Disclaimer: The same applies.
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Cheers
Chapter 18: Making Decisions
"So that's Rosenheim's theory, huh?"
"You mean Rosenbaum."
"Yeah. Whatever." Jess's tone was impatient, his expression bored. "So that's his hypothesis?"
Tristan looked over at his friend, more than a little annoyed. "Yes, it is."
"I see." A few seconds went by before the all-too-familiar smirk appeared on Jess's face. "A little cliché, don't you think?"
"What do you mean, cliché?" Tristan demanded to know.
"Let's review, shall we?" Jess leaned back against his seat, both hands behind his head. "We've got Rory, and then there's scumbag Robert. And according to Rosenbaum, Scumbag's only interested in Rory's financial assets."
"Yes, but–"
"Face it Tristan, we're not talking about some rerun from The Bold and the Beautiful here." There was another infuriating smile. "And even if we were, the whole bad-guy-goes-after-unsuspecting-rich-girl's-family-fortune angle is so last season."
Seeing the spark of rebellion in Tristan's eyes, Dean cleared his throat. Now would be a good time as any to intervene. "Jess has a good point there. Even if I do find the soap opera reference a little disturbing."
"Fine." Sulkily, Tristan leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. "Got any better theories then, Mariano?"
"Nope." Jess shrugged, seemingly oblivious of the scathing look Tristan sent his way. The three of them continued to sit in silence for a few more minutes, Jess complacently taking in the muted sounds of the television in front of him; Tristan obstinately silent, his fingers drumming the armrest; Dean sitting in his corner, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. Finally, Dean looked up.
"You know, maybe we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss Tristan's theory. It does make sense." Seeing the questioning look on Jess's face, Dean went on to elaborate. "First off, nobody knows anything about Robert. And then there's the whole thing about INFO Corp. and the merger–"
"Don't forget to add Rory's last-minute doubts about the wedding to the list," Jess interjected, a note of relish in his voice.
"That too," Dean nodded. "It's obvious Robert's only in it for the money, and Rory herself said she doesn't even know why she's marrying him in the first place. It adds up."
"It has to add up," Tristan replied, shaking his head. "We don't have anything else to go on."
"Right." Dean nodded vigorously. "Now the question is: what are we supposed to do?"
"It's kind of obvious, don't you think?" Tristan's voice was wry as he sat up straighter. "We have to tell Rory."
Dean paused. "Tell Rory?"
"Of course we've got to tell her," Tristan continued, unaware of the frown on Dean's face. "She's about to make the biggest mistake of her life, and we're the only ones who can put a stop to it."
"I'm with DuGrey on that," Jess broke in firmly, his tone decisive.
Tristan smirked. "That's got to be a first."
"Come on, you guys," Dean spoke up, cutting across Jess's sharp retort. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"
"What?" Tristan turned incredulous eyes in Dean's direction. "Look Bag Boy, the only reason I wanted in on this whole Three Stooges routine in the first place was so I could break up Rory and The Jerk Extraordinaire. This is kind of a bad time for you to be feeling pangs of conscience, alright?"
"I know, I know," Dean impatiently swatted away Tristan's words. "It's just that, well, we don't have any solid proof about anything. What if we're wrong after all?"
Tristan opened his mouth to answer, but Jess gestured for him to be silent. "You know what Dean, you're right. Maybe we should wait till after they're married, when Rory's a miserable trophy wife and Robert's out gallivanting with some floozy every night. Yeah, that sounds much better, don't you think so, Tristan?"
"Well, when you put it that way…" Dean broke off, shrugging. "Okay, point made and taken." He was silent for a moment. "So when do you think we should tell her?"
"As soon as possible." Getting up, Jess threw a glance over his shoulder at the others. "How about tonight?"
"No can do," Tristan shook his head. "I've got a dinner to attend–"
"Oh yes, another black-tie-shrimp-cocktail affair, huh?" Jess's tone was mocking. "Nothing we mere mortals could ever be expected to comprehend."
"For God's sake, Mariano," Tristan grumbled, throwing a magazine at Jess. "Will you ever stop giving me grief over my roots?"
"Okay, so tonight's not a good time," Dean smoothly cut in. Several weeks of hanging out with Curly and Moe, and he'd already become an expert at alleviating potential bust-ups. "When do you think we should do it then?"
"How about tomorrow?" Jess permitted himself to smirk once more. "Unless Blue Blood here has another ball to attend…"
"Up yours, Diner Boy," Tristan's voice was mild, devoid of any malice. "Tomorrow works for me. Listen," he continued, glancing at his watch as he stood up and walked to the front door, "I have to go. So I'll see you tomorrow at the diner?"
"Will do," Jess affirmed. "And hey, don't forget to bring us some of those delightful raspberry tarts from the dessert display, okay?" But his only answer was the slamming of the door.
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To Be Continued…