The Scarecrow

Chapter 25

Rory's book had been going so well the publishing house considered moving up the release date. She had talked it over extensively with Cate, but ultimately, decided it would be for the best to leave the date alone. She wasn't in a rush to get the book published and didn't want to put any extra pressure on herself as the pregnancy progressed. She was nearly into her third trimester and felt bigger than ever.

She put the finishing touches on her next two chapters and sent it off to Cate. She'd been very careful to triple-check the file she sent since her mix-up. She'd been diligently working on them for the last week. She'd set up her own schedule for writing, and followed it strictly. The timeline allowed for her to have low and high productivity. It had been working very well, and this weekend, she was going away with Finn to NYC. It was going to be an extended weekend because he had some business to attend to early next week. She happily accepted the invite.

She closed her laptop as she got a text from Finn.

Finn: I'm going to be a little later than I planned. Something's come up at work that requires my attention. Please, forgive me! I promise to pick up Chinese food for the road.

Rory: I understand. Let me know when you are on your way.

The timing actually worked out in Rory's favor. She still needed to finish a load of laundry and finalize her packing. She'd become even more indecisive. It didn't help that Finn wouldn't tell her what they were doing, so, she was left to pack for all contingencies. It was always a surprise with him, although, her mom did get him good in Stars Hollow. She couldn't believe her mom went to all of that trouble just for Finn. She must really like him, and even Luke was nice to him. He was never nice to her boyfriends.

After the laundry was finished, she packed a few more items into her suitcase and garment bag. She had already decided to pick up a few more maternity pieces for her wardrobe. She didn't want to go overboard, but she could use a few more things. She also intended on doing some nursery shopping. She'd gotten the furniture with Logan, but now it was time to get some clothes, décor, and decide on a theme.

Finn desperately wanted to escape the office. Someone had decided they needed to have a meeting, although, they were clearly unprepared. Once they'd gotten to their point, he was extremely irritated. The problem was easily solved, and an email would have sufficed. They had wasted, not only his time, but everyone else's, and he hated doing business that way. It was two of his pet peeves rolled into one. He recalled an award meme that said, 'I survived a meeting that should have been an email,' and it made him chuckle because it was true. He walked back to his office to grab his things before leaving. He gave Meghan a smile on the way out.

"Why don't you take the rest of the day off? I'm headed out of town, and won't be here the rest of the day," he offered.

"Really? Thank you! Have a good weekend!" she replied happily.

"I will. I'm taking my girlfriend to NYC. It'll be a nice little getaway," he replied smiling. He had recently become aware of how he smiled whenever he talked about Rory.

Meghan's smile slowly faded as if she were disappointed to hear of his girlfriend. He didn't care that it made her unhappy, and it felt good to say it to other people. He smirked and chuckled on the way to his car.

After he got back to his house, he quickly packed a bag. He also grabbed his garment bag for his dress clothes. He'd nearly forgotten he had to go to the NYC office on Monday and Tuesday. He called ahead for take-out. The car was set to arrive in ten minutes. He gathered everything by the door and texted Rory.

Finn: I'll be heading out shortly. I'm picking up Chinese on the way to your place. I should be there in about twenty minutes.

Rory: Glad you are getting food. The baby is starving!