Meant to Be

CHAPTER 22 - PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY

Rory enjoyed the rest of the holiday break with her mom and Luke in Stars Hollow but it was time to get back to New York. She had a major event to work at the Plaza compounded with the fact that she would be seeing Logan at the party gave her a nervous energy as she made the drive from Connecticut back to New York.

When she arrived back at her apartment that evening she felt alone. Jake was a distant memory by this time and there were no potential suitors in her life to distract her from thinking about what could have been with Logan. She did what any sensible, 20 something would do on a Thursday night ... she re-organized her book collection. She went through a few boxes to pull out a few first editions she hadn't seen in years when she saw the familiar item at the bottom of the box ... the rocket. Logan had given it to her back in college before he left for London. It signified their undying commitment to one another and when everything had been blown up after she rejected his proposal she had to get rid of that rocket. She could never work up the nerve to toss it in the trash so the best she could do was to pack it away with all the feelings she had for Logan. Seeing it today tormented her. She yearned to relive that feeling when Logan gave her the gift, yearned for the hopefulness that they had felt back then, and even more so she yearned to feel his touch again.

The knock at her door pulled Rory from the past as she slipped the rocket back in to the box and hurried to answer the door. When she opened the door Juliet, Rosemary and Steph were waiting outside with racks of clothes in hand.

"Move over and let us in! We have dresses to try on and I refuse to let any of us look anything less than perfect for this New Year's party," Steph demanded.

Rory let the girls in and they settled in quickly, trying on dress after dress.

"I haven't eaten in a week. One of these better fit like a glove," Juliet exclaimed.

"Jules! That diet didn't work back in college and you don't need to do it now. You're perfect and Robert loves you just the way you are," Rosemary reasoned.

"You're right, you're right. This is our first New Year's together and I want it to go perfectly," Juliet exclaimed.

"Robert is obsessed with you. You have nothing to worry about," Steph argued.

Rory took in the sight of her friends and couldn't help but feel a little bit of sorrow that all of them would be attending the party with a date. It was almost as if Rosemary could sense her sorrow and chimed in, "Rory, you're going to look amazing in this black and gold sparkler. Logan isn't going to know what hit him!"

"Oooh yes! That's the dress that will leave him with his mouth hanging open," Steph agreed.

"Yep! He'll be left thinking 'Katie who?' when he sees you in this gown," Juliet reasoned.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence but I'm there to work. I probably won't even get around to even say hello to Logan," Rory argued.

"If not at the party, then definitely at the after party. Finn booked us all suites at the Plaza so there will be plenty of time to leave Logan drooling," Rosemary offered.

"You girls are so bad! He's engaged and I've learned my lesson messing around with a married man a long time ago," Rory replied.

"He's not married yet!" Steph argued.

The girls spent the rest of the evening watching tv and eating ice cream while they pondered how the following night would go. Rory eyed the gorgeous black and gold gown hanging in her bedroom. The sparkling, one-shoulder gown with a deep slit up the side would be sure to turn a few heads ... she just hoped it would turn Logan's.