by Emma Vikes
I could only hope that she still doesn’t.
Thirty minutes later, I could see her through the transparent doors. Quickly getting out of the car, I tried to play it cool. Leaning against the luxury car and crossing my arms over my chest, I made sure I looked noticeable. It wasn't as if I wasn’t born to stand out, I just wanted to make sure she spotted me quick.
She didn’t. She nearly walked past me.
“Olivia!”
She came to a quick stop when I called her name.
The woman beside her stopped with her and sneaked a look at me. Her eyes widened as she tapped Olivia on the shoulder. “I think he’s looking for you!”
I made my way towards them, flashing a charming smile at the woman beside Liv.
The woman was attractive too with her blonde curls and bright blue eyes. But she was nowhere as striking and captivating as Olivia.
Liv’s brown curls cascaded down her back and her hazel eyes still remained alluring. It was my favorite part of her. There was so much beauty in her hazel eyes that I couldn’t get enough of.
“Hello, Mr. Crewe.” Her voice sounded clipped and formal.
I couldn’t help but chuckle, crossing my arms over my chest. “You make it sound so formal, Liv. You can still call me Logan.”
The confusion was clear on the face of the woman beside her.
Olivia turned to her with a small smile. “You can find a place for us to eat at. Text me where it is and I’ll follow.”
“Oh, I can treat you both lunch,” I said quickly. Of course, I just wanted to eat with Olivia to know how she’d been doing but I knew it would be rude not to invite her friend.
Speaking of her friend, she lingered for a moment, looking at Olivia.
Liv’s smile looked strained and she shook her head. “We’ve already discussed matters earlier, Mr. Crewe. I still need to review your case before I meet with you.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “You’re being silly, Liv. I’m not here because of the case. I want to treat you to lunch and see how you’re doing. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”
She pursed her lips and turned to her friend again. “Text me where you’re at, Lacey. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Her friend looked like she wanted to stay and see how things went with us but nodded at Olivia and left.
I sighed and looked at Liv with a teasing smile. “You can’t even leave being professional at the office, Liv? It’s not like you don’t know me. Actually, you know me too well.”
“What are you doing here, Logan?”
My eyebrows furrowed. “Wasn’t I making it painfully obvious? I want to have lunch with you. Frankly, I just invited your friend because it’d be rude not to.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to know how you’re doing!” I answered, wondering why she seemed to be so oblivious. “I mean, look at how far you’ve come, Liv! Last time I saw you had been when you were this lawyer in the making. God, I’ve always known that you were gonna make it and now look at you, representing billionaires!” I motioned to myself and let out a short chuckle. “And to be honest, I’m not doing too badly on my end either. As you know, Outright Auto is only one of the many businesses that I own and franchise. I’m sure you’ve seen my face plastered on many magazines too. Quite frankly, I didn’t expect that I’d end up modeling if I turned into a billionaire but isn’t life absolutely surprising?”
Olivia just stared at me.
I wasn’t entirely sure if it was disgust written all over her face, but it sure looked like it.
“It’s been ten years, Logan.”
“Exactly and look at us now! You’re this hotshot lawyer representing billionaires and I’m that billionaire. I wish we could’ve met again in a better situation but I guess we wouldn’t know how far we’ve come if it wasn’t for this circumstance.”
Olivia’s face remained expressionless and then she scoffed, shaking her head. “Ten years and you haven’t changed, Logan. You’re still an arrogant ass.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise at her statement. “What?”
She let out an exhale as if having to face me was such a tiring issue for her. “I actually have no idea what you were doing until I had to look you up for the case. You’re right, you’re a billionaire now, with your name attached to leading businesses in the state. But what I’ve also learned in my research is how much of an ass you still are.”
“Excuse me?”
She was relentless though and didn’t even seem bothered at the fact she was being rude. “The number of scandals with women you were involved with is appalling, Logan. You’re lucky, you hired a damn good publicist to clean up the messes you’ve involved yourself in. I hope you pay her well.”
I blinked, stunned at how blunt she was being. “You know how I am with women, Liv.”
She scoffed. “Oh, of course, I do. You’re in a relentless pursuit of breaking women’s hearts as if they mean nothing to you.”
I licked my lips, her words clicking to me. “Is this because of what happened to us?”
Olivia gritted her teeth in annoyance and shook her head at me as if she was just stunned. “It’s not because of that, Logan. It’s because it’s been ten years and you’re still an ass to women and now, you’re involved with an embezzlement issue. I’m not sure you know how serious your case is.”
I clenched my jaw. I came here to do a nice thing and take her out for lunch but she only acted rude and spiteful. I came here as an acquaintance but she seemed to be hitting me with harsh words continuously. “I told you, I didn’t come here to talk about the case.”
“And I guess you’re too full of yourself to realize it, but I’m not going to talk to you about anything other than the case.”
I ran a hand along my face in disbelief. “I told you that I didn’t come here as your client. I came here as a friend!”
Olivia stared at me as if I grew another head out of my shoulders and then let out a dry chuckle. “Don’t be delusional, Logan. The only thing that you are to me is as my client. You were never even my friend, to begin with, so I don’t know what delusional train you’re on. I suggest that it’d be better if you hop off of it. Delusion isn’t a good look for a professional.”
I narrowed my eyes and balled my hands into fists. Something about her tone and the way she looked at me made me feel small. “I think you’ve forgotten that I’m Logan Crewe. If you’ve done your research, you should know that nobody talks to me like that.”
She didn’t even look bothered by what I said. “I haven’t forgotten that you’re Logan Crewe. You’re the client that I’ll represent in court for an embezzlement issue. However I speak to you and address you will always remain professional. If you speak to me otherwise, I’ll do the same thing.”
“You better win my fucking case then, Olivia,” I said through gritted teeth, knowing there was no point in continuing the conversation as my anger grew. “Because if you lose, then just know that your career will be done for too.”
3
Olivia
One could assume that within a ten-year timeframe, a person was bound to change his ways. Maybe not entirely but a decade was long enough to change at least some of his ways. It had been so long since the last time I saw Logan and he dared to act the way he did? He must’ve thought it would be a piece of cake for him to sit me down for lunch.
Ha, what a sucker. It was like he never knew me when we were together for him to assume it would be that easy.
“Why do you look so smug?” Lacey asked as she came into my office.
It was already four and time for us to pack up since we were done for the day. I’d finished marking the case I’d been reviewing. I got so caught up with Logan’s case for the majority of the day that I barely touched the case I was supposed to finish.
“You know what, come to think of it, you have a lot of why’s that you’re meant to answer.” Lacey sat on the couch and crossed her legs, looking at me curiously. “I
t’s one thing to know that you’re representing Logan Crewe, it’s another to find out that you two actually know each other. C’mon, Liv, spill the tea.”
Really, there was no tea to be spilled. Logan was a part of a past I did not want to visit. But I knew Lacey and she wouldn’t stop pestering me until I told her the truth about how I knew Logan Crewe. Although it didn’t mean she had to know the entire story about him. “We went to the same university in college. It’s hard not to notice someone like him.”
“Someone who’s undeniably handsome, has oozing sex appeal, and a charisma that could charm even the Queen of England?”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Someone so full of himself that you can literally see the high horse that he’s sitting on, wherever he is.”
Lacey scoffed. “You make it sound like he’s a bad guy. Sometimes, people who are full of themselves can be endearing too.”
I placed all the things I needed to review at home into my bag and stood, letting out a soft exhale as I looked at Lacey. She was right. When Logan and I were still dating, there were moments when I found his narcissism a little endearing. “There’s a difference between finding someone endearing and tolerating them just because.”
Lacey’s eyes narrowed at me.
For a moment, my heart skipped a beat in anxiousness. I didn’t want her to pry open something that I’d buried deep within me and chose to forget.
“You make it sound like there was something between you two.”
“There was nothing,” I said, a little too quickly. I sighed again. “He was someone that was friends with people in my circle. No matter how big a university can be, you’ll still just bump into people. I guess he still remembered me.”
“Hmm,” Lacey mused as she stood, picking up her bag.
We exited my office and made our way to the elevator.
“It’s just that with how he was acting earlier, you two seemed to be chummy.”
Chummy wasn’t even the right word to describe what we were. I had thought we were in love, despite all the warnings from my friends. “Ah, he’s always been like that. There was a time we thought that he would run in politics with how sociable he was. No one befriends people the way Logan does unless it’s for a reason.”
“I’m starting to get the feeling that you don’t like him.”
“And it took you this long to realize that?” I quipped as we stepped out of the elevator and then out of the building. Lacey parked her car a couple of cars beside mine so we still walked the distance together. “But whether I like Logan or not, he’s still my client. His case is huge and it’s exactly what I need to boost my career even more.”
“Oh honey, don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll win,” Lacey assured me and then gave me a hug. “Give Amy a kiss for me, will you? I miss that little spunk. Let me take her out sometime?”
I smiled. I knew how much Lacey wanted to have a child of her own. She had been married for two years already and they were still trying. I also liked that whenever she took Amy out, she would let her husband tag along. Amy adored being with Lacey and her husband. Although, it left a pang in my heart, I did want her to feel what it’s like to have a complete family.
“Of course you can. Send Xavier my regards.”
As Lacey and I parted ways and I got into my car, my heart slowly sank as I drove home. The day had been a little too much for me than I’d prepared myself for. I didn’t expect to see Logan after ten years. There had been so many times I’d imagined how the scenario would play out and each time, I thought I would be ready.
But seeing him earlier in Hadfield office and then outside at the firm, I never realized what I had thought were emotions long buried would be brought back to the surface when I saw him. Then all the anger I’d felt surged back the moment his green gaze landed on me. His presence alone was triggering and I wasn’t sure how I could do my job.
Parking my car in the garage, I let out a long exhale. I didn’t want to bring the negative energy of the day to my house. I didn’t want Amy to notice I had a long day at work and worry. Sucking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly again. Then I came out of my car and into our house.
I could hear the TV in the background as Amy was watching one of her Netflix shows again. “I’m home!”
Listening to Amy’s footsteps running from the living room to the front door made me smile. It was enough to erase all the negativity I’d went through for the day.
As soon as she turned to the hallway where I was, she rushed even more and tackled me in a hug.
I laughed, the hardness of the day easing up as soon as my daughter’s tiny arms wrapped around me.
She kissed me on the cheek with a loud smack.
I tickled her belly slightly. “How was school?”
Amy made a face and shrugged. “Mr. Cooper asked me if I would like to join the spelling bee.”
My eyebrows shot up and I pulled her into another hug, my heart swelling up with pride. “Oh, my. My little slugger, making her way up like Mommy!”
Amy pouted. She always made a face each time I called her slugger and I had the cute nickname for her because she used to be really slow when it came to running. When she was little, I used to take her with me during my afternoon jogs because I didn’t really have anyone to watch over her. I had to keep a slow pace just for her and evidently, I started calling her slugger.
“What’s for dinner?”
I shrugged and we made our way to the kitchen.
I dropped my things on the counter and then rummaged through the fridge to look for something I could cook. “What about baked salmon in lemon and mashed potatoes?”
“Can I mash the potatoes?” Amy asked, her eyes shining with excitement. She loved helping me with anything I wanted to do. For a decade, it always had been Amy and I. My family lived in New Jersey and the only time we got to see them was during Thanksgiving. Other than the occasional visits from my mother and brothers, it had been just me and Amy.
It had been a struggle raising a little human in the world while still reaching for my dreams. I still went to college but mostly took online classes if the professor allowed it. I also had to do part-time online work to get by. The load eased up on me a little when Amy started going to school because I had a little more time for myself.
“Why do you look like you’re going to cry?”
Every time I thought of the past ten years, I always wanted to breakdown and cry… like to hug myself. I always felt like I deserved a pat on the back for pulling through and making sure things went my way. I managed to raise a beautiful little girl, finish college and law school, then build a career on top of being a parent. “I just thought of something that made me happy.”
Amy stared at me as if I was one of her funny cartoons. “You don’t cry when you’re happy, silly.”
I chuckled and kissed the side of her head. “Oh, you have a long way to go to learn the ropes of the world, slugger. I’m going to wash up while the salmon bakes and then we’ll have dinner, ‘kay?”
She nodded and focused her attention back on the mashed potatoes she was making.
I watched her for a little, knowing that nothing would’ve worked out on my behalf if I wasn’t blessed with her. I’d been blessed with a really good kid. I’d known from other parents in daycare that there were really difficult babies but Amy had always been different.
She didn’t keep me up at night crying and always slept through it with me when she was an infant. She didn’t have any allergies or any other diseases. The only time she stressed me out a little was when her first tooth came out. Amy had been running a fever and wouldn’t stop crying but even then, the doctor told me I was fortunate she didn’t throw a bigger fuss.
We had dinner after I showered and I helped her with her homework she had trouble with. We did all of this while a cartoon show on Netflix played on our TV. It felt like a routine for the two of us and when she was done with her homework, she would snuggle next to me. Despit
e how many times she told me she was a big girl, I loved the moments when she acted like a baby.
At 9 PM, it was her bedtime, so the two of us climbed upstairs and I tucked her in bed. “Oh yeah, Lacey told me she wanted to have lunch with you on the weekend.”
Amy’s smile widened. “Really? Would it be with her and Xavier? He promised me that he would teach me how to make pizza!”
I laughed and kissed her forehead, pulling her blanket up to her chest. “I’m sure Xavier will join you two. You know how the Gardners love having you around.”
She nodded sleepily and yawned. “Yeah, I like hanging out with them too. They’re a fun couple. But last time, Hailey from school saw me with Xavier and told everyone in school that I actually had a dad.”
I pursed my lips. Most of the kids Amy went to school with were the same ones she’d gone to kindergarten with. It meant they were aware that all Amy really had was me. When she’d been younger, her classmates always asked her why she never had a dad to bring in school. Amy always went with the truth. She didn’t have one.
“So what did you do?” I asked.
She shrugged, as if it didn’t bother her. “I told them the truth. He’s Lacey’s husband and Lacey is your friend at work. You always told me that the truth is always the best thing to go with.”
I nodded and snuggled beside her, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her close to me. She rested her head on my side and I began to sing her to sleep like I always did. After I was done with the chorus, Amy was already fast asleep.
I used the opportunity to stare at her. My heart sank at the fact that she always had to tell the other kids she didn’t have a dad and the truth was that he didn’t even die, she simply didn’t have one. But the actual truth just hit me in the face with its presence today— she did have one. I stared at her, the resemblance was striking. She had the same blonde locks as Logan and the same facial features except for her eyes.
