AN: Sorry for the delay, most of you know I have two young kids so Christmas = chaos. I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays this year. I think there are 2, maybe three parts of this story left, so please enjoy
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls, or The Holidate
Part Fifteen - November 25, 2021
"You know, I'm going to have flashbacks to last year pretty soon," Rory smiled as she watched Logan adjust his bowtie in the mirror of their walk in closet. Rory had opted to wear a strapless sequin jumpsuit she had picked up on sale a few weeks earlier, she knew that her own grandmother would likely throw a fit about how pants just weren't appropriate for an event like this, but she didn't particularly care. It had taken a couple of weeks after her birthday to get herself fully moved in, but they had found a rhythm together. Logan would wake up first and either go for a run or make them breakfast, Rory would get up second and read the paper, they would shower and get dressed and leave for work around the same time. Rory had decided to rent out her place in the new year, and after a year, they would decide what to do next, whether that was to sell and buy something new together, or to stay in the place Logan had owned. They both had sporadic hours from time to time so it all worked out for the most part. They would get home and make dinner, or on the nights that they were extra late at the office they would meet up for a dinner out. "Hopefully some arrogant, rich, CEO type doesn't spend the night trying to chat me up."
"Should I punch them if they do?" Logan laughed.
Rory shrugged, "I mean there is something about you fighting for my honour…"
"Speaking of Honor, I told her that we appreciate the offer but we're going to crash at my parents?" he confirmed, they had gone back and forth a few times. They had considered taking a car back to Manhattan, they had considered staying with Honor, but given that she had given birth four weeks earlier to a third daughter, Ava, it didn't seem like a good idea. Of course Lorelai had offered her house or the inn, and Richard and Emily had offered the pool house, and Mitchum and Shira had offered Logan his childhood bedroom for the night. It seemed to make the most sense to stay at the Huntzberger house given that they would already be there, and they would head to see her parents on Black Friday.
"Unless you want to come home," Rory nodded, "whatever you want, really," she continued as she put on her lipstick. "I've never been upstairs at your parents house."
"Are you propositioning me, Ace?"
"Take it however you want," Rory laughed, "we should probably stay at your parents though. We'll be at the inn on Friday after dinner with my family."
"And think, a year ago right now, what were you doing?" Logan smirked.
"Wallowing in self pity after being dumped, and hoping my grandparents would leave me alone when they went to their stupid party."
"No such luck, and I for one am very glad you got dumped."
"What were you doing?"
"You don't want me to answer that," Logan laughed. A year prior he was fairly certain his date for the evening had her head in his lap as they took a car from Manhattan to Hartford.
"Gross," Rory rolled her eyes, she was used to hearing about Logan's former hookups and meet ups, at one point it was the nature of their friendship that led to these things being discussed between the two of them, but then there were the others the people who would engage in casual conversation if they saw Rory and Logan out and then ever so subtly someone would just toss in comment about how Logan used to be, or how a friend of a friend had hooked up with him. "Alright," she placed a gentle kiss on Logan's lips, smiling after as she noticed some of her lipstick on him, she used her thumb to rub it off gently, "I'm ready. Are you ready?"
"I'll grab the bag and meet you downstairs. Can you make sure the lights are off?" Rory nodded her head and left the room, flicking off the lights as she went from room to room and meeting Logan in the foyer, "you're too good for me, you know that?" Logan smiled as he took in her outfit before handing her a jacket.
"Tell me something I don't know," Rory shrugged the jacket over her shoulders. "Stop with the self deprecation, it wasn't cute before we were together and it's less cute now. You are a remarkable man."
xxx
"Baby brother, I must say, your date this year is much better than last year," Honor smirked as she sipped her club soda and watched Rory who was chatting with Jude and Catherine while Josh was running around chasing Ella, and her mother was holding Ava.
"I couldn't agree more Hon," Logan smiled at the interaction. Rory didn't have any siblings, and her friends with kids were her childhood friend Lane, and Paris, so she didn't really have a lot of experience with kids either, but from the way she interacted with his nieces and nephew, you would never know it. "I think she has bumped me from the coveted top spot."
"Did she tell you that she invited the kids for New Years Eve?"
Logan nodded, Rory had suggested it to him a few days prior, they had agreed that a big party wasn't how they wanted to spend the evening and they thought that Honor might enjoy a night with just one child, so Rory had planned out a big evening for the kids to stay in at their place. "She's pretty excited about it."
"Jude and Cat are over the moon. Ella is excited but she's a bit more cautious. She said she would only go because Auntie Rory would be there…"
"She said that?" Logan could feel his heart swell. That was the one thing he had worried about when he and Rory were playing their little game. Keeping the kids protected. He didn't worry about the adults in his life, he knew that however he and Rory had chosen to end their little game, the adults would survive…but the kids…he had worried about the kids, and now, he had no reason to worry about them because she truly was their Auntie Rory in every way that mattered.
"She did," Honor nodded and took another sip of her drink, "that alright with you?"
"It's more than alright with me," Logan assured her. "I swear Honor, she is…"
"Pretty great," Honor told him simply. Honor liked Rory, she had since they first met. Rory was smart, she didn't want a lifestyle like the one that Logan lived, but she certainly fit into it. Rory was the kind of woman who loved her job and was happily in the day to day grind, but could also just as easily spend her weekends in jeans and a t-shirt enjoying a beer with the guys, or dressed in an evening gown carrying on conversation with some of the greatest minds of their time.
"That is an understatement," Logan laughed, "I'm going to go steal her and make the rounds, you might need to pry Jude off of her."
"I'm right behind you," Honor laughed as they walked towards Rory and the kids, she watched as Logan looped an arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, Rory smiled in return and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Jude, Cat, let's go get something to eat and then we'll find Ava," Honor suggested, Jude and Catherine both pouted ever so slightly but said their goodbye's and followed their mother.
"We were having fun," Rory laughed as the kids walked away, "what do you need me for?"
"Gotta make the rounds."
"I don't recall you making the rounds last year?" Rory countered with a wink.
"Oh I did, you just weren't paying attention," Logan recalled Rory being caught up in conversation with her grandfather whenever he managed to steal a glance at her. "Speaking of last year, where are your grandparents?"
"Grandma wasn't feeling well," Rory explained, Emily had called a couple of hours earlier to tell her, "so they are staying home. She feels terrible about it, of course, but she assured me that she will make it up to your family by inviting them for Christmas."
"That sounds…threatening?" Logan laughed.
"Yeah I can't be sure if it was a promise or a threat."
"Come on, there's someone I want you to meet. He is the editor at The Post," Logan told her, referring to one of the papers they owned in New York.
"I know Matt," Rory told him, she had met him at numerous events over the years and during her time working in Manhattan.
"I know you know Matt, but I just…please?" Logan smiled, the truth was that Matt was someone who had known him forever, Logan respected Matt, and Logan wanted Matt to meet Rory as more than just someone else in the business.
"I'll go see Matt," Rory laughed as they approached the middle aged man, "I'm just saying that he isn't a stranger."
"Matt, my man, how are you doing?" Logan put a hand on his shoulder as the man, Matt, turned and smiled to greet him.
"Logan, good to see you. Happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving, glad you could make it."
"Same commute for you I suppose?" Matt laughed, he had worked for HPG for almost thirty years, he had started fresh out of college and worked his way up at various different newspapers and even a chunk of time in the corporate offices. "Rory, long time no see?"
"It's been a while," Rory gave him a kiss on the cheek, "I didn't realize you would be here, but I suppose I should've."
"Well I've seen your illustrious leader making the rounds," Matt raised an eyebrow at Logan, "not sure if I should be worried about that or not?"
"Cole is here?" Rory hadn't known that. Cole Brown was the editor, and Rory had met him a handful of times, she didn't know him well, and she didn't know if he would know her to see her, but the idea that he would be there that evening was odd to her. It shouldn't have been, it was common for the bigwigs in the industry to pop in and out of these events. Something or someone was always for sale.
"I saw him milling around earlier," Matt shrugged, "we said hello and moved on."
Rory looked to Logan, "no clue Ror," he told her.
"So you two are…" Matt looked between Rory and Logan. They hadn't been secretive about their relationship, certainly not since it became a real relationship, and before that they had attended many parties together, but still to some people, maybe those who didn't care about the society gossip, it was a surprise to see them together.
"Almost a year," Rory smiled up at Logan.
"Well I'll be damned, I guess we've all gotta hope the two of you don't run off and start a newspaper together. You'd give everyone a run for their money," Matt joked. Rory smiled, she was relieved that for a change it wasn't a comment about money or their past, it was simply a kind remark about how the suited each other. "This guy," Matt nodded at Logan, who he had known most of his life, "would like the world to think he doesn't know how to write, but he can write. It's in his blood."
"Put a gun to my head and I'll do it," Logan joked.
"I've actually read some of his old pieces from Yale," Rory admitted sheepishly, she had googled him before she had called him prior to Christmas the year before, "and they are good, not quite as good as some of my stuff from Harvard, but still very good. I might have to agree with Matt, it just might be in your blood."
"Well I expect both of you to keep my secret then," Logan laughed.
"I'll let you two go," Matt smiled at the couple, "hopefully we'll be seeing you at the Huntzberger holiday gala?"
"Of course."
"I'll be the one with the most beautiful woman in the room," Logan smiled as Rory blushed.
"I won't tell my wife you said that."
Logan and Rory walked away and Rory couldn't help but notice the way that Logan was gripping her waist as he led her out of the massive formal room and down a hall, Rory was vaguely familiar with the main floor of the Huntzberger mansion, having visited several times throughout the year, "you read my pieces?" Logan asked as they stopped, having found themselves in a sunken room that Rory knew was the den. The place the kids ran off to play when dinner became too boring for them.
"I did," Rory blushed, unsure of why he cared.
"And you liked them?" if Logan was being honest, other than the editor who had his head up Mitchum's ass and a select few people at HPG who knew of the tenuous father-son relationship between the Huntzberger men, no one had ever complimented his writing, no one he cared about had ever complimented it.
"What I read was great," Rory gave him a look, "I mean, I also learned that you topped a couple of hottest bachelor lists."
"Well those were for my looks and my portfolio."
"What is up with you?" Rory laughed.
"I love you."
"I love you too," Rory laughed as Logan pulled her in for a passionate kiss. His hands were on her hips, pressing her body against his, and his lips were eagerly on hers. It took Rory by surprise, but she relented and relaxed her body into his, her hands on his shoulders, moving to his back and the nape of his neck. "Logan," Rory moaned as he moved his lips to her neck, relieved that she had chosen a strapless neckline for the occasion, "Logan," she laughed as he pulled away breathlessly, leaving her skin feeling cold.
"Come on Ace," Logan kept her body flush against his so that she could feel the effect she was having on him.
"Not here," Rory countered, "anyone could walk in," she stroked his face gently, "do I have to remind you how brilliant you are?"
Logan smiled as he moved his hands to her ass and encouraged her to wrap her legs around his waist, "back staircase," he told her as she complied and he began to walk through the room and to a staircase Rory had never noticed before, "keeps the children out of sight and out of mind," Logan explained as Rory began to undo his bowtie and the buttons on his shirt, kissing the exposed skin as it became available to her.
"You're beyond sexy," Rory murmured against his skin as she felt the stairs stop and knew they must be walking through the upstairs hallways now, "and smart, brilliantly smart, it's annoying how smart you are."
"Talk dirty to me, Ace," Logan laughed as he pushed a door open and hit the lights.
"Oh my god," Rory lifted her head to look around, "is this it?" she asked.
"Is this what?" Logan laughed, not wanting to put her down as he pushed the door closed and locked it.
"This is your room," Rory squirmed out of his grasp and looked around. A queen sized bed, navy blue bedding, dark wood everywhere, she imagined that it wasn't that different than it had been when he was a teenager.
"It is," Logan laughed, he loved seeing Rory so intrigued by these things, she bit her bottom lip and stood before him as she reached behind her back and undid the zipper of her jumpsuit letting it fall to the floor before she stepped out of it, standing in front of him with just her black Manolo's and a black lace thong. "Ace…"
"Come," Rory told him firmly, taking his hand and leading him towards the bed, he tried to kiss her but Rory moved her lips just out of reach as she made quick work of his belt, pushing his dress pants and boxer briefs off of his hips until they were pooled at his feet, "sit," she commanded.
Logan smiled at her, lines appearing at his eyes as he did and complied, sitting at the edge of his bed and keeping his eyes open so he wouldn't lose sight of her virtually naked body in front of him, "jesus," he mumbled as Rory got on her knees and placed a few gentle kisses on his thighs, "Ace, you don't need to," he groaned as her tongue ran up and down his shaft ever so slowly, and in that moment, any remaining thoughts he had were gone. Any attempts he was going to make to be gentlemanly and insist that she didn't need to do this, that he would have happily taken care of her needs first. But as her head bobbed up and down, her soft fingers cradling him, he couldn't help but move his hands gently on her scalp as if she needed more encouragement, it was a few minutes later that he realized he wouldn't be able to last like this for long, frankly, he was surprised he lasted as long as he did with her tongue swirling around him, "Ror, I'm going to," groaned as she applied a bit more pressure with her lips, "you've got to stop or I'm going to come."
"So do it," Rory challenged him with a wink, her big blue eyes staring up at him and he was sure he would explode. It only took another moment before Rory was slowly standing up and wiping her own lips, "we've got a party to get back to," Rory winked as she walked towards the open door to his bathroom.
Logan could barely believe his eyes as he saw Rory walk away and he gave himself a moment before standing up. Sure he had enjoyed his fair share of conquests in that house, but there was something about Rory that was different, there was always something about Rory that was different. Even though they had dated for years, he had never spent the night there with her, they had spent the night in the pool house a couple of times, but more often than not, they returned to Manhattan at his own insistence. After a moment, Logan pulled his pants up from his ankles and let them hang loosely on his hips before walking to the bathroom where Rory was still standing virtually naked reapplying her lipstick, "I think you're forgetting something, Ace."
"Oh?" Rory turned and leaned against the vanity as Logan kissed her passionately.
"Let me return the favour," he told her huskily.
"We have to get back downstairs," Rory shook her head. She had wanted to do this for Logan, it was a power trip in and of itself to know the inner most thoughts he had, to understand what made him tick, and for a man who did so much for her, to be able to give him a release all of his own was all she wanted. "You can have your turn later," Rory told him, kissing him once more, "I need to get dressed and you need to clean yourself up."
A few minutes later, Rory made her way down the front stairs and into the elegant foyer of the house, Logan had told her he would be a few minutes behind her and Rory had assured him that she could manage on her own. She walked into the formal room and saw Honor, intending to make a beeline for the woman, she was interrupted by Mitchum who greeted her warmly.
"I've been looking for you, there's someone I wanted to talk to with you," Mitchum told her with a smile, he was wearing a black tuxedo and looking every bit the part of the newspaper magnate.
"Sorry about that," Rory gave no further details regarding their disappearance, "Logan just has to make a call," she lied.
"I must say Rory, I'm impressed with his work ethic as of late. It seems you've been quite a positive influence on my son."
Rory smiled, she liked Mitchum, but she didn't didn't like his condescending remarks about Logan and his work ethic, "I somehow doubt that is true," Rory told him with a smile, "Logan is a brilliant man, so please, don't give me any credit for that."
"Well, he seems to enjoy showing his brilliance a bit more these days."
"I'm glad to hear that."
As they approached a group of men, Mitchum told Rory how he had enjoyed her recent article and spin on it, and how he saw something in her that he didn't see very often in young reporters, Rory thanked him, of course, but was actually aware of the fact that Mitchum was angling for something. She just didn't know what. "Rory, you know Cole Brown?"
"We've met a couple of times," Rory extended her hand to the man, she supposed that Cole was her boss in many ways, or her boss's boss at least. "Rory Gilmore," she smiled, "I work in features."
"I remember," Cole shook her head, "good to see you again."
"And you," Rory nodded.
"And you've met Matt?"
"Matt and I go way back," Rory laughed, kissing him on the cheek as she had earlier in the evening.
"Lost your other half?" Matt remarked.
"Making a call about something," Rory shrugged.
"And you know Arthur over here?" Mitchum asked her, his eyes glimmering slightly as he spoke.
"Sulzberger?" Rory stammered.
"You can call me Arthur, or A.G," the man smiled and shook Rory's hand, "Mitchum here speaks highly of you, it almost sounds like he's trying to poach you."
"I wouldn't dare," Mitchum laughed.
"Rory Gilmore," Rory nodded, "I am a features reporter."
"A features reporter…and somehow you got an invitation to this little soiree?"
"Rory's grandparents are good family friends," Mitchum explained, "they couldn't make it this year and we were lucky enough that Rory could join us."
"Dad, hey?" Logan interrupted the group and smiled at his father, glancing at the group of men and Rory looking a little bit out of her depth, which is something he was certain he had never seen before. "Arthur, good to see you. Matt, Cole…" Logan nodded to the men and turned to Rory, "should we grab a drink, Ace?" he laughed.
"Rory here is the granddaughter of Straub Hayden as well, you knew Straub, didn't you?"
"I did," he nodded, "my condolences. And you two know each other…through your grandparents?" he looked from Logan to Rory.
Logan could see what was happening here. Mitchum and been discussing some big purchase he was making for the last few weeks, he had been vague, and Logan had been tied up with the details of the Australian acquisition so frankly he hadn't been paying much attention, but it must have been related to The Times if Arthur Gregg Sulzberger had joined them that evening. "We live together," Logan answered, he wasn't about to refer to Rory as his girlfriend as though she was his property. But Mitchum…Mitchum was making it clear to everyone that although Rory was a Times employee, her loyalties would also sway to the Huntzberger family.
"Here it is," Mitchum smiled as a man appeared with a tray of champagne flutes, "we have an announcement and we thought this little group should be the first to hear it." Rory was intrigued, having regained her composure at meeting the Chairman of The New York Times while also standing with some of the most powerful men in her industry. She took the champagne flute and noticed how Logan moved his hand dangerously low on her back, she shot him a knowing glance as they stood. "We've agreed to a partnership, wherein the Huntzberger family, not HPG will be purchasing a 17% share in The Times, and under this agreement, we will also take a spot on the board."
Rory could feel her eyes widen, she had long been aware of the incestuous nature of the newspaper business, but she also didn't love the idea of literally being in bed with a member of the board, or the child of a member of the board. "Wow," was all she could manage.
"Kept this one a secret, didn't you, Dad?"
"Well, it was necessary," Mitchum continued, "obviously this money is family money, and as such, Arthur and I have discussed it and we think Logan should take the board seat."
"Your father speaks very highly of your instincts Logan, and I've certainly been impressed as of late."
"Thank you, sir."
"We think it would be a good fit," Arthur turned to Rory, "and we've discussed your place in this as well. I understand that at this point you are a features reporter for me, but Matt speaks highly of you, as does Cole, and your editor in features, we believe you might make a good liaison between both organizations. You would work where you were needed, and you could write more of what you are interested in, and from talking with Cole, it sounds like you might have a good take on more of our political beat?"
Rory nodded as she tried to absorb the information, "I worked on the Obama campaign trail and I really did love the political aspect, understanding the process and being able to ask questions on behalf of an average citizen…"
"I think we'll have to talk about this at the office," Logan interrupted and glanced at his father, "all of us. This isn't a decision to be made over a glass of champagne, for either of us, he looked to Rory who nodded.
"This is a great opportunity, and I appreciate the consideration, but Logan is right. Show me a contract and I'll give you my answer."
Arthur Sulzberger smiled, he had always seen more in Logan than Mitchum had and he couldn't help but think it was a shame that Logan was a Huntzberger, because in any other light, Mitchum would've doted over the businessman that his son had become. "You're right, tonight we are just toasting the merging of two publishing dynasties, so here is to the future."
Rory looked at Logan and gave him half a smile, it wasn't lost on her that twenty minutes earlier she had been on her knees in his bedroom and now she was toasting the merger of two impressive family businesses. "To the future," Rory lamented as they all clinked glasses and her eyes remained locked with Logan.
"Mind if I steal her away for a moment?" Logan asked as they all sipped their champagne and Mitchum began discussing his newest granddaughter proudly. Logan didn't wait for a response when he took Rory by the hand, each of them still holding their champagne flutes as he pulled her to a quiet corner, "I didn't know," he told her immediately.
"What?" Rory was confused as she took a sip of her champagne.
"I didn't know they were going to do that, that dad was going to try to … do whatever it is he just did. I just need you to know that I wouldn't have let you walk down into that," he told her, she could see he was panicking, although she couldn't be sure why.
"Logan," Rory put her free hand on his cheek, "take a breath."
"I just don't want you to think I was using you as a work thing."
"You don't want me to think that you were using me…for work?" Rory couldn't help but laugh as she kissed him, "I have never thought that and I will never think that. Calm down and check your phone, I sent you something earlier and something tells me that you haven't checked your messages since then?"
"I haven't checked them since we were upstairs."
"Well then, you are in for a little treat," Rory winked.
Logan smirked as he opened his iPhone and saw that Rory had snapped a photo of herself in the full length mirror in his bathroom, "I'm never deleting this," Logan put his phone back in his pocket and pulled her in for a kiss.
"Just don't show it to anyone," Rory joked.
"My eyes only," Logan agreed, although they both knew he wasn't talking strictly about the picture, he was talking about her, about them.
