Seven

Meowwww.

"Aww, is that my Binxy boy," my grandma croons from the other end of the phone.

I chuckle. That woman is obsessed with my cat. "Yes, it's him, trying to be all cute. Acting like I didn't just give him treats five minutes ago."

"Ha! That's my boy. Grandma will come and visit you soon, little man… Speaking of which, are you still planning on spending your birthday with us?"

Trying not to trip over said cat, I walk over to my fridge to grab a drink.

"You bet I am. I'm looking forward to a nice weekend out there."

My grandma scoffs. "Out there… You make it sound like we live so far away."

"Okay, sorry, out east."

"Well, that's too long not to see you. How about I come into the city, and we go to lunch or something?"

That makes me laugh. Only she would consider not seeing me for a few weeks too long. Unlike my parents, who can go months. I"m not mad at that, though.

Lunch with my grandma is the soul cleanser I need. Best of all, she'll never judge you. Another trait opposite of my mother, who cares far too much about the naysayers.

"Oh, I'd love that. You'll just have to give me a heads up on what day so I can plan accordingly."

Meaning, I have to tell Mr. Dickhead that I will be taking an extended lunch that day and try my best not to throat-punch him when he gives me a wise-ass comment in return.

"Perfect… I"m thinking within the next week or so," she says, along with the sound of rustling papers.

"Sounds good to me," I say with a smile.

"I'll let you go get ready for your date… Give my boy some extra treats for me."

"You know it's nothing serious." By the way she let the word "date" roll off her tongue, I know she's already planning my wedding at her Hamptons estate. I just needed to clarify.

"Mmhmm, dinner the other night and now this. Sounds like it could be something," she sing-songs.

Rolling my eyes, I sigh with resignation."I"m still not sure how I feel about it."

"Trust me, honey, when it's the right one, you'll know," she says with a lightness in her tone. No doubt she is thinking about how she and my grandfather met all those years ago. It was my favorite story growing up. She was on a date with a gentleman her parents had arranged for her, and by the end of the night, my grandpa was the one who wound up walking her home. She said she just knew he was who she was supposed to be with, and they have been together ever since.

"I'll let you know when Cupid"s arrow sticks," I joke, pushing away the one person who slips into my mind.

"I love you, Aves."

"Love you too."

Looking at the clock, I realize I have less than an hour before Logan will be here. I"m eager to see how the night goes. Leaving Parker at Masqued that night was my push to move forward.

So when Logan asked me earlier this week if I would like to be his date to a company function celebrating one of Mr. Bryant's latest achievements, I finally agreed. I'm not sure if it was solely because I"m interested in the man, or if it's to mend my bruised ego.

Dating Logan should be easy enough. He's handsome, intelligent, charming, funny—all the things one should want in a partner.

I rustle through my closet to find the perfect dress, settling on a plum-colored sleek satin low-back dress. The front offers enough coverage that it's appropriate to wear around work colleagues, but I still feel sexy in it. I apply a fun smoky eye shadow and throw my hair up in a messy but cute chignon, using a tutorial I found online.

Strapping on my favorite pair of Jimmy Choo heels, I"m ready with less than two minutes to spare. The girls would be so proud of me.

"HaveI told you how stunning you look tonight?" Logan whispers into my ear, causing a smile to break across my face.

"Maybe once or twice," I reply shyly, observing the crowd from the cocktail table we've been occupying. It's not a lie; he's been very generous with his compliments tonight. Not in an unsettling way, but subtle enough that he makes me feel wanted and beautiful.

"Well, it's true. Come on, let's get a refill and go mingle," he says, then places his palm on my lower back as we make our way through the crowd. This move is something he's been doing all night. Maybe it's because of the cut of the dress, or his need to touch me, or a combination of both, but I"m not mad at the way he's asserting a little possessiveness over me.

After numerous introductions and bouts of small talk, we're finally seated for dinner. I'm feeling good about the night so far. Logan has been nothing but attentive and has been praising my work to anyone who would listen. Of course, there was a bit of awkward conversation when people recognized my last name and then proceeded to inquire about where my parents were. Trying to use me as a steppingstone to them, like usual.

Honestly, that's why I wanted to branch off and do my own thing without the Pierce name, much to my parents' disappointment. For my talent and my accomplishments to be mine, and not because of who my family is or what strings they have pulled.

My gaze roams around the room as conversations continue around our table. But I'm frozen as soon as I collide with a pair of stormy greys. His jaw is clenched, and by the way he's gripping the tumbler of his favorite amber liquid, I can tell he's in a mood. I've felt his eyes on me for a better part of the night, especially when Logan is nestled in close, or has his hands on me. It's funny, for someone who says they are a one-and-done, and in our case two-and-done, he certainly looks pissed.

As a matter of fact, he's been in a mood this entire week, especially once he overheard Logan talking about our Tuesday night dinner plans. "You sure do move on quickly. Jumping from my cock to his?" My anger resurfaces at the memory of his hateful words.

He had his chance. Besides, I've been enjoying spending time with Logan. He's not the fuckboy Parker made him out to be. He's been a nice reprieve from the usual assholes I've dated in the past. Having similar upbringings has helped us connect on a certain level, the main difference being he's leaned into the perks of his last name, whereas I've strayed.

"So, I asked the driver if he wouldn't mind idling for ten minutes because I knew I'd be thrown out as soon as I showed my face inside. And as a matter of fact, it was within six minutes, my ass was back in that car." Logan's boisterous laugh fills the air, followed by several others joining along.

I bring my focus back to him, disregarding Parker's incessant glares. After several moments, I realize we're sharing embarrassing stories from growing up. Logan's was his first time meeting a girl's family. Not realizing that he had dated the girl's older sister a year prior. The father basically slammed the door in his face.

"I can't believe you didn't realize they were related," I tease as I sip my glass of champagne.

"Yup, it wasn't until the morning of when she gave me her home address that I put all the pieces together. In all fairness, I only went on a few dates with the girl, but she was adamant I met her family before we took things further." He lets out another laugh when I swat his arm.

Another guy chimes in with a shitshow of a story about trying to sneak into a club and being tossed out after attempting to dance on the bar. We all laugh in unison when he mentions his date stayed at the club without him.

"I remember sneaking in there when I was in high school. They had the best DJs on Friday nights. We would dance our asses off," I add.

"Ah, to be young and stupid again." Logan sighs and finishes off his drink.

"Here, here!" Several people at our table cheer and down their drinks as well.

Logan leans over to whisper in my ear. "I'm patiently waiting for the day you show me those dance moves of yours. Maybe I can get a private showing?" He waggles his eyebrows playfully, and my body heats.

"Maybe if you're a good boy I'll reward you," I tease as a smirk curls my lips.

"Oh, Ava, you have no idea how good I can be." With a wink, he situates himself back in his seat, but not before adjusting the bulge in his suit pants. I try to conceal my flushed cheeks. Logan certainly knows all the right things to say.

Conversation and liquor are flowing freely around our table, and I can admit I"m having way more fun than I thought I was going to. During a lull, I excuse myself to the bathroom with a big smile on my face.

A tall, dark, and broody asshole is leaning against the wall opposite the women's room when I exit. Rolling my eyes, I attempt to walk right past him. Within a few steps, he matches my stride.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself tonight," Parker says, but I ignore him and keep walking. "I bet he's charming as fuck. Entertaining the whole table, I"m guessing."

I stop in my tracks and turn to him. "We're on speaking terms again, huh?"

His jaw tics, and I continue. "Actually, I am having a great night, no thanks to the constant feel of your death stares."

"He certainly likes to have his hands on you. Possessive much?" he sneers like the dickhead he is.

"Oh, I"m sorry, is that a hint of jealousy I hear? Remember, asshole, you had your chance. You told me you didn't want anything else from me. Therefore, I agreed to go out with someone who genuinely wants to spend his time with me and not just for a one-and-done fuck." I poke at his chest to emphasize every word.

He scoffs. "You're delusional if you think he has good intentions… You probably assume you were his first choice as a date for tonight too."

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard your whole spiel already. Save it for someone who gives a shit." My frustration is getting the best of me, and I know better than to continue arguing with him.

"If we're done here, I'd like to return to my date," I say as I look him right in the eye. I'm hoping to see a glimmer of something, but I don't know why I care.

"We're done here. I'll see you at the office on Monday. Enjoy your date," he says, practically growling out the final words.

We part ways, and I head back to where Logan is standing at the bar. Chancing a glance in the direction Parker stormed off, I see him heading toward the venue's exit. For some reason, my stomach drops slightly, knowing he's gone for the night.

Plastering on a smile that no longer feels natural, I continue toward Logan. A grin breaks out on his face as I approach. Tucking away his phone, he grabs my new glass of champagne and raises it to me.

You assume you were his first choice.