Chapter 18
Logan hesitated, instantly regretting his promise to tell them how he met his wife. He did not want to talk about any of this in front of Hazel. She was potentially his assistant. Every interaction with her should be strictly business. But Dylan knew how to push Logan. He was very good at getting what he wanted, when he wanted it.
“Ha. Maybe that’s why we’re such good friends,” Logan thought.
Logan noticed that Hazel sat up a little taller in her seat after he said he would tell the story. He thought that was out of character for her, that she would act like she’s about to get the latest hot work gossip. She usually acted so professional. But he told himself she was still just human after all, of course she would be interested in a story that so few knew.
“But just the bare minimum,” Logan said. “You don’t need all the details.”
“Ughhhh, fine,” Dylan said, almost whining. Hazel giggled and covered her mouth. Logan hadn’t seen Hazel act like this around him, like she was almost…flirty? It made Logan feel a twinge of jealousy that he did not fully understand.
Logan ignored Dylan and turned his eyes on Hazel. “And of course, none of this leaves this car.”
Hazel stiffened, transforming back into the professional persona Logan knew. “Absolutely sir. I will not tell another soul,” she said.
Logan relaxed some. He knew he could trust Hazel’s word. He took a deep breath. “Okay, here goes. We met on one of my business trips. I was drinking at a bar after a long day of scouting for potential new locations when she walked in.”
Logan thought back to that evening. He had been alone at the bar, watching all these couples cozied up to each other around him. It was hitting him more and more those days just how lonely he really felt.
The past three years he put his career first. Sure, there had been some flings here and there, but nothing serious. His family’s business was all he was focused on.
A beautiful blonde woman walked in. She had caught Logan’s eyes immediately. She sat next to him and began ordering shots, one right after the other.
“Tough night?” Logan had asked her.
She laughed. “Something like that.”
They began chatting. It was a nice conversation, Logan remembered. His memory from that night was a little fuzzy, as he had also had his share of drinks before she had come in. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, and probably mostly fueled by the number of shots she’d had, the woman said, “Let’s get married.”
Logan laughed, unsure if she was serious or not. “You don’t want to marry me, I’m so poor, I can barely even afford this drink, much less a wedding and a wife.”
He expected her to leave after that news. Most women did when he lied and said he had no money. It was a good way to weed out the gold diggers.
“Oh! You poor thing. Don’t you worry, I’ve got you,” she slurred, waving the bartender down. “Put his drinks on my tab. Just make sure you call me later.” She winked at me.
Logan laughed. “Okay, I’ll marry you. But all I have is this fake diamond ring.” He pulled the ring out of his pocket and showed her his mother’s heirloom 10 caret diamond ring. A real one, but another trick he usually used to get rid of women just interested in his money.
Her eyes grew wide and she gasped. A wide grin spread across her face as she grabbed the ring from his hand and put it on her ring finger. She held it out to the woman that sat on the other side of her. “Look! LOOK! I’m getting marrieeeddddd,” she stared at the ring as she said it. The other woman got up and moved to another stool.
Logan watched her admiring the ring. He came from a world where most people, including himself, were very cold and calculating. This woman was not. She was direct, which had shocked him initially, but he didn’t see anything calculating in those beautiful eyes of hers.
“Okay,” Logan said. “I promise to call.”
The two ran out after that and found a wedding chapel that was still open and got married.
“Anyway,” Logan said, snapping back to the present moment. “One thing led to another, and she asked me to marry her. So I did.” Logan suddenly wished he hadn’t offered to tell the story at all.
“After one conversation?” Dylan said incredulously.
Logan shrugged. He wasn’t giving them all the details, so of course Dylan didn’t understand. It was about the way she had made Logan feel, like he was more than just a nice face or fat wallet. She asked him questions that people didn’t normally ask him. Deep, personal questions. What were his dreams, what really, truly scared him. And also just fun questions like his favorite color or dinosaur.
No one in Logan’s life had ever cared to hear what his favorite dinosaur was. People only ever seemed to see him as a business opportunity or a potential rich hookup/husband.
“Um, hello? Earth to Logan?” Dylan said, snapping Logan out of his reminiscing.
“Uh…yeah, after one conversation. I know it sounds crazy…” Logan started.
“Um, yes sir, it does,” Dylan shook his head.
“It’s not crazy,” Hazel said so quietly that Logan almost didn’t hear. “It’s just like a romantic movie.”
Hazel looked down after that. Logan thought he detected some sadness in her comment. It suddenly hit Logan that he didn’t know anything about her personal life. Was she single? In a bad relationship? Something was definitely going with her, and it was not good, Logan realized. She hid whatever it was real well at work.
By the look on Dylan’s face as he reached back to pat Hazel’s shoulder, Logan also could see that Dylan had come to the same realization. Only he was in a position to help her with whatever it was.
Another twinge of jealousy hit Logan. “What is going on?” He thought.
“Okay you two,” Dylan said. “We’ve been in this car long enough. Let’s go up to my office for the boring legal part of the evening.” He winked at Hazel in the rearview mirror, and she smiled back at him.
“Actually, on second thought…” Logan started. He didn’t want Hazel around Dylan much. He felt a sudden urge to protect her from the womanizer Dylan could sometimes be. “We need to get back to the office. We can do legal stuff tomorrow, it’s getting late.”
“It’s no problem man, I’m always up late anyway.”
Logan scrambled for another reason to leave. “We should let Hazel go so she can rest, I’ve taken up enough of her time.”
A look of shock crossed Hazel’s face. “I’m okay sir, if you need to get this done tonight.”
“Nonsense, this can wait until tomorrow. Dylan, can you take us back to the station? We’ll take Hazel’s car back to the office.”
Dylan narrowed his eyes at Logan. “Okay, if you insist,” Dylan turned the car back on. “Just know I charge double on the weekends.”
Logan laughed. “Just put it on my tab.”
As they approached the station, Logan struggled to figure out what exactly it was that bothered him so much about the way Dylan and Hazel interacted. He finally chalked it up to the fact that this was the most unprofessional he had seen Hazel act. He didn’t want her to get too comfortable and familiar in his presence.
“That must be it,” Logan thought.
Dylan pulled into the station parking lot and parked next to Hazel’s car. “Ladies and gentlemen, our final stop for the evening is the Redwood Police Station. Please collect your belongings and make your way through the nearest exit.”
Hazel giggled again. Logan was finding it to be quite an irritating sound.
Dylan threw his door open and quickly moved to the back door so he could open it for Hazel.
“You spoil me,” she said.
“Somebody needs to,” Dylan said. “That boss of yours seems like a real jerk.”
Hazel and Dylan walked to her car, laughing and joking. Logan followed close behind, keeping an eye on Dylan.
He didn’t trust Dylan for a second.
