CHAPTER 25
W alking Rory to her car had been an exercise in self-control for Logan. She had wanted to take Rory’s hand and hold it until they could kiss goodnight, but she had managed to keep both of her hands inside her pockets the whole time instead. Their night had been mostly what Logan had wanted. She’d gotten to cook for her, watch a movie with her, sit close to her, and they’d talked a little, too. The only part that had been missing was calling it what Logan wished it was: a date. Still, things seemed to be heading that way. Rory had been the one to kiss her on the cheek. That had to mean something, right? They’d never done that before, and Logan hadn’t seen Rory kiss Candace or any of her other friends on the cheek in the short time she’d known her. So, she’d woken to a text from Rory with a smile on her face.
“How was it?” Ava asked.
“Perfect,” Logan said.
“Nothing’s perfect,” Ava replied as she held her to-go coffee cup to her lips while they walked.
“Close to it, then.”
“Did she admit that it was a date?”
“No. And I’m not trying to pressure her into anything, Ava. I only told her about my past yesterday morning. The fact that she even showed up was more than enough for me.”
“I’d say that she’s a great influence for you because it’s before lunch, and you’re not only awake, but you’re vertical and walking around the city with me.”
“You’re hilarious,” she said sarcastically. “I have an early shift at the bar anyway, so I figured I’d wake up, grab breakfast with you, and then run some errands before I have to head in.”
“Errands?”
“Yeah.”
“I just don’t think I’ve heard you say the word ‘errands’ before,” Ava teased.
“I run errands like everyone else.”
“What kind of errands?”
“I went grocery shopping yesterday.”
“ That’s a modern-day miracle. Did you buy more Hot Pockets or more ketchup?”
“Neither, surprisingly,” Logan replied. “And today, I’m getting an oil change. Then, I need to run to the post office to pick up some stamps.”
“You can buy those online.”
“But the post office is by the car place, and I need to send a check.”
“Ah,” Ava said. “Do they still cash them?”
“Every single one. This one has five hundred on it. I sent one last week, too. It was for four hundred. I’m going to try to send them weekly if my tips are good enough.”
“And you can swing that?”
“I’d probably be better off bartending at some lesbian bar in the Quarter, but yeah. I’m making decent tips here, and Candace pays me real money before and after close, when there are no tips, so that helps. I’ve cut down on rides, but I think I’ll try to find something else part-time to make up for that. I don’t know what yet.”
“That’s good, Logan.”
Logan tossed her empty coffee cup into the trash can they walked by and said, “I was thinking about doing something else as well, if I can find the time.”
“Dating Rory?”
Logan laughed and said, “That too, but no. I still have a few contacts at the schools, and I’d need to re-up some of my credentials. I thought I might see if I could get my certifications back.”
“For plumbing?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I fixed my AC yesterday, and I forgot how much I liked fixing things. I liked working on Rory’s garbage disposal, too.”
“I bet you did,” Ava joked.
“Shut up,” Logan said through her laughter.
“You’re going to go back to school?”
“I don’t have to. I just need to re-up my certifications and, after that, find a job where I can get the hours and keep leveling up until I get to master plumber. If I can do that, it will take a while, but I can make real money one day.”
“Would you want your own business?”
“Shop? I don’t know. I really only wanted to run my dad’s when he retired because it was a family thing. I don’t know if I’d want to run my own.”
“It’s still a good idea, Logan. If you think you want to go back to that, go for it.”
“I’m still thinking about it. I just started at the bar, and Candace has been giving me all the hours I want. I don’t want to lose that.”
“Plus, Rory is there all the time,” Ava added.
“It’s not just that. She is there a lot, yes, but Candace is good people. She takes care of her employees and works hard, too. She’s not one of those owners who just sit in the office or never show up. I admire that.”
“She’s not gay, right? Maybe we could all double date sometime.”
“Candace is straight and very much with her boyfriend. Rory told me last night that he’s going to propose soon. I’m not allowed to say anything to Candace, and if I do, Rory has threatened to kill me. It was very cute.” Logan smiled at the memory.
“Well, that sucks because I am officially looking again.”
“What happened? I thought you were going to talk to her in person.”
“I was. But then I thought it would be pretty mean of me to ask her to come here only to end things, so I called her last night and told her it was over.”
“Sorry, Ava. How did she take it?”
“Not well, and we talked for a while after. She seemed okay in the end, but she still offered to come visit so that we could talk in person to maybe figure it out, so I told her there was nothing to figure out.”
“Are you okay?” Logan asked.
“Yeah. I’m just disappointed. I really thought we might have had something. Obviously, the distance made it harder to know for sure, but then, you’re between my legs, and I’m letting you do things, and I wasn’t thinking about her at all.”
“Please don’t bring that up in front of Rory, like, ever.”
“ You brought it up in front of Rory.”
“Yes, because I wanted to be honest with her. I mean, don’t bring up that me doing that to you somehow made you realize that you wanted to end things with your possible girlfriend. She might get the wrong idea.”
“She might just assume that you’re really good in bed. You don’t want that?”
“I’d want her to learn that herself, assuming she felt that way.”
“How have you been?” Ava asked. “Any hookups since you’re not getting any from her?”
“What? No,” Logan said. “That woman in the car was the last, other than you.”
“That’s a long time for you. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” she said, meaning it. “It’s not like I was getting anything out of those encounters other than taking my mind off of wanting something else, so there’s not really anything to miss.”
“No?”
“Do I love making a woman feel good? Yes. And that’s always going to be true. But I don’t want it to be some random woman I meet up with just for that anymore.”
“You want it to be Rory,” Ava said knowingly.
“I can’t help it. I do,” Logan admitted. “I wanted to wrap my arm around her last night, Ava. I wanted to hold her hand while we walked and then kiss her goodnight, and it actually ached when I got none of those things.”
“How long are you going to be okay with this in-between thing you two are doing?” Ava asked.
“We’re not in between. I mean, we’re friends, but that’s what she says she wants.”
“She’s scared. She wants more. She’s just scared.”
“I can’t blame her. and I’ll be patient.”
“You think you’ll get there?”
Logan smiled and said, “I feel it.”
“It?”
“Like it will happen. Like she’ll tell me that she wants to be more than just friends, and we’ll try. I feel like it’s going to happen. There’s going to be that just right moment when we get there, and I need to wait for it.”
“You have more faith than I do,” Ava said. “But that’s just because I’m single, and it’s my own fault because I had someone who wanted me, but I didn’t think I saw a future. Do you really see a future with Rory?”
“It’s a little early for that.”
“Is it, though? The way you talk about her, it’s like you want this to be it for you; or at least, a long-term relationship that lasts. That means something, Logan. That means the possibility of love, commitment, maybe living together, possibly marriage. From what you’ve told me, she seems like that kind of girl.”
“She thinks so, yeah. She’s not so sure about kids yet, though.”
“You’ve talked about that already?”
“Not in the context of it being her and I, but in general. We talk a lot, Ava. She’s at the bar pretty much all the time, and we talk whenever I’m not busy. Last night, we also talked during the movie and texted a little after she got home before she passed out on me because she was exhausted.”
“Do you want the same things?”
“I think I could,” Logan replied. “I’ve never really seen myself as a mom, but I’m not opposed to the idea. I used to see myself getting married. Hell, for a minute, I thought it might be you I’d be getting married to. When things got bad, I thought I’d never even date again, let alone get married, but I’m working on myself now, and I’m starting to see things as possible again. I don’t know if it’s me standing up there, waiting for her, but I can see her wearing that white dress, looking gorgeous, and yeah, I can see myself wanting that.”
“Damn, Logan,” Ava said. “I like hearing you talk like this again. I thought I’d lost you for a long time. This is nice. Having my friend back is really nice.”
“It’s nice for me, too,” Logan replied honestly.
◆◆◆
After running her errands, which didn’t take long, Logan hit up her second meeting of the day, where she ran into Vera. They arranged to have their coffee to talk about sponsorship, and Logan shared a bit and felt better when she left. She parked in the back lot behind the bar and clocked in right on time. Finding no Candace in the back, she proceeded out to the bar and found her sitting in one of the booths with Keith.
“Hey, I’m here,” she said.
“Hey,” Candace greeted. “Thanks for taking the early shift. I know the tips aren’t as good.”
“No problem. I don’t mind,” she replied as she moved behind the bar. “No Rory?”
“Not tonight. She has a babysitting job, I think.”
“With her regulars?” Logan asked as she got to work wiping down the bar.
“Simon and Stacey, yeah. They’re back from their dad’s early, so she got the call today to see if she could cover for their mom. They really love her.”
“Who wouldn’t?” Logan said out loud but to herself. “Hey, Keith.”
“Hey,” he said. “So, this is everything?” he asked Candace.
“Yes. But can you get two packages of the chicken? I’ll make extra, and you can take it for lunch tomorrow.”
“You’re the best,” he replied and kissed Candace before standing. “I’m off to the grocery store now.”
Keith walked past Logan and into the kitchen.
“He’s leaving tomorrow morning. I can’t wait until he moves here,” Candace told her and sighed.
“When is that?” Logan asked, trying to keep the fact that she had an idea because of Rory out of her mind so that Candace couldn’t figure her out.
“He’s interviewing, but things are looking good for him to be here officially soon. He has a lease there, but it’s month-to-month, so he can just pack up the few things I’m going to let him move into my apartment and be here. I really can’t wait. We’ve been together for years, but we’ve lived apart for most of that time. I’m just ready to start the next part of my life already. I want to live with my boyfriend, who sometimes leaves the seat up and whose boxers definitely miss the hamper, like, ninety percent of the time, but I want them there because it means that he’s there with me.”
“Does Rory have any of those quirks?”
“Huh?”
“She mentioned that you two were roommates back in school before you left.”
“Oh. That was years ago, and it was a dorm room.” Candace seemed to be considering and added, “I guess she hated cleaning the microwave and always cooked these pizza rolls in it without a plate under them because she said that made them crispier.”
“Really?” Logan said as she laughed.
“Yeah. And her towel was usually on the floor after she got changed from the shower, but she picked it up later.” She squinted at Logan. “Why do you ask?”
“I was just curious.”
“Sure,” Candace replied, still squinting at her. “She’s off at nine.”
“Huh?”
“Rory. She gets done at nine. Simon and Stacey’s mom will be home by seven or eight, but Rory usually stays until nine so that their mom can have time to clean the house a little or shower and change or something. Rory’s very nice like that. You are off at nine, too.”
“I’m off at ten,” Logan said.
“Keith’s here, so if you want to be off at nine , you can be.” Candace widened her eyes. “You get what I’m saying, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I get it,” Logan replied.
“I’m going to get things ready in the kitchen. Feel free to get your phone out and text someone. Anyone , really.”
Logan laughed a little as Candace left the room. Then, she pulled out her phone, and instead of texting, she called.
“Hey. What are you up to?” she asked after Rory said hello.
“Babysitting. You?”
“Bartending.”
“So, we’re both working,” Rory said.
“I’m off at nine.”
“You are? I thought you were off at ten.”
“How did you know that?”
“The schedule is posted on the bulletin–” Rory paused. “And I just revealed that I checked your schedule.”
Logan smiled and said, “My schedule changed just now, actually, because Keith is here. Candace just told me that you were off at nine, too.”
“I should be, yeah. It’s not exact.”
“I was thinking that maybe we could hang out,” Logan said. “Go for a late-night walk or something?”
“A walk?”
“Around the Square or by the water. It’s supposed to be nice tonight. I’ll buy you a beignet.”
“They come three to an order,” Rory replied.
“Yes. And you can have one. The other two are for me.”
Rory laughed and said, “I might be exhausted. Simon is being difficult tonight.”
“Boys usually are,” she joked. “Please, Rory. I thought you were going to be here tonight, and I was planning on flirting with you while you sat on your stool and drank your Coke.”
“You planned to flirt with me?” Rory asked.
“Well, I hoped for it, mostly,” Logan replied, testing the waters. “I’ll have you home by ten, if you’re tired.”
“I didn’t drive here tonight. My car sounded weird when I got into it, so I just called a shared ride.”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up.”
“Okay. I’ll see you around nine, then.”
Logan smiled and said, “See you soon.”