Jess stared at Dean for another five seconds, and then turned away. He beckoned to the girl behind the bar for his usual shot of Ten High. The shot arrived and Jess sipped it then threw it back and followed with a large drink of beer. He'd never seen Dean in here before. Jess smiled wickedly, maybe there was trouble with the Foresters.
His thoughts turned to Lindsay. She'd had grown into one beautiful piece of ass. He let his mind wander to the thoughts of the naked Lindsay in his bed. The fact that it was Dean's wife made it more exciting for him. He had taken one girl from Dean. There was no reason why he couldn't do it again.
He'd wait awhile and after a decent amount of time he would approach Lindsay and make his peace with her and go from there. The more Jess thought about his fantasy the more he liked it. Jess beckoned to the bartender for another shot.
Dean noticed when Jess walked in. It had been years since they had said anything to each other. He knew Jess worked at Luke's; one of the reasons he did not go there, the other being Luke. Dean smiled to himself and briefly considered sending a beer to Jess and thanking him for saving his marriage. "Let sleeping dogs lie." He muttered to himself. Then he smiled, that was a good analogy. Sleeping dog and Jess. It fit.
After several minutes Jess looked over at Dean again. If Dean had noticed him, he gave no indication. Suddenly he heard the bar door open and Lindsay had walked in. Jess admired how the off white Vee necked dress accented the curves of her slender form. And those legs, those deliciously long legs. Jess closed his eyes and thought of running his hands over her long shapely legs. He opened his eyes. Lindsay had stopped besides Dean. Maybe this was it. This is when she is going to tell Dean she is leaving. Jess leaned forward. His alcohol addled brain waiting for the words he knew were going to come next.
Lindsay sat next to Dean. She lightly put her fingers on his cheek and turned his head so she could kiss him. "What?" he said aloud. All eyes in the bar tuned and looked at him. Jess ran his hands through his hair and ordered another shot. His world sucked he thought. Even his daydreams had bad endings.
Jess ordered another beer and shot. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Lindsay and Dean quietly converse. Lindsay to his surprise drank her beer straight from the bottle. There was something sexy about that. He needed to focus his thoughts elsewhere. It pissed him off. He was easily the smartest man around. He read voraciously. When he wasn't drinking he was reading, but his life was sliding toward more drinking and less reading.
Dean was pleasantly surprised when Lindsay joined him and bestowed a kiss upon him that promised more later. "So how did your reunion committee meeting go?"
"Real good honey." Lindsay paused when she spotted Jess sitting at the corner of the bar. She cocked her head toward Jess. Dean silently followed her gaze. Lindsay hesitated and slowly spoke. You know Jess's ex Shane is part of the committee.
"How is she? I know she wasn't doing too well after graduation." Dean remembered the cute vivacious blonde that was Jess's girlfriend and her subsequent decent into drugs and alcohol.
'She met a good guy Dean. He's a firefighter in New York City and Shane is now a paralegal for a firm that litigates construction law."
"Good for her dear. Where did she meet him?"
Lindsay gave a little shrug. "At an AA meeting. He is a fireman. Shane told me he tried to drink himself to death. He felt guilty. A couple people in his fire company were killed on the job.
"You know we are lucky Lindsay. Nothing like that ever happened to us. You hear about something like that and it makes our little troubles seem so insignificant."
Lindsay placed her hand on her husband's leg. "What troubles do we have? Fighting with the home owners association? Me giving you five reasons why you shouldn't buy a Porsche?"
Dean laughed. "Hey, don't put it all on me. You have your own insufferable traits.-
Lindsay started laughing. I have insufferable traits? Be careful big guy."
"Yes" Dean said in mock indignation. "You use my razor on your legs. Do you have any idea what happens when I try to shave? Also the constant stealing of my tee shirts."
Lindsay shook her head. "I thought you would be happy when I wore your Tee shirts. They are so long I usually don't wear anything else."
Dean thought for a second. "Tue, true, take that off the list."
Jess could not avoid hearing the banter between Lindsay and Dean. He shook his head. Even the when he dated Rory in high school and their subsequent marriage he never experienced the light and loving repartee of Dean and Lindsay.
With a bleary eye he looked at the bartender and signaled for another shot. Jess wondered if Rory ever really loved him. Jess just downed another shot. He noticed that Dean and Lindsay had risen and were walking out of the bar. He could not help but notice how close they walked together. Not touching but so close. For a minute Jess felt envy. Then he reminded himself that he was smarter than Dean and that Dean was an idiot. Jess felt better. "Hey Meredith how about another round."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Luke turned the key and walked into his dark and silent diner. It was five AM and he had to get things ready for Sunday breakfast. Lane usually joined him about five thirty. Before he started on his chores he took a deep breath and climbed the stairs to his old apartment. Quietly he opened the door. Jess was sprawled across his bed and the room reeked of cigarettes and cheap whiskey. Luke shook his head and returned to the diner.
He had tried everything with Jess. The kid just refused any advice. Jess walked around with the attitude that he was the smartest one around and why should he listen to anyone else. His taking Jess and Rory in and taking Jess's side cost him his relationship with Lorelai.
The jingling of the door chimes snapped Luke out of his reverie. Lane had arrived. Lane worked Sundays and the lunch rush hour during the week. Her children were in school and she liked to make a little extra cash. Lane was invaluable to him. She was polite, efficient and cheerful. On the other hand Jess could be efficient, but he was never cheerful or very polite.
In Greenwich Connecticut a couple was having an early cup of coffee. They liked the quiet of early Sunday morning. No maid, no child, just the two of them. The quiet Sunday morning interlude gave them time to discuss their plans for the upcoming week.
Rory looked across the table at her husband Tristan; never in her wildest dreams did she think she would wind up being his wife. Rory handed Tristan an envelope.
He looked at his wife curiously. "What's this?"
"It's an invitation, just read it."
Tristan scanned the short not and looked up. "It's an invitation to attend the Stars Hollow high ten year reunion. Why would you go to this?"
Rory took a sip of her coffee set it down then spoke. I did attend my freshman year there, plus it'll be nice catching up with Lane.
"True, you did. I just wonder what kind of scene your ex will cause this time?"
Rory shook her head and shrugged. "I have no idea, but next weekend is his turn to see Lynn."
Tristan nodded silently, and then took a sip of his coffee. You know we need to continue the conversation we had last week about Jess and his parental rights.
"I know we do. This situation can't continue.
To Be Continued…