August. 2nd 2.30-5.00
He didn't know what riveted his attention to the girl underneath the tree. She was pretty with shiny, shoulder-length, brown hair, and beautiful, blue eyes, which he imagined would look even more beautiful if they sparkled. However, he had dated and seen many, pretty girls to last him a lifetime—maybe it was the fact that she looked sad. All he wanted to do was reach out and make her smile. This surprised him. Despite how many friends Logan had, he was not the type of person to reach out to people. Still, he made his way towards the tree, and sat next to her on the rock.
"You alright?" he asked softly
Rory was surprised to see an extremely good-looking boy with blond hair and deep, expressive, brown eyes talking to her. Normally, back in Connecticut, she would have politely told him to leave her alone and if he had continued bugging her, she would have bribed him to leave her alone. She liked her sanctuaries to be quiet. However, with the exception of her two colleagues, Rory had not been in contact with many, nice people in New York, so she decided to talk to him.
"I'm fine, just had a stressful morning," she hoped her tone would finalize the conversation. She didn't want to reveal her secrets to a complete stranger.
Logan could tell that there was something, that she was withholding, but he wasn't going to pry. "I had a stressful day, too; it's peaceful here."
"I know," she said, loving the cool breeze, the bright water, and the rustle of the trees.
"I come here with my friends at least once a year, we drink and do stunts."
"Stunts?"
"Yeah, we like taking risks. It keeps us young,'' he mimicked her finalizing tone, not wanting to tell her about the Life and Death Brigade.
"What kid of stunts did you do?" Rory asked curiously.
"Well, there was this one time where we jumped from a branch on that very big, tree."
"Oh my god, isn't that dangerous? You could have died!"
"Well, we're all going to die."
"Well, I would never be able to do that. I'd be terrified"
"I actually felt exhilarating. However, watching my friend, Finn, run around, naked on a public bus was terrifying."
''Was that a stunt too?'' Rory asked between giggles.
"Nope, that was just Finn being Finn—you'd have to know him to know what I mean."
"I understand," she said, remembering the crazy town she grew up in, Stars hollow. As Rory was talking to him, she couldn't believe that she felt so at ease talking to a stranger. She also couldn't believe that this stranger could make her laugh when her supposed boyfriend could not.
Logan was surprised, he had never felt so comfortable or at ease around a girl, and he didn't even know her name. "Hey it wouldn't be too awkward if I asked you your name."
"Rory, Rory Gilmore."
"That sounds familiar. You're not, by any chance, related to Richard and Emily Gilmore, are you?"
"They're my grandparents," she answered, surprised. Despite her grandparents' wealth, they were not exactly celebrities or as rich as some of the kids she had met at Chilton.
"They are always ranting and raving about your accomplishments, at every boring dinner or society function I had to go in Hartford. My parents are friends with them. Plus, your mom's a legend—raising a child outside of society."
"My grandparents tend to exaggerate when it comes to me."
"So, you didn't get into Yale, Harvard, and Princeton? You weren't Valedictorian at Chilton? I've always admired someone who got into an Ivy League school without connections."
"Yeah I did."
He smirked, which Rory found amusing and annoying at the same time. "So what's your name?" she asked, wanting to change the subject. It seemed that the fates of August were giving her signs pointing towards her old life.
Logan felt reluctant to tell Rory his name, because he didn't want Rory to start treating him differently because of his name. "Logan Huntzberger," he said, quietly.
"As in Mitchum Huntzburger?" Rory asked curiously, but to Logan's relief she didn't act like a sycophant.
"Yes, my Daddy dearest, who makes me work at his New York paper as punishment for sinking a Yacht in Fiji instead of going to Yale."
"And fate just keeps on knocking at my door." Rory sighed.
"What?"
"I'm supposed to start an internship at the New York Post this coming Monday."
"Guess fate will make us see each other more often with Yale and the paper."
"I don't think so."
Logan noticed that her tone and her face that was so sad that he wanted to reach out and hold her, but he barely knew her. "What do you mean?" he asked gently.
"I'm not going back to Yale in the fall, and I am not sure I want to take that internship."
"Why?" He was surprised by this, based on what he heard from her grandparents through the years, this girl appeared to be very school oriented.
Rory winced she had said too much. She chose her next words carefully. "I just wanted to do something different. My whole life, I planned to go to an Ivy League school. So, when my boyfriend asked to come to New York with him, I took the chance to find out if there was more out there." This was partly true, coming to New York with Jess was a big decision she had made without even making a pro-con list or getting input from her mother. Which was another reason she couldn't go back, it would mean going back on a decision she made on her own.
Logan was surprised at the sadness he felt that she had a boyfriend. He silently brushed the feeling off. "Wow, a Gilmore rebelling against society must be genetic. Do Richard and Emily know?"
"Not yet."
"Well, it would be a waste freaking them out; after all, you'll be back once classes start."
"Excuse me?"
"I saw the wistful sorrowful look when you mentioned Yale. That doesn't go away."
"Oh, please." Her voice was small; she was surprised and annoyed at how perceptive Logan was.
"I'm willing to bet a million dollars from my trust fund that you'll be back at Yale."
"I don't want your money," Rory spat, she hated this conversation.
Logan smirked. This girl was kind of sexy when she was mad. "I think you're the first girl who has ever told me that."
"Well, I'm not like other girls."
"No you're not." He ticked off another reason why the girl interested him so much.
"So, why are you thinking about not taking the internship?"
"One reason is that you're really starting to annoy me."
"Hey, I'm sorry; I shouldn't have gotten into your business, even if I do believe I'm right." Rory could tell that Logan was sincere, and she realized she was too hard on him.
"Apology accepted and I shouldn't have gotten angry. The reason why I'm not taking this internship is because I don't think I can afford taking a non-paying job. My boyfriend isn't rich, which is more proof that I'm not a gold digger."
"Ace, I was just kidding."
"Ace?" he shrugged and she continued. "Well, my boyfriend believes that I should work to support us, and he's right. I mean, I don't have other people paying for me anymore."
Logan was surprised that someone would hold someone back from a prestigious internship. "Ace, wouldn't your boyfriend want you to follow your dreams? I mean, paying jobs will always be around, but internships like the New York Post won't. My father might not be 'father of the year' and trust me when I say he's not. However, when it comes to hiring journalists, he makes sure they're the best. Besides, you'll mostly be shadowing Casey who runs the place while my Dad's away. Plus, the biggest benefit is that it would be nice to have someone I like there besides Casey. "
"Why, are the people there horrible?"
"No, they just suck up to me, because of who my father is. Casey doesn't do that, because she was friends with my sister and saw me in diapers."
Rory laughed, Logan loved it when she laughed—her eyes sparkled, which was a contrast to the lifelessness he saw her in her eyes when he first saw her on the rocks.
"You also don't suck up to me. I'm not going to force you to take this internship, but promise me you'll think about what your giving up."
Rory knew he was right… about everything. "I will," she promised.
They continued to talk about various topics, without noticing how much time had passed. A person walking by would believe that they had known each other for years—instead of only meeting that afternoon. They talked until Rory noticed that the air was cooler than it usually under the shade of the tree, and the sun was starting to set over the lake.
"Logan what time is it?" Rory asked, worry lacing her words.
Logan looked at his silver watch. "Five-forty."
"Oh my god, I've got to go," Rory said, standing up from the rock. She frowned, slightly, realizing that her time with Logan at the pool was over.
"Why, have you got any plans?"
"No, it's just that my apartment is in a dangerous neighborhood and I hate going alone at night."
"Hey, why don't we have dinner? I promise I'll give you ride so you won't have to go there alone."
"That's really sweet, Logan, but I have a boyfriend."
"Hey, dinner does not always mean sex, and it's not like we're going anywhere where you'd go on a date like the Marquee. It would just be two friends hanging out."
Rory made a mental, pro-con list in her head. Logan was the first person she had befriended in New York. Her coworkers were nice, but they were only work friends. Logan was the only person she had met this summer that she could confide in with various areas, even though she would never tell him her secrets. Rory also found him fun and kind. "All right, let's go."
He smiled and nodded his head. "Let's go."
Logan put a hand on her back, and Rory was surprised at how comfortable it felt. As they walked, Logan continued to notice how happier she was with him.
Here it is the meeting.