"So essentially you now have access to your properties?" Rory reflected, having just listened to Celeste tell about Emily's phone call earlier that day. Rory was at the nearby playground with Finny, having some one-on-one time with him for a change. It was already pretty dark outside, but the snowy playground was well lit and Finny really didn't seem to mind, and as Finny was playing with one of his friends he saw there quite often, Rory felt quite comfortable giving Celeste some of her attention at the same time, speaking into her earphone mic.
"I guess, but I don't really know until I actually try the keys…," Celeste hesitated, still not quite knowing what to think of this gesture.
"You really have some deep trust issues there, don't you?" Rory said without embellishments, sensing it from her tone.
"Yeah," she inhaled as a response. Rory knew just the highlights of it and she wasn't planning on going into it.
"Well, in theory you could even ask Emily to go check them out. It's not like you'd be moving there or anything like that any time soon, would it? But this way maybe you could hire some realtor and rent them out - I mean, that hardly requires you to go there yourself," Rory discussed.
"I don't want to ask Emily, she's done so much already. Besides the apartment is a 5th floor walk-up, I'm not going to ask her to do that just to check it. I don't know, maybe I could send Jess or Logan?" she pondered out loud. Logan really would've been the most convenient option, Logan was just a few hours away, but she knew that he really didn't have such time to spare and she wasn't going to ask him. Sending Jess was a whole other story - she simply didn't want to be alone in the house right now, unsure of herself whether she'd be able to keep her food down and whether she'd be up to caring for Evie at the same time, besides, it was not like they were swimming in money right now.
"You could," Rory said, not sounding too enthusiastic about the prospect of involving Logan. She just wanted everything else resolved before she began distracting him with any other plans, and she was pretty sure Celeste understood that.
"Logan is busy, I know - I don't want to bug him either. And I know you've got stuff to talk about," Celeste said, reading Rory well.
"Yeah," Rory sighed.
"Any word from him?" she asked, hating to see two of her best friends besides Jess struggle like this. Rory had told her that Logan had promised to put his explanations and emotions on paper, or screen, but she hadn't really heard back from him about it.
"He should be getting my package today or tomorrow morning. I don't know - I just feel so silly for having sent it. What if he just thinks it's desperate?" Rory pondered, having also told her about the care package idea she'd gotten.
"He won't," Celeste assured. "Just hang in there, a little while longer - he'll be back soon," she added, trying to sound optimistic. She was worried about them too, but her worrying really wouldn't make things easier for them. "Or if you can't wait - just got to him, for the weekend or something. You've weaned Emma now, right? They'd be okay for a few days without you," Celeste suggested.
Rory struggled to really argue with that. She wasn't tied to New York anymore, the freedom having not quite registered with her just yet. Sure, it would be painful to be away from the kids, even a day seemed like too much, but it wasn't completely unthinkable. She could ask Lorelai to come help out if Cathy couldn't, liking the idea of having someone from the family at the house besides the nannies. Having just the nannies there felt to her too much like abandoning the kids somehow.
However, on that thought she recalled the way Sherry had left for Paris when G had been little, leaving G to be raised more by the nanny than her dad. Surely she'd had other struggles, untreated PPD most likely. But then it hit her.
"Hey, I just got an idea," Rory began. "G's mom's in Paris. She's distant enough not to know the full details of your background. Maybe she'd be up to checking those places out for you. Maybe she could even help you locally? And even if you don't want to make them earn anything right now, maybe she could use it to get away from that guy," Rory suggested. She wasn't sure whether this was something she should discuss with G first or not, but just as an idea it seemed to solve a lot of problems at once.
"You know - that's not a bad idea," Celeste exclaimed, sounding a little less helpless. It made sense - if she couldn't enjoy these properties at this point, there was no reason why anyone else couldn't use them, and especially if it was for a good cause. It wasn't anonymous, it was G's mother. Indirectly she would be helping G. However challenging of a relationship, perhaps this was the way so it could once again normalize. Celeste really didn't want G to be estranged from her mother, not because of practical reasons like her mother not feeling like she had any place to go.
"But Celeste...?" Rory said, wanting to pull her back from that excitement a little.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"But maybe Emily was right - maybe talking to your mother wouldn't hurt? I mean on the phone, it's just talk, right?" she suggested.
"I don't know…," Celeste hesitates. She didn't feel remotely ready for that, especially now with the new pregnancy.
"Okay, do what feels right" Rory relented. "I'll call Sherry, okay? Have her get the keys from Emily. At the very least let's have her go check out the place in Paris for now," Rory said, sounding practical.
"Thanks," Celeste replied. "And I meant it - if you can go, go see him, talk," she added, not needing to add whom she meant.
It was past 10 PM as Logan made it to his hotel, after a long day at the office. There was no doubt that he was exhausted, having started his morning with a 6 AM run and then spent most of his day in meetings, on- and offline, and then finally finished reading the quarterly report on the company's performance which really wasn't light nighttime reading.
"Mr. Huntzberger?" the hotel concierge stopped him, as he was about to head across the black and white checkered marble floor and upstairs to his Exceutive room.
"Yes, Lex," he said, having been jolted out of his thoughts. He knew most of the key personnel by name by now.
"A package came for you today," the concierge said, and slipped behind the counter to retrieve it.
He certainly wasn't going to argue with him but he really hadn't been expecting anything. Even getting an actual physical letter was a rare occasion these days.
"Here you go, Mrs. Huntzberger," Lex said and handed Logan the cardboard box, which had been DHL taped and marked as Express. Seeing Rory's name on the sender he relaxed considerably but became increasingly curious to its contents.
"Thanks," Logan replied, adding, "Do you mind sending me up a turkey wrap and the spinach salad," knowing the room service menu by heart by now, saving him a call.
"Coming right up, Sir," Lex replied.
"Thanks, man," he said and took the stairs up to the third floor, not bothering with the elevator largely because he could see some other American businessmen waiting for one, really not feeling up to any more small talk. He hurried his step, already beginning to tear off the tape off the package.
His hotel room lock buzzed and he slid the access card into its slot without looking, placed the box on the table and took off his outerwear. He didn't bother hanging his coat up, being too curious of the box in question. Even without having opened it the box in front of him brought back flashes from the past - each time a box, just like this one, though back then most often an actual shoe box, had arrived it had kept him on his toes, guessing. They had kept him sane. Each time it had been a blast from another, better world, an insight into her mind, the crazy Gilmore girl mind, a piece of his Ace. One time she'd sent him a whole box of the Yale Daily News when he'd complained once that he hadn't been able to ready anything she'd written in a while, the other had been a 'get well soon' package when he'd had a cold, the third a whole box of salt water taffy, another time it had been collages of their faces on nearly every page of her Asian Lonely Planet travel guide as she'd been getting over not going to Asia with him back then as they'd planned. They'd never done that trip - he recalled, sighing to himself.
Logan used the tip of a pen to cut through the last of the UPS tape and took a deep breath. He didn't know whether to be scared or excited of what he was about to find inside.
He noticed his gloves, which while thoughtful, he'd already managed to replace with a new pair from Liberty - still he appreciated her remembering. There were the protein bars - again sweet, but leaving him a little underwhelmed. The pictures were cute, definitely touching some nostalgia in him. And then of course there were the panties - definitely not a move that the college girl Ace would do. The panties was definitely getting the anticipated reaction - missing her with every fiber of his being, as he squeezed his fingers tightly around the fabric.
A knock and an announcement "Room service," woke him from his haze, and he shoved the panties into his pocket, and opened the door and let the server bring in his tray. He thanked the boy with a moderate tip and closed the door behind him.
His appetite nearly vanished, despite the physical growling in his stomach, wanting to see the rest of the contents of the box. The yellow legal pad with three A4-s of hand scribbled list of "Things we should try" made his knees a little weak. She'd really thought about this. She'd researched this. She was worried if not scared, he would almost say begging. And that hurt - the idea that he might have let things get so bad to make her uneasy, made his heart ache. For the first time he actually realized that his insecurities were actually pushing her further, further from any hint of the control he'd wanted.
He read the list thoroughly and while there were some things that truly caught his attention - learning something new together, showing gratitude, which he indeed recognized to have neglected in the past months and experimenting in the bedroom - definitely that, there were others which to him seemed rather silly. Among them were for example asking each other the 36 magic questions that were supposed to lead to love for example, he almost felt they should've sounded silly to Rory as well. It was only then he noticed the post-it that had gotten stuck upside down on the lid of the box.
Reading those words made his heart ache again - he missed them too. Somehow on paper this all seemed so much more real than on a screen.
"I'm tired of not being around you," he said out loud to an empty room, knowing that he'd said those words before, but once again it was the truth. He wanted to touch her, hold her, and assure her they were going to be fine. He needed to believe that. He didn't want to see her this insecure and worried about them. But then again - he was just the same, they just hadn't truly expressed it to each other.
He felt even more guilty than he'd felt before, having been unable to properly get his words out, explaining what was going on with him. He needed to call her, he needed to hear her.
"Hey," Rory picked up, sounding out of breath with the sound of cars in the background. He'd clearly not caught her at the best moment.
"Hey," Logan said.
"I'm just taking Finny home…," Rory replied apologetically. Her mind had been full of new information from Celeste's call, knowing she also needed to call Sherry and Emily when she got home. His call had caught her off guard, and her mind really wasn't in the right place right then.
"I got your package," Logan said. If right then a firetruck hadn't driven past, honking, Rory might have heard the sadness in his voice.
"Oh..," she reacted. If she'd felt like it, she might have replied with her mother's go phrase of 'dirty' but her mind was nowhere near joking.
"Thank you, I really needed that," Logan said, genuinely.
"Listen, I really want to talk, but right now just isn't a good time," Rory said, watching her step. "It's slippery here! Hold my hand, Finny," Rory instructed her son, and performed beginner's level ballet between the icy pavement and two large puddles, feeling glad she didn't have to hold her phone to her ear.
"Yeah, I get it. Call me, whenever - at night is fine. Just know that I'll do anything...," Logan said, feeling a lump in his throat, while hearing some traffic in her background. God, how he wished he'd caught her at a better time, not wanting to let her go.
The magnitude of that promise didn't register with Rory until she got home, took Finny's snowsuit and her coat off and her heartbeat settled from the bustle of the street. As she watched Maya take Finny to wash his hands, Rory, for the first time in weeks, felt a swell of warmth underneath her skin - just maybe - maybe if they didn't lose their momentum right now they had a chance.
Finn was standing excitedly, stepping from one foot to another, behind Charlie's red mahogany-colored door that he had just a second ago knocked, dying to see the look on her face as he surprised her. He was two days early, having been unable to stay away a second longer. He'd announce himself downstairs as the flower delivery service, which he'd gotten Charlie quite used to dropping by every other day by now, and in his defence he was carrying a bouquet of pinkish-orange Italian Ranunculus, which had been a struggle to get there without them getting frostbite.
"Delivery for you, miss," he announced, hiding his face, rather poorly, behind the bouquet, as the door began to open.
"Finn!" Charlie let out a squeal. "I thought the courier sounded a little like you," she added and jumped at him. There were no delivery guys that looked that handsome and came with hand luggage.
Finn kissed her fiercely and held her firmly by her waist, almost making her complain that it was hard to breathe, but she didn't really care. Foreheads pressed onto each-other, nose brushing, and Charlie hanging on his neck, the two giggled like love struck teenagers.
"You going to invite me in or what?" Finn teased with a wide grin on his face.
"Of course, come on," she said, feeling overwhelmed by emotion, pulling him along into her apartment, and closed the door behind them. She was dressed in a cozy pair of long pajama pants and a simple tanktop without a bra underneath.
The place definitely felt like Charlie. Not even so much the interior, which seemed a little too trendy and on spot to be to her tastes but it clearly looked like it had been professionally decorted. But more importantly the place simply smelled of her - of the perfume she wore, the foods she loved to eat, her shampoo, and just her.
"How exactly do you live in this cold?" Finn said as he unzipped his warmest winter jacket and continued to unwrap a scarf from around his neck. He wasn't even sure if he owned a hat, if he did, he hadn't been able to find it.
"-10 is not that cold," Charlie snickered, speaking in Celsius.
"Oh really?" he challenged him, slipping his ice cold fingers underneath the edge of her tanktop, when she wasn't expecting, causing her to squeal yet again.
"Fine, it's cold," Charlie giggled, enjoying very much the sensation of warming up Finn's hands. Even to her, coming from a year of warmth, Montreal was freezing, a lot more freezing than she'd remembered.
Charlie kissed him then, loving the feel of his arms around her, even if they were a little chilly still. That feeling had become so familiar, so comforting, she was surprised by how she'd managed the week and a half without it.
But Finn went further than that, grabbing her along by the waist as he stumbled towards - he didn't know where - some horizontal surface.
The kiss carried and Charlie directed him through the door to her left, until the back of Finn's legs touched the side of her continental bed, landing himself to sit on it. Without further talk Charlie straddled him, and the next moment she could tell Finn was taking a big whiff of her scent from between her breasts as she knew he liked to do, causing her to let out another giggle.
"It's the best smell in the world," Finn mumbled, looking deliriously pleased with himself.
"And I haven't even showered since morning," Charlie admitted, laugingly.
"Well we better work up some sweat before we do that," he noted, raising his eyebrow.
They're lips locked again, as she cradled his head, her fingers intertwining into his curls. Finn's hands were caressing up and down her back, sliding down and into her pajama pants, squeezing her hips, causing her to smile through their kiss.
"You," Charlie said, pointing her index finger towards his chest, "have way too many clothes on," she added in a sultry voice, and bit her lip.
"Aren't we eager?" Finn teased.
"Look who's talking," Charlie raised her eyebrow and grinded with some more strenght against his bulge, making him groan like a wild animal.
Finn pulled his sweater and t-shirt off in one go, not wasting any time, but instead of bothering with pulling her tank top over her head, he simply pulled the top up enough to expose her breasts. His lips weren't asking for permission but took one of her nipples into his mouth in an instant, swirling his tongue around it, then slightly teased it with his teeth.
Charlie enjoyed the feel of his lean muscles, allowing her arms to trace his body.
Finn suddenly pulled her down with him, causing her to yelp, his back now against the bed, allowing his hands even better contact with her hips and ass.
"Oh crap," Charlie suddenly recalled, stopping mid-action but staying still, just as Finn was about to begin nudging down her pajama pants.
"What?" Finn stared at her, asking whether something was seriously wrong.
"I wasn't expecting you, so I haven't shaved…," Charlie hesitated, apologetically.
Finn responded in laughter, his head falling back. "Come here, you daft girl - you really think that's going to stop me?" Finn smirked. He could tell she was a little self conscious because of it, but he really couldn't care less at that moment.
Charlie fumbled to unbutton his fly and he aided her to push his pants downwards. A layer of clothing lighter, her touch against his arousal felt like almost too much, but as his own hand reached for the side of her panties, and pulled the crotch part aside, plunging his hand inside to cup her wetness, providing a good distraction from his own pleasure. He hardly noticed the slightly hairier bush, if anything it was even a little exotic. Soon lost in his tantalizing strokes, Charlie forgot all about it.
Charlie surprised him by pulling away from his hand, which he was reluctant to do, and pulled his boxers downwards, allowing her nipples to brush against his thighs. He knew he wasn't going to last long once she took him into his mouth. The tongue swabbed the head, swirled, her mouth moved up and down a few times, and then she repeated as she heard Finn's deep groan which was like music to her ears.
She pulled away just in time, causing Finn to chuckle through his reluctant grumble.
"Oh, you're bad… or good.. I don't even know anymore," Finn commented, urging her to kiss him again. Kissing also had a positive side effect of alining their hips, which meant Finn could now attempt to regain contact with her core, and oh, he definitely succeeded, as her hips movements began to search searching for more and more contact.
She was so wet he almost slipped in without making a real effort, it just felt so organic. His hands, reluctant to part from the breasts that he was fondling, now moved lower to her hips and began to guide her more purposefully. He plunged inside, causing her to moan, sinking into her to the hilt. She pushed her back straight, and began riding him, taking control. Finn licked his thumb and as she was just arching her back, one of her arms wrapped in her own hair, lost in pleasure, he moved his wet thumb to her clit and began rubbing it through it's hood, knowing exactly how she liked it by now. She was such a gorgeous sight like, in a state of pure bliss, that and he felt utterly at her mercy. Finn almost wished he had his phone so he could record it so she could see what he saw - how gorgeous she looked. It was like making love to Venus.
Finn felt her body tense, several smaller spasms squeezing tightly around his member. He shoved upwards a few more times, holding onto her hips, controlling her himself, as he came. He remained inside until he'd stopped throbbing. By then Charlie had collapsed on his chest already, breathing heavily and basking in afterglow.
"We should do this more often," Finn exclaimed, speaking his mind without really thinking at this point, but having a fairly satisfactory tone to him.
"What? Have sex?" Charlie eyed at him sceptically, unsure what he meant.
"Well yeah, no objections from my end. But the deprivation was kind of hot, but who am I kidding, I'd never be able to keep my hands away from you if I can help it," Finn explained, his hand slowly caressing her back, not wanting her weight to move from on top of him.
"You mean you never…?" Charlie stared at him in disbelief.
"Almost, I did it once. But then as I was quite underwhelmed with it, I just thought I'd experiment - see what it was like," he added with a shrug as if it was no big deal. To anyone else it really wouldn't have been, but this was Finn.
Charlie smiled, still finding it unbelievable he would do something like that. She really wasn't the kind that minded. While she'd seen a glimpse of the old Finn, a shadow of him, she didn't really even realize how big of a deal this was. He was stepping far out of his comfort zone, alternating his routines and tendencies - it was all for her.