all his guns, so that might be fun for you. He has them hanging up all over the house so there’s always one in reach.”
“Oh…really?”
“Yeah, plus, he has all these old stories he likes to tell. About his days with the Mob. You should hear all the different ways he hid the bodies. He’s so creative.” I look off wistfully but watch him out of the corner of my eye.
His eyes widen for a moment, and then it must dawn on him I’m kidding because he smiles. “I suppose he’s where you got your fashion sense from. A hoodie and sunglasses in the middle of summer? Been taking lessons from the old man, huh?”
“Exactly.” I nod. We laugh a little, possibly a lot, and then I remember what I wanted to ask him before. “What did you mean earlier with ‘you’re you’?”
“That? Uh, I just meant you’re great, ya know? And that I… Well…” He’s tripping over his words. And it’s so cute, but I’d really like him to finish his thought.
But of course, that’s when we come back from the music break, and there’s another caller.
“What’s your name, caller?” Logan asks.
“Hi, A.L., it’s Capri.” Her voice is clearer coming through the headphones than it has been when I listened to the show at home over the radio. There’s something about it that strikes me as familiar.
Logan looks up at the ceiling like he’s summoning patience. “Thanks for calling in again, Capri. So, what’s your stance on Wonderful Wendy’s situation?”
“If you ask me, I don’t see why you guys are, like, proud of this girl. The fact that she’s trying to be all ‘poor me’ is really lame. She shouldn’t have screwed up in the first place.”
Geez Louise, is this girl serious?
I lean in to speak before Logan does. “Hi, Capri. You’re right. I shouldn’t have done this thing in the first place, but I’m trying to make up for it.”
“How so? You haven’t even said you’re sorry. You don’t even know if this person will hear it if you do, and if they do hear it, how will they know it’s you? You haven’t given your real name? What is your real name, anyway?”
Man, this girl’s voice sounds so familiar, but I just can’t place it.
I open my mouth to speak, but Logan beats me to it. “She has said she’s sorry, it just wasn’t broadcast. And, the apology was accepted.” He nods his head like he wants to say, “So there.”
“I knew it!” Capri shrieks, and I almost throw off my headphones. “You’re the one she’s talking about, aren’t you, A.L.? Don’t listen to her, she’s not good enough for you. She broke your heart once, she’ll do it again. You need someone who will treat you right. Who will—”
“Well, thanks for calling in again, Capri. You’re definitely one of our most faithful listeners, but we have to get back to the music now.” Logan flicks the microphone’s switch and makes a hurry-up gesture at Ben who is flipping through CDs at super-speed. “Music, Ben… Play the music!”
Finally, a piano begins, its melody followed by a rusty, bluesy voice.
Logan’s ears take on a pink tinge. “Sorry about that. I don’t know what her deal is.”
“I know what her deal is—I’ve said it before. She has a thing for you.”
“No, she doesn’t. I’ve never met that girl in my life. I—”
“Doesn’t matter.” I give his knee a nudge. “I mean, who can blame her? You’re Awesome Logan.”
He smiles, and his eyes literally sparkle as he looks at me. Or maybe it’s just the reflection of the dim light off his glasses. Either way, it makes my toes go numb, probably because all the blood has left them and gone to my cheeks.
What were we talking about again? “I like this song.”
“Yeah, it’s good.” He stares at the mic and takes a deep breath. “So, what do you—”
Ben interrupts his question when his voice comes through the headphones. “I’m missing a CD, dude. You got it in there?”
Logan hops up. “Which one?”
As he looks for the CD, I fiddle with the spiral cord of the microphone. I can’t believe he’s not mad at me. Not only does he want to hang out, he’s agreed to meet my parents, which is just crazy pants.
I’m daydreaming of what he’ll think of them when he pops my hand, trying to stop me from tangling up the cord more than it already is. He’s still flipping through CDs, so I give his shoulder a