Chapter 61

CHAPTER 61

LOGAN

E verything was just right .

I grinned and brushed imaginary dust off my hands as I stepped away from the table I'd set. For a first timer, I didn't think I'd done too badly.

Wine glasses, table settings, silverware, candlesticks with lit candles in them, and a tossed salad were already on the table. A chicken was roasting in the oven along with potatoes, and I'd brought a freshly baked loaf of bread this afternoon that was waiting for us in the kitchen.

Mira was due at my place any minute and this was my best attempt at a romantic dinner. Vases filled with red roses covered every surface of the dining room, kitchen, foyer, and even the living room. I was in my best suit and I thumbed the ring in my pocket before I spun and plucked the lighter up off the table.

As I made my way to the front door, anticipating her arrival, I lit all the candles I'd placed strategically on the path we would take once I let her in. Tonight was the night my life was going to change and I'd gone all out to mark the occasion.

A knock sounded at my door at precisely seven p.m., and my heart did that weird, fluttery-skip thing again. I straightened my tie and smoothed out my jacket, then finally grinned as I opened the door.

Mira blinked hard when she saw me, her eyes dropping from mine to the suit I was wearing before they traveled to the interior of my house behind me. "Roses and candles? Well, hello to you too. It's only been one day. What's all this about?"

I reached for her, winding my arms around her hips and smiling as I pulled her to me. "You look like an angel, and it's not about anything other than me wanting to give you the kind of night you deserve."

As I lowered my lips to hers, she tilted her head back and kissed me just as gently and with just as much meaning as I was kissing her. When we broke apart, her cheeks were flushed and she was smiling now too.

"Wow. Okay. If this is the kind of night you think I deserve, I'm all for it." She stepped around me, giving me another view of her loose, dark hair falling in waves to the middle of her back and the white bohemian-style dress she had on. A thin, brown leather strap hung around her midsection, her feet in matching sandals and the fabric of her dress swishing as she walked.

Shit. She really does look like an angel.

She turned her head to arch a steep eyebrow at me over her shoulder. "Okay, no, seriously. What's going on? Are we celebrating something? Where did all of this come from?"

"Stores that deliver," I admitted, my heart still skipping every so often. I took her hand and led her to the dining room. "I've got red or white. What are you in the mood for? We're having roast chicken, if that helps with your decision."

She inhaled deeply, a stunned smile gracing her lips. I pulled her chair out for her and she took a seat. "This is really something, Logan. Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said, walking around the table to where I'd set the wine on a bar cart. "So, what's it going to be, red or white?"

"White, please," she said. She watched as I poured the wine. Then her gaze tracked my every move as I walked back to the table. "How are you feeling? It doesn't look like you're in pain every time you take a step anymore."

"That's because I'm not," I said happily. "Don't get me wrong. I'm still sore in too many places to count, but the worst of the pain is fading. It's more discomfort now than it is pain."

"That's good." She smiled some more and my heart did all kinds of things it had never done before. The ring was burning a hole in my pocket, but I didn't pull it out just yet. "Slate told me you've practically thrown your wallet at him to get the rig fixed. You know how dangerous that is, right? If you let them, rigs can destroy your bank balance."

"I trust him." I set my glass down at my place across from her. "Besides, he's been telling me we need to revisit the maintenance budget for months. Maybe if I'd listened to him earlier?—"

"No, don't go there," she said firmly. "It wasn't your fault. He's forever going to want to revisit every budget on every rig we work on. It's just part of the job. What happened was an accident and accidents happen in our industry."

"Let me go fetch the food and serve you dinner. Then we'll talk more, but we don't have to talk about work."

"You're serving me dinner?"

"Of course." I winked and dipped into a little bow. "I'm at your beck and call tonight."

She sat back in her chair, once again watching me closely as if trying to figure it out. "I'm super impressed by all of this, but I feel like I'm missing something. What am I missing?"

"You're not missing anything." I bent over, taking her chin between my fingers and pressing my lips to hers. "I've never been in a serious relationship before, but I hear romantic gestures are appreciated."

"Definitely appreciated." She hummed against my lips. "Not compulsory, though."

I smiled. "Noted, but as it happens, I had fun setting this up for you, so even if it's not compulsory, I think we should make it a thing."

"A thing? "

I shrugged. "A tradition. Once a week, we have a romantic dinner. Just the two of us. How does that sound?"

"Amazing, but I'm not sure if once a week is sustainable," she murmured against my lips before I straightened up. "We'll talk about it when you get back."

"Sure thing, but for the record, it is sustainable if we make sure it is. I've heard that's the magic about relationships. They can be exactly what we want them to be."

A small, hopeful smile spread on her lips. "That sounds great."

"Give me a minute. I'll be back and then we can discuss it some more." Tonight was all about us and our relationship, and I hadn't had cold feet once. I hadn't started wondering if I was doing the right thing and I wasn't the least bit scared of the prospect of spending the rest of my life with her.

After getting the food out of the oven, I transferred it to the board I'd had ready and then balanced it on one hand. Mira inhaled deeply when I walked in with it all, her eyebrows twitching up as I set it down on the table.

"Is all that for us?"

"Yes, it is. Unless you've invited friends?" I joked.

She laughed, eyeing all the food on the table as she shook her head. "If I'd known how much you were going to make, I would've."

We sat down together to eat, not revisiting the subject of us for a while and making small talk instead. Once we were done, I slid my hand into my pocket, brushing my fingertips across the warm metal and debating my options. Fuck it, I'm just going to do it now. Why wait five more minutes? Ten?

Mira's gaze fixed on mine just before I was about to propose, and suddenly, something felt off. I pulled my hand out of my pocket without the ring in it, trusting my gut as I looked back at her.

"Is everything okay?"

She held my eyes for another moment before she shook her head. "Honestly? I don't know. We need to talk, Logan."

I got a sinking feeling, my chest strangely sore. I lifted a hand and rubbed it absently, absolutely sure that this was about to go in a bad direction, but it was too important for me to start jumping to conclusions before I'd even asked.

"Okay, let's talk. What do you want to talk about?"

"Where do you see yourself five years from now?" she asked abruptly, the words coming out of her in a rush.

I frowned. Okay, so maybe this isn't going to go as badly as I thought it was. As I looked back at her, I shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about it for a while, but honestly, if you'd asked me that a couple months ago, I'd have said I saw myself right here. Or on a tropical beach with a sexy girl in my lap."

"I'm not asking you a couple months ago, though. I'm asking you now."

I smiled. "Now, I can put a put a face to the sexy mystery girl on my lap. It'll be yours, Mira. If you'll have me, anyway."

Her gaze dropped to her lap. "So you see us still together, but on a tropical beach? Would that be for a break, or are you planning an early retirement?"

"I think I'd drive both of us crazy if I tried to retire early," I said, wondering just what the hell this was all about. I placed my hands on the table and turned my palms up, sliding them over to her and giving her a choice about whether to take them.

She inhaled deeply, her chest rising as she wrapped her fingers around mine. "What else, Logan? Aside from a vacation to a tropical beach, what would you like to be doing with your life in five years?"

"I see us traveling and adventuring together." I stared at her perfectly pink lips and the slight flush on her cheeks. "I see us having nights like this. Spending time with our friends. Hustling and growing our careers."

"Our careers?" she asked softly. "Is that it?"

I frowned. "It? That seems like a lot to me. Does something not sound right to you? I mean, what else is there?"

Mira's eyes met mine, suddenly shining with moisture. She looked at me for a long, silent minute, then exhaled slowly, shook her head, and released my hands. "I'm sorry, Logan. I think I've made a terrible mistake. I really am so, so sorry, but I can't do this anymore."

Everything in me went stock still, not a single part of me working or moving as I watched her get up. So this is what people mean when they say they're stunned.

It took me too long to recover. By the time I did, she was already standing in the doorway to the dining room, obviously ready to leave. "No, Mira. Don't go. What did I say? What did I do?"

"You've done nothing wrong." Her voice was shaky, but sure. She wasn't doubting her decision. She was merely trying to explain it. "If I was someone else, or if I wanted something else, it might've worked so well between us, but I can't give up my dreams. Not for anyone or anything in the world."

She gave me a soft, teary smile and then pushed away from the door. I got up like a shot, following her into the foyer as I struggled to process just what the fuck was happening right now.

"What are you talking about? I'm not asking you to give up your dreams." When she was at the front door, I reached for her, my fingers wrapping around her wrist and gently encircling it. She was still standing with her back to me, about to leave, but at least she'd stopped moving for a second. "What's with the cryptic questions, Mira? Spit it out. What's really going on here?"

At first, she just kept facing the door, her head bowing as she inhaled and exhaled deeply. Confusion really set in for me, but then she started turning. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to mine and pressed her palm to my cheek, a sad smile on her lips. She shook her head again. "It would never work between us, Logan. It's just chemistry. That's it, but I hope you'll be happy. You deserve all the good things that are coming to you."

With that, tears appeared in the corners of her eyes and she sniffled, quickly taking a step away from me and then leaving. The door shut behind her and I stared in a state of complete surprise. The ring in my pocket felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

I could not believe that had just happened, but here I was, surrounded by candles and roses, and with a ring worth more than the house I'd grown up in ready to be offered to her, and I was alone.

Yeah, okay. So I guess this is what it feels like to be dumped. Fuck.

What the hell am I supposed to do now?