Rock and Roll Fantasy

[DrStein]

((OOC: Please PM to join. This thread is open to only one female writer interested in playing the part of Cassandra.))

It was a quarter after one in the afternoon. A sunny, pleasant day in June and the lunch rush had already been winding down. A rock band were meeting at a small burger joint, one of only three parties still there. This particular band, Ghost Dance, were the brain child of the lead singer and sometimes-guitarist Logan Masters. He was a handsome man in his late 20's. Tanned, high cheekbones, dark eyes and dark hair. His long hair, neatly trimmed beard, and outfit made him look like a rock and roll bad boy who actually had been a cowboy at some point rather than pretending to be one. He took off his hat and raked a hand back through his mane of long, shaggy curls and laughed at a joke from Jonesy, the band's drummer.

"Seriously!" Jonesy added as everyone laughed. "Dude had no idea!"

The conversation was interrupted as Mike, the keyboardist for the group, strode in through the door with a newspaper in hand. "Check it out guys! Our interview finally got printed in the Culture Journal!" That got everyone's attention. The Culture Journal was a small paper dedicated to covering the city's nightlife, arts and entertainment. Mike handed the paper to Logan with it opened to the right page.

Sure enough, there was a photo of the band on stage. Logan was wearing his usual jeans, T-shirt with cut off sleeves and cowboy boots outfit along with his signature hat and the ubiquitous amulet and medicine pouch he wore around his neck at all times and had his head leaned back as he belted out a high note. Their guitarist, Roy, was windmilling his long hair. Cassandra had already taken her shoes off at that point in the set, grooving on stage in the striped stockings she was so fond of and playing her bass fingerstyle. Mike was in a wide stance bent over his keyboards like he was about to collapse from exertion. Jonesy was in the background giving his best drum face, showing off his pearly white teeth with a huge shark's grin.

The headline read, "Haunting the Clubs: Local Rockers Ghost Dance Bring a Touch of Prog to Hard Rock." Logan began reading aloud.

"'For the past new months, local hard rock quintet Ghost Dance have been a fixture in the bars and clubs. With a diverse range of influences, they've won over crowds with their signature sound consisting of crunchy riffs, melodic bass lines, hypnotic rhythms, gospel-influenced keys, and sing-along choruses. Despite only having a handful of self-recorded and produced demos, the band is attracting an impressive following.

"'We caught up with them recently for a sit-down interview. They were happy to share with us their many influences as musicians, their individual muses, and shine some light on their songwriting process. We also learned of...'" At this Logan trailed off.

"What?" Jonesy asked.

Roy snatched the paper out of Logan's hands and scanned to see where the singer had left off. "'We also learned of charismatic front man Logan Master's five years living on the road and traveling the US from coast to coast.'"

Logan gave a tight-lipped smile that didn't touch his eyes. He knew he had stage presence but he hated to think that he might be stealing the spotlight from his band mates. He made certain every show to give everyone a chance to shine and get them a round of applause individually. He knew the conversation about his travels from the interview would come up when the article went to print, but he had hoped that a big deal wouldn't be made of it.

He noticed Cassandra giving him a sultry smile from the corner of his eye. She was very forward, wore her intentions openly. They had become fast friends since he settled down here, but lately she was making it obvious she was interested in being more than friends. Logan though wasn't sure how to react just yet. He'd had a few one night stands on the road, but no real relationship since the one that motivated him to hit the road in the first place.

"Relax, man," Jonesy assured him. "It's a good story."

Logan smiled genuinely at that. The last thing he wanted was to unintentionally create any band drama before they'd even had a chance to get going. This was the best group of musicians he'd ever worked with and he didn't want to risk that. Not when his life was finally stabilizing. Now if only he knew what to do about Cassandra. She was most certainly a very attractive young woman. He was more worried that he'd be the one to screw up. Regardless, he had to make a decision one way or another or he'd end up offending her anyway.

 

[scarlettnuit]

Cassandra looked over at Logan, proud that he wasn’t the kind of jerk that would be content with taking all the glory of the interview. However, if his charisma got them more gigs and moved them forward, who was going to complain. Like anything else, one had to work their assets and Logan was certainly that.

He had enchanted her from the moment they had met, usually the guys she played with and hung around were self-absorbed assholes, but Logan was definitely different. It also didn’t hurt that he was the sexiest man she had ever seen. She had always been a flirt and with Logan it wasn’t much different, except that now, she definitely meant every word of it.

“Well sexy, looks like your fine ass is our best asset” she winked at him playfully across the table as she took a bite of a french fry. She then leaned back in her chair and looked at them all. “What do you guys say we get out of here? The waitress is giving us that look…ya know, the I’m tired of seeing your faces when you aren’t ordering more food look” she grinned.

 

[DrStein]

Logan glanced over at their waitress who was serving another table and did indeed seem to be a little impatient. Logan was a charmer, but there was only so much he could accomplish at once. The band all split the check and got up to leave. Logan angled the brim of his hat down to shield his eyes against the bright summer sun.

It was a scorcher today. Ninety already, and probably hotter tomorrow. Temperature didn't much bother Logan anymore. His years on the road had put him through heat waves in Texas and blizzards in Maine.

"So, where's everybody going from here?" Mike asked.

"I need to head back home," Jonesy answered. "I, uh... I'm going to my girlfriend's parents for her birthday."

Logan offered a sympathetic smile at that. Jonesy was one of the nicest guys one could ever hope to meet, but his girlfriend's parents were from an... "old-fashioned" background and were less than thrilled to see their daughter dating a tall, muscular black man. That he wasn't Catholic didn't help. He was winning them over but it was a slow process. Logan discreetly touched the amulet on his chest and made a silent wish for luck for his friend. He always kept his spiritual side low-key.

Mike and Roy both had their own plans and had to move on. When it came to Logan he simply shrugged. "I don't have much going on today. Thought I'd go down to the Marketplace." The Simmons Square Marketplace was a bustling shopping district filled with ethnic shops, restaurants, a farmer's market, and local crafts all packed into about two square miles. It was one of Logan's favorite places to go to relax, window shop, and perhaps find a new experience.

He glanced over at Cassandra. She hadn't said anything yet. Though his placid mask wouldn't show it, he wasn't sure if he wanted to tag along her not. Still, he would need to come to a decision sooner or later. He had flirted back with her a little while they'd known each other, but they'd never had a chance to just talk by themselves. He figured now was as good a time as any. It may help him decide. "You want to tag along, Cassy?"

 

[scarlettnuit]

Cassandra walked out into the afternoon light and immediately put on her dark shaded cat eye sunglasses.

“I am entirely too vampiric for that bright shiny thing.” She had always been pale and had never really had a positive relationship with the sun.

She blew a bubble with the gum she had been chewing and rolled her eyes behind her dark shades as the subject of Jonsey’s girlfriend came up. She couldn’t stand the little twit and wasn’t entirely sure what Jonsey saw in her. She was too dramatic and probably loved the fact that her parents hated Logan. She was sure he was just a pawn in her revenge plot against them for not buying her a pony when she was eight, or some such nonsense.

“Why don’t you ditch the bitch and find out what a real woman is like?” she teased Jonsey who just laughed and walked away.

When Logan asked her to go with him to the Marketplace, her heart sped up a little. She had a tough exterior and wouldn’t take shit from anyone, but there was something about Logan that made her melt inside, though she would rather die than admit it. She often used her humor and sarcasm as a shield to hide behind.

“Taking the advice I gave Jonsey huh?” she teased him as she blew another pink bubble between her luscious red lips. “Where to first stud?”

 

[DrStein]

"Well, someone has to protect you from the evil effects of the 'day ball,'" Logan joked. He took off his hat and put it on Cassandra's head. She looked a little silly in her Gothic ensemble and sunglasses while wearing his hat. Logan smiled at that and gestured for her to follow. The Marketplace was only a few blocks from here and they'd be able to stick to the shade for most of it.

He touched his amulet again, hoping for luck. He had become an animist early on in his travels, spending time on several American Indian reservations and learning about their history. Most New Age-y types claimed to follow native beliefs in a cheap, pseudo-mystical sort of way. For Logan, the belief was genuine, but like most personal matters he didn't talk about it much. He would answer questions people asked, but the most overt signs were his tattoos. On his left upper arm was a Navajo depiction of Coyote, his totem spirit. On the right arm, a Hopi dancer. A few Native Americans saw him as just another pretentious white guy who got into New Age, but he understood why they thought that and didn't set out to prove them wrong. He was content to simply be.

The walk was quiet and pleasant. Logan preferred to let other people talk. He was comfortable with the silence. When they reached the Marketplace, it was less crowded than usual. It was a Tuesday after all. On the weekends it was packed. Several grills outside restaurants were serving various ethnic fast foods. Gyros, skewers, that sort of thing. On the corner nearest Logan and Cassandra a busker was playing an acoustic blues cover of Gangnam Style, which got a laugh out of Logan who tossed a dollar into the man's guitar case.

 

[scarlettnuit]

She chuckled as he put his hat on her. “Boy, talk about a fashion statement. I think I’m going to start a new trend with this, you’ll be lucky to get it back.” She teased him.

She followed him to the market place, the heels of her boots clicking unceremoniously down the sidewalk. It had been a long time since she had been alone with Logan and it was nice to feel the comfortable silence that existed between them.

She stuck out like a sore thumb in most places, particularly the Marketplace, not that she particularly cared. She wore skin tight black latex leggings and a blood red corset, a belt made of chains hanging around her waist. She had on a small bolero jacket to both defend her milky skin from the sun as well as to help cover some of the cleavage her hourglass figure typically displayed.

She laughed out loud at the guitarist’s song and chuckled when Logan tossed a dollar into his guitar case.

“I hate it just as much acoustically, but talent needs to be rewarded” she said as she looped her arm through his. “How do you think you should be rewarded for your stellar interview today Mr. Masters?” she asked as they strolled through the area window shopping.

 

[DrStein]

Logan lifted a brow at Cassandra's remark. "I don't care what anyone says, Gangnam Style still works as a satire, both the song and the video." It was in his nature to be optimistic. Even bad movies and songs he always found something positive to say. In fact, he seemed to prefer low-budget B-movies. He would tell people that he admired the underdogs.

"As for a reward... well there's always your delightful company," he said with a charming smile. "How about we grab some snowcones?" There was a cart selling shaved ice on the next block. There were only a couple of people in the line, but it seemed apparent that the two men running it had been doing a lot of business that day.

When Logan and Cassandra stepped up, Logan ordered a watermelon flavored snowcone. Cassandra ordered hers, but the guy running the car took a second to process it as he was staring at her cleavage. Logan gave her a knowing look. She turned heads and he knew she enjoyed it. On the other hand, he seldom seemed to acknowledge the number of women who stared at him when he walked down the street.

 

[scarlettnuit]

“So I suppose everything being completely saturated with it is ok. I just wish they didn’t play it every other song.” She shrugged.

She smiled when he said he wanted a snowcone, it was so cute she almost chuckled. Here she was with this “big bad” rock guy, and he wanted a snowcone.

“I’ve got some snow cones for you.” She teased him as they walked over to the cart. As they did so, she noticed the guys staring at the chest, something she was accustomed to. She enjoyed the attention that her looks brought her, the attention made her feel good about herself. Though, contrary to popular belief, a belief she never saw fit to correct, she hardly slept around. Her deflowering had been such a monsterous catastrophe, she hadn’t really been all too interested in sex. That was, until she met Logan of course.

As the guys made their snow cones, she leaned over and asked them trivial questions about their business, which lead to their snow cones being free of charge. She smiled sweetly at both of them, letting the tip of her tongue trail seductively across the curve of her snowcone before they left the cart. If they wanted a show, they got it.

She had just taken a bite of her snow cone when they reached one of her favorite stores.

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed as she ran towards a shop window. Inside the display case was 1975 Fender Telecaster. “I think I might need a new pair of panties…” she said as she bent over to look at the bass more closely, not really thinking about the view she was giving the people around her in her leggings.

 

[DrStein]

Logan smiled at Cassandra putting on a show. Even when she spotted the Telecaster in the window, she still couldn't stop herself from giving everyone a great view. "You do realize that the shop owners might get upset with you. Everyone's looking at the wrong kind of merchandise." He noted the "NO FOOD OR DRINK" sign on the door and took a few more bites of his snowcone.

"Finish your snack and we'll pop inside. I think you could do with some air conditioning." To punctuate that, he took his hat back and brushed a few drops of sweat from her forehead. His touch lingered a bit. Her skin was soft... smooth. It had been a while since he was last with a woman. Lately he had begun to wonder if his perpetual single status was just an excuse to maintain a sort of status quo.

Logan had left on his travels after a particularly bitter breakup that left him an emotional wreck. But that was six years ago. He didn't have an excuse anymore. Was he really just staying single because it was easier? Required less time and effort on his part? Here he had a gorgeous woman that he had so much in common with stopping just short of stripping naked, leaping into his arms and screaming, "Take me now!" Most men would kill for a chance to be in such a position.

But as was his usual way, Logan wasn't about to just jump in. He eased into everything. He would start with the little things and see where it went from there. They finished eating and he took Cassandra's hand, still as cold as his was from the frozen treat. "Come on." He tipped his hat at a rakish angle as he looked at her with that charateristic smile of his and led her into the store.

 

[scarlettnuit]

Cassy was so enthralled with the bass that it took her a minute to realize what he was talking about. She then giggled for a second and stood up.

She pushed her sunglasses up on her head since they were in the shade now. “Yes sir” she winked at him as she took a bite of her snow cone. When he touched her forehead she felt her skin tingled and her mouth went dry. Right now he was showing her more attention than he ever had, at least on a level that didn’t seem to be strictly friendship. Her heart fluttered in her chest, even moreso when took her hand and she suddenly started to nervous.

She went into the store with him, not moving to let go of his hand. Even this simple gesture seemed to send thrills through her. She wasn’t entirely sure what to do now. It was one thing to shamelessly flirt with someone you had no hopes or intentions of reciprocation, but now she had butterflies in her stomach.

“See anything you like?” she asked in a voice that was uncharacteristically soft.

 

[DrStein]

At her question, he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. Logan never moved a single muscle more than he had to. Many said it added to his mystique. His look said he was in on a joke. Like he knew she was daring him to make some sort of innuendo or one-liner. And he would play along, but in his own way.

He led her a little deeper into the store before spotting on guitar in particular. A Les Paul with a natural finish. He picked it up off the rack and smiled at Cassandra. It looked good in his hands. It matched his personality. "This is the sort of thing I like. A nice, curvy form... attention to detail... All natural too. No fancy paint jobs or anything. Elegant, beautiful, made to be seen, heard and admired." Logan didn't think he could lay it on any thicker than that. But it wasn't as if she had been terribly subtle lately either.

 

[scarlettnuit]

Cassy’s eyes opened a little wider as he spoke, looking at her with the eyes she had dreamed of peering into for so long. His meaning was obvious, though it still surprised her after all of his resistance. She wasn’t entirely sure what she would do with him if she got him. She wasn’t nearly as experienced as she let on and she becoming increasingly concerned with looking stupid. She licked her lips for a moment and then peered back at him through her eyelashes.

“So what’s keeping you from taking what you want?” she asked as she stepped closer to him, her breasts heaving slightly against the restraints of her corset.

 

[DrStein]

Logan should have expected that question. He thought for a moment before answering. "Well... a few things. Sometimes you wonder if the time isn't right. Sometimes you wonder if it'll create more drama than it would be worth. Sometimes your cautious because you got burned..."

He put the guitar back on the rack and turned to Cassandra. "And also it's not really proper to just take something in full public view." Those words were a reminder that they weren't the only ones in the store. In fact, seemingly oblivious to the conversation going on next to him, a teenager noodling on a guitar about ten feet away was doing a poor job of hiding the fact that he was staring at Cassy's ass.

"You want to come back to my place and talk about this?" Logan asked at last. He'd made his move. They were both attracted to each other. Now it was time to talk like adults without all the innuendos and bad jokes.

 

[scarlettnuit]

“Lead the way Kemosabe.” She told him as they headed out of the store. Part of her felt like she was walking into the principal’s office. Like she was about to be found out about being a lot of talk and not as much walk.

Logan didn’t live far away and before she knew it, they were standing in his living room.

“Well sir, I do believe you wanted to talk to me about something” she jested with a smile, trying to keep the conversation light as she moved to sit down on the couch. She almost blurted out another innuendo out of nervousness but managed to keep it in.

“Nice place you got here, who’s your decorator?” she joked out of nervousness.

 

[DrStein]

Logan's apartment was very much like the man himself. The furniture was simple, but comfortable. The TV was there mostly to watch movies. The color scheme was warm and inviting and the decor consisted mostly of band posters with a few odds and ends picked up in his travels, including an authentic coyote skull he hung over the door to his bedroom. Though somewhat minimalist, the place was distinctly his right down to a vague woodsy scent that permeated every room and seemed to follow Logan himself everywhere he went. Anyone walking in would feel that they had entered the den of a wild animal. This was his territory, and all guests would abide by his rules.

Logan contemplated how to start. He didn't take the bait with Cassy's joke. He scratched lightly at his beard and finally asked, "Did I ever tell you why I left home in the first place?" It was a long story and he much preferred to give the short version. It wasn't a topic he liked to talk about.

When Cassandra shook her head he sighed and eased himself into the couch beside her. He leaned back, stretched his legs out, and proceeded to slowly conform to the shape of the couch as he always did. No matter where he was, that's where he wanted to be. "About six years ago I was in a pretty serious relationship... It ended badly. The lease on our apartment was in her name, so she kicked me out and I spent a month or two sleeping on friends' couches.

"One day I said fuck it, sold most of my stuff and hit the road, playing guitar for tips to cross the country... When I wasn't picking pockets." Though it had been a long time since he had to use it, Logan was actually quite skilled in pickpocketing and short cons. He had never been caught, but he also never took more than he needed.

"Somewhere along the way, I just learned to enjoy being single. I found my faith, had my adventures, saw the best the US had to offer. Those were good years to me. I settled here a year ago, started the band, and you know the story from there." He rolled his head to the side to look at Cassandra. If he was doing that instead of looking from the corner of his eye, it must have been important. "I guess I just got used to being alone." He neglected to mention that he was also an orphan. That was one of the few memories he actively tried to suppress. "There's less drama and I've been mostly self-sufficient for years anyway. Now... I'm wondering if it's time to change."

He took Cassandra's hand in his own. "We're both attracted to each other and we've got good chemistry. I'm partly worried about screwing up the band. That wouldn't be fair to anybody. More than that... if absolutely nothing else you've been a good friend to me. Even if it turns out we don't make a good couple, I'd still like to have you in my life."

 

[scarlettnuit]

Cassy was surprised at the amount of honesty that seemed to be flowing from Logan. She had known very little about his life before he got here, and she tried not to ask as she felt it was his business and no one else’s, that he would volunteer any information that he wanted her to know.

“Well, if we’re being honest…” she said as she bit her bottom lip. The tough girl exterior fell away reveal someone considerably more vulnerable. “I know I talk a lot, and I flirt a lot but…” she paused hoping this wouldn’t push him away, “in all honesty, I’ve only ever been with one guy…and it was NOT a positive experience…” she told him, blushing hotly, unable to look him in the eye.

She stood up from the couch and walked towards the window, looking out of it. “I hope you don’t think I’m some kind of terrible liar. It’s just difficult to be in a man’s world and not be able to talk the talk, so to speak,” she paused, taking a deep breath before turning around to face him.

“Plus, as I hope you know, I’m hardly a drama queen and I certainly didn’t any “poor Cassy” crap going on. But one thing I know for certain is that either way you’re stuck with me, no matter which way the breeze ends up blowing.” She told him, hoping it was reassuring to him.

“I hope you don’t think I’m some kind of liar or something…”

 

[DrStein]

There was no sign of any judgment on Logan's face. Not that he ever showed signs of anything negative to begin with. He just stayed in his pose, reclined on the couch as Cassandra told him her little secret. In hindsight, he realized it shouldn't be a surprise. In a year, he'd never heard her mention she was seeing someone. She didn't even have any stories of dates that never made it past the first night.

He slowly rose up from the couch and stretched out like a great bear awakening from hibernation. "In that case... what do you say we just take it one day at a time?" He offered a reassuring smile with those words. "Band practice on Thursday. How does dinner after that sound?"

 

[scarlettnuit]

It was strange how she was suddenly very aware of the scent of his skin, it was driving her mad. All the months of flirting and now Logan seemed to actually reciprocate her feelings, and he wanted to take it slow. She understood that she supposed but she wasn’t ready to leave him yet.

She walked towards him, her hand caressing his chest, making its way down his stomach.

“I’m not a porcelain doll you know. I just am not as physically experienced as you are is all…” she began and then looked up into his eyes. “I don’t even rate a kiss?”

 

[DrStein]

"It's as much for me as it is you, you know. Speaking as a man, we take forever to change our habits." There was a note of mirth in his voice. He knew Cassy wanted to take it further. He'd be lying if he said there wasn't a part of him that did as well. But Logan wasn't the impulsive type. This conversation had already been three months in the making. If she knew how many times he had rehearsed in his head the different ways to have this conversation, she would probably laugh.

He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her face up toward his. He leaned down and his lips met hers in a soft, lingering kiss. There was a strong passion beneath the surface that Logan kept restrained like the rest of his emotions. When the kiss finally parted, he smiled again. "How about a compromise? Dinner on Thursday. After that, you pick what we do with ourselves the rest of the night. Deal?"

 

[scarlettnuit]

The kiss electrified her body and she couldn’t speak for a few moments afterward, something that was very unusually for Cassy. He spoke to her but it didn’t really register until a few moments later.

“What do you mean compromise? I just wanted a kiss, and I got it.” She smiled softly and then pulled away from him.

“Thursday sounds good, but I’ll leave the planning up to you, I’m terrible at dates and planning…and stuff like that” she told him as she licked her lips for a moment. She had never felt a kiss like that in her entire life and her head was still spinning a bit.

“I’d better go, I’ll see you on Thursday.” She smiled at him and began to head out the door.

 

[DrStein]

Seeing Cassy awkward, blushing and generally acting like a schoolgirl with a huge crush was different, but also a bit amusing. It had been a while since Logan had seen his charms have that effect on a woman. "Take care of yourself," he said as she let herself out.

He sat down out his couch and grabbed a notebook sitting on the coffee table. He began free writing, filling an entire page with his thoughts about the afternoon completely heedless of spelling and grammar. He shook the writing cramp out of his hand when he finished and scanned the page. Already several pieces jumped out at him as potentially good lyrics. This was his process. It surprised many people to learn that Logan never smoked, never drank, and only rarely indulged in any... illicit substances. He put himself into trances when he wrote or noodled on his guitar and simply took what was usable and discarded what wasn't.

Thursday came slowly. The band practiced in Roy's garage. He was renting the house from his father and had soundproofed the room to keep from annoying the neighbors. They ran through their usual set. Though Logan was the founder of the band, he left the songwriting process a democratic one. Anyone could contribute lyrics, melodies or ideas. Most often Logan gave them some themes and told them to work with those. Logan wanted to do a cover of Shock the Monkey by Peter Gabriel at their next gig, so they finished practice with that. Despite his smoky baritone, Logan had an impressive range and was able to hit the high notes without slipping into falsetto.

Once everything was packed up, Logan and Cassy caught a bus downtown. The restaurant Logan had in mind was The Elephant's Garden. Not too cheap, not too expensive, it was a relatively new addition to the area. They served a mix of Thai and Vietnamese with a little bit of Indian cuisine. "Thought we'd try something a little exotic," Logan explained as he took Cassandra's hand and led her inside. The smells inside were rich, complex and heady. Saffron, cinnamon, all manner of stir-fried vegetables... The decor favored Thai aesthetics, lending a feeling of regality to the atmosphere. Hung on the wall over their table was a black and white photo of Angkor Wat.

 

[scarlettnuit]

Cassandra had worn a pencil skirt, heels and a deep purple halter top with a black lace overlay. She also wore her seamed stockings and spike covered heels, in truth, nothing out of the ordinary for her. Practice went well, to anyone else it would appear as if nothing at all had passed between Logan and Cassandra, the only sign being that they left on the bus together.

She hummed the new song that Logan had brought to practice, his songs often got stuck in her head. When they arrived at the restaurant she smiled, she loved thai food.

“Sounds good to me.” She said as she headed inside. They were seated soon and she looked over the menu. She crossed her legs under the table and then put her menu down.

“So what are you getting?” she asked him.

 

[DrStein]

Logan took a moment to look over the menu. "I think I'll go with the red curry chicken with bamboo shoots." He reached over and took Cassandra's hand in one of his own. He gently caressed and massaged her hand as he stared into her eyes with a soft smile. Once more he was content not to speak. They just sat in silence until the server came to take their order.

Finally, he broke the silence with the first question he had asked her since this whole thing started. "If you'll indulge my curiosity, what made you decide to take a chance on me? You could have any man you want and I know I'm not exactly the most approachable guy on earth." His assessment of himself sounded more realist than self-deprecating. Affable though he was, Logan was always a little distant.

 

[scarlettnuit]

Cassidy placed her order and then smiled a bit when Logan posed his question. “Because you’re like no one I’ve ever known before. Unlike most men, you actually think and evaluate the things you’re doing, or are planning to do.” She shrugged a bit. “I’ve just always felt something was different about you, down to your aura.” She told him and then sipped her water.

“I suppose I could pose the same question.”

 

[DrStein]

Logan sat and contemplated her answer a moment. When she asked him why he was interested in her he smiled. "You're intelligent, talented, spirited, outspoken, and accept no second-class behavior. The only thing holding me back was my own complacency." He took her hand again. "The fact that you're breathtakingly beautiful helps too." With that he gave her hand a tender kiss, the hairs of his beard tickling her fingers.

It was a slow night so their food came quickly. They passed the meal mostly making small talk about music. It was a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere. Logan asked nothing of her and simply seemed to bask in her company.