Saviour from the Past

chapter 21

The weekend passed quickly and without any contact with Tristan. So sooner than she would have liked Rory found herself back in the office again for the week.

"Hey Rory, how was the rest of your weekend?" Rachel asked, as they met in the coffee room.

"It was quiet, I just relaxed, watched a movie, got take out, all the usual things. What about you? Did you and Mark get up to anything?" Rory asked, as she handed Rachel the creamer she had just finished with.

"No, nothing really. We were trying to get some numbers worked out for the guest list for the wedding so we know how big a venue we want, and also, to have an answer when the parents start trying to invite their friends."

"Ah yes, I know what you mean, the grandparents take over, although in my case it's my grandparents who always try to mess with the guest lists at events." Rory answered, with a sympathetic smile.

Just as Rachel went to reply, the door to the coffee room opened and in walked Marissa, causing both girls to fall silent. Before Rachel opened her mouth to greet her.

"Hi Marissa, how was your weekend?"

"It was good, quiet, but nice. I met a really nice guy at the party at the event on Friday and we spent the weekend together," she said, happily with a grin.

"Excuse me, I have a call booked that's in five minutes, so I better make sure I am at my desk. Have a good day ladies," Rory said, with a forced smile on her face, leaving quickly while Rachel looked at her with what Rory was sure was pity.

"So tell me more about this guy?" Rory heard Rachel ask as the door closed behind her.

"Rory?"

"Gilmore! Wait up!"

Rory stopped as she walked down the steps outside her office, she was heading for lunch, having decided she needed to get out of the office. She turned to see Rachel running down the steps to catch her.

"Rachel? Did we have lunch plans I forgot?"

"No, no plans, I just wanted to catch you, and this is the first time you have left your office."

"I was busy, the meeting ran long."

"I guessed, do you want to get lunch? I assume that is where you were heading."

"Yeah, sure. Do you have any preferences?

"Where were you going?"

"Shake shack. If that's okay with you?"

"Sure, let's go." Rachel agreed and the twosome were quickly making their way to the Bryant Park location.

As they waited on their food, 2 chicken shack burgers and shakes, Rachel started to talk.

"So I spoke to Marissa after you left this morning, she told me something very interesting, that I think you will be happy to hear."

"No, Rachel, I don't need to hear about her weekend spent with Tristan," Rory said, irritation clear in her tone.

"That's just it, she told me the name of the guy she spent the weekend with, it wasn't Tristan, she said his name was Josh."

"He gave her a fake name?" Rory asked, shocked.

"No! I asked her if it was the blonde that I had seen her talking to at the bar. She said no, as much as she had hoped that there was something there, that his phone had rang, and he had left in a hurry, just left money on the bar and ran out. That's how she met this Josh, he saw it happen and took pity on her."

"So she didn't spend the weekend with him?" Rory asked quietly.

"Nope. Did you hear from him at all?"

"No. Well that's not entirely true, he tried to call me but I didn't answer him. And I may have blocked his number from texting me."

"I hate to say it, but it sounds like it may have been innocent."

"He still ran out without telling me."

"Yes, but it might have been an emergency. I think you need to unblock him and give him a chance to explain."

"I'll think about it," Rory said as their food arrived. Rachel accepted her answer for now, but planned to mention it again, after Rory had drank her triple chocolate brownie shake.

That evening Rory found herself sitting on her couch with a glass of wine, staring contemplatively at her cell. With a sigh, she changed the settings on her phone to allow Tristan's number to come through again. She had two voicemails and five texts from him. She decided to read the texts first.

Sorry I had to leave in a hurry. Glad you got home safe, I will call tomorrow to explain.

What a night! Trying to get across the city in a hurry on a Saturday night is ridiculous. Forty five minutes for three miles. Still managed to beat my parents. No news yet.

Hope you are getting to relax for the rest of your weekend, worried you didn't get home as safely as your text implied. Grandfather just got out of surgery, but is still touch and go.

Hey, still at the hospital. Looks like I will be in town all week now, if you want to get together?

Rory? Mare? You okay? I'm calling Paris, you are never out of contact for this long. I hope you are ok.

Rory's guilt increased as she read through the texts, which only increased as she listened to his voicemails. It sounded like Tristan had run out for a family emergency and not because he got a girl like she had assumed.

Taking a deep breath, Rory pressed call on his name.

"Rory?"

"Hi Tristan."

"Finally, I was beginning to get worried. I called Paris but she said she had been talking to you and you were fine."

"What happened, Tristan?"

"Did that girl, the one who works with you, not tell you?"

"No, she never told me anything, was she supposed to?"

"I told her to tell you! Okay, nevermind. Grandfather had a heart attack, he had to have triple bypass surgery. It has been very touch and go. He isn't as young as he thinks, so the surgery has been hard on him."

"Oh no. That's awful. How are you doing? How is the rest of your family doing?"

"I'll be okay. I'm keeping it together for Mom's sake. You know what my father is like. No sign of any emotion at all, you wouldn't know his father had almost just died."

"Are you sure you are okay though?"

"Yep, I'm okay. Better now you called. I was worried about you as well. Now I only have to worry about one thing."

"Has your office been okay with you taking the time off?"

"Yep, they have, very understanding actually. I have my laptop though so I have still been able to work a bit which helps."

"That's good. I have to go make supper."

"You mean call for take out?"

"Well I need to eat. Let me know what day you want to get lunch or something this week, okay?"

"Yep I will. Talk to you later Mare."

"Later Bible boy." Rory said, as she hung up with a relieved sigh, glad to know she hadn't been deserted by choice, but also curious about why Marissa never told her.