Logan held his breath and rang the doorbell. He glanced down, second guessing his choice of black dress pants and a crisply starched red dress shirt and black tie. He swallowed hard, his heart beat fast in his chest. He shook his head. He couldn't believe it. He was actually nervous. Rory had been in and out of his life, but for the first time in fifteen years, he was actually taking her on a date. Logan didn't like to get his hopes up, but he was hoping this was their last "first date."
Rory opened the door, and all of the air left his lungs. Her hips were now fleshier from carrying their child, the fitted skirt of her dress hugging them in a very intimate way. Her décolletage peaked out from the low neckline, leaving very little to the imagination. Her hair hung loose, he could feel himself getting jealous of the shiny brunette ringlets as they brushed her bare shoulders.
He smiled. "You. . .you look absolutely breathtaking."
She covered her mouth as she giggled, her face turning the same rubescent shade as the satin of her dress.
He thrust forward the small bouquet of flowers that he held. "I know you never were a flower kind of girl, but these reminded me of you."
"LOGAN THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL!" She exclaimed, marveling at the beautiful bouquet of sunflowers and orange roses, dotted with purple alstroemeria and pink bupleurum.
He kissed her softly. "Just like you."
Once again a rosy tint filled Rory's cheeks. "Let me put these in water and I'll be ready to go."
She quickly filled a vase and they were on their way.
"So where are we going?" She asked quizitivelty.
Logan smirked, knowing his answer would drive her crazy. "It's a surprise."
"That's not fair! You know I hate surprises."
"That's exactly why it's a surprise Ace." He teased.
She playfully hit him. "You're no fun!"
She glanced over at him, biting her lip. His crisp dress shirt was fitted perfectly, highlighting his many hours at the gym. "Hey! I just noticed your shirt matches my dress."
Logan looked down at his shirt. He laughed. "You've been wearing a lot of red."
Rory smiled, delighted that he had paid enough attention to notice patterns in what she was wearing. "It's good luck. After all, it's what I was wearing when I saw you in Hamburg."
He thought back to that time he saw her in Hamburg, after all those years apart. "I can't even tell you who spoke at that conference. I was so focused on you."
Rory's heart skipped a beat. "And to think, If you weren't staring a hole right through me, I might not have ever turned around and saw you."
"Thank God I have horrible manners then." Logan joked. "I would have found you after, even if you hadn't turned around. Once I saw you, I had to talk to you."
Butterflies erupted in Rory's stomach, Logan laying all his emotions out on the table.
The car fell silent, both of them unsure of what to say.
Rory peeked over at him. He drove with one hand perched on the steering wheel, the other resting on her bare knee. Every so often he would brush his thumb softly across her uncovered skin, sending goosebumps up her leg.
He saw her hand hesitate for a minute, before she rested it softly on his. He drank in the moment still in disbelief that it was real. Here she was, sitting next to him, her hand on his. Once again, his car smelled of rose water and hints of jasmine, remnants of the perfume she had worn every day since he met her. A lot had changed, but deep down she was still the same Rory that he had fallen in love with.
"What?" She asked, noticing the goofy smile across his face.
"I'm just happy, that's all."
She sat quietly for a minute, gazing out the window. "Logan?"
"Yeah Ace?"
"Me too."
...
"Just tell me where we're going!" Rory squealed. She had been on the edge of her seat for the last twenty had become increasingly antsy, more and more the further they drove into the city. Logan was almost sure that her seat belt was the only reason she hadn't jumped straight out of the seat.
"We're here."He eased the car into a parking spot, facing the body of water.
"New York Harbor?" Rory asked, a befuddled look across her face as Logan helped her out of the car.
Logan laughed. He gestured to a large yacht in the distance. "THAT is where we're going."
"Logan!" she exclaimed, clasping a hand over her mouth.
He grabbed her free hand, leading her towards the boat. "C'mon!"
Rory stood in front of the yacht, admiring the large vessel. She pointed to the boat's name, painted on the ship's side in bright red paint. "Buoyoncé? Really?"
Logan laughed. "It's Finn's yacht. My parents aren't exactly eager to let me take one of the family's out at the moment so Finn said I could borrow it if I promise not to let you steal it."
Rory furrowed her brow pretending to be mad. "Very funny."
Logan threw up his hands. "Hey you are Rory 'High Stakes Deception' Gilmore' after all."
They boarded the boat, and once again Rory was speechless. Small strings of fairy lights illuminated the deck, a small white linen clad table positioned on the bow.
Logan led her to the table, pulling out her chair.
She sat down, admiring the china. "So Huntzberger, what's on the menu? Foie gras? Filet mignon? Wine with all kinds of fruity legs?"
He chuckled. "Something like that." He gestured to the waiter, who wheeled over a large buffet cart full of Red Vines, Pop Tarts, Mallomars, and other sugary treats, The cart contained every kind of junk food imaginable.
"Logan? What is this?"
He smirked. "That's the appetizer."
"If this is the appetizer, what's the main course? Cake?"
"Don't be silly. It's Pepperoni Pizza, Tacos, and tater tots."
Rory's eyes practically popped out of her head. "What has gotten into you?"
He shrugged. "I took a page from the Gilmores. Oh, by the way, save room for popcorn."
"Popcorn?!" Rory exclaimed.
He motioned towards a screen on the side of the boat surrounded by a small cozy pit of pillows and blankets. "For the movie of course."
"Movie?" Rory gasped in awe.
"I think you like it? A Star is Born?"
Her eyes grew wide. "Which version?"
"The 1937 version of course. They played the Lady Gaga version on a flight I was on a few years ago and all I could think was how much you'd hate it because you're such a Classics aficionado."
Rory's eyes sparkled. "The food. . . the movie. . . this isn't at all what I thought you had planned. . . it's even better. Logan, I think you know me better than I know myself."
Logan smiled, her words echoing the sentiments that Zack had said the other night about Lane. "Shall we eat?"
Rory smiled. "We shall."
…
Rory wiped away the tears budding at the corner of her eye. She and Logan were nestled together, in the pit of pillows, the movie credits rolling silently across the screen.
"Are you ok?" Logan asked, worried at Rory's distress.
Rory smiled slightly. "I'm fine. This movie just gets me every time."
"Are you sure? I hate seeing you cry." Logan brushed away a stray tear that Rory had missed, as it slipped silently down her cheek.
Their eyes connected, the air suddenly swelling with unspoken feelings. The conversation suddenly went quiet, both of them unable to look away once their eyes had met. Rory's heart began to race, that old familiar feeling churning deep inside her. Logan's gaze was intense, almost angry, but after all these years Rory knew that was the face he made when he was trying to figure out the right thing to say. "Rory. . . I. . . " Logan began, but before he could finish, Rory grabbed his face, and brought his lips to hers. His mouth covered hers, hungry and wanting. Her body responded almost immediately, yearning for more. His mouth fit to hers, connecting like old friends who had known each other forever, his lips delicately complex yet understated.
Rory pushed her away, panting and out of breath.
"What. . . . What's wrong?" Logan asked, puzzled by the distance she had created between them.
Rory swallowed hard."I've been working up the courage to say this all night. . . and I need to say it."
Logan's body froze, his overactive imagination churning out worse case scenarios.
She placed a hand on either side of his face. "Logan . . I love you."
Logan's face lit up like a Christmas tree, happiness ever present on his face. "I love you too."
She shook her head. "No Logan, Listen. I love you. I don't think I actually ever stopped loving you. I'm glad you don't want to hide, because I don't either. I want to stroll through a Stars Hollow Festival with you hand and hand. I want to drag you along to my grandma's place in Cape Cod every Christmas. I want to bum around on Friday nights wearing sweats and watching Twilight Zone reruns together. I want to go to stuffy work events with you, and eat tacos in the car afterwards because the food sucked. I want us to raise Orie together. I want what Zack and Lane have. I'll even go to your parents for Easter if that's what you want. I just want you. Now kiss me man, I'm spirling!"
Logan laughed, kissing her softly. "Rory Gilmore, I want you too."
…
Rory sauntered out of Logan's gigantic Master bedroom clad only in one of Logan's old oversized Yale tee shirts. It was soft and worn, the Yale emblem partially illegible from it's many washings. "I've missed this shirt so much!" she exclaimed.
Logan laughed. "I thought you might have missed it. That's why I laid it out for you while you were in the tub."
She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "That clawfoot tub. . . I would die for one of those!"
He sat at his desk, clad in gray sweats and a white tee shirt, typing furiously on a small laptop in front of him."It's original. It came with the house."
She linked her arms around his neck, nestling her head on his shoulder. "Really? Working on a Sunday?"
Logan shrugged. "The news sleeps for nobody, you know that Ace."
"Do you think the news could take a nap for a repeat of last night?" She said, suggestively nibbling his ear lobe. Her lips trailed down to his neck, kissing softly. His hands stopped typing, his eyes closed.
"Maybe work could wait for just a bit," he moaned.
She threw her leg over him, straddling him. "Or a little more than a bit."
Logan pulled her close to him, kissing her passionately. His hands began a slow descent down her body, causing every nerve in Rory's body to come to full attention.
Just then his phone began to ring. Logan broke apart from Rory, sighing loudly. He glanced over at his iphone, vibrating across the desk. "I have to take this."
Rory pouted. "Logan no.. . ."
He stood up straightening his pants. "It's the board! I have to! Just give me five minutes."
Rory crossed her arms, sulking like a young child. "You're no fun."
He kissed her on the head. "Give me five minutes, and I'll show you I'm lots of fun."
"Logan Huntzberger" he said, immediately switching into professional mode. "What?! What do you mean he wants to sell his share?!"
He glanced at Rory. "I'll be right back" he mouthed before disappearing into the bedroom.
Rory crossed her arms,pouting. Logan shut the door to the bedroom and Rory sighed loudly. His computer was open, his inbox displayed on the screen. He had over 10,000 email messages in his inbox. Rory laughed. After all these years Logan was still the same person, one who never deleted anything. His DVR was probably still full to the brim with watched 'Top Chef' Episodes. Rory shuddered at his disorganization and closed the laptop. "Ok , you snooped in my drawers, I'm going to snoop in yours." She opened a desk drawer, snooping inside. She pulled out an assortment of papers all with the HPG logo on them. Browsing through financial statements, quarterly reports, and nothing of interest, she placed them back and opened the other drawer. A plain manilla folder with a law firm's logo "family court division" embossed on the front caught her eye right away. Rory knew she was being really nosey and should stop, but her curiosity was piqued. Her stomach twisted like a soft pretzel, into big, twisted knots as she read the papers. "Child custody agreement for minor child, Lorelai Larissa Gilmore." Attached was a petition for a paternity test, as well as a very detailed custody agreement. Rory's chest felt heavy, her vision blurred. She felt as if she had just been slapped in the face. She threw the folder to the ground, sobbing.
She grabbed her phone and shakingly dialed a number. "Hello Paris? It's Rory. I need you to come get me."