The Billionaire's Kiss(20)

"Is that so?" Logan asked.

"Yeah, they got a hotel room on the waterfront down on Long Wharf. It's kind of adorable. I hope I have even a tenth of what they have." Callie stopped to order the coffee. She got her usual, a caramel cappuccino with extra foam. Logan opted for black iced coffee. He held out his credit card to pay.

"You'll have more," Logan said. "Come on, let me buy you that coffee.”#p#分页标题#e#

“More what?”

“More years of happiness. Women like you always end up finding their happy ending.”

“Oh, I thought you were talking about the coffee. This one's on me," she said. “Then again, you still owe me that drink."

"That I do," Logan said. "How about tonight?"

"As long as you have red wine."

"Where's the fun in that? I own a brewery. You have to at least try what we make. I promise, if you don't like it, I'll get you a bottle of whatever you want."

Callie took the drinks from the barista and handed one to Logan. "See you tonight."





***

That afternoon, as Callie made her way across Newport to Logan’s bar, she decided to call Charlotte. Callie wanted to know what Charlotte would have to say about all of this. For the entire time they had known each other, Callie had been the overly practical one, while Charlotte had been the one creating stories out of nothing, dreaming up romances and adventures. She’d probably think Callie had hit the jackpot with Logan. Flirty, fiery, and a little bit bad? It sounded like one of the heroes from one of Charlotte’s books. Callie pulled her phone out of her purse and placed the call. “So how is Prince Charming?" Charlotte asked. Callie could hear the running bathtub in the background.

"I can't figure out if he's fun or infuriating. I think I'll have an answer tonight. Are you reading Jane Austen in the tub again?”

“Yes. Tonight is my date with Mr. Darcy. Are you going on a date with Logan?"

"No, I'm just meeting him at his bar for drinks,” Callie said.

"That sounds like a date to me,” Charlotte added.

“Like yours, it isn’t,” Callie said.

“Just because my date happens to be with a fictional character, doesn’t mean it’s not a date. Yours sounds a bit more interesting anyway. Fitz is getting a little predictable for my tastes.”

“Who is Fitz?”

“Fitzwilliam Darcy. Don’t tell me you’ve been my roommate for all this time and you don’t know Mr. Darcy’s first name. That’s worse than expecting me to believe that you’re not going on a date tonight.”

"I'm just trying to do my job," Callie said.

"No one said you couldn't do your job and have some fun."

"My boss, who also happens to be my very pregnant and very hormonal sister told me I wasn't allowed to have any fun."

Charlotte whispered, "It's a good thing she's several hundred miles away isn't it?"

“Why are you whispering?” Callie asked.

“Just because you’re hundreds of miles away doesn’t mean I am. What if she shows up here for some reason. For all I know, she could have our place bugged.” Charlotte burst into laughter. “Imagine how boring it would be to listen to our apartment. You’re never here, and I’m always reading. It would be like listening to paint dry.”

Callie shook her head. “Nothing is going to happen between me and Logan, and no one has bugged our apartment.”

"Well, call me a skeptic, but I don't believe you about the Logan part. I bet you two are already madly in love, and you're just trying to cover your tracks. The incorrigible bachelor and the proper house guest. I think this is a story I’d read."

"Ha," Callie said, “I’ll keep that in mind. You think I'm going to fall in love with him? Don't get me wrong: he's sexy as hell, but he doesn't strike me as the fall in love type."

“That’s just what Elizabeth Bennet would say about Mr. Darcy!” Charlotte said. “Well, if you do end up alone tonight, give me a call, and I’ll keep you company. We can talk about finding me a new roommate when you decide to run off with Logan.”

“Not going to happen, but I’ll call you later to let you know how things go,” Callie said. "I'm heading into The Independent now. I'll call you the moment I walk back out."





***

Logan got up from the bar and walked over to the door to greet Callie. "Haven, how are you?" he asked. He hugged her quickly with a vigor one might reserve for an old friend. She had wondered how he'd greet her, whether he'd shake her hand or lean in and kiss her on the cheek, giving her some clue as to his intentions, but the hug, well it didn't tell her much other than what she already knew: Logan was in great shape. Calling her Haven, now that was something else entirely.