Page 75 of To Love or to Lose
“Okay, everyone!” A chaperone calls out, signaling the end of the tour. “We are going to allow you to split into groups of five. You and your group can go get lunch and meet back at the hotel by three o’clock for a conference with some of the top university scouts in the country!”
How thrilling.
Of course, Logan, the girls, and I all get grouped together for the rest of the day.
It took almost fifteen minutes of arguing about where we should go eat before Logan made the executive decision to make the choice himself. So, by default, we end up at one of Logan’s favorite high-rise Italian restaurants, right in the center of the city.
“I can’t believe we ended up here,” Genevieve grunts in discontent as she pulls her chair out from the table.
The Italian restaurant is upscale, and even though it’s light outside, there are candles lighting the establishment, with small crystal chandeliers over every table. The view of the city from the window we’re sitting against is amazing, considering we’re on at least the twentieth floor of the building.
None of us are properly dressed to be here, except maybe Genevieve. After looking around at the rest of the customers in suits and business attire, I'm shocked they even sat us.
“How could you be mad when I chosepasta?” Logan retorts. “If it was up to you, we would have been going to a cafe to eat New York style bagels.” Everyone, including me, groans at the thought.
“What do you have against bagels?” she asks in return, looking offended by his comment.
“We already ate bagels this morning, and we’re probably going to eat them every morning the entire time we’re here,” I interject.
I’ve already heard Logan’s complaints about Genevieve’s predilection for bagels this morning. I’m starting to see the way his diet mainly consists of them when he comes to NYC with the girls.
“You guys don’t have to eat what I eat,” she responds.
“Just like you don’t have to eat what we eat,” I counter. “No one’s forcing you to be here.”
“Actually, we have to stay with our groups, so I technically am being forced into this establishment based on a four-to-one vote,” Genevieve says. “Obviously, it wasn’t in my favor.”
We order our drinks. Logan and I get sodas, and the girls all get Shirley Temples.Genevieve and Winnifred are debating splitting a bowl of pasta while munching on breadsticks.
“I thought you didn’t want to eat here, Gen?” Logan teases as she grabs another breadstick.
“This bread is the closest I’m getting to a bagel.” she says, the sarcasm evident in her voice. “If only there was cream cheese.”
We all knew Genevieve was going to eat pasta once we got here; it is just a part of her nature to put up an argument over it.
“What are you thinking of getting?” He motions to the two girls.
“Lasagna,” Winnifred answers. “Do you think it will be big enough for us to just split?” She asks.
Logan looks as if he’s been trapped between a rock and a hard place. “You’re teetering in dangerous territory,” I mutter with a small smile.
Logan pinches the bridge of his nose. “Listen ladies, the amount of food you eat, especially pasta, is not up for the interpretation of a man,” he explains, making the girls chuckle “So, if you want to both get lasagna, go for it.”
“He’s so cute.” Eloise bursts out laughing, looking between the girls as if they already know something.
“What?” Logan’s brows knit together.
“They’re playing you like a violin,” I tell him, laughing along with the girls.
“You really think we would be offended if you told us whether one lasagna would be enough for the both of us, based on how much we normally eat?” Winnifred asks rhetorically.
Logan runs a palm over his face. “Hell, I don’t know.”
“It was an honest question, not one aimed to make you look like a misogynistic asshole,” Genevieve answers.
Logan grabs another breadstick, pointing it between the three girls like a sword. “You women are cruel.”
“How do you think we’ve survived in this society?” Genevieve asks before pointing her gaze at me. “By not letting men walk all over us.”
