Chapter 21

It had been nearly two weeks since I'd inadvertently told Logan's daughter about Richard. According to Logan, she barely spoke to him and only communicated via text. He wasn't sure if it was a direct result of the revelation or if some of it had to do with the fact her grandparents had accepted his offer to visit. Apparently, their relationship was poor, at best. It was only more strained when they decided to bring along her late mother's girlfriend. He said in all of their grief, they, somehow, came to the conclusion that a little part of their daughter was better than none at all. It also included attempting to mend their relationship with their only grandchild.

I had only gotten little snippets from Logan, and Richard had been mum on all things sister-related. My son told me that he didn't want to betray her trust, not only as a brother, but as her best friend as well. While I didn't like being kept in the dark, I respected his integrity and loyalty. He did promise to let me know if he was worried about her in a more serious way. So far, it had seemed to be mostly a battle of wills. I was reminded of my own fights with my mother and of those with Logan. I wondered how much longer he was going to last. I knew it was eating him up inside.

Logan: I know what we can do!

He seemed to have texted me mid-thought, as if I'd know he was talking about.

Rory: About what?

Instead of a texted reply, he called.

"The whole Viv thing," he answered.

"And hello to you, too," I chuckled.

"I just don't know how much more of this I can take. She's never been like this with me. I've always been the good guy. I know that's hard to believe," he explained further.

"You are being too hard on yourself," I countered.

"She's barely spoken to me. Although, she's been complaining about Odette's parents to me until she realizes what she's doing and abruptly stops," he revealed.

"That's a good sign. She wants to talk to you," I replied.

"I wish she'd stop being so stubborn," he lamented.

"I wonder where she got that," I retorted, trying to hide the smile in my voice.

"You're not helping," he countered playfully.

"Sorry -" my laughter couldn't be stifled any longer.

"Anyway," he said over my giggles. He waited for me to be done. I don't know why I found it all so amusing, but the irony of his statement had triggered me.

"Ok," I said once I caught my breath. "So, what's your solution?"

"Dinner," he replied plainly.

"I don't follow."

"All of us, together, for dinner," he clarified.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I mean, she was pretty pissed at me and rightfully so."

"Ace, if we are going to make all of this work, we've got to move beyond this," he said firmly.

"Make all of what work?" I asked.

"I mean what I said that night. I'm not letting you go..." his voice softened and trailed off.

"Logan..."

"No, Rory, I'm serious. I want to give us another shot," he replied.

"I do, too, but I don't want it to move too fast," I said worriedly.

"We can go at whatever pace you decide," he offered.

"It's not just for me. I'm concerned about Richard...and Vivienne."

"Then, I think that dinner is an even better idea. She can get to know you better," he suggested.

"If you think it's a good idea, then I'll be there. You'll have to check with Richard to find a good time. My schedule is pretty flexible," I agreed. I didn't want to reiterate my bad feelings about this because he was determined to make it happen.

"How about Friday night?"

"Are you suggesting a Friday night dinner?" I asked in astonishment. He was well-versed in my Friday night tales of the Gilmore house.

"I think I am," he said only sounding slightly hesitant.

"Do you know what the entails?" I wondered. I was sure that my Grandmother's spirit would be present to ensure that everything was extra dramatic, which only made my previous feelings seem that much heavier.

"You in?"

"I guess I'll have to be," I replied with a chuckle. "Don't forget to double-check with Richard, but he's usually pretty free Friday evenings."

"Are we still on for tonight?" he asked in a low, husky tone.

"I've been looking forward to it all day," I answered flirtatiously.

"Good," he said. "I'll see you in a few hours. Bye, Ace."

"Bye, Logan."

I started thinking about what I was going to wear, and I felt the butterflies in my stomach as I thought about seeing Logan. I looked forward to them and relished every moment, good and bad. For the first time in a long time, I felt alive. Suddenly, I was desired a woman and my spirits were uplifted. It wasn't as if I'd been depressed since Logan, but everyone noticed the change in my demeanor. I felt like I was walking on air. It was exhilarating as it was scary because of the expectations that come with Logan's life. I wasn't sure if they were the same as they had been, and I hadn't had the courage to broach that subject.

Ever since we spent the night together, Logan and I have been having 'catch-up' dates. He said he wanted to make up for lost time, but I thought it was more like reacquainting ourselves. It had been so long since we'd talked that we really needed to fill in the eighteen years. Sometimes, hearing about his life without me hurt more than I thought it would, and I'm sure it was the same for him. It wasn't always easy or simple to get through it, but, in the end, it brought us that much closer together.

We weren't sleeping together. Although, he did spend the night a couple of times and stayed in my bed. I'd slept better with him next to me than I had in a long time, which was weird because I'd been sleeping alone for so long.

So far, we'd been spending time at my house. He said we were safer because the paps had really been on him in public. He'd gotten used to it for so many years, but now that he was finally back with me, he didn't want to subject me to it. I had told him that I was already well-versed in their ways because I'd dealt with them around book releases. Fortunately, for me, it was a down time, I wasn't a sought-after subject. Staying in was fine with me because I definitely didn't enjoy the extra attention my books garnered. I just hoped they weren't camped out at his place on Friday. I swear half of them have taps on people's phones!

About four hours later, my doorbell rang. I took a quick peek in the mirror near the door and fixed my hair. I felt giddy like in college when we had started seeing each other. Opening the door, I saw Logan standing on my porch looking more amazing than he had before. He was far more dressed up than me, I assumed he'd decided to change plans for the evening. Since we'd been staying in for our dates, I hadn't bothered dressing up that much.

Before I'd even had a chance to greet him, he swept me into his arms and kissed me passionately.

"Wow, what was that for?" I asked breathlessly. At that moment, I noticed the car sitting in my driveway wasn't his usual vehicle. It was his driving service.

"Because I love you, Ace," he replied grinning from ear-to-ear, making his eyes crinkle. "Now, you'd better go change because we're going out for dinner tonight."

"Did I know we were going out for dinner? I thought we were staying in," I replied feigning confusion. I knew he didn't tell me about the change of plans, but I wanted to play with his mind a little bit.

"No, but I wanted to treat you and show you off to the world," he replied. "I know they're out there, and I just don't care anymore. There's no need to hide."

I assumed the 'they' he was referring to were the gossip rag photogs who followed him. I wonder what brought on this exuberant change in attitude.

"Well, a girl's got to know these kinds of things," I started teasing him. "This requires a completely new wardrobe, hair and make-up. I mean, I probably should have gone shopping for the perfect outfit -"

I was interrupted by him kissing me soundly. I melted. His arms were the place I'd longed to be for many years, and, finally, we were back where we should have been this whole time.

"You know you don't need to do that for me," he said softly.

"I know, but I like playing with you a little," I replied playfully. "I do need to change and touch up my make-up."

Logan came inside, closing the door behind him. I started to make my way up the stairs to my room.

"You know where the scotch is," I called from the first half-landing.

In my bedroom, I looked around in my closet and started thinking that maybe I was right earlier when I said I needed to go shopping. Suddenly, none of my clothes seemed right as I flipped through the hangers. I didn't know how dressy I needed to be and everything looked bland. My closet looked like a spinster threw up in it. I took a deep breath and started looking again, laying different combinations on my bed. It was all still plain and boring. Where's my mom when I need her? I asked myself. She was the queen of the wardrobe crises.

Without warning, I felt an arm wrap around my waist, giving me goosebumps. When Logan's lips pressed against the side of my neck, a soft moan escaped my lips. Oh, God, how I go without this for so long, I thought. He knew how to make me feel safe and desired.

"What happened here?" he asked looking at the various outfit options I had strewn on the bed.

"Because you've given me no clues about tonight, I don't know what to wear," I explained and turned around to face him. He kissed me as he held me tight.

"Blue and white top with the black skirt," he suggested.

"How did you do that? I've been staring at this stuff for ten minutes," I said.

"It's a gift," he replied. "Now, you'd better hurry, or we'll be late!"

I quickly got dressed and was amazed at how great this outfit looked. Then, I touched up my hair and make-up before going back downstairs to Logan, who was waiting patiently for me. We went to this deserted-looking theatre. Once inside, I realized that it was perfectly functioning, but it had been bought out entirely.

"What's going on?" I wondered aloud.

"You'll see," he replied with a devilish grin. "Don't want you to miss the beginning of the movie!"

With the entire theatre being empty, we had our choice of seats. It wasn't your typical stadium-style seating rather, there were tables set up with reclining seats on either side of them. Once we sat down, a pizza arrived within a few minutes as well as some beverages. Before I could ask questions, the lights dimmed, and the movie began. The title came on the screen: another film by kirk.

"This should be good," I said just loud enough for Logan to hear.

"I thin you'll really enjoy this," Logan replied with a wink.

As the movie played, I began to feel a sense of familiarity in the actors. I couldn't pinpoint how I knew them. It wasn't a typical Kirk film and seemed much longer than his previous work. I was deeply entrenched in the storyline, loved the characters. I kept trying to figure out how I knew these actors. Then, out of nowhere, the film abruptly seemed to break.

"NO!" I nearly shouted. "Now, I'll never know what happens!"

Just as suddenly as the movie 'broke', the lights in the front of the theatre turned on, revealing the actors from the movie. They picked up where the film left off. In person, the familiar vibe was even stronger, yet, I still couldn't put my finger on it. How did I know these guys? I thought, starting to get frustrated that I couldn't ascertain their identities.

Logan sat next to me with a knowing grin. The answer was on the tip of my tongue when they tore off their realistic silicone face masks, revealing their true identities.

"Oh, my, God!" I squealed and rushed the actors.

I practically leaped into Finn's arms because I was ecstatic to see these guys. It had been over eighteen years, and I missed them almost as much as Logan.

"Hey, now!" Colin said, sounding offended.

"What the hell?" Robert exclaimed.

"What can I say? I am her favorite," Finn bragged, and he wasn't entirely wrong. I had a special connection with him over the other guys. Logan was always my number one, but Finn and I had a bond that ran deeper than the rest.

"You guys, I'm...I can't believe you did this...and with Kirk!" I said.

"I think you guys could make it big as a team," Logan suggested.

"I was thinking the same thing!" I agreed. "I couldn't even tell it was you guys. Normally, Finn's accent gives it away."

We spent the next two hours catching up amongst ourselves, and it was so great to see them. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed spending time with them. It was fun and relaxed with a feeling as if no time had passed. We picked right up where we left off, except the guys all spoke of their families rather than their drunken escapades. My heart was finally full once again.