CHAPTER 2
Tristin DuGrey was beyond bored. He was comatose. He was not a happy camper attending a function that he really did not care for. All he wanted to do was have a quiet Thanksgiving and catch up with some of his reading assignments before his finals. He let out a loud sigh, knowing that somewhere, someone was screeching that he was doing injustice to the Carlo Scotti tux he was wearing. He squirmed on the Louis XIV chair while waiting on his parents to get dressed.
"Why do I have to go?" Tristin whined.
"Because you need to jump back into the dating pool," his mother, Elsie DuGrey, responded. The woman was stunning for her age. Her reddish blonde hair was coiffed to perfection. Her skin was supple without any cosmetic surgery. The air of confidence that she toted was comparable to the Audrey Hepburns and Blythe Danners of the world.
"Mom, I'm not even twenty one!" he reminded her.
"Stand up," she ordered her son. She tried to straighten out his full Windsor knot. "With your dad wanting to retire sooner, you should think of learning the ropes at the firm. Unfortunately, that also entails having you find the perfect spouse."
"Mom, the world of business and finance has survived without each and every broker being married," he said.
"Yes, but not all of them are inheriting DuGrey Enterprises," his mother added. The DuGrey Enterprise is one of the most prestigious private companies in the East coast. They handled accounts that belonged to senators and private banking firms, high stake rollers and oil magnates. The who's who of businesses had his grandfathers' firm handle their accounts.
"Posh," she said. "If only you could've proposed to Jessica Chrysler. She was a very nice girl."
Tristin smirked. Jessica was his girlfriend for two years. She was smart and from old money. Unfortunately, she also loved a good time. He didn't have the heart to tell his mother that he caught Jessica not once, but twice in very compromising situations with more than one of his so-called friends at the same time.
"Jessica and I were growing apart," he sighed, feigning sorrow. "We are better off as friends."
"Such a shame," she said.
His father, Chandler DuGrey, called him and his mother. "Shall we?" He offered his right arm to his mother. Tristin followed them out the door.
When they got into the car, he looked at his father. "So, where are we going?"
"You'll see when you get there!" his father responded, a wicked gleam twinkled from his eye. His mother just laughed.
He knew something was up. He just hasn't figured it out yet.
Tristin's life had turned around when he got sent off to Military School. He learned to focus and form a new bond with his parents. He never looked back at the what could've beens. He decided to start anew from scratch.
"Can we play twenty questions then?" he asked his parents.
"You can try," his father, challenged him.
"Is gramps going to be in this little soiree tonight?" he asked.
"Yeah. He was the one who actually invited us," Mr. DuGrey said.
"So, it's a business deal," he fished.
"You can say that it has something to do with business," his mother responded vaguely.
Tristin grumbled in frustration. The driver slowed down to a crawl. Now, Tristin was intrigued. Usually, these rides last more than thirty minutes. Tonight's ride was no more than ten. He looked out of the tinted windows. A feeling of déjà vu overcame him. He's been here before, he thought. The ivy covered trellis and the water fountains brought him back to days of the past. But why? He looked at the garden. Did he ever step on it before? He saw the lined up cars waiting for the valet to get their keys. Nope, that can't be it. Then he noticed the people that were emerging from their cars. Some people he knew. Others he more than just recognized.
Then a Cheshire grin broke on his face.
This was just too easy. Too easy.
.xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
"Oh my God," Lorelai punctuated each and every word. The valet took her keys to the Jeep. She and Rory were escorted to the door.
"Do you think she also hired the secret service?" Lorelai conspired with her daughter.
Rory was just in awe with the lights and the light dusting of snow that covered the ground and the bushes. "No, but I think she hired the Woozle mother in The Grinch."
"Ha!" Lorelai chortled. "You said Woozle."
The pair walked into the room and watched the room that was foreign to them. The Persian rug was replaced with a dance floor and there was Japanese lamps strewn in fishing line. Handing their dress coats to the maid was surreal to them.
"I think mom jumped on the deep end here," Lorelai mumbled.
"Rory, Lorelai!" Emily Gilmore called out. "I am glad for once that you have arrived on time. Come, come. Your public awaits."
Rory allowed her mother to escort her through the room. Lorelai did not follow them. Instead, she stared at their backs with distain.
"So are you going to stop this or you're just going to allow our daughter to be auctioned off?" Christopher's voice broke into her thoughts.
"Hmm, I thought that as long as she donates to my bank account, I should whore her out more often!" Lorelai said sweetly to her ex-boyfriend.
Christopher smiled back at her. "Do I get a kickback from it? I mean, I'm the sperm donor."
"You don't have to remind me about that," Lorelai smirked.
"So," Christopher said. "Shall we dance?"
Lorelai grinned at her and threw caution to the wind. She held her hand out and laid it on his open palm.
.xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
It had been less than an hour since Rory had arrived at her grandparents' home and she's already contemplating escape. Without her mother's constant play-by-play commentary, she would've taken up the hobby of drinking.
"Hey, look on your three o'clock," Lorelai coaxed her as she shoved a shrimp cocktail into her mouth.
"It's an old man," Rory pointed out.
"It's not just any other old man," Lorelai indicated. "That is Jarvis McGregor. He's a bachelor and a shipping magnate."
"And he's old," Rory reiterated.
"But do you think Paris would go for him?' Lorelai conspired.
"Mom! You're not fixing Paris up. And he's too old for her," Rory said.
"Apparently she likes the Methuselah kind. She dated Flemming," Lorelai said.
"He wasn't that old," Rory argued.
"Oh alright. The Professor is probably Methuselah's age. That man can pass for Methuselah's father," Lorelai quipped. "Thus, more knowledgeable than Father Time himself."
"What professor?" Paris asked, creeping next to Lorelai.
"Well, that man can date Paris," Lorelai said not recognizing Paris.
Paris shot Lorelai an incredulous stare. "Hello, Lorelai. Subject present!"
Lorelai realized her slip of tongue. "Oh, Paris. I just thought that you should meet a nice guy here, other than Rory, of course. Just make sure he gets you a healthy bank account other than an ancient printing press."
"Thanks for your concern, Lorelai. Excuse me," Paris left the two fuming.
Rory gave her mother 'the look'.
"What? I was being helpful!" Lorelai defended herself. Rory shook her head and walked towards someone else other than her mother.
"Madeline! Louise!" Rory called out to the girls huddled in the corner.
"Swinging party, Rory," Louise said dryly. "And the choice of men are prime."
"You know, I'm glad to see a friendly face but what are you guys doing here?" Rory asked the blonde and the brunette.
"Do you remember my brother, Patrick? Apparently he's doing his debut to the public tonight," Louise said.
"And look for moneybags," Madeline added while taking a sip of her punch.
"Patrick? The last time I saw him, he was ten," Rory said.
"And at fourteen, he apparently is your Villi. Welcome to the world, Letourneau," Louise mocked Rory.
"So how did this turn out to be everyone's business?" Rory asked, mortified.
"Remember your birthday party when you first got to Chilton? Pretty much like it," Madeline said, eyeing the room like a hawk.
"Are you saying that invites went out?' Rory asked, almost dropping her crystal.
"Yeah," Louise quipped. "Oh don't worry. Yours isn't the first party we've attended. Remember Alexis Summerland? She had her party Memorial Day weekend. Now she's engaged."
"And I thought we were the civilized society," Rory said while rolling your eyes.
"It's very primitive but sometimes, the caveman mentality works," Madeline said.
"And if they're as hot at these cavemen, come grab my mane," Louise said coquettishly.
"Speaking of cavemen, there's a delicious specimen of manhood coming our way," Madeline said, trying hard to be inconspicuous.
"Ooh, I get first dibs," Louise claimed stake.
"Ladies, how are you this fine evening?" the blonde haired boy asked.
"Swell," Madeline responded. "You're not from here, are you?"
"And if you were, how could we have missed you?" Louise asked, eyeing him carefully.
"Because he's mine, ladies," Rory gloated. "Madeline, Louise, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Logan Huntzberger. Logan, a few friends of mine, Louise and Madeline."
"My pleasure," Logan cockily responded. "Rory, can I steal you for a moment?"
Eyeing her friends, she said, "Sure. Excuse me, guys. Hey, enjoy yourselves!"
When she walked away, Louise asked Madeline, "Wait, if she has a boyfriend, why are they having this party?"
"Who cares," Madeline said. "Let's go hunt."