A/N: So here is the big confrontation, and believe me, it wasn't easy. I rewrote this about a hundred times, trying to find just the right reaction... Veronica wants to be with Logan, Logan wants to be with Veronica, and they're both clearly not ready to take the training wheels off just yet, but they have been moving forward, so I really hope that this is both realistic and fulfilling. Also, I'm sorry, but everyone else does have to come back eventually. Summer cannot last forever, as much as I would like it to.
P.S. For anyone who has not yet noticed, I try to update around the same time each day (approx noonish EST) just a heads up for people who like schedules or want to know when to look for this or something. I just felt the need to add that little tidbit in there.
Chapter 11: Red-Handed?
Mac and Wallace were due back in Neptune in a few days, Dick next week, and Piz and Parker the week after, when classes began again. Logan and Veronica's summer alone was rapidly coming to a close. They both knew that as soon as their friends returned to town, they would want to spend time, alone, with them and trade summer stories, or at least Veronica did.
On that particular afternoon, Veronica had left work early after hitting a light few days and finishing all of her work early. She took advantage of those few extra hours to plan how she was going to get even with Logan for tricking her. Then it hit her.
She would confess to him over dinner that evening that she was seeing someone. It wouldn't be a lie, she was seeing someone: him. Let him squirm for a little while, for entertainment purposes, of course, and then reveal that she was on to him.
Also, a hot dress wouldn't hurt anything. Maybe something red, a little low cut and it certainly needed to show off a lot of leg. And high heels: level the playing field a little bit. Logan Echolls was definitely going to regret ever playing games with her.
The dress wasn't something new. Actually, it was quite old, and she was a little surprised to find that not only did it still fit, it looked better on her now than when she got it. However, despite the how many years she had owned the dress, she had never worn it out in public before.
"There are five dresses, Veronica" Lilly said, dragging her friend into the change room of one of her favorite boutiques, "that every woman must own. One of them is a cute, cocktail dress in a bright color. Your color is red," Lilly handed over the hanger of dress she had picked out for Veronica to try on, "and if you pick your dress just right, it's timeless. All you have to do is change your accessories and no one will notice."
Veronica came out of the change room in the dress Lilly had picked out, one hand tugging at the bottom, the other reaching across to cover herself. "Lilly," Veronica began, "I will never have a reason to wear this. My dad would never let me out of the house wearing this…" Lilly just laughed, "Someday, Veronica Mars, someday."
Veronica still had all five dresses from that day in her closet, unworn. Tonight, however, it was a special night, and Veronica could use a little magic from her former best friend to get through it. She neither tugged at the bottom to make it longer nor covered herself with her arms. Instead, she wore it confidently. Tonight, she would make Logan pay. The rest of the dresses she would save for other occasions. If anyone knew how to handle men, it was Lilly Kane.
Logan couldn't say he wasn't shocked at her choice of attire for the evening, but he couldn't say he didn't like it either. He would never have thought Veronica would select a dress like that for herself. "Wow," was all he managed to say when he picked her up that evening. Logan thought she looked absolutely stunning. "You, uh, ready to go?" he asked, looking to the apartment for her father cleaning his gun.
She nodded and locked the door behind her. He dad was out of town again, which meant no curfew or calling to say she was going to be late. Also, her dad wouldn't have to see her wearing that dress.
After some small talk over ordering, Veronica decided to go ahead and make her move over appetizers, "this sure feels like a date," she said, innocently.
Logan nodded, "yeah, but we're just two friends enjoying a nice meal." He dipped his spoon into his soup to take a bite.
"That you're paying for," she reminded, wanting him to admit it. Why couldn't he just call it like it was?
He still said nothing, which made her angry, "cut the crap, Logan. It's a date. The night at the carnival, that was a date, too. I know what you're doing. What I don't know is why." She kept her voice calm as to not draw attention to them in the restaurant.
"Why what?" he asked, still not giving in to her. So maybe she was on to something, but he wouldn't say.
Veronica wasn't even paying attention to her own soup at that point, "why you'd risk this whole 'trust building' thing we've been doing by lying to me like this. Logan…"
Crap. So she knew. Well, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret forever, but he was hoping for a little while longer. They still had a few issues to work through. "I was scared," he finally admitted, since everything was out in the open, "I don't want to lose you, Veronica. I guess I just needed proof for myself that things would be different this time, you know, that one small fight wasn't going to be the end of things, forever." For a man usually so good with words, he was having trouble explaining this to her.
"You could have told me," Veronica said, honestly, "This is what I was talking about. We've been so great lately at fixing the big things, but something like this, it can break us. How can we work towards having a functional relationship if you don't feel comfortable talking to me about something as simple as this?"
She paused, but not long enough for him to gather the words to say anything, "you could have said that this," she gestured around them, "that last night, that however long we have been doing this was a date and I would have been okay with it, Logan. One date doesn't make me your girlfriend. One date doesn't automatically put us back into a relationship. It's just a date. Do you know what's great about dates instead of 'non-dates' with 'just friends?' We don't have to deny the physical stuff that's made us so awkward. I know you feel it too, don't deny it. Look at this dress for goodness sake. I wanted to make you miserable. 'Just friends' means that you can look at this," she gestured to herself, like she was on display, "but you can't touch."
Stupid, stupid Logan. He could have had her the entire time and not betrayed her trust. Logan sighed, "You're right. I'm sorry."
Veronica smiled, "And here's the part where I show you how cool I can be. I forgive you. I know your heart was in the right place and that you meant well. From now on, just talk to me. Whatever it is, just tell me and then we can work through it, together." Sure, she had the option of throwing her napkin on the table and running out, but she didn't. She stayed. She faced it, and now, now she could enjoy her soup.
Logan was honestly shocked, "just like that? No grudges, no I'm never going to forgive you for this? Just absolution?"
Veronica nodded. She had grown a lot in the past year of being single. Sometimes life was too short to hold a grudge, especially over something like this. It was obvious he felt badly about what he did and he wasn't trying to hurt her. "One condition," she admitted.
"What's that?" he asked nervously, perhaps made worse by the evil grin that spread across her face.
She took a final bite of her soup before answering, "This is a date, and I expect at the very least, a kiss goodnight. On the lips." Veronica pointed to her lips to make her point.
Veronica watched him relax and a smile spread across his face. "Deal," he said and finished his soup as well. Maybe there really wasn't anything to be afraid of?
The rest of their evening consisted of random chatter about the return of their friends soon, classes starting up again and things they wanted to do before that happened. Logan wanted to get Veronica to go surfing again; Veronica wanted to go to the zoo.
Soon enough, however, the night had to come to a close and Logan walked Veronica back to her door, hand in hand. He enjoyed the fact that he no longer needed an excuse to hold her hand. He just could. Finally reaching the door, he turned her around; her back against the door, as he placed one hand above her head on the door to support himself and the other at her waist.
He leaned in and kissed her, as promised: one proper good night kiss. Her hands went to his face, holding him there just a little longer, until they were both breathless. "Good night, Veronica," he said, standing.
"Good night, Logan," Veronica smiled and unlocked her door, parting ways.
A/N: So there it is, and honestly, I wrote this so many times with a huge, screaming match in the restaurant or Veronica leaving, upset, but I didn't believe it. I think part of a mature relationship is being able to forgive someone else for hurting you just like that, especially when there wasn't a malicious intent behind it. I kept thinking of the Madison Sinclair thing and I felt like so much time had passed since then, they both have grown as people, and learned from that incident, that Logan wasn't trying to hurt her, just like he isn't trying to hurt her now. I thought he should have to pay by realizing that he could have been dating her this whole time and been able to kiss her, hold hands with her, etc., not felt awkward. So there's that. Uh, I have at least a few more chapters left, though probably only one more before at the least Wallace and Mac return. Reviews are lovely. You guys rock. Seriously, when I get frustrated with an idea and stuck in the middle of a chapter and think of abandoning ship, I come back and re-read all of your lovely reviews and I push through and sometimes I get it right. So, thank you. I really need to learn to stop this rambling nonsense though.
One last thing, I thought I should clarify this: this is not them getting back together for that last chance, this is a few dates. I'm taking getting back together for that last chance to be when he finally calls her his girlfriend and makes it all official, exclusive like. And that hasn't happened yet. Ya feel me? Okay, good.