AN - I am so sorry, work was crazy last week, and now we're on the verge of another lockdown, plus Christmas. Hoping to get a few chapters done this week with my kiddos jacked up on sugar. The next chapter at least will be a continuation of birthday celebrations
Disclaimer - I do not own Gilmore Girls or The Holidate
Part Thirteen - October 8, 2021
"Don't go," Rory pouted, pulling Logan back down to the bed that he had just vacated a moment earlier.
"Ace, I have to work, not all of us took the day off," Logan told her as he began to move away.
"It's my birthday," Rory kissed him as he propped himself up on top of her, "take the day off."
"I'll tell my dad you want us to review it as a statutory holiday for the company, that is the best I can do for next year," Logan let his lips make their way down to her neck, "and because you made me stay here last night, I have to get back to my place before I go in."
"I didn't hear you complaining last night."
"I'm not complaining now, but if I'm going to get out of work after lunch and we are going to go back to Stars Hollow to see your mom and then your grandparents, I have to get some work done."
"Work dork."
"Work dork lover," Logan winked as he pushed himself off the bed and out of her grasp.
Rory sat up and wrapped the sheet around her upper half, "where are we sleeping tonight?"
"Where do you want to stay? Your mom said we can stay at her place, so we can stay at your grandparents place, we can stay at the inn, we can stay at my parents place, we can stay with my sister, we can get a hotel," Logan was running out of breath as he continued, "we can come back to the city, your place, my place, The Plaza…"
Rory made a face, "I don't want birthday sex at my parents house."
"You're so sure you're getting some?" Logan grinned.
"I never said it was with you."
"Funny Ace, real funny."
"Nice to know I have a backup career if journalism doesn't work out," Rory laughed. "Why don't we go back to your place tonight? Your bed is more comfortable."
"You know, you could always leave some stuff at my place. I could clean out a drawer or something…"
"Logan Huntzberger," Rory lit up, "you're offering me a drawer for my birthday? And they say romance is dead."
Logan laughed and shook his head, "drawer and some closet space, completely unrelated to your birthday, for your birthday though I will kick in some space in the vanity…"
"Now that is an offer I can't turn down."
"So what do you have this morning?" Logan asked her.
Rory looked up towards the ceiling and made a face as she pondered her plans for the day, "I'm grabbing brunch with Abigail and Paris," Rory told him, "then I'm going to get my Starbucks birthday drink, and wait for you."
"And you are waiting for me here or at my place?"
"Which would you prefer?"
"Whatever the birthday girl wants," Logan smiled.
"You pick me up? That way I don't have to schlep my bag all over town."
"And after tonight you won't have to shlep at all because you can leave some unmentionables at my place."
"Yes, because all I do is walk around in a lacy bra and panties when I'm home alone."
"I knew you've been holding out on me. If that's the case I'm not going to let you leave."
"Go to work, work dork."
"Bye work dork lover, happy birthday Ace," Logan leaned in and kissed her again.
xxx
Rory smiled as she sat between two of her closest friends, Abigail and Paris didn't really get along well, but they got along well enough for Rory's sake. Abigail thought that Paris was too uptight and needed to relax, and Paris thought that Abigail floated through life on her looks and flirting. But they were playing nice today, after all, it was Rory's request that they both humour each other for a brunch.
"So," Abigail pursed her lips and tucked her blonde hair behind her ears, "he's just taking you back to Stars Hollow for your first birthday as a couple?"
Rory took a sip of her mimosa and rolled her eyes, "he says we're going to do something else tomorrow, but tonight, we are seeing my family and hanging out."
"And where are you staying?" Paris creased her brow, "I've seen your childhood bedroom, you cannot have him spend the night there unless you want him to need physiotherapy for a month and for him to dump you on your birthday."
Rory laughed, "we're coming back to Manhattan."
"So he's driving to Stars Hollow for dinner?" Paris retorted, "voluntarily going to that backwoods crap hole?"
"Yup, and please, Paris, do not hide your feelings about the town I grew up in."
"Is your vagina made of gold?" Abigail laughed, seemingly on the same page as Paris with this line of questioning.
"Not last I checked," Rory told them before checking her phone, smiling as she saw a text from Logan saying he would be leaving just before noon, which was a whole hour earlier than he had originally promised.
"So let me get this straight," Paris finished the rest of her drink. "You and Logan, perpetual playboy and womanizer."
"He hasn't been known as a playboy or a womanizer in a long time," Rory countered.
"Ok, reformed playboy and womanizer," Paris conceded, "you guys meet at a party in Hartford with your grandparents, and fake dated…and now you're real dating?"
"That is the Cole's Notes version."
"Trust me, you don't want the full version. So many feelings, stupid decisions, very stupid decisions and ultimately better decisions being made the weekend of my wedding," Abigail drank her mimosa.
"And what do you think is next?" Paris asked, "I mean, I know you've got the nice skin, tight ass, perky breasts thing happening for you still…but you really should get going if you want to have kids."
Rory inhaled and closed her eyes for a moment, reminding herself that this was Paris meaning well and sometimes she just came off like a bull in a china shop despite the best of intentions. "Paris, I don't know if I want kids."
"Well does Logan want kids? Have you guys talked about it? The clock is ticking on your reproductive prime."
"We have talked about our future," Rory admitted, "and I really…I don't think that kids are in the future," she told them. Abigail looked at her like she'd just shot a puppy and Paris nodded her head.
"I mean, kids are leaches."
"You have two kids, Paris," Abigail smiled.
"I know, so who better than me to confirm that they are in fact the worst."
"Paris, you love your kids," Rory countered, "and that is great. I just…I'm not sure I want kids, and Logan and I talked, and he's not sure he wants kids either. So I just…what is wrong with being in a committed relationship without the wedding? Without the 2.5 kids? Just being two adults who like having sex with each other, talking to each other, attending events together until they die…"
"You make it sound so morbid," Abigail made a face as she twisted her wedding and engagement rings around her finger.
"Abs, there is nothing wrong with being married. I mean, you and Nick…perfect," Rory looked at Paris, "you and Doyle, also perfect for each other…but maybe Logan and I are perfect for each other without needing to be married? I'm not judging anyone else for being married. But do I want to be Mrs anything? I'm a Gilmore, and a Hayden…"
"I mean, look…the institution of marriage is archaic, we can all agree on that. So you let your freak flag fly," Paris told her, "whatever makes you happy, as long as no one is getting any diseases and everyone is getting what they need, who am I to judge?"
"When has who am I to judge ever stopped you from judging, Paris?" Abigail remarked.
"Listen Malibu Beach Barbie…"
"Paris!" Rory warned, "stop it."
"She started it," Paris harrumphed in her seat.
"She didn't start anything. Both of you, enough."
xxx
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Rory smiled as Logan stood in her doorway, "you parked the car?"
"I thought we had time, and I would bring you your gift."
"Ooooh presents?" Rory grinned as she pulled Logan in for a kiss, her hand trailing down his arm until it met with his fingers and playfully pulled the large orange bag from his grasp, "for me?"
"No, this is for my other girlfriend."
"I want to talk to you about this other girlfriend stuff," Rory smiled as they both walked inside and she grinned as she saw the emblem on the large bag, "some wrapping job?"
"Oh yeah I had that bag laying around but I popped into Walmart to get the gift for you."
"Uh huh," Rory nodded as she put the large orange bag on the counter and pulled out a large orange box, "firstly, I doubt you've ever stepped foot in a Walmart, but second…Logan, this is too much."
"You don't even know what it is yet, Ace."
"I know that nothing cheap comes from an Hermes box."
"Well I think you're more than worth it," Logan told her as she opened the box to reveal a large, black Birkin bag, "happy birthday, Ace."
"It's beautiful," Rory gasped, "I don't…I mean, I've seen a Birkin, obviously, but owning a Birkin?"
"If you don't like it we can return it."
"If I don't like it? Bite your tongue!"
"You like it?"
"Logan," Rory put the bag down and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I love it. Thank you," she kissed him passionately, pressing her body against his as he put his hands on her lower back.
Logan smiled into her lips and inhaled her scent for a moment, "well if you're going to thank me like that, I might buy you these things more often."
"Alright, I'm going to put this away, and then we can go," Rory told him, placing the bag back in it's packaging and picking it up to return to her bedroom.
"You're not bringing it with you?"
Rory looked from him to the box, "do you want to be murdered by my mother? And then brought back to life to go see my grandmother and have her also murder you while shooting daggers at my grandpa because heaven knows that I should not have a Birkin bag before Emily Gilmore."
"You managed to think all of that through in less than ten minutes?"
"Gotta put that Harvard education to use," Rory joked as she tucked the box on a shelf in her closet.
"You are running out of space in here," Logan commented. Rory's place wasn't small by any stretch of the imagination, but he also wouldn't call it large, and with a closet mismatched with designer pieces and Old Navy it was busting at the seams.
"Do not judge what you do not know," Rory smirked, "I'm about to clean out the fall and put in the winter. Fall will go to storage."
"That sounds like it will be a very fun activity that I will probably get roped into…"
Rory placed a lingering kiss on his lips and her hands gently on his chest, "but I'll make it worth your while," she assured him.
"I'll bet you will," Logan kissed her once more, "come on, we need to go."
Rory followed him back to the front door and slipped on a pair of black leather ankle boots with a dark wash skinny jean and a plaid flannel button down from Old Navy, "I've got an Emily Gilmore approved outfit in my bag," Rory told him as she picked up her overnight bag.
"I didn't say a thing, you look cute," Logan smiled as she locked up and they made their way to the elevator. Rory was shocked as they got to the street and she saw that Logan had in fact been able to snag a rare parking spot just a few hundred feet from her door, he had taken her bag from her while they were in the elevator and before he put it in the trunk of his SUV, he opened the door for Rory to get in the passenger seat as he always did. "So," he looked at her as he got in the car, "we just need to make one stop."
"A stop?" Rory pouted, "do not say you have to work on my birthday of all days. My birthday week, and weekend is a holy time, and you have already worked part of the day and we really need to get going if we're going to beat traffic…"
"It isn't work," Logan assured her, "I just forgot something at home. I promise you, we will be in Stars Hollow in plenty of time," he told her as he put the car in drive and headed towards his building.
"You already gave me my present," Rory pointed out.
"Maybe I have another present?" Logan countered, "or maybe I already thought about how your mom and grandma will be pissed about the Birkin, and I secretly have one for each of them…"
"You did not buy my mom and grandma a Birkin, did you?" Rory looked concerned for a moment.
Logan laughed and shook his head, "no I didn't," he promised. He watched as a wave of relaxation came over Rory's face as they continued the short drive to his building. He parked his car underground and opened the door for Rory who happily took his hand. Logan enjoyed being in a relationship with Rory. He had thought he loved Laura, but the truth was, he loved the idea of Laura. Laura was on paper everything he should have wanted in a partner, but something about them as a couple didn't fit, and maybe that is why Laura finally got sick of his bullshit and left. But with Rory it was different. They could talk, they could debate, they could bicker, but they were always there for each other. There was no power struggle. They wanted to support each other at events, they enjoyed spending time with each other's friends and family, they worked in the same industry, they had become partners in that sense far before they had started dating. "Come on," he told her as they waited a moment for the elevator.
"What did you forget?" Rory asked him as he pulled her in for a kiss once they were inside the elevator.
"Something," Logan shrugged.
"Logan," Rory looked at him sweetly, "tell me."
"Ace, I need my laptop in case a contract comes in, I promise it is nothing exceptional."
"But you said no work."
"I'm hoping no work, but you know this business, it never sleeps, and the Australia acquisition is done but we still have a lot of work to do on the transition."
"You're not going to disappear down under and never come back, leaving me here wondering what beautiful Aussie you've shacked up with….like Nicole Kidman or something?"
"I have no intentions of any of that happening," Logan told her as the elevator door opened, "go on, Ace."
Rory smiled as she walked into his condo and glared at him, "you my dear, are a liar."
