What Happens In Hamburg

Chapter 5

After a late lunch at one of the places Logan frequently visited when he was at work, a Vietnamese fusion restaurant, the driver picked them up again and drove them on Logan's request to one of the older industrial neighborhoods.

"Have a good weekend, Walter," he said, waving the car off. "I figured we'd manage on our own the rest of the weekend," he commented to Rory.

"Of course, let the man have his weekend," Rory noted. "What's all this?" she asked glancing around.

"This is just something I thought you'd appreciate," Logan stated.

"What is that smell? Is that...?" Roy asked, beginning to recognize the familiar scent.

"You'll figure it out soon enough," he teased, leading her, his hand on the small of his back, into one of the old brick factory buildings.

"You brought me to a chocolate factory?" she sighed endearingly, finally figuring out the aroma with the help of the decor.

"I did, didn't I?" he stated, seeing her eyes light up just a little.

Rory browsed the chocolate museum with curiosity, tasting, smelling and feeling everything that was allowed. She went a little overboard in the gift shop later, trying to decide what to bring back home to Lorelai, and Logan hadn't helped, insisting that he pay for it.

"Do you mind if we walk?" Logan asked, after they stepped outside the building again. "The apartment really isn't far," he noted, biting onto a bit of chocolate Rory was feeding him.

"Sure, I don't mind," she mumbled, still letting a piece of chocolate melt in her mouth.

"So tell me, Ace, what's the deal with your work? Do you enjoy what you do?" he asked after a while, as they strolled over one of the canal bridges.

Rory gave it a moment's thought. "I still like writing, some stories I really do like, they take me to interesting places and to meet fascinating people, but I guess some of it has gotten a bit dull. I still have a few months with the NYT, but after that guess I am back to covering small town news and whatever anybody asks from me," she explained, unenthusiastically.

"I have no doubt that you like writing," he said, taking a moment to think. He really couldn't imagine Rory doing anything else. "But I don't know, maybe I am off base here, but I don't see that excitement in your eyes when you talk about it anymore. It made me a little worried, that's all," Logan added.

"I guess it has just become a job. I am not really sure what I expected, maybe I've just outlived that phase or something. But honestly, I really don't know what I should be doing if I wasn't doing what I am. I've even done some copywriting actually, it pays the bills. And I realize it probably isn't just about me, the whole business has changed since I started. Writing a clickbait just doesn't do it for me," she explained, unapologetically.

Logan nodded in agreement. He knew too well how the content mattered less and less these days, especially when it came to the daily papers. "Did you ever go back to school?" Logan inquired a moment later, realizing that there were still years of gap, he knew nothing about.

"No I didn't, perhaps I should've, but I wouldn't really have known what direction to take, and it's not like I am swimming in money when it comes to tuition to just go exploring randomly," she explained.

"Weren't you supposed to get your great-grandmother's inheritance at 25 or something? I thought Richard's mother had a trust fund for you? I know you're not the one to really exploit this type of thing but...," he pondered.

"God, I can't believe you remember that," she began, feeling a little self-conscious discussing her financials with Logan. "Well that sort of only bought me my apartment in Chelsea," she sighed.