Chapter 4: Dance with the Devil in the Pale Moonlight

Logan was disorientated to learn that Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, the society debutante that this silly game was being played for was none other than his new favorite "Ace" reporter and most recent sparring partner. Rory didn't come across as a society type, or the husband shopping type for that matter and he was usually pretty good at picking up on those kind of vibes.

When his parents informed him he was required to attend another one of these antiquated blue blood rituals he hadn't even thought to ask who the girl was. He had his routine down to a perfectly choreographed dance of evasion by now; make a brief appearance, bestow a little charm on the parents or grandparents and then make a sneaky exit, off to better and more amusing pursuits.

When his parent's mentioned Emily and Richard Gilmore he had a moment of de ja vu...he knew he had heard that name before. It clicked in his brain the second he saw Rory at the top of the stairs. He had been to enough of these little matchmaking functions that masqueraded as dinner parties to be a bit jaded about the whole thing but even he found himself struggling to ignore the catch of breath when his eyes landed on Rory in her finest party dress.

He would be the first to admit that she was beautiful with that classic angelic face and those brilliant blue eyes and he had to concede that her figure had curves in all the right places but she wasn't really his type...too innocent, too naive, too by the book...never one to rock the boat, which was pretty much his specialty.

So far she had managed to surprise him a few times though, which was a rare experience for him. He found her refreshing, witty, more down to earth and real than most the vapid socialites that usually traveled in his circle and were generally more interested in his daddy's credit card than any deeper relationship with him.

To be honest, that arrangement usually suited his purposes well, it was simple, fun, free of attachments and everyone walked away happy, there was rarely any angst when he parted ways with his most recent arm charm and that was ideal in his book. He was pretty much a commitment-phobe and rarely ever went on a date with any girl more than once or twice. Frankly he rarely found one that was interesting enough to warrant the effort.

Rory was different. She had a spark to her that had caught his attention.

Leaning up against the portcullis now he watched her for a moment, curious to see her in this different setting. She seemed to have more facets then he had originally anticipated and that piqued his curiosity. At first she appeared the naive, innocent, girl next door type when he had tried to disarm her with his charming smile outside her room at Branford, he might even have called her timid until she opened her mouth, he was pleasantly startled when she had turned into a tiger, and despite first impressions she held her own. Okay, maybe not every book could be judged by its cover.

Their next meeting was equally enlightening with her now playing the part of the ambitious, hungry reporter who stalked him and challenged him all in pursuit of the story. He had enjoyed that encounter, unable to withstand the temptation of teasing her again just to see those blue eyes kindle with the light of battle. She was a chameleon and it had piqued his interest enough that he had offered to help her with her story. He had pushed her limits, curious to see just how far she would journey out of her comfortable little world and she had stepped up to the challenge.

Then she had thrown the challenge right back in his face, systematically disproving his original assumptions about her. When she exited the tent, regal, striking in the blue that brought out her eyes he couldn't deny he had felt a little tug of attraction. He hadn't really expected her to fit into his world quite so easily. Most of all he had been taken aback when she had actually agreed to jump with him. He had provoked her but hadn't really expected her to give in, she seemed so careful, like she planned every move and never made a decision without a great deal of analysis.

He couldn't define the impulse that had him grabbing her hand on top of that platform and that made him uncomfortable. Usually girls were easy but he still felt a funny sinking in his gut when he thought about that moment when they had hit the ground. He had assured himself a hundred times already that it was just the mix of adrenaline and elation from the jump but he couldn't shake the feeling that they had connected just for one instant as she had clasped his hands to her heart and looked into his face, her hair mussed, cheeks flushed with excitement and he had found himself for just that millisecond trapped in the sparkling depths of her sapphire eyes.

Snapping out of his reverie he decided he needed a little air. Skirting the edge of the room he saw an open door out to what he assumed was a patio and with a surreptitious glance to confirm that no one would notice his absence he slipped out the opening into the night air. There was a pale autumn moon in the clear night sky and he leaned back into the shadow enjoying the moment of silence.

When he heard someone else step out onto the patio he moved back into the shadow of a stone pillar, hoping not to be discovered. His eyebrows shot up when he saw that it was Rory, illuminated in a puddle of light spilling out of the door he watched her look around guiltily, obviously making sure she was alone.

This night had just gotten a hell of a lot more interesting.

She didn't seem to notice him in the dark corner so he held his tongue and decided to observe and see what played out. Clearly she had escaped the party for a reason and he found himself curious, you never knew what information might come in handy later.

He didn't have to wait long. She quickly pulled out a cell phone and pressed a button. He watched her nervously tap a finger against her leg as she waited for someone to answer, occasionally she shot worried glances over her shoulder at the room swirling with people.

He almost laughed when she began to babble in a half hysterical tone to the person on the other end of the phone, obviously her mother if he had heard correctly. The plot thickens...he thought. Clearly there was more going on with this story than what he had assumed was a family sponsored coming out party...there was subterfuge, scheming and manipulation. He figured this entertainment was much better than expected and leaned forward to catch the rest of the one sided conversation.

Wait...she had a boyfriend? Now this was a new twist that he hadn't quite expected. He tried to ignore a tiny twinge of what he could only call jealousy, this was not a feeling that belonged in his world, so he convinced himself that this development made him happy, it meant their little game was fun without any risk of romantic entanglement since he was sure that Rory was not the type of girl that would cheat on her boyfriend.

When she was finished she peeked back into the crowded room and he thought she was about to step back through the doors but she turned suddenly and heaved a great sigh as she collapsed onto a chair and put her head down on her hands.

There was a protracted pause as he considered his next move. Abruptly inspiration hit, he found this game more intriguing by the second and he knew just how to win the next round...in fact if his plan worked they would both be winners. She was shrewd though so he would have to be very careful in his approach.

He stepped forward and coughed slightly to alert her to his presence. She jumped, her head snapping up at the intrusion and suddenly those cerulean eyes were leveled on him.

"Logan?"

Her voice implied that she thought perhaps she was having a hallucination and if her tone was any indication she did not consider it a good one.

"Well, hello Ace" he said in a cocky tone that he knew irritated her to no end, and as expected he could see the fire of anger begin to kindle in her eyes, it was really quite enjoyable to watch...as he had noted before angry worked for her.

"You know maybe you should just give in and admit that we are meant to be together since it seems to be fate that we keep ending up in the same place at the same time....unless you planned this little shindig just to see me again." He cast a sly look at her face and almost laughed out loud at the expression of horror that graced her pretty features "Really, Ace if you wanted a date all you had to do was ask...I'm sure I could work you into my social calendar somewhere. There was no need to drag all these other poor boys here to be lined up for the cattle call when we already know who your first choice is."

She flushed crimson, her eyes snapping now with barely contained fire...she was really quite stunning in that moment he admitted to himself, he had always like fire breathing dragons, after all what fun was there in life if you didn't risk getting burned?

"What's wrong Ace, you look a little piqued ...was it something I said?"

She clearly did not like that and he watched in fascination as her eyes darkened to a hard, brilliant midnight blue. He didn't know why he took such wicked pleasure in riling her but he had no doubt that he had found a worthy adversary; she could be an amusing diversion for quite some time.

The sheer arrogance of his tone was the last straw, she rose out of her chair ready to rip him to shreds "Look, Little Lord Fauntleroy, the last person I need giving me advice is an arrogant, self righteous, entitled miscreant who thinks he has the answer to all of life's hard questions. I bet that you have never done anything on your own without the safety net of daddy's money and power. Its easy for you to stand in your little insulated bubble and ridicule us plebians when you never even have to clean up your own messes or learn the consequences for your mistakes. You are a shallow, spoiled little boy who thinks the world is his playground. You don't know the first thing about me or my life and I prefer to keep it that way."

She could feel her head of steam starting to dissipate but she pressed onward "Frankly Huntzberger even if I didn't have a boyfriend, which I do, the only thing I would consider you suitable for is good shooting target or perhaps a ritual sacrifice."

He was silent throughout the tirade, the claws were definitely out now and he couldn't deny that a few of her jabs hit a little too close to home but he had long ago learned how to hide his weaknesses.

When she paused to take a breath he broke in to deflect her venom "About that boyfriend...where is he anyway? From what I can see they are setting you up with their idea of the ideal future doctor or banker husband out there, it seems to me like the kind of party I would want to be at if I was your boyfriend."

"I don't think that is any of your business. Now what are you really doing here Logan?" her tone was annoyed now "I am having a bad enough night as it is, the last thing I need is some witty court jester around to mock me."

"You know I prefer Master and Commander...seems more fitting."

When he could practically see the steam coming out of her ears he quickly grabbed a handkerchief out of his pocket and waved it in a sign for truce. "Okay, okay, I come in peace. Before your little impersonation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer where you threatened to go all medieval on me I was going to suggest a solution to your little quandary.

"What solution"" she gave him a suspicious look "and exactly what do you know about my quandary?"

He gave her his best sheepish look "Well, it just so happens that when you came outside I was out here enjoying a bit of fresh air. You seemed a bit distressed and so being the respectful gentleman that I am I followed the chivalrous code of conduct and decided not to interrupt what seemed like a personal conversation." His eyes were a study in innocence.

At the gentleman comment she snorted out loud "I'm thinking that you take way too much liberty with the term gentleman. Perhaps cad would be a better fit. I assume that your copy of the rules of gentlemanly conduct left out the part about eavesdropping being poor manners. Or perhaps you were mistaken and were actually looking at the rule book for unrepentant scoundrels and scalawags." She felt for the moment that she was back on steady ground, this whole shifting landscape of loyalty and responsibility and social strategy she just couldn't fathom but she knew how to play this bloodless game of wits.

Obviously her defense mechanism was a vituperous tongue and he knew he could hold his own in that department. He was enjoying the repartee almost too much to detour back to the original subject at hand but he knew it was only a matter of time before someone came looking for Rory. Reluctantly he held up his hands in surrender. "Hey Ace, I am not out to get you here...as a fellow sufferer in the "uphold the family name" battle I am simply proposing a truce....and a mutually beneficial partnership. If we are picking sides in this fight I promise, I'm on yours."

Rory wasn't sure quite what to make of this unexpected gesture, although she couldn't really be sure it was a gesture at all since she had yet to hear the conditions. She had strong feeling that when dealing with Logan it was imperative to ALWAYS read the fine print. She cocked her head to one side and considered him for a moment, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners suggested humor but he seemed to be serious or at least sincere. "Okay, I'm listening."

His smile brightened a notch, he had her on the hook, now all he had to do was reel her in. "To summarize from the conversation I accidentally overheard: your grandparents are focused on finding you a "suitable" mate, they don't approve of your current male friend and have endeavored, by some trickery to get you to this party, without any sympathetic back up , I assume your mother would normally play that role, and now are parading you around as the next great catch among the Hartford elite. I also concluded from my little eavesdropping interlude that this is not a situation that you are comfortable with or want to encourage. Am I right so far?"

She was a little surprised at his accurate assessment of the situation but nodded her head slightly in agreement. "I think you've got the basics."

He continued, seeing that he now had her undivided attention. "I can commiserate with you since, unfortunately, I often face the same quandary, thus the need for my masterful plan.

She considered for a moment "Okay, you have convinced me there is good reason to consider a solution, but what exactly is your plan?" she pointed a finger at him "I want specifics, none of this you can't know the conditions until you agree to the conditions crap. This is my neck on the line here and I want to know exactly what I would be agreeing to."

"Tsk, Tsk Ace, one would think that you don't trust me."

When she just made a disgusted face at him he continued "Fair enough I probably deserve that. It seems to me after careful analysis of the situation that the problem lies in the fact that neither of us is in a relationship that is viewed as an acceptable match in the eyes of the parents or in your case grandparents. What I am suggesting is that we tell them that we are dating, that we have been dating for some time. I will go back into the party tonight with you and play the dutiful boyfriend. It will get the parents off our back and we can both go about our lives without their constant nagging. Its a fool proof plan if I do says so myself."

She just looked at him for a moment, weighing the ramifications of his plan. Really, how painful could it be? It would get her off the hot seat for tonight and she was sure that spending the rest of the evening talking to Logan would be far more enjoyable than having to consider suicide if she had to talk to one more future banker, doctor or lawyer. Logan might be irritating but she would never claim that he was boring. She would just explain the situation to her mom, surely Lorelai would appreciate the humor of beating Emily at her own game.

Logan watched the internal battle play over her transparent features before she spoke. "What's the catch? Hypothetically, lets say that I agree to go along with this plan, what's in it for you?"

His answer was quick, "Simple really, tit for tat, if I find myself in a similar situation where I need a faux girlfriend to appease the family you will get the privilege of being my date for the occasion."

She didn't appear to be amused by this comment so he hurriedly continued in a more serious voice "No restrictions on type of event but I promise 48 hours notice and a new dress for the occasion if necessary. No physical contact, unless it is consensual of course " at her narrowed eyes he coughed "as I was saying, no physical contact other than that which is absolutely necessary to uphold the ruse. Its a pretty fair trade if you ask me."

She could do this she thought. She would just make sure that none of it ever got back to Dean and then she could continue the great relationship with him without the constant scrutiny of her grandparents. That thought stopped her, was she really considering hiding her relationship with Dean, going behind his back again...she didn't think she could do it, she definitely didn't think she SHOULD do it. It was a decent plan all but for that niggling little voice of doubt in the back of her mind. It would have been easy to agree to if she could just gag that stupid conscience of hers.

She took in a deep contemplative breath and then looked him square in the eye. "I don't think so Logan, its too complicated, too many people could get hurt if it all blows up in our faces. I can put up with a few more hours of this and then this whole night will be nothing but a memory. How bad can a few future bankers be?" Shaking her head she rose from her chair. "Thanks for the offer though, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that it was sincere."

He shrugged to show his nonchalance "If its the boyfriend you are worried about you needn't fret because I can be discrete, it would just be a little bargain between friends but its your call Ace."

He saw the decision in her eyes "Hey, no problem, I understand if you don't want to go through with it, you are probably right, it is too risky, better to swallow the bitter pill of pride than disappoint your family. "

She didn't respond to the subtle jibe, those sort of comments were just the sort of things that seemed to get her in trouble around Logan.

As she turned to leave Logan stopped her "I'll be here for another hour, the offer is still on the table and if you decide to take me up on it, I'll be happy to be your knight in shining armor."

His cocky smirk convinced her that she was making the right choice. "I'm sure I won't change my mind, but I will keep that in mind"

He chuckled softly as she headed for the door....letting out a soft breath when she was gone. God, she smelled good, like fresh flowers and cherry lip gloss. Somehow he knew this was only the beginning of this little saga. He put his head in his hands for a moment and wondered idly if was getting in over his head this time?