Chapter 16: Chapter 16

- This place is really cozy.

Missy smiled at Logan's praise as the waiter served them two servings of their favorite dish at that restaurant: pasta Bolognese with steak Fiorentina. At first, as they made the drive to La Dolce Italia, she'd been afraid that this familiar, busy, non-exclusive place wouldn't appeal to a man as refined as Logan. After all, he and Victoria, despite having very different personalities, belonged to the same world of opulence. However, as she watched him enjoy the warm atmosphere and compliment the menu, Missy gradually felt more and more comfortable.

- That's great! – Logan praised again, as soon as he swallowed the first fork of pasta – I really have to bring my parents here. They love Italian food. How did you discover this place?

- I used to have lunch and dinner here a few times, when I left the office. – she said, feeling that, with each passing second, talking to him became easier and more natural – Their masses are just perfect. My dad would love this restaurant if he were still alive. – She gave a sad smile – Despite my mother always complaining about how he, Megan and I had “too simple” tastes. But I really like it here. – Looking around at the laughing families and the singer softly playing an acoustic guitar on the small stage nearby, Missy gave a happy smile – I know it's not sophisticated or super well rated, but... It's very... Cozy, like you said. And the food is great! – she concludes shyly.

- Your mother is a woman... Too judicious. – Logan sighed, clearly trying to be as respectful as possible – In a Michelin-starred restaurant like that, I can hardly imagine the thousands of details she had at her disposal to be able to complain.

- I used several wrong forks. – Missy confided with a sigh – And I had no idea where she was going to take us, so I was only wearing jeans and my favorite sweater, printed with some stars… Of course, she didn't like that at all and wanted I really wanted to come home so I could change those clothes, but... She and Megan ended up fighting and Mom... Accepted, so to speak. - She said, her head down, as the memories of the fight that her sister had with Victoria so that their mother would stop criticizing Missy's clothes and simply let her dress as she wanted in peace, came back to her mind - But she was dissatisfied throughout the meal and... She gets even more critical when she's crossed. So... She turned out to be a little too strict with me after I put her through so many embarrassing situations for blundering on proper etiquette. - she finally explained, taking a sip of her wine.

- Does she really think getting the fork types wrong is an embarrassing situation? – Logan laughed openly – That's not embarrassing, it's just human.

- You don't have to console me by saying that. – Missy smiled sadly – I know it's shameful to make that kind of mistake in such a prestigious place.

- I am serious. – Logan insisted, good-humored, but also visibly serious – Listen, if it helps you feel better, I'll tell you what's really embarrassing: Diana already showed you the video of her debutante party?

- The one you trip over in the middle of her waltz with Daniel? – Missy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at that memory.

"There you are, being too kind again." – he smiled playfully and affectionately at her – Well, let me tell you about a truly embarrassing moment. In fact, now that we're friends, I'd really like to tell you my side of that story. I know that when Diana does this, she takes advantage of it to vilify me as much as possible. - despite the grimace he made when talking about his younger sister, Missy recognized the deep affection in his tone - In my defense, I didn't do that on purpose. You know, even though I was 19 by the time Diana and Devon turned 15, I still didn't have a lot of drinking experience. Mom can be very sweet, but she's also very strict when it comes to alcohol, especially when it involves her kids.

- And honestly, it's all Diana's fault and the buffet she chose. – he continued, playfully – If she hadn't chosen the theme “Unicorn”, I would have at least suspected that that fluffy and apparently harmless canapé was stuffed with the worst pepper in the world. To this day I don't know what that was, but in less than a second it felt like I was about to spit fire. – he laughed – And, as you can imagine, at that moment, I wasn't exactly in a position to reason. I just walked over to the drinks table and started drinking every bottle of water and drinks I could see. Unfortunately, I ran out in less than a second of the stock of juice the buffet had brought out the underage guests and then I went to the bar to get one of those big glass bottles with a clear liquid that, in my despair, I was sure was water... But it was vodka.

- Oh, no... - Missy laughed, hiding her face in her hands while a fit of laughter completely dominated her.

- I think I must have broken the record for how much alcohol a person can ingest in less than fifteen minutes. - He continued, laughing as much as she - And, with that horrible burning sensation in my mouth, I didn't even realize that I had gotten completely drunk for the first time in my life. When the feeling of being on fire finally passed, I was completely disoriented. And, as if it wasn't enough that I was close to falling down drunk during my sister's biggest birthday party, it crossed my brilliantly drunk mind that something was wrong with me and I should ask my dad for help. To this day, I don't know how I didn't realize that Diana was sitting on his lap in the wheelchair, dancing the most important waltz of the night.

- And then you fell on top of them? - Missy asked between laughs, even knowing how that story would end. Diana had indeed already shown him, on more than one occasion when she visited the Knights' house, the DVD which contained the recording of the entire party, including that moment. It was a way that Logan's sister had found, at the time, to make up to Missy for the way Logan was mistreating her: showing a funny and embarrassing moment of him. She could still remember the scene of Daniel with his teenage daughter on his legs, moving the wheelchair with slow movements in the middle of the beautifully decorated hall, in a clearly emotional moment... Until Logan, who had passed in the back from the scene a few times, clearly staggering, he suddenly appeared stumbling towards the two, and definitely would have landed right on top of his father and sister when he got close to them, if Daniel hadn't been faster and moved the chair a little, letting Logan fall face down on the floor.

- I think it would be more appropriate to say that I fell into an alcoholic coma on the cold floor and no one made a point of helping me. – he joked, feigning revolt – They would probably have let me sleep there forever, if it weren't for the fact that my body was disturbing the continuity of the waltz.

- I don't know why, but I can't imagine you drunk. – she laughed, with that sincere phrase escaping her before she could control herself. In fact, it was becoming easier and easier to be honest around him, something that was unheard of for her. It usually took her a long time to get comfortable enough around a person before she finally started spilling her thoughts so automatically. Missy Sutton had never been known to be a talker, after all.

- Honestly, I can't either. – he sighed, good-humored – I don't remember anything else from that night after I wiped the floor with my face. And honestly, after my mom and Diana made sure to give me the longest rant in history while I was in the throes of the first hangover of my life, I promised myself that would never happen again. I hate feeling like I'm not in control of myself. he mused, his expression suddenly somber, as if a memory had flashed through his head. However, that moment was gone in a blink of an eye and soon he was already smiling at her again - And then? Do you still think that mistaking your fish fork for your salad was the worst thing that could have happened to you?

- No... - Missy tried to contain her burst of laughter, wiping the tears that had accumulated in her eyes from laughing so hard. That man really was nothing like the Logan she used to call “Mr. Knight”. He wasn't cold, calculating or untouchable. He was pleasant, understanding, funny, and for the first time that week, she had actually managed to laugh, as if there wasn't any wound in her heart. As if there weren't bad memories to haunt her or insecurities inside her just waiting to strike. He had made her feel… light, happy, entertained… at peace. Yes, most of all, in that last hour she'd been with him, she'd felt at peace for the first time in a long time – Remind me not to get any canapés, in case the waiter offers them to us. – she joked, before looking at those beautiful green eyes with deep gratitude – Thank you for telling me that. I haven't felt this good in days.

- Whenever you need. – he smiled affectionately, placing his hand over hers across the table – All I wanted tonight was to make you happy… And I'm glad I'm succeeding. – He ran his thumb gently over the back of her hand, making her shiver completely, before Logan returned to stare at her with amusement – And, if you listen to the dark stories from the Knight family make her laugh, so I can spend all night telling you every one of them.

- I still can't believe you did that at Diana's party. – Missy couldn't help but laugh again.

- Oh, but she made me pay dearly. - Logan grumbled - She was emotionally blackmailing me to take her on all my international work trips when I was a teenager, and, of course, she makes a point of showing that recording to every living soul that visits our parents' house. But the worst was when she practically threatened to kill me so that I would make her one of my models when I opened the agency, a year after that party. He sighed, this time with visible tension in his voice.

- You... Didn't want her to follow the same career as you? – Missy asked gently, torn between wanting to get to know him better and, at the same time, not pressuring him to talk about an apparently sensitive subject. After all, he was already being so understanding with her...

- I started in this industry very early. Too early. – he shrugged, although it was noticeable that that wasn't exactly a subject he seemed to like to talk about – I saw and lived a lot. Every day I am grateful that my parents were not dazzled and were attentive and careful with me. Thanks to them, I was able to remain a teenager as much as possible, even though I was immersed in a very adult world. If I hadn't stayed focused on my goals and they hadn't been preoccupied with analyzing every job I took and who I was getting involved with, maybe my life would have taken a very different course. It's a world of fame and pursuit of perfection that can easily blind you if you're not careful. I've seen it happen many times over the years while I was still only working as a model. So, of course, I worried a lot about my little sister wanting to enter this world. As much as I tried, I knew I couldn't protect her from absolutely everything, especially since she was a dreamy and inconsequential teenager, only 16 years old... - he reflected, lost in thought in front of her, before composing himself with a long sigh – In the end, she became disillusioned after a few years of her career and found herself professionally working as a model supervisor, when the agency began to grow. It was such a relief for me and my entire family to see her feel so fulfilled in helping new models in their careers.

- I'm sorry to ask, but… – Missy swallowed, fearful – How old were you when… When did you start working as a model? You don't have to answer me if you don't want to… - she hurriedly added, as soon as the question left her lips – I don't want to be inconvenient.

- Everything is fine. – he calmed her down – It's not like I've gone through a big trauma or I regret the career I chose. I've accomplished many things I'm proud of and I would never change that. It was just a very different world than mine at the time, and I felt a little lost at first... But to answer his question, I was 13. he said, sounding calm.

- Oh... I... I don't understand much about the world of super models, but... Isn't that a little... Young? - She tried to ask as softly as possible, although she couldn't get out of her voice all the concern she felt when imagining a young Logan looking as lost as he said he felt.

- In truth no. – Logan sighed – Some children start from babies. You're not used to this, because our agency has a policy of not making contracts with anyone under 16, but some 7- or 8-year-olds already have established careers in the fashion world these days. But this is the kind of discussion that involves a lot of controversy, so I don't think we need to go into that. But yeah, from my point of view, I was a little too young. If it had been my son, and I had been in a different situation than my parents at that time, I don't know if I would have allowed him to enter this profession so early.

- Why... Why did you start working so early? – she questioned, albeit shyly.