She contemplated the bracelet. She tried to detach herself.
"I'll keep the secret of tonight. I hope you're satisfied."
Logan's eyes captured the glow of the jewel. He looked at her with an atrocious vehemence. He was remembering something else now. "What alternative do you give me? What can I choose? I'm sorry you watched. When I saw the gun I didn't think anymore, but please, for a moment, can you stop talking about Glenn?"
"I'd say you're widely justified."
"Lidi!"
It was enough for him to pronounce four stupid letters to make her feel the worst of emotions, what she feared most: Tenderness.
"He envies you, Logan, it's obvious..."
"Continue to stay in your track, you are terrified by dealing with the subject, so you've always avoided me, but this time you will hear. Earlier, when we were interrupted, I wan..."
"I don't want to know" she refused.
"Can I know why?"
Because nothing good would have come. Knowing the cause would have forced them to think on themselves, question their moods, examine details, revive the past, and inevitably repent.
"A moment of weakness can happen" she added.
"Damn, what do I have to do to make it happen now?" Her lips crept in a line, impudent eyes touched her. "You feel something for me, don't you?"
She shook her head in a weak sign of denial. Logan snapped the steering wheel and seemed to set aside what he wanted to say. A car parked near the porsche. They waited for the couple to come out and move away, calming in a stubborn silence their souls. It wasn't easy. They stood still in their places. He resumed the talk after a long meditation. "All right. Maybe it's just the obsession of you that pushes me to think you want me too. You'll judge me a fool, or find me detestable."
"No. I love you, Logan."
"How much?" He hurried.
A sincere torment came in Lidi's eyes. He's challenging you. It's a tactic. He wants you to lose control. She responded attacking him: "You want everything to ruin. You want to destroy our realation. But isn't it enough for you that we're like dog and cat at home?"
"If it's enough for me?"
"Why do you have to ruin everything? You are an egoist!"
"To ruin what? Of what relation are you talking about? What
relationship do we have?" He looked around, exasperated.
"Where is it? I have an idea of what a relationship is, and you?"
"Do not mock me!"
"Then don't drive me crazy! I want you!"
Covered by such spontaneity, that statement deeply disturbed her. Unable to handle that absurd conversation, Lidi closed herself in silence. It was a mistake, because unlike her, he didn't mind. With his face in shadow, he mercilessly reviled.
"Why this amazement? For so many years haven't you noticed that I'm stone-cold hot for you? For six months a year in my house there's a terrible void."
"I have no fault in this."
"Bullshit! You wanted to be noticed by me and you've turned into the soul of the party for three years, you've succeeded. You made a spell on me. None of us is innocent. And I don't care about your husband. I'm devoted to you absolutely."
"Oh, Jesus..."
"You couldn't bear the idea of something special between us, after we complimented each other, we argued for whole days. Have I ever claimed anything? No, but if you like me, tell me, at least that!"
"You can calm down, Logan, for I will never admit anything, even if I don't love him! You're wasting your time."
A strong voltage current passed between them. "Very well! Finally we come to that! You don't love Pedro, and I don't love my wife. I never loved her, and never even touched her."
"Stop it..."
"I've been loving you forever, and I'm next to you my way, you know. If you don't like it, go back to Greece and stay there."
"Okay!" She yelled in turn. "You've been faithful to me, I understand, now it's enough!"
His tone softened. "Every day of my life. With all my heart."
"Oh... for god sake, but don't you realize the consequences of what you say, thanks to heaven we are alone!"
"Fine!" He exploded, crossing his arms. "We are alone, am I allowed to open my mouth? Are you absolutely sure no one can hear us?"
"We're arguing" she said.
"I love you."
A long silence fell, in which they stared at each other as two fierce animals. Logan accompanied the statement with a significant gesture. "For the love of God, I love you like a fool." As she opened her eyes wide, the atmosphere warmed up. "It's not a difficult concept, Lalanny. I have to get home and find you there. In the months when you're not there, I got sick. I love Christmas because you're impatient for it to come, with these hands I would always touch you, if I could. I think about you every minute." Lidi felt an unbearable anxiety. It was a physical pain, struck her straight at her heart, her throat hurt for the effort to hold back her sobs, her eyes in tears. They realized, after all that adrenaline, how brutal that statement was. Logan hid emotion tightening his teeth, but he couldn't stop rumbling. "See what happens? I take you out for a ride, and then..."A break. "You've taken anything, to the last of my thoughts." It was too late to lighten the conversation, and Logan preferred to continue on that track. "If it can comfort you, I would love you less if at dinner you didn't steal from my plate those macrobiotic foods I hate so much."
"You should appreciate good food more."
"That's it. Yes, look at me again."
Lidi blushed sharply and lowered her eyes. " Sorry."
"Come here and let me kiss you."
"Logan..."
"Come on. You think the same thing..." Lidi counted up to ten, fought by the need to talk, and won by the fear of yielding. She put her eyes shyly in his. A tremendous heat came out in her. How could she justify it? She wanted to get closer, reassure him that his sense would have led him to solve the problem with Glenn and his wisdom would have guided him in the future to compliant women like Katrin Danbury, seeing the useless relationship with his wife, but he wasn't an acquaintance, he was Logan. She wrapped a long curl on her finger, tormenting it. Logan followed the movement and tried an approach, with caution. He surprised her, twisting another curl with his index. There was an unstoppable transparency in his eyes. "Tonight I can't hold anything." He approached more. "I'm bored of it…"
Lidi heard a ring in her head, strong as a siren. Out of the dark. Within their car, them. "And if we were friends?" she assumed. For two people who hated themselves, it could represent a start, yet when she said it, she realized the absurdity of that thing. It seemed to him a bizarre concept, after so much transport.
"No" he refused. "I prefer to quarrel. It's easier to move from one end to the other, in the end."
"You really believe so?"
He stared at her tenderly, as looking at a naughty little girl.
"If we quarrel seriously, we would end up in bed."
Lidi swallowed. "Do you think being a friend would stop you telling me what you think?"
A smile. "Did you understand or not that I want to fuck you?"
Waving, Lalanny raised her hand to keep him away, hoping that he didn't notice that she was burning like a dry shrub, but he put his fingers in hers. "At this time I don't care about anything. I'm tired. I just want to make love with you. Here in wherever you want."
"You need to have respect" she said. He was leading her to a state of inattentive excitement. "As you obviously must have in both cases."
Snorting, Logan returned reluctantly to his seat, pondering. "I respect you a lot, Lidi. Only that... "
"Well, now I'd be glad to drink something."
"A strong drink?" He smiled. "It's okay..." He turned on the engine, but secretly wished he could approach her back home.
"Tonight, ask and you will be given, princess."
"A glass of milk and a muffin" Lidi said categorically. "Are you joining me?" Inside her, little by little, she sighed as the car came out of the car
park and went back to the carriageway. It was going to happen, she muttered. Another minute and they would have done it in Glenn's car.
On the way, Logan switched on the radio. His affliction for Glenn's fate seemed momentarily abdicating in favor of a more peaceful mood. She wondered how he could recover from the shock of a loaded gun in the dashboard, paying attention only to his sexual inclinations. It was certain that it was like that, for it was the basis of the speech they had, for the physical imbalance induced by excitement, and for the considerable number of times he looked at her. His particular predisposition of that evening to fling to her face everything, he had returned her the usual fiery arrogant frown. He was often using it with her. Indeed, only now she recognized him. Except that, when they came in one of the main streets, filled with people and beautiful shops, he pulled off his belt and surprised her with a kiss before getting down. "I'll be right back." Lidi was breathless. He had already gone. The contact with his mouth had been brief and yet intense. She tried to retreat, but the thoughts ran in the direction of his stupendous lips. He had given her a warm and strong kiss, filling her with his flavor. He returned with a bottle and got in the car, flipping his pocket in search of the keys. "Here I am" he announced. "Can you hold it for a moment?" He passed her a bottle of vintage champagne. Lidi held back her desire to leap, but gave him a skeptical look.
"A fifty-five Latours?"
"Milk was over." Logan didn't wink. "The restaurant owner at the corner is a friend. I owed you one, remember?"
"I thought you were joking."
"No, my love. Tonight no jokes. It's all real. Me, you, and champagne." He set the arrow to get out of the car park. "I'm getting hungry now that I think about it." Lidi studied him, surprised. Did he say love? "But what is wrong with you?"
"It's called happiness." He focused on the maneuver. "I'm glad to be together with you."
Lyd's heart warmed. Play along, told her an inside voice. Don't wipe everything, give him something too. Admit to be happy! He reached out, suddenly kissing his cheek. "For the champagne."
A smile. "You're making this task difficult to me, Skeep."
The wine had been previously opened and fitted with a replacement hermetic cap. Lidi told herself to stop thinking for at least five minutes. She snatched it and gave a sip. "I don't want to bribe you. If I get drunk tonight, you're the one who will fill my blankets."
"That's a neat provocation."
Another sip of wine. Her head l slightly tightened. "Why don't you depart?"
"Because we could have an accident."
Logan took the bottle, drank a sip and then put the cap back on it. "Alcohol and Weapons. There's only one ingredient missing and the evening is saved. We'll go to Grobery, but first we have to find the muffins. "
Lidi began to talk about past experience with the best muffins ever eaten and Logan exulted inside. Lalanny was relaxed and comfortable now. They found muffins in the city center, in a tiny shop. Lidi put the bag in her lap, happy as a little girl.
However, in the unconscious transport, her guard level hurled, making her bend toward Logan for another kiss, that he, maneuvering the car without difficulty, quickly caught up with his lips, giving a touch of tongue that shocked Lidi for all the way. The tale of the muffin piloted them on frivolous arguments, hilarious ones. Then, old anecdotes adorned with irrational behaviors of each of them... murmurs of apologies, shrugs, rare justifications, then silence, a silence that blew in timid smiles, open smiles, and at last they resumed laughing. It was the last stop in the city center. Then there was Grobery.
4
Suddenly Lidi stopped talking about their observations, for Logan frowned at the passing of a couple in the street.
"Are they friends of yours?" She looked at them in turn. A brunette girl, tall, lean, with protruding eyes and an attentive businessman in his forty, slightly balding. They came into a room hand by hand. Perplexed, Logan studied them carefully, then looked at the hotel reflexed in the rearview mirror. It was a case, a damn case. He found himself at a crossroads.
There was the woman she loved in the car, and immediately out of the real author of that disaster: Oliver Sinn.
Logan looked at Lidi and felt his heart close. Yeah, maybe he was again throwing away the possibility to spend the night with her, to hold her in his arms and love her. He needed all his courage to say in a natural tone: "I need you to get down with me, Skeep, just a minute."
Lidi whispered, pretending not to understand. "Sorry?"
He corrected the tone. "Consider it a date" he informed her. "First, we're going shopping."
"How? I thought we were going to Grobery. I'm in pajamas." Lidi looked out the window. " I can't!"
Logan came down before capitulating and taking her away as she was. Lidi rubbed her eyes. "Are you talking seriously?"
He opened the door and surrounded her waist with his arm, the girl pointed her feet, stubbornly. "Have you seen how many people are there? Do you want me to parade like a madman?"
"I'll buy you a dress." From his little wrinkles, she guessed that the situation amused him, or at least it seemed like that. She was pleased by that, but didn't want to be the cause. Working with his hands behind her back, Logan locked her in, wrapping her in a hug and forcing her to follow him. Lidi plunged into shame at the gaze of passers-by. When she lifted her eyes and saw an elegant hotel just a few feet away, she refused to continue.
He held her firmly. "The director is my friend. Trust me, for once."
They entered. Logan had a brief exchange of words with an old concierge. The director was called to receive them. Lidi wanted to run away from the man's disapproving glance, and from a couple in evening dresses at their shoulders, despising her slippers. There was no other place to take refuge in except the man's chest, so she stood still and kept her eyes wide. "Tell me what you're doing, if you don't want to die!"
"Only if you come to bed with me" he whispered.
The jolly tone gave her an immense desire to plant a leash in his shin. "Making me uncomfortable in front of these people isn't cute, you will excuse me if I reject the proposal..."
"An art you are a professional of."
"You find me unprepared."
"About what?" He touched her cheek with his own. "You're good in anything..." There was a soft shade in his voice. Logan stopped the thorough analysis of her freckles to say: "Good evening Frank, I'm sorry to disturb you."
Lidi showed reluctantly. From the elegance of the skinny man in his sixty, squeezed in a dark suit and with gloomy eyebrows that inspired people to maintain distances strictly, less fortunate people could expect an unwavering call to leave, or worse, a good phone call to the police. Lidi feared the climax of that bad impression. "Here, that's it."
"Good evening Logan, what a pleasure to see you again."
"Sorry to be bunked here and have you interrupted, Frank, but it's a delicate matter and I need your help." Showing no disappointment, Frank seemed curious. "No trouble! What can I do for you?"
Logan fumbled in the wallet and pulled a check out of his booklet, signed it rubbing his pen from his pocket and passed it over. "Your boutique is closed at this hour, but my partner needs a dress and a pair of shoes. If you could open for a few minutes..." Those porky eyes glittered in front of the check zeros. He put the sheet in his jacket. "Nonsense. I'll call the security agent right away to remove the alarm and a waiter to serve you. Please follow me."
In front of so much condescension, Lidi rolled her eyes. When they came out of the hotel heading to the club, there was no trace of her pajamas. The passers-by saw a pair of long legs uncovered by a black micro dress with brilliant reflections. Her shoes were silk. High heels. This time, Logan took her hand tightly, silencing her with a glance. They entered the room and found a couple and were escorted to a room warmly lit by a waiter who showed only two tables available. They chose the most secluded one, which would have guaranteed them to remain incognito. They just ordered something to drink. Immediate
ly after the tinkling of the stem glasses, Lidi stared elsewhere, though memorizing in the details the wild look of Logan, his rebellious hair and the shirt open on his chest.
"Cheers" she muttered agitated.
"Cheers. Do not be tense. "
Thanks to that vision, she realized that if the vigilant hadn't intervened, she would let herself be devoured by a kiss. She blocked the shake of her hands and took a sip of wine. "Do I look tense?"
"In an erotic frenzy. Yes."
"Then don't provoke me"
Logan drank a sip, then set aside the glass, raising his chin.
"As you wish. Let's face it seriously. What I wanted to tell you when we were stopped..."
"I don't want to know."
"If you don't let me talk how do you pretend we can clarify?"
She took the menu card. "I thought I was brought here for a lookout."
"That will not rob us more than a few minutes, I hope, yes. We won't know much until the guest arrives. They are waiting for him, there are three appetizers on the table."
Lidi suddenly came up with a tremendous suspicion that didn't find voice, but still made her answer roughly, for they referred to Glenn.
"I hope not."
They got careful. A man approached the couple, exchanging effusions sitting at the same table. He was carrying a briefcase that he put next to them. That anonymous figure camouflaged perfectly in the environment. Logan surrounded Lidi's bare shoulders, bending over her. "It doesn't matter he's not Glenn. It was planned" he said to her ear, alluding to the briefcase. She shivered. "What are they doing?"
"Money laundering, I think. Even though I don't know where it comes from. They are indebted to their neck." He breathed deeply, pushing his lips around her ear. "My head's hurting for how beautiful you are..."
"I…"
"He's gone. Let's get closer."
He got up and brought her to the table. Only when she recovered her breath, Lalanny noticed that the man with the briefcase had disappeared. "Good evening, gentlemen. My dear, I present you Oliver Sinn, and she's the model, Lynn Roberts." None of the three mentioned stretched their hand to the other.
May Be the Case Page 6
