"Nearest grocery store?"
"Two lefts from the stoop."
"Got the list?"
"On the counter next to my coffee...."
"I'll get some coffee while I'm out."
"Good boy!"
Tristan shook his head and stood up straight. He had been leaning in the upstairs bathroom doorway, watching Rory put up her hair. She had only been wearing an expertly-tied towel dress, and Tristin had been in a gray t-shirt and boxers. It was Sunday. He had just reintroduced himself on Friday, moved in officially on Saturday, and now..
"Remember to buy all your masculine junk today." She shouted from the bathroom.
"Alright, Rory!" He shouted back from his bedroom.
"Put on a coat!"
"But Rory--.."
"Put on a coat! It's winter and it's New York!"
He shook his head again.
"Fine, Rory, fine." He had pulled on his jeans and his boots, and now he was going to get his coat.. Where was his coat?
"Rory, have you seen my coat?"
"You leave it by the door when you come back from coffee duties."
That's right. Funny. Last night had been a free, go ahead and party night. And still, the only times he had been going out in the past twenty four hours was to get coffee.
"Thanks." He shouted back, but he was sure she didn't hear. He made his way down the stairs and the phone rang.
"Can you get that?"
He enjoyed the sound of her voice. The way they shouted at each other around the apartment- It was almost like they were.. Almost like they were a couple. A married couple, completely used to each other in every way.
"Hello?" He sat down on the counter. He had finally learned how to get the fluffy phone to work.
"Sorry.. I must have dialed wrong. It would be so like her to change numbers without even telling me.." The female voice began to babble. "I mean, honestly. I gave birth to the girl and all she can do is.."
"Gilmore residence." He finished what he was going to say.
Lorelei arched her brow on the other end and Luke tapped his No Cell Phones sign again. She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Gilmore residence? Couldn't be. Unless she got a butler or a boyfriend, both of which are hardly believable.. Shut up, you silly little man!"
Lorelei covered the mouthpiece. "I will have you know that there is a male answering Rory's phone."
Luke took his finger off the sign and leaned forward. "Rory's phone? As in, Rory, your daughter's phone."
"No, the duke of Rory's phone." Lorelei rolled her eyes. "Yes, Rory, my daughter's phone."
"Hello?"
"I have confused her butler." Lorelei uncovered the mouthpiece. "I am guessing you are Reeves the butler."
"No, Tristan the roommate." Tristan slid off the counter and looked at the caller id on the mounted base of the phone. "So this is why she told me never to answer a call from you."
Lorelei covered the mouthpiece. "It's her roommate and she told him never to answer a call from me!"
Luke rolled his eyes as he poured her some more coffee. "I wonder why."
"Oh, shut up, you silly little man!" She uncovered the mouthpiece. "Where is my daughter?"
"In the bathroom.." Tristan was confused.
"And you are going where?" Lorelei asked him. Well, rather, sent a subliminal order.
"To buy groceries and coffee." Tristan replied slowly.
"NOW I see why you're her roommate. Could you get my daughter on the phone?"
"Hold on..." Tristan pulled the blue fluffy phone away from his face. "RORY! Damned fluffy phone.."
He heard Lorelei's distant voice. "Do not curse the housewarming gift, mister!"
"Who is it? Chiltonite? That would explain why you've been on for so long, but it doesn't explain.. How would they get my number? I mean, honestly.."
Tristan connected the two by their babbling.
"It's your mother."
"Oh. Didn't I tell you not to talk to her?"
"But she talked to me first!" Tristan felt like a child.
"Well, she does that. Sorry.. I'll get it up here."
"Okay." Tristan held the fluffy phone in one hand and found the grocery list.
"You can hang up now!"
Tristan hit the off button (which Rory had painted with sparkly blue nail polish so he could see it).
"Remind me never to answer the kitchen phone when my friends are over, okay, Jack?" He ruffled the top of his dog's head. "I'm leaving, Rory!"
"Fine! Later!"
He put on his coat and sort of laughed, remembering the conversation of moments before.
"And Coffee Boy was?" Lorelei was demanding.
"Just my roommate, mom."
"Why would you need a roommate, Rory? In case you haven't noticed, your place is rent-controlled. As in, you no pay!"
Rory laughed. "Old friend needed a place to stay, so he picks up the coffee and the groceries bill every now and then."
"I have taught you well, oh Obi Wan. Is he cute?"
"WHAT?"
"Is he cute?"
"How would I know?"
"I gave birth to a daughter with perfectly good eyes. Is he cute?"
"He's Tristan, mom.."
"This explains nothing, Obi Wan."
"I guess.. In the sleepy, Backstreet Boy sort of way."
"As in Caterpillar-Face, Midget, 12-Step-Program, Baby or Kentucky Fried Chicken?"
"Baby."
"Old friend that is hot in a Baby sort of way.. Hmm.. How could you have deprived me of meeting this Nick Carter look-alike?"
"He wasn't exactly a friend until Friday."
"When he?"
"Er, moved in."
"I HAVE taught you something!"
"Plus, he isn't a Nick Carter look-alike.. Messyish sort of blonde hair, blue eyes.. Amazing bod.."
"So you guys are?"
"Friends."
"Anything more in your future?"
"Wouldn't put anything down in writing, but honestly, mom. It's Tristin. I told you about this on Friday."
"Yes, but not only does my memory sort of lack in certain areas, by then he wasn't your official roommate. And now he's possible boy toy thing.. I can't leave you alone for two seconds, can I, missy?"
"I've been in New York for six years, mom. This is the first time I did anything REMOTELY similar to what you might have done."
"Hey, do not bite the hand that fed you!"
"Fine, fine.."
"Chiltonite?"
"Yes."
"Rich, hot, steamy Bible Boy Chiltonite?"
"Yes, no, no, yes."
"Rich Bible Boy Chiltonite."
"Correct."
Lorelei purred.
Luke tapped the No Cell Phones sign. She covered the mouthpiece.
"What's wrong? Seconds ago you were fine with this!"
"That was until you purred."
"I got to go, Rory. Luke's being a meanie."
"Bye, mom."
Rory hung up the phone slowly, and tried to block her mother's words out of her head.
"Tombstone's, Tombstone's, Tombstone's.. Ah-ha!" Tristan looked back down on the list. Pepperoni Tombstone's. Supreme Tombstone's.
He got two of each and looked at the cart. It was reasonably filled.
"Tristan. Tristan Du Gray." Tristan turned around, his hand still on the handle of the freezer door. He faced Louise and smiled.
"Louise. Imagine, running into you!"
"Quit dreaming, it's happening." Classic Louise behavior. "Still in New York?"
"No. I'm in Chicago, enjoying Lake Michigan."
"Still got the wit."
"Naturally. How have you been?"
"Alright, I suppose. Didn't know you lived on this side of the city. Would have sworn Paris said you lived in those townhouses."
"I did. Moved out on Friday."
"Involuntarily?"
"Naturally."
"Where are you staying now?"
Tristan arched one of his eyebrows. "A friend's place in Manhattan. Two rights from here."
"Join me for a coffee?"
"Nah. I promised to bring hot coffee home with me straight from shopping." Half-lie, DuGray. Good.
"Fine. Don't tell me Tiffany kicked you out?" Louise was now sorting through the fat free whipped cream.
"Yeah, she did. This time, it was more business than pleasure."
"Shame. Would have had something nice for the holiday party."
"I really must get going. Left Rory alone with that huge dog of mine--.." Tristan trailed off, wishing he hadn't expressed what he was thinking at that moment, because Louise instantly perked up.
"Rory? You're staying with Rory Gilmore? Without having to gag her?"
"Umm.. Look, Louise, Donald Trump! Didn't you hear he got divorced?" Tristan took his cart and ran to the farthest away check-out counter. He sighed heavily.
He had been kicked out on Friday, spent the night Friday, moved in officially on Saturday and now it was Sunday, and he was doing their shopping. By Monday, anybody who knew Tristan at Chilton would know that Tristan DuGray and Rory Gilmore were living in the same apartment.
He kicked the counter in his frustration. Why didn't he leave Louise the instant she started talking to him???
Wait.. What was Louise doing in a supermarket anyway?