Inevitable by Angela Graham

and most of those times he seemed to be laughing…at me. Was it that obvious that these men were boring the hell out of me?
    The bell rang and Logan took a seat at the table next to mine, he was a mere five feet away and facing my direction. The woman at his table was pretty and about my age. I’d never seen her around town before, but sitting so close to her all night I quickly learned she was both flirty and touchy with most the men that sat with her.
    “Hi, I’m Vanessa,” the woman told him, her smile all teeth as she looked him over. I tried to not pay attention, but Mr. Gifford the town barber was now seated across from me ordering a drink.
    “Logan, it’s a pleasure,” Logan replied and I suddenly felt awkward eavesdropping. Mr. Gifford cleared his throat pulling my attention back to him.
    “So, Cassandra. You look delectable this evening.” The old man slowly licked his lips, his eyes taking me all in.
    Swallowing the repulsion rising in my throat, I gave a painful tight smile. “Thanks, Mr. Gifford,” I said politely. Why was he even here? He was old enough to be my great-grandfather for Christ’s sake.
    “Please, call me Sal, honey,” he said, leaning in to place his hand over mine. Instantly, I pulled it away shooting him an assertive scowl.
    “So tell me about yourself, Logan,” Vanessa asked, her voice eager for information. My ears perked up waiting to hear his answer as well. “Rumor has it you have a little boy. How old is your son?”
    Logan sat quietly for a brief moment appearing unaffected, drink swirling in his hand before tilting his head and catching my gaze from the corner of his eye. I straightened in my chair, pretending to not notice. “I’d rather talk about you, Vanessa, what do you do for a living?” Logan’s reply came out cold and clipped. Something I’d never heard before.
    He didn’t seem to want to talk about Oliver, and I found myself curious but the sound of Vanessa’s voice as she began spouting out about how she was a chef at restaurant a few towns over left me bored. Logan twisted his neck to the side just enough to smirk at me. I rolled my eyes right back at him. He chuckled at my impassive move and Vanessa abruptly stopped talking. Damn why couldn’t I stop staring? It wasn’t like me…at all.
    “What’s so funny?” She giggled.
    Looking back at Mr. Gifford, I didn’t listen for his reply. Sal was drinking a bottle of imported beer, painting a disturbing picture I’d forever have engraved into my brain, as his tongue lingered around the tip. Damn him.
    “So Sal, what brings you out so late?” I asked deciding to make the most of the final few minutes with him.
    “I may be a bit older than you, honey, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to have fun,” he slurred, his eyes dark and clouded as they traveled to my cleavage.
    Choking down the bile that was itching to spew from my mouth I closed my eyes, hoping to make him disappear. I took a giant gulp of my drink, working hard to swallow it against the pressure of revulsion. For the first time that night I found myself wishing Logan was in front of me. Anyone would be better than Sal.
    “I’ve been waiting to get over to this table, you know,” Sal said, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
    I made a face, not sure how to take his comment. “Hmm, really. That’s…” I had no clue how I felt about his confession. I gave an uncomfortable, tight-lipped chuckle and took another long drink hoping to dull his image with alcohol.
    “Why don’t we get out of here and go on back to my place. I’ll have you screaming my name by the time the sun comes up.”
    My mouth full of margarita spat across the table. “What!”
    I struggled to control my harsh coughing, as I set down my glass and reached for the napkin in front of me to wipe my mouth.
    Did he really just say that? His wife died not even a year ago not to mention this was the same guy that used to give me a quarter when I was a kid.
    Sal seemed