Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

A/N: I would like to thank everyone who reviewed.  Then I would like to apologize for two things: First, for taking so long to add this chapter, but my trip got a lot longer that expected.  And second, I don't know if anyone if you noticed, but I pulled a Dean. . .  Drew doesn't have a last name.  So, for writing porpoises we are going to pretend that Drew's full name is going to be Andrew Hughes.  Again I am really sorry, but I didn't notice this fact until I was half through this chapter.

Every Time There's a Concert

Chapter 14: Shifts and Turns

Life goes on.  That's a famous phrase.  Everyone uses it at least once. . . once a day, once a week, once a month. . . it pretty much depends on the life philosophy of the person who is using it.  But, nonetheless, is a famous phrase because it pretty much applies to every occurrence in a person's life, whether it's a good or a bad one.

Well, when a person is in a relationship. . . yeah, you guessed it!! LIFE GOES ON.  It's a famous quote because it inevitably signifies that time stops for no one and you have to learn to live with the metaphorical "lemons" that life gives you, the difference lies in how you make the lemonade.

The day was only beginning when Tristan and Rory received Lorelai's phone call; and after that experience Rory and Tristan had to get to their lives.  So let's start with what happened with Tristan that day:

Tristan left Rory's apartment building to go to a very important reunion at the office in Hartford.  Drew and Tristan where meeting some exec from a magazine that was re-doing their layout and they had been chosen to do such a task.  It was a real big thing because they where competing with another two companies, and if they liked their work they would also get the job (and in their case a really big opportunity) to do the web-page's new layout, too.  So you can imagine how excited and, thoroughly, stressed they where.

Add to Tristan's load of preoccupation, the fact that his girlfriend was at the moment discussing her sex life, which inevitably included him, with her mother. . . and you have a very dangerous mix.  Of course it was Lorelai, which was one really cool person in his book, but come on! How cool can a mom actually be about her one and only daughter's sex life? Which if you asked him, wasn't much of a sex life if it only happened once. . . but that one time would hold him for ever. . . well maybe not, but still. . .

DuGrey & Hughes Desing Firm was a very comfortable office, with very modern décor.  They had finally decided that Hartford was a good choice to set the office, since all the major industries that may require their services where in Hartford.  But Hartford was also a short drive from New Haven and that would make it just good enough.  They wouldn't have to move, they were too fond of their respective apartments, their girlfriends where leaving in New Haven.  So they decided on the very strategic point in Hartford where everyone would find them that would also provide a nearness to their respective lives in New Haven. 

The design inside the office was very avant-garde.  The offices where only divided by glass.  So you can imagine that if you wanted to look into an office, you could.  So as Tristan was having a monologue inside his head that could give Ayn Rand a run for her money, he was gesturing with his hands, and rolling his eyes, go deep in thought and back again, almost pull his hair, and everything else. . . and Vicky, their assistant, was having a great time looking at one of her bosses almost going insane.

Vicky was a 60-year young woman, who had started working with them upon recommendation of Tristan's father, she had worked with the older DuGrey for years, and Mr. DuGrey thought that maybe she would help organize his sons' firm. . . but when she got there both men had everything under control, but they still kept her, because Tristan knew her and was very fond of her, since she had been the one assistant his father had who was nice to him because she wanted to and not because he was the boss' son.

So, anyway, Vicky turned out to be a very important link in the chain.  And after enjoying watching Tristan beat himself up, she finally decided to come in to his office.

"Sorry to interrupt this thing you have going on here, but it's almost 11:30 and Drew and you have to go set up"

At this moment Tristan glanced at his watch and discovered that Vicky was right. . . that it was almost time.

"Vicky, what would we do without you?" he said as he got up from his chair, and started to pull folders and papers together so he could get back to them after the meeting.

"I am indispensable in this place" she said as she glanced around his office.

"And on that humble note. . . maybe next time you could tell me about my meetings with a little more time"

"Tristan, honey, go electronic and let me be" she joked and looked at her agenda.

"If I went electronic you would be of no help to me. . ."

"OK, let me rephrase that. . . twenty minutes before a meeting OK for you?"

"Make it 30, please"

"Got it", she said, and started to leave.

"Um, Vicky?"

"Yeah" she said as she turned to look at him again.

"Could you tell me the name of the exec who's coming?"

"Sure" she said as she looked at her schedule and located the 11:30 appointment "Daniel Montgomery"

"OK, Thanks"

And he walked away.  At this Vicky couldn't help but think and say out loud, to herself (she thought) "If he were only 40 years older. . ." but then she added it up and said again "he would probably still be to young for me I believe. . . they didn't use to make them like that when I was their age"

Just as she was saying that Drew was standing behind her and heard everything she said and teased her mercilessly (as he usually did).

"I always liked them older than me"

"Andrew!! You scared me half to death. . . you cannot keep doing that to a person my age. . . and besides, you couldn't stand being with me"

"Oh, if you only gave me a chance, Vicky"

"You boys are driving me crazy. . . go to work Andrew and see what's wrong with your friend.  His been beating himself up all morning about something"

"Sure. . . Um, Vicky?"

"Daniel Montgomery"

"And you wonder why I love you?"

"Go to work, Andrew!!"

Drew just smiled at the order he had been given and went on his way towards the meeting room where Tristan was beginning to set up.

"You know, if you keep giving Vicky so much grief, she will either quit or take you up on your offer of running away together, and to be honest, I am not looking forward to either one of those options."  Tristan stated as his friend walked into the meeting room.

"How did you. . ."

"The divisions in this office are made of glass, believe me when I tell you that you don't need x-ray vision to see through them"

"But it's so fun to tease her that way"

"Just do me a favor and do it sporadically; she is older than we are and deserves our respect"

"I will, I promise. . . So, you nervous?"

"Yeah, you know. . .?" he said as he stopped setting up and pocketed his left hand "you would think that with time it would've gotten easier, but it hasn't."

"I know, I'm a little relieved, you know? I thought I was the only one. . ." he said as they started to set up again "hey man, are you all right?"

"Yeah" was Tristan hesitant response, "Why?"

"Well Vicky told me that you have been beating yourself up about something the whole morning and I wondered if it was something that you wanted to get out of your head."

"How did sh. .. ? Glass divisions, again.  I knew we should have gone with the other design that we had as an option. . ."

"So, is it something that you need help with?"

"Not really, it's just something between Rory and me, and I would rather keep it that way"

"Got it. . ." Drew said, but then added "Are you guys all right? I mean, you're not fighting or anything are you?"

"No, we're fine.  We've been fine.  But it's just some things that we have to deal with, ourselves.  Nothing major, don't get any ideas, but it is couple related." He finished.  But the added  "Thanks for your concern."

At the time the boys where talking inside the meeting room and after Vicky had returned to the reception desk, she heard the door open.  In walked in a tall, blond hair, woman in a black beautiful two-piece suit and stiletto shoes.

"Hi, I'm here to see Mr. DuGrey and Mr. Hughes.  I have an appointment at 11:30"

"Sure, was Mr. Montgomery unable to make it?"

"Oh, no.  There is probably a mistake, my name is Danielle Montgomery"

"Oh, of course… I am so sorry Miss Montgomery." Vicky said as she realized the misunderstanding.

"It's OK, it is a common mistake. . . I'm actually use to it by now"

"Well, I still apologize. . . They are expecting you.  Let me walk you to the meeting room for the presentation that they have set up for you" Vicky said as she started to get up and walk in the direction towards the room.

"Thank you"

"May I offer you something to drink?"

"Yes, actually, a glass of water would be fine"

"OK, this is it. . ." and Vicky opened the door for both of them and announced Miss Montgomery to the guys "This is Miss Montgomery, not Mr. Montgomery as it was expected", and then proceeded to pour a glass of water and placed it in front of her at the meeting table.

At the mention of a female name, both men straightened up.  Somehow it was always a little difficult to do a presentation to a Woman Executive, since they where a little more preoccupied with details than, they have come to find out, most of the time went over their heads.  Still, this did not mean that they didn't get thru with them with flying colors, but they had to accept that women where better at details than men. . . in every aspect.

Miss Montgomery was very surprised to see both men.  They were so young, so creative (from what little she could tell). . . and extremely sexy.  Especially Tristan.  She was not that much older that they where, she couldn't have been over 4 or 5 years older than they where.

The men introduced themselves as she stepped closer to them.

"Hello Miss Montgomery, my name is Tristan DuGrey and this is my partner Andrew Hughes", he said as he extended and shook Danielle's hand.

"Nice to meet you Miss Montgomery" Drew added as he extended his own hand to greet the client.

"We are extremely sorry for the misunderstanding" Tristan added.

"It's OK. . . as I told your assistant, it is a common mistake" and she held her sight to Tristan's making him shift slightly.

"So, let's carry on with the presentation, shall we?" Drew said to brake the awkward moment. 

And with this Tristan started the pitch, as it had always been set up to do.  They had a very structured way to do their presentations so that they would both speak the same amount of time, so that the presentation was well balanced.  Drew had always been the most creative one of the two, and Tristan had a natural talent for the finances, maybe from all the family businesses that he had been hearing talk about since he could remember.  But this did not mean that couldn't do the creative pitch or vice versa.  They both could do both things, they just thought that doing it that way it would be less confusing for the client.

But while they where pitching the idea to Danielle, the exec, you could say her mind was somewhere else. . . in the gutter, maybe.  She was totally impressed by Tristan, she couldn't take her eyes off of him.  A hard task to many women in his lifetime.  But for the first time, this advances towards him made him a little uncomfortable.  Even when Drew was doing his part, she would partially pay attention to what he was saying, and then her eyes would wonder off to where Tristan was.  He could actually feel the way she glanced at him every few seconds.  That kind of attention is always nice for a man, but somehow he couldn't find it in himself to enjoy that feeling, that self-assurement that sometime people get when they are being admired.  And when the time came to ask questions, she didn't ask any and instead gave them the job immediately.

"So, Miss Montgomery" Drew said as he finished the last part of the presentation, "this concludes our presentation to you.  Do you have any questions or comments on this?"

"No, actually it is all pretty clear for me.  I do believe that out of the three agencies that pitched their ideas to me, yours has been the best."

"Thank you" they both said.

"That being said, I believe gentleman that the job is yours.  The people at the magazine will contact you to work out the details."

"Great, we will expecting the company's call"

"It was nice meeting you, gentleman" she said and extended her hand to them, shaking Drew's first, and then Tristan's lingering  a little in this one and staring him right in the eye, with a look that he could actually feel his clothes ripping of from him.

"Same here", Drew said, since Tristan was a little distracted.

And with this she walked out.  But it wouldn't be the last time she will see them.  It wouldn't be the last time that she would see Tristan if she had anything to do with that.  And she will.

When she walked out of the meeting room, Tristan expelled a sigh he didn't know he was holding.  And Drew looked at him a little confused.

"What's wrong with you? Never would I have thought that I would live to see the day that Tristan DuGrey would loose his cool around a woman"

"I have no idea. . . but there was something about her that just rubbed me the wrong way"

"The way she was looking at you, rubbing you any way would have sufficed for her."

"Ja. . . Ja. . . funny man!"

"Well it's true. . . I guess you could say that she was having thoughts of an impure nature of you. . ."

"Yeah, it was very distasteful"

"Distasteful? Are you listening to yourself? You are so offended by that.  Did you see her? I mean, she is absolutely gorgeous.  Really DuGrey, what is up with you? I remember a time when a girl will throw lustful looks at you and you would jump her as a feline attacking it's prey."

"Times have changed.  I've changed.  And I cannot longer do that and you know the reason why.  And while I don't deny that she is gorgeous. . . I can't deny either that  there was something about her. . ."

"Stop with the 'something about her' line.  May I remind you, my dear friend, that you are only married to Rory in your head.  I am not telling you to go and pursue that woman, but there is no harm in her looking at you the way she did.  Do you think guys don't check out Rory when they see her.  They do.  I've seen them. ."

"Dude, come on! That's my girlfriend you are talking about"

"Yeah, and a hot one you have.  And from what I've been told you are pretty hot yourself, although where they see that is beyond me, but I've known girls that have done pretty much anything for your attention.  I guess this is just the first time that a girl gives us an account because of your looks and hoping to get into your pants"

"Yeah, maybe I'm, overreacting a little. . ."

"A little? You are overreacting, period. . ."

"Well I hope you are right."

"I am.  Trust me"

"She just seems familiar to me. . . did she seem familiar to you?"

"A girl that hot? Trust me, I wouldn't forget her."

But somehow Tristan couldn't let it go.  There was something about Danielle Montgomery that made him think that he might have known her at some point in his life.  And apparently it wasn't a good memory if he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

But while the guys had this small conversation in the safe confines of the meeting room, Mrs. Montgomery was on her way out and stopped for a minute to ask Vicki a couple of questions.  But mainly one, which was the most important.

"Excuse me, I was wondering.  They're friends right?"

"Yes m'am, best friends actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah, they went together to school and onto college afterwards"

"They both graduated Chilton?"

"Um, no. . ." but Vicky was starting to get a little uncomfortable with the questions "Military School. . . how did you. ."

"Oh, my! Look at the time. . .I have another meeting to get to, thanks." And with this she ran out of the office and towards the elevator.

And Vicky hadn't been able to ask her why she knew about Chilton, or if any of them went there for that matter.  Apparently, there was something about her that just rubbed her the wrong way, also.

Yale's Main Campus – Same Day

After Rory's conversation with Lorelai, she had to attend her afternoon classes.  An absence or even a tardy could not be explained by "I had a sex-talk with my mom", so she decided to grab lunch at school, something to hold her over until she had time to have an actual meal, and attend to her classes in her scheduled manner.

She decided to go for a vending machine located in the building where her first class was being held.  She picked a bag of Doritos and a bag of Ruffles and a twinkie, and then she went to the soda machine and picked there also.  She decided on sitting in one of the benches that where near the bending machines, and proceeded then to do as she did in high school.  With her lunch in front of her, she pulled out a book and her headphones and started to read.  Somehow, even if she had school material to read at this time, she always decided on one of her literary pieces that usually helped her relax and enjoy her meals.

Sitting near by, were a group of guys talking animatedly.  One of the guys, a very handsome guy, noticed Rory when she was sitting down in the bench and left his group of friend sitting were they where.  But Rory didn't actually notice him until he came near her and spoke to her.  This guy was at least 6 feet tall, dark hair and white skin, sharp features, nicely built.  But what caught her attention were his beautiful, beautiful eyes.  He had the most weird shade of green eyes, had really long eye-lashes, that where naturally curled a bit at the end.  This just made the contrast so much more impressive.

As he was trying to talk to her, and after openly gawking at him, Rory finally reacted and took of her head-phones.  "I'm sorry, I couldn't listen to anything you were saying" she stated a little embarrassed of her staring and for taking to long to react.  "I was trying to see if my lip reading abilities where still sharp, and. . . they. . . aren't. . . I'm sorry, you were saying?"

"That's okay.  I don't think that qualifies as a balanced meal"

"Well, I grew up on unbalanced meal. . . I pretty much had my own food pyramid"

"You are in my economics class, right?"

"I. . . wouldn't know. . . it's a really large crowd, and it's hard for me to recognize people. . . but I have Mr. Sheridan if that's a hint at all"

"Yeah, I that's him"

"I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. . . I'm. . ." but she was cut off mid-sentence.

"Lorelai Gilmore, right?"

"Yeah. . . how did y. . .?"

"You always sit on the same spot in class, and it is really hard to forget when you are apparently the only one who understands what he is talking about."

"Oh, well yeah, that's me" she answered a little embarrassed at his qualification "but you can call me Rory"

"Nice to meet you Rory" he said as he extended his hand "I'm Alex Johannson" he added and they shook hands.  "Do you mind if I sit with you for a moment?"

"Oh. . . um. . . no, of course not, sit down" she answered.

"So tell me Rory Gilmore, how come a pretty girl like you is sitting all alone here?"

"Um, well. . . I was waiting for class to start, and wanted a place to sit while I had 'lunch'" she said using air-quotes and then lowering her hands awkwardly.  She wasn't the air-quotes kind of girl, albeit Lorelai always told her to use them to refer to certain activities that she assumed where going on while pretending to do otherwise.  "What about you?"

"Pretty much the same too. . . it's just that class at 2 o'clock does not make sense, does it?"

"No, it doesn't. . ." she said a little to eagerly "because it's not really like lunch time is over by 2"

"Exactly" he said as he grinned "I feel the same way"

"Sometimes, people are still having lunch at 2, and some of them are starting to have lunch at 2"

"I know. . .but then again maybe this people are scheduling classes at 2, because they are the kind of people that have lunch at 12:30"

"Yes, but only because they go to bed at 6" she quipped.

"My thoughts exactly. . . so what where you reading before I rudely interrupted you?" he said as he motioned with his head towards the book.

"Utopia. . ."

"Wow, I remember I read that for philosophy. . . is that why you are reading it?"

"Nope, just for the pleasure of it."

"OK, so you read for the pleasure of it, you understand economics like no one I've ever met, you are always on time for class, get really good grades. . . is there something else to you?"

"There are so many layers of me that you might probably get bored" she stated, trying to control her blushing face, and failing at it.  And in a way, was she flirting? Was that an open invitation for him to get to know her? What was she doing?

"Doubtful" he answered.  Apparently he saw it as an invitation.

"Look at the time, I really should get going, I don't want to be late" she said as she got her stuff together and got rid of the trash.

"Of course not, so why don't I go with you? I have that class too.  That's how this conversation got started."

"Yeah, but you see. . . I had this whole can of some caffeinated beverage that is urging to get out of me, so I have to make a quick stop and. . . you know. . . and then I am heading for class."

"I can wait for you outside. . . hold your stuff. . ."

"We have hangers in there. . . so"

"You know it is not safe to hang things of those hangers. . . I saw on TV, how this girl was. . . you know. . . and all of a sudden, out of nowhere came this hand and grabbed her purse. . . I am just trying to save you from harm." He finished.

"That's OK. . . um, I'm sorry, I don't want to be rude, but I really have to get going" and with that she started walking away, living him behind.

"This is not the last time we are going to meet. . . I promise Rory Gilmore" he said, more to himself that to anyone else.

When his group of friends saw that the girl Alex was talking to had left, they got up and went to meet him. 

"Is that smoke I smell?" One of his friends asked.

"Funny"

"I think it is. . ." another friend added "it seemed to me that you've just crashed and burn, my friend"

"Trust me, there's still plenty to be said about that. . ."

"Are you sure, because it just didn't seem that way to me from where I was standing"

"Yeah, and what did you see? Enlighten me" Alex asked as they started walking towards class.

"Well, you see.  I saw this girl that was only being polite to you as you encountered her, and then left you hangin'."

"She's a complex girl"

"He states as he realizes that he has no chance in hell with the girl" another one added.

"Would you guys shut up about it. . ."

"What? Don't you enjoy when your friends point to your mistakes?" He said as they point towards Rory going into the class room.

"Dude, come on. . . you are trying to make waves where there is no place for surfing"

"What. . .? What did that mean?" Alex asked very confussed.

"I think what our friend here is trying to say is, that there is no chance in hell that that girl is available"

"Well. . . we'll just have to wait and see won't we.  If she is not available I will make sure that she becomes available."  He said as if he had been presented with a challenge. 

A.N.#2: I am so completely sorry for taking this long to update.  Many things contributed to this factor, especially since I was leaving my home country for 2 weeks and ended up staying for 3 months.  It is not that there weren't any computers available where I was, its just that I had left everything started here, at home.  I am sorry also, because I have a hunch that this has not been the best chapter I've presented you lately, but I promise that things are going to get better.  Tell me your opinion on the new characters, because that would be really helpful.  Enjoy!

Mary