by Lolah Lace
I was yelling at Juan, and he was grinning at me like I was crazy. I wanted to snatch his goatee right off his damn face. He had a lot of patience with me. He could have bailed on me the first, second or third time I accused him of doing something behind my back.
He just stood there with his hands at his waist and let me act a like a raving fool. When I calmed down, he said that it was his cousin Angel’s new cell number. Of course, I didn’t believe him. The name read, Maria Rodriguez. I knew he was pulling some stupid trick on me. I just knew I had caught him red-handed this time.
Juan called the number and put the call on speakerphone. I felt like an ass because Maria is Angel’s real name. Maria is his mother’s sister’s daughter, his real cousin that looks like his twin. I met her before. Her baby’s daddy was in jail for drug trafficking. I felt stupid for lumping Juan in the same category with all my exes. He seemed to get over it with a quickness, but I felt terribly stupid. I still do. I need to get my shit together. I don’t want to be the reckless girlfriend that can’t handle an honest loving and faithful boyfriend. All those bad relationships have got my f-ed up in my head.
***
I went to meet Logan, Mr. Calorie Killa. Why in the world would that be his Facebook name? Teddy Bear Killa was more like it. I was sitting in the damn coffee shop waiting for my long lost friend. Well, he wasn’t my friend anymore. That’s for damn sure. I had often times thought about what I would say if I ever saw him again.
At first, I was going to snap. Now I really didn’t care. It had been too long. I was over it. Logan was weird then, and he probably is weird now. He possibly went off somewhere and became a serial killer.
I guess that’s not funny but I really don’t give a shit. I drank my tea and was steaming mad. He was late. My time was valuable. It was ten minutes past twelve. I decided to check my cell phone to see if he direct messaged me on Facebook. Nope. Nothing. I sat there five more minutes and cussed him out in my brain. To hell with this bullshit. I grabbed my drink, my purse, and my sunglasses and headed for the door.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”
I looked up at the guy that had so rudely blocked my path. I wasn’t in the mood to be hit on by some tall ass Abercrombie and Fitch model.
“Excuse me.” I cut my eyes and scrunched my entire face.
“You heard me.”
I instantly thought about kicking this guy in the balls. But he hadn’t actually put his hands on me, and he was so much bigger than me.
“Move out of my way.” I gritted my teeth through every single syllable.
“Cheyenne.” His deep voice was startling but I refused to be rattled.
How the hell did he know my name? My hand flew up to my name badge that wasn’t clipped to my blouse. It was inside my purse.
“How do you know my name?”
“Cheyenne Alexis Miles.”
He knows my name, my full government name. I had never lost eye contact with the stranger but clearly— I was seeing him for the first time at this very moment.
“Logan.” His name barely breached my lips.
“What’s up Chey-town?” His mouth spread wide, and I recognized his perfect teeth.
“Logan.” I wished I could think of something other than his name, but I couldn’t believe the person standing in front of me was my former coworker and junk food buddy, Logan Kilgore. Who the hell is this?
His eyes were bluer, maybe not bluer, just brighter than I remembered. I could just really see his eyes now. He wasn’t wearing his eyeglasses and then there was the body thing. Whose body was this?
Before I could piece together this odd situation, I felt his arms stretch around my body. He lifted me off my feet like I weighed next to nothing. I was forcibly pressed into the rock-hard firmness of his chest. He kissed my cheek quickly and placed me back on my feet.
“Logan.” There I go.
“That’s the third time you said my name. I haven’t heard you say it in—”
“Three years.” You asshole. I finally found my tongue and my flip mouth. “Where have you been?” I was instantly mad. I didn’t realize it until now. I couldn’t act nonchalant and cool now that he was standing in front of me. Where the hell had he been for three years?
“I think we should sit down and talk about it.” Logan wrapped his hand around my forearm and squeezed. He extended his other hand to the table that he had been sitting at. He was sitting there all along watching me. I barely noticed him. He was noticeable, but I only had eyes for Juan. All other men were invisible.
This new Logan pulled out my chair. I sat down with much attitude. I waited for him to sit and I eyed him from head to chest. He actually had a muscular chest that was finely defined under his t-shirt.
“You look nice.” A compliment. Whatever. I flipped my eyes up to the ceiling. “Let’s catch up. Are you still working at Wells?”
Did he just ignore the question, my first and only question? Where the hell have you been? Fine. Whatever. I will play nice. “Yes, I’m still at Wells. Where do you work?”
“Here and there.”
“What’s that mean?”
“I’m no longer in that field.”
“Okay, so where?” I leaned into the table. “What do you do for money?” Honey, stop being extra.
“I’m in the fitness game.”
I accidentally looked at his chest again. His shirt wasn’t tight, but I could see his pecs under the cotton fabric. I was briefly distracted, but I had more questions.
“Okay, so what does that mean?”
“I’m a trainer. I help people get in shape.”
“What the hell made you go from mortgage specialist to fitness trainer?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes you just need a change.” What a dumbass answer. He was being evasive on purpose. “Are you still going to the gym?”
That’s the Calorie Killa bullshit on Facebook. “Are you still disappearing on people?” I rolled my eyes and leaned back.
He half chuckled. “That’s fair. No Cheyenne, I’m here to stay for as long as this town will have me.”
“Yippee,” I smirked. “I’m sure someone cares.”
“I see your sarcasm is still intact.” Silence took over the table. I hated the way he was looking at me like nothing was wrong. Like we could just pick up where we left off.
“You look really good. I appreciate you meeting me. I wasn’t sure you would. I can see you’re pretty upset with me.”
Ah yes. “Really?” My poker face sucked. I folded my arms under my chest. “How would you know that?”
“I can tell. I know you so well, and you haven’t changed one bit.”
“Right man, whatever.” I was trying to be cool, but I wasn’t. I didn’t know I would be so hostile to this man.
“I didn’t know you would be this pissed.”
I had so many things to say that I decided to just be quiet.
“First I want to apologize for leaving the way that I did. It was not nice. We were friends and I just abandoned the friendship.”
“Yeah you did.” I felt hot under my armpits so I uncrossed my arms and placed them on the table.
“I’m sorry.”
That was a lame ass sorry. “Why did you leave?” I pressed him again. He was going to have to tell me something that wasn’t bullshit. “Logan, what happened to you?”
Logan leaned forward in his chair and stared me right in the eyes. “I was lost, and I had to go find myself.”
“Lost?” Man, you better do better than that cock and bull story.
“Lost, confused, gone in the head. I had to get away for my own sanity.”
“I don’t understand. That doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“You won’t understand. It was something I was going through internally, mentally.”
“Well did I do something that made you—”
“No, no.” Logan reached over and grabbed my hand with his. The gesture stunned me. My eyes instantly shot dow
n to his hand covering mine. “You were a great friend, the best friend. I was all messed up in my head. I had problems inside me.”
My anger fizzled and morphed into concern. “Are you better now?”
“Yes, I’m much better.”
“Did you get some therapy or meds or something?”
Logan’s lips curled into a smile. “No, I didn’t get any meds or therapy. I just worked it out. I worked on me. It’s all good now.”
“I wish you would have said something. I would have helped you.”
“I know I should have handled things differently, but I can’t change the past. I thought I was doing the best thing at the time. I just really want to tell you I’m sorry and hope we can be friends again. I miss our friendship. I miss having you in my life.”
“Logan, it’s been three years.”
“I know, but I really valued our friendship. I think you did too.”
“Yeah I did.”
“How’s Sheba?” He changed the subject before I could give him an answer.
“She’s good.”
“Is she still single?”
“She’s dating someone. They’re engaged.”
“No engagement or wedding rings on your fingers?” He was all in my business.
“I have a boyfriend.”
He grinned. “Of course you do.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’re very attractive, so I’m sure you would have a boyfriend. You’re a relationship kind of woman.”
“Oh thank you.” I think.
“Chey, your Facebook profile says in a relationship. There are pictures of you on your page with your boyfriend. You don’t have many privacy settings on your page.”
“Oh right.”
“Your boyfriend, he looks like he works out.”
Oh, Juan. “Yeah, he loves the gym. I can see you do too.”
“I spend some time there.” He chuckled and exposed the world, well the coffee shop, to his perfect teeth.
“More than some time.” He wasn’t fooling me. That body took a lot of work. I remember just how fluffy he was. Now he has one muscle piled on top of other muscles.
He chuckled. “I lost a little fat, toned up.” He was being extremely modest.
“Where are your glasses?”
“I had LASIK surgery. I decided to work on my insides as well as my outsides.”
“You don’t have pictures of yourself on your Facebook page.”
“It’s not my main page. I have a business page.”
“Oh.” I was trying to get all the info. I wished I were more prepared. “How long are you in town for?”
“I’m moving back. I got an apartment. Snagged a job. I like this town.”
“You’re not married?” I wasn’t sure why I asked. I guess I was just being nosy. It seemed he knew more about me than I knew about him.
“No, not married.” He snickered. “Who would want to marry me?”
Boy bye. Seriously? Women who like muscles— and abs— and dirty blonde hair— and blue eyes— and tall guys— with perfect teeth— and flawless features— and blue eyes. Oh, I thought that already.
“I don’t know.” I half shrugged. “I really can’t think of any woman that would even find you mildly attractive.”
He smiled with closed lips and only one side of his mouth. This took ten years off his age. “Well you know I don’t have any family here. I would like to go for drinks with you and Sheba some time when you are available. You know, just like old times. I missed hanging with you guys. I know you may still be a little pissed at me, but I’m really sorry.”
“I understand.” I thought I did. “We can go for drinks. I’m sure Sheba wants to see you too.” And your new transformation. “She’s not going to recognize you.”
“Do I really look that different?”
“Yes, you do.”
“You haven’t changed at all. Still pretty, still feisty and still very polished.” I believe those were compliments. He kind of seems like the old Logan. “Do you still wear thongs?”
Okay, wait a minute. “You can ask Juan. He would know.” I sassed his damn mannish ass.
“Juan?”
“My boyfriend.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot all about him.”
I rolled my eyes. He didn’t forget a damn thing. Logan’s memory was extraordinary.
“I have to get back to work.”
“Yeah you do. I spent too much time watching you from afar.”
Why was he watching me from afar? Stalker much? “Yeah were you watching me when you could have just come over and said hey?”
“I don’t know. You just looked so pretty sitting by yourself. I liked watching you just sitting, just being pretty, just being Cheyenne.
That was a bit mushy and exactly what any woman would want to hear from her boyfriend. Logan didn’t use to talk this way. He was different now. I could feel it.
“I have to get back.”
“Cool, I will send you a friend request and send you a DM with my cell number so you, me and Sheba can go out for drinks.”
“Okay maybe in a few days.”
“Cool, leave the boyfriends and fiancé’s at home so we can catch up and talk about old times without restriction. I want all of us to be able to speak freely.”
“Okay, I have to talk to Sheba first.”
I grabbed my purse off the table and stood. Logan leaped to his feet.
“God you look good.” He rushed to me and embraced me again. This time, he let my feet stay firmly planted on the floor. He was strong, and the fluff was all gone.
He let me fall out of his embrace.
I pranced out the store leaving him standing there watching me. I refused to turn around to see his facial reaction. I had more than enough of the newly returned Logan for one day.
CHAPTER 16
Sheba was more than excited to see Logan in the flesh. I warned her he looked different. She was geeked to see what I thought was his secret twin brother. I mean he was just so physically different. We got dressed up and went to meet him at one of our old bars. We found a booth on the second floor and waited for our hot young waitress to take our drink orders.
I ordered cranberry juice and vodka. Sheba ordered a mojito and Logan order a rum and diet coke.
“Why the rum and coke?” I was ready to challenge everything he did or said.
“It doesn’t have many calories, and I’m into fitness. I’m not a freak about it, but I care what I put in my mouth.”
Sheba cut her eyes at me. “Is that right? You do care about what you put in your mouth. When did that happen?”
“What’s that?” Logan missed it.
“When did you start to care about what you put in your mouth?” She repeated.
I could not believe she was putting my secret, past, oral trysts out here in the streets. The Logan streets.
“I always cared about who I put in my mouth.”
“Hold up you two. We’re talking about food and drinks.” He cracked a smile.
“No, we not.” Sheba blurted. “You see Logan. Cheyenne is still uptight.”
“How could that be? She’s got that Latin boyfriend. I’m sure he loosens her up.” Logan’s eyes peered into mine. Oh my.
Sheba giggled. “Logan we want to know if you got a girlfriend.”
I didn’t want to know shit, and I didn’t appreciate Sheba putting me in her personal inquiry.
“I haven’t been in town long enough to get a girlfriend. Give me some time.”
I had something to say. “You never had a girlfriend when you were here before.”
“That was then. Now I know how to get ass.”
Sheba started laughing. “Oh shit, Logan gets ass now.”
“Yes, I get ass. Plenty of ass.” He bragged.
“Right here.” Sheba threw her hand in the air, and Logan was eager to give her the impromptu high-five she sought.
I hate them both. Why was she so eager to accept him
back into out lives.
“I like the new Logan.” She would. “The new Logan is fun. Cheyenne said you were weird.”
“That’s what she said about me?” Logan shared a slightly evil glare reserved just for me.
“Yeah, she said it.”
“Chey is not the best judge of character when it comes to men.”
My eyes widened. “So is this gang up and insult Cheyenne day?”
Logan leaned into the table. “Of course not. You know we love you.”
Sheba sipped from her drink like Logan hadn’t just slipped the L word into the conversation.
“Logan, I’m just glad you’re back. You are back, right?” Sheba was prying like always, with her nosy ass.
“Yes, I’m here.”
“Maybe you can get Cheyenne to come out more often.”
“Maybe.” He agreed.
I didn’t understand what Sheba was up to or why she was acting like Logan was the same old Logan when he clearly wasn’t. She just accepted him and acted as if he went on a summer vacation. He was gone for three years. Am I the only one that has a problem with that? I wasn’t even sure I was fully accepting of his lame excuse. The, I had internal shit to work on excuse. No matter my suspicions I knew I was going to give him another chance. I just couldn’t hold a grudge. It was Logan, not some guy I actually dated. He knew my deep dark secrets, and that meant something to me even if it didn’t mean anything to him.
***
Things had truly morphed back into how it used to be. Logan was back in my life. Sure he wasn’t completely my old Logan, but he was better. He talked more. He was funnier than I remembered him. He claimed to have two jobs, but he still made time for me. We hung out a few times, and we kicked it just like before. Sheba was impressed when we went for drinks. She thought Logan was harmless.
I’m not a fool. I never told Juan about my new male friend. There is no way I could explain Logan. If I told Juan about the nerdy guy Logan used to be, he would meet him and think I was a damn liar. Logan was a ten on a scale of one to ten. He was fit, more than fit. He was muscular, tanned and even gelled his hair. To top it off, Logan dressed like a male model— t-shirt and jeans.
