AN: Thanks for the reviews. I thought it was only fair for Rory to be the one asking, as it might still be a gentle subject for Logan. Today's chapter is just about them having a fun night out in Boston.


Chapter 69

November 26th, 2021

After the initial euphoria of their private engagement leveled down, erasing tears and sudden bursts of emotion, the two of them decided to spend the evening celebrating in their own way, being determined to do what they'd come here to do not just lounge between the sheets of their hotel bed.

They spent the part of the evening visiting the ICA, where they enjoyed the Eva LeWitt installations and paintings by Eben Haines and Dell Marie Hamilton. Art museums had been definitely things Rory had missed going to over the years. Naturally she had but not very often. Other than Paris, who was never really able to go to these things with suggesting she could do one or the other painting and how overprices these things were, she didn't really have anyone who actually enjoyed these places other than Logan. Same went for Logan really, at least before his marriage. And there was only so many times one felt like going alone.

While Rory had brought clothes that could work for either - a formal evening or something casual, they'd unanimously gone with the latter, after Logan had explained his strange love-hate relationship with suits these days. He felt like wearing a business suit was putting on his former self, though realizing a suit didn't make him. But Rory certainly wasn't going to be the one to force him into one unless he felt like it. Logan had gone with a simple dark button-up and dark gray trousers, oozing classy even without trying - still having a thing for certain luxury brands and quality. Rory wore a fairly relaxed colorful V-neck tunic dress, worrying a little about it being on the shorter side, usually knee length dresses being her go-to outfits. But the worry was naturally unnecessary, her legs looking gorgeous as ever with her thigh-high Lowland Stuart Weitzman's and Logan had told her so, definitely enjoying the view. In her age, she was more often choosing comfort over the heel, but with her long legs, it really made no difference.

"Did you do this a lot with Odette?" Rory asked, hesitantly, as they emerged from the museum, aiming to find some nice place for dinner, having thrown their initial plan of the fancier place in Back Bay, Rory had booked, to the side, just not feeling like a formal five course meal. They'd done that enough for that having become dull.

"What? Museums?" Logan asked, the topic not quite being his first choice as a discussion topic.

"Yeah," Rory replied.

"Not really," Logan replied. "Why?" he added.

"I just feel like she must've been a big part of your live these past years, and I just want to study you. Understand everything, find out in what parts you've changed… of course if it's uncomfortable, you don't have to. I just think it'd do us good if we didn't need to avoid certain topics just because of the stings attached to them," Rory explained, more thoroughly than Logan had expected.

But after all the asking Rory had done that evening already, that still made him feel all warm and giddy inside, he didn't really find much strength in himself to argue that. Maybe she was right? He certainly didn't have anything to really hide.

"She was more of a party girl I guess, concerts over museums, for sure. She got bored pretty easily," Logan explained. He continued to explain how he'd missed going to book stores with Rory too, how discovering these tiny books stores in London had for a while become his lonesome thing to do too, but it had stung more than he'd expected and hence he'd stopped. He talked about the different sports he'd tried, including rowing and jujutsu.

"Jess was impossible to drag much anywhere - he was happy just staying home and read or write. Sure, a few concerts and such we did, but he had like this whole world in his head that I never really was allowed to see, not until he finished it at least," Rory added, hoping it was okay for this to go both ways.

She talked about which classes she'd enjoyed in college, how conferences had become her short-term escapes for some time, just wanting to watch a movie that didn't need to be an animation and drink wine without commentary.

They were at this point just walking along the Harborwalk, ignoring the slight chill in the airl, deciding to check out the Fort Point Channel Landmark District for dinner. They'd once done a lot of their best discoveries by just wandering about like this. Of course back in the old days, the internet had been a lot less helpful too.

"But there must've been something good, right?" Rory urged, unsure even why. Perhaps she needed just to balance things off a little. It was so hard to imagine all of those years having sucked, impossibly painful to imagine Logan suffering for all those years. In part this was also their couple's therapy homework - asking and answering whatever they felt like they needed or wanted to know, even if the topics weren't the lightest.

"We did travel sometimes - I know France pretty well now, Spain too. Since she traveled a lot by plane, she liked to stick to the roads once on Mainland Europe, so I saw a lot. Did a lot of driving too, as having her drive was a little scary sometimes," Logan explained, relaxing a little on the topic. Inside that sentence was also a compliment for Rory as he was more than comfortable being in the car when she drove. On the side-note he had gotten to drive a bunch of fancy cars too - Teslas, Ferraris, Porches and so forth, which balanced well with no need to own a car in central London.

"And you did get to do Asia…," Rory said. "Even if it wasn't really the way we once planned," Rory added.

"But I have to say it wasn't half as fun alone, and I guess kind of romanticized too, I'm sorry to say," Logan admitted, as they walked.

"Aw...," Rory made a sad sound.

"I'm not saying there's nothing for you to see," Logan added, and placed his arm around her back, rubbing her gently, wondering if she was cold in that short dress of hers.

"But would it be an issue for you if I wanted to go someday, with you, hopefully? Maybe even take Em?" Rory said.

"Of course not!" Logan replied. "It's not like I've seen everything, and it's definitely a cultural shock one should experience. Hell - I'd put Em up for Mandarin lessons if I was you... or if it was up to me," Logan said, the last part hesitantly, unsure if he'd crossed a line, and continued to explain how that was what a lot of the mothers were already doing in London, where Arabic, Korean, Mandarin and Japanese being more popular that studying French or German in some circles. He knew this thanks to Odette's friends, but he couldn't really help it - a lot of the things he'd tried to not hear, he'd heard and remembered anyways.

"You are allowed to have an opinion, you know," Rory added, having caught the tail on his earlier hesitance. "I mean sure, decisions about Em are for Jess' and me to figure out, but at least around me you don't need to keep your opinion to yourself," Rory said.

"I appreciate that, but I guess I'm still finding a balance in this. I never really imagined being in this position just a few months ago - having to be a role model of sorts, navigating her feelings and needs for stability," Logan explained.

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you've done a pretty good job so far. You've been cautious but not too much, and I guess the only thing I can tell you is to not underestimate her. Like… she might be young, but she's seen me date, the breakup with Jess isn't that recent so that part she doesn't need to really adjust to," Rory explained, feeling relieved she'd never gotten her hopes up for them getting back together, at least not openly. "She's watched enough PG-13 movies by now and has enough kids at her school with parents who've divorced and re-married," Rory said, desparately hoping it'd be that easy.

"Thanks," Logan replied, humbly, having needed that assurance.

"So little by little…," Rory sighed, hopefully.

"It's still so strange for me to see you with kids, Em…or even Rosie today. You have this mothery-quality about you, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't find that look gorgeous on you," Logan confessed, still recalling the pictures of her pregnant on her phone as well.

"I told you…," Rory began, feeling shy about the topic, but Logan interrupted her.

"I know… I'm just saying I wouldn't mind that scenario. I'll take what I can…," Logan said, and his words did make Rory feel all warm inside.

"I have on occasion thought what it'd be like for Em to have a sibling. So it's not just you," Rory added, after a few moments walking in silence. "I'm not saying it'd be easy - physically, mentally, or even afterwards for Em - so she doesn't feel like she's being replaced or less important to me," she continued, adding, "but people do that all the time, right?" with a light shrug.

"They do," Logan agreed.

Logan had actually read up on these topics quite a lot already, discovering it was this whole big field of things he didn't really know about until now. He knew that Em's intelligence and age spoke for their advantage, and the most common recommendation really was to get her used to the new normal by little things - dropping off her favorite meal in the morning or evening as a surprise to her, spending time with her and her mother in a way that didn't draw too much attention to himself, giving them their space too. It meant not engaging physically too much with Rory in front of her for quite some time, and also simply showing her how he could make Rory happy, even if it was just by joking and making her laugh. This was probably going to mean taking steps furhter and at times back too, until it came naturally. What made this difficult was that they wanted several changes to their lives - a new house, moving in, maybe a kid... that put together was a lot even in the course of a single year. Pacing themselves was going to be the difficult part, and he knew it. Even now - they weren't exactly able to hold back much either.

"Maybe this? It looks kind of cool?" Rory asked, as they reached a street corner with red decorative lettering suggesting a Mexican place called Lolita.

Logan looked a little skeptical, noting the place required them to go below street level, but from their time in New York, they knew well enough that a lot of amazing places had less than perfect locations.

But with Rory it had always been easy to take leaps into the unknown, just like this time, and by simply grabbing her hand they delved downstairs.

What they found was beyond what they'd hoped. At best they'd hoped some pub or fast food place, but the gothic chic styled venue turned out quite interesting and not at all poorly located, if they would've come from the other direction - its windows overlooking the Channel and Front Point Pier, which meant it was probably pretty popular during the summer, even if it was now only half full.

The venue with red brick walls was decorated by gigantic red chandeliers and a colorful gothic-styled stained glass mural behind the bar. And the selection and layout at the bar was certainly inviting.

"Tequila?" Logan asked Rory with a sneaky look.

Rory felt a slight sense of panic, and for a moment wondered if that was really what Logan wanted. But she needed to trust him on what he said - if he suggested it, he must mean it.

"Just a few," Rory replied, shyly, not knowing how well she could handle that kind of drinking these days.

Logan laughed, recalling well how Rory could hold her liquor quite well and was always more humble at the start of the evening.

"Relax - we're celebrating, aren't we?" Logan said, gave her a quick kiss, and allowed them to be guided to a comfortable corner table by the waiter.

Two hours later the two emerged from the restaurant, feeling full and way giddier than going in, the alcohol having softened them up nicely. They were physical, kissing and cracking jokes, some rather dark humored ones, even getting Rory to relax enough to only check her phone every hour or so. But thankfully, there had been no Em-emergencies.

"Now don't tell me you want to head back already," Logan asked Rory, the two of them taking in the view on the nearby Summer Street bridge half-hugging and enjoying each-other's company.

"There would be worse things in the world," Rory replied, seductively, and felt Logan slip his hands just slightly along her tights, her dress being a deliciously short one. "But maybe not yet?" she replied, biting her lip playfully. She was definitely having too much fun to just end the night at that.

After a quick search on Yelp, they decided to check out the nearby club The Grand Boston, mostly because this didn't require them taking a cab anywhere, but they stuck to walking, quite liking the prospect of clearing their heads a little.

The entrance, however, had a long line for getting in, which didn't look that promising. Rory tried to check online if there was any way to still get VIP passes, but failed, the place being popular that night.

"Oh come on, let me try," Logan suggested after waiting around for a few minutes, to see how the line wasn't moving. He took her hand and headed to the front of the line.

Rory couldn't really say that she wasn't used to Logan using his privileges to get ahead in a lot of places with his Black Am-Ex or his name, but since he'd been back, he'd avoided doing it when he could. Maybe it was the alcohol in his blood that made him throw that principle in the wind for a moment.

"Logan Hunzberger," he shook the man's hand as an introduction and slipped him a bill. "I'm awfully sorry, man, but I forgot to have my assistant let you guys know I was coming," he added, and without further ado, they were let inside. While he hadn't been to this particular club in nearly a decade, he and Colin had spent years going to these places, all over Boston, New York, New Haven - and the name was a famous one for knowing how to party, many of the owners having been around for decades.

"You didn't have to do that...," Rory began, unsure how he felt about that. It had once been something so natural. But now... so much had changed.

"At least the name is still good for something," Logan replied instead, almost sounding a little disgusted. "Thankfully they don't know I no longer have my Am-Ex," he said laughingly to Rory, but didn't sound terribly sad about the latter. They handed over their coats to go explore the venue further.

It was yet another thing she felt she needed to inquire into at one point - how much had Odette really robbed from him with the divorce? Not that she needed his money for anything. She felt still so inexperienced with money, it hadn't even occurred to her to go flirt or slip the doorman a sizable tip.

"Hey," Rory stopped him at the bottom of the stairs, and kissed him deeply. His hands pulled her close, definitely not minding the sudden, intoxicating, kiss.

"What was that for?" Logan asked, feeling a little puzzled, despite not having minded that one bit.

"For getting me out of the cold," Rory said and smiled, feeling she needed to thank him somehow.

The club was perhaps not their typical scene - at least since they last went anywhere like this together. Several levels of live music, open glass staircase connecting the various floors that were topped off with the kinetic lighting system and LED walls, which did make it an experience for the senses.

It did make them both feel a little old, considering most of the patrons seemed to be in their twenties. But after a few more drinks they no longer cared. They danced, letting their guard down, not even caring it wasn't really music to their tastes. It was just about being there together, forgetting all else.

They celebrated, made out borderline inappropriately (but then again so did many others), allowing themselves to finally feel like they deserved this. It was a celebration of being together again, letting themselves be happy for it without the shadows of their past.