Lorelai has always had an attraction to older men and a knack for seducing them, and the older man that moves next door is no exception.
Unfortunately for her, he's married - but she's nothing if not determined.
Lorelai sits at her vanity, peering at her reflection with furrowed eyebrows. Her normally radiant complexion is marred by bags beneath her eyes, caused by a sleepless night. Having someone witness the activities she keeps hidden from the world meant it was hours before she finally dozed off. When sleep finally found her, she dreamt of dark, knowing eyes.
The brunette has never been drawn to boys her age. She has always found them boring, relying on nepotism and good looks to get through life without developing a personality. As a fellow nepotism baby, she supposes that it is hypocritical to criticise them — but at least she knows that playing lacrosse and having a penchant for expensive cocaine and whiskey aren't personality traits.
Since she turned 18, she began to act on her desires for more mature men. There was some satisfaction in bringing a powerful man to his knees, letting him feel that he's in control as he obeys her every whim for the chance to sleep with her, unaware that Lorelai is truly the one pulling the strings. In addition to the fun of the game, as she calls it, there is also the added benefit of them having more experience. They know where the clitoris is, how to pleasure a woman, how to make her cum.
But she got sloppy. After four years of the push and pull of seduction without getting caught, she felt invincible. Other than her best friend and confidant, her preference for older men and relentless pursuit of them remained unknown to the world, and that is exactly how she wanted it.
People already don't take women seriously in the business world, and her lifelong goal of taking over her dad's business would no doubt be compromised if people were to know about her habits. She has worked too long and too hard for her new neighbor to put it all at risk. Not to mention that her father would go ballistic if he found out — he was traditional and protective over his precious little girl, something Lorelai both adored and resented. All in all, she needed to find a way to ensure her neighbor's silence about what he saw.
But first, she needs to fix her tired look and get dressed — today she is joining her father at the office in Manhattan. It is over a two hour drive from the Hamptons so they are due to set off soon, and Lorelai is distressed and nowhere near ready.
Quickly, she applies her makeup and does her best to conceal the eyebags. She then puts on the outfit she prepared the night before — her Mirror Palais black Rodeo Drive dress with tights, black Prada pumps and her Marei 1998 black Powderpuff leather coat with its brown faux fur collar. It was simple, classy and her only option as she didn't have the time to change regardless.
Her father, Arman Minoret, is already waiting in the car for her, brows furrowed as he taps on his phone.
"Good morning, darling," he mumbles distractedly as she climbs into the Corvette, not looking up from where he is squinting down at the screen of his phone. Lorelai doesn't take it personally — he is a busy man.
"Morning, Daddy," she greets, fastening her seatbelt. She peers out of the window at the house next door, noticing the 'SOLD' sign outside of it that she had apparently missed before. A sleek grey Mercedes is parked on the front drive, but there is no sign of the man from the night before. That was probably for the best — she doesn't want him interacting with her parents before she has a chance to ensure his silence.
After a few moments, Arman huffs and puts his phone away in his suit pocket. "Ready?" He asks her, an expectant expression on his face.
"Of course," Lorelai confirms, smiling, although her insides still feel like jelly as she thinks about the power her new neighbor holds over her. At least her father shows no signs of acting any differently, which he absolutely would be if he knew what she had been caught doing.
With Lorelai's confirmation, Arman instructs the driver to begin their journey.
"I want you to sit in on a meeting I have at 11," Arman tells her. "It's a pitch. An up-and-coming cosmetics company wants our investment."
Cosmetics, that was something Lorelai knew about, and her father knew it too. Perhaps he was finally going to let her have more of a role in the company by letting her take the lead in the investment. Still, she had been optimistic about this before and been disappointed so she tries not to get her hopes up.
"What are your thoughts?" She questions.
"It seems like a good idea to me," he says. "They're trendy, sleek and simplistic in their product design. No scandals so far. They're focusing on encouraging the natural look — something that is very in right now. It's a saturated market but I think they have potential."
Lorelai nods, then, trying to keep her tone neutral, asks, "So what do you need me for?"
He smiles at her. "You know I appreciate your input on these things."
"Right," she says, carefully. "And just how much of my input do you want on this?"
"We'll have to see," Arman replies. "If we choose to invest, I was thinking of letting you take the reigns in helping with their new line. You know the market and you have shadowed me for years now. I think you're ready for more responsibility."
Lorelai can't help it — she beams. She has been working towards this for years, for her father to finally let go of some of his control and let her prove herself. But the sinking feeling in her gut reminds her that she only has more to lose if the scandal gets out about her affairs.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
After a rundown on the stocks, which Lorelai is unfortunately not privy to, she finds herself in the boardroom with her father and a few others as the pitch begins. Already hopeful about the prospect of taking control of the deal, Lorelai is desperate for the pitch to go well.
Lorelai knows about the "Lipstick Effect" — women tend to buy more beauty products during recessions, which they were certainly in the midst of. It has been a trend since the Great Depression, buying something pretty to cheer themselves up. Investment is a promising prospect, one she desperately wants to get her hands on.
After the pitch — which was engaging, concise, and filled Lorelai with a dangerous optimism — she is taken to her father's office to discuss their thoughts.
"It was a good pitch," Arman says, thoughtfully, before turning his dark eyes onto Lorelai's matching ones. "What did you think?"
"I agree," Lorelai says, making an effort to keep too much enthusiasm out of her tone. "They're very aware of keeping up with trends while still differentiating enough to stand out. They have been growing like crazy and I think it's a good idea to invest before someone else does."
Arman ponders this, then makes an agreeable hum. He stands from behind his mahogany desk and straightens his jacket. "We'll make an offer tomorrow."
Lorelai smiles, wide and bright. Never make an offer the same day, her father taught her that.
"Does this mean...?"
He ruffles his hair as he walks past her and rolls his eyes affectionately. "Yes, kiddo. You get to take the reigns."
"Thank you." It's all she can think to say.
He smiles down at her. "You earned it. Now, let's celebrate. I'll get Mara to bring us some Champagne."
Lorelai laughs, delighted, as Arman summons his personal assistant with the buzzer on his desk.
"We can't be too long, though," he sighs. "Your mother is expecting us for that silly dinner."
"Dinner?" Lorelai asks, puzzled.
"She didn't tell you?" Arman says. "Our new neighbors moved in yesterday. We invited them for dinner tonight. Welcome them to the neighborhood, make some connections — you know how it is."
