Chapter 6
You?
~~~
He still couldn't believe his luck; she was really here in New York with him.
Although not with him, with him but now that she wasn't with bag boy anymore, the possibilities were endless.
He recalled the way she's looked the night before: her hair framing her beautiful face like a halo, her blue eyes glistening.
And suddenly he was transported to another time, to another pair of blue eyes.
Ones filled with enmity and yet at the same time empathy, eyes both cruel and kind - searing your soul.
He felt a shiver run down his spine and mentally shook himself from the images his mind evoked.
He was saved form another mental playback by the phone ringing.
"Hello?"
"Tristan?" a voice asked a bit hesitantly.
"Rory?"
"Yeah, it's me. How are you?"
"I'm good, really good. I was just thinking about you actually." Tristan couldn't explain the pang that ran through him as the words rolled off his tongue.
He wasn't lying. He had been thinking about her before. Before someone else had begun occupying his thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"So, the reason I called - " she continued.
"You don't need a reason to call me Rory." He said glibly.
He was met by a short silence.
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind but for now - "
"Uh-huh?"
"Are you doing anything tonight? I know its kinda short notice."
"I'm free." He cut her off assuringly.
"Great, um we're meeting a friend for dinner and thought you could join us?" she asked hopefully.
"Sounds good to me." He said calmly even though his heart was racing at the thought of spending time with her.
"Good! So is eight okay?"
"Eight is fine."
"So it's at a place called Crash on Canal and - "
"I know where it is."
"Okay cool, so see you then?"
"Definitely but 'we' Rory?"
"Excuse me?" she said confused.
"Earlier, you said 'we're meeting a friend'."
"Me and Jess."
Tristan didn't miss the way her voice softened when she said the name.
"Jess?"
"My boyfriend."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"And he doesn't have a problem with me tagging along?"
"Not at all, it was actually his suggestion."
He hadn't expected that.
"Well, then I'm looking forward to meeting him, them, your other friend too."
"Okay see ya later Tristan."
"Bye Rory." He hung up.
Jess, the new boyfriend.
Interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rory's nerves were starting to catch up with her. She hadn't seen Skye since that day she'd come to give Rory a piece of her mind. and she had been very daunting to say the least.
Although they had spoken on the phone subsequent to said event, Rory couldn't help but wander how she would feel seeing her again.
"Ror, you okay?" Jess broke into her thoughts.
"Yeah, no, I don't know." She rambled.
"Which one is it?"
"I don't know." She admitted.
"You don't know as in you don't know which one it is or as in that's the one?"
"As in that's the one." She sighed.
"Talk to me."
"It's stupid really."
"Rory - " Jess said gently.
"I'm nervous." She conceded reluctantly.
"About what?" he asked, puzzlement furrowing his brow.
"Skye, Tristan, everything."
"Okay I understand the unease concerning Tristan but why Skye?"
Rory looked at him, willing him to see what was there without her having to say anything.
"Oh, I get it. You're still worried about the whole confrontation thing aren't you?" he said perceptively.
"Maybe, a little. okay a lot."
"You have nothing to worry about." He said, brushing the hair out of her eyes.
"You think so?"
"I know so." He smiled, "Come on we're gonna be late."
And so Rory let herself be led out the door, but still she couldn't quell the butterflies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were already there when she arrived just before eight. She waved at the bartender but motioned for him not to call out to her.
She took advantage of their obliviousness to watch them, contentment filling her as she saw their happiness, their obvious love for each other.
It made her wander, yearn for what she couldn't have, what she would never have.
She seriously considered high tailing out of there but Jess caught sight of her at her last second of opportunity.
"Skye!" he said happily, getting up from the table.
His attitude was infectious and she found herself grinning from ear to ear as he caught her in a hug.
Skye pulled back, turning to Rory, who hugged her with equal warmth but still she could sense a sort of caution on her part.
"You look great Rory!"
"You too." She said smiling.
Skye caught Jess' grin from the corner of her eye and decided that it wasn't gonna be so bad after all. Things may be a bit weird but that was her problem, not theirs.
They sat down and proceeded to catch up, while waiting for the fourth member of their party.
"So where's this friend of yours?" she asked Rory.
"Oh, he'll be here soon, I hope. I can't wait for both of you two to meet him."
"Should be interesting." Jess drawled.
Skye's phone began ringing, Brandon's name came up on the caller ID, so she got up and looked at them apologetically. "I'm sorry guys I need to take this, will you excuse me please?"
"Of course." Rory said.
She smiled at them, really reluctant to take the call.
She wondered what Brandon wanted this time, she just hoped it wasn't a repeat of their previous conversation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He hadn't missed the frustration that had flitted in her eyes when she saw who was calling.
And not for the first time he wondered what was happening with Skye.
He wasn't accustomed to not knowing what was going on her life, he didn't like the feeling of being left out - not at all.
His attention was grabbed by Rory knocking his ribs, whispering, "He's here."
Jess' eyes skimmed the door and it was quite clear who Tristan was.
He had 'upper class' written all over him. The typical rich little American blue blood.
Blond hair, still growing out of its crew cut, blue eyes, which were at that moment surveying the crowd.
Jess couldn't help thinking he was sizing up his competition.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anticipation filled him the moment he caught sight of her.
She looked amazing, but was there ever a time that she didn't?
"Hi Tristan."
"Hey Rory."
Tristan went to meet her, giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek just to be on the safe side.
Turns out he's made the right choice because then he got a really good look at the guy who was obviously Jess.
"Jess Mariano," she said turning to the guy opposite him, her eyes sparkling, "meet Tristan Dugrey. Tristan, this is Jess."
Tristan shook the hand that Jess Mariano offered and felt the power in the grasp.
This was not someone easily messed with, he almost missed Dean.
"Nice to meet you Jess." he said politely.
"Likewise."
He took a seat.
"So am I gonna be the third wheel or what?"
"No, Skye's already here." Rory answered.
"Skye?"
"Yes, our friend I was telling you about, Ah there she is now."
"So, what'd I miss?" Tristan heard just behind him and his nerve ends started tingling.
He turned around and a gasp escaped her lips.
"You!"
"You - "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC. if you're still interested.
A/N: I borrowed the name Crash from Dark Angel, please don't sue me. I couldn't think of anything else. Okay so I need suggestions on how Skye and Tristan should act round each other - get along; don't like each other at first? Let me know please!
You?
~~~
He still couldn't believe his luck; she was really here in New York with him.
Although not with him, with him but now that she wasn't with bag boy anymore, the possibilities were endless.
He recalled the way she's looked the night before: her hair framing her beautiful face like a halo, her blue eyes glistening.
And suddenly he was transported to another time, to another pair of blue eyes.
Ones filled with enmity and yet at the same time empathy, eyes both cruel and kind - searing your soul.
He felt a shiver run down his spine and mentally shook himself from the images his mind evoked.
He was saved form another mental playback by the phone ringing.
"Hello?"
"Tristan?" a voice asked a bit hesitantly.
"Rory?"
"Yeah, it's me. How are you?"
"I'm good, really good. I was just thinking about you actually." Tristan couldn't explain the pang that ran through him as the words rolled off his tongue.
He wasn't lying. He had been thinking about her before. Before someone else had begun occupying his thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"So, the reason I called - " she continued.
"You don't need a reason to call me Rory." He said glibly.
He was met by a short silence.
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind but for now - "
"Uh-huh?"
"Are you doing anything tonight? I know its kinda short notice."
"I'm free." He cut her off assuringly.
"Great, um we're meeting a friend for dinner and thought you could join us?" she asked hopefully.
"Sounds good to me." He said calmly even though his heart was racing at the thought of spending time with her.
"Good! So is eight okay?"
"Eight is fine."
"So it's at a place called Crash on Canal and - "
"I know where it is."
"Okay cool, so see you then?"
"Definitely but 'we' Rory?"
"Excuse me?" she said confused.
"Earlier, you said 'we're meeting a friend'."
"Me and Jess."
Tristan didn't miss the way her voice softened when she said the name.
"Jess?"
"My boyfriend."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"And he doesn't have a problem with me tagging along?"
"Not at all, it was actually his suggestion."
He hadn't expected that.
"Well, then I'm looking forward to meeting him, them, your other friend too."
"Okay see ya later Tristan."
"Bye Rory." He hung up.
Jess, the new boyfriend.
Interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rory's nerves were starting to catch up with her. She hadn't seen Skye since that day she'd come to give Rory a piece of her mind. and she had been very daunting to say the least.
Although they had spoken on the phone subsequent to said event, Rory couldn't help but wander how she would feel seeing her again.
"Ror, you okay?" Jess broke into her thoughts.
"Yeah, no, I don't know." She rambled.
"Which one is it?"
"I don't know." She admitted.
"You don't know as in you don't know which one it is or as in that's the one?"
"As in that's the one." She sighed.
"Talk to me."
"It's stupid really."
"Rory - " Jess said gently.
"I'm nervous." She conceded reluctantly.
"About what?" he asked, puzzlement furrowing his brow.
"Skye, Tristan, everything."
"Okay I understand the unease concerning Tristan but why Skye?"
Rory looked at him, willing him to see what was there without her having to say anything.
"Oh, I get it. You're still worried about the whole confrontation thing aren't you?" he said perceptively.
"Maybe, a little. okay a lot."
"You have nothing to worry about." He said, brushing the hair out of her eyes.
"You think so?"
"I know so." He smiled, "Come on we're gonna be late."
And so Rory let herself be led out the door, but still she couldn't quell the butterflies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were already there when she arrived just before eight. She waved at the bartender but motioned for him not to call out to her.
She took advantage of their obliviousness to watch them, contentment filling her as she saw their happiness, their obvious love for each other.
It made her wander, yearn for what she couldn't have, what she would never have.
She seriously considered high tailing out of there but Jess caught sight of her at her last second of opportunity.
"Skye!" he said happily, getting up from the table.
His attitude was infectious and she found herself grinning from ear to ear as he caught her in a hug.
Skye pulled back, turning to Rory, who hugged her with equal warmth but still she could sense a sort of caution on her part.
"You look great Rory!"
"You too." She said smiling.
Skye caught Jess' grin from the corner of her eye and decided that it wasn't gonna be so bad after all. Things may be a bit weird but that was her problem, not theirs.
They sat down and proceeded to catch up, while waiting for the fourth member of their party.
"So where's this friend of yours?" she asked Rory.
"Oh, he'll be here soon, I hope. I can't wait for both of you two to meet him."
"Should be interesting." Jess drawled.
Skye's phone began ringing, Brandon's name came up on the caller ID, so she got up and looked at them apologetically. "I'm sorry guys I need to take this, will you excuse me please?"
"Of course." Rory said.
She smiled at them, really reluctant to take the call.
She wondered what Brandon wanted this time, she just hoped it wasn't a repeat of their previous conversation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He hadn't missed the frustration that had flitted in her eyes when she saw who was calling.
And not for the first time he wondered what was happening with Skye.
He wasn't accustomed to not knowing what was going on her life, he didn't like the feeling of being left out - not at all.
His attention was grabbed by Rory knocking his ribs, whispering, "He's here."
Jess' eyes skimmed the door and it was quite clear who Tristan was.
He had 'upper class' written all over him. The typical rich little American blue blood.
Blond hair, still growing out of its crew cut, blue eyes, which were at that moment surveying the crowd.
Jess couldn't help thinking he was sizing up his competition.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anticipation filled him the moment he caught sight of her.
She looked amazing, but was there ever a time that she didn't?
"Hi Tristan."
"Hey Rory."
Tristan went to meet her, giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek just to be on the safe side.
Turns out he's made the right choice because then he got a really good look at the guy who was obviously Jess.
"Jess Mariano," she said turning to the guy opposite him, her eyes sparkling, "meet Tristan Dugrey. Tristan, this is Jess."
Tristan shook the hand that Jess Mariano offered and felt the power in the grasp.
This was not someone easily messed with, he almost missed Dean.
"Nice to meet you Jess." he said politely.
"Likewise."
He took a seat.
"So am I gonna be the third wheel or what?"
"No, Skye's already here." Rory answered.
"Skye?"
"Yes, our friend I was telling you about, Ah there she is now."
"So, what'd I miss?" Tristan heard just behind him and his nerve ends started tingling.
He turned around and a gasp escaped her lips.
"You!"
"You - "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC. if you're still interested.
A/N: I borrowed the name Crash from Dark Angel, please don't sue me. I couldn't think of anything else. Okay so I need suggestions on how Skye and Tristan should act round each other - get along; don't like each other at first? Let me know please!