Conviction (Club Destiny 1)

“Well, I can tell you, aside from her physical appeal, she’s one smart woman. Talkative too. I think she’ll give you a run for your money, old man.”

“Well, it only matters that she can handle the job as well as I hear she can. The rest I’ll let you deal with. How’s that?”

“I’ve got my hands full at the moment, but to be honest, I think you’re on the right track. I know Xavier’s had his eye on her for years. Says she’s an up and comer.” Alex nodded a greeting to a group of passing women before turning his attention back to Logan. “Don’t think you’ll get any arguments from him on your selection.”

“At this point, I think the only choice is going to be hers. After talking to Banten, it seems like she might be a tough sell.” Logan responded as he gestured toward the cafeteria. “Have you had lunch yet?”

“Not yet. I was making my way there when Charles stopped me.”

“Care to join me? I have a few minutes.” Logan glanced at his watch and continued on his path toward the cafeteria.

“Sure.” Alex fell into step beside Logan, and the two men made their way through the crowded lunch tables toward an open area where the food lines were.

Logan turned his attention to grabbing something that would carry him through the rest of the afternoon. His meetings would last until well after dinner, so he figured he’d better make this meal last. The assortment of delicious smells emanating from the area made his stomach growl.

As he walked through the lines, glancing to see what the special of the day was, Logan felt eyes on him. Without making a spectacle of himself, he looked around to see who might be looking. He caught the gazes of several people who apparently had stopped what they were doing to see what he was doing. Or rather, what they were doing. Alex was still close behind him, and as always, they seemed to draw attention to themselves without even trying.

Especially when they were together.

At six feet five, Logan wasn’t a small man, so his mere presence had a tendency to make heads turn. When he and Alex got together, it seemed to get worse.

Alex was about an inch or two shorter, but with his massive bulk – all muscle – he seemed larger than life. A few times, usually after a few beers, they’d even joked that they could likely be a popular circus show act just from their sizes alone.

Shaking off the distraction, Logan managed to grab two premade sandwiches and a bag of chips before heading to the cash register. After paying for both his and Alex’s meals, the two men made their way to one of the empty tables near the windows in the back.

They ate in silence for a couple of minutes before Logan glanced over at Alex. “So, tell me what you know about Samantha, besides the fact that you like her legs.”

“Oh, it isn’t just her legs man. The woman’s a firecracker.” Alex smirked as he forked mashed potatoes into his mouth.

“Is that right? And here I was thinking you only had eyes for Ashleigh Thomas.” Logan watched his friend closely, and the pained expression that flashed briefly across Alex’s face did not go unnoticed.

“So, when did you plan on bringing Sam up here? Is she single?” Alex asked, purposely ignoring the comment.

“I need to get her here like yesterday. Jeff gave his two week notice a week ago. That doesn’t give me much time. I think I can convince him to stay a bit longer, but how long, I don’t know.” The question about her relationship status wasn’t something Logan wanted to think about.

“Think she’ll take the offer?” Alex asked as he went back to devouring his food.

Logan didn’t know what his underlying motive was, but he was reluctant to give Alex too much information. His sudden desire to hide Samantha from the roaming hands of the playboy sitting across from him took him a little by surprise. Hell, he hadn’t even met the woman yet.

“Don’t know for sure. Banten seems to think she will, but he told me it isn’t going to be easy.”

“I think he’s probably right on that one. I don’t know Sam all that well, but what I do know is that she knows her stuff. She isn’t the type just to rush into something without a little security.” Pushing his chair back from the table, apparently finished now that his plate was empty, Alex leaned back before he finished his train of thought. “I’ll tell you that I’m personally looking forward to her coming up here.”

Logan could tell Alex was baiting him. It’d been a long time since the two of them had hung out, but Logan knew Alex well. The man was trying to touch a nerve, and he was getting damn close.

For as long as Logan could remember, Alex had been attempting to set him up with one or another of his female friends. After Logan finally managed to kick his scheming ex- girlfriend to the curb, Alex seemed to have doubled his efforts. It wasn’t that he had difficulty meeting women. He didn’t. But, unlike Alex, the type of woman he was after didn’t seem to be running in the same circles he was. Other than a couple of one night stands, Logan left the relationships to those who had the patience for it. He didn’t.