Rory was putting the finishing touches on dinner when she heard the door slam. She jumped before she heard Logan's voice.
"Rory!" he yelled from the foyer.
She moved to the top of the stairs knowing that Logan didn't yell for her unless something was extremely wrong.
"We need to talk," he said, coming up the stairs.
"Logan, what's wrong?" she asked.
He gave her a fast kiss on the lips and moved past her into the kitchen.
"Oh, good. Dinner's ready? I'll go change and we can talk when we eat," he said, running up the stairs.
Rory put the finishing touches on dinner, but her good mood was now replaced with one of worry. It wasn't often that Logan came home so frantic; in fact, he had never come home this way. He was usually much gentler and had a much calmer approach.
Logan padded into the kitchen as Rory was putting the plates on the table. He looked much more comfortable in workout pants and an old Yale t-shirt. He came up behind her and put his arms around her waist settling his face in the crook of her neck and inhaling her sweet scent. After the day he had, he took comfort in her familiar smell and the way her body molded to his.
"Logan? You're scaring me," she said.
He chuckled and released her. "Sorry, Ace. That wasn't my intention."
"So what's going on?"
He helped her take the last dish over to the table and sat down. Rory was sitting at the head of the table and Logan was sitting to her immediate left, facing out towards the back yard. They sat close together, something Logan had a tendency to do when he felt like he needed her support. Rory noticed that his face turned into the mask he wore when he was trying to keep his temper in check.
"My father came to visit me again today. He told me, again, that I was to finish my 'nonsense' with my company and return to HPG."
"How did you respond?" she asked.
Logan sighed. "At first, I was furious. I already told him no, but the more I thought about it, I don't know, Rory. This might be good."
Rory cocked her eyebrow. "How do you figure?" she asked.
"You want me to be home more, right?"
"Yes, but I don't see how you'll be home working at HPG. I know how much your father is away."
"HPG has something that my company doesn't," he said. "A million yes-men willing to do my bidding. I've worked so hard to make sure I didn't surround myself with minions that are only there to do whatever I wanted. However, if I work for HPG, I can definitely get away at 5:00 every night because other people will be there to pick up the slack."
Rory let his words tumble around in her brain. Yes, she did want him around more, but she could never ask him to sacrifice what he had made.
When Logan went to California, he had embarked on a journey that no one could have predicted. He had noticed a great idea from Paul and Roger but he took that idea and made it huge. When the partners created their company and named it Tome after what Logan claimed was a shared love of literature, they had no idea how big it would become and the rate at which it would grow. Experts in the industry called their company the next Google and it was touted in the trades as the technology company that would revolutionize the way business was done. Paul, Roger and their teams continued to expand upon their original idea and Logan continued to be extremely hands on with the business transactions. The three worked well together and sincerely respected each other.
Their company wasn't as big as Huntzberger Publishing Group, wasn't a publically traded company like HPG, and Logan had made sure that the business model was very different. He encouraged employees at all levels to come to him with ideas and give honest feedback on his, and he felt that was one of the reasons that they had grown so much. Where Mitchum was surrounded by a group of sycophants, men in their early 40's who had worked in the newspaper industry for years, Logan preferred to surround himself with the most intelligent people he could find, regardless of their age, race, or background.
Rory knew that stepping back into a role where he was forced to be around men who only wished to do his bidding would slowly suffocate his ambition, drive, and passion for business. As much as she wanted him to maintain a "normal" 9-5 workday, she would never even dream of asking him to give that up.
Putting her fork down, she stood up and crawled into his lap. He nuzzled the side of her neck, taking comfort in her proximity.
"Logan, I would never, ever do that to you."
"Do what?" he asked, sincerely puzzled.
"I don't care if you work 7 days a week for 14 hours a day. Going back to HPG would make you miserable. You know it, I know it. And I would never ask you do to that, whether it was for a good reason or not. My role as your fiancée and eventual wife is to make sure that you DON'T give up those dreams."
"So you're saying I shouldn't go back to work for HPG?" he confirmed.
"No, you need to stay right where you are," she assured him. "I know I get grouchy about you being gone, but last night when we were lying in bed, and you told me the new idea Roger was developing…you were so excited about it. More than you were ever excited at HPG. I want you to be excited about your work."
"Thanks, Ace," he said, kissing her sweetly. "So just to be clear, I'm staying with Tome, right?"
"Yes, if that's what you want," she answered.
"So what happens now?" Rory asked crawling off his lap and going back to her chair. "Mitchum isn't going to like being told no."
"I don't know," Logan said honestly. He knew Mitchum would try something, but he wasn't sure what.
Rory chewed a carrot. "Who will take over?"
"Probably my cousin Nick," Logan answered. "He's made a bit of a game out of kissing Mitchum's ass. I'm sure he and the board will be happy to run out the family side of the business."
Rory look worried as Logan let the subject slide. He reassured her that he could handle whatever Mitchum threw at him. He knew he would be punished, but he was determined to protect his family, whatever it took.
Although he had played it off, Logan was really concerned about how Mitchum would react to his decision to stay at Tome. Never one to handle not getting his way, Logan knew that Mitchum could bury them in legal proceedings, and although they might not have merit, he could drag them through the mud and essentially ruin their business. He told Rory that he needed to go to the West Coast for a few days for investor meetings, but he primarily went to talk to Roger and Paul. Rory was busy putting the final touches on their engagement/housewarming party so she encouraged him to go. Paul and Roger, along with their wives would fly back with Logan for the party.
The day that Logan got to Palo Alto, he took Roger and Paul out to lunch. He filled them in on Mitchum's demands. He was touched by their protectiveness of him.
"No way. If you want to stay here, we'll do whatever we can to make sure that you can stay with us," Roger said.
"Do you want to stay, Logan?" Paul asked quietly. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer from his friend. "We don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do."
"Yes, of course I want to stay," Logan assured them. Thinking of a way to make them understand, he thought back to how welcome he felt when he was around Paul and Roger's families, including their parents. Knowing that his parents were nothing like that, he tried to explain. "You both have wonderful parents, so you don't understand how it was for me as a child. When I was four, I told my dad that I wanted to be a fireman and he told me to stop being stupid, that I would take over the family business for him. I was never Logan the son, or Logan the little boy. I was Logan the heir. I rebelled against that as soon as I knew what it meant. It was never an option, just like he's trying to tell me that it's not an option now. "
"How did you get out?" Roger asked.
"Rory," was Logan's answer. "Her mother left that world when she was 16 and had Rory. She gave me the courage to leave. I knew Rory would be there to support me no matter what. It's easier to turn your back on it when you have an emotional safety net even though that safety net fell through for a bit."
"Ok, so what does it mean now that Mitchum wants you back?" Paul asked.
"Well, you don't provoke a bear without serious consequences," Logan warned. "My guess is that he'll try to sue us."
"On what grounds?" Roger asked.
"I don't know, he'll find something. Intellectual property, patent infringement…none of it will have merit, of course, but he can bury us in legal fees. He has vast resources, more than we have."
Paul scrunched up his face. "Intellectual property?"
"Yeah. Since I worked there, some of the ways our business is set up is like HPG because it made sense."
"Ok, so what do we do?" Paul asked.
"Well, for the next few months, we need to be certain that everything is 100% on the up and up," Logan told them. "Any patents we apply for need to be kept in complete secrecy until they are complete and filed. Any reporting needs to be done early. We can't push anything off."
"Done," they answered in agreement.
"Thanks guys," Logan said. "I'm sorry that I'm dragging our company, and you, through this."
"Logan, we'd rather go through a lawsuit that bankrupts us than lose you as our partner," Roger said, taking a sip of his whiskey.
"I'll drink to that," Paul echoed. Logan sat back, feeling fortunate for the people he had in his life.
The California gang, consisting of Paul, Roger, Allie, Abby, and Logan took a red-eye to JFK. Rory picked them up at 9:00 on Saturday morning in a rented mini-van. She was so happy to see Logan again, but even happier to see her new friends.
When they got back to the house, Rory sent the boys off for a golf game while she, Allie and Abby met Lorelai for a spa day. Luke was bringing Will to the party later that night.
After their facials and massages, they were wrapped in white fluffy robes and their feet were being pampered.
"Ugh, I could fall asleep right here," Abby groaned.
"Go ahead," Rory told her. "We'll wake you up when it's time to go."
Abby closed her eyes and sighed in contentment.
"I figured you both could go home and take a nap while mom and I set up for tonight."
"No way," Allie said. "I have an 8 month old. I'm used to no sleep. I'll help you set up."
"Well, we'll see how you feel when we get home," Rory said.
Rory was pleased that Lorelai got along with Allie and Abby swimmingly. Allie and Lorelai had bonded over their babies, and Abby respected Lorelai's business acumen.
Two coats of Don't Socra-tease Me! Later, the women were in a cab on their way back to Rory and Logan's house. When they got there, Abby immediately went upstairs to take a nap while Lorelai, Allie and Rory ordered lunch and made a list.
Abby woke up around 3, at the same time the boys arrived home from their golf game. Rory was grateful for the help as everyone worked in tandem to set out food, re-arrange furniture, and put out decorations.
Rory was putting the final touches on her hair when Logan got out of the shower. He took in her black and metallic cocktail dress. She was stunning. The dress had a fitted bodice with a sheer V-plunge illusion that lead up to a round neckline. Metallic jacquard panels made her appear taller than her 5'6" frame and her metallic and black Jimmy Choo shoes matched the dress perfectly.
"You are stunning," he told her before he kissed her. She felt his arousal through the thin towel tied around his waist. Pulling away, she admonished him.
"We have 30 people arriving in 5 minutes. Get dressed," she ordered before stepping out of the room with a wink.
Fifteen minutes later, Logan walked downstairs, fully dressed and looking for his fiancée. When he spotted her, he stood back for a moment to take her in. The first thing he noticed was the way she greeted their guests. She was warm and welcoming with everyone, complementing the women on their attire or hair. He walked down into the foyer and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
"You are so utterly sexy, I want to do very naughty things to you," he whispered in her ear.
She blushed and giggled. "We have a house full of people. Save it for later," she said with a smirk. She turned around in his arms and took in his appearance. He was wearing his new dark grey Gucci suit with a white shirt and no tie. His hair was perfectly mussed and he was wearing the aftershave that she liked.
"You look good enough to eat," Rory told him quietly. Lost in their own little bubble, he kissed her.
They broke apart when a familiar voice said "Ew, get a room." The voice belonged to Paris.
"We have one, and you're standing in it," Logan teased.
Rory and Logan stepped out of the doorway to let their new guests enter the house. Luke followed them in. After exchanging greetings, Logan took Will's car seat from Luke and let him know that a pack-n-play had been set up in the library for the infant.
"Thanks," Luke said. "We can probably put him down for a bit. It's his bedtime now, so he should sleep until two or so." Logan led Luke upstairs while Rory showed the newest arrivals upstairs and made introductions.
Along with her mother and step-father, they were expecting several other couples with kids. Honor and Josh were bringing Mia, and Christopher was bringing Gigi. Some couples were grateful for the night of adult interaction and had decided to leave their children at home, like Paul and Allie and Lane and Zack. They had set up the library for the kids to hang out in and eventually sleep. Several couples had decided to spend the night, and Luke and Lorelai were one of them.
Over the next hour, their guests arrived, each one representing a different part of the couple's lives. At one point, Logan stepped back and took in the room. Rory was having an animated conversation with April, George, his husband, and Honor. Colin and Finn were discussing music with Zack and Lane. Lorelai and Luke were talking about California with Josh, Allie, and Paul while Christopher, Richard and Hugo were debating the merits of mobile advertising. Paris and Doyle were laughing at something that Roger had said, probably at Abby's expense, if the look on her face gave him any indication. He caught Rory's eye and she winked at him before turning back to their friends. His childhood had been so cold and barren and he had always believed that was the norm. He would have never believed that his home could be so full of the love and warmth that was filling it now.
Seeing Logan off to the side looking contemplative, Honor excused herself and stood next to him. When she spoke, she mirrored his thoughts.
"It's amazing. Growing up in the house we did, that your home is like this," she said. "Thank God for Rory."
"No, Honor, thank God for you."
Honor looked at him completely baffled.
"You don't realize the influence you've had on my life, do you?" he asked. "You were the one who put notes in my lunchbox on special days. You were the one who always bought me the coolest presents for my birthday. Without you, I would have never known unconditional love. I most likely would have pushed Rory away. My house would definitely be much colder if it hadn't been for you."
Honor hugged her brother. "Honestly, I always felt guilty that they put so much pressure on you from such a young age. I just did what I could to ease my guilt. And of course, you're my little brother. I loved you and wasn't going to ignore you."
"It was more than that, and you know it," Logan countered.
"What can I say? You made me laugh," she answered with a shrug.
Logan put his arm around his sister and steered him over to the bar. She was making too much sense and being way too serious. It was clear that she needed another drink.
After pouring her cocktail and sending her off to bug Rory, Logan was deciding which group to join when he saw Finn making his way over.
"I see you invited the enemy," Finn said without preamble.
"The enemy? Who in this room is an enemy?" Logan asked.
Finn pointed to Roger and Paul. "Enemy 1, enemy 2."
Still confused, Logan asked "Why are they your enemies?"
"Competition!" Finn explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Ah, you're talking about our fine adversaries," Colin said, joining the conversation.
"Guys, Roger and Paul are not your competition or adversaries. You guys have been my best friends since childhood. They're my business partners."
"And groomsmen," Finn pointed out.
"Yes, they are like family, but I don't see how that affects you," Logan said.
"Competition!" Finn exclaimed.
Logan took a deep breath. Sometimes talking to these two was enough to drive someone insane. They were like children, so he decided to use the tone and logic he would with a child.
"Finn. Colin. Just because Roger and Paul were invited to the sandbox doesn't mean I don't want you to play anymore."
"We'll see about that," Finn said, stalking off. Logan sighed and poured himself another drink.
Turning to Colin, he begged "Please tell me you understand what I'm saying."
"Oh, I do," Colin assured him. "But this is Finn's deal and I've known him longer so I have to play along."
He continued after finishing his drink. "Just remember, this is Finn's world. We only live here."
Logan shook his head and watched his friend join Rory and Lane who were having a very animated conversation.
A few hours later, the party was winding down and only a few of their close friends and family were left. Logan realized that Colin and Finn were purposely avoiding Roger and Paul. He decided to organize an activity that would put them all on the same team. Gathering the men, along with Josh, he led them all up to the indoor basketball court on the top floor of the house.
"Alright, Gentlemen," Logan proclaimed in a very official tone of voice. "This is a no holds barred fight to the death. You are my groomsmen, so whomever wins gets my love and approval."
They jeered and scoffed at him, and after a lot of mocking, Logan laughed and changed his tone.
"Ok, ok…..Colin, Finn, you guys have been my family since I was in grade school. Roger, Paul, you are my business partners and my brothers in California. Josh? Well, you're my actual brother-in-law. I want you all to get along and I don't want any weirdness."
By this time, the women had ventured up to the top floor and were watching them, waiting to see what Logan had up his sleeve.
"Skins versus shirts!" Finn cried as he started to take off his shirt.
Logan and Colin groaned.
"Oh dear God, man, keep your clothes on!" Logan demanded. "Ok, time for teams. Roger, Colin, you're on a team. Paul, you're with Finn. Josh? Pick your side."
Josh chose to go with Roger and Colin which left Logan with Finn and Paul.
"Skins!" Finn cried again.
"Finn, do you really need help remembering who is on your team?" Colin asked.
"No," he responded. "I just really want to take my shirt off."
He was met with protests from all sides and finally gave up the fight.
The men played a rousing game of three on three in the half court. Rory was thankful that the rooms were completely sound proof since Mia, Gigi and Will were sleeping in the room next door. After an hour, Colin, Roger and Josh were up by 5 points and they called it a night.
"Great game, man," Colin said, patting Roger on the back.
"Thanks! You have one hell of a jump shot," Roger said back to him. "Where did you learn that cool dribble?"
Across the room, Paul and Finn were also exchanging pleasantries. They began to make plans to go out for drinks the following afternoon before Paul and Roger left for home. It seemed that Logan's plan to bring his best friends together had gone completely according to plan.
The following week, Logan was finishing up a budget projection when his secretary, Amelia, paged him.
"Logan, you have a visitor. His name is Nicolas Petersen. He says he's your cousin."
"Thanks Amelia. You can send him in."
Logan put the final touches on his excel sheet just as Nick was being showed in. He stood up and offered a handshake to his cousin.
"Hey, Nicky. What are you doing here?" Logan asked as he offered Nick a seat.
"I wanted to talk to you about this HPG CEO position."
Logan sat back down and leaned back, steepling his fingers.
"Look, I'm pretty sure you don't want the position," Nick said. "And I'm pretty sure you don't want Mitchum coming down on you for not wanting the position. Stop me if I'm wrong."
Logan remained silent.
"That's what I thought," Nick continued. "I think I have a solution that will benefit both of us."
Logan cocked his eyebrow. "I'm interested," he said.
"I'll be the CEO. I've been working under your father for 7 years. I understand what it takes and I want to do it. But he's going to be really angry at you for not stepping in. What if you, and Rory when you're married, sit on the board? We can give you three votes and give her 2two, that way you have the majority vote, and the Huntzberger family can continue to have a say."
"You'd be ok with that?" Logan asked.
"I don't want to waste my time on stupid revenge lawsuits andthat are neither productive nor fruitful. Listen, I know you're smart enough for the job. That's not the case here. I know you're smart enough for the job. I think this is a way that we all can get what we want. I know you're smart enough for the job. I get the run the company, Mitchum gets his family to retain control, and you get to stay at Tome. It's a win-win-win. Of course, it might be a harder sell for Rory because she would have to work for a Huntzberger newspaper. She couldn't sit on the board of HPG and work for another paper."
"OK, you've given me a lot to think about," Logan said. "Mind if I get back to you?"
"Nope, thanks for hearing me out," Nick replied.
Nick left and Logan sat down in front of his computer, feeling like all of his problems had just been solved. He couldn't wait to tell Rory.
A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting. Real life has gotten very very busy lately, so if there is a delay, I won't be for more than a couple of weeks, I promise. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed my little story. You guys are amazing.
Thanks also to xshynenstarx for her mad beta-ing skills and help through writer's block. She's pretty awesome.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!