Three Days In New York (Veronica/Logan, Keith, Jackie) - NC-17 (Part 3b/3)
Title: Three Days In New York (Day Three)
Pairing/Character: Veronica/Logan, Keith, Jackie
Word Count: 2089
Rating: NC-17
Summary: "The easy things in life aren't the things that you remember in the long run. It's the hard stuff, the stuff that almost kills you, that sticks in here. Because it's the stuff that really matters."
Spoilers: Through 2.22
Disclaimer: I don't own Veronica Mars. Veronica Mars owns me.
Author's Notes: Thus concludes the first of what I hope will be many VM series. Feedback = ©
Day One
Day Two
Day Three, Part 1
Veronica’s cell phone rang, waking her and Logan from their peaceful slumber. Logan looked at the clock. It was nine in the morning. Veronica fumbled around for her phone till she finally found it.
“Hello?"
“Hey, it’s me. You still asleep?” Keith chirped.
“Not anymore,” Veronica groaned.
“I can’t wait to see you. Hear about all the things you’ve been doing while I was gone.”
“Yeah, me too. Are you still planning to come in on the red eye tonight?”
“That’s the plan.”
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
Logan waved his hands frantically, trying to stop her from confessing.
“What’s up, honey?” Keith asked with fatherly concern.
“I got assaulted by a taxi door.”
“A taxi door?”
“Yeah, the idiot getting out of the cab didn’t see me and flung the door open. It hit my right eye.”
“Ouch. How bad is it?”
“Just bruised a little. Actually, it looks a lot better than I thought it would. I might even be able to hide it with make-up. I just didn’t want you showing up and thinking I got mugged or something.”
“It’s all just part of the New York experience, sweetie. I’ll see you first thing in the morning?”
“Yeah. Love you, Dad.”
“Back at cha, kiddo. Be careful. Watch out for those taxi doors.”
“I will.”
Veronica ended the call. Logan could tell she hated lying to her dad. He felt enormously guilty that she had to.
“I should probably go back to Neptune today,” Logan said
“I can handle my dad,” Veronica replied.
“Not if he has even the slightest suspicion that your bruise came from me instead of a taxi door. Remember when I broke the lamp?”
Veronica nodded. Even if she did convince her dad it had been an accident, he would still be angry that Logan was there. If she wanted her dad to like Logan, this was not the way to go about it. She curled up under Logan’s arm and rested her head on his chest.
“Let’s go out for breakfast this morning,” Veronica suggested.
“Okay. Where do you want to go?” Logan asked.
“Little diner I know on the west side,” Veronica smiled up at Logan.
Veronica packed her things as Logan checked out. Then they took all their belongings to Veronica’s hotel room and left for breakfast.
The diner was swarming with hungry New Yorkers. Uniform-clad waitresses practically skated from table to table, taking orders, delivering plates and pocketing their meager tips. Logan and Veronica entered and surveyed the commotion.
“We’ll be lucky to get a table,” Logan observed. “Why did we have to come to this diner again?”
“That’s why,” Veronica said as she nodded towards a tall African American waitress who was taking a table's order in the back corner. Logan’s mouth dropped.
“Jackie?” he gaped.
“Little miss diva herself.”
Jackie glanced up and saw Logan and Veronica at the hostess stand. It was obvious she was just as surprised to see them. Veronica waved casually. Jackie nodded to her table then made her way to the hostess stand.
“Veronica…” she greeted awkwardly. “… and Logan? What are you doing here?”
“We were in the neighborhood,” Veronica shrugged.
“It’s good to see you,” she said. “I was sorry to hear about your dad, Logan.”
“That makes one of us,” Logan replied dryly.
“So, you got a table available?” Veronica asked.
“Not right now. But there’s a guy in my section who’s about to leave if you don’t mind waiting a few.”
“We don’t mind,” Logan piped up.
“Great, gives us a chance to chat some more,” Jackie grinned.
Logan and Veronica snuggled in their booth as they looked over a menu together. Jackie approached with her pad and pen.
“So, I see you two finally woke up and realized how hot you were for each other,” Jackie smirked.
“For the record, I always knew. She’s the idiot,” Logan nodded to Veronica, who rolled her eyes.
“How’s Wallace?” Jackie asked.
“He’s doing okay. Still a little heartbroken, but what are you gonna do?”
“Yeah, well, he’ll get over me when all those Hearst girls start hanging all over him.” Veronica could sense the sadness behind her words.
“You okay?” Veronica asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Keeping busy helps. I’m looking into some city colleges for the fall. And I have my son to keep up with, so…”
“Son? Wait, did I miss something?” Logan looked up from the menu.
“Jackie had a child before she moved to Neptune,” Veronica explained.
“Ah, plot twists. Gotta love ‘em,” Logan snarked.
“How’s your dad?” Veronica asked.
“Okay, I think. His career is over because of the scandal. But he seemed strangely happy last time I talked to him. Even mentioned selling his house and cars to pay back the gambling debt, maybe moving here.”
“That’d be great,” Veronica nodded.
“Yeah. So, you guys know what you want to eat?” Jackie asked.
“I’ll take Manhattan,” Logan announced with a grin.
Veronica looked at the menu.
“Oh, they have blueberry blintzes here,” Veronica read excitedly. “I’ll take that.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back with your order.” Jackie laughed as she walked away.
After eating breakfast and visiting with Jackie a little longer, Logan and Veronica strolled along Broadway then hopped into a cab and headed back to the east side.
Logan and Veronica made their way towards 5th Avenue, passing dozens of sidewalk vendors selling everything from pirated movies, “I © NY” t-shirts to replica art and jewelry. They stopped to watch a sidewalk artist paint his latest masterpiece. They walked some more till they found themselves standing in front of Tiffany’s.
"Shall we?" Logan asked.
"We shall," Veronica smiled as she took his arm again.
Logan and Veronica meandered through the labyrinth of heavily guarded encasements housing thousands of pieces of jewelry in every shape, size and color. Veronica couldn’t help but feel a little out of place.
“I think this place is a little out of my league,” Veronica perused the merchandise.
“I don’t know. I was just thinking how awesome that topaz and diamond necklace would look on you.” He leaned into her ear and whispered, “Just the necklace.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
“Come on. Just try it on so I can take a mental picture at least.”
“They let you do that?” Veronica questioned.
“Excuse me,” Logan called for the salesman, who approached them with a smile.
“Yes. May I help you?”
“My girlfriend would like to try on that necklace,” Logan pointed at the glass.
“Certainly,” the salesman nodded then took his key and unlocked the encasement. He lifted the exquisite topaz gem encircled with diamonds from its velvet base slowly. Veronica’s eyes widened as he handed the piece to Logan. She lifted her hair and Logan strung the necklace carefully around her neck. She let her hair fall to her shoulders and turned her to face the vanity mirror. Veronica gazed at her reflection in awe.
“Okay, this is pretty awesome,” she admitted.
“The color of the topaz really brings out the blue in your eyes,” the salesman complimented.
“Just say the word and it’s yours,” Logan said.
“Logan, I can’t let you buy something like this for me.”
“Sorry, you heard the girl. No sale,” Logan shrugged to the salesman.
Veronica thanked the salesman as she returned the necklace.
“Did you ever see the movie ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’?” Veronica asked as they stepped back out onto the sidewalk.
“Hm…” Logan thought about it. “No.”
“There’s this part in it where Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard spend a whole day in New York doing things they’ve never done before. But they don’t have any money. So they go to Tiffany’s and try to find something for ten dollars.”
“In there? Good luck.”
“They ended up getting a ring they got from a box of cracker jacks engraved.”
“That’s kind of romantic, in a cheap ass way.”
“Audrey liked it.”
As they passed the American Girl store, they glanced through the front window to see hairstylists working on dolls.
“Is it me or is having a hair salon for dolls a little disturbing?”
Logan laughed as they moved on. Veronica spotted FAO Schwartz and pulled Logan excitedly across the street. She gaped, awestruck, at the window displays. In one was a giant teddy bear riding in a hot air balloon. In another was a miniature replica Mercedes convertible with a giant doll in the driver’s seat.
“Now this is sad. That kiddie-size Mercedes costs more than my full size LeBaron,” Veronica observed with a hit of disdain. "Probably runs better, too."
“Yeah, I got a replica Ferrari like that for Christmas when I was six or seven. Man, it was awesome. Had a go-kart engine. I drove it all over our neighborhood.”
“You know what I got for Christmas when I was seven? A Ninja Turtle alarm clock.”
“Ninja Turtle? You were even butch back then, huh?” he grinned as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“Hey. Ninja Turtles aren’t just for boys,” she demanded in a way that made Logan think it was not the first time.
He laughed as he nuzzled her neck.
Veronica decided she’d had enough of the excesses of the Upper East side. She and Logan descended below the streets to the subway station and re-emerged in So-Ho.
They enjoyed visiting the small mom and pop stores, which were a far cry from the commercial decadence of the Upper East side. Many of the shops featured unique wares from local craftsmen and artisans. Veronica went into a small women’s clothing shop as Logan checked the flights schedules. After what seemed like an unusually long time, Logan rejoined Veronica in the shop as she completed her purchase.
“Well?”
“I’m on the ten-forty flight back to San Diego,” he sighed as he put his arm around her. Veronica whimpered sadly into his chest as they walked down the sidewalk together.
“Know why it’s called So-Ho?” Veronica questioned.
“I think it’s named after a section of London.”
“Actually, it’s an acronym for South Houston which is the street we’re on.”
“Really?”
“Tribeca is an acronym too,” she informed. Logan eyed her questioningly. “I looked it up on Wikipedia.”
“Is there no end to your curiosity?”
“It’s a blessing and a curse.”
They headed west towards Tribeca, admiring the unique brownstone architecture and intricate ironwork that lined the streets. It was getting close to five. Logan had to be at the airport in a few hours. So they grabbed dinner at a corner café and headed back to the hotel.
Logan held Veronica’s hand quietly as he gazed out the back window of the cab. Soon he would be gone, back to the chaos of his life, and she would be here with her dad, having the time of her life without him. It’s only for four days, he thought. But a lot can happen in four days. Veronica noticed his sullen abstraction and squeezed his hand reassuringly.
Logan and Veronica spent the rest of their time together saying good-bye between the sheets of Veronica’s bed in her hotel room. After the lovemaking, Veronica spooned Logan, resting her head against his back.
“What’s going to happen now?” Logan finally spoke.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I mean, are we going to tell your dad and everyone that we’re back together? Are we back together?”
“You really have to ask that after what we just did?”
“I just want to be sure I’m not misreading anything. I want to be sure this is what you really want.”
“It is,” she said as she kissed his back. Logan rolled onto his back and looked up at her earnestly. “It is,” she reassured. Logan kissed her then climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. Veronica stared after him for a long time then got up and dressed.
The cab driver waited impatiently as Logan and Veronica embraced in their final good-bye kiss.
“Call me when you get back. I don’t care how late it is,” Veronica said.
"Only if you promise to be wearing something sexy when I call," he wriggled his eyebrows and grinned. Veronica smacked him playfully as he got into the back of the cab with his two bags of clothes. Veronica watched the cab pull away. Just four days...
By the time Veronica returned to her hotel room, she was already missing Logan. Then she noticed something sitting on the pillow of her bed and moved in curiously to find a small box wrapped in gold foil. She swallowed nervously as she opened the lid. Inside the box was a plain sterling silver ring lying on a thin layer of cotton. “Logan,” she exhaled. Then she noticed something written on the inside of the ring. She smiled to herself as she read “LoVe SoHo 6-1-06.”