Disclaimer: I do not own anything Gilmore Girls or the play "The Body of Water." Also, I have not seen the final season of Gilmore Girls so I feel ill-equipped to write a future fic based on what happened during that time. If needed, I'll clarify where I am continuing from, or on what I'm basing things on. Please let me know if anything confuses you.
Murphy's Law: Anything That Can Go Wrong, Will
Rory chose her clothes for that evening as carefully as a general plots an attack. She would be professional in her dress while at the same time showing that she could be sexy and non-serious. Her clothes would be her armor and he would not throw her off tonight with his smile and twinkling eyes. She would use tonight to draw the guidelines between them.
She rolled on thigh high smoky stockings, telling herself they were necessary to keep her legs warm in the chilly fall evening and not to draw his attention to her slim legs. She pulled on a black high waist pencil skirt with a wide red belt. She told herself the skirt would enhance her professionalism and not her slender figure. The same for the crisp white shirt with a red vest. It was to be professional, not to be attractive.
Rory kept telling herself this as she unrolled her hair and put her make-up on. She gave her eyes a mysterious shadowed look that seemed to make her eyes even bluer. Her hair cascaded around her shoulders in soft curls and the heels she stepped into boosted her height and her confidence. Confidence in her professionalism, she thought to herself. She gathered her small notebook and pencil and placed them in her purse. She stood indecisively for a moment in her living room, trying to see what she might have forgotten. Perfume, a woman's most subtle weapon. Smiling, she headed back into her bedroom.
Sitting on her dresser was the bottle of perfume her mother had had made especially for her. Lorelei had told a fragrance artist about Rory, her likes and dislikes, her personality and such. This fragrance, when worn, was supposed to attract her true soul mate. After hearing this, the incurable romantic in Lorelei had given in to the high pricing and she'd bought 10 oz. of the fragrance for Rory.
Contemplating the cut glass bottle, Rory smiled at the memory. Lorelei had been so happy to give it to her and Rory had yet to wear it. It wouldn't hurt to wear it tonight, she thought and sprayed it on her major pulse points. Just then the doorbell rang. Setting the bottle down, Rory went to the door. Opening it, she saw Tristan dressed in what he considered evening clothes: black pants, black shoes, black shirt, no tie and open at the neck, with a black suit jacket. And her armor was rendered useless. Confound him and his good looks.
Tristan took in the outfit, from the black leather heels to the tumbled curls, and was glad he'd propped himself against the doorframe. His hands were itching to dive right into those curls so he tucked them into his pockets instead. "Ready?"
"Sure, let's go." Rory grabbed her knee length wool coat and strode out the door. She had no reason to feel offended that he hadn't commented on her appearance. She had wanted to be professional and he had responded to it, that was all. She climbed into his car without waiting for him and stared resolutely out the window as he joined her.
Tristan mentally shook his head at Rory's perplexing behavior. He had told himself that he wouldn't act like a freshman in high school or like a prick and now she was acting like he had done exactly that. Women, he thought as he pulled into the congested New York traffic.
"So how are your grandparents doing?" he asked. Lame, he chastised himself mentally. He inhaled and detected a warm, sensual scent filling the shadowed interior of the car. He inhaled again to savor the fragrance.
"Fine, thank you. And your family?" Her voice was cool and polite. She would not make a fool of herself over this man. She would keep the conversation polite and stay out of the deep waters of yesteryears.
"My family is good too. Are you still in contact with anyone from Chilton?" He inhaled the scent again. Maybe introducing Chilton would re-connect them.
"Yeah, Paris. She and I ended up going to Yale together. We were roommates too." She smiled at the memory. When he again inhaled she frowned. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah. So, you and Paris? That's something I would never have seen coming."
"Well, competition apparently makes good friends." She forgot about her determination to remain professional and told Tristan about the various humorous occurrences that had happened between her and Paris. The rest of the ride was completed with laughter and camaraderie. Tristan was pleased that they were getting along so well so early in the evening.
As they strolled into the foyer, Rory waved to various people as they called out her name. Occasionally they stopped and chatted with another couple, where Rory would introduce Tristan and suffer the knowing looks from the guys and the envious looks from the girls. She just smiled inanely and kept heading for their seats. Tristan noticed all the men who turned for a second look after Rory had passed by them. He smiled grimly. That hadn't changed.
"Rory!" Someone called. She stopped and turned, her arm still linked with Tristan's. A smile was on her face as she greeted the dark-haired man heading for her.
"Jess! Hey, I didn't know you were in town!" The man wrapped his arms around Rory and swung her off her feet. He laughed and squeezed her tighter when she protested.
"You didn't know because I didn't tell you. What are you doing here?" He set her back on her feet but kept an arm slung around her shoulders. Tristan frowned when he saw the pleasure on Rory's face. She could at least pretend to not like having him hang all over her. He took great pleasure in the fact he had a good half foot on the man.
Jess also studied the tall blond man who had been escorting Rory. The fact he was tall was a mark against him, but it was his smirk after scanning Jess that really infuriated him. Jess could feel himself bristling. Rory rolled her eyes at the blatant testosterone. "Jess Mariano, this is Tristan Dugrey. He's a coworker of mine at the Chronicle." Jess kept his hands in his pockets and gave Tristan an arrogant nod. Tristan raised an eyebrow. Arrogant prick, he thought as Jess' arm slid to circle around Rory's waist.
"The play starts soon. We should go in." Tristan extended his arm for Rory to take but Jess was already swinging her away. Tristan was forced to follow them or be left behind.
"Good idea. What seat are you in, Rory?" She looked at the tickets.
"Fifth row, middle. The critics have to have good seats. Where are you at?"
"I'll stay with you." Jess expertly herded Rory into her seat and sat, forcing Tristan to sit beside him. Not wanting to cause a scene, Tristan gritted his teeth and sat down. The evening was not going as he'd planned.
"No, you can't. Look at your ticket." Rory did it for him. "You're a few rows behind us. Go back there. We'll catch up after the show." She glared at him when he went to protest. "No, you didn't pay for these seats, so you don't get to sit in them."
"You didn't pay either," Jess argued but he got up. Like she'd said, there was until after the show.
"I did too. I pay every time I attend a show that should never have opened. Leave, we'll catch you later." Tristan bit back his smile as he shifted into the seat beside Rory. No matter what the Mariano fellow felt for her, she had treated him as she would a brother. That assured him somewhat but he was a man who looked before he leaped. Nothing wrong with learning the past history between Rory and Mariano, he assured himself. It was past history, after all.
He wound a strand of her hair around his fingers as the house lights went down. "So where does Mariano fit in with your life?"
"Under the category 'none of your business.' And let go of my hair." She tried to jerk it out of his hand but he held tight.
"No." he answered and continued playing with her hair as the play began. She tried to focus on the action on the stage but the occasional brush of his fingers on her neck sent shivers down her spine. He leaned towards her and whispered into her ear. "Are you cold?"
"No," she whispered back. "Pay attention." She motioned to the stage and then tried to focus herself but his lips were too close to her ear.
"No," he breathed softly. His lips whispered against her ear and she shivered again. She felt him smile against her ear as he again whispered, "You sure you're not cold?" Now his long fingers were stroking the back of her neck. It made her want to stretch and purr like a cat. Instead she hissed and tried to move away without drawing attention to them.
"I'm fine. Stop touching me." She whispered furiously, twisting her head. His chuckle was a ripple of breath against her nape.
"No." he pressed his lips softly against the short hairs that curled on her nape. Her breath hitched. Again she felt him smile. Suddenly he swore and jerked away. Rory looked over at him and started chuckling. Tristan was rubbing the back of his head and staring at a dented box of Milk Duds™ that now lay on the ground. He twisted in his seat and saw Jess glaring at him. He glared back. This was war and Tristan wasn't holding anything back. He turned around and faced front but he resolutely slung an arm around Rory. Let Jess stew over that awhile.
In her seat, Rory was fighting her relief. Thank goodness Jess had thrown that box of Milk Duds™ or else… what? She would have ended up making out with Tristan Dugrey? Was that really so bad, her inner self wondered? Yes! Yes, it was bad! Rory's mind quickly shut down that thought. Tristan broke hearts and was her coworker. She couldn't get involved with him. Even if he did give her shivers with his smirk and his blue eyes. She sighed and resigned herself to another boring night watching a play. Finally focusing fully on the play, she sighed again. A really bad play.
Finally, it was over and Rory knew she had little good to write. The actors were good, but the play itself lacked anything to make it a hit. She stood up and gathered her purse, making a few notations for her article later. Tristan let her out first and then laid a proprietary hand on the small of her back. She stiffened and went to pull away but he pulled her closer. He bent down and placed his mouth against her ear again.
"Careful, don't want you to get lost in this crowd." She put up with it until the foyer where she stepped beyond his reach. Jess appeared suddenly at her side and grasped her arm.
"Come one, Rory. I'll give you a ride home. We've got a lot to catch up on." Tristan grabbed Jess' wrist. He returned stare for stare.
"No. She came with me, she'll return with me." Jess trembled with restrained anger.
"Let go of me." The words were evenly spaced and dealt out between his clenched teeth. Ignoring him, Tristan snared his arm through Rory's free one.
"Come on, I'll see you home." Rory turned apologetically to Jess.
"Sorry, but it is polite. You have my address, drop in whenever you can." She hugged him awkwardly as Tristan refused to release her other arm. She gave him an offended stare before huffily following him. She waited until they were both buckled and pulled onto the jammed streets before letting loose.
"I don't know who you think you are, but you have no right to embarrass me in front of an old friend like that. You two looked ready to call for your seconds. I do not appreciate being treated in such a Neanderthal way, either, with you pulling me away like that."
"Who is he?" Tristan interrupted. Rory stared at him, confused.
"Did you not catch his name? He's Jess Mariano-"
"No, I got that part. What I'm asking is where he fits into your life. Is he an old boyfriend, recent one or what? How does he figure into your life?"
"I already answered that question. None of your business." She primly folded her hands in her lap and looked out the window. Her mother would be proud of her.
"I don't like that answer. Let's try option B." He vented his frustration by driving dangerously, jerking around slow vehicles like a bat out of hell. He turned corners sharply and blew through changing lights.
"There is no option B. This was a short answer question, not multiple choice. And I gave my answer. Just drop me off at my door," she ordered when they reached her apartment in record time. Ignoring her he slammed the gearshift into park and switched off the engine. For a moment they sat in the darkened interior. He was breathing a little heavier than normal and Rory found herself frozen from… fear? anticipation? nerves? She didn't know.
"Rory, I've been attracted to you for as long as I remember. In high school I was jealous of your boyfriend but didn't really try to take you away from him. Once you were broken up, you were fair game." He cut her off with a sharp movement of his right hand. "You're broken up now. And you're fair game again. No Jess Mariano, Preston Grant or Dean Forester is going to stop me. I'm letting you know now, because I thought it would be fair. I had planned on getting you to gradually trust me, but something has come up. I'm leaving for an assignment overseas." She gasped. "I'll be gone for two weeks, maybe longer, but when I'm back make certain you're ready, because I'll be coming after you." He snagged his hand in her hair and yanked her across the seat to him.
"And this time," he breathed, "I won't lose." He silenced her protest with his mouth, hot and hungry on hers. Her lips parted on a gasp and he invaded her warmth with his tongue. Snarling, tangling and rubbing frantically with hers, he plundered. And she lost every thought from her mind except him. Using the hand anchored in her hair, he angled her mouth for a deeper penetration. She purred in the back of her throat and threw herself more completely into the kiss. They came together again, melting together like hot wax until they were breathing hard and their hands were shaking from the need to touch, to cherish.
Rory pulled back and ran an unsteady hand through her tumbled curls. What had happened to her, she wondered? She gathered her purse and coat in silence but when she went to open the door, his hand was there to stop her. She looked over and met his gaze, nervous at what else she might be forced to face tonight. Reading the fear in her eyes, Tristan cursed himself to the deepest pits of hell. He shouldn't have pushed her tonight but he'd wanted her to have something to remember him by when Mariano came around. Forcing himself to be patient, he smiled. "I'll miss you. Is it okay if I e-mail you?"
Stunned by his admission, she stammered, "Y-yes, that's fine. Good night." She fumbled with the door handle but got out before he could help her.
"Good night Rory." He waited until she'd let herself in the apartment before driving off. He didn't know Rory had dropped her stuff on the ground and now lay on the couch, reliving in her mind that explosive kiss. Now what, she wondered?
Author's Note: I'm sorry for the long time between updates. I'm so thankful for all the reviews I've gotten so far. Please let me know what you think of this chapter and if it was worth the wait.