Chapter 13: Guinness and Blondes

She was avoiding him, he was sure of it.

It had been over a week since she had stormed out of the newsroom and he hadn't seen hide nor hair of her since. It wasn't that they had seen each other all that much before but they usually managed to cross paths at the paper or randomly at one of the various coffee kiosks on campus. Now, all of a sudden, nothing. Days went by where he saw no sign of life at her desk at the paper...it was like she had vanished off the face of the earth.

It irked him that he even noticed.

She had been good for some entertainment but, as she was so fond of pointing out, it wasn't as if they were even friends.

It unsettled him that he wondered about her, about how she was feeling after the break up, about what she was doing right now and who she was doing it with.

He was edgy which was unusual for him; rarer still was the fact that the edginess originated with a girl.

He snapped himself out of his little daydream with irritation and tried to focus on the books in front of him. Midterms were looming and he figured that studying was as good a way as any to burn off this excess energy. Thirty minutes later he slammed the book closed in frustration...he just couldn't seem to focus on anything tonight. It was Friday night, he didn't want to study , he wanted to do something to get Rory Gilmore off his mind once and for all.

The phone rang and he picked it up to hear his father's secretary at the other end. He was being summoned to the palace for an obligatory cocktail party, great this night just kept geting better and better. He was itching to call in his marker with Rory, why not kill two birds with one stone? He had just picked up the phone to dial information for her number when he recalled the specifics of the deal, he had promised 48 hours notice, he slammed the phone down with a curse. Damn it, this night was just going to hell in a hand basket. He stormed out of his room ready for battle.

Finn was dressed when he opened the door, which was a blessing; Finn had a slightly inconvenient habit of wandering about his suite in various states of undress. Logan scanned his outfit and threw open his closet, he grabbed a tie and a jacket throwing it at Finn as he said tersely " Come on, we are going out."

Finn knew better than to argue with Logan when he had that treacherous look in his eye. Something had Logan in lather and he would lay his bets on that little reporter. A wicked gleam lit his eyes; Friday night was looking up.

He caught up to Logan as he stood pounding impatiently on another door halfway down the corridor. An irritated Colin finally answered the door. He took one look at Logan and turned around to go back to his desk with an air of annoyance cloaking him.

"You know some of us have to study Logan. There are those pesky little things called midterms coming up. What do you want anyway? Did you run out of your little girl toys to play with?"

Finn saw Logan's eyes go to dangerous slits and just sighed as he dropped down on the couch to watch the fireworks. Logan and Colin were always at each other's throats, it had been part of their friendship since grade school.

Colin was always the grouchy old man of their trio and Logan loved to push is buttons. Logan was spoiling for an argument anyway so he figured if Colin was going to oblige him he might as well take advantage of the situation. He insolently pushed aside a book with his hip and sat on the edge of the desk.

"Now Colin, stop being such a cantankerous old man, you and I both know that you will do fine on those midterms whether you take tonight off or not. Besides, its not like it matters anyway since your dad is too busy off planning his next wedding to notice something as insignificant as his son's grades."

Finn sucked in an audible breath; Logan must really be on tear tonight if he was opening the game with that low a blow. Even Colin who was used to these little verbal scuffles widened his eyes slightly as he glanced askance at Finn. Finn shrugged his shoulders to indicate his ignorance.

For this first time since he entered Colin took a good look at his friend. There was definitely something off with him. Logan could be intense but usually he wasn't mean spirited. Right now he looked nasty enough to take a good chunk out of anything that got in his way.

"What is eating at you? You have been in a snitty mood all week. If you were a girl I would have to ask if it were that time of the month."

Logan gave a little self-deprecating snort at that, he couldn't really argue with the observation, it didn't look like Colin was going to be a good punching bag tonight after all. He chose the easier explanation.

"I got a summons from the parental units, my presence was requested at some last minute shindig tonight. So I figured I would spread the misery around a little, you two, being my best mates got chosen as the likely victims."

He had to laugh when he heard Finn's muttered remark. "Lucky us."

An hour later Logan was convinced that time had actually come to a complete stand still. He pasted an insincere smile on his face as another boring society matron leered at him as she described her charming niece in excruciating detail. His eyes darted around the crowded room and he snorted in disgust when he confirmed that neither Finn nor Colin was anywhere to be seen. He would be his last dollar he knew exactly where to find them. He politely excused himself and went in search of his two lost cronies.

As expected the raucous laughter led the way. When he rounded the corner into the billiards room he rolled his eyes at the scene that greeted him. He saw Colin first, grinning wickedly amidst a group of well dressed young men, refugees from the liquor washed war room in the parlor. As his eyes landed on the objects of their fascination he groaned but couldn't help a chuckle.

It was even worse than he feared. Finn had apparently lost a bet of some sort, or at least he hoped there was a bet involved and was dancing buck-naked with one of the maids atop the pool table singing Frank Sinatra. He probably should have been the responsible one and put a stop to the whole nonsense, like his brother would have done but he was in a rebellious mood and in dire need of a good laugh. Taking a place leaning against one wall he settled in to watch the show. He snatched a bottle of scotch from Colin's hand and took a swig hissing as the liquor burned down his esophagus. Things were never boring with Finn around.

He was cheering Finn on to a second song when everyone around him froze with horrified expressions on their faces. The voice behind was filled with censure and his spine stiffened as he turned towards the doorway.

"Logan, may I have a word with you."

He followed his father into the study without a word and waited while the door snicked closed behind them.

"Logan, what explanation do you have for that display of debauchery in there?" the words were cutting and the brown eyes, identical to his own, were cold as they waited for an answer.

"We were just having a little fun dad. I don't see how it harmed anyone. You know Finn he is always looking for a new stage to perform on." He almost cracked a smile but maintained his mask of indifference.

"Lets leave your friend out of this for the moment. I am appalled at your behavior tonight. What if it had been one of the guests that wandered in to that little peep show? Your mother would have been mortified. I know you are happy throwing your own reputation down the drain but I am disgusted that you have stooped to drag your mother and my good name through the gutter with you. You disappoint me son."

Logan looked his father straight in the eye and retorted in kind, two could play at this game. "What's new dad? How is tonight any different than any of the other million times that you have called me on the carpet and told me how I just don't live up to your standards? I'm not Nicholas, I am not the perfect clone of you and that means I will never be good enough. Well, dad, that's fine with me, I look at you and I don't see anything worth looking up to."

He turned on his heel and wrenched the door open. "You can't have it both ways dad, either you want me here at these little social show and tells pretending to be something I am not or you don't. Just make up your mind so I don't have to waste my time."

He barely slowed as he stormed back to the billiards room, most of the group had scattered and Finn was mostly dressed. "Come on, lets get out of here." His voice didn't brook argument and Colin and Finn scrambled behind him as he headed for the car.

When they were in the car Finn turned to him and cocked an eyebrow..."So am I going to be tarred and feathered?" Logan laughed, leave it to Finn to break the tension.

"Nah, I wouldn't worry about your Aussie skin if I were you, I think my father is saving the medieval torture for me." His voice was bitter and Colin and Finn quickly took the hint.

Colin was the next to speak. "Where to next intrepid leader?"

Logan rolled his shoulders in a vain attempt to release some of the built up tension. "I say we give that Guinness and Blondes theory of Finn's another try, I may have been too hasty in my dismissal before. '

They grinned at one another as they pulled into the parking lot of their favorite Irish pub. Connor's was a regular haunt for the threesome and they greeted the bartender and several waitresses as they headed for their customary table in the back section of the room. The first round of Guinness was on the table almost before they sat down and they happily settled into their seats and all three scanned the room, scoping out the prospects.

Finn turned his attention back to Logan figuring now was as good a time as any to ease into conversation. "I personally like the red heads but I'll tell you that little blonde over there by the bar is looking quite promising." He sent a wink at the girl before nudging Logan.

"Hey there's a cute little brunette over there by the band, looks kind of like that little reporter of yours, might be right up your alley.

Logan's head snapped up before he could stop the motion and he regarded Finn through suspicious eyes. Finn's look was inoffensive and he wrote it off to his own paranoia, although you could never tell with Finn.

He decided to play it off "What reporter?"

He hadn't actually told them the whole story about the party and the deal yet so he stuck with a feigned look of confusion. Finn might have fallen for it is he hadn't known Logan for years. Logan was a master at hiding his reactions but Finn knew where to look and he caught the clenched jaw, the quick narrowing of the eyes.

He pushed a little further teasing him now "You know, the reporter that you jumped off the scaffolding with, the one you held hands with, you seemed pretty friendly with her at the Life and Death Brigade gig."

Logan continued his ignorant ploy "Who Gilmore? I was just doing her a favor, you never know when it might pay off to have a member of the press owe you a favor."

Colin suddenly caught on to the game when he noticed the tension at the table rise a notch. He gave Finn a questioning look but he played along curious now to see his friend's reaction.

Finn continued, "Well in that case she's fair game, Rory Gilmore looks like just the kind of girl who needs someone like me, someone to loosen her up and teach her how to have a good time. That one has got a mouth on her and I bet once you get little miss prim and proper a little relaxed she would be a hellion."

Colin countered with a stern look "She is a looker, I'll give you that, but a little innocent for Logan's taste or yours for that matter don't you think Finn. She seems like the type that would go for someone more studious, like me."

Logan scoffed but Finn caught the white knuckled grip on the beer stein, he sighed dramatically when he delivered his piece de resistance "Sadly I think we are both too late, I saw her just the other day with that bartender chap of hers and they seemed pretty cozy." He shook his head in mock consternation "I guess its no surprise, a girl like that wasn't going to be on the open market long."

Logan could feel his blood pressure rising as he glanced from one friend to the other and had to take a deep breath to stop the urge to bash their heads together, he had to get out of here quick.

Forcing his emotions under control he gave them a toothy smile and said in a voice that neither of them believed for a second "I think the bartender is just a friend so she's all yours boys, now I am going to leave your little pissing contest and go spend some quality time with that little red head over there." He was up and walking towards the bar before either of them could respond.

Finn turned and looked at Colin who looked perplexed. "Okay, I played along now explain what all that was about. If I didn't know better I would think that Logan was about a breath away from punching one or both of us."

Finn gave a wicked laugh "You aren't wrong my friend. That was just a little test and I think that our little Logan failed it with flying colors. It will be interesting to see how things play out."

Logan didn't usually drink that much but tonight he figured he needed a little mind numbing normality. Good beer, good company, good old-fashioned fun that didn't come with his fathers disapproval or any confusing emotional entanglements. He glanced around the crowded bar again as he signaled the waitress for a refill. His eyes landed again on the cute red head across the room who was giving him a suggestive come hither look, after a few minutes of coy eye contact she crooked a finger at him.

Time to get back into the swing of things, he thought with delight as he headed across the bar. He dropped gracefully down on a chair beside the red head and leaned forward "Hey beautiful, you beckoned?" she practically purred under his attention and they fell into an easy flirtation.

He had lost count of the beers he had consumed and wasn't entirely sure if he remembered his own name by the time he and the red head staggered for the door.

He was a little blurry eyed as he stumbled into a body and grabbed a chair to catch his balance. When he was finally able to make out the features of the person blocking his path he cursed his luck. It was the bartender himself...what was his name again; he could practically hear Rory saying it in that mocking voice.

"Sorry. Marty, isn't it." He held out a hand "How are you, I guess you must be feeling pretty good considering that you got the girl."

He wasn't sure what was coming out of his mouth since his brain had apparently lost all voluntary control of his words several beers back. He squinted to make out Marty's face and he regretted it instatntly because he wanted nothing more than to wipe that high and mighty look off the other boy's face.

"I guess she has a thing for tall, dark and destitute, you must feel proud being the rebound guy and all."

Marty's face had gone dangerous now and Finn who had been watching the scene from across the room suddenly noted his fists clench at his sides.

"You know Huntzberger, guys like you are all the same, you think that you can treat people like crap just because of who your father is. Now, I don't really care what you think of me but you really are drunk if you think that I am going to stand by and let you treat my friend that way. Rory has never done anything to you and now you are standing here slandering her name for no reason. If you weren't currently draped over some red headed slut I would think that you had a thing for her. Too bad for you that she is too smart to ever get involved with a spoiled child like you."

Logan snapped and launched himself at Marty already swinging.

Luckily Marty was a lot less inebriated and easily side stepped the attack only getting clipped slightly on the jaw as Colin and Finn rushed to restrain Logan.

Marty just looked at him with disdain "I hope Rory sees what you really are, a spoiled little boy who throws a tantrum whenever he doesn't get things handed to him on a silver platter."

When Logan raised bleary eyes to survey the scene he realized that the red head was long gone. Finn and Colin propped him in a chair and he dropped his head to the table trying to clear the

haze of blood lust that had obscured his vision. He had done a lot of crazy things in his life but he had never felt so out of control over a girl. It was official the night was a disaster.

"I would like to revise my previous statement." he slurred with his head still lying on his hands "Guinness and brunettes definitely don't mix."