The Secret

Chapter 5

While they sat on the couch together, Logan dialed Odette and put the phone on speaker. He didn't want Rory to think that he was hiding anything about the conversation from her. Rory sat beside him biting her lip while they listened to the phone ring. After three rings, a sexy French voice—in Rory's mind—picked up. "Hello? Logan?"

"Hey Odette," Logan said, "How are you?"

"I'm doing well. How about you, mon cherie?"

Logan chuckled uncomfortably and glanced at Rory. "I'm doing well also. Listen, I called you for a reason."

"Oh? Has your father tried to sink his claws into you again?"

"Not recently. But, what I'm calling you about is similar to that. I want to talk to you about something that is a major secret that I'm keeping from my entire family. I am serious when I saw they cannot find out about what I'm about to tell you."

"Is everything okay Logan?" Odette asked, sounding concerned.

"Everything is perfect. But, I want to make sure you aren't going to completely freak out."

"Logan, what is it? I'm so incredibly worried about what you're about to tell me."

Rory listened and felt the ball loosening in her chest. Listening to their conversation, Rory could tell that they each held affection for the other, but nothing else from what she could tell. It made her feel better about the entire situation of talking to Odette. She tuned back in to hear Odette's reaction to Logan's revelation.

"Logan! Are you serious?! You got married?"

"I am serious. I got married to the best woman in the entire world," he told her while he stared at Rory. He reached over and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss. Rory smiled at him and fell a little bit more in love with him at the act. She listened while Logan explained their unconventional decision. Eventually, Logan told Odette that Rory was with him and introduced them to each other.

Once the pleasantries were out of the way, Odette asked, "This is all wonderful Logan, but I still don't understand why you're telling me and including me in this."

"As you know," Logan started, "my father and your father want the two of us to get married. They've been pushing the plan at us for a while now. As I've stated, we have no intention of going public with this right now because Mitchum would just try to force our hands with an annulment. We want to hold off until we're more solid time wise and we have a chance to get our ducks in a row. That's where you come in. Rory and I have talked about it and we think keeping up appearances between the two of us is the best way to keep Mitchum and others from discovering our deception."

Odette was silent for a moment. Rory was nervous that this would blow up up in their faces and that Odette wouldn't go along with their plan. Then, Odette responded, "Of course I will help you. What can I do?"

From there, Rory was drawn into the conversation and the three of them came up with a plan. For any social engagements, Logan would try to attend alone. If he had to have a date, Odette would go with him. If asked about relationships, they would admit they were seeing someone but keep it vague, even if asked specifically. They would also try to deflect their families off of a more serious commitment. When that commitment was pushed, they would regroup and decide how to go forward. Hopefully that would be a long way off and they would already have a plan for a marriage announcement between Logan and Rory.

By the end of the conversation, Rory felt very confident that they would be able to keep their secret from everyone. It helped her feel more ready to head back to the States the following day. Once Logan hung the phone up, she looked at him. "I think that went well. What do you think?" she asked.

"I think it went well also," he told her. "But, I want to forget about the conversation for right now. I want to concentrate on my gorgeous wife that is leaving for who knows how long tomorrow. I want to savor every moment with her. And every inch of her."

Rory blushed at Logan's words, recognizing the intent behind them. "Don't you think you've already memorized every inch?" she flirted.

"Well," he stated as he pulled her closer, "I think there's a few spots I might have missed in my last attempt at mapping your body. I think I need to look again."

Rory giggled as Logan pulled her in for a kiss. The giggle quickly turned to a moan as Logan started to trail kisses down her neck. Things quickly escalated from there and Rory found herself being carried into Logan's bedroom for a long night of debauchery.

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The following morning was more difficult than Rory originally thought it would be. She knew that it would be difficult to leave Logan and pretend that nothing had changed with them, but she had to get back to the States so she could get to some meetings about potential articles and follow leads on ones she was already writing. Didn't make it suck any less.

To make matters worse, Logan couldn't go to the airport with her. He had to go to work and they were both too worried about the possibility of people seeing them together this close to their wedding. So they said their goodbyes in his apartment and Rory had to hold it together until she was seated on the plane in first class—Logan insisted—and was able to lay back in the chair.

The entire flight back to the States Rory silently cried and tried to pull herself together because her mother was meeting her at the airport. She would take one look at her and know that something was up. And that absolutely could not happen. It wasn't easy, but by the time they landed, Rory had stopped her tears, washed her face, and hidden the evidence of her tears to the best of her ability.

"Fruit of my loins!" Rory heard as soon as she passed through security and into the terminal proper.

Rory blushed. "Mom, really? In public?"

"How else am I supposed to greet my long lost daughter that I haven't seen or talked to in days because she forgot how technology works?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "Really? You know how I am with my work. I get involved and try to get as much done as I can while I'm in the moment."

"Yeah, yeah. But, it doesn't make it sit any better with me," Lorelai continued as they made their way to baggage claim. She went on in this vein while Rory grabbed her bag and walked towards the short term lot. As much as she enjoyed being around her mom, especially after she'd been gone for a while, her chatter was not what she felt like she needed right then. She really wanted to be able to sit and wallow a bit, but she wouldn't be able to until she was in her childhood room later that night.

Once in the car, Rory felt her mother looking at her. "You okay?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"You just seem...off? Is that the word?"

Rory shrugged. "I just got off a transatlantic flight. I feel rumpled, I smell like a plane, and I just want to sleep. How else should I seem at this point?"

Lorelai shrugged as she started the car. "I don't know. You just seem like there's something else going on with you."

"Nope," Rory told her. "Just tired."

Thankfully, Lorelai dropped it. Rory was grateful because, while she was tired, she was worried she'd eventually cave under the pressure and blurt everything out. As they left the airport, Rory stared out the window, thinking of the love of her life on the other side of the world, probably already in bed, like she would be as soon as she could.