5. Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Addie
My stomach has been in knots all day. You’d think after seeing each other this morning it would ease the nervousness, but it only intensifies it because Logan does that to me. He’s so dreamy and hot and I can’t help but picture what it’s going to be like to hold his hand or have his arm around me.
All night I pictured how I would need to kiss me to make this work, and all I could think about was how the kiss would go further.
It took a lot of talking me down. There’s nothing here between us. Or at least for him. He needs help with his sister and I need help with my parents. That’s all this is.
I pull into the parking lot of the diner we decide to meet at for coffee and who am I kidding, pie. I’m craving a chocolate silk pie.
Oh, wait. Should I not order a slice? I mean, he’s a health nut. Look at him. But it’s obvious I’m the person who would order a slice. I have curves upon curves that warrant the thought.
Ugh. What am I doing? There’s no way anybody would believe Logan would ever date somebody like me. He’s way out of my league. With that handsome face, blue eyes, strong build, and an air of confidence.
Even so called Mr. Perfect my parents match me with isn’t good looking. I mean, he’s not ugly, but he’s plain. Somebody more suitable for plain Jane like me.
I jump in my seat when a knock hits my driver’s side window.
Logan stands on the side of my car with his hands up. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
I give him an awkward smile and turn on the engine and grab my bag. “No problem, I was off in Neverland.” I sigh and he grins.
“Ready?” He lifts his arm in a guiding gesture toward the front door.
“Yeah.”
“After you.”
I blush, as I don’t like the idea of walking in front of him. There’s so much to see back there with the big ass I have. No matter how much I work out and stick to the clean eating plan Cole and Adam put together for me, I can’t lose the weight. I’ve toned up and gained some nice muscle while losing a few inches, but I still jiggle, and it makes me self-conscious.
Logan opens the door for me, and I shyly smile and duck inside. A server smiles at us. “Table for two?”
“Yes, please. Preferably a booth.” I answer her.
We make our way to our seats and order our coffees and, surprisingly, Logan orders a slice of pie, chocolate silk. “Would you like a slice?”
Nervous with both their gazes on me, I worry my lip, wondering if this is a test or something. My mom will do this with me to see if I’m sticking to a healthy eating routine.
Logan studies me and hands the menus over to the server. “We’ll have two slices.”
Normally I hate the idea of anybody ordering for me, but for whatever reason having Logan do it makes me happy and I love that I don't have to decide myself.
“Sorry for ordering for you like that, but I figured if you don’t want it, then I’ll eat it.” He winks at me and smiles. My body combusts into a pile of goo at how devastatingly hot he is. Who knew a wink could be so panty melting?
“Chocolate silk pie is my favorite, but I’m on an eating plan and I’m trying to be good.”
Logan nods, but says nothing. He purses his lips together, like he’s trying to hold something back. Finally, he says, “A cheat from time to time is better, though. That way you get to live a little. Me, I cheat more than I should, but I love food and I won’t deprive myself of things I love. Well, as long as I make sure I get my nutritious foods in as much as possible.”
Adam, my other boss, tells me the same thing all the time. He’s always encouraging me to eat a slice of pie from time to time. Unlike my mom and dad, who are sticklers on making sure I keep to a regiment.
“Thank you.” Wanting to move on from the talk of food, I say, “So tomorrow night is my parent’s annual charity gala for the heart association at the hospital. They run the cardiovascular department and the Valentine’s Day gala is a big thing every year. It’s a sit down dinner too. It lasts for several hours, but if we can last for at least three, I would appreciate it. One year I left after only two and I never heard the end of it.
“This will be the easiest night to introduce you to them also, because they’ll be so busy mingling, but they will want to schedule a second dinner within the next couple of nights. I also wouldn’t put it past my mom to invite her Mr. Perfect for that, too.” I sigh and try my best not to make a disgusted face, but it doesn’t happen.
Logan chuckles as the server puts the slices of pie down and pours our coffee.
“Thank you,” I say to her.
“No problem, hon. Enjoy.”
Logan asks, “So, he’s that bad?”
Not knowing how I should answer his question, I doctor up my coffee, trying to figure out how to word this without sounding like a bitch. “He’s not the guy for me. My parents had all these plans for me, and since I decided not to become a doctor like them, they figure, I should marry a doctor like them.
“He’s very ambitious. So much so, he doesn’t care who he steps on to get there. He’s arrogant, and a true know-it-all. Not very kind, he’s not cruel, but he has no filter, so he says whatever pops into his head and it can be very mean.”
The last encounter with him plays over in my head. How he instructed me to lose fifty pounds, at least. It hurt because I’m well aware, but he said it in front of his colleagues. It was so embarrassing.
“What did he say to you?” Logan lowers his coffee cup, and his hands clench on the table as his eyes narrow.
“What?”
“He said something to you. What did he say?”
I wave him off. “Oh, it’s not important. I’m just explaining what he’s like and why he’s not a good match for me. My parents like how it looks good on paper, not in reality. That’s where you come in. They can’t be forceful if I have a boyfriend, and when this is over, they’ll see I’m so-called heart-broken and it might grant me the rest of the year to get over things.” Now is the extra pathetic part. “I already told them I had a boyfriend, and I haven’t been saying anything because I want to make sure it’s right. So for them, me bringing you around now must mean I’m head over heels in love, or I’ve been lying and bought a fake boyfriend.”
The embarrassment of this conversation is strong and I work hard to avoid his gaze.
Logan grunts. “So you’ve talked this fake boyfriend up?”
Ugh, if he only knew I described him. Not so much in how he looks, but his personality and how kind he is.
“Something like that, but most importantly, this would be my first relationship, and obviously the first time I’m introducing them to somebody, so it’s bound to be serious, in their opinion.”
Logan takes a couple of big gulps of his coffee before he clears his throat. “First relationship?”
The room grows hot and my cheeks flush to match the temperature. I hate having to admit that, but my parents are going to say something, so I need to make sure he’s aware of what might be said.
“Um, yeah. I’ve never dated anybody before.” Gosh, another tick in the majorly embarrassing column to drown myself in later.
Logan’s rough hand wraps around mine, and my body is ready to burst into a million fireworks. Damn, just his hand on mine feels so good. I can’t imagine what it would feel like if his hands touched my whole body.
“Don’t worry about anything. We got this and your parents are going to think I’m the best first boyfriend you’ve ever had.”
If only you could be real and my only.
I gaze into his eyes even though I tried to keep my gaze away, but he locks me in and takes over my mind.
All my life, I’ve read romance novels and love the concept of the one and only. To only have one soul mate, and I’m well aware of how silly it is, but I can’t help imagining Logan being that for me.
I shake my head at those intrusive thoughts. “Thank you. And I promise to show your sister how madly in love with you I am.”
It won’t be hard after all. This instalove for him is no joke. It’s real, but I’m realistic enough to understand it’s all one-sided. I’m a dreamer, not delusional.
“What do you need me to do?”
“Oh, nothing.” Logan pulls his hand back and I struggle with not showing my disappointment. “I’ll just take some pics on our dates, and maybe others will take photos of us, so she can see that I’m seeing somebody.”
“That’s all your sister needs? Really?”
Logan shrugs and picks up his fork and dives into the pie. I follow suit even though I would rather stare at him longer. It’s incredible I found a new addiction so quickly? Pie is no longer in the running in my mind.
“She knows how I don’t want to get married, and that I’m more satisfied alone. That I’m not just working and hanging out at home will be more than enough to satisfy her.”
I frown as I take a bite of the pie, which I can’t taste as I stew over his words. He never wants to marry. That’s something I want more than anything. To have a partner, and having Logan as a partner, would be amazing. We’re practically strangers, but he’s one of those souls you can just tell is remarkable and good.
The only bonus is, I won’t watch him love somebody else. It’s selfish, but I always worried about the day when he would take up with one member from the gym or bring in a woman who’s more put together and closer to his age. Somebody well established like him.
I don’t have a clue about what I want to do with my life. It’s always been that I wanted to be a stay-at-home parent. That has the greatest appeal to me.
We continue discussing my parents and what they’ll be looking for to convince them we’re in a happy relationship. Logan opens up about his life more so I can answer questions my parents will ask, knowing I’ll need to jump in from time to time to answer for him. To make this work, they’ll need to see I know him just as much as he knows me.
“Okay, so I have your address and I’ll pick you up at your apartment at six,” Logan says as he walks me to my car.
“Yes, it sounds perfect. And remember, you don’t need a tux, but a nice suit will work.”
“Got it. I have one around somewhere.” He grins and I get all flutterpated once again.
“Oh, one more thing,” Logan says.
“Yeah.”
“This.” Logan grabs my waist and pulls me into his body. Heat envelopes me as he drops his mouth onto mine and kisses me. Stunned, I stand frozen until Logan licks my bottom lip, asking for me to open for him. Without resistance, I drop my jaw a little and Logan’s tongue dives into my mouth and taps against mine.
This is my first kiss, ever, with my biggest crush, and I don’t think this’ll ever happen again, so I wrap my arms around his neck and embrace the kiss. I moan, and Logan’s grip on my waist tightens.
Everything about his kiss is magical, and I feel it all the way down to my toes. It ends far too quickly for my liking.
We’re both breathing a little erratically, but still holding each other in our embrace.
“There, we had our first kiss. Now it won’t be awkward when we’re around others. To be believable, we can’t be uncomfortable from touching each other.”
For a millisecond my hopes are high, and then crash and obliterate before me. He’s right. This is for the ruse, not because he wants to kiss me.
“Thank you, you’re right. And thanks for making it so I don’t have to think.” I giggle, because if he said anything I would’ve panicked and the kiss wouldn’t have been as perfect as it had been.
Logan smiles, and steps back. “Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow, girlfriend.”
“Right. I’ll see you tomorrow, boyfriend.” I laugh and stumble to get into my car. His kiss makes me more weak-kneed than I thought.
Logan grabs me. “You okay?”
“Yup, good. Until tomorrow.”