Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 17 – Best Friends
Morning came too soon. Logan tried to slide out of bed without waking Rory. Unfortunately, she had his arm in a death grip.
"Where do you think you're going?" she mumbled in a sleepy tone.
Logan looked down at the beautiful girl clutching his arm. Her eyes were only half open, and still he was struck with how brilliantly blue they were. "You are so beautiful in the morning," he commented as he brushed a stand of hair off her face.
Rory blushed at the unexpected compliment. "Logan."
"Your eyes are incredible," he continued gazing down at her.
"Logan, stop it," she said, clearly embarrassed.
"Stop what? Telling you the truth? You're beautiful. You know that don't you?"
"Logan," she scolded, "please stop. You're making me blush."
"I know," he said with a laugh. "I like making you blush. It's hot."
"Logan."
"You know what the best part is?"
Rory sighed knowing he wasn't going to drop the subject no matter how much it embarrassed her. "What?"
"That I'm the only person in the world that gets to see you like this."
She looked into his warm eyes and smiled. "Only until my other boyfriend shows up," she replied cheekily. "He's due here any minute now, so you should probably get going."
Logan responded by tickling her. "Other boyfriend huh?"
Rory giggled uncontrollably. She made half hearted attempts to push his hands off her body. "Yeah," she answered between giggles. "And he's the jealous type so you really should get out of here."
He climbed on top of her, his hands continuing to torture her. "I don't think you mean that, Ace."
Rory tried to stop laughing in order to give him another smart ass remark, but she couldn't catch her breath.
"You don't have another boyfriend do you?" He knew she was kidding and he hadn't meant the question to sound at all vulnerable, but it did. He meant what he said. He loved that he was the only one who could see her like this.
Rory pulled him down to her. "No other boyfriend," she reassured him. "Just you."
Logan captured her lips in a slow, lingering kiss. "Good." He continued kissing her, but after a few minutes Rory's alarm clock purred again, signaling the need for Logan's departure. "I should go."
Rory placed one more kiss on his lips before letting him get up. "I hate it when you leave."
"Me too, Ace." Logan got out of bed, reached for his clothes and was about to change when he noticed the wide eyed expression on Rory's face. "What?"
She looked him up and down before responding. "Nothing," she answered as nonchalantly as she could.
"Come on, Ace, what is it?"
Smirking, she replied, "You look good in my sweats."
Logan looked down at himself. He was wearing nothing but a pair of Rory's baggy sweats, although they weren't all that baggy on him. "So what you're saying is, you like having me in your pants?"
"Dirty," she replied with a smile, "but yes." She knelt on the edge of the bed so that the two of them were face to face. The sweats were hanging dangerously low on his hips. Rory placed her hands flat against his stomach, then wrapped her arms his waist, her fingers flirting with the waistband of the only article of clothing covering his body. She began kissing his neck before adding, "But I think I like you better out of those sweats." With that, she slipped her hand into the front of the sweat pants, gripping him.
Logan threw his head back and groaned. It only took a millisecond of having her hand on him before he was fully erect. "Ace."
Rory squeezed him tight before she began to move her hand up and down his length. Her mouth nipped and sucked on the sensitive skin of his neck. Logan stood back and let her work her magic. She never ceased to amaze him when it came to how physically intimate they got. While he had expected her to be the shy type, she was far from it. In fact, more often than not, Rory was the one initiating things as well as the one pushing things further.
When he didn't think he could take it any more, Logan pushed her back onto the bed. He climbed on top of her, but Rory surprised him again when she took the initiative and pushed the sweat pants off his body. Logan made a move to remove her pajamas only to have Rory brush his hands away.
"Relax," she said in a husky whisper. "Just lay back."
"Ace, don't you want to be naked with me?" he asked with a playful pout.
"Not this time. Just relax, Logan. I want to make this about you."
He didn't need to be told again. Logan leaned back against her pillows and let his girlfriend stroke his cock. "God, Ace…"
"Shhh…not so loud," she warned.
Logan pressed his lips together in an effort to hold back his grunts and groans. True, it was very early and Kevin and her parents' rooms were far enough away that it was very unlikely they could be heard, but still, he didn't want to take any chances. Rory was half on top of him, their lips locked and tongues dueling. All the while, her hand remained stroking his erection, giving Logan more pleasure then he ever imagined.
The whole situation was a bit surreal for Rory. At that very moment, Logan Huntzberger, her boyfriend, was lying in her bed completely naked, while she gave him a hand job. More than that, all this was going on while her entire family was home and sleeping in their beds. The feeling of inhibition was very new to her, but she loved every minute of it. Why? Because with Logan, everything felt too incredible. With Logan, everything felt right.
"Oh God," he moaned. Logan's erratic breathing let Rory know how close he was. When he found his release, he grabbed the back of her head and despite being completely out of breath he kissed her long and hard.
"Good morning, baby," she whispered coyly.
Still breathing heavily, he only smiled in response.
"I'll get you a towel," she whispered as she scooted off the bed headed to the bathroom. She returned in less than minute, just enough time for her boyfriend to catch his breath.
Logan took the damp cloth from her and quickly cleaned himself up. He was still lying on his back and still completely naked. He loved the look in Rory's eyes as they moved over his body, taking in every inch of his toned perfection. "Come here," he said with open arms.
Rory moved toward him and settled into his embrace. "Hi."
"Good morning, Ace." He tightened his arms around her and kissed her head before asking, "Tell me, is that the kind of good morning I should accustom myself to whenever I spend the night in your bed? Because if it is, I'll have to remember to bring a Gatorade with me next time."
Rory giggled and playfully slapped his arm. She began to scold him, "Logan…"
"Well, you wouldn't want me sneaking out of your house with an electrolyte imbalance would you?"
"Logan…"
"I'm serious, Ace. Scaling your house is no small feat. If my electrolytes are all out of sync because of your inability to keep your hands off me, I may fall and break my neck."
"And we wouldn't want that would we?" she asked playing along.
"No, we wouldn't," he answered, drawing her in for another kiss. Before things could get too heated, Logan pulled away. "We can't get started again, Ace. I need to go."
"No," she whined.
"I have to, Ace. Any minute now, your parents are going to get up to go to work and your bother will be up to go for his run."
"Stupid exercise," she said in a childish tone.
"Plus, Franny is probably already downstairs starting breakfast."
"Waffles," she said with a gleam in her eye.
He laughed lightly. Only his Ace got that excited about food. "Yes, so I should get out of here before we get caught."
Rory knew he was right. He should have left half an hour ago. "Fine," she agreed, "but only as long as you swear your electrolytes are balanced."
He laughed again. "I think I'm ok." With that he grabbed his clothes and put them on quickly. He really needed to get out there. Had he left when he was supposed to, he could have used the front door. Now, he'd have to use some stealth to make it up to the attic, climb out the window, scale part of the house, and swing down from a tree branch onto the ground.
Rory walked him to the door and peaked out to make sure the coast was clear before giving him the ok. "Call me later."
"You know I will," he said. Logan kissed her one last time before sneaking quietly out of her room and opening the door that led to the attic. He made it outside with no problem, landing with a light thud under the tree next to the garage. It would be a short walk to his Porsche, which was parked a few blocks away. As he rounded the side of the house, he saw someone walking up the driveway. "You've got to kidding," he muttered. Ducking behind the side of the house, he made sure he was out of view. Logan watched as Tristan walked up to the front door with a wrapped gift in his hands. He remained silent, lurking in the shadows, all the while images of tackling Tristan and beating him bloody kept flashing through his mind.
Logan's fists involuntarily clenched as his girlfriend's ex placed the gift at the door before walking down the driveway and into a sleek black Mercedes. He fumed with anger as he stomped off to his own car. He couldn't believe how much nerve Tristan had. Once he was safely in his Porsche, Logan took a few calming breaths before flipping open his cell phone and dialing Kevin's number.
"What could you possibly want this early in the morning?" asked a groggy and somewhat angry voice.
"Kevin, wake up."
"No."
"Kevin, I'm serious get up."
"Why?"
He needed to tell Kevin about seeing Tristan, but couldn't very well tell his best friend he was sneaking out of his house after spending the night with Rory—again. Thinking quickly, he said. "I was out for a run this morning."
"Congratulations," mumbled Kevin bitterly. "I'll alert the media."
"Well, you may be interested to know that while I was running past your house, there was a blond bearing a gift at your front door."
Kevin became instantly alert at that news. "What?"
"Tristan was at your house again. I think he left something at your door."
"You've got to be kidding me," said Kevin angrily. He pushed the covers off him pulled on some sweats. "Did you say anything to him?"
"No. I don't think he even saw me."
"That's good. I don't want to get you too involved with this mess. I'm heading downstairs now. I'll make sure Rory doesn't see it."
"Ok."
"Thanks, Logan. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye, Kev." Part of Logan felt guilty for covering this up, for keeping it from Rory. But he was doing it for her own good right? He needed to keep Tristan away from her and if that meant a little lie of omission, well so be it.
Kevin ran downstairs. Rory was not a morning person and probably wouldn't be up for hours, but he wanted to dispose of any sign of Tristan as soon as possible. Opening the front door, he found a neatly wrapped gift. He scooped it up intent on taking it to the safety of his room before anyone saw it. However, when he turned around, he came face-to-face with his father.
"Dad," he said surprised. "You scared me."
"Sorry," apologized Christopher. Eyeing the box in his son's hands, he asked, "Is that…?"
"Yeah," answered Kevin.
"From…?"
"Yeah."
"Has Rory…?"
"No."
"Ok," said Christopher. He sighed and for a moment, a guilty expression marred his handsome features. Shaking it off, he looked directly at his son and asked, "I assume you'll be checking the front porch every morning from now on?"
Kevin nodded. "But we leave on Friday," he reminded his father.
"I'll take care of it while you kids are away," he assured Kevin.
"Ok."
He eyed the package one more time before saying, "Well, I need to get going or I'm going to be late for work."
"Alright, Dad. See you later."
"I'll try to be home before seven. There's breakfast in the kitchen, but your mother's in there so be sure to dispose of that before you go in," said Christopher pointing to the package.
As soon as his father was out the door, Kevin ran up to his room. He locked the door behind him before opening the card that was taped to the top of the box.
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand,
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
I'm not going anywhere, not until we talk. I'll wait forever if I have to.
Tristan
Kevin took the card and the box and hid them in his closet. It was only Tuesday. He needed to keep Tristan at bay for a few more days. In order to accomplish that, he needed to keep Rory occupied. How? After a moment's hesitation, he dialed Logan's number.
"Hello," answered Logan.
"You have to help me," demanded Kevin completely bypassing all formalities.
"What can I do for you?"
"I never thought I would say this…but I need you to spend as much time with Rory as humanly possible until we leave on Friday."
Logan smiled at that request. "I was planning on spending time with her."
"You don't understand. I don't want her to be alone or to have a free second until we are safely out of Hartford. It seems Tristan will be more of a nuisance than I had previously anticipated."
"What did he leave her this time?" asked Logan.
"I don't know. I didn't open the box, but he was spouting Shakespeare in the card and he made it very clear he's not letting up until he talks to her."
"Stupid little bastard."
"Tell me about it. Anyway, I'll check the front porch everyday from now on. It was good thing you ran by the house this morning."
"Yeah, that was pretty lucky," muttered Logan.
"Regardless, we need to keep an eye on her 24/7 to make sure he doesn't go anywhere near her."
"I agree."
"So from now on she's not to be left alone. When she's not with me, she's with you, Colin or Finn."
"But we can't let her get suspicious," added Logan.
"That's why you have to play a big part in all this. You spending time with her makes the most sense."
"Ok."
"Did you two have plans for today?" asked Kevin.
"I'm supposed to call her later. I doubt she's even up yet."
"No. Rory's not really a morning person."
Logan smiled to himself remembering how active his girlfriend had been that particular morning. "I'll call her in a few hours and make plans for the day."
"Good. That's good." A wave of relief washed over Kevin. "Alright, so I'll see you later."
"Yeah, later. Bye, Kev."
"Logan, wait," he yelled into the phone.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for having my back on this. I know you'd rather not keep secrets from Rory and I know I kind of pushed you into it, but…"
"No thanks necessary," interrupted Logan. "We're doing it for Rory. Besides, I think you're your right on this one. If it was my sister, I would do the same thing." Logan meant that. Technically, it may be lying, but to protect Honor, he would've done anything, which is why he understood Kevin's gut reaction.
"Thanks, Logan."
"I'll talk to you later."
Kevin hung up the phone. Logan's words helped to further convince him that he was doing the right thing. After all, he was doing this for Rory.
Rory had a hard time falling back to sleep after Logan left. The lingering scent of his cologne was everywhere—in the air, in her sheets, on her. It was intoxicating. He was intoxicating. In an attempt to get him off her mind, even for a little while, she decided it was time to recruit the girlfriend that would be accompanying her to the Vineyard. Lane was out of the question, although she did need to make plans with her this summer. Stephanie was a possibility, but tracking her down and getting her to fly home may prove to be a challenge. After all, the Vineyard was far less appealing than Saint-Tropez. Then of course there was always Joanna. She had always hinted about coming state side and this would be the first summer in years that they wouldn't be spending together. Plus, with everything that was going on with Logan, it would be great to have someone to talk to other than Lorelai. Rory wondered why she didn't consider it immediately. She reached for her phone and dialed the international number.
"Hello," answered a cheerful British voice.
"Jo, how are you?" Rory asked sweetly.
"What do you want?" she asked knowingly.
"What makes you think I want something?"
"You called me Jo and you never call me Jo unless you want something. Plus, you're using your favor voice," accused Joanna.
"I don't have a favor voice," defended Rory.
"You so do," confirmed Joanna. "I bet you're batting your eyelashes as we speak."
Rory looked over to her bureau to check out her reflection. She laughed when she realized she was indeed sporting her famous Bambi eyes. "How could you possibly know that? I didn't even realize I was doing it."
Joanna laughed out loud. "I'm brilliantly perceptive," she boasted, "and was naturally blessed with keen powers of observation. Plus, you are so easy read. From the day I met you, I could tell exactly what you were thinking just by looking at the expression on your face. So, my dear, what can I do for you?"
"You can get your scrawny British ass on a plane and come visit me."
"What?"
"You heard me."
"Come visit you? You mean that after all these years you're finally inviting me over to play at your house," said Joanna in a mocking tone.
"Well this is the first summer I'll be spending at home since I left. I miss you. I don't want to not see you this summer. Plus, the boys planned a trip to Martha's Vineyard and Daddy said I couldn't go unless another girl joins the party."
"AH HA! So the truth comes out. You don't really want to see me. You're just using me so you can go away with your new hot blond boy toy. Rory, I'm insulted."
"Joanna."
"I mean you would think after four years of friendship, four years of best friendship might I add, that I would mean more to you than means to an end."
"A means to what end?"
"A means to get away with your boyfriend so you can do dirty, naughty things to him. Maybe even lose that precious virginity of yours."
"Joanna!"
"I'm kidding, Ror," she said laughing.
Rory didn't say a word for a few seconds and just listened to her friend's cheerful laughter. "About that," she began.
"About what?" asked Joanna, her laughter finally dying down.
Taking a breath to summon some courage, she answered, "About losing my virginity."
For a few seconds, the line went silent. Then in a serious tone, Joanna asked, "Did you and Logan have sex?"
"No," answered Rory truthfully. "At least, not yet."
"Yet? Wow! So you want to?"
"Well, yeah," she admitted. "We actually almost did last night."
"Wow! That's…"
"It's huge. I know. I'm sure you're shocked, but…"
"Shocked? Yes. But to be perfectly honest, not all that surprised."
"Why's that?" asked Rory.
"Well, Logan's always been your ideal and now that you finally have him, it's only natural."
"I know, but we've only been together a few days," she pointed out.
"True, but you two have known each other forever."
"That's what he said."
"Well he's right."
"I guess," said Rory.
"So when you say almost had sex…"
"No details over the phone."
"Oh come on, Rory."
"Nope. Sorry. Get your ass on a plane and come visit me and maybe, I'll tell you what we did in the shower."
"Shower! Oh my God! Rory!"
"Are you coming?"
"I'm in front of my computer, booking my ticket as we speak, but I expect every explicit detail the second I land, possibly in the car on the way back from the airport."
"Fine, when can I expect you?"
"I can fly in tonight, although that doesn't leave me much time to pack. Or I can be there by tomorrow morning."
"We're going to the beach so all you need is a bikini and sunscreen. Plus, we can shop when you get here, far more irresponsible."
"So I should plan on being there tonight?"
"If you can," she answered, "and if the ticket's not too expensive."
"No ticket. I'm taking a private jet."
"You have a private jet?"
"My dad does," she said casually.
"So when you said you were in front of the computer booking your ticket?"
"I was speaking metaphorically. In reality, I was emailing my father."
"So what time should I be at the airport to pick you up?"
"I'll call you back once I hear from my dad."
"Ok. Tell him I said hi."
"Will do. See you tonight."
"I'll be the girl at the airport holding the sign. Bye." Rory waited to hear the other line go dead before she hung up and headed down to breakfast. In the kitchen, she found Kevin and her mother having breakfast.
"Morning," she greeted them cheerfully.
"Hey, babe," said Lorelai, "you're up early."
Rory shrugged her shoulders, "I think the jet lag is catching up to me. Are there any waffles?"
"I can make you waffles, Miss Rory," said Franny who was already plugging in the waffle iron.
"Thank you. Oh, Franny, do you think you could make up one of the guest bedrooms for me?"
"Of course, Miss."
"We're having guests?" asked Lorelai curiously.
"Yup," answered Rory with a smile. She was getting really excited about Joanna's visit. "Per Daddy's conditions, I have invited another girl to join our little party. I called Joanna this morning and she's flying in tonight."
"From London?"
"Yes."
"Tonight? That's awfully fast."
"Well, apparently her dad has a jet."
"Oh la la," cooed Lorelai. "A friend with her own jet."
"It's her dad's," added Rory in the same casual tone Joanna had used earlier.
"Which one's Joanna?" asked Kevin. He wiped his mouth off and pushed his empty plate away.
Rory looked at him with disbelief. "She's been my best friend for four years. I met her on my first day, remember?"
Kevin shrugged his shoulders.
"Kevin, I've mentioned her in pretty much every conversation we've had the past four years."
"Have I met her?"
"Yes, I introduced you to her the first time you came to visit me in London."
"Was she the blond with the green eyes?" he asked with a smirk.
Rory rolled her eyes and groaned with disgust. "No, that's Bridgette. Joanna has really dark hair."
"I don't remember her," he admitted honestly.
"Well she's not a blond stick figure with fake boobs so why would you?" said Rory in a mocking tone.
"Just because you don't appreciate my taste in girls is no reason to mock it," replied Kevin playfully.
"Taste? Now that's something I know the last girl I saw you with didn't have. If I remember correctly, I don't think there was anything very tasteful about what 'Shower Stacey' was wearing. Or should I say not wearing?"
Kevin laughed lightly. Rory always did have a smart mouth.
"Now, children, play nice," said Lorelai. "What time is she getting in?"
Rory turned her attention away from her brother but not before giving him one last teasing smile. "She's supposed to call me back with the details once she speaks to her father. Can you drive me to the airport?"
"Sure, just call and let me know what time." Lorelai checked her watch. "Speaking of the time, I need to go. The Inn waits for no man…or woman. See you later, boys and girls." Lorelai ran out of the kitchen just as Franny placed a plate of piping hot waffles in front of Rory.
"Thanks, Franny," said Rory appreciatively.
"You're welcome, miss. I'll have a guest room prepared right away," she replied.
A few hours later, Logan arrived to pick her up. "Where are you taking me?" she asked as she buckled her seatbelt.
Logan pulled out of the driveway and headed downtown. "We're going shopping."
"Shopping?"
"Yes," he answered placing a protective hand on her knee. "If you recall, I promised that by the end of today, you would be the owner of a baby blue string bikini." Logan took his eyes off the road long enough to give her body a quick once over. He flashed her a lascivious grin and added, "And I'm glad to see you're complying to my skirt rule."
Rory returned his flirtatious smile and asked, "What skirt rule?"
"Ace, how quickly you forget. Yesterday at my house I believe we decided to get rid of all of you're a pants in lieu of skirts and dresses."
"I don't remember agreeing to that."
"I agreed for you," he informed her. "Plus, why would you want to wear pants? It would be absolutely criminal to cover these legs," he added as he moved his hand from her knee, further up her thigh.
Rory laughed and then leaned over to kiss his cheek. "So I guess that means I'll be buying a stack of skirts and dresses as well? After all, I wouldn't want to break the rules."
Logan smiled. "Let's get you that bikini, Ace."
The next few hours were spent putting a serious dent on Logan's Black Card. Rory had tried to pay for the clothes herself, but Logan absolutely refused. Normally girls were more than willing to spend his money, but not his Ace. All she wanted from him was him, and he loved that. For that reason, he intended to take every opportunity to spoil her rotten.
Later that evening, Kevin was sitting in a Chinese restaurant with Logan, Colin, and Finn. Lorelai and Rory were picking up Joanna from the airport and then decided to have a 'girls only' dinner. Then, his father called to say he had to work late and rather than having Franny prepare a whole meal just for him, he gave her the night off and went out for a 'boys only' dinner.
"So, Logan," he began as he loaded his plate with spicy Schezwan chicken, "I hear you're Rory's newest shopping buddy." There was no way he was going to pass up an opportunity like this. Something with this much mocking potential didn't come along every day.
"Shopping buddy?" asked Colin, joining in the fun. "You went shopping with her?"
"Not only did he go shopping with her, he paid," Kevin informed the group. "Rory came home with about a dozen bags full of clothes, all compliments of her new boyfriend."
"It's official," said Finn. "Our mate has crossed over to the dark side."
Logan tried to laugh it off, although surprisingly, he wasn't all that embarrassed. "It wasn't that bad. And you're the one that said to keep her occupied," he said to Kevin.
"And nothing occupies Rory's time like shopping," said Kevin. "Although I still can't believe you spent the entire afternoon shopping."
"With a girl," added Colin.
"It wasn't that bad," repeated Logan. "Besides I got to watch her try everything on."
As soon as those words left his mouth, he was simultaneously punched in the shoulder by Colin, slapped in the back of his head by Kevin, and kicked in the shin by Finn.
"OW!" he yelled standing getting up from his seat. His cry of pain was pretty loud and at that moment every eye at the restaurant was on him. "Please excuse the interruption folks," he said to the restaurant's other patrons. "Enjoy your dinner." Sitting back down, he gave dirty looks to all of his friends and declared, "New rule. No hitting."
"No dirty comments about my little sister."
"Fine," he agreed. He wanted to rub his shin, but refused to acknowledge he was in any kind of pain. "Pass the soy sauce please."
Kevin laughed lightly as he watched Logan shift in his seat. Judging from the way the table shook earlier, Finn had kicked him pretty hard and Logan's shin was probably sore. He had to admire the front he was putting up. Passing the soy sauce, he said, "Anyway, thanks for keeping her occupied this afternoon."
"Don't thank me. I would have done it even if you hadn't asked. She's my girlfriend," he reminded them. "I love spending time with her."
"You didn't have to spend so much money," pointed out Kevin.
"I know I didn't," said Logan. "But I wanted to."
"Where is our lovely girl this evening? I'm surprised you've let her out of your sight," said Finn to Logan. "And I'm shocked you let her out of arms length." His voice was half angry and half teasing. Logan knew Finn was still getting used to him and Rory's new relationship, and he appreciated that he was trying.
"She's out with Lorelai picking up her friend Joanna from the airport."
"Who's Joanna?" asked Finn with a smirk.
Both Kevin and Logan rolled their eyes. "Her friend from boarding school," said Logan. "She's coming to Martha's Vineyard with us."
"A British bird," said an excited Finn. "Details, gentleman. What do we know about her? Is she hot? Please say she's a red head. Please say she's a red head."
The whole group laughed and turned their attention to Kevin. "I don't know anything about her except she's Rory's best friend from boarding school. She's a year older than us."
"Ohh, an older woman. Me like," interjected Finn.
"Unfortunately for you Finn, the lady is a brunette, and apparently very wealthy. Rory called to invite her this morning and she's flying in from London tonight on her daddy's private jet."
"Well at least I know she won't be after my money," said Finn.
"Didn't you hear me say she wasn't a red head?" asked Kevin.
"Yes, but while red heads are my preference, I'm hardly prejudicial against non-red heads. After all, I do not judge not by the color of one's hair, but rather the content of her sweater." Finn smiled broadly when he delivered that last line earning him a round of laughter.
Kevin awoke the next morning to a slight hangover. He didn't get home until well almost 3 AM. After dinner, the boys decided to do some bar hopping and by the time he made if back to the house, his family was already asleep. A quick glance at his beeping alarm clock told him it was only 7 AM. "Why is my alarm set for seven?" he asked himself. Suddenly, he remembered that he should have already checked the front door for any sign of Tristan. He popped out of bed and ran downstairs. Kevin opened his front door and found another package. This time he didn't even bother reading the note.
After quickly depositing Tristan's gift in his bedroom, he pulled on a shirt and headed down to breakfast. His head was spinning and he desperately needed something in his stomach.
"Kevin right?" asked a sweet voice with a sexy British accent.
Kevin stopped and turned. His eyes widened in surprise as they landed on a petite brunette. She was in pajamas, but she was absolutely stunning. Not really his type, but stunning nonetheless.
When Kevin didn't respond, the brunette spoke again. "I'm Joanna," she said extending her hand to him.
He continued to stare.
"Rory's friend from London," she added.
At this point, Kevin realized he had yet to say a word. "Oh….um…nice to meet you," he said shaking her hand.
"We've actually met before," she informed him. "When you and your parents were visiting Rory at school."
"Right," he said stupidly. "How is it possible I don't remember meeting this girl?" he asked himself. He looked her up and down again, this time paying more attention to her lovely curves. "So…um…how was your flight?" He couldn't believe that came out of his mouth. Kevin Hayden, ladies man extraordinaire, was actually a little tongue tied.
Joanna tilted her head, as if sizing him up, before treating him to a smile. She found the situation more than a little amusing. "It was fine. Quick and painless. I slept most of the way." She took a step toward him and bit down on her lower lip before asking, "How was your evening? I thought I would get to say hello last night, but you got home pretty late."
Kevin watched her lips move. He would definitely be having some fantasies about that mouth. "Yeah…um…me and the guys went out for some drinks and lost track of time."
"Hmmm…correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the legal drinking age in this country twenty-one?"
"It is, but there are ways around that," he said smoothly. His confidence rose as he felt a surge of that famous Hayden charm hit him.
"I'm sure," she replied with smirk. "I'm sure you're very good at getting around the rules."
"I'd be happy to help you get around the rules while you're here. I wouldn't want you to think ill of this fair country of mine just because our silly laws won't let you enjoy a drink."
Joanna licked her lips and smiled. "Thanks for the offer, but it's not necessary. I turned twenty-one last week," she informed him.
"Right," he said, "I forgot you were older than Rory."
"I'm older than you too, Kevin. Rory said you're birthday was this weekend. You're turning twenty right?"
She said it sweetly and without any malice, but it cut through Kevin like a knife. He'd never felt so insignificant…so young. Kevin had dated girls older than him, older than her even. Yet somehow, he felt like a kid when speaking to the petite brunette with the pretty mouth, and the sexy accent. "Yeah, I turn twenty on Saturday," he muttered.
"So is it safe to assume there will be a wild and crazy party while we're at this Vineyard of yours?" She smiled so warmly it made Kevin's nerves disappear.
"Of course," he assured her. And suddenly the sickening feeling was gone. He stared into her eyes and smiled as a strange and unfamiliar feeling crept its way into his stomach.
"So, care to walk a girl down to breakfast? Rory's still out like a light and I'm starving."
"After you," he said gesturing toward the staircase. He followed her down the stairs, trying desperately not to stare at her ass the entire time, and failing miserably.
In the kitchen, they found his parents engaged in a lively conversation about Taylor Doose, the unofficial mayor of Stars Hallow.
"Good morning, Lorelai, Mr. Hayden," greeted Joanna.
"Top of the morning to you," replied Lorelai in a terrible British accent that made both Kevin and Joanna chuckle.
"Good morning, Joanna, and please call me Christopher. Can I interest you in a scone?" he asked pushing a plate her way.
Joanna took a seat and eagerly reached for the plate. "Well I do have a weakness for baked goods," she replied. "Plus, I'm famished, so thank you, Christopher."
"Of course you're starving," pointed out Lorelai as she poured their guest some coffee, "it's almost lunchtime in London."
Kevin ate silently as his parents chatted with Joanna over breakfast. It gave him a chance to take her all in. She was lovely, almost statuesque in the way she held herself. Petite, full pouty lips, painfully luscious curves—he smiled remembering Finn's 'content of her sweater' comment from the night before. His friends certainly wouldn't be disappointed in the British bird. He had no idea why he was so affected. Maybe it was the accent. "But she's so not my type," he repeated to himself.
"So what do you think, Kevin?" Joanna suddenly asked him.
"What…um…what?"
Joanna smiled broadly. She knew he hadn't been paying attention to what she and his parents were discussing. And she was fully aware he'd been staring at her, albeit covertly, since she'd surprised him upstairs. He was gorgeous. There was no denying that. However, Kevin Hayden was the typical rich playboy. And as beautiful as he was, he wasn't her type. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't torture him a little. "What do you think?" she repeated with a playful gleam in her eyes.
"I don't know," he said, abruptly getting up from the table. "I'm going for a run," he declared. He needed to get out of there. Plus, burning off some nervous energy was definitely appealing right now. He left without even uttering a goodbye.
Joanna laughed lightly and his parents stared at his retreating back.
"He didn't know what he thought about the scones?" wondered Lorelai. "He just ate three of them."
Joanna laughed again, this time a bit louder.
"Wake up sleeping beauty," she greeted cheerfully as she bounced on Rory's bed.
Rory huffed and painfully forced her eyes open. "Are you going to make me regret asking you to visit?"
"I brought you coffee," she bated pointing to the steaming cup perched on Rory's desk.
"You're pretty," she said in an entirely different tone. Rory ridiculously waved her arms, trying to will the cup to magically fly off her desk and into her hands. "It's too far away," she whined. "Please go get it for me," she pleaded.
Joanna shut her eyes tight to keep from having to look Rory in the face. "No way, Bambi. I left the cup over there so you'd have to get out of bed to get it."
"You're mean," she declared pouting.
Rory stared at the steaming cup. She could smell its wonderful aroma, but her bed was so comfortable. What to do? What to do? Sighing, she gave Joanna a dirty look and said, "You suck." Rory then pushed off her covers and got up to retrieve her sweet ambrosia.
"That a girl," said Joanna.
Rory took a long luxurious sip before responding. "Why are so chipper this morning?"
"Well for one, I've already had breakfast, not to mention two cups of coffee. I also had a lovely conversation with your parents, charming couple by the way. And I treated myself to a little pre-breakfast entertainment, compliments of your brother."
Rory cocked an eyebrow at Joanna. She knew exactly what that meant. After four years of friendship, she was perfectly aware of Joanna's devastating impact on members of the opposite sex. She'd seen first hand the brunette's ability to turn a man into a puddle with nothing more than a look. She was, after all, the source of some of Rory's best material. "Did you leave him baffled, tongue tied, drooling, or all of the above?" she asked.
With an amused smirk, she answered, "A little baffled maybe, and only slightly tongue tied."
Rory smiled. It wasn't often Kevin was rattled by a girl's presence. Actually, she didn't think her brother had ever been rattled by a girl's presence. "Please take pity on him. He is my brother after all."
"Relax, I have no intention of getting close enough to cause any actual damage," she assured Rory. "From everything you've told me about him, he's entirely 'too cool' for me. I just wanted to make sure I hadn't lost my touch."
"I doubt there's anyone out there that's 'too cool' for you," said Rory. "And I seriously doubt you've lost your touch."
"You know what I mean," said Joanna. "I just wanted to bring him down a peg."
"I get it," said Rory. She knew her friend. Joanna was a very unique girl, a total individual. Completely strong willed, she never did anything she didn't want to do. She also had an uncanny ability to bend the universe to her will. Fortunately, she was a genuinely nice person, and only used her powers for good. She was a ball of energy—smart, funny, and the world's biggest flirt. Life was never boring with Joanna around. Rory could only imagine all the trouble she and Finn would get into once they met. Speaking of Finn, "I do feel obligated to warn you about bachelors number two and three, Colin and Finn."
"Oh yes, the uptight American and the horny Australian."
Rory burst out laughing. "Those would be them. Anyway, if Kevin's seen you, you can bet those two will be here sniffing around at some point today to try to lure you into their beds."
"Let the games begin," declared Joanna.
Rory laughed again. Having Joanna around would definitely be entertaining.
Friday finally arrived and the party of six loaded their belongings into the two Porches and Finn's black Escalade. Naturally, Logan and Rory climbed into his Porsche. Kevin was sitting in the driver's seat of his car trying to drown out an escalating argument between Colin and Finn. The two were currently debating over who would be driving the SUV. Finn believed he should since it was his car, but Colin didn't trust Finn sobriety and was attempting to wrestle the keys away. Kevin was about to intervene, when Joanna unexpectedly climbed into his passenger seat. He wasn't comfortable with the strange feelings she elicited. Never in his life had he experienced such highs and lows when in the presence of a girl. One minute she could have his stomach was in knots, only to have him smiling or laughing seconds later. It was bizarre and he couldn't stand it so he did his best to avoid her whenever possible. Right now, he was not thrilled at the prospect of making the long drive with her sitting right next to him.
"Mind if I ride with you? There's no room in Logan's car and I'd rather not be in a confined space with Finn," she said with a smile.
Kevin grinned, understanding completely. Finn's hands tended to wander in the presence of a pretty girl. In addition, he and Colin had made idiots of themselves the past few days whenever Joanna was around. Rory had properly predicted Finn and Colin's reactions to her. Kevin couldn't really blame them. There was definitely something about her. But unlike Colin and Finn, he had no intention of going after her. "First of all, she's Rory friend. And second, she's not my type." He couldn't remember how many times he'd told himself that. "She's not my type. She's not my type. She may be hot, but she's not my type."
"Is it alright if I ride with you?" she repeated.
Kevin realized that once again, he was staring. He also hadn't answered her yet. "Uhh…yeah. Of course it's alright. Better you than Finn," he added for good measure.
"Are you afraid he'll try putting his hands on legs too?" she kidded.
Kevin laughed and felt the knot in his stomach begin to loosen. "I do need to pay attention to the road when I drive. And Finn feeling up my thigh would be distracting."
"Not to mention disturbing," she added.
He laughed again.
"Well don't worry, I promise not to be a distraction," she said with a sly grin.
The knot in his stomach tightened. "What was it about this girl?" He shook his head and looked away from her. Kevin revved the engine of his car and announced, "This is ridiculous. We should have left twenty minutes ago. Finn, let Colin drive. Logan, let's go." He pulled out of the driveway followed closely by Logan's Porsche and eventually Finn's Escalade.
The two rode in silence for nearly half an hour before Joanna spoke. "Wow, you are a remarkable conversationalist, Kevin Hayden," she joked.
Kevin smiled but didn't speak. He was never like this. He normally felt comfortable talking to anyone. "Can I be honest?"
"Please," she answered grateful for the break in silence.
"You freak me out a little," he admitted.
She stared at him, surprise evident on her face. "I'm sorry? "
"You freak me out," he repeated.
"I heard you the first time. How exactly do I freak you out?"
Kevin thought about that question for a moment before he responded. He wasn't sure how to answer so he went with honesty. "You're hot."
Joanna was surprised again. "Umm..thank you?" She wasn't sure how to respond to his comment. Mainly because she wasn't sure Kevin meant it to be a compliment.
"I'm sure I'm not the first guy to tell you that."
Joanna shrugged in response.
"You are incredibly beautiful and that bothers me. I'm not sure why it bothers me, but it does."
"Hmm." She still didn't know how to respond.
Kevin looked over at her. He could tell she was thinking about what he'd said. He replayed his words in his own head and mentally kicked himself. True, it was honest, but it made him sound like an idiot. On top of that, it might give her the impression that he was interested in her and that was the last thing he wanted. In an attempt to dig himself out of the verbal hole he'd dug, Kevin added, "But don't worry. Cause I'm not interested in you or anything. You're not really my type."
Joanna looked over at him and smiled. "That's good, because you're not really my type either," she said casually.
Kevin heard her response and wanted to feel relieved. Unfortunately, the emotion that infiltrated his body was annoyance. Never in his life had he been so casually dismissed. And while he repeatedly told himself that he wasn't interested in her, it bothered him that she wasn't interested in him. The young Hayden stewed in his annoyance for quite a while, before he spoke again. After nearly twenty minutes of silence, he asked, "What do you mean I'm not your type?"
"Pardon?" Joanna, who had been flipping trough the pages of a magazine, was startled by his sudden question.
"What do you mean I'm not your type?" he asked again.
She looked at him with blank expression. "I mean you're not my type. What exactly about that don't you understand?"
"I'm not your type?"
"No."
"That doesn't make any sense. I'm every girl's type," he said in an exasperated tone.
Joanna laughed out load. "Wow. It's a good thing you put the top down on this car. Otherwise your head wouldn't fit in here. You're every girl's type? Did you really just say that?"
"It's true. I've never met a girl who wasn't into me…at least a little bit."
Joanna could not believe the ego on this boy. "On my God! You really believe that don't you?"
Kevin didn't answer. Instead, he let another twenty minutes pass before opening his mouth again. "What exactly is your type?"
"Excuse me?" He'd caught her off guard again.
"What is your type? Tall? Short? Blond? Brunette? What?"
Joanna looked over at him and smiled before replying. "Believe it or not, there are some people in the world that don't base their preferences on a person's looks."
Kevin said nothing.
"Personally, I like a guy who's confident, not cocky. Smart, and not willing to hide it. Sweet. Honest. Ambitious. Spontaneous. He should be able to make me laugh. That's important."
"What about chemistry?" asked Kevin.
"That's important too," she admitted. "Relationships lacking passion and physical attraction don't last."
"So we do agree on one thing."
"Yeah, chemistry is important."
"Very important," he pointed out as he let his eyes quickly scan over her body.
"Yes, but it's not the only thing."
Kevin shrugged his shoulders. Maybe not in her world, but in his, chemistry was everything.
"Chemistry isn't everything," she said as if reading his mind. "I would be more interested in meeting a guy who preferred looking into my eyes instead of down my blouse."
He had to laugh at that. Kevin made a show of checking her out, his eyes pausing to admire her full breasts for much longer than necessary. "Yeah good luck with that," he said with a lascivious grin.
Joanna burst out laughing and playfully slapped his arm.
And just like that the tension between them was broken. The conversation flowed much more naturally during the rest of the drive. By the time they drove off the ferry and pulled up to the beach house, Kevin was even more fascinated by the pretty brunette.