Chapter 22
We arrived at Logan's sprawling mansion about thirty minutes early. I was anxious, to say the least. Richard tried to calm me down, but it was no use. A million memories came flooding back as we stood at the door. Friday night dinners had become ingrained into my culture as a teen, yet this one felt very different. I recalled several instances at the big house: the night Logan formally met my grandparents, the blow-out fight that ensued after I moved out without telling them, and the first one without Grandpa. I think the latter was the worst of all my memories. Somehow, I was dreading this one more. Vivienne was a strong, stubborn young woman, who, no doubt, took after her father. I knew she wouldn't go down without a fight, and this was something that wasn't going to be solved by some all-out war. I didn't want this to tear us apart of have to choose sides.
"Mom, are you ok?" Richard asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
"I'm fine," I lied.
"Don't be nervous. I think she's finally coming around," he said optimistically.
"Thanks, Kid," I replied. Just breathe, I said under my breath.
Richard rang the doorbell before I could stall any longer. The blonde-haired maid answered the door. Déjà vu, I thought.
"May I take your jackets?"
We removed our coats and handed them to her. For the end of July, it was remarkably cool. I hoped it wasn't a sign of what was to come. Logan immediately entered to greet us. He seemed a little anxious for our arrival.
"You look lovely tonight," he said as he kissed my cheek. On the other side, he whispered, "Relax, Ace, she's coming around."
Now, I've got two votes of confidence with my own vote overriding them both. The pit in my stomach said something much to the contrary. I wanted to believe them, yet I couldn't bring myself to reconcile their optimism.
Logan led us to the sitting room that reminded me of my grandparents' old house. Viv was already seated on one of the couches. She made eye contact with Richard and patted the spot next to her. He looked at me for the ok, and I nodded. He sat by his sister, who almost seemed to be gloating about the move.
"What can I get you to drink?" Logan asked.
"I'll have a club soda," Richard answered.
What the heck? Am I living in some alternate universe? I wondered silently. He never drinks that, but he's chosen now to start?
"Rory?"
"Martini with a twist," I replied absently. It always seemed to do the trick for my mom, I thought.
"I'll have a glass of chardonnay, please," Vivienne responded.
"No," he said firmly, and she gave him a pout. "It's different here, remember?"
I couldn't tell if it was real or fake. At this point, I assumed it was real. He fixed our drinks and rejoined us, taking the open seat next to me.
"Hey, did I tell you about the horrible things my grandparents did while they were here?" she asked Richard.
"Mitchum and Shira?" I asked, trying to make conversation.
"Not that it's any of your business, but NO. My late mother's parents were in town to visit me," she said snidely.
"Oh, sorry," I apologized, forgetting that they were in town. The words horrible and grandparents triggered Logan's parents in my head but knew that Odette's parents didn't have the best relationship with their granddaughter either.
"We don't see much of my parents," Logan began to explain. "I think they are off seeing the world one expensive hotel at a time."
He gently patted my leg to help soothe me and calm my nerves. His daughter caught sight of her father's move and began glaring at him. Richard seemed to notice the tension and tried to step in.
"What was the horrible thing they did?" he asked, pulling the conversation back on track.
"It doesn't matter," Vivienne replied snidely. "I don't want to talk about them."
She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at her father. Fortunately, the maid came in to inform us that dinner was ready, and I was relieved to have food as a minor distraction. I knew it wouldn't be terribly pleasant, and I was trying to figure out a way to get through to her. If Logan and I were going to work, it needed to work with her, too. I just needed to find the right way to go about it.
The kids went into the dining room before we did. Logan slid his arm around my waist, letting his hand settle on the small of my back and leaned close.
"I don't know what's gotten into her. She seemed to be doing better earlier today," he whispered before giving me a gentle kiss on the temple.
He pulled out my chair, pushed it in for me and moved to the opposite end. Viv and Richard sat across from each other. As I placed the napkin in my lap, I started having flashbacks to dinners with my grandparents, except this was an entirely new perspective for me. I'd never had the honor to be one of the heads of the table. Suddenly, I felt very out of place, making me even more nervous than I was before.
We sat through the first course in an extremely tense silence. Between the daggers Vivienne shot at me with her eyes and the glares she gave her father, I didn't know who she'd like to murder first. I understood her anger towards me, and the more I thought about it, the more I started to think I'd made the wrong decision. Although Richard turned out pretty amazing, I did all of us a great disservice by cutting Logan out completely, but I couldn't change the past and had to deal with the situation at hand.
By the time the main course rolled around, I'd barely eaten any of my salad before it was taken away. Logan kept giving me sympathetic looks, and poor Richard was quietly eating with his head down. He certainly didn't want to get into the midst of a fight. He preferred calmer waters. I couldn't blame him for not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.
"Rory," Logan began. "Did I tell you that Viv is starting Chilton this fall?"
"No, you didn't," I replied and tried to engage her. "You know that's my alma mater. It's an excellent school."
"I know. Ritchie went there, too. I know all about it, thanks," she replied in a flat tone.
Logan shot her a knowing look as we returned to the tense silence. We ate our entrees without another word until Logan attempted to make conversation a second time.
"So, Richard, are you getting excited for Yale?" he asked our son.
"Actually, I haven't thought about it all that much, but I am looking forward to all it has to offer," he replied with a grin. I knew he couldn't wait to get back into learning mode. He was insatiable, much like myself.
"Well, you're a better man than me," Logan quipped. "I dreaded four more years of school, even though I've always had a great thirst for knowledge. I preferred it on my own terms. Although, at Yale, I was a bit more interested in things other than class."
"That's an understatement," I added with a chuckle.
"Gross, Dad," Viv said. "I think I speak for myself and my brother when I say that no one wants to hear about that!"
Another verbal jab from the teen only added to the guilt I already felt about my decision. How did I manage to convince myself that was the right thing to do? I asked myself.
"Let me give you this piece of advice," Logan requested. "Find a good balance between your school and social life."
"I get it," Richard agreed.
"Your father is right," I added. "It's healthy to have both."
"Ok, Mom," he said.
Somehow, we managed to make polite conversation except for Viv, who only seemed to seethe, and it wouldn't be long before she blew.
"How can you all just sit here and pretend that nothing is wrong? Dad, this woman kept your son from you and my brother from me! Why are you okay with this? It's not right! And, now, you bring her to our house and fawn over her like you're back together. I can't sit and watch this!" she yelled and stood up at the table.
"Can I talk to you, Vivienne? In the kitchen..." Logan said through clenched teeth, and on his way out, he paused, whispering to me. "I'm so sorry about this."
I gave him a soft smile of understanding and patted his hand on my shoulder. I could overhear their entire conversation.
"What the hell is your problem?" Logan practically shouted.
"Her...you..."
"Why me? Are you mad because we are dating?" he asked pointedly.
"What?!" she shouted in what sounded like disbelief.
"Oh, don't play innocent. You knew about Richard. You had to have known about us...our past and now," he answered.
"I suspected but didn't know for sure. God, Dad, Mom's only been gone a few months," she tried to guilt him.
"Don't try that crap! You know very well that we'd been living separate lives for a long time," he replied. "What is your problem with Rory?"
"She kept Ritchie from us," she said firmly.
"She was trying to do what she thought was right for her and Richard as well as me," he attempted to explain. "Our world is very different from hers. You've known Richard long enough to see that. She didn't want to be handed things. Everything had to be earned and being a part of our world means a lot of things are handed to you whether or not you deserve them. Believe it or not, my grandfather didn't care for her because she wasn't part of society. That idea manifested into my mother's way of thinking. On the other hand, I don't think Rory wanted to be just my wife and desired so much more out of life than planning and attending parties."
"I know. I've read the books," she replied.
"And you liked her then, right?"
"I guess," she admitted. "I liked the world she created, but I hate that I lost so much time with my brother because of her."
"Viv, just give her a chance. I think you'll find you two are more alike than you think," Logan begged.
At this point, their loud conversation stopped, and I could only hear them speaking in hushed tones, which I took as a good sign. Replaying parts of the conversation in my head, the idea that she was a fan struck me. I had to figure out how to reach her thought that. Like a ton of bricks, it hit me, and I knew what I could do.
"Shall we adjourn to the sitting room for a digestif?" Logan's voice cut through my thoughts.
"We haven't had dessert yet," I lamented, and I could see a faint smile on Vivienne's face that quickly vanished when she noticed me staring.
"My deepest apologies," Logan said dramatically. "I know dessert is the most important part of dinner."
"Why suffer through salad if there's nothing to compensate at the end?" I asked jokingly.
"Viv feels the same way, don't you?" he directed the question to his daughter. He wanted to help us make the connection, even if it was something as superficial as dessert.
"Sure," she replied quietly.
"Come on, Viv! You are the only person I know who can put away a dessert like my mom," Richard added, and she gave him a dirty look.
Fortunately, the maid entered with a tray filled with cheesecake. Saved by the dessert, I thought and was relieved. As we ate, I tried my best to find some common ground with the teen.
"So, Vivienne," I began. "Your dad tells me you are a big fan of my writing."
Not the smoothest segue, but it would have to suffice.
"It's ok," she answered coldly.
"Viv," Logan chided.
"Fine, sorry," she apologized half-heartedly.
I couldn't sit and suffer through this any longer. Hoping we could just clear the air, I got to the point.
"I understand why you're angry, but it's not helping anything. How about a peace offering?"
"Like what?" she asked.
"A very serious proposal..." I replied and got a confused look from Logan.
"I'm listening..." she said sounding intrigued.
"I've been having some problems with a few parts of my newest book. My editor has been of no help, and I need some input from someone fresh, someone younger, and someone who knows my work," I explained.
"You want me to help with your new book?" she asked for clarification.
"Yes," I affirmed. "I think you're a smart girl, and the perfect candidate to assist me."
"Would I get to read it? Like before anyone else?" she sounded more excited.
"Most definitely," I agreed. "I think I can trust you not to say anything."
"Definitely," she almost squealed. "I know how to keep a secret!"
"We could follow it up with a Gilmore movie night," I offered. "Richard did tell me you're a big fan of those."
"I'll consider the offer," she replied, trying to conceal her obvious excitement.
I'd let her mull it over for a bit. After dessert and a moderately pleasant conversation during after-dinner drinks, I figured I'd try to get an answer. I was a bit anxious to know if I'd gotten through and wanted to know before I left.
"So, Vivienne, have you made up your mind? We could do it tomorrow, if you're game," I said.
"Well, I'd need time to read it first," she pointed out. She had a valid point.
"When would work for you?"
My schedule was still pretty open since I wasn't under the pressure of any deadlines soon.
"How about next Friday?" she offered.
"Sure, that will work," I replied and turned to Logan. "Would you like to join us for a movie night?"
"I'd love to," he agreed. "It's a date!"
"Really, Dad?" Viv chided in a half-joking manner.
"I'll get you the details this weekend, Viv," I stated.
"Brilliant!" she let out a little squeal and tried to contain her eagerness. "I mean cool. Sounds good." She turned to her brother. "Hey, Ritchie, it's still early. Want to catch a movie?"
"Do you mind, Mom?" he asked my permission, but he knew what my answer would be. It was merely a courtesy.
"Not at all," I said.
"You kids go and have fun!" Logan added. "Why don't you go ahead and take the Porsche? Let your brother drive!"
Wow, that felt so surreal, I thought. He must be in a really good mood to let them take his car.
The siblings made fast tracks and took off without so much as a goodbye, but I didn't mind. Logan also seemed to enjoy the fact we had the house to ourselves.
"It's nice to see the kids playing nicely," I quipped.
"Yes, it is," he joked. "So, what are we going to do now that they are gone?"
"I can think of a few things," I replied with a wink.
