Chapter 19
Hazel put her purse in the back seat of her car while Logan walked around to the passenger side of the car. He started to get inside the car, then noticed Dylan had leaned against the driver’s side door, clearly not ready to let Hazel go just yet. He stood up and narrowed his eyes at Dylan, not daring to let him out of sight or earshot for even a moment.
“Look at those coke bottles,” Dylan said, pointing to Hazel’s glasses. She blushed. “Hand ‘em over, let’s see how bad your eyesight is.”
Hazel obeyed, taking off her glasses and handing them to Dylan. Logan’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of her without her specs.
Dylan put the glasses on his face and looked around. “Damn girl, you can’t see anything,” he said, taking them back off. He rubbed his eyes.
“I tried to warn you,” Hazel said with a laugh.
Dylan started to hand the glasses back over, catching a glimpse of her as he did. “You are gorgeous.”
Hazel turned a deep red and clumsily put the glasses back on her face. Logan also turned red, but he couldn’t fully figure out why.
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better about these terrible eyes,” she said.
“No way, I mean it. And I wouldn’t just say that to anybody,” he said.
It took everything Logan had to not laugh out loud at that statement. What a bald-faced lie, Logan thought. Dylan would say that to any and every woman he encountered if he thought it would get him into bed with them.
Dylan looked down at Hazel’s clothes. “Is this the kind of stuff you usually wear?” Dylan said.
Hazel looked down at her clothes. “Yeah… Is there something wrong with it?”
“It’s just…black and white everything. No heels, no jewelry, nothing. You look like you just came out of a nunnery.”
“I am a secretary you know. What’s wrong with keeping my clothes professional and low-key at work? I’m not there to show off for attention, my focus while I’m there is to make life easier for the CEO.”
“Did Logan tell you to say that?” Dylan laughed. “Those words sound like they came straight from Logan’s mouth.”
“Hey!” Logan interjected.
But Hazel didn’t need his help. She was standing up for herself just fine, which Logan found even more impressive.
“I was dressing like this long before I met Logan,” she responded.
“Is that how your fellow secretaries dress?” Dylan asked.
Hazel’s brow furrowed. “No.” She leaned in close to Dylan. “But my fellow secretaries also aren’t up for the position I am.”
This made Dylan laugh. “Alright, alright. Touche. I’m just saying, not everyone is as lucky as you in the looks department. You should show it off more. It wouldn’t hurt to add a little more pizzaz to the old ensemble, accentuate what the good Lord blessed you with,” Dylan smiled at her.
Logan couldn’t hold back any longer. “Hazel, do you mind giving us a minute?”
She jumped, as though she had forgotten anyone else was even around. “Oh, of course.” She gave Dylan a smile and got into the driver’s side of the car.
“Hazel, before you go, let me give you my personal cell number. Just in case you ever need help with this asshole again,” Dylan pointed at Logan. “Or, you know, if you ever get hungry for dinner or…anything like that.”
He pulled out his wallet and pulled a business card out of it. He handed it to Hazel, who took it with a smile. He gave her a little wave and closed the car door.
Logan grabbed Dylan by the arm and pulled him back to his car.
Dylan looked at Logan as he was being dragged away. “Do you know if she is seeing anyone?”
“Look,” Logan grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. “Hazel is a potential candidate for the position of my assistant. I would ask that you maintain an air of professionalism where she’s involved.’
“So…is that a yes or a no?” Dylan asked, blowing off Logan’s request.
“I don’t know. I don’t get involved in the personal lives of those who work under me. My relationship with her is strictly professional. And I would appreciate if you, my lawyer, would do the same.”
“Woah, hello Mr. CEO. What’s your deal? I just asked a simple question,” Dylan said.
“Oh come on, I’ve known you long enough to see your pattern with women. There are plenty out there to have your one night stands with. Please leave Hazel out of your scumbag warpath.”
Dylan crossed his arms. “Okay, hypocrite much? I recall a time not too long ago when you were called, and this is a direct quote, ‘the epitome of bachelors,’” Dylan snapped. “You can’t tell me it hasn’t crossed your mind too. Look at her, she’s smart and funny and beautiful and hard-working. Are you trying to tell me you haven’t even so much as had a single ‘what if?’ thought?”
“No,” Logan said, a little too quickly. “I’m a married man and she is my subordinate.”
Dylan scoffed. “Yeah, a married man whose wife called the cops on him earlier tonight.”
“Just…please. Anyone else,” Logan said quietly.
“I don’t understand why you care so much, if you don’t want anything to do with her life outside of the office, it shouldn’t matter to you whether or not I decide to pursue her,” Dylan said.
Logan wasn’t sure either. He never got involved with any of his employee’s dating lives. As long as it didn’t interfere with work, it made no difference to him.
So why did he suddenly care so much about Hazel’s?
“It just feels…wrong,” was the best Logan could come up with.
Dylan scoffed. “You’re boring, you know.”
“I know.” Logan started back towards Hazel’s car. “Oh, one more thing,” Logan said, pausing to say the next part. “I’ve decided I want to divorce my wife.”
“Woah,” Dylan said, the Hazel fight quickly forgotten. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” Logan shook his head. “I’ve tried to make it work. She’s not interested.”
“I’m sorry man,” Dylan said. “Of course, I’ll help with whatever you need.”
“The biggest thing is I want my ring back. It’s my mom’s heirloom diamond.”
“You got it, we’ll get it back.”
I watched Logan and Dylan finish up their conversation. I wished I could read lips, but no such luck. It had looked pretty heated, at least at first, which was surprising because they hadn’t been combative before we got out of Dylan’s car.
Dylan patted Logan on the back and went back to his car. Logan stepped into my passenger seat. Without a word, I drove him back to the office.
We parted ways at the top of the stairs, me to the employee rest area and him towards the locker rooms. He was never the chattiest of fellas, but this silence felt different. I guess he had had quite an eventful night, with the police getting called on him and all.
I had almost forgotten that had even happened, it felt like ages ago, when really it was just a few hours.
I put my purse down on the bed I’d claimed and kicked my flats off. I peeled off my dress pants and blouse and pulled on flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt that I had found in my car after I’d left my parents’ house for the last time earlier that week.
I dug through my purse for my phone charger. I moved aside all the contents until I got to the bottom of the bag.
Maybe I left it at my desk? I thought.
I peeked my head out of the rest area. I didn’t really want Logan to see me in these ratty old, wrinkled clothes. The hallway was clear. I stepped out and started making my way towards my desk.
I started to walk past the locker rooms. Steam was coming out, and a moment later, so was Logan.
It looked like he had just stepped out of the shower. His hair was dripping wet and he had a towel wrapped around his waist.
And…that was it.
