Break of Dawn

15 | harmless flirting

RORY WOKE UP ON SATURDAY to the sound of a notification on her phone.

The night before had been eventless. She'd left The Grant around three to go to the main library to finish up a paper she had to hand in on Monday, and wait around for her Business Writing class at six.

It was the only class she had on Fridays, the one she had registered for because she knew attendance wasn't required. She usually only had to email one case studies paper each week, and attend office hours every once in a while, but of course, the one day Rory just couldn't wait to get home had been the day Mr. Saad decided to have a lecture.

By the time she finally got home after 8pm, both Ivy and Madison were on their way out. Of course they had discussed the fact that Collin Whitaker had given her shirt back, and Maddie gave him more points because "Oh my god, he dry cleaned your blouse" - a fact Rory hadn't even payed too much mind to up until that moment. When they left to get on with their nights, Rory took a shower and finished off the leftover mac n cheese before crashing to the sound of Grey's Anatomy playing on the TV.

She picked up the phone from the bedside table and her eyes took a couple of seconds to adjust to the sudden light.

"Collin Whitaker (@collinwhit) has requested to follow you"

She read the words on the screen, the lone notification covering Bailey's - her dad's golden retriever - face on the wallpaper.

Rory accepted his request and followed him back, exactly like she had done to the 45 other guys who now filled up her followers count - there was nothing different this time. Except maybe, that she didn't need to check out his page; she had already stalked his social media twice in the last couple of days, and that was already two times too many.

Her phone vibrated on her hands.

Collin replied to your story
Damn girl, you just spoiled that episode for me

Rory had posted a video the night before of the one episode of Grey's Anatomy she had managed to watch, with some random comment about yet another character's death.

you watch greys?

It's a guilty pleasure
Please dont tell that to anyone

your secret's safe w me
sorry for the spoiler tho

It's okay, I actually already watched it
Just needed an opening

Rory chewed on her lip, a smile creeping up on her face.

smooth

ikr
You're up early for a Saturday

Rory looked at the clock for the first time and it was 7:15. She knew for a fact he was probably on his way to the airport. The charter bus was supposed to leave The Grant at 7am sharp, the team's flight out to Texas was scheduled for 9am and the closest airport was a good thirty minutes away. It was all kinds of weird knowing his schedule like that, and if Rory delved much on that fact she would feel like too much of a stalker - more than she already was feeling, that is.

maybe im an early bird

Are you?

how early is early?

Idk... Before 9?

Oh than im def an early bird

Rory had the habit of waking up early because from a very young age, her dad would wake both her and Alex in the earliest hours of the morning to accompany him to practice. Cosimo Scavo didn't believe that nannies should be raising his kids, and although that had resulted in endless hours of sitting on the sidelines or inside cramped offices, Rory wouldn't have had it any other way.

That's good to know 📝
It means I can take you out on breakfast date

now THAT was smooth

😎
I try

She had to stop it, she knew she should. Even harmless flirting could have consequences; it was just cruel to string him along when she was aware that nothing could happen between them. There were many reasons why hooking up with him again would be a bad idea; the fact that he was somehow her "client" at work being was the biggest one of them.

She couldn't just risk losing the opportunity she had spent three years pursuing for a momentary high, that would be plain stupid. No guy - or good sex, for that matter - was worth jeopardizing her future for.

*

Tiny tiny chapter because the next one turned out too big and needed to be separated.
Hope everyone had a great weekend. Lots of love 😘