Okay so couldn't think of anything to do to commemorate X318's bday, so I figured a chapter of Embedded would make the most happy (hmm I think it's just always 'celebrate Babyangel' after the extravaganza :-P ). Well once more HAPPY BIRTHDAY X318!
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and thanks for reading!
Oh and general warning once again this bad boy is loooooooong.
And OooOoooO – different day.
While ooOoo- same day different time.
In case you get confused.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Out of the Blue
Friday (present day)
"Being rich boy's girlfriend has some serious benefits," Original Cindy said in hushed tones walking into the polished entrance of the spa. It was as if they'd walked into a different world. Gone was the dirt and smell of Seattle and existing in its place gleaming mirrors, plush chairs, softly colored walls, potted trees and even a waterfall
feeding a small pond of fish.
"We're not like that," Max automatically responded as she realized this was pretty high up there on the jobs he'd had her do.
"You certainly looked like that on Saturday," Cindy said as her eyes continued to roam the room.
Saturday, Max smiled. Saturday had been a fun day, while Friday had proved to be interesting on its own accord.
OoooOoooO
Last Friday
"Hey Max," Logan quickly replied to her hello, "I'm glad I caught you."
"Aren't you supposed to be catching me at the bar in just under an hour?" she asked into the house phone.
"Yea about that," he began.
"Let me guess you came up with something and now you're bailing."
"Partially right."
"Which part?"
"All of it," a low chuckle, "I just need you to bail as well. Shouldn't take longer than an hour though."
"You are aware that I work all week right? This is supposed to be my time off," she looked down at the fresh jeans she'd just tossed on, the purple top that exposed a fraction more of skin than she normally did as visions of Logan kept popping into her head as she got dressed and she found herself unconsciously caving to them compared to her normal fighting of them.
"I know," he apologized, "unfortunately you're still the only person I know who can make it into an unlocked third story window, get the files and be out before Rainer sets the alarm as he's leaving the house."
"And when I get locked in the house because finding the files took too long?"
"You won't get locked in; you'll just set off motion sensors."
"Real comforting Logan."
"I'll keep watch to make sure that doesn't happen," he promised.
"What kind of busted security system is this?" she asked finding the details a little sketchy.
"The alarms are always set on the doors, doors and windows on the first two stories are always locked. His son however appears to have a smoking habit and always leaves his windows unlocked. When they leave the house motion sensors are activated. Tonight is apparently their family night, so they're going to be heading out to a movie between 8:30 and 9 o'clock."
"And you're just telling me this now?"
"My source just got back to me; the missing files have got to be in his home office."
"You know the fact that this guy has a family movie night makes the fact that he's skimming money away from thousands of kids just a little more scheevy." The guy had morals, he was just ignoring them.
"Yea well he's in good company in this town, so does that mean you're going to help?"
"When do I not?" she asked dryly.
"Thanks Max, I owe you."
She rolled her eyes.
"I'll be at your place in about fifteen minutes."
ooOoo
"You should be able to handle that right?" Logan asked as he drove past the house to give it the once over before circling around.
She gave him the 'duh' look. She could easily scale the tree that would get her to the right height and clearing the ten feet between it and the roof that connected her with the attic room of the teenage son would be a breeze. It would simply be a matter of luck and timing to not have one of the two kids in the house stumble upon her.
"I can't believe you're bailing again," she said as he began to circle, "it's not like this is life or death Logan." She'd held out the faintest hope as she'd waited for him to arrive that he'd be satisfied with just getting the info, but of course not this was Logan. The guy who apparently took all those inspirational anti-procrastination posters a little too seriously.
"I'd rather just get this done tonight," he said as he made another turn, "hopefully get the broadcast out by tomorrow and make sure this guy is out of office by the time kids are sitting down for their lunch on Monday."
"And you'd been doing so well with the world will still be broken tomorrow," she wondered if she was coming off needy…desperate…pathetic…oh yea best word pathetic, that definitely sounded pathetic coming out of her mouth. Didn't it? But they had that relationship now, didn't they? That's what they had spent all those long summer months forming. Those first nights he'd gone out mostly just to make sure she didn't fall apart. He'd gotten into the habit of having fun in order to assure himself that she was doing the same.
Friends now. Real friends. Any pretense of the work was obviously expressed as a joke, even if maybe others wouldn't see it that way. She did, she knew he did as well. Okay or up to Wednesday she had known that as well.
"You know what they say about all work and no play," she quickly said with a cocky attitude before he could even respond.
"Yea well if I make the world a little unbroken tonight then I'll play," he smiled with a shake of his head, "tomorrow." He pulled the car to the side and looked at her, "Are you guys not going to be at Crash tomorrow?"
"We go other places," she said defensively.
His eyebrows raised.
"Okay we've been lazy lately, haven't seen you coming up with anywhere new to go."
He looked puzzled for a moment.
"What?"
"I think Bennett called me," his eyes still narrowed in thought.
"Gonna explain that further?" she asked with a smile.
His head shook, "I don't know. I have this vague feeling I talked to him this morning."
"Before ten?" she fake empathized with a pout.
He gave her a look and shook his head. "I was up by nine. And you know some of us actually need sleep."
She let out a short laugh; the guy was an easy target for playboy comments with his night owl habits. His normal bed time tended to range from anywhere between 2 and 4, especially since he was on his own now for working out. "So any idea what he said?" she asked with a smile.
"I don't know," his eyes re-narrowed. He turned to her still looking confused, "Something about a celebration?"
"You asking or telling me…Cuz' I wasn't there so I have no idea."
He shook his head once again, "I'll call him when I get home find out what he said. You should probably go," he said with a nod towards the door.
She let out of breath of displeasure and rolled her eyes as before her hand went to the handle.
ooOoo
He stepped out of his bathroom and into the kitchen toothbrush in mouth just as she came into the room. "What happened to Crash?" he asked with careful movements trying to keep the foam in his mouth.
Her face scrunched up as she followed him back into the bathroom just in time for him to spit before it ended up dribbled down him or swallowed. "I got ditched."
He looked over awaiting further explanation as he ran the brush under the water.
"Trix started blowin up OC's pager."
"What was their fight about?" he asked after spitting out some water and went back to cleaning out the toothpaste with his brush.
"Trix wanted OC to have her roommate's kid."
Logan started to choke.
"Yea that was pretty much her reaction as well," she flipped down the toilet seat and sat.
Any remaining bits of toothpaste still in his mouth forgotten Logan returned the toothbrush to its holder and turned to Max.
"It's really not as big of a deal as it sounds. Pissed Original Cindy off pretty good though." She shrugged, "Trix made a comment that if they lasted when it came down to it she wanted Ken to well…" her head bobbed in explanation.
"Why do I have the feeling you don't mean a donor in a cup."
"Yea like any normal folks can afford that…Actually most people can't even afford their kids."
"So she wanted them to…" his head nodded, "yea I can see how that would piss Original Cindy off." Interesting request of a roommate.
"Yea she's starting to come around now," Max said with a weak shake of her head, not very enthused by this turn of events, sure her friend was happy but she'd been ditched.
"What happened to everyone else?" he asked.
She shrugged, "They're boring. I gotta pick up Sketch soon though, before he tries to burn the place down again. I was out for a ride saw your lights were on figured I'd stop by and see what you pulled together."
He smiled, that conceited/ satisfied smile. "As soon as the accountant I sent those files to gets back to me Dr. Rainer should be prepared to hightail it out of town quickly."
She smiled and then pouted.
He looked puzzled awaiting her response.
"Sucks for his kids," she said looking up with thoughtful eyes, "they probably thought their dad was this great guy. Wife too," she shook her head, "like Wendy."
Logan shook his head and gave a wry smile, "And the funny thing is he'll probably say he did it for them."
"Are you going to bed already?" she asked suddenly with her head cocked to the side as she realized she interrupted him mid-brush and realized that was out of his ordinary routine. He would normally be in pajamas and in the chair during this certain nightly ritual.
He shook his head, "Just had something suck in my teeth," he explained rather casually and not particularly interested in the convo, "figured since I was flossing anyway."
"Oooh," she replied with interest popping up, "what were you eating?" Not at all surprised by Logan's explanation, the guy had perfect choppers for a reason. She wondered if he could give hygiene lessons to those she worked with. Floss and toothpaste might be rare on occasion, but they were definitely more accessible than one would think after meeting her coworkers.
He laughed, "Just cavatappi with squash and spinach."
She paused as she was about to walk past him and stared.
"Pasta," he explained.
She shook her head, "Can't just say that can you Logan? You know one of these days I'm going to walk in and find you eating Mac n' Cheese." She started walking back out again.
"We had Mac n' Cheese less than a month ago," he said following her out into the kitchen.
"Logan Mac n' Cheese comes out of a box. The cheese should be powder not Gruyère…Hell I didn't even know what that was until then. And prosciutto, I mean seriously Logan," she turned and looked at him. "If Mac n' Cheese is going to be eaten with anything it should be like a hot dog."
"Okay if you want to prefer that to my version feel free to make it for yourself," he said moving past her to the fridge to find the leftovers he'd already tapped into once tonight.
"You know this reminds me, you still owe me fondue."
His head shook as he retrieved it, "First you're complaining about the Gruyère and now you're complaining we haven't had it again." He came up and turned with an eye roll only to be confronted with a much closer than expected Max.
Her hands reached out and skimmed his and she suddenly remembered they were supposed to be awkward.
They stayed in that confused position before Max quickly turned with the container dropping it down onto the island and flipping off the lid.
Fork…Fork…She needed a fork she realized looking down. She turned there he was again. Fork in hand, smiling like the know-it-all he tended to be.
She snatched it out of his hand and had the container in hand and herself up on the counter before he could come up with another irritating look.
Irritating, yet completely endearing she thought with the sudden desire to bang her head into her meal upon watching his smile grow even further. Ugh, no what the hell was going on? Sheberated herself. Things had been going so well….
Things between them were settled. They were comfortable. Friends. Friends only. No expectations of anything else…
Gone…It was totally gone.
No no, she could get it back. "What no bitchin about me eating out of the container?"
"Well considering that never works no," he smiled leaning back. "Not to mention I don't doubt you'll finish the rest of it and…" his head dropped and he looked up with another smile to show off those perfect pearly whites, "I was already doing the same earlier," he admitted.
Why had she sat? She wondered now feeling desperately trapped. She couldn't escape his gaze; she couldn't pace to work off some of this energy that had appeared out of the blue…
"Ah ha, the great Logan Cale really is human," her voice came off as cocky and joking as she desperately willed it to be.
He laughed, "Only while others aren't watching."
God she loved how he was now. How okay he was with himself. The jokes he could make that didn't actually berate himself. "I need a drink," food down…off counter.
He made a stunned face before he turned to grab a glass as she went to the fridge, as always working in unison without being aware of it.
Pitcher of water in hand, she turned back.
"You know I actually just put that in there, you probably need ice," he stepped back her, their arms briefly brushing as he moved to open the freezer.
She would blame this on going into heat early, if heat had ever felt this way. Butterflies…that was a joke. Maybe Sketch was right and there were aliens and one of them had been transplanted into her stomach during that brief time she slept and he was now bored and doing summersaults within her.
Odd how easy it was though. How he simply took the pitcher from her hand and poured for her.
Damn him for looking so relaxed, she cursed as she stared at his back as he returned the pitcher to the fridge.
She calmed down. It took a few more bites and a few of Logan's new facts about the case for it to happen, but it eventually did.
The kiss didn't leave her thoughts, it couldn't. Not while she was in the same room, nearly in the same spot. She watched his lips move as he talked and smiled or smirked depending on what was being said. His hands as they gestured as she remembered them sliding in her hair. She kept it to the side…Back burnered as she proved she truly was capable of multi-tasking.
"So what did Bennett want?" she asked halfway through her meal.
He looked puzzled and shook his head, "I don't know, I was on the phone with him a few minutes before you stopped by, the baby started crying. He said he'd call me back in a few."
"You don't think they're having another baby do you?"
"No," Logan exclaimed with a shake of his head. Then he paused, realizing that could be the case, the appropriate amount of time had passed. His cousin wasn't that stupid though was he? "Ooh," he said with a stunned face.
She laughed.
"Poor Brittany if they are…" then he looked up and nodded, "Actually poor Bennett."
"Hey," she smiled, "you know Marianne's the one that's got to pop it out."
"Yea," he said thoughtfully with larger than normal eyes, "but Bennett the one who's not only going to be completely gray soon, but bald."
"You noticed that too," Max asked with a scrunched up face before moving to take another bite.
Logan gave a sad shake remembering his cousin's graying temples. Not many, but enough to have shocked them both upon first sight.
Her head tilted and she looked at him for a moment before speaking, "How long did you look in the mirror after he left?"
Logan gave a short laugh and his head dropped down, "Just a minute…Really more like a pause in front of it while I was washing my hands."
"Don't worry," she smiled, "I'd tell ya."
His head shook, "I don't doubt that."
She smiled brighter.
"You done?" he asked with a nod toward the empty container and pushed off the counter he'd been leaning against.
She nodded and let him take it out of her hands. She hopped off as he dropped it down in the sink and let the water run into it to let it soak.
"So who's at the bar?" he asked a little stunned to turn and find her so close yet again.
"Same ol' same ol," she said reaching past him to lower her glass in as well. "I should be getting back; Sketch was pretty far gone when I left. Can't trust the boys to take care of him. They think it's funny when he turns up with only one eyebrow the next day."
Logan looked at her raising his own.
"Okay, well the one eyebrow is funny, but not when it's potentially getting us banned from Crash forever. We're finally starting to get group rates for the pitchers."
He laughed and shook his head, both of them remaining inexplicably close, neither willing to take that first step back.
"You should probably get back then," his voice just a decibel lower than it normally was.
"Yea," she nodded.
Neither moved.
Brown looked up into green. She liked his glasses she realized awhile ago. They made sense. The way the various greens swirled together with shots of a pale blue. They were like works of art. They deserved to be framed.
His hand was starting to twitch as he stared down as they continued their moment in silence. It was twitching up to dive into those silky brown waves that he always had this overwhelming desire to play with.
She didn't bite her lip, he didn't lick his. They just stared totally transfixed as they held themselves back by a thin thread of self-control and confusion. A thread that starting to fray.
The phone started to ring and they both looked confused as their heads automatically went towards the dining room and the closest source of the sound.
"That'll be Bennett," this time he did lick his lips as he nodded.
"I'll let you get that, I should go take the drunkard home," she smiled.
"Night," he said with a nod as he moved away.
"If she is pregnant tell Bennett I said congratulations," she smiled as she nodded her goodnight.
"Will do."
OoooOoooO
"You know," Cindy began as the receptionist raised her pointer finger for one minute and smiled apologetically as she was setting an appointment over the phone. "Friends don't normally look like you and Logan did on Saturday night."
Max turned, "Friends also normally knock," she said with a pointed look towards her roommate.
OoooOoooO
Last Saturday
Max burst out laughing at Logan's first hiccup. They always guaranteed her some amusement as something so uncouth could come out of Logan.
He laughed as well.
They had in fact been cracking up the entire night. It had just been one of those nights. Sketch had shot a ball off the table and they'd gone searching after it. Cindy had sat on a chair only to have it break and she'd gone flying back looking none too pleased for awhile before the laughter had turned contagious. J. Bob as someone had decided to nickname the southern brunette Janie Roberts that had started working at Jam Pony over the summer had snorted beer out of her nose after a funny joke and then proceeded to jump around from the pain of having alcohol in her nose with her hands clasped over it.
And now Logan had the hiccups. The perfect way to cap a freakin great night. There was a reason they kept going to Crash.
"You're drunk," she laughed around his third.
He turned and gave her the 'you've got to be kidding me look' as he looked out on the road before him and glanced down at his hands. He obviously wouldn't be driving if he was drunk, it was the reason why'd only had around 4 beers in a three hour period. He pulled up in front of her building.
"Come on, up and at 'em you can sober up upstairs," she laughed as she opened the door.
"I'm not drunk," he this time verbally explained.
"At least come get water before you have a hiccup and crash into a telephone pole," she smiled.
He smiled back as the keys left the ignition.
"Fuck," he cursed after another as he entered the building through the door she had tossed open.
"Hold your breath," she laughed in hushed tones.
"I tried that," seriously what did she think he'd been doing in the car.
Three more hit between the stairs, the hallway and her apartment. Leaving Logan a mix of furious and highly amused.
The filtered water pitcher came out of the fridge; they'd had to barter with six people to get their hands on this bad boy after their water started to reach the level where they were going to have to start chewing it soon.
A long swallow followed the thanks he gave her as he accepted the glass.
"Hold your breath," she ordered once again.
He did so. Finally it was swallowed and breath was allowed as his eyes scanned as if they could see inside. "I think they're-Hic-Dammit," his head shook.
She laughed, "Go sit."
He dutifully made his way over the couch and leaned back turning at an angle so he could see her as they talked.
That's when the exact details started to get a little hazy. Her mind too preoccupied to take in anything else. The joking mood had continued. His hiccups eventually ceased and the glass was placed next to him.
She started to tease him. After all OC had beaten him at pool, it was required that a teasing followed as it had all throughout the night. Regardless that he lost because he'd scratched on the very last shot. His long fingers had dipped into the glass and a spray of water had come off them and hit her face.
"Oh oh really…gonna be like that Logan?" she said following the shocked wiping off that had followed as he gave her a smug smile.
She launched herself towards his glass and across him only to be stopped by his hands clasping her to him and falling sideways a bit, the opposite way she was trying to reach.
A not particularly serious struggle. She avoided those in real life. All joking fights could easily be won by her, whether it be the pillow fights she'd randomly have with OC as the boredom would all of a sudden become too much and something was lobbed at the other or stupid stuff like this with Logan.
Somehow she missed for a few moments exactly how she ended up. Straddling Logan as his hands firmly grasped her wrists. It ended almost as suddenly as it began as they were mid-breathy laugh facing each other. Suddenly realizing just how in contact they were. His hands left her wrists, but they didn't abandon her, one trailed a few inches down her waist. The other found itself on her bent leg.
It had been impossible to stay away. She'd think about it later and equate it with two magnets. That pull that you hand no chance of controlling. Forces on two ends trying to hold them apart, but the draw was just too strong. They'd finally come together.
Desperately needy.
His hands both found their way to her waist and back as they kissed. No need to pause for breath, after all some things were more necessary than air.
Eventually he manipulated her so she was on the couch and he was over her. More in control as Logan always had to be. Two dominant personalities. Always striving to be on top. This however was one incidence she had no desire to fight for the top dog position.
That was how Cindy found them. Breathless, but fully clothed. Dry humping had been OC's term for it as she walked in time to see Max's legs flying to the floor and to hear Logan clearing his throat. They both turned to her with stunned faces, trying to figure out exactly how that had just happened before Logan said his good-byes.
"Don't even bother," OC began as Max tried to look innocent once the door shut. "Boy's got too much scruff for you to hide it."
She looked over confused.
"Your face is red," she explained the tell-tale sign.
OoooOoooO
"Yea well most friends would give some type of clue; Original Cindy did not expect to be walkin' in on that."
Hmm that was starting to be a common occurrence.
OoooOoooO
Wednesday
"We should probably talk," Logan voice whispered as she'd been walking into the living room and he'd been walking out. The hallway suddenly growing small.
She was leaning up against the wall as his voice was heavy above her.
Any thoughts of moving had disappeared instantly upon them passing each other.
"Talking is highly overrated," she heard that cocky voice emerging from her lips without being aware she was even speaking.
His lips had smirked up.
Her entire body had shifted up as his arm had come around her.
They'd finally come together and it seemed now like nothing could keep them apart. The forces that had been holding apart the magnets had finally fallen to the side.
Like horny teenage kids they'd gone at it in the hallway until Bling finally arrived thankfully late for the dinner Logan had promised earlier in the month.
OoooOoooO
Max found herself smiling as they were told to have a seat and someone would be out for them in a few minutes.
"Yea just friends boo," Cindy said under her breath as they took their seats.
"Shut up," Max shook her head with a smile.
"Whatever just saying this, whatever it is has some serious perks," Original Cindy laughed.
Max shook her head.
Cindy leaned back and wondered exactly how dense Max thought she was. She'd never ask, she'd never tell, but she saw how the girl looked up at the tv when Eyes Only was on. It had taken her a few months, she'd admit that, but finally she saw it enough. Saw the smile in the girl's eyes upon seeing Eyes Only on tv, the smile she'd always see while talking to or about Logan.
"I'll take them back," Original Cindy turned to the voice. The redhead talking to the blonde as Max continued to sit there like an idiot smiling at nothing.
"Max?" the redhead asked in shock as she walked over.
Max snapped to attention, "Valerie?"
"As normal, I'm one step behind," Cindy smiled as she casually checked out the redhead.
"Uh, Original Cindy, Valerie," Max nodded. " Logan's ex wife," she tacked on.
"Didn't know he had one of those," she smiled as she extended a hand.
"Boy gets around," Max smiled though never bothering to look away from the enemy. "Didn't expect to see you here Valerie, how have you been, how's Deke?"
"We're separated," she smiled. "I'm assuming you and Logan are good?"
"Life's been good to both of us lately," Max replied. Not at all allowing herself to give into the other woman's need to gossip.
"That's good to know," she nodded. "I was glad to see him so happy this summer."
Max almost scoffed in the other woman's face for not saying what she was thinking. Standing. She'd been happy to see him standing. Or better yet shocked.
"Yea well everyone's happy," Cindy said a moment later as Max refused to allow herself to say anything and nodded towards them both reminding them they were here for a purpose.
"I'll take you back now, tell Logan I said hello?"
"You got it," she smiled.
ooOoo
"Being beaten with a branch should not feel that good," Cindy said stretching even further as they waited upon the tables for their masseuses to make an appearance. Max having ducked out of their time in the sauna to download the information in a certain mistress's PDA to the one Logan had given her, the entire reason for this trip to the spa, returning just in time to be called out and whipped by the warm branches that had been soaked in olive oil.
"Bet it felt a lot better against warm skin," Max muttered.
"Own damn fault," Original Cindy smiled. "She was pretty," she finally commented.
"I know," Max's replied dryly.
"Why'd they'd end?"
"She was a user," Max casually supplied.
Cindy laughed, "Says the girl who's fed by him at least twice a week."
"It's different," she frowned, "trust me he owes me." She'd be there even if the meal really was macaroni and cheese with hotdogs…Everything else was just extra, nice, but still extra.
ooOoo
Original Cindy let out a snicker as Max slid into the tan ribbed turtleneck. "I think I was strangled in a past life," she shook her head as she repeated the words under her breath.
"Hey you got a better idea?" Max asked as she turned. Sure the waterproof makeup seemed to be holding up, but there wasn't any reason to risk it and for that she needed to keep the guy's hands away from her neck.
Cindy's hands rose up as she bit back a laugh. "You look very professional," she said with a nod towards Max's outfit. The tan ribbed turtleneck had been paired with a slim fitting black skirt that fell just below her knees and completed with the black stilettos with the fat band around her ankles that she's worn for New Years. "Got just the right amount of vamp in it with the shoes," she said looking down. She wondered how many fantasies Logan had involving those shoes because she was having a few right now, granted they weren't on Max, but she was pretty sure in his they would be.
"Yea," Max said tugging at the collar. "Hair dresser," she shrugged, "barcode. Kinda limited my options. You sure I look okay?" she asked walking over to a mirror.
"Boo, you could wear a sack and still be hot."
Max rolled her eyes and looked down at her hand. "What color do you think I should do my nails?"
"You sure Logan's okay with you blowing this much money?" Facials, followed by a massage, which they were now capping off with manis and pedis and Max was having her hair done.
She shrugged, "Hey he gets his, I get mine." There was no way in hell she was sharing with OC more than just the basics of Logan suggesting she take Original Cindy with her. No way did she need to know that he'd actually said, 'splurge, go crazy,' when she'd started pestering him about him. Lingering guilt complex, she was pretty sure, boy still isn't over getting CI up and running again.
ooOoo
He was causing this thing in her lately. Making her forget to breathe upon her first sight of him. It had happened before, but it hadn't stopped happening since that kiss in the kitchen. There was a reason she hadn't wanted to talk. She hadn't wanted to listen to him talk his way out of…whatever this was. He'd said it quickly on breathy and smiling lips, 'This is crazy.'
While she mentally didn't disagree with him, she didn't want it to stop. Whatever it was she wanted it for just a little while longer.
He turned and the way he smiled made all of this worth it. The panicking over the her barcode, getting whipped by branches, getting even further plucked because apparently her arch needed a little more definition (though she didn't see any change), the fact that her turtleneck had become decently wet and had only started to dry after her haircut was over. Not that you could even see her haircut now after the hairdresser had swept her hair into a loose updo, or maybe it was a downdo or something since it was low and to the back, she'd have to ask Cindy exactly what this was called.
"You look amazing," he said as they met up in the middle of the waiting area.
"Not too shabby yourself," she said with a smile and a nod towards his head, "you feel left our by the girls day at the spa?"
He laughed and shook his head, "I got a haircut yesterday and she took a little too much off."
Well that explained his shorter and suddenly much lighter locks that appeared to have almost no product in them. "She took off your glasses and scruff?" she asked in an amused voice.
A slightly sheepish look, "They seemed a little misplaced with my hair and outfit." That might be true since professional seemed to be the term to describe them both today. Logan had broken out yet another of his handful of suits and paired it with an icy blue tie, he'd even thrown on a long black overcoat instead of his more casual coats.
"Says the guy who had full out crazy hair for a wedding," she smiled with a tilted head.
A silent laugh.
"Look at you two," Cindy said walking up to them a moment later having detoured to the bathroom, "just how fancy is this place?"
"Hey Original Cindy," he smiled, "it's decently upscale. They've decided to ignore that the Pulse ever happened."
"Le Gourmand Restaurant," Max supplied.
"Oooh, you aren't kidding. Delivered a package there once, thought they were going to shoot me for using the front door."
"Speaking of the restaurant wasn't I meeting you there?"
"It's raining," he explained as if it weren't self-explanatory by the tall umbrella in his hand.
"It's always raining."
"Yes but you haven't normally just had your hair done. I figured you wouldn't want to walk. Not to mention I didn't know where Original Cindy was going, I thought she might need a ride."
"Actually Sug, I'm good," she said tossing up her hood. "Gotta blaze if I wanna make my bus though. You two have fun and don't forget doggie bags are always welcome. Thanks for the treat Logan, never knew a man's hands could feel so good."
He smiled and shook his head with laughter, "You're welcome."
"See you at home girl."
"Later," she nodded.
"I'll go settle the bill since I'm here," he nodded another moment of silence later as they both realized they were alone again, "then we can get going."
ooOoo
" Logan," a perfectly feminine voice called out as Logan had just finished signing his name.
Damn, Max thought as she realized she'd completely forgotten about the other woman. What was happening to her lately.
"Valerie," he looked over stunned.
"Max didn't say you were coming to pick her up," she said walking closer with a smile.
"We have dinner plans with Bennett," he explained though why he did he wasn't exactly sure. Just seemed easier than to think of something vague.
"Oh," she nodded, "tell him I said hi. I should let you guys go. Don't want to keep him waiting."
"Good seeing you Valerie," he refused to allow his voice to make any 'uh' noises to show his confusion or discomfort and as his automatically went to seek out Max's back covered by the camel overcoat he had this sudden urge to snap it away. Regardless of not wanting to be one of those people who had to prove to others that they really were great he suddenly remembered the 'platonic' talk he'd given himself in the mirror just before leaving the house. God he just kept having the trouble remembering the reasons for it when she was so close…
ooOoo
"Okay so explain this whole shaken thing again," Max asked with a smile as they sat at the bar.
He smiled and turned more towards her and further away from the bar. She'd gotten it in her head after seeing a Bond film that she had to try a martini his way. Maybe he'd gotten it right where Original Cindy had failed, she'd said as she stuck out her tongue.
"Shaking it bruises the gin and changes the feel of the vermouth," he explained.
"How exactly can you bruise a liquid?" she asked with eyes about to roll.
He gave a low laugh, "I don't know Max, I failed to take the science behind bartending class in college. It makes it taste a little sharper."
"And he does this to his why?"
"Because he's Bond, James Bond," he keeping a straight face.
"Now what are you having?" she asked, he'd said he'd keep it in theme and ordered a Martini, dirty. Words like that were just not meant to keep her mind in check.
"It's a normal martini with olive juice."
She made a face.
"Mine has olive juice while yours has vodka," he said with a smile and a shake.
"Hey he's shaking yours too," she said finally paying attention to the bartender.
"I'm not a martini snob like my uncle was," he explained with an amused look that was similar to the one on the bartenders.
"What makes a person a martini snob?" she looked highly pleased awaiting his explanation.
"Anything that isn't a classic. Gin, dry vermouth and either an olive or a lemon peel. And of course stirred," he smiled, "not shaken."
"Seemed to me like Jonas wouldn't have turned down anything with booze in it."
"Good point," he said picking up the glass that had just been pushed towards him and raised it in cheers form.
She laughed and did the same, the proceeded to make a face as she was caught off guard by the taste.
The bartender and Logan both let out low laughs as she tried to play it off.
"Do you want something else?"
"I'm good," she said as she took another sip continuing to be disgusted inwardly by it, but not outwardly.
"You sure?"
She nodded.
"They have the liqueur for a white chocolate martini," he said not needing to look out onto the bar having expected this reaction once she'd decided she wanted one after seeing the movie.
"I had the option of chocolate and you let me order this?" she asked with annoyed eyes.
He laughed.
ooOoo
"Hey Logan," a male voice interrupted their controlled laughter as they casually bs-ed while waiting for Bennett and Marianne, Max continuing to nurse her martini, which she swore she was getting used to.
"John," Logan said turning with a smile upon seeing one of Bennett's old high school friends that Max briefly remembered seeing at the wedding. A solid, normal looking fellow of average eyes with dark hair and eyes. Intelligent eyes. She was guessing the majority of intelligent eyes that had passed through their house had been friends of Bennett.
"You remember my wife Lisa," he said regarding the blonde at his side as Logan automatically made the move to stand and give a proper greeting.
Funny how even a decade later that stuff was still embedded in him.
He smiled and nodded, "Of course, my friend, Max. I think you met at the wedding."
"We did," his wife smiled the woman's smile of checking the other woman out.
"Nice to see you again," Max said appearing to be fine, but uncomfortably knowing that the other woman was judging her and deeming her unworthy of Logan, courtesy of Margo she was guessing.
"I hope you don't mind, we're intruding on your dinner. Lisa and Marianne ran into each other today and a night out without the kids seemed like heaven."
Logan's confusion was more than just slightly evident, he hadn't remembered the other man getting married when he'd met his wife at the wedding and definitely hadn't remembered kids.
"Two, a boy and a girl. Kyle's seven and Jordan's three."
"Really?"
Everyone laughed but Logan, who looked a little more sheepish than amused.
"Ask him how long it took him to remember Marianne's name," Max teased with a smile. "You almost had a toast to Bennett and Marion."
"In my defense I hadn't met her yet."
"Yea yea yea," Max smiled with their easy banter.
ooOoo
Max found herself growing more annoyed the longer she was in the company of Lisa. Lisa kept giving her the 'arm candy' and 'gold-digger' looks she was used to seeing from Margo. Not that she hadn't seen the looks from others beside Margo as she'd meet up with Logan somewhere right after work and always looking like a bum next to his polished outfits. Today though she was only seeing it from the other woman, which made her realize without a doubt she'd been in contact with Margo. She knew exactly how she looked today and how he did. Even more years had been shaved off of him with the glasses and hair; truthfully she wouldn't have thought there was more than a year difference between them if she didn't know the truth. They fit in with the crowd here. All the guys in suits having not bothered to change after work or maybe just freshen up. The women all casually refined, a few in dresses, but some even just in pants.
Why the hell did it bother her? She wondered as she took a sip of the perfectly paired wine for their soup. Bennett having basically begged and pleaded for the seven course meal that would be guaranteed to keep him out of his house and his son over at Bitsy's for as long as possible.
The celebration he'd tried to tell Logan about that early morning having actually been the fact that Bitsy had decided Brittany had to get used to her little cousin after the fire. So he'd taken advantage of Bitsy being without a nanny on the weekend and trapped in the house and dropped Nicholas off with her.
Then she realized with a sad smile watching Logan's easy laughter with the other men. It was because it mattered to him. All of this mattered to him. Their opinions mattered. Otherwise this could have taken place a year ago. He couldn't have been this happy then though. Not in the chair. Not as he thought others were judging him. No he needed to be as he appeared now. 'Complete' in his mind. The vision of physical perfection. A guy no one in this restaurant would be surprised to see on the tennis courts first thing tomorrow morning.
It pained her to say the least. Pained and reminded her of what she realized so many months ago, she wouldn't let him lose this happiness again. She'd break into however many army warehouses she needed to if anything ever happened to his exo.
He paused in his conversation, completely forgetting what he'd been about to respond to his cousin's joking remarks as he saw her face fall.
He didn't speak just caught her eyes and his lips quickly frowned and they raised up in a small smile to draw her out of whatever it was that just happened.
A small flash of pain crossed her eyes as her lips went up in a weak attempt at a reassuring smile.
He frowned again and ran his thumb along her jaw as he continued to seek out the answer in her eyes without making a production of it at the table.
There was suddenly an outburst in French as a woman pushed angrily up from the table next to them and their eyes widened looking at each other. They along with John gave into an attempt at controlled laughter as the man went chasing after her.
"What was that?" Marianne asked as her eyes shot back over to their table and not the departing couple, her eyes wide with confusion and interest.
"Ooh," Logan said shaking his head wondering what exactly the guy had done to deserve that being yelled in public.
"That was wrong," John agreed.
Max continued to chuckle.
"Will someone please share what's so funny with the rest of the class?" Marianne asked with a smile.
Max leaned forward and in a hushed tones she explained, "She told him to take his small dick back to his wife because she didn't want it anymore."
"Damn see that's why I should have taken French instead of German," Bennett said with a shake of his head. Well that and all the hottest girls in their high school had been in there as well.
"When exactly have you ever used German Bennett?" Logan suddenly asked with questioning eyes.
"It was supposed to be good for business," he defended. "Not all of us chose their courses based on foods they liked to eat."
They all laughed.
"I didn't know you spoke French Max," Bennett asked with an interested look.
"What can I say," she shrugged, "I'm a renaissance kinda girl."
"You've got to be to keep up with this cousin of mine," Bennett gestured with his glass.
Max smiled and leaned back. Suddenly realizing the blonde's eyes were upon her in lingering shock.
She smiled even brighter as jokes were begun to be made about the adulterer who had just been called out on it in the middle of the restaurant. She remembered the words she had said to him so long ago. 'Don't talk to me about snooty. With my DNA I'm pretty much a blood relative to everybody who's been anybody, ever. Winston Churchill…Einstein…Pocahontas.'
She belonged.
More importantly than that she realized as he moved in to whisper a joke privately to her. She was wanted.
Umm okay so that was my last 'I'm completely sure of what's going to be in it' chapter. If you've got anything you want to see happen between them now would be the time to speak. Over on the DAR board is a list of possibilities if you want to weed through those.
Thanks for reading!