CHAPTER 18
“S he’s really hot up close,” Jill noted. “I get it.”
Rory looked up from her phone and said, “She’s gorgeous.”
“And she’s totally into you,” Jill added. “The look she gave me when I mentioned we were going for drinks later…”
“Yeah?” Rory asked.
“Definitely. And she’s just texted you that she was jealous. Why are you surprised?”
“What do I even say back to that?” Rory asked. “I have no experience with this. I can’t believe she likes me.”
“Rory, you’re a catch. I’d hit on you if I didn’t know you liked Logan.”
“You would?”
“I flirted with you a little that night we were all helping with the bar. You didn’t really give anything back, so I assumed you either weren’t interested or that you weren’t into women. When you came to the office yesterday, I thought about asking you to go for a drink, but then, it was obvious that there was someone you were interested in, so I dropped that idea.”
“Me?”
Jill laughed and said, “Yes, you. Rory, you’re attractive, smart, and funny. Who wouldn’t want to go out with you?”
“I’ve never been on a date with a woman,” she shared.
“No?”
“No. I’ve kissed one, but that didn’t go very well.”
“Why not?”
“We’re friends. I felt something for her, but she didn’t. That represents the whole of my experience with women, and Logan is just…”
“Older?” Jill guessed.
“That too.”
“Well, with age, there’s generally more experience, yeah.”
“She’s been doing the casual thing,” Rory explained.
“With the woman she was with? Ava, right?”
“They’re just friends,” Rory said, but she remembered seeing Ava’s hand on Logan’s forearm a minute before she and Jill crossed the street to say hello, so she wondered at the accuracy of that label.
“But you were jealous?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Tell her that.”
“Who?”
“Logan. Text that to her. Open the door.”
“I don’t want the door open.”
“Oh, yes , you do. And she’s probably really good in bed, Rory. Just the look of her… Trust me, I can tell.”
“You can tell something like that?”
“Yeah. You can’t?”
“I’m too busy trying to process why she’d even want to have sex with me.”
“Well, stop that already and just tell her.”
“I told her we should be friends.”
“So?” Jill asked. “Take it back.”
“I can’t take it back,” she argued. “I told her I wanted a relationship. I’m not even out to my parents yet. Only a few people know I’m gay. How do I just find a relationship?”
Jill laughed and replied, “If I knew that, I’d be in one myself. It’s been hard, watching literally all of my friends find love. Mel and Kyle were first, and I was kind of close with Mel before that, but we got closer after Kyle, really. Then, there was Bridgette, who met Monica. I thought I found a single friend to commiserate with in Sophie, but Bryce showed up. Linden and Asher were next. Now, I’m still single, but at least there’s you.”
“Thank you?” Rory asked more than said.
“No, I mean that you’re single. Of course, I don’t know how long you ’re going to last because Logan clearly likes you. You should text her back.”
“But what do I say?”
“Tell her that you were jealous and leave it at that until later. You can talk about what that means in person. If you want my advice, though, I’d say if the woman is telling you that she might want something more with you, and you like her, give her a chance. Make sure she wants what you want, yeah, but you don’t start a relationship at moment one. You usually go out and see how that works first. And it might be casual in the beginning, or it might be more serious, but you generally work your way to the whole relationship thing, so just get on the same page.”
Rory did text Logan back. She had barely managed to hit send, but with Jill’s encouragement, she did it. Then, she shoved her phone in her pocket and continued on her walk around the city, where Jill explained the stuff they showed off, details they shared, and places they stopped at.
“No matter how much time you plan to spend here, it will always be more,” Jill said of Café Du Monde. “Seriously, I’m not even sure how it’s possible. If you plan for five, you’ll be here for at least ten minutes. But if you plan for ten, the tour group will want fifteen. It’s just best to build in a buffer. At different times of day, the line is longer or shorter. I will give you the rundown of the best times to hit it so that the line isn’t crazy, and Mel has a deal with them that we can cut the line sometimes, so that’s helpful.”
Rory started making notes on her phone so that she could remember everything Jill was teaching her, which was a lot. She had a book back at the office that would help, but she wanted to do this right. As she took her next note, a message flashed on her screen. Rory smiled first. Then, she bit her lip.
Logan Luna : We don’t have to make a big deal out of it, no. Will I see you later?
Rory was smiling as she replied.
Rory Winter : Yes, I’ll be there.
She saw the three dots appear instantly.
Logan Luna : Will Jill be there, too?
Rory laughed.
“What?” Jill asked.
“Nothing,” she replied and went to message Logan back.
Rory Winter : Will Ava?
Three dots appeared again.
Logan Luna : No.
Rory read the response and returned to her notes while she listened as Jill talked.
◆◆◆
“Hey,” Candace greeted her. “How was your first day at tour guiding?”
“It was just training. Jill walked me around and showed me some stuff. I have a book I have to read.”
“As if you don’t have enough to read already,” Candace replied as she sliced limes.
“What can I help with?”
“Nothing. You can sit down and order a drink. I have no other customers, so I can make it extra good for you.”
“Coke?”
“Give me a challenge, Rory.”
“I don’t want any alcohol. I don’t want to get tipsy. You know I’m a lightweight.” Rory sat on a barstool. “I thought Logan was opening.”
“She was supposed to,” Candace said, looking unhappy about something.
“Did she call in sick?” she asked, thinking Logan probably would’ve messaged her to tell her that, given that they’d made plans for Rory to be at the bar.
“No. She’s just late or not coming in at all.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes. She’s thirty minutes late. That’s why I’m behind on prep: I’m doing it all myself. I’ve got another bartender starting this weekend. She doesn’t have much experience, but she will still be able to help fill some gaps, which means you won’t have to fill in as much, even though I really appreciate it.” Candace stopped slicing to wash her hands. “I had a feeling things were going too well with Logan… Always early, does everything I ask of her, works hard, doesn’t mind running food, and makes good drinks – just too good to be true. I should’ve known.”
“It’s one time. Maybe traffic is bad.”
“She has my number. She could’ve called.”
“Yeah…” Rory let out and pulled out her own phone.
Candace placed a Coke on the bar for her and went back to slicing limes.
“If she doesn’t show, would you mind helping out if I need it? I don’t have anyone else.”
“Of course,” she replied, checking to see if Logan had left her a message. “Weird.”
“What?”
“I just can’t believe she hasn’t–”
Candace’s phone rang, and it was sitting on the bar, so she looked down at the screen to check who was calling.
“That’s her. I’ve got lime on my hands. Can you answer and put it on speaker for me?”
Rory did and held the phone up for Candace.
“Logan?”
“Candace, I am so sorry,” Logan said. “I’m on my way. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“What happened?”
“I… had an emergency and just got to my phone. I’m on my way in. I’ll work until close or whatever you need. I’ll do dishes, if you want. Bus tables. Whatever.”
“Just get here. We’ll talk about it when you get in,” Candace told her, clearly unimpressed with Logan’s offer.
“Okay. I’ll be there soon. I’m so sorry.”
Rory felt strange for being on the phone without Logan knowing, but it didn’t seem like a good time to mention it, so when Candace nodded, Rory hung up. She helped Candace finish the prep and went into the kitchen to get it ready, too. Ten minutes later, Logan walked in through the back door.
“Hi. Candace in the front?”
“Yes. A couple of customers came in,” Rory replied.
“Thanks,” Logan said, looking concerned.
Without saying anything else, she made her way into the bar, and a few seconds later, both Candace and Logan walked back through the door.
“Can you watch the front for five minutes?” Candace asked Rory.
“Sure,” she replied and walked past both of them, with Logan not meeting her eye.
Rory wasn’t sure what kind of manager Candace would be to someone who wasn’t her best friend, but she hoped Candace wouldn’t just fire someone for being late one time. Things happened, and Logan had apologized. As she stood behind the bar, Rory tried not to think about the fact that her main connection to Logan was this bar, and if she was fired, they wouldn’t have this place to share, in a way, anymore.
“Hey,” Logan said after she walked through the door. “Do you need me to make anything?”
“No, they have beers,” she said of the two customers.
“Did you pour them?” Logan asked with a slight smirk.
“No, smart-ass; they have bottles,” she replied with a smile. “Is everything okay?”
“I got a lecture that I deserved, and it’s my first strike. I get three, just like in baseball, and I’m gone.”
“What happened?”
“I went home after my lunch with Ava, and I fell asleep and woke up right before I called Candace. I don’t know what happened. I don’t usually take naps, and I set an alarm, or at least, I thought I did. I must not have. Anyway, I feel awful. I know you had to cover for me. And Candace counts on me. I’m really sorry.”
“You needed a nap?” Rory asked when Logan walked around and joined her behind the bar.
“I guess so. I fell asleep.”
“Naked?” Rory teased.
Logan laughed and said, “No. Sports bra and shorts.”
She was now standing right beside Rory in the confined space of the bar, smelling really good. Rory didn’t know how to describe perfume smells that weren’t floral. Maybe Logan wore cologne. Maybe it was her shampoo or soap or something.
“You okay?” Logan asked.
“Huh?”
“You kind of zoned out on me.”
“Oh, sorry. I’m okay.”
“Do you want to get a table or something? I assume your friends will be here soon.”
“Friends?”
“Jill and the rest of them,” Logan said.
“I don’t even know if they’re coming.”
“I thought they were hanging out with you tonight.”
“They might be,” she said.
“Okay. Well, can I make you a drink?”
“I have one. Candace made it for me.”
“ Candace made you a drink? That’s my job,” Logan replied. “What did she make you?”
“It’s a Coke, and it’s in the kitchen.”
“Let me make you a real drink, Rory. You’re going to be here for a while, right? Not driving?”
“No, but I’m okay.”
“Do you really not drink? Should I stop asking? You can tell me to shut up about it.”
“I just don’t want to be… tipsy around you. I’m a lightweight. Candace can tell you.”
Logan smiled at her and said, “You don’t want to be tipsy around me?”
Rory shook her head.
“Why not?”
“Because I need all my mental faculties around you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re you, and I’m going to go get that Coke Candace made for me.”
“She poured it for you. I think making is a stretch.”
Rory quickly moved around and away from Logan and disappeared into the kitchen, where she found her nearly full glass sitting on the counter. She leaned over it and tried not to think about how good Logan smelled, how hot she was, how nice she was, and just about everything else.
“You don’t have to be back here,” Candace said when she saw her. “Sit down and relax now that Logan’s here.”
“She’s not fired. That’s good.”
“Shit happens.” Candace shrugged. “I just told her that it can’t happen again, but we’re good. Besides, I’d talk to you before I’d do that.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you have a thing with her. I’d want to make sure you at least had her number so that you could call or text her if I had to let her go.”
“I don’t have a thing with her,” Rory argued.
“Yeah, okay.” Candace laughed. “Is she up front?”
“Behind the bar.”
“Good. I’m going to pee. I’ll see you out there.”
Rory sighed and waited for Candace to leave before she turned around and walked back out to the bar.
“Rory?”
“Yeah?” she asked Logan as she sat down on a stool.
“Where’s your Coke?”
Rory put her face in her hands and said, “I left it in the kitchen.”
Logan chuckled, and Rory looked up when she heard something. Logan was adding ice to a glass before she used the soda gun to pour her a new drink. Then, she placed it on the bar in front of Rory, reached for a lime, and put it on the edge of the glass.
“There. A little better than a regular Coke. Best I could do.” Logan shrugged a shoulder.
“You were really jealous of Jill?” she asked, deciding to take a chance.
Logan nodded.
“I was jealous of Ava.”
“So you said in your text. But, Rory, Ava and I are just friends. We’re not together.”
“Not even casually?”
“Casually? No. Ava is a relationship woman. She’s technically seeing someone right now. They’re not exclusive, and I think it’s going to end soon, but we’re just friends.”
“Okay.”
Logan closed her eyes for a second and added, “I told her I wouldn’t tell you this, but I feel like I should, given what I just said about Ava and me not being casual.”
“Tell me what?”
“The other day, before I… before I told you that I…” Logan took a deep breath. “Before I even asked you out or told you that I liked you. I mean, I think I’d said maybe ten words to you back then or something. It was– Hell, before I even realized that I liked you, I did something really stupid, and Ava was a part of that.”
“What did you do?”
“Ava came over because we were going to lunch. I was still asleep, and you know how I told you that I sleep naked.” Logan paused and seemed to consider her next words carefully. “I could tell she… Ah, fuck. I touched her. I mean, I went down on her, but that was it.”
Rory sat back in her chair.
“Rory, we were together a while ago.”
“No, it’s fine. You can be with whomever you want. You know that.”
Logan leaned over the bar and told her, “Nothing else is going to happen. We stopped after that and talked about how dumb it was to go there.”
“Logan, it really is okay,” she lied, trying not to picture Logan’s head between the legs of the woman she had met earlier that day. “Like you said, you were together. That happens, right?”
“Not anymore,” Logan said.
“Okay. Well, that’s up to you and Ava, I guess.”
“Don’t do that, okay?”
“Do what?” she deflected, picking up her Coke before she dropped the lime into it and took the longest gulp, suddenly feeling very thirsty.
“Don’t pull away.”
“I’m not pulling away. I’m sitting right here.”
“Rory, I like you.”
“I like you, too,” she replied. “And we’re good. We’re friends.”
Logan stood straight up and said, “We were working on maybe something more than that a few minutes ago.”
“Logan, I don’t know what you want from me. I have zero experience with this, whatever this even is. I told you I thought we should be friends. I think that was the right call.”
“Any new customers yet?” Candace asked as she burst through the door. “I’m ready to mingle.”
But Rory didn’t pay her any attention because she still stared at Logan, who stared back at her.