Chapter 2

JENSEN

The next few weeks pass uneventfully. I only get my ass chewed out twice for being late – so that’s an improvement. What’s saving my ass is that I’m good at my job.

Another Friday night rolls around. As I’m leaving work, I’m trying to decide pizza or Chinese for dinner, when Lana calls. “Tinky, I miss you friend. Be at the pub in 1 hour.” With that she hangs up. Well, at least I know what I’m doing for dinner.

The ‘pub’ is actually called ‘The Three-Legged Horse’ – no one knows why. It’s the best kept secret in town and our favourite place to go. It isn’t actually far, but I’m taking the bus these days so it takes me longer. When I arrive, Lana already has our booth claimed and I head straight for her. I give her a hug and a kiss on the forehead before I sit down opposite of her. Billy behind the bar sees us and gives us a wave. We know our drinks will be along shortly.

It's always so great being with Lana. It doesn’t matter how long we’re apart – as soon as we reunite, we pick up exactly where we left off. Lana travels a lot for work, as an assistant for the CEO of a major toy manufacturer. Her boss is happily married with grandchildren and has never shown anything more than professional interest in her. She is learning a great deal, and she’s thriving. But with the travel, we don’t see each other as much. This time it’s been almost three weeks.

The next couple of hours fly by – great friend, good food, lots of drink. It’s a wonderful night, and I’m reminded again how much I love our friendship. At the end of the night, Lana is trying to convince me to let her pay for a cab for me. I refuse her handout, get her into a cab of her own, then walk two blocks down to the main road to wait for my bus.

As I sit down on the bench to wait, I notice how pretty the street and neon lights are. Everything is twinkly. If I close my left eye – everything jumps to the right. If I close my right eye… whoa! I get dizzy. Shit. I think I’m pretty fucked up. Not sure what’s so funny, I burst out laughing.

“Are you trying to get yourself raped, murdered, or both?” I hear a man’s voice. That is so weird. Did I do that? But then… it comes to me, as does a shiver –

I know that voice.

LOGAN

This has been such a long week; I can’t wait to get home. The first person who calls me about anything regarding work is going to get their ass fired. I told my assistant Sandra I am going off-grid for the next 48 hours, and not to contact me unless the fucking building was on fire – and then to call Jeremy. I think she gets the idea.

Richard is driving, I’m in the backseat. I have the window rolled down just to get some air. Maybe I need to take a vacation – Jeremy has been pushing me to do it for years now. He might be right…

Just as I’m thinking how burnt out I feel – I see her. Jesus Christ! Stop the car! After Richard reverses, we park near where she is sitting on a bus bench, laughing her fool ass off. I get out and lean against the car, watching her. She is completely oblivious to me, and everything else around her. While I’m amused by how absolutely adorable she is, I’m also fucking pissed.

What if I was some psychopath? Or someone else had come across her first – someone who could have easily hurt her in her current state. Goddamnit! I want to go over there, put her over my knee and spank some sense into her. Nope. Can’t go down that line of thought… yummy.

Did the word ‘yummy’ just come into my head? What the fuck is she doing to me?

“Are you trying to get yourself raped, murdered, or both?” I ask her. It takes her a second, but I see recognition in her face. She remembers me. Holy shit. I haven’t had a single night since I saw her that I haven’t either woken up in a sweat, or with a wet dream. I am a grown man in my fucking thirties who is worth – whatever the hell I’m worth right now, and I’ve been having wet dreams like I did when I was 14.

And she features in every single one.

She smiles, and she’s trying to meet my gaze, but her eyes seem to be going in varying directions under their own control. She is fucking smashed. “I know you! You’re the sexy hero that saved me from my terrible fall. Like Handzel and Gretel.” Her words are slurred, and now she’s trying to stand up. This should be good. “No. Wait. Don’t they die? They break their crownzzz on their headzzzz. No. That isn’t right. Crownzzz izzz headzzz…” and there she goes. Thankfully, she’s close enough that I’m there in no time to scoop her up before she hits the ground. I knew she was going to pass out – she was stumbling like a new-born giraffe.

Now what do I do with her?