After All These Years
Chapter 5: Strange Meetings and Coincidences
-Ivy
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The Gilmore Girls belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB, as usual. Darn.
Distribution: Just ask first.
A/N: I know, I know!!! I'm a horrible person for not updating sooner, and I'm so sorry! Anyway, after this chapter there might be one more before I quit for a while. The story will not be forgotten about, just delayed for a month. I'm going away for June, but I'll try really hard to get one more chapter out before I leave, and have one ready for when I come back. Anyways, as usual, on with the story. Enjoy!!
-Ivy
After All These Years
Chapter 5: Strange Meetings and Coincidences
Tristan DuGrey sat at his desk, looking over his agenda for the morning when his intercom buzzed.
"Mr. DuGrey?" his secretary, Anne's, voice boomed.
"Yes Anne?" Tristan replied, setting down the agenda and massaging his temple with his fingers, trying to rid himself of the oncoming headache.
"There's a Mrs. Paris Johnson here to see you, sir. She says she knows that she has not made an appointment, but that it is urgent, and that she will be brief."
"When's my first meeting Anne?"
"In 45 minutes, Mr. DuGrey."
"Well send her in then. And how many times have I told you Anne, call me Tristan."
"Yes, sir, Mr. DuG - Tristan."
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A moment later, a stately, tall, blond-haired woman walked into Tristan's office, causing him to almost literally drop everything when he recognized her as an old friend.
"Paris?!?" he asked incredulously.
"Tristan?!?" she responded with the same shock, but recovering enough to give him a hug.
"Long time, no see Par. Or shall I say…Mrs. Johnson? How come you didn't tell me you were getting married???"
"Well actually, I didn't tell anybody… I kind of eloped - to Vegas."
"Wow. The former Paris Gellar eloping to Las Vegas on a whim. Didn't see that one coming."
"Yeah, me either… But I can see that you haven't changed at all Tristan…still pining after Gilmore," Paris said, looking around at the seemingly millions of pictures of Tristan, Rory, and Rae adorning the walls of the office. "How's that going for you, by the way?"
"Actually, Paris, it's going pretty well," Tristan replied, a look of pure happiness on his face. "We're engaged."
"What?!? You're engaged to Rory? Mary? The one girl that's always just out of your grasp?!?"
"Yup, that's the one."
"Well it's about time, Tristan DuGrey; you two should have gotten together years ago."
"That's pretty much what Rae said."
"How is Rae by the way? I haven't seen her in ages!"
"Pretty good. She's beautiful, looks just like her mother. She's about 6 now…makes me feel old. I swear it was just yesterday that Rory was trying to break every bone in my hand when she was in labor with her…"
"Yeah, I remember that DuGrey; I was outside in the waiting room for awhile, and I don't know whose screams of pain were louder, yours or Rory's."
"Haha, Paris. You're an absolute riot."
"I thought so. Oh, and before I forget - the reason that I came by-"
"What, you mean you didn't just come by to visit an old friend? I'm shocked!" Tristan said in mock astonishment.
Rolling her eyes at Tristan's antics, Paris quickly continued. "You faxed my company asking for information on a company called Sublimino Tech., since we've done business with them before." Reaching down, Paris pulled a portfolio of papers out of her bag. "It seemed like a reasonable request, so here are some of the documents that you might find interesting while conducting business with them… I brought them over myself because I didn't trust any of the rookies with them."
"Oh right, the Sublimino Tech. information for one of my clients. Actually, I think that I may have a meeting with one of their reps today. Couldn't even send over an actual lawyer; no, I have to deal with some rep, because they want to try to 'settle' first," Tristan said, shaking his head and taking the documents from Paris, paging through them. Lifting his head briefly to look at her, he asked, "What do you think about them?"
Paris sighed, "I think that all-in-all they're a pretty good, safe company to be dealing with in the kind of situation that your client is in. My recommendation is to just sift through these documents and look over whatever research on them that you've done, and then you should be fine, managing to catch whatever kind of trick that rep might throw at you. Watch out though, they'll try pretty much anything to avoid any sort of larger dispute."
"Thanks, Paris. This will be a big help; although I can't believe that you took the time to bring it over yourself."
"Well, it's a trust issue. Plus, how could I pass up the chance to possibly see an old friend…and then make fun of him?"
"Gee, Paris, you're beginning to sound a little like Rory…"
"Well, that can't be all so bad…Although, I'm still having a hard time comprehending the fact that you're getting married to her. You've been infatuated with her since day one. I can't believe it…after all these years Tristan DuGrey is STILL in love with Rory Gilmore."
"Yeah," Tristan whispered, "After all these years…"
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Jess Mariano, representative for Sublimino Tech., followed the secretary into the spacious office of the lawyer he was schedule to be meeting with.
The secretary gestured to an open chair in front of a cluttered, yet organized desk, and said, "Mr. DuGrey will be with you shortly. Just feel free to sit here while you wait. Can I get you anything - coffee, water, a muffin, maybe?"
Declining her gracious offers, Jess sat down in the chair she motioned to and started to look around the room. Diplomas and plaques adorned the walls, informing Jess that this man had only had the best of educations. However, along the walls next to the plaques and the diplomas, was something that Jess didn't normally encounter in offices such as this one, pictures. Proof that this man actually had a life outside of the office, or at the very least, had one. The pictures were mostly of a young woman and a child, occasionally joined by a young blond man, who Jess could only assume was the man he was assumed to be meeting with. Intrigued by the pictures, Jess got up from his chair and walked over to the wall, hoping to get a closer look at them. Instantly, his eyes focused on a portrait of that same young woman sitting on a porch bench, reading, her long brown hair falling over her face.
Wait a minute, Jess thought, she looks so familiar…Holy Shit! That's Rory!' Looking over all the pictures frantically, Jess now saw the similarities to Rory that this young woman in the photos had. The way her eyes sparkled, the way her hair fell across her face, the innocence she conveyed; it was all familiar to him.
But if that's Rory...then…that must be…my daughter… Jess paused in his thoughts, trying to take it all in, and then switched his focus to a picture of Rory, the girl…his daughter…, and that same blond guy, who he was now starting to feel an intense hatred for. She's beautiful…just like her mother… he thought, looking at the picture of the little girl again.
Turning around so he could look at the desk, Jess's eyes searched for something that would tell him who this blond guy was. Why couldn't he remember the name? Finally, Jess located a nameplate that read "Tristan DuGrey".
Tristan DuGrey…Tristan DuGrey… why does that name sound so familiar? Hey…wait a minute…didn't Rory used to have a friend named Tristan? With that thought, Jess froze, immediately remembering who Tristan was. Oh shit… this isn't gonna be good…