CHAPTER 4

Rory and Tristin were so embarrassed they didn't talk to each other on their way down the steps. Once they reached the landing, Tristin walked out through the French doors leading to the patio. Rory went through the living room in search of Logan.

She had no luck finding him.

But Tristin did.

Tristin found Logan nursing a glass of martini in his right hand. He stared into space and the twinkling lights that littered it.

"Isn't it rather chilly for you to be out here?" Tristin asked Logan.

Logan eyed him from head to toe before responding. "I don't find you retreating through those doors."

Tristin already didn't like him. "Just thinking out loud, buddy."

The silence came between them. Neither cared if the other one spoke.

"So, are you here to contribute to the debauchery of Rory Gilmore?" Logan asked Tristin point-blank.

"What does Rory have to do with this?" Tristin pretended to be dense about the whole soiree.

"You're not dumb, or at least I would expect you not to be since you're being introduced to the hosts' granddaughter," Logan scoffed. "You have to be from money and you don't smell like a Gilmore."

"What do you mean 'I don't smell like a Gilmore'?" Tristin asked.

"If you were one, you wouldn't be speaking to me right now," Logan clarified, chugging down the last of his drink.

That was information he found rather interesting. "How come?"

Logan snickered. "It's a long story. So," he changed subjects, "do you have a name?"

"Tristin. Tristin DuGrey," he said, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Logan wearily took his hand and shook it. "Logan Huntzberger. Why do I have a feeling this is not the last time we meet?"

"You just don't know. We might be long lost best friends," Tristin said sarcastically.

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"Grandma, what were you thinking?" Rory almost yelled at her grandmother in the library where only the two of them could hear each other's raised voices.

"Logan is not the right man for you," Emily tried to rationalize with her grandmother.

"Grandma, you had no right to tell my guest to leave!" Rory scolded her grandmother.

"Rory Gilmore, I am disappointed that you are acting so irrationally about this whole thing," Emily said. "If he really cared for you, this night wouldn't matter. I just want you to see other people."

"Other people, grandma? I don't do long distance relationships. Logan is all I need!" Rory protested.

'If only she knew!' Emily said to herself. "Rory, as long as we help pay for your tuition..."

"It all comes down to that, doesn't it?" Rory quipped in full-fledge anger. "Fine. I will dance your stupid dance and eat whatever you feed me tonight but I won't stand for this discrimination."

"Lorelai Leigh!" Emily started to scold.

Rory walked out of the library in search of Logan.

Logan left Tristin on the patio after their short exchange of words. He made up some excuse that he had to leave. Tristin said goodbye and stayed outdoors until a snowflake landed on his cheek. When a series of light fluff started descending faster and faster, he headed back in the warm house.

The sounds of laughter and glasses clinking started to get to Tristin. He looked at his watch. It seemed like he had been in this party forever. It wasn't enough that he started to develop a headache; he sure did not need to be aggravated by the events unfolding in front of him quickly. The loud greetings exchanged at the door caught Tristin's attention. He gasped and started to panic. At the doorway stood Duncan and Bowman and their respective fathers. His rage from all the years started eating at him from within. He hated the bastards. They left him hanging years ago when they were playing with the safe. They were given the proverbial slap on the hand while he got carted off to military school. He had to get out of this place.

Tristin's discomfort was evident. It was a good twenty miles from the Gilmore residence to the DuGrey's. He cursed as he tried to locate an exit. While he was caught up in his thoughts he didn't realize where he was going.

Bam!

"Oh, excuse me," Rory mumbled, obviously crying. He steadied her before she charged away from his grasp.

"No, it's my fault!" Tristin mumbled. He looked around before he dropped his hands from her shoulders. "I know this might be the worst time to ask this, but, what's the fastest way to get out of here?"

Rory was confused. "Are you trying to make an escape from here? Good luck!" she mocked him.

Tristin snorted and walked away from Rory.

"Wait!" Rory yelled, following Tristin's lead.

They headed out through the side door, avoiding the new arrivals. The evening chill hit both of them simultaneously. Rory rubbed her bare arms vigorously to keep circulation going. Tristin was more concerned of finding his ride of convenience. In seconds, they were met with a bevy of vehicles at their disposal. One of them was her father's motorcycle, which Tristin made a mad dash for.

"What are you doing?" Rory shrieked at him.

"What do you think am I doing?" he threw the question back at her. "I'm looking for my getaway vehicle."

"It's stealing," she grumbled. "Plus, that's my dad's bike."

It didn't take long for Tristin to get the motorbike running. He found the spare key her father left near the saddlebags. Rory groaned. The loud roaring of the bike's engine drowned their voices.

"So," Tristin posed to Rory, "Are you hopping on or not?"

"What?" Rory asked him. "I don't even have my purse... or my coat."

"Here," her shrugged off his tuxedo coat, "you can have my jacket. Let's give them something to talk about."

His devilish grinned made Rory wonder why she was even considering his offer. Rory was intrigued. The thought of ticking off her grandparents made Rory salivate at the opportunity. Rationale allowed her to make sure her father got his bike back and in one piece. So she took the coat Tristin offered and shoved her arms in it. She inhaled the scent that enveloped her.

"Hop on!" he invited.

Moments later, the roaring engine echoed through the night, their silhouette disappearing on the horizon.

Dinner was about to be announced when the room was abuzz with excitement.

"Was that Tristin I saw running out of here?" Louise asked, grabbing Madeline on the wrist.

"So, it wasn't just me who saw him. Wow, he's turned into a real David," Madeline commented.

Paris ran to the two girls. "That was Rory with Tristin, wasn't it?"

The two girls nodded.

"And Bowman and Duncan are at the door," Paris said.

The two girls looked at the entrance and saw their former classmates.

"Ew, they still look like losers without Tristin," Madeline smirked.

"Spineless and disgusting," Louise added on.

Without skipping a beat, Madeline and Louise shot each other their all too-knowing look.

"So you wanna check them out?" Madeline conspired.

"Lead the way!" Louise giggled. They left Paris standing alone.

"Amazing," Paris shook her head.

Seconds later, they heard an obnoxious motorcycle engine rev up on the driveway.

"Who has the audacity to bring a bike to this gathering other than Christopher?" Emily asked loudly. She opened the door and saw two figures riding away.

For a moment, Emily's heart stopped beating. "Where's Rory?"

"That's my bike!" Christopher yelled from the stairwell. Both he and Lorelai ran down the steps until they got to the door. They saw what Emily witnessed and Christopher was not happy.

"I guess the dish ran away with the spoon," Lorelai muttered as she saw their shadows disappear in the night.