NAME - Johanna(Joey)
E-MAIL - Jroses716@aol.com
SPOILERS - None
SUMMARY - predicted future, Rory and Tristan meet again, and they still have their problems.
RATING - PG-13
CONTENT - Some sexual content
PAIRING OR CHARACTER - Rory/Tristan, Answer to a challenge
DISCLAIMER - I don't own the characters, the WB, Amy Sherman-Palladino, and the really 
writers of the show own them.	
Author Note: will be a few chapters.

Chapter 1: the Acquaintance
 
'It's been five year' Lorelai thought when she looked at her calendar.
 
It read Saturday 20th Rory home for 2 weeks!
 
Lorelai couldn't believe that her daughter had gone to Harvard, straight after Chilton. Then 
Rory moved back home to look for a few jobs 2 and a half years into her very successful job 
Rory decided to move closer to the area. 
 
Hartford? Out of all the places to find a job, or even live in.  Why Hartford? To Rory it was that 
if she took a job in Stars Hollow, she would be reminded of her high school sweet heart. So she
had looked into a town where she didn't know a lot of people. 
 
"Out of all the places to Live?" Lorelai thought out loud to herself.
 
"Maybe she wanted to get away from her crazy mother" Luke said while entering the kitchen.
 
Lorelai looked at him and said "Funny, Sure that is exactly what she wanted to do 'instead of stay 
at home with her crazy mother, why not go to a whole town that is full of even crazier people."
 
"Well, you never know what she was thinking."
 
"Or she could have thought that since the nice man from the diner is now living in the Gilmore 
house there was no room for her."
 
Luke walked towards her, took her in his arms and kissed her sweetly then said, "Maybe that is
true, maybe it was because of the nice diner owner, you never know"
 
With a nod she said, "I know, I am just so happy to have her home. I have missed her."

Without noticing Rory come in during that comment Rory walked slowly towards her mother and 
said "I miss you too, Mom"
 
"Rory?"She said while still looking at Luke, turning around to look at her "Wow you haven't 
changed a bit."
 
"Thanks Mom, hi Luke, How is the diner business?"
 
Luke tried to make small talk so Rory and her Mom could have some time, "hi Rory, doing good,
 but it has been a little slow for years since my favorite customer left town."
 
Lorelai turned to him and said with a stern look "hey I thought I was your favorite costumer?"
 
Luke looked at her and said, "you know what I meant Lorelai,"
 
To have that fight not happen Rory found something else to talk about.
 
"So how is everyone?" She asked.
 
"Well, honey, who are you asking about in particular? Lane and Henry are doing just great. But 
you already knew that. Sookie and Jackson are still together, married for 4 years now and 
expecting. That's about it for everyone that matter's. "
 
"How about Dad? How is he? Luke, where you’re ex now?" Rory stopped at that last remark 
and started to mumble something under breath. “How's dean?"
 
"Christopher is fine. Rachel went to the West Indies to get pictures of the area for a paper." She
stopped to tell Rory about Dean. "Well, sweetie, Dean lived in Stars Hollow for the last three 
years, then moved to the Jersey Shore to try this hand as working ... working those cheesy games
on the boardwalk."
 
"I hear that he is losing all of it."
 
Rory said something sarcastically "Wow, well at least he is doing really well?"
 
"Sorry Honey."
 
"Mom, please, I am glad he broke it off when he did. I don't regret any of it. I don't care for him."
 
Luke then put in his two cents "Wow Rory you are taking this better then I had expected."
 
"Thanks"
 
"So have you gone out with anyone lately? Who has your heart now?"
 
"Mom I am trying to take relationships slow, I mean I dated this one guy last year but then he got 
transferred.”
 
"Sorry I keep forgetting"
 
2 weeks later 
 
Rory and her Mom are saying there last good-bye before Rory leaves.
 
"I can't believe at how fast it went."" Rory said as if not wanting to leave Lorelai.
 
"I know but I will call you every Saturday from now on, and we will have to meet for coffee
 every week. "
 
"Sounds like a plan." On that note, Rory hugged Lorelai and Luke, got into her '99 jeep 
Cherokee and drove to her apartment in Hartford.
 
She got into Hartford around 4 o'clock after leaving Stars Hollow 3:30. She felt hungry, thinking 
to herself that it was too early for dinner and to late for lunch, so she decided to go to the Cafe
in town.
 
"One large coffee" she had asked the waitress.
 
By the time waitress came back with her coffee, she heard a familiar voice.
 
"Coffee, Please,” she heard him say. When she noticed him she tired to not get recognized by him.
It was too late. When she was trying to put herself in her book, she heard him say "Hello Rory,”

"Oh, Tristan, it's been a while," she said while looking into his blue eyes. She noticed that he hasn't
changed. “How long has it been?"

"Long time Rory, Long time,” he said not trying to look like he was interested in her. But that 
was hard for Tristan; he had feelings for her at Madeline's Party in sophomore year of High 
school. He new that they would one day they would see each other again.

"So, how has life been treating you? Good I can see, you're still standing." 

"I'm great,” he said while getting comfortable in the seat opposite Rory. " I'm starting a new job 
in Hartford. It a new part in the attorney firm office."

"Really, you mean Ramdial and Grant? I have been working there for the past 3 and half years. 
It's a great start. " 

"Yeah I should say so, I have seen people from the firm help my father in his hard times."

"I guess we will see a lot of each other." Rory said finishing her coffee and not trying to look to
 surprise at seeing Tristan at work. 'What am I thinking, no I can't think that. I mean he is nice, but 
I don't want to get hurt.' she thought to herself.


"I guess we will."

"Well look, it was nice seeing you again Tristan. I have to run."

"Oh ok, same here. I am moving into an apartment today and I have lot to unpack."

"Oh really, not staying in your parents house?"

" It became all stuffy when I left for college and I thought that I could make a better start in my 
life with this job."

"Sounds like you have a plan. Well, I will see you at the firm tomorrow." Rory said before
leaving the cafe. 

       Do you love me was playing on the radio when Rory got into her car. It was the first Rory 
had heard it in a long time. But she had a blast singing to the song. She started singing to the chorus:
            
Do you love me, do you love me, do you love me, do you love me.
Now that I can dance, dance, dance. Watch me now, hey, work, work, 
work it out baby work, work, you driving me crazy.
      
       At that point in the chorus she had to stop and think about Tristan. She hasn't seen him for 
years and then all these feelings come pouring out of her. Yes, there was that one time that they 
could have been more. But Rory didn't know if she was using him as a rebound person after 
what's his face.
 
            Rory didn't want to think about the past at that moment. She was in the present, and 
she wants to be there.
End Part 1

Chapter 2: The Coincidence

Rory then got to her apartment and settled into her place as if she had never left. Starting 
with turning on the radio and getting her dinner ready. Doing her normal routine. When she 
was about to take a bite out of her hamburger helper, she remembers that she didn't check 
her answering machine. So before starting her meal she pressed the 'listen' button on her 
machine. “One message” the machine said. Then the message played “Rory, it's the office; 
I guess I just missed you. I wanted to inform you that you have a partner for the next few 
cases. You will meet him Monday. Have a great vacation.” BEEP!
            
"That's just great, knowing my luck; it will be a nerdy guy with glasses. I can't wait.'' Rory 
said with a disappointed look. ''Why do I get stuck with the new one?” She said before 
finishing dinner. 
 
Rory then got ready for work the next day and for bed. ''I am not going to stress about it.'' 
She said just after she laid her head onto her pillow. Then fell into a fast sleep.
            
During the night  she had a dream. Rory had dreamt about Tristan. She saw Tristan and 
herself going out on a date. It was a nice romantic dinner, with candles and music. Then saw 
the two of them sharing a kiss.  Then she saw herself crying about something that a doctor 
told her. 

 
When she woke up, she was all sweaty. The dream was, very sweet until the last part. She 
didn't know why she was so sweaty, she liked Tristan but did she have feelings  for him. Or 
maybe she was afraid of the fact that something could be wrong. She didn't know.


She looked over at her alarm clock, which said 6:30. She didn't want to go back to sleep, 
plus she had a lot to do before she left at 7:30. 
       
She was ready and in her car by 7:29. She wanted to get coffee before being at the firm at 8. 
So, she went to the cafe got a coffee to go and was on her way to work. 

When she stepped foot in the lobby, her boss was already looking for her. 
"Glad your here. You're partner is here in the conference room." Her boss Gene had told her.

"Oh, ok." Rory wasn't that excited about this whole partner deal. 

"I hope you two get along with each other. Also that there are as few problems as possible." Gene 
told her when they were just about to go into the room. 

' Can we just get this over with?' Rory said to herself with her boss halfway in the doorway. When 
Gene and Rory entered the room her heart just stopped right there. 

Gene then introduced the two of us. "Rory Gilmore this is Tristan Dugray. "Tristan Dugray meet 
Rory Gilmore." 

Tristan acted like he didn't know her but was polite all the same and said "Nice to meet you, Rory 
Gilmore." Rory knew that Tristan new her name and her. Tristan knew that Rory knew him, but 
he felt like starting over. 

Gene had other stuff to do, so he had to run, but before he left her he said "You two get to know 
each other I have other business to take care of."

After Gene left Tristan said "I guess we'll see a lot more of each other."

Rory just couldn't believe that out of all the people to have as a partner, why Tristan. He is 
nice and very sweet, but when Rory heard those words come out of his mouth she just 
shuddered at them. She didn't know if her day could get any worse. It was only 8:15.

End Part 2

Chapter 3: The Date

Rory and Tristan have worked all week together on their first case. Rory was starting to wonder 
about Tristan. She had all these feelings flowing through her blood that were about to burst. 
Maybe Rory wanted to go out with Tristan and was dying for him to ask her.


'Or maybe he doesn't like me any more' she thought to herself on her way to work one Friday 
mourning. "I need caffeine,” she said just before coming to the cafe that was half a block away. 
So she decided to get a coffee there before work. She needed to clean her mind. She thought 
coffee would do the trick.

When she walked into the cafe, She noticed him. Without a thought in her mind she walked 
right up to him. "Hi, Tristan!" She said.

"Oh Rory, that's strange I was just thinking about you."

Getting comfy in the chair across from him she asked "Really, anything special? Nothing dirty I 
hope." She had a smirk on her face from ear to ear.

"Actually, " Tristan stared at her, "Just Kidding."

At that they shared a laugh. They both needed it. Tristan was stressing about the case and other
 things. Rory was just in awe of Tristan; she couldn't stop thinking about him. Once the laughter
died down, Rory just couldn't help herself. They were staring into each other’s eyes; Rory had
an impulse she just went for it, not even thinking. " Would you like to go to a movie tomorrow 
night.'' She heard herself say. Now all that she was waiting for was a response.

" Sure, What time?" Tristan was relieved that someone asked someone out. He couldn't stand 
he tension between them at work. Whenever he had talked about outside activities she would 
hange the subject. "I don't know, maybe, after work you can call me and we could talk about
the plans for the date." She couldn't believe that she was considering a date. Those words did 
come out of her mouth. Maybe she wanted it to be.	

"Yeah, that'd be fine.” He was so happy. His dream was coming true. He had the chance to 
make up all his high school wrongs. All the times he was a jerk to her. “Just give me your number 
now and I'll give you a call."

At that Rory gave Tristan her number with no hesitation. She was glad that they were doing this. 

Tristan even saw in her face that see was happy. The apples of her cheeks were rosy. Rory 
even had given him a smile, when she walked in. 

After that was lifted off their shoulders, they went to work. That day felt like it couldn't have 
been any longer for Rory. The minutes felt like hours and the hours felt like days. Rory was 
happy to get out of there when she did. Tristan was acting especially nice, since she had asked 
him that mourning. Rory rushed into her apartment, to wait for Tristan's phone call. It rang 
about 30minutes after she had gotten home.

She didn't hesitate to pick it up "Hello?" She asked the person on the other line, expecting it 
to be Tristan. 

"Hey, Rory?" the familiar person had asked. 

"Who is this?" She question the person.

"Sorry to call out of the ordinary, Rory. It's Dean. I am here in Stars Hollow for a few weeks." 
Dean said. "My parent's wanted to see me, so I thought that when I came up. We could get 
together."

Rory still in shock tried to get the words out. " How...um, how did you get this number?" 

"Well I bumped into your mother and I asked how you were. Then I asked if she could give 
me your number. It was tough but she had given in."

" Oh, well... Dean this was definitely a surprise. " BEEP! She heard. It was her call waiting. 
She thought that it could have been Tristan, but she didn't want to hang up on Dean. She 
then heard herself saying "Dean can you hold on a second?" 

"Sure" he said.

Rory had switched over to the other line. “Hello?” 

“Rory, It’s me Tristan.”  

“Hey, how are you?”

“Good, just calling about going out tomorrow.”

“Right,” didn’t know what to say. She was the one who invited him but now she was acting
different around him. “Well, what movie do you want to see?”

“Anything really, I’ll even go see a chick-flick if you really want.” He didn’t care, he was 
just happy that she was going out this him. 

“Ok, well, that’s generous of you, how about I’ll look in the newspaper.”

“Ok, what’s playing?”

“There’s Scream 6, Forty Days and 39 nights, Oh, also that new movie staring Jon Bon 
Jovi.”

“Yeah, Somebody watching over, that new romance with him and Kate Hudson. That
 looks nice.”

“Yeah, that’s the one.” 

“That sounds good, Jon Bon Jovi is cool.”

“Absolutely, that sounds good.”

“So…” Tristan didn’t want to stop talking to her.

“So?”  Rory didn’t know what to talk about she felt sixteen. 

“What are doing?”

“Nothing really…Oh my God… Tristan can you hold on?”

“Yeah.” 

‘Shit’ Rory thought. She had forgotten about Dean on the other line. When she switched 
lines she hear him. She said “Hello?” She didn’t know if he had hung up. 

“Hey again? Someone trying to call?”

“ Tristan, oh no, I forgot that I had someone on the other line.”

“Oh, not there anymore?”

“ Nope. But you’re the only one that I seem to be talking too.”

“Guess so.” Tristan was happy to be talk to her outside of work. He had noticed her at work 
being a little antsy around him. But he could hear her just starting to get comfortable on the 
phone. 

Rory felt like a schoolgirl right about now. She couldn’t help but feel giddy, while talking to 
Tristan. A bit into the conversation lead some music playing in the background. And Rory 
couldn’t help but notice: “Who’s that in the background?” 

“Oh, It’s American Hi Fi with Flavor of….” 

“The Week?” Rory finished his sentence. She had loved that group since they came out. 

“You like them too?”

“ Like them, I think that they are gods. The rhythm is very hard rock, and their lyrics are 
very true. That song was my song. I love it.” 

Tristan couldn’t believe Rory’s taste in music. Liking everything from the Bangles (a band 
he liked through his mom), to XTC, American Hi Fi to Lifehouse to Pink Floyd to Luscious
Jackson. 

Rory couldn’t believe at how long they have been talking from 9 o’clock to 11:30. Talking 
about everything. What things they did in college. They talked about whom they have kept 
in touch with from school. 

Rory didn’t want the conversation to end but all of a sudden she started to yawn into the 
phone.

“ I’m sorry to keep you up.” Tristan said in his sweet voice, “I’ll let you go.”

“ No Tristan I am sorry, to be so rude. But if you are sure you want to get off then I’ll let 
you go. I mean I am not that tired.” She said ending off the thought with another yawn. 
“Plus we haven’t decided where to meet before the movie.”

“ Well, then that is the last thing that we are going to talk about. Because you need you’re 
beauty rest.” Tristan said in his angelic voice. 

“ We could meet at about seven in front of the coffee house. We will go backwards. In the 
date.” 

“ Ok, but backwards how?” Before she could have explained to him, he understood and said, 
“ So, we’ll start with Coffee then the movie then dinner. Sounds like a plan.” 

“ Yup, well I think I am going to go, Good Night Tristan.”

“ Sure Rory, Good night, sweet dreams.”
There were definitely sweet dreams for Rory after she had gotten off the phone with Tristan. 

~~~~~~6:30 Saturday~~~~~~

Rory was getting ready for her date with Tristan. She couldn’t decide what to wear. She was 
screaming at her closet, she didn’t have anything nice that Tristan hadn’t seen her in. She wanted 
this night to go as planned and to be just perfect. She also wanted to be comfortable. So, she took
 her nicest pair of jeans and a comfy sweater and got dressed. By 6:50 she was ready to go. When
she got to the coffee shop she was a little nervous. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach. She
couldn’t even move. She just had to get it together. 

He looked at his watch. Tristan had gotten there a whole half hour early. He was so ready for his 
date with Rory. He even had trouble sleeping the night before. It’s about a minute to seven, he was 
really excited.  After he checked his watch for a second time. He heard a noise. It was the bells on 
the door. In the doorway stood a vision, he just couldn’t help but stare at. 

Rory stood in the door, motionless. Had she have made a mistake? But why was she questioning, 
now? ‘ Just go for it ’ she told herself. So, she made her way towards Tristan.

They didn’t say anything for a second. They just stared into each other’s eyes. Rory didn’t rethink 
her decision for one minute. Rory had another one. An impulse. After she did it she couldn’t believe 
it. She thought it was appropriate for the date. She had kissed him. They didn’t know what to say 
to each other at that moment until Tristan broke the silence. 

“ Wow! ” was all that he could say. 

“ Yeah. ”

“ Do you want coffee?” 

“ Sure,” she said, “ Hi.”

“ Hello, how are you?”

“ I great, so much better.”

“ That’s good, because if you were sick I wouldn’t have been able to take you out or even
 take care of you. I don’t even know where your apartment building is.”

“ Oh, well, I’ll tell you later.”

“ Rory?” he questioned her. “Are you ok? You are kind of acting a little strange.”

“ Tristan, what to do mean?” At that she started to simply graze his arm with her hand. Which
 was actually giving Tristan goose bumps, but only the good ones.

“ Well, this for example,” pointing to her hand on his arm. “ Its fine with me, but I would have 
never expected it from you.” Making his point across. Then he started saying, “Have you been 
drinking?”

At that Rory drew her arm away from Tristan’s. “I’m sorry Tristan, wait, actually I am not! 
God, I thought you liked an aggressive girl, someone who acts on impulse but now I don’t 
know what to think.”

“ Rory, I like you for you. I like the Rory Gilmore I work with and the Rory Gilmore that you 
were in school. Maybe I had feelings for that kind of girl years ago, doesn’t mean that I want 
a girl like that now. You know what happened the last time I had a girl like that of in my life.”

 “ That’s sweet of you Tristan to think of me. I mean I haven’t changed I thought you didn’t 
either so, I guess I was putting on a show for you.”

“Rory, you don’t have to put on a show for me. I don’t need one, I never need one coming
 from you.”

“ Ok, so when do you want to go see the movie?”

“ Now’s good. I think we will beat the line, we’ll take my car.”

“ That’s true, ok.”

~~~~~At the Movie Theater~~~~~~

“I am glad you asked me out Rory.”

“I am glad that you accepted.” She said with a blush come over her cheeks.

Tristan, trying not to get into another silent moment between Rory, he decided to talk about
 the movie, before it started. “So I had heard good things about this Movie.”

“Oh yeah, same here, Bon Jovi’s character and the main girl are supposed to be friends 
since high-school.” 

“Hmm that sounds familiar.” 

“Yeah, it does doesn’t.”

After a few minutes of silence Tristan had to ask. “ So, Are you having fun, tonight?” 

“ Well, if your wondering if I am planning on going to run out in the middle of everything 
and throw myself into an active volcano, I don’t think I would.”

“But you did consider it, Rory.” 
 
“Yeah I guess I did, but then you smiled.”

“Well, I’m glad I did.” At that the theater lights started to go down and the previews went 
on the screen. Then the movie started. For about 2 ½ hours there was no talking between
 the two of them. But once Tristan and Rory saw a kissing scene at the beginning of the movie, 
Tristan took his hand and put it in Rory. All she could do was blush.

Once the Movie was over they started to head to Tristan’s car. “So ,did you like it?” He 
asked.

“Yeah, but I didn’t like the ending.”

“You mean, when the high-school sweetheart from the same town takes her back?”

“Yeah, I guess it was too played out in movies.”

  “You agree with me? Thank god I mean I live romance conflict movies, it’s just I couldn’t 
stand it in this one.”

“Absolutely.” He said while opening up the door for Rory. “I mean her boyfriend was nice 
but I think I can feel for her friend who had feelings for her, right under her nose, no less.” 
Once he finished that he got into his side and started the car and put on the radio.

Tristan had left it on the oldie station, so once it turned on it started to play Can’t Take 
My Eyes Off Of You. Then without a thought in his mind he started to speak the words to 
her.

“You’re just to good to be true. Can’t take my eyes off of you.”

“What?”

“You’d be like heaven to touch, I wanna hold you so much.”

“Huh?” Was all that she could say.

“At long last love has arrived, and I thank god you’re alive.”   

“Tristan, what are you doing?” she said as he pulled her closer to him with the car still in 
park.

“You’re just to good to be true. Can’t take my eyes off of you.” At that he froze and stared 
at Rory in the eyes. * She looked so beautiful tonight * he thought. He had no idea what to 
say. He had turned his eyes away from her to check what time it was. “It’s 11:15! That 
movie was pretty long.”

“I guess I wasn’t checking the time.” She said with a disappointing look. Tristan started to 
put the car in drive to go get dessert, when she stopped his hand. She wanted to get his
 attention, so she took his hand and looked straight ahead and asked….

End Part 3

Chapter 4:  Reconsidering 

Rory asked, “Tristan, You know that this was meant strictly as a friends date?”

“I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” He said with a straight face. He tried to hold in his 
emotions after that whole Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You scene.

“Good, because things are a little complicated now.”

“Rory, No need to explain.”

“I’m so glad that you understand.”

While looking at the road in front of them, Tristan asked, “So, do you want to go home?”

“Yeah, just drop me off at my car by the coffee shop.” 

“Ok.”

“I had fun tonight as friends.”

“Yeah, same here except for those time when you threw out a come-on.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Tristan looked like he was about to say something when Rory stopped 
him, “I wanted the date to be something different at the beginning. I should never had made
those advances. The movie has made all my thoughts get cloudy.”

“Rory, like I said before, No need to explain.”

“I hope you aren’t upset.” Was all she could say before getting out of his car and getting into 
her own. 

With a straight face again, but this time he looked at her, and gave her a smile, “Really Rory.
 I’m fine. Have a good night.”
“You too, Tristan.”

~~~~~At her Apartment~~~~~

Once Rory got to her apartment she went to check her messages. *You have 2 Messages* it 
said in a robotic voice. * 1st message * it said then started to play the message.
“Hi Rory, It’s mom. How are you? Well I was in town today and you are never going to believe
who I saw. That’s right, Dean. To tell you the truth, because Luke is making me, I knew that he 
was in town since Wednesday. I didn’t know how to tell you, I’m sorry. But anyway, Luke and
I are going to your grandparents tonight and I thought that you might like to come. Call me soon, 
if you can…I love you.”

Rory didn’t bother to hear the message again. So she left it and let the second message run. It 
started to play * 2nd Message* “ Rory…um… Hi, it’s Dean again. So, what are you up too? 
I’m just sitting here waiting for your phone cal. But yeah, ok, that was lame. So, I was wondering
if you would like to join me and my sister and her boyfriend tomorrow for the afternoon. There is
this play in Hartford that I thought that you might enjoy. We you can get in touch with my at 
822-8194.”

Rory didn’t know what to do. ‘The Date’ was great; it wouldn’t be a bad thing if she goes to 
the play tomorrow. They aren’t serious. She decided to call Dean and talk to him about the play. 
It took about 3 rings to get through. “Hello,” the person on the other line said.

“Hi this is Rory, is Dean there?”

“Hi Rory, hold on.”

“Thanks.” She said, she was getting a bit nervous about going out with Dean.

“Dean, here?”

“Hi Dean, It’s Rory.”

“Hi, so you got my message? I thought that you were backing out.”

“Yeah, I got your message, actually, just a second ago.” She had gotten a little ticked at
that remark. As if she was staying at home just waiting for his message, she is not a puppy. 

“Oh, sorry, so what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Well, if the offer still stands I would like to come to the play.”

“Sure, well, how about I pick you up, with my sister and her boyfriend. Then we could go over 
the play.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” She was all of a sudden getting comfortable about this. “So I guess I will see
 you tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow at noon then. Oh, I almost forgot, tell me where you live.”

“Oh right, umm. Its apartment buildings, well more like condominiums. Called Elite, I’m in 
building 4; there are 6 buildings, with 2 floors and 4 apartments on each floor. Room D-4. 
It’s really not that hard to find.”

“So tomorrow then. Bye Rory.”

“Bye, Dean.” Once she got off the phone with him she was very excited. She decided to go 
to bed; she thought that the night couldn’t get any worse. 

She had a little trouble sleeping again, though. She had this dream that she couldn’t forget. 
She was in the parking lot in the middle of the day. She was just standing there getting ready 
to get into her car until, this big muscular hand touches her shoulder and turns her around. 
She sees that it is Dean, he starts kissing her, but she pushes him away. Then they start to 
bicker about her being with another guy now, and Dean won’t accept it. He gets so mad he 
pushes her into the car door and storms off. After having that dream she woke up again all 
sweaty, that is the second time in one week. 

While sitting up in her bed she didn’t know what to do. She just sat there staring at her phone, 
taking into consideration calling Dean and telling him that she couldn’t go to the play. But she 
couldn’t do that; it was to late to call his house. So, she decided to try to fall back asleep.

~~~~~Outside her Apartment~~~~~ 

It was about 12 Rory was waiting outside her apartment building for Dean. She thought that it 
would be best if he didn’t come up to her apartment. While waiting for Dean, she saw Tristan. 
She saw him, but he didn’t actually see her. She couldn’t believe out of all the apartments in all 
of Hartford, he is in the came community as Rory. He was going to get his mail in front of 
Apartment building 3. After she had noticed him go into his building Dean and his sister pulled
up. 
 
“Hi Dean, Hi Clara.” She said as she got into the car.

“Hi Rory, boy you have a good memory.” Clara said. 

“Thanks”

“So have you been waiting outside long? I didn’t tell you too.” Dean asked

“I know but I thought that it would take up too much time, with coming inside to get me.”

“That’s true Dean. Rory, I want you to meet my boyfriend Chris.”

“”Hi Chris,” she said. “Nice to meet you.”

“Back atcha.”

“So, What play are we going to see?”

“Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew.” Dean answered still concentrating on the road.

“Oh, that’s my favorite. What’s you favorite Shakespearean play?” directing the question to
 everyone in the car.

Chris was the first to respond. “Much ado about nothing.”

“My favorite would have to be Romeo and Juliet.” Clara told Rory, “Its so romantic. What 
about you Dean?”

“My favorite Shakespearean play would have to be Othello.”

“Oh Renaissance man, good movie,” Chris said. “I like when they go to the play on the bus. 
That’s a funny part.”

“So, Rory what are you up too? What College did you go too?”

“Well, Clara, right now I am in the attorney office at Ramdial & Grant. I went to Harvard after 
graduating Chilton.”

“Wow, Harvard? You probably graduated top in your class.”

“Actually,” Rory was going to tell her the whole story about all four years in college, but didn’t 
want to upset Dean. 

They got to the Theater and Dean was ready to jump out of the truck. “We’re here.”

“Good.” They all said in unison.

~~~~~Inside the theater~~~~~

The seating arrangement was pretty simple Boy-Girl-Boy-Girl. Dean and Rory were pretty 
quiet during the performance. During the play Chris and Clara started to hold hands. All that 
Rory could do was look on in awe. She missed that; she wanted that more then ever. Maybe 
Dean and herself were moving farther apart.

Once the play ended and the people started to leave, Rory recognized someone there. Now 
this was strange for Rory, last night on her date with Tristan she started to think about Dean 
after she saw the movie. But this afternoon with Dean, she saw Tristan. She physically saw 
Tristan; she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know whether to say hi with Dean there and
 have a spectacle between the two. She really had a problem. 

On the way back to Dean’s car she asked, “Could you drop me off at home. I am not feeling 
well.” Which was actually not to far from the truth.

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Thanks.”

~~~~~ Back At Her Apartment~~~~~

She was pacing in her living room for a good 20 minutes. She was burning a hole in the wooden
 floor. She didn’t know what to do. Should she tell Tristan that it was a mistake? Will he take her 
back? She decided to go to his apartment and talk to him. What was the worst that could happen?

Once she got to his apartment she knocked on the door. He didn’t answer the first time. She tried 
a second. He still didn’t answer. She thought that maybe he wasn’t home yet from the play, he 
probably went out afterwards. So, she decided to go to her apartment and think about what she 
was going to say to him. She will wait until Monday to talk to him. It wasn’t that long, only 18
 hours until she sees him at work. ‘That’s fine you will see him Monday,’ is what she kept 
repeating to herself. 

End Part 4

Chapter 5:  Too Late 

Rory had slept until 6:30. She couldn’t sleep any longer. If she did she would have 
lost all train of thought. So she decided to clean up around her apartment. It was 
about 7:30 when she noticed her reflection from scrubbing the kitchen floor for so long. 
So she had to get ready for work and her day of confrontation with Tristan. By 8:30 
she was out the door, to work. 

While at work she heard giggling from the room adjacent her office. She wondered 
what was going on because that was Tristan’s office and she still hasn’t told him her 
feelings. She had waited till the noise had stopped to go talk to him. Something in her 
mind told her that, Tristan would fool around with someone at work. She wanted 
someone else to be in there, she was hoping there was. 

When she walked into the doorway, she saw Tristan and some brunette. She didn’t 
know exactly who it was because all she saw was the back of her head and her butt 
dusting the desk. They were very involved in conversation. Rory didn’t know what to 
think about the two of them. “Knock, Knock.” Rory said to get their attention; she was 
getting sick just looking at them. 

Tristan and the brunette broke away from conversation. “Hi Rory.” Tristan said, what 
could he say. She broke his heart again. “Rory this is Hannah, Hannah- Rory.”

“Hi,” Rory said with an evil smirk. Directed towards Hannah. “Tristan, can I talk to you 
for a second?”

Tristan had jumped at the chance. “Sure, Hannah, can I meet up with you at lunch?”

“Ok, Bye.” She said with look about her.  Rory saw it, but couldn’t figure out why. She 
was getting really fed up. 

There was a moment of silence between the two once Hannah left. Rory chimed in, “So, 
Tristan, where did you two meet?” Rory wanted to pry. She had a right to, she wanted 
him instead of her other choice. 

“Huh?” Tristan asked surprised by her accusation.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Tristan. Where did ya meet her?”

“Oh, Hannah? She works on the first floor in the mail room.”

“Ok, whatever, so yeah, how was your weekend? I spent 10 bucks to see my favorite 
play yesterday.” 

“Really, what’s your favorite play? I mean I never thought of you as a Theater person, I 
thought that you were always a bookworm.” Tristan mentioned trying not to be mean. 

“Taming of the Shrew.”

“Oh, Shakespeare’s a great writer. I think that is one of his best.”

“Yeah, same here. I saw you at your apartment building yesterday.”

“When?” He was kind a surprised that Rory is ‘staking’ him, in a way. 

“Around noon!” She was fed up with him, she still hasn’t told him about her feelings. That 
was the main reason that she was in the office. She forgot the main reason why she came 
to see him.

“Oh, how did you find out where I lived?”

“I didn’t I live in the apartment building next to yours.”

“No way!?!?” Tristan’s thought about her actually stalking him had decenagrated. 

 “What a small world.”

“So, what did you need to tell me?”

Once Tristan got her thinking about she really needed to talk to him about, she turned 
around from the doorway and shut the door, she didn’t want anyone to hear. “Well Tristan,
I was thinking about our date yesterday, and I thought about giving us another chance. We 
never really started anything serious. So I thought that we could have a do-over.”

Tristan looked into her eyes to see if she was sincere about her feelings. He saw what he 
wanted to see on Saturday but she just wouldn’t give in. He tried to hold himself together 
and said. “Rory, I took Saturday as the beginning and the end of our friendships to romance 
relationship. I am all for being friends now. But now I am sort of in a relationship.” Tristan 
was very sweet about her not being in a lot of pain. He would have definitely would have 
jumped at the chance for the two of them to be together. But now he had Hannah, in a sense. 

“ I understand Tristan, you think things are going great with you two, It would be a shame 
to break it up, especially all because of me. I guess all I have to say is have fun with ‘the
mailman.’” At that Rory couldn’t even look at him in the face, she wanted him and only 
him. She just turned around to walk out the room and Tristan didn’t even stop her. She 
was going somewhere that she needed her problems changed. ‘Why did I have to do that,’ 
she thought to herself, ‘I can’t work with him now’. She knew things would be different now 
that she told him her feelings.  They didn’t have to be, so she decided to go to her boss, Gene 
and make him get Tristan another partner.

 End Part 5

Chapter 6: Maybe not

While Rory was trying to find Gene in his office she bumped into someone before she got 
there. Hannah.

 “Oh, I’m sorry.” Rory said not knowing whom she had just bumped into. 

“Rory, oh, yeah its ok.” Hannah said trying to be nice.

Rory hadn’t forgotten about seeing her with Tristan this mourning. Who could forget? Everyone 
could have heard them. “Sorry, I interrupted your conversation with Tristan. It looked like it 
was very interesting.”

“Not really, I am sort of glad.”

“What do you mean?” Rory asked, she had no idea what she was talking about.

“Well, Last week, Tristan and I had a really nice conversation. I took it as a real connection. 
But on Saturday, I went to the movies with a friend and I saw him with another girl.” She told 
Rory, not aware she was talking about Rory. 

“Hannah, don’t start jumping to conclusions. I mean it could have been his sister.” What 
was she thinking? She just referred to herself as a relative of Tristan’s. 

“Tristan doesn’t have a sister.”

“Then it could have been a high school friend. Tristan would never two time a girl like you.” 
‘Me on the other hand’ she thought to herself. 

“That’s sweet of you to say Rory.” Hannah said, “It looked like you were going somewhere. 
Don’t let me stop you.”

“Oh, you know what, I have to get something from my office. I’ll talk to you later.” She 
decided not to go through with changing partners. ‘If I don’t have Tristan as a lover, I 
can have him as a friend.’ Rory thought, ‘ Maybe I can even help Tristan with Hannah, 
just to show him how much I cared.’

~~~~~After Lunch~~~~~

It was about four-thirty she had about 30 minutes until she had to go.  She didn’t want 
to work with Tristan on such bad terms, plus she had to ask him something that was
 important. She was standing at Tristan’s office door, she stood there for a second 
collecting her thoughts. Rory thought. Still thinking, someone tapped her shoulder. 

“Excuse me. Can I get into my office?” Tristan had no idea what she was doing there,
again.

“Tristan, Hi, I wanted to talk to you about… umm…about the case.” Rory was taken 
by surprise; she didn’t have all her thoughts together.

“What about it?” Tristan was fed up with Rory; butting in. He didn’t want to see her. 

“Well, I don’t think we’ll finish it up by Wednesday mourning.”

 “Yeah, so, what do you suppose we do about it?” Tristan said. He actually wouldn’t 
mind Rory and himself pulling an all-nighter. What she had said to him earlier got him 
annoyed. He can’t help it that she had feelings about him, after the date. 

“Actually, Tristan, I wanted to tell you that I didn’t mean to forget the documents. 
Seeing as though we didn’t get a lot done today.  You know I left them at my apartment, 
so if you wouldn’t mind stopping by tonight to pull an all-nighter, I would be greatly 
appreciated.”

“It sound’s like a plan, When should I come over?” Just the words ‘pull an all-nighter’
 made Tristan jump at the chance.

“I guess around seven. If it’s a problem, you can come a little later.”

“No, Seven is fine. I guess I will see you later.” 

“Ok, later then.” 

End Part 6