3.2 Kisses, motels and adventures

It wasn't right.

She looked glum as she stood there, refused to look at him. And he wanted to push that look away from her face.

And it was all so confusing and irritating and he wanted to punch something. Punch himself. Or Stacy. That would be better. Much better.

She was the reason for all this mess.

"Oh, don't look so alive." Alex grumbled. "I said I am sorry, right. And I warned you. I am not always level headed and cool."

"Warned me, alright!" He grunted. "You didn't warn me you are totally reckless."

"Oh, look at this pot, calling little kettle black. Reckless? Psh!" She scoffed at him.

He glared at her. "Yes."

"Oh, you should have guessed. I mean, I agreed to go on with your moronic plans. If that wasn't reckless, I didn't know what was."

"You see, sometimes, when you talk, I just want to stitch your lips together." He muttered and then he couldn't help but stare at her lips. It was a very nice lips. All pink and soft and he wanted a bite of that.

She was biting her lips, and her eyes were filled with irritation as she looked at him.

What would she do if he kissed her? A proper kiss? Not a kiss on the cheek.

And no, no, don't go there, you stupid brain.

And as he stared at her, his gut twisted and somehow he knew he was making a bigger mistake. But he wanted to. He wanted to make that mistake. With her. Just with her.

"Get in." He spat at her.

"It is not too late. You can still back away, you know." She said with a moody scowl.

"No one is backing away from anything."

"You don't have to look so down. I didn't want this."

"Shut up." Or I am going to kiss you, damn it. "Before I grab you and throw you inside, get in." He was angry.

"Ah, I dare you."

He walked towards her and she backed away. "Neanderthal." She muttered as she opened the door and got in.

"That is more like it. Now that wasn't difficult, was it?" He shut the door and got around to his seat.

"Such arrogance. Smug little..."

"Child, stop."

"I am not a damn child. Stop being so condescending, you jerk."

"Oh, you are not? Good. Let us keep that in mind, eh?"

"You are such a smug jerk."

"We have established that, haven't we?"

"Ahh." She screamed. And he smiled. When she stopped, he looked at her and she smiled and shrugged.

"You hungry."

"Yes."

"It is already dinner time. Let's eat before we go back."

"Oh, God, a thousand time yes."

"You didn't say that to my marriage proposal?" He smirked.

"I said yes. That is more than you deserve, you psycho." She teased back and he smiled.

He was smiling a damn lot and his lips were starting to hurt. It was damn near a miracle.

He stopped the car in front of a restaurant that was closer to his house.

The valet picked up his car keys and he walked in, as Alexandra trailer behind him. She didn't look like she was overwhelmed by the size of the restaurant or the shine of the patrons in shining rhinestones. She fit.

Head held high, she walked like she owned the place. She wasn't covering or shy or fumbling.

He pulled her chair for her and she chuckled. "Oh, such gentleman. Don't think you can fool me, though." She poked her tongue out and he chuckled.

"Can you stop being so annoying?"

"Eh, boring, but whatever."

"Champagne?" He asked her.

"Why not?"

When the champagne came, she clicked it with his glass. "To revenge." He said. She smiled at him and shook her head.

"I have one better than that. To a freaky adventure."

He shuddered. "Okay, now I am second guessing all this."

"Good. All you have to do is say no."

"I can't afford that, can I?"

She shrugged. "You can, but you are hardheaded."

He ordered beef bourguignon - beef braised in red wine, beef broth and seasoned with garlic, fresh herbs, pearl onions and mushroom along with pissaladière which is topped with anchovies, onions and olives, a French version of thin crusted pizza. He looked at her and noticed she was seriously considering her menu. It looked like she knew what she was doing. Who was his mystery woman?

"Confit de conrad. And what he ordered. Plus, souffle. Thank you."

The waiter in red vest smiled at her and she smiled back. He flushed a bright red.

"Stop flirting with him." Logan said as the man walked away.

"I wasn't flirting. I was just being..."

"You are flirting." He said and considered her for a moment.

Even in her floral top and denim, she looked right at home.

"You weren't always poor." He said. She looked up at him through those long lashes and shrugged.

"I am still not ready to open that wound up. Still filled with pus and blood and it hurts."

"If you ever want to, know that I am right here."

"Somehow I know that even before you tell that to me. I don't know why or how, but you feel like a friend. More an enemy, but a friend, too." She said as she looked at with sincerity written across her face.

"Enemy? What did I do?"

"Ask me what you didn't do?" She shrugged and broke the bread in the basket and applied butter with a smile. She sniffed. "God, the smell of butter. Haven't smelled it for so long and God, listen to me. I sound like a spoiled brat."

"Only a little." He chuckled when she glared at him.

"Ah, shut up." She said and when the waiter came back with her food, she attacked them with the vigor and excitement of a little kid. Her smile was so big he wondered if it hurt her beautiful lips. And she was shining in the dim lightning and the candle light flickered in her eyes, making the gold in them stronger. Such beautiful eyes, and they could suck someone inside them, but Logan refused to be sucked.

Some woman was singing in French in the background and it was all so... So... He didn't want to say, but romantic and cozy and private. This was the kind of the place a man should probably propose to his woman. But there he was, proposing in a bustling eatery to Stacy. What was he thinking? Oh, he wasn't thinking about romance and all before this woman next to him opened her mouth and put those ridiculous ideas in his head.

"How do you eat that much and stay like this?" He smiled at her.

"Don't talk to a woman about her calories, her waistline and her age. It is offending." She looked at him with her eyes narrowed. "And yet, you have talked about all of that. You really don't have any boundaries, do you?"

"What is a little honesty between husband and wife?" He grinned as he bit in to his braised beef. It's taste was so familiar, yet also new. It was why this was one of his favorite dishes.

"Don't forget the important word, pal. Fake. That right there..."

"Oh, how can I forget when you keep throwing it at my face?" He grumbled. God, couldn't she forget that for a moment? Suddenly his mood was soured.

"Hey man, what are you doing here?"

"Oh shit. I was going to ease you into my life, but now we have got to storm right in."

"What are you talking about?"

"The blonde, my best friend. The other one... "

"Stacy's ex boyfriend."

"Right."

"You are so dead."

She chuckled and continued eating.