backpedaled toward his phone. “Just wait. Keep the blood flowing. Don’t stop the flow.”
Logan picked up the phone and retreated toward a far corner of the floor. “Hello,” he said, softly.
“ Hello, Logan?” said the familiar and sobbing voice.
“ Keelen,” he said, while making brief eye contact with Eva. “What’s wrong? Are you all right? Where are you?”
“ I’m downstairs, in the lobby.”
“ You sound like you’re crying.”
“ Yeah, I need to talk to you.”
“ Sure, hold on. Let me buzz you in.” Logan lowered the phone away from his ear and stared at his screen, then quickly returned it to the side of his head. “I have to hang up to let you in. I’m sorry.”
“ Okay,” Keelen sniffled.
Logan used a phone app from the apartment management to buzz his guest into the apartment. He turned toward the gorgeous specimen in his living room. Her expression was frosty and disappointed. “Eva?”
“ Yes?” she replied, meeting him in the middle of the large floor space.
“ I have a friend coming up right now. You’re more than welcome to stay.”
“ Is everything okay?”
“ Yeah,” he said. He paused, and then his eyes moved to the side. “Actually, I don’t know.”
Keelen knocked lightly.
Shirtless and wearing only sweatpants, Logan glided toward the door. He looked back at Eva before opening it, and shot her an uneasy grin.
He peered through the door. Obviously, Keelen had had a rough night. Dried streaks of mascara were caked right above her pink cheeks.
As she walked in, Keelen made abrupt eye contact with Eva. She then turned to Logan, “I’m sorry, I didn’t...”
“ ...it’s fine, it’s just...we were gonna—come in, please.”
“ Hello,” Eva said. She turned to Keelen and faked a smile. “Well, it was nice meeting you. I’m gonna get my stuff and head on out.”
Keelen wiped the moisture from her eyes and stepped further into Logan ’s apartment. “Hi, I’m Keelen.” She abruptly pointed at Logan. “We’re just friends.”
Eva nodded at Logan, s harply turned around and walked toward the bedroom.
Keelen sat on Logan ’s white leather couch. She lowered her head and began weeping.
Logan immediately sat next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “What happened?” he asked. “Where’s Matt?”
“ I had to quit my job,” she sobbed.
“ Why?”
“ My boss was a total creep.”
“ The lady? What’s her face…”
“ No, not her,” she said, lifting her head. She grabbed a tissue from the box on Logan’s coffee table. “The photographer…like, the actual guy.”
“ What? Thomas Click the photographer?”
“ Yeah.”
“ Wait, he was there? At your gallery?”
“ Yes,” she said, as she wiped her nose.
“ He showed up and what did he do?”
“ He showed up drunk and within minutes of meeting all of us, he offered me acting work in exchange for a date or whatever he wanted.”
“ Did anything happen?”
“ No, I just walked out on him and took the bus here.”
“ Where’s Matt? Does he know what happened?”
“A re you kidding? Tell an Olympic boxer that my smarmy big boss made a pass at me? Punching that famous guy would kill Matt’s career before it even started.”
Logan nodded. “You were wise to come to me instead.”
Eva walked into the living room and reached down to grab her purse, which rested next to Keelen’s thigh on the couch. Logan stood up and tried hugging Eva, but she pushed him off with her hand. “Thanks for dinner,” Eva said, coldly.
“ Of course. Do you want me to walk you down?”
“ No, I’m fine. You obviously have more pressing matters,” she said, pointing toward Keelen.
With agitated abruption, Eva walked out the door, leaving behind a cold, bitter aura.
“Ouch. I’m sorry,” Keelen reiterated.
“ It’s fine,” he said, sitting back down. “I’ll give her a call or text or whatever later on today.”
“ I didn’t know who else to turn to,”