Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm really glad you're all enjoying it! :) Here's the next chapter.
Chapter 3
Rory had been looking at the outfits laid out on her bed for the last half hour.
"Will you just pick one?" Paris said from her bed.
Rory looked over at her. "I can't decide."
"He's going to like you in anything so just choose one." Paris said.
Rory sighed and looked back at her outfits before eventually picking a nice floral dress and a cardigan. Once she got dressed she glanced back at Paris. "Can I ask you something?" She asked.
"Sure." Paris said. "So long as it's nothing to do with your outfit."
Rory sat down on her bed and looked over at her. "Are you sure you're ok with me going out with Tristan?" She asked.
Paris was surprised by the question. "Why would I mind?" She said.
"Because at Chilton you hated me when you thought I was going out with him." Rory said. "I just want to make sure. Because I won't do this if you don't want me to."
Paris was taken aback. "You would cancel the date if I wasn't ok with it?"
"You're my friend, Paris. I don't want to upset you. You come first." Rory said.
Paris was quiet for a moment. "I don't mind." She said.
"You sure?" Rory asked.
"I've moved on from Tristan. He's a good friend but I don't like him like that anymore. Besides I have Jamie now." She said. She gave Rory a small smile. "But thanks."
Rory smiled at her. "Ok."
"He really likes you, you know." Paris said. "He's never stopped I don't think."
"What do you mean?" Rory asked.
"Come on Rory, you're not that stupid. He was crazy about you at Chilton. Do you think those feelings would just go away? He's asked about you in emails. Not a lot but just how you were doing and stuff. He's still crazy about you." She said.
Rory blushed a little. "He did say he hadn't dated anyone since leaving Chilton."
"Yeah because he's still hung up on you. Just don't lead him on if you don't want anything more after today. Be honest with him." Paris said.
Rory nodded. "Ok." She said quietly.
Suddenly there was a knock on the dorm room door.
"You better get out there before Tanna scares him away." Paris said with a slight smirk.
Rory chuckled a little. "I'll see you later."
"Or maybe not." Paris said.
"Paris..." Rory said.
"What? You never know what might happen afterwards." Paris said.
"I'll see you later." Rory rolled her eyes and headed out of their room and went to answer the door.
Tristan was standing there in some smart trousers and nice navy blue shirt. "Hey Mary." He said. "You look nice."
Rory found herself blushing. "Thanks." She said.
"Shall we?" He asked.
"Sure. Lead the way." Rory smiled following him out.
About half an hour later, they were sat in a nice Italian restaurant near Yale having given their orders to the waitress.
"Well I have to admit, I never thought I would be sat in a restaurant on a date with Tristan DuGrey." Rory joked.
Tristan smirked. "Well I've been hoping this day would come for a long time."
Rory ducked her head a bit, self conscious.
"I mean it must have been obvious at Chilton that I liked you. I bought you PJ Harvey tickets and I didn't even know she was a woman!" He said.
Rory smirked at that. "Well do you blame me for saying no? You were being such a jerk to me and those tickets caused Paris to hate me yet again."
It was Tristan's turn to duck his head slightly but this time ashamed. "Yeah well I guess I was a jerk back then. I didn't really think about anyone's feelings back then." He admitted.
"Well it's in the past now." Rory said. "So tell me something. Why did you pick Yale?" She asked.
"It's a good college and I knew Paris was coming here. Thought it would be cool if we went to the same place." He shrugged.
"So in all the emails you and Paris exchanged, she didn't once mention I was coming to Yale as well?" Rory asked.
Tristan blushed a little. "Well..."
"She did, didn't she?" Rory said.
"She might have mentioned it." He admitted.
There was a pause in conversation as their food came and they started eating. Rory glanced up at Tristan. "You know I never hated you right?" She said.
Tristan looked up at her. "Wouldn't have blamed you if you did. I deserved it." He said.
"It's just back then I had just started at Chilton and was trying to fit in. Paris already hated me and then hated me more because you were constantly talking to me and back then...well...back then I had just started things with Dean and I really liked him." She admitted. "But I never hated you. I shouldn't have told Dean that I did that day at school when he came to see me. So I'm sorry." She said.
"It doesn't matter." He said. "Like I said, I deserved it. And like you said, let's leave the past in the past."
Rory smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a plan." She said.
"Can I ask you on thing though?" Tristan said.
"Sure.."
"That guy you said you fell for in your last year at Chilton. Is he still in the picture? I know you said he left but could he come back?" Tristan asked cautiously, hoping he wasn't upsetting her by asking.
Rory sighed. "He's not in the picture anymore. I doubt he'll be coming back. He hated it in Stars Hollow anyway." She said.
"Ok.." Tristan said. "I just...if you're not over him, just tell me. I won't be mad." He said.
Rory looked up and saw the sincerity in his face and realised how much Tristan really had matured. She gave him a small smile. "I'm over him. I promise." She said softly.
"I don't want to push you into anything. I really like you Rory. I guess I never stopped but I don't want to push you into anything if you're not ready." He said sincerely.
"You're not." Rory assured him. "Honestly." She said genuinely. "I want this too." She said, realising for the first time that she actually meant it.
"Ok." Tristan smiled. "Good."
Rory gave him a small smile and focused on her food for the next couple of minutes.
They chatted a bit more during the rest of the meal about general things going on in their life and talking about Yale and their classes. After they finished, they asked for the bill which came and immediately Tristan took hold of it.
"Oh no, Tristan, I'm happy to pay my half." Rory insisted.
"No it's fine." Tristan said.
"Tristan.."
"A gentleman always pays on the first date. I mean this is a first date right?" He smirked looking up.
Rory smiled. "Yeah it is."
"Good so no arguments." Tristan said.
Rory rolled her eyes but put her purse back in her bag. "Fine." She said.
After leaving the restaurant, they headed back to Yale and walked through the courtyard, stopping to get a coffee as they did. This time Rory insisted on paying for both coffees.
"Nope, you paid for dinner. I get to at least pay for the coffees." Rory said.
Tristan smirked. "Fair enough."
Rory paid for the coffees and they sat down on a bench in the empty courtyard as they drank them. She turned to him. "Thanks for dinner. It was really nice." She smiled.
"You're welcome." Tristan smiled.
They drank their coffees in comfortable silence and then Tristan walked Rory back to her dorm. They stopped outside the door.
"So...uh...I need to know. Are we going to do this again? I mean it's ok if you don't want to. I just need to know." Tristan said quietly.
Rory looked up at him and then surprised him by leaning forward and kissing him. She pulled away and blushed a little. "Did that answer your question?" She smiled.
Tristan smirked. "Perfectly." He said. "And you didn't cry this time." He joked.
Rory laughed. She then smiled. "Thanks for dinner. I'll text you ok?" She said.
He nodded. "Look forward to it." He smiled. He then leaned forward and gave her another kiss. "Night Mary." He said.
"Night Tristan." She said softly. She gave him a last smile before letting herself into the dorm. She smiled at Paris who was working in her crafts area in the communal area of their dorm.
"I'm guessing it went well?" Paris said.
Rory smiled. "Yeah it did."
Paris nodded. "Good." She said giving Rory a small smile. "You deserve it."
Rory smiled at her friend and realised how far they had actually come. "Thanks Paris." She said. She then went to their bedroom and pulled out her cell. She rang a familiar number.
"Hello?" Lorelai answered.
"Hey mom." Rory smiled.
"Hey! How it'd go?" Lorelai asked.
Rory couldn't stop the giddy smile appearing on her face. "It was really good." She said. She then proceeded to tell her mom excitedly about her evening and how great it was. Lorelai was happy for her daughter and in turn told her all the gossip from Stars Hollow including a classic Kirk/Luke debate in the diner about why the price of his toast should be cheaper.
So I hope you liked it! Sorry it's a bit short but I'll make it up in the next chapter! Please keep the reviews coming as I love hearing from you. Thanks! :)
