Champagne Problems | Gilmore Girls

How to date a Gilmore Girl

So you haven't mentioned it, did you have a good time at the Hamptons?" Tristan asked casually the next night, but Serena could hear the edge in his voice.
They'd gone out for dinner and a movie and now they were back at Tristan's place, but instead of making out on the couch, it appeared they were on the verge of a fight.
"It was fun," she told him with a shrug, "I had a lot of fun hanging out with Logan's sister."
Serena pulled herself upright and steeled herself for what she suspected was coming. She had been dreading this date, mostly because of the tone of Tristan's texts and e-mails over the last two weeks and the realization that they were headed for danger.
"Logan's sister?" Tristan repeated. She knew he knew who Logan was because she'd mentioned him a few times. Colin's name was a sore subject with Tristan, but she and Logan were just friends, so she saw no issue mentioning him. Logan and Tristan had met before because of their mothers, though neither of them had sought to deepen the connection and they didn't run in the same circles.
"She was my roommate," Serena told him, to his obvious surprise. "I was on vacation with my grandparents, Tristan, did you think I was going to be shacking up with some guy?"
"I wondered if the grandparent thing was a cover," Tristan admitted, "Besides it's not like your grandparents have a lot of rules."
"No, but 'no sex' might be the only one," Serena said, rolling her eyes. "The last thing Straub and Francine want is for history to repeat itself."
She was actually amazed that her grandparents' gave her as much freedom as they did. She figured either they trusted her or they at least gave her credit for being smart enough to use birth control.
"I was upfront about my trip." She said after a moment of silence. "I told you where I was going and who was going to be there. I've never made any pretences, Tristan."
"I know." He said sullenly.
"Besides, it's not like you've been lonely," she pointed out, "though I wish you'd had better taste. Hooking up with Summer again, really?" Tristan looked surprised and she smirked. "Louise was thrilled to e-mail me all about it. Summer's got a big mouth, but maybe that's why you like her."
"Summers... She's someone I can have fun with," Tristan told her, "She knows it's no big deal. And do you really care?"
"No," Serena said honestly. "I mean, I think you have terrible taste, but I'm not jealous." It was the truth. "You can hook up with whoever you want, Tristan, and you don't owe me any explanations."
"What if I want to?" Tristan asked her. "These past two weeks sucked. I thought I was cool with our arrangement, but I'm not."
"I'm leaving in a month," Serena pointed out. "So even if I wanted strings, it wouldn't work."
"You could stay," Tristan suggested, "Your grandparents would be happy to let you live with them, even I know that, and you hate your dad's new girlfriend."
"I wouldn't say I hate Sherri," Serena said with a shrug. She'd met Sherri twice more since that initial meeting and while she was overly perky, Serena had to admit she seemed nice enough. "I just don't love her influence over my dad."
"Well if you stayed in Hartford, you'd be away from that," Tristan pointed out.
"Even if I stayed in Hartford, I wouldn't want a committed relationship," Serena said quietly.
"At least not with me," Tristan said bitterly.
"Not with anyone," Serena told him honestly. "I like you. I like Colin. I like spending time with you both. I like spending time with other guys as well and I'm not ready for that to change."
She didn't know why she was so afraid of commitment. Maybe because her parents had always been so bad at it? But that seemed to be changing. Lorelai was about to get married and Christopher seemed serious about Sherri, much to Serena's chagrin and yet Serena was still reluctant.
Still, whatever the reasons, it was her choice. Just like it was her decision when she was ready to have sex or anything else. And she wasn't going to let anyone push her into anything, be it sex or commitment.
"I'm sorry I brought it up," Tristan said after a moment. He sighed. "Where does this leave us, Serena?"
"We could continue as we have been," Serena suggested. "I like being with you, Tristan, I really do."
She had been attracted to him from the beginning. Plus there had been the fact that he seemed to get under Rory's skin, but it had grown to more than that. She'd missed him during their time apart and when they were together, she came close to losing control. But, she didn't want him as her boyfriend. She wasn't ready for that step, not with Tristan or Colin, or anyone. Though in some ways Tristan was more dangerous than Colin, because Colin avoided strings as much as she did, whereas Tristan seemed to want more from her than she knew how to give.
"I like you too," Tristan told her, "But this arrangement isn't working for me and, as you said, you're leaving in a few weeks."
"I thought we'd see each other until I left," Serena said lightly, though she had a feeling that that wasn't going to happen now.
"I thought that too, but I don't think it's the best idea," Tristan told her. "If we do that, it's not going to end on a good note, because I'm going to feel the countdown looming over us and I'm already going crazy."
Serena nodded. She was sad that it had come to this, but at the same time, it didn't really surprise her. The no-strings had never been as easy with Tristan, as it was with Colin. Tristan might be a rule-breaker, but he was different from Colin and Logan, and he didn't have the same attitude towards relationships. He'd agreed to no strings because he'd wanted her, but she knew he'd always hoped to change her mind.
Serena stood up. "I guess I should go then."
"Yeah." Tristan agreed, standing up as well. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." She assured him. "We had fun and you're right, better to leave it on a high note."
She leaned over to kiss him lightly, but he quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him, deepening the kiss. They stood there for a long time, lost in the kiss and finally pulled away, both breathless.
"At least that part always worked between us," Serena teased.
"Yeah." Tristan agreed, his arm still around her waist.
After a moment, he dropped his arm and Serena leaned down to get her purse.
"Goodbye Tristan," she said softly, turning towards the door.