author's note. Once again, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed… although - not to complain or anything - I noticed that I got twice as many on the each of the first two chapters than Chapter 3…
Let me know if Jess seems too OOC. I tried my hardest.
Sorry for the lack of… anything in this chapter. Don't worry, things will start to heat up soon. I promise, I will not fall into the 4-5-6 chapter slump. Stick with me, please.
I've also posted another oneshot, called What I Want. It would be great if you would take a look.
disclaimer. Maybe, the world will grow feet and start tap dancing. Until that happens, I own only my ideas.
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Chapter 4: Not Indefinitely Postponed
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In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.
- Albert Einstein
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Jess had always known that at one point or another, this time would come. The time that felt like he had been dreading his entire life. It felt similar to how he imagined someone who had to give an oral presentation in front of a large group and was scared sick to do it would feel. Jess, who prided himself in always being able to keep calm in any situation, had never been faced with this particular dilemma, but he imagined that it would go something like this. You would spend the weeks facing up to the event worrying and dreaming up all the absolute worst-case scenarios. Once the day of the event finally dawned, your stomach would feel like it was about to fall out. Upon arriving at the location your presentation was to take place, you would pray and pray and pray that for some - any - reason, that it would be indefinitely postponed.
However, Jess figured that this rarely ever occurred. He also figured that your best friend would get a boyfriend eventually, too, although he still taking the worrisome presenter's approach: hoping that it would somehow be cancelled.
Unfortunately - but not really much to his surprise - the day of his presentation arrived on a cold, dreary Saturday afternoon, and it wasn't cancelled, or even postponed.
"Hey," Rory greeted him with a grin, sliding onto a stool and flopping her bag down on the counter.
"Hey. Why are you so happy?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.
"Oh… nothing, really," Rory replied, smiling even more broadly, "Dean just asked me out to coffee, that's all."
"Really?" Jess said, feigning interest. "That's exciting and all, but didn't he already ask you out to coffee? You know, before your party?"
"Well, yeah, but then he never called because of the party, and so even though we agreed to do it sometime, we never set a date, so it was kind of still up in the air." She sipped at the coffee he set down in front of her.
"So… he really just set a date for when you two are going out to coffee - he didn't really just ask you out for coffee," Jess clarified, mad at himself for not being able to let it go. But it wasn't that easy.
Rory shrugged. "I guess."
He felt like he should make up for his rudeness - after all, at least she had told him. "Anyway, that's great. Have fun." He offered her a small smile before picking up his pad and pen. "I have some orders to fill, so I'll see you in a bit."
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"Mom!" Rory called, throwing her bag onto the desk by the door and kicking her shoes off. "Mom, I need help!"
Moments later, Lorelai hurried down the stairs, a purse clenched in her teeth and attempting to fasten a necklace around her neck. After spitting the purse onto the kitchen table, and successfully clasping the necklace, she asked, "Wardrobe issues?"
Rory nodded. "I just have no idea. I mean, it shouldn't be that big of a deal. It's just coffee, right? Jeez… I'm being so… girly. Worrying what to wear, and how to act, and being completely not me, and - "
"Honey," Lorelai cut her off, "you're excited. It's normal."
Rory smiled and hugged her. "Thanks."
"Anytime. Now, what are our options here?" Lorelai strode over to the closet and began sorting through clothes, throwing possibilities onto Rory's bed.
"I was kind of thinking either the pink or the blue sweater, but I can't decide which one." Rory held up each choice on either side of her, examining her reflection in the mirror. "Jess always teases me when I wear the pink one, saying - " She stopped short and dropped the sweaters back onto her bed. "I guess I should be talking about Jess right now, huh?"
Lorelai sighed and was silent. "I guess not," she finally conceded.
"It's just so weird, you know? He's my best friend, and it's totally normal for people to want to talk about their best friend, only he's a guy… and now I'm going on a date with another guy. I don't want Dean to get the wrong idea."
"Honey, I think the only thing to do is to make things clear to Dean. People in this town have very twisted, sick minds, and they will try to corrupt him if you don't get to him first." Lorelai smiled at Rory. "Have you… have you tried talking to Jess about any of this?"
Rory shrugged. "I told him that I was going to coffee with Dean, if that's what you mean."
"And how did he act about that?"
"Fine. Why wouldn't he? I mean, he knew I was going to go on a date sometime. It's not anything that should bother him."
"Um… yeah. Of course."
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Dean had suggested the coffee shop on the corner of Peach and Plum, and it seemed like the perfect place. Fairly quiet, it would be great to sit and talk in. Rory walked briskly, trying to contain the skip in her step. She didn't know why she was so giddy, exactly, but she had narrowed it down to two choices: either she really, really wanted coffee, or it was because this was the first time that any guy had shown interest in her - or that she had ever felt attracted to any guy, for that matter. Personally, she was betting it was the latter.
When Rory arrived, Dean was already there waiting for her. "Hey," he said, "I got us a table by the window."
Her stomach churned at the thought that he had waited for her… was she terribly late? Had she gotten the time wrong? As he ushered her over, she asked worriedly, "Am I late?"
He shook his head, smiling. "No. I just wanted to make sure we got a good table, that's all. I've heard it can get pretty busy here on afternoons."
"Well, you heard correctly," Rory replied, smiling in return, relief filling her. She sat down and ordered a coffee. "So, what's Chicago like?" she asked. "I've never been there."
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Jess stood at the counter, rag in one hand, worn book in the other. He stared at the page, but he felt like he was reading in a foreign language. Slamming it shut, he looked down at the rag and realized that he had been cleaning the same spot on the counter for the past twenty minutes.
"Shit," he muttered, and, glancing around at the nearly empty state of the diner, called into the kitchen, "Luke, I'm going out!"
Ignoring the muffled response that Jess guessed was a negative one, he stuffed the book in his back pocket, grabbed his jacket off the hook, and hurried out the door.
Once on the street, he realized he had no idea where he was going. Usually when this occurred his feet took him to the bridge, but he couldn't go there today. That had become too much of their spot, and thinking of Rory was the last thing he wanted to do right now.
Not when she was off with that jerk, that idiot. Why couldn't she see that she was way too good for Dean? But she had stood up for him - put Dean in front of Jess - ever since she first met Dean. She had accused Jess of attacking Dean the day of the fight, without so much as pretending to listen to Jess's story.
Looking around, Jess realized that his feet had taken him directly to the corner of Peach and Plum. Right in front of the coffee shop. There was Rory, grinning and laughing at something that asshole had said.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he pulled out a cigarette and walked away.
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I don't normally like to beg for these, but I am now. Please, please, please drop me a line!
And I promise, the next chapter will involve much Rory/Jess (although not that kind… yet), how Lorelai feels about Dean, and much more excitement!