A voice asked.
Sophia looked up smiling at the shaggy-haired surfer dude over-dressed in a tuxedo. So this was Dick Casablancas. One of the two contenders for the 'Logan's Best Friend' title. From what she'd heard of Dick, he had limited intelligence and zero moral compass, but had more than made up for that on the loyalty front. He'd been there for Logan through thick and thin, and visited him all the time in LA where they went surfing whenever they had the chance.
"Nice to meet you Dick, I'm Sophia." She said holding out her hand.
"Oh hey!" Dick said taking her hand. "You're the chick that makes all of Logan's phone calls! I always wondered why it's so hard for him to pick up the phone to call me himself. Maybe I should hire a person to take my calls and then Logan could have you call my person who would then give me the message, and then I'd give my message back to my person who would call you, and you could tell Logan." He stopped, making mental calculations in his head. He seemed to have confused himself, so he only shrugged.
"You're at the head table, in seat number 2." Sophia said smiling.
"Hey. You're pretty hot for your age." Dick said. "We should have a drink later. Logan totally owes me. He hooked up with my stepmom, you know."
Sophia bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from laughing and pointed to the open doorway.
"Dude." Dick thought, looking around the ballroom. "Why is Logan throwing such a fancy party? A kegger would be a lot more fun."
However, the invitation had said semi-formal, so Dick had dressed up. On the plus side, there were always lonely hot chicks at these fancy parties looking to hook up. In fact, since he'd entered the room, four hot chicks had already caught his eye.
He hadn't spoken to Logan in a couple of weeks, so he had no idea what this party was about, and why he was throwing it in Neptune. Did this mean he was back for good, or was it just a one-time occasion? Dick had been after Logan to come home ever since he'd left, but Logan was always saying he wasn't ready.
Dick thought that was probably code for "Veronica Mars hasn't returned my testicles yet." She sure had castrated his BFF. Even all of these years later, Logan still wasn't the same as he'd been in high school.
Dick had seen Veronica out with Duncan a couple of weeks ago at Chez Francois, so that was good. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Logan jumping back on that merry-go-round. Duncan was better with Veronica anyway. He'd never had much balls to begin with.
Ooohhh. Hot blonde with a big rack at eleven o'clock.
"Your name?" Sophia asked the young black gentleman with big hair.
"Wallace Fennell." The boy answered.
Veronica's long-time best friend had a nice grin. He looked around as if he was enjoying himself, and he hadn't even made it into the ballroom yet.
From what Logan had told her, he'd never had much of a relationship with Wallace. Like a little kid who wouldn't let his mashed potatoes touch his meatloaf, Veronica had compartmentalized her relationships, keeping Logan separate from her friends and family. Logan had admitted to Sophia that he didn't think Wallace would be too happy when he learned that he had married Veronica.
"You're at the head table, seat number 9. Look for the numbered place card."
At first glance, Wallace did not recognize any of the guests in the ballroom. He liked the jam that was playing though. It was just loud enough so that you could recognize the song, but quiet enough that you could hold a conversation. Oh wait, up at the DJ booth…Wallace squinted his eyes to make sure, and then gave a little wave to the DJ. He remembered Vincent "Butters" Clemmons from high school. It had to be hard being the principal's son. At least tonight, he wasn't dressed like Pimp Zorro. That was an improvement.
Around 75% of the tables in the ballroom were occupied. To Wallace's estimation, it seemed as if there were about ten times too many tables here for a party hosted by Veronica Mars. She only had a handful of close friends.
Wallace wondered what diabolical plan Veronica was hatching for tonight. It must be one of her clients footing the bill, so one of the guests at this party tonight had to be a 'mark'. The set-up was a bit elaborate for denouncing an evildoer, but what did he know? Would she be uncovering a secret affair? Would she produce a special guest, who the very sight-of would force a confession from the mark? Would she catch the mark dancing the Macarena when he was supposed to be in a wheelchair? Life had never been boring as the best friend of Veronica Mars.
Locating his seat up on the dais, he was happy to see that Weevil and Mac had already arrived, and were sitting to his left.
"So what do you think V is up to this time?" Weevil asked Wallace.
"I honestly don't know. It's probably for a case." Wallace said. "I'm guessing at some point tonight Veronica will point to somebody at one of those tables and give us one of her 'the butler did it' speeches."
"It looks like a wedding to me." Weevil said.
"You think Veronica and Duncan eloped or something?" Wallace asked.
Weevil shrugged. "She always did like the rich boys."
"Duncan?" Mac interjected. "No. Veronica and Duncan are not going to sneak off and get married. They're both planners. If they were going to get married -which I cannot see happening - we would receive our engraved invitations a good year before the ceremony. Now if it were…" She trailed off, an idea taking root in her head.
Wallace looked over his companions. Weevil was wearing an honest to goodness gray suit, unbuttoned with a white shirt and a diagonally striped tie. If it weren't for the tattoos on his neck, he could pass for a gentleman.
Mac was wearing a sparkly blue dress with skinny straps. Wallace smiled. If Mac wasn't careful, she might just attract some male attention tonight. She could use it. She hadn't dated much since her break-up with Max the previous year.
As for himself, Wallace was dressed in a natty black suit with a black tie. He was looking damn fine, if he could say so himself, and he had just noticed a stunning brunette checking him out.
"I'm heading to the bar. Anybody want to join me?" Wallace asked. Both Weevil and Mac rose to follow him.
"Hello."
The balding gentleman who spoke to Sophia wore a brown suit with a striped tie. He had a kind, smiling face that gave Sophia the impression that he would be a good listener.
She returned his smile. "Your name, please?"
"Keith Mars." He answered with a warm smile.
Sophia's eyes narrowed. So this was the infamous Keith Mars.
From what she'd heard from Logan, Keith had a very close relationship with Veronica, but had never thought that Logan was good enough for his little girl.
He was known for his fairness, but Sophia wasn't sure if he'd ever given Logan a fair shake. If he had, he would have seen Logan's huge heart and potential for greatness. How could anybody miss it?
Keith Mars would undoubtedly try his hardest to convince Veronica to divorce Logan. If that happened, Logan's heart would be crushed. She'd have to keep an eye on this one. She didn't need anybody tearing Logan back down now that he'd come so far.
"Head table on the dais. Seat number 8." She said icily.
Keith wondered why his very name had turned the beautiful dark-haired lady into an icicle. Wasn't his own daughter the host of this party? It didn't make any sense.
Stepping through the open doors of the ballroom, he halted. This made even less sense. This wasn't a small party of the likes that Veronica could afford. This was an elaborate affair, of the type that the Kanes would throw. Keith knew exactly how much money Veronica made, and this party was equivalent to at least three months of her pay. There was something going on here.
He couldn't think of any cases Veronica was working on that would necessitate a ruse like this.
Speaking of the Kanes, he stopped to offer a polite hello.
"Do you have any idea what this party is about?" Celeste asked.
Keith shook his head. "I honestly have no idea what she's up to. I thought it might have something to do with Duncan being home." He shrugged and excused himself.
As he walked away, Celeste said to Jake. "She? I thought Logan Echolls was hosting this event. I RSVP'd to show Duncan that we can support his friends."
Jake only shrugged. He was here for the free booze.
Sophia watched the young man approach. She already had a good idea who he was.
"Hello. I'm Charlie Stone." He said politely.
Sophia's suspicions were confirmed. He was tall like Logan, with a similar posture and gait. There was something about his face that reminded her of Logan, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. He didn't seem to have Logan's innate confidence though. He seemed slightly awkward in an endearing sort of way.
"You're at the head table. Seat number 3. I am very very happy that you were able to attend tonight, and I know that Logan will be as well."
"This isn't a publicity thing, is it?" Charlie asked, worriedly.
"I can assure you that this is not. There is a photographer, but he's not affiliated with any publication. He's only here to capture the party for Logan's personal memories. Logan hasn't arrived yet, but I hope you'll have an opportunity to talk with him later."
Charlie offered her a tiny smile that reminded her so much of Logan that her heart hurt for a second.
Charlie stepped nervously into the ballroom. He didn't know a single person here, and didn't expect to. To his surprise, he didn't see any Hollywood types. The guests seemed mostly to consist of the old-money types. He thought he recognized the Kanes from seeing them in the press. He took a seat at the bar in order to feel less awkward.
He had been pleasantly surprised when he'd met Logan for coffee the previous month. Logan hadn't come across as spoiled or useless as he'd expected. He hadn't been anything like he'd expected. Sure, he walked around as if everyone around him were only there to grant his wishes, but it hadn't seemed evil, it just seemed to be a natural part of him. He had been polite, expressed interested in Charlie's life, and was very self-deprecating. When reluctantly providing details about growing up with Aaron Echolls, Logan had used humor to dull the edges of his story. As if turning it into a joke would make it hurt less.
Charlie realized that had they met for some other reason, he would have liked Logan Echolls. He hoped that they could eventually become friends.
"Duncan Kane?" Sophia asked the young man approaching the table.
"Yes, I'm Duncan." He responded quietly with a smile.
Sophia tried not to allow her face to reflect her opinion. She knew that Logan had run into Duncan the night before, and that they had rekindled their friendship. Sophia personally thought it was a bad idea. In Logan's stories about his teenage years, Duncan had always come across as a taker, content to let Logan fight his battles without ever explaining what the fight was all about. Sophia knew that Duncan had dumped Veronica without ever explaining his reasoning, which made him a coward at the very least. When Logan was at rock bottom, alone and depressed, accused of murder, and the entire town was against him, Duncan had been nowhere to be found.
However, Logan couldn't see any of that. All Logan saw was the guy he'd always looked up to. To Logan, Duncan had been the perfect boy, from the perfect family, with the perfect grades, the perfect girlfriend, the perfect future ahead of him. For the sake of Logan, Sophia hoped that Duncan had built some character while he was on the run with his daughter.
"Welcome. You're at the head table in seat #12." She told him.
Duncan glanced around, but didn't see Logan or Veronica anywhere. The ballroom was decorated tastefully. It didn't have any of the glitz or glamour that usually accompanied Logan Echolls, so he surmised that it was the assistant who had done most of the preparations. He'd noticed that she hadn't seemed to like him very much, and he wondered what Logan had said about him.
So, Logan and Veronica...Again.
He really wanted to be happy for them. Veronica's words of the previous evening had resonated with him. His relationship with her when they were dating could never have been described as exactly happy. She had been beautiful, and the perfect girlfriend, but it had always seemed like there was something wrong. As if she had been putting on an act for him. He wondered if his fixation on Veronica for all these years had been more about recapturing that time of innocence before Lilly's death, rather than Veronica herself.
Sometimes, on days when he was willing to face the truth, it was Meg's face that popped up in his head when he heard the words 'love of my life', and sometimes, he hated himself when he thought that he'd hurt her so badly that she wouldn't ride in the limousine that day. He could have been truly happy with Meg. He wished he'd never learned the results of Veronica's paternity test.
And then…there was Logan. Duncan had never admitted to anybody how much he'd always wanted to be like Logan. Duncan was the boy who'd had everything going for him. Logan had been a train wreck. Logan had been abandoned by his mother and beaten regularly by his father. Why would anybody want to be him?
But, there was something about Logan that Duncan could never have. Logan was like a magnet, and the rest of the world his metal shavings. Everybody wanted to be around Logan - even his enemies always had a grudging respect for him. And you couldn't stay mad at Logan. No matter how much of a jackass Logan acted, in the end, you were still just a metal shaving. Logan brought out the absolute worst in people and also, their absolute best.
Duncan imagined that if he hadn't fled the country with Lilly, that he'd be halfway to the Oval Office by now, with Logan right by his side, doing all the work to make it happen.
Duncan was going to be a better friend this time around.
"Hello Sophia." Veronica said timidly. This was her first time seeing Sophia since the Texas Holdem table. Of course, Sophia had been a significant part of her wedding, but Veronica had no memory of that.
"Hello Veronica." Sophia said. She smiled, but her eyes were worried. "How have you been?"
"The usual." Veronica smiled. "Got married, put a bid on a mansion. Typical week."
"Logan's not with you?" Sophia asked.
"No. You know Logan." Veronica rolled her eyes. "Why do anything the easy way, when you can crank up the dramatic effect to the maximum level. He'll probably wait for me to make the announcement, and then drop from the ceiling on a golden swing."
Sophia snorted despite herself. She was relieved to see that Veronica looked amused rather than annoyed at Logan's dramatics.
"So you're going to make the announcement yourself?" Sophia asked.
"I don't know." Veronica admitted. "I'm terrified. I wish I could make Logan do it, but he's probably nervous as well. We'll figure it out, I guess."
Sophia looked at her sympathetically. "Your table is on the dais. You're in the center seat - it's marked #7. Logan will be in #6."
"Thanks Sophia." Veronica smiled.
"Good luck." Sophia answered.
Veronica surveyed the Neptune Grand ballroom from the doorway. She had to admit, the room looked stunning. She loved the black and white color-scheme. Sophia had done an excellent job, and the guests seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Speaking of guests, who on earth were all these people? In addition to her friends and family, there had to be a good 200 people that she didn't know. That husband of hers! Hated people, but everybody loved him. A small smile formed on her lips. At least this time, the party was about her. Take that Parker Lee! She prayed that the wedding cake didn't have Logan's face on it though. That had been creepy.
She glanced around, noticing the dais that Sophia had directed her to. Oh no! One long table! It reminded her of "The Last Supper". She really didn't need to follow that train of thought, because after her father and her friends found out what she'd done, it very well could be her last supper.
She noticed that only Duncan was seated at the end of the head table, so using her keenly developed powers of deduction, she headed to the bar where she found Wallace, Weevil, Mac and her father sipping cocktails. She ordered a rum and Coke and then joined them.
"So, are you ever going to explain the purpose of this party?" Wallace asked.
"When the time is right."
"It looks like a wedding reception. Did you and Duncan run off and elope?" Weevil asked.
"You guessed it." Veronica laughed. "And then I seated him at the very end of the table just to throw you all off. Why does everybody think I'm dating Duncan? We're just friends."
"Because you've gone out with him for the past three weekends?" Wallace answered.
"Those weren't dates." Veronica said in frustration. "I go out to eat with you and Weevil. I'm not dating you guys."
"V, how are you paying for this party?" Weevil asked, changing the subject.
"I told you everything will be revealed soon. Jeez!" Veronica said, sipping on her rum and coke.
Mac eyed Veronica with a knowing smile. Did she know something?
"Who was that lady who told me where to sit?" Keith asked.
"That would be Sophia." Veronica answered.
"And you know her from...where?" Keith asked.
"All will be revealed. No more questions." Veronica insisted
"Hi Sophia!" A girl's voice said shyly.
"Heather! How nice to see you again!" Sophia smiled sincerely.
The 16-year-old girl was adorable in her pink A-line party dress and her hair was side parted and pulled back in a low ponytail.
Sophia had met Heather once when she'd stopped by Logan's apartment to have him sign some papers, and found him playing video games with a teenage girl. Logan thought of the girl like a little sister, and every time her family was in L.A., she and Logan would get together for ice cream and video games. Apparently, they played online on Fridays as well. She was a very nice girl.
"Logan won't tell me anything about this party, but he says that I'll be happy about it."
"Perhaps." Sophia smiled. If what Logan had told her about his first meeting with Heather were true, then Heather would probably be ecstatic when the announcement was made. "Your seat is at the head table. You're in seat #1. Look for a place card.
As for the announcement, Sophia had an idea that could get both Logan and Veronica off the hook. She reached for her laptop to do some preparation.
Heather felt a little awkward stepping into the ballroom. Logan and Sophia were the only people she knew here. Oh, and it looked like her skanky ex brother-in-law was here. The guy who had gotten Melinda so worked up when he'd made fun of her toes. Actually, she should give Dick a high-five for that. It was the perfect ammunition to use against Melinda when she was being a bitch. "You couldn't even keep your first husband with those ugly toes of yours." That usually resulted in Melinda stomping off in a huff.
A beautiful blonde in red caught Heather's eyes. Was that? Could it possibly be? Veronica Mars? Logan would be so excited! Heather knew that Logan still kept pictures of Veronica in his apartment and on his computer. He was so totally in love with her even after all of these years.
An idea started to sprout in Heather's head. This time, she wasn't going to let Logan down. By the end of the night, she would get Logan and Veronica back together somehow. Thank goodness, there was a DJ. Heather found her place at the end of the head table and started racking her brain for a song that she could dedicate to Veronica from Logan.
Mac took in the ballroom around her. This was quite a crowd filled with Neptune's elite.
How had her rag-tag gang of friends managed to snag invites, and at the head table for that matter?
Mac had a suspicion, but had no evidence to support her theory yet.
She wasn't sure what had motivated her to take such pains with her appearance for this party, but she was looking better than ever. She hadn't gotten out much since her break-up with Max the previous year, and she finally felt ready to put herself out there again. A party was a great time to start.
Noticing the pale blonde hair of Dick Casablancas in the crowd, Mac smiled. She hadn't always liked Dick, but since college, she'd felt a sort of kinship with him. She'd run into him here and there - at the beach, at the grocery store, at a restaurant. She found that she rather liked chatting with the big dork. She wandered over and touched him on the arm.
"Mac!" He exclaimed when he turned around, and pulled her into a big hug. "Hey, how've you been? Haven't seen you around much lately. Wow! You're looking HOT tonight girl!"
Mac laughed at his exuberance. Dick hadn't changed a bit.
A tall figure in the doorway caught Macs eye, and all of the tumblers clicked into place. Mac had her evidence. This should be a very entertaining night to say the least. She told Dick she would catch up with him later and headed back over to the bar.
Dick watched Mac walk away and wished she hadn't. Mac wasn't Dick's type of girl. She wasn't tall, she wasn't built like a Barbie Doll, she wasn't trampy. But whenever Mac walked away from him, he was always left wanting more. He didn't know exactly what that meant.
Sometimes he wanted to call her up to see if she would like to get something to eat with him. He was used to rejection - it was all a numbers game - but he thought that being rejected by Mac wouldn't feel the same as being rejected by all of the other girls. He thought it might actually hurt.
He should talk to Logan about it some time to see what he thought.
"Uh-Oh. Heads up, V." Weevil said stiffening and grabbing Veronica's arm. "Don't look now, but somebody brought Logan Echolls to your party."
Veronica looked up to see that Logan had arrived and was mingling with the crowd. By mingling, he was surrounded by several women, one of whom kept feeling the need to put her hand on Logan's arm as she spoke. Veronica chose to ignore that. Soon, everyone would know he belonged to her and to keep their grubby mitts off her husband.
Veronica and Logan's eyes met and he offered her a mischievous smile. He was loving this.
"Who would be dumb enough to bring Logan to a party hosted by Veronica?" Wallace asked.
Mac gave Veronica a knowing smile.
"You ok, V?" Weevil asked. "I'd be happy to escort him out. Forcefully"
"I'd be happy to help." Wallace added scowling. "I'm still not happy about what went down with Piz."
Veronica lost her patience. "Wallace, that was five years ago, get the hell over it. Weevil, I am fine, and no, I do not want you to escort Logan out. Mac, just quit looking at me like that."
Mac laughed. "I knew it was bound to happen someday."
"What was bound to happen?" Wallace asked.
Mac only shook her head smirking and wandered away.
Logan mingled his way ever closer, and Veronica felt a delicious shiver of anticipation. God, he looked hot. He was wearing another one of his suits that cost more than her car. What a difference money and good tailoring made! He outshone every other man in the place, and it wasn't just because she was in love with him; he was damn hot.
Logan had a natural magnetism that made people flock to him. As some guests ebbed away from him, new guests flowed into his orbit. Veronica wanted to go to him, take his hand, claim ownership over him, but she would have to bide her time a little longer. Not that it really mattered. People were going to figure everything out just from the secret little smiles he couldn't seem to resist sending her way every minute or so. She smiled back. He was so obvious.
Weevil glared at Logan Echolls. Logan didn't even notice. A group of adoring 09ers who were shaking his hand and patting him on the back surrounded him.
He should have known the jackass wouldn't stay gone for good. They always came back. He had not seen Logan in years, but he had heard through the grapevine that Logan had only gotten richer and richer, while Weevil had to work 60-hour workweeks just to get by.
Veronica didn't need this. Logan had put her through enough over the years, including sleeping with that girl that Veronica hated. Madison-something. He had only ever caused pain to Veronica. And Lilly. Subconsciously, Weevil knew what this was really about: Lilly. It had always been about Lilly and the guy she had gone running back to every time he'd crooked his finger.
Weevil found himself approaching Logan.
Logan could not stop staring at Veronica. She looked amazing. Her hair was long, full, and wavy and she wore a low-cut, long, red halter dress that hugged every curve. He could not believe that she was actually his wife. He intended to keep it that way. Forever.
Veronica turned to speak to somebody, and Logan groaned aloud. Her dress was backless, the fabric draping right above her ass. It took everything Logan had not to walk over and rub his face on all that smooth white bare skin. So that was why she had been so secretive at Nordstrom's the day before. She always had loved torturing him.
Logan felt a hand grab his arm in a vice grip, attempting to pull him away from Veronica's vicinity. Logan locked his feet, refusing to budge.
"Stay away from Veronica." Weevil said quietly, trying not to cause a scene.
"Veronica? Why? Was my presence offending her? What'd she say?" Logan asked, smirking.
"She doesn't have to say anything. Haven't you caused her enough trouble over the years?"
"Trouble? I remember getting her out of trouble several times. Can't remember ever getting her into trouble." Logan answered snarkily.
"Pardon my attack dog. How've you been, Logan?" Veronica asked, approaching them and holding out her arms for a hug.
Logan hugged her tightly, as an old friend would, leaning over to whisper in her ear. "You look so fucking hot. All I can think about is how I'm going to get that dress off of you. Is the zipper on the right side or the left?"
"Still the comedian!" Veronica laughed, releasing him and slapping him on the arm. "Thank you so much for coming to my little shindig."
"Left." She mouthed at him.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Logan smirked at her.
"Come on, Weevil, let's leave poor Logan alone." Veronica said, dragging him away while he shot glares at Logan over his shoulder.
"Logan!" A voice cried. Logan turned to see Dick Casablancas hurrying towards him. Dick hugged him lifting him off his feet and spinning him in a circle.
"Dick!" Logan called back. "Next time, I'll be ok with a handshake! Honestly!"
"I'm so glad you're back! I was surprised to get your invite in the mail the other day. Kind of short notice, but who's complaining? Free drinks and hot lonely chicks, right? At least you're home. How long you staying?"
"I'm back for good, and everything will be explained before the night is out."
"For good?" Dick asked excitedly! "That's great dude! We should go out tomorrow night and pick up some babes!"
Logan only shook his head.
Duncan approached and hugged Logan, keeping up the charade admirably. The three guys caught up for a while until Logan noticed Sophia motioning him over to the doorway, and he excused himself.
Sophia clinked her fork against her glass.
"Can I ask everybody to be seated?" She called out.
Slowly, tables began filling up. At the head table, Veronica took her seat in the center. To her left were her father, Wallace, Weevil, Mac, and Duncan. On Logan's side was Sophia, two empty seats, Charlie Stone, Dick, and a teenage girl who must be Heather Button. Logan's seat was empty, as was Trina's.
Veronica looked across the room, but there was no sign of Logan.
"Where's Logan?" She whispered to Sophia.
"I sent him on an errand to grab something." Sophia whispered back. "I don't think he should be sitting at this table when the announcement is made. I see three guys next to you who may be tempted to punch him."
Veronica turned to look her head at Keith, Wallace and Weevil.
"You may have a point." She whispered, turning back to Sophia. "I guess that leaves it to me to make the announcement."
"Don't worry." Sophia said. "I'm going to handle it. When I see Logan in the doorway, I'll get it out of the way."
Veronica looked at her gratefully. "Thanks!" She said. "I'm famous for my avoidance skills."
Sophia gave her a small smile.
Trina Echolls entered the ballroom hurriedly and looked around. Seeing the head table, she made her way up. Sophia indicated the empty chair between herself and Charlie Stone.
"Hello Sophia. Where is my baby brother? And what exactly is this all about?" Trina asked.
"Keep your voice down." Sophia told her quietly. "I'll make the announcement in the next minute or so."
"Hi Veronica! What are you doing up here?" Trina asked cheerfully.
"Oh…" she said, her mouth making an "O" shape, and then quieted down.
Dick was also doing mental calculations trying to figure out what Veronica and her friends were doing at this table, and why she was sitting in the center instead of by her boyfriend Duncan.
Heather smiled happily. It would be much easier to get Veronica and Logan back together with her sitting at the table. Where was Logan anyway? Was that empty chair next to Veronica his? How romantic! Maybe their hands would accidentally brush during dinner and they would look into each other's eyes shyly, and suddenly they would be overcome with love. Heather giggled at the romance of it all.
Charlie eyed Veronica. She was a very pretty girl, but he was sure he had seen her face somewhere before.
Keith examined Veronica's body language. She had her chair slightly turned away from him, and was speaking to the attractive lady who did not like him very much. Now he was sure Veronica was hiding something big. She obviously did not want him to be able to catch her eye. Moreover, what was she doing in that dress? If she were still living with him, he would not have let her leave the house dressed like that. She was practically naked in the back.
Wallace filled Weevil in on the brunette who had given him her digits. Her name had been Emma, and they had already made plans to go out to dinner tomorrow.
Weevil was thoroughly enjoying his third plate of bruschetta, and hadn't noticed the odd atmosphere on the dais.
Mac, noticing Trina, was positive now. Also, she finally knew why she had recognized the lady's voice. She must be Sophia.
Mac caught Dick's eyes and stuck her tongue out. She crossed her eyes. She made a duck face.
Dick laughed at Mac. None of the girls he knew made faces at him. They were too vain to look silly for even a moment. He made exaggerated kissy faces back to her. Then he wondered what it would be like to kiss her for real.
Veronica saw Logan step into the doorway. He looked surprised to see everybody already seated. She nudged Sophia as he began approaching the dais.
Sophia began clinking her glass again. Gradually, all conversation stopped, and everybody looked up to the dais.
"Welcome." Sophia called, her voice loud and clear. "I'd like to thank each and every one of you for joining us tonight. I'm sure you are all wondering what we're celebrating tonight. Unfortunately, both of your hosts are suffering from a bad case of stage-fright."
Logan was about to hop up on the dais to take his seat when he noticed both Sophia and Veronica telling him to stay put with their eyes. He found a column to lean against close to the dais, and stared at Veronica, earning glares from Keith, Wallace and Weevil.
Sophia continued. "You've all heard the saying 'A picture is worth a thousand words?' Well, I have a picture that will answer all of your questions."
Veronica stared back at Logan. She blushed at the naughty thoughts that ran through her head. She couldn't help it; he was so hot when he leaned. And when he stared at her like that. And when he existed.
"So without further ado..."
Sophia cued up the laptop in front of her, and then raised a remote control and pointed it at a giant screen on the right side of the room.
Sophia clicked the power button.
The screen turned on, displaying a giant photograph. Logan wearing a tuxedo and Veronica in a beautiful wedding gown, a tasteful tiara on her head, were holding each other's hands. Veronica was giggling, and Logan had his head thrown back in laughter. Behind them stood a rhinestone jump-suited Elvis with an amused look on his face.
Veronica broke into a huge smile at the sight. She was going to get this one framed to hang in the living room, Elvis or no Elvis.
And that...was when all hell broke loose.