After an assortment of naan, chicken pakora, papadam, biryani, lamb samosas and a bucket of ice cream the two were sprawled on the couch watching TV. Finn had taken the last night shift staying up with the teething Leah, and he soon dozed off on the couch. He looked comfortable enough, and Rory didn't want to wake him. As she stared into the glaring screen, without following what was happening, her mind wandered. She only had a handful of book events to go, the book itself had done fairly decent for a newcomer, but it was no were near a bestseller. After that her schedule was dautingly empty. While she was managing comfortably for now, especially with the help of Finn, she could've stayed home with Leah for a couple of years, but she knew she needed to do something for herself.
She crept into the study, closing the door behind her quietly. Her laptop screen lit up brightly and she knew exactly what she needed to do. Two hours later she attached the file to a new message.
To: Logan Huntzberger
Subject: Idea
Logan, you told me not to be a stranger, so here goes. I had an idea that I've tried to develop the past few weeks, and somehow it feels right to send it to you. I get it, you are busy, but if you have a moment, I'd appreciate your take on it. I'll be in the City next Thursday, but if you have plans, that's fine.
Without doubts, she clicked 'send'.
"It's good to see you, Ace," Logan said, as she met her outside the bookstore where her signing had just ended.
"Good to see you too," she said, giving him a friendly hug, trying to not think about how familiar his cologne smelled.
"I'm starving, there's a nice place just a few blocks from here," he suggested.
"Famished," she replied simply.
Logan led her to a sleek Spanish restaurant, which based on the line at the door, was obviously trendy.
"I am not sure I am dressed for this," Rory commented, wearing her quarter sleeve red shirt-dress under her wool coat.
"You look great, don't sweat it," Logan replied. He would've liked to use another adjective with a much more distinct emphasis, but he bit his tongue. He whisked by the line with the mention of his name and they were seated within minutes at a quiet corner table.
"So, how have you been?" he asked.
"Pretty good, the book did okay," Rory replied a little hesitantly.
"I know, I've seen the numbers," he added.
"Of course you have," Rory said, not at all surprised.
"Would you like something to drink?" the tall male waiter asked politely.
"Ace, what would you like?" Logan asked,
"I'll have a gin-martini," she replied.
"I'll have one too," he added.
"So I read your idea," he began as the waiter left. "You know you're supposed to start writing your thesis once you're almost done with your studies, Ace?" he asked.
"It's a proposal," Rory said, just as their drinks arrived.
"I got it, but it was thorough. Do you know where you want to submit it yet?" he inquired.
"I was thinking of NYU or Yale. I'd consider Berkley but that's just not going to happen with the distance," Rory explained, before taking a taste of her drink.
"Well, I am no academic, but everything you wrote makes perfect sense to me. I can even think of a few good case studies within HPG that you could work with. And as for supervisors, Mitchum can put in a good word for you, especially at Yale, if you need it, which you probably don't," he said proudly.
"Thanks for saying that, I wasn't really sure what I was writing at first, but then it hit me that it wasn't just a book or an article, it was actual research," she described.
"I am not sure if the topic would work though, as usually they expect the proposals to either come with their own funding or fit into the projects they already have going, but so far I haven't found one that fits precisely," she explained sounding a little worried.
"Well if need be, the HPG has on occasions supported this type of research before," he noted suggestively.
"Logan, no, I am not here for a handout, you know how I feel about those. Your days of rescuing me are behind us, remember?" she said forgetting for a moment the painful context of that last sentence.
"And like I said then, you never needed rescuing in the first place," he added, "just know that you have options."
"Thank you," she said looking up from her drink.
"Tapas, courtesy of the chef," the waiter returned with a platter of appetizers.
"Thank Javier for me, and tell him he can be in charge of our menu tonight," Logan told the waiter.
"That's a beautiful ring you have there," Logan noted, noticing her engagement ring, as she explored the dish with her fork.
"Oh, I forgot. I meant to tell you," she said apologetically, taking a bite.
"Are you happy?" he asked after a minute, doubting for a moment if that was the right question to ask someone who just recently was dealing with depression.
"I am a little conflicted to be honest. It is as if I have two lives, one with my family and the other when I am off on my own. In one I love Finn, his company and I have been making progress with Leah as well, but I don't feel fully relaxed in that position yet - being a mom and soon a wife," she said feeling a little surprised of her interpretation of the situation she never really put into words before, which was probably due to the few sips she'd had on an empty stomach. "And when I am on my own, I just get all these ideas and I feel free, ready to take over the world. I know, it must sound so self-centered saying this, but I think you might get the point," she added.
"I cannot really comment on the first part objectively, I haven't seen you in the role of a mother, though I bet that is a sight on it's own," he smirked, "but the latter sure sounds like the Ace I know, from when you were at your best. You were, you are, invincible, bold and brave. I don't think you lost it, you just misplaced it for a while," he said.
"Thank you for saying that," Rory said.
"Have you told Finn about getting your degree?" he asked, before putting an olive in his mouth.
"No yet, I have a feeling he'd not be too crazy about the idea. He has mentioned that I could once, but I don't think he really meant it when he did. It's a full time thing and it would mean I would be away a lot, and I worry it might undo all the progress I've had with Leah," she explained, as their food was brought to the table.
"Enough about me for now, what's going on in the world of Logan Huntzberger?" Rory inquired, taking a bite of shrimp.
"Aside from work, not much, I've been spending a lot of time with Honor and some of her friends. It's been a while since I've seen the guys," he said.
"Colin, Robert and Stephanie were in Hartford for New Years Eve, they left the pool-house pretty trashed," she said, clearly exaggerating.
Logan took a bite of paella, followed by a sip of his drink, giving him some time to think. Colin had lied to him about his whereabouts during New Years, and he wasn't as much hurt about not being invited but rather about the lying. He sensed that what he had told Finn last year, was a factor.
"Does Finn know you are seeing me tonight?" he inquired a little hesitantly. Being in Rory's company felt great, even if it was just on friendly ground, but he hated the idea of losing one of his oldest friends because of it.
Rory finished chewing her shrimp, feeling a little bad about the reply she needed to give. "No, he doesn't," she said seriously.
"Is this some new type of Vegas we're doing that you forgot to tell me about?" Logan said, sounding a little annoyed, correcting himself, "I'm sorry, that didn't sound right coming out, I am happy to see you, you probably have no idea how happy, but…"
"But it's Finn, he's your friend, I get it," she finished his sentence. "I can't help it, when I am with him it's all fine, I have no complaints with him, but whenever I go to that place in my head that is more me, the me that's writing and thinking about things outside the life at home, the only person I feel like talking about it to, is you," she said.