2.2 Psychos, deals and wives

(Logan)

Logan sighed. She was one stubborn woman for someone who was so broke.

She was very annoying with all the questions and as she asked each one, her eyes were filled with puzzle and mockery. And he was beginning to doubt himself.

She finally stopped talking and they both walked inside the eatery.

When they sat down, the same woman came to them and eyed them with disappointment.

She looked at the waitress, whose name badge said Martha, and gave her a sweet smile that was all so sugar.

The waitress, Martha grunted. "Your order please, sir?"

"Hi Martha. Nice to see you again." She answered and leaned against her chair. "Umm, a plate of chicken nuggets, a club sandwich with a side of curly fries, a slice of pumpkin pie, and a cup of extra strong coffee. And the right receipt this time. That is all. Thank you."

Logan wanted to laugh, but he held it in. So she is not as forgiving as she looked to be. Sassy. He liked it.

"Yes." She said grudgingly as she walked away.

"That is precious. Her face!" He said.

"I am usually not that bad. But today was such a bad day and to add salt to the wounds, she made it worse." She said and immediately he felt bad for whatever it was that made her look that tired.

"Oh, it must be so bad." He said. "You okay?"

"Me? As okay as a girl could be when strangers came and ask her to marry them! What life. So, you go on... Tell me." She looked at him. "God, I still don't know your name and you don't know mine."

"Names are pretty inconsequential." He said and then smiled. "But yes, calling you 'hey you' is not becoming."

"You are a weird one and believe me, I have known many weird people." She said as she started at him. "I am Alexandra."

"Logan."

"Good. We seem to be running backwards. I mean, who asked someone to be their wife without knowing their name. What if I was named something grotesque?"

"Oh, that is what we are worried about right now?" He shook his head.

"So tell me your story. Even though I know I am never going to say yes to you, I really want to know that story of yours. It seems intriguing."

"Story?" He huffed. "So, you see, I have pretty clear plans and goals about my life and this is the right time for me to get married. And we were together for a year now, and I thought why not? I mean, I wouldn't want to waste an year of courtship just like that."

She snorted. "Courtship? Really? And plans and goals? No wonder she bailed on you. God, where is love in this plan of yours? Where is your romance?"

"Love and romance are not for realists. It was all just a touch of magical nonsense to confuse people and make everything complex. I don't believe in it."

"Now, I know why she said no. You can't blame her. Did you say all that nonsense to her?"

"What, no. Do I look stupid?"

"Yes, but that is for another time. Now go on." She said and stopped him with a hand when Martha came back with a tray filled with food. "You didn't order anything." She said as if she had just noticed that.

"I don't need anything. Go on, eat until you can't eat anymore." He said with a smile and looked at her with what felt like fondness, as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"So... It is not a big deal. Her saying no. But you see..."

"Your ego is hurt. Poor baby."

"It is more than my ego. It is my reputation. I have this business rival and we hate each other and he dated Stacy first and he was always bitter. We had shared some words and he promised that Stacy would walk away from me too and I being..."

"...a smug, arrogant fool you are challenged him. Am I right?"

"You eat your food and stop cutting me off. But yes, you are almost right. I am not smug or arrogant or a fool. But yes, he challenged me and I agreed."

"You are in a deep shit, dude. A pit full of shit." She stopped and then smiled like a little kid. "Hey, that rhymed."

"Yeah, you can become next Robert Frost." He said, and continued on with his story. "And I need to make it look like it was all because I found something with someone. Love at first sight or some other shit like that. You know, or nobody will believe me."

"But you know... Marriage is such a big thing and it is..."

"And it is not just that. Stacy, she needs a lesson, too."

"For saying no."

"No. For being smug about that. I know she will come back, and then I can teach her how rejection feels like."

"Wow, you are one scary guy. May God help me if I ever make you that angry."

"So what do you say? You are desperate and I need something from you. So why not make the best out of it?" He looked at her. He really wanted her to say yes. And it felt like desperation.

Yes. If he tried hard enough, he will find someone else. It wouldn't be hard. Someone who was like her, desperate and not greedy. But...

He didn't know why, but he wanted her to be the part of his plan. Her.

"Dude, I know how desperation smells and you stink of it right now. More than me."

"Okay. So?"

"You need to prove your peers that you are the one who walked away from her. But do you think Stacy is going to stay silent? "

"Oh, she won't. And that is why I need a solid proof."

"A solid proof. A wife? Wife? Oh God, this is so freaking hilarious. That is so going the extra mile." She laughed and her eyes... His heart skipped a beat when he saw her eyes too close to his. Those green eyes were nothing like he had ever seen. She had the strangest set of eyes, green with sprinkles of gold in them, like a dessert sprinkled with brown sugar. They twinkled in merriment as she laughed at him, and oddly so, he wanted to laugh along.

"Yet you are the only one who is laughing."

"Oh, everyone will laugh if I tell them your story."

"Don't you dare."

"Okay, okay, but I think you should check your brain. I don't think it is working properly."

"Be serious for a moment." He looked at her with exhaustion. As she continued to talk, he was getting more and more doubtful about his plans, but he couldn't afford to doubt them.

"I am. I am being 200 percent serious. Logan, no one gets married to save face or get revenge. I can't let you throw away a chance at something true because you are all angry and bothered. It will go away. And Marriage is..."

"Save your preaching, okay. I have heard it a thousand time from my friend. Marriage is...two hearts in true love, blah blah blah. I am not interested."

"At least your friend has some brain cells left in him. Yours, I can clearly see, is sold somewhere for all these things you are wearing and all your money."

"It is kind of a profitable situation for you, but here you are trying to put me off from it. Why?"

"I can't let you waste your time for some silly revenge. Is there no way I can talk you out of this?"

"No. And this is why it has to be you." He muttered to himself as he looked at her with a new found admiration. It had to be her.

No one else could do.

"Ok, yes. But just for your information, you seems to think I am all this... Cool and sophistication, but let me tell you something. I am not."

"It is okay. I can take a little bit of adventure."

"Sure you can?" Her eyes glinted as she looked up at him in challenge and Logan was never the one to back away from challenge.

"Yes." He said with a smile.