Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls is the creation of Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Author's Note: Google "Maldiscontent" and "Inside the Monkey Habitat" for the floorplan and seating arrangement. We have a lot of guests stopping by; it might help to see where everyone's sitting.

Chapter 24: Lunch with Friends, Part I

Hartford, Connecticut, 42 North Main, Saturday, May 20, 2017, 11:45 am EST

After taking a quick tour of the Gilmore apartment, Logan and Rory, accompanied by Lorelai and Luke, settled in at Logan's apartment to await their guests. Logan found himself amused at Rory seemingly quick and painless slipping into hostess mode. Seeing what she regarded as a "ridiculous" amount of flowers in the Gilmores' apartment - between the ones Logan's interior designer had placed and the ones brought from the hospital - Rory had insisted everyone grab a flower arrangement to bring over to Logan's. Once back at Logan's she walked around the apartment, deliberating on the precise placement of each arrangement. Logan noted with sardonic amusement that Rory had carried the flowers from his parents over herself.

"Wow. Fancy." Lorelai had commented as she first entered the apartment. Dropping her flowers on the table in the foyer, Lorelai proceeded to walk straight to the dining room, Luke close on her heels.

Although it had been a decade since he'd spent any time with them together - and even then it was always in small doses - Logan thought he sensed a tension between Rory and Lorelai. The two had disappeared for a few minutes while at the Gilmore apartment. Since the group's arrival at his apartment, Logan would've sworn he'd caught Lorelai's eyes on Rory a couple of times when she thought no one was watching. As for Rory, she seemed to deliberately be keeping distance between herself and Lorelai.

Logan watched as Lorelai and Luke, done surveying the dining area, made a beeline for the living room. Rory continued her walk-through at a much slower pace.

"Logan, now that I've seen the other apartment, this one seems..." Her voice trailed off as she walked to a corner shelving unit in the living room. "How did I not notice these before?" Rory posed the rhetorical question to the air as she lowered the Huntzberger flower arrangement onto the dining room table. As Logan watched, she picked up a framed photograph of herself and Logan from their Yale days.

Logan figured he knew what she was thinking. But still he asked.

"Seems what, Ace?"

"It seems not temporary." Rory turned to glance at Logan over her shoulder.

"You got me. I told the designer to think permanent for this place."

"What? Why?"

"Why? Why do you think? Whatever happens between us, Rory," Logan spoke in a low tone, "I'm going to be by this way a lot over the next eighteen years."

Turning back to the shelf, Rory nodded without a word. She replaced the framed picture to its spot. Logan watched as Rory's gaze fell on another photograph: this one a snapshot of her taken in London over the Christmas holidays two years earlier, a few months after Richard's death.

Finally Logan and Rory rounded the corner into the living room where Lorelai and Luke were taking in the view from the balcony.

"Nice view." Lorelai observed.

"Yeah," agreed Logan. "Between the balconies and the rooftops, the place is pretty good for stargazing."

Rory smiled. "And dining al fresco."

"Luke, Lorelai. Can I get you something to drink?"

"You have stuff in the fridge?" Rory was obviously surprised.

"I know how to be a good host, Ace. No food yet but I do have water, club soda, beer, and wine."

"I'll have a beer."

"I'll have a glass of white."

"Ace? Club soda?"

"Yeah."

"Everyone, make yourselves comfortable. I'll be right back."

Logan left the Gilmores in the living room and walked around to the kitchen. Intent on getting the drinks together, it took a minute before he realized someone had followed him.

"Logan? Could I talk to you a minute?"

Glancing up from the counter, Logan met the eyes of the woman standing before him. Glancing out to the living room balcony, Logan saw that Rory appeared to be talking on her cell. Whatever Lorelai wanted to discuss with him, it seemed that she was being very strategic about the timing.

"Sure, Lorelai. What's up?"

"So...Rory says she told you about our little limo discussion."

"She did." Logan nodded. Maybe it was time for his 'play-nice-with-Cousin-Jess' lecture from Lorelai. Casting his gaze over at Lorelai, he thought she looked confused about something. Did she not believe that Rory had told him about their discussion? Logan watched as Lorelai pointedly decided not to make eye contact with him; instead her eyes traveled from him to the light fixtures above his head to the cabinets behind him until they finally settled on the flower arrangement Luke had set down on the peninsula countertop.

Logan, meanwhile, removed two white wines from the refrigerator and held them out for Lorelai's inspection. "Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio?"

"Pinot Grigio."

Logan replaced the Sauvignon Blanc to the refrigerator and grabbed a corkscrew to open the Pinot Grigio. He poured a taste of wine in Lorelai's glass and gestured for her to try the wine.

"Logan, it's not like I'm gonna send it back. You might as well pour the full glass."

"You got it."

Logan filled the wine glass and handed it to Lorelai. Accepting the glass, Lorelai took a sip.

"Good."

"Glad you like it."

Expecting more of a discussion related to the limo talk, Logan shot Lorelai a expectant glance, hoping to prompt a more detailed explanation. Finally, Lorelai took the hint and elaborated.

"So you're okay with her plans?"

'Plans'? What 'plans'? Plans with 'Cousin Jess'?

"The house?" Lorelai's eyes narrowed as she met his gaze. "She didn't tell you, did she?"

House? Logan shook his head. Taking a tumbler from the cabinet, he poured himself the scotch neat that was long overdue.

"Rory didn't tell me about plans or about a house. Care to enlighten me?"

Lorelai let out an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. "This. This is exactly why I told her she needed to tell you. And soon. Trying to keep secrets that everyone knows never works. I just figured Sookie or Lane or Zach would be the one to blow it. I didn't think it would be me that spilled the beans." Refocusing her gaze on Logan, her next words were directed at him. "If she didn't tell you about her plans to buy a house, what did she say we talked about in the limo?"

"Cousin Jess."

"Oh, that."

"Yeah, that." By Lorelai's tone, Logan inferred that the 'Cousin Jess' conversation was minor in comparison to the 'plans to buy a house' discussion. Logan nodded as he downed a mouthful of scotch. "The house, Lorelai?"

Lorelai sighed and settled her gaze on Logan. Logan could see the wheels turning in her head. This was obviously the cause of the current tension between Rory and Lorelai. Apparently Lorelai had been pushing Rory to tell him about her plans and - for whatever reason - Rory had dug in her heels.

"Rory was in the middle of buying a house in Stars Hollow when she was admitted to the hospital."

Okay.

Downing another mouthful of scotch, Logan absorbed Lorelai's reveal and wasted no time in deconstructing it. The fact that Rory had been looking to buy a house in Stars Hollow, while interesting, was in no way shocking. Logan would've been more surprised by Rory picking up and moving away, spiriting Lucas off to some unknown place. Or by Rory deciding to stay with Luke and Lorelai and sharing her childhood room with their son. That Rory would decide to settle in Stars Hollow while Lucas was an infant -and she was under the impression she would be raising him on her own- was in no way a surprise.

No, the most interesting part of this revelation was the fact that Rory seemed steadfastly intent on not telling him about it. Even, apparently, against Lorelai's advice. Why?

He, on the other hand, had made no secret of his own intentions. Not about the apartment; nor about anything else.

Logan's eyes met Lorelai's.

"Logan, you weren't here. The assumption was -right or wrong - you didn't want to be. Rory was getting ready to raise Lucas alone."

"I get that, Lorelai. Believe me. I'm not surprised - or angry - that Rory was looking to put down roots in Stars Hollow." Setting his glass down, Logan lowered his eyes. Splaying and flexing his fingers, he concentrated on his hand as he considered the bombshell Lorelai had accidentally dropped. "What I don't get is why she didn't tell me?"

"You'd have to ask her."

"I will. Believe me."

"Logan, I'm sorry I dropped this on you. I thought you and Rory had talked. And I really didn't mean to make you angry."

"I'm not angry, Lorelai." Though not loud, Logan's words came out sharper than he'd intended. "I'm sorry. I'm frustrated. I'm telling Rory everything. I figure I owe it to them. I was foolishly thinking she was operating on a similar game plan."

Lifting his gaze, Logan's eyes met the blue ones so similar to Rory's.

"Lorelai, can I ask you something?"

"You can ask. I'll decide if I want to answer."

"What do you want to see happen?"

"What I want isn't important."

"Please, Lorelai," chuckled Logan. "You and I both know that's not true."

"Fine. I want my daughter and grandson to be happy, healthy, and safe. If that means living in London -because it's what Rory wants- I can accept that."

"But...?"

"But Rory is Rory. She likes lists and order. She needs time to get used to curveballs. The baby was a surprise. The baby coming early was a surprise. You not being around was a surprise. You being around is a surprise. And then there's Lucas. He's doing great now but it was scary for a while. Without you, her decision was to stay here. With people who love and support her. Now -"

"And now, what? You think because I'm in the picture I'll spirit her and Lucas away to London?" Logan snorted. Incredible. "I don't know where you get these ideas. I know they're not coming from Rory. I'd never do that to her. She knows that. Even if I wanted her with me. You know you don't need to protect her." He took another swig of his scotch. "She knows how to protect herself. Believe me."

Sighing, Logan's eyes turned downward; staring at the floor, he momentarily lost himself in his thoughts. Looking up, he was startled to see Lorelai still standing there.

Could there possibly be more?

"We done?"

"Yeah. Done."

Calmer, Logan resolved to back-burner the frustration he felt for the time being.

"Thanks for letting me know." He forced a smile. "About the house."

"Yeah, well. Kind of an accident." Lorelai was still obviously worried. "Why don't I bring the drinks out? You look like you could use a minute."

"Sure," he shrugged while setting the glasses on the tray for Lorelai to bring out to the living room.

AN: Thank you for reading. Lunch is going to be broken into three separate chapters. As this is told via Logan's POV, readers will not always be aware of behind-the-scenes conversations among other characters. Please bear in mind - despite his talent for eavesdropping at key moments - Logan is not omniscient. There will be headscratching "I wonder why..?" moments.

07/29/2017