The S.P.E.

Chapter 12

"Joe, we're doin' shots. Pass the Cuervo," Logan slapped a fifty-dollar bill on the bar and fast as a blink, the money disappeared, and two shots sat in its place. After about two months of weekly lunches and weekly dinners, Logan asked me if I wanted to go visit his friend Joe. When he guided me next door, I laughed and said I was well acquainted with Joe.

"Oh, you know Joe, do you?" Logan raised an eyebrow. He got a kick out of teasing me about guys, but by now I knew how to turn it right back around on him.

"Not as well as you do, but yes, Joe gets me drunk. We're old pals." Logan didn't get as flustered with the innuendo of gay sex as other guys did but it was enough to make my point.

"Neither of you are my type anyway." Joe baldly stated and walked off, leaving us both momentarily speechless. We just looked at each other, and thus began our Friday drinking night. I never worked Saturday mornings unless someone was sick, so we usually closed the place down. Logan bought mostly, but I insisted to pay at least a quarter of the time.

Apparently, this evening, we were doing shots. "Anything special we're celebrating, or do you just want to get a jump start on cirrhosis?" I asked but that didn't stop me from toasting and downing my first shot. "Woo! That's tequila alright." I set my glass down and waited for Logan to reply.

"Oh, we're celebrating. I decided my new goal in life- we're getting you a man." Joe came back over and refilled our glasses. At that declaration, I needed another drink. I downed my second and tried once more.

"I must have misheard you. I get mine. You're the one who needs a lady-friend." The subject of dating was one of Logan's favorite things to prod me with. He knew I didn't date much, and never for longer than just a few dates. Once things progressed to the bedroom phase, I cut it off. He thought that was... I don't really know what he thought about it, really, but it seemed to amuse him to no end. I always retorted with his lack of romantic contact too. Then came his proscribed response-

"I got a few numbers I can call." I still wasn't sure if he meant friends-with-benefits or hookers. He never gave me the same answer twice when I asked him to clarify. "But this isn't about me." This was new to the conversation. Usually we dropped it after this, but he continued, "You are relationship kryptonite. You go on a few dates, you start to feel a connection, you let a guy in your pants, and then poof. You bolt. Or you kill them. I haven't figured out if you're chicken about feelings or some sort of black widow."

"Oh, you know they're dead. Don't even look in my closet." Joe poured a third and I downed it in as many seconds. This was getting to a place I didn't want to go. I had my feelings for Logan under control, which meant that I never thought about them or let them effect my life and dated only as much as I felt I needed to, to scratch the itch, as it were. I mean, I was only twenty-seven. I wasn't going to practice celibacy for a guy who had no idea what was going on in my brain.

"Have you tried internet dating?" That made me bark out a laugh.

"Yeah, I'm not so big on the idea of swiping left or whatever. How does it work? You're on Grindr, right?"

Logan just ignored that and took his shot he'd been neglecting. "Ok, fine. I give up. For now. As it is, I am looking for a lady. Found someone I kinda like actually, but she's different from other girls I've been with and I could ask your advice."

My stomach flip-flopped but I squashed all vestige of emotion before it could do damage. "Different? So, this chick has not been lobotomized? She's never been named Miss Teen anything?" I started laughing, because let's face it, I'm hilarious. "She wears underwear?"

"Ha ha ha, Lulu." He dragged out the Name when he was getting pissed with me, so I knew it was time to stop. "She's incredible. She's not into money. She's not a bottle blonde. She can actually make a joke instead of just laughing at mine." His voice had a dreamy quality as he reminisced about his lady-love.