Chapter 5: Where is the Cavalry When You Need Them

Better titled - The Lesser of Two Evils

Rory snuck back into the crowded parlor and scanned the assembled faces disappointed to see that her mother still wasn't anywhere to be seen. She was just making a hurried getaway to the bathroom, figuring she could waste at least 10 minutes there before her grandmother hunted her down; sadly she never made it as her grandfather headed her off at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, Rory, there you are, your grandmother has been frantically looking for you. Where have you been?"

She stuttered a bit "Oh, uh, I just needed a little fresh air so I stepped out on the patio for a few minutes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you and grandma." He seemed appeased by this explanation and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, there is someone I am just dying for you to meet, an old friend of mine, we used to be in the Wiffenpoofs together in our Yale days, his son is Adam is just about your age. An economics major I believe, delightful boy. I can't wait for you to meet them." Drat, she thought, there was going to be no escape after all.

Fifteen minutes later Logan's proposition was starting to look better and better. She shook her head and tuned back into the conversation with the boy on the settee next to her. She would not give in to the temptation, she could survive this, she surely didn't need his help, something she was sure she would pay dearly for. She stifled a yawn as she listened to Adam drone on about economic theory. Now she definitely knew the meaning of mind numbing dullness. He had lost her at hello.

She surreptitiously checked her watch for the tenth time, only a minute after the last time she had checked. What was taking her mom so long? She nodded and made interested sounds periodically and only hoped they were appropriate.

She hardly noticed when the first potential suitor was replaced by another. Automatically her eyes found Logan across the room observing the tableau with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He was not going to win, she swore to herself. She snapped her attention back to the boy in front of her, forcing herself to tune in on what he was saying.

She had no idea what his name was but who cared really. It was only after she had listened for a moment or two that the meaning of his words really sunk in and the horror made her suck in a breath. He was naming their children. A boy no more than a year older than her and he was planning their future together after 15 minutes of acquaintance. He was going to be a lawyer in his father's firm, they would live in Hartford...of course and he figured they would have a boy and a girl, ideally two years apart in age.

She was speechless for a full second and she was certain her eyes were as big as saucers. Had she fallen into some parallel universe or stumbled into the twilight zone, who were these weird Stepford clone husbands to be? It was sort of like the X-Files meets Yenta.

Her mind frantically spun over the options, she could run, but she was sure her grandmother would just track her down and drag her back for round two, she could confront her grandmother but those situations never went well, and in the end she never won those arguments especially without Lorelai as her champion. Her mother seemed to be stuck in some sort of time trap and at this rate by the time she arrived she might be married off and pregnant or she and whats his name would be picking out side by side gravesites. What option did that leave her?

She turned with dread in her stomach and locked eyes with Logan's knowing gaze. The clones words penetrated her clouded brain again; he wanted to name his son Hunter? That was it; anything short of death was preferable to another second of this excruciating conversation. The decision was made

Cutting off her companion with an exclamation of false surprise as if she had just now seen him, her voice carried across the room. "Logan, there you are, I've been waiting for you to get here." She gestured excitedly for him to join her on the settee.

He cocked one eyebrow and pretended to look around as if confirming that she spoke to him. Then he ambled over to where they sat. He was certainly taking his time she seethed inwardly but she pasted a sugary sweet smile on her face as he reached them.

"Logan, I am so glad that you finally made it, I've missed you." She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the settee turning towards her companion and faking a small giggle, "my boyfriend" she gestured to Logan with an affectionate eye roll "he's always late."

Logan played along "You don't mind if I steal my girlfriend for a minute or two do you..." he held out his hand "I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."

"S-Stanley" the astonished young man stuttered "Sure, I think I see a friend of mine over by the bar that I've been meaning to talk to, I'll just leave the two of you alone. Nice to meet you Rory and sorry about all that stuff I said earlier, I didn't know you had a boyfriend." And he was gone scuttling off towards the bar.

Rory breathed a loud sigh of relief "Thank God he is gone. I owe you Logan, I don't think I would have survived another minute with that frightening robot of a boy"

Logan quirked an eyebrow at her "I take it that you found someone even more odious than me to spend time with, given that reaction I'm not sure I even want to know what he said to push you over the edge. Lucky for you, I was still here, you were almost out of time but I was glad to be of service milady. You held out longer than I expected actually, I would have bet 20 minutes. Speaking of owing me though, I have to inform you that since I spent my precious time waiting for you to come to your senses the price for my cooperation has gone up."

Rory gasped and pulled her hand away abruptly narrowing her eyes at him "I knew it, you are a sadist, you just love watching me suffer. I did not agree to any additional conditions."

"Well that is true technically" he turned his attention to the room casually observing the milling boys "I'd be happy to leave you alone if that is what you would prefer...." he trailed off as she gasped.

"You wouldn't! What about all that nonsense about being a gentleman? I think you are bluffing, I am not playing your little mind game, if you walk away now I owe you nothing!" she crossed her arms to show she was resolute.

"Your choice Ace, I have nothing to lose either way." He said without blinking an eye. He put a hand on the arm of the settee to push himself up but was quickly pulled back down.

"Fine" she hissed, "You win. Tell me your outrageous conditions?"

He leaned back with a Cheshire cat grin "See Ace, I knew you were smart and you would come around to my way of thinking."

"Stop gloating and get on with it Huntzberger, I do not find this amusing."

"Oh but I do." He laughed, a deep rumbling sound "Okay, here is my offer, along with the aforementioned stipulations involving family gatherings you will also agree to go on one outing with me, no questions asked. I get to pick the time and the place and the activity and you will follow all my instructions."

Rory rolled her eyes "That seems awfully vague to me. I could be promising to have sex with you for all I know, and I certainly wouldn't put it past you.... and leaving it an open ended time frame seems pretty ridiculous given that you claim it is a reciprocation for making you wait..." she looked pointedly at her watch "for 45 minutes."

He waved a hand in surrender "Okay, okay, are you sure you don't want to be litigator when you grow up? You do make some valid points, I will concede the time argument...said event must occur within the next 45 days, to match the time you made me wait and I promise, cross my heart that it won't involve anything of a sexual nature...I'll let you make the first move on that score." He winked at her suggestively.

"In your dreams Huntzberger." She shot back but then considered his offer; she didn't see too many other ways out of the current stalemate since in this predicament he was holding all cards. Finally she sighed and stuck out her hand "Okay, I can't quite shake the feeling that I'm signing away my soul to the devil but it's a deal."

He laughed at this "No worries Ace, you really aren't my type, which is exactly why the 'rents will love you. Just stick to the story and it'll be fine, we don't seem to have any problem finding things to talk about so this may even keep both of us from dying of sheer boredom at these society gatherings."

When their palms met the air crackled between them, they locked eyes and both of them considered the wisdom of their ad hoc agreement for a silent minute.