A hiss broke Logan and Alex’s eye contact.
Maylin had fallen on the floor while Logan lost his grip. She turned to hiss at Alex once before she disappeared into the kitchen.
Alex stepped closer to Logan. She reached out a hand to fix his collar then, she wiped off Maylin’s fur on his blazer.
“Nervous?” She asked.
“I don’t know,” Logan chuckled, “Should I be nervous?”
Alex sighed. If this meetup didn’t go well, her father would drag her back home. If he had the slightest bit of doubt about Logan’s character, she’d be done for.
“Don’t tell them about my school records. That has a one-way ticket to home attached to it.”
“Yes, ma’am” Logan gave her a small salute. The sight of it made Alex snort.
“Do I look like a million dollars or what?” A voice asked.
Both Alex and Logan glanced towards the top of the stairs. Alex didn’t know how she did it but Emily had also finished preparing for dinner.
She had her blonde hair pinned into an updo. The black off-shoulder dress she wore had tight ruffles that hugged her figure. The top had a white satin cloth stitched into a V shape around her shoulders.
She walked down the steps, revealing her 3-inch high heels. They matched the color of her skin and gave the illusion of longer legs. As finishing touches, she added jewelry on her neck and on her earlobes.
When Emily had reached Logan and Alex, she did a little spin, “So? What do you think?”
Alex tilted her head to the side, “You look like Audrey Hepburn.”
“I take that compliment” Emily giggled, “She was worth a $100 million.”
“You do look like a $100 million dollars” Logan nodded in agreement.
Emily pointed a finger at him, “You just got a higher position in my good books for that.”
Logan grinned and placed a hand on Alex’s back, “Well, ladies. Shall we leave?”
“I’ll step out first to see if anyone is outside lurking” Emily said, walking out of the door. Tonight was an important night. They couldn’t risk a random passerby recognizing Alex in her female outfit.
She worked too hard on it to let it go to waste.
“Have fun you two” Lilly told Logan and Alex, “Oh, and Logan, don’t let Alex’s father intimidate you. He’s just a bit over the top sometimes.”
“I will keep that in mind” Logan replied politely.
“Okay, coast is clear!” Emily yelled from outside.
Alex rolled her eyes. Before they stepped out the door, she caught a glimpse of her aunt, mouthing, ‘Good luck.’
Oh, she’d definitely need luck tonight.
Logan led the way down the patio, his hand supporting Alex’s back. Alex took it with gratitude. Her shoes may be only an inch high but they were still new and she could still trip over them.
Emily stood by the car, one hand on a handle. When her companions came closer, she opened the passenger side, “After you, m’lady.”
Alex frowned, “Why am I sitting at the front?”
“Well, one of you is. I’m not a cab driver, you know” Logan answered.
Emily shrugged, “You heard the man. I got dibs on the backseat so hop in!”
Alex slipped inside the car and sat. Logan bent down to wrap the seat belt around her.
“I could—”
She started to protest but Logan had already finished. Why did her two companions treat her like she was a VIP guest they picked up?
While Emily closed Alex’s door, Logan opened the one for the backseat, “Please be seated, miss.”
Emily curtsied a bit before taking his offer, “If I close my eyes I can imagine I’m in the backseat of a limo.”
“Well then, I will open your door later to help fuel your imagination.”
Emily snorted in humor and pulled the door closed. Alex glanced over her shoulder as her cousin scooted over to the center of the backseat.
“If he tries anything on you, I have a swiss knife that I could use.”
Alex rolled her eyes, “It will be fine.”
“Why does it sound like you’re saying that more for you than for me?”
“Because it’s true?”
“Relax” Emily shook Alex’s shoulder, “Aunt Angie already likes him.”
“Yeah, but what about dad?”
“He likes your mom. See? Bulletproof evening.”
The door to the driver’s side opened and Logan joined the carpool. He slipped on his seatbelt and drove down the street.
“This is just a guess but we’re going to the same restaurant as last time, right?” He asked, peeking at Alex for a second.
She nodded in reply, “Yup, same restaurant.”
“Great. I haven’t had their chocolate trifle in a while.”
Emily laughed from the back, “You two have the same taste. That’s Alex’s go-to dessert.”
“It’s a heavenly dish. It only makes sense that others also like it” Alex defended.
“Well, I’m more of a cheesecake kind of girl” Emily huffed, “So, Logan, basketball, huh? Are you aiming for a scholarship?”
Logan squinted at the road, “I’m not entirely sure yet.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be impressing scouts?”
“Well, Logan’s GPA is only a point lower than mine. He could also get an academic scholarship if he wanted to” Alex added into the conversation.
“And you can get a sports one too if you didn’t give up volleyball” Emily leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest, “Ugh, if only you played and we attended the same school, I’d be your personal cheerleader.”
Alex chuckled, “Not cheering for anyone over at Freccia Prep?”
“Only if I have to.”
“You’re a cheerleader?” Logan cut in.
“Yep, yep, yep! Like Lauren” Emily answered with a knowing smile on her face.
“Maybe you should join the cheer team too, Alex.”
Alex gave him a skeptical look, “Why?”
“Then, the three of you could be The Powerpuff Girls.”
…
…
…
“Oh, I get to be Buttercup” Emily said, “Lauren is Bubbles and Alex is Blossom.”
Logan nodded, “That sounds good to me.”
“I am not going to be a cheerleader” Alex groaned, “Are we there yet?”
“Almost. Have a little patience, Alex” Logan teased, “If we keep talking, we’ll be there before you know it.”
“Agreed” Emily backed him up, “So, Logan, what’s your favorite thing about Alex?”
Logan pressed his lips together. That sounded like a trick question. He needed to think about it carefully.
Alex froze in her seat. Just what kind of people asked questions like that?
“I like how…” Logan began to say. Alex’s head snapped towards him, “I like how she gives everything she’s got in a situation. It could be academics. It could be a baseball swing. It could be keeping her secret. In any situation, she does her best. Even our English presentation turned out well because of her improvisation.”
“That’s because you didn’t follow the script” Alex scoffed.
“See? You were able to keep up instead of making a mistake.”
“Whatever” she muttered then asked, “What is the least thing you like about me?”
“That you keep secrets” Logan answered smoothly, “I don’t mean the one about your gender. What I mean is… well, like this dinner, for instance, the party at Colin’s house, Lauren finding out your secret…”
“Or you forgetting to call your cousin about any updates in your life.”
“Now, the two of you are just ganging up on me.”
Emily chuckled, “Word of advice, Logan. You have to learn how to ask the right questions with this one. She has this habit about not knowing what’s important or not.”
“Well, that’s because we have different definitions about that. I could find something insignificant but you’d find it significant. I can’t read minds” Alex explained, “But I am sorry if it offends you guys when I don’t say something. I never do it intentionally and I will try to learn.”
“See? What did I tell you?” Logan smirked, “Does her best in any situation.”
