It took him two weeks after walking away from her to finally pack up his belongings from Colin's apartment and relocate to California. He knew his hesitancy was based on the hope that she'd call him to change her mind, or to call him in general. He had realized the day after walking away that he shouldn't have, but his own pride got in the way of his desire for reconciliation. He kicked himself so hard on the plane ride, but still chose to not do anything about it.

He knew that in walking away, he was walking away from the rock in his life. She'd pushed him to be better, to venture out on his own and make a name for himself. There was the fear that without her, it would all crumble down. However, when he was unpacking in the house he'd bought - the one he'd bought with her in mind - he saw a shimmer of hope for his future. That didn't mean that he didn't wallow or drink himself into oblivion, because that happened quite frequently.

Two weeks after his relocation, he'd started working at Premier Media in Palo Alto as the Director of Acquisitions. It was a nice change from the constant drunken stupor he'd been in, laying in bed day after day. He'd let his hair grow out, but didn't style it so that it laid like a shortened mop on his head. The suit fit him well, the tie crooked as always since Rory wasn't there to straighten it for him. With a small smile, he left for the office.

"Logan!" Coleen called from across the newsroom. She hurried over to him in her heels. He didn't understand how she could move so fast while balancing on the stilt-like heels. A pencil-skirt hugged her waist and the sleeves of her blouse were rolled up. "Glad to finally see you. We were expecting you back two weeks ago!" He just shook her hand with a sad smile.

"Umm… There was some personal things that had to be dealt with before I could come back. You remember me talking about Rory, right?" he asked, and she just nodded, leading him to his office. "Well, she turned down my proposal."

"Oh, Logan. I'm sorry." It sounded sincere, nothing like what he would have heard at the country club or from Shira. No, this was somebody who was genuinely sorry for the collapse of the best - and only - relationship he'd ever had.

"I'm working past it. Let's get started," he told her, perking up the best he could, putting on that society smile that he'd perfected over the years. She started giving him a rundown of the office layout - both floorplan and worker wise. He fit in right away, attending his first meeting with the editors and the reporters. It was a dream come true, but when he went home at the end of the day, he was met with the silence he'd dreaded.

Tossing his jacket on the armchair, he made his way into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator before sitting on the couch in the living room. He kept the lights off, but turned the television on to CSPAN and hearing President George W. Bush tell the country that Ed Gillespie was replacing Dan Bartlett as White House counselor. But he really didn't hear it. Instead, his mind wandered to a blue eyed brunette that he should have been watching this with. As far as he knew, she was sitting in that crowd listening to the President as a reporter. Or maybe she was still at home in Stars Hollow.

He nursed the beer in his hand, letting his mind wander to all the possibilities she had, wander to her wide open future. He laughed at those words. Wide open future? He knew she was right, but that didn't make it hurt any less. He shouldn't have given her that damn ultimatum. He laughed again before taking another swig. God, he was pathetic. He was pining over a girl who had smashed his heart into oblivion. If he saw himself right now, he'd punch himself in the face. Colin and Finn had been right, he shouldn't have let himself fall for her. But their warnings didn't change the fact that he did, didn't change the fact that he was sitting alone at home on a Friday night, drinking all while thinking about his lost love.

He didn't know what time he finally dragged himself to bed, but he woke up to the sounds of his alarm going off at five in the morning. Groaning, he pulled himself up and to the attached bathroom. The hot water of the shower beat down on him as his eyes slipped shut, images of her in his mind. God, she was beautiful. As quickly as they came, he pushed them away knowing that thinking of her in the shower would end badly for his emotional state - as well as his physical. He hadn't gone this long without sex since he had been shipped off to London, and even then the texts they shared were able to tide him over until their next meeting.

Once he turned the shower off, he stepped out and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around his waist. He thought of his itinerary for the day. He had a meeting with Colleen as well as Jeremy, the other board member. Sure, he'd been offered the job as a board member, but graciously turned it down knowing it would come with long hours that he'd rather spend with Rory. He was starting to regret that decision, a lot of his decisions. But he'd made his bed, and he knew he needed to lie in it.

The office was bustling when he arrived. He'd had this perfect image of the office and his job before coming out to California, but the realities were much different than his imagination. There were at least twenty desks fit into the large room as well as several printers and copiers. To an outsider, it would seem crowded with the furniture as well as the staff, but to somebody in the business, it was a normal day and a normal look. Straight away, he went to the kitchenette and poured himself a cup of steaming coffee into one of the provided styrofoam cups stacked next to the machine. When the liquid hit his throat, he shuddered at the awful taste. It was nothing like how she made it, and even then, he was a tea person. However, he needed the pick-me-up after his wallowing and his late night thoughts, as well as for his busy schedule.

"I'm Suzanne," a woman said from behind him. He spun around, coffee still in hand to face the voice. She was a few inches shorter than him, dark skin, curly hair that he knew was natural. "I'm one of the editors." They shook hands and he gave her a smile.

"Logan," he replied, realizing she probably already knew who he was - or had heard about him at least. From what Colleen had told him, everybody was excited for the new addition to the team. Not only was his background as a worker significant, his name wasn't, which had sold him on the idea of working with Premier Media. "What are you the editor for?"

"Politics," she responded as she poured herself a cup. "I love it, honestly, especially given Barack Obama's campaign." She continued to speak of the campaign and her hopes for the turnout. Her enthusiasm reminded him of Ace, which brought a smile to his face. Maybe working there wouldn't be that bad after all.

"It was nice meeting you, Suzanne, but I have to meet with the board members in ten." His voice conveyed true apologies as she nodded.

"I'll see you around." She gave him a flirtatious smirk that he knew all too well. But work was work, and it would stay that way. There would be no fraternization, no sleeping with coworkers to keep his mind occupied. He'd had that life before her, had it during their break, and now he didn't want to go back. He didn't want meaningless hookups after having the real deal. He'd realized that during their break and with the whole bridesmaids debacle. It wasn't him anymore, Rory having changed him significantly.

"Logan!" Jeremy's voice boomed as he walked into the conference room. For being such a small man, he had a voice that rivaled Mitchum's. Jeremy reminded Logan of Doyle when it came to looks - short statured, suits that hung on him, receding hairline. He shook the man's hand, Jeremy adding unnecessary vigor. "It's great to have you here. Dylan is running late, which isn't unusual at all for him."

"Jeremy, give the boy a break," Colleen said. "We don't need to scare him off on his first official day." Colleen was an older woman, most likely around his father's age. She kept her hair down, letting it fall to her shoulders. A pair of reading glasses were perched on her nose. "Let's go ahead and start without Dylan. I'd give him five minutes before being here anyway." The trio took their seats at the small table. That was another thing that drew Logan to Premier, the hominess of the business. Rather than a large conference room table that sat twenty, it was a simple dining table in the middle of a much too large room.

"So, your contract is all drawn up. You can look over it before signing it, but the rundown is simple," Jeremy started. "Salary is fifty a year, with an annual increase of fifteen percent. We know it's not a lot compared to the other offers you got." Logan knew that Jeremy was referring to HPG and his father's offer to bring him back into the company after Rory's refusal. "Bonuses are thrown in twice a year, which you will qualify for depending on the subscription sales. Three weeks paid vacation each year, along with all major holidays off. Hours are from seven to four, but considering your position, are a little more flexible depending on circumstances." He nodded as Dylan strode in.

Dylan was the same age as Logan - twenty-five and fresh out of UCLA. He had a very carefree attitude that made Logan a little nervous, but only because Dylan reminded Logan of himself. "Nice of you to join us," Colleen said snidely as the boy sat down in the empty seat, motioning for them to continue.

"As I was saying, hours are flexible, especially given the need for meetings or business lunches. Are there any questions concerning the contract?" Logan thought for a minute, going over everything Mitchum had taught him to put into and keep out of contracts.

"Are there any health benefits or a 401K?" Jeremy shuffled through the papers, until he found what he was looking for.

"Yes to both. Health covers medical, dental, and vision. There's also a way you can set up an emergency fund account through the insurance company in the case of a major medical emergency. Colleen has drawn up the paperwork for your 401K, so all you need is to look it over and sign." Logan nodded. "If there's anything concerning your contract further down the line, or even an hour after you sign it, we'll talk it through and see what we can do. Now that my long winded legal mumbo-jumbo is out of the way…" Dylan cut in.

"First of all, sorry I'm late," he told Logan. "Premier, as you know, is a rival to HPG at this point. Given your recent estrangement, we need to ensure that HPG and Premier are kept separated." Logan sighed before speaking.

"You don't need to worry about me spying on Premier for HPG or any other espionage. I've cut ties with my family - with my father to be more specific. I can assure you that I am working for you one-hundred percent." Dylan just nodded.

"Okay. Also, given your background with HPG, I'm under the impression you already know what your job entails and how to conduct business." Logan nodded at this assumption, it being correct. "Well, in that case, welcome to the team, Logan." The four stood, Logan shaking each of their hands again with a smile on his face. He was ready for what this life was going to throw his way. That fact both excited him and terrified him, but this was it. This was his chance to make it on his own, to show that he didn't need anybody but himself to succeed.