CHAPTER 5
Rory let out a nervous laugh after she realized what had just transpired between them. She might as well have promised Tristin the Holy Grail.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Tristin asked cautiously. The ambiguity in his tone made Rory apprehensive.
"I don't know," Rory admitted. "I vaguely remember having this conversation with you several years ago."
"And?" Tristin raised an eyebrow.
"And I don't think you've learned your lesson," Rory pointed at him with her stirring spoon. "I don't know why I am involved again!"
"Rory, there are a lot of things I didn't pay attention to in class," Tristin rolled his eyes at her lazily. "Besides, if I knew what you're talking about, I'd be the agreeing or disagreeing."
"Not everything learned comes out of a teacher's mouth, you know," Rory snorted, dropping the spoon loudly on the saucer.
A pause came between them. A light went off in Tristin's head and he smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead.
"Oh God, how could I forget?" Tristin groaned as he turned over Rory's hand. "To this day, I hope you can enlighten me as to why you said that Paris is dating material."
Rory watched in fascination as Tristin's index finger traced the lines on her palm. Stuttering, she said, "Well you said you were swearing off girls and I thought even for you, Paris would've been a better choice than Hannibal Lecter's mask."
"What did I really do to you to earn a date with her?" Tristin asked. His smile spread across his face.
"Do you really want me to answer that question?" Rory retorted. "Anyway, you could've really been nicer to her. She really freaked out that night."
He eyeballed her.
"What? She came to my doorstep with everything from her wardrobe barring her bat mitzvah dress!" she exclaimed.
"Paris? Freak?" Tristin laughed out loud. His finger still continued dancing on her hand.
"She really wanted to please you," Rory admitted.
"Well if I was privy to that information then," he prefaced.
"See? That's why I think you are not really against all women, great and brainless alike," Rory said, trying to steal her hand back from him.
She met resistance as Tristin grabbed it. "Rory, Machiavelli couldn't have written it any better: 'The ends justify the means'."
And as smoothly as the words slipped out of his lips, they came in contact with her skin. He didn't know why he did it but he was compelled to touch the soft flesh of her wrist with his lips.
She gasped not knowing how such a small act can make her break in cold sweat. It's not like she disliked the gesture. In fact, it was far from it.
Rory turned a lovely shade of rose underneath the porcelain white skin. "Well I suggested swearing off a certain type of girl and Paris definitely was not part of the circle I was suggesting."
"You know, I would've gone out with you if you just gave me a chance," he grumbled.
Rory's eyes looked up quickly to meet his gaze when a rush of cold air came through the open door.
THWACK!
And there he stood. Marty appeared on the door. He scanned the room quickly and before Rory could call out to him, a petite blonde appeared beside him.
She was rendered speechless despite Tristin's touch.
"Rory, you okay?" Tristin immediately asked her, feeling the tension in her hand.
Panicked, Rory just stared at Tristin.
"Hey, Rory!" another male voice interrupted their conversation.
It was Marty and in one fluid motion, he spun a chair around and sat by the table.
"Hi, I'm Marty," he smiled and offered his hand to Tristin.
"Hi," Tristin said as he dropped Rory's hand to take Marty's hand in his. "I'm Tristin."
"Nice to meet you," he said with a smile. "Oh, this is Kaylee."
All eyes focused on the girl standing beside Marty.
"Hi," she timidly responded. Her sweet voice carried a European accent.
"York?" Tristin asked.
"Not quite. Oxford," she giggled, taking a seat by Tristin.
Rory shifted uncomfortably on her seat before Marty stood up. "Can I get a refill for you?" he asked Rory.
"Sure," she smiled politely.
"How about you, Tristin?" he asked.
"I'm fine, thanks," Tristin replied as he covered the rim of his cup.
"Black tea, right?' he asked Kaylee and she nodded in agreement.
After that, he walked toward the counter.
Tristin studied the newcomer. He was tall, definitely over six feet. The tan coat he wore made him look broad. If it weren't for his introductions Tristin would've mistaken him for John Mayer.
"So," Rory broke the silence. "I'm Rory."
"Rory? It's great to finally meet you," Kaylee said, leaning forward across the table to give her a peck on the cheek like she was a long lost friend. "You just don't know how much I've heard Marty talk about you."
"Really?" Tristin led on as he casually leaned back against his backrest. "Is that good or bad?"
Kaylee blushed. "Good. All good. I wish a guy gushed over me like he does over you," Kaylee directed her attention to Rory.
It was Rory's turn to blush. "Stop."
"Why?" Tristin challenged her. "Afraid to take a comment from the third party?"
Before Rory could answer, Marty appeared with a tray of steaming cups.
"Alright, what are you guys talking about? My ears were burning while I was getting the drinks," Marty teased.
"I was just telling Rory here how much you like her," Kaylee said sweetly as she milked her tea.
"What?" Marty choked on his drink. He blanched at the thought of Rory hearing about the things he told Kaylee about her.
"I'm sorry. Agh! I need to be flogged," Kaylee was all of a sudden embarrassed. "I feel like the biggest bugger at this point."
Tristin, the gentleman he is, wrapped his arm around Kaylee to comfort her. He gave her the infamous DuGrey stare before talking to the group. "A healthy dose of truth once in a while is refreshing."
"Speak for yourself, DuGrey," Rory mocked, dropping her gaze from him. Rory was annoyed that Tristin got under her skin on the drop of a hat.
Coughing politely, Marty interjected. "So Tristin, haven't seen you around campus."
"I don't go to Yale," Tristin replied after taking a sip of his drink. "Well, not until recently."
"Really? How so?" Marty asked.
"He's the man in the buff in Tanh's class," Rory muttered.
Marty's eyes bugged out. "Don't tell me you had to rescue another naked man."
"Yes!" Rory replied, exasperated. "I mean, no… I mean I accompanied Tanh to one of his classes last week and I saw him. I haven't seen him since junior year of high school."
Marty was skeptical.
It was Tristin's turn to laugh. "I was naked on my own volition. She just happened to stumble at my disrobing."
Rory laid her head on the table dramatically. "I did not stumble when I saw you!"
"Come on now, Rory. Admit it. You wanted me since high school," Tristin teased.
"So you guys went to high school together? That's cool!" Marty replied. "I wondered if there was someone else in Rory's high school other than Paris."
"He's the ass who referred to me as 'Mary'," Rory sighed, regaining her composure.
"Excuse me if the moniker isn't appropriate any more," Tristin tried baiting Rory.
"Ah, the infamous Mary caller," Marty sighed. He remembered the tale when Rory complained about Logan calling her 'Ace' the same way Tristin called her 'Mary'.
"I'm sorry," Kaylee interrupted. "But you lost me at 'naked'," Kaylee directed her question to Marty.
"That's how I met Rory," Marty clarified. His cheeks turned a lovely shade of crimson. "I- she offered me her robe when she found me sprawled out and naked in front of her dorm room on our freshman year."
"You sot! I ought to tell Jennifer!" Kaylee said in jest, slapping her purse on his arm.
"Tell my sister and I promise you I won't baby sit you while you're in town," Marty warned, shooting her a playful glare.
"Oh yeah. What are you doing here? College?" Tristin asked.
"Unfortunately, not. My grandmother is going through radiotherapy at Brown Medical Center," Kaylee revealed.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Rory sympathized.
"That's okay. If grams handles the next round of therapy, I'll be headed back to England," she said. "I took a sabbatical from the Repertory."
"Study at Oxford?" Rory asked.
"No. She's with the Birmingham Royal Ballet," Marty said proudly.
Both Tristin and Rory were impressed. "Wow!" they said simultaneously.
"It's not much," she blubbered. "I'm just part of the ensemble."
"Still. I have two left feet!" Rory said. "So how did you get saddled with a lug like Marty?"
The mere mention of his name made the petite woman blush. "His sister is my best friend."
"Jen told me that she was around the area so I decided to play big brother," Marty clarified the situation.
"Aw, how nice of you," Rory sighed.
"On that note, I hate to say this but I have to head on back," Kaylee regretted saying.
Everyone got up from the table.
"Well then, I shall take you home," Marty sighed. "Rory, if we're studying tonight, I might be a little late."
"Well, where do you live, Kaylee? I could drop you off," Tristin offered. "I live near the Brown campus."
Rory all of a sudden felt jealous that the blonde was getting all the attention.
"That's awfully nice of you," she said, smiling sweetly. "I live in Pawtucket."
"Close enough," Tristin said. "Marty, do you mind if I drop your friend off?"
The group walked out of the café and headed towards the parking lot where Tristin parked his car.
Marty and Kaylee exchanged glances before taking Tristin up on his offer. "If it's not that much of a hassle."
"With a pretty girl like this? How could I resist?" Tristin flirted with Kaylee. "Race you down to the corner of the street."
Her eyes lit up in excitement. "You're on!"
And off they went, leaving Marty and Rory alone to stroll the icy sidewalk.
"Whatever Kaylee said, it's an exaggeration," Marty let out a half apology.
"What do you think did Kaylee say?" Rory asked, fishing Marty for information.
Marty froze for a moment. "I don't know. Knowing her, she'd say something she has no clue about. She's trouble."
"She's sweet," Rory said.
"Like a little sister," he mocked.
A very excited Kaylee interrupted the stroll.
"Marty! Marty! You have to check this bloke's car," Kaylee squealed.
"Kay, you've lived in England for seven years. You cannot keep calling guys 'blokes'," Marty reprimanded her. The look of irritation marred his handsome face.
"Well, don't piss on my parade. Look!" she exclaimed.
As they got around the corner, even Marty groaned at the sight that took his breath away.
Then, Rory started laughing. "Travel inconspicuous, don't we?"
Tristin still had the same car he had in high school. The 911 Targa Porsche sat on the parking lot in its full glory.
"It's my baby," he defended the silver car. It took him a lot of bargaining to get the car from his father after he was banished to military school.
"Hmm, in more ways than one." Rory teased. The car was a point of contention that night Summer broke up with Tristin.
"Anyway," Tristin shot Rory an evil eye. "Nice meeting you, Marty."
He extended an open hand to him.
"Likewise," Marty said, gripping Tristin's hand.
"Say, we should go out sometime," Tristin suggested the open invitation. "You know, as a group."
Rory bugged her eyes out at Tristin like she was telling him to stop with the request.
"Sure," Marty said nonchalantly.
"How about this weekend?" Tristin asked, fishing his keys out of his pocket.
Marty's eyes widened. "I don't know." His sight vacillated between Tristin and Kaylee.
"Come on now, Marty. I promise you Tristin will enlighten you with my boring teen years," Rory mocked. She couldn't believe that she was participating in this madness.
"Please?" Kaylee pleaded as her hand was on the passenger seat door.
"Yeah, come on," Rory coaxed. She clung to Marty, looping her arms through the crook on his side.
After a few more pleas, Marty finally gave in. "Fine, fine."
"Whee!" Kaylee said with glee. "Come and give me a kiss before I go."
Marty dropped Rory's arm and walked towards Kaylee. At the same time, Rory reciprocated the same act to Tristin.
"I hope you know what you're doing here," Rory whispered in his ear.
"Relax, babe. When have I let you down?" He whispered back, only he punctuated his promise with a lingering kiss on her temple.
"I was afraid you'd say that," Rory muttered under her breath as she watched him slip into the driver's seat and drive away from their sight.