“Wait. Bruce Banner?”
“Yep. My parents are both über geeks, and my dad, despite being a world-renowned scientist, still has a comic book collection he won’t let anyone touch. When they found out they were pregnant, my mom was positive it was some kind of mistake, so she wouldn’t even discuss names. My dad picked Banner in honor of his favorite comic book scientist, and my mom didn’t argue.”
“You’re lucky you didn’t end up named Xavier,” he says, in reference to Professor X of the X-Men.
“Or Logan,” I say. “It suits you much better. You do have a sort of Hugh Jackman-esque look to you. Do you wear flannel shirts often? Or have metal claw thingies that shoot from your hands?”
“Adamantium claws, you mean?”
Shock slides through me as he throws out the correct term for the metal that makes up Wolverine’s skeleton, one of those random Marvel facts from my childhood I’ve never forgotten.
“Oh my God, don’t tell me you’re a comic book geek too? I came by it genetically, so what’s your excuse?”
Logan laughs and takes another sip of his beer, and I can’t help but study his knuckles. No claws in sight, just big hands. They’re a little banged up, which is probably normal for someone who works on cars all day, but they also look capable. There’s no doubt in my mind, even after only spending a half hour with him, he’s morereal manthan any guy I’ve ever met.
“I used to do odd jobs for the guy who owned the garage before me. Every Sunday, if I went to church, he’d make sure he had a comic book waiting for me after. It was something I looked forward to, and I think it was his way of doing a good deed, making sure I actually went.”
“That was really cool of him. You said you finally bought the garage over a year ago?”
Logan nods. “Yeah, I came back from the Marines and needed a job, so he gave me back the one I had before I left. For some reason, when you join up, you think that your life is going to be different. And it is, while you’re in the corps. But once you’re out, sometimes it’s like nothing but you changed. The entire world has gone on exactly the same way it did before, and there’s no special prize for the fact that you put your life on the line for years. Sure, people appreciate your service, but that’s where it ends.”
“I never thought about it like that. How hard it must be to come back and not have anyone understand what you went through. To them, it’s almost like you disappeared and then reappeared with no thought to what happened.”
Logan shrugs. “It’s a shame in a lot of ways, but then again, I’m one of the lucky ones. I made it back with all my limbs and my wits intact, and now I’ve got a thriving business of my own.”
His pride when he mentions his business is plain, and I can’t help but blurt out my own excitement.
“I’m hoping I’ll be self-employed by this time next year too. I’m impressed that you’ve managed to come so far so fast. I hope I have half the success you do.”
Logan leans forward in his seat. “You didn’t mention that before.”
The waitress chooses that exact moment to deliver cheeseburgers the size of my head.
“Is there anything else I can get you?” Her question is directed at Logan.
He looks to me. “Is there anything else you need, Banner?”
I glance at the condiments in the center and note that we’ve got all the ones I like. “Nope, I’m good. Thank you.”
The waitress leaves, but Logan doesn’t dive into his burger right away. “Tell me what you’ve got going on. I’m curious.”
Part of me wishes I hadn’t said anything, so I decide to keep it in vague terms. “I designed a couple of products and had some prototypes manufactured. Now I’m just finishing up the testing phase and gearing up for production soon.”
“You going to tell me exactly what kind of products you designed?” Logan reaches for the condiments, and squeezes ketchup and mustard onto his burger.
I bite my lip, and for the first time since we sat down, I’m thankful when the waitress barges in again.
“Can I get you another round of drinks? The happy hour special on your beer is almost over, and I wouldn’t want you to miss out.”
Logan defers to me again. “You want another?”
“Sure. And a glass of water, as well.”
As the waitress turns away, I take a giant bite of my burger, effectively ending the conversation.
Chapter 10
Logan