Thanks again for the reviews! I love them!
Instead of answering each and everyone through PM:s (which I usually do) I thought I'd make some clarifications and give some answers here, for all to see.
First: Tristan is not in this story, because the plot revolves around Emily inviting Rory's ex-boyfriends, and Tristan and Rory never dated. Dean, Jess and Logan were the only boys that, at some point, was introduced to the grandparents as Rory's boyfriend (so whatever happened between Rory and any other guy – Emily wouldn't know about it).
Second of all, a clarification: This story will not contain a pairing between Rory and anyone, which breaks my heart a little too, since I'm a lit-fan, but I will on the other hand leave the ending open for interpretations in any direction – so if you wish, you can pretend something happened between Rory and the boy of your choice after the story ends.
Also: I most probably won't be able to update on Sunday – thereby delaying the final chapter of the story by one day – I apologize for that in advance and hope you'll forgive me…
Now: on to the story!
Chapter 3 - Rory
"So, how do you think she did it?" Lorelai asked as they sat in the car on their way to the Gilmore mansion to celebrate Rory's 30th birthday.
"Did what?" Rory knitted her eyebrows together in confusion.
"Broke the promise of not turning this party into a meat-market without technically breaking it?" Lorelai explained as if that should be obvious.
"She wouldn't do that" Rory tilted her head. "She promised"
"Aww" Lorelai leaned towards her daughter and stroked her cheek. "Almost thirty, yet still so young and innocent"
Rory pouted and watched the number of cars parked in the Gilmore driveway. She didn't recognize any of them. But that didn't mean anything; she had been overseas working for a long time, she hadn't kept track on what cars her friends were driving.
"Grandma knows I'm focusing on my career" She tried to convince Lorelai, and maybe herself as well. "She knows I don't have time for a relationship. I'm leaving again in a week – there's no room for a relationship"
"Oh, she knows" Lorelai smirked. "That's exactly why I'm convinced she has something up her sleeve"
Handing her coat to the maid, Rory nervously ran her hands up and down the front of her dress. She was nervous. She hadn't been before, but the talk with her mother in the car had made her nervous.
She looked around the room, her eyes searching for someone – anyone – that she would recognize as a friend. That's when she spotted him, looking very out of his elements while trying to make conversations with the barkeep. Dean. She stopped, frozen to the ground. What was he doing here?
She closed her eyes and shook her head, and when she looked up again her eyes fell on another man she knew, a man that looked very much in his element while making polite conversations with her grandfather across the room. Logan.
Dean and Logan. What on earth were they both doing here?
She looked away, too shocked to keep staring at either one of them and hoping that they wouldn't notice her. That's when she saw him. Jess. Leaning against the wall and looking over the crowd with an amused smirk on his lips.
She gasped for air. This was a disaster. What were they doing here? Had they been invited?
She looked around the room again, certain that she most have fallen asleep in the car and was dreaming. "Pinch me" She whispered to her mother by her side.
"What?" Lorelai followed her gaze as she once again looked between the three boys in the room. "Oh no" Lorelai winced. "Well played, Emily Gilmore" She muttered to herself as she tried to infuse some calmness on her daughter by rubbing her shoulder.
