Chapter Four: An Adventure in Matchmaking

Jess returned to his apartment after dropping Rory off. It was still relatively early and pushing the door open he wasn't even surprised to see Peter in the same spot. He raked a hand through his hair, "Jeez, man. Move much?"

Peter directed his gaze away from the television where an infomercial for steak knives was announcing promises and looked toward his roommate. "You're just jealous your daddy didn't leave you a trust fund to bum around on," He stated with a sly smile.

Jess rolled his eyes, "You're bored out of your mind, you know it. The prodigal son wasting his potential to drink beer all day and consider buying shitty products off TV."

Peter shrugged, "Law office wasn't really doing it for me."

"And amplifying the definition of 'sloth' is working for you?"

"I've got nothing to do."

"That's barely an excuse."

"What would you rather I be doing?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "Just something. Get out of this apartment. I don't care, just don't become a hermit." Peter looked at Jess but had no reply. It was obvious his break up with Eleanor was affecting him greatly. The last two weeks Peter had been on that couch, probably making a dent in the cushions. "When was the last time you showered?" Jess inquired and Peter started to think about it. "Yeah, way too long, man. How about you go clean up so you don't smell like your dirty socks and we can go out and grab a drink?"

Peter's demeanor peaked, "Really?"

Jess nudged his head toward their bathroom, "Before I change my mind."

Rory entered her apartment building with a goofy grin on her face that stayed plastered there as she trekked up the narrow stairs. She was adamant in convincing herself that said face was gracing her features because it felt good to have her friend back. Her old friend, Jess. She liked the sound of that. Just as she had reached the first floor landing, she heard the door to the entrance open and close. She jumped at the intrusion, her senses assailing her as her body went on alert. She turned around to see Eleanor beam a smile up at her. False alarm.

"Rory!" the young woman greeted as she nearly ran up the first flight of steps to reach her neighbor, "I feel should feel honored! And I do!" Her blonde hair was more frazzled than it had been a few hours earlier. Rory mentally took not of this, but didn't want to make any assumptions.

Rory chuckled, "Sometimes I feel like it's just you and me living in this building."

"That's what we get for living in a complex full of old ladies and their cats," she stated as they both started to walk up the steps.

"Don't exaggerate. I'm sure Mr. Lopez would not like to be categorized as such."

They reached their floor, "You're right. It's a little presumptive of me."

"We should stop mocking. Maybe we're just anti-social," Rory received a pointed glance from Eleanor at that comment. "Okay, well, maybe I'm anti-social."

"You have been giving off that loner vibe lately. Kinda weird with the whole pop-culture quip-y thing you usually have going. Your social skills are going to waste!"

Rory smiled softly, "I've just been busy. But I happened to just get back from dinner with an old friend. I can't be that much of a loner, now can I?"

Eleanor's features perked. "Was that the same person you were texting earlier? Oh my god, it's a boy, isn't it?"

She shook her head in amusement, "I don't think the hallway is the best place to do gossip. Think about what Mr. Lopez would say!"

"Frankly, I'm more worried about the cats!"

Rory let out a full laugh, "Tell you what, how about you just come over. We can do that movie night. Gossip included."

"Sounds perfect! Let me just drop off my stuff real quick and I'll be over in ten!"

The pub they entered had an austere quality. Jess liked it better that way: Bar, tables, alcohol. Simple. Nearly everybody in the dark room had a wraith like quality, separated from their own bodies as they drank into oblivion. Drunken banter was like a dirge formed out of personal discontent. There were two open seats at the bat and Jess and Peter moved to occupy them. The bartender asked what they wanted. Jess vacillated between hard alcohol and beer until ultimately deciding a moment later on getting what was on tap of the dark brew. Peter ordered the same.

The young man with incardinate-colored stubble who barely looked twenty-one sitting to Jess' left took liberty to go on a bombastic diatribe about how hard liquor was the way to go. He reeked of whisky and Jess ignored him as a dilettante.

The bartender handed Peter and Jess their ale. Jess took a sip, "So…"

"Is this part where we start having a heart to heart about how I'm wasting my life away?"

He shrugged, "I could care less what you do. It's not my business."

Peter grinned, "You care. I thought you were past the whole 'I don't give a fuck' attitude."

Jess sighed, "It's just been two weeks, man. It's depressing to watch you sulk. You need to get yourself out there before it turns into a complete loss of hope." The guy sitting next to him was making no effort to pretend he wasn't eavesdropping. Jess rolled his eyes.

Peter took a big swig, "Your judgments are a little hypocritical. The first month after Caroline left you did the exact same thing. You of all people should understand. It's not some complicated esoteric issue. I'm…I was in love with her. That doesn't just go away."

"I've always been a homebody. You were one of the most gregarious people I know. That's the difference."

"If I knew this was going to be an inquest into my habits, I wouldn't have agreed to come."

Another sip, "Yeah right. You were dying to get out of there," he began to joke. "You basically jumped in the air and clicked your heels together, overwrought at the prospect."

Where Jess' glass was still half full, Peter finished his off. "Your adjectives are out of control. Author boy spent too much time locked up today."

"I could just stay quiet and watch you fidget if it would make you feel better. Plus you're forgetting I did go out for air."

"I recall. I was trying not to ask about it."

"Why?"

"You're not usually the type to come home and get real chatty."

Jess shrugged, "You can ask me stuff if you want. No promises that I'll answer, but no harm done if you ask."

"So where'd you go tonight? See Caroline?"

"God, no."

Peter draped a hand over his roommate's shoulder and Jess immediately shrugged it off. "Still hung up on her I see."

"More of a 'I want to pretend she doesn't exist' thing."

Peter grinned knowingly, "We've all been there." The bartender walked by and he ordered both men another round.

"I was out with my old friend Rory."

"The chick that wrote the article about your book?"

"Yup."

"Someone's back to his monosyllabic ways," he observed as the bartender gave them fresh glasses of brew.

"Sorry." Jess took a sip before continuing, "Have you ever found it strange that 'monosyllabic' has so many syllables?" He shook his head in fake amusement as his eyes got wide, "That's just plumb crazy."

"You know, even when we're talking about Caroline I get more of a response from you. This Rory girl has always been a mystery."

He raked a hand through his hair, "Point?"

"Just an observation."

Jess sighed heavily, "What do you want to know?"

"You know, I think it's kind of weird that I never met Peter. I mean, we've both been living in this apartment building for over a year, and you guys were together forever, it's just kind of strange." Rory grabbed the bag of popcorn out of the microwave and poured into a large bowl.

"We kept to ourselves, mostly."

Rory handed Eleanor a soda as she sat down on the small sofa laying the bowl of popcorn in her lap, "I've still never even seen him. Tell me that's not weird."

"He didn't come over here very much. These apartments are shoeboxes," she gestured toward the small room, "He had a roommate, but he kept to himself. Apartment was three times the size so it worked out."

"Makes sense then," Rory picked up the remote to start the movie. "Would it be too much to ask what happened between you guys?"

Eleanor brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "It's kind of complicated. Well, no it's not. But I…I freaked out so I lied to him. And ugh… I just don't know."

"You're babbling," Rory turned down the volume on the television.

"Okay," she took a breath. "A couple weeks ago, I was staying over at Peter's for the night, he was snoring and I had too much caffeine that day so I was obviously wide awake and decided to sneak into his living room so I could maybe grab a book and read until I got tired. His roommate is a total book nerd and the living room has these great bookshelves full of books…"

"Now you're deviating," she said pointedly with a smile. "But the bookshelves sound amazing."

"They are pretty impressive," Eleanor smiled before continuing. "When I came out in the living room, his roommate was up doing something on his computer…"

Jess looked up from his laptop to see Peter's girlfriend staring at him, "Hi."

"Hey," she returned his greeting.

"You can sit, I'm not going to bite."

Eleanor offered him a smile as she took a seat in the adjacent lounge chair, "I don't see you much around here."

"My room has less distractions."

"Pete said you were a writer or something."

A soft smile played at Jess' lips, "Or something. Sounds about right."

"I couldn't sleep," she answered the unasked question.

Jess nodded, "Sorry I'm not much of a conversationalist."

"That's okay," Eleanor smiled. "What are you working on?"

"A piece of shit," he deadpanned.

"New novel?"

"Good to know the power of alliteration is not lost," Jess chuckled, "Yeah."

"So I take it's going well?"

"There's just a lot of pressure."

"Why's that?"

"You ask a lot of questions," Jess shook his head, amused. "The publishing company I work for is throwing me a party next week. My last book got featured in the New York Times. So, definite pressure."

She was suddenly looking off into space, "I sure know about pressure."

Jess arched a brow, "Care to elaborate? Not to prod or anything..."

"You won't say a word to him?" She nudged her head toward Peter's bedroom.

Jess paused before replying, "I think that goes against official roommate laws, but I can keep a secret."

"Pete and I have been together for a long time now. Since freshman year of college."

He blinked, "I'm aware."

"And I don't know. I'm almost twenty-six and we've been together since we were nineteen."

She looked at him, waiting for him to say something. Anything. "I'm not exactly the psychiatrist type. But forgive me if I still have no idea what you're talking about."

"Two years ago I promised myself that if he didn't propose in a year I would take it as a sign that we weren't supposed to be together."

"Ah," he raked a hand through his hair uncomfortably. "Two years ago?"

"I love him so much. I gave him an extra year. I just need that commitment, you know?"

"And you don't think he's going to give you it?"

"It's been seven years."

Jess shrugged, "Guys are slow, just give him time. If you're happy with him, why ruin that because he hasn't proposed yet?"

"So you talked to his roommate and he said that you're being completely insane and to ride it out?" Rory repeated.

"Exactly that," Eleanor paused, "And two days later I broke up with him."

Rory's brow furrowed in confusion, "But…why?"

"I don't know! I was completely irrational. I should have listened to Jess, but I had already lost all hope and then all of a sudden I found myself lying to him about some imaginary guy who works with me. I told him I had feelings for this other guy."

Rory's thoughts froze at hearing Jess' name. She gained her composure as she saw Eleanor's eyes start to tear up, "Oh, El…" Rory paused the movie and began to rub Eleanor's back, "What were you dressed up for tonight?"

"I went on a date," she sniffled. "The whole time I just felt like I was cheating on him. I messed up, Rory. I messed up so bad." She leaned her head on the brunette's shoulder as she began to full out cry.

"So, Rory's your Eleanor."

Jess finished off his third beer, "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"She's it for you. Sure, Caroline and you were compatible. But Rory, she's your soul mate."

"And you're officially drunk."

"I've been drinking for a week straight, you really think three beers are going to put me over the edge?"

Jess shook his head, "Nope. But in one sentence you managed to infer that El and you belong together as much as Rory and I do. But you're missing something."

"What's that?"

"You're not with El anymore, and I haven't been with Rory since we were eighteen."

"Do you have a point?"

"Aren't soul mates supposed to be together forever once they meet or some bullshit like that?"

Peter grinned, "You don't believe that. Besides, who said it was supposed to be easy?"

"Maybe this is the beer talking, but I've tried to get Rory back on multiple occasions. It never happens and I get fucked. I'd prefer not to get rejected by her again."

"Who says you'd get rejected again?"

Jess' tone suddenly became sarcastic and bitter, "I don't know. Maybe the years of evidence that proves it."

"Things change," Peter stated simply.

"Who even said I want her back? You jumped there all on your own." Jess rolled his eyes.

"Everyone wants to end up with their best friend."

Jess pinched the bridge of his nose, "Again, you're making assumptions. 'Best friends?' I doubt best friends go years between speaking. Not to mention a few emails here and there, this is the first time I've even seen her in two or so years."

Peter shrugged, "That doesn't stop you from being best friends. Especially when evidence proves otherwise."

"I'm probably going to regret asking you what the hell you're talking about…"

"You guys are talking again. Does it feel like years have past?"

"No."

"That's how I know. Only best friends can pick things up like no time has come between them."

Jess rolled his eyes, "Okay, we're officially going to stop gossiping like girls before we start holding hands and skipping out of this place."

The next week, Jess was at the Arundel Publishing Company's main office downtown meeting with Jacob Arundel. After sitting in the waiting room for ten minutes, the secretary told him to go in.

Jacob stood up as Jess entered and reached his hand across his desk and Jess connected in a handshake.

"Jess, nice to see you. Please, sit down."

"Same. How's it going?" Jess took a seat.

"Not bad. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I've actually got part of my manuscript done. It's not much. But before deadline!"

"Perfect, can I see it?"

"Yeah," Jess reached into his messenger bag and brought out a thick stack of papers.

"You said part?" Jacob questioned, flipping through the pages.

"Been feeling a little ambitious about this one," Jess shrugged. "That's why I'm here. I was wondering if some of the deadlines could be pushed back. Hopefully I have enough here for you to see where I want to go with it."

"When did you have time to write all this? Last week you just had the first chapter."

"I've been thinking about things a lot lately. The writing distracts me."

The older man grinned, scratching at his mustache. "I won't press."

"Knew I liked you for a reason. If only my roommate knew such boundaries." Jess felt his phone vibrate in his pocket but ignored it.

"Alright, well I'll read what you have here and I'll get back to you on the deadline issue."

"Sounds good," Jess nodded and stood up.

"It'll probably be by the end of the week, enough time for me to thumb it through," he stood up.

"Look forward to it." They shook hands again.

"See you, Jess."

"Bye."

Leaving the office, Jess reached into his pocket and retrieved his cell phone. He flipped it open: I have a question that might sound really weird.

He sent his response to Rory before getting into the elevator. Weirder than an out of blue text informing me that you have a weird question to ask?

He got her reply as he stepped out of the elevator. Always so evasive. But seriously.

Shoot.

A second later he was getting a phone call, "I was really getting into the whole texting thing we had going. There was the possibility that I could just ignore you."

"Funny, mister."

Jess laughed into his phone, "What can I do for you?"

"Do you have a roommate named Peter?"

"Huh, wow. Stalking me now, Gilmore?"

"Always," she stated in fake annoyance

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, my roommate's name is Peter."

"Huh."

"Do I want to know why you're asking? Or know this for that matter?" He exited the building and tried to button up his coat with his free hand.

"This girl who lives in my building, they used to date. She mentioned your name. And bookshelves. I put two and two together."

"Ah. Eleanor?"

"Yup."

"They broke up."

"They broke up for the wrong reasons."

"Rory, she likes some other guy. That's as good enough a reason to end a relationship that I know of."

"She does not."

"Doesn't what?"

"Doesn't like some other guy."

"I feel like we're going in circles here, Rory. Tell me what you know and I'll listen, then reply."

"Okay, well she came over last week and we were talking. She told me she started freaking out that he was never going to propose so she made up this guy because she came across the extreme case of insanity, and I was thinking we could get them back together."

"You're meddling," he smirked.

"I'm not meddling. But I was hoping you'd help me play matchmaker."

"Do I even need to tell you that's basically the definition of meddling?"

"Probably not."

"And she's the insane one?"

"Shush, you!"

"You sure the guy's made up?"

"I swear to the tears she left on my sofa."

He sighed into the receiver, "I shouldn't say anything, but he's been moping around my place for weeks. Also, he has a ring. Or had. Who knows by now…"

He heard Rory squeal on the other end of the phone, "He has a ring?"

"Calm down, you're way too excited about this."

"Is that your way of telling me you'll help me?"

"Did I ever really have a choice?"

"Nope!"

"You owe me," he smirked into the phone.

"Put it on my tab," he could hear the smile in her voice.