Chapter Two
That afternoon rolled by before either of them realized anything as transitory as 'time'. They talked of many things of little consequence but somehow it meant more then any deep conversation could. They spoke of work. Of family. Friends. The baby... but nothing too serious. Mostly the time had been passed with Finn acting like Finn, flirting and playing at the dramatic. Still Rory didn't care, it was just nice to have his company again. Even if he did ask after her mother, wondering if she was single and still possessed those great genes of hers.
Finally, upon suggestion from a very stiff Rory Gilmore, they opted for a walk instead of monopolizing the little table inside the busy little cafe all day. It seemed appropriate, given Finn's usual flare was distracting the older ones seated nearby. Rory sent him outside to wait for her, thinking of something Logan had said during their last meeting.
It was my turn to walk Finn.
Rory smiled sadly at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. With Logan now gone, it had apparently turned to her to fill his shoes. She was happy to do so, but somehow it wasn't quite the same as it had been then.
When she emerged from the washroom and returned to the table to collect her things, she glanced out the window and spotted Finn waiting outside on the sidewalk as promised. He was strolling back and forth, gesturing wildly with one hand while the other held his phone to his ear, his dark sunglasses hiding his animated gaze. Rory smiled fleetingly as she shoved her things into her bag and loosely wound her scarf around her neck. She didn't deny it then, when the boys showed up in Stars Hollow to whisk her away for a night of adventure, and she wasn't about to deny it now. The years had been very kind to her boys.
Finn walked a lazy circle on the quiet sidewalk before leaning his weight against the newspaper box and running his hand through his wild hair.
"No, no, mate. That was Theresa." He grumbled into his phone, waiting a moment before continuing. "Yeah. The blonde from Spain. No. Wait… Portugal. What?They aren't the same thing? Are you sure? I was certain they-"
Rory exited the café and slowly approached, not at all missing the way his lips turned upwards and his argument failed him when he noticed her. That little smile made it impossible not to return one.
"Wasn't she the one our darling Robert nearly got hitched to before-" Finn paused, pulled the phone away from his mouth a moment and whispered to her. "Ready to go, luv?"
Rory nodded and they both turned down the street, strolling casually to lend her some aid in keeping up with his long strides.
"Then I have no idea what you're talking about, Buttercup. But I did not seduce her. We agreed-" Finn continued, speaking into his phone. "Oi, don't take that tone with me. It wasn't my fault-"
Rory turned her head towards him and mouthed. Who's that?
Finn didn't even bother to pull the phone away from his mouth this time. "Our devoted and highly disillusioned monogamist with tragically weak knees."
"Oh, Colin." Rory chuckled brightly. "How is the dear boy?"
Finn removed the phone from his ear and handed it to her with an expression of boredom. "Here, ask him yourself and save me the degrading accusations in which he is leveling against my person. I have absolutely no previous, intimate knowledge of Robert's intended, as he so claims."
Rory's brows shot up as she took the phone from his hand. "Robert's getting married?"
Finn grinned lightly and pointed to the phone. "Ask the gatekeeper."
Rory put the phone to her ear only to hear Colin cursing out Finn for blaming him for anything. She chuckled, glancing up at him.
"You want me to repeat that?" She inquired.
"Spare me the details." Finn replied generously as he looped his arm casually over her shoulder. "Buttercup and I have danced to this tune more times then I care to remember."
So, being spared the job of being a referee between the two friends, Rory stopped Colin's tirade with a simple greeting.
"Colin. Yes, its me." Rory smiled into the phone, far too pleased to be reunited with another one of her dear friends then to take his anger seriously. "How are you, old boy?"
Finn walked next to Rory, his arm around her shoulder, as she chatted to Colin for a few minutes. A conversation in which she was invited to the festivities of Robert's engagement party the following evening. She declined though, holding her own against Colin's pleas. She gave a very weak excuse, requesting a rain-check instead, but Finn had a feeling she was merely playing the part of a coward.
Not that he blamed her in the least. The party promised a riotous good time, something her life at present was sorely lacking, and still she refused. There was only one reason she would. The possibility of running into a certain individual. It was disappointing to hear, more so then Finn expected.
Finally she said her goodbyes and hung up, handing him back his phone to pocket. As he did so, he didn't miss her poignant smile.
"You know, darling, everyone would love to see you." He told her honestly, knowing exactly what she was thinking. She wanted to go. Wanted to see her old friends. He knew her well enough to know that from her expression alone.
Still, she stayed quiet, refusing to answer with some other weak excuse that wasn't the truth.
"He won't be there." Finn continued, glancing up the street as his tone grew a little icy despite his best intentions.
"Who?"
Finn looked down at her but didn't say anything. Even with the dark glasses covering his eyes, she could read his expression. His frown told her everything. Thankfully it was at that moment that his phone buzzed, both breaking the tension and saving them both from that particular conversation.
"Ah. Right on time." He muttered, pulling out the device from his pocket.
"What is?"
Finn unlocked his phone and pulled up his texts. "Darling Buttercup demanding that I escort you to the festivities tomorrow evening. Both he and the little wife demand it."
Rory chuckled.
"30 seconds since hang-up, the old boy is getting terribly slow." Finn smiled, not even bothering the pocket his phone as it buzzed again. He looked at the screen then showed it to her.
The message and the two that followed in quick succession were quite explicit. Each demanded that Finn was to get her to the party by any means necessary and he wasn't to take no for an answer.
"I hate to disappoint, but I don't think even your charm would get me off my couch and to that party. Not eight and a half months pregnant, thank you very much." She declared, quite serious.
"How could you refuse a night of my delightful company?" He challenged, peering down at her curiously. "Come on, luv. We go, make the rounds, give our condolences to our dear friend Robert then I take you home to your cozy little abode. How difficult would that be?"
"No. That's not what I mean." She frowned. "You don't need to babysit me. Its not your job. You should go and riot with the rest of them. Drink, flirt, find some lucky girl to take home... then call me tomorrow and tell me all about it."
Finn paused on the street, arching his brow as a smile grew on his face. "Why, Rory Gilmore, I am scandalized!"
"No." Rory grumbled, shaking his arm off her shoulder so she could turn and face him. "That's not what I meant. I don't want those details. Tell me about the party, not the girl."
"That might be a little awkward, wouldn't it luv, chatting up another girl? I mean considering I'll have you with me?" He questioned, tossing his head and arching his brow again.
"Finn, I told you. I'm not going. I'm too pregnant to be any fun there."
Finn's lips curved downwards a little. A pout. He was pouting. Rory wanted to laugh, in fact she did. She knew exactly what he was doing.
"Finn." She warned, holding up her index finger and scolding him with it. "No."
His pout grew. He tilted his head to the opposite side, looking very much like a dejected puppy might. Still she refused. He pushed his sunglasses back, ontop his head, to reveal a set of very large misty green eyes.
"Damn it, Finn." Rory relented, half grumbling, half laughing. "You are such a child!"
Quite pleased with himself that she was beginning to cave, he grinned widely and peppered her cheek with kisses until she pushed him away laughing.
"No. I am not going to go with you!" She exclaimed, still laughing as he came at her again.
Before Rory knew it she was getting ready to go to Robert's engagement party. And yes, she was going with Finn.
It had taken her nearly three hours to get ready. The entirety of two of those three hours had been spent idiotically trying to come up with excuses not to go. She wasted an hour trying on outfits. Her hair was done and taken out, only to be redone half a dozen times. She'd picked up the phone at least several times, every time weighing the idea of raiding Lane's closet, as well as her mother's but she'd only managed to stop herself by telling herself that she would have to explain her evening plans. They would of both worried about her, going out for a night with some old friends a week before her due date.
Her old friends... those party animals from Yale. Members of the Life and Death Brigade. Friends who always pulled off wild, crazy stunts.
Rory dropped her shoes on the floor and sat down on the end of her bed. What was she doing? She couldn't go out with them. She was eight and a half months pregnant! She couldn't go to a party hosted by, and for, Life an Death Brigade members.
Maybe asking her mother for an outfit to wear was a good idea, considering she'd most certainly deny her the means to go out. Reaching over for her phone, with every intention of actually doing it this time, the doorbell rang and stopped her. She glanced at the clock. She had fifteen minutes before Finn arrived. Whoever this was, she hoped it was her mother, here to destroy her plans in one fell swoop.
Eager to see that it was a useful excuse, or even a distraction, she left her room and made her way down the hall towards the front door.
As soon as she reached it, unlocked it and pulled it open, she had not expected to find who it actually was standing before her.
"I know I'm early, but I thought you'd find some excuse…"
His amused, well rehearsed apology/greeting hybrid fell silent as his eyes fell upon Rory standing in the doorway. Her dark floral dress hugging every curve of her small body, drew his eyes down and then up again. Her hair delicately curled and her dash of classic starlet red lipstick complimenting the sublet black cat eye liner...
Finn just stood there.
Had he chanced a drink or two before coming to pick her up he might have been able to recover quickly with some wit and charm but he found it very difficult to reconcile this Rory Gilmore with the one he'd known for so long.
Rory, for her part, seemed as equally stunned into silence.
She'd known Finn to be exceptionally eccentric and quirky, especially in his choices of garb. He'd worn loud and ostentatious costumes with glee. He'd sported loud Hawaiian shirts regardless of what anyone said about them. He'd even painted his nails and wore eyeliner a number of times. But tonight... tonight he looked every bit the cover model of GQ. His dark navy three piece suit, perfectly tailored, and worn with only a crisp white shirt was shocking ordinary... not to mention flattering.
Rory blinked and cursed the blush she could feel burning on her face as she reminded herself that this was just Finn. The same old flirtatious, girl-chasing Finn. Sure he had cleaned up well, but he was the same guy.
Still, she didn't know what to say except...
"I'll be ready in a second. I just need to grab my shoes."
Finn watched her dart off, taking note of the bare feet and dark red nail polish on her toes. It made him smile. He'd truly expected her to cancel on him.
He'd mentally prepared for it at least. Expecting her to text, call or even tell him right to his face that she wouldn't be going. He would have fought it, of course, but more then likely she would have won out by way of the sympathy vote and he would have been forced to go to the party alone.
Had it of happened, the night would have unfolded like so many other of late. He would have argued with Colin about not being able to snag a date anymore. He would have had to endure Steph pity him for still being single. He would have been surrounded by sappy couples mooning over each other all night while he hit the bar more then he should. It was how it all usually went these days. He had both expected and planned for the same outcome. He wasn't a pessimist, in fact he was the furthest thing from it but this was all just fact. A night of boredom and drunkenness had certainly awaited him.
That is, it had until Rory Gilmore returned with her shoes.
