Chapter 30 #2
Logan gave me a quick tour of his flat. It was modest—one bathroom, one bedroom, and an open-plan living area and kitchen with a dining table.
The sofa was just long enough for Logan to stretch out on, and the wall-mounted television looked like it had seen better days.
The kitchen fittings, however, were modern and high-quality, at least as far as I could tell.
At the kitchen island, Henry and I perched on stools while Logan moved behind the stove, tossing sauces and chopping herbs at a speed that probably would have cost me several fingertips.
Henry grabbed the wine bottle from the counter, uncorked it and filled the two glasses Logan had set out.
When Logan reached for a third wineglass from the cupboard, I motioned for him to leave it and asked for a glass of water instead, even though the wine probably would have helped me relax a little.
But I’d relied on alcohol to cope with my feelings for too long, and it seemed wise to stay away from the stuff for a while.
“Is Maxton coming by later?” Henry asked.
“No. He’s keeping an eye on the restaurant tonight.”
“How hard is it for you to take a Friday night off?”
“Not hard. I’m not a workaholic like you. I enjoy my days off. I slept in, went to a few delis and my favourite market to restock my own supplies, then I hit the gym and had lunch with Maxton and Tristan.”
“What about Fiona?” Henry pressed. “Is she coming over?”
Logan wrinkled his nose. “That’s over.”
“How long were you together?” I asked, trying to join the conversation as I gripped the water glass Logan had set down in front of me tightly.
“We weren’t together. It was just a casual thing. It wouldn’t have worked out between us.” Logan pulled open a drawer to reveal an impressive collection of spices.
“It hasn’t worked out with anyone for almost two years,” Henry added.
“Tough breakup?”
“I wish,” Henry muttered into his wineglass significantly.
Logan rolled his eyes but didn’t respond to my question, leaving our older brother to fill me in.
“Logan had a one-night stand a couple years ago. He fell madly in love with the woman, but she never gave him her real name or number. And he’s been looking for her ever since. ”
I let out a low whistle. “Two years is a long time to chase after a woman who clearly doesn’t want to be found by you.”
“I’m not chasing anyone!”
Henry nodded. “True. You’d have to know where she is to chase her. Maybe she was only visiting London and now lives happily married on the other side of the world. It would be best to finally get over her.”
Logan poured a little of the pasta water into the sauce with more gusto than necessary.
“There’s nothing to get over. It was just one night.
All I’m saying is that Fiona and I didn’t click.
That doesn’t mean I’m looking for that woman.
I just want someone who makes me feel the way she did, that’s all.
” He shot Henry a meaningful look. “You, of all people, should understand that.”
“I do,” I said automatically.
Henry raised an eyebrow at me. “Because of Grace?”
I wasn’t the shy type, but I could feel my cheeks flushing. “Maybe,” I admitted.
“Kate never told me it was that serious between you two.”
“Wait!” Logan interjected, waving his ladle between us.
“Are we talking about Kate’s friend Grace?
The one who works at The Darlington?” I nodded, and Logan burst out laughing.
“Oh my God, that’s brilliant! Do Richard and Amanda know yet?
And if not, can I be there when you tell them?
Better yet: Could you film it? Then I could watch it over and over again. It’ll be my new favourite film!”
I shot Henry a questioning look, but he just shook his head in amusement. “Logan always finds it hilarious when we do things our parents would disapprove of.”
“Come on! You have to admit, it’s a little funny that their two golden boys—who were meant to marry perfect daughters from well-off families—are both now involved with working-class women. The irony is rich.”
He was right; it was a little funny. Still, I had no intention of telling our parents about Grace anytime soon.
I couldn’t deny that she was special to me.
I wouldn’t have confided in her about my past if she weren’t.
And I was certain she saw more in me than just a hookup intended to distract her from Amy.
But given the circumstances, it would have been premature to put a label on whatever we were.
Logan, Henry, and I changed the topic and moved to the dining table, where Logan served us the food.
Although it was just a simple dish, it tasted fantastic.
Logan’s cooking was incredible, of course, but it was mostly the high-quality ingredients, as Logan pointed out.
He told me about The Meridian; his business partner, Maxton; and their plans to open a second location.
I’d known his restaurant was doing well, but I hadn’t realised it was often booked out for weeks at a time.
We talked about a range of topics as we ate, and whenever the conversation faltered, Henry took the lead. He told us about Kate and how proud he was of what she was accomplishing at Hope Harbour. He also talked about his work at the hotel.
“Has that Doyle guy been in touch with you again?” Logan asked.
Henry groaned. “You have no idea how much he gets on my nerves. He’s like a cockroach. Even after a nuclear strike, he’d still be around to annoy me.”
“Do you mean Stuart Doyle?” I knew him only vaguely, the way people in our circles often knew others. He and my dad were members of the same golf club and occasionally played together. Not because they were good friends, but simply because it was expected.
“Yeah, he’s been obsessed with buying The Darlington since last year’s Halloween masquerade,” Henry replied, topping up his wine.
He usually stuck to one glass, but I had agreed to drive us home later.
“I probably bruised his ego when I politely told him he was an incompetent coward with a tiny dick and performance issues.”
I almost spat out my food. “You didn’t?!”
“I’m afraid so, and now I’m paying the price. I’d be less bothered if Doyle didn’t keep mentioning numbers and other information that he really shouldn’t know,” Henry said, his frustration audible.
“What do you mean?”
“Someone at the hotel is leaking information to Doyle. During our last call a few days ago, he already knew the figures from the March financial report. That information shouldn’t have leaked to anyone.
But Hank’s on it—he’s improving digital security at the hotel and has installed hidden cameras in the offices. ”
“No more quickies on the desk, then,” Logan chimed in.
Henry gave him the finger, and the two of them burst out laughing.
I couldn’t help but smile, and to my surprise, I no longer felt quite as left out as I had at the beginning of the evening.
Henry and Logan were making a real effort to include me; Logan even asked about my studies and my plans for the future.
I told him I didn’t know yet what I wanted to do after university, and he offered me an internship in his restaurant if I wanted to get a taste of the catering industry.
I appreciated his offer. It gave me hope that our relationship wasn’t beyond repair.
Perhaps we had both just needed time apart to heal the wounds our dad had inflicted on us.
Now those wounds were starting to mend—and that included our wounded relationship.
It wouldn’t happen overnight, of course, but this evening was a first step.
And I was ready to take many more steps to finally be close to both of my brothers again.