Title: The ultimate curve ball
Author: Joy
A/N: Hey guys, thanks for your support. Enjoy.
8. Stooges, basketball, and the oblivious Mary
Tristan thought they had lost the LBD boys once they reached the restaurant. He was mistaken unfortunately. Logan had decided he needed to hear what his rival was saying. Colin and Finn grudgingly agreed. The guys just came in the back entrance being VIP's of the place, so they were not seen arriving. Rory and Tristan were seated at a round booth that backed up against another round booth with a divider that curved with each table. On the other side of the wall with shrubs in between sat Logan, Colin and Finn so Logan could listen to the conversation behind him.
Tristan settled into his seat finally feeling like he would be able to have a real talk with Rory rather than worrying about Huntzberger showing up. "So Mary, other than your bizarre dating habits, how are things at Yale for you?"
"Good, and don't say that. I feel like national geographic is studying me," Rory groaned.
"Sorry...and please expand on your college experience... Including the three stooges."
She laughed, "I tend to think of them more like the Marx brothers, but none of them are silent."
"That skinny one seemed to be quiet," Tristan commented.
"Not normally. The first time I met them, he was a real ass to Marty... not to mention Logan. In fact I really hated all of them when I first met them," Rory stated non-plus.
"They seem like they might have that effect," he stated thoughtfully.
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The waiter at the Chinese restaurant approached to take their dinner order for the evening and was astounded at home much the small woman ordered...so much food in fact that the waiter asked politely if they were expecting other's to join them. The couple laughed but shook their heads.
"Still have an appetite, tiny frame, and caffeine fetish. You should go for a guy that works somewhere that coffee is a constant reality," Tristan offered. "Either that or I need to buy a Starbucks."
Rory laughed, "My mom did that."
"Dated a guy that owns a Starbucks? Really?" Tristan said with suspicion.
"No. She's dating the diner owner in our town, Luke. He makes the best coffee... Here's a tip, since you seem to want to be around for awhile..."
"That I do," he muttered before taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.
She smile, "If you ever screw up really badly, go to Luke's get me a gallon of coffee, a cheeseburger, and chili fries and you might be forgiven."
"Thanks for the confidence Mare," he teased holding her hand running his thumb over her knuckles.
"Well I know you Bible Boy," Rory teased.
Tristan tightened his grip on her hand and ran his fingertips over her knuckles lightly, "You knew the best of me and the worst of me. Now you need to know all of me, in the present tense."
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Rory looked slightly uncomfortable so he went to a safe subject. "Still at the paper?" Tristan asked.
"I'm amazed you remembered," Rory murmured with a mouth about to be full of drink.
"'Ace' and 'Reporter Girl' give it away."
"I suppose."
"I had a thing for you...still do... Your interests are of great priority," he stated.
"Alright, I can accept that. And yes I am on the paper...that's where I know Logan from... I am looking for an internship at a paper this summer but..." she shrugged.
"And the newspaper heir hasn't offered one? What's the point of being stuck with that sort of influence and not using it?" Tristan asked in confusion.
Rory shook her head, "Oh he uses his influence as you put it, but for other things."
"Yeah, like getting out of an international incident for sinking a yacht while destroying a fishing community."
She regarded him a moment, "You apparently know more about that than most and I won't ask how... But yes, he uses his influence to be untouchable despite his antics. On the topic of the newspaper, I would never use Logan like that. He has lots of girlfriends that see the name and that's all. I won't be one of the masses that takes advantage of him."
"Despite the fact he takes advantage of you? There is the Mary I know and love," Tristan commented sipping his tea. "I have to give you credit for seeing through the blond pretty boy bull...you always had a talent for that...our argument before the play junior year proves it."
"Hey...you were smarter than the guys you were hanging with. You were getting caught. You never had been the one to get caught before. I commented on the obvious," she stated.
He smiled, "That's the point Mare, you are the only one that cared enough to notice."
"Paris noticed."
"Paris has known me since the sandbox... "
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No longer wanting to be the center of attention or talk about Logan, Rory switched gears allowing the food being served to be the segue she needed to a new topic. "So tell me about the lures of North Carolina. I mean you stayed after you graduated," Rory asked.
Tristan shrugged, "Great weather, relaxed people that actually know me and love me, no socialites that I had to deal with, far from daddy, huge trees and forests, some of the most amazing gardens in the world. From the middle of the state you can drive a few hours and hit the beach in one direction or the mountains in the other. I lived near the beach near my old academy. It's near most of my friends when they aren't on float or on a mission."
"Float?" Rory asked.
"I have a few friends that are Marines. It's what they call being on a boat for an extended period of time."
"Isn't it difficult to let people you care about go all the time, never knowing if they'll come back?"
Tristan knew he fell more in love with her at that moment than any other. "Yeah, its hard, but it is better to have those friendships and know that camaraderie than to shut myself off from great people because they might not make it home. You learn to accept the danger they are in. You learn to value every moment you have with them...because you might not get others."
"Like with your uncle," she said thoughtfully.
"Yes, like with my uncle... You'll have to face that too. If you become an overseas correspondent, there will be people you leave behind in countries...there will be people you leave behind here," he stated calmly.
Internally Rory reveled in Tristan's subtle admission that he could handle her being a correspondent...being left behind. If she remained with Logan that dream would probably go away. Realization began to dawn on her how much of a socialite Logan's partner would probably need to be.
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Rory was thinking too much so Tristan switched subjects, "The last major love of North Carolina is basketball... the state's overall primary function."
"Basketball?" she asked.
"Why yes," he said batting his eyes. "North Carolina is probably the biggest basketball state in the nation. There is Carolina, Duke, Wake Forrest and NC State. UNC won the National Championship a couple weeks ago."
"So Mr. DuGrey, do you now play basketball?"
"Of course... I don't stay in shape by running drills anymore. Besides its fun."
"I bet," she teased.
"It is," he contended.
"The cheerleaders are fun is what you really mean," she challenged.
He looked her dead in the eyes and whispered to her, "You don't cheerlead so I'm not interested."
Rory searched his eyes and knew he was telling her the truth. This wasn't the same guy she knew at sixteen...he was better. She placed a light kiss on his lips and changed the subject, "So why come back now?"
Tristan was used to Rory's tactic by now so he went with it. "I was mainly planning to start at Duke, but do the tours of the Ivy League schools up here to make the old man happy. I've visited several schools, but none could compare with Duke. Hell, I'd be happy at Carolina, being a Tar Heel fan myself. I am technically a North Carolinian, due to the amount of time I have held a residence in the state... My father threw a fit, saying no son of his was going to a state school. Now I have the ability to support myself just fine without Daddy and his wallet so I could tell him to take a hike but my mother begged me not to freak my father out further... I came back with a slight accent one visit and he was ready to put me with a speech therapist."
"That's ridiculous."
"You're telling me... Anyhow... I had sooo many reservations about this place. Its close to my father, I hate New Haven, and of course I would be commanded to a few social gatherings a year but I felt the need to wander around on campus...I am certainly glad I did."
"So am I," Rory agreed.
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Tristan smiled, "Off that topic and onto who was the guy you were talking to when I went to the bar? I like him."
Rory smiled, "That would be Finn. He's the one that came into my class to break up the fight between Colin, the last member of the trio..."
"The skinny one with the wickedest glare that I haven't heard talk," Tristan added.
She smirked, "And Logan. Finn was dressed as a bobby with a whistle and all. He announced to my class that I should be ashamed of myself and I needed to give the guys back their balls."
He nearly doubled over, "That is hysterical...Tell me it was taped."
"It actually was. It was a six-week course with a big wig so it was being taped. I snagged a full copy before the AV guys edited the incident out... The stooges don't know I have it though."
"Why not?"
Rory groaned, "Because I don't want to encourage them. Marty pointed out that this was Logan's third grade tactic to show me that he liked me and gain approval of me by his group... It didn't work out the way he planned. I was accepted by his group, but I ended up calling him a butt faced miscreant because of the stunt."
"Butt faced miscreant...Oh my god, Mary...he was a rich boy trying to gain the attention of a girl that didn't fall at his feet...we, and I include my younger self in this group...we aren't exactly known for our tact." He shook his head. "Poor guy. I bet his friends teased him mercilessly about the lengths he went to for you," Tristan moaned.
"And you would know this how?" she challenged.
He regarded her, "Let's see. I don't know...oh yeah...I was him. I got plenty of harassment from my friends. I heard a lot of 'the king of Chilton can't get the Mary to go out with him. Call the papers'. I got lots of guff around the dance...It was all over school within the hour that you turned me down."
"You nearly got into a fist fight with my boyfriend at that dance," Rory said exasperated.
"That's right. I did...and you still didn't get it. I kissed you and you didn't get it. I told you and you thought I was talking about another girl until this afternoon...four years after the fact," Tristan laid it out for her. "The direct method seems to work these days but I think that is only because there are years of history there to back it up."
"So what you're saying is I should give Logan a break?" she teased.
"Hell no...I want you all to myself," he grumbled wrapping his arm around her shoulder and giving her a squeeze. She laughed out right.
TBC...
Please REVIEW. Please REVIEW. I have a migraine, so I can't come up with anything creative.