Hey, I hate to bug you but are you busy next weekend?
Next weekend? Nothing important is coming to mind, why?
My office, the publishing one, is throwing a massive Labor Day Gala and we have all been ordered to ensure we bring respectable dates. All the head honchos will be there so I can't rely on what nonsense a stranger might spout. Are you around at all to be my plus one? Pretty please with a cherry on top?
Which day is it?
Saturday night.
But it's the weekend before Labor Day, not actual Labor Day weekend right?
Yep.
Okay, fine. I can do it, but you owe me.
Also…
What? What else is there?
There is a dress code.
How dumb is it?
White tie.
Really? Ror! Tails and all or just a tux?
I think they are hoping for tailcoats, they made a joke about the hat being optional.
Oh you will owe me big!
Thank you, thank you!
"Coming!" Rory shouted, as she ran barefoot to open her front door. She was pleasantly shocked to see how good Tristan looked in his tailcoat and white tie ensemble, he looked good, really good, it was almost enough to make her forget to invite him in.
"Come in, Come in. I just have to go get my shoes and shawl, I will be right out." She said walking into her bedroom. "Do you want a drink?" she shouted out through the open doorway.
"No, I'm good. You said we were leaving straight away, right?" Tristan asked, as he hovered in her entrance.
"Yep, I am ready to go right now," she said, walking out looking much more composed than thirty seconds earlier.
"Wow, you look amazing Rory," Tristan said, looking her up and down, taking in the silver V-neck floor-length chiffon lace dress with rhinestone covered lace at the top.
"Think I will pass inspection?" Rory quipped.
"Definitely. I think you would even pass an Emily Gilmore inspection in that dress, you look gorgeous," he said sincerely.
"Thank you, I'm pretty sure Granddad had to give Grandma an ativan at the idea of me picking a gown without her help, and she's up at the Cape so she couldn't get to the city easily. Let's go, the car should be downstairs for us."
"Where is this thing anyway?" Tristan asked, holding Rory's shawl as she locked her door.
"It's at Gotham Hall."
"I've never been there," he said, pressing the button to call the elevator.
"Me either, but it's meant to be really nice. Jessica in marketing was at a wedding there recently and they really impressed her."
"I thought they would have rented a library or something."
"They did that a few years ago for the Christmas Gala, they rented the New York Public library. They can't be seen to repeat that again for a few more years, if ever."
"That makes sense." Tristan stated, as they got off the elevator, he was already looking for their car, which he knew was pointless, as he wasn't even sure what form of transport they were taking.
"I think that's our car, will you run out and check? It's under Gilmore," Rory asked, pointing at the sleek black town car. She watched him run out, still surprised by how dashing he looked, she was actually sad that the tails on his jacket covered his ass as he bent down to talk to the driver. At his nod that it was their car, she took a deep breath to try to calm herself and followed him out.
"Okay we can start to relax now," Rory said, giving Tristan a smile. "I have said hello to all the important people and we have survived dinner." The two-some had been at the Gala for almost three hours and Tristan had been introduced to more people than he could keep up with.
"Oh so this is when it moves from business stuff to fun stuff?" Tristan asked.
"Yes, well kinda, I would still need to be on relatively good behavior, you a little less so," she said with a shrug.
"In that case, I am going to get something stronger to drink, are you sticking with wine or would you like a martini?" Tristan asked, gesturing at the glass of red wine she had been nursing for the past hour.
"Maybe bring me a martini, but if you can't I'm okay sticking with the wine, thank you. Do you need me to come with you?"
"I can handle going to the bar by myself Mare," Tristan said, rolling his eyes.
"Okay, okay, I was just trying to be nice. Go on then." As Rory watched him walk away, she spotted Rachel, one of her friends from work nearby so she moved to greet her.
"Hey Rachel! How are you? Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Hi Rory! I'm good. This is Mark, my fiance, I don't think you have met yet. Yes we are having a great time, although I won't lie, I'm glad that the stuffy parts are over. If you know what I mean?"
"Hi Mark, nice to meet you," Rory said, reaching out to shake his hand. "I know, I was stuck beside some of the non-fiction guys for dinner, it was torture. I just wanted to hit them over the head with a fantasy book to see if they can talk about anything interesting."
"True, those guys need to learn to lighten up. So did you come alone?" Rachel asked, having realized Rory wasn't with any of the guys surrounding them.
"No, my friend Tristan came with me, he just headed to the bar to get us some drinks, he should be back soon," Rory explained.
"Just a friend? Are you still on that dating ban?"
"It's not really a dating ban, more like I'm waiting for someone of the right, what's the word, caliber to turn up. I'm fed up with duds."
"So what's wrong with this Tristan then?" Rachel asked. "Bad hair? Cross eyed? Dull as wallpaper?"
"What do you mean?" Rory asked, confused.
"Well, why is he friend zoned?"
"He's not friend zoned, he just has always only been a friend, we went to high school together." Rory said.
"That's him over there at the bar, with the blonde hair, talking to Marissa, well I think it's Marissa."
"Him!" Rachel exclaimed. "Rory he is hot! Why are you keeping him in the friend zone? Does he have a girlfriend already, cause if he doesn't, judging by Marissa's flirting, he might be leaving with one."
"He is good looking, I'll give you that. He used to have this awful cocky attitude because he knew it. Now though, he is one of my best friends, I have never thought of him in any other way." Rory said honestly. While watching Tristan laugh and smile at the beautiful blonde at the bar flirting with him, something about that was causing a pang in her chest.
"Does he live in Manhattan as well?" Rachel asked.
"No, Boston. He is an architect there," Rory said, shaking her head to try and tear her focus away from Tristan. "So Mark, what is it you do?"
"Oh I'm a CPA at a firm here in the city so nothing very exciting." Mark said, with a genuine smile.
"I'm sure you enjoy it. How long have you guys been together? I don't think you have ever mentioned it Rachel?" Rory asked, trying to focus on the conversation, and not her sudden thoughts about her friend.
"Since our last year at Stamford. We were introduced by mutual friends and the rest as they say is history," Rachel said, smiling at her fiance.
"Oh well you guys are lucky, the selection out there is awful. If I have to deal with one more family set up or a bad date, I will scream." Rory said, laughing to show them she wasn't too serious.
"I am pretty lucky," Mark says looking at Rachel.
"Isn't that sweet," Rory says with a laugh.
"Do you need a drink Rory? I'm just heading to the bar to refresh our drinks?" Mark asks, gesturing to Rory's empty wine glass.
"No, it's okay. Tristan is meant to be bringing me back a drink," Rory says with a falsely bright smile, trying to ignore the sympathetic look Rachel is aiming at her.
"So Rory, do you still go to Hartford a lot?" Rachel asked, trying to cover any awkwardness.
"Yep, unfortunately I do. At least twice a month I end up there for family stuff, my grandparents are still there, and you know it's only thirty minutes to my Mom's."
"Have you ever been to the club there? My Mom is trying to talk Mark and I into having our ceremony outside the city, and she has mentioned it a few times."
"Actually I have, quite a lot actually. My grandparents are members so I have been to weddings, cotillions and debutante balls all there. It is a very nice venue," Rory said honestly.
As they devolved into a discussion of possible venues in the tristate area, Rory tried to ignore how it felt when Mark upon returning from the bar subtly slid a martini over to her.
"Have you seen Tristan? I am heading out soon, I have brunch plans that I need to be out of the city for in the morning?" Rory asked, smiling at the couple who had helped her stay busy the past hour.
"Last I saw he was at the bar with Marissa, but that was a while ago," Rachel answered, looking at Mark.
"I haven't seen them in a while either," Mark said.
"That's okay, he has his cell phone. I will text him and let him know I headed home," Rory said, smiling. "Our apartments are two different directions anyway so it isn't like we would have shared a cab."
"Are you sure?"
"Oh yeah, it's fine. If you see him let him know, but otherwise, I will see you on Monday Rachel, Mark it was very nice to meet you." Rory said, aiming a genuine smile at the couple trying to ignore the sympathy in their eyes.
Couldn't find you before I left. I hope you had a good night. I got home safely.
