Logan Chapter 137

-Logan-

I can tell Emory wasn’t amused by my addition to our publicity stunt, but it was the last one we’re planning to do and I felt like we should go out with a bang. I know the fact that I was complimentary of her is making it harder to stay mad at me, which is a nice perk. We weave our way through the restaurant behind the hostess, but we could have found the table without her. Not only can Emory and I both smell all the wolves at the table over the riot of food scents, but we can hear Ollie in the middle of telling a story as well. By his tone, he’s building up to a punchline. Just to mess with him, I hurry the hostess along and loudly greet everyone so we interrupt his story before he can get to the funny part. Emory shakes her head minutely, to let me know she’s onto me and doesn’t approve. She won’t say anything about it, though. She thinks it’s funny, too.

“Happy birthday, asshole! How many is this now, seventy?” I say, giving Deek a classic bro hug. His nostrils flare as he clocks the difference in Emory’s scent on my suit jacket, but he doesn’t say anything about it.

“I’m the same age as you, dumbass! Your birthday is literally in a few months. Don’t think I’ll forget this conversation before then.” Everyone else at the table laughs, except for Arthur. It’s an intimate birthday celebration. Just dinner with The Alpha Alliance and Deek’s siblings. Their father stepped down as Alpha when his health grew too fragile to continue to lead, and his mate swung all the way from not minding when he worked too much for the pack to hardly ever letting him leave the pack house because he could be “lethally stressed” by any inconvenience. It’s something they argue about often, but the result is that they’re shut-ins. Probably the whole family had a birthday dinner at home last night.

“Happy birthday Derek. I bet this next year is going to be your best yet.” Emory says sweetly as we’re both seated in the last empty spots at the table.

Little does she know, she just gave me the perfect opening to tell Deek about his gift. *Thanks, baby. No time like the present for a present!* “It will be!” I start, and Ollie lifts his drink in a salute like we’re getting ready to toast the birthday boy. “I set up a birthday gift for you, buddy. Maybe the best gift you’ve ever gotten.”

Derek looks at me, confused. We didn’t walk in with any obvious boxes, and we all know better than to try to buy each other cars or houses or anything ridiculous like that. When our friendships first started to get tight, stunts like that always started extremely expensive dick-measuring contests. Every birthday and holiday turned into a competition. We finally agreed to stop when all of us got lime green Lamborghinis one year from Deek on St. Patrick’s Day. He finally realizes that he’s not going to guess what I have for him and asks about it. “The best gift I’ve ever gotten? Did you buy me world peace? Ariana Grande’s cell phone number? What?”

The whole table is listening now, and his comments get a laugh, but I’ve truly made his life easier. “Even better. This is something you’ve been whining about for months. I’m about to actively change your life. I hope you’re ready.” He rolls his eyes when I start to drumroll and Emory places her hands on mine so I’ll stop embarrassing her in public. “I didn’t get you world peace or a hot artist’s number. I got you someone who can accomplish those things and more. I am gifting you the best personal assistant I have ever had the pleasure of working with. The one woman who could keep your ass in line. The one who has been secretly holding my business together all by herself for months, now. You, Derek, the luckiest man in the world, are getting the opportunity to hire one Anna Carmichael!” Emory flashes a confused smile at me, and I see James clench his jaw in my periphery. I didn’t know he needed a new PA as well. If he’d said something I would have let them fight to be her choice instead of recommending her straight to Derek.

Derek is trying hard not to let himself get excited. “What do you mean you’re gifting me your PA? You can’t just gift human beings like that. I’d need to know how much she expects to get paid and what hours she’s willing to work and all of that. I need you to send me a copy of her contract with you so I know what I’m matching. Are you hiring someone new? Is there a reason you’re letting her go? You’ve raved about her for years.” Ollie nods in agreement behind him. Anna is probably the best PA any of us have encountered, and they all know it.

“I won’t need anyone full time anymore. I’m stepping back from Industries and focusing more on Emory and the pack in the upcoming quarter.” Emory’s smile freezes on her face. *We didn’t discuss this*. She manages to think to me without looking my way, but her poker face still isn’t up to par. I know James would notice her expression if he wasn’t dealing with whatever is on his mind lately.

I glance back at her. *I wanted it to be a surprise for you, too. I know you’ve been stressing about making the pack a closer community. That’ll take work from all of us, not just you. And this way, we can spend more time together. Don’t you want that?*

Derek is almost in tears, he’s so grateful. “You send me the contract you’ve got her on now and I’ll give her an extra ten percent plus two more days of PTO. She’ll deserve it, especially in the beginning.” We all nod in agreement, knowing that it’s the truth. Derek has been falling into an organization hole for years.

Emory finally pulls herself together enough to reply to me mentally. *Of course I want to spend more time with you. I just thought we agreed to discuss things like this in the future. I’m so excited for you, Logan. You’ll be so much happier and more relaxed this way.* I guess it’s kind of a big decision to spring on her, but we really don’t need the money still coming in. I didn’t have much to spend on after the gifting debacle, and I’ve amassed more savings than the whole pack could spend for a good while.

With my surprise sprung, I can sit back and just enjoy the company for the rest of the dinner. I’ve been working so hard to get the logistics worked out without thinking about it in front of Emory that now it feels like a weight off my shoulders to just think unimpeded. We have one more bit of news for the table, but it’s Emory’s wolf, so it’s on her to share. *Ugh, thanks a lot.*