Emily POV
We just returned from our two months away in Europe. Our pre-departure dinner did not result in the outcome I had hoped for, but at least Lorelai and I seemed to be on good terms. I missed my girls while we were away, but I was a bit too preoccupied with other things going on around me while abroad to call and see what details of their lives I could pry out of Lorelai. I had planned to call her when we got back home, but Richard had cut the trip short by 2 days to return home to attend a function of one of his top clients, I forget which one, but I am so jet-lagged that does not matter now. Focus, Emily, it is almost time to leave and you are only halfway ready.
We arrived only 15 minutes after we were supposed to arrive which allowed us to make an entrance. Richard immediately left me to go talk shop with some of his colleagues leaving me to circulate among the wives and attempt to catch up on what went on around Hartford while I was away. After hearing that Constance Betterton's husband had a financial setback in selling his used cars and a few other tidbits about other DAR ladies and their husbands, I continued walking around and was quite surprised at the figure I saw in the next room watching something on the dance floor.
As soon as I saw Christopher standing there with a smile on his face, I went up to him.
I greeted him: "Christopher, what a surprise!"
"Emily, how wonderful to see you. How was your trip?" he responded. I was impressed that he remembered I had just returned from Europe.
"Very nice, thank you. What brings you here this evening?" I asked honestly trying to remember which of Richard's clients were responsible for the function this evening and how Christopher could be associated with it. Christopher is into computer software, but I cannot think of a single one of Richard's clients that deal with that.
"Well, when the most beautiful woman in the world tells you that she needs some arm candy for a business event, who am I to disappoint?" he said with a smirk. I was confused but quite thrilled to hear that he was here with someone, even if it was not Carolyn. But, I refuse to think of that disaster two months ago and am once again reminded of how good looking he is, especially now that he has grown his hair out a touch more than it was the last time I saw him.
"Ah, the most beautiful woman in the world? That is quite a statement." I am glad that he has someone with beauty because he is indeed a very good looking man. I see a lot of Rory's physical features when I look at him.
"I like to think she is. She has good genes." He says with a smirk. At this point I am curious to know who he is here with.
"Do I know her, or her parents?" I have to ask because he is not volunteering this information. For a moment this is beginning to feel like getting information out of Lorelai.
He smiles and as he is about to answer I lose my patience and ask "Where is this woman?" I ask honestly curious, attempt to smile, and hope that the comment did not come out too bitterly, but he should have hit it off better with Carolyn, even if he was too immature for her.
He chuckled a bit. "She is out on the dance floor with your husband. He found us and simply had to have a dance." He continued to smile as I began to panic. What would Richard want with whatever two bit tramp Christopher had associated himself with this evening. My massive confusion stopped me from becoming jealous, but those feelings were attempting to creep in.
"Excuse me?" I ask for clarification. I am a bit hesitant on whether to look back at Christopher or attempt to see where his gaze was drifting.
He begins to explain, "Richard saw us, and we started catching up when she told us she loved this song. Before I could ask her to dance, Richard beat me to it." He continues his small smile as he glances out to the dance floor which has quite a few couples dancing to this song that I cannot place. He is about to say something else when I take a few steps forward to get a better view, and that is when I see her.
There she is in his arms. They are dancing and seemingly having a pleasant time. He is dancing with Lorelai. Richard is dancing with our daughter. To say that I am shocked is an understatement. At first I do not know whether to go up to them and demand why she is here or whether to simply walk away and act as though I have not seen them. As I am pondering this, Christopher comes up to me and asks me to dance. I am truly speechless, and he takes advantage of this by simply starting to dance all the while continuing to smile and glance in Lorelai's direction. We step out on to the dance floor where he leads us over toward Richard. I now see that she has noticed me and smiles toward me. I am still so shocked to see her at one of Richard's business functions that I cannot begin to imagine what my face looks like.
Just as we reach Richard and Lorelai, the music stops and the dance is over. I am still speechless, but Richard is thanking Lorelai for the dance and then sees me for the first time since he left me at the door.
"Emily, there you are. Look who I found." He says it quite enthusiastically.
"Hi, Mom." She greets me and then her smile lingers toward Christopher.
"I see that Richard. How are you, Lorelai?"
"Fine Mom, thanks. Did you have a good trip? Dad was telling me a bit about it, but I did…"
I have had enough of this civil chitchat, even if we are standing in a crowded room; I interrupt her and demand to know "Lorelai Gilmore, I demand to know what is going on here."
She smiles and takes a patronizing tone. "Well, Mom, this is a business related function being hosted by the Durham Group. Dad insures them. They are a hotel group, enter me. There was music, so some people take it as an opportunity to dance. I am your daughter, or at least I have been told that I am." This is not the time for her jokes. I send her a glance that seems to get my message across quite nicely because she next says "Maybe we should go somewhere more private."
With that said, I am trying to remember how she fits in with the Durham Group and where the nearest "private" area is for us to continue this discussion. This is not something that I am willing to drop. I start to walk away hoping that she is following me and desperately search for somewhere appropriate to continue this discussion because I demand to know what is really going on.
A/N: Should I continue on with this, please let me know what you think.