There was a long pause and then two gusty sighs of relief as the door swung shut behind Rory and Lorelai. They had survived another uneventful Friday night dinner; of course, uneventful in this context was an extremely euphemistic view of what essentially was a pitched battlefield. For Rory reading between the lines of the barbed remarks and snide retorts was less of a hobby than a survival skill.

Lorelai swung an arm around her shoulder and led her towards the cars. "Come on daughter –o-mine you can ride with me. I have to come back into Hartford tomorrow with Sookie to pick out the turkeys for Thanksgiving so we can drop you off then to pick up your car. Besides, frankly after the torture chamber interrogation in there I'm not sure you are in any shape to pilot a moving vehicle. They should have a warning label please do not operate heavy machinery or make any life altering decisions in the wake of dinner at the Gilmore's."

Rory gave her a quieting look and blithely ignored the last half of the comment. "Why do you have to pick out the turkeys this far in advance, aren't they already dead and frozen?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes "Oh, no for the first Thanksgiving at the Dragonfly Inn we can only have the best so we are going to go pick out the LIVE turkeys so that they can get them nice and fat before they have to be whacked over the head and have bread stuffed in them so that you can enjoy their tastiness with gravy and mashed potatoes, I guess that way you can give thanks that on this particular circle of the wheel of life you were not unfortunate enough to be a fine feathered and tasty fowl.'

Rory made a disgusted face "A little too up close and personal with my food if you ask me, I like it in those nice cellophane wrappers with no actual resemblance to its animal f origin, or better yet cooked and on a plate or a bun so I can just pretend that the god being the all knowing and almighty greater being that he or she is got to the seventh day and said in his infinite wisdom, let their be hamburgers. Just promise me you won't name any of them cutesy names because that would be just too Animal Farm for me."

"Tom."

"Like your builder Tom? I'm sure he will take that well."

"Good point, how about Theo?"

"Didn't you date a guy named Theo once?"

Lorelai gave her a puzzled look "I did?"

"Yeah, I'm sure of it, right after that guy that looked about twelve and before the guy that liked to fish."

"Oh, right Theo, of course, I liked Theo. Theo owned an ice cream truck."

"Exactly my point, so clearly it would not be appropriate to name the turkey you are planning to eat after a nice man with an ice cream truck, bad karma with the ice cream gods."

Lorelai thought for another long moment, clearly quite serious about finding the perfect name for the unfortunate fowl "How about Terrence?"

"Nope, Paris' life coach is named Terrence and I'm sure she would never forgive me if I burst out laughing every time I saw him because I was picturing him as a turkey."

"Man, this is harder than I thought, who knew we knew so many guys with names that started with T?"

"Maybe we should consider just NOT naming our turkey. I would not survive as a vegetarian."

"Blasphemy." Lorelai said absently still deep in thought. Suddenly she snapped her fingers and beamed a triumphant smile, "I've got it, its perfect, irony at its best."

Rory gave her a horrified look "If you tell me you are naming that turkey Taylor I am checking you into the psych ward right now."

Lorelai gave her an smug look "Fine, I won't tell you. Good to know great minds think alike though."

Rory groaned and slapped her hands over her ears and began humming loudly "I can't hear you."

Lorelai gave a long-suffering sigh "They have just beat all the fun out of you at that mean school of yours."

They climbed into the jeep and there was a moment of silence as they pulled out of the drive and the tires squealed as they made their get away from Rapunzel land.

Rory finally lowered her hands slowly from her ears with a cautious look and made a quick subject change to head off any further conversation about the soon to be condemned Taylor the turkey. "What would you wear to eat Indian food and watch old movies?"

Lorelai shot her a 'have you recently undergone a lobotomy' sort of look "Sweats and slippers." She paused "Is this a trick question?"

"You're right, I should clarify, what would you wear to eat Indian food and watch old movies somewhere other than in your own living room?"

"Why would I want to do that?" Rory knew she was being goaded but played along. "Lets say, hypothetically speaking that it was a first date."

Lorelai nodded solemnly "And would this first date include a cute blonde haired scamp who buys you coffee?

"That would be the hypothetical suitor, yes."

Lorelai nodded "Ah, now that is a very different question indeed." She put a finger to her chin and pretended to be deep in thought "A challenge even for a seasoned fashion guru such as myself, I think we may even have to consult the crystal ball on this one. I need a little more information before I can fully evaluate the complexity of the issue. Are you eating Indian food and then watching an Indian themed movie, like say a classic from Bali wood or Ghandi or City of Hope, although truthfully that might be the wrong movie to watch right after you eat, or are you watching totally unrelated movies? These are important questions."

Lorelai trailed off and glanced at her daughter, curious about what had happened at dinner "Hun, in light of this discussion and before we get into the whole wardrobe discussion I kind of have a question, I thought you liked this Logan character, and obviously you are getting all girly about planning this whole first date thing so I'm curious about why you totally panicked when the name of your fine escort slipped from your grandmother's lips tonight. You told them you were dating this guy weeks ago, so it was natural that it was going to come up again."

Rory looked out the window remembering the uncomfortable moment "I knew the whole Logan thing would probably come up but I wasn't really planning on mentioning the date. Then she put me on the spot and I figured that was the quickest way to get you two away from each other's throats, after that last comment about holding the next DAR meeting at the Dragonfly I thought you were going to leap across the table and stab her in the throat with your fork. "

Lorelai sniffed haughtily "I probably would have only used my spoon. Besides now it's your problem, I would count yourself extremely lucky, like you should go to Vegas and bet a million bucks lucky if she isn't ordering the wedding invitations as we speak. "

Rory sighed "Come on mom she isn't that bad."

The head shake was pitying "Whatever you say Snow White, my only word of advice, if she calls and asks for Logan's middle name hang up and run, like to Tibet. "

"It's not that I don't want her to know about the relationship, I mean she already knew about it before it even was a relationship and I know at some point if things go anywhere that I will have to invite him to Friday night dinner or some other re-meeting type of ritual. I guess I just panicked at the idea of grandma meddling in something that has been going so well. I haven't even had time to mess it up myself."

"I hear ya sister." Lorelai pounded on the steering wheel for emphasis.

"I will tell her all about the date if it goes well, but I kind of wanted to actually do the whole first date thing before deconstructing it. Besides, you know how grandma gets when she thinks there is some good gossip, like a terrier chasing a rat." Rory shuddered.

Lorelai snorted with laughter "A terrier with a rat, god it would be priceless to see her face if you ever repeated that particularly charming analogy to her. I do agree with you though her OCD tendencies when it comes to prying information out of the unwilling are certainly cause enough for the Thumper face."

Rory's eyebrows drew together in confusion "Thumper face? What happened to Bambi face?"

Lorelai shrugged as she made a turn onto the highway "I got to thinking the other day and it seems kind of unfair to all the other woodland creatures that Bambi is always the one that everyone remembers, always hogging the spotlight, even got the movie named after him. Animal favoritism at its ugliest. It must be stopped."

Rory rolled her eyes "Okay sister suffragette, just seems a little weird that you started with the bunny. Bunnies get quite a lot of press actually, I wouldn't exactly say that they are the neglected minority if you examine the evidence you will note that there are quite a lot of famous rabbits; Peter Rabbit, The Velveteen Rabbit, Roger Rabbit, Rabbit from the Hundred Acre Wood, Bugs Bunny, the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Brer Rabbit, magicians are always pulling white rabbits out of hats. There is a Rabbit that sells breakfast cereal and the Easter Bunny even got his own holiday. I'm mean they even had bunny martyr in Fatal Attraction, the only bad one in the bunch that I can think of is the attack rabbit in Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail. The media has practically sainted them. Now if you really want to take up a cause you should support snakes or cows or blackbirds, they always get a bad rap."

Lorelai had to stop laughing long enough to turn off the highway "I don't think I want to know what brought on the vitriolic anti-bunny rant. Can I call you Flower without a monologue on Pepe le Pue?"

"A skunk? You are nicknaming your only child after a skunk? You couldn't find anything more insulting like maybe Dumbo or Ursula the Octopus?"

Lorelai pouted "Its a cute skunk.... fine Cruella, do the animal right s people know about you and your hatred of all soft, furry creatures?"

Rory snorted, "What's with you and all the Disney references? Have you been watching the Cartoon Network again?"

Lorelai looked innocently at the ceiling "You can't prove it."

"You are shameless.''

Lorelai's tone was mournful "How could I have raised a child who does not appreciate the comic value of talking pigs, and the life lessons of Wallace and Gromit? If you didn't appear uncannily like me and drink coffee like a fish I might suspect that you had been switched at birth. Now tell me about this super secret date."

" Okay Jiminy Cricket I will tell you all about the planned schedule of events for the date then you will help me pick out the perfect outfit but first we have to get coffee from Luke's or I fear I won't make it through the obligatory costume changes."

"Ah, there is the child that carries my DNA. I already ahead of you though, Luke said he would have coffee and burgers ready for us at exactly 8:30." She pulled the jeep to a stop in front of Luke's as she spoke and jumped out of the driver's seat.

Rory looked at her watch as she followed her "You do realize that its 8:45 right?"

"Right, so we are right on time, besides we might actually have been here at 8:30 if you hadn't dropped the whole I'm going on a dinner date with Logan "Soon to be heir to the fortune" Huntzberger bombshell during dessert. I had a very carefully timed schedule and you blew that all to hell. You really have to work on that; bombshells are only to be dropped during drinks when absolutely necessary to evade an uncomfortable silence or during the salad course, anything after that only throws the whole timetable off. It was might fortuitous that she already thought you were dating or we might have been reenacting the Spanish Inquisition for the rest of our natural lives and you wouldn't actually get to go to dinner with your prince." Lorelai pushed through the doors with a beaming smile for the baseball cap wearing man behind the counter who just at that moment was pouring coffee into four paper cups.

She plopped down on stool by the counter and assumed a rapt pose with her chin on her clasped hands watching every move of Luke's hands. She batted her eyelashes at him and said in a sugary Southern accent "Why Mr. Danes are those for little old me? You sure know how give a girl the vapors."

Luke rolled his eyes dramatically at the ceiling and waved a perfunctory hello at Rory. "Since you said you would be here at 8:30 I assumed that meant at least 8:45, Caesar is almost done with your burgers." Lorelai cast an adoring glance at him and then leaned over to bump shoulders with Rory and gave her an I told you so kind of wink.

"Actually this time it wasn't my fault. We would have been on time if it had been for Minnie here telling my mother that she was going out with Mickey." She pointed a thumb at Rory.

Luke shared an exasperated look with Rory and said in a stage whisper "Is she referring to Mickey Mouse? Do I even want to know what she is talking about?"

Rory smiled as she played along whispering behind her hand "Not if you value your sanity."

Lorelai pouted and crossed her arms "You know, even without my magical super powers I can hear you." Lorelai turned with an assessing eye to Rory "Okay, I think we need a theme."

Rory gave her a perplexed and slightly frightened look "A theme for what? This isn't my sixth birthday party."

Lorelai waved her hands animatedly "A theme for the outfit, your can't pick the perfect outfit unless you know what the purpose of said outfit is, an outfit must have meaning, it must be designed to create a perfect moment, it is like the stage props that set the scene, you couldn't very well have Snow White eating the poisoned apple in a cave or something, you need a little cottage and the dwarves and the singing birds, you need ambiance.... thus the need for a theme. "

Rory looked a little lost "I need dwarves?"

Lorelai gave her a long-suffering look "Okay lets try this, close your eyes." She put her hands over Rory's eyes to aid in the process "Now picture yourself sitting across the table from Logan and imagine about what you are thinking. Now describe it, is this a sappy Lady and the Tramp eating spaghetti kind of moment we are creating or a gallant Maid Marian being rescued by Robin Hood or a Cinderella dancing with her Prince Charming or a me Tarzan you Jane kind of affair."

Rory was picturing Logan and herself at dinner and in her minds eye there was candlelight and orchestral music and fancy waiters in tuxedos. They were clinking their glasses, talking about inconsequential meaningless things, she was being wined and dined...and it all felt wrong.

Rory's eyes snapped open halfway through visualizing herself across the table from Logan and she could feel the beginnings of a cold sweat. "Oh my god, I can't go on a date with Logan. What was I thinking? We are so good at the coffee shop, we have fun on these crazy LDB outings but once we go on a date I'm just going to be another girl that succumbed to his charms, another conquest. What if he is all smooth and smarmy like he was when I first met him? Then everything will be ruined."

Lorelai patted her on the back sympathetically and shoved a cup of coffee towards her "Okay, okay, slow down, take a breath, and drink some coffee you will fell better. Look, I'm sure that Logan won't see you as a conquest. Your opinion of him has changed since you first me right?"

Rory nodded still feeling anxious "yeah, but what if...."

Lorelai stopped her with a hand "no what ifs. If your opinion has changed then his probably has also, and if the outcome of one little date is going to ruin whatever this thing is between you then maybe there isn't really anything there, you have to find out thought kid, you can't freeze time and you can't just stay in limbo."

Rory stared at the lid of her coffee "I guess you are right. It's just I really want it to be good, I want to be right about him."

Lorelai laid her hand over Rory's "That's what matters kid, if you want to you will make it work, even if the first date isn't the most perfect night in history." She smiled "Probably my fault you had this little freak out anyway, maybe I shouldn't have started with the theme. How about this, we'll just go home and pick out a pair of shoes and work our way up to the whole theme business. Hell, maybe we'll just scrap the whole theme and go rogue, who needs the Rules anyway.

Rory took a sip of her coffee and felt her pulse slow marginally; she climbed of the stool and slung her scarf around her neck. "Let's go."

Lorelai cheered "Grab the coffee Cinderella and lets get this party on the road. Ohh, I know what we need, ICE CREAM." Luke didn't quit manage to hid the smile as they linked arms and sashayed out of the diner.

It was 6:28 p.m. and Rory was in her room trying to meet the land speed record for changing an outfit. Ten minutes ago she had been groomed, coiffed and reading a book on the couch having completed her primping ahead of schedule. The nervous edge was still there but she had successfully tamped it down and had so far not succumbed to the urge to flee. She was determined to beat Paris to the butlering duties and spare Logan the Gellar version of the third degree, it was the least she could do after he had so gallantly taken his life into his hands and offered to pick her up at her door. Everything was going according to plan, and then her mother called. Last night after 5 hours of discarding shoes and rearranging accessories, one showing of Pretty Woman and three pints of ice cream they had finally narrowed it down to two outfits, one a flirty little flowered skirt with a blue cardigan sweater, casual, fun and classy, the other was a pair of black slacks with tight turtle neck sweater in turquoise that made her eyes seem luminous (according to her mother who was only a tad bit biased) and was clearly in the sleek and chic category, this could be worn with her mother's black leather jacket to fine effect. Rory was undecided although she was leaning towards the cosmopolitan black when a tragedy was discovered, the black boots that would perfectly compliment said chic ensemble had been lost or at least were not currently making their location known in her mother's closet, actually one could hardly blame them since Lorelai's closet would probably be considered by most compassionate human beings as a major violation of the Geneva Conventions if there were such a thing for apparel. Thus the woeful decision had been made to eliminate said urbane outfit from the running.

Then ten minutes ago the ringing phone had jarred the peaceful stillness of a precise time schedule. The first words on the other end of the line were cryptic "The alternates are under the monkey."

Rory pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it strangely before putting it back to her ear, this type of interruption did not bode well for her carefully planned predate itinerary "The banana has the purse." She answered in equally cryptic speak.

There was a pause on the other end "huh?"

"I assumed that we are playing some sort of cryptic spy game and speaking in some bizarre code known only to Lorelai Gilmore.'

Her mom regrouped "Oh, good one, intriguing idea, the whole code thing, too bad I didn't think of that a long time ago, then I could say insulting things about people and they would never know it."

Rory scoffed "People's knowledge of what you are saying has never stopped you before."

"Good point, but we might get a lot less dirty looks from people." Silence followed and now Rory was taping her foot in impatience and looking at her watch again.

"So, mom, you called for a good reason ten minutes before Logan is supposed to arrive?"

'Oh, right, sorry, you sidetracked me with that whole code thing. I was trying to speak in shorthand because I know you only have ten minutes before the man of the hour arrives. I was brainwashed, fed secret subliminal messages by that evil mastermind the Mouse."

"You would be referring to Mickey Mouse I assume?"

"Who else, I'm telling you its all part of their plot to achieve world domination, corrupting the today's youth. I mean look at what happened to all those cute little mouseketeers, now they are off marrying people in Las Vegas and stripping for Playboy, it's a conspiracy I tell you.

Now it was Rory's turn to be confused "Are you actually speaking English?"

"Go look under the monkey lamp for a pair of black shoes. Look, I'll explain later, suffice it to say that after a rather enlightening conversation with Miss Patty and Kirk you should trust mommy on this one, you definitely would rather be an Audrey than a Britney."

Rory rose from the couch and walked into her bedroom where the monkey lamp resided on a side table near her bed. "Murphy or Spears?"

The shudder was evident even over the phone line "Either."

Rory looked under the edge of the bed and miracles of miracles there was a black-heeled boot that would perfectly match the chic outfit that they had discarded the evening before. She sighed in resignation "I assume that you want me to change my outfit to include the shoes. By the way how did you know it was under the monkey lamp?'

"Well to make a long story short..."

Rory interrupted "Too late."

"Right, anyway, would you believe that I had a psychic vision of them sitting under the monkey?"

"No."

"Well in that case you have to choose between the complete and unabridged version of the story and your handsome prince not seeing you in your underwear when he arrives in....4 minutes and 48 seconds."

Rory flashed a shocked look at the clock and gave a little squeak "You can explain later."

Lorelai chuckled "Wise choice. You'll thank me later. Have fun babe; say hi to big Mac for me. " There was a click on the other end of the line and Rory flung the phone on the bed as she frantically struggled to strip off her clothes and redress. She made it in record time and was down to the last shoe when she realized it was not under the bed with its mate. She began frantically tossing clothes and scattering books in her haste to find the missing shoe. She couldn't change her outfit back now so she had to find that shoe.

She head Paris stalking towards the door and the sing of hinges just as she spied the renegade shoe wedged behind the leg of the bed on the far side. She sighed in defeat. So much for a valiant rescue, she bent and started to wiggle the shoe out from its clever hiding place.

Paris pulled open the door to reveal a well dressed Logan on the other side. Holding a red cellophane wrapped flower and a humongous cup of coffee with a red bow. The sibilant purr that issued from her mouth was warning enough that she was sharpening her claws and preparing to sink them into her unsuspecting prey "Well, well, if it isn't our little desperado kingpin, looking mighty swashbuckling this evening I might add."

Logan gave a sardonic little bow as he evaded the hot glue gun that she was brandishing like a weapon for emphasis "Paris, a delight to see you as always. Practicing for your face-off with Martha Stewart I see."

Paris remained unmoved by this subtle insult as she surveyed his tokens of affection "okay, the coffee I get but isn't the flower kind of trite?"

He smirked and pulled the paper down from one corner "it's made of chocolate."

Paris chuckled despite herself "Not bad, you will definitely get brownie points for that one.... pun intended."

"One can only hope."

She cocked her head to one side and regarded his face closely before giving him a judicious smile "You do get credit for knowing her love of coffee and anything covered in chocolate. What else have you got?"

Logan looked a little surprised at this interrogation "Dinner and a movie, maybe a little coffee night cap."

Paris waved the glue gun at him again "Ah hah, so you are just trying to get her into bed."

Logan's eyes followed the glue gun warily "What are you the house mother?"

"No, I just don't like to see my friends hurt. I find it irksome to have to clean up the mess."

Logan rolled his eyes "Your concern for Rory is touching, but assure you that my intentions are honorable."

Paris snorted in derision "I didn't even think that word was in your vocabulary."

Logan sighed "Look Paris I don't really care if you despise me, I actually find it rather enjoyable and I have no problem sparring with you just for the sheer amusement of seeing you turn that particularly unflattering shade of purple but you can't intimidate me away from Rory, whether you like it or not I don't plan on leaving anytime soon so you are just going to have to learn to live with it." He had taken a step into her personal space with this challenging declaration but she didn't back down. They stood there for a long frozen moment sizing each other up. Finally Paris took a small step back.

Logan watched as the blonde's eyes took on a little gleam of omniscience and her tone was considering this time "You know skipper, I almost like you, so I'm going to give you a little free advice. " she crooked her finger for him to lean closer "Always keep her off balance."

Logan straightened with a slightly perplexed look on his face "What do you mean?"

Paris repeated the words solemnly and slowly as if speaking to the village idiot "Always keep her off balance. Look Einstein, I don't have time to spell this out for your word for word so here so the Cliffs notes version. Gilmore is a phantasm, you may think she is the All American sweetheart but she is a lot more complicated than that and if you underestimate her you will lose her, don't go for trite, don't do what ever it is that you do with every other blue blood bimbo you have ever bedded, she's different and the second you forget that you lose."

His eyebrow's arched in surprise "Not to say that I haven't already figured this out on my own but may I ask why you are telling me this? I thought you considered me an anathema and I don't think that animosity is too strong a word for your previous tone towards me. Why the change of, well I would say heart but I'm not sure that applies here?"

Paris smiled, this time it was a mere quirk of the lips "I don't abhor you, that's better than I can say for most of your compatriots and I think that you might be the first guy I've seen come after Rory who actually has a chance of figuring out what she is, farm boy didn't stand a chance with community college IQ and the James Dean wannabe was too caught up in his own rebellion to get it. Most of the other poor bastards all you can do is shake your head in lament and wish for a mercifully quick ending to their infatuation. You.... well if I were a gambling woman I might bet on you."

Rory, having finally managed to wrangle the uncooperative shoe onto her foot and taken the quick opportunity to straighten her hair after the whirlwind wardrobe switch emerged form her room and narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the sight of Logan and Paris with their heads together talking in low voices. She approached warily and looked back and forth between the two that now looked for the entire world like two old friends catching up on the news.

Paris gave Logan what could almost be construed as a friendly smile and a little wave as she turned on her heel and headed for her bedroom "You two crazy kids have a good time tonight."

Logan waved back as if this were not an action that should only accompany the arrival of subzero temperatures in Hell and then turned to Rory with an approving eye. He looked her over from head to toe and gave a low appreciative whistle "You clean up nice Gilmore, and without the help of the costume department, impressive."

Rory watched Paris until the door to her bedroom closed obscuring her view and then she rounded on Logan. "Excuse me, lets hold off on the segue into charming flattery shall we, what was that that I just interrupted between you and Paris?"

Logan gave her a look that implied that she was seriously delusional "We were just having a nice little chat. That should make you happy, Paris and I getting along."

Rory's eyes narrowed further "Excuse me? A nice chat? With Paris? Should I be checking the news for flying swine reports?"

"Look Ace, Paris was just offering me a bit of friendly if unsolicited advice. Is it so impossible to believe that my charm could melt even the infamous icy exterior of Gellar the Glacier?"

"Yes, it is highly improbable." She was staring at Paris' door again "Paris isn't chummy with, well anyone, she doesn't give friendly advice, she would consider it an insult to be called amicable and in her vocabulary nice is a four letter word."

"Nice is a four letter word in most people's dictionary last time I checked."

Rory sent him a scornful look and her hands went to her hips just as her eyes landed on the coffee in his hands and all else was forgotten. Her mother would have considered it a travesty that it wasn't the first thing she noticed. "Is that for me?" her tone was a bit on the avaricious side now.

Logan chuckled as he presented her with the gift "A small token of my affections, I understand it is customary on these sorts of occasions."

"You are forgiven." Rory grabbed the coffee "Wait, I thought it was traditionally flowers and chocolate for a first date?"

Logan nodded seriously before producing the red wrapped flower "Don't worry I've got that covered too. "

She grasped the flower and brought it to her nose for a sniff, assuming it was a rose, when the heady sweet scent of chocolate met her nostrils she looked momentarily shocked and then she began to laugh as she unwrapped the flower "A chocolate rose, now that is clever." She took a small bite amidst the chuckles and nodded appreciatively with her mout full. "mmm, good."

He smiled thoroughly enjoying her amusement at his gift. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as their eyes met. He felt a little tightness in his gut as the urge to kiss registered in his consciousness. He took a step closer to her "I'm glad you like it. Now can we get back to the flattery and charming part? You do look quite smashing by the way, sort of Lara Croft meets Holly Golightly." He gave her a crooked smile and placed a light kiss on her chocolate scented lips.

She smiled in return relaxing and enjoying the easy camaraderie between them and the always present current of heat that lay just underneath like the hot bubbling of lava beneath the deceptively calm surface of a volcano. Her smile was teasing as she tilted her face up to his. "Hey, isn't the flattery supposed to come before the kissing?"

He grinned, "Hey, I tried, you wanted to talk about your roommate instead. You didn't even notice my dashing accoutrement." He put his arms out to both sides and did a little turn to display the natty garb, Rory had to admit he looked mouthwatering in black slacks and sweater with a dark brown sport coat.

"Sorry for the oversight." She quipped with admiration in her eyes as she scanned him from head to toe. "You are looking rather dapper in your black preppie gone bad outfit." She gave him a playful licentious look.

He looked slightly crestfallen "Dapper? Damn I was going for an 'I'm too sexy for this hallway' look, I'm going to have a little talk with my fashion consultant."

Rory gave him a playful smile, now completely relaxed "Fashion consultant? Let me guess, Finn?"

His look was mournful "Our first date and already I have no secrets. What can I say, for a straight guy Finn has a suspiciously good eye for fashion."

"So, I've noticed. Well, in the interest of complete disclosure I will admit that I had a little fashion advice of my own."

"Who Paris?"

Rory looked appalled "Not in this lifetime, thanks, I don't usually like to dress like my grandmother for my dates. No, it was a committee effort, my mother and I and apparently a little last minute consultation with Miss Patty and Kirk. I'll have you know that a great deal or junk food, coffee and a lengthy and rather painful discussion of the merits of theme in picking the correct apparel went into this selection." She pointed a finger at his chest "So you had better appreciate it mister."

Logan was enjoying her, enjoying her company more with each moment and suddenly he was anxious to get the evening's plans rolling, to see where this night might lead them. Logan grabbed her pointing finger and drew it to his lips, his voice was low and throaty and suddenly the air between them was thick and syrupy, as the heat in his eyes seemed to seep right through her skin and heat the blood beneath. "I do." Her smile was slow and sweet and totally unfeigned.

He doubted she even knew the power of that smile, the way that languorous sensuality slid right through him clean as a knife and left him feeling weak in a completely foreign and yet exhilarating manner. This was going to be some night and at this rate they might not even make it out of her doorway.

"Shall we, milady?"

He held out his arm to her and she took it feeling the thrill of racing blood, the excited trip of the heart and thought about the excitement of the unknown. So far this night had all the elements of a rousing success. As they walked towards the parking lot she took a sip of her coffee and then generously offered him a bite of her chocolate flower when they stopped by a car and he opened the door of the sleek little black Porsche for her. Without a thought she reached up to brush a fleck of chocolate from where it stuck to his bottom lip a shiver coursed through him as her fingers touched the soft sensitive skin of his lip and her eyes met his in recognition of the effect that they had on each other. Her worries and concerns and nervous worst-case scenarios from the night before vanished into thin air as she watched him take a ragged breath and she thought idly about the meaning of first dates, of chocolate flowers and coffee bouquets.

Her voice was a little husky when she spoke "So, if red roses are for passion and white roses are for love, what exactly does a chocolate rose symbolize?"

The smile that slowly, sensuously curved his lips made her insides quiver as he leaned towards her and stopped a hairsbreadth from her left earlobe. His warm breath was ticklish "I think you'll just have to wait and see."