"I thought you came out here to hang out with one particular rich old man."
"And yet I'm stuck with his delinquent son."
"My apologies," he replied. "What exactly is it that you want then?"
"I don't know, something real, someplace that doesn't look like the offspring of a country club and a retirement home. I expected more from you."
"From me?" Logan asked. "See? You're starting to like me. A few more hours and you'll beg me to steal you away from that husband of yours."
"You'll have to steal me away from here first."
Logan grabbed Amy's hand. "Fine, but remember, you asked for it." He gave her a long look as if he were making up his mind. “But not a word to my dad about this one, and certainly not a word to your husband."
"Where are you taking me, a brothel?"
"Nah, they don't open for a few hours," Logan said with a laugh. "I've got someplace better."
Once outside, Logan pulled Amy down the street and wound through several narrow alleyways until finally he reached a run-down back door. "You're going to love this place," he said.
"Is this a hick bar?"
"This is my hick bar," Logan replied. "But don't call them hicks," he said, pointing a finger at a few of the young, scruffy looking patrons at the bar. He raised his voice and said, "They fucking hate it when you call them hicks."
"They hate it when you point, too," one of the guys at the bar yelled back.
Logan looked at him for a moment. "Hey," he said, "I was going to tell her that next."
Another guy at the bar wrapped his arm over the shoulder of the first and leaned forward, looking across the room at Amy. "Hey, trust fund, she looks too smart to possibly be here with you."
"Just too sober," Logan replied. As soon as he said it, the men at the bar burst into laughter. Logan led Amy over to them. "Gents, this is Amy. Amy, these are The Gents."
"The Gents?" Amy asked.
"We're in a band," the first one replied.
"Cool," Amy said, motioning to the bartender without success. "Do people in your band have actual names?"
"The first guy held out his hand. I'm Andy, this is Keith, and you've already met our guitar and piano player."
"Who?" Amy asked, looking around at the other assorted people in the bar.
"Logan," Andy said.
Logan looked at Amy. "Oh don't act so surprised, what's the privileged son of a businessman supposed to do, put on a shirt and tie?" He hopped over the bar and reached for a glass. "So what can I get you?"
"What are you doing back there?" Amy asked. She shot a look down toward the bartender, a pretty blonde who had just noticed Logan's presence. She was scowling at him, but Amy had a good idea of why he had hired her.
"You're kidding me," she said. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Sarah, I'm getting a drink for a friend."
"That's my job," Sarah said. She walked over to Logan. "And I can't do my job if you keep letting all your friends drink here for free."
Amy shook her head. "I've been wondering what someone does when they have everything in life."
Sarah elbowed Logan in his side. "Everything but common sense."
"Who needs that when you have beer and friends?" Logan asked as he poured Amy a pint. "I'm sure the rest of your weekend will be polo, scotch and spreadsheets, so have a beer and relax while you can."
Amy grabbed the pint glass and took a long sip. What was it that Ethan had told her again and again on their flight from DC? That she needed to learn to relax and live in the moment? Amy laughed as she thought about that, and then she held her glass up. "To living in the moment," she said.
Logan gave her a wink and poured himself a pint. Then the members of the band raised their glasses with hers and cheered before draining the last of their drinks and slamming them down on the counter to signal for more.
Things were certainly taking a turn for the interesting, Amy thought. If only Ethan could see her now.
***
“Let’s call it a night before I get you into trouble with your father.”
Logan laughed and said, “I’ve been in trouble for 27 years. I don’t think another hour is going to make much of a difference.”
“Oh yeah?” Amy asked. She wondered if Logan knew what real trouble was or if his father had always cleaned up his messes for him. “Are you good to drive?” she asked.#p#分页标题#e#
Logan laughed again. “One of the two of us has been pounding down drinks like she expects someone to show up and haul her away. I’m going to leave it to you to figure out which one of us that is.” Logan held up his half empty glass. “If you’re wondering, I’m still on my first one.”