The Thrill of the Chase

thirty nine

Five weeks later, the guys were all getting ready to graduate. Mitchum had decided that Logan needed to be separated from his friends so that he would grow up, as though he was ten years old, not in his twenties. Therefore he had assigned Logan to the London branch of the Huntzberger Group. Colin was heading to Princeton law school, Finn was going to start work for his family's hotel group as their entertainment manager, a job that he was born to do. Robert had decided to skip grad school and was going straight into the family business, his father and he had managed to agree on him being based in the Greenwich office for the first year, making it easier to see Rory, who still had a full year of Yale left, regularly.

"You look good," Rory said, walking up to Robert as she met him in the Quad before they went looking for his family or friends.

"Pretty sure you just stole my line," he said with a smirk looking her up and down.

"Well I have to sit with your family for the ceremony, I had to look presentable," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Very mature."

"It's your job to be mature today. Not mine. I just have to survive a day with your family, who I do love, but I won't have you as a buffer today," Rory said, looking at Robert cautiously.

"Rory, before we go and meet them, can I talk to you about something quickly?" seeing Rory nod in agreement, he continued. "This is totally not the right place, or time, but someone has interrupted us every time I tried to bring it up this week, and now I really need to before we see my family."

Rory could hear the nerves in Robert's face, she didn't know what would have him this worked up, unless he was planning on dumping her? Nah he wouldn't do that here, would he?

"Rory, you know what society is like, there are certain expectations, on timelines for big steps in life," he started, watching Rory to check she was listening, and to see if she realized where he was going with the conversation. "I'm sure you realize that to the society crowd, for someone who is graduating from school and starting work, and has been in a serious relationship for a while, the next step is marriage." Robert watched Rory pale as his words permeated her brain.

"Don't worry, I'm not proposing to you like this." he said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. "But I am trying to warn you that there may be more hints, and questions about our relationship directed our way."

"And what way are you wanting me to respond to the questions?" Rory asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

"Shit! See, I knew I would do this wrong." Robert pulled her against him. "What I am trying to say," he started, talking against her hair as he pressed his lips against it. "When I propose to you, and I mean when. It will be because we are both ready, and on the same page. Not because we reached some arbitrary stage in life where it is expected of us. I know you Rory, it would be your worst nightmare to be expected to settle down the summer you graduate." He leaned back so he could look into her eyes. "If you ever change your mind about that, let me know and I would propose in a heartbeat, but as it is I am happy in the knowledge that we are on the same page of it being an inevitable someday thing, because I love you Rory. I could live my life without you, but I really don't want to. And hopefully you are thinking along the same line," Robert finished nervously, suddenly very aware that he had been talking with no response from her. Looking in her eyes, he could see the pools of tears. "Rory?"

"Robert-" Rory started to answer, before having to stop to take another deep breath. "I love you. You are right, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but I don't want to be forced into being a society housewife the second I graduate."