Chapter 3
A/N: Hey ya'll! Thank you sooo much for your reviews!! Anyways, here's the next chapter!
Rory snuggled into the comfy plush couch next to Tristan. She took a sip of her hot, frothy capicino and licked her lips, which didn't go entirely unnoticed by Tristan. After her self indulgence, she turned happily to Tristan, "So, Tristan, what have you been up to?"
Tristan was mezmorized. If it was even possible, Rory Gilmore looked even better now than she did in high school. She still had her long, silky hair and her piercing blue eyes, but something about her was different, and he couldn't quite place it. Her question stirred him from his thoughts. "Well, as you know, I went to military school. I'm not going to lie to you, it was tough. Very tough, but it taught me something," Tristan said.
"And what would that be?" Rory asked, interested.
"That I actually had to work for what I want," he said, "And what I wanted was to get out of military school as soon as possible. My grades were good from Chilton and I did some extra classes in military school, and managed to graduate early."
"Lucky you," Rory responded.
"Well, you know, military school was all guys, so that alone gave me enough motivation to get out," Tristan said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Rory threw a pillow at him, "Typical Tristan response. I'm surprised you made it out alive."
"Well, Mary, the thought of you kept me going each day," Tristan said, smirking, which earned him an eye roll from Rory.
"So, then what did you do after you graduated?" Rory asked.
"Princeton. Followed in the footsteps of dear old Dad," Tristan said simply.
"So then that makes you a senior now, right?"
"Au contraire, Mary. I also graduated early there," Tristan said.
Rory gazed at him with wide eyes, "No offense, Tristan, but I never pegged you as some sort of genius."
"Well Mary, I have the books and the looks," Tristan said proudly.
Rory snorted.
"What about you, what have you been up to since the last time I saw you?" Tristan asked.
"Well, Paris had to play your part of Romeo when you left, you can only imagine how that went," Rory said.
Tristan looked amused, "How was the kiss?"
"There was no kiss!" Rory laughed, "Don't put those kinds of thoughts in my head!"
"Well," Tristan began, "I wouldn't doubt it. Paris would do anything to get that 'A'."
"It didn't matter anyways. We got the 'A'."
"So, we've covered the first hour that I was gone, tell me more," Tristan inquired.
"Well, I was Vice Class President. Of course, Paris was President," Rory started.
"You and Paris?" Tristan asked incredulously, "What were you, like best friends after I left?"
"Well not best friends, but we were friends," Rory answered.
"I would have thought pigs would fly before I would see the day," Tristan said, chuckling, "So, did you go to Harvard?"
"Actually no," Rory informed, "I got in, but I picked Yale instead."
"I find that hard to believe, from what I remember, you were some kind of Harvard fanatic."
"Well, things change. And plus, I love it here at Yale, and it's much closer to home."
Tristan nodded, "Makes sense." He took a sip of his still scorching coffee. He had been beating around the bush for far too long, and was dying to ask about her love life. "So, Mary, what happened to ole what's his name, Bag Boy I believe?"
She obviously wasn't expecting him to remember, seeing as she practically spit her coffee out. "You mean Dean?" she asked, "I can't believe you remember him."
Of course he did. Dean was the solitary thing that was standing in between Rory and him being together. Well, maybe Dean and his ego. "How could I forget the love of my Mary's life?"
Rory rolled her eyes, "Dean and me dated until the beginning of senior year."
"What, no wedding?" he asked, in mock shock. Rory glared at him so he dropped the sarcasm, "So, then why did you break up?"
"Jess," was her simple response.
"Oh, Mary. Please don't tell me you've crossed over," Tristan said.
"What?" Rory asked, "No. Jess was a guy."
"Good, so then what did he have that Bean didn't?"
Rory laughed, it was very amusing that he wouldn't say Dean's name. Figures, he always had trouble with them. She had actually been having a genuine good time with him. It was nice having to be talking to a familiar face and easily fall into the casual banter.
"Jess was just different. I don't know how to describe it."
"That's nice," Tristan said, "So are you two still together?"
"Gosh, no," Rory answered, "I haven't talked to him since graduation. The last I heard, he moved to California."
"I'm sorry," Tristan sympathized, "So what about now, any guys in your life?"
"Not at the moment," Rory replied, "So what about you, did any ladies last for more than a week?"
"Oh, Rory! You underestimate me. I'll have you know, I did have my share of long term relationships."
"Really?" Rory asked, skeptically.
"Well, only one. We dated in college for 7 months."
"Oh, talk about long term," Rory said, sarcastically.
Tristan shrugged guiltily. He took another sip of his coffee. It had cooled down and was now just the right temperature. Both of them were both silent for a few minutes, in thought about the other. Rory was thinking that Tristan was still the same cocky person, but he was also very fun to talk to, and she enjoyed his company. Maybe, if she gave him a chance in high school, things would have turned out differently. And Tristan, he was thinking about how lucky he was that he got to see her again. Of all the coffee shops, he was fortunate enough to run into her.
"So," Rory said, breaking the silence, "You were really great up there. I was really impressed with your songs."
"Thanks," Tristan said, somewhat bashfully.
"Why Tristan," Rory gasped, "It looks like you're blushing."
"No, I just happen to get red from time to time," Tristan retorted playfully. (A/N: I got that line from the movie, My Boss's Daughter, so if it looked familiar, that's where it was from!)
"But really, you were amazing up there," Rory said.
"It's nice to be able to play here. It's incredibly soothing," Tristan said, "I mean, playing with my band, the atmosphere is so much different, more fast paced, but still fun none the less."
"You have a band?" Rory asked.
"Yeah," Tristan said.
"What's the name of it?"
"Carpe Diem," Tristan answered, "Which is Latin for-"
"Seize the day," Rory finished, "Yeah, Kirk got that tattooed on his leg. His mom was really, REALLY mad," Rory laughed at the silly memory.
"Kirk?" Tristan asked.
"A crazy man from my town," Rory said.
"Gotcha." The two shared a warm smile.
"Rory!" Lane called, "Are you ready to go?"
"Lane," Rory said, somewhat disappointed, "Umm… yeah, just about."
"Leaving so soon?" Tristan asked, disappointed also that the evening was coming to a close.
"Actually, you all will be leaving," everyone turned to Jack, "Sorry, guys, I'm not trying to kick you out, but we're closing."
"Geez, it's already 11," Rory stated.
"See, Mary? Time does fly when you're having fun," Tristan said, playfully.
"Whatever, Tristan," Rory said laughing.
"Hey, Rory," Tristan asked timidly, "Do you maybe want to hang out some other time?"
"Sure," Rory answered without hesitation.
"Great," Tristan said, handing her his cell, "Just record your number here."
Rory put in her number and gave the phone back to Tristan. "Well, I surprisingly had fun tonight, see you around, Tristan."
"That, Ms. Mary, you can definitely count on," Tristan said.
Rory rolled her eyes and left.
A/N: WHOA!! That was a long chapter!! Anyways, please review, review, review!