The corners of Logan’s eyes crinkled. He could hardly see from the wide smile on his face. He placed a hand on Alex’s upper back, “Let’s go.”
He led her through the crowd. Jae and Emily followed behind them, taking soft steps. The both of them looked dazed. They didn’t say anything in fear that they’d break whatever calm aura the two had around them. Alex once glanced to her right. Her cousin noticed the blush on her cheeks that she didn’t put on Alex.
She squealed.
“What?” Jae nudged her side.
“Alex’s blushing!” Emily whispered excitedly.
Jae tilted his head, glancing up the ceiling for a moment, “Would you blush if I kissed you like that?”
The happy expression quickly died off her face, “Don’t ruin this for me.”
The four of them cut through the crowd. They reached the other side in a nick of time. Jae mimicked Logan’s hold on Alex and explained to Emily that her grandfather might find it suspicious if he didn’t treat her in the same manner. She raised a fist at him, quietly threatening his face if he did anything funny.
Their family spotted them when they were a few meters away. Jaime took the initiative and walked over to them, saying, “Logan! Jae! I’m sorry about the delay. My husband wanted to meet you first before you leave.”
Done with ‘escorting’ Alex, Logan removed his hand and bowed his head, “No need for apologies. It would be our pleasure.”
A man he didn’t recognize came up beside Jaime. Logan bowed his head again but in his direction, “Greetings, sir.”
Oliver responded with a nod, “You’re quite young. Can I rely on you to take care of my granddaughter?”
Logan smiled politely, “I’ve driven her once before along with Ms. Emily. Both to their destination and back to their homes.”
“I see” Oliver said curtly. Other than his mouth, none of his facial muscles twitched, “Where do you live? You’ll be driving them to the next town beside Arboreal.”
“That wouldn’t be a problem. I live at the border between the towns. I drive wherever is more convenient for me, most of them being here in Arboreal.”
Alex bit her inner cheek. She knew Logan didn’t live at the border of Woodlands nor at the border of Arboreal. Why would he need to lie about it? She turned her head, trying not to seem interested in the conversation. Her eyes landed on her reflection in the glass doors. She groaned in her mind. She needed to get rid of her extensions by tomorrow. Which meant she and Emily will stay up late.
Then, it dawned on her that Logan might have lied for the sake reassuring her grandfather that he couldn’t possibly know about ‘male’ Alex.
“What’s your name, young man?”
“Logan Eberth.”
Alex snapped her head in his direction at this. A million questions appeared on her face. She wondered if he used his mother’s maiden name like she did. How did he feel about this interview? Did she and Emily go too far with it? The only reason she didn’t want her grandfather’s chauffeur to drive them was because Aunt Lilly kept her place a secret from them. If she didn’t, Jaime would pass by to drag her to blind dates.
“I heard you’re saving up for college. What plans do you have in mind?” Oliver continued, indifferent to his granddaughter sweating nervously.
Logan rubbed his thumb on his chin, “I am not quite sure yet. I do love cars and may consider engineering. It bothers me a lot when my own car doesn’t run smoothly. I pay extra attention whenever I take it to a mechanic and learn various things.”
“So you know emergency measures if you ever encounter a problem on the road?”
“Of course” Logan answered with confidence, “I’ve also studied the car model I use and filled up the trunk with emergency supplies and not just a spare tire.”
Oliver asked for a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. Then, he turned back to Logan, “The streets would be quite deserted at this time. Quite easy to get lost.”
Alex saw the corner of Logan’s lips lift up. She squinted at it curiously.
“Rest assured, Mr. Greenwood. I promise on my mother’s name that I will drive your granddaughter to her destination safely and in one piece.”
She cocked an eyebrow. Logan sounded like he was stretching it. Why would he need to say such a bold statement when her grandfather talked about being lost?
“Alright” Oliver nodded at him. He shifted his attention to the one behind Logan, “And you, young man?”
“Good evening, sir” Jae greeted him immediately, walking around Logan and holding out a hand, “I’m Jae Nottingham.”
“Are you also going to take engineering?” Oliver asked, shaking his hand once.
Jae shook his head slowly, “I might be more interested in dealing with cars rather than making them.”
Oliver raised an eyebrow. He pointed at him then at Logan, “The two of you opening up a business together?”
“The moment I met Logan I knew I could rely on him. He’s such a smart kid. I believe he can rise up in the world of car manufacturing. It won’t be easy but we’re always keeping an eye on good opportunities.”
“That’s good. Owning a business is a great aspiration.”
Emily went to Alex’s side and whispered in her ear, “He is such a suck up.”
Alex held back a snort. Compared to Logan who kept things at a minimum, Jae took the opposite route. He led the conversation to something he found comfortable in. Not only did his desire for business attracted their grandfather’s attention but also he managed to gain a compliment.
Jaime caught sight of the girls and winked. She had thought the same thing when she heard Jae’s words.
“I may only plan to deal with cars but I need to learn them too. I think it has been a great experience to be a driver” Jae placed a hand on his chest, “I’ve mostly driven around town but long distance travel enlightens more insights.”
“That’s true” Oliver took the glass of champagne he asked for and sipped, “You still go to school, correct?”
“Ah, yes, senior year” Jae lied, “I take extra lessons after in order to have a head start about business courses. Logan, on the other hand, goes to one of our closest mechanics” he clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder, “That line of experience is something that can’t be taught in books.”
“That’s good. You’re taking steps in achieving your goals” Oliver nodded in approval, “It’s getting late. The four of you still have school tomorrow—well, except Emily—but I don’t want to hinder you further with my time. Girls, go get ready. I’ll talk to the boys more.”
Emily hooked her arm around Alex’s and practically dragged her away, “Don’t be nervous. They got this.”
“Yeah, but grandpa has sharp senses” Alex explained, doubts still in her mind, “He could suddenly find something off about them. Shouldn’t he have released them already?”
“Let grandma handle it. I also took the room key from Jae so we can get their things. We need to move fast if you’re worried.”
===
“Did grandpa really not seem suspicious of you two?” Alex asked from the passenger seat. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a red hoodie.
Logan chuckled beside her, turning the steering wheel, “If he did, he chose to ignore it but… Jae and I were in sync. Our family is in a car dealership you know. He didn;t lie when he said I liked to go to a close mechanic. It was one of the things I liked to do before I turned 16. I couldn’t wait to have a car that I’d spend my time there.”
Alex bit her lip and stared out the window. The outside world was quiet. The lights passed them by in a blur, “Are you really going into engineering?”
“Who knows? That senior part was obviously a lie.”
“Of course, I know” Alex snapped her head towards him and scoffed, “If it was true, you’d be the Valedictorian in a snap.”
“I really should take it from you soon. You’ve become too smug about it.”
“I’d already said I’m looking forward to seeing you try,” she smirked.
Logan glimpsed at her for a second, “I really should thank your mom for inviting me.”
“Why is that?”
“I liked how I got to know about your life outside of Woodlands” he confessed, “It was eye opening. You also have a wonderful family, a family I wouldn’t have met if I didn’t see you in a dress all those weeks ago.”
Alex remained silent. She debated whether she should talk more about her family or should she thank him for complimenting them. She tried to come up with sentences in her head but she also kept pressing the backspace button.
“It really feels like we’re BFFs now,” Logan said with enthusiasm when she stayed quiet for too long.
Alex rolled her eyes, resting an elbow at a dent on the door and cupping her cheek, “Oh, shut up.”
LINK:
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