Saviour from the Past

Chapter 14

Time for another time jump.

"Miss Gilmore, your grandmother is on the phone for you."

The buzz of the intercom cut right into Rory's concentration. She was ignoring what she was supposed to be doing, which was doing a final edit on her most recent new release, instead she had made the mistake of picking up a random manuscript from the slush pile, and it had rapidly captivated her.

"You can put her through Jessica. Also, if you can reach out to the author of the manuscript in my hand, I'd like to begin discussions about working together. Thanks." Rory set the manuscript on the edge of her desk for her assistant to pick up, knowing that she would already be on her way.

"Hey Grandma," she said, with an eye-roll and a smile at Jessica, who had just walked in.

"Rory, I was just calling to see if you would be coming home anytime soon? We haven't seen you in simply ages!"

"Grandma, I was home a few weeks ago for Mom and Luke's anniversary."

"Rory, that was almost three months ago!" Emily exclaimed.

"Was that really three months ago? Sorry Grandma, I have been so busy recently, I just hadn't realized how much time had passed." Rory replied, looking at her calendar on her desk, and counting back. It had been a while since she had been back in Stars Hollow or Hartford, but her Mom had come to the city to visit her recently, and she had just been to Boston to visit with Paris, and saw Tristan while she was there. They had almost switched positions after graduation, she had moved to New York, while Tristan had joined an architecture firm in Boston, so he had moved there and ended up falling in with Paris and Doyle.

"Yes, almost three months young lady."

"Grandma, I am almost twenty five," Rory replied, her exasperation clear in her tone.

"I know, just like I know that we won't get you home for your birthday. So I would like to do something now, while there is a chance you might pretend to entertain the idea."

"Okay, okay. I'm at work. I will be home from the office around six, I don't want to interfere with supper so may I call you back around eight?" Rory asked, hoping the concession would be enough to get her Grandmother off the phone.

"Yes, that will work. But if you haven't called me by eight fifteen I will be calling you."

"That's fine Grandma, okay, I'll talk to you then," Rory said, hanging up with a sigh. She looked again at the calendar, shocked to see September. She had obviously been aware of the summer passing but not fully aware. It wasn't like she hadn't enjoyed the summer, she had been in Boston more than once, visited the Hamptons, and had even been up at Martha's Vineyard and Newport. The summer had just flown by, now that her life wasn't ruled by school semesters she just wasn't as aware of the seasons changing.

It was a Tuesday night so she had no plans for that evening, she had a date the next day with Theo who she had been seeing for about six weeks. He was a lawyer, who worked at a competing firm to the Hayden's but he was unaware that she was a Hayden as she didn't want to introduce work to it when they were just having fun. She knew if she let his name slip when she phoned her Grandmother back that she would be urged to bring him home for the weekend which was something she wasn't quite ready to do, she was still unsure if she saw the relationship going anywhere.

Dating in Manhattan was very different from small town dating, and even college dating. Most people her age were just looking for regular hook ups, but Rory knew she was about to turn to the age where everyone suddenly settled down. She had already started to see it in some of her friends, Paris included. They all suddenly felt the need to settle down and be married by thirty which meant most were engaged by twenty-seven/eight. She thought back over the people she had dated since moving to Manhattan and could honestly say that she could not see herself settling down with any of them.

"Miss Gilmore, your two o'clock is here." The intercom buzzed, once again interrupting her reflections, causing Rory to check her clock, and realize that she needed to be alert for this next meeting. Last time she had met with this author, he had been very resistant to any suggestions.

"Thank you Jessica, send Mr Flatherty in."

As Rory had feared word had quickly spread around the family that she was going home, and she had now been roped into attending a fundraiser as the Hayden representative as both her father and Grandmother were going to be away. Seeing as she hadn't been made to do it for a while, she had to agree without too much push back. Which led her to here, asking Theo to come home with her for the weekend. They hadn't quite put a label on it, and she didn't think they ever would, but she needed a date.

"I'm not sure Rory, meeting the family, isn't it a bit soon for that." Theo asked warily, after she explained what she was asking and why.

"Well, they know we are dating but haven't labeled it as a relationship yet," Rory stressed this bit, knowing that this was probably Theo's biggest concern, that she was trying to force him into exclusivity, she had tried that before and knew how it ended. "I know it's a lot to ask, but well, I will need a date for Saturday night and none of my usual friend dates are around, so I thought I'd ask you to avoid a blind date which I know my grandmother would love to arrange." Rory watched him carefully, she really wasn't sure what his answer would be. His hazel eyes were giving nothing away, looking him up and down, Rory knew her Grandmother would begin to make plans at the sight of him. He had clean cut brunette hair, with just enough tousle on top to make it stylish, sharp hazel eyes, a nice straight nose, and was freshly shaved during the week, but pulled off the designer stubble look at weekends. He was tall, not as tall as Dean had been so probably just about six feet.

"Where did you say the fundraiser was again?" he asked resignedly.

"The gala is in Hartford, it is for the children's hospital. I've heard the food is good, but I have never been to this specific one before," she answered honestly.

"But you have been to gala's before?"

"Yes, a few. My Grandma is in the local DAR chapter so I've been forced into a few." she said, with a shoulder shrug, she knew she was downplaying it but she felt in this case it was best to.

"DAR?" he asked curiously, causing Rory to look at him in confusion, she assumed he would know what the DAR are as they are involved in more than one yearly event that the Hayden firm makes sure to have representation at.

"Oh DAR, Daughter of the American Revolution. It's a women's service organization dedicated to promoting historic preservation, education, patriotism and honoring the patriots of the Revolutionary War. Sorry I grow up hearing these things, and sometimes forget that not everyone does," she said, with a soft laugh as though she was embarrassed for her assumption.

"And your Mom won't mind me tagging along?"

"Nope, she has already set aside a room in her Inn for you, well us, if you come with me. My Mom is pretty laid back, really she won't care at all. She will just be trying to avoid getting roped into attending the gala."

"Why isn't she? If she went, you wouldn't have to." Theo said, as though that was the obvious answer.

"I'm attending for my Dad's side of the family, although my grandparents on my Mom's side might be there. Please, save me from what promises to be an awful set up?" Rory asks, turning the doe eyes on.

"Okay, okay. I'll come but can I leave the city Saturday morning instead? I will drive myself, just I have a court case on Friday that I think will run late?"

"Of course! Whatever you would like. Thank you!" Rory exclaimed, sliding across the couch, before climbing on his lap. "Would you like a preview of my appreciation?" she asked, as she straddled his crotch, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"I think that would be good," he said, with a smile as he stood up, and started walking towards his bedroom, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Let me just take us somewhere more comfortable," he said, as he ran his hands under her shirt as he walked, tickling her, so she was in outright giggles by the time he dropped her on the bed.

"Oh yes, this is a good idea," she said, pulling him down to join her.