37. Logan
37
logan
~~ One Month Later ~~
“And that’s the idea. I’d love to hear your thoughts?”
I look over to Maeve, who I don’t think has blinked during the entire presentation we’ve just sat through, let alone have thoughts to verbalize.
One for a reality television show, starring none other than my wife.
“Maeve?” I ask, more to make sure she hasn’t gone into a catatonic state. “Do you have anything you want to add? Questions to ask?”
She shows signs of life when she starts blinking, but they’re rapid and she might’ve blacked out for a second. “I’m sorry. I think I misheard you. Can you say again, one more time, and very slowly so you don’t have to say it three times, what you want me to do?”
I chuckle under my breath at Maeve’s request to Christopher, the producer. In Maeve’s defense, I kind of sprung this meeting on her. Not because I didn’t want her to be ready for it, but if she knew she’d have made me cancel. She would’ve been against it from the jump, but not because of what it is, because of her stubbornness.
And she can still say no. There’s no gun to her head. But I wanted her to actually consider it, because I think it could be a smashing success.
“I’d be happy to,” Christopher says, clicking back to a recap slide he’s presenting to us. “The idea is for you to be unapologetically yourself. Just from this conversation, your realness and bluntness are tools that will set you apart from other home makeover stars. What we want you to do is be honest, and sometimes that comes off as gruff. Which is what we want. We want you to take the most stubborn clients—preferably ones with horrible taste—and convince them to let you help them decorate the home of their dreams.”
“Okay, that’s what I thought you said.” Maeve shakes her head a little, but more I think to try and gather her thoughts. “This is all very overwhelming.”
“I understand,” Christopher says as he puts away his tablet. “Please though, give this some thought. When you have ideas and have wrestled with this one, I’d love to talk to you about it more. Get your ideas. This was just a starting off point. I’m open for suggestions.”
Maeve nods and the two of them shake hands. “Thank you. We’ll be in touch.”
I walk Christopher out to the front door, tell him thanks again for meeting on short notice, before heading back into my office.
“What was that?”
And that is why I walked Christopher out. “Okay, Love, hear me out.”
“Oh no, don’t you ‘Love’ me,” she says as she points her finger into my chest. “Did you really set up a meeting with a reality show producer and not tell me?”
“I did. But I have good reasons.”
“Oh there better be,” she says, perching herself onto my desk. “Start talking, husband.”
I know she’s miffed at me. But that doesn’t stop the tingle I feel when she reminds me of our marital status.
“It happened to come up in conversation,” I begin.
“Really? You just happened to be talking to a reality producer and you just happened to bring up an idea that I joked about months ago that I was never actually serious about?”
I think about it for a second, but there’s no other way to say it. “Yeah. I did. But if you really want someone to blame if you’re angry, I suggest being pissed at Vivian.”
“Vivian? What does she have to do with it?”
“Because if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been on the phone with a reality producer.”
“Are you…”
“I am. Christopher is one of the producers of Real Lives of Nashville Wives . And now a personal friend if I do say so myself.”
If I had any hopes of our lives calming down after we exposed Vivian for what she did to Maeve, those were quickly shot out of the window.
The next day we were delivered notice that Josh was dropping his petition for custody. It also came with a text message from Josh saying that he needed some time to figure things out. He explained that he was divorcing Vivian and needed some time to reevaluate things in life. Maeve understood and told him to take the time he needed. That they’d talk everything through when he was ready.
That talk came this week. Josh profusely apologized to both Maeve and myself—because yes, I went with her—and asked if things could go back to how they were. He admitted she was right, that he wasn’t ready to have Jayce full-time, but was interested in adding one night per week. Maeve agreed, and after he promised that Vivian was permanently out of his life, they agreed that each Tuesday night, Jayce spent the night with Josh.
It was the best outcome we could’ve hoped for when it came to our family. And really for Josh. But for Vivian? She’s…well…as Stella has said bluntly, “She’s going through it.”
It started with Josh serving her divorce papers. It continued with Real Lives of Nashville Wives announcing their casting without her on their list. Did that have anything to do with me contacting the producer—who just happened to be the one sitting in my office today—with all of the information we found? Actually no. Christopher said all that did was solidify their suspicion that she would’ve been too much drama.
For a reality show.
Featuring catty rich women.
Of course, Vivian blamed everything on us and tried to take to social media with her claims that Maeve and I ruined her life. Little did she know that we had a woman named Kat Smith waiting in the wings to drag her through the mud.
And drag her she did.
There wasn’t a media outlet that wasn’t told the story about how a would-be reality wannabe was willing to ruin the lives of an innocent woman and her child just for fame. Pictures were leaked of all of her affairs. Hashtags and social movements began to not only cancel Vivian, but to support Maeve. It was a whirlwind few weeks, but when it was all said and done, we came out of the other side stronger than ever.
Which is why we’re sneaking away this weekend with Jayce to a beach house at an undisclosed location. Just the three of us, sand between our toes, and quiet all around us.
The perfect calm after all of the chaos.
“Is it bad that I want to take this reality show just on spite?” Maeve asks. “The final fuck you to the woman who put me through hell?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Maybe not have that be the entire reason why you take it? But sure, it can be a cherry on top.”
“You’re right,” Maeve groans. “You know, for being a young billionaire, you’re annoyingly responsible.”
I laugh and walk up to her, setting my hands on either side of her on my desk. “When you say annoyingly, do you really mean sexy?”
Her eye roll is playful and signals that she’s not truly mad about the impromptu meeting. “More like infuriating.”
“Sure, Love…” I break down her last wall with a smile as I lean into kiss her.
Am I ever going to get tired of this? I can’t imagine a time when. I damn well know it’s not now.
My life has only gotten better since the moment I met Maeve in that airport bar. Has it been a rollercoaster? Almost immediately. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Because in these small moments, between the meetings and the work, the media and the headlines, the play dates and family outings, are the moments of calm.
And those are bloody perfect.
“Mom! Logan!”
We slowly back away as Jayce comes barreling into Logan’s office.
“Hey, buddy,” Maeve says as I stand away from her and adjust myself. “How was school?”
“Logan? Can I ask a question?”
Something I’ve come to learn from Jayce is that he’s inquisitive beyond belief. If there’s something he wants to know an answer to, he doesn’t hesitate to ask. And then return with the approximate two-hundred follow-ups he’ll likely have.
Seeing that he has a very serious look to him, I sit him down on one of my chairs and kneel so we can be eye level. “Anything, mate.”
“Can you come to my school and tell my friends that you made SpaceCraft? They don’t believe me.”
Amid the craziness of our lives the past months, one night we were sitting around watching the telly when Jayce asked what my job was. It started as curiosity that my office was at home, when Maeve and Josh’s jobs weren’t. It then dawned on Maeve that in only telling him what he needed to know at the time for an arrangement we thought was temporary, she never actually told him what I did for a living. The stars in his eyes were a memory I won’t soon forget.
It has also led to approximately two-hundred questions about why certain things were designed the way they were, a definitive ranking of who my favorite characters are, and questions about the game I never even thought of, let alone had an answer to.
“Let me guess,” I say. “You told all your classmates at school that your mum’s husband invented SpaceCraft.”
“I did. Rosie believes me, but Corban and Maddox said I was a liar.”
I don’t know who these Corban and Maddox tikes are, but they’re about to get embarrassed in front of all their classmates. I wonder if I can hack their gaming systems and make it have an unexpected bug?
“Of course I’ll come in,” I say. “I’d be happy to. Maybe I can see if Kat can dig up some gifts for your classmates.”
“Yes!” Jayce yells. “You’re the best, Logan!”
Jayce leaps into my arms for the biggest and best hug. I know that I’ll never be his actual father, and that’s okay. He has a father who, despite going off path for a minute, loves him and is very much part of his life. And as a lad who had a father who couldn’t be bothered, I’m glad that I can be part of someone’s life who has two father figures who love him endlessly.
And if I’m able to give him cool points with his friends at school? Then that’s the role I’ll take on.
“I’ll be there too.”
I look to Maeve, who has a look in her eye that looks familiar. “And why would you be doing that? I talk to titans of industry on a regular basis. I think I can handle a group of first graders.”
She shakes her head. “Absolutely not. Once word gets out that you’re coming, every class mother will be chomping at the bit to volunteer that day.”
I love it when my wife gets possessive…
I give her a wink, because we’re going to be saving this conversation for later. When we’re alone. “Jayce, I’ll email your teacher and set something up.”
“Thanks, Logan!” Jayce makes his way out of my office, forgetting about his backpack, which he left in the middle of the room. And his shoes.
“I think he’s comfortable here,” I joke.
“Are you kidding me? He was comfortable from the first cinnamon roll you gave him.”
I put the shoes near his backpack and make my way back over to Maeve.
“Was that my wife being possessive?” I ask, resuming my position that I was in before Jayce stormed in. “Don’t want the PTA moms trying to swoop in?”
She shakes her head, though I see the devilish look in her eye. “I wouldn’t call it possessive.”
“Oh really?” I ask as I lean in to start kissing up and down her neck. “What would you call it?”
She pulls me in by my shirt and wraps her legs around me. “Just me wanting them to know that you’re mine.”
I don’t know if the day will ever happen that I get tired of Maeve saying that. I can’t imagine so. Because in a short amount of time, this woman changed my life.
She was a stranger at an airport bar.
She was one night I was never going to forget.
She was my reluctant designer.
She became my friend.
And now she’s my wife.
I get a chance to have a life I never believed possible. I get to be a bonus dad to the best kid. I get to have a family that’s full of love and not toxicity.
And it’s all because I bought a beautiful woman a drink at the bar.