CHAPTER 20
“O kay. We are closed.” Candace sighed as she sat down on the barstool next to Rory. “I am so fucking tired.”
“When was the last time you even slept?” Rory asked.
“The day before I won the lottery,” Candace replied. “I miss Keith. We both thought he’d be here for this. I get that he needs a job… We all do. I just thought he would be around more. As it is, with us both working odd hours and trying to sleep when we can, we hardly even get to talk. I know he was just here, but it’s so hard to be apart, you know?”
Rory looked up at Logan, who was cleaning behind the bar and pretending not to be paying attention to their conversation.
“Is he at work now?” Rory asked.
“Probably. He should be about halfway through his shift.”
“So, he’s about to go on break, maybe?”
“I guess.” Candace shrugged.
“Go home, Candace.”
“What?”
“Go home and call him. Text him now to tell him your plan so that he can take his break. Then, talk to him and get some sleep. You need it.”
“We have closing to do.”
“I’ve got it,” Logan offered. “I can’t handle the money stuff, but I can clean everything and lock up.”
“I’ll stay, too,” Rory added.
“What? No way. You’ve got to be more tired than I am.”
“I’m okay,” Rory replied. “Really, I’m good. I took a nap after the training shift before I got here. I turned in my paper, I don’t have anything else due this week, and it’s just reading so far for next week. I promise, I’m good.”
“Are you really sure?” Candace checked. “I could use the sleep and a call with my boyfriend, but–”
“I’m sure. Go,” Rory said. “I’ll handle the money stuff. You showed me how to do it last week, so I’ll put everything in the safe for you, and we’ll both get out of here after locking up. Okay?”
“That would be great. Deliveries are at ten in the morning tomorrow, and I was dreading having to wake up and get here in time. They won’t just leave things unless I’m here to sign for them.” Candace stood and asked again, “And you’re really sure?”
“Yes.” Rory laughed. “You’re paying me. I’m not volunteering. You know I could use the money.”
“And you’ll walk her to her car after?” Candace asked Logan.
“Yeah,” Logan replied with a small smile.
“I parked out back, so I’m fine, but thanks for the vote of confidence,” Rory added sarcastically.
Candace rolled her eyes and said, “Thank you so much. I’ll see you later, okay?”
Then, she was gone, and Rory tried to think about the last time she was alone with Logan. The only other time that had happened so far had been at her apartment when Logan had asked her out after fixing her garbage disposal.
“I’m going to go do the money stuff,” Rory said.
“Okay. I’ll finish up out here and head into the kitchen,” Logan replied.
Rory headed through the kitchen and into the office, finding it a little in disarray and not really knowing where Candace kept everything. She searched for what she needed and logged on to the computer. Within thirty minutes, she had the night’s receipts tallied and the cash bundled and ready to be deposited the following day. Then, she straightened up the office a bit to give Candace a chance to walk into a clean room the following day and made her way out to the kitchen, finding Logan at the grill, scraping it.
“Cash is done,” Rory shared. “Candace’s office was a mess, too.”
“Yeah, I noticed that earlier. I think she’s spending so much time out on the floor that she ends up exhausted by the end of the night, throws crap around in there, and doesn’t get around to picking it up later.”
“I tried to clean it up for her, but I’m sure it’ll get messy again. She loves people. She always has. She wanted to own a bar, but not the paperwork and office part. She loves being out there talking to patrons. It’s why she didn’t want to own a big tourist trap. She likes regulars, getting caught up on their lives, learning their drinks, and trying to make them happy if she can, even if it’s just over a beer.”
Rory smiled, thinking about her friend.
“For what it’s worth, she’s doing it. We got busy again tonight. She’s attracting regulars already.”
“Yeah?” Rory asked. “I don’t know that I’ve noticed, honestly, but that’s great.”
“I like it here,” Logan said. “I don’t want to mess this up for me.”
“Well, try not to oversleep again.”
Logan looked at her for a second and then looked back down at the grill.
“I should tell you something…”
“Something else?” she asked. “You’ve already told me something today.”
“I didn’t oversleep,” Logan said as she stopped cleaning the grill and turned to her. “I had something I had to do, and I lost track of time. I told Candace and you that I overslept, but I didn’t.”
“Why did you lie to me? I get Candace; she’s your boss.”
“You’re her best friend.”
“If you would’ve asked me to keep whatever you were doing to myself, I would have. I don’t like lying to Candace.” Rory crossed her arms over her chest. “But people lose track of time. It happens. Why didn’t you just tell her that?”
“I panicked,” Logan replied, wiping off the clean grill. “I didn’t want to lose my job here, Rory. I need it, and not just because of the money. I like working here. It’s calming for me, even when it’s busy. And you’re here.”
“What were you doing that made you lose track of time? I saw you not that long before you were supposed to be here.”
“Can we maybe talk somewhere else? Maybe tomorrow. What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Class.”
“What time?” Logan asked.
“Not until eleven.”
“Can we have breakfast? I’ll buy.”
“Breakfast?”
“Yeah. We can leave from here and go for breakfast, if you want. That could be fun; early morning breakfast before the sun comes up.”
“I’d like to get some sleep tonight,” Rory replied. “Besides, I spilled beer on myself earlier, and I’d like to change out of these clothes and shower sometime soon.”
“Okay. Nine o’clock? I can pick you up.”
“Why do we even need to go somewhere else to talk? No one’s here.”
“I just don’t want to do this here.”
“Do what, Logan?” she asked.
“I’m supposed to be working. So are you. Candace is paying us. We should finish,” Logan suggested.
“Okay. I’ll do the dishes, I guess,” she replied.
“Rory?”
“Yes?”
“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Logan told her.
“What am I thinking?”
“I can guess.”
“Go for it.”
“You might be thinking I got caught up with a woman and lost track of time, but that’s not what happened.”
“Okay,” Rory said.
She had been wondering if that was what Logan had been keeping from her, but she kept telling herself that it wasn’t her place to ask.
“There are things that no one else knows,” Logan said, taking a few steps toward her. “Ava does, but she was there for some of it, so that’s why. If I tell you, it could change things.”
“Logan, now I’m worried. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I just feel like I want you to know, and that’s new for me. I don’t like sharing any part of my life with anyone else.”
“But you want to with me?”
Logan nodded and replied, “There’s something about the way you look at me sometimes. It’s like you already know things you shouldn’t, but also, it’s like you won’t judge me, no matter what I tell you.”
“Are you a serial killer? That could change things,” she tried to joke.
Logan didn’t laugh, but she did manage a smile.
“Not a serial killer. But I’ll tell you at breakfast what I am , okay?”
“And I’m not supposed to worry about you?”
“I like that you worry about me,” Logan said with another of those smiles. “It means you care, right?”
Rory nodded and said, “Of course, I do.”
“Can you maybe hang on to that for a while, even after I tell you things you might not want to hear?”
Rory nodded again and watched as Logan went back to wiping down the grill. She didn’t know what else to say because Logan didn’t want to talk about it now, so she went to the sink and started working on the dishes that couldn’t be put through the dishwasher. When she was finished, she turned around to see that Logan was standing there, looking down at her phone.
“Are you done?”
“Yeah, I clocked out,” Logan said, looking up at her. “I was thinking I might take a few riders before I go home. I’m kind of wired.”
“Logan, go home and get some sleep,” Rory suggested. “You’re meeting me for breakfast in, like, a few hours.”
“I was going to pick you up.”
“Meet me wherever. I’d have to leave for class after,” she said as she clocked out. “It’s easier if I just drive myself.”
“I won’t sleep if I go home anyway. At least, this way, I can make some extra cash.” Logan tucked her phone into her pocket. “You ready?”
“Yeah, let’s go,” Rory replied. “And if you really want to drive, go for it, but you could always watch TV or something when you get home.”
“I told you that I finished Netflix already.”
“You can’t finish Netflix,” Rory replied with a laugh as they made their way to the back door.
“All the stuff I wanted to watch on it, anyway.”
“Then, I’ll text you some recommendations of shows I like when I get home.”
“How do you even have time to watch TV? You’re always doing something else.”
“I can watch TV while I’m studying.”
Logan pushed the door open for her.
“A multi-tasker, huh?”
“The background noise helps me study. Why do you think I do it here all the time? It’s quiet when it’s not busy, but not so quiet that I’m just sitting there thinking about how eerily quiet it is.”
“You’re a complicated woman, Rory Winter.” Logan turned around and locked the door behind them.
“Not really,” Rory said.
“If I go home, you’ll send me your recs?” Logan asked as they walked toward Rory’s car.
“Yes, if you really want them.”
“I do,” Logan replied and stopped when they got to the car.
Rory unlocked it, and Logan pulled that door open for her, too.
“Where’s your car?” Rory asked.
“Right over there,” Logan replied, nodding to her own car, which was a couple of spots away from them. “I’ll wait for those shows.”
Rory chuckled and said, “Okay. And I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll send you the address for the place. I’m thinking diner with really good pancakes?”
“Sounds good,” Rory said.
She then climbed into the car, and Logan stood there, holding the door open as if she wanted to say something else.
“Logan?”
“Huh?”
“It’ll be okay. Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay.”
Logan just gave her a small nod and said, “Good night, Rory.”
“Night,” she replied.
Logan closed her door, and Rory put the car in reverse and backed out. She made sure that Logan was right behind her before she pulled out into traffic and took the short drive home. The whole way, she wondered what could be so bad that Logan was worried she’d stop caring about her. When she got inside her apartment, she thought about a few of her favorite shows in different genres to give Logan some options and sent her a text. She didn’t wait for a response to take off her clothes and hopped in the shower, feeling like she reeked of beer. Cleaning quickly, she got out and changed into her pig pajamas, laughing at how she’d told Logan about them. Then, she checked her phone and found two messages from Logan.
Logan Luna : Here’s the diner info.
Logan Luna : Okay. I’ll try the comedy. They usually put me to sleep because I don’t find them funny.
Rory laughed and typed.
Rory Winter : It’s a comedy. Of course, it’s funny.
She climbed into bed and waited. A few minutes later, Logan replied.
Logan Luna : I’ve never really been into sitcoms. I guess the punch lines are obvious to me.
Rory sent another message.
Logan Luna : Do you want to watch it with me?
Rory typed back.
Logan Luna : Yes, now. I’m going to put on the first episode.
Rory Winter : You’re supposed to watch something to help you get to sleep.
Logan Luna : I’ve got at least an hour in me before I’m able to pass out. Come on. One episode?
Rory smiled and bit her lower lip. Then, she grabbed her remote and turned on the small TV she had in her bedroom. She queued up the show and replied to Logan.
Logan Luna : Can I call you?
Rory typed her reply, and her phone rang shortly after.
“Hi,” Logan said.
“Hi,” Rory replied with a chuckle. “How do we watch a show together while we’re talking on the phone?”
“Put the TV on mute.”
“You’ll miss the jokes.”
“That’s what the captions are for. Besides, I already told you that I don’t really like sitcoms anyway.”
“Then, why are we watching it?” Rory asked.
“You told me it was one of your favorites, and it’ll help me sleep.”
“Talking to me will help you sleep?” she asked as she settled farther into her bed.
“No, talking to you will keep me up.”
“Then, we shouldn’t be talking.”
“Rory, just put the damn TV on mute and talk to me,” Logan told her with a small laugh. “Tell me why you like this show.”
“Because it’s funny,” she replied, laughing. She pressed the mute button, checked to make sure that the captions were on, pressed play, and added, “It’s on now.”
“For me, too. Okay. Tell me about this one. I’ve never seen it. Fill me in.”
“You’re supposed to watch the show and let it fill you in,” Rory said.
“That’s no fun,” Logan replied.
Rory laughed and continued to lay there for the next hour, watching one of her favorite shows on mute and trying to both convince Logan that it was funny and that she should get some sleep before they both finally called it a night and hung up.