by Jami Wagner
Fuck.
Chapter Eight
Sara
The next few days drag on like they’re never going to end. Liam is learning fast and some of the stress of getting this place ready is being lifted. Since I couldn’t get ahold of Logan, I girled up and called my father to ask how he and Liam knew each other.
He met Liam a few months back when he was searching for new buildings during a trip to Colorado. A friend of my father’s invited him to speak during one of his business administration classes at the university. Liam was in this class and, apparently, my father saw “great” potential in him right away.
He wasn’t entirely wrong. Liam has been nothing but “great” since he started, but every day that I see him, I wish he were Logan. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well, not only does it do that, but it scares the shit out of me too. A lot can happen when two people are apart for too long.
“So, do you want all high-top tables?” Liam asks, the sudden sound of his voice causing me to jump. “Or just some around the outside of the floor with short tables in the center or vice versa? I mean, I guess we could do all regular tables.” For the last hour he has been sitting at the bar, browsing on the computer for someone we can purchase tables from. There was an issue with our original contact, who said they won’t be able to get the tables we want delivered by the day I want. A delay is not in my plans.
Tapping against my temple the pen I’ve been using to mark up a liquor order, I glance over at him. He runs his hand through his hair and lets it fall to his lap. Logan does that. Liam has on another pair of dark wash jeans and a red tee shirt. If I weren’t so crazy about Logan, I would probably have fallen for Liam’s dark and mysterious appeal by now. After all, I never thought a guy could remind me so much of Logan, but Liam acts just like him.
“I think mixing it up would make the most sense. Don’t you?” I ask, setting the pen down and crossing my arms. “I mean, we’re mostly a bar, not a restaurant, and the BA has mostly high-top tables. I want people to know these bars are connected. We better stick with it.”
Liam’s eyes search my face and he nods his head.
“You seem a little out of it today. Is everything alright?” he asks, and I’m a little taken back at how sincere his voice is. It’s only been a few days. How can he already tell when something isn’t right?
I shake my head and force a smile. “Everything is fine.” I pick up my pen and focus on the liquor order.
“You want to talk about it?”
I shake my head again. “I promise, everything is fine.”
“Okay, well, look I’m aware that you’ve had to leave all your friends and family behind. I mean you and that Logan guy clearly have a thing going on, and Dean said you were finally giving it a go when he sent you down here.”
They talked about me. About my love life. My father barely knows this guy. And how in the world are they already on a first-name basis?
“Why would my father talk to you about me?”
Liam pauses with his mouth open. His bottom lip twitches as though he is about to say more, but he closes his mouth and frowns.
“I just want you to know that I have pretty great listening skills. And if it’s about a guy, I think I could give some pretty great advice. I know a lot about them.”
He stands up, pulling his jacket off the bar and heads for the door.
“I’ve got some things to do on the east side of town near a few furniture warehouses. I’ll pop in and see what they have in stock for tables, alright? I’ll be back in a bit.”
He doesn’t even wait for my reaction before he steps through the door.
I can’t tell if I’m upset my father talks to him about me, confused he seems to really care, or angry. I’m angry because his departure made me notice how not together this place is and how the chances of being done by the end of summer are fading fast. I’m also a bit thrown off at the fact he just left. I should probably put him on a schedule.
The phone rings behind the office door and I almost sprint to it in hopes that it’s Logan.
“Hello?” I sound a bit out of breath.
“Sara, how are things going there? Everything moving along smoothly?” My father’s voice does nothing but add to the depressing stupor I’ve fallen into in the last five minutes.
“Hi, Dad. Yeah, everything is going fine.”
“Liam is working out well?”
“Yeah, he’s a great help. Hey, should we hire someone else in addition to Liam? I don’t think this place is going to be up and running as soon as we want with just Liam and me. It might make sense to get employees in here sooner rather than later. Oh, and how did you come onto the subject of me and Logan with him?”
Silence.
“Dad?”
“Sorry, dear, the phone cut out. Listen, I can’t chat long, but I wanted to let you know it would be a great opportunity for Liam to learn more if he came home with you this weekend.”
Now it’s my turn to be silent. He can’t be serious. I haven’t seen Logan in weeks and now my father wants me to show up with another guy I’ve known less than a week?
“We can have him train at the BA over the weekend.”
Oh right. This is work related.
“He could stay in your spare room if it’s available.”
“It’s not,” I blurt out. What the heck is my dad thinking? Liam is still kind of a stranger. “Sorry, I—told a friend she could crash there while I was home.” I let out a breath. “I’ll talk to Liam when he gets back and see if he is available. It’s a little short notice.”
“I spoke with him this morning. He’s very well aware and was pleased by my invite.”
I roll my eyes. Sometimes I think my father considers himself some form of royalty. Every time we talk, I swear his words sound more and more formal.
“Dad, you gave me this bar, so I should be the one to make these sort of calls, don’t you think?”
“Until the papers are finalized with your name as owner, I’ll make the calls.”
“And when are those papers coming in, Dad? You told me they would be here this week and I took your word for it.”
“Soon, dear. Now, I have to go, but we can finish this conversation when you come home this weekend.”
He ends the call before I can reply. Shaking the conversation from my head, I review the list in front of me, looking for the next item on my to-do list. Keeping busy keeps my mind from overthinking, and making a final read-through on the alcohol contract sounds like a great distraction.
Logan
Every computer cubicle in Wind Valley’s High School library is filled, each student working quietly. And although the room is silent, my mind is loud with the anticipation of how Sara will reply when I ask her out today.
Tyler’s girlfriend, Kelsey—who also happens to be Sara’s best friend—well, she told Tyler that Sara is into me. Like really into me. Not just as a friend the way I thought she saw me. And ever since he shared this piece of information, I’ve been going crazy deciding how I’m going to ask her out.
“Logan,” Sara whispers next to me. My neck pops as I turn to look at her. I painfully rub it while she looks at me with sympathy. After a moment, she slips a piece of paper into my work area. I glance around to be sure Mr. Cleo, the librarian, isn’t watching us. When I find him comfortably sitting at his desk with his head down, I quickly unfold the note.
Do you feel okay? You look like you’re sweating and you’re a bit pale.
I scribble something to tell her I’m just fine and pass the note back to her. It’s embarrassing how obvious I am. The note comes back fast.
You promise you would tell me the truth?
Again, I scribble that of course I would tell her, she’s my best friend. Before I can think too hard about the fact I wrote the word friend, fully ruining my chance, her hand touches mine and she leans into me.
“You really just want to be my friend, Logan?” she asks, her words so soft and quiet I k
now for a fact no one heard them but me. Instead of answering, I take a deep breath and press my lips against hers.
“Hey, you two!”
We both jump at Mr. C’s voice.
“Get back to your work, and I don’t want to see that again.”
Facing forward in my seat, I pull out a fresh piece of paper. As clearly as I can in my handwriting, I write my reply.
I will never just be your friend, Sara.
And from that day forward, I never was.
* * *
“Dude, how many times have you changed your shirt?” Ethan asks sarcastically, pulling me off of memory lane.
“As many times as I need to. I want to look good for Sara.”
She comes home today and I’m going to surprise her with a picnic dinner and a movie night in the park with a little dancing after. Technically, it’s our first official date as a couple again, and I’m not going to screw this up. I’m planning to make the entire two days I have with her the best. I miss her, and I’m not afraid to show it.
“She has seen everything you own a million times, man. Whatever you pick will be fine. Sara isn’t a material kind of person—you do know that, right?” His brows come to a point as he looks at me with pity.
“Yeah, man, I do know that.” Doesn’t mean I can’t look nice.
I flip the collar of my navy-blue polo down and give myself a dab of men’s Lucky You cologne.
“You sure it’s cool if Conner crashes here for a while?” Ethan takes a seat on my couch, making himself comfortable as he waits for Conner’s arrival to check the place out. He crosses his ankle over his knee and leans back as he grabs the motorcycle magazine stuffed between the cushions.
“Definitely,” I say. I have a plan to turn my lease over to Conner when Sara’s back so we can get a place together. It may sound like I’m rushing it, but this is Sara. I have faith in us.
I grab my wallet off the counter and slip on my watch. My cell phone buzzes in my pocket as I start for the door.
Sara: Finally got a new phone! Can’t wait to see you.
Me: Me too
There is a spring in my step as I hop in my truck and drive to a flower shop a few blocks over. Arranging the schedule to give myself a Friday night off felt weird. I feel bad for being so selfish, but when I think about who I’m going to spend the night with, any guilt is gone.
With lilies in hand, I shoot a text to Sara, letting her know I’m on my way. Then I shoot another text to my buddy Tyler. Except he hasn’t really been my buddy since he cheated on Kelsey, but that’s all in the past. Since my letters keep coming back, I need him to find out if her mailing address has changed for some reason. If you’re going to have a friend whose genius smart, pick the one who can hack almost anything. Tyler is that friend for me.
Once I hit send, I turn the key and head for Sara’s. I’ve got a plan to find my sister, and my girlfriend waiting for me. Life couldn’t be better.
Chapter Nine
Sara
Tears sting my eyes as I watch Logan walk up the stairwell to my apartment with the largest arrangement of lilies I’ve ever seen. He smiles at me, and we just stare at each other. In this moment, we don’t need to say anything because we already know how the other feels. I never thought I would be so excited to see someone, but I’m slowly learning that everything is different with Logan. Then, our moment is ruined.
“Ok, so I’ll call you tomorrow then. Or you’re coming over for breakfast, that’s right. Sorry, I keep forgetting. That car ride was killer. This state is nothing but dead grass and hills. How your dad managed to talk me into this, I have no idea. I still can’t believe he offered to let me stay—”
My eyes pleading for Liam to stop talking finally do their job. Liam drops his bag and extends his hand toward Logan.
“Hey, man, you must be Logan. I’ve heard so much about you. The name’s Liam.”
Logan’s eyes narrow as he looks at Liam’s hand. The coldness doesn’t leave them when he glances at me. I swallow the lump in my throat. I’ve never seen Logan go from happy to mad so quickly.
“Funny, man, cuz I’ve heard nothing about you.”
My eyes go wide at the tone of Logan’s voice. I’ve never heard that voice before either. It sounds so deep. Powerful. Masculine. Logan has never looked so sexy! Poor Liam. You could almost hear him gulp as he shook Logan’s hand. I definitely didn’t miss the tense bob of his throat as he did it.
“Okay, well, Liam, you should get going. We have plans,” I say quietly as I gesture to Logan. I give Liam a friendly and hopefully gentle push away from my door.
“Oh right, damn, man, sorry I ruined that there for a sec. I’m gone.” He raises his hands like he’s surrendering as he backs up toward the stairs. “Act like I wasn’t even here.”
I laugh as he jumps down the steps two at a time and then I glance at Logan. There’s nothing left to laugh about. Now it is me who you can hear take a scared swallow at the stare Logan is giving me.
“Anything you want to tell me?”
I shake my head. “That’s the new assistant manager in Colorado. I guess, according to my dad, you’ll be training him this weekend.” I shrug and relax as Logan’s angry expression lightens and quickly turns to one that suggests he was afraid.
“So you work with him, every day?”
“For now, yes. Eventually, I’ll be able to let him do things on his own. After this weekend with you, I’m hoping that will be sooner rather than later.” I quickly put the flowers in some water before grabbing my green jean jacket off the hook behind my door and joining Logan in the hallway. Once the door is locked, I push onto the tips of my toes to give Logan the kiss he should have had the moment he arrived.
“Oh, uh—”
Seriously!
Does this guy have bad timing radar or what? I throw an annoyed look in Liam’s direction.
“I forgot my bag,” he says quickly. He snatches up his bag and then darts down the stairs.
When Liam is out of eyesight, Logan licks his lips, and I can tell he is trying to hide a smile. “Guy doesn’t seem very bright. You sure he can handle the job?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t think that maybe telling your boyfriend you’re working with a guy was important?”
“No, I didn’t. Because Liam is my assistant and nothing more. I haven’t spent that much time thinking about him to know it was going to be an issue.”
Logan’s face lights up. “Well, that’s good to hear.”
His hand reaches around me and pulls me close. He locks his arms at my lower back and lifts me off the ground as he slips his tongue between my lips. The pleased sound that comes from his throat and vibrates against my lips tugs at my heart.
A horn honking outside breaks our kiss, and I swear he blushes. “We should get going.” He gently places one more kiss to my lips before taking my hand and leading me down the stairs.
A warm breeze brushes my skin as we step outside. The sun is just starting to lower, leaving us with a beautiful cast of red and orange. Sunsets in Wyoming are one of the reasons I never left this state permanently. I can’t imagine a better evening for tonight.
“I was thinking we should keep things more intimate tonight. Call me selfish, but I don’t feel like sharing you with anyone, especially if this is the only night I’m going to get you to myself.” He opens the passenger door of his truck for me and I freeze.
“I thought you were coming out tomorrow night after Kelsey’s birthday dinner?”
“I was, but then your dad said he needed me at the bar tomorrow. I didn’t know exactly why until you just told me I’m training Liam.”
“I’ll make sure we come in to see you after dinner.”
A grin stretches across his face. “Sounds great.”
I pull myself up into the truck and he closes my door. I relax back into my seat. Everything between us is so … normal. I wasn’t sure what being apart would do to us, but clearly it does nothing. I’ll b
e able to juggle this career/relationship better than I predicted.
Logan
“I thought you said we going to be alone tonight?” Sara asks.
I survey the park in front of us. A few months ago, the city started showing old movies every other Friday night in one of Wind Valley’s parks. Tonight’s film is The Breakfast Club and the park is full of people. Groups big and small fill the grass in front of the temporary screen. Some people are lying on blankets, some are in camping chairs, and a few have even gone as far to bring beanbags and small reclining chairs for their children
“We will be alone. I came earlier today while they were setting up the screen to scope out the place. I found the perfect spot in the trees over there.” I point to our left. “It gives us a clear view of the screen and privacy.”
Sara’s smile beams and she rushes out of the truck. In good ole’ fashion, she swings open the back door and starts unloading blankets and pillows. I rush around to help her before she tries to carry the entire load without my help.
“Oh wait! Let’s take a picture real quick. I want one of our nights together, but I don’t want to take my phone with me. No interruptions tonight.” She half climbs back into the truck through the passenger door and I smile to myself as her legs dangle out the door. Damn, she sure does have a nice ass and that dress is riding up just far enough to keep everything hidden. Her legs flutter as she leans more into the truck and her flip-flop falls off. She falls back to the ground and bounces in a circle on the foot that still has a shoe.
She giggles as she leans forward to pick it up. “If you’d been watching me with those eyes when you picked me up we’d never have made it here.”
“That wouldn’t have been a terrible idea.” I step up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. I lean my head to the right and smile as she holds up the camera. Right before she touches the button, I turn to kiss her. I only reach her temple, but the way she stares at the finished photo tells me my choice was the right one. Sara looks up at me with watery eyes and I kiss her again. I’m going to kiss her as much as I can in the next two days. I have weeks to catch up on.