I was just in the mood to write today, so I decided to play hooky from thesis-writing. And honestly, I kind of wanted to write this right after I uploaded the previous chapter. I cannot believe we're 17 chapters in, and over 400 reviews! Big congratulations to JoPo and thank you for reviewing all of my writings regularly! And thank you all for sticking with me, reading, reviewing and enjoying this story, especially since we all know that I'm terrible at updating, so it makes it extra special! Thanks!

This chapter covers a lot of ground – we've got some character development for Rory, the aftermath of the Logan-Mitchum meeting and another Tuesday seminar. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the sweetness that is Gilmore Girls.

For Rory, Wednesday was supposed to be business as usual, what with her normal morning seminar and afternoon get together with some industry official. There were not any super-secret important meetings that required spur-of-the-moment plane rides and overnight stays.

The thing was, though, that it wasn't business as usual. She was almost late for class after falling back asleep after her alarm had gone off. Apparently, she'd become accustomed to the smell of freshly set coffee - and the man who presented her with the steaming mug - as an extra wake-up call. Without her morning chit-chat she felt as if something was missing…

Nevertheless, she managed to get to class on time and as her peers heaved a heavy sigh at the topic "E-readers: Friend or Foe?", she thrived, nailing each question hurled her way. Of course, she was not all too interested in E-readers, especially considering that she'd much rather hold a book made of real paper and ink, but it was a distraction. And, more importantly, it was part of the program and that's why she was in London.

Before the Future Writers were expected at Claridges Banquet Hall for a mock-graphics and design meeting with Leslie Greene, Rory, Gemma and Nicholas stopped at a small London coffee house to snack on lattes and cream-cheese topped bagels.

"Rory, I can't believe you managed to take that seminar seriously," Gemma said as she took a sip of her iced coffee. "That man, what's his name, Munson?..." she gabbed on, not really wanting or waiting for an answer, "…really has no clue what he's going on about, does he? I mean, does he honestly think that everyone is always going to have the latest technology?"

Nicholas nodded in agreement. "Not everyone is in the financial position to drop a couple hundred quid on whatever Apple comes out with," he smiled smugly as he ran a finger over his new I-Phone.

Rory frowned a little at Nick's incessant need to show-off his expensive gadgets; however, she chalked this up to a difference of class. The true elite did not need to talk about money, simply because they had enough of it to know it was in poor taste to discuss it openly.

"Munson's not a bad guy," Rory shrugged as she joined in the conversation. Actually, according to Logan, Phillip Munson was the only competent tech-advisor and genuinely nice guy on HPG's board and Rory couldn't help but agree with Logan. "He may be a little long-winded, but he's right when he says that – eventually – the whole world will be online. Maybe not on the latest I-Phones, but last year's model will put you online just the same…"

Rory reached for her giant coffee as Gemma and Nick exchanged a faintly bugged look, which she caught. "What?"

Gemma rolled her eyes in a semi-playful way. "We aren't in class anymore, Rory. No professors to impress, no grades to win, you don't have to have the perfect answer at the ready."

Under the scrutiny of Rory's tense glare, Gemma added a light laugh for good measure but it did nothing to change the expression on Rory's face. Criticism – constructive or otherwise - did not sit well with her. Not only was it uncalled for, but she was a Gilmore-Hayden for crying out loud! Sure the gossip rags did their fair share of commenting on her every move, but that was out of her hands, and an entirely different matter. She felt no need to be criticized in person, especially not by two upper-middle-class, wanna-be-snobs donning last years Ralph Lauren.

A tight smile formed at Rory's lips. "I see."

"Oh, don't pout now," Nick laughed. "You're not honestly mad, are you?"

Rory purposely bit off a piece of her bagel so as to avoid Nick's intrusive question. How could she not be mad? Nick and Gemma were supposed to be her friends! Dave and Lane – the only other real friends she had - never judged her, even in the aftermath of He-Who-Didn't-Love-Me-Back, Dave and Lane were there with her, helping her rationalize her very, very poor decisions and terribly low standards.

It occurred to Rory that Gemma and Nick didn't know that Rory, the dark-and-twisty version of herself; of course they only knew the practically perfect persona she created. Here, she was the girl everyone loved to hate because she knew all the right answers, because she made good grades and because she was the teachers pet. Inwardly, she shook her head at how she completely turned her life around, from one extreme to the other.

Maybe Gem and Nick did have a point, maybe she should lighten up a bit; however, she knew she couldn't. Rory knew just how quickly she could go back to the dark-and-twistiness. Richard's death had landed her right there. Drunkenly making her way through his eulogy, publically making a fool of herself, knocking back G&Ts in gazebos and crying into Logan's weak-knees inducing chest. And, therefore again, making a fool of herself.

Rory washed down her bagel with a swig of coffee, and decided that if it came down to it, she'd rather be known for her smarts than her rebellious antics. She rather want Logan to know her for smarts than rebellious antics. "I'm not mad," Rory said through a heavy sigh.

"You had to think about it, though, eh?" Nick teased and Rory smirked a little. "Guess I don't always have the perfect answer at the ready."

"I suppose not," Gemma shot her friend a sympathetic smile and was about to apologize, but Rory stopped her before she could and side-stepped to a new topic of conversation. "This is a really great spot, I can't believe I didn't know about it!"

"Oh, it's been here for ages," Gemma gushed, "Next time you'll have to try the strawberry and banana topped bagel, it's outrageously good."

"It's fruit, Gemmy," Nick winked, "you know Rory doesn't eat that!"

Before Rory could respond her cell buzzed and without glancing at the display, she automatically picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey Ace."

Her breath hitched and her heart skipped a beat. It was Logan. He was calling her. On her cell phone, in the middle of the day, breaking all sorts of unspoken rules.

"Hi, uh, hey-hi," she stumbled, thanking her sub-conscious for not bursting out his name. Rory pulled the phone away from her ear and directed herself toward her friends, curiousness written on both their faces. "I'm just going to take this outside," she said as casually as possible, before scooting of her stool and walking out the door. She didn't resume the conversation until she had found herself a relatively quiet and private spot on the busy sidewalk.

"Catch you at a bad time?" Logan asked and Rory could practically see him smirking.

"I'm having lunch with Gemma and Nicholas…"

"…at Café 42?" he asked nonchalantly.

"No, at Elliot's," Rory replied, a little taken aback by the casual route this conversation was taking. Surely, Logan hadn't just called to shoot the breeze and especially not when their cover could be blown.

However, Logan didn't seemed to care, as he babbled on about how he loved the bagels at Elliot's but how he and Finn could never go in, because of Finn's track record with the female wait staff.

"Um," Rory interrupted hesitantly, a anxious feeling taking over her body as she feared that Nick or Gemma would come out and find her talking on the phone to him. "It's not that I don't like taking to you, because I do…."

"Mitchum's an asshole, Ace," Logan cut through Rory's nervous rambling. "How I'm related to that man is a mystery. A big, giant, mystery. It's that I know my mother is hopelessly devoted to him otherwise I'd ask for a paternity test. And from here on out Troy Gibson will for always be referred to as Troll Glibson!"

A half-smile captured Rory's face – he was calling her to vent. "So, I take it the meeting wasn't all sunshine and roses?"

Logan snorted into the phone. "Waste of my fucking time."

"So what was so bad?" Rory asked as she glanced over her shoulder to make sure her privacy wasn't in jeopardy.

She heard him sigh deeply, but it was clear he wasn't in the mood to go into details. "Mitchum is just Mitchum. It's the constant power struggle. He won't hear me out on my business plans and he gets his kicks treating me like a kid. Like I'm clueless about the industry."

"He doesn't think your clueless, otherwise he wouldn't made you my mentor," Rory reminded him gently and Logan smirked a bit. "Maybe so. But I still hate Mitchum."

"Understandably," Rory agreed, before letting out a deep sigh. "I should really give him a call, before he summons me to a meeting in Scotland, too!"

Logan chuckled, "He wouldn't do that to you. But calling wouldn't be a bad idea," he mentioned as an afterthought. " Got to play it safe, you know."

She absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "So, where are you now?"

"In the car, almost at the airport."

"So you'll be home tonight?" She couldn't hide the excitement in her tone, though she wasn't the only one.

"No place in the world I'd rather be."

The emotion in his tone caught her off-guard and left her unable to come back with a casual, funny remark, which had become part of their trademark banter. Perhaps feeling self-conscious about his confession, Logan carried on the conversation as if nothing had happened. "I was thinking I'd make paella for dinner?"

Rory scrunched up her nose, "Or pizza…?"

Logan laughed, knowing there was no way his Mediterranean rice would win over Rory's pizza craving. "So pizza it is."

"Yay!" Rory squealed, "we should probably order an extra pizza and some of those cheesy breadsticks…"

"Finn's still in wallowing mode?" Logan asked.

"Major wallowing mode," Rory informed him. "Oh, and we need ice-cream."

"You finished the gallon tub of ice-cream?"

"Hey, don't judge!" she shot back playfully.

"Hey, I'm not judging," Logan laughed, "I'll pick some up on my way home. But I'm picking the flavor."

"As long as it's Chocolate Cherry that's fine by me," Rory teased and Logan laughed again, before turning a little more serious. "You don't think we can persuade Finn that a night on the town is the recipe to mend his broken heart?"

Rory's smile spread a little further at what Logan was driving at. "Probably not. He's is bad shape and he'll be on the couch between you and me. Crying."

"Well isn't that pleasant," Logan said sarcastically.

"Yep. I know," she sighed, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about the conversation she was having with him. "Hey, look. I've got to go. Gemma and Nick are probably going to start looking for me any minute."

"Probably," Logan agreed. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't think when I called. You've got class and that design and graphics meeting to get to…"

"Don't worry," Rory interrupted him, and softened her tone. "I'm glad you called. Even if it was a bit risky."

"Well, I like risks." Again, she could practically see his smirk, and she knew a similar one was gracing her face as she replied. "That's good to know."

She heard him swallow. "See you tonight, Ace."

Rory said her goodbyes before disconnecting the call. Her screen lit up "Call Ended: Distraction." She rolled her eyes at how she'd listed him in her phone. He was certainly a distraction - her palms were slightly sweaty and her heart was pounding so hard in her chest she was sure passersby could hear it, too. In the fifty steps or so back to the café, she managed to collect herself.

"Hey," she smiled casually as she approached the table.

"You, my friend, are the Queen of Babble," Gemma laughed, "Nick and I almost started a search party."

"Well…you know…" Rory dismissed Gemma's comment with a wave of her hand, but Gemma wasn't going to be brushed off so easily. "So you aren't going to tell me who took up most of your precious lunch-break? A lover stateside, perhaps?" she asked with a mischievous raise of an eyebrow.

Rory coughed loudly, almost chocking on the last bite of her bagel and Nick's questioning eyes flew to hers.

"Are you alright?" he asked, handing Rory her coffee cup. She took it, gratefully, and proceeded to take a giant sip.

"So, I take that as a yes, then?" Gemma grinned, but Rory simply shook her head and smiled.

"It was my Mom. We can talk for hours."

"Oh."

Gemma sounded somewhat disappointed, considering the girl lived for delicious gossip and Rory couldn't help but notice the relief that shone through Nicholas' tone. She didn't allow herself to read too much into that – she was just happy it sounded convincing. Rory almost believed herself, had it not been for the film of sweat to appear on the palms of hands.

Logan really didn't know why he had called Rory, but as he left Mitchum's office, being pissed off and emotional, he dialed her number without thinking and not really caring about the consequences. Nick or Gemma could've picked up Rory's phone as a joke, they could've seen his name flashing across the screen, she could've picked up with a casual "Hey, Logan." And it would've been him that'd blown their cover and it'd be his ass Mitchum would want to kick. Hard. Even though his call was stupid and reckless, the way she talked to him – let him vent without judging him, and made him laugh even, was enough to outweigh the risks.

And, there was no mistake, it was a risk. "That's good to know". The flirty desire and lust was practically tangible as those words made their way over the phone, and Logan was sure that if they had been having that conversation in the privacy of his kitchen, he would leaned in and crushed his lips against hers. His self-control was slipping and not just in that way. Here he was picking up cherry chocolate ice-cream and pizzas for her, because she'd shoot him a grateful smile, and that smile was better than home-cooked paella.

As much as Logan wanted to give into the temptation, he was also happy that Finn was in one of his "love-is-a-train-wreck" modes and spent his days moping on the couch. The boy was a magnificent buffer and judging by Rory's behavior, she seemed to agree. The flirtatious smiles and the quick looks were still there, but she seemed more focused and driven then ever before. It was extreme, but so was he and he could appreciate that.

Tuesday's seminar arrived quicker than Rory and Logan had realized. For Logan, it was another two hours of hoping that his behavior towards Rory wasn't too different from the way he treated others. For Rory, it was another two hours of not-too-obvious ogling (she hoped!) as she absorbed all of the knowledge he was willing to share.

"Today we have an exciting topic," Logan announced to the still-groggy group. "We'll start off with some negotiation and debate points and then we'll split up into teams to put that debate theory into practice."

His students – apart from Rory, and Gemma, he noticed – shot him a less than impressed look. "Well, I for one, can't imagine a better way to start my Tuesday morning," Logan quipped and started his lecture.

After some tips and tricks, Logan divided the students into groups and the debating started. It soon became clear that Rory's team was a force to reckon with. Together with her team mates, she crushed opponent after opponent, which was slightly amusing at first, but after four rounds it was starting to become a little cruel and Logan stopped the exercise.

"So, it seems that Miss Gilmore's team is out for the kill," Logan commented dryly as the students found their way back to their seats.

"Not true – she's just an awesome team captain, Mr. Huntzberger," Nicholas said as slunk down in to his chair.

"Well, that's good to hear," Logan shot Nick a tight smile, before turning his attention towards his class.

"Miss Gilmore is offering you all stiff competition. Be aware of that, and remember what's at stake…"

"...a year long position at HPG's head offices in London," someone from the back called.

"Indeed," Logan nodded, "I'm sure this still sounds appealing to you..."

"London is an amazing city, sir," Gemma interjected excitedly, "if living here doesn't sound appealing, you really should have your head checked!"

Logan shrugged as he cocked his head to the side, slightly amused by Gemma's brashness. "Very true," he agreed and a big grin spread over Gemma's face.

"Well, I wouldn't mind staying in London," Rory announced suddenly and much to Logan's surprise – she usually didn't go out of her way to draw attention to herself.

"Is that so?" Logan asked, as his eyes found their way to hers.

Rory swallowed, feeling the effects of his intense gaze. "Yes." She hoped no one heard the slight crack in her voice. "I like…London."

The tiniest of smirks tugged at Logan's lips and the words left his mouth before he could stop them. "That's good to know."

Her heart skipped a beat; those were her words, boomeranged back at her, laced with the same flirty undertones and desire.

He coughed, and she averted her gaze, breaking their eye contact. "For the board. Obviously, it's good for them to know who likes London."

"I believe we all do, Mr. Huntzberger," Gemma's harsh accent cut through the room and Logan looked at her. "Well, good. Means it'll be a long final meeting and we can order Chinese food. I love Chinese food."

A polite chuckle flitted through the room and with a curt nod Logan dismissed his group of Future Writers.

"Whatcha reading there, Ace?" His voice cut through her thoughts and Rory looked up to find Logan – tie loose and top shirt buttons popped open – smiling above her. She scrambled to sit up straight and held up her book so he could see the cover. "Huck Finn," Rory answered, silently cursing herself for wearing PJs. Really – who changes into sweats and an oversized t-shirt at four in the afternoon?

Surprised, Logan raised his eyebrow. "What, no home work?," before following up by asking if she wanted a cup of coffee.

"Vanilla latté, please," Rory answered as she followed him into the kitchen and sat at her usual place at the breakfast bar.

She watched Logan as he fixed their drinks. She loved how he knew how to operate the coffee machine by heart and how his strong hands twisted the cap off the rum bottle, or how he easily popped the top on his can of ice-cold cola. Rory liked how he took the first sip alcohol-free, straight from the can. Logan always followed up with a little sigh of pure pleasure – much like the sound she made after her first sip of coffee. It was cute. He was cute.

She'd just have to give in to having a constant film of sweat on her palms.

He handed her the freshly brewed coffee concoction and smirked as she got lost in the first sip of her beverage.

"Good coffee?"

"Excellent."

"Good," he nodded approvingly. "So, are you going to tell me why you aren't doing your homework?"

Rory pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed at what she was about to tell him. "It's kind of finished."

Logan put his glass back down on the counter. "What? There's, like, a month left…"

"That's why I'm kind of finished. I'm sure they'll be a few extra assignments, but I finished everything on the syllabus…."

"The essays and the assignments?" he asked, shooting her a mock-challenging look.

"Yep," Rory nodded. "All spell-checked and everything."

"Hm. What about the required reading?" he asked, narrowing his eyes to playful slits.

"Logan, I read all of the books on the required reading list. Twice."

"In your life?" he asked.

"No, in the time that I was here," she responded as if he comment was crazy.

"What?" he asked again, this time with genuine surprise in his tone.

Rory threw her head back in laugher. "You know there are only six or seven books on that list, right? It's the bare minimum of literature."

"Yeah," he shrugged, "but still!"

Rory shrugged a little and took a sip of her coffee. Logan sighed, and took a sip of his rummy coke. "So, this means you're done?"

"Pretty much," she nodded.

Logan was impressed. "That's amazing, Ace." Actually, she was amazing. Normally, that thought would've made him uncomfortable, but ever since his Glasgow trip and the risk-taking phone call, something shifted. He spent so long trying to fight those thoughts: the "treat like sister" imposed rule, the nights at the office, ignoring the whole situation, but it didn't help. There was something about her that he was just drawn to, even way back when on that first transatlantic flight. He told himself it was for fun, just a game, but subconsciously he had to have known it was going to be more than that.

By now, he was flat out staring at her and Rory felt his eyes on her. "You okay?" she asked, adding a tiny chuckle to her question.

"What are you doing next Friday?" he asked her. He himself was slightly taken aback at how rapidly those words left his mouth and she too was considering the fact that her eyes grew to the size of saucers and she was rendered speechless.

All in all, it wasn't a bad reaction – she was slightly overwhelmed – but nothing a little backtracking couldn't fix. "Three weeks before the big FTF-finale, there is a opportunity for one special student to go along on a business trip," Logan explained.

"Okay," she nodded, not entirely seeing where Logan was taking this.

"This year, it's in Paris. I'm acquiring a new paper."

"You are?" Rory's nose scrunched up in confusion and a small smile played at his lips. "Well, not just me, Ace, but I oversee these things…"

She managed to nod, but the humor he was trying to add to the conversation was lost on her, so he continued with his explanation. "The other board members and I still have to get together and decide who's worthy of this prize, and I can't think of any one other than you."

He waited a beat for his words – and what he said between the lines – to sink in. She tore her gaze off him as she mulled over what he was saying. It was real, the stolen glances, the intense smiles, the flirty banter, the sweaty palms, the thump, thump, thump of her heart; it was all real. Her mind hadn't been playing tricks on her. He was more than her mentor, more than a distraction, and more than she could ignore. Rory didn't worry about the magnitude of the risk she was taking, professionally as well as with her heart - he stood here before her offering her Paris and so much more. Slowly, her eyes found his again.

"So, Paris?" she asked in a small, slightly unsure voice.

"Paris," Logan nodded affirmatively. He leaned down and rested his elbows on the counter, allowing him to be eye-to-eye with Rory. "We'd have to be on our best behavior during the day…" he warned, before he reached out and brushed the back of her hand with his fingers, "…but I know this little restaurant no one from HPG knows about."

Her eyes dropped to the marble breakfast bar, where her right hand was completely covered by one of his beautiful hands. She was glad they weren't actually holding hands; the sweat was probably a turn-off and besides, it'd give away her nerves.

She looked up and smiled at him, letting him know that the semi-handholding was okay. "What restaurant?" she asked, her question laced with excitement.

"Well, I can't tell you, that'd ruin the surprise.." he teased, gently and ever so slightly moving his fingers over the back of her hand. Rory nipped her bottom lip at his touch and a shiver went down his spine. All of this from simple skin-to-skin contact – holding hands! He'd never experienced something as straightforward as that to be so intense. He imagined what effect that'd have on their first kiss, and the first time he'd lay eyes on her naked form...

"You know I hate surprises!" Rory's pout brought him back to the here-and-now. "Just reveal a little bit?"

One look and he gave in. "Well, since we have to be careful about not getting caught, I thought we'd go to Nice, which is a 90 minute flight away from Paris…"

For the second time, Rory was left wide-eyed and speechless. It was obvious to her that whatever feelings he harbored didn't just happen overnight. This date – could she call it a date? – was something he'd thought over. "A private dinner-for-two in Nice," she repeated slowly, letting it really sink in. "That sounds perfect."

Logan tipped his head to the side, smirk in place. "I believe I had a date to make-up for?"

Rory's eyes flew to his – so she could call it a date – and she tipped her head, smirk pulling at her lips, to match his position.

"That you do."

Gah! So, so close to a kiss, but it's not meant to be.. not yet (if you want to be spoiled, just PM me, I'll give you the scoop). I hope I did okay on this chapter. Maybe the date is a bit sudden, since they both kept their feelings hidden for so long, but then again, maybe not! Review if your excited for the next chapter!