Disclaimer: I own nothing maybe except for this nice little red ring with a foot step on my finger.
A/N: Well first I would like to say, thank you for reading this story and giving me feedbacks, I really appreciate it. Here are some of the answers to the questions I read or think that some of you might have. I would like to keep Rory single because if you think about it, her job as a reporter keeps her constantly moving around the world and it just makes a relationship harder to follow. As for Logan and Samantha, he's not with her to make Rory jealous. In fact he cares for her because she's first woman he's been with after the thing with Rory.
So, here's my third chapter. It's nice and long and I hope you enjoy it. (Whoooo! School's over!)
Chapter 3- How do I breathe?
"Thank you Logan, we'll be seeing you more in the future, I hope." The big man with a handlebar mustache said to him. That very mustache was a bit distracting, with the ends of it curled up, making it look like a stretched out 'w'. It reminded him of his adolescent years when he was six, he would sit on his grandpa Elias's lay and give it a good pull, leading the now cranky elder laughing. But then of course it only took a matter of time before his grandfather completely shaved it off after being fed up with little Logan's yanks.
"No, thank you for signing the deal with us. It'll be a pleasure working with your company, Mr. Sanders." There goes his society smile. If there was one thing he ever learned from his father, it was that a good confident demeanor and proud smile will get you to places.
"Please, call me Harold." First name basis, always a good sign. Another thing Mitchum had taught him.
"Alright, Harold." Logan checked his watch, "Well gentleman, I hate to cut this lunch meeting short but I have a very busy day. So if you'll excuse me, lunch is on me." Logan stood up from his chair, shaking Harold's hand as well as the other men that were dining with them. Bidding them farewell, he went to the cashier. "Check please." He pointed to the table he previously sat on and waited for the man behind the counter to pull it out of the mini turning table on the counter.
After paying, he stepped out of the expensive Italian restaurant located on Lower Manhattan. He took in a deep breath of the fresh city air, smelling the pastries and fallen leaves. Just as simple as it was to breathe in, he breathe out.
Now…what was a 28 year old guy suppose to do in the city? So what if he lied to Harold, telling him his schedule was full for the day. He rather spend his time alone than with any wasted time spent listening to Harold quote his achievement. Don't get him wrong, he likes Harold, but he was kind of a bore.
Deciding upon exploring Little Italy, that's where he settled on. Taking a few steps forward, he took in the sight around him. Sure, he has lived in the City before but he really never got a chance to walk around and have fun due to the numerous amount of work he had. Looking over to the left, a small ice cream booth in front of a restaurant called Ferrara Bakery & Cafe caught his eye as he strolled towards it.
"Hi, how may I help you, what flavor would you like?" The almost too cheerful blond behind the gelato counter asked. Obvious to his good looks, her smile came as wide as it could go.
"Uh…yea," He looked at the glass display, viewing the different types of options he could get. This scene reminded him of another time when he had to choose the right ring. Only this time there were no princess cut, diamond cut, heart cut or whatever cuts to choose from. He looked at the flavors they had to offer. Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry or Mint. "I'll get a cup of vanilla please." That had been one of their all time favorites. If there were words to describe the characteristics of an ice cream flavor, vanilla would be simple, classic and elegant.
"One scoop of vanilla coming right up!" He watched as the blond bent down and pushed open the tiny window, one ice cream scooper in her right hand. She scooped up a lot of ice cream, more than even the cup can hold. Standing back up to a straight posture she handed him the cup. "Anything else?" She looked hopeful, perhaps hoping that the handsome stranger would stay a while longer.
Giving her a polite smile and shaking his head, he paid for his ice cream cup and reached for it. Stepping away from the ice cream booth, he took a left and went straight into Chinatown. As he was leaving Little Italy, he heard a women's voice ordering for vanilla.
New York City was probably one of the most diverse places in the world, every section was filled with a different culture. In the lower east side lays Little Italy and its neighbor Chinatown. Farther up in the west midtown is Korea town. The perks of living in such place is that whenever you're in the mood to eat different types of food, all you had to do was pick up a menu, dial the number and in 15 minutes, viola! Dinner's here.
Going down the block he entered the miniature Asian society. His eyes were associated with the sights of dried up fish hanging from their tails extended by strings tied on a pole above. Below were some tiny packets of what he thinks is candy. They had Chinese characters printed on them, he couldn't decipher their meaning. Walking around, lots of things fascinated him, such as the man behind the stacks of fruits yelling in broken down English about a pound of Bok choi for one dollar. Over there in the corner of the block a fish market takes place where a bunch of middle age wives fought for the best piece of salmon.
Seeing a park near, he decided to take a walk, to burn off the heavy lunch he had 30 minutes ago along with the ice cream. Almost approaching his thirties, he knew he had to watch his figure and what type of food he takes into his body. He looked at how the playground was formed, at one end was the handball court, in the middle was a basketball court, and on the other end was a children's playground. Upon reaching the children's area, a ball rolled to his feet, bending down to pick up the tie-dyed bouncy sphere. Looking back up, he searched for the rightful owner of the ball, feeling a tap on his knees, he looked down to only see a small red headed boy no older than six. Bending down to squat, toes keeping his balance, he smiled at the toddler. "Is this yours?"
"Yes mister." The boy nodded, obviously a bit shy, which was normal for his age. He remembered when he was a child, he didn't get out of his comfort zone until he was about 10.
"Here you go." He placed the ball into his hands and gave his head a gentle pat. The boy took the sphere into his only tiny hands, hugging it close to his chest, he skipped down the path he came from only to turn around and faced Logan again.
"Do you want to play with me?" He had this lisp when he said the words that made Logan couldn't be able to resist him.
"Sure Kiddo." The child turned and used his little index finger, he motioned for Logan to follow him to where the other children were playing. Picking on a game of catch, the child bent his knees and jumped up throwing the ball in the air. Logan caught it and set his briefcase down to get better access.
"Throw it back!" He giggled which made Logan smile. Trying not to hurt the kid, he threw it gently back to him. For the next 15 minutes, he spent his time playing catch with a boy he just met. Sometime during the game, Logan would pretend to drop the ball.
"Timmy, it's time to go home." A woman around her mid 30's called out to the boy he now know as Timothy Lang. Judging from their similar red hair and brown eyes, he assumed that they were mother and son.
Catching the ball from mid-air, he turned to his mother, "Okay mommy, just a sec." Turning back to Logan he said, "Thank you for playing with me mister."
"You can call me Logan." He bent down and patted his silky hair.
"See you around." With that Timmy turned and ran to where his mother sat. Logan watched as the kid and his mother put on their jackets and with their hand together they made their way home. Something in him felt a bit jealous of Timmy. He couldn't remember when was the last time he held Shira's hands, but the thought of it didn't surprise him because his mother wasn't one to show affection to her kids. She was always too busy drinking and attending that damn club of hers. And if she found some free time, she would light a cigarette and start to stress smoke.
Picking up his briefcase from the gravel floor, he dusted off the lint and dirt and started to walk. Feeling bored and tired, he decided to go back to his hotel room. Exiting the park and standing at the corner he pulled out his wallet to see how much money he had left. Much to his surprise he had about four dollars left and two credit cards.
Lunch at Pellegrino's….. $105
Bottle of Pinot Noir….. $54
A cup of vanilla ice cream….. $2.85
A signed deal with Sanders & co….. Priceless
Ditching the idea of catching a cab, he went for option number 2. Since he's staying at New York, he might as well do what the New Yorkers do. Taking the subway. Seeing that there was a subway stop right across the street, he waited for the red lights to turn green before walking. Once he got to the other side, he went down the stairs. Standing in a line, he waited for his turn to buy a metro card.
Finally receiving his own card, he went to one of the turnstile and swiped his card. Looking at the little screen to his right it said, "Go/ paid $2.00" Doing as it said, he pushed one of the metal bars and enters over to the other side. In the middle was a snack vendor, pulling out his remaining 2 dollars from his wallet, he bought a bottle of water and a small pack of M&Ms.
Going down the stairs he checked the subway map. He noted that either trains of this station can take him to his designated area. Walking back near the stairs, he waited for his train to come. Once in a while he would step near the edge and try to find the light at the dark tunnel. Seeing none, he retreated back.
Having nothing to do, he opened up his M&M pack. Popping a few in his mouth, he let the chocolate melt before swallowing in the flavor. Maybe it was the chocolate that got him thirsty, he uncapped his bottle and took a sip. Checking his watch again, he realized he's been waiting for 10 minutes and still the train was not here. Looking around he noticed that the station got more crowded. 'Must be tourist season' he thought, seeing that most of the people were wearing lime green fanny packs.
Finally he heard the sound of a train approaching, feeling the wind as the car pass by him it slowly pulling into a halt. He stepped to the side as the doors open to let the people out before stepping in himself. But before he could do so, some of the rude people outside pushed passed him to get a good seat.
Letting out a silent curse, he let the others go in before him since he was in no rush. When he went inside, the car was already filled. The seats were all taken and every space was full, but still he managed to have a little room around him.
"Stand clear for closing doors." He heard the intercom announced. The doors started closing.
"Hold the doors please." Logan placed an arm out to stop the doors from closing which made some impatient passengers groan out loud. A brunette woman came in and filled up the remaining space.
"Thanks." She raised her head up and he was shocked at the woman in front of him. "Hey Logan."
After shortly arriving to The Big Apple, Hugo had called to tell her to take the next two days off to explore the city since she had been working so hard as a reporter. A star reporter, he might as well say. Dragging out her luggage, she exited the train station in 34th street and hailed a cab.
After climbing into the yellow trademark car, she opened her purse and took out a piece of paper for the directions. Reading the address she told the driver to go to the Warwick hotel on W54th Street. As the car started to move, Rory looked out the window to take in the view, she saw the tall Empire State Building and the famous Macy's department store, where she knew her mother would love to shop at.
"Miss we're here." The cab driver turned around to face her.
"Oh okay. How much is the fare?" She opened her purse again and grabbed her wallet.
"That would be $15.35." He said after reading the numbers on the taximeter.
Pulling out a 20 dollar bill, she handed it to him. She then waited for him to give her her change back before stepping out of the taxi. Hearing the car driving away, Rory looked around at the buildings near the Warwick. She saw that there was a Radio City Music Hall right across the street. Sniffing a yawn, she went into the hotel lobby.
"Welcome to the Warwick, how may I help you?" The woman behind the reception desk asked. She had a name tag that said 'Susan' on it, so that what she assumed her name is.
"Uh…yes, I have a reservation under the name Lorelai Gilmore." She smiled and waited for Susan to scan the list for names and room numbers. As she did so, she couldn't help but look around. In a corner were two blue couches and a coffee table, to the back in the right was their restaurant and bar. The lights were dimmed, but not so much to over do it, she felt like the setting she's in was just pulled out of the magazine.
"Ok." Susan's voice drew her out of her thoughts, she turned her head so she was facing her once again. "Lorelai Gilmore, right?" She proceeded to go on when Rory nodded her head. "You're staying in room 705, here are your keys," she handed her the golden keys, "enjoy your stay at the Warwick."
"Thank you, Susan." Susan of course smiled at this, it wasn't everyday a guest was so patient and even called her by her first name.
Carrying her bags, she stepped in front of the elevator doors and pressed the up button. While waiting for her ride, she notice that to her left were some book shelves that was filled with books that were untitled. Curious as she always was, she went up to it and randomly reached for one to be pulled out. But only there was one problem. It wouldn't move. So she tried again with another book and got the same results. It was then that she realized that these shelves were only a prop. When she heard the "ding" of the elevator, she went back to her original position and carried her bags into the elevator. Pressing the number 7, she waited for the doors to close and move up.
As the doors opened, she entered the hallway and began to look at the black plates besides the door to find out which one was hers. Finally reaching 705, she opened the door with the key and entered the nice little suite Hugo requested for his reporters. Not only was she here in the New York City, she was also here for work with one of her closest friend, Amber Richmond. Amber had phoned in saying that she would be coming in later in the day and that her room was on the sixth floor.
Checking out her room she took note that it was very decent looking, so decent that even Emily Gilmore would even approve of it. The carpet was a burgundy color that matched the firm red patterned love seats. There was a TV set in the corner. In her room was another TV, but smaller than the one outside, but on the bottom cabinet was a mini bar. Pulling open the doors, she grabbed a can of Sprite and a bag of chocolate chip cookies. After getting her food, she jumped onto her queen size bed that was fluffed with 300 thread count Egyptian covers. Grabbing a remote on the bedside table, she opened the TV and ordered Breakfast at Tiffany's to watch.
Halfway upon the movie, her reporter instinct started to stir up inside her. She had an urge to explore, so getting off the bed, she opened her suitcase and took out a t-shirt and some skinny jeans.
After changing, she switched her heels for a pair of comfortable black Converse sneakers. Comfort over girliness was always one of her priorities. Grabbing her jacket and purse, she left her room. When she entered the lobby, she gave Susan a smile and proceeded to walk out the door. But before she did, two women's voice caught her attention.
"Oh my gosh, where did you get that purse? I've been looking for it everywhere." Rory usually really didn't care whenever two women gossiped about fashion, but this time she didn't even know why she bothered to eavesdrop.
"I just bought it today at Guess. There's a big sale going around in Soho." The other woman proudly showed off her new black guess bag, her smile reading, 'Yeah, I have it, but you don't.' Hearing that a sale was going on, she took a cab to Soho. Her mother has always said that when the going gets tough, the tough goes shopping. That wouldn't be a correct term to how she was feeling right now but hey, what kind of girl doesn't love to shop. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to get a pair of those Jimmy Choos she's been eyeing for, the price alone would have cost her a whole three month of salary.
Getting out in front of Old Navy she went right in and checked for different articles of clothing that she would wear. She came upon a sophisticated blouse, in her mind she made a pro and con list debating whether she should buy it or not. It was a nice black color, easy to match with her other clothes and good for work. But then it was worth $50." 'For one top?' Putting it back in the clothes rack, she left the store.
Walking into a mini boutique next to Old Navy, she smiled at the sight of clothes in front of her. Now this she liked. All the items in the store was 25 percent off, so she hurried up and gather up some clothes and went in line for the dressing room. While waiting, a mini black dress caught her eye. Politely asking the woman in back of her to save her spot, she took the dress off the rack.
Thanking the woman behind, she quickly stepped back in line. Before she knew it, her turn was up. She walked down the hallway of rooms and entered an empty stall on the left. Locking the door, she changed into the blouses she hand-picked. Tossing the ones she likes to one piles and the ones she didn't in another, she picked up the dress.
Untangling it from the hanger, she slipped it on and zipped up the back. Staring at the mirror, she liked how she looked. The straps were an inch wide, and her chest was covered with a heart shaped neck, showing a fairly amount of skin, but not too much to seem like a skank. The silky fabric was tight against her midsection, showing off her flat stomach. On the lower park of the dress, it ended at mid thigh and flared out from her pelvis, giving one's view of her long legs.
Liking how she looked, she took off the dress and changed back to her regular clothes. On her way out, she handed the attendant the clothes she didn't want. After purchasing her clothes, she walked out and came near a Guess store.
Since Christmas was approaching and she had heard numerous times of Lorelai complaining about the broken zipper on her purse, Rory decided to buy a new one for her. Stepping in, her nostrils were suddenly filled with the scent of one of its name brand fragrance. Posters of models on the walls could be seen.
Going near the purse display, she picked out a simple black purse with a few rhinestones here and there, it definitely fits Lorelai. Seeing a wall of shoes at her far left, she went there and picked out a pair of black heels to match her newly purchased dress.
"Can I get a seven please?" She sat on the couch and waited for the attendant to come back with the shoes. Two women in their early thirties sat down right next to Rory, She couldn't help but entertain herself in listening to what these women spoke of.
"Hey is that the new model for Guess? I haven't seen her before in any Guess ads." A woman pointed to the blond girl on the wall wearing a Guess hoodie and jeans.
"Oh, that's Samantha Cooper, I heard she's new to Guess, she's modeled for Tommy Hilfiger and Gucci before. Rumor has it that she's signed a deal with Victoria's Secret. She'll probably be walking down the runway with Gisele and those other girls. Beautiful girl, isn't she? Only 27 and already engaged. Heard that her fiancé owns an internet business in-" The other woman was cut off when her attendant came back with her shoes.
As if on cue, Rory's shoes came as well. Trying them on, they fit perfectly on her feet. Taking a few steps back and forth, she had no problems walking in them. Slipping them off, she handed it back to the attendant telling her she'll buy it. Using her credit card, she paid for the bag and shoes.
Feeling in the mood for something smooth and sweet, she wandered around looking for an ice cream shop. Seeing a sign saying Ferrara Bakery and Café, she stood in line to wait for her turn to order.
A blond man one head in front of her had a hard time choosing what he wanted. The blond girl behind the counter didn't seem to mind. Digging into her purse to look for some cash, she heard what she supposed was his voice, ordering a vanilla cup. Now noticing that the space between her and the person in front, she quickly filled it up. Another person came to help the blond girl out when he saw the long line forming outside. When asked what flavor she wanted:
"Vanilla, please." She answered then struggles to hand him the money, with all the bags that she was carrying.
Wandering around Chinatown, she was amazed by the culture of its society, and how each person around her spoke or yelled in a language she didn't understand. She remembered when there was a time that she and Logan had made plans to go to Asia, but never did. This was probably the closest to Asia she'll ever get besides Lorelai's little Asian set up at home. Walking around for 20 minutes, she bought souvenirs for her mother and grandparents.
Tired of waiting for a taxi, she went to a close by subway station and bought a metro card. As she was going down the stairs a train was already there and about to close. She didn't know what possessed her to do so but she ran and asked them to hold the doors. An arm came out to block the doors.
"Thanks," she said as she moved in, smoothing out her shirt then looking up to see the Good Samaritan. She was shocked to find her past standing in front of her within a couple of inches. Swallowing her nervousness away, she said, "Hey Logan."
They didn't know where it was the overstuffed cart or their awkwardness of where they left off that had caused the atmosphere around them to become so heated up. It has only been a few seconds since she spoke, and yet it feels like time has stopped.
"Hey." He finally said, he still couldn't believe that she was right here in front of him. She looked exactly the same, though maybe her hair was a bit longer and still had that natural reddish brown color. Her bangs were swept to the side, highlighting her cheekbones and giving her blue eyes that nice effect. There was also an unfamiliar air about her. Confidence, maybe?
The train made an abrupt start that caused Logan to lose his balance, which led him to pin both hands on the door she was leaning on. If he moved one more inch, he would've met her lips with his own. This position reminded him of their younger days when they would make out on the deserted stone wall of Branford Hall. Mumbling a sorry, he moved back but never left his eyes off of hers.
That's all they did, staring at each other. Onlookers could feel the passion between them both, some even tried to make a story for how these two got to where they were. A few train stops have come and gone, the subway cart became less crowded. The next stop was their stop, when they both got off, they were surprised at where fate was going to put them. Together, they walked up the stairs and out into the open fresh air, and continued down the same path.
Deciding to break the ice, Rory was the first to speak, "So how have you been throughout these years?" She bit her lip wondering if he was going to answer her or not.
After a moment he spoke, "I've been fine, business is going great, we've been thinking about opening up another company here in New York. You?"
"I'm actually here for business. I've been moving around a lot due to my job." She noticed that the once bright sky in the morning was filled with a dark and cloudy one.
"So you got your dream job as an oversea correspondent." He still remembered every single detail about her, from everything she wanted to be as a little girl to everything she was now. Sometimes he wished he didn't know or that someday he would wake up and forget all about it.
"Not quite, but I do travel around." She smiled. As they were walking down the blocks, they heard the thunder rumbling. "Looks like it's going to rain." Speaking too soon, water started pouring down at them. Quickly taking a hold of her hands, they ran for cover under a coffee shop.
Once they got out of the rain, they hadn't realized that their hands were locked together. It was only until he had to reach for a handkerchief that he had to break the contact. Finally taken hold of the silky blue fabric, he took in the sight of her. Her hair was wet and matted on the side of her face. Drops of water were dripping down. Yet all he could think about was how she's never been more beautiful than now. Then he started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" She wondered if he was laughing at how wet and ridiculous she looked.
"Nothing, it's just you look all cute and drench." He then did the unexplainable when he reached his hand up to her face and gently wiped the excess water off. Feeling how she suddenly tensed up, he stopped what he's doing. "Sorry, I didn't realize."
"It's okay." Silence soon took over them. Right now they were just nothing more than a pair of old ex-lovers standing under the coffee shop waiting for the rain to subside. And there was nothing more to it.
The rain came to a light drizzle and they started to walk again. This time making sure there was a fair amount of space between each other.
"Where are you staying?" He had suddenly asked out of the blue. Would things be such a coincidence if they were staying at the same hotel?
"At the Warwick. What about you? Are you still living at that same apartment you had?" They shared a lot of memories there, she remember that they had first celebrated his 25th birthday together. She had felt sorry for him when he told her that he never enjoyed birthday parties. Kind of like the time she told him on her 21st birthday when Lorelai and her was not speaking to each other. She had planned one for him, actually more like 21 parties in one, sharing with him the experience she had as a kid.
"The Hilton actually. As for the apartment, I gave it back after my father completely cut me off." He has to admit, he's never worked harder in his life to gain money than he does now. He's proud to say that he did this all by himself to get where he is today.
The more they walked, the closer they got to their hotels. Though fate has not put them in the same hotel, they were close to each other. The Warwick was just diagonal from the Hilton.
"Well this is me." He pointed at the blue building with a drive through. Cars could be seen driving in and stopping right in front of the door. As if this was a Hollywood premiere, a man in a suit, perhaps the bell boy, opens the car door and takes the woman out by the hand and leads her to the hotel lobby. He turns leave, but her voice calls out to him.
"If you're not busy tomorrow, do you maybe want to get dinner with me, as friends I mean. Strictly platonic." She felt as if she was asking him out on a date, only she wasn't.
"I rather not…you know what I mean." He once again turned to walk away.
"Logan!" She called out his name and ran to him. He turned to face her. "If you change your mind, give me a call. Here's my card." She handed him the beige color card that said her name and number in gold letterings.
Stuffing it into his pocket, he nodded and resumed to walk into the lobby. Watching him walk in, she left the drive way and crossed the streets to her hotel.
Saying hi to Susan as she entered, she felt happy to see Logan again, she truly did. Instead of taking the elevator, she took the stairs. Surprisingly, she was glad she did because the staircase was filled with pictures of some fashion and film icons. Such as Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly.
Walking right in front of her door, she searched for her keys. Taking them out, she unlocked her door and walked right in. Throwing her purse on the sofa, the shopping bags on the floor, and her keys on the counter, she took out some dry clothes to change into.
Coming out of the hot shower felt so good. He switched his pinstripe suit for some flannel pajama pants and an old Yale t-shirt. Grabbing a small towel that laid close to the sink, he started to wipe his hair dry. As he was drying it, he thought about her dinner offer. It wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe they could really become friends. But then again, are things ever that easy?
Taking out her card from his discarded pants, he began to dial her cell number. After three rights she picked up.
"Hello?" She asked.
"Hi Rory, this is Logan." He never knew talking to a girl might be this difficult.
"Yeah, what's up?" She wondered if he was calling because he wanted to have dinner.
"I've decided to change my mind, and if the offer still stands I'll meet you tomorrow."
"It still stands, so Fernando's at eight?"
"Sounds perfect. Is that restaurant a block down from here?" He wanted to make sure that he had the right address, so she wouldn't think that he stood her up if he gets lost.
"Yeah that's the one. So I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright, bye." He hung up the phone. Maybe things can go well after all, maybe if he was willing to try, they can be friends.
Rory was happy that he agreed to come. She still felt bad about hurting him, she wondered what would've happened if she had said yes instead of no. She would've probably been Mrs. Logan Huntzberger by now, happily married and celebrating their third anniversary. Snapping out of her thoughts, she slipped on her shoes and locked the door behind her. Pushing the down button, she waited for the elevator to come.
Flipping through the channels, nothing seemed to catch his attention. His mind was focused on a certain brunette that he was with just a while ago. Shutting off the television, he leaned back on his pillow and started to think. 'So you're having dinner with her, where would things go from there?' 'I don't know.' Another voice spoke.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard knocks on his door, getting off his bed, he put on his slippers and went to fetch the door.
Shortly arriving to the door, she reached her hand up to knock. She had so much to share and so much to say. Her face lit up when the door finally opened.
Logan smiled at the sight of a woman before him. "I wasn't expecting you to be here."
So they meet again and here's a cliffhanger for all of you. Please review, I love reading them and they motivate me to write!