1 Chapter 9
Lorelai rolled over, peeking at the alarm clock on her bedside table. 6:30. Way too early to early to be up on a Saturday. Still, sleep was elusive, and she knew she had been awake for at least 30 minutes already, arguing with her thoughts. She couldn't get Christopher out of her head. He was.different. More responsible. The fact that he'd even shown up this week was proof enough of that. It was so easy to fall back into old routines with him, and the only thing stopping her before had been concern for Rory. That didn't seem like an issue anymore, and Lorelai wasn't sure what to do about it.
She shook off the thought and climbed out of bed, creeping down the stairs so as not to disturb whoever might be asleep on the couch. She slipped into the kitchen and started the coffee before plopping down and dropping her head to the table with a thud, thoughts of Rory's father filling her head again the second she closed her eyes. She was startled from that position some time later by the scraping of a chair across the kitchen floor. She looked up, surprised to see Tristin sitting across from her, a steaming cup of coffee just inches from her face, and a glass of water in front of him.
"What on earth are you doing up this early on a Saturday?" Her voice was still groggy from sleep, but she was grateful for the distraction from her thoughts. And any man who brought coffee was welcome at her table. She inhaled deeply before taking a huge sip from the mug. The scalding liquid burnt her mouth, but that didn't stop her from taking another gulp.
Tristin raised an eyebrow at Lorelai and let the obvious comment about her own wakeful state slide. "I'm a morning person," he said, taking a sip from his own glass.
"You would be," she muttered. She was glaring, but a smile teased the corner of her lips.
"Sorry for taking the couch last night. We fell asleep, and by the time I woke up, Rory wouldn't let me drive home."
"You are more than welcome to spend the night anytime, sweetie." This time Lorelai offered him a genuine smile. "On the couch," she added as an afterthought.
Tristin grinned. "Other options never even crossed my mind."
Lorelai's look was one of disbelief, but she was still smiling. "So, looking forward to tonight's soiree?" She made a face that was distinctly Lorelai.
"If you'd asked me to make list of things I wanted to do this weekend, going to the D.A.R. ball wouldn't have made the top five."
"And yet," Lorelai mused, "you spent your entire week driving Rory back and forth between here and Hartford, hanging out with Christopher, and taking dance lessons with Miss Patty."
"Well," Tristin answered wryly, "you know it's impossible to say no to Miss Patty."
Lorelai nodded. "And it's impossible to say no to Rory."
Tristin acknowledged her point with a nod, getting up from the table. "I'm going for a run. Can you let Rory know when she wakes up?"
"Why don't you leave her a note? I should stop by the inn and make sure things are under control. Let's meet at Luke's at, say. 10:00?"
Tristin agreed, and he and Lorelai both left the kitchen, somewhat prepared for the day ahead.
----
Rory awoke slowly, consciousness slowly creeping in as she remembered why she felt like she should be up. The D.A.R. ball. She groaned and rolled over, her eyes lighting upon a piece of paper sitting atop her pillow. She picked it up and unfolded the notebook page, skimming the written words quickly, a smile forming on her lips.
Rory,
Your mom went to the inn for a bit, and I went for a run. I should be home by 8:30, and we're meeting your mom at Luke's at 10:00. See you soon beautiful.
Love,
Tristin
She could almost picture it, him sitting with her mom at the table, sipping coffee and chatting. A soft smiled played at the corners of her lips, and with the image still in her head, she snuggled deeper into the pillows and gave in to the comfort of sleep.
---
Tristin leaned against the doorframe, slowly raising the styrofoam coffee cup to his lips and taking a small sip of the hot liquid. He could, he decided, stay here all day. Watching her sleep. A swell of emotion rose up in his chest, and he was surprised that after all this time, she could still make him feel like that. Scared and excited and full of love and passion and hope, all just by looking at her. He sighed and pushed himself out of the doorway, depositing her coffee on the nightstand and settling down beside her, a hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face.
Rory smiled when the mattress gave under his weight, turning into his touch. "Morning."
Her voice was soft and filled with sleep. Possibly the most amazing this he had ever heard. If she ever discovered how much power she had over him, he would be doomed. "Morning love. Sleep well?"
She nodded and tugged on the hand still resting on her cheek, pulling him down on the bed beside her and leaning in to kiss him. Tristin's hand crept around to the base of her skull and his fingers wove through her hair, holding her to him. The kiss started soft and somewhat tentative, neither sure how the previous night's conversation would affect them this morning, but caution faded as the kiss deepened. Several moment later Tristin pulled away, pulling Rory against him and wrapping his arms around her.
"We should get going. It's 9:30." Rory nodded but neither of them moved. "OK, I'm going now." Tristin untangled himself from Rory and climbed off the bed, heading for the shower.
Rory followed him with her eyes, soaking in every detail. He had an athlete's body, and you could tell just by watching him move that he was extremely comfortable in it. He managed to look controlled and casual at the same time, and Rory knew that was one of the many reasons people were drawn him to him. She knew he would make an imposing figure in his tux, and she let the image fill her mind, reaching for her coffee and finding herself looking forward to the ball for the first time since she had agreed to it
2
3 Chapter 10
Rory sighed as she settled down on the stool next to blond girl who was anxiously rummaging through a make-up bag. She had been sure her grandmother was mistaken when she had told Rory to arrive two hours early, but from the dirty look they had gotten from the lady downstairs, Emily had been right. Wishing desperately that she had brought a book, Rory turned to the girl next to her and tried to make friends. Several moments into the conversation she was convinced that Tristin's suggestion that she start rumours about the other debutantes was the best idea she had ever heard, and she made a mental note to remind him of the conversation later.
---
Lorelai watched Christopher walk away, a million thoughts swirling through her head. She had accepted the fact that she and Christopher would always have a special bond, stemming from a first real love and a shared hatred for the society they were brought up in. But until now, there had always been something in the way. First their age, then the forced marriage proposal, and then Christopher's unreliability, and Lorelai's concern for Rory. Finally Max. But they were grown-ups now, and he had a Volvo, and he had come when Rory had needed him. And Max was definitely out of the picture. Maybe, just maybe, our timing will be right this time.
---
Tristin stood at the bottom of the stairs, anxiously waiting for Rory to appear. His palms were sweating and his tie seemed ridiculously tight, but he knew that was his imagination. He had been tying bow ties since he was eight, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with his knot. A ball of nerves rose in his stomach and exploded into a thousand butterflies, all of them trying frantically to escape. He heard Rory's name and looked up gratefully, thankful for anything to take his thoughts off the way the tie was constricting around his throat.
He was glad there was an entire flight of stairs separating him from Rory and Christopher, because he knew there was no way he could have formed even a polite phrase. She literally took his breath away, and he closed his eyes for a minute to regain his composure. When he opened them again, the vision in front of him blurred, before slowly coming back into focus.
Rory was walking towards him on Christopher's arm. She was still dressed in white, but this dress suited her more. It was simpler, sleeveless with a long satin skirt drifting down to brush the tops of her shoes. She was carrying a bouquet of flowers and there was a matching wreath settled in her hair, a delicate veil hanging from the back of it and falling down to her shoulders. He was shocked to realize he was picturing his wedding.their wedding. But he ignored the voice in the back of his mind that was telling him he was way too young to be thinking about forever, and instead focused on how right it felt to be standing there, watching and waiting for Rory.
Rory. He blinked again and was brought back to the moment. She had nearly reached him, and he turned his attention back to her, filing the dream away to be brought out and examined later.
---
Rory smiled at her dad as she took his arm, thinking how good it felt to have him there. It had seemed so natural this week, his being a part of her and Lorelai's lives, spending time with Tristin and joining them for dinner at Luke's. Like they were a family.
Family. She pondered the word for a moment, turning it over in her head as an image filled her mind, unbidden but not unwelcome. She was standing in the doorway of a dimly lit room, watching a scene unfold before her. Tristin's back was to her, and he was bending down over something. When he turned back towards her, he was holding a baby in his arms, and he never took his eyes off of the tiny bundle as he wandered away from the bassinet and over to a rocking chair in the corner. He settled down into it and brought the baby up to his bare chest, cradling it to him and setting the chair into a gentle rocking motion. He hummed a lullaby, and it was slightly off tune, causing Rory to giggle. That caught Tristin's attention, and he looked up, their gazes locking.
Rory was shocked to find herself on the bottom step, eyes locked to Tristin's, blue to blue in what seemed to be an unbreakable gaze. She wasn't sure how she had managed to get down all those steps without tripping, but she figured it must have had something to do with her dad, and she turned to him, whispering a thank-you as he passed her to Tristin.
She blinked several times in rapid succession, trying to rid her mind of the image of Tristin and their baby. Their baby. It was absurd, really. She was only 16, and there was no way she was thinking about babies. But she was having trouble convincing herself.
Shoving it from her mind, she decided it was Libby's comments that brought the whole thing on. "You know, they say four out of five debs marry their escorts." "So, is your escort the one?" "Is he cute?" "Where are you guys planning to live when you get married?" But, somehow, Rory just couldn't get the image of Tristin with the baby out of her head.
4
Lorelai rolled over, peeking at the alarm clock on her bedside table. 6:30. Way too early to early to be up on a Saturday. Still, sleep was elusive, and she knew she had been awake for at least 30 minutes already, arguing with her thoughts. She couldn't get Christopher out of her head. He was.different. More responsible. The fact that he'd even shown up this week was proof enough of that. It was so easy to fall back into old routines with him, and the only thing stopping her before had been concern for Rory. That didn't seem like an issue anymore, and Lorelai wasn't sure what to do about it.
She shook off the thought and climbed out of bed, creeping down the stairs so as not to disturb whoever might be asleep on the couch. She slipped into the kitchen and started the coffee before plopping down and dropping her head to the table with a thud, thoughts of Rory's father filling her head again the second she closed her eyes. She was startled from that position some time later by the scraping of a chair across the kitchen floor. She looked up, surprised to see Tristin sitting across from her, a steaming cup of coffee just inches from her face, and a glass of water in front of him.
"What on earth are you doing up this early on a Saturday?" Her voice was still groggy from sleep, but she was grateful for the distraction from her thoughts. And any man who brought coffee was welcome at her table. She inhaled deeply before taking a huge sip from the mug. The scalding liquid burnt her mouth, but that didn't stop her from taking another gulp.
Tristin raised an eyebrow at Lorelai and let the obvious comment about her own wakeful state slide. "I'm a morning person," he said, taking a sip from his own glass.
"You would be," she muttered. She was glaring, but a smile teased the corner of her lips.
"Sorry for taking the couch last night. We fell asleep, and by the time I woke up, Rory wouldn't let me drive home."
"You are more than welcome to spend the night anytime, sweetie." This time Lorelai offered him a genuine smile. "On the couch," she added as an afterthought.
Tristin grinned. "Other options never even crossed my mind."
Lorelai's look was one of disbelief, but she was still smiling. "So, looking forward to tonight's soiree?" She made a face that was distinctly Lorelai.
"If you'd asked me to make list of things I wanted to do this weekend, going to the D.A.R. ball wouldn't have made the top five."
"And yet," Lorelai mused, "you spent your entire week driving Rory back and forth between here and Hartford, hanging out with Christopher, and taking dance lessons with Miss Patty."
"Well," Tristin answered wryly, "you know it's impossible to say no to Miss Patty."
Lorelai nodded. "And it's impossible to say no to Rory."
Tristin acknowledged her point with a nod, getting up from the table. "I'm going for a run. Can you let Rory know when she wakes up?"
"Why don't you leave her a note? I should stop by the inn and make sure things are under control. Let's meet at Luke's at, say. 10:00?"
Tristin agreed, and he and Lorelai both left the kitchen, somewhat prepared for the day ahead.
----
Rory awoke slowly, consciousness slowly creeping in as she remembered why she felt like she should be up. The D.A.R. ball. She groaned and rolled over, her eyes lighting upon a piece of paper sitting atop her pillow. She picked it up and unfolded the notebook page, skimming the written words quickly, a smile forming on her lips.
Rory,
Your mom went to the inn for a bit, and I went for a run. I should be home by 8:30, and we're meeting your mom at Luke's at 10:00. See you soon beautiful.
Love,
Tristin
She could almost picture it, him sitting with her mom at the table, sipping coffee and chatting. A soft smiled played at the corners of her lips, and with the image still in her head, she snuggled deeper into the pillows and gave in to the comfort of sleep.
---
Tristin leaned against the doorframe, slowly raising the styrofoam coffee cup to his lips and taking a small sip of the hot liquid. He could, he decided, stay here all day. Watching her sleep. A swell of emotion rose up in his chest, and he was surprised that after all this time, she could still make him feel like that. Scared and excited and full of love and passion and hope, all just by looking at her. He sighed and pushed himself out of the doorway, depositing her coffee on the nightstand and settling down beside her, a hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face.
Rory smiled when the mattress gave under his weight, turning into his touch. "Morning."
Her voice was soft and filled with sleep. Possibly the most amazing this he had ever heard. If she ever discovered how much power she had over him, he would be doomed. "Morning love. Sleep well?"
She nodded and tugged on the hand still resting on her cheek, pulling him down on the bed beside her and leaning in to kiss him. Tristin's hand crept around to the base of her skull and his fingers wove through her hair, holding her to him. The kiss started soft and somewhat tentative, neither sure how the previous night's conversation would affect them this morning, but caution faded as the kiss deepened. Several moment later Tristin pulled away, pulling Rory against him and wrapping his arms around her.
"We should get going. It's 9:30." Rory nodded but neither of them moved. "OK, I'm going now." Tristin untangled himself from Rory and climbed off the bed, heading for the shower.
Rory followed him with her eyes, soaking in every detail. He had an athlete's body, and you could tell just by watching him move that he was extremely comfortable in it. He managed to look controlled and casual at the same time, and Rory knew that was one of the many reasons people were drawn him to him. She knew he would make an imposing figure in his tux, and she let the image fill her mind, reaching for her coffee and finding herself looking forward to the ball for the first time since she had agreed to it
2
3 Chapter 10
Rory sighed as she settled down on the stool next to blond girl who was anxiously rummaging through a make-up bag. She had been sure her grandmother was mistaken when she had told Rory to arrive two hours early, but from the dirty look they had gotten from the lady downstairs, Emily had been right. Wishing desperately that she had brought a book, Rory turned to the girl next to her and tried to make friends. Several moments into the conversation she was convinced that Tristin's suggestion that she start rumours about the other debutantes was the best idea she had ever heard, and she made a mental note to remind him of the conversation later.
---
Lorelai watched Christopher walk away, a million thoughts swirling through her head. She had accepted the fact that she and Christopher would always have a special bond, stemming from a first real love and a shared hatred for the society they were brought up in. But until now, there had always been something in the way. First their age, then the forced marriage proposal, and then Christopher's unreliability, and Lorelai's concern for Rory. Finally Max. But they were grown-ups now, and he had a Volvo, and he had come when Rory had needed him. And Max was definitely out of the picture. Maybe, just maybe, our timing will be right this time.
---
Tristin stood at the bottom of the stairs, anxiously waiting for Rory to appear. His palms were sweating and his tie seemed ridiculously tight, but he knew that was his imagination. He had been tying bow ties since he was eight, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with his knot. A ball of nerves rose in his stomach and exploded into a thousand butterflies, all of them trying frantically to escape. He heard Rory's name and looked up gratefully, thankful for anything to take his thoughts off the way the tie was constricting around his throat.
He was glad there was an entire flight of stairs separating him from Rory and Christopher, because he knew there was no way he could have formed even a polite phrase. She literally took his breath away, and he closed his eyes for a minute to regain his composure. When he opened them again, the vision in front of him blurred, before slowly coming back into focus.
Rory was walking towards him on Christopher's arm. She was still dressed in white, but this dress suited her more. It was simpler, sleeveless with a long satin skirt drifting down to brush the tops of her shoes. She was carrying a bouquet of flowers and there was a matching wreath settled in her hair, a delicate veil hanging from the back of it and falling down to her shoulders. He was shocked to realize he was picturing his wedding.their wedding. But he ignored the voice in the back of his mind that was telling him he was way too young to be thinking about forever, and instead focused on how right it felt to be standing there, watching and waiting for Rory.
Rory. He blinked again and was brought back to the moment. She had nearly reached him, and he turned his attention back to her, filing the dream away to be brought out and examined later.
---
Rory smiled at her dad as she took his arm, thinking how good it felt to have him there. It had seemed so natural this week, his being a part of her and Lorelai's lives, spending time with Tristin and joining them for dinner at Luke's. Like they were a family.
Family. She pondered the word for a moment, turning it over in her head as an image filled her mind, unbidden but not unwelcome. She was standing in the doorway of a dimly lit room, watching a scene unfold before her. Tristin's back was to her, and he was bending down over something. When he turned back towards her, he was holding a baby in his arms, and he never took his eyes off of the tiny bundle as he wandered away from the bassinet and over to a rocking chair in the corner. He settled down into it and brought the baby up to his bare chest, cradling it to him and setting the chair into a gentle rocking motion. He hummed a lullaby, and it was slightly off tune, causing Rory to giggle. That caught Tristin's attention, and he looked up, their gazes locking.
Rory was shocked to find herself on the bottom step, eyes locked to Tristin's, blue to blue in what seemed to be an unbreakable gaze. She wasn't sure how she had managed to get down all those steps without tripping, but she figured it must have had something to do with her dad, and she turned to him, whispering a thank-you as he passed her to Tristin.
She blinked several times in rapid succession, trying to rid her mind of the image of Tristin and their baby. Their baby. It was absurd, really. She was only 16, and there was no way she was thinking about babies. But she was having trouble convincing herself.
Shoving it from her mind, she decided it was Libby's comments that brought the whole thing on. "You know, they say four out of five debs marry their escorts." "So, is your escort the one?" "Is he cute?" "Where are you guys planning to live when you get married?" But, somehow, Rory just couldn't get the image of Tristin with the baby out of her head.
4
