18. Ivy

18

IVY

Lucy had texted “you’re welcome” to me right before my date. I didn’t understand until I saw Logan.

Good lord.

The fit of his clothes was impeccable thanks to Lucy’s handiwork. The navy jacket framed his broad shoulders perfectly. He’d gotten his hair and beard trimmed and there was an extra shine in the ocean blue of his eyes. Logan looked good and he felt it too.

It was completely wasted when we turned up to Chez Lumiere. They caught us off guard with a surprise degustation menu that promised an enhanced tasting experience.

With blindfolds.

Chez Lumiere de Nocturne they called it.

“Isn’t this a wonderful surprise?” the waitress gushed as she handed me a silken eye mask. “Chef Gerard has been feeling particularly inspired the past twenty-four hours.”

“I don’t know if wonderful is the right word,” Logan muttered, staring at the eye mask he’d been given.

“Oh, it is , believe me,” she continued, oblivious to our unease. “The wait staff have been lucky enough to sample some of the dishes. Trust me, you are in for a treat .” She grew more impassioned, speaking faster and faster until I was worried smoke would pour from her ears. “And the blindfolds only elevate the experience. The choices he’s made knowing one of your senses is veiled, gah! You will truly understand why Chef Gerard is a trailblazer unlike any other!”

She flittered off, ready to proselytize the gospel of Chef Gerard to the next table of victims.

Logan was clearly frazzled but was valiantly trying to make the best of it.

“I’m so sorry, Ivy. I had no idea they were going to do this.” The previously perfect sweep of his hair did not hold up to his nervous tugs. “I’m sure the food will still be delicious.”

It was delicious.

Shame there was so little of it.

We were three courses in and I had eaten an odd garlicky foam, three paper-thin slices of beef and a single mushroom.

“Lucky there’s still more courses, right?” Logan said for the fourth time from across the table.

I couldn’t see him but I could sense his anxious energy. The way he kept adjusting his position, his leg bumping mine each time he did so. Every second sentence was laced with an apology and his ordinarily comforting scent was harsh from his unease.

“Logan.” I stretched my hand out trying to find him and he grasped it immediately. “This sounds crazy but all these starters have made me really crave one of Char’s burgers,” I said casually.

The tension ran out of him in an instant. A rush of water cascading down jagged mountains.

“Yeah?” I could hear the way he was fighting to sound neutral when relief made his voice lift. “Me too, actually.”

I whispered conspiratorially across the table like we were two prisoners planning a daring escape.

“Should we get out of here?”

The next moment I was being lifted out of my chair, a strong arm wound around my waist and the blindfold ripped off me. “Come on,” Logan urged, as I blinked away the prickling light. “Before they make us drink soup from a seashell.”

I huffed with laughter, as we wove our way through the tables of other blindfolded guests. Maybe it was just me but I thought they all looked extremely hungry.

A fresh wave of waiters made their way out of the kitchen. We quickened our steps to avoid being caught in a swarm of black and white.

“Logan, look,” I said, trying to discreetly point with my chin.

The next course was a single scallop shell filled with a mystery grayish broth.

“You’re psychic,” I told him delightedly.

Logan recoiled. “I’m not. I had no idea.”

Maybe the mushroom I’d eaten had special properties because I was positively giddy.

“Then this must be your secret venture,” I gasped. “Eccentric restaurateur masquerading as an electrician. No wonder you knew what was coming next on the menu.”

Logan had a pained expression on his face. “Ivy, don’t insult me.”

“Chef Gerard who? I bet this was your idea.” I waved my hand around me with a flourish. “All this belongs to you,” I giggled harder.

“Ivy, I swear to god…” he growled. But Logan couldn’t hide the corner of his lips twitching as he hauled me the rest of the way to the hostess table.

I didn’t even want to think about how much Logan paid for us to have one quarter of a terrible dining experience but he didn’t seem to care. He was much more focused on getting me into his truck and racing full throttle back to Starlight Grove.

“Should we stop at a drive through instead?” Logan asked, his eyes a little crazed as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“No!” I gave his knee a squeeze. “Char’s burgers. Eyes on the prize!”

Logan drove for approximately twenty seconds before wanting to negotiate again. “Maybe one nugget?” he suggested.

He was behaving like one of my students trying to get his way. “They won’t sell you just one,” I reasoned.

“Then I better buy ten.”

“Logan!”

His whole body drooped. “I’m starving, Ivy. I barely ate anything today.” He sounded almost delirious.

“You were really looking forward to this dinner, weren’t you?”

He nodded glumly.

“Well, it’s not over yet.” I smiled.

Logan was a little lost in my eyes. At least we were stopped at a red light. I turned his chin forward so he was back to facing the road.

“Come on, Logan,” I encouraged him. “We’re almost there.”

Logan and I crashed into Rosie’s Diner like pirates dying for their first drink after months at sea.

“Burgers,” Logan croaked.

“With extra fries,” I added.

He groaned appreciatively. “You’re so smart, Ivy.”

Char looked us up and down, taking in our dressy outfits. “Are you sure you’re in the right place?” she asked with a raised brow.

“YES,” we practically shouted in unison.

Logan and I collapsed in a corner booth, both sighing with undisguised pleasure. I could actually see the pressure seep out of him as he removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. His forearms were thick and covered in fine, dark hair. Perfect arms for such a big alpha, making it easy for him to lift you up and ? —

I managed to tear my eyes away before he noticed me staring.

Gosh, my omega is such a trollop for man arms.

Who was I kidding? We were one and the same.

I settled into the familiar cushion of the booth. I didn’t care if this was the millionth time I’d been to Rosie’s, I was so glad our date ended up here.

“Logan.”

“Yes, Ivy.”

“I appreciate the thought. Always. But don’t ever make me eat mystery substances blindfolded again,” I teased him.

Logan palmed his face. “Deal. If I do then you’ll know I’ve been body snatched.”

“Like…aliens?” I asked curiously.

He tilted his hand in a so-so motion. “I was thinking more of an evil twin scenario.”

“More realistic.”

“Exactly.”

I was learning new things about Logan every day. Who knew he was hiding an adorably dry sense of humor. And apparently had another version of him running around.

“What’s his name? In case I meet him and he pretends to be you.”

Logan scratched his beard pensively. “Schmogan Schmennett,” he finally said.

“Alright,” I hummed. “I’ll make sure to remember that.”

Char arrived soon after with our burgers and we fell on them like rabid animals.

“Gave you pickle fiends extras. Enjoy!” She winked before gliding away.

I took a huge bite of my burger. It wasn’t enough. I picked up several fries and stuffed them in my mouth too. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Logan staring at me.

“What are you looking at?” I said without thinking, my words muffled around my food. Oh, that was not an attractive move. I was pretty sure there was a fry pointing directly out of my mouth at him.

Logan went pink. “I don’t know,” he said, averting his eyes and mumbling so low I barely heard him. “Felt like a moment I’d tell the grandkids about.”

I had never wanted to do so many conflicting things at once. Laugh. Cry. Finish my gigantic bite so I could hug and kiss him without being gross.

Of course I ended up doing none of those things and chose to make a garbled, bubbly sort of noise instead. Real smooth, Ivy.

“You, uh, want kids?” I asked quietly once I had swallowed.

“Yeah.” Logan remained an interesting shade of fuschia. “Only child here so I always wanted my kids to have a ton of siblings.” Panic dawned on him as he realized the implication of what he said. “Not a ton! A normal amount of siblings,” he said in a rush. “Whatever number you would be comfortable with having, really. Not like you as in you have to be the one to have them. But not anyone else, Ivy, I swear to god you’re the only one that I’m, we’re courting right now and?—”

“Shhh.” I shushed him by putting a fry in his open mouth and forcing him to chew. He looked extremely relieved I’d dug him out of his grave. It was sweet and the last thing I wanted was for him to feel like he’d said the wrong thing. “I want kids too,” I said shyly. “A normal amount of siblings sounds wonderful.”

If Logan went any redder, Char could slice him up and serve him up between bacon and lettuce to the lunch crowd.

We ate quietly for a while, starting to feel halfway human again with each bite. I did a double take at his plate and then mine, realizing something crucial.

“Wait, Char gave you extra pickles too?” I pointed at the dwindling pile next to his fries. “But the other day…you gave me your pickles because you said you hated them.”

“Oh that.” Logan ate a few more fries, chewing thoughtfully. “I lied,” he said frankly.

I’d eaten all of them that day. “You gave them to me because you knew I liked them? Even though you like them too?” I said in a small voice.

“Yep. Get used to it.”

“I will not .”

“Then I will only eat whatever you can’t finish.”

My eyes narrowed. “I might lie too,” I said with a defiant lift of my chin.

He seemed shocked by this. “Why?” he demanded.

“For the same reason as you, silly.”

Logan couldn’t tear his eyes off me. His gaze traveled down to my lips. Then back up to my eyes, burning hotter than ever. He was a magnetic force and I felt myself lean forward.

“Damn, you two made quick work of that.”

We leapt apart as Char refilled our drinks. “Can I tempt you with dessert?” she asked.

“Sure,” Logan rasped. “Just…give us a minute.”

Char eyed us knowingly and left.

“I think I owe you pie,” I said, giving him a light nudge with my elbow.

He gave me a blank look.

“Because of the bet we made?” Still nothing. “Hank’s hip. Marisol’s knee…”

“Oh god.” Logan palmed his face. “That is the last thing I remember about that night, Ivy.”

Surprise classroom heat was probably more memorable than trivial townie arguments.

“But this is our first date. So my treat,” Logan insisted.

“I’ll get you pie on the next one,” I offered shyly.

His eyes widened and his chest rose with a big shaky breath.

Did he really think he wasn’t going to get a second date with me? My hand crept across the leather booth and found his.

Logan entwined his fingers with mine. He remained very still, like he was worried one wrong movement might scare me off.

I don’t think he realized it was only making me like him more.

It was snowing very lightly when we left Rosie’s. I followed the tiny individual flakes and their spiraling journey downward. Little flowers of ice dotted along my coat and settled in my hair. They were especially radiant when they caught the light from the nearby streetlamp. I couldn’t resist opening my hand and seeing them land in my palm.

“I feel like we fucked up, Ivy.”

I turned around in surprise. Logan had his hands in his pockets, shoulders slumped in defeat.

“None of our dates worked out the way they were supposed to. This wasn’t what we wanted when we said we wanted to court you,” he said heavily.

I couldn’t go another second without touching him. I strode over and cradled his bearded chin in my hand. “Don’t.” He sank slightly into my palm as I stroked his cheek with my thumb. “I’ve loved the last few days.”

“Ivy, you don’t have to?—”

“Life isn’t going to go our way all the time,” I said firmly. “I feel closer to you all because it hasn’t gone our way.” I wrapped my other arm around his neck, rising onto my tiptoes to reach. Logan groaned and hauled me tight against him.

“You’re not just saying that?” he asked. Our foreheads pressed together and I could see the fog from our breaths mingling.

“I think if it was perfect, it wouldn’t feel real,” I whispered. “And I really want it to be real.”

Logan closed the last bit of distance between us. He brushed his lips over mine once, our noses bumping lightly, before capturing my mouth fully. Even knowing it was coming and craving it didn’t stop it from stealing my breath entirely. Blood rushed instantly to my head as a freefalling sensation swooped low through my belly. Logan kissed me and kissed me, holding me safe in his embrace.

We eventually surfaced but he kept his forehead against mine. “I can take you home now,” he said tentatively.

I hated that idea.

“Or…”

Everything went still as he left the possibility hanging in the air. It felt golden, a newly lit path waiting for us.

“Take me to yours, Logan.”