Rory stared at herself critically in the mirror that night. She'd spent a good amount of time trying to figure out what to wear. She wanted to look nice, but she didn't want Marty to think she'd gone out and bought a new outfit. She'd finally decided on a pair of khaki pants and a red short-sleeved sweater. She'd worn the top around him before, so she knew he'd either recognize it or at least know it wasn't new. She was satisfied with her clothing, but now she was looking at her hair. Would it look too formal if she left it down? Should she put it up? She glanced at her clock; 6:54.
"Okay, no time." She glared at her reflection for a moment before parting her hair and securing the top half with a clip. She was digging through her purse for her wallet when she heard her phone ringing. She looked around frantically but did not see it. She followed the sound of her ring, silently yelling at Paris for making such a mess with her 'crafts corner.' She finally found her phone under one of her roommates' place mats.
"Hello?" She answered it breathlessly.
"Hey, Ror, you sound like you just ran a marathon or something. What's up?"
"Hey Mom, nothing's up, I just couldn't find my phone and I'm kind of in a rush…"
Lorelai interrupted her. "In a rush for what?"
"Nothing important. I'm just going to check out this little coffeehouse that someone told me about."
"Oh, that sounds fun. Who are you going with?"
Rory hesitated. She had told her mother that she liked Marty, but as a friend, and that she didn't want to go out with him. Now she had to explain why she'd suddenly decided to go for it.
"Umm, Marty, actually," she finally answered.
"Wait, you're going out with Naked Guy? I thought you said you didn't like him. Is it some kind of dare or something? And hey, what about Logan? I thought you liked him."
"Mother, Logan is simply a nuisance that I am forced to put up with. I do NOT like him."
Lorelai paused before answering, "Sure, of course. I'm sure that the reason you always bring him up is because he annoys you."
There was a knock on her door.
"Uh, Mom, I have to go. He's here."
"Ok, hon. Have fun with Marty!"
She hung up and hurried over to answer the door.
"Hey Mar…Logan? What are you doing here?"
He had asked himself the exact same thing a few minutes earlier, as he'd been walking towards her room. He knew that he'd decided to lay off her a little, as to not push her away. But then he'd realized that he couldn't just sit back and let Rory take her sweet time deciding how she felt. After their kiss, he wanted her more than ever, and he was pretty sure that she was interested. He had to make her see how much he cared about her, and that he wanted to be with her. She had to know he wasn't going to hurt her.
"Well, I was in the neighborhood and I stopped by to see if you were busy."
She looked at him warily. "Well, I am busy. You know Marty's going to be here any minute to pick me up."
"Yea, I know that. I also know that you've turned him down before. Why the sudden change in heart?"
"I appreciate persistence. And besides, who I do and do not choose to associate with is none of your business. Why can't I go out with Marty? You're just jealous that it's not you."
He laughed. "You're right. I am jealous. Look, Rory, you know I'm into you. And after last night, I'm pretty sure you are too. I know, you were drunk, but that doesn't mean you didn't kiss me. If you're going out with Marty just because of me, then, don't. It's not fair to him."
"You know, Logan, not everything is about you. I can't even go out with him without you thinking it was because of you. Don't flatter yourself, my life does NOT revolve around you." With that, she slammed the door so that she could wait for Marty in silence. Logan's words kept running through her mind. The fact that he could understand her actions so well scared her. All of the things he had said were true; maybe that was why she denied them so vehemently.
"Why am I so afraid of this?" She wanted him, but she didn't want him to know that. She didn't understand why she couldn't just tell him how she felt. With Dean, and even Jess, she had expressed her feelings as soon as she knew they were interested. She knew that they were into her, and she was willing to take that chance. And yet, here she was. He had just told her that he wanted her, and yet she wasn't willing to let him in. What would it take for her to open up?
Logan stared at the door, as if willing it to open again. When it didn't, he turned and collided with someone. He looked to see Marty steadying himself.
"Hello, Marty. What are you up to this fine evening?"
"I'm taking Rory out. What are you doing here? I mean, I usually don't see you around here often, unless you're with Finn or Colin, and I don't see them anywhere."
"I was just…taking care of some unfinished business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."
Logan brushed past Marty, all the while wishing he was the one taking Rory out that night. Even though she had just slammed a door in his face, he didn't believe her when she said she wasn't going out with Marty because of him. He knew that she was only doing it to push him away. However, she was about to realize that it wasn't going to work on him. He wasn't the type to give up on something when it became a little difficult. The very fact that she wasn't giving in to him only made him more determined to open her up.
"Wait a minute…" He thought for a moment, then pulled out his cell phone and started dialing a number. "You appreciate persistence, do you? Hey, Finn? You're not busy right now, are you? Good. Go find Colin and meet me at that new little coffeehouse downtown. I'll explain later."