“This should be good,” I say to the table. And it is. It really is!

Not only does Buddy give a side-splitting account of a young Logan, pre-Leary Constructions, when their bromance blossomed during the two years that they lived and worked together, but also, while throwing out analogy after analogy in an attempt to convey how much Logan loves his job, he shares a private story about arriving home one evening and finding Logan pleasuring himself whilst looking through a building magazine.

I gasp and burst into laughter along with the rest of the room. Logan puts his face in his hands and shakes his head, letting the humiliation wash over him. When he looks up, he’s laughing too, though he gives Buddy a distinct I’m-going-to-kill-you-for-that kind of look.

Buddy revels in teasing his best friend, and drinks in everyone’s laughter, before his speech continues. A few humorous minutes later, he gestures that Logan should join him at the front of the stage.

When they’re shoulder to shoulder, Buddy concludes, “Logan, you have been my friend and my brother for the past fifteen years, the closest thing that I have to a moral compass,” he grins, “and I consider myself very lucky for that. To everyone in this room, you have been a visionary, a kingpin, and a sounding board, and I cannot think of a single person who deserves this award more than you. Not even I deserve this award more than you,” he laughs. He picks up the award and presents it Logan, saying, “Loges, congratulations on all you have achieved and contributed. May it stand the test of time.”

The room erupts into yet another round of applause as Logan is handed his prestigious award. After setting it down once more, he and Buddy do a half-handshake, half-hug type of thing, before Buddy retreats offstage and Logan is left alone. He takes a deep breath and his eyes scan the sizeable room before they dart to me, where they stay for a long moment. I give him a reassuring wink, and I relish that even now, even here, we are able to look at each other and calm descends.

After flashing a quick smile, Logan begins, “That thing that Buddy said about the magazine is not true…” The room immediately breaks out into laughter once more.

“I saw it with my own eyes!” Buddy shouts, now back at the table, where he receives everyone’s quiet congratulations on his speech. Everyone except for Taylor, of course.

“Moving right along,” Logan chuckles. He starts his speech very formally by thanking the PBA for hosting this event and for presenting him with his award. An award which he modestly admits he would not be receiving if it weren’t for the culmination of a lot of work by a lot of people, most of whom are in the room tonight. His formalities die away as he begins to single out specific individuals, Michel, Buddy, Grace, Cheryl, and he works in a few of those gags that I found for him.

True to my promise, I laugh along with everyone else, though I still have no idea why the jokes are funny. Logan cracks up himself as he watches me say ha ha ha to his favourite of the jokes, knowing that my humour is pretence. I give him a little I-don’t-know shrug and he beams back at me, before finishing up his speech.

“The last thing that I want to touch on is failure, or better yet the perception of failure,” he says clearly and confidently. “There are not a lot of people here that know that I used to be a troublemaker in my youth. A real, insufferable badass,” he grins, looking complete gorgeous. “I used to want to keep that to myself, but now,” his eyes find mine again, “now I can embrace where I have been, because it has made me the man I am today.” He then looks out to the back of the room, and shares, “The one question that I have been asked the most in the lead up to tonight, is how have I made a success of myself? To that I say, I have succeeded because I have also failed. And in doing so, I have gained perspective. I have realised that success is more than winning jobs and making money. Success is being happy,” he says simply and I smile at his words. “It’s knowing that I’ve done the best job that I possibly can, and that whatever outcome eventuates I will be proud of my efforts and proud of the efforts of the team around me. I can see now that anything I have perceived as failure in the past, has simply been a chance to learn and grown, and so failures should never be a reason to be ashamed, they should never be regretted or denied. A wise man once said: if you own your own story, then no one can use it against you…”

My breath catches in my throat. I stare up at him in complete reverence and he smiles slightly at my reaction.

He quoted my father! I can’t believe that he’s remembered those words, let alone that he’s saying them at such a profound moment. My heart hammers madly in my chest and I feel like welling up. He really is the most thoughtful, gracious person that I’ve ever known. Across the table my mother gazes at Logan in similar disbelief. I know from her eyes alone that his touching tribute has won her over for good.

“I will own my failures,” Logan continues, “because I wouldn’t have succeeded without them. They have led me to stand before you tonight, and I stand here very humbled, very honoured…and ever so slightly humiliated after Buddy’s speech,” he laughs.

In conclusion Logan thanks the PBA once again, and insists that everyone enjoy their upcoming meal. As he steps back from the lectern, looking throughly pleased that all of the official business is now over, the room collectively rises as one to give him a standing ovation. His eyes widen in surprise. Logan wasn’t expecting that, which makes it all the more satisfying.

Once he leaves the stage, people take their seats and chatter breaks out around the room once more. Waiters immediately swarm every table, delivering our opulent evening meal. It’s a good thing that food is acting as a distraction, I think, because as Logan rejoins the table which is the only one with everyone still on their feet, I’m ready to jump his bones. Before I can get my hands on him, however, he passes my mother, who hugs him and whispers something which makes him smile. Then, finally, he reaches me and presses his lips to mine for a long, delicious moment.

“That’s the sweetest thing…” I begin.

“I thought you’d like it,” Logan smiles, his dimples on display.

I kiss him again as we simultaneously sink back down into our seats.

“So proud of you,” I tell him again, loud enough for only him and I to hear.

“Thank you,” he breathes and then he sighs in relief. The nerve-inducing part is over for him, now the fun begins. As if to prove this, Logan’s hand lingers near my knee and only when he withdraws it do I realise that he’s placed something underneath it.

As waiters deliver abundant plates of food and everyone around the table starts talking amongst themselves, I reach for the little item under my leg and a mixture of desire and excitement courses through me when I feel that it’s a key. Logan’s planned a secret, sexy rendezvous, I realise giddily. I expect the key to belong to one of the ample hotel rooms on the many floors above us, but as I rest it on my lap, out of sight of anyone apart from me, I peer down and read the engraving.

It says: Hotel Roof.

11. It’s My Party

All through dinner I’m distracted. The key, which is tucked securely under my leg once more, turns me into a bundle of erotic desires. When, I wonder. Every time that Logan shifts in his seat next to me, I jump, thinking he’s about to make his exit, but he doesn’t.

Eventually, I whisper to him, “Don’t I get some sort of instructions? You know, an ETA?”

“Instructions for what?” he smiles slyly, acting clueless.

So that’s how he wants to play, is it? I roll my eyes playfully, making him laugh, before saying, “Never mind. But let’s just say that if you don’t fill me in on your little ploy, you’re going to have a lonely time on the roof.”