Page 40 of Sapphire Sunset

The Santa Anas were blowing desert winds over most ofSouthern California, lighting wildfires as far north as Kern County.

As Logan drove back to his apartment, he saw a thick plumeof dark brown smoke crawling skyward from the dry, brown mountains to the west.Apparently it was Orange County’s turn in the barrel. No surprise. They’d hadsome terrible fires here over the years, and with the weather forecast predictinghigh eighties for the next two weeks, this one better get knocked down quick.

He’d try the dating thing again, he told himself as he drove.

Maybe expand to San Diego and LA. Not to rack up more quickand meaningless encounters like Snippy had suggested. He’d find quality guyswho might be worth having coffee with, or God forbid, dinner. Guys he mightfeel comfortable kissing once they got to know each other.

Maybe Donnie could set him up with someone again.

It wasn’t like the Army guy had been a total fail. They’dhad the whole military thing in common, and some fun dates. But as soon as theguy started telling stories of his hard partying ways—all-night dance parties,so much Molly he was having memory issues—Logan could see the burning bridgefrom a mile away.

He’d kissed the guy though. Once or twice. During sex.

And both times he’d thought of Connor Harcourt. Hadn’t justthought of him. Had seen the pain in his eyes the last night they’d stoodacross from each other.

Which was fucking ridiculous.

How could he still be haunted by a five-year-old make-outsession that might have cost him his job?

Maybe because he wasn’t making enough of an effort to getConnor out of his head. He was still saving all those write-ups his events weregetting on New York style blogs. And reading them over and over again. And hecould always delete the fake Instagram account he’d opened so he could followConnor’s. That always led to no good.

Logan was pulling into the parking lot of his sprawlingapartment complex when a phone call from his security director lit up his cell.

It chapped his ass that Buddy Haskins had gotten the promotionLogan had put in for, but given he’d been at the hotel much longer and was bestfriends with Rodney Harcourt, it made sense.

He popped his earpiece in.

“How can I help you, Buddy?” He managed to sound bothprofessional and cheerful.

“So what’s this about an incident yesterday?”

“What incident?” Logan stepped from behind the wheel of histruck.

“Something about you messing up the camera system.”

It was such a twisted and inaccurate version of what hadhappened Logan needed a beat to figure out what Buddy was actually talkingabout. “No, no. I never touched the system. I never got the chance. I needed toreview some footage, and Pete got up in my face and started yelling at me abouthow I didn’t have access, and I asked him since when and said if it wasanyone’s call, it was yours or Rodney’s.”

“All right, well, I’m calling. So why did you need access?”

Logan stepped into his apartment, thanking his stars he’dleft the AC on by mistake.

“Some guest was bullshitting us, claiming he stepped in wetpaint outside the north hallway exit on the way to the pool. He wanted mealvouchers, two free nights, free parking for his car, which had been in valetfor, like, six days. So I checked out the spot and the reason the signs weredown is because the paint was dry, and maintenance said it’d been dry for a dayat least. But when I went out front, I saw they were doing some curb painting inthe motor court, so I figured if I looked at the footage, I’d see the guystepping in the paint out there on purpose so he could rip us off.”

“Christ, dude,” Buddy muttered. “That’s a lot of work oversome meal vouchers.”

“And two free nights in a king guest room, and six nights offree parking. I was protecting the hotel, Buddy. The guy was a fraud, man.”

“All right, well, Pete says you really disrespected him.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not used to guys who’ve been there threemonths telling me how to do the job I’ve done for five years.” Logan tried notto slam the refrigerator door now that he’d pulled a Heineken free. He failed.

“We’ve got new procedures with the camera system. Pete gottold, you didn’t. Don’t bite the messenger’s head off.”

“Okay,” Logan said, feeling like he was being shoveled someheavy bullshit. “So what am I supposed to do when I need access to footage?”

“Go through me.”

“All right, well, watch out for Pete because he’s prettydamn possessive of the thing.”

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