Glimpses

Chapter 78

May 31st, 2006

Rory's day had been a busy one, though then again she was used to 'busy'. She was juggling Yale Daily News, squeezing four semesters into three, her occasional freelancing at the Stamford Eagle Gazette were just a couple of things to name that she was invested in. But this day had been next level even for her.

Rory was driving back from Friday Night Dinner, her mind going through a million things she needed to get done within the next hour-hour-and-a-half. She knew she didn't have to, but from the bottom of her heart she wanted to. No, she needed to.

She'd already finished two articles early his morning ahead of deadline, went out before dawn to fetch Logan's dry cleaning and get them breakfast so Logan wouldn't have to cook, set aside her outfits for the day, helped Logan get ready, still feeling a little protective about him not overdoing it after his accident, made a billion photos of him, including a few naughty ones, watched him graduate and disappointedly seen him whisked away from her like she was nothing. Sure, she had seen him graduate, which was better than nothing, but even getting more than a wave from him after the event had seemed impossible, considering all the family and friends he'd had at the graduation. It had definitely not been four tickets per graduate in his case. But it was not like she was terribly eager to go talk to his family anyways. She just loved him. But this she'd also anticipated and the plan had been to meet back at the apartment in thirty minutes and spend the afternoon together - early dinner at a crappy Italian place where the owners fighting provided the live show while Finn, Colin and Stephanie helped set up their apartment for the surprise party. Logan's fare-well party. She didn't like calling it that as it made it all too real.

Logan, however, had been stalled considerably, Mitchum demanding to talk business with him even after the event. Synergies and new media ventures - yada-yada-yada - the thought made Rory groan. It almost sounded like a made up excuse to keep him from her. This meant that Rory had no time to celebrate with him before Friday Night dinner. The drive alone was taking a big chunk out of their last evening together. Naturally, Logan had been apologetic and overall amazing about it, assuring that nothing was lost. But he didn't know that they weren't exactly having a very private evening that night, not just anyways. Rory had even lashed out to Mitchum about him taking Logan away from him on their way downstairs, sharing an elevator, which had been energizing in a way. Truthfully, she'd done that a couple of times by now and it was her way of taking back what Mitchum had taken from her - her confidence. It helped a little, but she didn't at that point really grasp how deep rooted something like that had been. But she had, reluctantly, agreed that in a way Mitchum was right. Logan did need to grow up, slow down on the partying and apply himself because he was talented. She didn't want him throwing his life away, or getting hurt again. Ugh, she hated to agree with Mitchum Huntzberger. She didn't even want to think about what it meant about his statement about her if he was so spot on about Logan.

As she got to New Haven, she parked across the street from the Taft building as she usually did. After greeting the security guard at the foyer, like she always did, she took the elevator upstairs, hoping it'd just move faster and glanced nervously at her phone for time. It was as she got there though, when she let out a big sigh of relief, seeing that Stephanie was already there, setting up the decorations they'd bought a couple of days ago. Logan being late before, had led to a series of changes in plans - presently Colin and Finn were trying to keep him occupied at the Rich Man's Shoe.

"Hey," she exhaled, seeing Stephanie.

"Good, you're here. I was beginning to think I was doing this alone, and he's not even my boyfriend," Stephanie laughed.

Stephanie was dressed as Baby Spice, her hair in two high girly pig-tails and wearing a pink slip dress, currently barefoot as she was climbing onto various objects to hang garlands and UK flags. Her open-toe strappy platform shoes, which would complete the ensemble later, were lying in the middle of the floor.