Author's note: Okay, it's been so long since I've updated. I'm extremely sorry to those of you that were waiting for the story, though I doubt there's any really. It was over a year ago that I first posted this story and I'm going to work hard to finish it before the year is up. I still remember most of the ideas I had as if it were yesterday that I started writing this story. I just haven't exactly had any inspiration to write it, but I promise you, I won't take almost two years for the next update.

Can't Bet With Love

Part Two:

As soon as Rory and Paris got back to their dorm room, Paris headed for the bathroom to shed her wet clothes and take a shower and Rory grabbed the phone to call her friend Mallory King, who lived in the same dorm as Rory and Paris. Rory and Paris shared a common room with Mallory and her roommate as well as two other girls. Normally Rory would just go to Mallory's room but she opted not to since she was dripping with water.

"Hello?" Mallory said after the third ring.

"Hey Mal, it's me, Rory," Rory cradled the phone with her shoulder as she grabbed a towel and dapped her hair with it. Luckily, her hair was cut short and so she wasn't too much of a drowned rat.

"Hey Rory. What's up?" Mallory asked.

"Nothing much," Rory responded. "Paris and I were just wondering if the invitation for tonight was still open."

"Of course it is!" Mallory exclaimed. "I just didn't expect you guys to take me up on it. What changed your mind?"

"Some pretty exciting news coming up," Rory told her with a grin. "I think Dean might be proposing!"

There was silence on the other line for a moment before Mallory responded, "That's great, sweetie! What happened to make you think this?"

"Well...called me today and asked if he could see me tomorrow. He's coming up here and he said he had to talk to me about something really important. I didn't see it at first, but Paris pointed it out and I don't know how I didn't see it before," Rory explained.

There was another moment of silence. "Wow. Are you sure? I mean, Rory, you don't want to be expecting something that may not even happen."

"Trust me," Rory said, "it will happen. Dean and I have been together since sophomore year of high school. Over the past year, we've discussed the idea of marriage. I didn't think it would happen until later on, but...who knows."

"Yeah, exactly, who knows? Rory, I just don't want you to get your hopes up," Mallory told her friend.

"I know, Mal," Rory said. "And I'm telling you I'm not getting my hopes up because it's going to happen."

"Okay," Mallory said. "Anyway, I can drive you and Paris if need be. I'll be leaving with Steph in about twenty minutes."

"I think we'll be needing a ride," Rory told her. "So we'll be over in fifteen."

"Okay," Mallory said. "See you then."

Rory hung up the phone then and crossed the room to knock on the bathroom door, where Paris was in the midst of taking a shower. "Paris?" Rory called out. "We're leaving in fifteen so hurry up. I'd like to be able to take a shower too."

Rory headed over to her closet where she picked a dress to wear. It was red and would end just above her knees. She hadn't had a chance to wear it yet because it wasn't exactly the thing you'd wear to class. Her mother had bought it for her a couple of months before.

Paris came out of the bathroom in her terry green bathroom and Rory headed in with the dress in hand. She took a quick shower and after drying herself off, she slipped into the dress. She blow-dried her hair before applying a little makeup onto her face. When she stepped out of the bathroom, Paris was already ready and was just going through her purse.

"Hey," Rory said. "We're meeting Mel in"- Rory paused and looked at the clock on her nightstand- "Well, right now."

"Okay," Paris said.

Rory slipped on a pair of shoes and grabbed her own purse before following Paris out of their dorm room and down the hall to Mallory's room. Rory passed Paris to knock on Mallory's door. Mallory's roommate, Steph, was the one that answered.

"Hey, come on in," Steph said, opening the door wider to let them in.

"Hey," Mallory muffled voice said. She was digging through the closet and Paris and I could only see her backside. "Found them!"

She came out with a pair of black heels. She stood up, coming to her full height of 5'10". Mallory was extremely beautiful Italian with curly dark brown hair and dark brown eyes to match. Several times she had been approached about modeling, but she had always declined the offer.

"I'm so glad you guys changed your mind and started to come," Mallory said as she slipped on her heels.

"Good thing Erik's so tall," Steph teased her. "Otherwise you sure would tower over him tonight. Those shoes make you at least 6'1"."

Mallory grinned. "I'm lucky to have fallen in love with a guy whose 6'3"." She turned and looked at Rory and Paris and her grin widened. "You guys finally get to meet Erik."

Rory nodded. She had met Mallory when school had started during a meeting for the floor in their dorm. Rory's grandmother had donated a large screen television along with a DVD player and surround sound and Rory had wanted to get rid of it, but everyone else had disagreed. It wasn't long after that that she became friends with Mallory, along with Paris, and even though Erik had been by the dorm many times, both Rory and Paris had yet to met him, though they had heard a lot about him.

"I like your dress Rory," Steph complemented her. "Is it new?"

"It was five months ago," Rory answered. "But this is the first time I've worn it."

"It looks great on you," Mallory agreed with Steph. "You'll have guys falling over you all night."

Rory blushed. "I doubt that, but thanks."

"I don't," Paris said.

"I like your dress too, Paris," Mallory said.

Paris didn't say anything, but Rory could tell she was pleased with the compliment.

"So am I driving or are you?" Steph asked.

"Do you know where Michael and Tristan live?" Mallory asked.

"No," Steph answered.

"Then I'll drive." Mallory grabbed her purse and took out her car keys from it.

"Michael and Tristan?" Rory asked.

"They're friends of Erik's as well as friends of mine."

"Tristan Dugrey?" Paris asked.

"Actually, yes," Mallory said. "Do you know him?"

"Since Kindergarten," Paris said. "I heard through my mother that he went here I just haven't had the 'pleasure,' of seeing him." Paris said the word pleasure with sarcasm.

"I'm guessing by that, your experience with Tristan wasn't very pleasuring," Mallory said.

"I had a crush on him and he barely knew I existed," Paris elaborated.

Steph smiled. "I don't know who hasn't liked Tristan at one point or another."

Mallory smiled. "In fact, you like him right now." Steph just smiled back at Mallory. "I, myself, have never had a crush on Tristan Dugrey. He's too self-assured for me. I'm more for the sweet a little less confident guys. I find it endearing."

"Now wonder you like Erik," Steph grinned. She turned to Rory and Paris. "He's just about the nicest guy you'll ever meet."

"I'm not so sure about that," Mallory said with a slight laugh. "But he does portray that image pretty well."

"He owns that image," Steph teased.

"So who is this Michael?" Paris asked. "I'm assuming he lives with Tristan since you said Tristan and Michael's."

"You assume correctly," Mallory said. "Michael Pratt. He and Tristan met at military school."

Paris nodded. "Never heard of him."

"I have," Rory said. "He's in my English class. He asked me out, actually."

Mallory smiled. "You probably wounded his ego when you said no. He and Tristan are alike in the self-reassured category. Charlie Richards, another friend of theirs, is pretty shy too. I'm not sure he could even ask a girl out. Normally, they have to come to him."

"I could see Paris going for a guy like that," Steph said. "Since she's so...forward."

"I think she would scare Charlie to death," Mallory responded. "No offense, Paris."

"None taken," Paris said. "I happen to have that effect on some people."

Rory laughed. "Tell me about it."

Author's Note II: Yes, I know it's short, but this has been sitting around on my computer for a couple of months now. Originally Rory and Tristan's meeting would be in here as well, but due to the fact I hadn't finished that part yet I decided to cut it all out and just post this. Yes, I know it's a little boring, but hopefully it will get more exciting quickly. Thanks to all the reviewers and I'm sorry I didn't get this up sooner. I'm going to the ocean tomorrow so it will be at least a week before my next update.