"Rory," Finn whispered in her ear Saturday morning. "You have to get ready to leave, love."
"But I don't want to," Rory mumbled as she burrowed further into Finn's chest.
"I know, kitten. I don't want you to either, but we don't have a choice."
"Fine," Rory pouted. "I'll get up, but only if you join me in the shower."
"You don't have to ask me twice," Finn chuckled as he pulled her out of bed and toward the bathroom.
They emerged from the bathroom 45 minutes later, both smiling despite the lingering sense of dread over Rory leaving in an hour. She crossed the bedroom to her suitcase, digging through her t-shirts, when Finn threw her a shirt and a hoodie.
"Why are you throwing your clothes at me, dear?" she asked with a laugh.
"Because those are for you to take with you. You can wear them when you miss me."
"Aw, you're so sweet! Well, in that case, I'm wearing them today," Rory replied as she pulled on her jeans and Finn's soft grey t-shirt.
She quickly dried her hair and threw it in a ponytail and then packed the rest of her bags, checking the room to make sure she hadn't left anything.
"I guess that's it," she said sadly.
"We've still got half an hour until you have to be at the bus. Let's drop your luggage in my office and go next door to get you some coffee and breakfast and enjoy that last thirty minutes together," Finn said as he grabbed her suitcase and messenger bag.
"You're right, I don't want to waste it by pouting. Let's go," she replied as she took his hand and grabbed her purse.
They stashed her luggage and walked to the cafe next door, ordering coffee and a quick breakfast. As they sat down at their table to eat Rory broke the silence.
"So, when are you headed back to New York?"
"Actually, I'll grab my bags after I see you off and head straight to the airport to leave. I had originally planned to go home yesterday morning, but I got a better offer," Finn said with a wink.
"I'm so glad that I'm a better offer than New York!" Rory said with a giggle.
"Where are you sending resumes for after the campaign, love?"
"I have a standing job offer in DC. I'm focusing mostly in the Connecticut and New York areas. I don't want to be too far from Stars Hollow; I feel like I've hardly been home at all the last couple of years. I'd like to be within easy driving distance."
"You know, New York does have its perks," Finn mused.
"Is that so, Mr. Morgan?"
"Indeed, it is. I hear there's a man there who would love to spend more time with you."
"Hmm... I might just love to spend more time with him, too," Rory teased.
Finn sighed and looked at his watch.
"It's time, kitten."
"Alright, I guess I might as well quit dragging my feet and get it over with," she replied as she picked up her to-go coffee and took his hand to walk back to the hotel. They retrieved her bags from the office and walked to the loading area in silence. Finn stowed her suitcase beneath the bus and then pulled her close to him, wrapping her in his arms.
"I know I sound crazy since it's been less than a week, but I'm going to miss you, Ror."
"I'm going to miss you too, Finn, so if you sound crazy so do I," Rory replied with a soft laugh.
"We'll talk and text or e-mail every day, love, and I'll see you next Friday night in Columbus, okay?"
"I can't wait," Rory replied. "I guess this is it - I have to go."
"One minute," Finn answered as he leaned down and kissed her. The kiss started off tenderly, but it quickly increased in passion and left them both breathless. Finn slowly moved his arms from around her and took her hand to walk her to the bus. He gave her one last hug and kiss and placed her messenger bag on her shoulder before she boarded.
Finn stood against the hotel and watched until the bus pulled out and then turned to walk back to his room and pack the last few things that weren't already in his suitcase. He grabbed his luggage and met the waiting Town Car at the hotel entrance for the ride to the airstrip, anxious to return home now that Rory was no longer next to him.
He sighed and thought back to the last six days of being able to spend time with Rory and couldn't help but smile. They had spent every non-working minute of the week together, and he was blissfully happy when she was with him. He had convinced himself that he would never get a chance to date her when Logan had declared his intentions, and spending the next three years watching the two of them together and seeing how Logan had treated her had been damn near torture. Rory and Logan's relationship had been one characterized by times of extreme happiness and commitment followed by times of extreme stress and wondering by Logan, and he hated every minute of watching it. Finn felt his phone buzz in his pocket and took it out.
Some amazing someone snuck a new travel mug and tons of candy in my messenger bag. You wouldn't know who that was, would you? -R
Hmm...must have been that boyfriend you were talking about all week. He must know how much you love coffee and candy. -F
He's pretty amazing alright. By the way, I was greeted with wolf whistles when I got on the bus. Apparently they were watching our goodbye kiss. LOL -R
I'd apologize, but I'm not sorry. I know you've never been much of one for PDA, though. -F
Perhaps PDAs are like dancing; you just need to find the right person. :-) -R
Indeed you do, love. I'm at the plane. I'll text you when I land, and you can call me tonight when you get to your hotel. -F
Have a safe flight, sweetheart. -R
Finn smiled as he put his phone back in his pocket and boarded the plane back to New York.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rory laughed at the million questions that her friends from the campaign trail were bombarding her with on the bus. She seemed to have the attention of more than half of the other women, all of whom were swooning over how gorgeous her boyfriend was and the details of her week. She was interrupted from her conversation as her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Rory. It's your Grandma," came Emily's voice.
"Oh hi, Grandma! How are you and Grandpa? It seems like it's been forever since I've seen you."
"Your Grandfather and I are fine."
"Good, I'm glad," Rory replied awkwardly. It wasn't like her Grandma to call for no reason.
"I saw the picture on Page Six," came Emily's terse reply.
"The picture on Page Six? I'm not sure I'm following you, Grandma."
"You would think that you would inform me that you're seeing someone instead of letting me find out from the New York Post. Honestly, Rory, it's the least you could do."
"I really have no idea what picture you're talking about, Grandma," Rory replied with an exasperated sigh.
"Well, perhaps you should buy a copy of the paper then. There are expectations, Rory, and if you're seeing Mr. Morgan your Grandfather and I need to extend a dinner invitation to his family. We simply cannot fail to meet societal expectations just because you didn't want to tell us about your new relationship. Are you serious with Mr. Morgan?"
Rory rolled her eyes and took a few deep breaths.
"Grandma, this relationship is new, very new. Less than a week, in fact. Please, if you care about my happiness at all, just stay out of it, okay? I don't think Finn's parents have any expectations of a dinner invitation from you, but I will ask him just to make sure if that makes you feel better. They may have money and be from society, but they are hardly a typical society family according to Finn. Look, if I promise to bring him for dinner the next time I'm home will you just let it be?"
"Honestly, Rory, you act like it's a crime for me to care about my own granddaughter," came Emily's terse reply.
"It's not that at all, Grandma. It's just...when Logan and I started dating there was a lot of pressure to instantly make it more serious than it was and there was a lot of outside interference in our relationship. I don't want that with Finn, okay? I just want us to be able to enjoy our time together and the newness of it all without all of that extra stress."
"Well, I suppose I can understand your viewpoint, although I certainly don't share it. Still, I will agree to stay out of it for your sake if you're certain that the Morgans won't be offended."
"I promise they won't, Grandma."
"Very well. Let me know when you'll be in town next so we can have you both over for dinner."
"I'll do that. Give Grandpa my love," Rory replied as she hung up with a sigh.
Grateful for wifi on the campaign bus, Rory pulled her laptop out of her messenger bag and quickly navigated to the Post's website before clicking on Page Six. Her breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of the picture. Right there in front of her was a picture of herself and Finn dancing, and they certainly looked quite cozy. Unbelievable! She hadn't even realized that they had been photographed at the event. She looked toward the photo caption. "Is the Morgan heir off the market? He was seen dancing the night away with Miss Lorelai Gilmore-Hayden III of the Hartford Gilmores and Haydens at a recent campaign gala." This was exactly what she had hoped to avoid, but it looked like their relationship had been made public sooner than she had anticipated.
She looked at the time on her phone and quickly realized that Finn should be landing shortly. She decided to wait to call him rather than leaving a voicemail while he was still in the air. She sighed and made a quick decision, dialing her mom.
"Mom?" she asked when Lorelai answered the phone.
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
"Finn and I made Page Six."
"No?!"
"I'm afraid so," Rory replied.
"So this means…"
"Yep, I just got off the phone with Adolph. She was ranting about societal expectations and dinner with his family and lecturing me."
"I'm so sorry, sweetie. Do you need me to call her?"
"No, I think I got her to back off. I promised I would bring him for dinner the next time I'm in town in exchange for her backing down."
"And you think that's going to work?"
"I hope so. I just don't want pressure, Mom. This week was good, and I don't want to stress over it or to have Grandma trying to pick out china patterns. She practically had my wedding to Logan planned before our first official date was over."
"I know, kiddo. I'll call her tomorrow and make sure she's holding up her end of the bargain."
"Thank you, Mom. You're the best mom a girl could ask for!" Rory said with a relieved sigh.
"I've been there, hon, and I know how she can be. I'm going to get back to work right after I check out Page Six to see my gorgeous daughter with her new arm candy," Lorelai said with a laugh.
"You're impossible!" Rory teased. "I'll talk to you later, Mom. I love you."
"Love you too, sweets," Lorelai said before Rory hung up.
Rory looked up to see Laura and Kate looking over her shoulder.
"It appears you and the new boyfriend made quite a splash," Kate said.
"Yeah, I guess so," Rory replied awkwardly.
"I didn't realize he was well enough known to be that newsworthy," Laura asked with a questioning look.
"Well, he is the heir to a multi-billion dollar corporation, and it doesn't help things any that I'm the one he was seen with," Rory said sheepishly.
"What are you not telling us, Gilmore?" asked Laura.
"Look, this doesn't change anything about me, okay? I'm still the same person you've known for the last year and a half." Both girls just stared at her. "Both my Mom's and my Dad's families are both well-known in Hartford. My parents both were raised as part of Hartford society, and my Mom left with me when I was a baby, but it's still part of who I am."
"What exactly are you getting at?" Kate asked.
"I'm not well-known or anything, but I'm certainly of interest in the society pages, given that I'm from two very prominent Hartford families and will have access to my trust funds next month."
"Wow," both Kate and Laura said at the same time.
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Kate.
"It's just...that's not who I am, and I don't want to be thought of as some society princess. When people find out you're part of Hartford society they tend to think you're some vapid bimbo who can't even spell 'society", and I don't want people thinking that about me."
"I guess I get that," Laura replied.
"Please don't let anyone else know, okay? I mean, it's inevitable that at least some of them will see the picture, but I'd prefer to give them as little information as possible."
"Sure, it's our secret," said Kate.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Finn touched down in New York and turned on his cell phone only to find a long list of missed calls and texts, most of which were from his best mates, and he suddenly realized that he hadn't spoken to either of them since early in the week. He had told Logan that he would let him know if Rory agreed to a date, but he hadn't actually called him since that conversation. Just as Finn was about to check his voicemail his phone rang.
"Hi, kitten. I didn't expect to hear from you yet," Finn said with a smile.
"Is this a bad time?" Rory asked.
"Not at all, I literally just landed in New York. Everything okay on the bus?"
"Yeah, it's good. It's just...my Grandma called. Apparently we made Page Six, Finn. It's a picture of us from the fundraiser gala."
"I can't say I'm completely surprised, but I didn't expect it so soon," Finn replied. "Are you doing okay with it, love?"
"Am I doing okay with it?" Rory asked with a giggle. "God, here I was calling to try to make sure you're not upset and you just want to know if I'm okay. You are too sweet, Finn. Yeah, I'm okay. I didn't relish the conversation with my Grandma, but I think I was successful in getting her to hold off on dinner with your parents, prenups or china patterns," Rory joked.
"It seems some things never change," Finn chuckled. "I'm glad you're doing okay with it."
"I am. Hey, I promised her that I would bring you for dinner next time I'm in town in order to buy her cooperation. I hope that's okay?"
"Of course, love. I guess this probably explains all of the missed calls and voicemails I have from Colin and Logan as well. I haven't even listened to them yet."
"I'm sorry, Finn."
"Hey, you have no reason to apologize, Ror. You hear me? This is part of my life, and unfortunately you getting access to your trust funds and being a Gilmore and a Hayden means that it will become a part of yours as well. I'm sorry that dating me is making it happen more quickly for you."
"You don't need to apologize either, Finn. I mean it. I had just hoped we could enjoy a bit longer without all of the pressure that comes from society."
"Well, avoid your Grandma and we should be good, because my parents aren't like that at all. They love to fly in the face of societal expectations," Finn laughed.
"That's what I told my Grandma when she was freaking out about not insulting your parents because her dinner invitation was delayed," Rory said with a giggle.
"It will all be just fine, love. We'll live in our little bubble when possible and we'll deal with society and the press when we have to."
"You're the best, Finn. I'll talk to you later tonight?"
"It's a date," Finn replied with a wide smile.
He hung up his phone and got in the waiting car to go home before reading his text messages. It appeared that his mates had also seen the picture on Page Six and were curious to know what was going on. He sent a quick text telling them to come by in two hours and sat back with a sigh as he wondered how the conversations would go, and he didn't have to wait very long to find out. No sooner had he arrived home, showered and dressed, his doorbell rang.
"Logan, Colin! Good to see you, mates," he said as he opened the door to his best friends.
"It's about damn time you got back from Chicago, man," Colin smirked as he patted Finn on the back and walked to the living room.
"Finn, good to see you," Logan said awkwardly as he handed Finn a newspaper and passed him. Finn took a quick glance at the newspaper, which was folded open to the picture of him and Rory at the gala.
"It's good to be home," Finn replied as he joined the two in the living room and poured three glasses of scotch and passed them around the room. "What did I miss here at home while I was gone?"
"Apparently not as much as we missed there in Chicago," Logan said as he nodded toward the newspaper he had handed Finn. Finn didn't miss the curt tone of voice Logan used or the pointed look that he sent his way.
"Sorry about that, mates. This week was kind of a whirlwind, between work and spending time with Rory," Finn said sheepishly.
"Apparently so if you forgot to even call your best friends," Colin teased lightly.
"Right. So obviously, Rory and I are seeing each other now," Finn stated awkwardly as he sat the newspaper down on the coffee table between them all.
"Right," Logan shot back. "That was made pretty damn clear with the picture."
"Look, I had no idea that they had taken that picture, and I was going to talk to you when I got back home. Hell, I talked to you before anything happened. Rory and I tried to spend all of our free time together during the week, and I thought it best to have this conversation with you in person."
"Are you and Rory just seeing each other, or is it more serious?" Logan asked as Colin watched the two of his friends' tense conversation.
"I am in fact off the market, mates."
Logan sighed and rubbed his face.
"That sure as hell didn't take long, man."
"What's that supposed to mean, Logan?"
"I'm just saying that it didn't take long for you to hook up with my ex," Logan said icily.
"Look, I know that this is bound to be awkward for a bit, but you guys have been broken up for almost a year and a half. You've moved on. Don't you think she deserves to move on as well?"
"She does. It's just...why her, Finn?"
"I've had a soft spot for her for years, Logan, and I stood by and watched the entire time she was with you. I wasn't looking for her when we ran into each other, but I'm certainly not going to waste the chance."
"She was the one, Finn, and she broke my heart when she turned me down."
"I know, mate, and I hate that. You were the one to walk away though, weren't you? Don't you think that broke her heart as well?"
"How the hell did you know…" Logan trailed off.
"So it's true? She said not right now and you told her that it had to be now or never and walked away?"
Logan slammed his glass down on the coffee table and sighed, putting his head in his hands.
"Yeah, it's true," he said quietly, and Colin's head shot up.
"You let us think she broke it off, man. Why did you do that?" Colin asked.
"Because I was stupid, alright?" Logan yelled back. "I was stupid, and I let the best thing I'd ever had walk away," he said more quietly.
"Logan, mate, you're with Stacey now. You've been talking about proposing. Mine and Rory's relationship doesn't change anything for you," Finn said gently.
"I know, man. I'm just going to need some time to deal with this, alright?"
"Absolutely, mate. I'll do my best to keep you out of the loop when it comes to our relationship."
"Thanks, Finn. I'll work on being okay with things," Logan said as he and Colin walked to the door to leave.
Finn sighed as he shut the door behind his two best mates. He suspected Logan wasn't as okay with the situation as he'd said on the phone, but he didn't realize just how much it was going to bother his friend. He changed into shorts, a t-shirt and running shoes in hopes of clearing his head with a long run and shot off a quick text to Rory before walking out the door.
Well, Logan and Colin know now. They saw the picture as well. It was a bit tense, but he'll come around. -F
Within seconds he had a reply.
We'll get through this together, Finn. You're worth it. -R
He shook his head and marveled as his luck to have this amazing woman in his life as he walked out his door and set off for his run.
