Chapter 18
Your Mother Must Be Proud
(Ó 2010)
(Ó 2010)
Hotel Santa Isabel, Havana Cuba
Logan rested his elbows on the railing of the wrought iron bar barrier of the outside terrace of his room of the Hotel Santa Isabel in Havana, Cuba. It was now slightly after twelve noon and he knew that right at that moment, as he looked intently out at the splendor of the Bay of Havana, feeling the warm tropical breeze, that there were some people back in Chicago really beginning to question where he was.
He had feelings of guilt for the worry that he would be responsible for, however he would quash them, thinking about where the end of this journey would take him. He turned from the view of the bay and sat a small table that was set up on the terrace. He had on the table a plate with some cheeses and fruit, along with a large bottle of Perrier. He sat facing the view of the bay, feeling the breeze on his face. He wore some light colored cotton pants with a white t-shirt that had sleeves that came to his elbows and a pair of sandals. He appeared to be just another European tourist enjoying the warmth of the Caribbean.
The terrace had a red brick deck. The hotel, built in the 1860’s, was still in its original stately elegance of the Spanish architecture of that era. It was painted in pastel pink with turquoise trim. The terraces were separated for each room by large pots and troughs, which contained tropical plants.
He poured himself some of the Perrier in a clear stemmed glass and took a drink from it. He continued to look out into the bay and began to lose himself in thought - - -
- - - They were all looking at him in stunned amazement as Lily confirmed everything that he told them. Clive sat just stroking his beard.
Claude sat stoic with his chin resting on his folded hands.
Bricey had both his hands on his cheeks with an ever changing expression of surprise as each new detail of Logan’s antics of the week before were revealed.
Miriam’s mouth was wide open and she sat with her arms crossed.
Cosette and Giselle were both like Cheshire Cats, the only thing that you could see were their wide bright eyes on their dark skinned faces.
Lily sat next to Logan on his right side with both her hands on his right arm. Both she and he now scanned each face that stared back at them in disbelief. There was a strange tense silence at the table, which was then suddenly broken up by Giselle, who stood with her arms open, looked at Logan and proclaimed loudly, “My hero!” This was for what Logan had done to insure that Theo Buchin would never again be involved in her life anyway what so ever. She then wrapped her arms around Logan’s neck and placed a huge kiss on his cheek, leaving behind a large bright red lip imprint from her lipstick. “Thank you for ridding me of that awful man.”
“I suppose I can say the same thing,” Bricey said, “you helped rid my life of a monster also.”
“Here, here!” said Clive. “Remarkable, simply remarkable. I am simply speechless, and as everyone here present would agree, that takes quite an accomplishment to render me that way.” All laughed with Clive’s remark.
Then Claude spoke up, “I must say darling, you had me quite fooled, and I am usually an excellent judge of character. I usually can tell when someone is a fraud or not, but you dear, I must admit, a great performance.” He then began to clap his hands lightly in applause, “Bravo … bravo.”
Then Clive stood and rapped his knuckles on the table to draw everyone’s attention. Once all eyes were upon him he said, “As Queen and elder of our little entourage here, I cannot let these acts of bravery by our Logan to go unrewarded. Therefore,” He stepped came over to Logan, “turn your chair and face me my boy.” Logan did so and then Clive stood up straight. He then, with the open palm of his right hand, placed it on Logan’s left shoulder and said in a proclamation, “By the power that I have invested in myself as Queen, I dub thee … Sir Logan.” Clive then crossed his palm from one of Logan’s shoulders to the other in a mock knighting ceremony, “Yes Sir Logan, brave knight of the entourage and of Le Club Argenté D'oiseau.”
“Yes, I agree.” said Cosette, and she then stood and raised her wine glass. “I propose a toast.” With that all at the table stood, including Lily, raised their glasses, and faced Logan. “To Sir Logan … the protector of us all.”
“To Sir Logan!” Everyone said in unison, then drank from their glasses.
Lily looked to him and asked, “Is there anything you’d like to say luv?”
Logan came to his feet slowly and motioned with his hands for all to sit down. Once they were he gently said, “I guess I could dare to say that everything is now all right between us?” Everyone nodded in agreement. “Then I guess that I just want to say that I’m sorry for the way we all had to meet, with my deception and all. Believe me, it will never happen again.” He looked down to Lily and everyone laughed. “However, in the long run, it was done for the greater good. Thanks all, for your forgiveness and understanding.” He then sat, everyone gave a gentle applause, Lily took him by the arm and kissed him on the cheek.
Clive then stood, raised his glass to everyone and lovingly gave them his favorite toast, “Good food … good wine … good friends … good times.” All then raised their glasses and brought them together, each making sure to touch the glass of everyone else.
A festive mood came to all, for the next half an hour Logan was in a heavy question and answer period with all of them about the raid on the Volchescu compound. He told them of the hike, the three days and nights of surveillance, living in the open of the forest around him, the wandering guards, the children, of Ula, and what turned out to be Bricey’s favorite point to discuss, the gunfire.
Then, an impeccably dressed man approached the table. He was wearing a grey vested crepe wool suit, obviously that of a fine Italian maker. A clean crisp white shirt, with a rose-colored tie and gold collar bar. He wore a carnation on his lapel. He was a man in his early forties with black hair with slightly graying temples, and olive toned skin.
Claude looked at him and said flirtatiously, “Oh I am sorry dear, but my Spanish is less than to be desired. I don’t speak a word I’m afraid, how sad.”
Logan then said, “He said excuse me, but he’s been told that you are the owner of the club.” Everyone looked at Logan.
The man looked at Logan and asked, “¿Oh, puede usted hablar español?” (Oh, do you speak Spanish).
“Sí, puedo sí.” (Yes, yes I can).
“¿Usted entonces traduciría por favor para mí?” (Would you please translate for me then?).
“Sí,” Logan said and then looked to Claude, “He wants me to translate for him. I guess he needs to speak with you about something.”
“By all means” Claude said, all the time looking at the well-dressed man, “by all means please do.”
“He says his name is Eduardo, that he is from Barcelona and that he would like to speak with you about opening up an establishment like yours back in his city for, and these are his words, ‘our’ community.” Logan translated.
“Eduardo is it?” Claude asked, and Eduardo smiled and bowed his head, “Oh please Logan dear, tell him my name.”
“He estado viajando a través de Europa que buscaba el tipo de esablishment que busco, el tuyo soy exactamente lo que estoy buscando.” Eduardo said.
“He says that he’s been traveling throughout Europe, looking for the type of establishment he would want,” Logan told Claude, “he says yours is exactly what he is looking for.”
“Oh why thank you, thank you darling.” Claude said to Eduardo. Eduardo seemed to know what he was saying.
“Las finanzas necesitadas para abrir tal lugar no son ningún problema para mí.” Eduardo said.
“He says basically that the finances needed are no problem for him.”
“Oh that I can tell Logan, ask him what he needs from me.” Claude said.
“Sr. Deveraux quisiera saber es él puede ayudarle.” (Mr. Deveruax would like to know how it is he can help you).
“Oh, apenas su entrada, su consejo, su ayuda en diseño. Estoy dispuesto a pagarlo cualesquiera y toda la ayuda que él me daría.” Eduardo said.
“He says you know, for your input, advice, and help with the design. He’s even willing to pay you for any help that you can give him.”
“Pay me?” Claude asked a bit perturbed.
“¿Pagúelo?” (Pay him?) Logan asked, trying to imitate Claude’s reaction.
“Perdóneme por favor, yo no significó sonar que insulta. Significo pagarlo como consultor en este esfuerzo del negocio.” Eduardo said apologetically.
Logan translated, “He says to please forgive him, that he did not mean to sound insulting, that he would pay you as a, you know consultant, for helping in this business endeavor.”
Logan opened his eyes wide, smiled, shook his head and took a deep breath, “Claude dice que él se placería más que discutir este negocio ... o cualquier otro asunto que usted pueda tener para él, y satisfacer llámelo Claude.”
Eduardo then placed his other hand gently on top of Claude’s and said, “Porqué gracias Claude, gracias. Puedo le llamo programar mañana una reunión. Entonces tendré mi propio traductor.”
“He says thank you Claude,” Logan said, “he would like to know if he may call you tomorrow to set up a meeting and that he will have his own translator then.”
“You tell him that would be perfectly splendid, that I can not wait until I hear from him tomorrow. Once again, exact words.” said Claude.
Logan looked to Eduardo, “Él dice que serían perfectamente espléndido y que él no puede esperar hasta que él oye de usted mañana.”
Claude then let go of Eduardo’s hand, reached into the breast pocket of his blazer, and produced a business card, “Tell him that this is my private number.” He then handed the card to Eduardo.
Eduardo took the card, smiled at Claude and said gently to him, “Hasta man¢ana entonces, no puedo esperar también para hablar con usted.”
Claude looked to Logan for the translation, “He says until tomorrow then and that he too can not wait to speak with you.”
“Until tomorrow then.” Claude said to Eduardo.
Eduardo then released Claude’s hand, “Buena tarde Claude, era una reunión del pleasur usted.” He then turned to the others at the table, bow slightly again, “Buena tarde cada uno,” then he looked to Logan and said, “y gracias mucho por su sir de la ayuda.”
“Usted es recepción, mi placer.” (You are welcome, my pleasure). “He says good night to you Claude, it was a pleasure meeting you, he then said good night to everyone else, and he said thanks to me for the help.
Everyone then bid Eduardo a good evening, and then he turned and stepped away, placing the card that Claude gave him in his own breast pocket. He crossed the room where he met up with two other men. He pointed to the door and the three of them started to leave the club, before he did however, he turned back to the table, gave Claude a smile, then turned and left and everyone at the table watched as he did so.
After he had left, all eyes had turned to Logan again. He himself just turned in his chair forward to the table after watching Eduardo leave to be surprised that everyone was staring at him. He looked around to each face at the table quickly, and then just asked, “What?”
He felt Lily tugging his arm, he turned his head to her to see that she was looking at him with her head down, eyes up and lips pursed, “Spanish Logan? You can speak Spanish?” She asked in an interrogating tone.
He diverted his eyes downward and sighed, “Well … uh … actually.”
“Yes Logan,” Lily said, waiting to hear his answer.
“Well.” He began to speak like a child whose been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, “It’s like this … the truth is … I can speak in … seven languages … actually.”
Lily tilted slightly backwards as the others again; all has expressions of amazement on their faces. “Seven!” she exclaimed, “You can speak in seven languages?”
“Um … yeah … fluently.”
Lily was astonished, she didn’t know weather to be angry with him again, or happy and amazed. She decided on the latter. She folded her hands on his shoulder, rested her chin there and asked, “And just what, may I ask are the languages that you are fluent in?”
He looked around to everyone at the table, they seemed to want to know this information also, he then answered, “French, English, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German … and Arabic.”
“Arabic?” Lily said, “how on Earth did you, I mean, how in the world did you learn not only the others, but Arabic as well.”
Logan shrugged his shoulders, “It was a hobby. Some people collect stamps or antiques. Me? I collected languages.”
Lily then moved her arms to go around his shoulders, “I suppose you just gave me another serving of ‘complication’, correct?”
“Yeah, I guess I just did.”
“You amaze me Logan,” she said gently to him and began to stroke his hair that she had just styled, “you amaze me more every minute.”
Claude then intervened, “Oh yes, Logan dear, you are quite amazing. Now that we have learned more new things about you, can we now focus on just what else has happened here?”
“Just what is that?” Asked Clive.
“The fact that I have just fallen in love of course.”
“Again!?” exclaimed Giselle, which drew a laugh from all.
Bricey spoke, “Oh yes, I have just seen that, my Lord, you are getting a handsome Latin lover, was he not just the most beautiful thing? Oh so suave, so … so … Spanish!”
Claude’s eyes looked upward, “Oh, who do you think he looked like more, Ricardo Montalban or Julio Inglesias?”
“Does it matter?” Bricey questioned back lightheartedly.
The festive mood continued throughout the evening, the whole time Lily held on tightly to Logan. It was an evening full of activity at Le Club Argenté D'oiseau. The music became more intense as the evening continued on and the dance floor was always occupied to capacity. Lily watched Logan as he observed all the commotion around him among the men and women, all representing some different form of the homosexual lifestyle. The men ranged from the muscular bodybuilders, to the average looking whom you would never know, to the most feminine, including the transvestites. The women, from the beautiful supermodel look, to the average housewife, to the masculine shorthaired type.
“You know what I’ve noticed about you luv?” Lily asked him.
“You’re not as uncomfortable here as you were the first time.” She said, placing her chin on his shoulder.
“Well, that’s because the first time was an act.”
“Really?” She raised her head a little, “You mean to say that none of this bothers you, none of what you see?
“No, it doesn’t bother me.” He answered solemnly, “Some of it may be strange to me, but it doesn’t bother me. What is anybody here doing that should bother anyone. They’re not hurting anybody; they’re not doing anything wrong. Believe me in my profession, and in my lifetime, there I can show you people who bother me.” He stopped himself from going any further; he was going down a path that my draw questions from her. “Look at them, this is who they are, like I said, they’re not hurting anybody.”
“You really believe that?”
“Sure, they’re just normal everyday people; right?”
“You believe that they are normal? And that what they do is normal?”
“It’s normal for them, and can you tell me if they are harming anybody in anyway whatsoever. If they brought harm to anyone, then I’d object. I don’t know, I guess I’m just a ‘live and let live’ type of guy.”
“There are some people out there who believe that they are an abomination, that they are going to prey upon your children, and that God is going to punish them with eternal damnation of sorts.”
Logan laughed and said, “First of all, God does not create abominations. Second of all, if God is going to punish them, then that means that it His job to do the judging; right? And why do they always have to bring in the children as their defense all the time? They always say that they have to protect the children. Protect them from what? This? This is nothing. There are places in the world where the children are subject to seeing more unbelievable horrors than that of the sight of a couple of men kissing I can tell you that.”
“Then you are not uncomfortable with all this? You’re at ease being here, around them all?”
“Yes, I’m totally comfortable, and besides … they’re your friends.”
Lily placed her hand on his cheek and turned his face to her, she then kissed him long and softly on his lips. “You don’t know how happy you just made me my sweet, and now they are your friends too. Clive showed that.”
“He did? How so?”
“When he knighted you and gave you the toast.” Lily answered, “Didn’t you hear him? He referred to you as ‘our’ Logan. He only will use the word ‘our’ to those people to which he is fondest of, and accepts them as part of ‘the entourage’, as he puts it.”
Logan smiled at that, “Clive is sort of the patriarch around here isn’t he?”
“Yes I suppose he is.”
Logan looked over to Clive who was at that moment speaking to Bricey with his hand on his shoulder. It appeared as if he were giving him fatherly advice of some sort. “He does kind of remind me of my grandfather.”
Then the lights throughout the club began to dim and music for the first session of slow dances began to play. Lily pulled on his arm and said, “Come on dear, they’re playing music at your pace now.” They both stood up and Lily held his hand to lead him to the dance floor. They found an open spot and Lily turned to him took his hand, held it tightly, placed her other arm around his waist and rested her head on his chest. There they both swayed, slowly to the music, they were the only man and woman couple dancing together on the floor.
The first song ended and the second began, Logan could feel how warm she was against him, and could smell her fragrance of gardenias. He could feel her breathing against him, and he thought of how long it has been since he has been in a situation like this. Holding onto a girl that he really cared for, knowing that the feeling was the same from her. That other girl, from so long ago. It was the same back then, the same emotion right now. It was pleasing to have it back, for he once believed that it would by no means ever come again to him.
“Well, looks like we may have just broken a record.” Logan said.
“What’s that hun?”
“We’ve been dancing now for over five minutes, and nobody has come along either starting trouble or being in it.”
She laughed and looked up to him. “I’m so glad that everything has worked out the way it has hun. I was so angry, do you forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive, if it’s anybody’s fault, it Bela Volchescu, if he hadn’t been such an ass his entire life, I wouldn’t have ever been called in. As a matter of fact, it’s my Captain’s fault too.” Logan teased.
Lily chuckled and said, “You make me laugh, you even did so the first night here.” She kept her gaze on him. “Oh, how lonely you must have been, out there in the forest, in the middle of the night. So dark and so cold.”
“Well, out there under the stars like that, I couldn’t help but think of you a lot.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, I thought things like, you know, what you were doing right then at a certain moment, or if you were here with your friends, or how you were doing at the salon, stuff like that.”
“You thought of everything except how to telephone me.” She said with a smirk.
He bowed his head down to her, “Well, if I could of, I would of. I didn’t even think of that at the time, especially when I saw them unloading those kids.” He then looked up and over her head, “And besides, who am I kidding? It’s like I told Bricey, I’m not very experienced in the romance thing.” He looked down to her face, bent down and kissed her long, warm, and moist on her lips.
When he stopped, she looked at him and said, “You’re going to be a fast learner though I see hun.” Then she wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him back, long, warm, and moist. When she finished the kiss, she placed her head back on his chest, and they slow danced to the third song. Logan let go of her hand that she was holding and wrapped his other arm around he. There, at that moment, what had started between them was now turning into love.
The last slow song ended and the beat of the music started up with a faster tempo. Lily then took him by the hand and led him back to their table. Once seated she said to him, “I can’t believe that you say you don’t have the ability to do the faster dances.”
“Why do you say that?” He asked.
“I saw you on the football pitch, the way you can move your feet and body, it’s almost animal like. If you have the motions there, why not here?”
“That I have no answer for, maybe because I’m a white guy.”
“What on earth do you mean?
“Everyone in the world knows that white guys can’t dance,” he answered and Lily gave out a laugh, “especially straight white guys.”
“But what about your, you know, Lakota heritage? Couldn’t you draw that part of you out to help your rhythm?” She asked.
No, because every time I do that … it starts to rain.” He said humorously, but Lily gave him a look of confusion. “You know, ‘Indian rain dances’ and all.”
“Oh, I see.” and she just giggled.
“You don’t see many western movies I take it.”
“I’m afraid not my sweet.” She said as she folded her hands on his shoulder and rested her chin there.
“Well, just the same, they usually made us out to be the bad guys mostly anyways.”
She then slipped her arms around his and for the next hour sat at the table with her friends … now his newly found friends, and continued with the celebratory ambiance of the evening. They all sat, talked, joked, and essentially took pleasure in each other’s company. Over the course of the next few hours, Logan and Lily enjoyed immensely with their friends. They would watch all the others dancing to the fast tempos, waiting for the slow set of music to come, and when the slow music stopped, to them it always seemed to soon.
The slow set they were dancing had to end. Lily, who was resting her head on his chest as they danced looked up to Logan right before the music started its faster tempo and said, “I think I’ve had enough for one evening luv, would you please walk me home?”
“You sure?”
“Yes honey, besides, I’d like a little quiet time with you.”
Logan looked up to the night sky and said, “It’s a beautiful night ain’t it?”
“Oh, it’s always a beautiful night in Paris.” she answered.
"Ah yes, I forgot, you’re a little biased with that subject.”
She looked at him smiling and she held onto his arm tighter. They strolled down the avenue to Clive’s Coiffeurs, stopping for a moment to look inside, and then continued. Soon they were in front of the building where Lily’s apartment was.
“Would you like to come up for a little while?” she asked him.
“You sure it’s alright?”
“Come my sweet,” she giggled. She then led him by the arm through the entryway where there was a stairwell next to an elevator. “I prefer taking the stairs, do you mind?”
“Of course not, after you.”
They both made their way to the third floor and turned to the right where Lily took out her keys and opened the door to her apartment. When she turned on the lights, Logan eyes were surrounded with the view of pastel colors. The walls of her apartment were in lavender, and all her décor were with coordination pastel colors.
“Yes, this confirms it; your favorite color is lavender.” he stated. “Your place is beautiful.”
“I would have to agree, yes.”
“Come here to the living room sweetheart and sit down,” she said as she led him to a small sofa where he sat down, “I’m going to have a little more wine, would you like some too dear?”
“No thanks, I’ve had enough for one night, I’m afraid I’m not much of a drinker.”
She smiled and said, “Really? Well, how about some sparking water then?”
“That would be fine, thanks.”
She went into where her small kitchen was and he heard her as she went into her refrigerator, then to her cupboards where the sound of glasses tinkling came. “Would you like that with lemon and ice dear?” she asked from the kitchen.
“Yes, that would be great.” Logan answered; he looked around the room and saw some shelves that had small framed photographs. He stood up to walk over and look at them. There were pictures of Lily with her friends from the salon. One of her standing by her chair with her arms around Clive, and he had one arm lovingly around her shoulder. There were some of other people he assumed were family and other friends. One picture caught his attention, it was a larger photo of Lily with another woman, and they were in a loving embrace with their cheeks touching. The other woman was very young looking, and had a remarkable resemblance to Lily.
He heard as she returned to the room and he turned to see her putting down a glass of white wine with a tall glass of his sparking water on the table that was in front of the small sofa. “Oh, sorry,” he said, “just looking.”
She came beside him, “That’s alright dear; these are just bits and pieces of my life that’s all.”
Logan pointed to the picture that he was looking at, “Who’s this, your sister?”
Lily looked at the picture and asked with a confused look, “My sister?”
“Yeah, she looks just like you almost.”
Lily started to giggle slightly, “What makes you think she’s my sister?”
“What she’s not? She your cousin or something then?” he asked.
“No silly!” Lily burst out laughing, “That’s my mother!”
Logan did a double take on the picture and exclaimed, “That’s your mom! My God, when did she have you? When she was like five or something?”
Lily brought her hands to her mouth as she laughed, “Oh my, wait until I tell her of this. You will have a friend and defender for life; I will never be able to say a awful thing about you ever to her then.”
“My God. Now I see why you’re so …” he said as he looked at her and hesitated in finishing, “… beautiful.”
“Why thank you honey,” she said and then put her arms around his neck and kissed him, he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly, when she finished, she opened her eyes and her face was inches from him, “that was a very sweet to say.” She loosened her arms, “Come, let’s go sit down.”
She took him by the hand and led him to the sofa, when they sat down; and when she did, she so by sitting snuggly next to him. She picked up her wine glass and his glass of sparking water and handed it to him. She held her glass up to make a toast to him, “Here’s to making up and understanding.”
He touched his glass to hers and said, “Making up and understanding. Cheers.”
She sipped her wine lightly and gently placed her glass back on the table. Then she placed both her hands, locking her fingertips, on hid shoulder and rested her chin there, staring at him.
After a few seconds of silence, her looked at her with the side of his eyes and asked, “What?”
Oh, I was just trying to imagine.”
“Imagine what?” he asked taking a drink of his water.
“How it was for you out there, in the woods and all, like that for, how long did you say honey?”
“Three days and nights.” He answered.
“Three days and nights,” she repeated, “with no sleep.”
“Nope, no sleep.”
Lily’s expression turned somewhat serious for a moment, “Did you really do what your friend said? Did you really shoot those men?”
Logan looked away from her to the table, “Yeah, I had to. They were all heavily armed, they could have hurt some of us or even killed some with the weapons they had
“Clive says that he read in the newspaper that one of those men had to have his leg amputated. Is that true?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” he said remorsefully, “but he had a grenade launcher, and he was aiming it at my friends, it was him or them.”
She stroked his hair to comfort him, “Don’t worry dear, I’m not judging you, please don’t think that, it’s just that these sort of things are foreign to me. I know you don’t take any pleasure from what you had to do.” He then looked up to her, “Besides, I also think of those children. What would have become of them if you and the other police were not there?”
“Oh, I’d would have to say that they would have been scattered all over the world I suppose. To tell you the truth, I would say that they were already bought and paid for. The older girls would start as dancers in some strip clubs, and then would be graduated to something else, if you know what I mean.” He then took a deep breath and continued, “The younger ones though, they would be turned out right away, there are some adults out there ready to pay big money for little girls. And what’s even sicker is the boys. They would bring in a bigger price than the girls.”
“And you stopped that.” She said.
“No, I helped stop that, I wasn’t alone there.” He sat back and looked to the ceiling, “We stopped that one incident anyways, and I guarantee there are a lot of angry pimps and perverts out there now. But, while there’s a demand, there will always be a new supplier.” He looked to her again, “We stop this one, and a new one always comes along.”
She looked back at him silently, and then asked, “Is it dangerous? What you do?”
“Only as dangerous as you make it.” he answered.
“You must have much confidence to do this.”
“No, you have to have confidence in those around you,” he said, “you have to have what I call a controlled fear; you gotta be scared when you do something like this.”
“Scared? How do you mean?”
“Fear keeps you on your toes, it‘s a great motivator someone once said.” He said, “It heightens your awareness, keeps you awake, keeps you alert. You just have to know how to channel it, how to control it, not let it control you. The confidence part has to be in the team around you, and you have to hope that they are as scared as you are and that they will be there to watch your back.”
She continued to stroke his head, “I can’t see you being afraid of anything or anyone luv, however, I can’t believe how many vile people there are out there. What you must have to contend with.”
“You have no idea,” he said, then he looked into her eyes, “it’s probably a good thing that you don’t though, you shouldn’t have to know from things like that.”
“Well, we have you Sir Logan, to protect us from all that.”
“I will do my best.” he laughed.
She then leaned over and kissed him again, then rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m so glad that everything has worked out for the best between us hun. I must confess that I did hope that it would all would somehow. You’ve been my main thought now since I’ve met you.” With that Logan drop his head and smiled, a quick sigh came through his nose. Lily lifted her head and looked at him. “My Lord, am I making you blush again? Do I still make you nervous luv?”
“Yeah.” was all he could say.
She put her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear, “That’s good.” She then kissed him gently on the ear, and then rested her head again on his shoulder. They sat silently there for about a quarter of an hour, Lily looked to her own easy chair where the was a side table next to it, there was a reading lamp resting on it and in front of the lamp there was a clock. “My, it’s getting late.” she said.
“It is?” Logan asked.
“Yes my sweet, it is.” she said smirking at him, “Now Logan dear, just because we’ve made up doesn’t mean that you’re going to be spending the night here.”
Logan looked concerned, “Oh … no … I hope you don’t think …”
Lily kept smirking and asked, “Don’t think what dear?”
“That … you know … that I was going to try to … you know …”
Lily put her fingertips to her lips and began to giggle, “Oh Logan dear, you’re so utterly adorable. Come, I take you to the door.” She stood and held out both her hands. He stood up himself and took her hands and she slowly walked him to the door of her apartment.”
At the door she embraced him and he her and they kissed again. He said to her, “Really, I hope you don’t think that I was going to try to … you know … push myself on you.”
“No dear, I don’t think that. You seem concerned.”
“I just don’t want you to think bad about me.” he said solemnly.
“You worry about how I would think about you?”
“Yes, yes I do.” he answered, “I don’t want you to think that I’m like those other guys out there, trying to sleep with you right away. I’m … I’m not that type a guy.”
“Do you want to know what I think Logan?” she asked.
“What?”
“I think that you’re a gentleman and that I feel very safe and secure with you.” She said and she cupped his face in her hands. “I have an idea, let make a day of it tomorrow together, you and I.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll meet you tomorrow at your home and we’ll have brunch, would you like that?”
Logan nodded his head “yes” in her hands.
She smiled, sighed, and looked up at him, “Tall,” she said and moved her hands to his biceps, “… strong …”, she looked upward to her face and smirked, “… handsome …”, she saw that had brought a smile to his face, she then stroked his temples, “… intelligent … brave …” she then cupped his face in her hands again, “… and now I find that you are chivalrous, a gentleman. My, my Logan, you’re mother must be proud.”
Logan’s expression then suddenly went to one of sorrow, he dropped his head down and closed his eyes halfway, he then sighed and said, “I sure hope so.”
“What do you mean honey?” Lily asked.
Logan cleared his throat, looked at her and said sadly, “Mama died when I was twelve.”
Lily placed both hands on her lips and gasped, “Oh Logan, sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”
“That’s okay, you didn’t know.” He said reassuringly, “She caught a bad case of the flu and it turned into double pneumonia. She fought it … man did she fight it. Her will was there, but her body, it just gave out.” He swallowed hard, “I still miss her to this day.”
Lily then held him to comfort him, “I’m sorry again luv, I don’t want to make you sad.” She patted him on the back and then she asked, “Where’s your father?”
Logan gave a slight shudder, she released him, he answered quickly and softly without looking at her, and without emotion, “He’s dead too.”
“Oh, I’m sorry again dear, I’ve stepped in it twice, please forgive me.” she said.
“It’s okay Lily, you didn’t know.”
She put her hand on his cheek to comfort him, “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“No, I was an only child.”
“And the rest of your family?”
Logan then had to tell her, “We were separated from them to begin with; I don’t know where they are right now.”
She looked at him sadly and said, “So, you’re all alone in the world then?”
“I guess so.”
She embraced him, “Oh Logan dear, I don’t want you to go away sad, please don’t, it would make me feel just terrible if you did.”
“I’m alright, don’t worry about it. It been this way for a long time, I’m use to it I guess.” he said, “And I don’t want you having any bad feelings also. I’d better go now, this way if I go to sleep now, then tomorrow will be here in no time.”
He released her and she cupped his face in her hands again, she smiled at him and said, “Oh, Logan … where did you come from.” - - -
- - - He ate the last small bite of brie cheese and the last piece of mango; he then finished the last of the sparking water in his glass. He stood and stepped over to the railing to look at the view of the Bay of Havana. The humid breeze smelled of the brine from the ocean and felt soft and gentle against is face. It reminded him of … her hands. He felt his throat tighten slightly and the all too well known feeling of tears begin to come to his eyes.
He quickly fought them back and turned to strode back to the table on the patio. He placed his glass next to the plate that was on the tray and went through the outside doors that led into his room. He moved past the large brass bed to the entry door, he opened it and set the tray down next to the door, against the wall outside of his room. He then stepped back in, shut the door and double locked it.
He crossed the room again, stepped back out onto the terrace and again stood next to the railing. He looked at his wristwatch and then gazed northward. It would now be 1:30 in the afternoon in Chicago. No doubt now that some people are getting very worried, he believed that Jo-jo may have even made some attempts to call him at his home, only to hear the phone ring on the other end continuously without anyone there to answer.
He forced himself now not to think of the feelings of the others back at his office, in time they will get over it, and forget all about him, just like the others back there had to before … in that time … before he was Logan.
He then went to the entryway from the veranda to his room and opened the doors all the way. He stepped over to the large bed and place all the pillows on top one another. He then took off his sandals and then went to lie on the bed to take a siesta. He laced his fingers behind his head and looked up at the ceiling fan as it turned silently, blowing the warm, and humid sea air over him.
“Where did I come from?” he whispered. “I came … from where I am leaving … and I’m going … to where I belong.”
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