I hit redial and waited. Four rings later, Logan’s answering machine picked up.
Again.
I sighed and clicked off. I’d already left a bunch of messages for him over the past week. One more would have tipped the balance from anxious ex-girlfriend to stalker.
Sighing again, I dropped my head back against the couch and stared at the ceiling. Another woman might have wondered where he was or who he was with. But I knew I didn’t have to worry about any of that. Logan wouldn’t have found a new girl a week after we’d unofficially broken up. He was too loyal, too good a guy. He was just nursing his wounds.
Not that the bit of knowledge made it any easier on me.
I had to do something. Only I couldn’t figure out what.
Jean walked out of her room, yawning, and headed for the kitchen.
“Morning,” I said from my spot on the couch.
She shrieked and whirled around. “Marie! What are you doing here?”
“I own this house,” I reminded her.
“That’s not what I meant.” She studied me, hands on her hips. “It’s six o’clock. On a Sunday morning. What are you doing up?”
“Couldn’t sleep.” I fidgeted under my sister’s shrewd gaze.
“Did you call him again?” she asked wisely.
Only like five hundred times.
“Do you know what I think?”
Oh, God. “Do I have a choice?”
“I think you need to see him face to face. Apologize and work this out.”
“I did apologize.” I grimaced at how childish that sounded, but it didn’t stop me from huddling even more into the corner of the couch.
“Marie Elizabeth,” she said in her best stern older sister tone, “are you pitying yourself?”
I stuck my tongue out at her.
“What happened to my spitfire little sister who would take on the world to get something she wanted?”
“I’m not like that Jeannie.”
She didn’t even bat an eyelash at me calling her Jeannie. “Yes, you are. Remember that time you wanted that expensive Erector kit? You hassled Mom nonstop for three weeks before she broke down and bought it for you.”
“Big whup.” Oh, for those Erector days.
“And the time you wanted to join the science Olympiad in school, but they said you were too young. You argued with the teacher for days until he finally let you on the team.”
I made a face. “You remember that?”
She sat down by my feet. “Don’t you want him, Marie?”
Want him? I was shriveling up inside at the prospect of being without him. “He doesn’t want me.”
“Then make him want you,” she said defensively. When I didn’t say anything, she sighed and continued on to the kitchen.
As loath as I was to admit it, she was right. I needed to go see Logan. But I could guarantee he wouldn’t see me if I went to his home or the gym. I needed a different plan. I needed to get him on neutral territory and make him listen to me.
There was only one way to do that.
I picked up the phone and dialed. “Pick up, pick up,” I urged.
“Hello?”
“Bobby, don’t hang up,” I rushed to say. “Just give me one minute. I need your help.”
“Marie?” His voice was sleep hoarse, and I heard sheets rustling. “Do you know what time it is?”
“Bobby, I need to win Logan back. I know I screwed up, and I know he’s angry but I thought if you talked him into giving me a chance to explain—“
“You’ve got to be kidding.” He gave an incredulous chortle. “I’m not going to help you. He’s better off without you. I wouldn’t subject an enemy on you, much less a friend. I can’t believe you’re even asking.”
I gritted my teeth and reminded myself I had no choice. If I wanted Logan back, I needed to grovel big time. “Please, Bobby. I just want to talk—“
“No.”
Grrr. “Bobby---“
“No,” he said more forcibly.
Forget groveling—I was going to be myself. “You owe me.”
“Excuse me?”
“You owe me. I saved your ass with your sweet blossom.”
He sputtered incoherently before he finally said, “You’re the one who messed things up in the first place.”
God, he was so detail-oriented. “Does that mean you aren’t going to help me?”
“Damn right—“
There was some static, a little fumbling, and more rustling. I heard a muffled feminine voice and Bobby’s in response, but no matter how hard I strained I couldn’t hear what they said.
Then, “Marie?”
“Kitty?”
“Bobby will help you,” she said firmly.
“Listen, Kitty, I don’t want to cause trouble between you two—“
“There’s no trouble with me and Bobby. We’re perfect. In fact, he proposed to me. Isn’t that right, Pookie?”
I wasn’t even tempted to gag at her saccharine tone. “That’s great. Congratulations.”
Kitty lowered her voice to a whisper. “I owe you. I know we haven’t been going out long, but I honestly don’t think he would have ever proposed without the scare from you.”
What could I say to that? “Um. Cool.”
“You’ll be one of my bridesmaids,” she said enthusiastically. “I’m thinking of pink dresses.”
I imagined fluffy pink cotton candy dresses and felt nauseous. Guess I deserved the harsh penance though. “That sounds super. Listen, Kitty, about Logan—“
“Tell me what you want and I’ll have Bobby do it.”
I outlined my plan twice, to make sure she got it, and then another time just to be sure. When I was confident she understood what I needed, I got off the phone and made another call.
“Hello?”
“Scott, can I borrow your cabin?”
“Rogue? Do you have any idea what time it is?”
“Time is relative,” I answered philosophically. “Can I borrow your cabin? Just for the day. And maybe the night.” MacGyver said you’ve got to be more optimistic. Dwight always said you had to speak what you wanted into reality.
“What’s the urgency?” But Scott’s no dummy, so two seconds later he said, “This is about Logan, isn’t it?”
I made a pouty face even though he couldn’t see me. “Is that a yes?”
He sighed. “You know it is.”
Yes. “You’re the best.”
“I know.”
“So be over here in half an hour, okay?”
“Wait a minute. You never said anything about me going along. I have a game today.”
“Please, Scott,” I whined pathetically. “I need you with me.” To help tie Logan down in case he wasn’t willing to stay and listen.
Scott sighed, long and suffering. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Twenty minutes,” I said quickly. “Make that fifteen.”
He snorted and hung up.
“Yes.” I hopped up. It was all coming together. I pulled up short when I saw Jean leaning against the kitchen counter, watching me.
“Seems like you have a plan.” She lifted her mug of Folgers to her lips.
“I do. Get dressed. We need to get going.”
She frowned. “We?”
I frowned back. “You didn’t think you weren’t going?”
“Uh---“ Lowering the cup, she blinked a few times. “I guess not.”
“Good. I’m taking a shower.” I headed to the bathroom. “Don’t’ dawdle.”
“You should take a bath instead,” Jean suggested.
I glanced suspiciously over my shoulder. She was up to something. I couldn’t resist going to the bathroom and seeing what it was.
I noticed it the moment I stepped in and turned the light on. Gasping, I climbed up on the bathtub’s rim to get a closer look.
“I had it laminated.”
I turned to see Jean in the doorway, gazing up at the poster of MacGyver that was back in its rightful place.
“It was disgusting how much mold was on it.” Jean’s perfect nose wrinkled. “You should clean it more often. And get off the bathtub before you fall and break something.”
For once I did what she asked without comment; shock does weird things to a person. “I think I’m going to take a bath.”
She nodded, a pleased smile slowly curling her lips. “Great idea.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Okay, so this is a short one. But in my defense, I've been busy. Take today for example: arrived at work at 6:10 AM and didn't leave until 10:30 PM. And I've got to be back at 5:30 tomorrow morning. Ya'll should be patting me on the back and nomminating me for an award for even managing to get as much written as I did in this chapter. =P
On a side note, thank you, everyone, for reading. And thank you for all the wonderful feedback you've given me. This is such a wonderful forum.
On a side note, thank you, everyone, for reading. And thank you for all the wonderful feedback you've given me. This is such a wonderful forum.
Chapter End Notes:
As you probably all have guessed, this little story is coming to a quick end. I was thinking of doing another A/U though so, if you have any suggestions, let me know. And if you offered to beta in the past, please drop me an email (if you haven't already) so that i have your contact info on hand for when when i need you.