Chapter 48
Logan
The moment that Em parks the car outside her mom's apartment, I'm actually taken back for a second. I didn't know that she was loaded. The building must be one of the tallest ones I've seen here so far. Its modern dystopian architecture merges with the vibe of the neighborhood, which is surrounded by tall buildings that seem expensive as fuck.
We wait for like five minutes until Elsie comes downstairs with... her nanny?
"Did your mom just send the nanny with your sister?"
Em is biting her lips, something she tends to do when she's nervous. My hand automatically reaches out towards her, trying to soothe her. Before she can say anything else, they're both getting in the car.
"Hi Elsie!" I greet the mini-version of Em before nodding at the nanny. "Hello, I'm Logan. This is Em."
She gives me a tight smile. "Hi, I'm Christine."
Em makes it a point to plaster the fakest smile on her face before pretending that Christine is not here.
Our ride to the waterfront takes about ten minutes and we look for parking for another ten minutes. Elsie is talking the entire time. I'm impressed with this kid, she is very... let's just say, eloquent.
She talks to us about her school, her friends, the girls that she hates in her classroom, her bestfriend, the boy she likes, the boy she dislikes - all within twenty minutes. And the only reason why she took a break from talking is because we needed to get out of the car.
Anyway, during this time, I learn that she doesn't like school and the girls in her classroom are mean but she only has one best friend who she absolutely adores. She likes a boy in her classroom who ditches his friends to hang out with her during recess and hates another boy whom her mom forces her to have playdates with. Mind you, she's seven.
Christ, I probably couldn't form a coherent sentence when I was seven.
We rent our bikes from the shop right next to the waterfront and of course, Em forces us to wear helmets. Christine, the nanny, decides to opt-out of the bike riding session and tells us that she'll be waiting for us to finish at Starbucks. I'm not even surprised.
"Okay, Elsie, so the key to riding a bike is looking straight ahead. It helps with the balance," I say as I help her get on her tiny pink bicycle.
I hold the bike as she starts pedaling until she can balance herself. "That's so easy! Look at me, I'm doing it on my own!" She shouts as she takes off. To be fair, we got her the four wheels bike.
I smile at Em, who is in awe of her. "Come on, let's follow her. I'll race you."
Of course, as soon as I say the word 'race', Em takes off.
"Hey! That's called cheating!" I call out after her.
"Don't be a sore loser."
Shaking my head, I quickly climb on my bike and try to catch up with her and Elsie.
We end up biking along the entire waterfront trail which takes out about half an hour to complete. I try to stay at a distance from Em and Elsie, just far enough to allow them to have some time alone, but still at a proximate distance so that I can hear them if they call out my name.
I'm stunned by the beauty of Beirut all over again: the infinite emerald Mediterranean sea on our right, contrasting the skyscrapers on our left, and the city is buzzing with bustling crowds.
From bikers and skaters, to dogs and children, to surfers and volleyball players. It reminds me of the Santa Monica Pier back in LA, except that it's more... communal? I don't know how that could be possible in a metropolitan city, but it is in Beirut.
We stop to get some food at this local burgers place.
"I want a cheese burger but without pickles. Okay? I absolutely cannot eat pickles! It will make me die," Elsie explains to the waiter who is suppressing a smile.
"Yes, ma'am. Anything else?"
She flips her hair before pointing towards the coke. "That too."
Em rolls her eyes. "I'm pretty sure that you're not allowed to have that. She'll have some orange juice, please."
Elsie shrugs. "Well, it was worth a try."
I can't help but laugh, still stupefied by this kid's charisma. I am not even kidding when I say that I've never been more entertained by a person in my entire life.
"So, Logan," She starts saying.
I grin. "Yes?"
"What is the most romantic thing you've done to Em?" She doesn't even look at me. She's too busy staring at her nails. Her glittery pink miniscule nails.
I glance at Em, mentally asking for help. Shit, what is the most romantic thing I've done for Em? I'm at loss for words. I don't know... Have I seriously done nothing slightly romantic so far?
Em bites back a smile, clearly enjoying my suffering.
That's until I remember the motorcycle thing. "I gave up my motorcycle for her!"
Elsie frowns and slowly looks up to me before turning to Em. "Is he serious?"
Em shrugs in response, clearly not wanting to get involved into whatever roast is coming at me.
"That is not okay, Logan! You need to get her flowers every day. And chocolate. Lots of chocolate. That's how you make a girl like you back."
Cool. Good to know that. "I mean I get her donuts sometimes."
She seems to think about it for a minute. "Chocolate donuts with sprinkles on top?"
Uh... "Yes?"
"Is that an answer or a question?"
Emily starts laughing and I'm like, legit terrified of this kid. "An answer. Why? You don't think your sister likes me back?"
She shakes her head. "Of course not. She's too good for you, anyway."
Jesus Christ.
"Em, honey, anything you want to add to this conversation?"
She smirks. "Nope, I'm good."
I sigh. No wonder where this little demon gets her attitude from. It must run in the family. "You're right," I admit in defeat. "I should be more romantic."
Elsie smiles in satisfaction. "Exactly. You still have a chance to make it alright, though." She points towards the street vendor selling cotton candy.
Em looks where she's pointing at before gasping. "Nu-uh, missy. Nice try, but you're not allowed to have that either."
At this point, I'm pretty much speechless. I just got roasted by a seven years old who tried to blackmail me into buying her cotton candy. The worst part is that I almost fell for it too.
She lets out an exasperated sigh. "You're no fun."
When the food arrives, Elsie keeps on talking, with her mouth full, occasionally choking and giving Em a heart attack. Throughout the entire time though, I couldn't keep the smile off of my face.