Chapter 98
"What about Belgravia?" Rory asked, perusing through a website of London real estate ads at the apartment's kitchen table, feeling incredibly giddy inside at the thought of the move. It had taken her exactly 24 hours to set up her semester abroad, having already before done her homework. Her choice was made - Imperial College London which had a great political science program. And Belgravia was certainly located close by.
"If you want to live next door to consulates and grumpy conservatives," Logan replied, knowing London slightly better than Rory did.
"Well, I could suggest Shoreditch, but we all know how you are about up and coming neighborhoods," Rory teased. She knew by now that Logan, while having his adventurous side, also felt a lot more comfortable living amongst people of his own kind. He liked to live areas where there were fancy coffee shops and at least half-decent restaurants, where half the people had butlers or concierges and where regular people walking the streets were predictable – dog walkers, runners, nannies and mothers rather than starving students and street-artists. New Haven was already a little out of his comfort zone. This didn't mean he wouldn't love going to explore those more creative neighborhoods with her, it was just that at the end of a work day he wanted to come home to something comfortable.
"And then it'd take forever for either of us to get to work or school," Logan shot back, knowing London's geography a little better than she did. While she had been there three times by now, Rory mostly just knew the touristy bits of London, having never really dared to dream about living there, hence never really considered the city from a local's point of view before.
"So, the South Bank is out of the question?" Rory asked and sighed disappointedly. She was still kind of craving the student experience - well, the high-class student experience, having read how pricey London had gotten and how many students lived in rooms the size of closets.
"Next you're going to suggest we hunt for the bright blue door in Notting Hill and expect us to live with a guy called Spike," Logan teased back.
"So, you'd just prefer Knightsbridge?" Rory added, finding that somewhat expected.
"What's wrong with Knightsbridge?" Logan asked, having stayed in the area before.
"Just that there isn't much available in Knightsbridge right now," Rory replied, more practically. The housing shortage was real, and it was for that reason they were looking at places now, hoping to snatch something up before they moved to secure them one of the places left by students just as they were graduating.
"Check Kensington then," Logan suggested.
Rory was still convinced there would be cooler neighborhoods to live in - something with a little edge to it. But the ad she'd just clicked on actually resonated with her. While it was in a traditional-looking building, inside the place looked… humble. A two bedroom, modestly decorated, one floor flat right by Holland Park.
It was humble until she didn't really think about the numbers on that price tag, but she knew she needed to learn to ignore things like that. She had money, they had money.
"Hey, come, look at this one!" Rory said, inviting Logan over from the kitchen where he'd been cooking them lunch.
Logan stepped close and looked at his laptop screen over her shoulder. He didn't find many flaws with it. It was the area that he liked, not too old-fashioned nor overly modern. It was the perfect size for the two of them, even having the space to add their workspaces. He could definitely picture them living somewhere like that.
"What do you think?" Rory asked.
"I think it looks good," Logan replied, surprisingly coldly, and returned to cooking them curry for lunch.
"Well, should we call them or have some realtor look at it for us then?" Rory inquired.
"Maybe," Logan replied.
"What? You don't like it?" Rory asked, not quite understanding why he wasn't jumping at this. What she felt towards the place in question was recognition, even though she realized that likely there'd be other places she could also live in next semester.
"I like it fine," Logan replied.
"Then what?" Rory demanded.
"I just don't want to make too many plans just yet," Logan replied.
"Why not? I thought this was a done deal," Rory said.
"I'm going to have to deal with dad's lawyers first. They've been tasked to draw us a prenup and until I can be sure that we can somehow wiggle out of it I don't want to get our hopes up," Logan replied.
"But I already made arrangements with school," Rory said, feeling confused.
"Yeah, I know… I hope it's still a 'go', and even if it comes to telling my dad that we're already married and have our paperwork in order… I can only hope he won't change his mind," Logan explained.
Rory knew that technically all of her plans could be canceled - it wouldn't have been an issue.
"Why wouldn't you tell me about this?" Rory asked, disappointedly.
"I didn't want you to worry," Logan replied apologetically.
"Yeah, but I don't want you to have to worry about this all by yourself either," Rory replied.
"I know. I'm sorry. I figured just that I'll try to get this sorted and take one thing off your plate," Logan said.
"But we're in this together…," Rory reminded him.
"I know," Logan sighed, apologetically.
"When do you have the meeting?" Rory asked, wanting to take some of the weight off of him.
"Day after tomorrow," Logan replied.
"What are you thinking about doing?" Rory inquired.
"I think I'm going to have to come clean to the lawyers about the situation. Show them proof. And hope they are willing to lie to my father in the hopes that I'll keep bringing them my business in the future if they adjust their loyalties," Logan explained.
"I thought that was your plan with Archie Weaver," Rory discussed, recalling Logan referring to the man who had drawn up their postnup as their future family lawyer.
"Family law, investments, trusts etc. can be kept separate from the business side of things. So technically I wouldn't be betraying anyone. And it's not like anyone can have any actual expectations of it. Sometimes it's just business," Logan replied, for the first time not quite sounding like himself but a business man like his father. Rory wasn't sure she liked it, but she had always known he had that side in him. She could just hope Logan would never become as cold and calculated as Mitchum was, at least not with her.
"But what if your dad like… I don't know… maybe he wants to see the actual prenup?" Rory discussed.
"Technically he has no business to see it. It's a document between you and me just like the postnup was," Logan replied. "But you are right - he might get nosy if we refuse to show it to him," he continued to discuss. Thinking back, he genuinely wished, he'd thought this through a little better.
"Wouldn't it be just easier to just talk to him and show him the postnup?" Rory dared to suggest.
Logan really didn't like this scenario and Rory could see it in his face, his forehead showing a deep frown.
"I mean he's been sensible with us recently," Rory added, hopefully, wanting Logan to see why she was saying things like this.
Logan could just hear his father's voice yelling at him in his mind, telling him how he couldn't be trusted, how he was just a boy for being this impulsive - how he couldn't possibly be allowed to go to London after something like this.
"I mean, if he finds out later that you tried to trick him it's got to be worse than just telling him out front, wouldn't it? And we could easily say that we're hiding it just for the sake of your mother and my grandmother. I'm sure he knows what a big deal society weddings are for the likes of them. And it's not like we haven't done this responsibly," Rory discussed. She wasn't sure whether it was her being just naive or just finding the solution that made the most sense.
Logan was indeed getting to that point where he saw Rory's point. He realized that if he wanted to earn his father's respect that was more easily achieved by telling him the truth rather than trying to con him further.
Logan just continued to cook in silence, letting the possible scenario sink in. No matter how much sense Rory's words seemed to make, he couldn't help feeling like he would be sinking the boat that had just been launched on its maiden voyage.
After Rory had made her way to the Yale Daily News the next day, finding Paris there having set up the space as Yale Review tutoring program, aiming to kick the stupid out of every senior who dared to even think about applying to an Ivy league college, Rory made her way to Stars Hollow, wanting to check up on her mother.
She hadn't loved the way they'd left things after Lane's wedding. And her mother had been very reluctant to tell her what exactly was going on with her and Luke beyond the fact that Luke had wanted to postpone their wedding because becoming a father overnight was kind of overwhelming for him. Rory could actually imagine it could be, but she was still bummed for her mother. She knew how much her mother had waited to get married, and especially to Luke. There was also the London topic to be brought up again, now that it was more real – but considering her latest discussion with Logan she wanted to hold off on that, until they knew it was a 'go' for sure.
"Hey!" Rory chimed, as she walked into the Dragonfly, having decided to surprise her mother.
"Hi! The prodigal daughter returns!" Lorelai exclaimed, looking happy to see her. Sometimes Rory just got the feeling that she loved their get-togethers a lot more when it was just the two of them. No Logan. No Luke.
"What are you doing here?" Lorelai asked.
"Well, I couldn't stay away. I just missed you too much," Rory replied.
"Aren't you the sweetest?" Lorelai replied, sounding unusually affectionate for recent times. "Isn't she the sweetest, Michel?" Lorelai asked her concierge.
"Hmm… beyond all human understanding," Michel muttered.
"Hey, Michel," Rory said, wanting to be polite, while pondering why Michel's hand was in a cast.
"Yes, it hurts very much," Michel replied, but didn't bother to offer an explanation.
"Yay! So, you're here," Lorelai exclaimed, taking Rory's hands.
"Yeah. The campus was empty. And I just wanted to get out of the apartment for a change," Rory explained. She was actually kind of eager to figure out her summer plans. Sure - they had certain set dates in their agenda already. Fourth of July in Martha's Vineyard, the wedding, of course, and the honeymoon right after. But there were several weeks where she could work, take courses, or maybe even find an internship. On the latter she was late to game, but she knew now how to use her connections to ask around. Besides, she was still technically also working for her father, and that was not a bad company name to have on her resume either.
"Coffee?" Lorelai asked the obvious question.
"Coffee," Rory replied. "So, what's going on with you?" Rory asked, hoping this was an easy, relaxed setting for her mother to vent.
"Oh. With me?" Lorelai replied, clearly not too eager to talk about it.
"Oh, well, things with me… Things with me are good," Lorelai replied avoidantly, and picked up a cup to fill it with coffee from the thermos. But Rory knew that look - that was not a convincing sounding answer.
"Convincing," Rory replied, wanting to dig deeper.
"Things with my friends and the inn are good. Things with me - not so good," Lorelai listed and handed Rory her coffee.
"What's up?" Rory inquired. It was as if she could tell this was something serious, but for the first time Lorelai was not just handing the information to her, she had to drag it out of her.
"Look, I don't wanna talk about this right now, okay? But I wanna tell you. I have to tell you but I'm barely holding it together as it is," Lorelai said, clearly not being okay.
Rory blew on her coffee, tentatively observing her mother.
"So if I tell you, will you promise not to make me discuss it?" Lorelai asked.
"What?" Rory asked.
"Luke and I split up," Lorelai spit out.
Rory was shocked. "What do you mean? Like you got into a fight?" Rory just had to ask. It just didn't make sense together. Luke and Lorelai made sense to her just like Monica and Chandler, Jim and Pam, Frank and Estelle, Fran and Mr. Sheffield, Pace and Joey. They made more sense to her than her dad and mom had ever made.
"No, we had a breakup. Like a real-life parting of the hearts," Lorelai explained.
"Why? What happened?" Rory exclaimed. She almost felt like this had to be something her mother had done. Sure, she could see Luke's part in hesitating and postponing the wedding, but the rest of it just sounded like her mother's MO.
"Rory, you promised," Lorelai insisted.
"No, I didn't," Rory objected. This seemed too important.
"Well, it was implied. Please," Lorelai pleaded.
Rory could tell the plea was genuine. She could only imagine how much pain her mother must be feeling.
"Mom!" Rory replied, insisting some kind of an explanation. Rory was very close to just walking over to Luke to demand one if she was not going to give it to her.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Lorelai said.
"But you have to explain," Rory replied.
"No, not right now, okay?" Lorelai pleaded.
"But..," Rory said, not liking this.
"Rory, please," Lorelai begged.
Rory relented and sighed.
"Okay, let's do something that doesn't require talking. Like we could go to the movies," Rory suggested, knowing damn well how sometimes in the past it was the type of mindless activity that worked for them in similar situations. She knew the rule well - one needed to wallow, and she was pretty sure her mother hadn't gotten to that part yet.
"You want to try not talking at a movie?" Lorelai asked.
"Okay, shopping?" Rory suggested.
"Are you mad?" Lorelai replied.
"We could drink. We could go to a bar and just throw back a few," Rory proposed.
"Yeah, 'cause drunk people never feel like talking," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Oh! We could go to a club!" she suggested.
"Yeah, 'cause all the hot sports get rolling around lunchtime," Rory said, seeing a small drawback in her mother's plan.
"See? This is why men play sports," Lorelai concluded.
"Sports? We can play sports," Rory said, having not particularly rubbed the fact that she didn't actually hate going to the gym under her mother's nose.
"We hate sports," Lorelai replied, sounding very convinced of it.
Rory didn't bother to correct her. This was not the time or the place. "We haven't tried every sport," Rory added, having already something in mind. Something she'd tried with Logan a few times so he wouldn't have to spend his gym time alone.
"How about running?" Lorelai proposed.
"We could easily talk while we're running," Rory replied.
"Not if we're hurdling. Hurdles require more focus and, thus, less talking," Lorelai continued and went on a long rant about how they could make their sport more and more complex by various obstacles.
"Hey, Michel - you played racquetball, right?" Rory asked, as she saw Michel join them. She remembered he played, but hadn't figured out how to suggest the sport to her mother out of the blue without admitting that she'd played at least a handful of times by now herself.
"Oh, yes. It's a fantastic workout. However, I may not play a sport ever again," Michel commented, referring to his arm.
"Racquetball?" Lorelai reflected.
"Intriguing," Rory said, pretending to ponder on the topic. Rory knew just the thing to add and to get her mother to like the idea. "Isn't racquetball one of those sports where they wear cute outfits?" she added.
They did drive all the way to Hartford for racquetball, the club membership Rory had by extension through Logan coming in handy. Lorelai really wasn't great at playing the sport, and over and over again they ended up talking about non-consequential things. But only until Rory dared to touch the 'Luke' subject.
They finished when Lorelai got hit by the ball in the eye.
Since Lorelai had nothing at home that could potentially be used to heal her eye, Rory went to the store to get steak, frozen peas and ice, along with wallowing-food, just to be on the safe side.
On her way back, Rory walked past the opening of the Stars Hollow's first traffic light, but having another destination in mind, she walked right past it and into Luke's. She found the place secluded, people being out on the street. It was just Luke, wiping down the counter, who stared back at her.
"Hey," Rory said.
"Hey," Luke said, looking shocked to see her.
"Mom's not telling me what happened," Rory said.
Luke looked avoidant too. Grumpy. Tired. Like he too was upset and probably hadn't slept too well.
"Please tell me. I need to know what I am dealing with her. She's been looking forward to getting married for such a long time and she's liked… loved… you for a long time too. You two felt so right. I just don't know what happened. I feel responsible somehow…," Rory explained.
"Rory…," Luke began, gathering his thoughts. "It's not your fault. She… she just came in here one night and gave me an ultimatum. That we should elope or we're through. And it just didn't feel right to me to just jump in head first and do it. Things with April are so new, and I haven't even spoken to her about how she would feel about all of this… all I wanted was some time," Luke explained, sounding genuinely apologetic.
"So she just ran out of patience," Rory reflected.
Luke shrugged.
"I feel horrible about it. I've been going back and forth in my head, whether I should just jump in my car now, pick her up and drive to New York to just get it over with. But that's not what I want - that's what she wants, because she thinks that validates my feelings somehow," Luke replied, sounding unusually open about all of this and to Rory of all people. But she let him talk.
"But it doesn't - you love her, but you just want time," Rory reflected.
"Yeah," Luke said. "I want her to have the wedding she's been dreaming of, with all her family and friends there. I just want a little time," Luke exhaled.
It was then the two of them heard a loud bang, and that was followed by a crashing of glass, wood, and furniture, leaving the two holding onto the counter, with their hearts racing. Taylor's antique car had stopped only a few feet from Rory. It took her a good long minute to realize how close this accident had been.
"Oh my god! Rory, are you okay?" Luke asked, shifting his concern to other matters, and continued to curse and rant over the state of his diner once he'd made sure Kirk was okay too.