A/N I know it's been forever, and I'm so sorry for the wait. It's been a hectic year. Thank you so much for your continued support, despite the terribly long delays between chapters. I'm so grateful that people haven't given up on this story. I want to say a special thanks to fatherlessgirls, for letting me bounce ideas off of her in the early stages of writing this that have helped keep me on track. Thanks girlie!
ETA: I'm such a space case lately. HUGE thank you also to KatiePotatie for reading parts of this in advance and giving me her thoughts. And also for putting up with my whining about it. :)
Chapter 7
"Is that your third cup of coffee, Logan?"
"Yes," he replied shortly. "So what? Don't you have anything better to do than count how many cups of coffee I've had this morning?"
Madison's mouth dropped open at his response, clearly offended. Logan looked down, busying himself with stirring cream into his coffee. He hadn't intended to be so brusque. But he couldn't seem to muster up the energy to apologize, or even to care. He set his spoon down and glanced up. Duncan was regarding him with a questioning frown, but he remained silent.
"Hey, Logan, can you pass me the salt?" Trina asked.
"It's closer to you than it is to me," he pointed out, leaning back and taking a sip of his coffee.
She rolled her eyes, but reached over and grabbed it herself. "Well aren't you just a little ray of sunshine, this morning?" she commented.
Logan said nothing, and Madison finally spoke up. "What's up with you today?"
"Nothing," he replied, glancing down at his watch. It's almost eleven. Is she still sleeping?
"Well if the bloodshot eyes are any indication," Trina smirked, "my guess is that he has quite the hangover."
"Join the club," Conner grumbled, taking a long sip of his Bloody Mary.
"Tell me about it," Madison remarked, although she looked in far better shape than the rest of them. "When did we end up going to bed, anyway?"
"Around three, I think," Duncan replied.
"Speak for yourself," Trina said, shooting a sly smile at her husband. "Some of us stayed up to enjoy our private hot tub."
Duncan made a face and glanced at Madison, who shared his distaste for hearing about Conner and Trina's escapades. They both agreed that their older sister was far too open about her sex life.
But Madison was too distracted to notice her brother's look. Instead, she continued to watch Logan. "So how come you never came back up, last night?" she asked him.
Logan shrugged. "I fell asleep watching The Exorcist," he lied smoothly. Maybe she couldn't find the right room, after all? Or maybe she doesn't even remember making plans with me?
Madison looked from Logan to her brother. "And why are you so quiet, this morning?"
"I'm just wondering where Meg is," Duncan answered quietly.
"She's probably busy ordering up some 'M.K.' monogrammed bath towels," Logan suggested dryly, taking a sip of coffee. Or maybe she stood you up? Just like her sister stood me up?
Madison giggled, but Duncan shot him a look. Logan glanced at his friend. "Sorry," he muttered. "Bad joke."
Duncan nodded, but he was a bit annoyed by Logan's comment. And he was worried about Meg. He knew that she liked to get up early, just as he did. They'd discussed, last night, how they both enjoyed the stillness of the morning, and the promise of a new day. So he'd invited Meg to meet him for breakfast in the Tea Room around nine. He'd known the others would still be asleep then, and he'd been looking forward to spending some time alone with her.
But it's almost eleven, and she's not here. Is she still feeling sick? Or is she avoiding me? Duncan thought back to the previous night, wondering if he'd said or done anything that may have upset her. Maybe I've been coming on too strong? Maybe she's having second thoughts about coming on this trip with us? I just don't know how to act, around her… I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since we met.
He stood up abruptly and tossed his napkin onto the table. "I'm going to go check on them."
Logan set down his coffee cup. "I'll go with you," he offered. He started to rise from his seat, but Duncan held up his hand.
"Thanks, I got it," he replied firmly. He walked away from the table quickly.
Logan watched as Duncan exited the room, and then he sat back down and stared at the empty plate in front of him. Great. Now Duncan's pissed off at me and I don't get to find out what's going on.
Madison glanced at Trina. "He's awfully touchy about Meg, isn't he?"
"He hasn't been himself since we got here," Trina agreed. She turned to Logan. "Neither have you, come to think of it."
"Yeah, well it's hard to be your full fucking self when it feels like the Keebler Elves have set up shop in your head," he replied. "Some Advil and another cup of coffee and I'll be back to my usual charming ways." Logan turned to Madison with a wry smile. "That'll be four cups, if you're still counting."
Madison didn't return his smile. Instead, she looked at him speculatively. Then she turned back to her sister. "You're right, Trina. The Logan I know never goes to sleep before midnight."
"You caught me," Logan spoke up, before Trina could reply. "Meg was just playing sick, last night. The two of us are actually having a torrid affair."
Trina laughed. "So she's really ordering up 'M.E.' towels, then?"
"Well, every girl is all about me, aren't they?" Logan smirked.
Trina rolled her eyes, but couldn't think of a good comeback. Madison turned to her sister. "Well, we should be grateful that Logan's taken a liking to Meg, shouldn't we? I mean, Duncan will be crushed. But at least we won't get stuck with the Mars family."
Logan said nothing, and Madison's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she turned back towards him. "I'd be careful if I were you, though," she continued. "If you keep showing so much attention to Veronica, she may be the one ordering up those towels, soon."
He smiled pleasantly back at her. "I don't think she's sewing the name 'Veronica Echolls' into her underwear just yet," he replied. "Of course, when she sees me with my shirt off later at the pool… Well, I can't make any promises."
Conner snorted. "No one's gonna be looking at you when you're next to me, dude," he pointed out. "And I'm planning on hanging by the pool all day. My tan needs some serious work." He glanced at Logan with a satisfied smile. "So if you're worried these chicks are into you, just chill out by me today. It'll sort of be like you're invisible."
"Good looking out, Beefcake," Logan responded. He nodded at Conner's Bloody Mary. "Dude, you know there are like eight hundred calories in one of those things, don't you?"
"For real?" Conner asked. "Damn." He set his drink down with a frown and stood up. "Now I gotta go hit the treadmill. See you guys later."
Logan grinned to himself as Conner walked away. But the glow of his victory was short-lived. And as Madison changed the topic to which of her new bikini's she was going to wear later, he found himself staring into his coffee cup and wondering what the hell was taking Duncan so long.
xxXxx
When Veronica heard the knock at her door, she assumed it was one of the crew members informing her that she'd missed breakfast. So she didn't bother to tie up her robe, fully aware that they'd all seen her the night before anyway. But when she saw it was Duncan at the door, she pulled her robe tightly around her and only kept the door opened a crack.
"Hey, Duncan," she greeted him politely. "Is everything okay?"
"I was actually here to ask you the same question," he replied. A bit taken aback that she wasn't letting him in, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other awkwardly. Despite all efforts to behave like a gentleman, he couldn't help glancing into the room curiously.
Veronica, catching his look, took a quick moment to consider the situation. And then she stepped backward and pulled the door open all the way. "I'm sorry. Come on in."
Duncan stepped inside a bit hesitantly, glancing around immediately for Meg but not finding her. He gave Veronica a questioning look, and she sighed and gestured for him to come further inside.
"I know Meg doesn't want me to say anything," she began quietly. "But I don't want you to think we're being anti-social." She looked towards the bathroom, and then back at Duncan. "The truth is, she's a little bit seasick."
"Oh no, is she okay?" Duncan asked worriedly. "Should I tell the captain to head back to Neptune?"
Veronica suppressed a smile, gratified that he was once again showing so much concern for her sister's well-being. "No, she's pretty adamant that she'll be okay by tonight." Duncan didn't look convinced, so she continued. "She used to have this problem when we were kids, but she hasn't gotten it in a really long time. She usually packs some Dramamine, just in case, but she forgot it."
"I'm sure there's some on board. Let me go check with the staff to see what I can find," he offered.
"Honestly, she probably won't be able to keep it down right now," Veronica told him.
Duncan frowned, frustrated that he couldn't be more of a help. "Well, I'll go check anyway. And I'll have them send up some toast, or something plain that might make her feel better."
"Thanks," she replied gratefully.
"Would you like something?" he asked. "You must be starving."
She shook her head, the thought of food making her stomach turn a bit. Veronica had just learned the valuable lesson that mixing six or seven different types of alcohol in one evening wasn't the brightest idea. Especially when you spend the following morning holding your sister's hair back while she pukes. "No, I'm fine. Maybe just a cup of tea?"
"No problem," Duncan said. He was just turning to leave when he caught sight of an open suitcase on one of the beds. Even from a distance, he could see that it was piled full of lacy, satin clothing.
Veronica, seeing him pause, followed the direction of his eyes. When she realized what he was looking at, she walked over to the bed and quickly closed the suitcase. She could feel herself blushing as she looked back over at Duncan, and was surprised to see that his face was flushed with color as well.
He cleared his throat. "Wow. When your sister plays a prank, she, uh, really goes all out."
"Yeah," Veronica confirmed with a wry smile. "Unfortunately for me."
Duncan looked at her thoughtfully. "I know I'm not exactly your size, but I may have a few things you can borrow. Clothes that are, you know, a little more comfortable than what you have there."
"Yeah," Veronica agreed readily. "Whatever you have would be awesome. Thank you."
Duncan nodded and turned to leave again. But Veronica spoke up when he reached the door. "Um," she began hesitantly. "When you see Logan, can you tell him I'm sorry I stood him up?"
"Stood him up?" Duncan repeated, confused.
"He, uh, probably doesn't remember," she replied offhandedly. "We were both a little tipsy. Just tell him maybe we can do it later."
Extremely curious about what kind of plans Logan had made with her, and when exactly these plans had been made, Duncan nevertheless managed to bite his tongue on his many questions. "Okay," he said. "I'll give him the message."
"Thanks."
He left, and Veronica went to check on Meg. She was sitting on the tile floor with one elbow propped against the toilet seat, and she looked utterly miserable. Veronica relayed her conversation with Duncan, and Meg gave her sister a relieved smile. While she was incredibly embarrassed, she was also happy that he now knew that she wasn't purposely avoiding him. And she was even happier that he'd come to check up on her.
The next knock on the door came from a crew member Veronica didn't recognize, who delivered a tray of tea and toast. She had just set it down on the dresser and started walking to the bathroom to get Meg, when there was a third knock on the door. She opened it to reveal Duncan, holding a black leather duffel bag.
She invited him back inside, and he set the bag down on top of Meg's bed. "Okay, so I got what I could," he told her, as he reached into the bag. "There's some Dramamine and Bonine, and then some other, sort of weird remedies the crew swears by."
Duncan handed her a variety of items, and she set them all down on the end table. "Wow. Thank you so much."
He shrugged, looking a bit embarrassed. "I just want her to feel better. This was supposed to be a fun trip, you know?"
Veronica smiled, genuinely touched by his efforts to get Meg well. Before she could say anything, he continued.
"And I want you to have fun too, so I grabbed a few things I thought you could use." He reached into the bag again, producing an armful of clothing. "Obviously, none of my jeans or shorts will fit you. But we'll be lounging around the pool for most of the day today, so if you want something to cover up with, or just something to sleep in later, maybe these will help."
She accepted the clothing that he handed her, overcome with relief that her wardrobe options had just gotten a lot less Frederick's of Hollywood. She spotted several cotton t-shirts, a couple of long-sleeved shirts, and even a pair of plaid pajama pants. Veronica set the pile of clothing down on the bed, and then turned back around to face him. "Thank you, so much. Really."
"No problem. I'm just glad I could help." Duncan glanced at the bathroom door. "Listen, if she doesn't feel better soon I'm going to tell the captain to head back." Veronica opened her mouth to protest, but he continued. "No, really. It's my choice. The others will just have to deal with it."
Veronica was well aware of how "the others" would feel about that decision, and just who they would blame, but she nodded her head. Meg's well-being took precedence for her- and, it seemed, for Duncan. "Okay," she agreed. "I'll come find you in a little while and let you know how she's feeling."
"Good. All right. I'll get out of your hair. Just tell her, you know, that I- that we all missed her at breakfast today."
"Okay," she assured him, not bothering to hide her smile. "I will." She thanked him again, and he left.
xxXxx
Duncan never ended up returning to the Tea Room, and neither Veronica nor Meg ever made an appearance, either. After breakfast, Trina and Madison announced that they were going up to the salon to watch TV, but Logan decided to head back down to his state room instead. He'd just reached the lobby when he ran into Duncan, coming from the opposite direction. He was carrying a black leather duffel bag, and he looked deep in thought.
"Hey," Logan said.
Duncan looked up. "Hi."
He made to continue walking past Logan, but his friend stepped in front of his path. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said before, okay? I'm just- I just feel like shit this morning. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."
Duncan didn't respond right away, and Logan couldn't quite place the expression on his face. It was almost as though he were sizing him up. "Okay," he finally replied. He moved around Logan, towards the stairs. "I need to go up and talk to the captain."
"Is everything all right?"
Duncan shrugged. "We'll see, I guess," he answered cryptically. He started up the stairs, but paused on the second step and turned back towards Logan. "Veronica wanted me to tell you that she was sorry for standing you up. And that maybe you guys could do it later." He paused. "I was just a little curious about what it is?"
Logan's smile quickly evolved into a smirk, as he looked back up at his friend. "Well, buddy, if you don't know by now, you're out of luck. Maybe you should ask your dad, when we get home. Or I'm sure Conner has some pointers. But explaining the birds and the bees isn't really in my job description."
Duncan rolled his eyes. "Very funny. So… what is it that you had planned with Veronica?"
"Oh you know, the usual. We were supposed to meet up for a quickie in hot tub, before breakfast."
"Okay, fine. Don't tell me."
Logan laughed. "No, man, I just offered to show her around the ship."
Duncan sighed. "Sure you did. All right, I gotta go take care of this. Feel like a game of pool, when I'm done?"
"Yeah, all right," Logan replied distractedly. "But wait a minute. You don't believe me?"
"Was I supposed to?" Duncan asked dryly.
Logan crossed his arms over his chest. "Is the thought of me doing something nice for someone really so out of the realm of possibility?"
"You really want me to answer that?"
"I'm genuinely offended by that remark, just so you know. As it happens, I was merely trying to prove you wrong."
"In what way?"
Logan shrugged. "You're always telling me what a snob I am. I thought offering to show Veronica around would prove that your low opinion of me is unfounded."
Duncan looked confused. "So I'm supposed to believe that, after all of the disparaging remarks over the last few days, you've suddenly had a change of heart about her?" He raised an eyebrow. "It seems more likely that your offer, if it actually existed, was just a means to an end. Probably brought about by boredom or alcohol. Or both."
Logan shook his head in mock disapproval. "Here I am, trying to help out a damsel in distress, and all you can do is question my motives?"
Duncan laughed. "Well what can I say? Your reputation proceeds you. Just…" His expression became serious, but he didn't continue.
"Just what?" Logan prompted.
"She's a nice girl, Logan," Duncan said pointedly. "Not the type of girl who you usually spend time with. And not the type who should be pursued simply because you have nothing better to do."
"And just when I think you couldn't possibly think less of me," Logan replied with a smirk, trying to hide the fact that he was genuinely hurt by that remark.
"C'mon, it's not like that," Duncan replied. "I'm just trying to look out for her."
"How lucky for her that she has such a stalwart prince of righteousness like you to protect her against the likes of me," Logan remarked. Before Duncan could respond, he began heading towards the stairs. "I think I'll pass on that game of pool. See you later." With that, he turned his back on his friend and walked quickly down the stairs towards his room.
xxXxx
Veronica was sitting on her bed, flipping through a magazine, when the intercom buzzed loudly.
"Miss Mars?"
Startled, Veronica didn't respond right away. She glanced over at Meg, who was lying down on her own bed. Meg gestured for her to go answer.
"Miss Mars? Veronica?"
She stood up and walked quickly over to the intercom, pressing a larger button on the side. "Uh, yeah?" she asked uncertainly.
"It's Alain. Mr. Kane wanted me to tell you that lunch is being served poolside."
"Okay, thanks Alain."
Veronica walked back over to her bed and sat down. She picked up her magazine and began flipping through it again.
"Aren't you going to lunch?" Meg asked.
"No, I don't think so," Veronica replied. "Honestly, I'm not even hungry."
Her stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly in protest, and Meg laughed. She twisted her body towards Veronica and gave her a sleepy smile. "Look, don't think I don't appreciate you taking care of me, or that I don't enjoy your company, but… get the hell out of here, already, will you?"
"I'm not going to leave you here like this," Veronica said stubbornly.
"The worst of it's over, I promise," Meg replied. "And it's my own stupid fault for not packing something, anyway."
"Because you were too busy packing for me," Veronica pointed out.
"No, because I haven't needed it in a long time," Meg denied. She yawned and pulled the blanket up to her chin, and then she pointed to the box of Dramamine next to her. "You know how this stuff always conks me out. I refuse to let you stay in here all day, just to watch me sleep. I want you to have a nice time. So just go, okay? Go eat something, explore, have fun… Maybe meet up with Logan, for whatever mysterious thing you two were planning on doing together."
Veronica looked over at Meg sharply, to find her sister giving her a devious smile.
"I overheard you talking to Duncan, earlier," Meg explained. She didn't push any farther, but the questioning look in her eyes remained.
Not wanting to elaborate on the topic, Veronica set her magazine down and got up off the bed. "Fine, I'll go." She glanced over at her suitcase, which now lay on the floor, opened but still unpacked. She sighed heavily. "Now I just have to figure out what the hell to wear."
xxXxx
Half an hour later, Veronica walked slowly down the hall and through the lobby. Having just discovered that her swimwear options were even more revealing than her clothing options, she was clad in a mortifyingly skimpy black bikini. But it was currently hidden beneath one of Duncan's oversized t-shirts, tied at the waist, and a pair of shorts she'd outgrown in junior high. Where the hell did Lilly even find these things? I thought I threw them away years ago.
She continued on through what looked like a living room, walking towards the library that she and Duncan had visited the previous evening. The doors at the end of the room, which had been closed and shaded last night, were now thrown open to reveal a spacious wooden deck and the glistening pool beyond. A metal cart containing stacks of folded towels had been pushed up against one wall. Deciding that she'd go for a quick swim before lunch, she grabbed a towel off of the cart and threw it over her shoulder.
Veronica continued forward hesitantly, pausing just before she reached the open doorway. The area before the pool was set up like a patio, shaded by the overhanging deck of the salon above. A variety of food had been lain out upon two glass-topped coffee tables, which were encircled by a U-shaped couch and several chairs.
A bar, with a television set right into its wooden front, acted as a barrier between the patio and the pool behind it. Veronica could see several empty glasses sitting atop the bar, but there was nobody seated there. Wondering where everyone was, she took another step forward and squinted into the sun.
Trina was in mid-conversation with Conner, who was emerging from the pool. Veronica couldn't help watching him as he stood up straight, taking in his perfectly chiseled abs and the hard, flat muscles of his back and shoulders. Realizing she was staring at him with her mouth dropped open, she blushed and closed it, glad no one had witnessed her reaction. Okay, I know he's an idiot, but damn. He puts the statue of David to shame.
She looked away from him and spotted Madison, lounging lazily on a chaise beside the pool. Looking utterly at ease in an olive green bikini that barely concealed her ample curves, she sat up and stretched slowly. Her bronzed body glistened slightly from her suntan oil, and Veronica glanced down at her own pale arms and legs self-consciously.
Madison turned her head towards the patio, and Veronica stepped back inside quickly. As she pressed her body against the shaded wall, concealing herself from the people outside, she couldn't help wondering over her sudden onset of shyness. Normally quite confident and happy with her own body, she nevertheless found herself feeling a bit… inadequate. Something I've been feeling far too often, these past few days.
She brushed the thought aside, not wanting to dwell on the matter. I should never have left Meg. She needs me. Veronica turned abruptly and began to walk away. She toyed absently with the knotted end of the shirt she wore, not paying attention to where she was walking. Feeling a sudden pressure upon her upper arm, she gasped in surprise and looked up.
Logan was standing directly in front of her, in a pair of black swim trunks and flip flops, a grey t-shirt slung over his shoulder. Veronica stopped just short of walking into him, forced to steady herself by placing her palm against his bare chest. She let go of him quickly, and he let go of her arm in turn.
"Well, look who finally decided to get out of bed today?" he remarked dryly. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
"I- was going to go for a swim," she replied.
"I know we've established that you have a terrible sense of direction, but you do realize the pool is that way, right?" He pointed behind her, wearing that smirk of his that was becoming entirely too familiar.
She didn't turn around, just shrugged her shoulders. "I know. I changed my mind."
"What's the problem?" he asked. "Is the pool not up to your standards?"
"No, I just decided that I wanted to grab a bite of food, first. I haven't eaten yet, today."
Logan studied her for several seconds before responding. He was fully aware that lunch was set up poolside, and that Veronica must have noticed it. But for whatever reason, it seemed that she didn't want to join the others for lunch. He decided not to push the issue, instead commenting, "I'm surprised your new buddies in the galley didn't offer to bring you breakfast in bed."
"Who says they didn't?" she returned with a raised eyebrow.
Not entirely sure if she was joking or not, and not entirely pleased with that statement, Logan changed the subject. "Well it just so happens that I'm hungry, too. I was about to order up a burger. You interested?"
Veronica bit her lip, realizing that her options were limited. She felt terrible requesting a second lunch, when she knew full well that the crew had already gone through the trouble of setting the meal up out on the patio. And she didn't relish the idea of eating alone with Logan. But I'm starving. And the last thing I want to do is stuff my face in front of the likes of Conner Larkin, while Malibu Barbie out there has two bites of a celery stick and calls it a meal.
She glanced up at Logan. "Um, yeah. Alright."
He walked over to the intercom and pushed the call button. When someone came to the line, he spoke decisively. "Can you bring a couple of burgers up to the salon? And some fries, too?"
"Certainly, sir. And how would you like the hamburgers cooked?"
Veronica opened up her mouth, but Logan didn't wait for a reply. "Medium. Thanks."
"It will be ready in approximately fifteen minutes."
She gave him a withering look, as he turned back towards her. "And what if I like my burgers cooked well done?"
"You have better taste than that," he replied.
Veronica rolled her eyes, refusing to admit that he was right. She pulled the towel off of her shoulder, folded it carefully and placed it back on the metal cart. Then she turned back to Logan with a retort on her lips; but the look on his face stopped her from saying it. He was staring at her with one hand on his hip, his expression bordering between confusion and curiosity. "What?" she demanded.
"Rummaging through my closet, I see?"
"Huh?"
He gestured to her shirt, a slight smile on his lips. "Well," he began, "it seems far too unlikely of a coincidence that you just happened to bring the exact samet-shirt that I did on this little boating trip. For something 3,000 miles away from here. In my size and everything."
Veronica looked down at the shirt she was wearing. It was a simple black T-shirt with a white and yellow logo, for something called the Brooklyn Bowl. She glanced back up at Logan with a frown. "Duncan gave this to me."
"Duncan gave it to you?" he repeated incredulously.
"Um, yeah," she replied slowly.
And what the hell is Duncan doing, lending you clothing? Logan wondered. I can only think of one situation that they'd be in that would lead to her needing something to wear…Is that what took him so long, this morning? Is that why he seemed so interested in my plans with her?
Veronica looked at Logan curiously. He was staring at her as though he were angry, but she wasn't sure what she'd done. "He was trying to remedy my little wardrobe dilemma," she explained.
Oh. Logan leaned back against the bookcase behind him, crossing one leg over the other. "Well then he should have asked my permission," he remarked, attempting to recover his composure. "Because he borrowed that shirt from me."
Mistaking the hardness in his voice for annoyance, Veronica pulled the shirt up and over her head in one swift motion. She took a couple of steps towards Logan and held it out in front of her. "Here. Take it back. I've only had it on for a few minutes." And I certainly don't want you to do me any favors.
Logan stood up straight as she approached him, taken aback by the sight of the tiny blonde in front of him. Clad only in her bikini top and a pair of shorts that barely covered her bottom, she somehow managed to make him feel like he was the one who was exposed. She met his eyes directly, expression proud and jaw set stubbornly, and he realized that she was offended.
He held up his hand and shook his head, forcing himself to keep his eyes on her face. "I'm just teasing you," he replied, his voice gentle. "Go ahead and wear it. It's fine."
Suddenly aware of what she must look like, Veronica stepped backward and quickly pulled the shirt back over her head. When she glanced up at Logan, she was surprised to see that he was smiling. "Well don't worry," she told him. "I'll wash it before I give it back, so you won't catch my cooties."
His smile widened into a grin. "I expect it to be laundered at least twice before it's returned," he replied. "You know, just to be on the safe side."
Veronica frowned and made to take the shirt off again, but Logan held up both hands to stop her. "I'm kidding," he assured her. "You're welcome to wear it. And don't worry about getting it back to me, it's no big deal."
"Fine," she relented grudgingly. "But only because I'm cold."
"Good," he said lightly. Amazed that he'd just argued in favor of her wearing more clothing, he couldn't help feeling like he'd just scored some kind of victory. The idea of her wearing something of his appealed to him quite a bit, but he wasn't entirely sure why.
Veronica, uncomfortable with the sudden stretch of silence, walked over to one of the bookcases and began looking through the titles. Realizing that he was still staring at her, Logan stepped away from the bookcase he'd been leaning against and shrugged on his own t-shirt. "So," he began, "this is the library."
She looked up, a wry smile on her lips. "I never would have guessed."
"Well, most people aren't familiar with these strange objects called books, these days," he joked. "They think it's some kind of museum." She laughed, and he went on. "Would you like me to continue the tour, while we wait?"
"If you keep giving me gems of wisdom like that, how could I possibly pass it up?" Veronica replied. She stood up straight, and they walked together through the narrow library into the larger room she had passed through earlier.
"The main deck salon," Logan informed her.
"How many salons does one boat need?" she wondered aloud.
"Every respectable yacht has at least two," he returned with a grin.
"I see."
Veronica looked around, taking a moment to fully appreciate the beauty of the carefully designed room. Logan watched her, noticing her eyes light up when she spotted the baby grand piano in the corner. "Maybe you can show off your skills later?" he suggested, nodding his head towards the instrument.
"Yeah," she replied sarcastically. "I'll dazzle everyone with the Peanuts theme song."
Logan laughed, but he was slightly disappointed by her response. He'd liked hearing her play, the other day. Having no musical ability of his own, he'd always been impressed by people who knew how to make music. "Well I enjoyed it," he said honestly.
Veronica just laughed, not taking him seriously as usual. She followed him out of the room. They passed through the lobby and into an area she had never visited before.
"The main deck dining room," Logan announced.
"Probably could have figured that one out for myself," she remarked, nodding to the large dining room table and chairs in the center of the room. "But thanks for clarifying."
"Well," Logan returned, leading her across the hallway into a smaller dining area, "I thought you may have confused it with the Tea Room. You know, since you never showed up here this morning."
"Uh, yeah, sorry about that," Veronica replied. "Meg is still sick. I asked Duncan to-"
"He gave me the message," he interrupted. "It's no big deal."
Although Logan kept his tone casual, Veronica got the impression that her not meeting him for breakfast had been a big deal. She wondered why he was so bothered by it- if he was just someone who didn't like it when plans got broken, or if, more specifically, he didn't like the fact that she had been the one who'd left him hanging. Or maybe he's never had someone stand him up before?
Not daring to ask, she silently followed him out of the room. He waved vaguely to the area down the hall. "You know what's down there already. Your room, the other state rooms. And you discovered the galley last night all on your very own. Let me show you the Sky Lounge Deck."
They headed up the circular stairway. When they got to the Upper Deck lobby, Logan kept walking towards the next flight of stairs. But Veronica paused, gesturing to her right. "What else is on this deck?" she asked. "I've only seen the salon."
"Just the Owner's Suite," Logan replied. "That's where Trina and Conner are staying. I'd show you, but I don't want to risk seeing Trina's unmentionables scattered around the room."
"I had no idea you were so squeamish."
"Yeah, well, she's like my sister. It's just weird."
"And Madison?" Veronica questioned, unable to stop herself. "Is she like a sister to you as well?"
Logan stopped walking and glanced at her briefly, trying to hide his surprise at her asking. It was a valid question; an obviously observant girl like Veronica would surely have picked up on Madison's attentions towards him. But he couldn't help wondering why she cared.
"No," he finally replied. "She's not."
More intrigued than ever, now, about the nature of Logan and Madison's relationship, Veronica nevertheless forced herself to remain silent. She didn't want him to mistake her curiosity for interest in him, or for him to accuse her of prying into things that were clearly none of her business.
Yet, being an inquisitive person by nature, she had to admit that she found Logan to be a rather interesting subject to study. Not being one to readily volunteer information about himself, he remained a bit of a mystery to her. And he never seemed to say or do what she expected him to. It's sort of refreshing.
Wordlessly, the two of them continued up the stairs; when they reached the top, Logan led her forward into a large room filled with several pieces of exercise equipment. "Here's the gym," Logan said. "A good place to avoid, unless you feel like trying to make small talk with Conner."
They walked across the gleaming hardwood floor, towards a set of curved glass doors that looked just like the ones in the salon below them. Logan slid the doors open, and they headed out onto the deck. He gestured towards the right hand side of the deck with a flourish. "And, finally, the hot tub."
"Nice."
"Very," Logan agreed. A vivid image of Veronica, sitting in the hot tub in that tiny black bikini of hers that he'd glimpsed earlier, popped into his head. He cleared his throat and walked over to the railing. To his surprise, Veronica came over to stand beside him.
They looked down at the pool, two decks below them, and at the ocean beyond. It was a beautiful day, and the sea was calm. Veronica could hear the waves lapping up against the ship, but she barely felt any movement as they traveled slowly through the water. Feeling the same sense of tranquility that she had yesterday, she looked up at Logan with a smile. "I just got the strangest sense of déjà vu," she remarked.
He smiled, but didn't reply, continuing to look out to sea. The deck was empty of people now, but Veronica could hear the sounds of faint conversation emanating from beneath them. She guessed everyone was enjoying their lunch in the shaded patio area, just out of sight. And she was suddenly very glad that she'd decided not to join them.
Logan glanced over at her, watching as she closed her eyes and breathed in the ocean air. And just as he had the previous day, he was struck with the strongest urge to kiss her. He took a deep breath and exhaled quietly, shifting his body so that he was facing towards the interior of the ship.
"Well that's pretty much everything," he said. "The captain's quarters and the wheel house are up here too, but that's it. And our lunch should be just about ready, so…"
"Well, thanks for showing me around," she replied, offering him a small smile.
"No problem," Logan nodded. He stood up straight, and the two of them headed back into the gym and down one flight of stairs. When they entered the salon, he could see that their lunch was waiting for them on the table at the back.
They sat down silently, keeping busy for a few minutes while they placed their preferred toppings on their hamburgers. Logan felt oddly nervous; he searched his brain for a topic of conversation, but his usually sharp mind failed him. He watched as Veronica took several enormous bites of her burger, impressed with her voracious appetite. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a girl take such obvious pleasure in her food.
Veronica chewed slowly, watching him as he watched her. She swallowed and wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Is there a reason why you're staring at me?" she finally demanded.
"I'm just hoping you don't drip ketchup," he replied, biting into his own burger. "I like that shirt."
She sighed, resisting the urge to take the damn shirt off and throw it across the room at him. "So what is the Brooklyn Bowl, anyway?" she asked, curious despite herself. "Is it like a football game, or something?"
"No, it's not an event," he corrected her, suppressing a smile. "It's a place."
"Oh," she replied, feeling stupid. "What kind of place?"
"It's sort of a combination bar and bowling alley," Logan replied. "And you can see live music there, too. While you bowl."
"That sounds pretty cool," Veronica said grudgingly. It actually sounded awesome, but she didn't want to tell him that. She took another bite of her burger.
"Yeah, it's a fun place to hang out. Sort of a pain in the ass to get to, from where I live, but worth it. You, uh, remember the cousin I was telling you about, who works for the Bowery?"
"Yeah…"
"Well he also bartends at Brooklyn Bowl, most weekends."
Veronica gave him a strange look, but said nothing. She reached for a fry.
"What?" he asked.
"It's just weird, thinking that you have a cousin who bartends," she replied. "And that you, like, hang out in Brooklyn. At some bar."
"And what's so weird about that?" he asked defensively.
She shrugged. "I don't know. I just can't quite picture it." Seeing him frown, she decided to change the subject. "My friend Eli bartends. At the Albacore Club. Maybe you met him, at the Black and White Ball?"
Veronica was, of course, well aware of the fact that they'd met- because Weevil had already told her exactly what had transpired between them that night. How Logan had demanded to be served, throwing around the weight that his name carried just so that he could get drunk. How, not wanting to risk his job, Weevil had refused- but the owner of the Albacore Club had caved. How Logan had ordered glass after glass of the most expensive scotch they carried, until the bottle was nearly empty. But he doesn't know that I know any of that.
"Yeah," Logan said dryly. "I met him." He thought back to that night, remembering the tough-looking bartender with the gang tats, and suddenly recalling that he and Veronica had seemed very friendly. She even gave him a hug, at one point. "So how exactly did you two come to be friends?"
"I don't remember," she replied vaguely. "Why?"
"He doesn't seem like someone who would run in your circle."
She shrugged again, taking another bite of her burger. "I'm friends with all sorts of people."
"Well so am I," Logan said pointedly, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, I'm sure Claremont Prep is extremely diverse," she said sarcastically. He shot her a look, and Veronica quickly realized her mistake.
"How do you know where I go to school?" he asked.
"Duncan mentioned it," she lied smoothly.
"I see. So, what, do you guys go to one of those new age schools that, like, embraces nature and believes in letting your imagination roam wild?"
"No," Veronica replied. "We go to Neptune High."
"Public school?" he asked in surprise.
"Yes. I know, shocking." She took the last bite of her burger and wiped her hands on her napkin. "But at least they don't allow our imaginations to roam wild. That would be truly tragic."
Aware that she was mocking him, Logan chose not to reply. Instead, he finished his meal and took a drink of water, wishing he'd thought to ask for something stronger. Then he pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. "So, you ready for that swim now?"
"Um, I think I'm actually going to go check on Meg, first," she replied, standing up herself.
Logan nodded, carefully hiding his disappointment, and he and Veronica walked to the lobby. She thanked him again for the tour and told him she'd see him later; and then she headed in one direction, and he in the other.
It had been an unexpected surprise, getting to spend some time alone with her, and he'd enjoyed it very much. But I'm not sure how much she enjoyed my company. He brushed the thought aside, confident that he could win her over if he put his mind to it. I just need to decide, once and for all, what it is that I really want from her.
xxXxx
When Veronica got back to her room, Meg was sleeping soundly. Not wanting to wake her, she avoided turning on the television. Instead, she flipped through the magazine she'd been reading earlier; but she quickly grew bored. Her eyes strayed to the window, where the sun shone through warmly. I'm being ridiculous, hiding out in here. Since when do I care what anyone else thinks about me?
She stood up and walked across the room, grabbing her sunglasses off the dresser. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she paused. Her eyes focused on the logo of the t-shirt she still wore, and she began to pull it off. But then she hesitated. If I go back out there with a change of clothes on, he'll think that he's won. That all of his teasing about me wearing his shirt got to me. I'm not going to give him that satisfaction.
Veronica dropped her hand from the hem of Logan's shirt and took a deep breath. She felt as though she were about to go hiking through the Amazon at night, with no gear and no guide. She glanced over at Meg, wishing that her sister were feeling better. And wishing, she admitted to herself, that she didn't have to go face everyone alone.
Maybe they've all gotten bored and moved on to some other form of entertainment, by now. Maybe I can just go for a swim in peace and quiet. She exited the room, closing the door behind her quietly. And even if they haven't- so what? They all saw me in that ridiculous dress last night. And Logan already saw me in my bikini top, earlier. He didn't exactly look repulsed by the sight.
She walked quickly down the hall and through the lobby, passing by the entrance to the dining room and through the salon until she reached the library. This time, she didn't hesitate when she reached the open doors that led to the pool. Instead, she grabbed a towel off the metal cart and stepped outside with her head held high.
To her disappointment, everyone but Conner was still outside. Trina and Duncan sat at one of the two round tables that were located on either side of the bar, talking. She spotted Logan sitting on one of the chaises, drying off his hair with a towel. Madison stood directly in front of him, displaying her body to its best advantage while watching him with interest.
Veronica had just begun to lose her nerve again when her attention was caught by the sound of her name being called. She looked up in surprise to see Martin, the German crew member who she'd met the night before, standing behind the bar. Smiling widely, she walked over to him to say hello.
The others soon became aware of the new addition to their party, each displaying varying levels of excitement. Duncan smiled broadly and waved hello from his spot at the table. Trina gave her what barely passed for a smile and turned back to her brother, continuing with their conversation.
Madison at first merely glanced at her with distaste; but upon closer inspection, her eyes narrowed and she looked down at Logan. His eyes, she noticed, were darting between Veronica and the bartender. Madison frowned and nodded towards the bar. "Is there a reason why she's wearing your shirt?" she inquired, not quite able to keep the suspicion out of her voice.
Veronica laughed at something Martin said, and Logan frowned. He turned back towards Madison, continuing to run his towel vigorously across his head. "She got cold," he answered briefly.
"And when was this?" she demanded.
"Earlier," he shrugged. He stopped drying off and draped the towel around his neck, unable to stop himself from glancing back over at the bar. Duncan was walking over there now, taking a seat directly next to Veronica. She greeted him with a warm smile, appearing quite at ease with him.
In reality, she wasn't nearly as relaxed as she appeared; but Veronica had always been skilled at portraying confidence, even when she wasn't feeling particularly confident. And being around Duncan and Martin, the only two people who she felt certain were genuinely happy to see her, was helping. As for the others, who cares? I'm on a gorgeous yacht, and it's a gorgeous day. I'm going to enjoy myself.
Determined to ignore Madison's spiteful looks and Logan's stares, Veronica agreed to let Martin fix her a martini and fell into easy conversation with Duncan. He immediately asked after Meg, wondering if she thought her sister would be able to join them for dinner that evening. She replied that she hoped so, and they went on to discuss the possibility of exploring Catalina Island, the next day.
After some time, she finished her drink and announced her intention to go for a swim.
Feeling much less inhibited after her martini, she took off her shirt and shorts and placed them on one of the chaises. Then she tossed her sunglasses on top of the pile and dove into the pool. A strong swimmer, Veronica stayed underwater for the length of the pool and came up on the other side feeling incredibly refreshed. She then began to do laps, quite unaware that her disrobing and subsequent swim had drawn Logan's full attention.
Madison, however, was fully aware of the effect Veronica's arrival had had on him. Despite all of her efforts to interest him in a variety of different topics, some of which she was sure he cared about deeply, Logan remained distracted. When she asked him the same question twice and received no response, she became incredibly alarmed. Madison was not a girl who was used to being ignored.
So when Veronica came out of the pool, cheeks flushed from her swim and water dripping down her toned body, Madison decided to change tactics. Glancing once at Logan, who wasn't bothering to hide his obvious appreciation at the sight of their blonde guest, she snatched an item off of the table next to her and approached Veronica.
"Hey," Madison greeted her, smiling sweetly. "I thought you may want some suntan lotion." She glanced at Veronica's fair skin pointedly. "The sun's brutal out on the water, and you look like the type who burns."
"Uh, thanks," Veronica replied, accepting the bottle from her. She glanced down to see that it was marked SPF 15, and she smiled to herself. She held the bottle back out to Madison. "But this isn't quite strong enough for me. I think I'll just put my t-shirt back on and get out of the sun."
Madison took the bottle from Veronica silently, annoyed that her plan had gotten foiled. A bad sunburn would have put her rival out of commission for the rest of their trip. And then I'd have Logan all to myself again. She watched the blonde girl as she dried off, wondering how to proceed next.
Veronica, feeling Madison's eyes upon her, pulled Logan's t-shirt on over her bikini quickly. As she put it on, she glanced over at him with silent resignation. Logan grinned, looking rather pleased, and she rolled her eyes at him. Not bothering to put on her shorts, she instead untied the knot at her waist and let the shirt fall down to her mid-thigh.
Madison, catching the look the two of them had just exchanged, regarded Veronica thoughtfully. Clad in a slightly wrinkled, oversized t-shirt, with her wet hair a tangled mess, Veronica was no match to her. Madison was certain of this. She'd taken ample time that morning, making sure that her hair and makeup were flawless, as always. And she'd carefully chosen a bikini that was both complimentary to her skin tone and flattering to her figure.
No. Veronica is no match to me. But… why does he look at her so much? Unable to shake her concern, she came to a quick decision. He needs to see us side by side. Then it will be clear which one of us is the obvious choice. She walked over to Veronica with purpose. "Come have a drink with me," she offered, in the friendliest tone she could muster.
Taken aback, Veronica had no choice but to agree. The two girls walked over to the bar together, and Madison ordered them both a cosmo. When Madison glanced back over at Logan, and she saw that he was walking towards them; she smiled in satisfaction. But instead of coming to the bar, as she'd expected, he veered left and headed over to join Trina and Duncan at their table.
Logan hadn't spoken to Duncan since their meeting in the lobby, earlier that day. Deciding that he may have over-reacted slightly, he approached his friend with a tentative smile. He hoped that Duncan wasn't too annoyed with him to make up. Rarely one to apologize, however, he merely sat down without a word and helped himself to a sip of Trina's vodka tonic.
"Hey," she protested, reaching for her drink. "Get your own. The bar's, like, two feet away."
He glanced over at the bar warily. He wasn't sure exactly what game Madison was playing, but he was sure she was up to no good. And I have no desire to get in the middle of it, whatever it is. "Exactly why it shouldn't be a big deal for you to go get yourself another one," he told Trina, holding her glass out of reach.
She sighed but stood up, curious about what her sister was doing with Veronica and secretly happy for an excuse to go over there. When she walked away, Logan looked at Duncan with a wry smile. "So. I see you're lending out my clothing, now."
Duncan had been expecting this comment. As soon as he'd seen which shirt Veronica had chosen to wear today, he'd realized his mistake. But he could also tell that Logan wasn't really as annoyed about it as he was pretending to be. And once again, he found himself wondering exactly what it was that his friend truly felt about Veronica Mars.
"You were wrong, you know," he informed Logan, unable to keep the satisfaction out of his voice. "About her sister not really pranking her. I saw her suitcase myself, this morning, when I went to check up on Meg."
"And who's to say she didn't pack it herself?" Logan returned. He didn't really believe that, anymore; but he could never seem to stop himself from playing Devil's advocate, especially with Duncan.
Duncan rolled his eyes at Logan. "Believe whatever you want, dude. But she certainly didn't seem happy about her options."
"So you loaned her some of your clothing," Logan stated. "And, incidentally, some of mine as well."
Duncan nodded. "It was the least I could do, to try and make her feel more comfortable."
"How very Prince Charming of you," Logan remarked, taking another long sip of Trina's drink. He glanced back over at the bar, his eyes lingering on Veronica. She was talking to Martin again, her eyes sparkling and a flirtatious smile upon her lips. "Everyone just seems to be falling all over themselves, trying to make her feel at home."
Duncan, following his gaze, was more curious than ever; he knew his friend well enough to be able to distinguish when he was keeping something from him. And despite the sarcastic, almost bored, tone in his voice, he'd detected something he wasn't sure he'd ever heard from Logan before. Is that… jealousy?
Logan finished his drink in one last, large gulp, setting it on the table rather noisily. Duncan took the last sip of his beer, and Logan stood up. "C'mon, let's go grab another drink," he suggested, nodding to the bar.
They got up and walked over, taking a seat at the end. Martin came over to them with a smile. "Would you like another?" he asked Duncan.
"Please," he replied.
Martin turned towards Logan. "And what can I get you, sir?"
"I'll take one of those," he told him, nodding at Duncan's empty beer bottle. "And how about you and I do a shot together?"
Martin glanced from Logan to Duncan, shaking his head. "Oh, thank you sir, but no. We're not supposed to drink, on duty."
"Didn't seem to stop you last night," Logan observed. Martin laughed nervously, busying himself with the task of producing two beers out of the fridge below the bar and uncapping the bottles. He placed one in front of each of them, as Logan continued to smile at him benevolently.
"Oh, come on," he urged. "I'm sure you could use a drink." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I promise I won't tell."
Martin didn't reply, still looking very uncertain. But Veronica, overhearing their conversation, came to his rescue. "Let's all do a shot," she spoke up. "I think Martin is partial to Goldschläger, if I remember correctly." She turned to Madison with a pleasant smile. "You can handle that, right?"
"Is that the one with the gold flakes in it?" Madison asked doubtfully.
"Yup," Duncan confirmed. "Let's do it."
Although Logan detested that particular drink, he simply shrugged. "I'm game," he agreed, meeting Veronica's eye. He couldn't help but be impressed by the way she had just turned the situation around. Martin smiled gratefully at her, and Logan felt a twinge of remorse. He wasn't quite sure what had prompted him to provoke the bartender. The guy had never done anything to him, after all. Maybe I just didn't like the way he was looking at her.
All three girls agreed to do the shot. Martin poured six of them, and they drank quickly. Madison coughed violently, but waved Martin away when he tried to offer her a glass of water. "I'm fine," she insisted. "But I don't know why anyone would want a drink that tastes like liquefied cinnamon chewing gum."
Logan chuckled at her analogy. "And what would you prefer?" he asked. "Tequila?"
"If you're about to suggest body shots, I'd like to remind you that I'm related to two of the three women sitting here," Duncan told him, making a face.
"Who says it has to be guy on girl?" Logan replied, looking from Madison to Veronica with a raised eyebrow.
"Logan!" Madison protested, pretending to be offended. "You're terrible!" She looked at Veronica. "Can you believe him, wanting us to do a thing like that? What should we do to get back at him?"
"Dare him to do a body shot off Duncan?" Veronica suggested.
"Never gonna happen," Logan informed her.
"So you'd prefer Conner, then?" she teased, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Hardly."
"Well then we'll have to think up some other form of punishment," she replied.
"Punishment?" he repeated with a grin. "Now that sounds more up my alley."
Madison giggled, looking from Logan to Veronica. "What do you have in mind?"
"Whatever will make him the most uncomfortable," she answered with a devious glint in her eye. "We have to exploit his weaknesses."
"Logan?" Madison replied doubtfully. "He doesn't have any."
"Oh, I forgot," Veronica said with a smile. "He's a perfect ten."
"Those were your words," Logan reminded her. "Not mine."
"So you don't consider yourself a ten?"
"There's no good way to answer that question."
"How about truthfully?" she suggested, taking another sip of her cosmo. She knew the alcohol was making her brazen, but she couldn't seem to stop herself from goading him.
"So you can laugh at my answer?" Logan asked dryly. "I think I'll pass."
"Is being laughed at really so terrible?"
"It is when you're not trying to be funny," he answered honestly.
"Fair enough." Veronica fell silent, willing to let the matter drop.
But Logan felt compelled to continue, if only to defend himself against her insinuations that he was shallow. "Okay," he began slowly. "Let's say I were to admit that I consider myself up there on the scale. Maybe a nine. Would you think that I was being unrealistic?"
"I don't think I know you well enough to answer that," she replied. "Although I do feel compelled to point out that vanity is one of the seven deadly sins."
"Well then it's a good thing that I'm not religious," he returned with a smirk. He took another sip of his drink, studying her carefully. "But in all seriousness, this isn't about vanity."
"No?"
"No," he shrugged. "It's an honest evaluation of my assets and my flaws."
Giving up all pretense that they were busy doing something else, everyone seated at the bar listened to them with interest. Veronica twisted her body towards Logan, placing an elbow on the granite surface and looking him in the eye. "Well this I have to hear."
"I know I'm not perfect," he stated. "There are plenty of guys out there who are better looking than me. But this isn't just about looks."
"Oh? So what is it about, then?"
"It's about how I measure up, on the whole, in comparison to others. Taking into account all of the various elements that society deems important. Wouldn't you agree that people place more value on certain skills and abilities than they do on others?"
"Such as?" she urged, barely able to conceal her smile.
"Being well-educated," he replied. "Being financially secure."
"So… wealthy people are worth more than poor people?" she clarified. "And someone who has their Master's degree is more important to the world than someone with a GED?"
"That's not what I said," he corrected her. "I said that our society places more value on things like intelligence and wealth than it does on other things."
"I notice you're making no distinction between the terms 'well-educated' and 'intelligent', now. Do you think all well-educated people are more intelligent? Or would you be willing to concede that someone can be intelligent without having a good education?"
"Of course," Logan replied, rolling his eyes. "And before you say it, I also agree that having a good education doesn't necessarily make you more intelligent than someone who is uneducated. But it certainly doesn't hurt."
"And do you think it's fair that you've had the advantage of getting a good education, simply because you were born with means? Do you take pride in the fact that you were born an Echolls, and that you get to reap in all of the benefits that having that name implies?"
"No," Logan replied heatedly. "But I do take pride in the fact that I've worked hard to deserve the name." He took a long sip of his beer, using the time to get his composure back. He could feel his heart rate increasing as his frustration began to mount. Veronica was baiting him, and he knew it. And worse, he knew that she knew it- and that she was enjoying herself immensely.
He knew he should end it there, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from continuing. "And, really, that's besides the point," he insisted. "We're not talking about what's fair, we're talking about reality."
"Right. So the reality is that you deem yourself better than 90% of the population."
Logan sighed. "Look. You can be as pissed off as you want about the fact that things aren't really as equal as you'd like them to be. The point I was trying to make is that we're all born with strengths and weaknesses. I've made the choice to try and play to my strengths. And that's the best anyone can do."
"So what are your strengths?"
Logan grinned at her, taking a sip of his beer before he replied. "If I tell you, you'll just accuse me of being vain, again."
Veronica caught his meaning clearly. She barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the smug smile on his lips. "Okay, then," she conceded. "What are your weaknesses? What keeps you from being a ten?"
He thought for a moment, as she continued to watch him. The smile disappeared from his lips, and his eyes became serious. "I guess I don't have the best temper," he said with a shrug. "And maybe I'm too quick to judge people, sometimes. But I find I'm usually right the first time. Once someone gets on my bad side…they stay there."
"No second chances, then?" she asked.
"Rarely." Logan paused, realizing that she may have mistook what he'd just said as being about her. He looked at her carefully, hoping she'd understand that the next part was meant for her. "But sometimes I jump to the wrong conclusions about people. And when I do, I regret it." He finished off his beer and set it down on the bar. "So what about you, Veronica? Will you own up to any of your flaws?"
"I'll own up to all of them. I know there are plenty."
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that he couldn't find a single one, at the moment. But he remembered just in time that there were four other people at the bar with them. And, as he looked away from her for the first time since they'd started speaking, he became aware of the fact that they were all listening avidly to his conversation with Veronica.
Logan gestured to Martin to get him another beer; when he glanced back over at Veronica, he kept his tone deliberately light. "Well, none of us is perfect."
"Very true," she agreed. She wanted to say more, but instead looked down at her drink. She, too, had just become aware of the interest the rest of their party was showing in her exchange with Logan- and she didn't want anyone to get the wrong impression. They had been talking so intently that she had become completely absorbed herself, almost forgetting that there were others there at all.
Veronica felt distinctly unsettled- as though she'd just woken up from an intense dream, and she wasn't completely sure yet if she were in the correct reality. But all of the thoughts and feelings that Logan's words had awoken in her were beginning to slip away, as rapidly as the details of a dream. Frowning, she deliberately pushed away all remaining considerations and took a sip of her drink.
Trina and Duncan exchanged glances. Both were surprised that Logan had shown their guest so much interest, but Duncan was far more curious about their interaction than his sister. Knowing his friend as well as he did, he was aware of how unusual it was for Logan to speak so candidly to a stranger. Duncan gave him a questioning look, but Logan's expression revealed nothing.
Madison continued to look from one to the other, trying to figure out what to make of what she'd just witnessed. Although neither one of them had ever raised their voices, she was aware that they'd just been having an argument of some sort… But she wasn't quite sure what it was that they'd been arguing about.
And while she knew that an argument between them should be a very good thing for her own cause, the way Logan had been looking at Veronica throughout their exchange had made Madison distinctly uncomfortable. Even now, he couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of her for more than a few seconds at a time. But the look on his face was hard to decipher, and Madison remained unsure about whether or not the tide had just turned in her favor.
"So, what did we decide?" she spoke up, wanting to get his focus back on her. "What does Logan have to do for saying that?"
"Ah, just make him do a shot," Duncan suggested.
"Fine," Logan agreed with a sigh. "Pick the shot."
"How about Tequila?" Madison replied with a raised eyebrow.
"I am not doing a body shot with you, dude," Duncan clarified quickly, remembering Veronica's earlier suggestion.
"Never?" Logan asked, pretending to be appalled. "But then how am I supposed to cross that off my bucket list?"
"It'll just have to stay there," Duncan laughed, elbowing him in the side.
Martin set the shot down in front of Logan. Madison waited for Logan to ask for her help, but to her dismay he just downed the shot quickly.
Logan took a couple of swigs of beer, relieved that everything had gone back to being easy and relaxed. He glanced at Veronica, very aware that she'd been silent since their conversation had ended. She didn't seem to be paying attention to what was going on around her, but the expression on her face was thoughtful.
"Well on that note," he said, standing up, "I think I better get out of here before you guys figure out a way to get me to do more shots."
"I believe that first one was your idea," Trina pointed out.
"True enough," he conceded. "I actually just want to grab a shower before dinner. Where are we eating tonight?"
"How about down here?" Duncan suggested. "In an hour or so?"
Everyone agreed and Logan excused himself, walking into the library. As soon as he was by himself, he exhaled a deep breath. Being around Veronica was getting harder and harder. He'd never met anyone like her before- someone who made him think, someone who riled his blood. Someone who turns me on with her words alone, and then parades around in a tiny little bikini to make it that much worse.
Self-control was one of the things Logan had always prided himself on; one of those strengths he hadn't wanted to admit to Veronica. But the more time I spend around her, the more it seems to slip away. Logan felt off-balance; and he knew it had nothing to do with the movement of the ship, or with all of the alcohol he'd just consumed. It's her. She's doing this to me. He frowned as he continued walking towards his room, not at all sure that he liked feeling this way.
xxXxx
Veronica excused herself shortly after Logan, explaining that she wanted to go check on Meg. In truth, she was just as anxious to have a moment alone as he had been. She walked slowly back to her room, thinking that her natural curiosity about Logan was perhaps better left unexplored. It wasn't that she was actually growing to like him, she told herself firmly. It's just that he's a little bit more…complex…than I gave him credit for.
There was something about him that made her feel incredibly uncertain of herself, as though she were never quite sure what she would say or do in his presence- and she didn't care for that at all. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she could no longer deny the fact that she was physically attracted to him. My own body is betraying me, she thought with a sigh. This is what happens when I don't date anyone for months at a time.
She returned to the room to find Meg awake, and well enough to venture out for dinner. Veronica took a quick shower, approaching her closet with trepidation when she was done. Not at all in the mood to wear a dress again, she decided to borrow a pair of jeans from Meg. They were a bit baggy on her, but she didn't care. She found a halter top that wasn't too awful, threw her hair up in a bun, and slipped on a pair of Meg's sandals.
When the two girls ventured back out, Veronica was relieved to find that dinner was being treated as an informal affair. Trays of food had once again been set down on the coffee tables, but people were scattered around the patio, eating where they wished. The sun had almost gone down, and soft overhead lights lit up the area around the bar.
When Duncan spotted Meg, his eyes lit up and he walked over to her immediately. She declined anything to eat, but agreed to sit with him at one of the circular tables. They walked away and Veronica made a plate of food for herself. When she was done, she looked around for somewhere to sit, not wanting to intrude on the two of them.
Her first thought was that she'd sit at the bar and talk to Martin, but she was disappointed to find that he had been replaced by a crew member who she didn't recognize. She would have sat there anyway, but Conner was there by himself. He was drinking a scotch, just as he had last night, and he didn't look as though he were in the mood for company.
Trina, Madison and Logan sat at the other circular table, but there were only three chairs there. When Logan looked up from their conversation to find Veronica standing by herself and looking hesitant, he immediately stood up to get another chair. But the look on Madison's face was so unwelcoming that she waved him away with a smile.
"I'm fine," she insisted. Thinking quickly, she nodded towards the pool. "I'm going to watch the sunset."
So Veronica ate her meal alone, sitting on a chaise and using her lap as a table. Not a solitary creature, by nature, she did find herself missing the lively conversation of the previous night. But she made the best that she could of the situation, appreciating the delicious food and the truly gorgeous landscape before her. The sky had darkened to a deep violet, and the moon was a slender crescent on the horizon.
When she returned to the patio, she found everyone but Meg and Duncan gathered around the bar. She could hear music coming from the small speakers placed in strategic locations throughout the area, and everyone seemed to be keeping the bartender very busy. Madison, in particular, was looking rather tipsy. She sat very close to Logan, looking at him adoringly as he spoke.
Logan usually found Madison's attentions a bit of an annoyance, but tonight he'd found them a welcome distraction. He'd been trying his best not to lead her on for months; but since nothing he said or did seemed to deter her, he didn't really see the point in being careful anymore. He knew nothing was ever going to happen, between them. Not only did he not have any romantic feelings for her, he would never betray Jake's trust like that.
But he was beginning to see the flaw in that plan, as he realized that Madison was reading his increased attention to her as a definite sign of interest. He was glad that Duncan was too diverted by Meg to suspect any misconduct, and that Trina was too buzzed. Veronica, he knew, was too observant not to notice; and he caught her watching them with interest. But what the hell do I care, if she thinks there's something going on with me and Madison?
"Have you spoken to Daddy, today?" Madison asked, drawing his attention back. "He told me he was trying to reach you."
"Yeah, I talked to him before dinner," Logan affirmed.
"Could he tell that you were drunk?" she giggled.
"I'm not drunk," he replied. "But maybe you should take it easy."
"I'm fine," she insisted, swatting his hand away from her drink. "So what did he say? Can we stop in L.A. before we go home? They have the best shopping there."
Veronica, who hadn't heard about their intentions to travel back to New York, couldn't help but listen in.
"No," Logan replied, taking a sip of his beer. "He wants us to come straight home. He needs the jet for a trip to Tokyo next week, and they have to do maintenance before he leaves."
Both Madison and Trina groaned in disappointment. Logan was lying; he hadn't even asked Jake about the shopping trip. He had no interest in going to L.A., or in dragging out their trip any longer than he had to. I just want to get back to New York as soon as possible.
"I thought you were moving out here permanently?" Veronica spoke up. "I mean- I heard you bought that house on Netherfield."
"News travels fast in a small town, huh?" Logan returned, glancing up at her with a wry smile. He took another sip of his beer. "Duncan is moving out her permanently," he clarified. "After he graduates."
"And you?" she asked, before she could stop herself. "Are you coming with him?"
"That's the plan," he replied quietly. "For the summer, anyway."
"We all are," Madison informed her, annoyed that Logan hadn't mentioned that part.
"And we're throwing a big party, when we come back," Duncan announced.
Veronica looked up in surprise. She hadn't noticed that he and Meg had approached the bar. The others looked surprised as well.
"Meg and I just decided," he explained with a wide smile. "What better way to introduce ourselves to everyone?"
No one else shared his enthusiasm, but Trina and Madison quickly pretended that they loved the idea. As soon as Madison became involved in a conversation with Meg about decorations, Logan slipped away. He didn't like to think about spending his upcoming summer vacation in Neptune, and he certainly didn't like talking about it. So he walked into the library, to get away from the noise.
Veronica, who hadn't noticed him leave, came upon him a moment later. He was standing in front of one of the bookcases, looking through the titles, when she walked through the door. She stopped when she saw him, not sure if she should turn back or not. But he glanced up before she'd had time to make that decision.
"Hey," she said. "Sorry, I was just…"
"Trying to escape?" he guessed.
"Actually," she corrected him, "I was heading to my room to get a hoody. It's getting a little chilly out."
"I'm beginning to think," Logan began, as he removed his own hoody, "that this is all part of some wild plot to divest me of every article of clothing I own." He held his jacket out to her with an amused look. When she refused it, as he'd known she would, he continued to keep his arm steady.
Logan showed no signs of wavering, and Veronica rolled her eyes. "Fine," she sighed, snatching the jacket out of his hand. She pulled it on quickly, trying to ignore how warm and soft it was, and how good it smelled. "Thank you."
He nodded, and Veronica wasn't sure what to do next. She felt strangely hesitant to leave him, for some reason. She glanced around the room, searching for a topic of conversation. Spotting a pair of objects just ahead of her, she smiled. "So this friend of Duncan's father," she said slowly, "the one whose yacht this is… He wouldn't happen to be a fellow computer programmer, would he?"
Logan stared at her in surprise. "How did-"
"A software engineer?" she continued. "Someone who launched a revolutionary social networking site, at the tender age of nineteen?"
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Okay, how the hell did you figure that out?" he demanded. "Did Duncan tell you?"
She grinned, toying with the idea of leaving it a mystery. But then she pointed to the bookcase. "The bookends," she explained. "I noticed them this afternoon. M and Z? Seemed sort of random. Also, there's a framed picture of the word 'like' in the salon. White background, blue print, all lowercase."
"Impressive," he acknowledged, not bothering to mask his amazement.
Veronica shrugged. "My dad's a cop. I've picked up a few tricks." She hesitated, unsure if she should say the next part. "I, uh, couldn't help noticing earlier that you don't seem thrilled with the idea of staying in Neptune, this summer."
Logan couldn't help smiling. "Nothing gets passed you, huh?"
"Not too much," she agreed. She looked down, trying to stop herself from blurting out the question on her mind. But she'd had far too much to drink, and she was far too curious not to ask. She raised her head and looked into his eyes. "I was just wondering… Why do you hate it here so much?"
He looked at her for a moment, not sure how to answer that without offending her. "It's not that I hate it," he tried to explain, glancing up at her. "It's just- my life is in New York."
The truth of that statement really sank in as he spoke it. My life is in New York. Whatever I feel for her… does it even matter? I'll only be here for a few months, and then I'm going home. It doesn't make sense to get involved with someone who lives 3,000 miles away from me, no matter how I feel. It just doesn't.
Logan looked at Veronica, who was watching him silently. She looked so adorable in his hoody, her expression for once open and friendly instead of guarded. And he was struck with such an intense feeling of longing that he had to look away. He cleared his throat. "I've got to go call my sister," he said abruptly, his voice rough.
"Okay," she returned slowly, looking at him in some confusion. Veronica had the weirdest feeling, like she'd just been scrutinized and found wanting… again. It left her feeling angry, and a little hurt. That's what I get for trying to give him a second chance. "I'm going to head back outside," she said quietly, not meeting his eye. She turned and walked away quickly, without another word.
And for the second night in a row, Logan found himself staring after her.
A/N There will be one more "yacht" chapter, and then we'll meet the lovely Mr. Collins. This is moving along a bit more slowly than I'd intended. But when I start writing Logan and Veronica dialogue, it always goes in unexpected directions. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed! Please review :)