Boats and Birds

Chapter 2. In Fact, I Don't Want to be Friends

"Hey, babe?" I shouted from my closet.

"Yeah?" he called from my living room couch.

"Do you know where my shoes are?"

"Which ones?"

"My Manolo's. I lost them."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

I sighed. "The bronze heels. I need them tonight. It's the banquet."

"What banquet?"

I took my head out of my closet and started breathing heavily. I walked into where he was sitting.

"Tell me you didn't forget!" I gasped.

He smiled mischievously at me. Then I noticed his tuxedo.

"I didn't forget," he said.

"You're so mean!" I shouted. "Don't you look around?" I asked, picking up my Manolo Blahnik's off the floor next to him.

"Oh, didn't even see them there."

"Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes and put them on. "We're leaving soon."

"Oh, we are, are we?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Yes," I smiled and backed up as he advanced toward me, wiggling his eyebrows.

He kissed me fully.

"No, Logan, seriously. We don't have time. Honestly."

He moved to my neck and played with my skin with his tongue.

I let out a moan, but then regrouped and pushed him away.

"Rory…"

"No, Logan. We need to go."

He sighed heavily but stopped pushing against my arm. "Fine…"

"Don't sound so sad."

He pouted out his bottom lip.

I smiled and reached up to push it back in. "Come on. We'll have time tonight."

"No, we won't. I have an early meeting tomorrow morning. That's why I'm leaving the banquet early tonight, remember?"

I had forgotten. Great.

I threw my head back and breathed deeply.

"Just calm down, Ace. Your boss will think you're wonderful, just like all the other times."

"But this isn't like other times, Logan. Based on this stupid function is my raise or not – "

Logan took my face in his hands. "Everything will go perfectly. Don't worry about it."

I breathed deeply.

"Good," he said. "Just keep doing that all night."

I gave him a look.

"You're going to do wonderfully. Just remember to be yourself and don't stress out."

"Too late."

He gave me a light kiss. "Does it help to know that I'll love you no matter what?"

I flashed him a small smile. "A little."

"Well, then believe it. Come on, let's go."

The party was full with people by the time I got there. We were offered drinks and appetizers upon arrival and I took a glass of champagne.

I said hello to some fellow coworkers and worked the crowd.

One thing I've learned about the rich crowd is to plaster a good face on and never let them see you squirm. Don't let them hit your sore spot.

I did break down once.

Once.

Just after Tristan and I had… well, after. A woman had asked where my 'boyfriend' was. She had always seen him on my arm at every function.

Well, unfortunately, I started crying and excused myself.

It was the talk of the town for the week following.

"Do you want a drink, darling?" I asked Logan, showing off to his high-profile friends.

"Of course, dear. You know what I like."

He kissed my forehead and I politely extracted myself from their conversation of work.

It's quite funny, really.

The one night I'm not at work, that's all I'm asked to talk about.

Ironic.

I head over to the bar, and guess who's lounging on one of the stools?

"You're following me now?" I asked.

"I thought you always liked the thought me of me stalking you."

"You're horribly mistaken," I spat, and then ordered the drinks from the bartender.

"Scotch. Your resistance for alcohol sure has changed."

I gave him a glare. "It's for Logan."

"The boyfriend," he looked away from me.

"The great boyfriend."

"I'm sure he's wonderful."

"Well, anyone would be perfect next to Michelle."

I saw his jaw clench, but he didn't argue. I knew I was right.

"She's still the same, yeah?"

He tensed a little more. "I made a mistake, Rory," he said quietly.

I narrowed my eyes at him when he looked up at me. "You made a lot more than one."

The bartender gave me my order and I turned on my heel and walked off.

I didn't even look back.

Well, okay, once I got to Logan, I shot a glance his way.

I didn't even mean to look at Tristan.

Okay, yeah. That is bull shit. But I just wanted to see his expression.

He wasn't looking at me though. He was drowning another shot.

If I cared at all, I'd be worried of him getting drunk of his ass and making a fool out of himself.

But I wasn't.

I wasn't worried.

And I definitely didn't care.

Although, I do wonder who's driving him home.

Because he surely can't do it. He'll wreck.

Not that I care about him, per say. I care about the person he runs into.

The poor kid would probably be killed.

"Rory," I heard.

I looked up and saw Logan watching me.

He looked in the direction I was.

"Tristan DuGrey?"

"Yeah. He talked to me while I was at the bar."

"He's an asshole. I heard a couple years back, he had an affair."

He's not an asshole, I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth shut.

"Well, I don't know if you can call it an affair because he wasn't actually married yet."

"Oh?" I played dumb.

"Yeah. It was like, a small thing. Probably with some hooker. He's been known to get around, if you know what I mean."

I nodded, playing dumb.

"I've never liked him much. He's a player. It's a wonder why he ever got that woman to marry him."

I looked down so he wouldn't see my face.

"Well, I'm sorry, Ace, but I've to get going."

I extended my lower lip.

"Oh stop. You knew I had to leave early."

I saddened my eyes and slouched my shoulders.

He laughed and shook his head. Then he kissed me fully on the mouth.

"There. Now you don't have that stupid face on. You know I can't say no to that face."

I wiggled my eyebrows. "My point."

"But I have to go. It's eleven already."

I sighed heavily and rolled my eyes jokingly. "Fine, fine. If you must."

He smiled and kissed my forehead. "I'll see you later, Ace. We'll go out to dinner later on this week."

"Okay, Logan. Thanks for coming with me tonight."

"Oh, by the way, I heard your boss beaming about all the work you've been doing. Have fun tonight."

I smiled big at the news he gave me as he kissed me goodnight.

I waved to him as he walked out of the house.

"Well, aren't you the happy couple?" I heard someone sneer at me.

I turned around. "Leave me alone, Tristan."

"I'm trying. You just seem to be everywhere I am."

"You're at a party for my work. You must have known that I would be here."

He rolled his eyes exaggeratingly.

"You're impossible," I told him.

"You didn't seem to think so before."

"I need a drink." I started walking toward the bar.

"You need common sense."

I spun around to him, fuming. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You know you're only going out with him because he's convenient. You don't really love him. You couldn't."

"And how would you know?" I walked into the empty kitchen, hoping to splash some water on my face.

His face softened. "I know you, Rory. Inside and out. And only we fit."

"You made your choice! You're married, Tristan. Married. You're not allowed to say those things to me anymore."

"You didn't seem to mind it so much when we were together."

"You weren't married before." I could feel the tears form as I shouted to him. "You need to go home to her. Because I am finished being your guinea pig." I felt a couple of tears escape and I tried to not say it, I really did, but it didn't work. "I hate you. I hate you so much."

I saw the hurt flash in his eyes and his face contort into some pained expression.

He advanced toward me and I tried to back up, but the counter was in my way.

"Don't say that, Rory. You don't mean it."

I knew he was right.

And I didn't like that feeling.

"Then I hate what you did to me," I whimpered out.

"It was a mistake." He put his hands on my face.

He brushed my bangs out of my eyes.

Another tear slipped down my cheek and he brought his lips to kiss it away.

"You're still so beautiful," he told me.

Something clicked.

I brought my mouth to his ear.

"You have Michelle," I whispered meanly.

Then I threw his arms off me and started to walk away.

"That didn't bother you before," he shouted to me.

I swirved around and yelled right back and him, "You promised before! You promised you would break up with her! It always got postponed. Next time when she got home; or when she left so you could do it on the phone. You lied, Tristan. I trusted you and you just threw everything away."

"I'm sorry, Rory."

"Sometimes sorry's not good enough, Tristan."

I walked away.

A/N: So, filled with drama. You have the story now, and I think I brought it in a nice way. Review, please. I'm not going to talk that much because I've found out with the first chapter that people don't really look at these little notes. So, review, for my sake.