Chapter Thirteen
Beauty
"So that's a—" Max began as she put the pencil to the pad to record her score.
"That's a you're insane," Original Cindy said across the table, Max and these freakin emotion based Scrabble games.
"Huh?" Max asked looking over.
Original Cindy looked down at the board and the word that had just formed from her dank and cap and Max's tramp. "Decapitate?"
"So?" she asked with a shake of her head.
"Is that what you want to do to the prick or to the tramp?"
"I meant prick, like you prick your finger," she said seeing where her friend was going with this.
"Uh huh and tramp and as in Lady and the Tramp or a stroll."
"It's just a game." Okay this was starting to sound eerily familiar.
"I'm guessing Logan's plans tonight had something to do with another female?"
Max did her best to avoid looking pissed, "He was meeting someone named Cassidy for dinner." She'd known this because she walked around his apartment like an idiot calling his name before she'd picked up the phone to call him and he'd informed her he was meeting someone and that someone had walked up and Logan had cheerfully greeted her before saying goodbye to Max.
"So I guess you weren't lying when you said nothing happened last weekend?"
"We're just friends," she defended.
"Yea right," she snickered under her breath.
Max's mind flashed back to last Saturday morning…
"Max?" Logan's eyes opened seeing her standing by the window.
She turned and smiled gently seeing his blurry confused look because when he'd fallen asleep she'd been beside him, "Come back to bed."
How could she resist those words? Easy she couldn't, so she slid back in between the sheets and fell asleep facing Logan
She awoke a couple hours later fully rested although it was still dark. She awoke on his chest, her hand resting in front of her, his arms holding her to him, her leg tucked in between his. The bliss and confusion passed as she remained absolutely still so as to not wake Logan, she realized from his position she must have moved closer as she slept and either he pulled her closer to him and they fell back or she pushed him over. Results were the same though, she was curled up in Logan's arms, she fell back asleep too content to actually wake.
She felt his arm tighten around her as he stirred, fighting waking. Her eyes flickered open and she realized the reason for his early morning wakeup, she'd left the shades open and the bed was now bathed in sunlight trying to force Logan's eyes open. 'Move Max' her mind called out to her, but her body refused to comply as did Logan's as he pulled her closer as he continued to fight the morning from coming.
She felt his startled reaction the moment his arm started to tighten around her a third time and then suddenly went still. She pictured his eyes shooting open, after an extra moment of staying closed as he tried to figure out what was going on. She forced her head to adjust to look at him, hair flattened by sleep, scruff shorter than normal and his eyes once more honest, "You left the shades open."
"I also apparently used you as a body pillow," she said putting the awkward situation right out on the table.
A slightly unsteady grin emerged on his face, "That didn't wake me though."
"Sorry about the shades," she smiled back.
"I'll let it go this time."
They stayed like that for a few moments trying to figure out what to do next, "I should"/"I should" they both smiled.
"Make the coffee," Logan finished first.
"Stop crushing you," Max smiled before pushing herself up on him laughing as he groaned from the extra weight on his chest.
"Will you please just jump the boy?"
"We're not like that," she said a little too fiercely.
There was a knock on the door and Original Cindy awarded Max one final shake of her head before going to answer it. Cindy smiled and loudly said, " Logan" to prepare Max. She wasn't surprised to see him at their doorstep, the two of them…She shook her head, in the past six months she was more than used to seeing Logan randomly appear at their place, though he usually called having more consideration than Max, then again the two of them didn't seem to mind being caught off guard by the other.
"Hey Original Cindy," he smiled and she stepped back allowing him entrance, he walked past her and she took in the other half of the idiotic couple. She had to give Max props for him, the man thing she might not get, but the boy was always styled, today was no exception. She liked his hair lately, he'd altered it slightly and was now pushing it to the middle and back, while it still remained up, it was a nice change. His outfit was classic Logan though, the black leather jacket, blue shirt, black slacks. Definitely if Max had to fall for a guy, Logan was it. Original Cindy could appreciate his beauty even if she wasn't attracted to it. Not to mention he was carrying a white box that looked like it contained food.
" Logan," Max said standing up purposely bumping into the table to destroy any evidence of her insanity. "How was dinner?"
"Good," he nodded. "I brought you two dessert," he said raising up the box.
"I would say you shouldn't have, but I think we all know I'd be lying," Max laughed as walked towards the promised food.
He chuckled, she swiped the box from his hands as Original Cindy moved towards the table Max had just vacated to clean it up. He settled back onto a stool as Max sniffed the box walking around the counter for a knife to open it, "When did you become part canine?" he asked.
She made a face as she lifted the knife up the cut the red and white string.
"I don't know I'd say she just looked like one of those pigs they have hunt for truffles," Cindy said folding up the board.
"I'm not sharing now," she said jokingly glaring across the room to her roommate. "Oooh," Max said in shock seeing what awaited her in the box. Two large slices of chocolate cake, chocolate mousse cake to be more specific.
"Thought you'd appreciate that," Logan smiled.
"What-" Original Cindy began walking around to peer into the box and was stunned into silence by the sheer beauty of that much chocolate. "That is a thing of beauty."
Max nodded, "We need milk."
"I'll go see if Jessie has any."
Logan stared accusingly at Max.
She looked up startled by his reaction and laughed, "I swear we just ran out this afternoon."
"Max," he said on a sigh, her seizures were a hell of a lot more serious since the implant.
"I've got a full bottle of Tryptophan," she said digging her finger into the frosting.
"So aren't you going to ask why I'm here?"
Max looked down at the cake, while her pointer was still in her mouth savoring the taste before slowly raising her eyes up at him, right about now she'd agree to any of his crazy schemes.
He chuckled, "Christina Rodriguez," he said wanting to share his news before Original Cindy returned.
Max thought for a moment, "The councilman?"
He nodded.
"Let me guess he didn't do it?" What did Logan have with always having to be right? Then again why did something just twist within her finding out her instincts had been wrong?
"It was the wife, her father paid off several high ranking officials. I just came from giving Matt the info."
"I thought you were at dinner?"
"I was, I met an informant who worked—"
"Got it," Original Cindy said walking out with her score raised high in her hand.
Max made a face keeping her eyes connected with Logan's as she went to grab some glasses, "So why-"
"More flies with honey than vinegar Max," he said cutting her off before she struggled to find a way to discuss it in front of Original Cindy who was making a face looking at the two of them.
"Not even gonna ask," she said with a shake of her head and went to look for two clean forks.
They both smiled.
"How do you feel about eating with a spoon?" she turned and asked Max.
She shrugged her shoulders as she poured the milk, better than having to clean a fork.
Logan shook his head at the spoon Original Cindy offered him, "No thanks," he said looking over the counter and making a slightly puzzled face.
"That reminds me," Max said waving the spoon now filled with chocolate cake before her, "You need to bring knives."
"Yea otherwise we're gonna have some caveman action going on at Thanksgiving," Original Cindy supplied.
Logan looked around the apartment, as always the living room area was relatively clean, a few random pieces of clothing scattered over the couch and as always the kitchen area held some clutter and dishes from the day. "Exactly how many people are coming?"
"Eleven, but you only need to bring four knives. Did we cover the forks?"
"Yea Sketchy's bringing some."
Logan suddenly flashed back to college and refrained from groaning just in order to avoid hearing Max call him a snob. It was Max's potluck Thanksgiving with people from her building and work or his family's, his choice was clear. Of course when he and Max had revealed their plans when they'd met his cousins and their spouses at D'Amores more accusing looks had been passed their way.
" Logan"
He turned around to catch Max's accusing look and knew his thoughts had been more than evident.
"So'd I tell you," Max said turning to OC, "Sketchy's bringing a box of wine. Supposedly it's pink."
He laughed and shook his head, "Give me a spoon."
"You're having dessert?" Max asked slightly surprised.
"Might as well," he said as he mind rolled in horror at the thought of boxed wine and took the spoon Original Cindy held out for him as the two women laughed.