"You brought your own salad to our famous movie night?" Lorelai asked, sounding somewhat confused.
"Not all of us have the Gilmore metabolism you know. I worked my ass off to look like this and I don't intend to do it again," Paris huffed, opening her box of rice noodle salad.
"Give me some twinkies," Rory asked Lorelai, ignoring the salad discussion.
"Hey Leah, want to come sit on my lap," Lorelai picked her up from her bouncer, after tossing Rory her twinkies. "Wow, she's gotten so heavy," she commented.
"She's a big girl already, she's eating real food and everything," Rory added, biting on a twinkie.
"Why does everyone in this movie dress like Lady Gaga?" Paris asked
"It's supposed to be the future wardrobe of the upper class," Rory said , as they sat in her living room watching Hunger Games.
"That headbow would look fantastic on Leah," Lorelai added, making faces at her.
"So Rory, did you guys set the date yet?" Paris inquired, before eating her salad.
"Not yet, the book has been keeping me busy and when I get home I've been focused on Leah, but I guess we should soon," Rory replied, making a funny face at Leah.
"I volunteer as tribute," Lorelai announced gallantly, adding "but for real, you guys could have a date night next week and talk about it, I could babysit if you bring her over to Stars Hollow," Lorelai offered, bouncing Leah on her knees.
"That'd be great, mom, thanks," Rory said.
Logan sat on her sister's couch nursing a scotch, waiting for her to get ready.
"Now, how do I look?" Honor asked, not really waiting for an answer as she came down the stairs in a blue satin cocktail dress.
"You look lovely, honey," Josh said, offering her his hand.
"Logan, are you done with your drink?" she began, adding, "I don't want to keep Ingrid waiting."
Logan gulped down the rest of his drink a little reluctantly. The idea of another double date was not his idea of fun, but Honor had begged this time, and giving her what she wanted was the only way she'd stop.
A tall blonde woman sat at the bar drinking a glass of wine as Honor, Logan and Josh walked through the sliding doors of the Skyline restaurant looking over the city.
"Hi Ingrid," Honor began, "I'd like you to meet my brother, Logan Huntzberger," she added.
"Nice to meet you," Ingrid said, standing from her barstool.
"Lovely to meet you too," said Logan, at least trying to make an effort. She definitely stood out from the crowd by her nordic features, light blue eyes and shoulder-lenght blonde hair.
"Ingrid just transferred to my office, she's the new marketing executive," Honor introduced.
An hour of small-talk, some wine and two courses later, Josh had invited Honor to dance as the band played Bossa Nova, leaving the two alone at their table.
"So, Ingrid, what do you think of the States so far?" Logan asked intriguingly.
"Well your health care and school systems are shitty, but I guess it is a good place to live when you have a lot of money," she replied bluntly.
"Well you sure got the gist right," Logan replied, laughingly.
"Honor told me you used to live in London for a while?" she asked.
"I did, for quite some years," Logan replied, hoping she didn't recall him from the pages of the Ok! Magazine.
"I lived near Richmond park like ten years ago, when I was still modelling," she said, taking a sip of wine.
"Did you like your work?" he inquired, asking his test question for all the models he dated.
"It paid well, but basically I was a walking coat hanger, not terribly fun. But it enabled me to shift gears a little after. Opened some doors, enabled me to study without distractions," she described.
"I've never really had much of a choice what to do with my life, I've tried some of my own ventures, but somehow eventually I still ended up at the good old HPG," he explained, sipping his wine.
"Isn't the HPG headquarters in London?" she asked.
"It is, but I needed a change of scenery. We have an office in New York as well," he added.
"I have a little hard time believing a guy like you needs his sister to find him dates - what's the story there?" she asked a plainly.
"I actually got married about a year ago, and divorced not too long after that. So that whole spectacle, especially in the eyes of the press, was not something I intend to repeat. So I really haven't been looking much. And I guess I am spoilt by an ex, who's moved on, but who challenged me the right way. It's a little difficult to motivate myself to date if I know I'll just end up comparing them to her," Logan replied, feeling too tired to play games.
"That was an honest answer, I can tell. Thank you for that," Ingrid replied, adding,"so how terrible am I in comparison then?" a little provocatively.
"Ingrid, honestly I like your bluntness, you seem to say what you think and that alone is rare, especially in the States. I have no objections to your looks, you look attractive, but you don't need me to tell you that. I am just not sure if it is fair to you to if…," Logan said, leaving his sentence unfinished as Honor returned.
"You two seem to be getting along well," Honor said happily.
"We were just discussing what we liked about London," Logan commented shortly.
"Did she tell you her father is the owner of the biggest Norwegian renewable energy company," Honor described.
"No, she did not," Logan replied, "but I am sure she was just about to."
Another hour later Honor was visibly tipsy and clearly enjoying her date, as she hung on Josh's arm walking towards their limo.
"Logan, can you drop her off at her hotel?" Honor asked, hoping to snap his brother out of his hole.
"Sure, sis," he replied. "Shall we?" he gestured towards the other limo.
"So do you always go driving around in limousines?" she asked, stepping in.
"Only when I intend to not drive," Logan said, giving a smug smile.
Logan had had a couple of girls since his divorce that he dated and spent a night or two with. But with his position, this process involved background checks and trust issues which he did not enjoy. For this reason he was not angry at Honor for finding him someone, but he wasn't sure if he could do more than just date.
"Care to join me upstairs?" she suggested, leaving no room to misinterpret, as they pulled up at her hotel.
"I'm not sure that is such a good idea, I tend to be the man these days, who doesn't call the next day," he described himself honestly.
"Suit yourself. I'm a big girl, but as I just spent my evening having dinner with you instead of someone else, I'd at least like to get something in return," Ingrid said. She seemed a cool and calculated, almost all-knowing and unshakeable, a welcome change.
"In that case I am sure I can be of assistance," he said, following her upstairs, his hand on the small of her back.
"Finn, are you ready?" Rory asked, as she flew through the door having just arrived from Lorelai's where she'd dropped Leah off, "I'll just go grab my pumps and I'll be ready," she added, tossing her sneakers in the living room.
"Do we really need to go out?" Finn asked from the kitchen, adding, "we've got a shelf full of wine, food, a phone call away, a bed right upstairs."
"Have we become the stay-at home couple already? Just think what we'll becom once we're actually married," Rory called from upstairs.
"Feel free to put on your heels, love, don't mind that one bit," he commented smugly.
"Oh, alright, it will save us the travel time," Rory walked downstairs wearing her new wine red point court heels, with the same short black tube skirt and silk blouse she'd walked in with, the buttons on the blouse slightly more undone.
"Love, it's should be a crime not to let other people see you at your finest," Finn said, walking over from the kitchen handing her a glass of Chardonnay, and kissing her fiercely.
"What would like to eat, my darling?" Finn asked, picking up his phone.
"Indian perhaps?" she suggested.
"Spicy Buddha it is, then," he said.
"You know, mom pretty much offers us this date time to make wedding plans," Rory stated, pulling Finn closer, tracing her fingers along his cheek and chin.
"You know, we won't have time to talk about it, if you keep this up," Finn warned, pretending to bite her fingers.
"Oh, alright, let's talk then," Rory pulled away, pretending to be a little annoyed at him.
"So what have you been thinking - summer wedding?" Finn asked. He was always good at making plans and fast decisions, taking the lead on this as well.
"I think summer is a little easier, more options on the dress and venues with outside options," Rory commented, taking a seat on the dinner table, crossing her legs.
"July?" Finn probed.
"Maybe a bit too warm. I was once at a friend's wedding in the middle of July where the cake basically melted away. Sookie would hate that," she added.
"Late August it is then," Finn concluded. "Maybe the 21st or 22nd, he said looking through his calendar. "And I guess Sookie will be catering?"
"If Sookie agrees. My schedule is free for the entire August currently," Rory said, taking a sip of wine.
"Here in Hartford or Stars Hollow?" he asked.
"Recently I haven't really been feeling like having it there, mom just had hers" Rory said.
"Hartford it is then, unless you have any other ideas," Finn commented, gulping down the last of his wine.
"Sure, Hartford is fine," she agreed, "I don't want it to be too huge, but I guess with the two of us we're thinking, what, a hundred guests or so?"
"Probably, my grandparents will want to come from Melbourne and there are some people from work who I should invite," he added.
"So I'll try to look up some places and we'll look them over together," Rory said, swirling her wine in her glass, before putting it down next to her.
Finn checked his phone to see how far their food was, before asking "Anything else we need to decide now?" He moved a little closer, pushing her legs apart and pulling her close, kissing her eagerly.
"I think we're done for now," she added, returning his kiss.