The Escort
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls it is owned by the CW/WB and Amy Sherman-Palladino. Some of the dialogue from this chapter is from the Gilmore Girls episode 5.03 "Written in the Stars" which does not belong to me.
AN: Thank you to everyone for the wonderful reviews, I was simply overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for this story. One of the reviewers asked me the age difference between Rory and Logan and I answered it in a rush, it's two not one like I wrote (sorry!). I hope you like this current chapter and please continue to let me know what you think of the story. Lady Eliza ;)
Chapter 1: Fate works in mysterious ways
Some things change, and yet some things stay refreshingly the same. The young woman was an adult but still had a rather interesting attachment to her mother and father. Rory Gilmore-Hayden surveyed the Yale campus with a fond smile. She loved this place and it brought a smile to her face when she thought about the legacy she was following attending such an prestigious establishment.
Another year at Yale was about to begin and she was only getting settled in. Paris was most certainly on campus getting their dorm room set up, and she was going to be Rory's only roommate this year. Rory walked up ahead of the movers to open the door to her suite, a familiar voice hailed her from nearby. She dropped everything and ran into the arms of her good friend. She'd met Marty in a particular way (while he had been buck naked) and thus he always held a special part in her heart. Plus, it was an interesting story to tell people.
"How was your summer?" asked Rory.
"I met Nicole Richie. Then I had to shower." The response was typical Marty she had no choice but to chuckle, then rush to open the doors for the angry delivery men.
"So sorry gentlemen. Please be careful with the couch else my grandmother will make you regret it. I'm sorry to say that she will hunt you down and kill you. I kid you not." Rory could see the men looking at her sceptically. They would learn soon enough that if anything was wrong they would feel the wrath of Emily Gilmore.
"Nice room, great location," said Marty as he peaked into the double room.
"Yes, it's nice to only have to deal with Paris for the bathroom. Let's get some coffee and you can tell me more about your summer," said Rory.
The two friends chatted and caught up as they drank a hot cup of Joe. Rory listened with rapt attention as Marty explained how his whole life had changed when he found out about his paternity. This was better than all the daytime soaps on TV.
"Let me get this straight, you found out that your uncle is really your father and your father is really your uncle?" asked a very confused Rory.
"Yes, my mother decided twenty years was old enough to know my true paternity. The weird thing is my father and I have a better relationship now then we had before."
Rory couldn't fathom how she would feel if such a secret was revealed to her. "Well, I guess better late than never."
"Yes. So, how was your summer?"
"We should've started with me."
Before Rory could try to give an edited version of her summer, they were interrupted by a man in preppy attire. He had been walking backwards and had bumped into Marty.
"Oh sorry," said Marty as he turned fully to face the man.
"You should be. No seriously, couldn't you see that you were in my way?" asked the unknown man.
"Colin don't be such an ass." This was a familiar voice. It had been a long time.
Rory froze in the motion of drinking her coffee. It had been three years since she'd heard that voice, but it could still make her feel as if she was sixteen all over again. Who knew someone from her past could affect her life so, with only knowing her for a handful of weeks. Of course, she had a close relationship with Honor, who felt it was her duty to pass on newsworthy tidbits about Logan's life. She'd only heard about his exploits, she hadn't seen him in the last three years.
Rory had to make a split second decision, whether she should reveal herself. She knew there would be other meetings with him at Yale, but she could pick the time and the place. This was going to be a hell of a surprise, for both of them.
Before things changed irrevocably, she took one final look at Marty's face. He looked uncomfortable and upset; she knew he wasn't particularly fond of guys like Logan and his rather snobby friends.
Taking a deep breath, like Trix had taught her, shoulders back she turned to confront the unknown. He looked exactly the same: tousled hair, bright brown eyes, and that smirk. God, she'd missed him!
"Hello stranger."
Colin McCrae was about to say something snobby, but shut up, rather quickly one could say. He realized that the pretty brunette was looking straight at his buddy Logan, who had turned into a mute. Now this was an interesting development, very interesting.
Logan wasn't one to be surprised or silenced, but Rory Gilmore would be the first one to do it. He had pushed the memory of her to a place in his mind that held a handful of good memories from his young life. She was a presence in his life that had forever changed it, yet he tried his best to resist. But it seemed that fate had a way of interfering because she was standing not two feet in front of him.
Rory had envisioned different scenarios of how she and Logan would greet each other after their three year reunion. It was with great surprise when he let got of his blonde companion, who was glaring at Rory, to sweep her off her feet, spilling coffee in the process, and holding on tight. She resisted only a few second before returning the gesture, their embracing was getting curious stares from their friends and strangers alike.
"Rory Gilmore, as I live and breathe," was uttered like a prayer as Logan nuzzled her neck.
She chuckled as she looked up into his eyes. "It's Rory Gilmore-Hayden on official paperwork."
"I'd heard Chris made an honest woman out of Lorelai."
"Yes it was a lovely wedding. Honor loved being a bridesmaid and Mitchum and Shira were in the audience."
Logan gave her a sad smile. "I was sorry I couldn't make it. I believe I had prior commitments."
"Yes, something about skiing in Aspen with a member of the Kennedy family, of the female persuasion."
"Hmm…" Logan looked rather uncomfortable with where the conversation was leading.
Their private tête-à-tête was interrupted by a not-so-subtle clearing of a throat. Logan quickly started putting to use the manners his parents had paid a fortune to instil.
"I beg your pardon. Rory, I'd like you to meet my good friends Colin McCrae and Finn Rothschild. Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce an old family friend, Miss Rory Gilmore-Hayden."
Colin perked up considerably and shook the lady's hand with a polite smile. Finn, ever the suave gentleman decided he was European and kissed both of Rory's cheeks. He made her giggle with his antics.
"A pleasure to meet the both of you, I'd like to introduce Marty Davies," said Rory including her companion in the conversation.
Logan watched as the guy with Rory looked at her with affection. He looked like a love struck fool and it was time to shake things up. "I see a uniform of some sort." Logan critically looked the guy up and down. Rory didn't seem to realize that her friend was half in love with her.
Marty shifted from one foot to the other. "I umm…that is to say…I bartended for your parties." It was said rather quickly that it took a minute for it to process.
"I didn't realize the two of you knew each other," said Rory. It had never occurred to her that her friend Marty would know Huntzberger and crew.
"So, why Yale? What happened to the Harvard dream?" asked a curious Logan who decided the bartender could answer the last question.
"Harvard? I don't know if I can associate with the likes of you," remarked Finn rather dramatically.
Rory chuckled at the remark. "You sound like my Gran. Yale was the right choice for me. I get to be close to home, I just fell in love with the campus it after touring it, and tradition was a major factor."
Colin nodded in understanding. "Ah, that makes much more sense. Tradition demanded that I attend Yale as well. I think you'll find that a lot of Yale attendees experience the same pressure."
"I didn't think you would be at school yet. I knew you would come back this year but I assumed it would be after the term had started.
"A year of being free is gone and its time to come back." Logan didn't look like he believed in his words. He didn't mention the parental pressure put on him to come back.
As the conversation continued Marty was the odd man out. He knew Rory as the small town girl with a close knit relationship with her family, committed to her Friday Night dinners with her grandparents, and an unhealthy obsession with coffee.
As Marty fidgeted again Rory decided it was time to get going. She knew he had a lot of questions to ask her.
"I have to go back to my room and get thing set up," said Rory.
"Okay, call me sometime this week and we'll catch up," said Logan. He gave her an absent hug and left in the opposite direction.
Rory watched as he walked away with his friends. The blonde woman seemed to latch onto him, tighter than before.
-GG-
"I didn't realize you knew Logan Huntzberger," said Marty the minute Rory's dorm door closed behind the couple.
Rory looked at him quietly as she made her way to the couch which the movers had placed in the exact location her grandmother had diagrammed. "Marty you don't know every person of my acquaintance."
"I know that. Logan's dad is Mitchum Huntzberger who is the man in the newspaper industry. Glenn talks about him non-stop at our guy's nights, and you haven't once mentioned that he's a 'family friend' who you've known for years," said an agitated Marty.
"I beg your pardon! Mitchum is a good friend of my grandparents and I've known him since I was sixteen. I don't use my connections to make friends and I don't need to ask Mitchum Huntzberger for a job. I can get that with my own merit. It's rather presumptuous of you to say such a thing," said an irritated Rory.
"I'm sorry. It was a shock to see Logan grab you and hold you like that; you don't usually allow anyone to be familiar with you in such a manner. And…well…I can't stand people like Logan."
"What do you mean people like Logan?"
"You know...rich, snobby, legacies, trust fund babies, whatever label you'd like to give them. I mean, they have everything handed to them on a silver platter and think college is a joyride. They have no worries and all they do is have parties and sleep with each other."
The statement was met with silence. It was after the stillness had stretched for a long period of time that Marty figured he'd said something wrong. Foot in mouth!
The opening and closing of the front door was the only thing that brought Rory out of her reverie.
"Well, I'm back," said Paris Gellar as she walked into the room with two movers behind her.
Rory went to Paris to give her hug and get away from Marty. She had no idea that her friend could be so prejudiced and mean spirited.
"Marty, I'd stop complaining about the privileged class before they find out and stop hiring you to bartend for their parties." The snappy remark was made by the illustrious Paris. Eavesdropping was an art in polite society.
"Was it something I said?" asked Marty.
"I can't believe you think everyone with a similar background as Logan would act like him," said Rory.
Marty looked confused at her accusation. "Why are you defending Logan?" asked Marty.
"Logan and his family are good friends with my family and I don't like my friends being attacked. You know that Marty."
"I do, but I thought you would agree with me on this subject," said a perplexed Marty.
"Well, you thought wrong." The terse reply was followed by Rory walking into her room and quietly closing the door. She was a lady after all not a heathen; therefore she politely closed the door rather than slam it like her mood dictated.
Marty was left to contemplate whether or not he had done the right thing by ranting to Rory about Logan Huntzberger. He'd been sure that he knew how Rory would react after getting to know her last year, but it was always a surprise when she did something to contradict a preconceived notion he had about her.