My sincerest apologies for the delay in this update. I've just returned from ten glorious days in Barbados and was forbidden from bringing my laptop along. To make up for it, I've made this chapter extra long and extra fluffy. I also promise to have the next chapter up much sooner.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 20 – The Calm Before the Storm
"I can't move," complained Rory. She was sitting in the passenger seat of Logan's Porsche clutching her stomach.
Logan laughed at the pitifully sad expression on her face. As promised, he'd taken her out for a very large meal and they were currently parked in the driveway of the Gilmore's beach house. "I can't imagine why," he said sarcastically. "You only ate the equivalent of eight meals for any normal human being."
Frowning, she defended herself, not to mention her appetite, and in a weak voice said, "I didn't eat that much."
He laughed. "Ace, the wait staff at the restaurant was taking bets to see how much more food you could get into that tiny little body of yours."
"They were not," she cried, playfully slapping his arm.
Logan continued to laugh. "They were," he insisted. "Didn't you see them all gathered by the bar watching our table?"
"No," she declared. She did notice them all grouped together, but didn't think it was because of her.
"Well they were," he informed her with an amused smirk. "I think the tall guy with the ponytail won. So if it makes you feel any better, you brightened up his day."
After a moment of consideration, she frowned and said, "Well…so what if they were looking at us. That doesn't mean it was because of me. Besides I was really, really hungry." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat in order to properly face him, and in an accusatory tone asked, "And just how do you know they weren't watching you?"
"I wasn't the one attempting to eat my weight in waffles and breakfast meats. Why would they be watching me?"
"Cause you're so cute," she answered in a sugar sweet voice.
Logan momentarily faltered being caught off guard by her comment. Turning to her with a smile, the kind of smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle, he leaned over and brushed a soft kiss over her lips. With a hand gently stroking her cheek, he whispered, "Then they were definitely looking at you."
Rory blushed and returned the smile. "I'm really full," she said in an almost pained voice.
Logan laughed yet again. "You're so adorable," he replied. He gave her stomach a light pat before saying, "What do you say we go for a run and burn off some of those calories?"
"What?" she asked laughing out loud.
"Come on, Ace, let's go for a run on the beach. It'll be fun."
"A run? Me? I'm sorry have we met?" she asked sarcastically.
"Ace," he pleaded with his most charming smile.
"I don't run."
"Jog?"
"No."
"Power walk?"
"No."
With a sigh, he surrendered and asked, "How about a nice, romantic stroll on the beach?"
"Define stroll," she demanded wearily.
"I would define a stroll as you and me holding hands, as we walk on the sand, along the water, at a leisurely pace...set by you of course."
"That sounds...not too bad. You promise there will be no aerobic activity of any kind?"
"Only the fun kind," he answered in a husky tone.
"On the beach? Out in the open? Where anyone can stumble on us? I don't think so, Logan."
"Have a little faith, Ace. I would never leave us exposed…especially after what happened last night."
She giggled. The events of the previous night, though still fresh on her mind, were far more humorous in the light of day.
"And especially considering your brother would kill me if he happened to stumble upon us. So no, we will definitely not be out in the open. There happen to be plenty of secluded spots on this island."
"Ahh…and I bet you're familiar with all of them aren't you?" she teased.
"I like to be aware of surroundings," he admitted smiling roguishly at her. "So, Ace, what do you say? Join me for a stroll."
Rory had become all too familiar with that look. The darkened hue of Logan's warm eyes let her know he had more in mind than just an innocent walk on the beach. And having spent the bulk of the morning in bed with him doing nothing but sleeping, Rory was more than anxious for some alone time with her beautiful boyfriend. "Just let me run upstairs and change into my suit."
Smirking, he asked, "The baby blue one right?"
"Obviously," she whispered playfully as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Rory leaned toward him and softly kissed his lips. "A bet's a bet."
She began to pull away, but Logan reached up to cup her face, holding her in place. As exciting as the prospect of seeing her clad in only that bikini was, he was not at all interested in breaking contact yet. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked before engaging her in a more passionate exchange. He nipped at her lips, gently at first before sliding his tongue into her mouth. Rory melted into his arms, and found herself in a somewhat uncomfortable position. She was half in the passenger seat and half on the emergency brake. Despite lacking an ideal setting, Rory and Logan remained fixed in their positions for several long minutes. Only when Logan tried to pull her even closer did she finally express her discomfort.
"You need a bigger car," she informed him.
Logan opened his eyes and sighed sympathetically when he saw where she was sitting. "Sorry, Ace." He kissed her once more before allowing her to move back into the passenger seat. "I promise as soon as we get back to Hartford, I'm buying the biggest SUV on the market."
She giggled. "You don't have to that."
"Oh I think I do," he argued. "Besides you've already confessed that the smell of leather interior gets you hot. That is something I intend to take advantage of, so yes, I am definitely buying an SUV."
She laughed even louder. "You do know I was kidding about that right?" she tried to say in a serious tone.
"Really? Then how do you explain the fact that you get very frisky every time we're in car?"
She stared at him with wide eyes trying to decide whether or not she should be angry, embarrassed, or amused by that accusation. "I can't believe you just said that," she said giggling—she decided to go with amused.
"Well it's true. Let's see there was the backseat of limo the night you got back, then my Porsche on our first date," he reminded her. "And here we are in my Porsche again and look at you…ready to jump me." His tone was serious, but his eyes let her know he was teasing.
However, Rory couldn't help but take the bait. "First of all, I am not about to jump you," she declared. She thought about it for a moment and had to concede his point. "And second, technically, while I admit we have been very…affectionate while in cars…"
"Affectionate?"
"…it has nothing to do with the leather interior."
"No? What is it then?"
Thinking quickly, she replied, "It has to do with the fact that you and I are in a confined space and I'm being inundated with your pheromones."
Logan had to laugh at the originality of that response. "Pheromones?"
"Yes," she confirmed, "pheromones, chemical secretions that function to attract the opposite sex." She moved closer to him until she was half on his lap and half on the emergency brake. "Yours drive me wild, making it difficult if not impossible to control myself," she added playfully. "And when we're in a small space, like this pretty car of yours, I get surrounded by your pheromones."
He pulled further into his arms, trying to make both of them as comfortable as possible and asked, "So in a sense, the fact that my car is so small works in my favor?"
"Yes," she agreed with a nod. "Smaller volume allows for greater saturation or more pheromones per cubic inch."
Logan remembered enough high school chemistry to understand her logic. "Well in that case, the Porsche stays."
Rory giggled as she moved further into his lap, her legs extended into the passenger seat. "I like the Porsche."
"Yeah?" he mumbled as he began kissing her neck.
"Mmm…good memories. The first time you saw me completely naked was in this Porsche," she reminded him.
He continued his assault on her neck but pulled away long enough to say, "Not entirely accurate, Ace. Or are you just choosing to forget Lorelai's obsession with naked baby pictures?"
Rory tilted her head to the side giving him more room to work his magic. Her mother did like to photograph her—she still does. "Correction, the first time you stripped me naked was in this Porsche."
"Mmm…that was a really good first date."
Rory felt his lips curl into a smile as they continued to move them against her neck. "It was the best," she agreed. They shared one slow lingering kiss before Rory climbed out of the car, still feeling very full, though oddly light after their brief make-out session. She waited patiently for Logan to make his way to her and the two joined hands before walking to the front door.
"Hello?" called Rory. "We're back."
When no response came, they headed for the kitchen where Colin and Finn were arguing over the last Danish. "Honey, we're home," kidded Logan.
Finn turned his attention from Colin to Logan opening his arms wide, "Sweetheart, welcome home. How was your day?" Finn puckered his lips and made a move to wrap his arms around Logan.
"Back off, Finn," he warned moving out of Finn's grasp. "I still want to kill you for what happened this morning."
"What happened this morning?" asked Kevin. He and Joanna reentered the kitchen both smiling but looking somewhat strained.
"Nothing," insisted Logan. He didn't care if Kevin found out about him waking up next to Finn. Frankly, that was inevitable. He did, however, want to move away from the topic lest it lead to a conversation about the fact that he slept the rest of the morning in Rory's bed.
"HA!" yelled Colin claiming the last Danish now that Finn's attention was elsewhere. "You missed it, Kev. I woke up this morning because these two fools were yelling their heads off. So I get out of bed to make sure to shut them up and what do I find? Logan in bed with Finn…who was naked." He added the last part with a great deal emphasis.
Kevin burst out laughing. "Seriously?"
"Finn wasn't naked," insisted Logan. He wondered how long it would be before they let this go. Knowing his friends, it would be quite a while.
"That's right. I wasn't naked."
Their comments and embarrassed expressions only encouraged Kevin's laughter. Colin began to laugh as well. "Oh that's right," said Colin correcting himself. "Finn wasn't completely naked. He was wearing bright yellow Speedos, which he removed…"
"In front of all of us," interjected Joanna in a slightly disgusted tone.
"…once he realized they weren't his."
"Whose Speedos were they?" asked Kevin.
Finn shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Yet another thing to add the ever growing list of 'Finn Mysteries.'"
Kevin laughed a little louder. "Tell me you have pictures," he demanded of Colin.
"I wish," said Colin.
After a few seconds, Kevin's laughter began to die down and suddenly he realized, "Wait, all of you slept here last night?" This question was directed more at Rory and Logan than to Colin and Finn.
"We all just passed out here," said Logan in as innocent a tone as he could muster. He didn't want Kevin to go 'big brother' on him again.
"Yeah, Kevin," added Rory. "Plus you just heard that Logan shared a bed with Finn last night, not me." With a slight smile, she thought to herself, "Sure he was in bed with me this morning, but you don't need to know that. And anyway we were just sleeping."
"Logan wasn't supposed to sleep here at all," Kevin reminded them. "That's specifically against the rules."
"I didn't even know he was still here until I heard him and Finn yelling this morning," defended Rory. They were just at the start of their vacation. She'd hardly spent any time with Logan, except for the long drive. The last thing she needed was Kevin ruining things by reporting misconduct to their father. "I went to bed long before you and the guys did. And had you actually been here to enforce said rules, maybe you could have made sure Logan walked back to his house," she accused. "But you disappeared. Where exactly did you sleep last night?"
Kevin was not about to divulge any details of his evening of debauchery to his little sister…especially in front of Joanna. "That's none of your business." He seemed to contemplate the situation for a moment before deciding the best course of action would be to let this slight infringement slide. "Whatever," he said dismissing his previous insinuations. "Just don't let it happen again," he ordered. "For the remainder of this trip, Logan, you sleep at your own house."
Logan opened his mouth to retort, but thankfully, Joanna spoke first. "How was breakfast…or I guess lunch?" she asked eager to change the subject.
Rory smiled gratefully at her. "It was good. You should have come with us."
"I was way too tired when Logan knocked on my door this morning," she insisted. "Especially after being awakened in the early morning by screams. And then my pupils were assaulted by a naked Australian. It took me forever to fall asleep after that," she said giving Finn a playful smile.
"Too busy having naughty thoughts about my naked body?" asked Finn.
Joanna laughed. "That's it exactly," she said dryly.
"Oh you know you loved it, Darling," flirted Finn. "And anytime you're interested in seeing it again, all you need to do is ask."
"I'll keep that in mind," she teased sending a wink Finn's way.
"I need to talk to you," whispered Rory in her ear. "Come upstairs." Rory tugged on her arm and began pulling her away from the boys.
"I'll meet you in your room in a minute," said Joanna. "I just want to grab another cup of coffee." Her nerves were still a bit on edge after her conversation with Kevin. She needed a moment to compose herself before talking to Rory in private. Otherwise, her conscience may compel her to spill the beans about Tristan, despite whatever deal she made with Kevin.
"Ok," said Rory. "Bring me up a cup too." She then turned her eyes to Logan who was currently engaged in a conversation with Colin. "Logan?"
His eyes met hers and he smiled instantly and involuntarily. "Yeah, Ace?"
"Half hour?" she asked reminding him of their plans.
Smirking he replied, "So forty-five minutes?"
Rory glared playfully at him before rolling her eyes and heading for the stairs.
Logan chuckled. "So forty-five minutes?" he repeated this time yelling at her retreating back.
"Yeah, yeah, smart ass," she called back.
Logan was about to remind her of how much she seemed to like that particular part of his anatomy when he remembered who was within earshot so he wisely bit his tongue. "So, Kev, how was last night?" he asked in a suggestive tone hoping to slip back to best friend mode.
Kevin chuckled and lowered his voice so that Joanna couldn't hear him before answering, "Memorable."
"Finally," said Finn. "Well come on, Mate. Get on with it. Details. Details."
"In a minute," said Kevin stalling. He wanted to make sure Joanna was safely upstairs behind a closed door before regaling his friends with the explicit details of his evening.
Joanna, carrying a large mug of coffee in each hand, carefully maneuvered around the four boys on her way out of the kitchen. Kevin placed a hand on her shoulder as she was passing and said, "Remember what we talked about."
She was about to reply, but then seemed to change her mind. Instead, she nodded her head in agreement.
"Ok," said Kevin. "Now run upstairs and change into that bikini. We should hit the beach while the sun is still out. I need to show how much better my side of the Atlantic is."
She granted him a small smile before heading upstairs to meet Rory.
"Well, you're certainly much calmer," commented Colin. The Kevin that stormed up the stairs twenty minutes ago was definitely not the same Kevin that was standing in front of him now.
"She explained. We came to an understanding. And the situation is…temporarily under control," he said cryptically.
"What does mean?" asked Colin.
"Exactly what I just said," Kevin informed him. "It's under control so for now, don't worry about it."
"What are you two talking about?" asked Logan.
Kevin sighed before saying, "Joanna received a phone call this morning from our favorite annoying blond."
"You don't mean…"
"Tristan."
"Seriously?" Logan practically yelled. "He called Joanna. What did he say?"
"Relax, Logan. I talked to her. It's ok," said Kevin. "She agreed not going to say anything to Rory about it until we get back to Hartford. That gives us some time to come up with a new game plan. So, relax ok."
"What did he want?" demanded Logan.
Kevin thought about everything Joanna had told him upstairs and decided it would be best to leave out a few details. "He wants Joanna to convince Rory to talk to him."
"And is she?"
"She wants to."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Something about closure," said Kevin with a roll of his eyes. "But I managed to stall her for a few days, and given enough time, I hope to be able to change her mind."
"So your plan is to try to convince Joanna not to say anything to Rory…her best friend? Do you honestly think she'll keep this a secret forever?" asked Logan. He may not know Joanna very well, but he knew enough to know that she wouldn't hide this from Rory…at least not permanently.
"She will for the time being. And unfortunately, that's the only plan I have for right now. Unless you guys have a better idea."
The group was silent for several long seconds as the boys contemplated the situation. Naturally, it was Finn who broke the silence.
"Well," he began said interrupting his friends' thoughts, "since the matter appears to be under control, at least for the time being, I suggest we change the subject. After all, we are on vacation. And I don't know about you two, but personally, I need is to hear the dirty details of Kevin's night. The details are dirty aren't they, Mate?"
Eager to move past the topic of Tristan DuGrey, Kevin turned to his friends with a devilish smile. "I have to say, I am definitely a fan of turning twenty."
"I'm going to need you to be more specific," demanded Finn. "And any and all photographs would be appreciated."
Kevin made himself comfortable on one of the kitchen stools before beginning. "Well it all started with Logan's very thoughtful birthday present…"
Upstairs, Joanna had just managed to make it to Rory's room without spilling any of her precious cargo. "Coffee delivery," she called out as she kicked open the door.
Rory was digging through one of her suitcase, but stopped what she was doing to greet her friend. "Thank you," she said gratefully accepting the offered cup. She may have been full, but she always had room for coffee.
"You're welcome. So," began Joanna, "what do you need this time?"
"What makes you think I need something?" asked Rory defensively.
"Favor face."
"First you accuse me of having a favor voice now I have a favor face?"
"Yes, you do. And it's the face you have on right now. So again I ask, what do you need me to do?"
"Distract Kevin."
"What?"
"Just for a few minutes."
"Why?"
"Logan and I would really like some alone time. So I was hoping you could keep Kevin preoccupied until we make our getaway. I don't want him giving me the third degree about where we're going to be."
"Where are you going to be?"
"Strolling on the beach. And I would prefer not to have a chaperone."
"Well, he and I were supposed to go to the beach anyway. I supposed it won't be too difficult to keep his attention focused elsewhere while you and your newest blond hottie sneak off." Rory's smile faltered for a moment and Joanna mentally kicked herself for inadvertently alluding to Tristan. "Why did I say that? My subconscious is really acting up."
"Thanks," said Rory with a smile, though Joanna noticed, a smile that was not as bright as the one she wore a few seconds ago. "I owe you one."
"Oh you owe me more than one," she kidded attempting to lighten the mood. "Need I remind you of what I witnessed the last time I was this room?"
"Fine," said Rory blushing profusely. "I owe you two."
"Two really big ones. Not to mention the details of how you ended up in such a compromising position."
"Fine, but can I have those pictures you took?"
Joanna laughed at the mere thought of that, "Not on your life, Rory. I'm saving those for a rainy day." At that moment, she caught a glimpse of what Rory had pulled out of her suitcase. "Wow!" she exclaimed picking up the light blue material. "This is very…Rio de Janeiro."
Rory giggled and reclaimed the barely there bikini. "Logan bought it for me."
"I'm shocked," she replied her voice dripping in sarcasm. "And you're going to wear it?"
"I lost a bet," she stated simply.
"Well, Logan's going to be one very happy boy when he sees you in this. And apparently, I'm going to have to be particularly distracting if you plan on wearing that. I have a feeling big brother won't approve of your choice in wardrobe. Might I suggest wearing something over that at least until you and Logan are safely away from prying eyes."
"Good idea."
The two chatted for a few minutes before Joanna retreated to her own room to get herself ready. It was already mid afternoon and neither girl wanted to waste anymore beach time.
About a half hour later, Joanna made her way back downstairs and found that the boys had not moved from the kitchen. As she approached, she heard Kevin's voice, but was unable to make out what he was saying. By the time she was close enough to hear, Kevin had finished talking after which, Logan, Colin and Finn let out a round of laughter followed by a series of expletives. Apparently, whatever Kevin had just told them was cause for excitement and celebration.
"I can't believe that," said Finn, his eyes full of laughter. "You are the luckiest bastard on the planet."
"Stuff like that never happens to me," said Colin in a sulky tone despite his amused expression.
"What did I miss?" asked Joanna making her presence known.
Four sets of eyes turned to her and, with the exception of Logan's, gave her a noticeable once over. Clad in nothing but a pair of form fitting short shorts and a pink bikini top, it was exactly the reaction she had hoped to receive. When none of the boys answered, she placed her tote bag on the counter and addressed them again. "I love a good story. What did I miss?"
Logan, the only one of his friends not stunned to silence by a scantily clad girl, answered her. "Oh it's nothing," he said trying to dismiss it. From the looks Kevin had been giving her, Logan knew his friend would prefer not to re-tell the tale he'd just told.
"Didn't sound like nothing," she continued to pry. "Come on, I want to know."
His friends had yet to utter a word in response. All three were still staring shamelessly at her lovely and ample curves. Logan couldn't help but be amused by them, and somewhat surprised at himself. A week ago, he would have reacted the same way, but now that he had Rory, it was different. He was different. Sure, Joanna was beautiful. He couldn't deny that. But as attractive as she was, she wasn't Rory. And because of that, he was not in the least bit compelled to stare.
"It's nothing," insisted Logan.
"Yeah," added Colin, finally coming out of his daze. "It's nothing you'd be interested in. Kevin was just telling us how much fun he had last night."
Suddenly realizing what they must have been talking about, thanks in part to their reluctance to share details, Joanna said, "Ah! Last night was fun. So, was he telling you about the fun he had at the party or the fun he had after he left with the pretty blond?"
Stunned by her bluntness, no one answered.
Giggling, Joanna added, "I'm guessing it was the latter then." They still said nothing. "So, I'm ready for the beach," she announced. "Who's with me?"
"I'm ready," shouted Finn popping out of his seat. "Jut let me run back to Logan's to change." With that, he headed for the door full of energy and eager to get the day started.
"Excellent," she said smiling brightly. "Colin?"
Colin nodded and followed Finn out.
"Kevin, are you ready?"
Kevin finally managed to tear his eyes off her body and found his voice, "I'm ready for anything."
Logan chuckled and smirked knowingly at his friend.
"Well hurry up and get changed then," ordered Joann. "Unless you plan on wearing that to the beach."
"I'll be down in five minutes," said Kevin getting out of his chair.
After he left the room, Joanna turned to Logan and said, "Rory will be down in a second. I suggest you two make a break for it before Kevin comes back."
Suddenly realizing what she'd done, Logan smiled. "Impressive. You just got Kevin, Colin and Finn to do exactly what you wanted and you didn't have to bribe or threaten any of them."
"It is amazing what guys are willing to do for a girl in a bikini. Although, my job would probably have been even easier if my bathing suit was as skimpy as the one Rory has on," she teased.
Logan smiled, amused at her statement and excited by the image of his girlfriend that it conjured. "It was a joke. I didn't think she'd actually wear it."
Joanna laughed. "Sure you didn't. Regardless, it looks great on her."
"I'm sure it does."
Right on time, Rory walked into the kitchen. She'd waited until Kevin was upstairs in his room before coming down. "Ok, I'm ready. Let's go," she said grabbing Logan's hand and pulling him towards the door. She was wearing a very short skirt and a tank top. However, Logan could see the baby blue string of her bikini tied around her neck and couldn't stop himself from imaging how she would look once he removed her skirt and top…and he had every intention of removing them.
Logan kissed a spot just below her ear. "Forty-three minutes," he said smiling. "I'm so proud. You're a whole two minutes early, Ace."
Rolling her eyes, Rory continued pulled him in the direction of the front door. "Come on, before Kevin comes back down."
"Right," said Logan with a smile. "Don't want to be interrogated. He's going to wonder where we are," pointed out Logan. "You don't think he'll come looking for us do you?"
"I've got it covered," said Rory with a smirk. "Joanna's taking care of it."
"You owe me," Joanna reminded her. "You both do," she added pointing to Logan.
"Yeah, yeah," said Rory. "Thanks, Jo. You're the best."
"Yes, thank you, Joanna," said Logan.
The lovebirds left the house hand-in-hand and in a mad dash. Joanna waited patiently for Kevin to return. Surprisingly, he took much longer than five minutes. Apparently, tardiness was in his genes as well. He came bounding down the stairs ten minutes after he left apologizing the whole way down.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to take that long."
Joanna couldn't stop her eyes from giving him a quick once over. She was very discreet, but he noticed. He was wearing blue surfer shorts and a wife-beater. His hair was wet and even from five feet away, she could smell the fresh scent of soap coming off his body. "Don't worry. I'm used to it. Rory takes forever to get ready too. It must be genetic."
"She got that from my mother so yes, I suppose it is. I, however, am normally very punctual. I just decided to jump in the shower at the last minute otherwise I would have been on time."
"You took shower? To go to the beach?" she asked cocking an eyebrow at him.
"Yeah," answered Kevin with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Or were you trying to wash the pretty blond off?" she asked with a wicked grin.
Kevin, caught of guard, almost blushed—almost. Smirking, he stepped toward her and asked, "Jealous?"
Joanna giggled and stepped back. "You wish." She grabbed her tote bag off the counter never breaking eye contact with him. "Let's go."
Kevin had to chuckle at how she handled the insinuation. This girl was definitely hard to read. His mind continued to wonder about her as he followed her out the door. His interest was peaked and not once did it occur to him to check on Rory and Logan.
Joanna could feel his eyes on her as they walked toward the water. She knew he was thinking about her rather than the happy couple, and she smiled, mentally patting herself on the back for a job well done.
"Do you want to drive or walk?" asked Logan.
"To your house?" asked Rory unbelievingly. "It's only six houses down. I can see it from here."
"I know, but I know how opposed you are to exercise," he said with a playful expression. "Besides, if we drive, it means we'll have to get in my car."
"Hoping for a little pheromone induced fun?"
"You know me so well, Ace." He let go of her hand and instead slipped his arm around her waist. His hand purposefully slid underneath the hem of her tank top searching for bare skin.
Rory leaned her body into his as they continued to walk encouraging him to continue. She loved the way his hands felt on her body. "Let's just walk," she said answering his original question.
"Whatever the lady wants," he replied gallantly.
She smiled and kissed his cheek. "So where are you taking me?"
"To my house," said Logan ignoring her actual meaning.
"I meant after that," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Where is the end destination to this stroll we're going on?"
"My Ace, always so curious," he said deliberately not answering her question.
They took a few steps in silence before Rory spoke again. "Well aren't you going to answer my question?"
"No," he stated simply.
"No?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because it's more fun this way."
"It is not," she said indignantly.
He laughed at tone her voice took, not to mention the frustrated look on her face. "It is for me."
"Logan," she whined.
"Come on, Ace. Be patient."
"What if I don't wanna," she said in a childish tone that made Logan laugh. He stopped walking in order to properly kiss the petulant expression off her face.
"You really are way too cute." He kissed the tip of her nose before resuming the short walk to his house.
Rory smiled and snuggled into his side, sliding her own arm around his waist to get as close as could to him as possible.
"Now be a good little girl and be patient. I'm going to take you somewhere special. It's a surprise, but I promise you'll love it."
"Ok," she muttered weakly.
In less than a minute, they were standing in front of the Huntzberger's beach house. "When was the last time you were here?" he asked as he unlocked the front door.
Rory followed him through the entryway and let her eyes wander over the comfortably furnished house. It was by no means as lavish as the Huntzberger estate in Hartford, but for that reason, Rory liked it much more. This house was a family getaway, not meant to be viewed or judged by outsiders. It was comfortable. "It's been a while. I think the last time our families were here at the same time was that Fourth of July when you and Kevin almost burned the dock down."
Logan's eyes sparked with mirth at that memory. "We didn't almost burn it down," he said defending himself. "We just set it on fire a little bit."
Rory gave him a knowing look.
"What? It was an accident!" he said with an innocent smile. "And trust me, it was all Kevin's fault."
"Funny, I remember him blaming you when Daddy was yelling at him about it."
Logan laughed. "It really was his fault though," insisted Logan.
"I'm sure," she said disbelievingly. "Now hurry up and get changed so we can be off to…I'm sorry, where are we going to again?"
"HA! Nice try, Ace. Come on," he said offering her his hand. "I don't think you've ever seen my room."
With a wicked smile, she replied, "No I haven't."
The two raced up the stairs laughing the whole way at nothing in particular. Once they reached the top, they spotted Colin at the end of the hallway banging on the bathroom door yelling at Finn to hurry.
"I swear to God, Finn, if you don't open this door by the time I'm done counting to three, I'm going to kick it down."
Through the door, Finn yelled back, "Go ahead and try. As if your scrawny ass could even kick the door down."
The argument continued. Thankfully, Logan's room was on the opposite end of the hall so Colin didn't even notice them. Logan pulled Rory into his bedroom and quietly closed the door, making sure to lock it. Taking a seat on his bed, he looked at Rory and smiled. "Come here, Ace," he whispered sweetly.
Rory moved toward him slowly. When she was standing in from him, Logan reached for her. His right hand made contact with the back of her leg and pulled it toward him positioning it so her knee was on the bed. He smiled up at her before he repeated the action using his other hand and her other leg so that Rory was kneeling over his lap. "Hi," he whispered.
Rory lowered herself so that she was straddling him. "Hi," she whispered.
Without another word, Logan brought his lips to hers. As his mouth moved gently over hers, Rory melted into his arms. It was a move that, over the past few days, had become so very familiar. Nothing in the world felt more natural than being in Logan's arms.
Logan lay back on the bed taking Rory with him. Their eyes never opened and their lips never parted. He loved the way Rory felt in his arms. He loved how her body felt against his. He loved how perfectly they seemed to fit together, as if they were made for each other.
The kiss they shared on that bed had no sense of urgency behind it. It was sweet and slow, but like all their kisses full of passion. It was somewhat of a surprise to them both that, although they were alone in a locked room, neither one of them felt compelled to take things further. Neither one of them made a move to take each other's clothes off. They just laid there, holding each other, their mouths fused in a tender kiss that spoke volumes of how they felt about each other.
Several minutes later, Logan broke the kiss. He wanted to look at her. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Rory had her chin propped up on his chest. Her eyes were still closed and she wore a small smile as she ran her tongue over her lips, savoring the taste of him.
"Rory," he exhaled.
She opened her eyes and found him gazing at her with an expression she didn't recognize. "What? What is this face?"
The corner of his lips turned up ever so slightly, but he remained silent.
"Logan? What is it?"
"I don't know, Ace," he answered honestly. "You. Me. Us. This feeling. It's…it's…I don't know. I just…I…I…" He didn't know what he was trying to say or how to describe what he was feeling. It was something he couldn't identify—something he'd never felt before.
Without waiting for him to continue, Rory placed her finger on his lips, silencing him. "I know, Logan. Me too." It was hard to explain how, but she knew what he was trying to put into words. She knew because she knew what he was feeling. Because she felt it too.
They sat in silence for a moment before Logan spoke again. "We should go," he said reminding them both of the outside world.
"Yeah," she said reluctantly moving off him.
"We're losing day light and personally, I need to see that bikini in the sun."
"Well hurry up then. We're here because of you remember?"
Logan got up and began digging through his suitcase. As he changed into a pair of board shorts and flip flops, Rory kept her back to him. It was a little silly considering how often she'd him in far less, but it felt appropriate to give him his privacy. Plus it gave her a chance to look around his bedroom.
The room itself was full of random knickknacks collected over the years. She noticed an array of books on his shelf ranging from The Hardy Boys to My Lai 4, reminding her of just how many summers Logan visited the Vineyard. On his dresser there was a framed photograph of him, Kevin, Colin and Finn donning caps and gowns and wearing goofy grins. It was a candid shot of the group, one that seemed to capture all four of them in one of those rare moments in life when everything was just right.
"I love that picture," said Logan.
"It's a really good picture," she commented as she picked it up off the dresser to get a better look at it. "You guys look really happy."
"We were relieved. We actually graduated. Hell Finn graduated. That was a miracle."
Rory laughed. "I wish I'd been there."
Logan seemed to think about that for a moment before asking, "Do you think…it would have been the same?"
"What?"
"You and me. Do you think we would have ended up where we are now if you came home last summer?"
Rory wasn't sure how to answer that question. Last summer was when she started dating Tristan. Things between them were so great in the beginning. She was happy. If she had it to do over again, would she give up her happy times with Tristan to avoid their ugly ending? Last summer had been one of the best in her life. She'd hardly ever thought of Logan that summer…hardly. What would have happened if she'd come home for Kevin's graduation? "I don't know," she answered truthfully. "What do you think?"
"I don't know either. I'd like to think we still would have ended up together. But I don't know. Part of me is glad I had this year to myself."
"A year of crazy parties and endless girls huh?" she asked in a half teasing half serious voice.
"Yeah, kind of."
Rory frowned slightly. She'd genuinely forgiven him for his past, but she didn't expect him to answer her like that. "Oh," she said sadly.
"No," said Logan. "Not like that. I meant I needed to have that year, to end up here…with you."
She gave him a questioning gaze, not sure what he meant by that.
"I'd been feeling weird about things for a while…even before you came home. The night you came back, at that party," he began to explain, "I was so…bored with the girls I was dating. They were all the same: gold diggers, scheming socialites, airhead bimbos. It was getting to the point where I couldn't tell one from the other. Then you walked back into my life and you were so…different."
"Different?"
"Yes, different. It was so easy to talk to you. You made me laugh."
She began to understand what he meant earlier and smiled. "Oh," she said, this time with a smile.
"I don't think I would have appreciated how amazing you are, if I didn't realize how ordinary the rest of them were. Does that make sense?"
She nodded. "Yeah. It does. Regardless, I love the way things turned out."
"Me too, Ace."
"It is a really good picture though," she said changing the subject and returning the frame to its proper place.
"This was before the ceremony. We'd just walked through Chilton one last time. Honor took it right as we were lining up."
"Where is Honor? Isn't she supposed to be here?"
Logan shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows? My mom said she may be up sometime this week, but I haven't heard from her."
"How often do you two normally talk?"
"Fairly regularly, until a couple of weeks ago. One of her friends is getting married next month so a group of them are off doing who knows what before the big day."
"Sounds like fun." Biting her lip, she reluctantly asked, "So she doesn't know about…"
"No, Ace. I haven't told her about us yet. But I will as soon as I talk to her."
"You don't have to if you don't want to," she assured him. "I was just curious." Rory knew it was a silly thing to get worked up about. After all, it was their decision to keep their relationship a secret for the time being. However, her entire immediate family knew and not even one member of his did. Knowing how close Logan was to Honor, made her feel just the tiniest bit insecure about the fact that he hadn't told her yet.
"Believe me, Ace. I want to tell her and I will. She's going to be so surprised." He checked his watched and immediately grabbed her hand pulling her out of the room and down the stairs. "We need to go. We are so late."
"Late for what? I thought we were taking a stroll."
"We are."
"And I thought I was allowed to set the pace of said stroll as to avoid any semblance of aerobic activity?"
"You are."
"So why are you in a rush?"
"I'm not."
"Yes, you are," she declared as she struggled to keep up with him. At that point they'd made it out the front door. "I'm practically running, Logan."
"Oh you are not," he insisted as he slowed his pace. "All right, Ace. We're already holding hands. There's the sand and the water. Let's stroll."
They walked leisurely along the beach sometimes letting their feet touch the water and chatting the whole time about anything and everything. Almost an hour later, just as Rory began to complain that he'd tricked her into exercising, they found themselves at the dock.
"We're here," said Logan.
"The dock? Oh, I see," she said mockingly. "You're returning to the scene of your crime."
Logan laughed. "Not exactly, but if you look to your left you will see the section of the dock that had to be rebuilt due to an unfortunate incident a few years ago."
"Ah, yes, the Hayden-Huntzberger annex. I know it well," she joked.
"Huntzberger-Hayden," he corrected.
"Right."
"And if you follow me this way," he directed leading her further down the dock, "we can be on our way." Just a few steps away sat a beautiful new sailboat.
"Is this yours?"
"Yes," he said proudly. Logan had been sailing for as long as he could remember and he'd always dreamed of owning his own boat. Sure his father and grandfather owned boats, several in fact, and Logan had those at his disposal, but this little beauty was the first one that was just his. He was like a little boy with a shiny new toy. "She's all mine. I bought her about a month ago. Do you like her?"
"She's beautiful, Logan." Rory had never been much of a sailor, but she did appreciate a nice boat when she saw one.
"I'm glad you think so because you and I going to take her out for her maiden voyage."
"Are you serious?" she asked getting pretty excited at the prospect of being alone on that boat with him. "Wait, you know I suck at sailing right? You don't actually expect me to do…well anything do you? "
Logan laughed. "Relax, she has an engine. You won't have to lift a finger. All I need you to do is christen her for me."
"Like with a champagne bottle?"
"Yeah, Ace."
"Oh my God, that's so cool."
"You have no idea. I've been looking forward to this for weeks. I can't wait to take her out."
"Hello, Mr. Huntzberger," came a voice from somewhere on the boat. Seconds later, a tall man came into view.
"Hi, Henry," greeted Logan. "Are we all set?"
"Yes, sir. Everything you requested is on board. She's ready to go." The man stepped off the boat and handed Logan a bottle of champagne encased in a gold mess bag.
"Thank you, Henry," said Logan accepting the bottle. "Ace, this is Henry. Henry, may I present Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden, or Rory."
"Nice to meet you, miss."
"Likewise," said Rory shaking the man's hand.
Logan handed her the bottle and said, "Well, here you are, Ace."
"I can't believe I'm doing this. I feel like the Queen of England," she said smiling brightly.
Logan loved how much she seemed to be enjoying herself. "Well, your highness, let's get on with it."
"Ok," said Rory stepping toward the boat. "Wait. Boats have names. Isn't she supposed to have a name, Logan?"
"Right you are, miss," said Henry. "It's very bad luck not to name a boat."
Turning to Logan she asked, "Does she have a name?"
"Of course she has a name. What kind of sailor do you take me for?" he asked in a playful tone. Logan made a quick gesture with his hand and when he did, Henry pulled off a tarp that was covering the back of the boat. Flanked on both sides by a set of playing card suits (heart, spade, diamond, and club) were three letters painted in red calligraphy: ACE.
To say Rory was shocked, was a gross understatement. She stared at the letters for a long time, just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. But no matter how many times she blinked her eyes, there it was. Her name, or nickname rather, was painted on the back Logan's boat. He named his boat after her. She couldn't believe it. And she didn't know what to say.
Logan watched her reaction with a mixture of amusement and apprehension. He knew it was a pretty significant gesture and he didn't know how she was going to react. When she finally looked over at him, Logan saw tears in her eyes.
"Logan," she said in a voice just above a whisper.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed their foreheads together.
"I am so…I can't believe that you…I don't…" A tear ran down her cheek. "I don't know what to say."
Logan wiped the tear away with his thumb. "I hope you don't mind."
"Mind? Logan, it's…amazing. I'm so touched…seriously. I'm…I'm sorry I'm a little overwhelmed right now."
"But you like it?"
"Logan, I love it. I love that you did this…that you think that much of me." She couldn't believe that an hour ago she was feeling insecure about the fact that he hadn't told Honor abut them yet, and here he'd gone and named his boat after her. "When did you do this?"
"Henry finished painting it yesterday," he explained. "Grandfather took me to an auction last month and when I saw her, I just knew she had to be mine. You know how much I love to sail and I couldn't wait to take her out, but with finals and everything, I haven't had a chance. I wanted to christen her while we were here so I knew I needed to choose a name. And quite frankly, the only name that's been on my mind lately…is yours. So it only seemed naturally that I call her Ace."
"Logan." Rory threw herself into his arms. It was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever done for her.
"So this is ok with you right?" he whispered into her neck.
"Of course it is. I'm…honored. You have no idea, Logan. This is by far the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you, Logan. Thank you so much."
He brought his lips to hers and kissed her softly. "You're welcome. Now go on and christen the boat so we can take her out already. It's getting late."
Her eyes were still misty but she laughed. "Ok, how do I do this exactly?"
"Stand right here, miss," said Henry. He'd stood back and watched the intimate scene unfold. It was difficult not to be affected by such a touching display. Henry tied a string to the cork end of the bottle then tied the other end of the string to the back of the boat. "Ok, miss, just swing the bottle towards the boat. Gravity will take care of the rest."
Rory nodded and thanked him. Before following his instructions, she reached for Logan's hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. Logan dutifully, hugged her from behind and kissed her head just as she swung the champagne bottle. It made an impressive crash as champagne spilled over the side of the boat. The three of them cheered and at last Logan came aboard his beloved new boat, Ace. Henry untied them from the dock and waved goodbye as the young couple set sail.
Logan skillfully maneuvered them away from the dock and out into open water. Rory, true to her word, sat back and watched him work, not making any attempt to help, insisting she would just get in his way. After they were a few miles off shore, and a good distance from any other vessel, Logan turned to her asked, "Do you want to steer?"
Her eyes brightened at that thought. "You sure it'll be ok?" Rory could tell he loved his new boat and she didn't want to mess up and damage it somehow.
"Come here," he said reaching out to her.
Rory got off the bench where she was comfortably situated and moved to stand between Logan and the helm.
"Just hold her steady," said Logan.
She did as she was told, firmly gripping the helm. "This is so cool."
"It's fun, isn't it?"
She nodded her head enthusiastically and smiled at him over her shoulder.
"It's a lot more fun when you use the winds."
"I prefer the engine, thank you."
He laughed. "Come on, Ace. Believe me. There's nothing in the world like sailing over open water with nothing but winds and sails to guide you."
"Ah, the urge to 'take to the sea.' How very Melville of you."
"There's nothing like it."
"I'll take your word for it."
Logan chuckled and step closer to her, bring their bodies into very intimate contact. As she continued to steer, Logan buried his face in her neck, breathing in the lovely scent of the ocean and his Ace. If there was a heaven, being out at sea, on his new boat with his beautiful girlfriend, was certainly was his version of it. He began to move his lips over the soft skin of her neck, placing light kisses in spots he knew turned her on.
Rory's hands remained firmly gripping the helm despite the sensations Logan's mouth and hands were eliciting. "Hey I'm trying to steer over here," she said in a throaty whisper. She tilted her head ever so slightly and moaned as Logan bit down on the flesh above her clavicle.
"And you're doing an excellent job of steering," he murmured against her skin.
"Am I?" she moaned. Her mind began to fog over with lust when she felt Logan's hand slip underneath her top. He was tracing circles on her stomach moving higher and higher ever so slowly.
"Logan, what are you doing?" she asked playfully.
His hands never stopped moving. "If you have to ask, then I'm not doing it right."
She giggled and leaned back into his chest.
"You know, if I'm not mistaken you are supposed to be in the baby blue bikini that bought you," he said suggestively.
"I have it on."
"Do you? I don't see it."
"The deal was that I had to wear it not that you had to see me wearing it."
Logan thought back to the conversation they had earlier that day. He laughed out loud. She had him. "Well...you got me there." He had to admire her. "That was very clever of you, Ace."
"I'm a smart girl," she said with smile.
"Yes, you are," he agreed continuing his assault on her neck. His hands moved further north and stopped just as his thumbs grazed her bikini top. She moaned. "You are also incredibly beautiful." He kissed her shoulder. "Unbelievably sexy." He bit down on her shoulder. "And I just can't get enough of you."
Logan turned her around and cut the boat's engine. Without another word, his lips were devouring hers. The kiss was forceful, urgent, full of need. Rory found herself pushed up against the helm. Her system was registering some discomfort at the fact that a hard object was pressing up against her back, but the look in Logan's eyes made any pain she was feeling insignificant. His eyes were so dark with lust that he looked…primitive, as if he would devour her completely.
"I want to see that bikini, Ace."
He was practically growling and Rory could do nothing but obey. She lifted her top over her head, removing it in one quick motion. As she did, Logan took care of pushing her skirt down. When she stood before him in nothing but that bathing suit, his hungrily eyes moved over her body. Logan had imagined her in this bikini so often, but no image he conjured could hold a candle to how she amazing she looked right then. Every curve was accented, miles of beautiful white flesh exposed. Nothing short of her naked body could ever be as beautiful. The light blue looked perfect against her pale skin and brought out the richness of her eyes. The two small triangles that covered her breasts were thin enough that he could see her hardened nipples. The strings of her top and bottom were tied loosely, dangling, just begging to be pulled.
Logan ran his hands and his mouth over as much of her exposed skin as he could find. He wanted to touch and taste every inch of her. Rory gripped the boat's steering wheel for support as Logan continued his attack on her body. She moaned and whimpered, crying out his name in soft whispers. Suddenly, she became very aware of just how exposed they were. She and Logan were, after all, standing on the open deck of his boat.
As if sensing her apprehension, Logan looked around and in a reassuring voice said, "Don't worry, Ace. We're at least five miles off shore. There's no one around. And we'll be able to hear if another boat is coming. Relax."
That was all the reassurance she needed. Rory let her body enjoy the thrills and sensations Logan was eliciting. Their mouths came together in another searing kiss. Logan fulfilled a fantasy and tugged at the strings of her bikini top. He untied the string behind her neck first and then the one at her back. He created just enough distance between their bodies so the tiny piece of material fell to silently at their feet. Rory then took the opportunity to pull his shirt off over his head, exposing his toned torso. They both groaned when their bodies came together, flesh against flesh.
The kisses continued as their bodies frantically rubbed against each other. Rory reached down and slipped her hand into the waistband of his shorts where she found him fully erect. The growl he emitted when she began stroking him was the sexiest sound she'd ever heard. Logan was finding it more and more difficult to breath, let alone concentrate. His last coherent thought involved untying the strings that held up Rory's bikini bottom. His girlfriend was now standing completely naked at the helm of his boat. He made a mental correction of his earlier thought. THIS was heaven. Logan sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and winked devilishly at her before lowering himself on his knees. He then took her right leg and hooked it over his shoulder.
"Logan, what are you…aaahhhhhh!"
It was nothing she'd ever experienced before. His mouth was so warm and when he slipped his tongue inside her, Rory nearly lost her balance. She was now gripping the helm for dear life. She needed it to stay vertical. Otherwise she might collapse and for the life of her, she didn't want this feeling to end.
Logan skillfully licked and sucked and nipped, creating pressure that was unlike anything Rory had ever imagined. She was literally dizzy with want. She could feel the beginnings of an orgasm as Logan pulled her closer changing the angle of her hips and delving his tongue even deeper into her.
"Oh my God!"
Logan tried to keep his eyes open, wanting to watch as she came undone. He wanted to savor this moment, the way she looked, the way she sounded, the way she tasted. The expression of desire and surrender on her face was so exhilarating. Add that to the sounds she was making brought him close to becoming undone himself. He felt her body tense signaling the approach of her climax. He increased his efforts using his hands to create more pressure.
Seconds later, Rory was screaming his name as she experienced the most powerful orgasm of her life. Her knees went weak and if Logan had not been prepared, she would have collapsed on the deck. Thankfully, he was thinking rationally enough to catch her.
"You ok?"
Rory's heart was pounding so hard in her chest, she was afraid it might explode. Was she ok? Honestly, she wasn't sure. Her pulse was racing, she could barely see straight, and her body was completely numb—but in a good way.
"Are you ok, Ace?"
She gave no answer.
"Rory?"
At the sound of her name, she gave the slightest of nods. It was the only response she could muster. They lay there on the deck silent, waiting for their bodies to calm down and return to normal.
"Wow," said Rory breaking the silence. "When you said you wanted to christen your boat, is this what you had in mind?"
Logan pulled her closer laughing lightly at her comment. His breathing had evened out and his kissed her temple. "This was more than I ever dreamed." Never had he felt more satisfied by any purchase he'd ever made. "I knew buying this boat was a great idea, I just had no idea it was going to be this great."
"Does that mean I'm allowed to steer again?" she asked sweetly.
"Ace, you are welcome to steer this boat anytime you want."
Rory and Logan spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying themselves, and each other, out on the water. It was just starting to get dark by the time they returned to the Gilmore's beach house. They were surprised to find the house empty with no sign of anyone. At Logan's insistence, they fired up the grill. The steaks were just about done when Kevin and Joanna walked onto the deck.
"There you are," said Rory. "We were getting worried. Where are Colin and Finn?"
"Off chasing after some girls," answered Kevin swiping something of the grill.
"And why aren't you with them?" she asked.
"Why would I do that when I was already with the prettiest girl on the beach," he answered sending Joanna a wink.
"Such a charmer this one," Joanna said to Rory.
"So you guys had a good afternoon?" asked Logan wondering if Kevin was going to come down hard on them about the disappearing act they pulled.
To his surprise, Kevin didn't say a word about it. In fact, he was in a very good mood. "Yeah, it was great. Are those almost ready?" he asked eyeing the steaks. "I'm starving."
"I think another minute should do it," answered Logan.
"Great. I'm going to get a beer. You want one?"
"Uh…yeah that would be great. Thanks, Kevin." He entered the house to retrieve the beers without so much as a stern look directed at his best friend and sister.
"Well, he's in a good mood," said Logan. He looked over at Joanna and asked, "What did you do to him?"
"Nothing," she replied. "You said to distract him so I did?"
"How?" wondered Logan. There was only one thing that put Kevin in that good of a mood.
"We talked."
"Talked?"
"Yes."
"Just talked?"
She nodded.
"Joanna's a really good talker," Rory informed him.
"And apparently an expert distracter as well," added Logan
"I do what I can," said Joanna.
Kevin returned with the promised beers just as Logan began plating the steaks. The four sat outside and enjoyed a wonderful dinner under the stars.
The next few days passed quickly. The group enjoyed a myriad of activities in addition to some much need relaxation. One day, they packed some coolers and headed for the marina, intent on spending the day on Logan's new boat. And since all the boys were fairly experienced sailors, they would actually be using the sails, something that Logan was really looking forward to. Everyone was pleasantly surprised when they saw the name painted on the back of the luxurious sailboat. Kevin in particular was shocked at the gesture. He, more than anyone, knew how important this boat was to Logan. The fact that he named the boat Ace, only reaffirmed how committed Logan was to his and Rory's relationship.
"You named her Ace?" asked Kevin with a questioning gaze as he boarded the sailboat for the first time.
"She needed a name," said Logan with a nonchalant smile.
"Yeah, but Ace?"
Logan shrugged his shoulders. "You don't approve?"
Kevin smiled catching the double meaning behind that question. "No, it's not that. I'm just…surprised."
Logan thought about his answer and nodded.
Kevin seemed to think a bit more and added, "It's…nice though Logan."
"Thanks, Kev."
A moment of awkward silence followed before the two began to busy themselves with the necessary tasks of the day.
Two weeks after they arrived, the group was sitting around watching a movie at the Huntzberger's house when a surprise visitor arrived.
"Hello? Hello?" called the cheerful voice. "Logan?"
All eyes turned toward the voice and standing in the foyer was a pretty blond.
"Honor!" said Logan getting up to greet her. "You made it." He enveloped her in a huge hug.
Honor laughed as he picked her up and spun her around. "I'm so happy to see you. I missed you."
"How was the bachelorette getaway?"
"Fabulous. And exhausting. Fabulously exhausting. I'll tell you all about it later." She looked over her brother's shoulder and smiled at the familiar faces. When she spotted Rory, she broke away from Logan and ran to her. "Oh my God! Rory?" she squealed giving her a hug. "Look at you. You're so tall. I don't remember you being this tall."
Rory happily returned the hug. "Well it's been a while. You look great, Honor."
"So do you. I can't believe how gorgeous you look. Boarding school definitely agreed with you. I want to hear all about it. Tell me everything. You must have had all the boys at that school begging for mercy."
"Not really," she said modestly. How does one respond to a statement like that?
"Somehow I doubt that," said Honor. "And who's this?" she asked indicating Joanna.
"This is my friend Joanna. We went to school together. She's visiting. Joanna this is Logan's sister Honor."
"Nice to meet you, Honor."
"Likewise," said Honor smiling brightly. "Now, Joanna, you can tell me the truth. Did young Rory over here drive the boys crazy at that boarding school?"
"She did actually," confirmed Joanna. "Had them following her around like puppies. It made me so proud."
Honor laughed. "I knew it. But, I'm thrilled you're back."
"Me too."
"Me three," said Logan coming up behind Rory and wrapping her up in his arms.
Honor eyed them curiously. Pointing at the pair she asked, "What's this?"
Logan laughed and smiled down at Rory.
"Does someone want to fill me in here?" Honor asked the group.
"Well, Honor," said Logan, "Rory and I are dating. She's my girlfriend."
Honor starred at them in shock. "I'm sorry did you say girlfriend?"
"Yes, Rory is my girlfriend."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Honor turned to Kevin, Colin and Finn for confirmation. "Seriously?"
They all nodded.
After a few seconds, the news finally seemed to sink in. "Oh my God!" She hugged Logan, and then Rory, and then Logan and Rory. "Oh my God! You two are dating! This is huge. How did I not know about this?"
"It's new," said Rory blushing slightly.
"But still, this is huge. I can't believe Mom didn't say anything."
"Oh she doesn't know," said Logan.
Honor seemed to think about that for a moment. "That's probably for the best. Knowing her, she'd have your engagement party planned before the end of the summer."
"That's why my grandparents don't know either."
"Well I need to hear all about it, every last detail."
"Honor," whined Logan.
"Oh hush," she scolded. "Not from you. From Rory. You and Joanna come upstairs and tell me everything."
Rory shrugged her shoulders and followed the perky blond up to her bedroom.
"Boys, grab my suitcases," yelled Honor over her shoulder and she and the other two girls disappeared into her room.
Hours later, the three girls were still holed up in Honor's bedroom. They caught up on each other's lives and exchanged some gossip. All in all, it was a very entertaining evening.
"I can't believe you're dating Logan."
"Me either."
"I mean I'm thrilled, but I'm still getting over the shock."
"I'm still getting used to it myself," said Rory. "But I'm really happy about it."
"I can tell. You're glowing. And so is he. That's what really blows my mind. Wait until news of this breaks. Tongues will be wagging."
Rory groaned. "I know. That's why we want to keep it quiet for as long as possible. You know how much people in Hartford love to gossip."
"Tell me about it," said Honor. "Last night, my parents dragged me to some party at the Grants."
"The Grants? Yuck. How did you keep from dying of boredom?"
"Well, the crowd was buzzing about Hartford's newest bachelor."
"Really?"
"Yes, apparently Janlen DuGrey's grandson is staying with him this summer."
Rory instantly paled. However, Honor didn't seem to notice because she continued talking.
"His name is Tristan."
"Umm…yeah I know."
"You do? How?"
"Oh…uhh…"
"Tristan went to school with us," interjected Joanna. She was watching Rory carefully with a growing concern.
"Oh that's right," said Honor. "He said he just came back from boarding school. You were at the same one? Wow, what a small world."
"Yeah," muttered Rory.
"Anyway, I only got to spend a few minutes talking to him, but oh my God what a sweetheart."
Rory looked more and more uncomfortable.
"And wow is he gorgeous! All the girls at the party were practically drooling. I mean he's far too young for me and I don't normally like blond guys, but even I have to admit, that is one beautiful boy. I mean you've seen him."
Rory starred blankly at Honor continuing to say nothing.
"Did you know him, Rory?"
She cleared her throat and nodded uncomfortably.
Honor, still not noticing how pale Rory had gotten, continued to dig for information on Hartford's newest citizen. "What is he like?" she asked.
Rory didn't know what to say so she just continued to stare.
"You know I'm not feeling very well," Joanna said suddenly. "I think we should go." She got up and pulled a very pale Rory out of the room despite Honor's attempts to get them to stay. Honor finally agreed to let them go after they'd promised to spend all day tomorrow with her.
Joanna led them out the back door, not wanting to run into the boys who were still gathered in the living room watching some sporting event. When they reached the Gilmore's house, Joanna followed Rory into her bedroom and sat her down.
"We need to talk."