04

LOGAN HUNT

Oh, he knew that mischievous twinkle in Sydney’s eyes as she walked – no, sashayed – to him and plastered herself to his arm. She had turned on the beauty-with-no-brains act.

« Fiancé ? « Lexi asked in a cold voice. She didn’t seem even a tad bit rustled by their kiss. Was her heart not beating as fast as his was ?

« Yes. We were meant to be together. Five months ago, we got engaged. Not officially. I mean he hasn’t proposed to me yet. » She giggled. Logan glared at her

She continued ignoring his glare « We decided we would do that publicly. But since we’ve got things to cover up before that, we thought to wait for a year, didn’t we darling ? « she gave him a sickeningly sweet smile and fluttered her eyelashes at him.

« Syd » he growled in a low voice, warning her.

She pinched him and he gave her a scowl that had most people peeing in their pants. Sydney didn’t seem even a tad bit flustered. What was happening to him ?

« I would like it if you’ll keep this silent. We don’t want to ruin our surprise. » Sydney continued in a serious voice

Logan glanced at Lexi, who’s face had gone stone cold. He groaned inwardly.

Tessa, Lexi’s assistant, he guessed, came back with two cups of coffee at the very moment he was going to make his so .

Lexi clapped her hands twice getting the girls attention.

« Everyone on the ramp. One last rehearsal. Come on girls. »

Sydney left with the girls who were standing in the doorway, not before she left a big fat kiss on his cheek.

Oh Sydney and her pranks. That girl was going to be the death of him. Why she had thought it would be good to declare their engagement in front of all those women, he didn’t know. But he knew he was going to strangle her.

When everyone went inside, Lexi turned to Tessa.

« Tessa, please show Mr. Hunt the way out. » Damn, her voice was cold enough to freeze the whole room

« Oh come on. Lexi. Don’t believe her. »

She raised an eyebrow

« Are you saying you are not engaged ? »

« Not yet. » he said through gritted teeth.

« Which means you’re going to be. »

« It’s not official yet. We haven’t even decided on anything. »

« Are you saying that you weren’t engaged to her when you slept with me ? »

Logan felt his jaw tic. « No. »

« That is enough for me. Get out. »

« It’s complicated. Why are you getting so worked up ?. »

« You cheated on her. » She snarled

« I didn’t. » He pinched the bridge of his nose. » It’s complicated, Le-«

« Five months. You have been engaged for five months. Aghh. You men, are incorrigible. »

« I told you we aren’t engaged yet. Not officially atleast » he grumbled

« That doesn’t mean that you two aren’t together. I don’t like being the other woman. You might sleep with hundreds of ‘em. I’m not like that. I’m not going to be the person who breaks someone’s marriage »

He took a deep breath. « I said it’s complicated. I would explain my situation to you, if you’d give me a chance. But what I really came here is to ask a favor. «

Lexi was silent for a long time. For a moment he thought she herself would kick his ass out of here.

She gave out a long sigh.

« Follow me. »she turned to Tessa who handed her the coffee.

She took a sip and moaned

« Sometimes I don’t know whether to be angry at you for not getting my latté or to just kiss you for getting me this… whatever this is. »

« Kiss me later, first go and see what he wants. » She leaned in a bit. « By the way, you should know that it’s not me who gets you coffee. »

Lexi gave her a small smile and made her way towards the elevator.

« You can kiss me right now, if you want. » He wiggled his eyebrows, trying to lighten the mood.

But the glare she threw clearly signaled his bad timing for jokes.

He was going to kill Sydney.

He spent two months finding this woman and when he was finally about to give up, there she was.

Logan glanced out of the corner of his eyes. She was wearing sweatpants and a very ugly baggy t-shirt. But that didn’t affect her beauty in anyway. She was beautiful. Her hair tied up in a high ponytail and except the eyeliner and a lipstick, he didn’t think she had applied anything else to her face. She was a natural beauty and he couldn’t stop looking at her since the first time met her in the bar in that dress.

For a moment he wanted to ask if she really was a fashion designer what with all her baggy outfit, but then he thought better of it. He didn’t want to fuel her anger.

The elevator opened with a ding and she walked out without even looking back to see if he was following or not.

She pulled the glass door and let herself in. She let the door close behind her

« Thank you for opening the door. » He muttered sarcastically and pulled the door open.

She had beelined fir the phone rather that her chair. He all but raised his hands in surrender so as to not have her call the security, but it was just a call to someone named Gina who would pick her clothes for laundry.

She sat in her chair and rubbed her shoulder.

« Is something wrong ? « he didn’t know why but he wanted to ease her pain in some way or the other.

« No. » She said dismissively « Just twisted my arm in my sleep. But that is not why you’re here. »she pinned him with a searching eyes « why do I get a feeling that by the time you’ll leave this office, I’ll regret this meet. »

She relaxed in her chair, with face of a businesswoman. That glint, that small tilt of the corner of her lips and that confident gaze, that probbed his as if searching for answers.

He swallowed. Is this what it feels to people, when they sit in front of me.

He shook his head. He had come here for Sydney. Even if he wanted to kill her, he adored her. He wanted to do something that would bring a smile to her face.

But he wanted to do something about Lexi. That hurt look behind the cold expression, was like a sucker punch to his gut.

He couldn’t lie. He was afterall, going to be engaged to Sydney. But only his family knew.

« I am sorry for not getting an appointment before coming here. »

« Doesn’t matter. Lets just get this done with. What favor do you-« her eyes widened in realization.

« Nooo » she groaned and smacked her head on the table.

« Ouch » she rubbed her forehead.

Logan found it amusing. His lips quirked up at her reaction. He knew that she realized what he was here for.

« Come on. Sydney, she’s perfect. You know that. »

« This is my show and you don’t tell me how to run it »

« I am not telling you anything. I am just pleading her case. »

« What are you ? Her lawyer ? » she raised an eyebrow.

He sighed.

« I’ll owe you one. If you want anything, anything you can contact me. I am serious. Just.. »

Logan sighed. He hated the emotional blackmail but then Lexi was one tough woman.

« See, she hadn’t met me in over two years. She is my best friend. Infact my only friend. And last time in Italy, something happened. I don’t know what but that makes her upset whenever I bring it up. Maybe being a showstopper will bring a smile on her face. The sparkle that she has lost. Please Lexi. I swear, if you do this, I’ll owe you one. »

Lexi let out a chuckle but there was no humor in it. Her eyes gave out nothing. Logan couldn’t decipher what she was thinking

« You told me it’s complicated. A little bit of hope sprung up that you’d be explaining yourself and that everything happened downstairs was a misunderstanding. And here you are pleading her case. »

Logan opened her mouth but she stopped him.

« It doesn’t matter. Let’s get back to the matter at hand. You’ll do anything, huh ? »

« Anything » he vowed but he had second thoughts now that the evil smirk she had was scaring him.

« You see, it takes me months to plan a show. And when it’s a men’s fashion show, it becomes hard for me to find the ideal man for it, you know. Because I’ve never before tried for a men’s line. »

Now Logan was downright scared of what she was going to bring up. He wouldn’t show it. But he was.

The next words that came out of her mouth had him regretting coming here to meet her..

« How would you feel about being a showstopper ? »