Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 9 – It's Tomorrow
"Rory, it's time to wake up," whispered an alert and overly caffeinated Lorelai. She gently shook her daughter's sleeping form, but Rory only buried her face deeper into her pillow trying to ignore her mother.
"Go away," she begged in a groggy voice.
"Wish I could, but it's almost 11 and all of your grandparents will be here at noon. Time to get up."
Rory's eyes remained closed as she said, "Tell them I'm not here."
"Where would you like me to say you are?"
"Sleeping," she grumbled.
"Sleeping till noon? Yeah my mother will love that excuse."
"Jet lag."
"It's 5 o'clock in the afternoon in London."
"Go away," she pleaded covering her head with a pillow.
"I really hate to do this to you, kid" said Lorelai as she pulled Rory's covers off and forced her to sit up, "but you have to get up. There's a cup of coffee with your name on it downstairs."
Rory was exhausted. Yesterday activities—leaving London, the long flight home, the party at Yale, and the after party with Logan—were really taking their toll. On top of that, she didn't get to bed until after 5 o'clock that morning as Joanna insisted on hearing every last detail of what happened between her and Logan. "Oh my God! Logan. What am I going to do about Logan? He'll be here at noon too." Deciding that there was no way to avoid the day ahead, Rory got out of bed and dragged her body toward her bathroom. "There better be a lot of coffee," she yelled over her shoulder.
"That's my girl," replied a smiling Lorelai. "Oh…by the way…Logan called a few minutes ago," she added innocently, too innocently.
Rory stopped dead in her tracks. Suddenly very alert, she turned to face her mother's smiling face. "Oh yeah?" she said trying to sound as unaffected as possible.
"Yeah," said Lorelai, trying to read Rory's expression. "He was calling to make sure you were ok and then he mentioned seeing me at lunch."
"Is it ok that I invited him?"
"Of course…it's your party and you know Logan is always welcome here. I told him to bring Colin and Finn. Hope you don't mind."
"Why would I mind?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Lorelai answered, "No reason. Just…you invited Logan yourself and NOT Colin or Finn. Why is that?"
Lorelai was fishing for dirt and Rory knew it. She wanted to confide in her mother, but she didn't know what to confide since she had no idea what was going on between her and Logan. She spent nearly an hour very early that morning hashing out the possibilities with Joanna, and the two were unable to come up with a satisfactory answer. She liked Logan and he liked her, but there was a lot to consider. In the end, the only conclusion she and Joanna came to was that Rory needed to talk to Logan. And she needed to do that before she discussed them with anyone else…including her mother.
"Logan and I got some pizza after the party. We were talking and I just mentioned you were throwing a welcome home lunch…and that he should stop by. That's all. Colin and Finn weren't around, but if they were I would have invited them too. Besides I figured Kevin would bring them all along anyway."
Lorelai eyed her daughter suspiciously. She knew there was more to the story than that. "You and Logan got pizza?"
"Yeah."
"Where?"
"Why does that matter?"
"It doesn't. So answer the question."
"We got it delivered," she replied slightly defensively.
"Delivered where exactly?"
"The…dorm."
"Whose dorm?"
"His."
"His? Logan's dorm?"
"Yeah."
"Who else was there?"
"No one. It was just him and me."
"Where was your bother?"
"Out."
"And what time did all this happen?"
"I don't know…around 1 or 1:30."
Lorelai smiled. "Really?" she said wickedly. This was getting interesting. "So let me get this straight. You, my daughter, were alone in the dorm room of one Logan Huntzberger, with said boy, for all hours of the night?"
"Why are you interrogating me? And it wasn't all hours of the night," she declared.
"Ah huh…what time did you leave?"
"Around four," she reluctantly admitted.
"AH HA!!!" yelled a smiling Lorelai. She was enjoying this way too much.
"What?"
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"You two were alone in his dorm room practically all night and you expect me to believe nothing happened?"
"Yes." And that was the truth. "We did a lot of cuddling and some kissing, but all the naughty stuff happened in the limo, not at the dorm…so technically I'm not lying."
"Rory…"
"Nothing happened."
"Than why are you blushing?"
"I'm not," declared Rory although she knew very well she was. Flashes of what happened in the alley and then the limo came rushing to her mind. Rory felt her face get hot and she suddenly regretted teasing Logan for blushing during their dance. "Damn karma!!!"
"You look pretty red from where I'm standing. What happened?"
"Nothing happened."
"Something happened."
"We talked."
"And…" prodded Lorelai.
"And…I'd rather not say… yet…at least until after I talk to Logan."
Jumping up and down in excitement, Lorelai squealed. "What happened?"
"Mom, no."
"Oh come on. You can't just leave me hanging. I need to know. Tell me," she begged stamping her foot like a child.
"I need to shower and get dressed," said Rory. She wanted out of this conversation and so once again, headed toward her bathroom.
"Rrrooorrrrryyy," whined Lorelai.
"Later, mom, I promise. But I need to get ready, ok."
Lorelai huffed. "Fine. Torture your mother."
"We'll talk later. And I would appreciate if you kept this to yourself until after I talk to Logan."
"Keep it to myself? You mean don't tell Daddy or Kevin," said Lorelai knowingly.
"Exactly…now I really have to get ready," said Rory as she steered her mother out of her bedroom.
Finally making it into her bathroom, Rory got into the shower, letting the hot water relax her tense muscles. The light of day brought the events of her last few weeks in London, not to mention her recent activities with Logan, into perspective. "What am I doing? I left Europe to escape the drama and what do I do my very first night in Connecticut? Dive head first into more drama. But last night was fun. Being with Logan was fun. There was no drama…at least not yet. But if this continues, there will be drama…lots of it. What am I going to do? Relax," she told herself. "Logan's coming by and we'll figure this out. It'll be fine. Just stay calm and get through this day. It'll be fine."
Getting out of the shower, Rory wrapped herself in a big, fluffy towel and padded over to her closet. While she was at the party last night, Franny had unpacked her clothes so she didn't have to dig through her suitcases to find something to wear. With Logan in mind, she pulled out a pale pink sundress. It was appropriate enough to wear to lunch with the grandparents, but she knew it looked great on her and that he would love it. She pulled her hair back loosely, letting just a few stray curls frame her face and then applied a little mascara and a healthy coat of lip gloss. Rory was about to slide into some sandals when her door suddenly opened and in walked Logan Huntzberger.
"Hey," he said as he closed the door behind him. Walking confidently toward her, Logan took in her appearance—from the respectable but still sexy sundress to the perfectly glossed lips—and smiled. Bringing a hand to her face, he said, "You look beautiful."
Slightly in shock that he had just walked into her bedroom, Rory stared at him, not quite sure what to say. She hadn't planned on being alone with him until after lunch so she figured she would have at least a couple of hours before the awkward morning after conversation. "What…what are you doing here?"
"You invited me over. Don't you remember?" he answered in a teasing voice.
"Yes...of course I remember. I meant what are you doing here? In my room? Right now?"
"You said you wanted to talk. So, let's talk."
"Now?"
Logan laughed lightly and Rory couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard a hint of nervousness in that laugh.
"What's wrong with now?" he asked. "Last night you said to come over tomorrow so we could talk and it's tomorrow…so let's talk." Logan had been both looking forward to and dreading this conversation since she left his dorm the night before…or rather very early that morning. He wanted, no needed, to know what exactly was going on between them. He needed to know if last night was just a one time thing or something he could look forward to experiencing again. More importantly, he needed to know if last night meant as much to her as it did to him. He really hoped it did.
"Um…ok," she agreed taking a seat on her bed. Logan followed her and was about to sit next to her, but she stopped him. "Would you mind sitting over there?" she asked pointing to her window seat.
"Shit!" he thought. "This can't be a good sign. She doesn't look happy to see me. She doesn't seem to want to talk. And now she doesn't want me to sit next to her? Damn! Damn! Damn! She's gonna end it. She's gonna say last night was a mistake. Oh God this sucks! She's already made up her mind. She never even gave me a chance." Logan's heart began to race as panic set it. Truth be told he had been pretty jittery since he woke up that morning. He was anxious to see Rory again so they could talk about what happened last night. It was the reason he decided to show up early. There was no way he would survive an entire meal surrounded by her family with all the questions swimming in his head. He needed answers…now. "Relax," he told himself. "She hasn't said anything yet. Relax. Stay cool." He managed to keep his expression reserved despite his anxiety. "Why am I sitting over there?" he asked as calmly as he could.
Rory had yet to recover from the shock of him just waltzing into her bedroom. She was not mentally prepared to have this conversation and she was trying desperately to control her nerves. "Because…we need to talk," she answered honestly. "And I'm already nervous," she admitted, but before her brain could tell her to stop, she continued. "But for us to talk…I need a clear head."
"Ok…how does that explain why I have to sit 15 feet away from you?" he wondered.
"I need a clear head!" she said slightly exasperated. "And you," she said pointing an accusatory finger at him, "look…amazing…and you smell really good…so you sitting next to me is not going to help me think clearly."
Logan couldn't help but laugh at her little ramble. It was not the answer he was expecting, but he'd take it. He loved the idea of her being nervous because of him. Lord knows he was dealing with his own nerves.
"Stop laughing at me," she demanded with a slight smile. Rory hadn't meant to be that honest, but she couldn't help herself.
"I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you, Ace," he said with a smirk.
Rory glared at him.
"I'm sorry, Ace, but that was…too adorable," he said still smirking. Logan bent down so he was looking her in the face. "You are too adorable," he added cupping her face.
Rory's eyes met his and took in his amused expression. She couldn't help but return his smile. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer and their lips connected. The kiss was soft and sweet—the kind of kiss both Rory and Logan needed to calm their nerves. As if trying to assure themselves, as well as each other, that everything would work out, the two took their time, savoring the touch and taste of one another.
It was Logan who reluctantly ended the kiss after only about a minute, not long enough by his standards, but he couldn't let things get heated…not there. "Now that's the greeting I was expecting when I walked in here," he teased.
"I'll remember that for next time," she said.
"So there is gonna be a next time?" he asked in an attempt to steer her toward the dreaded conversation.
"Do you want there to be?" she prodded. Rory really wasn't sure what he was expecting. She was fully aware of Logan's reputation and she was not in any condition to have her heart broken…again. So she decided to tread lightly and find out what he wanted before giving too much away.
"Do you?" he countered.
"I asked you first."
"Yes, but…"
"I knew there was gonna be a but," she mumbled.
"Ace," he began, "I've already told you that I like you. And I think it's pretty obvious that I'm incredibly attracted to you," he said with devilish smile. "But I'm going to be honest, this is uncharted territory for me. I've never been in a relationship before. I've never had a real girlfriend. You are amazing. And you deserve to be with someone that will be fully committed to you…something I've never done. So, if you and I are going to continue this, whatever this is, you deserve a full commitment from me. And I…don't know how to do that." There, he laid it out for her.
Rory could feel her heart break a little at his admission. She knew all this, but hearing him say it out loud was painful.
Logan saw the pained look on her face and his heart broke for her. The last thing he wanted was to cause her any kind of pain. "But I'm not saying I don't want to try…I just…I don't know if we should."
"He was willing to try? Well that's something right?" Rory listened intently. She knew he was being completely honest with her and she wanted to lay out her cards as well. However, past experiences had made trusting boys difficult, particularly beautiful blond boys who could make her weak at the knees with just a smirk. "I don't know either," she admitted. "I mean…I like you too. You know I do, Logan, but…I don't know. I just got out of a relationship and I really wasn't looking for another one. But last night…was so…amazing."
Logan smiled broadly at her, "Beyond amazing."
"I know. Believe me I know," she admitted with a shy smile. "But part of me wishes it wasn't so amazing. Part of me wishes I could write it off as a…"
"As a what, Ace?"
"I don't know," she sighed in frustration. "I wish I could say it didn't mean anything…that we just got carried away…and let things go to far…but I can't," she admitted. Logan gave her a small smile of encouragement and she continued, "Last night meant a lot to me, Logan."
He exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Taking her hands and lacing their fingers, Logan gazed into her eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. "It meant a lot to me too, Ace. More than you know."
Rory smiled slightly at his admission and squeezed his hands. "But your right…I'm not the no strings, friends with benefits, kinda girl. I need a commitment and I know that's not you." She let go of his hands and turned away from him.
Logan sighed sadly knowing she was right. "No, that's not me," he confirmed.
Rory turned her face slightly towards him. He could see her eyes start to fill with tears. "But…I don't know how to stop wanting you to be that guy. I don't know how to stop wanting to be with you."
His heart soared at her confession. He understood perfectly how she felt because he felt the same way. True, he wasn't the commitment type, but walking away from this…from her…would kill him. "I don't want you stop wanting to be with me, Ace." Taking a deep breath, he added, "I want you to want to be with me."
"You do?"
"More than anything," he whispered turning her to face him and lacing their hands together again. "The way I see it, this thing with us isn't going to just go away. We can't ignore it. We have to make a decision and it has to be all or nothing. We're either together or we're not. What do you want to do?"
"Well…what do you want to do?"
"I asked you first," he stated echoing her earlier response.
"Come on, Rory, you've come this far," she encouraged herself. "Don't wimp out now. Just tell him. Tell him how you feel." Taking a breath to help calm herself, Rory answered, "Logan, there are so many reasons why we should both walk away from this, but…I don't want to. I don't think I can."
Logan didn't think he could walk away from her either. "So you want us to be together?" he asked. He really needed to hear her say it out loud.
She looked at him, her eyes burning into his. "Yes."
Logan thought he would be panicked at her response, but what he felt wash over him when she said 'yes' was not panic. It was relief. He was relieved…really relieved. She wanted them to be together. He didn't realize how much he wanted the same thing until she said 'yes.' He knew he wanted to be with her when he followed her out to that alley, but he didn't admit it to himself until that moment. "Me to, Ace. As long as it's ok with you, I'm in. I'm all in."
Smiling up at him, Rory pulled him in for another kiss, one that was far less innocent than the one they shared earlier. After only a few seconds, Logan again reluctantly ended the kiss. "But…"
"What is it with you and the buts?" sighed a slightly frustrated Rory.
"Sorry, babe, but we're not done talking yet…not nearly."
Rory rolled her eyes at him, but was too happy to be actually angry. "Fine," she said with a pout putting some distance between her and Logan.
He walked over to the window seat and made himself comfortable. He now understood what she meant earlier about not being able to think straight if they were too close to each other. "What I was going to say was you are going to have to talk me through a lot of this. I don't know how to be a boyfriend, Ace, so you're going to have to be patient with me."
Rory's face lit up and she smiled broadly at him.
"What?" he asked.
"You called yourself a boyfriend," she answered in a teasing voice.
Logan felt his face get hot. "Shut-up," he mumbled with an embarrassed smile.
"And you're blushing again," she continued to tease him.
"Ace," he begged, "come on. Stop it."
"Sorry," she said trying to sound serious. She walked over to him, sat on his lap, and wrapped her arms around him. "It's cute. I love that you're willing to try…for me. And don't worry. I have a feeling you are going to make an excellent boyfriend," she confidently stated.
It sounded less embarrassing, not to mention a whole lot less scary, when she said it. Actually, it sounded pretty fantastic coming from her. "It sounds nice when you say it," he admitted.
"Thank you, boyfriend," she said with a smirk.
"Yup," he agreed, "that definitely has a nice ring to it. Please feel free to say as often and to as many people as you want." Logan wrapped his arms tight around her waist and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
Rory giggled and snuggled into his embrace. "You do realize that if you are my boyfriend, that would make me your…"
"Girlfriend?" he interrupted. "Yeah I kinda figured that, Ace. My girlfriend? Rory Hayden, my girlfriend. My girlfriend, Rory Hayden. That has a nice ring to it too," he said with a smile before crashing his lips into hers and kissing her soundly. Rory opened her mouth to him trying to deepen the kiss, but once again Logan pulled away.
Rory groaned in frustration. "Would you stop doing that? Don't you want to kiss me?" she asked with pout.
"There is nothing I want do more than kiss you. I could kiss you forever, Ace," he assured her, "but we are in your room and your parents are downstairs. I don't think it would go over too well if they walked in and found me up here doing unspeakable things to their only daughter."
"Well, they know you're here and I don't think kissing me is all that 'unspeakable.' Plus they always knock, unlike some people," she said with a meaningful glare at him.
He laughed lightly at her feined annoyance. "Are you saying I'm not welcome to come into your room at my discretion? I would think that should be my right…as your boyfriend," he added, surprised at how easily it rolled off his tongue.
Rory was thrilled at hearing him say 'boyfriend.' "I suppose, as my boyfriend, you are entitled to a few privileges."
"Privileges? I like the sound of that. You're going to have to tell me more about these boyfriend privileges. However, we're not done yet. There's still the matter of Kevin to discuss…not to mention our families."
"Wow…you sure know how to suck the fun out of a room. Everything was going so well. Why did you have to bring Kevin up?" she complained getting up off his lap.
"Necessary evil, Ace. Now come on…quit stalling. What are we going to do about Kevin? We can't exactly keep this a secret."
"Why not?"
"Ace…"
"No seriously…why can't we?"
"We can't."
"Just for a little while," she begged batting her lashes at him.
Logan looked away knowing he didn't stand a chance if he looked into those eyes. "No," he stated firmly.
"Why not?"
"Because, Ace, I'm not going to lie to him. I don't like it and I know you don't either. Plus, I'm not going to sneak around with you," he declared. "We're not doing anything wrong. We're both adults and we have feelings for each other. There's no reason we should hide it. I know I'm new to the whole 'being in a relationship' thing, but I'm really happy about this…you and me, together. I'm not going to sneak around like I'm ashamed of you…of us. I'm not ashamed of us, Ace." Logan meant what he said about their relationship being all or nothing. He wasn't going to hide…even from Kevin.
"I'm not ashamed of us either, Logan," argued Rory. "I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am about us. Please don't think, even for a second, that I could ever be ashamed of you or us. But it's Kevin. You know how he gets. He's not going to take this well."
"I know."
"And…don't take this the wrong way ok?"
"What?"
"You don't exactly have the best reputation when it comes to girls, Logan."
His eyes widened in shock. "Why is she bringing that up now?"
Seeing his reaction, Rory immediately declared, "But that doesn't matter to me."
Logan looked away from her. He couldn't help but get a little angry.
Rory cupped his face and forced him to look at her. "It doesn't matter to me, Logan," she said sincerely. "As far as I'm concerned, it's water under the bridge. We're starting fresh here. You and me…clean slates ok?"
Logan looked into her eyes and he knew she meant it. He nodded in response.
"I mean it, Logan. Your past doesn't matter to me. I need to know that you believe that."
He sighed before saying, "I believe you, Ace. Clean slates."
She smiled and let her lips briefly brush his. "Your past doesn't matter to me," she repeated, "but it's going to matter to Kevin."
Logan felt his stomach hit the floor. He knew she was right. Kevin was his best friend and the two told each other everything. Kevin knew all of Logan's dirty little secrets…all the stunts…all the close calls…all the arrests…all the girls. Logan knew Kevin loved him like a brother. But he also knew Kevin loved Rory more…and he would not be happy about her dating Logan. Still, Logan knew what he had to do. "We have to tell him," he stated simply.
"Logan…"
"No, Ace. That's a deal breaker. We have to tell Kevin. He's my best friend. I won't lie to him. I'm not going to disrespect almost 20 years of friendship by keeping this from him. I can't."
The look in Logan's eyes told Rory that he was not backing down from this and she couldn't help but be impressed with his loyalty to her brother. She stared into his eyes, almost shaken by the intensity of his gaze. Rory had never seen Logan look so serious. She was terrified of telling her brother and she could tell Logan was too. Still, he was willing to risk it. Logan was always willing to take a risk. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she nodded and said, "Ok. We'll tell Kevin."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me. You're right…about everything. We shouldn't have to sneak around and we shouldn't have to lie to Kevin."
Logan pulled her into a hug comforting both her and him.
"What about our families?" she asked loving the feeling of being in his arms.
Logan pulled back and with a smirk in place said, "Them I don't have a problem lying to."
Rory couldn't help but laugh. "They'll find out eventually."
"And that's fine. But for right now, I don't need my parents…"
"Or mine," she added.
"…in our business."
"I agree. Plus can you imagine what my grandmothers will do if they find out."
Logan shuddered in fear. He actually shuddered. "That's a scary thought." They both laughed releasing a lot of the tension that had built up in the room. Logan pulled her toward him and kissed her. The kiss was gentle and reassuring but intense at the same time. Logan could feel her melt into his arms and he knew he meant what he told her earlier. He could kiss her forever. He let this kiss last a little longer than the others, but he was careful to end it before things got out of hand. Logan never had a problem staying in control, but with Rory…it was like his body had a mind of its own. Pulling back, he smiled when she whimpered at the loss of contact. "We have plenty of time for that later, Ace…preferably when I don't have to worry about one of your relatives walking in on us."
She smiled and briefly pressed her lips to his. "I think I should be the one to tell Kevin," she said abruptly changing the subject.
"Why?"
"Because he wouldn't physically attack me."
"No, Ace. I'll tell him." At the look of concern she gave him, he added, "Don't worry. It'll be fine."
"Logan, I don't want you two to fight. I'll tell him."
"That's really sweet, but I don't want you two to fight either. And let's be honest, he's gonna want to kill me no matter which one of us tells him, so it might as well be me. Besides, I think it would be better coming from me. I don't want him to hear this from anyone else. I'll tell him, Ace."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah…I should be the one to tell him.
"Ok, but don't do it today. Wait till tomorrow at least."
"Tomorrow? Hasn't anyone ever told you not to put things off?" he asked in a teasing voice.
"It's just the Scarlett O'Hara in me. Besides haven't you had your fill of heavy conversations today?" she asked.
"I guess. But I'm definitely telling him tomorrow. We're supposed to pack up our dorm room tomorrow and I'll tell him then…after I've boxed up all the knives and sharp objects."
"Do you want me to be there?"
"I don't think that's wise, but how about we meet afterwards? We'll go out…just you and me."
"Like a date?" she squealed in excitement.
Logan laughed at how easily her mood changed. He was also thrilled at how happy she seemed about going on a date with him. "Yeah, like a date," he answered smiling. Then in a loud whisper he added, "I hear boyfriends and girlfriends do it all the time."
"Really?" she played along. "Well if it's what the kids are doing...I'd love to."
Logan smiled down at her before leaning in to let his lips brush hers. "I love that," he stated simply.
"What?"
"That I can kiss you whenever I want," he answered, smiling broadly, his eyes full of adoration.
Rory couldn't help but smile, nor could she keep herself from blushing. "Logan…" she whispered, but was interrupted when his lips connected with hers yet again. With his hands cupping her face, Logan gently kissed her mouth, nibbling on her bottom lip and running his tongue against it briefly. Rory immediately opened her mouth to him and Logan deepened the kiss massaging her tongue with his. She moaned into his mouth, the sound causing Logan's cock to twitch in anticipation. It was them that Logan, with a great deal of difficulty, pulled himself away.
"We can't do this now. You should probably head downstairs," he said with a strained voice. Last night he had not been able to control himself. And while he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in this moment with her, he knew this was not the time or place. He had made up his mind before he walked into her room that he would be a gentleman and keep his hands to himself.
"Just one more kiss?" she asked pushing her body against his.
He groaned. "You're really not making this easy, Ace."
"What?" she asked innocently.
"I promise we will continue this later. In fact, I demand that we continue you this later," he said laughing. He couldn't believe he was actually the one pulling away. "But right now, your family is probably all waiting for you. You need to go downstairs."
Rory looked over at her clock. It was 12:25. Her grandparents were definitely there by now. "Ok," she said with a sigh, "let's go."
"You go. I'll see you down there in a few minutes."
"Why?"
"Well…you should probably know you're parents don't exactly know I'm here."
"What?" she asked confused. "How did you get in the house?"
"I climbed the tree by the garage, walked across the roof and got in through the attic window," he answered calmly.
"What? Are you crazy? You could have broken your neck."
"Nah…I used to do it all the time in high school."
"Sneak into my house?"
"Yeah…Kevin and I had to do a lot of sneaking in and out when we were supposedly grounded. You'd be surprised how many ways I know to get in and out of your house. And let me tell you, your house is much easier to scale than mine."
"Why did you sneak in today? My parents knew you were coming. Why not just use the front door?"
"How exactly did you want me to explain why I had to talk to you…alone? Plus, did you really think your parents would leave us alone up here for this whole time?"
"Well…they're gonna figure out you're here, Logan. You're Porsche isn't exactly inconspicuous."
"I parked a few blocks away."
"Wow…I'm completely impressed with your cat burglar skills."
"Yeah well…I didn't know how this conversation was gonna go. So I figured if it didn't work out in my favor, I could just sneak out the way I came in without running into your family."
"But it did work out in your favor…in both our favors," she added smiling.
"Yeah it did."
"But you're still gonna sneak out the way you came in?"
"I need to arrive like the proper gentleman I am," he whispered placing a kiss on her neck.
She moaned when he found her pulse point and began a gentle suction. "Gentleman, huh?"
"Yeah…so go downstairs and wait for my arrival. I will make an appropriate entrance in about 10 minutes."
"Fine," she said as she walked over to her vanity and reapplied her lip gloss.
Logan watched her do this, completely mesmerized by her actions. After a few seconds he shook his head and told her in a stern voice, "And you have to promise to behave today. No hand jobs under the table."
Rory looked at him with shocked and very wide eyes, "What?"
"You heard me, missy. You keep your hands to yourself."
She collapsed against him in a fit of giggles.
"Seriously though," he said laughing with her, "respectable distance…that goes for both of us. We need to keep up appearances at least until after I talk to Kevin."
"Party pooper," she said with a pout.
Logan laughed and kissed her once more before turning her around and pushing her out the door. Rory made her way downstairs and could hear voices coming from outside. It was a perfect summer day and Lorelai decided to serve lunch on the patio. Rory headed in that direction and found Kevin regaling their grandparents with stories of his first year at Yale.
"There she is," said Richard. "Come here and give your grandfather a hug."
Rory smiled and ran into his arms before making her way through the line of grandparents. They were all peppering her with questions about London and congratulating her on graduating…valedictorian none the less.
"Of course she's valedictorian. She's a Hayden after all," declared Straub. "I'm very proud of you, Rory."
"Thanks, Grandpa. I'm pretty proud of me too."
"You know what would make me even prouder?"
Rory knew what was coming, but asked anyway, "What's that?"
"Seeing you graduate valedictorian at Harvard."
"Grandpa…"
"Enough, dad," interrupted Christopher. "She wants to go to Yale, so she's going to Yale. Drop it already. Plus can you honestly say you're not thrilled she'll be so close to home?"
Straub couldn't argue with that. Rory was his only granddaughter and he had missed her while she was away. However, not one to give up, he added, "Grad school?"
Laughing at his persistence, Rory nodded in agreement. "It'll be my first choice, Grandpa."
"I'll hold you to that, little girl," he said kissing the top of her head. "Welcome home."
"Thanks, Grandpa."
The patio door swung open as Franny announced the arrival of Finn and Colin. "Love, your looking particularly lovely today," declared Finn. "Have you yet recovered from our dance last night?" he asked as he hugged her hello.
"Almost, Finn. I'm only a little bit sore. You are a remarkable dancer," she cooed purposely stroking his ego.
"That I am," he replied before turning his attention to Kevin. "So, mate, how was your night?" he asked with a smirk. "Did you 'shower' this morning?"
Both Colin and Rory laughed as Kevin glared angrily at Finn.
"Do I want to know?" asked Lorelai.
"No," they all stated at once.
"Ok then." Lorelai set the last serving dish down just as Logan arrived.
"God he's gorgeous," thought Rory. "No. Look away. Head down and always maintain a respectable distance," she reminded herself. Sneaking one more look before turning away, she sat down between her brother and father.
"Ok everyone," announced Lorelai, "since we're all here, everyone take a seat. Lunch is ready."
To celebrate Rory's homecoming, Franny had made all her favorites. In addition, Sookie had sent over five different kinds of dessert. The food was amazing and everyone was enjoying themselves. Emily and Francine updated the group on all of the latest gossip at the club. Richard and Straub got into another very amusing Harvard vs. Yale debate. Lorelai told a Kirk story. Finn acted out some of the more colorful tales of their freshman year, which Kevin, Logan and Colin were very careful to censor with interruptions whenever Finn got too out of hand. Rory talked about London, school, and her internship. Throughout the meal she and Logan managed to sneak a few glances at each other, smiling whenever their eyes met.
"Can I have everyone's attention" asked Christopher. "I would like to propose a toast. To my beautiful daughter, we are so proud of everything you accomplished in London. But we've all missed you and we're thrilled to finally have you home." Raising his glass, he added, "To Rory."
"To Rory," said everyone.
Rory raised her glass as well as and stood to hug her father. "Thanks, daddy."
"Excuse me, Miss Rory," interrupted Franny, "there's someone here to see you."
As she said this, the uninvited visitor stepped onto the patio and Rory's eyes got wide when they locked onto an all too familiar pair of gorgeous blue eyes. She felt her body go numb and she didn't even register the crash her glass made when it slipped from her fingers breaking to pieces on the deck.
"Tristan."