Chapter 3. 'Dresses of Tulle, Minds of Fools.'

As Rory reached the table, "Sorry, sorry, sorry… I'm late!" she called out to her mother who sat at the outside café tapping her foot as she drank her coffee. "I was at Finn's dorm when you called and I had to go back to mine to drop off my books and get my other purse."

Lorelai lifted her shoulders, tilting her head to the side as Rory dropped a kiss on her mother's cheek, as she sat on the chair beside her. "That's fine, I've been amusing myself people-watching."

"Really?" Looking out with her mom at the people walking by. "So, whose life have you re-created?"

Lorelai pointed her chin at a man in a tailored-suit across the street on a bench. "High-end male prostitute."

Rory squinted her eyes as she checked out the attractive man. "Working during the day?"

Lorelai nodded. "No one would suspect that's what he's up to."

"Except you!" Rory pointed out.

"Well, I'm special."

"You certainly are."

Lorelai looked at her daughter with narrowed eyes at the twist she found on her lips. "The words say compliment, but the tone…hmm."

"Hmm indeed," Rory responded, drinking the last drop of Lorelai's coffee. "Come on, it's too cold to stay out long and we have dresses of tulle to buy."

"Rory…" Lorelai whined, being reminded what their little outing was for.

Rory rolled her eyes as she stood up, letting out a tired sigh. "Don't start, Mom."

Lorelai stood up, too, but didn't stop with her plea. "How about I buy you a puppy, you always wanted a puppy."

Rory shook her head. "That was you, Mom… you always wanted a puppy, not me."

Lorelai let out a gasp. "How can you not want a puppy?"

"Because if we got one, I would be the one who would end up taking care of it."

"Okay, fine!" Lorelai conceded. "Not a puppy, a car, I get you a car and you get us out of the Gilmore Christmas bash."

"I have a car, Mom." Rory answered as she walked ahead to a boutique, Lorelai trailing behind.

"Rorrrrrry…"

Rory took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, counting to ten before turning to face her mother with military precision. "Okay, let's look at it differently. Grandma and Grandpa are going to spend the holidays in London with Lorelai the First. That's already stressful enough for Grandma, so we are going to get nice dresses and go to her party with happy smiles on our faces 'cause we don't want to give her another reason for her head to explode."

Lorelai stared at her daughter blankly and Rory found herself sighing again.

"Okay, take two, we go to this party and that completes our family obligation for the rest of the year. We don't see them again until mid January when they come back. If we don't go, I can assure you Emily Gilmore will find a way to get us to spend the holiday together with them even in Europe. So what do you want, Mother? One night now, or waiting for the other shoe to drop during our time together?"

Rory waited quietly as her mother debated, smiling when she saw her shoulders sag in defeat.

"Show me dresses."

Rory gave her mother a cheeky grin, pulling her along the row of clothes. "Atta girl!"

"You are a mean daughter."

"Yes." Rory agreed. "And you can get a therapist and tell them just that."

"Are you implying I need a therapist?" Lorelai demanded, earning a chuckle from Rory as she scanned the party dresses.

Rory ran her hands over a silky snow-white dress, liking the feel. "Are you implying you don't?"

Lorelai sulked. "That school of yours is teaching you evil things."

"There's a course on it." Rory commented, pulling a plum-colored dress that ended at the calf and held it up for her mother's inspection.

Lorelai shook her head, giving the dress a sour look. "I knew it… it explains Mom and Dad, evil Yale classes."

Rory nodded. "Yep, they're required."

"Knew it!" Lorelai moved to another rack, pulling out a hunter-green dress. "You're going to have to transfer, mommy don't like."

"I'll get right on that." Rory answered, playing along, grinning as her mom let out a cheer, raising her arms over her head. "Right after we smile and dress pretty for Grandma."

Lorelai pouted as she pointed. "See… mean!"

xxx

Finn looked at his friend as the rest of the room remained silent; everybody looking between him and Logan. He looked over at Colin who was shaking his head, then to Logan who frowned at him and bit the inside of his lip to stop the laugh at how easy his blond friend really was. So much for the master of control.

"Whatever do you mean, mate?"

Colin snorted while Logan narrowed his eyes at his mocking tone. "When did you and Rory start dating?"

Finn walked casually over to their bar, taking his time to mix himself a drink. "Who says we are?"

"Are you saying you're not?" Logan questioned.

"I didn't say that."

Logan stood up from the couch. "So, you're saying you are?"

Finn shook his head pointing his finger at his friend, a grin playing on his lips. "I didn't say that, either."

Logan let out a frustrated noise that sounded very close to a growl. "Finn!"

"And that is our cue to leave." Seth interrupted, slapping a hand across Robert's shoulder.

"But I want to stay and see the showdown!" Robert exclaimed.

"Dude," Seth answered, throwing a look over to an amused Finn and then back to an increasingly annoyed Logan. "We so don't want to be here right now."

"Why not?" Robert asked but still got up and followed Seth to the door.

"I really don't feel like being a witness to murder." Seth answered, watching the way Logan clenched his jaw. "Especially before the winter break, it would ruin our vacation plans."

"You have a point." Robert agreed, looking back at the three roommates. "Later men, good luck with these two, McCrae, looks like you'll need it."

Logan rolled his eyes as Colin nodded at the exaggerated sympathy, all the while, Finn leaned his elbows against the countertop, obviously tickled at his ire. "I'm surrounded by clowns."

"Poor ringmaster." Robert called out the parting shot at Logan as he and Seth walked out the door.

"So?"

"Sooo…. What, mate?" Finn dragged out the words.

Logan could feel his jaw working overtime as he resisted the urge to lash out at his friend. He knew his friend was baiting him and yet he was powerless to stop from rising to it, a first for him. "Are you into Rory?"

Finn gave him an 'are you stupid' look. "Amazing blue eyes, beautiful face, bloody smoking hot body, witty, intelligent and a kind person to boot. Rory is the kind of girl that leaves an impression, who wouldn't be interested?"

Logan couldn't argue with Finn about Rory's attributes, she was all the things Finn enumerated and more. They were the reason he couldn't seem to get the girl out of his head. "So, you are interested."

Finn refilled his glass and walked around the bar and started walking over to his bedroom door. "I think the real question is not whether I'm interested in the girl or not, but rather, why you're so interested in knowing if I'm interested, think about that, mate, and if you'll excuse me, I'm due for a nap."

Colin and Logan watched as Finn walked away with a jaunty wave.

"He's playing you like a fiddle."

Logan looked over at Colin and sighed. "I know."

Colin observed his friend curiously. "So, why are you letting him?"

Logan shook his head, sitting back down. "I can't help it, the idea of him and Rory…"

Colin smirked. "Drives you insane. Yeah, I think we all got that."

Logan looked up at his friend with narrowed eyes. "You don't have to sound so pleased."

"Sorry."

"Did you see how comfortable they were together?" Logan questioned. "When the hell did that happen?"

"They're friends, Logan."

Logan scoffed. "When has Finn ever been just friends with a girl?"

Colin shrugged "When have you ever been this out of sorts over a woman? There's a first time for everything, Logan."