[005] a real gentleman

                               Elizabeth was no stranger to fancy restaurants and extravagant nights out on the town. She was a socialite, born with a silver spoon in her mouth and wealth tied to her last name. She supposed, however, that this night was special because she'd be taken out by Logan himself. Apparently, this wouldn't be a first for Logan since he was immediately recognized by the host of the restaurant seemed to have already recognized Logan.

                               Although Elizabeth immediately picked up on that, she tried not to let it bother her. She wasn't stupid about Logan's reputation, and she figured he had probably taken a date or two here before. The allure of being first had quickly gone from Elizabeth's mind and was now replaced with reality. Still, Elizabeth wasn't going to let the revelation spoil her good time. Just because she wasn't the first didn't mean she couldn't be better than his previous dates.

                              If Elizabeth played her cards right, she'd be the last.

                            Logan had made sure they'd have their own table away from others, leaving them to only focus on each other. There was even a bottle of champagne waiting for them and Logan did the honors of popping it open. Elizabeth can't control the giggles that follow when some of it spills out, watching Logan with her chin perched in the palm of her hand as he poured out drinks for them both.

                             "Thank you again for taking me out tonight," Elizabeth replied as she took her glass, taking a sip afterwards. She's thankful to get out of the house, although she had to convince her parents that she was going out with Jack. "I really appreciate it."

                             "No need to thank me. You deserve it, Liz," Logan assured.

                             She raised a brow, a smile adorning her ruby colored lips. "For what?"

                             "Taking a chance on me. I'm sure you've heard things about me and yet, you still decided to go out with me," Logan explained.

                            "I like you, Logan. I don't think your past reputation should matter," Elizabeth admits.

                            And he checked off all of the requirements Elizabeth needed in a man. If things went right, Elizabeth and Logan would officially be a couple after this and she'd finally be able to leave home. Down the line, they'd even get married and Elizabeth Spencer would become Elizabeth Roy.

                            "I like you too, Liz. I feel as though there's some sort of... invisible string tying us together. That might sound fucking cheesy but -," Logan began.

                            "No, it's... sweet. Definitely poetic. I didn't think businessmen could accomplish such a feat,

                            Logan shrugs. "I am a man of many talents."

                            Plus, he knew that women tended to like that sort of cheesy shit. They wanted a man that was strong and knew how to take charge. But they also wanted a man who could be intuitive and in touch with his emotions. Although Logan was sure he didn't have any, it was easy for him to pretend.

                            Just then, their conversation would be interrupted by the waiter approaching their table. Seeing as they had all night to talk, Elizabeth wasn't too bothered by it. She was a little shameful to admit that she was starving actually. She hadn't really eaten leading up to her date with Logan. It was both out of nervousness and wanting to look slim in her dress.

                            "I'll have the French onion soup," Logan orders.

                            Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak but Logan decided to order for her instead.

                            "She'll have the same," Logan adds with a nod.

                             Elizabeth looked over at Logan with a frown while he was completely oblivious to how he had just insulted her. She liked to think that she was a grown woman capable of ordering her own dishes. Her father often ordered for Elizabeth, wanting to make sure that she didn't eat too much or else she'd look like a pig. Logan may not have been monitoring her weight but he was still trying to control her.

                            Still, Elizabeth doesn't want to start a fight. She doesn't want to be difficult. She tries to justify it, assuming that Logan was only looking out for her. But Elizabeth hardly believes herself.

                           When the waiter left with their orders, Logan turned back to look at Elizabeth with a smile. "You'll love it, trust me. Now what were we talking about?"

                          "Your many talents," Elizabeth drawled, leaning back in her seat.

                          "Oh. Well, I'd rather not talk about myself the entire night. I'd rather hear about you instead," Logan shook his head.

                         Elizabeth chuckles. "I'm pretty sure you know everything there is to know about me."

                        "Not everything. What about... Jack?" Logan questioned.

                        "Jack?" she laughs some more. "What about him?"

                       Logan shrugs. "Were the both of you ever more than friends at one point?"

                       "No! No, we never dated. It's always been just friendship between us. I can't imagine dating Jack," Elizabeth insisted. She only saw Jack as a friend and nothing more than that. Elizabeth was certain Jack felt the same way about her.

                       Logan nods. At least he didn't have to worry about any feelings on Elizabeth's end. But still, there was a chance that things might not be so innocent on Jack's end. And if that's the case, Logan needed to nip that in the bud.

                       "Are you jealous of Jack?" Elizabeth asks with a smile.

                       Logan laughs and it's the first time she's actually heard him really laugh. "No. No, I'm not jealous. I just don't want there to be any problems when we make things official."

                       "Are you sure you can handle it? No man of mine is going to have a wandering eye, that's for sure," Elizabeth shakes her head.

                       "Why would I want another woman when I have you?" Logan immediately responds.

                       Elizabeth chuckles. That's exactly what she'd expect for Logan to say. No man would ever be foolish enough to say anything else. "That hasn't stopped most men before. They could have the most beautiful woman on their arm and still cheat just because they can. It certainly hasn't stopped my father."

                       "He cheated?" Logan asks. He wasn't nearly as surprised by the news as he pretended to be.

                       "Several times. My mother knew about each mistress, but she never left. She didn't want to lose everything she had. The only reason he doesn't cheat now is because he's getting older. I always promised myself that'd never be me. I'd rather die than live a lie," Elizabeth shakes her head.

                        There were countless nights where Elizabeth walked in on her mother crying and falling apart, while her father was out there and doing whatever it was he wanted. It made Elizabeth furious. It also made Elizabeth even more determined to learn from her mother's mistakes and do the opposite. That's why she really wanted things to work out with Logan. Elizabeth wanted to leave home and all of its bad memories and start a life of her own.

                       Elizabeth didn't want to be trapped at home, forced to continue living a lie. She wanted to do better than her parents and that started with picking the right man. 

                       Logan holds onto Elizabeth's hand, his touch so warm and gentle that it was easy to forget his prior transgressions. "That won't be you, Liz. You're smarter than that. I know it's all just words at this point, but I promise to never hurt you the same way your father hurt your mother. That won't be us."

                       Elizabeth really wanted to believe him. Logan Roy was charming, and he knew exactly what to say. Freida always warned Elizabeth to avoid men like Logan. The charming ones are nothing but pure trouble, she'd always say. Even if that were true, Elizabeth felt confident enough that she could change Logan. She could be the one to help him settle down once and for all.

                        "Now I see why you're such a successful businessman," Elizabeth teases, chuckling as she pulls her hand away from him. She didn't want to let go but it wasn't as though they could hold hands the entire night. "You're going to be in the business for a very long time if you keep it up."

                        Logan smiles. "That's the plan."

                       "I'm sure your parents must be incredibly proud of you," Elizabeth encouraged, her words enough to make Logan's smile instantly disappear. "Did I say something wrong?"

                       "No. It's just that my father's dead. He passed away a couple years after I was born from a brain hemorrhage. I don't remember him much at all," Logan shakes his head.

                        Elizabeth frowns. She feels awful for him. As much as she hated her father for what he had done to her and her mother, she wasn't sure she could imagine him dying. Elizabeth would be incredibly sad if that were to happen. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Logan. What about your mother?"

                       "I don't know," Logan shakes his head.

                       "You don't know?" Elizabeth furrows her brows in confusion.

                       "It's been a long time since I've spoken to her or seen her. I'd rather not bore you with those details. It's a long story and this is supposed to be a happy night, remember?" Logan deflects the question with ease, determined to move on from the subject. He immediately finishes the remaining champagne inside of his glass, head tipped back.

                       The past and his family were obviously an incredibly sore subject for him. Maybe when they grew closer, he'd feel more comfortable in telling her the full story. Elizabeth certainly wasn't going to be the one to pressure him.

                      "Right. My apologies," Elizabeth sheepishly chuckles, watching as Logan poured more champagne into his empty glass, holding it out for Elizabeth in a silent offer. She ultimately nods. A little more champagne wouldn't hurt.

                       The rest of the night went by pleasantly. Elizabeth didn't like the French onion soup but she played along, as to not offend Logan in any way. After all, girls and young women knew exactly how to fake things and pretend in order to get through life. They talked about all sorts of things, although they made sure to carefully avoid the past or their families as much as possible.

                       Determined to be a real gentleman, Logan would see to it that Elizabeth got home safely after their date. He even walked Elizabeth to her building, holding onto her hand the whole time. Elizabeth never thought she'd be the kind of girl to enjoy such sentimental things like this. And yet, Elizabeth felt as though she was floating with each step she took. So by the time they reached Elizabeth's apartment building, she felt dread and reluctance clawing at her heart.

                      "Is it too late to walk back and then come back here in another hour?" Elizabeth jokes. But a large part of her was very serious. "I really don't want to go home just yet."

                      Logan didn't want her to go home yet either. But out of respect for Elizabeth's parents (he'd never be able to win them over if he broke any of their rules), he wasn't going to keep her. "I don't want you to leave either. But I don't want your parents to hate me before they even meet me. Do they even know about me?"

                      "No. I wanted to tell them about you when I was sure you'd be staying around," she admits, "But now that I know that you are, I'll definitely find a way to tell them. I want them to meet you."

                       She wanted to rub it in their faces that she had managed to make a smart choice without them.

                      "I look forward to that. But... out of curiosity, who did they think those flowers were from?" Logan raised a brow.

                      "I managed to convince them that Jack gave them to me as a present. He's probably the only man they trust around me. But that's going to change, of course," Elizabeth smiles, letting go of Logan's hand as she stood in front of him. "I guess I should probably get going now before my parents begin to wonder where I am."

                    "You probably should," Logan nods in agreement.

                    And yet neither of them make a move to leave. Elizabeth takes a step closer and so does Logan, a couple of inches separating the two of them. Logan reaches out to touch Elizabeth, going as far a caressing her cheek. His thumb moves closer to her lip and Elizabeth glances up at him. She feels the urge to kiss him so she acts upon it, pressing her lips against his. She could taste faint traces of champagne on his lips as he kisses her back, wrapping her arms around him. Although it feels like an eternity, the kiss lasts close to a minute before the two of them pull away from each other.

                     "Okay, I'll really go this time," Elizabeth chuckles, barely managing to hide her smile as she began backing away towards the entrance. "Goodbye, Logan Roy."

                     "Goodbye, Elizabeth Spencer," Logan smiles at her.

                     Elizabeth bit her lower lip, the feeling of Logan's lips on hers still fresh in her mind as she entered inside of the building. Logan was smiling too, seeing as he had now managed to win over Elizabeth's heart. Her parents would probably be just as easy. And even if they weren't, Logan probably didn't need their approval at this point.

                    Once again, Logan had managed to win.

( 🦢🍸💄)

word count: 2382
notes: chapter five!! we got a little bit of logan's backstory which is rare but thanks to the wiki i managed to find out some more about him. honestly, logan's childhood was very sad and while i still hate him very much, it explains a lot about why he acted the way he did. elizabeth is literally just settling at this point because she wants to leave home and be better than her parents but she's only going to end up worse than her mom 😭