7. Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Addie
Laughter continues to bubble out of me. I’ve never had so much fun at one of these as I am tonight. And it’s all due to Logan. He makes everything fun and engaging. It also doesn’t hurt how hot he looks in his suit. It’s a dark blue, almost black, and it makes his eyes shine even brighter. Women are constantly taking second, third, even fourth glances at him.
When I opened my front door, I was relieved to see that he didn’t shave too closely. He still has the five o’clock shadow look, and it makes him ruggedly sexy.
My mother, thankfully, left us alone for most of the night. Father would come around to check in and talk a little more with Logan about bikes, which shows a side of my dad I didn’t know existed. Apparently, he used to ride when he was younger, but after a year in the ER and with a new wife, he thought it was best to sell it, especially if they were to have kids.
A part of me wonders if my mother convinced him to sell it.
Logan continues to spin me around the dance floor. I’m not the greatest dancer, but the way he leads, he’s never going to have a bad dance partner.
“Okay, tell me why you’re so good at this. I mean, this can’t all be natural.”
Logan sighs as we sway to the music. “When I was a kid, my mom enrolled my sister, brother and me in ballroom dancing. My parents couldn’t afford much, but she used to clean the studio and got a great deal for our classes. She wanted us to do something since we couldn’t do all the sports and extracurricular activities. Apparently, I’m a natural, and the instructors spent more time with me. Now don’t laugh, but I even competed as a teenager.”
I drop my jaw. “No way. I don’t believe that. Really?”
Logan huffs. “Yes, really. It was so uncool then, but now…” He pulls me in closer to where not even air is between us. “I need to thank my mom for forcing me into those classes.”
I’m about to swoon or die. Who can ever tell the difference? I’m not getting a lot of oxygen to the brain with this man around. It’s all supposed to be fake, and I remind myself of this, but for brief moments I allow myself to believe he’s all mine and I’m all his.
It helps how he keeps giving me little touches, kisses me on the temple or on my forehead, stroking my back, constantly telling me I’m beautiful. Most importantly, I haven’t caught him looking at the slew of gorgeous women, not once. It’s like a fairytale and I hate how I’m going to wake up and it all be gone.
But tonight, I get to hold him close like this. I rest my head against his shoulder as we continue to dance to the slow song, imagining we’re dancing on the clouds with no one in sight. I inhale deep and take in his cologne that blends with his natural scent and it does things to my body. Lustful things. Wet things.
“May I cut in?”
And there goes all the good feelings. I fight back a groan as I open my eyes and see Mason standing there with a tight jaw and beady eyes watching us. I peek over his shoulder and notice my mother glaring daggers at me.
Shoot. If I decline his dance, I won’t hear the end of it. It’ll just be faster to do the one dance and then be done with it.
I lift my head from Logan’s shoulder, and he lifts a brow at me, waiting for me to decide. Which makes me want to kiss him even more. He’s letting me take the lead on all of this.
“Okay, Mason, one dance.” It’s clear I’m not excited about this, and Logan smirks a little. More importantly, he lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me like he’s marking his territory right in front of Mason and the entire room. And if Logan isn’t holding me up, I’d be slipping into a puddle on the ground.
Damn, that man can kiss.
“I’ll go get us some refreshments. Mason.” Logan nods at the smaller man and walks off the dance floor and I can’t stop staring at how well his ass fills out those slacks.
Mason clears his throat, and I shift my gaze to him. I accept his hand, and make sure there's plenty of space between his body and mine. He’s a lot shorter than Logan, so I have to maintain more eye contact with him, which is uncomfortable because he looks at me like he’s judging me. And it’s clear he is.
“Okay, Addison, I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but this all needs to stop now.”
I pull my head back so I can look at him better and try to understand what he’s talking about. “What?”
“Let’s be fair. There’s no way that man is good enough for your family name. He’s a bike mechanic, for heaven’s sake. This is all nonsense and you’re making things difficult for your mother when there doesn't need to be. I’m willing to swipe this all under the rug.”
“First, Logan is the best man in the world and to say differently shows your shortcomings. Second, he has his own business and is extremely successful, so don’t even go there. Third, I’m not making anything difficult, I’m only living my life.”
“Come on, we’re supposed to be together, so stop fighting it and just face the inevitable, your parents will never approve of that man. Who can be your father, by the way. You’re just embarrassing yourself as you cling all over him.”
Red invades my vision as I stop moving and drop my arms. I try to step back, but Mason looks around and grabs me to pull me in closer as he hisses. “Stop it, Addison. You’re acting like a child.”
Enough of this. I speak loud and clear, making sure to enunciate each word so there won’t be any misconceptions. “You think I’m acting like a child? Why? Because I want nothing to do with you?”
The surrounding people look over and slow down in their dancing.
“Addison, stop it. You’re proving my point right now.” He reaches for my arm again, and I swipe him away.
“What I’m proving is that you're an imbecile. I have a boyfriend and I want nothing to do with you. It’s my mother who keeps pushing us together, for whatever reason I can’t fathom. But I’m happy and don’t want to be with you at all. I never have.”
The dancers stop dancing, but the band still plays and the people at the tables and bar are still chatting, unaware of what’s going on here.
“Addison, knock it off.”
“It’s Addie, and no. I don’t even understand what you want with me. I overheard you telling somebody how the only good thing about me was my last name. Being with me is a boon to your career.”
Several people gasp, but I ignore them.
“I’ve never been interested in you, and I’m happy with my life and with Logan. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t follow what my mother says. If I did, then you surely won’t be a part of the equation because I’d be on my way to medical school. You’re the back-up plan for me in her eyes.”
Mason seethes and glares at me. He looks like a rat with his beady eyes and puckered lips. I hate to compare him to such a defenseless creature, but it’s how he looks.
“You would be lucky to have me, and not some mechanic.”
“Oh, get off it. Logan is ten times the man you are, and you’re not even that great of a doctor. Google your name, the reviews are far less than stellar. You need to grow up and stop trying to smooch your way to the top. You’ll never be the doctor my parents are, at least not at this rate you’re going.”
Several more people gasp, while even more chuckle.
“Addison, stop this.” My mother steps forward, trying to calm me down.
“No, mother, I won’t. I’m tired of his disparaging remarks, and how he tries to ride your coattails. Even worse, he’s talking bad about Logan, somebody he doesn’t even know who is the best man I’ve ever known. I’m done with him.”
“I don’t have to take this. I was doing you a favor by showing any interest at all, you fat bitch.”
The music stops, people gasp, my mother’s jaw drops, and then Logan steps in front of me, seething.
“What the fuck did you just say?”
I hold on to Logan’s arm to hold him back. I don’t know Logan well enough to gauge how he’ll respond. He’s the laid back sort, but with how protective he is, I wonder what he’ll do to defend me. The last thing I want is to be posting his bail because I don’t have the funds to do that, but I’ll sell everything I own to make sure I do.
“No, Logan. It’s okay. It’s not the worst thing he’s said about me. It’s fine.”
“What? What else has he said about you?”
“Nothing, it’s not important. It’s fine.”
“It’s not fucking fine.”
“Logan, why don’t you take Addison and get out of here.” My father says as he walks in between Logan and Mason. “She doesn’t need to be here for this.”
Logan clenches his fist as he glares at Mason over my dad’s head.
“Please, Logan. I don’t want Addison to deal with him anymore.” My father pleads. It seems to be the right thing to say. And Logan steps back, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.
“Come on, beauty, let’s get out of here.”
I don’t say anything. I keep my head down and let Logan guide me out of the gala. Nobody says anything, which I appreciate and snuggle in closer into Logan’s side after he wraps my coat around me.
“I’m not ready to go home yet,” I say. The moment I’m alone, I’m going to think about everything that happened and my mind is going to play it over like a loop and I don’t want to do that yet.
“Okay, how about we grab some pie?” Logan reaches over and rests his hand on my thigh, and I laugh.
“Yeah, pie sounds good.”
Logan turns on the blinker and heads toward the diner we met at yesterday. We’re going to be extra dressy for a diner, but I don’t mind. Chocolate silk pie is screaming my name, and some more alone time with Logan is the whipped cream on top.