Chapter 35

Logan and Dylan followed the hostess to their table. She pointed to their chairs, and handed them each a menu once they had each sat down.

“Enjoy!” She said cheerily and hurried back to the hostess stand.

Logan quickly glanced over the menu, “Well, I have to admit Hazel did better with picking a restaurant for us today. That’s the only thing she’s done right all morning.”

Dylan set down his menu and studied Logan. “Dude. What’s your problem with her? You’re being a real ass.”

“Um, my problem is that she was working with Peter to take me down. How can I trust her now?” Logan slammed his menu down. “I knew I made a mistake bringing her on as my assistant.”

Dylan rolled his eyes. “Oh my god, the drama. No, you didn’t. How many times have you gushed about how amazing she is? And I don’t mean just as an assistant.”

Logan’s cheeks turned pink.

The waitress walked up and introduced herself. Logan was thankful for her timing.

“What can I get you gentlemen to drink?” She asked with a smile.

After jotting down their drink orders, she hurried off. Much to Logan’s annoyance, Dylan was not done discussing Hazel.

“I see the way you look at her,” Dylan said, looking down at his menu. “Your banning me from dating her has little to do with me and everything to do with that.”

“What does that have to do with….She betrayed me!” Logan said. “Who knows what secrets she spilled to Peter…”

“Will you stop?” Dylan said. “Talk to her. Let her explain her side of things. Clear this up before you drive her away.”

Logan didn’t respond. He picked up his menu again and stared hard at it, wishing Dylan would drop it already. He didn’t feel like talking about Hazel. He’d been feeling things he didn’t want to explore or admit about her lately and he just wanted to focus on eating lunch and thinking about anything else.

“Okay,” Dylan said, taking the hint. He raised both hands in defeat. “I’m done talking about her. How about the other woman in your life? Have you heard any more from your almost ex-wife?”

Logan shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Uh, yeah, actually. We spent some time together this weekend.”

Dylan raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Just a couple dinners together,” Logan shrugged.

“Just a couple…?? Okay. As your lawyer and best bro, I have to advise against…” Dylan started.

“Ughhhhh,” Logan rolled his eyes and threw his head back.

“Look, I’ve done a lot of divorce cases. When couples start doing couple-like things again, it usually ends up even worse for one or both parties,” Dylan said.

“I think we’ll be fine,” Logan said. “In fact, more than fine. I was thinking about dropping the divorce and trying to work things out with her.”

Dylan dropped his face into his hands and shook his head. “After one weekend? After all the things you said she’s done to you? Yeah, this sounds like a great plan.”

The waitress returned with two glasses on a tray. As she set the glasses of water on the table, she asked, “What can I get started for you?”

“Just a steak salad for me, thanks,” Logan said.

“And I will take the classic burger with extra fries, please,” Dylan said.

She scurried off again. The two sat in an uncomfortable silence after the waitress left. Logan picked at a loose thread on the tablecloth and Dylan was typing into the search app on his phone.

Finally, after several minutes of scrolling and clicking through a few websites, Dylan broke the silence. “Do you mind if we swing by ‘Susie’s Closet’ before we head back to your office?”

“What is that?” Logan asked.

“Um…a women’s clothing store.”

“Why?”

Dylan shrugged. “No reason,” he said, smiling sheepishly.

---

I returned from lunch and found a black gift bag waiting on my desk for me. A small card was stuck inside the tissue paper. I pulled it out and read:

“Thought a black top might fare better in your care. ;)

-Dylan”

I set the card down and pulled the tissue paper out of the bag. I peeked inside and pulled out a silky black blouse. I gasped. It was beautiful. Tears stung my eyes and I covered my mouth with one hand. Besides Maria, I couldn’t think of a single person that had ever shown me such kindness.

I smiled all the way to the bathroom, eager to change out of my gross stained blouse and into this gorgeous and - I looked down, my eyes catching the price tag - uh, expensive top.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head. I stopped in my tracks. No way could I accept this hundred dollar shirt.

My phone dinged. I pulled it from my sweater pocket and looked at the screen. As though Dylan could read my mind, he had messaged:

“I’m sure by now you’ve seen what I left on your desk. Don’t you dare think about giving it back to me. It’s not my size, it’ll look way better on you.”

“This is way too much,” I sent back with a crying emoji.

“What? I can’t hear you, I’m going through a tunnel…” Dylan responded.

I shook my head and laughed. I looked at the shirt in my hands. It was really nice. And Logan did tell me I needed to change…

I walked into the bathroom and removed my stained blouse. I dumped it right in the trash can and put the new one on. I buttoned it up and tucked it into my skirt, then looked at it in the mirror. Perfect fit. How did know? I had dated Chance for years and he didn’t even know the color of my eyes, much less what size I wore. Not that he ever bought any for me…

I never thought that I would almost be thankful that Nat stole Chance from me, but here we are.

I snapped a picture of the shirt and sent it to Dylan with the caption, “You’re right, it does look better on me.”

“Looks great,” he wrote back almost immediately with a heart-eye emoji.

I smiled. Maybe today wasn’t such a bad day after all.

I walked to my desk. I found Logan standing in front of it when I got back, his arms crossed and one of his feet tapping impatiently.

“Where have you been?” He snapped.

“I was changing my shirt,” I said, then added under my breath: “Like you asked.”

He looked at my shirt, then his eyes dropped down to the card and tissue paper I had left spread out all over my desk. I shoved them into the gift bag and threw it under my desk. I watched as anger spread across Logan’s face.

“Need I remind how important it is to keep a tidy workspace? And maybe to also be at one’s workspace, ready to work when I need you to?” He said sternly.

“No, sir, I don’t need reminded.” His wording was a little confusing and I wasn’t sure how to respond in a way that wouldn’t further piss him off. I was hoping that would be satisfying enough to send him on his way.

He glared at me a moment longer. “I need you to take notes for this conference call, it’s starting in five minutes in my office.”

“Yes sir,” I gathered a notebook and pen.

“And if it’s not too much trouble, maybe you could keep the stuff you hear on the call confidential? I know that’s a struggle for you.”

He turned and stormed into his office.

“Aw, trouble in paradise?” I heard Elena’s voice behind me.

“Not now, Elena,” I said, still facing away from her. She moved to the front of my desk.

“Don’t worry, you won’t have to deal with this much longer,” she smiled. Then she lowered her voice to a menacing whisper: “I’m going to do everything I can to get your ass fired in no time.”

I watched her strut away.

“Take a number,” I muttered.