1. 2 Strange men and stranger Proposals

He took it, just as coolly.

"You won't be back, right?" He asked as she let his hand go.

"Absolutely not." She replied with a small smirk. "I know you will miss me, but try not to miss me so much that you forget you have a life."

It wasn't his heart that took the brunt of her words, it was his pride. And Logan was much more sensitive about his pride.

"Yeah? As if I am going to pine for a woman? Not in this lifetime, Stacy. Or the other. But when you want to come back, just know... I will tell, I told you so."

She laughed. A merry sound. "I love that about you. Your arrogance. Your over confidence. But this time you are so wrong." And then she left.

Logan sat there in the place looking at the cake she hadn't eaten. If she wasn't going to eat, why the hell did she order them? He picked up a cake and pushed his fork inside it. He imagined it was Stacy's stupidly sexy face.

God. Never in a day did he imagine an outcome like this. He was so sure she was going to agree to his plans and then they would start a family. But here he was, with a ring in his hand and the woman was gone.

How was he going to face his associates and acquaintances after this humiliation? How could he face Collins, the mean faced bastard, who had prophesied that Stacy would dump him? They would sneer at him... And the thought was like a slow burn in his stomach.

Oh, you will pay for this Stacy. But before that... I need to pay for my stupidity.

A plan. He needed another plan. ASAP. A believable lie. He had to come out of this with his reputation unharmed. He didn't like people making a joke out of him. He was nobody's joke.

What? What?

His thoughts were interrupted by someone's very angry voice. He looked up to see a woman arguing with the waitress.

"What? Are you trying to rip me off? My French toast and burger cannot be more that 10 bucks, you know. This isn't my bill." She pointed to the bill in front of her. Her face was set in a frown and she narrowed her eyes at the woman who shrugged.

Her thick brown hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Soft and silky. Her green eyes were screaming, if eyes could scream.

"You ordered two plates of chicken nuggets, veggie rolls, a cup of hot chocolate and one coffee. One lava cake. Don't order so many if you don't have money, girl." The bulky waitress shouted and everyone in the eatery turned to look at the girl. She shrunk back in embarrassment and her lips trembled for a moment before she looked up with steel in her grass green eyes.

"Look here, ma'am, do I look like I can eat all those? Where is the guy who served me? You can call him and ask him. I am not lying."

"You tell me I am lying?" The waitress put her hand in her waist. She was scary. Even Logan was afraid of her right at that moment.

He looked at the woman, and then at the other girl, and her chin was raised defiantly and she refused to back down. Logan admired her for that. Looks like our girl has got some spine.

He went back to his lava cake that Stacy ordered and didn't even touch.

What. Wait. Back up.

Lava cake. Nuggets.

Oh oh. The waitress woman was so going to be sorry!

***

(Alexandra)

Alex wanted to bury her head inside the Earth and never come back out. The woman in front of her was loud and very, very rude.

No matter how much Alex tried to convince her, she always came back to the same thing. "Don't lie."

For God's sake, she wasn't lying.

She was already tired and it looked like whatever she ate would be digested before she left this damn eatery. The argument wasn't stopping anytime soon. That much was evident by the look in the woman's face. She looked like a boiled red lobster, ready to eat Alex alive.

"No, ma'am. Like I said, I am not lying. Can I talk to your manager?"

"Err, don't throw posh words at ma face, girl. I have seen people like you. Stealing."

What posh word? Manager?

And thief? God. This was the second time she was called a thief in the same day and the patience she had been holding on to snapped.

She glared at the woman. "Who are you calling a thief? I am not a thief."

"You dare raise your voice... " The waitress was cut off by another voice.

"Ma'am, may I cut in?" The waitress whirled around and her face completely changed. It was such a transformation that Alex was stuck by her skill. Whoa!

"Yes, sir? What can I do for you?" Her voice was sweet as honey.

Alexandra scrunched her nose. She looked at him and he looked like he had just walked out from a business magazine. Polished shoes. White shirt and black suit. A tie. Rich. He looked rich. And ok, handsome. His grey eyes were beautiful and Alex couldn't help but take a second look before she looked away.

Why was he here, now? As if she hadn't enough embarrassment to last a lifetime, here was a rich stranger coming in to... To what? To humiliate her further?

"It is just that you're at the wrong table." Logan said to the woman and Alex's eyes widened. So he was here to save her. Hmm. A knight in shining shoes, look at that. Alex thought sarcastically.

"What do you mean, sir?" The waitress asked, now subtly trying to cover her irritation. He pointed his fingers at his table, just left to hers.

"This bill's for that one." His voice was sweet, but his eyes, his eyes held irritation.

Alex looked at him with relief. She wanted to slump into her chair as her body felt weightless from it.

"Thanks." Alex muttered and he shook his head. As if he was summoned, the waiter who first served Alex came from whatever rut he was hiding in, with a cup of coffee and her bill. Alex wanted to punch him in the nose, instead she just jerked her head and looked at the woman, who now looked distressed.

"Oh, now give me that, ma'am." He almost pried the receipt away from the waitress' hand and paid the money. And then he turned to the waiter who had Alex's and paid for it, as well.

Everyone who was staring at Alex now returned to mind their own business, but they didn't forget to reprimand the waitress. Alex shook her head as she finally sat in her chair with a heavy sigh and took a sip of her coffee, before she opened her bag.

"Here's the bill you paid." She handed him the money back, but he refused to accept it with a shake of his head.

"Never mind. You were humiliated and it's ok, it isn't a big deal." He told her and shrugged and she looked at him with disbelief clear in her eyes.

The feeling of gratefulness became irritation as she watched him sitting there in her table, as if he owned it now, because he paid freaking eight bucks. What arrogance!

"And you think 8 bucks can balance out my humiliation?" She gave him a ridiculous look and then shook her head again. "Oh yes, it is not a big deal for you, but it is for me. And I don't like to be in anybody's debt." She pushed the money to his side and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"I didn't say that... You are mistaken."

She shrugged. "Whatever."

His eyes, grey eyes, stayed on her face as if he wanted to know every one of her secrets. He gave her a look that made her feel like he was reading all her thoughts, but she had become good at hiding her thoughts and showing people only what she wanted them to see. So she stared back at him with cool green eyes that refused to back down.

He blinked first. "Okay." He took the money and put it inside his wallet. "Okay."

She finished her coffee and gave him a small smile.

***

(Logan)

He stared at her eyes wide with befuddled wonder. What was with him getting rejected by women today?

One rejected his ring. Another rejected his money.

But this rejection didn't feel so sore. It didn't make him angry. It made him curious.

He pushed his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"Okay." He said as he took her money and pushed it inside his wallet. "Okay." He said again and she smiled.

And her smile... Oh God, that smile. It was like a miracle happening after a long time. She transformed in front of his eyes. The smile made her face bright and her eyes shimmered in the innocence of it all. It took his breath away.

Something about her made his curiosity burn, was it going to kill him?

"How old are you?"

"What now?" She gave him a tired look.

"How old are--"

"I heard you alright. I am 23. Okay?"

"You look much younger."

"What do I say to that?" She chuckled.

"Thank you?"

"Ok. Thank you. See you or may be not?! Bye." She walked out and he stared at her back. After two minutes, he got up and walked out and stopped when he saw her sitting in the bench on the side of the pavement with her eyes closed.

She looked tired. She looked like one of his newly formed plan. Yes. He knew what exactly he wanted to do, but what would she say?

Yes, yes, she will do very well. She isn't greedy and she has some steel in her spine. She needs that to survive in his world.

She was exactly what he needed right now. His only solution to all the problems staring at his face. So what, another year of his life would be wasted, but his reputation, that was worth more than a year.

She looked at her watch and then stood up.

"Hey... You..." God, why didn't he ask her name? She stopped and turned back.

"Yes?"

"You look like you need some

money and food."

"You look like you need a slap?" She rolled her eyes.

"I have loads of it."

"What? Slaps?"

"Money."

"So?"

"Can we talk?" He asked as she looked at her watch with impatience.

"Must we?"

"I have a business proposal."

"Umm? Okay. Go on."

"And it has many finer points, but the main point is..." He stopped and looked at her. What if she said no? He didn't have time to find someone else. It had to be done. She was the perfect candidate and he wouldn't find anyone like her.

Yes, any woman would say yes, --except Stacy, a little voice annoyingly added, -- but he wouldn't know whether they would be selfish or greedy.

This one looked like a safer bet.

"Go on. I would like to hear what you are going to come up with this time?" She glared at him. "And remember, if it is anything I dislike, I will punch you. I am broke but not broken."

"Will you marry me?" He asked and added, "Please don't punch me."

Her mouth hung open.

Alex: Author, did that really happen? Is he going to kill me?

Me: Run. Run.

Logan: Hey you, I am not a psychopath.

Alex: Sure, you are not and I am not a vampire.

Me: Come with me Alex, let us run.

Logan: Author, you are annoying.