I think you guys are going to be really happy with this chapter. Thanks again for all the review more are much appreciated. Thanks for reading and enjoy.
The next day
It had been a fairly slow day at the restaurant. Not much had happened, even Logan coming in for his lunch break was fairly uneventful. As much as Louise hated to admit it he was getting more tolerable with time. It also didn't hurt she was working prep in the kitchen when he stopped by.
Louise was in the middle of trying to spell out her initials in spitballs on the kitchen ceiling when Bob interrupted. "Louise that's not sanitary" he scolds.
"Nothing fun's sanitary" complains Louise as she completes the L.
"Fine you want fun? Run over to the store and pick up a couple heads of lettuce. We're out" suggests Bob. "Wow dad I don't know, that sounds overwhelmingly fun" answers Louise sarcastically.
"Just go" sighs Bob pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes in frustration.
"Ahemmmm" says Louise clearing her throat and outstretching her hand.
"Oh right" says Bob pulling out his wallet and handing Louise a twenty dollar bill. "Please bring back the change" begs Bob.
"What I can't hear you?" yells Louise as she runs out of the restaurant.
Louise was too busy trying to see her dad's reaction to notice Logan. It wasn't until it was too late that she tried to stop and ended up colliding with him and the two cardboard boxes he was carrying.
"Watch where you're going Bush" spits Louise standing back up and examining her scraped knees.
"Says the girl who ran into me" replies Logan testily picking up some of his clothes off the sidewalk that fell out of the boxes. "Are you ok?" asks Logan noticing Louise's knees.
"Why would you care?" asks Louise bitterly turning to leave. "You should seriously put some disinfectant on that" says Logan.
"Thanks mom"replies Louise sarcastically stepping on a shirt as she starts to walk away. "You missed one" says Louise as she picks up the T shirt and places it in one of the boxes. "Wait what are you doing with all your clothes?" asks Louise in confusion.
"I was going to tell you when I got lunch but you never made an appearance. I'm moving in Charlie's apartment" announces Logan with a grin.
Louise doesn't answer she just keeps walking. This shouldn't be that surprising. By the rate the Logan situation had been escalating this was just the next logical step. Geez, first he's back in town next he's working next-door and now he's her next-door neighbor. What's this world coming to?
The next day
It was the fourth of July. Bob had considered closing the restaurant for the holiday but Wonder Wharf was hosting a concert and fireworks so the entire area was going to be packed. Charlie on the other hand didn't except much business that day so he stayed closed allowing Logan to have the entire day off. He ended up sleeping till noon and spending a majority of the day rearranging the furniture in his apartment. He decided to visit Wonder Wharf for a bit before the fireworks show started and headed downstairs.
Charlie was in the reception area of the Studio using the computer's printer, Rosie was sitting on the floor next to him. "Hello Logan" greets Charlie.
"Hi Charlie" answers Logan cheerfully.
"Going to the Wonder Wharf? asks Charlie.
"Yep" says Logan.
"Would you mind passing out these flyers for me?" asks Charlie picking up a stack from the printer.
"No problem" says Logan good naturedly taking the flyers from him. "Have fun" says Charlie as Logan walks out the door. Logan had taken a few steps down the sidewalk when he hears the door open
"Hang on Logan I missed a few flyers" calls Charlie. As Logan turns around a small firework is set off across the street by the Pesto twins causing a loud bang. Rosie bolts out of the studio and takes off down the street towards the Wharf.
"Shit" curses Charlie. "I forgot she's afraid of fireworks"
"I'll get her" yells Logan quickly as he sprints after her.
By the time Logan reached Wonder Wharf Rosie was out of sight. Lost somewhere in the crowd of people. As Logan searched for her he passed out flyers. By the time Logan finished the stack he had walked all through the Wonder Wharf and still hadn't found Rosie. Poor girl must be terrified. Logan hoped he would find her be able to find Rosie before the fireworks started.
Meanwhile
Louise had just gotten off work. Business had died down a lot since the fireworks were going to start soon. Bob let the kids go making them promise to return as soon the show was over anticipating a second wave of customers after. Gene wanted to watch the local bands performing during the show and Tina had wanted to hang out at the Wharf with her friends. Louise wasn't really a fan of huge crowds and wasn't too crazy about either of their plans so she headed to the beach to watch the fireworks. Fireworks were better on the beach anyway.
As Louise walked down the beach to distance herself from the noise of the Wharf she noticed something under a picnic table a little bit further down the beach. As she got closer she realized it was Charlie's dog Rosie. "Rosie?" asks Louise. The dog lifted up her head and looked at Louise. Awww poor thing must have gotten scared and ran off. Louise walked up to the table and sat down on the bench to scratch Rosie's head.
The fireworks were supposed to start any minute now so Louise grabbed ahold of Rosie's collar. Louise notices Rosie's ears perk up and then hears someone whistling down the beach towards the Wharf. A tall dark figure jogs toward them in distance.
"Rosie?" calls the voice. It's Logan.
"She over here" yells Louise.
"Good" replies Logan as he approaches the picnic table. "I've been looking all over for her"
"Nice job losing her" says Louise sarcastically.
"I didn't lose her" answers Logan defensively. "She got out when Charlie opened the door" explains Logan. "But that does sound like something I'd do" says Logan kneeling down on the sand to pet Rosie.
Louise is temporarily taken aback. Did Logan just admit he could make a mistake? Just then the first firework goes off and Rosie lunges away but Louise was still holding her collar so she didn't go anywhere.
"Smart move holding her collar. That could have been bad" praises Logan as he sits down next to Louise and grabs on to Rosie's collar. Louise lets go.
Logan's being nice? More fireworks continue to go off.
"I don't really get why everyone's watching the show at the wharf" comments Logan.
"I know it's so crowded there while the beach is deserted" agrees Louise. They're silent for a minute while they watch the fireworks.
"It wasn't until I got to the Wharf to look for Rosie that I realized how much I missed being here" says Logan suddenly. "It was such a staple of my childhood" he continues. Louise nods in agreement. "To be honest I kind of missed messing with you also" confesses Logan.
"I thought you always hated me" says Louise surprised.
"Naw I just like pushing your buttons. You've always been fun to get a reaction out of" admits Logan. "Did you hate me?" he asks.
"A little" divulges Louise. "A lot less now" she says quietly looking down at the sand.
"What was that?" asks Logan with a grin, his cockiness returning.
"I'm not repeating it" says Louise through clenched teeth. "Am I growing on you?" asks Logan the smile leaking into his voice. Louise crosses her arms choosing to ignore the question.
"Louise it's ok for feelings to change" says Logan seriously.
All the air inside of Louise is sucked out. She was not expecting him to say that at all.
"Louise" says Logan again.
Louise turns to look at him. His face lights up as the fireworks go off over the water. Louise watches as his features go from light to dark as the fireworks go on and off. All of a sudden every firework seems to go off at once. The grand finale. Logan's face is completely illuminated and Louise takes in every detail of his face.
His dark blue eyes, his pointy eyebrows, the v shaped scar above his right eyebrow, the scattered freckles under his eyes and on the bridge of his nose, his soft looking lips.
Shit. Louise's heart rate picks up. She realizes Logan has been staring at her also. He's leaning god she's leaning in too. He's even doing the head tilt thing so their noses don't bump.
Their lips touch and it's electric. It's so cliche she wants to throw up but that's just how it is. Despite that it's still perfect. Multiple fireworks are going off per second Logan's lips taste like cotton candy. The last fireworks go out and they pull away from each other.
They sit in silence for a couple seconds. "Were you eating cotton candy?" asks Louise finally saying something.
"Yeah…?" answers Logan still in shock. "Do you want some?" he asks awkwardly pulling a mostly eaten bag out of his cargo shorts pocket.