Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except London, Circe, and Sundae

Recap: "What have I gotten myself into now?"

********************************************************************************************************

            "You have gotten yourself into an afternoon of burgers, French fries, and grease, lots of grease. It's going to be fun, don't worry. I'll be here to keep you company. Aren't you lucky!" Rory said sarcastically. "We are going to have so much fun. If the diner crowd gets slow, we can paint our toe nails and tell stories." At the horrified look on Tristan's face, Rory laughed. This guy is too easy to scare, it's great. He's like my own personal toy! He is just plain entertainment. Mom'll have a field day with this one. I wonder how fast she can scare him back to New York? Oh, now I'm being mean. But it's just so fun.

            "Can I take a rain check on the grease?"

            "You wish…hey, I am surprised that you didn't comment on the nail polish thing, unless of course you like having your nails all pretty. I should have known, you like to be pretty. I bet you do facials too. Yep, I sure have pegged you. I think you and Taylor would get along great. Ok, ok, enough teasing. You know if you keep your face like that for long enough, it's gonna freeze like that. Then you'd scare away all the pretty ladies and be wasting all that money you spend on beautifying yourself."

            "I'm done with the faces whenever you are done making fun of me. I hope you can take it as much as you dish it, cuz you are going to be in for an interesting afternoon if you can't. Well, the afternoon will be interesting regardless, simply because you will be in my presence. So be prepared Rory Gilmore."

            "Yeah, yeah, I am so scared. See me, I'm shaking. Wait, I am shaking. This isn't good…" She looked down at her hands in disgust. "They are rebelling against me! Oh wait, it's just the caffeine in my system. It all makes sense now. Yeah, yeah, don't look at me like that. I am completely sane. You can ask anyone, except my mother because she's mad at me for taking away her coffee. Oh yeah, don't ask Paris or Jess either, they have jaded views of me. Speaking of which, I wonder how their date is going. Isn't this so exciting!? Three dates in two days, it's a whirlwind courtship. Maybe we'll hear wedding bells in the near future. Wait, we already will, mine, but we could hear theirs too. So what did Paris tell you about her date last night?"

            "Does enough oxygen get to your brain when you speak so much? I swear I didn't see you breathe once and you weren't talking allfastlikethis…Wow, see and after that I'm winded. And I run! This makes no sense. How can…it just doesn't…but you…I'm just not even going to try right now. Maybe tonight when I can't sleep because I can hear you in my head talking a whole lot will I then try to understand you. Until then I will smile and nod and be the dumb blonde. Hmmm, the date. She didn't tell me too much about it. I was trying to be the girlfriend and be all girlie but she wouldn't tell me much. There was a knock at the door, some kama sutra comment, I think, it did sound like she said that but then again she can talk even faster than you can. Then there was food and lots of banter."

            "You didn't hear about the kissing?"

            Tristan jumped up and down pretending to be as excited as Rory was, "NO! There was a kiss?!"

            "Totally. They both went for the pasta and BAM! Not the Emeril BAM but a kiss and fireworks bam. Hmm, I think I might want to make Macaroni and Cheese right now. Not the regular kind but the down south version," Rory said in a southern accent.

            "Ahh, I see why. You wanna make Mac and Cheese because of the Emeril reference. He has the best recipe for southern Mac and Cheese."

            "No…you…no…how…it…no…" Rory couldn't speak and was moving her hands between Tristan and herself trying to digest what just happened. "You have known me for an hour or so and you understand my thought process? I don't get it. Maybe this is a dream, because London still doesn't understand me. Hell, Jess can't even do that. How could you."

            "I don't know, it seemed very logical at the time. What's the big deal?" He pauses to think about it. "Yeah I guess it's something. Damn I'm good. And if this was your dream and I was in it…hmmm that's and interesting thought. So, in this said dream, am I lacking clothing when I said this?"

            Rory turns bright red and stutters, "You are a funny man aren't ya? Funny funny. But alas, we have a customer, actually, you have a customer, go work your magic T-man!" She pushed him off towards Ms. Patty and Babette who were walking in for the second time that afternoon. They had overheard Rory and Tristan's conversation about him working there that afternoon and Patty wanted to get to know him a little better. Babette was there to be a buffer so Patty wouldn't scare the boy out of town like she was wont to do.

            Tristan walks up to the two ladies who sat at their regular table. "Hello ladies. My name is Tristan and I am lucky to be serving you today." At Patty's delighted face, Tristan quickly smiled, fully showing his teeth in a genuine smile.

            "Well I am Patty, my dear, and this is my darling friend Babette." At the mention of her name, Babette said, 'yes doll, that's me.'

            "What can I get for you two lovely women today?"

            "How about you…" Patty started but Babette interrupted her.

            "…You tell us your specials."

            "Luke's doesn't have any specials, what are you talking about? I was going to say how much I would like to have a piece of…"

            "I have decided what I want…I think I am going to have some orange juice and coffee."

            "Why do you keep interrupting me? I just want to get to know Tristan a little bit better. I won't ask anything embarrassing don't worry. So, Tristan, tell us about yourself."

            Laughing, he answered, "Well, I mainly live in New York City and I am here on vacation for a month or so."

            "Go on."

            "I will but let me get you all your drinks first. What would you like Patty?"

            "How about I just have grapefruit juice."

            "Oh and before I get the coffee Babette, do you want milk in it?" She nodded and he replied, "Good, then you will really like the surprise I have in store for you."

            After he leaves the table the women erupt into a fit of giggles. Babette is the first to recover. "How cute is he? Can I keep him? I don't think Morty would mind very much. So sweet. Too bad Rory has already got a man or else we could get her with this one. I swear, he is a definite keeper."

            "I think I'm in love. This young man is so…damn…I can't even begin how to describe him. He is better than a warm brownie sundae. Even with a cherry on top. Yeah I know, he's that good," she said as Babette nodded emphatically.

            "Wait, sweetie, we gotta hush, he's coming over right now. Now this time, let's get more information out of him."

            "Here you go ladies. Your juices are superb because I just tasted them and I am in love. Rory really knows how to do the freshly squeezing thing." At that comment the two women looked at each other thinking, squeeze, well you know what I wanna squeeze, YUM! "And Babette, here is a coffee I made especially for you. I really hope you like it." He stood in front of her looking expectantly as she took her first sip.

            "Doll that was heaven in a mug. I never knew coffee could taste so, so, ahh you are too young to hear those words." Tristan's eyes widened and he looked away embarrassed.

            Clearing his throat he asked, "What would you two like for, lunch?"

            "Just tell Rory that we'll have our regulars. She knows what they are. I'll be right back hun. I have to call my Morty. Don't scary the boy Patty." Babette gets up and walks out, since Luke's didn't allow cell phone usage inside.

"So, Tristan, what do you do for a living?" Patty asked.

            "I write for the New York Times."

            "I read that everyday. There is this one writer who I absolutely love to hate. But I always have to read his article whenever he writes. You might know him. His name is…T. DuGrey."

            "You are looking at him." He says in a conspirator's voice, leaning in towards the table, "The T stands for Tristan."

            "You are him! I have to tell Babette when she gets back. She reads your article religiously. We talk about it all the time."

            "I am glad that you two are so interested in what I have to say, I am flattered."

"Oh here she comes. Babs, guess what? Tristan works for New York Times! He is The T. DuGrey." At that Babette looks at him, grabs her orange juice that was conveniently placed in her hand by Patty and throws it in his face. Patty, who was awaiting for this reaction had an evil gleam in her eyes. She knew that Babette would react in this way because Babette hated the way Tristan portrayed women. Patty just wanted to see a soaked Tristan and hoped that he would take off his shirt in front of her. Then she could die a happy woman.

"What?" Trying to keep some face Tristan begged off. "Excuse me while I go place your orders." He briskly walked behind the counter and pushed open the door that led to the kitchen.

Babette who seemed to have recovered herself was astonished. "What did I just do? I can't believe I threw my drink on that poor young man. Patty! You planned this. I know it. You knew how I would react to this news and you just supplied me with ammo. I feel so bad. But he did look really good in that wet tee-shirt. Too bad he didn't take it off right here.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen Rory was laughing at Tristan take on the story. "They come in here every Sunday and debate over your article, it is the funniest thing ever. Babette gets so into the conversation. She is so passionate. And she threw her orange juice at you." Tristan was slowly removing his now wet shirt that was plastered onto his body. Rory was not blind to the view but hid her reaction much better than Babette and especially Patty did. When he pulled the shirt off of his body, Rory wasn't looking, but rather was paying attention to the burger she was frying on the grill. She turned back around to tell Tristan where he could find spare shirts and she froze, dropping her spatula onto the grill, causing grease to fly up into the air. Grease splattered onto her chest area and she jumped back, yelping in surprise that the pain was so strong.

"Rory are you ok? Did you burn yourself?"

"Unfortunately, yes I did. It's so hot back here that the spatula just slipped out of my hand." She tried to walk away but when she turned her neck, flames of pain shot through her body, radiating from the grease induced injury. She again let out a yelp.

"You come with me. Do not move your neck at all and tell me where the first aid kit is quickly. Oil burns are the worst and most painful so we have to take care of you now. What's the name of that other cook?"

"Caesar. The kit is upstairs, see the stairs straight ahead and to the left? That's where I'm going. I don't need your help, I'm fine."

Tristan yelled over his shoulder as he escorted Rory upstairs, "Caesar? Can you take care of the kitchen while I fix Rory's little injury? Thanks." He turned to Rory. "Do you know how to doctor a grease burn," when she nodded no he continued, "that's why I am coming with you because I know how to treat it." Rory stumbled as Tristan led her up the stairs but he caught her before she would turn her neck and aggravate the burn even more. Her hand subconsciously reached to grab onto anything that would catch her fall and that happened to be a very solid and unclothed upper arm belonging to the man holding her up. They had both forgotten his state of undress, well Rory would have liked to have forgotten it, so instead, she just focused on her pain instead, because that was straight forward and demanding her attention. Tristan's torso would just have to wait, yeah like she could get her mind off of it, sure. This was the first of many times to come that she would accidentally forget about the man who's ring she was wearing on her left hand, because of Tristan.

Author's Stuff: It's been a year and a day since I have written. I wish this chapter could be longer but I just didn't want to get into something and besides, I want to play with the doctor scene a little bit. It needed build-up, thus the pseudo cliff hanger. Tell me what you all think I would love to hear it. I get lonely. I love to hear what people think because creative writing is my passion and I want to see if audiences are perceptive to my style of writing or not. Thanks. OH! The next chapter might be up real soon, like within the next couple of days because I have a HUGE gov't paper due next week and I am a procrastinator so I might write another chapter before I do the paper. I know I am such a bad influence. Don't follow my example, I never did until junior year in high school. But now I'm a 2nd semester senior and I don't care! WOOHOOO. Review please! Thanks.