Chapter 12

"You're what?!" Logan nearly choked.

"I'm at the airport waiting for my bags," Odette said with a hint of worry. "Is everything ok?

"I was just taking a drink, that's all," he lied.

"I thought you'd be happy," she said sounding forlorn.

"I am," he pleaded reassuringly. "Do you want me to come to pick you up or do you have a car coming?"

"I was hoping you'd come and get me. I can hardly wait to see you," she replied optimistically.

"I'll be there in about forty-five minutes," he announced.

"Or, I can catch a cab and meet you at the hotel?" she offered.

"Then I can see you sooner," he said lovingly but felt a sense of dread. Logan was thankful she suggested taking a cab. He needed to get back to the room and make sure there was nothing incriminating for her to see. He hated that his life had come to this. How did everything become so complicated? he wondered.

"I love you," she cooed.

"Me, too," he replied and hung up the call. He took a deep breath and found Rory's message.

Logan: You don't need to worry about that kind of thing. You'll be taken care of, Ace.

Rory: That's not how I want things to go. I've never wanted things handed to me. I want to work and earn my way.

Logan: I just don't want you to stress over a job.

Rory: I know, and I appreciate that. This is something I've got to do for me.

Logan: Let me know if there's anything I can do.

For the rest of the day, Rory sat at Finn's on her computer working on her resume and scouring job postings. She carefully crafted her portfolio and included several spec pieces to bolster her well-received previously published pieces. She was proud of what she'd been able to put together and was feeling very optimistic about the job hunt. This time, everything was going to be different, she thought.

The next day Rory found her favorite coffee shop in the city and went inside. The aroma was more enticing today than it had been in quite some time, so she was anxious to get her hands on the divine roast. As usual, the line was nearly to the door, but she managed to squeeze inside. The line moved dreadfully slow, and the cold air from the door behind her chilled her to the bone. Recently, she'd been acutely sensitive to the slightest temperature changes, which was contrary to what she'd read about pregnant women always being too warm. She cuddled into her jacket and began reading the book she'd brought with her.

She had finally gotten around to attempting The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. After saying goodbye to some of the most important people in her life, she used the series as a means of distraction. Whenever she wanted to call or text him, she'd pull out the book she was currently working on and begin reading. Rory would only stop once the feeling had passed. Sometimes, it was minutes and other times hours. As she read, she recalled her grandfather finishing it when his comfortable life with her grandmother had been turned upside-down. Being on the fifth of six volumes, she was determined to finish it. It seemed like a lot of ground to cover in such a short amount of time but quitting Logan had been a lot harder than she thought.

Finally, she was far enough into the establishment that the frigid air wasn't bothering her as much. Her phone rang, and it was her mother.

"Hey, Mom," she said.

"My darling daughter, are you ever coming home?" Lorelai asked.

"Why? Do you need me for something?"

"No, but I am worried about you," she replied.

"I'm fine, Mom," Rory stated firmly. "I'll be back by the end of the week. I've already informed Taylor, and I can work from here."

"I just hope you know what you're doing," she warned.

"I'm still trying to figure things out," Rory admitted. "It's all so...complicated."

"What is all that noise?" Lorelai asked changing the subject.

"I'm at the best coffee shop in the city," she answered.

"The slow one?"

"Yes," she confirmed.

"I'll admit that it's some of the best stuff I've ever had but don't tell Luke!" she confessed.

"I've got to get going. I have another call coming in."

As much as she enjoyed talking to her mother, she wasn't in the mood for it.

"Bye, Rory," her mother said as she hung up.

Rory let out a sigh of relief. "Ugh."

"Rough day?" a voice behind her asked.

"Yes, and in need of coffee," Rory replied.

The brunette with the sparkling green eyes offered a smile. "I completely understand," she said. "Is it always this slow?"

"Unfortunately, it is. On the plus side, it's well worth the wait. This is, by far, the best coffee I've ever had, and trust me, I've had a LOT of coffee in my lifetime," Rory replied with a smile. "This time, I was prepared. I brought a book with me."

"That's a great idea. People don't seem to read actual books anymore," the brunette quipped. "What are you reading?"

"I'm reading The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," she replied, holding up the book.

"Is it for a class? No one reads that for fun."

"I'd probably ask someone that same thing," Rory chuckled. "It's a little slow and dry, but I'm chipping away at it!"

After chatting for about fifteen minutes, she was at the front of the line. Rory ordered her usual and hung out while her new acquaintance placed hers as well. She didn't want to end the conversation they'd been so entrenched in and desperately wanted more. Rarely had she met people who could keep up with her intellectually, but this woman was going toe-to-toe with her, and she was enjoying the in-depth conversation with a near stranger. She'd been yearning for this kind of discourse since moving back to Stars Hollow. It's not that she couldn't have intelligent conversations with her mother or Lane, it was the simple fact that this had reminded her of moments with her late grandfather.

The brunette led her to a table near the front window. Unbeknownst to Rory, she was involved in a deep conversation with Odette. Neither woman knew the other's identity. They chatted for what seemed like hours, but it was only about an hour when Rory's phone buzzed.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to get going," Rory said begrudgingly. "My friend and I are meeting for lunch, and we have to meet soon because he's got a conference call that got moved up."

"It was lovely to chat with you," Odette replied.

"I'll be here tomorrow at about the same time if you'd like a coffee buddy," she offered.

"I might take you up on that. Cheers!"

The next morning, Rory went down to the same coffee shop to find the same delightful lady she'd chatted with the day before. Their eyes met and smiles spread across both faces.

"Fancy meeting you here," Odette quipped.

"Of all the gin joints, right?" Rory joked. "How are you?"

"Not bad, yourself?"

"Chilled to the bone! It's been so cold today," she replied.

"I know. Winters in Paris are much milder, and even London is better than this," Odette remarked.

"I loved visiting London when I traveled for work," she lamented.

"Oh, what do you do?"

"I was a journalist," she answered. "Now, I'm between jobs."

"I tend to keep up on my current events, maybe I've read your work. What was your name again?"

"I'm Rory," she replied. "Rory Gilmore. You know I don't think we introduced ourselves yesterday because I'm sure I'd remember your name."

Odette felt panic sweeping over her as she realized who she'd been talking to. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. This is the woman Logan is married to, she thought woefully. And she doesn't seem to know who I am. She's...well, if circumstances were different, I think we could be great friends. Oddly enough, she didn't feel any animosity toward Rory, rather, it felt more like a connection.

"It's Dee Bettencourt," she said, fidgeting. It wasn't an outright lie, but she hadn't been called Dee since she was a kid. Odette didn't know if Rory knew who she was and assumed it was common knowledge thanks to gossip columns. She didn't want to lie. She just thought it was best if Logan's ex didn't know who she was because it might make things complicated.

Rory's phone rang, and it was Finn. "Excuse me for a minute," she said to Odette and moved a few feet away. "Hey, what's going on?"

"I can't stay at work any longer today," he said exasperatedly. "Let's go see a matinee."

"I could go for a good movie," she answered.

"Where are you? I'll come and get you," he offered, and she told him where she was before they hung up.

She walked back toward the table where Odette was waiting for her.

"Sorry, I've been staying with a friend, and he wants to play hooky," Rory said.

"Bye all means, go and have fun!" She felt a slight sense of relief. As much as she enjoyed the give and take, she didn't want to have to try to pretend to be someone she's not. It wasn't fair to Rory, and it certainly made her feel uncomfortable. She made a mental note not to come back here despite the fantastic coffee.

"He's coming to get me, so I've got about twenty minutes," she replied.

The ladies continued to chat over their caffeine-laden beverages. Rory hadn't had such brilliant conversation in quite some time. It was refreshing to know that intelligent people weren't a thing of the past. She didn't even notice Dee's nervousness nor her fidgeting the entire time. Before she knew it, Finn had arrived at the coffee shop. He saw her sitting with a brunette who had an air of familiarity to her.

No, it can't be, he thought as he got a sinking feeling.

Before he could get out in order to avoid the most awkward situation, Rory had already spotted him and waved him over.

"Hey, I want to introduce you to my new friend, Dee. We've been bonding over books and coffee," Rory announced.

Odette turned to see who was behind her, and she was shocked, speechless. She's been staying with my sister's boyfriend, she wondered. Does Marie know about this?

"This is - " Rory was interrupted.

"Odette, I didn't know you were in New York," Finn said nervously.

"Wait, what? You said your name was Dee," Rory had started getting suspicious.

"Dee is my nickname," she replied, cheeks full of color. The pit in her stomach had grown into a boulder.

"I...uh...oh, my god! I have to get out of here!" Rory stated and took off with no particular destination in mind. She just had to get out of the coffee shop and away from Odette. I sure wish I had my ruby slippers, she lamented silently as she walked alone.

"Rory, wait," Finn called to her. "It's too cold out here for you to be wandering around."

"I just need to get away from all of this," she said.

"You can do it at my place," he suggested. "Now turn around because my car is a block in the other direction."

Riding back to his place, they sat in complete silence.

Oh, my god! What have I done? She's amazing and beautiful and smart, she thought as she began to realize the gravity of her situation. She's not at all fake and seems down-to-earth. She'd make a perfect wife for Logan. Hell, I might even date her! It caused a small silent laugh.

"Are you ok, Love?" Finn asked once they were safely inside his place.

"She's perfect," she announced.

"Odette?" he asked.

"Yes, and she's here. I thought he wanted to be with me. Is he playing me, Finn?"

"No, he's not," he answered. "But he is in a very difficult situation."

"This was all so much easier when she was a faceless name. Now..." her voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry, Love," he tried to comfort her. "I don't know what I can do to help."

"Just being there for me has been great, Finn," she said thankfully.

He looked down at his phone and saw a message from Odette.

Odette: I feel terrible about all of this. Can I come over and talk to Rory?"

"Who is it? Is it Logan?" she asked hopefully.

"No, it's Odette," Finn replied.

"Oh..." The disappointment was blatantly written all over her face.

"She wants to talk to you," he offered.

"About what?"

"She feels bad about what happened," he explained. "Maybe you should just hear her out."

Rory thought for a few moments. God, this is so messed up! How do I always find myself in these kinds of situations? At some point, I'm going to have to face the music. I might as well do it now. She's not to blame. I probably would have done the same thing if I were in her shoes.

"We're all adults here, and this is messier than a reality TV storyline. I think it would be good. Tell her to come over, if that's ok with you," Rory said.

"Anything for you, Love," he answered.

How did I become the middleman in all of this? he wondered and shot a quick text to Odette.

"She'll be here in fifteen minutes."