“Yep. That’s him, the new man in my life.” I smiled. He was a cute cat I had to admit. He was soft gray and white. The best part about him was that he didn’t use a litter box, he scratched at the door when he needed out so there was no mess to clean up.
She sat the cat down at her feet. “I’m just going to use the bathroom before I head out. Too much coffee.”
“Kay.”
I breathed a sigh of relief the moment she disappeared down the hall. Maybe I could pull this off.
A second later, Liz burst down the hallway. “Call the police!”
“What? Why?”
“There’s a man masturbating in your bathroom!” She grabbed an umbrella from the foyer and held it in front of her like a weapon, poised for battle. “Ashlyn! Did you hear what I said? Call the police!”
I swallowed my pride. “Logan. You better come out here,” I called down the hallway.
Liz’s eyes widened in shock. “Lo-Logan?”
He emerged from the hall a second later, a white towel draped around his hips, his chest still damp and glistening with water droplets from the shower. His cheeks were flushed and I suddenly remembered Liz’s claim that he was masturbating. I filed that mental image away to inspect later.
“What the f**k is he doing here?” Liz shouted, motioning to Logan.
Logan looked uncomfortable and ashamed. A protective urge swelled up inside me. No one would make Logan feel bad for being here. “Liz, chill. I’ll explain. Logan, why don’t you go in my room and get dressed?”
He disappeared down the hall without another word.
“What the hell’s the matter with you?” Liz whispered loudly as soon as he was gone.
I held up my hand, stopping her mid-rant. “It’s not what you think. He’s just staying here until he gets on his feet. And there’s nothing going on between us.”
“Right. And that’s why he’s jacking off in your bathroom, because nothing’s going on?”
“Yes. Exactly. He’s not getting any action from me. I know it sounds crazy to you, but he’s my friend.”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she seemed a little more relaxed. “You’re lucky I love you girl, because otherwise, I would be calling the police.”
“Thanks, Lizzie, but you can’t tell anyone about this. Especially not Clancy.”
“Obviously,” she scoffed. “At least you do still have some sense of right and wrong.”
I removed the umbrella from her hands. “Drop the weapon. I promise he’s nice.”
Logan emerged a few minutes later, dressed in jeans and a worn gray T-shirt.
“Hey, I’m Logan.” He extended a hand to Liz. I smiled at him warmly, thankful that despite this awkward situation, he was polite and well mannered.
Liz smiled at him too, seeming to notice for the first time how attractive he was. I’d seen that smile before, and it was usually reserved for a man she was trying to impress. “Nice to meet you.” She grinned.
“And I see you’ve met Tom?” Logan looked down at the cat who had snaked himself around Liz’s ankles.
“Ah. Now it makes sense. Tom is your doing.”
He nodded and bent to pick up the cat, holding him against his chest. “Yeah.”
“Ashlyn hates cats,” Liz remarked.
“You hate cats?” Logan asked, turning to me with a look of concern.
“I don’t hate them.”
Logan turned to Liz for the truth, already aware that within thirty seconds of meeting her, she was not one to hold back. “She hates them. Which means she must really like you.”
Logan smiled at me warmly. “Go outside, Thomas.” Logan walked the cat to the door and herded him outside.
Liz stayed most of the afternoon to chat with Logan and me. We shared a glass of wine and I turned on some music, the blues that seemed to speak to Logan, but had yet to spark a memory. I was relieved to see Liz was polite to him, even though I could tell she’d voice everything that was really on her mind later.
When she was ready to leave, she asked me to walk her out, which was code for; I’m going to pump you for information out of your company’s earshot.
Great. I slid on my shoes and followed her into the hall. She stayed quiet as we descended the stairs, but I could tell her wheels were turning. That only frightened me more.
Once we reached the street, we stopped in front of her car. “So there’s really nothing going on between you and Logan?”
I nodded my head.
“Prove it to me.”
I cocked my head, trying to understand. Did she want to inspect my lady parts for signs of entry? “How?”
“Like for instance…if I set you up on a date, you’ll go?”
Oh crap. “Of course.”
She took a deep breath, obviously pleased with herself. “Great. Its tomorrow night. Eight o’clock with Jason, the guy you met at the club. He’s been asking about you.”
She had this set up all along, that sneak! I opened my mouth to protest, when Liz patted the top of my head.
“And wear a dress.”
She hopped into her car and drove away.
Chapter Ten
That night sounds of incoherent mumbling woke me from a deep sleep. It took me a moment to realize Logan was having another nightmare. I heard him gasp and shot straight up in bed. He thrashed his arms and legs, and his breaths came in heavy gasps.