'The handsome Logan Huntzberger has done it again; signing another mega-money deal. Quite a change from the beginning of Huntzberger's rise to fame; the businessman first caught the headlines two years ago for his numerous, as he put it in a statement, "lady friends". Nowadays he is more known for his good business work earning big bucks for his mother company in San Francisco; his infamous reputation seemingly waning...'
Rory drops the newspaper onto her desk and leans on it, staring at the picture of her past love that accompanies the article. "Rory?" she is snapped out of her daze by her work colleague, Michelle, leaning over the top of the cubicle wall that separates their work spaces. "Err, yea?" she leans back in her chair looking up to meet the eye of her friend. "You done with that paper?" Rory frowns for a moment whilst gathering her thoughts "Oh yea, sure. Here." She says passing her the paper.
"Did you read my Huntzberger piece?" she disappears from above and swings round into Rory's cubicle in her chair.
"Yes, it was good" Rory answers uncomfortably thinking back on it. "If you wrote it why are you reading it?"
"I like to see it in its complete form, feed my pride. I didn't get to see it after its final edit either."
"Why didn't you read it last night?"
Michelle smirks "I had a date."
"What! Pray tell mon amie!" Rory smiles genuinely interested.
"Nothing much to tell, yet."
"How come I never saw you at home, before you left?"
"Oh I left straight from here, I had to finish the Logan piece before I left; I had my orders." Rory flinches hearing his name. "So what did you do last night?"
"I had a quiet night, watched TV and ate some Chinese." Rory states lacking enthusiasm.
"Of course... I don't know why I asked."
"What's that supposed to mean?" becoming defensive
Michelle seems hesitant to reply. She takes a deep breath "Rory, you know I'm saying this as your friend...but... lets face it. You're practically a hermit!" she looks at her friend who sits in silence, she decides to continue to make her case "I've known you for two years now and we've been living together for one, and you hardly ever leave the house if it's not for work."
Rory sits silently assessing her friend's comment, "You're right, Shell" she finally says rather sad.
"I'm sorr..."
"No" She cuts her off "I needed to hear it"
"I won't be home tonight; I'm seeing that guy again, I'm leaving here in a minute. Are you okay?"
"Yea I'm fine, don't worry about it." Rory forces a smile then waves her friend off.
...
Rory fights to get her key out the front door whilst juggling some work files, a cup of coffee and tonight's take-out. She stumbles through the doorway chucking her keys onto a nearby surface, totters to the coffee table and throws her files and food onto it. She slumps down onto the sofa with a huff and fights her way out of her coat. Looking at the display in front of her she lies back stretching out on the sofa and stares the ceiling. Michelle's observation runs through her head again and she can't help but think what an understatement it is. She lies in the dark, listening to the noise of the outside world; thinking of all the people out there, their lives. Wondering when she stopped being one of them and became the person she is now. A tear finds its way down her cheek and into her hair, shortly followed by another. Fed up she decides to just crawl into bed and forget everything – just for tonight.
...
The next morning she gets up, showers and makes her way out of her room into the kitchen passing Michelle sitting at the kitchen table, humming all the way. "Morning" Rory sings, takes a big sip of her already prepared coffee and sits at the table opposite Michelle, who is staring at her friend as if startled. "What?" Rory asks cautiously.
"You seem awfully chipper this morning." her expression the same.
"Just happy is all, not so awful is it?" almost unable to speak through her mouth full of Frosties.
Michelle chuckles slightly "Of course not, it's just been a while." The two of them share a mutual smile across the table and continue eating.
Swallowing her last bite Rory gets up, puts her stuff in the sink and makes her way over to the door and pulls her coat on. "Shell, you coming now?" she shouts to her friend in her room whilst fixing her scarf. "Errm, nah you go ahead, I need to make a stop before I go in" is shouted back. "Alright, I'll see you later." With that Rory picks up her keys, bag and to-go coffee.
Walking her way to work she takes in the clear day with new found appreciation. "Hey Miss Gilmore!" The sound pulls her from her day-dream, it's the man behind the confectionery stand she visits every morning. "Oh hey, Max" She smiles "You scared me."
"Sorry, thought you were going to walk straight past me there; I gotta have my daily dose of the Gilmore"
"Max you flatter me"
"Your usual?"
"Pleeeeaaase"
"Okey doke, one muffin and one packet of extra cheesy chips." He places them into a bag and hands them over to her. "If I may say so, you seem delightfully upbeat this morning, practically skipping past you were."
"You may and so upbeat that you can throw in another muffin and a pack of your finest gum, please."
"As you wish...there you go"
"Thank you, Max. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Have a good day, Miss Gilmore. And might I add how lovely it is to see you smiling" He waves her off.
She continues on her journey down the busy street in her wonderful state of bliss, that is until something catches her eye. Sitting on one of the newspaper stalls is the magazine . On the cover is a picture him, the headline LOGAN TO VISIT NEW YORK! Her stomach twists and her mouth goes dry; all of this morning's efforts gone to waste. She quickly makes her way over and picks it up staring at it "Hey Lady are you gonna pay for that?" she fishes in her pocket for money and hands it to him without checking the amount. Her relaxed mood hurriedly turning tense.
...
Rory bursts through the doors on her work floor and scurries into her cubicle dropping everything except the magazine. She flips through it crazily almost tearing the pages until she finds the one she is looking for. She reads it; she reads it again, and again, and again. She hears the wheels on Michelle's chair come rolling in and knock into her, "I'm bored" she huffs "Whatcha doin'? Ooo, let me read." and she takes it from under Rory's nose, not that she minds, it's expected from Michelle.
"Logan Huntzberger coming here, fancy that. Then again I spose it was only a matter of time" She looks up to Rory who looks like she is about to throw up. "You're quite a change from this morning. What's the matter with you?"
Before she can reply their section boss, Simon, appears behind them "Michelle, you heard about this Logan bloke coming into the city, surely?"
"Yes, it is creating quite the buzz"
"You're going to get an interview with him aren't you? As a follow up to your article."
"I am?" She questions looking at Rory then back to Simon, "I am." She repeats more statement-like this time.
"As soon as possible please, Michelle" he walks off.
"Yes, Sir." She swings round back in to her cubicle.
Rory stands up and leans over their separation "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to get his contact information, might be a bit difficult to interview him if I don't" Rory watches her pick up the phone, Michelle stares at her and Rory doesn't take the hint "Rory?"
"Sorry, I'll leave you to it." She gets up and gets her things and writes a note saying she is going home because she doesn't feel well; she hands it to Michelle and carries on towards the door. Passing Simon she quickly tells him she will be working from home for today.
...
Back at home she collapses onto the sofa like she did the previous night. She closes her eyes and tries not to focus on the heartache. When her phone rings she frantically searches for it letting out a slight groan in frustration. Eventually she answers the call "Hello" she says effortlessly. "Rory?"
She bolts up almost falling off her seat; she's taken for words for a moment but finally manages to speak. "Logan?"
"One and only. I'm glad I caught you actually, you've probably heard or read that I'm coming to New York, right?"
"Errm...I hadn't actually, New York really huh." Pacing the floor she places a hand to her chest to try and calm her heart.
"Yes, I'm wondering if you would be able to meet up for lunch at some point."
"I..I'm sure I would be"
"Right well I land tomorrow so how about the day after?"
"Great, that's great."
"Okay, I've got to go, your email still the same?"
"Yep"
"Sweet I'll speak to you later then, bye."
"Bye." She squeaks. "Oh my God" stunned and speaking to herself. She stares at the phone in her hand for a while, not quite believing what just happened.
