Chapter 6 I Will Be Okay
Paris returned with Tristan when he called her on the way to the pharmacy telling her about the pain that Rory was having. Rory was surprised when she woke up and saw Tristan there.
"I can't believe they let you out without making sure you went to the bathroom," Paris muttered, as she assisted Rory into the bathroom and stayed with her while she used the medicine he prescribed.
"Paris, it's okay, I will be fine. It is a common mistake," she said trying to calm her down.
"Rory, I am worried about you. So please take this medicine daily, drink the prune juice or a hot cup of tea with the Metamucil in it and eat oatmeal or other food with fiber."
"Yes mom," she replied with a teasing smile on her face trying to calm Paris down.
Rory and Tristan smiled at her as they watched Paris cluck around her like a mother hen. Finally, when Paris left, Rory relaxed and so did Tristan. Christopher joined her and Tristan in the family room where she was lying on the couch.
"I have to go home now, but I will be back in a few days. Please remember to use the walker and to take your medicine," Tristan said as he stood up.
"I will make sure she does," Christopher assured him as he walked the young doctor to the door.
"Thank you for your concern over my daughter. Will she be okay?"
"Yes, she will heal, and it's no problem. I am glad I can help her." Tristan turned and walked out the door. Chris watched and realized that Tristan was treating his daughter differently than his other patients. He had a feeling that there was a special connection between the two of them.
Rory took the medicine that was prescribed for her for the next four days. She was walking around the house better using the walker that Tristan brought to her that he picked up from the hospital. She was beginning to feel like herself again and began to look forward to the visits from Paris and Tristan.
On the fifth day of being out of the hospital and staying at her father's, Rory finally called her mother.
"Hi mom, how's Fiji?" she said when she got a hold of them.
"Oh it is beautiful here, you would love it. So tell me what the doctor said. I have been worried about you."
"I'm fine; my doctor said it was a false positive due to the birth control that I had been on."
"Oh good, have you changed your birth control yet? Isn't Paris and OB-GYN? Maybe you should give her a call and ask her what you should take."
"Well, I am in the process of doing that. So tell me how much longer you will be there?"
They talked for fifteen minutes before Lorelai told her that she had to leave since they were on their way to breakfast when Rory called. There was a sixteen-hour time difference, and Rory had to remember that when she made the phone call. Rory hung up her phone and remembered that she forgot to tell her mother where she was now living. Well, she had another nine days before they returned. She would enjoy her time here before they came back
Krissi, the Physical Therapist from the hospital, arrived the next morning at nine am. After working for an hour with her, Rory walked without the walker with Krissi, and they sat together in the sunroom. Rory sighed, and tears began to drip out of the corner of her eyes. Krissi took her hand in hers and said, "Rory, I know this is hard, but I want you to know you can do this. Two years ago, I went through the same thing. It was devastating, and I lost one of my Fallopian tubes, but last year, I gave birth to twins."
She pulled out her phone and showed her a picture of two little redhead girls. "The emotions that you are feeling are normal. Your body is no longer pregnant, and the hormones are adjusting. That is why you are bleeding still. You recently had major surgery and lost a lot of blood."
"I know it's just that..."
"Dr. Dugray is an amazing surgeon; he has the finest reputation around. You were so lucky he was there to do your surgery, plus he is not too bad on the eyes, right?" she said as she bumped shoulders with her.
"Yes, I agree," she told her smiling.
Krissi checked her phone and smiled, "You did well today. I will be back next Wednesday. I need to get back to the hospital now. Continue doing the exercises and here is my number."
She quickly wrote down her phone number on a pad of paper and handed it to her. "Call me if you want to talk. Remember I went through this and I understand what you are going through."
"Thank you; I would walk you out but..."
"Don't. I understand. I will go and say goodbye to your grandmother."
Krissi stood up and squeezed her shoulder. She left leaving Rory sitting there in the sunroom. She moved to the wicker lounge chair and closed her eyes falling to sleep.
"Rory, dear. You have company."
She opened her eyes and looked up expecting to see Tristan. Instead, Dean was standing there with a bouquet of flowers.
"Hi, how are you feeling?" he said smiling shyly at her.
"Hi, better. I never had a chance to say thank you.'
"For what?"
"For being there and offering me a place to stay and comforting me."
"Ror, you are special, and you will always mean a lot to me. Um here, these are for you," he said softly as he handed her the flowers.
"Oh, they are beautiful. You remembered?"
"Yes, sunflowers. You used to like them."
"They are beautiful. It's such a pretty arrangement mixed with the mums and other fall colors."
"Dean, please sit down. Would you like something to drink?" she asked him taking the flowers from him she laid them beside her on the table.
Just then Eunice, her grandmother's maid, came in, "Can I get you and your friend some refreshment?" she asked them.
"I would like a cup of coffee, Dean?"
"Coffee for me too please," he told her.
"Miss, I will take these and put them in a vase for you and return them with your coffee."
"Thank you, Eunice," she said and smiled at her.
"Dean, we haven't seen each other in a long time. How long has it been?"
"Twelve years."
"Where have you been? How did you get into being an EMT?" she asked him.
"I started telling you when you were in the hospital, but you probably don't remember."
Embarrassed she looked down, "No I just remember being in a lot of pain and crying."
"After Lindsay and I divorced, I left Stars Hollow and moved back to Chicago where I went to school. I got my degree in business and joined the fire department out there where I became an EMT. I came back to this area a few years ago; I bought the Pub with two of my buddies. We work as EMTs during the day and run the pub at night. It's doing well, and most of the nurses, police, and members of the fire department hang out there."
"Business major? That's wonderful. I am happy for you; it seems like things worked out for you. I knew that you could do something great. Is there another Mrs. Foresters or little Foresters running around?"
"No, none," he chuckled.
"What did you do after Yale? Where have you been and what brought you back to Stars Hollow?" he asked her with his kind smile. She looked at his handsome face, he wore his hair longer now, it was neat and well-trimmed. He was no longer scrawny but very muscular and fit.
She thought back to that last day she saw him. They were having an affair, and he was leaning against his truck waiting for her to leave the party her grandparents gave her. She had been drinking and came out of the pool house late with the boys from Yale that her grandmother had invited to the party and was standing all around her. He looked at her and said, "I don't belong here, Rory." She remembered crying and then going back into the pool house and Finn kneeling in front of her saying, "Pick Me, I'm exotic." If only she had picked Finn. Maybe she wouldn't be in this predicament now.
The corners of her mouth turned up in a sad smile and said, " I graduated from Yale with a degree in journalism. After graduation, I joined the press corps for the Obama Campaign, and I was a reporter traveling around the country. When that ended, I started to write as a freelance reporter, but then the news format began to change. So right now I am looking at other types of writing options."
"Did you stop in Chicago?'
"Yes, I did, I was with the journalists there, one of the many in the crowd. Did you ever go to one of his speeches?"
"No I just watched him on TV, I worked a lot back then, plus taking classes at night."
"Why did you go to Chicago?"
"After we broke up and I divorced Lindsay, there was nothing left for me in either Stars Hollow or Hartford. My older sister and her husband lived there, so they encouraged me to come out there. My brother in law, Will, is in the fire department there and got me a job. I started college and worked at the station. I enjoyed working there. My parents moved from Hartford when Clara went to college. They now live in Florida."
"Where is Clara now?"
"She is a neonatal nurse at Hartford."
"That's wonderful."
"Yeah, I told her that I brought you into the hospital. She wanted to see you, but she got swamped upstairs and wasn't able to make it down to the surgical floor before you left."
"I would like to see her again."
"She would like to see you too."
Eunice came back with the flowers in a beautiful antique vase and coffee and brownies that she made for them. Rory thanked her, and she left. They both took their coffee, and she leaned back in her chair.
Dean cleared his throat and put his mug down.
"Ror, I hope this doesn't seem too forward, but I would like to take you out to dinner when you are feeling up to it."
She looked at him over her coffee cup, wondering what her mom or Luke would say. She hesitated and looked at his kind eyes smiling at him she said, "Yes. That would be nice. Dean, we are friends, right?"
"Friends yes." Deans phone buzzed, and he looked at it.
"Sorry Rory, I have to go. It seems like a delivery at the Pub came earlier and both Sam and Clay are on duty at the fire department. Can I call you?"
"Yes, oh Dean here is my new number. I got a new phone." She quickly wrote down her number on a piece of paper and handed it to him. Their fingers touched, and she smiled up at him. He took the piece of paper with her phone number on it and stuffed it in his pocket and then left.
************
Arriving at the Hartford Airport from the Dominican Republic, the boys got into the two-town cars that were waiting for them. Immediately they decided on a plan to find out where Rory was. There were eight possible hospitals where they could find her. So they divided them up figuring they would be able to find her faster.
Colin and Logan walked into St. Francis Hospital. Logan immediately asked if there was a patient named Lorelai Gilmore at the hospital or Rory Gilmore. They had no patient there with that name nor had they had a patient arrive there in the last few days. They then went to Mt. Sinai Hospital, and this time Logan used the Huntzberger name. One of the volunteers at the information desk knew his parents, and she was happy to help him. She made some phone calls and checked records, but she shook her head. No one named Lorelai Gilmore or Rory Gilmore was admitted. Walking out of the hospital Logan called Finn and Robert; they were on their way to Hartford hospital after checking at University Hospital in West Hartford.
"Any luck?" Logan asked Robert. Finn sat quietly staring out of the car window lost in his thoughts and wondering where she could be. She always would send him a message once a week, and he hadn't heard from her at all.
"No Rory or Lorelai Gilmore at University Hospital, we are on our way to Hartford Hospital now."
"Okay, we will meet you over there."
The four men arrived at the hospital main entrance within minutes of each other. The town cars parked out front and the men got out of their vehicles with their sunglasses on. They walked into the beautiful lobby of the Hartford Hospital. Paris, Cassandra, and Tristan were walking out of the Starbucks when Paris heard and recognized Finn's distinctive Australian accent.
"Well well well, Satan has returned," Paris said.
"Satan? What are you talking about?" Cassie asked.
"See that blonde in the expensive suit and shirt? That is Logan Huntzberger."
Tristan walked up behind them and said, "Is that the 2.0 version of me? Huh, He's nothing like me. He is much shorter. Should I go over and punch him?"
"Save it Doc; you can't ruin your hands. Cassie, I have an idea, take your hair down."
Cassie looked at her like she was crazy. "Why?" She asked her.
"I want to find out why they are here. They know me, and I can't go over there. So, I want you to go over there and smile sweetly. Those men are man whores; they will be kissing your feet as soon as you go there. Ask if you can help them and see what they want. We will be over here in the corner."
She led Tristan to a corner table, and she sat with her back to them. Tristan sat across from her watching the whole thing.
"Hello, you look lost. Can I help you?" Cassie smiled sweetly and flipped her hair over her shoulder when she walked up to them focusing on Logan.
Logan and Robert looked her up and down, and they both smiled. Logan then turned on his sexy smile and said, "Yes, I think you might be able to help us. I am Logan Huntzberger, and you are?" He extended his hand to hers.
"Hello Logan Huntzberger, call me Cass, how can I help you."
"Well, I was wondering if you could help us find my girlfriend. I have been out of the country, and I was informed that she went to the hospital, but I don't know which one."
"You lost your girlfriend?" Cassie said raising her eyebrows at him.
"No I didn't lose her, we fought, and then I heard from a friend that she was taken to a hospital. I have tried to call her, but for some reason, her phone is not working. I am worried about her."
"Oh, I understand. Was your girlfriend in a car accident?"
"I don't know,... "
Cassie took her phone out of her pocket, "Okay. Let me call someone."
Cassie quickly called Paris phone. Paris put it on speaker so that Tristan could hear.
"Hello, do you know if we have, what did you say your girlfriend's name was? Oh, a Rory Gilmore here in the hospital?"
"Give me the phone," Tristan said taking the phone from Paris.
"Cassie tell them no, no one by that name has been admitted in the last seven days," Tristan said glaring at the men.
Cassie turned to Logan said, "No one with that name has been admitted."
Logan asked her if he could take the phone and she handed it to him. Tristan saw this and took the phone from Paris.
"Hello, this is Logan Huntzberger, who am I speaking to."
Lying Tristan said, "This is Dr. Caswell how can I help you?"
"Hello, Dr. Caswell, my parents are patrons of this hospital, and I was wondering if you could help me."
"Certainly, Mr. Huntzberger."
"I am looking for a patient, she is my girlfriend, and I was informed that she went to the hospital a few days ago. I have been out of the country and rushed back as soon as I heard. Was she admitted to this hospital?"
"Her name?"
"Rory Gilmore, or Lorelai Gilmore?"
Tristan pretended to ask his secretary Paris if there was a Rory Gilmore or Lorelai Gilmore admitted to the hospital.
"No, we have no one by that name. Did you try New Haven? If she was in an accident, she might have been medivac down there."
"No I haven't. Thank you."
Logan handed back the phone to Cassie. "Thank you."
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you. Listen, I must go and report back to my floor. Good luck gentlemen."
Logan had typed his phone number on her phone and said to her, "Just in case you hear anything about her, I put my number in your phone then you can call me." He then hit the button and called himself. "And now I have your number."
Tristan looked at the whole scene and shook his head. "I am not that arrogant."
"No, sometimes you are worse." Paris gave him a sarcastic grin.
Paris pager went off, and she got up and left Tristan sitting there. Tristan decided to get up and accidentally on purpose bump into them when he saw that they were heading his way. With his head down looking at his phone, he walked right into Logan.
"Excuse, me," Tristan said to him. Then looked Logan into his eyes and walked away.
Finn was standing in line at the coffee counter flirting with the barista.
"Do you know where there is a good Pub around here?" Finn asked the pretty barista.
"Yes, the Pigs Eye Pub. Best food and drinks around here."
"Now I wonder would a pretty little Sheila like you, frequent that spot?"
She smiled and said, "Yes, in fact, I will be there tonight, it's Trivia night."
"Well I just might need to stop by there," he winked and picked up his coffee.
"Where to now?" Finn asked the three guys.
"Let's try New Haven," Logan said as he looked around the lobby standing by the elevator when he spotted someone he knew.
"Come on follow me; I think that is Rory's old roommate Paris. She would know where she is."
They followed Paris on the blue elevator which was going to take them up to the surgical floor.
Paris looked up from her phone and saw Logan and his three goons walk on the elevator.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Logan Huntzberger and his three lost boys. Are you Still following Logan around boys? You haven't gotten your own life yet?" Paris said glaring at them. "What brings you here to my hospital?"
"Hello Paris, your hospital?"
"Yes I am a surgeon here, so how can I help you."
"I'm looking for Rory? You wouldn't know where she is would you?"
"No, haven't seen or heard from her in over two years. Why did you break her heart, Logan? I warned her about you, but she never listened to me. The last communication I got from her she was living in London with someone named Deedee. I wondered if she switched teams after being with you. She might have decided that girls were safer." Finn and Robert turned their heads and started to chuckle, and Colin began to cough trying to hide his laughter.
"Paris, Listen I heard she was brought to a hospital."
"Well not here. If Rory were here, I would have heard. Sorry Logan."
The light for the OB-GYN floor lit up, and the elevator pinged, the door slid open, and she got off. The four men followed her, and she turned and looked at them.
"I thought you were looking for Rory; you won't find her on this floor unless one of you recently bred and has a child here? Now if you will excuse me, I have a few patients I need to check on."
She walked through the doors into the Neonatal unit and left the men standing there.
"Well, she still is her pleasant self," Colin said watching her walk away.
"I guess nothing ever changes," Logan said and shook his head.
They got back on the elevator that they came up on and took it down to the main lobby where they then walked out to the town cars.
"Okay, let's head to New Haven and see if she was brought there. I think I remember that there are two hospitals on the campus. We will go to one of the hospitals, and Finn and Robert you go to the other one on campus. Call me if you hear anything."
*****
Rory's phone rang after Dean had left, she looked down at the caller ID and noticed it was Tristan.
"Hi, how are you feeling?" he asked her as he walked to the surgical lounge.
"Better, Krissi came over today, and she was a big help. I walked to the sunroom without a walker."
"What are you doing now?"
"Sitting in the sunroom enjoying the sun."
"Good, listen I know that you are still healing, but I was wondering if you were feeling up to it if you would like to have dinner with me."
"I would like to get out of the house."
"Good, I am off at six today, would you mind if I stopped over? I would like to see you."
"I would like that." She smiled when she hung up the phone. She would like to see him again.
Her father was on a business trip to Boston, and she and her grandmother were there at the house. She slowly got up off the lounge and walked into the kitchen.
"Grandma?" she called.
"What is it dear."
"Would you mind if we had a guest for dinner?"
"No dear, I will tell Eunice to set an extra place."
Rory then walked down the hall to her bedroom where she found a three-quarter length sleeve, navy blue and white striped t-shirt dress that Lane had dropped off. She then gathered her clothes and went into the bathroom and took a shower. Standing in the shower letting the warm water run over her body, Rory began to feel better. She washed and rinsed her hair and stepped out of the shower. She carefully dried herself off and then slowly got dressed.
In this bathroom, there was a seat with a vanity. Rory sat down and took out the hair dryer that her grandmother had placed in the drawer on her right. She brushed out her hair and began to dry it. She used her large round brush and styled it. It felt so good to wear her hair down. She pulled out her makeup bag and added a bit of makeup and blush on her face. She then stood up and slipped the dress on. She had lace bikini panties on which didn't bother her incision. She walked back into the bedroom and put her yoga pants and sweatshirt in the hamper so that Eunice could wash them. She stepped out of her room and back into the kitchen. Her grandmother was sitting at the table reading the evening paper and drinking a cup of tea.
"Rory you look nice dear. Gigi will be home soon, come, sit down and have a cup of tea with me."
*******
The four men in the two different town cars arrived in New Haven. Robert and Finn checked out the Yale-New Haven Hospital where they again were told that there was no record of a Lorelai Gilmore or a Rory Gilmore brought into that hospital in the last week. Colin and Logan had left the Yale-New Haven Hospital Saint Raphael Campus when Logan's phone rang.
"Logan, this Robert. Could she have gone to New York?"
"I'm not sure, are you sure they said that she went to a hospital? Do you know how?" He asked Robert on the phone.
"It sounded like someone brought her, they were talking about someone named Lane."
"Did you see her mother?"
"No, we didn't."
They drove back into Hartford, and Finn told the driver to stop at the Pigs Eye Pub. It was now eight o'clock, and it was busy. He called Logan telling them that he and Robert were going there to get something to eat and a pint.
Robert and Finn got out of the car and walked in. There was a lot of firemen here in their uniforms, off-duty police, EMTs, and nurses. Finn noticed the pretty barista that he flirted with and walked over to talk to her. Colin and Logan came in right behind them. Colin poked Logan when he saw Cassie talking to someone behind the bar and sitting beside two other pretty nurses.
Logan walked over to the bar with Colin and Robert following. There was a seat next to Cass opened, and Logan said, "Is this seat taken?"
Cass looked at him and rolled her eyes. Paris had filled her in later about who he was.
Dean came over and wiped down the counter, "What can I get for you gentlemen."
Logan looked around for Finn and spotted him at the end of the bar talking to the redheaded barista, "We will have three Macallan neat, and whatever that Aussie wants at the end of the bar, he is with us. Put it on my tab." He handed Dean his card. "Also get these three lovely ladies whatever they want?"
"Thank you, but no, we are finished," Cassie said politely and got off the bar stool and smiling at Dean she walked to the door. Logan watched her leave. He noticed a table in the corner and he, Colin and Robert went to sit down. Dean watched him, something was familiar about that man, but he couldn't figure out what it was.
A waitress came over and asked them if they wanted to eat. The men all ordered burgers, with fries and sat back. Logan sat back and thought about the way Rory looked when she told him it was over. She disappeared before, but this time it was different. He felt desperate, and he wanted to find her. His phone rang, and it was his father.
"Where the hell are you, Logan?"
"What's it to you? I took some time off."
"I need you to help me get those Hayden Publishing Companies. Are you anywhere on the east coast."
"Yes, I flew in with Finn this morning."
"Good I need you to go to Boston and meet with the CEO of the Hayden company and see if you can convince him to sell their three publishing houses to us. It's important."
"Really dad, you are still going after Straub Hayden? You know his widow hates you."
"Well she isn't as active anymore, and her son took over. Go and talk to him. See if you can convince him to sell to us."
"Fine, I will go to Boston tomorrow."
Logan hung up his phone, "Okay guys, I am off to Boston tomorrow. I will rent a car. Where are you going to go next?"
"Heading back to the city, " both Robert and Colin said. "It's a wild goose chase here."
An attractive blonde walked in who was about twenty-four years old. She walked over to the bar and talked to the bartender, he smiled and handed her a drink. She then turned to Robert and smiled. Mac, Dean's partner went over to her and sat beside her. The two flirted with each other. The food came, and the men sat there eating their burgers when Finn joined them and ordered one too. Robert went over to the bar. He smiled at the pretty blonde and asked her name.
"Clara," she said, "Are you from this area?"
"No, I have a friend who lived not far away in Stars Hollow."
"Oh, that's funny. Who is your friend? I grew up in Stars Hollow and I probably know him."
"Her name is Rory, Rory Gilmore."
Clay came over with the drinks and handed him the tray with the four glasses on it. He heard Clara say, "This is a small world. I used to know Rory. She used to date my brother when they were in high school."
Mac was sitting beside her, and his head turned when he heard the guy mentioned Stars Hollow. He didn't say anything, then motioned for Clay to come over. He whispered,
"Tell Dean this guy is looking for Rory Gilmore." Clay nodded his head and walked over to the end of the bar where Dean was serving some of their firemen buddies.
"You wouldn't' happen to know if Rory Gilmore is still around, would you?" Robert smiled at the pretty blonde.
"Well.."
Dean came over and interrupted his sister, "Hi, Can I help you?"
"No, I was just talking to this pretty blonde, here."
"She's my sister. So what can I help you with."
"Oh, maybe you can help. We, my friends and I, are looking for Rory Gilmore and your sister said you used to date her."
"We did, a long time ago."
Dean looked over at the table, and suddenly he remembered why the men looked familiar. Especially the blond, he remembered seeing them standing around Rory at her Grandparents' house, she was wearing a blue dress, her hair all piled up, with the silly diamond tiara on her head. He never understood why she was wearing the tiara and looking like a princess. It was then that he knew that she really was a princess, but he didn't belong in that world. He was fooling himself.
"Why do you want Rory? She isn't around here anymore," he said feeling very protective of her.
"Oh, well we heard she was in the hospital, and her boyfriend over there was worried."
"No, I can't help you, here let me bring the drinks to your table."
Dean picked up the tray and walked over to their table. Robert followed him. Clara watched her brother wondering why he didn't tell them where Rory was.
'Logan looked up from his discussion with Finn and Colin and looked at Dean.
"Hi, thank you for bringing the drinks."
"Logan, this guy used to date Rory in high school."
Logan looked at him carefully; he then remembered a younger version of this man, skinnier then, leaning against a truck. But now this man was in shape, he had on the Pigs Ear t-shirt, and you could see his muscled forearms.
Logan stood up and extended his hand, "Logan Huntzberger, Hi. I am Rory's boyfriend. You wouldn't happen to know where she is?"
"No, I haven't seen her in twelve years. If she is your girlfriend why don't you know where she is? Did you fight?"
Logan bit his bottom lip and looked off in the distance.
"No, not a fight, a misunderstanding. I need to see her so that I can fix things with her. You wouldn't happen to know of anyone that might know where she is?"
"No, as I said, I haven't seen her in twelve years, and I haven't even heard that name in a long time."
"Okay, thanks," Logan said and sat down.
Dean walked back and said to his sister, "Clara, don't talk to them. Mac keep her occupied." He winked at Mac knowing that he had a crush on Clara. He hoped that the wink gave him the go-ahead to take her home and start dating. He didn't want to think of his kid sister dating one of his friends, but he would rather have her date him than that wolf that was asking about Rory. He needed to talk to Rory and let her know that her ex is here in Hartford.
Dean walked back into his office and called Rory.
Rory and Tristan are sitting in the sunroom beside each other on the wicker loveseat having coffee and chocolate brownies that Eunice had made. Her phone was sitting on the end table beside her when it buzzed. She looked at the number and raised her eyebrows.
"Tristan, do you mind if I answer this?"
"No, go ahead. Do you want me to leave?"
"No, please stay," she asked him gently touching his thigh. She felt a shock and looked at him. He felt it too, and he smiled at her putting his arm behind her on the back of the couch. She leaned back and rested her head on his arm. He then put his face in her hair and smiled inhaling the citrus scent of her shampoo.
"Hello?"
"Hey Rory, this is Dean. I hope this isn't a bad time to call."
"No it's fine," she replied. Tristan could hear the conversation, and he raised his eyebrows and listened.
"Listen, your ex, is his name Logan Huntzberger?"
"Yes, how did you know that?"
"He is here in my Pub with his three friends asking people about you."
"Here in Hartford? Please don't tell him where I am."
"I won't. I told him I hadn't seen you in twelve years."
"Thanks, Dean,"
"Rory, will he come to your grandmother's house?"
"No not this one, he never knew that Francine and Straub Hayden were my grandparents. He might go to Grandma Gilmore's home, but she is with her friend Jack in Nantucket, right now, so her home is empty. Thanks again Dean for watching over me."
"I told you, that's what I want to do. I will call you about those dinner plans."
"Okay."
She hung up the phone and placed it on the table. She leaned back against the cushions of the wicker furniture and felt Tristan playing with her hair.
"Is everything okay?"
She turned to him and looked at his handsome face. She gazed at his strong angular face with the five o'clock shadow that she longed to touch and feel against her fingertips. She stared into his squinty icy blue eyes and wondered if she would cry if she kissed those perfect thin lips, but she held herself back. She brought her eyes back up to his face and shook her head.
"Umm no. It seems that someone is looking for me."
"Logan Huntzberger?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
"I heard his name mentioned. Tell me, this Logan Huntzberger; blonde 5'9" wears expensive clothes likes to throw his name around? My 2.0?"
Rory started to laugh, "You've been talking to Paris. She told me that I had a thing for trust fund babies. Paris never liked him."
"She never liked me either,"
"No Tristan she liked you, she liked you a lot, and it seems that you two are friends now."
"Friends, no more like competitors and confidants."
"Did you two ever hook up?"
"No, she's not my type. She wasn't my type when we were in high school either, remember."
His mouth turned up in his mischievous smile when he said that to her.
"So what is your type?" she asked him studying his face and smiling.
"I know your type," he said tracing his finger down her cheek across her jawline.
"Oh, you do?"
"Yes, rich trust fund boys who are now men and are very wealthy."
"No, not anymore."
"Really, so what is your type?"
"I will tell you mine if you tell me yours, but how do you know how tall Logan Huntzberger is?"
"He came into the hospital today looking for a patient named Rory Gilmore or Lorelai Gilmore. It's a good thing your insurance card had Lorelai Leigh Hayden on it. Or he would have found you."
"Oh that's right it does. I am under my dad's health insurance since I didn't have any as a freelance journalist. Dad offered to help out with that."
Tristan was gently wrapping her hair around his fingers and gazing down at her. He lifted his chin and looked into her large blue eyes.
"My type," he began, " Is a beautiful, strong, intelligent, witty, shy, caring, thoughtful, blue-eyed woman with long chestnut brown hair," he whispered in her ear bringing his face close to her.
She looked at him, and their lips were close. She could feel his warm breath. Did she dare kiss him? If she did would she cry and run away?
"What is your type?"
"Oh my type," she brought her hand up towards his face, and she gently ran the palm of her hand across his cheek feeling the beard that was starting. It wasn't itchy but soft.
"My type is strong, smart, confident, gentle, caring, honest, and knows how to respect me."
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, then she flicked out her tongue and wet her lips.
He knew he had to kiss her and gently leaned towards her.
"Mare, I hope you don't think this is unprofessional, but I am going to kiss you know."
"Okay."
She leaned in, and they kissed. Tristan's lips were soft and tender. He gently brushed them against hers. She felt an instant spark when their lips touched. Their lips connected slightly unsure of what was to come next. Tristan pauses and looks at her waiting for permission to continue. Rory leans forward and kisses him again, she responds to his lip, and she feels something different than she has ever felt before.
He moves away and put his forehead against hers, "Are you going to start crying and run away?"
She smiles and shakes her head. "No, not this time."
"Good," he whispers huskily in her ear. Just then his pager goes off. He closes his eyes and then pulls away. He looks down. It's the hospital, and he reaches over and gets his phone out.
"Dr. Dugray, yeah, ETA? Fine Yes I can make it in. Who else is on call? Good, tell Dr. Evans that I will be there."
"You have to go." she didn't ask the question she knew the answer.
"Yes, there is an emergency. A car accident. The medivac is bringing them in."
She slowly got up, and he put his arm around her shoulder as they walked to the door. She handed him the jacket he was wearing since it was November and getting cold. The sunroom that her grandmother had added was heated, and she liked going out there. It looked out over the garden and had the most beautiful view in the evening of the sunset since it faced the west.
They walked into the family room, and he said goodnight to Gigi and Francine who were watching the Big Bang Theory on the television.
"Thank you for the wonderful dinner. It is good to eat something other than hospital food."
"Please come back and visit again, Tristan. It was nice having you here, isn't it Rory?"
"Yes, Grandma it is nice having him here."
She walked him to the door.
"Thank you for inviting me for dinner."
"Thank you for coming over and taking care of me."
He moved a strand of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He then gently caressed the side of her cheek with the back of his hand.
"So soft," he whispered and then gently brushed his lips against her. Rory wanted to pull him in. She felt a twinge in her core, and she gasped.
"What is it? Are you okay?"
"Yes, it was nothing," blushing she replied.
He kissed her lips again and then stepped away.
"Good night," she said.
She closed the door and leaned against it, wrapping her hands around her waist. She needs to call Paris or her mother. But she can't call either one of them. Wow, who would have thought that Bible Boy could grow up to be such a handsome, atheletic, and sensitive doctor? She walked back to her room smiling to herself and thinking about the kiss from her Bible Boy.