AN: Alright… I'm keeping this going… but just to set the record straight, if I run out of ideas at some stage and this story just dies out, don't blame me - it was roughly supposed to end where it did in chapter 6. But I get it - it is fun, and for me too writing this is fun. More fun and carefree than my other stories certainly and it's what I need to be writing right now to keep my mood up, so we'll see what happens.

Chapter 7

Beeeeep - the answering machine on Rory's landline chimed as she got back to her dorm around 3.30 AM, having only briefly dozed off in the car on their way back. She'd woken to the realization that her head had fallen onto Logan's shoulder, having not quite intended to make it that obvious how comfortable she was around him. But either way that brief nap was the reasons she was still a little sleep hazed, her main focus having been getting into her dorm room without waking Paris. Even her goodbye to Logan had been a brief and awkward one - not one of her finest moments.

But she had been too curious to not push the button on her answering machine once she was inside her room. Had he really been telling her the truth?

It was only now she realized she was still wearing the faux collar, having forgotten to give it back to the costume girl at the party. But she actually kind of liked it, just being the good girl she was she hoped nobody was missing it terribly or would be getting fined for losing it.

"Hello, Rory? This is Logan, Logan Huntzberger," Logan's deep husky voice spoke into the answering machine. "It was a great surprise seeing you at the paper the other day. Frankly, I thought I'd never see you again after Rome. Luck doesn't usually struck twice...," he added, sighing a little, "or maybe it does, as I'm taking this as my third strike. And I know I'm not in a particularly good position calling you after walking in with Cassandra like that. But trust me, had I known you were going to be there I would've walked in with flowers or champagne instead. But if you're anything like me… well I like to believe in some serendipity... Wow, that sounded lamer than I had intended," Logan admitted, actually sounding a little nervous saying all of that. This was definitely a very different Logan than the one he liked to show most people, which made Rory smile and feel again the butterflies swarm her stomach just at the thought of him.

They hadn't done more than kiss that night, well - of course they'd danced, casually held hands, she'd slept on his shoulder and overall they'd just been, let's say - physically affectionate, definitely making it very clear to anyone in 'the line' or otherwise that the order of things had been changed around because of her. But Rory had not let him quite off the hook that easily - she'd enjoyed his company but kept him on his toes. She'd been willing to enjoy that amazing party with him. She was willing to see him - but anything more she'd still kept tentatively off the table, needing to see the tables turn and indicate that she too held some power in this. And little by little, especially after hearing that message, she was beginning to get that.

"Anyways… I thought I'd just leave you with my number," Logan continued, reading out his number. "And I want to ask maybe you'd like to go out sometime. I know this gorgeous restaurant in Old Saybrook right on the water and the chef, Xavier, makes a hell of a paella. So just let me know when you're free... Bye," Logan's message finished, Rory having a field day with his charm that seemed to fluctuate with his nervousness.

The smile on her lips was beginning to hurt her cheeks.

Rory was still not entirely sure what Logan's words from last night truly meant though. What it had sounded like - or perhaps it had indeed been the booze talking - had been that Logan was willing to try seeing her in a way that she wouldn't be one of the many. She truly hoped his 'try' was closer to 'would' than it had sounded like, but then again there was still a lot she didn't know about him. She didn't know how impossible that ask was nor how big of a deal that was for someone like him to promise. She was too oblivious to believe he'd meant more than dating her exclusively, that alone was making her a little dizzy at the thought, after all the talk about there being a line and all the cautioning and comments she'd heard from Stephanie making her utterly confused. But then again what none of the others really knew in great detail was that now that she had already slept with him, twice - technically three times, at least that pressure was off. Surely, if that was all he wanted - he would've had a lot more less demanding options around.

What she hadn't expected though, was that there was another message.

Beeeeep - the machine chimed again.

"Rory, thank you for a lovely evening. I do believe I didn't say a proper goodnight. Good night, or should I say good morning?" Logan said, clearly just having gotten back to his dorm just minutes ago.

Rory gulped down an orange soda, knowing she'd otherwise wake up dehydrated, her head already throbbing a little from the abundance of champagne. Knowing she needed her Sunday to study, she slipped off her clothes and snuggled into her bed that night, not quite sure what to do with herself, still alert from the emotional buzz she felt in the bottom of her stomach. The only thing that helped that night was the scream of excitement which she muffled into her pillow.

By Monday evening, though her classes and a couple of hours at the paper, trying to come up with another story to write instead of the downloading story, distracting her from actually getting much done, Rory had contemplated long and hard what she wanted to do. But she was hesitant, whether letting Logan wait too long for her response would actually just send the wrong message. She did not not want him, she just didn't want him to think he could get her just with the snap of his fingers.

The trouble was that the person she really wanted to talk about this was her mother, but the problem was this would mean she'd need to tell her about what had happened earlier. There were not a lot of secrets between her mother and her, but somehow the topic of sex - after it had happened, she'd just wanted to keep that to herself for some reason, not wanting to hear. And that despite having once made her a promise to tell her before it happened. She could just picture her reaction so well - or well, technically - an array of reactions.

But since this was probably one of the coolest things that had ever happened to her, she did want to be able to talk to her mother about this.

"Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking," her mom picked up her private cell, mistaking it for the inn's phone. On her defense she was pacing around the place, trying to get Sookie to calm down about canceling lunch.

"Mom, it's me. Did I call the wrong number?" Rory asked, feeling a little confused at her answer. She was in her bedroom, sitting on her bed, the room itself lit low, a pile of homework spread out around her along with a half-eaten candybar.

"Em.. no…," Lorelai said, glancing at the phone in her hands, realizing it was her own.

"You've been working too much again, haven't you?" Rory scolded her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lorelai played all innocent.

"Listen, I actually wanted to talk to you… but I kind of wish I could do it in person. But my week is swamped and I just feel like I need to talk. Maybe you could find a quieter place over there?" Rory said with a deep breath, hearing already Sookie argue with someone about something in the background.

"Sounds serious? Everything okay?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah. I'm great. Just it's a boy thing," Rory said, knowing that'd get her mother's attention for sure.

"Oh… well … hold on, I'll just find a spot," Lorelai said, and searched for a closet, lit the light and she sank down onto the window sill, knowing this meant business if her daughter was being this serious. "Shoot, I'm all ears," she added, anxiously.

"First of all I'd like to say that I'm sorry I didn't tell you this sooner. It just felt so private, like this sweet little secret... that it felt like ruining it if I told anyone. So I didn't, you're the first person I'm telling about this. It's just with a bit of a delay," Rory confessed, apologetically.

"You're not pregnant, are you?" Lorelai spit out, along with a nervous chuckle.

"No, that's not it…," Rory said, being a little disappointed by her mother, since she'd already crossed one of the scenarios Rory had imagine off her list. "But I did have sex," Rory said. "At spring break," she shared, hesitantly.

There was ominous silence on the other end of the line.

"I met this guy and his friends. And Logan… his name is Logan. He's sweet and charming. He looks and smells really good and it just felt right. Like it was time. I figured it was just this one time thing and before you ask, yes, we were safe and he treated me well and was nice to me - and it was perfect," Rory said, taking a deep breath. "So when I was in Rome… this freak thing happened that I ran into him again and we sort of ended up…," Rory continued.

"Again?" Lorelai interrupted her, sounding like she couldn't believe her ears.

"Well, once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy to duplicate," Rory replied. Not that there had been a lot of duplicating happening, it had instead been very much about trying new things.

"Where? How?" Lorelai blurted. "I mean… with your grandmother there…?" she added, sounding confused.

"Grandma naps, we met up…, you know - there are hotel rooms," Rory explained in short.

"Okay," Lorelai said, trying to fit this into her head.

"And while I knew of him. He spoke about some pretty private things, as did I, but we never spoke about last names or where we lived or went to school at…," Rory described.

"Oh, Rory…," Lorelai exhaled, sounding at least a little judgemental and Rory knew it. Last names were a big thing for her mother.

"I know…, but I never expected to see him again, and that was fine," Rory explained.

"Why do I sense the next words coming out of your mouth involve him being over there at Yale?" Lorelai guessed.

"Yes, that would be it in short," Rory replied, for once feeling relieved to have the gist out there.

"And what, you're just sleeping with him now?" Lorelai jumped for the worst conclusion, sounding annoyed and judgemental, for a moment making Rory regret telling her.

"Not what I was going to say," Rory replied, knowing she needed to be very careful how to tell her about this. There were things about Logan she really didn't want her to know but she needed to keep it as close to the truth as possible at the same time.

"Well turns out he's on the paper with me and a couple of days ago he pulled me along to this really incredibly cool, amazing, party which… I just have no words to describe," Rory tried to explain while keeping the event secret. She knew her mother would assume she drank socially - there had never been any confusion that that was what college was about just as much as studying. "And he sort of made it a point to make sure I knew that he wanted to see me. He also left me a message about wanting to take me out and he's been incredible. And honestly, I am just all jittery inside - I am so excited," Rory described, speaking with her hands despite her mother not being able to see her. It felt like the biggest compliment she'd ever gotten.

"Okay. Well I'm happy you're excited," Lorelai commented, remaining tentative.

"I guess what I am curious to get your opinion on… is… like my hunch is to let him wait, you know… let the anticipation build and really make him earn it, you know. Like I want him to really get that I am not just this casual kind of girl… But I don't want him to think I'm not interested either. I guess, what I am struggling here with is the balance," Rory said, suddenly realizing that if her mother didn't like this guy, already without seeing him, her suggestion might actually intentionally steer her in the wrong direction.

"Well…It's kind of a sudden thing, considering I've only just learned my daughter is having sex with this guy named Logan who I know nothing about…," Lorelai blabbered. "But I guess I'd say trust your gut. Definitely let him earn it, but don't be all goody-good either," Lorelai said. "I mean he did learn to know you as a different person… possibly a little adventurous and flirty, right? That's not who you really are, right?" Lorelai suggested, but Rory didn't quite agree. Maybe she wasn't just the person her mother knew?

"I guess," Rory replied, not wanting to argue.

"God, I don't think I've ever seen you like that...," Lorelai commented, trying to imagine it.

"And I hope you never will..," Rory commented.

"So just don't sell yourself short. Let him see the other side of you, get to know him," Lorelai advised.

"Thanks, mom," Rory said, feeling like she'd gotten the pep talk she'd needed, despite not agreeing with everything she said. "Okay, now I just need to figure out when to call him back," she sighed.

"When did you see him last?" Lorelai inquired.

"Saturday night," Rory replied, leaving out the bit about it having been 3 AM.

"I think you could call him, but don't schedule anything too soon. Or better yet, run into him and tell him you've been meaning to call but have been so busy… He's got to know you're a busy girl and not just sitting around waiting for him to take you out," Lorelai said, slipping back into the friend mode over the mother mode.

"Okay," Rory said, still sounding excited.

"But I'm going to need some deets on Friday, you've got some serious making up to do to mommy over here," Lorelai demanded, making Rory groan internally, remaining unsure if she physically could even talk about the details of her sexlife and Logan with her mother.

AN: I know, I know, you want to read more ROGAN together. But just picture Logan's anticipation growing whilst you read about Rory. Nobody's ever made him wait before... :) I hope you enjoyed, let's see where this leads us.