Author's Note:
First off, I don't own anything I may mention in here except for Bridget and Lei. Speaking of, how do you like the new girl? She came out of nowhere and crashed our story for real.
This is a shorter chapter after the last one. Thought I would pop in and see how everyone's liking the story. Anything you'd like to see, suggestions, thoughts, ideas, anything? Have a question even? Maybe I can use it in some way. I only have a few vague ideas where this is going. It's evolving every day.
For those of you worried about the pairing, rest assured, it is decided who she will be with and that is not changing. I am just playing around some before we get there. I'd tell you but I am enjoying you're guessing so much more.
Well, on to the quick update for you and to write the next chapter for me. Looking forward to hear from you!
D5
Jess's POV
Jess had sat and talked with the random purple haired girl who crashed into him. They lost all track of time until the sun set and they both realized they were hungry. They stood up and stretched and Jess realized he didn't know her name.
"My name's Jess by the way," he said.
"Just realized you didn't know my name huh?" she asked with a grin.
"What? No. I just thought it would be nice to know who I am after talking for so long."
"That would be a valid point. However, don't you think if I cared, I would have asked?" she asked, her grin getting a little wider.
"Whatever," he said, ready to bolt.
He was just about to cross the street when he felt her grab his arm and stop him. He turned to face her and noticed she had bright, emerald green eyes.
"Let's get a bite to eat," she said with a smile.
"Together?" Jess asked dumbly, dazzled by her smile.
"Duh." She rolled her eyes at him. "I got the perfect place. You're gonna love it."
She drug him down the sidewalk and into a diner that was a few blocks away. Jess looked around and was instantly reminded of Luke's back in Stars Hollow. The one major difference was that all the walls were covered in bookshelves filled with books. There was a sense of coming home when he walked in and briefly he wondered if Rory knew about the place.
"What's this called?" he asked, wanting to remember the name.
"You're gonna love it," she told him. "Ready?"
"Just get on with it," he said with a smile, enjoying her energy and enthusiasm.
"You asked for it. We are dining in the fabulous, one of a kind, Grubby Books."
Jess started laughing. She was right, he loved the name and he loved the place. As he looked around, he could tell this was a place she came to a lot. She knew some of the people there and he let her lead him to the counter where a guy with a mohawk and a brown corduroy shirt.
"Hey Lei, where you been?" he asked.
"Around. You know how I do," she said. "Give me a nice big plate of the nachos and a root beer," she turned to Jess and smiled. "And for you, Crash Dummy?"
"A loaded burger, fries, and a Coke."
"Coming up," the mohawk said as he handed them their drinks. They walked over to a booth in the corner and sat down.
"Well," she said.
"That's a deep subject," he told her.
"Ha ha, aren't you a riot. When's your next act at The Comedy Store, before or after Pauley Shore?"
"Well, what do you say to well?"
"So you're Jess," she said, changing the subject with one of her dazzling smiles.
"And you're Lei."
"I wondered if you caught that."
"I caught it," he smirked at her. "What's it short for?"
"Uh huh," she said, shaking her head no. "I don't know you, you're not privy to that information."
"It's just your name."
"Just my name? Just my name?" she asked, getting louder. "My name is everything. My name is the very essence of me, my being, my truth. I can't trust you with that."
"I reiterate, it's just your name."
Before she could respond, the mohawk had arrived with their food. He asked if they wanted refills and then left them to enjoy their meal.
"Cheers Jess," Lei said, holding up her glass of root beer.
"Cheers Lei," Jess said, following suit and clinking his glass to hers.
Rory's POV
"You are one of a kind, Tristan DuGrey," Rory said, shaking her head. "So, what does this mean for you?"
She was nervous. Her cards were on the table, she couldn't make sense of them but they were out there. She couldn't blame him if he walked out and never looked back. Not when she essentially told him she wanted her ex still and had been doing…well something with him. She wouldn't like it if the situations were reversed.
"I like you. It would be interesting to spend time with you in any way, shape or form. I have no claims on you. I can't tell you who you can or can't see and what you can and can't do. You do what is in the best interest for you. I understand needing closure in a way. However, know this, I'm not going anywhere this time. I will be in your life and I will constantly fight for what I believe is rightfully mine. Unless you tell me different, I am here. Just always be honest with me."
She sat there in shock, staring at him. All that she could think was perfect guy. It was like a neon flashing sign in her head. Surely she hadn't heard him right.
"What?" she asked weakly.
"You heard me Mary. See us both, figure out what you want. As of now there are only 2 rules," he said, holding up two fingers. "Always be honest and don't let one guy infringe on another guy's time. Keep it equal."
"Sounds fair enough," Rory said. "It's your time. What are we doing now?"
"I'm with you, that's enough for me," he said, smiling warmly at her. "What do you want to do?"
That neon sign started flashing again in her head.
"I want to watch a movie and cuddle," she said, smiling back at him.
"Well, put a movie in and get over here," he said, grinning.
"No. Somewhere else."
He nodded and they automatically cleaned up their mess, turning off lights as they went. As she led him through the house, they stopped at the guest bedroom. Luke had left a pair of grey sleep plants and a white T-shirt that she gave to Tristan. In her bedroom, she used the bathroom first and came out in a pair of pink sleep pants and an old Macy Gray T-shirt.
While he was in the bathroom, she made sure there was nothing too embarrassing lying around. She got out a classic she liked to watch when she wanted a good laugh. When he came out, she was sitting in bed, checking the day's headlines on her phone while she waited for him
Logan's POV
Logan got off the phone with Rory and he wasn't sure how he felt. In one way, he was extremely happy that they talked and got along so well on the phone. He loved that she had company but didn't rush off the phone. He hated that she wouldn't tell him who the company was or ditch them. She couldn't even be sure when she'd be free to see him.
Back at Yale, he could read her like an open book. He knew the minute she stopped thinking him arrogant and liking him instead. He always knew when she was mad at him. Therefore, he was prepared and knew how to act accordingly. The last time he couldn't read her, she turned his proposal down. Now it was almost the same thing. One minute she was hot and he was sure of his every move, the next she was cold and he was blocked at every turn.
He checked that his phone was good to use and then he checked in with some colleagues. After checking on work and fixing a few things, he got dressed and went out. He got a bite to eat and was debating getting a drink when his cell phone went off with a new text.
It was from Bridget.
"So I'm at this bar and I'm alone. NBD. And I got asked if it was sad to be so old and desperate that I drink alone. Har har har. Aren't you just dying?"
He gave the phone a confused look as he thought about his response.
"Not dying, no. Aren't we all old and desperate? That's why we drink alone, not because we drink alone."
He thought a second and then sent another text real quick.
"Do you want a companion so you're not drinking alone?"
Tristan's POV
Tristan put on Luke's clothes, surprised they fit, and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He asked himself if he really meant what he'd told Rory. He thought about all the options he saw and he thought about what he wanted. In the end, he saw no other choice but the very one he made. He just had to be confident that in the end, he was the better man.
The whole time he was sorting that out in his head, he'd folded his closed and placed them in a neat little stack. When he walked out of the bathroom, he placed the stack on the nearest chair before turning to Rory, who was on her phone with the TV on pause.
"Ah, ah, ah," he said as he climbed into her bed and took her phone away.
"I was just checking headlines," she protested. "I swear."
"Those too can wait," he said as he cleared her phone before giving it back. "Now, what are we watching."
He watched her put her phone in it's docking bay on the table next to her.
"Will yours fit?" she asked.
"I don't know," he said and got out of the bed.
He walked over to his pants and pulled out his phone. He walked over to her bedside table and fit his cell in the other available spot.
"Perfect fit," he said, smiling at her as he got back in beside her.
She shut the lights off and started the movie before snuggling into the side of him. He wrapped his arm around her as she laid her head on his chest. Their legs quickly became tangled up together as well. The movie started and he chuckled.
"Earth Girls Are Easy is a classic. Goldblum's best movie in my opinion."
"Definitely, why else would I put it in?" she asked. "I personally think Damon Waynes stole the show with that dance number."
He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer to him as they settled in to watch the movie. In no time, they were both sound asleep, still cuddled up together. They slept that way the whole night and it was one of the most peaceful sleeps Tristan had gotten in a long time.
Bridget's POV
Bridget sat at the bar, proud of herself. She still couldn't believe that Logan took the bait and was gonna meet her. She was glad she opted to shower and dress up a little as opposed to just throwing something on. She was supposed to meet her other friend but they cancelled at the last minute. After she'd shown up at the bar and ordered a drink. That's when she decided to throw caution to the wind and text Logan, never expecting it to work in her favor.
She glanced towards the door just as she saw him come in. He had black trousers and a blue sweater with the sleeves pushed up. He looked delicious. She kept her cool and waited for him to spot her. When he did, he made a beeline for her and took the stool next to hers.
"Hey Bridge, how's it going?" he asked, smiling at her.
"My friend bailed on me," she told him.
"That sucks. Was it the same friend you knew from the party?"
She was shocked he didn't remember her bringing Rory to their group. Quickly she debated on reminding him or not. She decided to keep it to herself a little longer and fish for information.
"A co-worker brought me there and ditched me."
"That's 2 different people ditching you. Not a good start to the new year."
She laughed and signaled the bartender for another round.
"I'm sure I'll survive," she said flippantly. "So, what was your reason for being there?"
"I believe it was Rory," he sighed.
"Ah yes, Rory Gilmore," Bridget said, hiding her new found irritation with the girl.
"That's right," he said, looking at her for the first time. "You know her."
He remembered on his own. Good for him, she thought.
"Yes I do. But I never did find out about you guys. I mean they told me about your Yale days but how are you 2 now."
Logan drained his drink and waved at the bartender. Bridget inwardly groaned at his uncomfortableness. After the bartender brought another round, he finally looked back at her.
"I guess we are, I don't know, friends," he said with a shrug.
"Not dating?" she asked.
"I don't think you can call it that. We'll talk more about it all when we get together next. Who knows when that will be because she has company right now."
"Boy do you sound bitter," she said, feeling disappointed that he cared so much.
"Yeah," he agreed. "Let's not talk about that."
They drank in silence, sitting next to one another but miles apart. Bridget wondered what she had to do to make Logan see she was not just one of the guys, another friend. Just then the song changed to one she liked and she jumped up.
"I'm gonna dance. Be back."
Without waiting for a response, she moved out to the little dance floor. She began moving to the beat, fully aware he was watching her. She laughed as she sang along to the words, changing them as she saw fit.
"Ok, now she was close/tried to domesticate you/but you're an animal/baby, it's in your nature/just let me liberate you/you don't need no papers/that woman's not your mate/and that's why I'm gon take you….Good boy! I know you want it."
She shimmied and shook and gyrated her hips, using all the moves she'd learned from her days in the sorority. When the song was over, she was sweaty and a little out of breath. It'd been sometime since she danced like that, never once stopping. She made her way back to Logan and tried to keep that feeling of confidence.
"Feel better about yourself?" he asked as he handed her drink to her.
"I love that song," she said for an explanation.
"I could tell."
After she could breathe normally and her drink was half gone, she turned to face him. He was watching her and they immediately made eye contact.
"Did you accomplish you're goal?" Logan asked her, his eyes darker than she remembered.
"I don't know," she told him honestly. "You tell me."
