AN: Woot Woot! An update! Hurrah for me! Sorry it was so long coming, but I do have a very busy life. Expect no more until probably May. AP tests are coming up which means one thing. I get a visitor's pass to hell for the entire month of April! How did I get so lucky? So, keep my suffering in your thoughts and prayers, and I go through this hellish month. Hope this chapter holds you over for now though. I like it, which is really all that matters, so without furder ado, have at it!
Chapter Eleven: Tuesday Afternoon is Never Ending
That weekend, Finn stepped aside to allow Lorelai to spend some, as she said, 'much needed child-free girl time' with Rory. He instead chose to finish up the work he had planned for the week in order to leave with Rory Wednesday afternoon for the extra long weekend in Stars Hollow. This worked for Finn's work schedule since he only ever scheduled meetings for the first three days of the week. He was also concerned with taking care of Charlie, who was also joining them on the trip, since it was Finn's week with him. Their plan was to arrive Wednesday evening in order to have four full days of 'Stars Hollow goodness.' Rory's words, not his.
While in the office on Tuesday morning, working on the tedious divorce case of Lyman v. Lyman, he realized, conveniently that he hadn't spoken to Colin in about a week, and he thought he should let his friend know he would be close to Hartford. Besides, he reasoned with himself, he was going to go bonkers if he kept trying to come up with a way for the Lyman's to equally slit their prize-winning Chinchilla, which both were gunning for. He dialed the familiar number and waited as the phone rang.
"Colin Mayer's office."
"Hey Jeanne. It's Finn. Is Colin around?"
"Mister Bradbury is in his office, Mister McDonald. Would you like me to connect you?"
"Thanks Jean."
The line went to elevator-esque music as Finn waited for Colin to pick up.
"Finn, darling!" Colin answered in his most sincere impression of a lady of society.
"Colin! How have you been?"
"Same old, same old. Steph's coming along quite nicely. Kids are crazy. Nothing much happening. How about yourself?"
"Well, I was just calling to say I'm gonna be in town, sort of, this weekend, and I was hoping we could get together some night."
"You mean how we're all going out to dinner on Thursday night?"
"Yeah, actually, Thursday would be perfect."
"Well good thing Rory already called and scheduled then."
"She what?"
"How did you not know this? She called last Saturday to make sure we could have time to get a sitter. Much more considerate than you, I might add."
"I'm still not used to her and Stephanie being friends."
"Well get used to it bud."
"So I guess it's useless for me to even tell you how things have been going between us then?"
"I'd pretend to listen if you wanted to tell me."
"I won't bore you with the details."
"Thank god! I was so not looking forward to that."
"Yeah, well, how goes all in the world of high society?"
"Now that is definitely same old, same old. DAR benefits, charity dinners, all that crap. I swear, I still wonder how you got yourself out it."
"It comes with being the second born son. And the family black sheep status didn't hurt either."
"Not to mention, the constant getting drunk and causing scenes at almost every function you attended."
"Exactly. So where exactly will we be going for dinner Thursday?"
"I'm not sure. I asked Stephanie what to wear and she said she set out some clothes for me."
"Aww, your wife dresses you! I can't wait to see! Ooh, I hope it's something pink!"
"I hope I don't disappoint," after saying this, there as a short pause at each man tried to think of something to say. "So have you talked to Logan lately?"
"Well…" Finn hesitated. "I hadn't talked to him since the beginning of the summer, and I was meaning to call him, but then things got started with Rory, and I just figured…"
"Finn!"
"Well, you know how bad I am at keeping really big secrets. And Logan would suspect something if I talked to him, so I decided avoidance was the best choice."
"You mean you haven't had any contact with Logan in three months and he hasn't even called you? If I were you, I'd break up with him."
"Well, there hasn't exactly been no contact."
"So did you email him, or what?"
"Well, he did call, a couple times…"
"Finn…what did you do?"
"I just had Rose tell him about how I'm wrapped up in this huge case..."
Colin interrupted him, "You had your secretary lie for you? To your best friend, no less! It'd be fine if it was a one night stand you never called. Or a client. Or even your mother for Christ's sake. But to Logan?"
"I couldn't help it. What would he say if he finds out?"
"When."
"What?"
"When he finds out."
"He doesn't need to know."
"Do you plan on ending this thing with Rory anytime soon?"
"No." Finn had no idea where Colin was going with this.
"So, I can safely assume, that you intend for your relationship with Rory to be long-lasting. Possibly even to the point of an infinite time-span?"
"Yeah…" Finn considered it for a moment. He hadn't really thought too much about it during the past month, but he suddenly realized that he couldn't imagine his future without Rory in it. "I guess I plan for us to be together for awhile."
"Good for you Finn. But back to my point."
"You have a point?"
"Getting there. How many times, would you say, that you see Logan a year?"
"Five, maybe six. Colin, you know this stuff, you're usually there."
Colin ignored him and continued. "How many of these occasions take place at you house?"
"Two or three. Jesus!" Finn was getting fed up with this pointless line of questioning. "If you were a lawyer, Colin, you would suck."
Colin again ignored his comments. "So, if Rory and your relationship escalated to the point of living together, how would you get Rory past Logan? I mean, I guess you could dress her up like a lamp and put a shade over her head, but somehow I'm thinking that Logan might se past that."
"Colin, this cruel reality is a little too early."
"What?" Now Colin was confused.
"You should have given me at least another month of new relationship bliss before you unloaded the harsh reality on me. You suck."
"I'm helping out and you know it."
"Damn you for being right! So how should I tell Logan?"
"You mean, how should you tell your best friend of the past twelve years that you're currently involved in a serious relationship with the first girl he ever considered having a serious relationship with?"
"Potato, Potato."
"Right. Well, I think you should definitely do this in person. That way if he wants to punch something, it can be your face."
"How thoughtful."
"So I suggest you call him up, and plan to meet him for dinner within the next couple of weeks. In the city of course. You don't want to make him drive home from Boston for four hours if he's extremely pissed."
"Have you done this before?"
"All the time. So you think you can handle all that, Champ?"
"Yes dad." Again, there was a silence on the line as both thought, before Colin spoke.
"So, you're really in new relationship bliss, huh?"
A few minutes later Finn was dialing Logan's work line, praying he was unavailable so he wouldn't have to talk to him. He should really do some work sometime today, he realized as he looked at the pole of papers on his desk.
"Logan Huntzburger."
"Logan? Answering your own phones? I'm appalled!"
"The secretaries already away getting me coffee, so I figured I do something for myself for a change."
"Good for you."
"I thought so. So, my fine-feathered Australian friend, long time no speak."
"Has it really been that long though? It seems like just yesterday that you and I were talking about fishing."
"When have we ever talked about fishing Finn?"
"You know that time, when we were at that lake. And then we both jumped in, and you started to drown. And Pamela Anderson came up and was going to save you, but she got distracted by my charm, and her and I went up into the lifeguard tower while you got eaten by sharks. You know, now that I think about it, that was probably a dream."
Logan chuckled at his friend's rant. "Seriously Finn, where have you been for the past three months?"
"Oh, you know, around…"
"Does this around involve something with females?"
Finn grinned to himself, "Maybe."
"I knew it!"
"Right well, as much fun as all of this gossiping is," Finn quickly segued the topic from his love-life. "I was hoping we could get together soon."
"Well, I can't do it this weekend, I have to go to Hartford for business."
"You're going to Hartford this weekend? So am I."
"What for?"
"You know, business, and stuff."
"What business does a divorce lawyer have to travel for?"
"Lots. So as I was saying, we'll be in Hartford this weekend?"
"Well, you know. It's actually a long weekend. My dad wants me to mingle with the social crowd while I'm there, so I got roped into going for four days. I'm flying up Thursday."
"Great! How about we get together while you're there? It'll save me the trip to New York."
"Well," said Logan, who was currently perusing his day planner. "The only day I'm free is Thursday, right after I get in. How's seven o'clock."
"Actually, I'm having dinner with Colin on Thursday."
"Perfect! Where?"
"I don't know. I think Stephanie was planning it."
"Well I'll just call her for details then."
"Logan, I think you should know something about this dinner." He couldn't very well tell him that Rory was going to be there. And he couldn't tell him not to come, but he didn't want him to be shocked to see him there."
"Listen, Finn. I'm sorry but I've got to go. I'm late for a meeting."
"Right well, I guess I'll see you Thursday, then."
"Right. See you then."