Rory sat there dumbfounded. What had just happened? Had she said something to insult him?
Running her mind over the past few minutes of conversation it became clear that she had not said anything to warrant that kind of reaction from him.
Looking over her shoulder she watched as her mother and the group of people with her sat around a large round table. He had left after they had walked in. Maybe he knew one of them. Maybe one was a cop and he was a murderer and then...she shook her head, reeling in her imagination. Although it would make some sort of sense. He did seem kind of...not right. Like he was hiding something. It was beyond obvious.
But that still gave him no right to just leave her there.
No right at all.
How rude.
She stared at her empty plate - feeling slightly dejected and kind of hungry - debating whether to go after him and force him to tell her what was up. But she didn't know him well enough to force out any admissions of deep, dark secrets. Then again, if he was dangerous she would be doing society a favour.
Maybe she should call the police.
Luckily, her inner turmoil was solved when a hand reached for hers and pulled her up.
She gasped in shock and turned to see who was manhandling her across the room.
It was Tristan.
"Come crawling back have you?"
He just gave her a look and continued to steer her toward the gardens.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So what was that?" she asked as they stood outside.
"What was what?"
"That hasty escape...retreat...exit." She admonished herself for making it sound like he actually was a criminal. Best not to make him suspicious. Try and not lead on that she knew he was a psycho axe murderer.
A psycho axe murderer?!
Crap, she had to get back inside. This was dangerous. She was about ten seconds away from getting chopped up into little-- although he didn't appear to have an axe on him. Or any sharp materials. Although she suspected his shirt was Armani, and it looked like a VERY nice material. She slapped her hand down as it took on a life of its own and inched forward to touch said material.
No bodily contact. It could be fatal. Oh but he's so gorgeous. No! He is NOT gorgeous.
"It wasn't a hasty escape retreat exit. It was just a calm leaving of a room for fresh air."
"Geez you must have been suffocating in there, and that is what you classify as calm? " She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Well...it was really stuffy in there."
"The air conditioner was on full blast."
He remained silent.
"Is something wrong?" she took in his profile. The tense, strong jaw line, his full lips, cute oddly shaped nose, and the fuzzy funky hair. It looked so soft.
He glanced at her quickly, before shaking his head. "No it's just nice out here. I mean, did you really want to sit inside on such a nice night?" He gestured toward the garden which splayed out before them, lit by little twinkling lights every few feet. The air was warm and the sky was the kind of inky blue that only lasts a few minutes before night falls. She mentally reminded herself to compliment the gardener on the wonderful job he had done. The flowers and bushes surrounding the pool looked colourful and lively, but somehow stopped before exceeding the line of tackiness.
She nodded her agreement and smiled. "Yeah, but I was hungry," she pouted playfully, scowling at him.
He turned, gazing at her seriously, "really?"
She nodded absent mindedly, losing herself in his sparkling blue eyes.
"We can go somewhere else."
"Or we could just go back inside." She smiled slightly.
"No, let's go somewhere else."
Again he grabbed her hand, leading her around the inn and to the front where he stopped. "Uh...why don't you pick the place?"
She laughed at his attempt to cover for not knowing where he was. "Come on. This way."
They walked down the road silently, both mindful that they were still holding hands.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It wasn't Luke's that was for damn sure.
The place didn't serve coffee.
Coffee!
What kind of respectable establishment doesn't serve coffee?
Tristan watched in amusement as Rory's face contorted from disbelief, to shock, back to disbelief, anger and then finally settled on sadness at the news.
"We could go somewhere else."
She shook her head, willing the tears back. "No, no. I'll just get some tea."
Lorelai would be so disappointed. What if she disowns me? Oh my god! What will I do? Where will I go? Lane's mom would never let me stay with them, I would corrupt Lane into my wayward life of drugs, gambling and prostitution. Luke? Maybe for a while. My grandparents? Hmm, maybe we should go find another place to eat.
"We do offer hot chocolate," the waitress spoke up, sensing the young girls distress.
"Oh thank god! Two cups please." She sighed in relief and waited for Tristan to place his order.
As soon as they were left alone, the mandatory awkward silence followed. It seemed to be the theme of their day.
Not being able to take it any longer, Rory spoke, "so how is North Carolina this time of year?"
"What?"
North Carolina?" she prompted, "where you're from...how is it?"
"Oh. Oh! Right...it's...hot."
"In the summer? You're kidding," she deadpanned.
"Sorry, it's just there isn't really anything there. Just...North Carolina..." he trailed off, desperately wanting to change the subject. "So, you like books?"
Her eyes visibly brightened "I love books. I've been reading since I was two. Of course, I couldn't really read so I just looked at the pictures in mom's Cosmopolitan collection. But when I was three, my mom started buying me actual books and I've been reading ever since. How about you?"
"Well I can honestly say my love for books is no where in the same ball park as yours. I read about a book every few months." He smiled at her shocked expression, "and mostly just for school."
"Oh." To say she was disappointed would be an understatement. He may not have tried to kill her (yet) but he didn't like reading. We would never work out. Wait a second, I don't even know him
Tristan laughed at her expression, "sorry to disappoint you." Their food came at that moment and both, starving by this point, started eating their respective meals.
In the process of swallowing his chicken, Tristan looked up at the girl sitting across from him. She was busy devouring her own food, and it was going fast. He had never seen a girl that ate so fast. In fact, he hadn't known many girls that ate when they went out on dates. Even when he took them out to some fancy restaurant, they only swallowed a few tiny morsels and filled up the meal with stupid conversation about the latest gossip. Looking back, he had actually dated a lot of idiots who didn't realise that when you eat, you're not supposed to talk. Rory on the other hand, well she seemed to realise the importance of a good meal.
She also didn't seem to be anticipating the customary make out session. She had to know it was coming up, didn't she? He had never foregone making out, because although he usually picked out brain dead bimbos as dates, he sure knew how to pick 'em pretty.
She was taking a long sip of her hot chocolate, and Tristan noticed the frothy moustache as she came back for air. The sudden urge to kiss her was overwhelming. Noticing his staring, she became self-conscious and brought a napkin to her mouth, removing the moustache.
"What? Do I have something on my face?"
Tristan shook his head but didn't look away. The whole innocent thing really suited her, she made it so desirable. But damn, he wanted to kiss her!
"You know, you could drop the act."
Rory raised an eyebrow at him, "what act?"
"The cute little Miss Innocent act."
She was genuinely confused, "I don't know what your talking about."
"You mean you're always like this?" he couldn't keep the surprise from his voice.
"Always like what?"
"Never mind...I thought it was just an act you put on for your mother."
At this, she seemed to get insulted and defensive, "I don't 'act' for anyone. I don't know what kind of kooky land you came from but here most people are themselves."
If only she knew no one was themselves where he came from, thus the suspicion in the first place.
He smirked and looked out the window.
"What? What is that?"
"What?" Tristan looked baffled.
"That...that...smirk."
"There was no smirk. It was a smile."
"No, no, no. I know what a smile looks like and that was a smirk. While a distant relative - a cousin maybe - to the smile, it is definitely not a smile."
The conversation picked up from there as they argued back and forth, falling into a comfortable pattern.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That night, back in her comfortable bed in her comfortable house, Rory couldn't get her mind off the handsome blonde.
Not that she wanted to or anything, but she had never thought so excessively of any guy before and just to keep up appearances she told herself to stop thinking about him every few minutes. It didn't work, but he was hot so that's okay.
Rory had promised her mother she would go back to the inn tomorrow and help out again. Maybe Tristan would be there. Not that she cared or anything, because she didn't. But if she was there and he was there, then they were both there. And if that happened, they could hang out again. Together. So she wouldn't be bored, of course.
As she drifted off to sleep Rory thought about their earlier conversation, when he had accused her of putting up a 'cute little Miss. Innocent act'. But instead of being angry, she smiled.
He thinks I'm cute.
Righto, uh, well...I am working my way upto something...very slowly. Promise. So um, care to review?