Chapter Twenty
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Sam didn’t hear from Logan throughout the entire weekend. She managed to keep herself busy working at home. She had some things that needed to get done, and she actually enjoyed being able to sit on her couch, laptop perched on her lap with the television producing background noise.
It was different from the constant movement at the office. Although she worked for three solid hours straight, she found herself thinking about Logan constantly.
Unable to take any more, Sam shut the computer, tossed it onto the cushion beside her and stood. Out of habit she picked up her cell phone from the coffee table and checked to make sure she hadn’t missed any calls. The blasted thing never rang, so it was pure wishful thinking that had her glancing at it in the first place. With disappointment, she tossed it on the couch as she made her way into the kitchen.
Dinner or a drink? It was a tough decision.
The refrigerator offered little solace, so Sam settled on the drink. She pulled a can of diet 7-Up from the top shelf along with a glass from the cabinet. Adding some vodka, she attempted to encourage herself to relax by sipping on the drink as she paced the floor.
She couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t heard from Logan, but maybe he was busy. After all, he did go to California on business. It had crossed her mind that she might have made a mistake in declining to join him. But, it was too late to change the outcome so she had to do something to pass the time.
After wearing the carpet a little thinner than it already was, she settled on a relaxing bubble bath to calm her frazzled nerves. It was apparent she had too much time to think which would ultimately result in her picking apart her relationship. Again.
The song playing softly in the background didn’t help. She listened closely while Trapt soothed out one of her favorite songs on her iPod. “Ready When You Are” was probably not the best choice in her current mood, but it defined her current state of mind. The relationship she and Logan shared was complicated at best.
They both seemed to share the same feelings for one another, but Sam was acutely aware of her trepidations. Her desire for Logan was a living, breathing thing, but her fear of pain would ultimately win out if she let it.
What had she done before Logan walked into her life? Although it had only been a few months since they met, the time seemed as though it had sped by. Rather than mere months, it felt as though she had known him for years. Was her heart that vested? Did she dare admit she might actually love Logan McCoy?
Sam heaved out a sigh and took a long drink of the vodka sitting on the tubs edge. One day at a time… that’s all she could manage at this point in her life. If she had, in fact, fallen for Logan, it was probably best not to tell him. It still amazed her the way her body hummed when she thought about the event that occurred at his house.
Two men.
Never in her wildest dreams did she expect she would be pleasured by two men. Never had she even given it any thought. Sure, it wasn’t a new concept. Late night television and the romance section of the bookstore were overwhelmed with such fantasies, but it wasn’t something that Sam had ever imagined she would partake in. It had been the most erotic night of her life and deep down inside, she secretly hoped it would happen again.
The water sloshed over the side of the tub as she forced herself up and out, trying desperately to push the graphic images from her mind. Now was not the time to think about the events of that night. She was already sexually frustrated, and with Logan so far away, she knew satisfaction wouldn’t come anytime soon. It was time for bed, and she only hoped her dreams would not be overcome with the eroticism that plagued her mind.
~*~*~
Logan stared intently at the cell phone laying on the table in front of him as he waited for his dinner companions. The meeting had fortunately been scheduled for Sunday evening, although he had almost been forced to wait until Monday.
Being in the business of negotiations, Logan spent Saturday visiting with another vendor in order to establish a backup plan. Price negotiations, after the contract was signed, didn’t normally happen, so he needed to be ready for anything. And the first rule was to never walk in without a backup plan.
After convincing At Last, Inc. that he would not wait until Monday to meet, he accepted their dinner offer for Sunday evening. He had to admit he was only a little surprised by the insistence of his presence in California over the weekend. Couldn’t business wait until Monday? Of course it couldn’t.
Those people who genuinely believed that work only occurred between 8am and 5pm Monday through Friday had some serious blinders on. In his world, when it came to strategically managing one of the largest corporations in North Texas, business occurred at any time… day or night.
Unfortunately, this mini crisis had taken him away from a weekend he could have spent with Sam. Being in a different time zone as well as having spent the better part of Saturday wining and dining the other vendor, Logan had missed the opportunity to call her.
He had wanted to hear her voice, but he had put it off in hopes of catching a last minute flight on Sunday and arriving to surprise her. That didn’t look like it was going to happen. Especially since it was already 9pm in Dallas.
So here he was, nursing his second drink, waiting.
He glanced over at his cell phone one more time when he heard a familiar voice echoing behind him announcing her meeting with Logan McCoy.
Shit. Damn. Fuck.
When did Heather Knight start working for their main software vendor? For a brief moment, the first reaction that came to mind was to get up and walk out. But, that would be childish and unprofessional. He was above that.
He hoped.
“Logan. I’m so glad you could make it.” Heather said sweetly as she approached the table, extending her hand to Logan in greeting.
I bet you are. Logan slowly stood from his seat, extending his hand to return her gesture. “I was told this was an emergency.”
“I’m not sure it can be classified as an emergency, but it is rather urgent. Please, have a seat.” Heather replied as she gracefully sat in the chair to his left.
Something did not feel right about this meeting, and Logan had a hunch that Heather had used a business matter to engage in a personal meeting. It didn’t make any sense since they hadn’t spoken in years.
However, he had been wrong before so he would give her the benefit of the doubt and let her get to the heart of the matter. Logan knew it wasn’t going to be a quick meeting by any means.
“Is Mr. Campbell going to join us?” Logan asked although he already knew the answer.
“He had a last minute engagement that pulled him away. I’m afraid it’s just going to be you and me this time around.” Logan could tell she was trying to gauge his reaction, so he purposefully didn’t react.
He couldn’t think of anything he wanted less than to be having a sham of a dinner meeting with Heather Knight. Logan couldn’t help but think of what he could be doing. Back home. With Samantha.
Instead, he was going to have to endure dinner with his ex, rather than lying in bed with his woman.
“What was it that called him away?” Logan asked casually as he glanced down at the menu in front of him.
“He didn’t say. But, we figured since you had come all this way and you were probably eager to get back home, I would meet with you to go over the issue we discussed with Mr. Thomas yesterday.”
“Xavier didn’t give me much of the details so you’ll have to enlighten me some.” Logan was unable to keep the irritation out of his voice.
As Logan sat back, watching Heather sit in the prim and proper way she had of doing everything, he was curious as to why she lured him all the way to California. It had better be good, that was all he knew.
Heather started to speak but was interrupted by the waiter. They took a moment to give him their drink orders; Logan ordered a double scotch on the rocks to replace the last one he had finished. It was the least he could do to try and survive the next hour or so.
“Well, it appears there’s a problem with the contract we went into with XTX. Apparently there was a small pricing error that was overlooked.” Heather said as she stared directly at Logan.
Why did Logan get a feeling Heather had a hand in manipulating the events that had taken place? They hadn’t seen or talked to one another since they had broken up, so Logan couldn’t imagine what might have caused her to interfere with something like this.
Sure, her mother still ran in the same social circles that Xavier Thomas did, but Logan didn’t think there was any worthy gossip going around that would catch her attention.
Unless…
“Heather, I’m not sure I understand when you say there was a pricing issue. We negotiated the contract. It is signed and sealed. XTX is not prepared to negotiate after the fact.” Logan stated matter-of-factly. Where the hell was the waiter?
“I know there was some animosity between you and I based on our past relationship, Logan, but I don’t want that to interfere in our business relationship.” She stated as she glanced over the menu. “I am so hungry I think I could eat a little bit of everything on this menu. What are you going to order?”
Logan stared incredulously at the woman sitting beside him. Was she serious? He traveled over a thousand miles to make an urgent business meeting, on a weekend for that matter, and she wanted to know what he was going to order? To his relief the waiter returned to their table, placing their drinks in front of them.
Logan stared at the ice in his glass with considerable interest as he tried to calm himself. Getting angry was not going to move this along and ultimately, he knew the contract could be terminated on either side so he needed to at least work toward an amicable agreement. The problem was, he still didn’t know what the issue was.
What he did know was that this meeting probably had nothing to do with the contract that XTX had entered into for the software and support required for the company to move to the next level. They had done their due diligence in seeking out a company that could provide the requirements needed and At Last, Inc. had given them an offer they couldn’t refuse. Now, this woman, his ex-girlfriend, was sitting here telling him there was an error in pricing. Fine. He could play this game for a little while.
Keep it cool. Take a deep breath and before you know it, this will be over.
“I was going to ask you the same thing. I haven’t been here before so I don’t know what their specialty is.”
His response seemed to satisfy her, and Logan didn’t miss the fact that she grinned, still staring down at her menu as though she were actually trying to decide.
“I was thinking the salmon looked good.”
Great have the fucking salmon and let’s get down to business. Logan was glad he managed to keep his thoughts from spewing out of his mouth.
“That’s probably a safe choice.” Logan said as he glanced up at the young man standing beside their table, patiently waiting for them to order. “I think we’ll both have the salmon.”
“Yes, and please bring me a wedge salad with the house dressing.” Heather said sweetly as she laid her napkin across her lap. “So, how have things been with you? I think it has been nearly eight years since we last saw each other.”
“Good. Things have been good. And you?” Logan tried to put his heart into the conversation, but he found that he honestly didn’t have anything to say.
For several years, he wondered what Heather had done with her life. Even though he found out rather quickly that he hadn’t been in love with her, he still acknowledged he had cared about her. There were a few times that he had even found himself picking up the phone, wanting to call her. Luckily he found his sanity each time before he dialed.
The feeling was almost surreal, sitting there, close to her again. If someone had told him this would happen to him, he would have never believed them. He smiled at her as he took in her appearance. She had gotten even more beautiful over the years. With her blond hair, blue eyes, and petite frame, Heather probably could have gone into modeling. But, looks weren’t everything.
“Things have been interesting, to say the least. I moved out here to California about two and a half years ago when the job offer came in from At Last.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear things are going well for you, Heather.” Logan commented, downing his drink too quickly.
This conversation was making him extremely uncomfortable. There wasn’t anything they could possibly have to say to each other, especially so many years later, but she was acting as though they would just pick up where they left off. Clearly her memory had failed her because they hadn’t been in a place that they could pick up from.
“My mother has kept me abreast of the things going on in Dallas. I’ve heard some fascinating things lately.” She said; her voice softer than before.
She was clearly baiting him. He didn’t know where this was going, but he decided he would play along. He motioned for the server to return so he could get a refill on his drink. Hell, the guy might want to just bring the bottle.
“Really? Like what?”
“The rumor mill is churning about you.”
Logan was speechless. He hadn’t heard any rumors going around about him so he wasn’t at all sure where she was going with this. He could only pray that the waiter would hurry back with his drink. He didn’t fall for the trap; instead, Logan watched Heather as she seemed to get nervous.
“Mother says you’ve met someone.”
Logan could feel her eyes on him. He didn’t know if he should be pissed or flattered. She had brought him all the way to California to ask him if he was in a relationship. What was her motive? He knew honesty would probably blow up in his face, but that was the route he was going to take.
“I have met a lot of people, Heather. What’s your point?”
“Not just anyone, Logan. Mother says you have someone in your life. As in a woman.”
He owed it to his relationship with Sam to be truthful. “There is a woman in my life.”
“Is it serious?”
Of all of the places, in all of the world, this was the last place he wanted to be. Logan didn’t want to have a conversation with Heather about anything, much less about Samantha.
Then he thought back to the situation he’d found himself in with Cardio Barbie. Shit. Bridget. He meant Bridget. Logan smiled as he remembered Sam’s reference to the other woman.
Instead of dodging the question, he looked her right in the eye and told her the honest truth. “I don’t know how you define serious, Heather. I have met someone, and I’m enjoying what we’re establishing between us. If you are asking if I love her, I don’t know that yet. If you are asking if I’m getting married, the answer is no. I don’t have any plans at this time.”
Thank God the waiter decided it was time to deliver their salads. He needed a distraction.
“Tell me about her.” Heather prompted as she picked up her fork.
“There isn’t much to tell. If I wanted to share her personal information, I would have invited her here. I didn’t because this is a business meeting. I would prefer we get down to business so I can return home as soon as possible.”
“How is Luke?”
Heather was obviously not ready to talk business, but Logan was past caring.
Unable to be a total asshole just yet, Logan answered. “Luke is fine. Now, can you tell me why it was so urgent to come out here this weekend? We probably could have handled any issues over the phone.”
“I didn’t call you out here for business, Logan. I gave Jim the impression there was an issue so he immediately contacted Xavier. I was going to offer to come to Texas. I needed an opportunity to talk to you.”
Oh hell. Logan didn’t know what to say to her. For once, he was at a total loss for words. Had it been business, he could have dealt with it. Apparently this was personal and as far as Logan was concerned, there was nothing personal left between the two of them.
“I flew all the way to California, under the impression you were going to pull out of the deal, spent all of Saturday working on a backup plan because you wanted to talk to me. Heather, this better be damned important, or you just might see me lose it.”
“Logan, it’s about us.” Heather began but was quickly cut off.
“Us? There is no us. Our relationship ended years ago, and from my point of view, it was for the best.” His voice was raised, and his hands were fisted at his side.
He hadn’t meant to come across so harsh and as soon as the words came out of his mouth, Logan saw the way she jerked back as though he had slapped her.
“Logan, I know I made some mistakes, and I know it has been a long time, but to be honest, you’re the only man I have ever loved. I think if you would give it just a little consideration, you would realize we could be extremely happy together.” Heather paused to take a deep breath. “The two of us would be a force to be reckoned with if we were together. I have become successful over the years, and I think if you’d just give me a chance, we could get back what we had.”
Logan’s teeth were grinding together as he sat there, completely floored by Heather’s explanation. Had she lost her damned mind? Maybe she honestly did believe some of the things she was saying.
It was a shame that she possibly believed he would sacrifice love for business. It was quite possible that until he met Sam he would have believed you could handle a relationship like a business transaction, but since meeting her, he knew that wasn’t the case.
He took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. “Heather, you don’t love me, and I don’t love you. There isn’t anything between us that would make me believe that a relationship between us would be of the forever kind.”
“Logan, I know deep down you care about me the same way I care about you. When my mother told me that you met someone, I felt my heart nearly rip out of my chest.”
“That isn’t because you love me. Of course, I cared about you when we were together, but we aren’t together anymore and haven’t been for a really long time. I have moved on and so have you.” His discomfort level was hitting astronomical levels on the charts. “I don’t think we should be having this discussion.”
Just when he was about to get up and leave, the waiter brought their order. Rather than leave Heather sitting there all alone, he managed to remain seated and decided it would be best for both of them if they finished their meal and left this discussion amicably.
“Let’s finish dinner, and we can discuss anything you’d like, with the exception of any type of reconciliation between us. I have met someone, Heather, and regardless if things work out with she and I, there isn’t anything that could bring you and I back together.”
“I just wish things could have been different between us.”
As he ate, he thought about how he could answer her. For a long time, he had wanted things to be different, as well. She had hurt him deeply.
However, he knew it wouldn’t be anything compared to if he lost Sam in his life. It was just different. His relationship with Heather had been comfortable, but when he looked back, he knew there wasn’t much emotion involved. It actually had been a sort of business transaction.
Now, he knew what it felt to have his heart contribute to the relationship and the thought of losing Sam made his stomach turn.
“It worked out the way it should. I understand your reason for getting me to come out here and honestly, had the tables been turned, I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing. The fact is, we aren’t meant to be together. If we were, we wouldn’t have spent the last eight years apart.”
Heather continued to pick at the food in front of her. “I hear you, and I know you’re probably right, but it still hurts.”
“The woman I have met is very special to me, and I feel as though I’m betraying her just sitting here with you. You have to understand where I’m coming from on this. You’ll find someone that makes you feel the same way. I don’t make you feel that way. I’m just your comfort zone.”
Logan pushed his half-finished plate away and looked at her. “I’m flattered that you called me out here. I’m a very lucky man if a woman like you believed she had to make one last play to try and win my affections. One day, when you find the right man, you’ll make him one hell of a lucky guy. Until that day comes, don’t sell yourself short and don’t settle for anything less than you deserve.”
“Thank you, Logan.” She replied, placing her napkin on her plate and reaching for her purse.
“I’ll take care of the bill.” Logan declared as he watched Heather hold back tears.
“I’ll make sure to let Jim know what happened and that I had deliberately manipulated the situation. Then, I’ll have him call Xavier to explain everything.”
“Let’s just leave this between us. You can let Jim know that we settled everything, and there are no longer any issues to address. I’ll advise Xavier that it has all been handled.”
“Thank you, Logan. I’m so sorry for making a fool out of myself. I’m sorry that I made you come all this way.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad we had this talk. It is possibly the closure we both needed in order to move on.” Logan stood from his seat as Heather did.
The two of them shook hands one last time, and he watched as she made a graceful exit. When the waiter came back, he ordered one last drink and stared at his cell phone again. It was definitely too late to call Sam, but at least he would be back in Texas tomorrow, and he could see her then.