Sorry its been so long since I've updated. I love these two but I seem to be stuck... Sending Happy New Year wishes to all of you. Thanks in advance for the reviews. Also, what do you want to see happen with this? Because I don't even know anymore...
The next morning at the office, Logan had just taken a sip of his morning tea when Mitchum burst through his office door. "Logan, I need you to review the Vienna digital files. Something is off..."
"Good morning, Dad. How are you?" Logan smirked at Mitchum's far-too-frequent hysterics.
Mitchum glared at Logan. "I'm fucking terrific. And I need you to review the Vienna media files. Something is wrong but I can't figure it out."
Logan started typing and logging into the database. "Can you give me any clues? Anything in particular making you uneasy?"
Logan mirrored his computer screen to the seventy inch screen at the side of the room, so that Mitchum could view what Logan was seeing without standing over his shoulder. Logan had this screen installed specifically for this reason - he was sick of Mitchum standing over his shoulder shouting and pointing.
In about thirty seconds, Logan highlighted a certain line item in the report. "Okay, here..." he pointed with the cursor, "This is incorrect. Either the decimal is in the wrong place or they really spent 20 mil on advertising for the year instead of 2."
Mitchum squinted at the report on the screen. "Are you telling me that Nathan approved a quarterly report with a discrepancy of 18 million dollars and he didn't say a word?"
Logan shook his head. "No. What I'm saying is that this looks odd. They may very well HAVE spent twenty. But we should definitely validate the report before anyone jumps to conclusions. Either Nathan approved a report that was off by eighteen million dollars, or Vienna's marketing department spent a lot on advertising. Let's figure it out."
At that point, Logan invited Nathan to a teleconference with himself and Mitchum. They sorted it out in a few minutes and decided that someone needed to reign in the expenditures in Vienna.
Mitchum got up to leave and then turned back to Logan. He said, "Thanks. There was a time when I had your patience."
Logan smirked and said, "Not that I recall..."
Mitchum replied, "Well, you have a kid on the way. You're about to find out how challenging it can be."
Logan's face lit up. "Yes. Yes, I do." Logan swallowed. "Dad?"
Mitchum just stared at Logan. "Yeah?"
"I'm so happy, I can't even explain it." Logan found himself confiding in Mitchum. WHAT was happening?
Once Mitchum left the room, presumably to transfer his terrorism and condecension to someone else, Logan was alone with his thoughts. In the past week, he managed to get Rory back, get engaged to her and find out they were expecting a baby. It was wonderful and magical and HAPPENING SO FAST! First thing's first: he needed a ring for her. Not just any ring, she was his literal dream girl. He'd dreamed about her more times than he could count over the years. Rory was literally the woman of his dreams. The last thing she deserved was just some generic boring diamond that was symbolic of contempt and aristocracy.
Logan left the office and strolled over to Cartier. He looked around and didn't see anything that even reminded him of her. The salesman that was hovering was beginning to get on Logan's nerves. He finally asked the man, "I'm not seeing anything unique. Do you have access to anything vintage?"
The salesman replied, "Well, we don't here but I know of a vintage jeweler who might be able to assist you. I'll be right back." He returned with a business card. "Tell him Bruce sent you. He usually has a great selection of items. I hope it works out."
Logan was thrilled that someone was helpful, without a motive. "Bruce, thank you so much! I appreciate it."
Logan decided that it was close enough to lunch and stopped in a deli before going back to work. While we waited for his sandwich, he glanced at the vintage jewelry website on his phone. Beautiful stuff! But he decided to enlist some help.
He sent a text: "Hi. Its Logan. When you have a minute, could I get your opinion on something please?"
He also sent Rory a text: "Hey, Ace, can I take you out tonight?"
Rory replied back first: "Sure! Thank you. What did you have in mind?"
Logan wrote back: "Not sure yet. Dress for a nice dinner and we'll go from there. I'll meet you at home at 7:30."
Rory wrote back: "Can't wait."
Logan smiled a huge smile as he walked through the lobby of HPG - London. The receptionist smiled back and waved.
Logan reached his office practically skipping he was so happy. He grabbed a glass of ice water and settled at his desk with his sandwich. As usual, he would read email while he ate lunch and then start meetings again at 1pm. But all he could think about was his girl waiting at home...
Logan chewed his first bite of sandwich when he heard his phone chime. It was a return text, from Lorelai. She said: "What can I do for you? Call me whenever you want." Hmmm, he thought. While he finished his sandwich he thought long and hard about what to say to Lorelai.
Finally, he decided that it was okay if he and Lorelai were never going to be besties. But trying to get on her good side wasn't the worst thing in the world, even if she saw through him and realized the effort.
'Here goes nothing,' he thought as he dialed Lorelai.
Lorelai answered right away, as though she was waiting for his call. "Logan Huntzberger! To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Good afternoon, Lorelai. Best wishes on your new marriage." Logan tried being cordial.
"Thanks, Logan. So, what's up?" Lorelai cut to the chase.
"Rory said she spoke to you, you know she's here with me in London?" he asked.
"Yes, I do know that. Be honest. What's going on with the two of you?"
Logan smiled to himself. "We're together, finally. I told her I loved her and she told me that we're having a baby -"
Lorelai cut him off. "I need to tell you this: if you ever hurt either one of them, even the witness protection program won't keep you safe. Do you understand?"
"Lorelai, I promise you with all my heart that I will never ever hurt her. Either of them. I promise."
She sighed, "I believe you, Logan. I really do. I'm not thrilled that she's in London, but she's a grown woman. What's your plan and what do you want from me?"
"I don't have a plan, Lorelai! You make it sound like this is a heist! She finally wants to be with me. She's kept me at arm's length for ten years! She's all I've ever wanted. Could you chill out a little, please?"
"Logan, I'm as chilled as I'm gonna get considering Luke is waiting to take me motorcycle riding."
Logan grinned at that idea. "Okay, here's why I really called. I've narrowed it down to three engagement rings and I was wondering if you would help me pick?"
"Really? You want MY help?" Lorelai softened a little but was still shocked.
"Of course! She adores you and you're her best friend. Would you please help me pick?" Logan implored Lorelai.
"I would be glad to help. Text them to me."
"Thanks, Lorelai. I appreciate it."
"Hey, Logan?"
"Yeah?"
"Good luck. No pressure, but this is probably your last chance..." Then Lorelai disconnected the call.
Logfan gulped and then sent her three pictures of vintage Cartier engagement rings. The first was an emerald-cut diamond on a yellow band. The second was a princess-cut diamond on a platinum band. The third was a marquis-cut sapphire set on a while gold band.
Lorelai text back right away, "The second one, no question." Then she sent the fingers-cross emoji. Logan raisied his eyebrows. He was almost afraid to take that as a good sign, but he decided to take it and run with it. Then he called the jeweler and asked them to have the ring polished and ready. His first car didn't cost as much as this ring, but he wasn't concerned about the price. When he imagined her wearing his ring, this was the ring he pictured. It was delicate, beautiful and tasteful - just like Rory. Even Lorelai liked the ring AND Rory had already agreed to marry him. Still, he was nervous. The first time he asked her, he had no worries and it ended in disaster. The second time he proposed, it was mostly ceremonial. It was arranged and there was a hired photographer. It was understood that he had to ask and she had to say yes - after all, her father wouldn't have given him a family ring to propose if it wasn't pre-arranged.
Neither of them appeared happy. They didn't love each other. Odette found Logan childish and 'American', which she said like it was dirty word. She called him 'American' the way rich Americans say 'trailer park.' Logan found Odette boring and snobbish. There was a time when he would have married her for appearances and kept other women on the side - hell, that was almost what happened. But RORY happened to him. When he was 22 years old, she got under his skin and never left. He knew he loved her with all his heart and he knew he would for the rest of his days. Fate intervened and now they had a child on the way - and nothing went wrong, he would finally have the family he always wanted. Crappy childhoods and hundreds of meaningless bedmates were all in their past. Logan wanted to do nothing more than spend the rest of his life making her happy. Hopefully she really would allow him to try.
He was terrified.
But, he walked outside, hailed a taxi and went to the jewelry store.
Thirty minutes later, he had the ring box tucked safely in his pocket. He was pale and nauseated. He didn't even understand WHY he was so nervous, but he was NERVOUS. If she changed her mind and said no, he had no idea how he might handle it. The last time she said no, he nearly crumpled in the middle of the courtyard at Yale. Was he going to be nervous that she would completely crush him for the rest of their lives? Probably. Especially now that he knew what it felt like.
He got back to his office and made a beeline for his office - he actually left like he might faint. He sent Brad a quick text: "Would you please drop by my office when you get a minute?"
Brad stuck his head in a few minutes later. "Hey, is now a good time?"
Logan nodded. "Yep! Close the door." He motioned for Brad to take a seat.
Brad looked at Logan expectantly, waiting for him to say something.
Logan reached in his pocket and pulled out the ring box. "So..." he opened the ring box. "What do you think?"
Brad feigned ignorance and said, "Oh, its beautiful but I didn't know you felt this way about me!" He couldn't get through the last few words without cracking up laughing.
Logan laughed too, Brad's joke was just what he needed. "Do you think she'll like it? She gave me no guidance on what she might like."
Brad eyed the ring with an expert appraisal. "Cartier? Vintage platinum? About 2 1/2 carats? Almost perfect clarity? Very, very nice." He shook his head, and said, "If I wasn't already married..." Logan was tense and holding his breath with his face scrunched up. Brad relented and said, "Of course, she'll love it. Its perfect for her."
Logan let out a long, loud breath. "Thanks. I'm terrified."
Brad looked him over and furrowed his brow. "Aren't you two already technically engaged? She's already said yes. Relax."
Logan sighed. "She could change her mind, she could not like the ring, she could find someone better -"
Brad cut him off. "Stop! You're Logan-fucking-Huntzberger! Get it together!" Logan stared at him. "Logan, you're so attractive, well-dressed and cultured that we thought you were gay. You need to chill. Women fall all over themselves for you. It will be fine."
Logan squinted at him. "So, you don't know this but ten years ago, I proposed to her and she said no. And we didn't speak to each other for nearly five years. I can't deal with that again. My kid would be five years old and..."
"Seriously, Logan. You're a mess. She loves you, she's carrying your baby, AND she already said yes." Brad was now staring at Logan like he grew an extra head during their conversation.
Logan smiled. "Thank you. I think I'm okay."
Brad chuckled. "So, I have to run. I have a meeting in about three minutes, but I'll check on you later."
Logan gave a tight smile. "Thanks."
If you want to see the ring I imagined, go to Richdiamonds DOT com and search for "Cartier Platinum Diamond 1895 Solitaire Ring"