Title: Debutante
Author: Lady Eliza
Characters: All Characters
Rating: PG-13/T
Summary: Rory is in her sophomore year at Chilton and she is also coming out into society like a proper young lady. But there's a hitch, her boyfriend Dean and good friend Jess are not approved to be escorts. Her grandmother brings in a replacement, one Logan Huntzberger to the rescue. Her very own knight in shining armour.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters.
AN1: This story takes place in the second season with just a few minor adjustments. Basically, the coming out ball is going to be the main part of this fic. After the coming out party I'm going to skip from season 2 to season 5 'Written in the Stars' episode. That will probably be a different fic, which of course will continue from the end of this fic. Hope that wasn't too confusing (lol).
AN2: This fic is AU even though some parts might go along with the show the majority of the fic is a game of 'what if' by me, the author. I've been writing this story more so than 'Grown Up' but I'm still writing that fic so don't worry I'll get around to posting a new chappie soon. I hope you guys enjoy this fic, let me know what you think.
Chapter 10 Inferiority Complex"Let's go dahlings! One, two, three…One, two, three," said the rather vivacious choreographer for the Daughter's of the Daughter's of the American Revolution Debutante Ball. Rory and Logan were trying not to laugh, at the same time they were annoyed that they had to continue dancing when they had superior dancing skills. Emily had insisted they attend as a dress rehearsal to the actual event, so there would be no dancing accidents or the fan waiving could be contained to delicate flutters rather than a wind gust. It was a delicate art.
Rory lowered her voice and said, "I feel like we're auditioning for the stage version of 'Dirty Dancing.' Any time now, that choreographer lady is going to put me in the corner so she can dance with you."
"Hey! Nobody puts baby in a corner," said Logan loud enough for the choreographer, one Mrs. MacBean to turn her ire in their direction.
"What was that you said Mr. Huntzberger? Would you like to repeat that for the rest of us?" asked the old biddy.
"Mrs. MacBean, I was just telling Rory here how lovely she dances. Don't you think she's simply marvellous?" asked a cool and composed Logan.
Mrs. MacBean, who seemed to have turned into a blushing school girl as Logan turned on the charm simply nodded her head at Logan and told Rory, rather vehemently, that she was a stupendous dancer, what with having Logan lead and all.
Rory rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her dance partner and said, "Could you please stop flirting with her. I want to get out of here and she'd make us stay until everyone, and I do mean everyone, has brushed up on their skills."
"Are you happy that this torture is almost over?" asked Logan, who was glad that he wouldn't have to worry about dancing lessons and tux fittings, but on the other hand was saddened at having to give up his time with Rory and her rather amusing family.
"I can't wait to go back to worrying about my school assignments rather than what is the proper way to hold a fan. I don't fit in here," the last bit was said in a soft whisper.
Logan looked at her critically and said, "You seem to mesh well with your grandparents and society. Remember one thing about this world Rory, it's what people see that matters not how you feel. If others see that you fit into this world no one will question you and you need not question yourself. You were born for this after all, no matter where you grew up."
Rory looked at him a long moment and let the silence speak for itself. She didn't know how he knew what she was feeling. It wasn't as if she spoken her fears out loud too often, her mother would just tell her to be glad that she didn't fit in, but Rory wanted to make that decision herself. "I'll try to remember that."
Logan looked away. The way she was looking at him was too intimate for anything he was looking for. The majority of his life was planned out and he would most likely be in a loveless marriage so he had decided, a long time ago, to go wild and not be in a monogamous relationship until he absolutely had to. Logan had no idea where that thought came from, but he was going to keep Rory at a distance as much as he could.
"Why do you worry about what others think about you? You know who you are and nothing and no one can make you feel otherwise. You do know 'no one can make you feel inferior without your consent'," said Logan in a cheeky manner.
Rory's smile lit up her entire face and her eyes were shining with a little respect. "Eleanor Roosevelt, I'm quite impressed with your knowledge of our once first lady. But thank you Logan I appreciate it." Rory looked around and noticed that it was break time, and she did something before turning to get her coffee. She looked up a Logan, leaned in and softly pecked him on the cheek before scurrying off.
Logan who had not expected such a sweet gesture stood on the dance floor with one hand on his cheek and staring off at the girl who had become an enigma to him. He must've really impressed her with his Eleanor Roosevelt quote, although she would probably be disappointed to learn he had picked up that specific line from 'Princess Diaries' it was the last time he had let his date pick the movie they were going to see.
A look from Mrs. MacBean had Logan joining the other escorts for light snacks and refreshments before continuing with torture: better known as the fan dance. Rory was the only girl who seemed to have practiced beforehand because the other young ladies had atrocious fan movement, well in Logan's refined opinion anyways. Logan felt a little smug telling the other lads about his partner, who was a pro at the wrist movement.
The gentlemen were excused from the fan dance because it was a solitary activity. Logan kept his sharp eyes on Rory to find any wrong movements, there were a few, but she was infinitely better than the other debs.
Yep, he had great taste in debutantes.
-GG-
Dean Forrester had just about enough with the DAR, Debutante Balls, and Hartford high society. He missed his girlfriend and spending time with her without bowing lessons, photo shoots, and escorts coming into play. All the Gilmore's and their subsequent friends could talk about recently was that stupid ball. He couldn't wait for all the family and new friends to go to hell so everything could get back to normal.
He was currently at Rory and Lorelai's house waiting for his girlfriend to get back from whatever dumb lesson she had recently. He had lost track after dancing and bowing. Lorelai was still at the Inn and Rory had promised him that they would go out to the movies, well actually they had a standing date on specific days to go out but they had not been able to because of her obligations with the ball. He figured she would give him a few hours today so he had taken the chance of coming to her house.
Dean was just about to start pacing the front porch when a sleek black Porsche slid into the driveway. The ride was a sweet one; he'd never seen such perfect machine. Dean didn't need to think as to the owner of the vehicle because the blonde escort stepped out of the driver's side after it had stopped. He watched boiling with resentment when Logan, ever the gentleman, went around to the passenger side and opened the door for Rory. His girlfriend looked far too comfortable with such a gesture, it wasn't that Dean didn't do such things but he didn't do it as often as this Logan appeared to be.
They made a cosy picture making their way up to him. Dean balled his hands into fists trying to control his temper and the sarcastic remarks that were at the tip of his tongue. He knew one false word and Rory would be upset.
Rory who was listening to Logan's run-down of the other Debutante's fan twirling ability when she noticed the shadow on her porch. "Dean what are you doing here?"
Standing up and gritting his teeth he said, "What am I doing here? What is he doing here Rory? I though tonight was going to be you and me."
Rory looked taken aback by his words and looked at him in a quizzical manner. "Logan and I had rehearsal with the other Debutantes and their escorts. He was nice enough to drive me home and mom and dad are going to meet us here so we can hang out with them and go over last minute details. I don't remember us setting tonight aside as date night."
Dean stared at her hard and said, "This is our usual movie night. Don't you want to see what's running at the Black, White, and Read bookshop? Come on Rory, we haven't spent much time together…alone."
Logan smirked at the idiot demanding like he had the right. If he wanted to keep a girl like Rory one did not demand such things and make assumptions. This was going to be interesting. Rory looked hot when she was spitting made.
"I beg your pardon? Did you have the courtesy to phone or page or email and let me know our plans this evening. You know this Debutante ball means a lot to me and my family; did you think for a minute that I might have something to do with ball preparations? No you didn't think. Now you'll have to find something else to do amuse to your time, unless of course you want to watch last minute planning," said Rory in a haughty manner reminiscent of Lorelai the 1st.
Dean bit down ten things that popped into his head about what she could do with that Debutante business, but he didn't knowing that it would be suicide. "I just want to spend time with you Rory."
"Than either join us or go home and finish your homework," said Rory before turning to walk up the steps that led to her house. Logan chuckled quietly before opening the front door for Rory and following her into the house.
Dean just watched as his girlfriend, who had never acted in such a cool manner, left him behind either to follow her or go home. He'd never thought Rory could be like her grandmother because she'd just put in a performance that would've made the old biddy proud.
Later, after the food had been ordered and the list of things that needed to be done had been gone over a third time, Dean felt like an intruder. Rory and Logan were discussing introductions and Lorelai and Christopher were talking about the last cotillion that the two of them had attended. This was not a world that he understood, nor did he want to. He wasn't part of the elite of society; his family was firmly in the middle class. What was so special about the Mayflower anyways?
Dean was going to say something before Christopher interrupted him. "So Dean, what college are you thinking about attending?"
"Umm…I'm trying for Connecticut State, but anywhere would be fine," was the noncommittal reply.
Logan seemed to grab onto the reply and asked, "So what is it that you want to do with your life?"
"I don't know. I have time to figure things out."
"Really, no idea…not even a hint?" asked Logan in a rather condescending manner.
A fuming Dean looked at the blonde. "Nope. What about you? Where are you thinking about going to college? What're thinking about doing with the rest of your life?"
Logan's amusement didn't quite reach his eyes when he answered. "I will be attending Yale like the ten generations of Huntzbergers before me. After I graduate, I'll start working for one of the papers owned by Huntzberger Publishing Group, than eventually will take over as CEO after my father retires."
There was a pregnant pause before Christopher patted Logan on the shoulder and handed him a soda and said, "Yes that does sound about right."
Dean was rather puzzled by that remark. "You know where you're going to go to school and what you'll be doing… already?"
Lorelai snorted. "Dean you gotta understand one thing about the upper crust, they plan everything down to the minuet detail. For example, if I hadn't gotten pregnant with Rory and run away from home this is what would have happened: I would've finished high school -at a prestigious private academy maybe even done a few months of finishing school- gone to Vassar, met and married a Yale man, had a nice home with 2.5 kids, and gotten a sickeningly sweet nickname like 'bunny' or 'snookums'."
"You're kidding me right? I mean, my parents care about me, but that is just insane," said Dean thinking it was crazy.
Christopher rolled his eyes at his daughter's boyfriend. "I wouldn't bet on that being wrong. Me, I was supposed to finish my high school years at some boarding school that I had as of yet not gotten kicked out of, attend Princeton like every Hayden before me –about twelve generations, I believe- than attend Harvard Law school, I would join the family firm after passing the bar, marry a Smith girl, move into the family home and have 1.5 children, last but not least I would try to get appointed to the supreme court."
"That's insane. No one plans their kid's lives for them," said Dean rather vehemently. "Rory is growing up alright isn't she?"
"I wouldn't be so sure that Rory isn't going to have some expectations like ours put upon her. I bet you anything Yale is not going to be a subject that's going to go away. They will try to convince you that it's the best place possible. For Rory they have the ultimate plans: graduate Chilton as valedictorian, attend Yale, do graduate study at Princeton –to appease the other set of grandparents- if necessary, work at the New York Times, marry a Yale man, head as many charity committees as possible, have 3 children, inherit all the money and several properties."
Rory peeped in here. "I don't think that's what both sets of grandparents would think a viable plan for my future."
"Honey, I bet Grandpa Straub already has the pre-nup and property agreements drawn-up for your impending nuptials. I know he still has mine in a non-descript folder ever since I started dating Lorelai," said Christopher.
"Hmm…I always wondered what happened to that," said Lorelai.
"Oh jeez. Protecting the assets is that all the grandparents can think about?" asked Rory to no one in particular.
Dean looked on in a bizarre fascination as they started talking about stocks, bonds, and who had the better portfolio; so far Rory was winning. This was an out-of-body experience. His one interaction with Rory's grandparents was the disastrous dinner that he had gone to a few weeks ago. This was beyond his capabilities to understand, Rory had always been a small town girl but with her increasing interaction with her grandparents it seemed as though she was taking the place that was always meant for her in society. He wondered how long Rory would be his girlfriend, he was sure there was a plethora of guys who would want to date her including the blonde who was to be her escort.
Dean had never felt as insecure as Rory's boyfriend as he did sitting there in her mother's living room surrounded by the familiar clutter of the Gilmore household but with a sense of loss. He had always known she was meant for great things, but her life was changing too fast for his comfort. First, there had been that Jess sniffing around, then the Debutante business; he'd never known how far out of reach she was getting until that moment: sitting there talking about expectations and family obligations.
-GG-
Stephanie Vanderbilt was not just a pretty face, as many could attest to telling their friends. She knew there was something fishy going on with Huntzberger and she was going to get to the bottom of it. She had recently come to tracking him, covertly of course. He was one of her closest friends and she felt that it was her duty to keep track of him and his shenanigans. Colin was easier since he almost always had his face attached to some girl or another, but Logan recently had come to disappearing without telling his friends where he was going. She had followed him to the tailor, a dance studio in some hick town, and the DAR building. She knew Logan was doing escorting duties for some young thing so that wasn't unusual.
It wasn't until a few weeks into her quest she discovered the reason for Logan's disappearing act. It wasn't often that something could shock her, but the unearthing of Logan's secret was one of them. Escorting a Debutante to numerous balls was the norm for young gentlemen of a certain age and breeding. There was no need for Logan to hide that, Stephanie had to blink several times when Logan opened the passenger door of his car and a young girl about sixteen stepped out.
Logan had a look on his face that was puzzling. She wondered the reason for the secrecy and briefly wondered if this was a relative of the Huntzbergers; now that would be embarrassing. But that thought went out the window when she got a better look at the girl, she had brown hair- the Huntzberger was blonder than blonde- her eyes weren't noticeable at a distance. Logan smiled at her and they seemed to be having a conversation of some sort. She watched as her life long friend led the young lady into the building all the while conversing about something or other that seemed to amuse him to no length. She couldn't remember the last time Logan had laughed, genuinely.
Stephanie sat dumbfounded. It looked as though the couple was having an intelligent conversation, and that was proof that something curious was going on. Logan only dated those who were physically rather than intellectually mature. She decided the best way to find out what was going on was to get as close to the source as possible.
Cell phone in hand Stephanie leaned back in her car. It rang three times before it was answered by a soft voice. "Hello."
"Honor its Stephanie. How are you?"
"Hello Steph, I'm well. How are you? Logan isn't in," came the reply.
"Everything is fine on my end. I was actually calling to talk to you. Logan hasn't really been around much and I wanted to check in to make sure everything is alright," said Stephanie easing her way into the conversation. She didn't want show her cards too soon.
There was a pause on the other end before an answer came forth. "Everything is as well as can be expected; everyone's gearing up for the DAR debutante ball. Did Logan tell you about being an escort?"
"Yes he did tell Colin and me. He also mentioned that Shira had bamboozled him into it. How is that going? Has he been doing a lot of preparations for it? I remember all my escort had to do was show up since he already had the tux."
Honor chuckled on the other end. "Yes I remember the same thing. I think this one is a little different. Logan and Rory, the girl he's escorting, have been learning how to do the Viennese waltz, bowing the correct way, dress and tux fittings, and there was also a photo shoot of some kind."
"Really? All that fuss for a simple Debutante ball…it sounds like one of the older family traditions."
"Oh yes. She's a part of two prominent families and her great-grandmother flew in from London for it. She's the only child, as of yet, so both families are going all out. They're actually really nice, her family I mean, we had dinner at one of her grandparent's homes and it was actually fun."
Stephanie paused; she couldn't comprehend a close-knit family. There was a note of envy in Honor's voice. "Is that why Logan has been disappearing so often?"
"Most likely, but it's probably him spending time with Rory and her parents. They're really nice and they treat Logan well. He's with Rory doing Debutante business or debating something obscure. She wants to be a journalist, quite ambitious."
"Who wants to be journalist?"
"Rory…she's so sweet. I think Logan might be smitten, but he's too cool to admit it. You know how he is. I think about tagging along when Logan goes to visit her, but I feel unsure of myself just showing up without an invitation," there was sigh on the other end. Honor was like Logan, they felt smothered by their mother and ignored by their father.
Stephanie felt so bad for Honor who craved for a close knit family, but settled for whatever scrapes the Huntzbergers gave her. Logan and Honor were close, but it wasn't the same as having parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. "Next time just go along with him. It might be nice to hang out with this Rory and her family. Do you think Logan will ask this girl out?"
"No, not now; I don't think Logan's ready for a girl like Rory. He won't dare settle down until he has to and Rory is the settling down type. Listen Stephanie, I have an errand to run so I'm going to have to let you go. I hope to see you soon."
"Oh sure…goodbye Honor."
"Goodbye."
Stephanie smiled wistfully. In the past Logan would've told her about Rory and maybe even introduced the two of them. She felt left out, Logan and Colin had each other and they were always doing something dumb without her. As far as she could remember the three of them had been each other's family and now they were drifting a part. All the talk about family made her miss her two friends more. She didn't want to feel lonely. With an angry brush at the lone tear running down her cheek she revved up the engine to her BMW and raced out of the parking lot of the DAR building.
Her two best friends were growing up and leaving her behind.
Author's Note: Hope you like this latest installment. If anyone is interested I have a yahoo group and am planning to add extra stuff (such as pictures) for my stories including Debutante. These pictures are only going to be on my yahoo group. Please review and let me know what you think.