Chapter 13: Helluva First Day

Veronica came home to find a heavenly scent radiating through the condo.

"Hi, honey, I'm home." Veronica slung her blazer over the couch and threw her purse nearby. She pulled her heels off and slung them, too.

If he's wearing an apron, I swear...

"So, how was the first day at the FBI?" Logan asked, sans apron, as he stirred the source of the heavenly scent on the stovetop.

"Strange..." Veronica said, tailing off, much more interesting in the bubbling sauce Logan was stirring. She snapped back to reality after getting a whiff of his clean scent.

"Hard work today? Needed a shower?"

"I went for a run before I started dinner. Thought you'd appreciate it," Logan laughed as he playfully slapped her hand away.

"So, not such hard work, huh?" she asked, successfully sneaking a finger into the sauce.

"Well, I successfully negotiated my first deal, so Connie was happy to let me leave a little early."

"Well, now, I'm impressed. First day and already you're taking over Virginia."

"Today Virginia...tomorrow the world..." Logan smiled as he held the spoon to Veronica's lips.

"Delicious," she moaned. "Wow, I didn't know you had any surprises left for me."

"There's a lot you don't know, my dear."

Veronica smiled and giggled at Logan's playfulness.

"So, what was so strange about the feds?"

Veronica sighed as she placed dinnerware on the table and retrieved glasses from the cabinet.

"Well, we had an orientation and all like I expected, then a few of us were singled out to this conference room. We were told we had been selected to participate in special training."

"That's great, isn't it?"

"I guess."

"You aren't totally psyched about this opportunity?"

"It's not that, Logan..." she said, folding napkins and placing silverware over them.

"Well, what is it?"

"Let's face it, Logan, I'm surprised I even made it this far. They were certain to run every kind of background check possible. After my run-in with them with the whole Duncan thing, I'm surprised they even let me come here."

"Yeah, ok, I see your point."

"I mean, I figured, if anything, they let me come here so they could investigate me. Now they want to send me to Quantico for a week?"

"Wow, you didn't tell me that special training was like, real training."

"Yeah, they're putting us through a mini "boot-camp" for four days next week."

"Sounds cool," Logan said, setting a delicious smelling roasting pan on the table.

"Yeah, I'm completely psyched, but..."

"But, you're afraid there's some ulterior motive behind it all?"

Veronica opened her mouth but words wouldn't come out. She completely expected to be yelling at Logan by now, telling him why she should absolutely be upset about this while he dismissed her concerns. Now, here he was, agreeing with her?

"Well, on that note..." he smiled," how about breaking for dinner?"

"I am starving. And it smells heavenly."

"Oh, that's me, sugarbritches."

"Yeah, well, I thought as much," Veronica teased.

They enjoyed a quiet dinner, only chit-chatting about nonsense stuff. Veronica continuously complimented Logan on the deliciousness of it all. Suddenly, she gasped.

"What's wrong?"

"I've been a total witch. I have barely asked about your day. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. It wasn't nearly as cool as FBI camp."

"Not true," she argued. "You told me you closed a deal. On your first day?"

"Yeah, I found this little house a few miles away that needs a little love and Connie thinks I can flip it for a good profit. I made an offer and we're closing next week."

"Oh my gosh, Logan, that is amazing."

"Connie was impressed, I think. Hopefully, I can actually make a little money this summer."

"Like you need more?"

"In fact-I do. I mean, this two-coast living can get expensive. By the time you've interned four summers here, I could have burned through half my trust fund."

Veronica laughed, trying to ignore the deep subcontext of what Logan had just said. Fortunately, he let her.

"Like you can't do that on your own."

"I could, but I'm trying to mature a little, you know."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot."

Their banter continued through desert. They decided it would be a good idea to burn off all those calories with a little run around the lake.

The night was perfect. The warm, humid air was not overpowering like it would be by mid-July. The lake breeze made a nice atmosphere and the clear sky shone bright with stars. They twinkled happily as they looked down upon a tired twosome that finally collapsed underneath a tall oak at the edge of the water near their building.

"I think we burned off those calories, alright."

"Yep, I think you're right. What was up with you?"

"I don't want to go to Quantico looking like a bum next to all those other interns. Some of 'em look pretty tough."

"Ha! Next to Veronica Mars, I can't imagine anyone looking, 'tough' "

"Funny."

"Who's joking?" he laughed, rolling over to pull a loose strand of hair from Veronica's face. He raised up on his elbows and stared into Veronica's eyes.

"Thanks," she said, almost breathless.

He leaned in slowly, almost waiting for permission. She answered by lifting her head up and meeting his lips before he could take the lead. He immediately joined her kiss, wrapping her in his arms and flipping her over his own body. They stopped only when the air ran out.

Against all that the feeling that ran through his body, Logan pushed her off gently and stood up. He reached an arm out for Veronica.

"Come 'on. I need another shower."

Veronica was speechless. She just grabbed his hand and walked back with him, silently. She wasn't sure what to think or feel. Part of her was relieved, amazed, and impressed at Logan's sudden show of restraint. The other part was angry at him for just turning off like that. While she wasn't quite ready to take the next step in their new relationship, she was a little aggrivated about him getting her all worked up and then just turning it off.

Logan headed straight to his bathroom. Veronica decided to head to the balcony for some air. She was lost in thought, absorbed in the night air when she heard Logan call her name. She walked back inside.

"Yeah?" she yelled. There was no response.

She yelled louder the second time.

"Yes, Logan?"

There was still no answer. She walked down the hall towards his room. The door was only partially closed. She called again.

"What do you need, Logan?"

Logan stepped out of the bathroom, dripping wet, a towel thrown around his waist haphazardly.

"What do you want, Veronica?" he asked, with a slight annoyance in his voice?

"Me? You're the one who called me."

"No, I didn't."

"Yeah, you did. I heard you. I was outside on the balcony. I answered, but you didn't say anything."

"I didn't call you, Veronica," Logan said, with a slight wavering now present in his inflection.

"So, I'm hearing things?"

"I guess so."

"Okay, sorry. I'm going to take a shower now."

Veronica turned around and left Logan's room and headed down the hall to her own room.

Logan quickly shut the door to the bathroom and banged his head against the door.

"Damn," he breathed, and got back in to finish his shower.