Logan was in the middle of a meeting with a client. Colin was there too, and it was him that had just taken over presenting their ideas from Logan, who'd returned to his seat. Knowing more or less what Colin was about to say, and knowing that his case was already made and solid, he idly glanced down at his phone, not really expecting much. Half a dozen new e-mails, news alerts, a voice mail from his sister - that was the usual. But there it was. A simple three line text from an unknown number.
"I'll be at Bubby's tonight at 6 if you still want to meet up /Rory" it said, referring to the coffee shop on her street corner.
It was the urgency in which Logan read it - once, twice, three times, nearly not believing his eyes, that stood out. After all, it had been more than a week since he'd seen her. What Logan didn't realize then was how well Colin had read him, even whilst in the middle of his presentation.
"We should have a poker night," Colin said, after they'd walked out onto the street from the place where they'd had the meeting.
"Sure," Logan replied, frowning skeptically because he was surprised by how out of the blue this suggestion was.
"You really need to improve your poker face, Logan. Because that must've been some good news you got there. Don't think I didn't notice," Colin added.
He didn't know about Logan going to see Rory the second time, believing the first time was bad enough to not go looking for repeats. Truthfully, Colin hoped this time was someone new that would make Logan's eyes light up like that - and Logan was not unaware of his well meaning candor about hoping he'd learn to have fun again. Fun - love, laughter, lust, mischief - whatever worked for him.
"When?" Logan played oblivious for a minute.
"When I was explaining to Jordan how to save a crapload on taxes," Colin specified.
"Oh, that," Logan shrugged.
"Yes, that," Colin reflected, widening his eyes.
Logan took a moment before he explained and sighed, knowing Colin would have a thing or two to say about his answer.
"I asked Rory if she'd be willing to sit down for coffee and catch up. Just as friends, you know," Logan said, shrugging his shoulders lightly.
"And that was her saying 'yes'?" Colin assumed correctly, raising his eyebrows.
"She's willing to meet me tonight," Logan confirmed.
"You realize that this has a very good chance of being the worst idea you've had in a while, right?" Colin replied.
"What's wrong with catching up?" Logan chimed in return, intentionally naively.
"You know I love Rory. But you have to be careful… After you two broke up - you should've seen yourself. She destroyed you, man," Colin shared, adding - "And teasing yourself with what could've been or 'the one that got away' really isn't wise, I'm sorry," showing a side of him that most never saw.
"I'm not meeting with her to start something. We were friends first before. And I'm genuinely curious how she's doing," Logan replied, defensively. "Besides, I don't want the one time we see each-other since…..," Logan said, growing thoughtful of that awful May in 2007. "I want us to clear the air and move on, respectfully," he added.
"Ugh…," Colin groaned, not believing for a second that things would be so easy. But he knew well enough he was not the one to stop Logan from doing anything he put his mind to.
Logan's arrival at the already familiar coffee shop on Rory's street corner wasn't at all like he'd planned. It was more like a literal push through the door by his two buddies, who stumbled in right behind him. Logan felt like he was being followed by his two stooges, to whom all of this was one big joke. In reality he knew it was Colin and Finn doing what they considered as watching over him. Naturally, Logan didn't feel like he needed protecting, let alone from Rory. He just felt ridiculous letting it happen this way - he didn't need a chaperone, let alone two.
Thankfully, it seemed that their presence helped to wipe the sour look Logan was half expecting from Rory's face based on their previous encounters so far and replace it with a smile. He hadn't really figured out what that had been - was she really that reluctant to see him?
"Mother!" Finn exclaimed, taking first dibs on hugging Rory with lavish endearment. "You know it's dangerous, right? You becoming a redhead," he commented, looking over her new hair color.
"Ha-ha," Rory teased.
"Keep it in your pants, Finn," Coling scolded him. "Hi. It's good to see you!" he said, giving her a slightly more casual hug.
It was Logan's turn, but somehow after two accidental meetings before now a hug felt too awkward, and too personal. And after staring at the other for a few seconds too long that would've been seen as casual, the two just awkwardly said "Hi," nearly simultaneously, and sat down without physical contact.
"So, tell us, how have you been?" Finn inquired, after rolling his eyes on Logan's tentativeness, and took a seat behind the table Rory had gotten for the two originally.
"I don't even know where to start," Rory began, letting out a deep exhale.
Logan just sat back, and prepared himself to just listen and observe. To him Rory looked oddly relieved - maybe she really didn't want to see him as much as them? He was relatively surprised himself that he felt relieved of their company, as his mind suddenly felt very empty of words again.
"When Logan told us you were in town, and just a few blocks from the office, we thought he was making things up," Colin commented.
"Well, I can tell you I'm flesh and bone, not made up at all, you see?" Rory said, pinching herself on the forearm.
"So, I assume you know about the business?" Finn asked, often liking to turn things around on himself.
"I can google," Rory replied, explaining possibly how she'd also mastered Logan's phone number, considering he'd changed numbers since then.
"She says she can google? Is that right?" Finn reflected, teasingly.
Rory laughed, reminding Logan of that incredible laughter he'd once had the privilege to listen to on a daily basis. But at the same time he reminded himself that it was Rory who hadn't wanted to marry him and had chosen her career over him. He wasn't mad, he thought he understood by now. At least a little better than he had three years ago. But that didn't mean he hadn't been hurt in the process.
"Did anyone tell you that it's theoretically a really bad idea to go into business with your friends?" Rory asked in return.
"Touché," Colin chuckled.
"I think we've been doing a fenomenal," Finn declared.
"I think we can't complain so far," Colin agreed.
"It's a bit early to start handing out 'best teamwork' awards, guys," Logan commented.
"So, who's idea was it?" Rory asked.
The two other men cast a meaningful look towards Logan.
"I guess that would be me," Logan admitted. "I was looking for a fresh start and I had a couple of consultation clients lined up here so it was either doing it myself or doing it with the people I trust," he added.
"No reason to get mushy, Logan. But I love you too, mate," Finn said, patting Logan's shoulder.
"You see what I am dealing with here?" Logan replied, mostly speaking to Rory at this point, and chuckled, relaxing himself a little.
"Well, all I'm saying it's brave of you," Rory replied.
"What about you?" Logan asked.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten the ability to google?" Rory shot back.
"I guess I was just a little careful not to go down the rabbit hole?" Logan replied.
"I bet you're some big shot journalist," Colin replied.
"Close, but 'big shot' is way too generous," Rory replied, humbly. "But I did get a fellowship at the New York Times. A few years later than planned but…," Rory answered the question with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Really? You got the Reston!?" Logan reflected excitedly, just sensing how Rory wanted to gloat a lot more than she was showing.
"I did," Rory nodded, smilingly, unable to hide her happiness of the fact. "I've just started, so I've been working my ass off," she added.
"Oh, I know you could do it..!" Logan cheered, nearly slipping on calling her 'Ace' just now. He felt like hugging her, but held off.
"Congrats!" Colin added.
"Ditto," Finn said, adding - "What's the Reston?" innocently.
Logan and Rory chuckled, before Rory actually gave them a quick recap on what she'd been doing on a day-to-day basis.
The entire time that she spoke, Logan couldn't stop beaming how proud he felt of her. At least choosing the work over him had actually paid off. She was exactly where she wanted to be. And she looked deliriously happy, even if not terribly well rested. It was a beautiful sight.
After a while, going over everyone's headlines for the past years except Logan's, his turn having simply not come up yet, Finn and Colin began to get restless. In their case that usually meant that they started to flirt with anyone with a pulse and ask the waitress to get them something a little stronger from the back. For Logan, it was mostly embarrassing at this point.
"Those two haven't really changed, have they?" Rory reflected, breaking the awkward silence of observing Finn and Colin do their thing.
"Except for when it comes to work. But only occasionally," Logan replied, adding a chuckle.
"So, what about you? Besides the business, I mean," Rory asked, resting her chin on her fists as she prepared to listen.
"Oh, well… there really isn't much. I mean, we just moved here. Palo Alto was… great but at the same time not what I expected. Less 'great' in the end, I suppose?" Logan shrugged, not being too proud of how what whole thing had gone. A large contributor to his only moderate success there had also been his self-destructiveness at one point. Too much work and fun eventually had done a number on him.
"That's too bad. Or well - maybe not, you're here now, aren't you?" Rory discussed.
"I guess. But it's different now. In EPA… I always felt like I had a safety net. Like even if I failed, all it really would take was me to pull my tail between my legs and go begging for a job from my dad. But now it's just me. Except Honor - I've cut ties. I've got no connection to them," Logan shared, nearly going into proudly explaining how they didn't pay his bills anymore. He hadn't realized he'd wanted to share that particular part that badly - and this made him wonder whether he was in some ways trying to prove something to Rory with all of this.
"Really? That must've gone over well," Rory replied.
"Yeah, tell me about it. But it's how things are. And I think this way I have more reason to appl myself," Logan said. He'd missed talk to her about his family - there were few people in the world who were willing to really listen. And now again he felt as if Rory was genuinely offering her ear.
"Well, my mom is still the same. Running her Inn and crazy as usual," Rory chuckled.
"I'm glad to hear that," Logan replied, smilingly. Logan felt tongue-tied again, without knowing where the landmines laid, he was being too careful. "Can I ask you something?" Logan finally dared to asked, recalling how easy it had once been to just be honest with her.
"Of course," Rory offered.
"I got the impression. When we saw each-other the other day, that you weren't too glad to see me. I mean, I hope you don't feel like I forcefully persuaded you to meet me?" Logan asked.
"I think if it was against my will I wouldn't be here right now. But I don't think you can blame me for not exactly loving the circumstances of running into you after all these years. I mean - what girl wants to see her ex after three years looking the way I was, unshowered and sleep-deprived," Rory replied, dramatically.
"Sorry about that," Logan said, looking down.
"Don't be. I mean, you couldn't have known. But it is good to see you. All of you," Rory replied.
"Well, considering the four of us are around these nooks these days - we might make it a point to hang out sometime. Colin was suggesting poker night just earlier. Or whatever…," Logan found himself suggesting.
Rory was quiet.
"Or not," Logan added quickly.
"It's not that… I just. I never imagined we'd be friends again," Rory explained.
"I mean, we could try, couldn't we? When coming to see you, and that was before I heard about your fellowship, I was actually thinking maybe you'd want to come join us at the firm at one point. But that's a discussion for another time… I just, I just wish we'd ended things on a better note. Even as just friends - I think we worked well together," Logan continued, but added to save Rory from taking this all too seriously - "all four of us."
"Yeah, of course. It's not like I have a tone of time on my hands anyways," Rory replied, innocently.