Chapter 9
Logan walked briskly from the hospital to Brooke’s apartment.
His long and stressful day had him in a weird headspace.
One of the surgeries had numerous complications.
While it ultimately turned out okay, the entire experience had left him anxious.
He knew Brooke loved this band, and he didn’t want his off mood to dampen the evening.
Her apartment came into view. George was stationed outside again. Logan waved then fetched his phone out of his pocket. He shot Brooke a quick text to let her know he had arrived as he neared the lobby door.
As he slid his phone back into his pocket, he greeted George. “Good evening.”
George smiled when he recognized him. “I see you’re back to take Brooke out. I knew you had a good head on your shoulders.”
“Thanks.” Logan shuffled his feet and looked down at them. He hated lying about their relationship, but he genuinely considered Brooke to be a friend. “But we’re only friends.”
“Sure.” George winked then opened the glass door into the building. “Friends.”
“No, it’s true.” Logan didn’t even know why he felt the need to explain their arrangement to him. “But I enjoy hanging out with her.”
“Hanging out,” George repeated like it was a four-letter curse word. “And your generation of men wonder why they are single and unmarried.”
Logan rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t wonder that.” He passed through the open door and into the lobby to wait.
“See, even worse.” Then George closed the door and returned to his post outside.
The elevator doors swung open. Brooke stepped out.
With a peacoat jacket slung over her arm, she wore dark jeans, and a black button-down blouse tucked into it.
A shiny gold necklace and the bangles on her wrist made her practically sparkle.
Her cute boots racketed against the tile floor of the lobby.
He stared in awe. The familiar uptick of his pulse made his breath hitch.
For a brief second, he glanced down at his outfit. He wore a simple henley long sleeve navy tee, black puffer jacket, and jeans. For a split second, he questioned everything.“Wow,” he finally voiced. “You look incredible.”
She halted in front of him. “Thanks.” Her cheeks splashed with red, making them adorably rosy. She shifted her coat from one arm to the other. “You look great yourself.”
“No, I don’t.” He forced a laugh. “I came straight from the hospital, and this was what I had left in my locker that was half way presentable. Believe it or not, I mainly wear scrubs or workout clothes to and from work.”
Brooke bit her bottom lip. “Was it a long day?”
“Yeah.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “But I’m happy to be here with you.”
She scrunched up her nose. “That bad?” Her gaze scrutinized him again.
“I almost lost a patient during surgery, but it ended up being okay.” He rubbed the back of his neck. His blood pressure rose a bit as he recalled the harrowing experience. It was part of the job, but it didn’t mean it didn’t affect him. “The whole experience shook me up a bit.”
“I can only imagine.”
He dropped his hand. “If I’m being honest, it made me question my abilities as a surgeon.” Logan wondered why he was revealing everything to Brooke, because normally he bottled everything up.
“Ahh.” She nodded then stepped closer to him. Her hand grazed his arm until she squeezed his bicep. “I’m sorry. It’s never easy when things like that happen, but I believe you’re an incredible doctor and surgeon. Things happen, you’re only human. I think giving yourself grace is essential.”
“That is easier said than done.” His arm warmed through the layers of his coat.
He wondered how long her hand would remain on his arm, because he liked the feeling of her closeness.
Her fruity perfume made his head spin. He gulped trying to remind himself he had unresolved feelings for Shelby.
Didn’t he? What he wanted and what he had muddled together in a jumbled mix.
“I’ll try to take that advice to heart.”
“You don’t have to come with me tonight. You can be off the hook and head home.” Brooke squeezed his bicep again then let go. “I totally understand if it’s too much.”
Logan wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tugging her closer until their hips touched. “Are you kidding me?” He glanced down at her. “I’ve been looking forward to spending the evening with you all day.”
A surprise look flashed across her face. “Really?”
“Absolutely. We’re friends, right?” He removed his arm from her shoulders. “Now let me help you into your coat.” His head nodded toward the glass door. “Or I think George will think less of me, because he’s being eyeing me since I came in. I can’t let him down.”
Brooke laughed. “He’s a bit protective of me.” She handed him her coat. He held it out for her to slip her arms in. “But he knows about our little arrangement.”
“Ahh,” he commented.
“I even showed him the list of rules.”
With the coat on, Logan used his hand to untuck her hair from where it hid beneath her collar. The silky strands glided through his fingertips, and he had to pull away to keep himself from letting his hand linger too long.
“He didn’t seem to believe it.” Logan stepped back and plunged his hand into his pocket. “Not even when I told him we were only friends.”
“Friends—right.” Brooke fidgeted with her purse. “Absolutely. I didn’t think this was a real date.”
“Then we are on the same page,” Logan offered.
“Yep.” Her lips formed a tight line. “Even if George thinks differently.”
Brooke strode to the front door, and Logan jogged to catch up with her and snatched the door open before she grasped it. She passed through, and he followed behind. Chilly winter air nipped at his skin, so he plunged his hands into the pockets of his puffer jacket.
“Hey, George.” Brooke buttoned up her coat and popped the collar. “I hope you stay warm tonight.” She shoved his hands into her coat too.
George held up his gloved hands. “My wife bought me these new gloves. They’re keeping me extra toasty this evening. Where are you two headed?”
“To a concert,” Brooke shuffled back and forth to stay warm, “at the Chicago Theater.”
“Don’t let me keep you from hanging out.” George found Logan’s gaze and rolled his eyes. “Have a nice time.”
Dumbfounded, Logan left George at his post and followed Brooke toward the entrance of the L train.
They climbed on when it arrived. Being the evening commute time, the train was crowded.
They had to stand, but Logan didn’t mind.
It allowed him to be extra close to Brooke without crossing any boundaries.
Brooke held onto a bar while Logan nabbed a free overhead strap.
His lungs filled with her intoxicating scent and pushed away the weird smells of the other passengers.
“Tell me about this band. I’ve heard of them, but I don’t know much about them.”
Brooke’s eyes sparkled. “Then you’re in for a treat.
The first time I heard them was in a small club in NYC.
A bunch of my college roommates and I went on a road trip during fall break my junior year.
My friends and I stumbled upon the band one evening, and I loved them.
Since then, I’ve been a fan, and they’ve grown super popular.
Instead of basement clubs, they’re selling out huge concert halls. ”
He loved the way she lit up talking about them. The L train slowed to a stop. Passengers squeezed on by to get off and more came on, making him inch even closer.
“Why do you like their music so much?” he asked. “Is it the genre?”
“It might be,” she paused. Her eyes scrunched up around the edges.
“But I think I love the band because I listened to them during some of the darker and harder times in my life. I left home at eighteen. I was glad to be out of there, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t lost and lonely.
Luckily, I became close with my college roommates.
The music resonated with me, and it felt like the songs were written only for me.
I think that’s what good music can do for a person. ”
She looked so beautiful when she spoke. He stared at her for a moment, before remembering it was his turn to share. “I agree. Music can truly transform you to a different time and place.”
Brooke nodded. The stuffy air of the train made him unzip his jacket.
“Did you ever go home while you were in college?” Logan asked.
“No.” Brooke met his gaze. “I never went back. Then I heard through the grapevine that my mom moved without telling me and changed her number. Or more likely she didn’t pay the phone bill and her cell phone was disconnected.
I didn’t know it at the time, but when I left I would never see her again.
She died half a decade ago, overdose. I only know about it because I ran into a person I knew from high school in the city.
They thought I already knew.” She blinked a few times like she needed to fight the moisture gathering in the corner of her eyes.
“I don’t like talking about it. It hurts too much. ” A few tears spilled down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry.” Without thinking, Logan brushed them away with his forefinger but let his hand linger as it cupped her neck. “I think you are so brave. You might even be one of the bravest people I’ve ever met.”
Brooke scoffed. “I highly doubt that.” Her voice cracked a tad.
“It’s true.” He forced himself to drop his hand and widen the gap between them. “But, enough about that. I want you to tell me more about this band.”
“Anyways,” she cleared her throat, “I think you’ll recognize a few of their hit songs. They play regularly on the radio.”
“I can’t wait,” he smiled.
Brooke tightened her grip on the bar. “Me either.” She smiled then shifted to let someone push through and around them.