Chapter 14 Plan

October 2, 2011

After the Fall Festival, Finn decided to take his brother's advice and talk to Rory about Logan. They need to be honest with each other. But first they were going to meet Robert at the bar at the Manor House Hotel. It was a little after five when they arrived at the bar. Robert and his date were seated at a booth having drinks. Finn noticed him first, Rory whispered to Finn that she wanted to use the ladies room and went inside. As she was exiting the ladies room door she ran into Logan.

"Ace what are you doing here?" He said pulling her in for a hug.

He went to kiss her, and she turned her cheek and gave him an air kiss and quickly took a step back.

"Logan, this is a surprise. I was away for the weekend and just received your email today. I thought you were in London."

"I had some business to take care of in NYC and came in last night, I just stopped by to see Finn."

Thinking fast she said, "I came to meet Paris and Doyle. They were supposed to come into Hartford for a Chilton reunion. I just arrived myself."

"Why don't we sit together, I would like to see Paris and Doyle again."

Rory feels her phone buzz and notices that it is from Finn, "Could you excuse me for a minute Logan. I have to take this call."

She walks back into the Ladies' room and answers it.

"Finn, Logan is here. I just ran into him coming out of the ladies' room. Is this Robert's surprise?"

She hears Finn say something to Robert, "No, he is just as surprised as I am. What do you want to do?"

"I told him that I was waiting for Paris and Doyle, so I am going to call them and see if they can come down to meet me. I know they are in Hartford this weekend. Her parents were having some sort of party and Terrance had convinced her and Doyle to attend. Maybe they are ready to leave the Geller home."

"Okay, I see Logan over at the bar Luv. I will go and distract him, so you can make your phone call. Ror, text me and let me know what you plan to do."

Rory quickly dials Paris' number, she listens to it ring three times and then Paris picked up.

"Paris, are you and Doyle ready to leave the party? I happen to be back from Stars Hollow and I am at the new Manor House Hotel at the bar. I came to meet some friends, but Logan is here."

"Rory, you called just in time. Sure we can leave, in fact I have a friend of ours that we haven't seen in a long time. I will bring him along too. We will be there in about five minutes."

"Great I will be waiting in the lobby."

She sends Finn a quick message and slips out to the lobby. As she is standing there she runs into Mia and Angus.

"Rory, where's Finn? I thought you were meeting friends from college here tonight?" Mia asked.

"We are, but Logan showed up, so I just called friends of mine from high school and they are coming. Please if you go into the bar, pretend you don't know me, ok?'"

"Sure, you know you both have to face Logan sooner or later," Angus told her with concern in his voice.

"I know but...it's so complicated and I am just finding out how much Finn cared for me and I realize how much I care for him too."

Just then Paris, Doyle, and Tristan Dugray walked into the hotel lobby. Tristan took one look at Rory and smiled. The three of them walked over to Rory each giving her a hug.

Tristan hugs her and says, "Mare, you look great."

"Tristan, it is so good to see you too. Paris, Doyle, Tristan this is Angus and Mia Morgan. Angus, Mia, this is Dr Paris Geller, Doyle McMaster and Tristan Dugray."

"Rory we are going up to our rooms now, we will talk later," Mia told her as she hugged her goodbye.

"Thanks Mia, you have my phone number, right?"

Mia and Angus smiled and nodded.

Rory turned to her friends and said, "Shall we go and get some drinks and catch up?"

The four of them walked into the bar and Finn noticed them right away. Rory was chatting to a very handsome blonde man that he didn't recognize. Immediately he began to feel jealous, but he couldn't let Logan know. He watched them go into a booth across the room from them. He had convinced Logan to go and sit with Robert and his date. Logan had been turning around in his booth and happened to see Rory walk in.

"Finn I told you that Rory was here, there she is sitting with Paris and Doyle. Come on guys we should go over and say hi."

"Logan, I don't know. Didn't she tell you she was seeing someone? Maybe that is him."

Tristan had taken a seat beside Rory and put his arm behind her on the back of the booth.

"Mare, Paris said you gave up your dream of journalism, and now you're a teacher?"

"Yes, I am teaching English here in Chilton. And you Tris? What are you doing now.?"

Paris and Doyle came back with drinks for them. Doyle got Rory a Long Island Iced Tea for her and Paris and he got himself and Tristan a pitcher of beer to share.

They sat talking for a while before Logan, Finn, Robert and his date came over.

"Do I know you?" Finn used his old line on her. She turned and looked at him with love in her eyes. Paris noticed it right away.

"Finn? Oh my God, Of course you know me…" she jumped up and hugged him tight and whispered, 'I love you." then backed up and saw Robert and his date. The two women began to scream. "Olivia?"

"Rory?'

They hugged each other and jumped up and down, then Rory went and hugged Robert and then Logan.

She then turned to her friends and said, "Paris, Doyle you remember Finn, Logan, Robert and Olivia from Yale?"

Tristan stood up and put his arm around Rory's waist, when Finn and Logan saw that they both began to feel jealous.

"Mare, Yale? I thought you went to Harvard."

"No, I went to Yale."

"Oh Tris, this is Finn Morgan, Robert Holmes, Logan Huntzberger and Olivia Marchant. This is Tristan Dugray."

Tristan put out his hand and shook them. Being a gentleman he asked them to join them. They all moved to a larger table and immediately Tristan sat on Rory's left and Finn moved in to sit on her right, leaving Logan to sit beside Finn and across from them were Doyle, Paris, Robert, and Olivia. They all began to talk. Rory sat quietly when Logan began to quiz Tristan about his relationship with Rory.

Before Tristan had an answer, Paris responded. "Logan, this was Rory's boyfriend from Chilton. The first blonde trust fund boy she fell for. I always said, that you were her replacement. Now that they found each other again, it is just a matter of time."

Rory kicked Paris under the table. Paris knew that Rory and Finn were together, and even though she did like Finn more than she liked Logan she still wanted to rub it in. It was Paris.

"So you two dated in high school? I thought you dated that Dean character?"

"Oh you mean Bag Boy? Paris, Rory, whatever happened to old Bag Boy?" Tristan asked with a smirk on his face.

"Tris, his name was Dean and he used to call you the accountant, remember? Last I heard he has married again and had a few children."

"Well Mare, he must have been psychic because I am an accountant actually. I work on Wall Street now for my father's brokerage firm and I own a computer security business."

Since there was a break in the conversation Rory discreetly put her hand under the table and grabbed Finn's thigh. He took her hand and squeezed it. She turned and spoke to Olivia. "So how did you and Robert meet?"

"I went to visit this Gallery. I walked inside, and I stop to admire the photographs that were on display. Robert came over to me and asked me if I needed any help," she giggled.

Robert said, "This beautiful creature turns to me and says, yes I would love to meet the talented photographer who took these photographs."

"Robert then leans in close to me and says, you're looking at him."

Olivia turned and kissed Robert on the lips.

"Then we went out for coffee, that turned to dinner, and we found out we had a common friend...you." Olivia told Rory as she snuggled into Robert's shoulder.

Rory smiled at them. She turned to Finn, Tristan and Logan and said, "Isn't that romantic."

Paris choked and almost spit out her drink. Doyle began to pound her on her back.

Finn looked at Rory and raised his eyebrow and squeezed her knee. Robert grinned, and Logan sneered, "I'm surprised you didn't suggest she come back to your apartment to see your etchings."

Without hesitation Robert replied, "No, Logan that's the line you always used when you go to Vegas."

Tristan, Finn and Doyle tried hard not to laugh. The girls excused themselves and went into the bathroom.

In the bathroom Paris said, "Rory, I know your dating Finn, but how are you going to deal with Logan. He is as arrogant as ever,"

"I know, Finn and I need to tell him. Thanks for bringing Tristan along. He looks like he is happy and successful."

"He is, when I told him you called and explained what was going on , he said he would be happy to help out a friend."

"Thanks Paris. Olivia are you and Robert seriously dating?"

" Yes actually we are living together."

"I am so happy for the two of you. Robert is an amazing person. You are both so talented and I love your story how you both met at his gallery. That has the makings of the beginning of a romantic novel," Rory said.

"Rory, Robert told me how you and Finn met again. Now that is romantic."

"Yes I guess it was," Rory said with a smile.

"But seriously Rory, if you need help with your situation with Logan call me. Robert and I will be happy to help you two."

The girls stayed in the bathroom for a while exchanging phone numbers . She asked them not to share her number since she feared that Logan would be calling her often if he did get it. They left the bathroom and went to the bar. They sat there and talked to the men but when Paris noticed that Rory was beginning to look uncomfortable around Logan she said, "Doyle, honey I am tired. I think we better leave."

"You know that isn't a bad idea, Tristan are you ready to go?" Doyle said looking at Tristan.

"Yes, how about you Mare, are you ready too?"

"Yes, thank you. It was great seeing everyone again." She hugged them each goodbye and whispered in Finn's ear that they would bring her home.

She then walked out with Doyle, Paris and Tristan. Tristan brought his own car and offered Rory a ride home. Not knowing what to say she said okay and got in the car with him. She told him her address and he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot into the city traffic.

"Mare, it was so good to see you again. So I take it you and Huntzberger dated for a while?" he asked.

"Yes, but it didn't end well. Until today I hadn't seen him since my graduation day. He proposed that day and I knew that I wasn't ready for marriage, I needed to get away from Stars Hollow and live my life on my own terms. I no longer wanted to be known as Lorelai's mini-me, or Emily and Richard's granddaughter nor did I want the name Huntzberger to be the reason I got a job. So I told him not yet, hoping we could wait a year. But Logan had to have it all, he told me it was either now or never. So he left. "

Tristan continued driving and she told him which street to turn down to get to her house. He pulled up into her driveway and stopped the car. He didn't make a move to get out but instead turned and said, "Mare, I thought a lot about you when I was away at Military school. I wanted to call you and visit. I came home once and went to Stars Hollow, but you weren't there. I wish now that I never messed things up when we were in high school. "

She reached across the car and took his hand.

"Tris, we were kids."

"If it was me, I would have waited. I would have never let you go."

"Tris.."

Gazing into her blue eyes he said, "Mare, if I wasn't engaged to be married I would kiss you right now."

"You're engaged? Congratulations, Tris that is wonderful."

They got out of the car and he walked her to her front door. She leaned in and hugged him again.

"Thanks Tris for the ride home."

"You know maybe we should get together. I will be home at Thanksgiving and I will be bringing Nina my fiancé. We can meet up."

"I would like that Tris."

She had her phone in her hand and he said, "Give me your phone."

She handed her phone to him and he quickly typed his number in it and then called himself.

"Now you have my number, and I have yours,"

"Thanks Tristan, for the ride and everything," she said taking her phone back from him.

He kissed her on the cheek. "Take care Mare."

Tristan smiled and waved, as he walked back to his car.

She walked into her house and shut the door. Thinking about the evening and how it worked out. She wondered how things were going with Finn and Logan. She locked her front door then went into her bedroom to get ready for bed.