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My eyes widen as an idea comes to mind. “Maybe we need to convince a certain player to step up in Nate’s place.”
“Yes! You evil genius. Perhaps I need to pay our friend Dwayne a visit. Give him a couple of options to think over.”
She runs her fingers together as though there’s a master plan at play and then walks away without giving me a chance to respond.
An uncomfortable feeling takes over me, and I suddenly feel bad for Dwayne. If what they said in the meeting is true, and he’s acting out due to issues at home, we shouldn’t be joking about the consequences, and we certainly shouldn’t be adding more to his already full plate. But I put the idea out there, and now, I can't take it back.Sorry, Dwayne.
The alarm on my phone goes off an hour later, reminding me that I have to leave for my monthly therapist appointment. While I relied heavily on my therapist in the wake of Eric’s death, these days it’s more of a check-in and I feel good about that…mostly.
I’m bent over, shoving my heels into my bottom drawer, when a throat clears behind me.
Spinning around, I find Sean with a bored expression on his face and Logan looking like the cat that got the cream. It’s been almost two months since I’ve seen him—not that I’m counting—and we haven’t even texted since that brief exchange the day after Friendsgiving, yet, my heart skips a little at his sudden appearance. Again.Why is he everywhere? And why is he so damn attractive?
Leaning against the door frame, with his legs crossed over at the ankles and his arms folded across his chest, Logan stares at me with a smirk. I try not to appear affected but he’s wearing a navy blue cap and well…who can blame me for whatever thoughts cross my mind.What is it about ball caps?
When he notices me taking him in, he bounces his eyebrows, making my insides squirm. The last thing I need is for him to think I was checking him out, even though that’s exactly what I was doing.Dammit.
“Dani, this is Logan,” Sean says, completely oblivious to the fact that we know each other. “He’s got something for the fundraiser.”
“Actually, my name’s Maverick,” Logan says, picking up a bag from the floor and stepping into the room, offering me his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
I bite back a smile at Sean’s confused expression and connect my palm with Logan’s, giving it a small shake.
“What? I thought—”
“Thanks, Sean. I’ve got this,” I say, cutting him off. He walks away with a baffled expression as Logan and I stand in silence, but the second he’s out of sight, I burst out laughing.
“Hi, Maverick; I’m Charlie,” I say through giggles, getting pleasure when I see Logan’s eyes light up, as he fist pumps the air.
“Yes! You are awesome. I honestly thought I’d stump you with that one. I was prepared to do this…” He steps closer and starts singing “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins, only loud enough for me to hear, his eyes staying locked on mine, causing my heart to flutter. His voice isn’t amazing, but the way he’s looking at me…ugh. I shove him back and laugh it off, hating the fact that he’s affecting me, even though he shouldn’t be.
Logan smiles as if reading my mind, and I inwardly curse.
“I’m beginning to think fate’s throwing us together for a reason,” he says when he’s done singing, and while I can’t say I haven’t wondered the same, I don’t love the fact he’s thinking it too.
A feeling of unease takes over, but I bite my nail as I try to suppress it. I can’t keep feeling guilty over thinking of other men. Eric is gone.
“Did you just want to drop that off?” I say, pointing to the bag in his hand and motioning for Logan to hand it over, completely ignoring his statement.
He chuckles as he places the bag at my feet, bringing him closer, almost invading my personal space. “Are you trying to kick me out?”
I ignore my increasing heart rate and smile. “No, I just have an appointment to get to. I was on my way when you arrived.”
Grabbing my purse, I walk toward him, forcing him to step backward until he’s in the hall. Pulling the door shut behind us, I lock up and turn toward the exit, feeling his eyes on me the entire time.
“See you soon,” I say with a noncommittal shrug and a smile over my shoulder.
Logan huffs out a laugh and shakes his head. “Yep, I have a feeling I’ll definitely be seeing you. Have a nice afternoon, Charlie.”
“You, too, Mav,” I say with a nod, my lips pulling up at the use of my current nickname. I stop short of smiling though, the confidence in his voice making me wonder if his words have extra meaning, other than just the fate thing, which I really shouldn’t care about.
When I step out into the cold January air, my body shivers, but I can’t be sure if it’s due to the weather or the man who keeps showing up in my life just when I think I’m settled. I knew after seeing him at Lucy’s I’d probably run into him again, but I wasn’t at all prepared for it or for how he makes me feel.
Or what Ishouldfeel.
I’m lost in thought as I get in my car and drive through the back streets toward the main part of town, slowly spiraling into a dark recess of my mind. Not a great place to be. And by the time I arrive at my appointment, I’m a complete mess of confusion. But at least I’m in the right place to sort it out.
Chapter Six
