She sipped the Malbec, savored the taste, swallowed, and sighed. “Huh, that obvious?”
“Just a bit. So, I take it the date wasn’t great?” He hoped he didn’t sound too happy about that.
She groaned. “Huh, I should have known anyone Tashia set me up with would be awful.”
“Honestly, Harriet, I have no idea why you agreed to it. The guy was on Tashia’s reject list; you can do so much better.”
She shook her head. “I know, I know. My gut told me to say no, but I caved. Huh, you don’t know what it’s like, Logan. Me and Nigel were together a year. Twelve months is a long time. You begin to plan stuff, map out the future, you know? Now, I don’t even know where to start. I’m almost twenty-seven, Logan. And I’m starting again, when most people my age are getting married.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. Break-ups are hard, and starting over feels like such a slog.” There had been times with Cassandra when he’d hoped she was the one he’d finally settle down with, as he was getting tired of the whole dating treadmill thing.
“God, sorry, here I am moping to you when you just broke up with your girlfriend, too.”
He shook his head. “Nah, don’t be sorry. It has been heading that way for a few weeks now. I guess we just drifted apart.”
“Huh, so it was a mutual parting of the ways between you and Cassandra?”
“Not exactly. That tray of cocktails she threw over Tashia was the last straw. Before that, I was wavering, but hadn’t decided.”
“Oh, my, God! That was so funny. Tashia’s face was a picture. You never did tell me why she did that.”
“Because Tashia flirted with me.”
“Seriously? Tashia flirts with everyone.”
“I already told Cassandra that. But, hey, it’s ancient history. I had a lucky escape. If she doesn’t trust me now, she never will. I can’t live like that.”
“Yeah, I hear you. Ironically, Nigel always accused me of flirting with other guys when we went out. Like seriously! You know me, Logan, have I ever flirted with anyone?”
“No, no, you haven’t.” But he couldn’t help wishing she had, with him.
“Damn him! He was the one screwing his secretary, and God knows who else he played around with all through our relationship.”
“Forget him. He couldn’t see the good thing he had, and that oversight makes him an idiot.”
“It seems like idiots is all I attract.”
Harriet took another sip of wine, and Logan matched her. “So, tell me about this date. A loser, huh?”
“That’s the freaking understatement of the year. God, it was so awful, Logan.”
She sipped her Malbec and while they talked, he rinsed the last of the glasses and dried them. All the time that Harriet recounted her story, he was attentive, commiserating with her as she described just how bad the date had been. But inside, he couldn’t help but be relieved. He’d meant what he said, she deserved better than Tashia’s leftovers. Harriet was talented and successful—she worked for one of the top interior design companies in New York, yet she was down to earth and sweet, with a little shyness he found sexy. She was not a pushover, but she could be feisty and sarcastic. Though Logan was seeing less of that these days. Since she split with Nigel, she seemed to have lost a bit of her spark.
“I just don’t get it, Logan,” Harriet said, as she walked in front of him up the stairs to his apartment. “Like, what did Malcolm think he would get out of tonight?”
“Let it go, Harriet. There will always be guys like that out there.”
She stopped suddenly on the stairs, turned back to him, and put her hand on his arm. “Sometimes I wonder if you are the only decent guy out there, Logan.”
He laughed. “I’m not sure Cassandra would quite agree with you.”
She shrugged, but her hand remained on his arm, and it may have been his imagination, but the distance between them seemed to shrink away.
“I guess there are always two sides to a story. But how long have I known you now, Logan?”
Eight years, three months and fourteen days. He drew the line at counting seconds. “Huh, I don’t know, it’s been awhile.”
“Just over eight years.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, holding his eye contact. “And in all that time, I’ve seen you date a few girls. You know how to treat them, you don’t screw around, you pull out their chairs for them… you are a true gentleman. Surely, there are more Logan Jacksons out there. If not, maybe we could clone you.”
“And you sound like that wine went to your head. Let’s sober you up.” He walked past her and unlocked the apartment door. He was getting mixed messages from Harriet, and it was stirring up feelings he had kept well and truly buried inside him.
“No, I mean it. This world needs copies of Logan Jackson.”
“That’s a scary thought. You ever see that show, Living with Yourself?” He stood back to let her pass, and when she entered the apartment, the conversation was back on neutral ground.
“No, I’ve been meaning to watch it. Is it good?”
The conversation stayed with Netflix, and the flirting he thought he detected earlier was definitely gone. While he made hot chocolate, he wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t changed the subject. Unfortunately, Logan wasn’t sure if Harriet was serious or not, or even if she had meant it to sound the way it did. She didn’t. Come on, you are friends, that is all you have ever been.
He placed a mug of cocoa in front of her, and she wrapped her hands around it. “So, are you and Cassandra really over?”
“Yeah.”
“Anyone else caught your eye recently?” She took a large gulp of the hot drink. “God, this is good.”
“No. I think I’m going to enjoy being single for a while, I have some reading to catch up on, and until I get more staff,
