AN: Thank you for all the reviews, needed that!
As Logan drove Rory to Hartford, she e-mailed Thea asking her to send another batch of listings with the added keyword 'private' just to make sure what else was out there. When Logan's Lexus pulled over in front of her house, he took her hand in assurance.
"Listen Ace, I am going to be catching up with some work for a few days now, my coworkers are really going to start hating me if I keep playing hooky. So I'll be off the radar for a bit, but we'll call, okay?" he said, squeezing her fingers gently.
"Sure that's fine, I am really greateful you took the time, you've been a huge help," she replied.
"Honor said she'd be coming to the City alone next Saturday. Maybe you'd like to join us then, stay over, drive back on Sunday? She keeps saying how she wants to see you again," he explained.
"Sure I´d love that. I've got to get back quite early on Sunday though. It's Leah's birthday," she said, before kissing him goodbye.
"Find anything good?" Finn asked as he returned from work that day having playfully thrown Leah up in the air a couple of times, her giggles echoing still in the background. The question tasted bitter-sweet. In a way he had hoped she didn't move and just commuted, staying nearby.
"Some, I can show you pictures," she suggested.
"This house was pretty cool, nice and airy. I am just not sure I really need so much space. Backyard was nice, low maintenance, but at least it can fit a playground," she described flipping through the photos on her phone.
"I think a little extra space can't hurt, it's good to have options for friends and family to stay over," he said, agreeing with Logan unknowingly.
"Logan also liked how this place was nice and private," she said. "He's a little worried about the press beginning to talk about us," Rory added a little hesitantly, unsure how he'd react.
"Well the guy sure has more experience with that than I, perhaps it is not a bad idea to safeguard yourself a little," he replied, thinking how the possible media exposure could affect Leah.
"And then there was this apartment - smaller, practical - had everything I wanted, but then I began thinking a playground in the building or back yard would be good for her and my enthusiasm was run down a bit," she commented while continuing to flip through the pictures.
"Looks like my current place, same tiles even," he added laughingly.
"So that was the good batch from today - I asked Thea to send me a few others to see what more is out there," she said.
"I actually went to see a place too today at lunch," he said, reminding her of his spontaneousness. "I hadn't really planned to but I saw this ad and well fell for it," he added. What Rory didn't know was that up until that particular property listing Finn had pretty much had his mind set on purchasing the very house they were standing in feeling like nothing could really live up to the memories they'd already made in there. But he knew that while keeping the house close even if he convinced himself it was more for Leah than himself, he knew that it would make it even harder for him to move on. Plus there was the awkwardness of explaining that train of thought to Rory. And for being able to avoid that discussion, he was grateful to have found something that he actually could picture himself in.
Finn opened up the link he had saved in his browser, showing an olive green Dutch Colonial.
"2 bedrooms and a separate study, unfurnished so that'll be a pain, but I think I'll just get the decorator on it," he explained, sounding excited. "And here's Leah's room," he described. The room already contained the powder pink wall finishes suitable for a princess. "Backyard had a swing set and a slide, too," he added.
"She'll love it, I'm sure," she exclaimed, feeling a little excited for Leah.
While Finn had felt a connection to that particular house, he still hesitated making an offer. It felt too final somehow.
Rory and Paris sat both with their legs up on the coffee table fighting the heatwave with a glass of chilled rosé Paris had brought back from her holiday in Spain.
"... so after six hours at the Guggenheim, the kids were half asleep already and all set for the 11 hour flight," Paris finished telling Rory about her holiday.
"I really need to continue packing," Rory sighed reluctantly, pulling herself out of the couch. She'd sold the house to the highest bid and bought herself the 4-bedroom mid-century modern in New Haven. The move by date was set ten days from now and there was still much to be done.
"How was London? You got the funding, but other than that," Paris asked, not even thinking about getting up. It was her first free day without the kids since before her holiday.
"London was quick, and great. And with a strange fascination towards Logan's love life," she began. "Apparently some magazine snapped a few photos of us, and that sort of got him freaked and thinking about how I need to be careful about who I talk to and how private my house is," she continued, grabbing another box from the hallway.
"You think it's nothing?" she asked, sipping her wine.
"I don't know, there hasn't been anything since, but then again I haven't seen him this week. He took a lot of time off to go with me and now he's making up for it at work - he's such a work-dork," Rory added.
"Well he has lived that snow-globe life more than you," she noted.
"True, but this is the US and I am not some famous European arm-candy," Rory replied placing a pile of books in the cardboard box.
"Gilmore is still a pretty well-known name and you are a published author, Rory," Paris corrected, taking a sip of wine.
"Mitchum Huntzberger gave me the fellowship on the condition that I work for him," she said, changing the subject slightly.
"What?" she jolted, almost spitting out her wine. "You spoke to him directly?" she asked.
"Well he is in charge of research funding," she replied, taping up the box.
"What is the job?" Paris asked.
"Editing, and I'm starting in two weeks," she replied.
"You actually agreed to that deal? Did you forget what happened last time?" Paris lectured.
"I needed the fellowship and I needed a job, Paris. It's better than writing to customers about the company's stock exchange ethics at least, it has to be. I never intended on becoming just a full-time college student at the age of 33." she explained.
"I hope it is just that. That man has one agenda and one agenda only - and that is his own," Paris concluded.
"How does Logan feel about your move?" Paris inquired after pouring herself another glass of wine.
"He seems to be taking it well. We're not rushing things, but I guess we're both factoring each other in with a pencil for the long term. He helped me choose the house," Rory explained.
"But he's still going to be living in Manhattan?" she inquired.
"You know how he works, it makes much more sense for him to stay there during the week," Rory said, folding up another box to fill it with her books.
"And there is no trust issue there?" Paris asked.
"Surprisingly, no, it's like we've both sort of settled and gotten that part out of our system. I know that theoretically he could fool around but it's like he has lived through the consequences of that already once, or more than once even, and that was probably the best lesson possible," Rory explained calmly.
"What about you?" she asked.
"You mean Finn?" Rory questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Paris didn't reply, but rolled her eyes.
"I mean sure, there is this eternal parenting dynamic that has to remain between us, you know how it is. But other than that we're still a bit on our toes with each other. Like the way he talks to me has never been this plain and emotionless, and in a way that is a little sad I suppose," she described.
"Do you think he is over you?" she asked.
"I'd like to say yes, but I am really not sure. He seems to be in some sort of self-preservation mode I think," Rory replied.
"We'll you got to be careful there, hurt men do stupid things sometimes," Paris added, finishing up her wine.
"Honor, are you ready yet? Let's go!" Logan called.
"Don't you know, little brother, that it is not appropriate to rush a lady," she replied, as she walked into the living room still putting on her earrings, wearing her red bombshell dress.
"Love the dress," Rory complimented her.
"You look great yourself," she replied to Rory who wore a summery light green halter neck midi.
"Let's go, ladies, the car awaits," he said, leading the two to the elevator.
They had a table waiting at the Le Bernardin. However, the moment they stepped out of their limo, the cameras began to flash. Apparently they were the attraction.
"Just don't pay any attention to them, let's just go in," Logan instructed Rory, who was clearly not used to this.
"It must be a slow day for them or something," Honor said, as they got inside. They were seated within moments.
"It certainly takes the fun out of going out with my two favourite people," Logan noted with an apologetic smile.
"I wonder if they know my name yet," Rory pondered.
"Well there are two ways to take it - you can hide, or then you can play them, I've tried both, but I am probably a bit rusty now - married women somehow no longer interest them," Honor explained laughingly.
"Play how?" Rory inquired.
"Well you can tell a controlled version of your story, maybe use it to advertise your book even," she suggested playfully.
"I am not so sure that's a good idea," Logan commented.
"Why not? I am not crazy about the attention either but hiding out just doesn't seem like a very viable long term plan," Rory said.
"For one thing, think of Leah and Finn, do you really want people asking around about them? And secondly your book is pretty forthcoming even with the change of first names," he stated sternly.
"Logan…," Honor began, seeing it from Rory's eyes she was clearly a little upset.
"I'm sorry, Rory. I didn't mean to be harsh, I just don't like this," he said, regretfully.
"Let's just order and enjoy our meal, okay," Honor suggested, knowing too well that the moment had been ruined.
Rory had never really thought about what real harm could these so-called magazines do to an unsuspecting individual like herself. She didn't think she really had anything to be ashamed of at this point: she was soon to be employed by the HPG and enrolled at Yale, her boyfriend was not engaged or married, what a relief, sure she had exes but who didn't. She had a daughter and perhaps the only questionable thing was that she had a very young daughter. In a way she was glad Leah was so young, and didn't really understand things like this. After going through every corner of her mind for a while, she realized that there was something in their relationship that people could consider suspicious. People didn't usually go breaking up with the father of their baby to be with their boyfriends from their college days, unless there was more recent history, and in this case there certainly was.
"Is this what it is going to be like?" Rory asked as they were getting ready for bed, placing her toothbrush back in the holder. The evening had been glamorous, accompanied by exquisite food and wine. Even the background music had been spot on. Yet her mind had been somewhere else.
"You mean the press?" he asked.
"That or you living here alone," she specified, gesturing at the enormous Manhattan apartment around her.
"I am sure the press is just temporary. They'll get bored, they always do," he assured. "And you know why I live here…," Logan stated.
"I do, but I just wondered if it is always going to be like this," she replied. They were pretty good at long-distance, they'd learned everything there was to know about long-distance. And they'd probably been together long-distance longer than in real life if they counted the Vegas period. It wasn't as if she couldn't handle, but she did wonder whether Logan actually enjoyed his independence, and the freedom that came with living alone, more than the idea of actually living together.
"The honest answer is that I don't know. In an ideal world, of course not, but I know that neither of us wants the other one to give up something they are passionate about. So I guess until we both agree on who's going to give that something up or we somehow adjust or compromise, there's just always going to be some long-distance," he explained.
"We are similar like that, aren't we? We are selfish to want to do what we love, and then again we're not, when it comes to each-other, we're almost the opposite," she noted, almost having added maybe we are too similar?
"It seems that self-torment is a joint hobby," he replied smugly, adding, "but I think we need to give ourselves a little break from it, at least every once in a while," before kissing her.
The kiss felt electric and soon her mouth traced his neck assertively. She removed his t-shirt and ran her fingers over his firm abs. He unzipped her dress, pulling it over her head while she let her underwear fall. As she stood in front of him in all her beauty, he turned her around decisively, placing her hands on the wall and moving her loose hair on one side, before his lips kissed her neck and moved down her back. He removed his pants hastily, not wanting to take his hands off her for a second. His hand moved back up to her breasts, grabbing one of them boldly. The side of his other hand teased her, as she curved her back, expectantly. She wanted to turn and kiss him once more but he stopped her by moving up against her tighty leaving Rory biting her lip. He kissed her neck again, breathing to her ear "I love you," before he filled her void.