Tea Parties in Boston

5 - High Tea

Rory face showed some signs of tiredness - no wonder after a work day on second thought. Maybe the timing hadn't been perfect. Her hair, perhaps a few shades more auburn than he remembered - possibly dyed - came down just below her chin and he couldn't be sure but it seemed like she was a little rounder around the hips - but the fact that he had notices it was by no means a criticism. A burgundy cashmere turtleneck sweater showed from underneath her emerald coat. She'd always looked great in those colors and she had that classiness about her that she'd always had - Logan thought.

"My meeting ran late," Rory said just as Logan was about to open his mouth to ask whether he'd been late leaving. Maybe she'd been just hoping to go home to Emma, but was unable to leave because he was there until 5.30, but her message explained things.

Logan looked older too - the lines on his face having grown a lot deeper, especially in the corners of his eyes. He didn't shave every day these days, but didn't really aim for a beard either. His hair held definitely more silver, even if the rather short cut barely showed it.

"Good," Logan exhaled from relief.

"Good?" Rory asked, a slight snort in her tone, crooking her eyebrow.

"Just...," Logan began to explain that essentially he'd just meant that she had not not shown up.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Rory replied, relenting. "And I am sorry I made you wait. And - hi," she added a small smile creeping onto her lips.

"Hi," Logan exhaled. "And it's fine... I was just nervous you wouldn't show, you know," Logan replied, sensing how her almost unexpectedly soft approach began to untangle the ball of nerves in his stomach.

"Well, here I am. And it is good to see you," Rory said, and did something Logan truly hadn't expected from their first meeting after five years considering how cold and calculated the last time had been.

She stepped close and hugged him - no, not like a lover would, but indeed like old friends might, and added a little cheek kiss, much like a la bise, which was definitely an odd combination coming from the Rory Logan had last known.

"You too," Logan replied, his side of the hug definitely being a little more awkward than hers. It almost didn't look, feel or sound like the over-thinking, cautious with expressing her feelings and self-conscious Rory he'd last known.

"So let's talk..," Rory said decisively as the hug broke and she'd taken a deep breath.

Logan wanted to say that she looked good. He could see that spark in Rory that he'd missed the past few years he had seen her, but he didn't want her to think he was focused on the wrong thing, nor to rub it into her face that she'd had a rough time in the past.

"Yeah - anywhere we could go close by?" Logan asked, realizing that he could've used that time to scout the area out on a map while he'd grilled himself while waiting.

"More like a café or a bar?" Rory asked.

"Whichever you like," Logan said, trying to read her, but he wasn't exactly sure what he was seeing. Was she seriously fine seeing him? Was it what he'd promised in his e-mail? Or was this just a very good poker face?

"There's a bakery just a block that way, it tends to be quieter in the evenings than the student bars," Rory suggested, gesturing down the street.

Logan nodded and followed her, studying each of her impressions - like the way she looked down just briefly and then up - so many of her mannerisms, he'd almost forgotten, coming back to him.

"Um, could I please have some of that Hibiscus tea, what was it - orange flower or something...," Rory ordered from the counter, wanting to get the ordering over and done with so they'd have some time uninterrupted. She was nervous too, though she tried not to show it.