Disclaimer: I own only Christina.
About two hours later they arrived at the pub, which Logan described as the culminating moment in their tour. "And here we have it, my favorite place on campus," he gestured toward to establishment in front of them.
He opened the door for the two ladies and gestured for them to walk in before him. "Why am I not surprised?" Rory smirked as she made her way past him and through the door.
Christina laughed, "Oh hush Ror, I, for one, know that you are a huge fan of any establishment that serves a mean martini."
"O.K., O.K., you got me," she said as she held her hands up in surrender.
"Well Ms. Gilmore," he laughed, "I will admit that I have yet to try a martini from this fine enterprise we are standing in, but I will say that they pour a mean scotch."
"What an old man you are Huntzberger," she teased. "Now how about you buy me that martini? Make it a good one, as this could be an integral part of my decision to attend Yale."
He scoffed, "My company for the past two hours has failed to put the nail in the coffin to the ideas of your attending elsewhere? I'm hurt Gilmore, deeply hurt."
"Well the tall, dark, handsome boy that I met over at Princeton last week took me to a place that served a mean gin martini. This is your final chance to pull into the lead," she joked, her eyes shining at him as they bantered back and forth. "Now go on pretty boy, make me proud," she teased, pushing him towards the bar.
'This could be good,' Christina thought as took a seat at a table with Rory, smiling at the flirtatious interaction between the two of them, 'this could be really good.'
A few minutes later Logan returned to the table, placing a martini in front of each of the girls. He went quickly back to the bar to grab his scotch before finally sitting down with the two girls. "O.K. so Lanny, the bartender, great guy by the way, has graciously made these two martinis that will suit the two of you perfectly. You see, I explained to my man Lanny over there the situation. I also described some personality traits of the two of you, separately, of course, because the martini should suit each one of you as individuals. I told him that Christina was a more of a traditional type of lady, with a very unique and almost foreign flair, but very mature and elegant. I suggested a gin martini that should be made with only the finest gin and dry vermouth, with a 6:1 ratio of gin to vermouth. The martini should be stirred because if it were shaken, the vermouth taste would dull considerably, and the gin taste would sharpen and due to the gin/vermouth ratio the contrast between the two would no longer be there. It is garnished with a lemon twist, because a "lemon twist" is considered a more delicate garnish because of its mild and complementary flavor accent. A delicate garnish for a delicate beauty," he finished his first spiel with an award winning smile.
"Wow," was all Christina could say. The two girls just sat there stunned, unable to respond to his speech.
Logan laughed and continued, "As for you, my little spitfire," gesturing to Rory and smiling warmly, "I explained to Lanny that you are more modern, and honestly, the rarest beauty I've ever seen." She began to blush profusely as he complimented her. "I suggested that your gin martini have a 5:1 ratio of gin to vermouth, making for a more flavorful taste," he said wiggling his eyebrows at her. "The martini should be shaken, as to bruise the gin to sharpen the taste, and to dull the taste of the vermouth only slightly. A rinsed, unstuffed olive should be the garnish because the olive itself doesn't add any excessive flavor to the already fine mixture. The slightest addition of olive juice should be added to create a mysterious allure to the taste, also easing the stiffness of the mixture just enough, leaving it smooth and refreshing, just like you, my dear."
"I can't believe you came up with all that," Rory managed to say, very much impressed by his charm and ability to create that on a seconds notice.
"I'm good when the pressures on," he winked. "Now try it, and let's see who won—me or the Princeton hooligan."
Both the girls laughed and took a sip of their drinks. "Mhmmmm," Christina concluded after savoring the cool liquid in her mouth, "This is delicious, and in a weird way, lives up to everything you described."
"I agree. This is the best martini I've ever had Huntzberger, and I have a lot to compare it to. What are you, a liquor connoisseur?"
"That, among other things," he said, flashing a killer smile at both of them as he leaned back in his chair, sipping his scotch. "So do we have a final decision yet, or is the jury still out?"
"Nope, the jury is back," Rory admitted, "Yale it is."
"Woohoo!" Logan smiled, "You won't regret it, I promise."
"I hope not," she said, praying that this school would be just what she needed to get back on her feet.
"So Rory, you never mentioned why you were transferring in the first place. Senior year is sort of an odd time to switch schools isn't it?" He watched her intently, as her smiling face turned cold for a quick moment, before she plastered the small smile back on her face.
Christina sucked in her breath, waiting for her answer, not sure whether she'd be able to, and wondering if she should make something up for her instead.
"Oh you know," Rory started, "it just wasn't working out. Needed some new scenery, that sort of thing," she replied shortly. He looked at her for a moment, a long moment, trying to figure out if there was more to it, but when he shifted his glance to Christina, he saw her shaking her head at him slightly signaling him to leave it at that for now. Rory had busied herself with her martini, admiring the inside of the glass until all of it had been consumed.
"I think you've got all you're gonna get outta that one Ace. How about I freshen that one up for you?" She nodded. "And you too Christina?"
"Sure Logan, that'd be great." He walked away towards the bar, leaving the two alone. As soon as he left earshot Christina looked at Rory with a worried look, "You O.K.?"
"Yup, fine," she replied curtly.
"Rory, he didn't know. He was just curious. Come on don't be like this, don't turn cold on me now. Logan is great, and you two are getting along so well. We were having such a good time, and I think that he could be a good person for you to know while you're here," she desperately tried to reason with her distant friend.
"I know. I just hate talking about it. I wish I could make the past disappear. I want it to be over and done with, and out of my head. I want it to stop hurting. Logan is great, amazing even—cute, funny, charming, and polite. God, he may be perfect, who knows? But even as great as he seems, he could be just like Greg. Greg was perfect for almost all of the twenty years I've known him and that didn't stop him from crushing me without a second thought. What makes Logan any different?"
"Look babe, I know it's gonna be hard for you to trust anyone again, especially so quickly, and I'm not asking you to marry him, or even date him. Just don't write him off as a friend, O.K.? He seems really taken with you."
"Taken with me. Ha. That's all I need, someone after me for my money and looks."
"Honey, I don't think he wants you for your money, I think he has enough of his own. Your good looks are just a bonus as well I believe, because I think he's enjoying finally having a girl that can keep up with that wit of his," she smiled, remembering the past couple hours that the three had spent together, and the friendly, flirtatious banter that had continuously gone on between Logan and Rory. "Just give him a chance, as a friend, as a boyfriend, as whatever you want. Just keep him around Hun."
"I will. With persistence like his, I don't think I'll be able to get rid of him, as a friend," she emphasized the last part, mostly for Christina, but partly for herself as well.
Logan returned to the table a few moments later with their drinks along with a tall boy around the same age. He had dark hair and green eyes, along with a friendly smile. "Rory and Christina," he started, motioning to each of the girls respectively, "I'd like you to meet Finneius Rothschild, one of my best friends. We call him Finn for short."
"Always a pleasure to be introduced to such exotic looking beauties," Finn said, in a thick Australian accent, kissing both of their hands as the girls laughed lightly.
"That's Finn for you, always the charmer. Now Finn does Rory look familiar to you at all? You two have met before, say, about fifteen years ago," Logan began with a smile. Finn looked confused, but kept studying the dark haired beauty.
"No mate, I don't believe we've ever met. I'm sure I'd remember meeting someone that is this breathtakingly beautiful," he said with a wink and a smile. Both the girls were laughing at their new friends. "Do you have a last name love?"
"Ah yes, the name that keeps getting me into trouble. My last name is Gilmore."
"Of the Hartford Gilmore's? As in Richard and Emily Gilmore?"
She nodded, "Guilty."
He laughed, "So you're their granddaughter I assume. The one in which we ruined all her presents at her seventh birthday party including a heirloom porcelain doll. The only girl to ever put the notorious Logan Elias Huntzberger in his place by kicking the shit out of him?" She nodded to all of his questions, smiling deviously at Logan after each one. "And you're going to be attending Yale for your senior year with us?" She nodded once more. Finn smiled, looking between the two of them, "This is going to be the best year yet mates! Let's drink to that!" They all laughed and drank as they were told to by Finn.
"So Ace," Logan began, referring to Rory, "Now that you're officially going to Yale, do you have any idea where you're going to live?"
"Actually, yes. I'd sort of unofficially chosen Yale before this visit. I just wanted to come today to make my final decision before I crossed the t's and dotted the i's. And seeing as how my grandfather went here, he's taken it upon himself to find a decent place for me to live. An apartment at the CenterPoint is in the works as we speak."
"Woo, classy. Our friend Stephanie lives in that building and she loves it. We're over there all the time," Finn stated happily. "Now we can visit the both of you!"
"Won't that be fun?" Rory joked, nudging Logan in the side causing him to smile at her.
"It sure will Ace," he said casually, using his new nickname for her, "It sure will."
"Well as much fun as this has been, we've gotta get going, we've got a train to catch," Rory stood up from her seat, looking down at Logan. "Thank you for the tour and the drinks Logan," she thanked him, "and for ultimately being the reason that I chose Yale," she added the last part dramatically laughing. They all laughed at her antics as they always stood up to leave as well.
"It was my pleasure Ace," Logan said sincerely "I am going to look forward to the upcoming school year if it means seeing you wherever I go," he added flirtatiously.
"Ah, always the charmer this one," Finn mocked, repeating Logan's line earlier, as he patted his friend on the back. Rory noticed Logan looked nervous suddenly, and she could tell he was thinking hard. Finn interrupted her thoughts, "Now Christina, I expect you to visit Ms. Gilmore during the school year a lot, and I promise you I'll show you a good time around New Haven. It was great meeting you," he finished by kissing her hand in a dramatic gesture.
"Oh no worries, I'll be around a lot. Gotta make sure this one," motioning to Rory, "is having some fun," she teased smiling. "Logan, thank you for everything, today was really fun. I'm just going to use the restroom before we leave, so I'll be right back," she said as she left the three of them.
"Now love," Finn said, leaning down to give her a warm hug, "I am looking forward to getting to know you better this year. I'll be seeing you very soon. I've got an appointment I've got to get to. Huntz I'll call you later!" And with that the two of them were left alone for the first time.
"So would it be inappropriate to ask for your number now Ace? I mean, if you don't want to give it to me I'll find a way to get it anyways and keep calling you until you break down and answer," he said, giving a smile that she thought could probably make her do anything.
"I'll give it to you as long as you promise not to call every five seconds, I'm a busy girl you know," she said as she winked at him. She put her number in his cell phone as he did the same with hers. "So tell me why you call me Ace? Isn't it a little early in the friendship for nicknames?"
"Never too early for a nickname that suits someone perfectly," he replied.
"Well what does it mean?"
"Aw, you're smart. You'll figure it out," he smirked.
She sighed in defeat. Christina returned just then to join to two, "You ready Rory?"
"Yep," she replied, "Thanks again Logan."
"As I said before ladies, it was a pleasure," he hugged Christina good-bye, and went to hug Rory. As he wrapped his arms around her thin frame, he noticed that she smelled so sweet, like a mixture of bubblegum and fruit. He whispered in her ear as they hugged, "Until next time Ace." As they pulled away he smiled at her and proceeded to leave. "See you soon girls," he waved as he walked through the door. Her eyes never left the door until every trace of that blonde hair was gone.
"Wow, what a day," Christina laughed, pulling Rory along with her.
"I think I'm gonna like it here Chris, I'm really gonna like it," Rory said with a smile as they walked quietly back to the train station.
A/N: Hope you liked it! Let me know!