Curves & Edges
Chapter 10
By Buffychick
Author's Note: I'm not one for song-fic, mostly I think it's stupid, but this song inspired me, so there you have it.
Inspired by: "All of Me" by John Legend
Author's Note 2: I lost my inspiration with Regrets and Reason, and I know how horribly unfair that is. I promise to continue it, but in the meantime, I give you this this peace-offering.
Summary: Almost a decade after the disastrous kiss at Truncheon, Luke & Lorelei are married. Rory is a world-traveling reporter based in Boston. Jess is a successful author recently moved from Philadelphia to New York. When life brings Rory to New York she and Jess reconnect.
He woke first, which surprised him as she was the one used to rising with the sun. But it wasn't a bad thing, he decided, noting that it was, after all, 9:30, and Rory was here in his bed. She lay facing him, her head resting on her left arm, her right pulled up next to her face. He wanted to reach out, to touch her just to make sure she was real, but didn't risk waking her. Here in the light of day it was slightly harder to believe this was happening.
The questions they'd avoided the night before began to infiltrate the perfection of the moment as he continued to observe her, but he let them come. No, he didn't know for sure what they were doing. No, he had no idea if this was smart. He didn't know what would happen after tomorrow when she left and returned to Boston. He was absolutely sure his heart couldn't take it if this didn't work out.
But for now…she was here. His. In his bed, snoring softly (adorably) on his pillow, taking up far more than her fair share of the bed. He decided he wouldn't have it any other way. It was time for them to be adults and apparently this, whatever this was, was going to be part of it. They'd figure it out…later, though. Today was hers. Her big night. Whatever this was between them that needed dissecting, it could wait another night to be realized.
He lay watching her and thinking for several more minutes before gently easing out of bed and walking to the kitchen to start coffee. Thank God he'd been shopping recently and while they were frozen, he had pancakes and hash browns to offer her. Unless her taste had changed that dramatically, she'd consider this fine cuisine.
Jess quietly grabbed some clean clothing out of his room and padded down the hallway to the bathroom to shower, making sure to put out clean towels for her. Now he thanked his dentist for continually forcing a new toothbrush on him (without fail right after he'd paid for a new one, having forgotten that he'd be going in for his appointment the next week and would score a free one). He took out an unopened purple toothbrush from under the sink and set it on the counter for her.
Showering quickly, he toweled off and dressed quietly, walking back to the kitchen for coffee and settling with his laptop while his Rory slept.
It took her only moments to remember where she was when she woke, and she smiled, stretching like a cat. Completely content, aside from the fact that she was alone in this bed, she replayed the night's events in her mind, in detail. She'd worried that in the morning she would have regrets, but she had none. So long as he didn't, she corrected herself with a frown.
Slightly nervous she tried to tame the mess of her hair as best she could and peeked around the doorframe. Jess was seated at the kitchen table, typing madly on his laptop, oblivious to any audience. She watched him for a moment with a small smile on her face. Sunlight lit him from the side as he frowned at the screen, his brow furrowed, and she wondered if she was watching him work rather than just checking emails or surfing the web. The idea was tantalizing.
Reluctant to interrupt him, but desperate for coffee, she walked barefoot to the kitchen, her t-shirt barely covering her lower half, and she suddenly found herself overcome with shyness.
"Hey," she murmured softly, unsure what to do.
He blinked and his vision cleared. "Hey," he replied with a smile. "Coffee?"
She returned the smile, relaxing a bit. "Please. I can get it," she told him as he rose from the chair.
"It's fine. Just emailing my editor, nothing major," he assured her, and found a mug, pouring her a cup and passing it to her.
She took a sip. "Thanks."
"Sleep okay?" he asked.
"Fine," she nodded.
"Good." She was nervous, he could tell, and it delighted him. Moving toward her he removed the cup from her hands and pressed her against the counter, his hands on either side of her. When his lips found hers she sighed and moved into the kiss. "Much better," he murmured a moment later, nuzzling her bottom lip.
"Yes," she sighed happily, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Are you okay?" he asked, serious now, his eyes searching her face.
"Very," she told him without thinking before slight panic flew into her eyes. "Are you?"
A smile played on his lips and he leaned in again, placing small kisses behind her ear, down her neck. "I'm contemplating ravishing you on my kitchen floor, if that answers your question."
Her breathing quickened and her pulse began to race. "Ah…yeah, that's generally a good sign."
"However," he continued without removing his lips from her skin. "I thought you might want some breakfast. More coffee."
"Coffee?" she asked absently as his mouth moved to her collarbone, his fingers moving aside the neckline of her t-shirt to gain better access.
Jess chuckled, placing one final kiss on her shoulder. "Coffee," he confirmed, and handed her mug back to her.
She remained standing, sipping on the cup as he returned to the laptop and closed it. "Pancakes and hash browns?" he asked.
Rory gave him a surprised look, and nodded. "You're making breakfast?"
"I'm reheating breakfast," he corrected, opening the freezer and removing a box of frozen pancakes and one of frozen hash brown patties. "I'm a bachelor. This is easy."
Rory snorted. "Please. I grew up with Lorelei. This is five-star cooking."
"I hoped you still ate like crap."
They moved around each other in the small kitchen, though it wouldn't have been truthful for either of them to say they carefully avoided touching the other. A hip bump here, a hand on the small of her back there, as pancakes were microwaved and the hash browns crisped in a frying pan. She located silverware, he handed her plates and placed the butter and syrup on the table.
As they sat down, she found herself glancing up at him frequently, smiling when she realized his eyes were on her just as often. "Is this weird?" he asked.
"Maybe a little," she admitted. "But not bad."
He smirked through a mouthful. "Okay, I'll give you that. That's actually pretty accurate. It's weird, but it's not bad."
She considered a moment, spreading some butter over her pancakes. "It's not your typical morning-after scenario, I guess. Not that I've had a ton of those. It's awkward because it's us."
Jess munched on a hash brown. "But it's not bad."
She smiled. "No. It's not bad."
"Good," he replied, satisfied. "Since I already agreed to go to this awards thing tonight, it would suck if we were all awkward right now. I'd have to just take you back to bed and make things…unawkward."
The pancakes became paste in her mouth. "That's not even a word," she mumbled, desperately trying to swallow.
His head tilted as he looked at her. "Although…now that I think about it. I think I am feeling really awkward."
She blinked. "You are?"
Jess leaned in on his forearms, his eyes penetrating hers. "Yes. Very, very awkward. I'm not even sure I can look at you right now."
She caught the hint of a smile on his lips. "I'm not entirely sure you're being honest with me."
"Honesty was our thing last night," he said lightly, standing up and pulling her to her feet roughly, pressing her to his chest. "Today's thing should be only non-verbal communication."
Rory giggled, then groaned when he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the bedroom, pancakes abandoned.
"I need to go," she told him softly, noting it was after noon now and she'd yet to get a shower or remain out of his bed for more than 20 minutes.
"No," he mumbled, his voice muffled against the pillow. He pulled her to him, a possessive arm around her waist.
Rory smiled at the action, tickled that he had turned out to be such a cuddler. Gruff ole Jess wouldn't leave his hands off of her, always pulling her to his side, entwining their limbs, stroking her skin or her hair. "I don't want to."
"You're breaking the non-verbal communication clause."
"I could write it down. Type it?" she asked playfully.
"I could just show you how much I don't want you to leave," he murmured, reaching his hands down her naked body.
Rory struggled out of his grasp. "Oh no you don't." She leapt from the bed and scooped up her shirt from the floor.
He looked at her from his position on the bed with one eye open. "Mean."
She raised an eyebrow at him as she donned her shirt. "I think four times is enough for now. You're not going without."
"I've discovered I have a condition that requires me to have sex with you every two hours or less. Otherwise I'll die."
Searching for the rest of her clothing, Rory threw him a pitying look. "You slept for longer than that without any carnal exploits. I'm sure you can handle it."
"I just came down with it this morning," Jess tried again, giving her his best pout.
"I'm going to shower. Alone," she said hurriedly when he gave her an appreciative look. "Down boy. I need fifteen minutes. Then you can grab my butt for a bit before I go."
He smirked and lay back down.
"My mother has called me five times," she told him as they walked out of his apartment and down to the street.
"Well, you're the ultimate street fighter now. She probably wants your autograph," he teased, turning to look for the cab he'd called for.
"She's going to know."
"About your mean right hook? That was obvious to all who witnessed it."
"About us," she said pointedly, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.
He waved to the cab pulling up. "You're a grown up. I think she'll understand what happens sometimes when a man and a woman are alone."
"A man and a woman, yes. But this is us."
"She likes me. Admittedly, that's a new thing, but she's liked me for the last several years."
She raised an eyebrow pointedly. "Before you were violating her baby girl."
He chuckled. "Just don't let on exactly how much you enjoyed it. Actually, that might backfire on me, now that I think about it. You better be totally honest."
Rory grinned. "And if I'm being honest, what do you think I'll say?"
He pulled her to him, wrapped his arms around her. "That I fucking rocked your world."
Her head fell back with laughter, causing him to grin madly, and when she faced him again she kissed him. "Cocky."
He didn't deny it. "You can tell her I'm begging for more, if that helps."
She smiled again, now conscious of the cab driver waiting for her impatiently. "I should go."
He nodded and kissed her again, then pushed her gently toward the cab. "So, naked again tonight? Here?"
Rory blushed. "Be at the Hilton on the Avenue of the Americas at 6:30, okay?"
He nodded, watching her get in the cab and drive off, realizing how light his heart felt right at this moment. When she turned and waved to him from the back window, he grinned. We're both insane, he thought, before heading back inside to, no doubt, accomplish absolutely nothing until it was time to see her again.
The hotel was packed. Press were everywhere, sight-seers lingered and gaped, snapping photographs like mad with their cell phones. Hotel staff scampered nervously throughout the lobby, flanked by irritated AV staff tweaking the lighting here or the sound there. Jess noted several celebrities, fairly impressed when J.K. Rowling passed him, speaking in earnest to Tom Hanks. While not a Potterhead, he appreciated her writing and creativity that inspired kids to read. And Tom Hanks was, well, Tom freaking Hanks. He'd met a few celebrities in his day, considering the amount of television interviews he did when a new book came out, though they still didn't do much for him. A handful were sincere, kind, dedicated to their craft, but mostly they were vapid, over-paid, pretentious and entirely too sure of their importance to the world.
Now, as he surveyed the scene, he realized he'd interviewed with several of the reporters here. One such reporter for the Today Show spotted him and waved, walking toward him.
"Jess!"
"Hey Chris," Jess greeted, shaking his hand. Chris was actually a decent person, one Jess didn't mind doing interviews for. They'd grabbed a beer and some food together last year after an interview session had been pushed back hour by hour, finally wrapping at 9pm due to a breaking scandal with New York's Port Authority.
Chris grinned. "Did you become a woman in media and I missed the story?"
Jess smirked and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I think TMZ got the scoop on you, sorry. No, I'm here with my…" His what? Date? Girlfriend? "Rory Gilmore. Old friend. Outstanding Reporter/Correspondent winner."
Chris's eyes lit with recognition. "Rory! Yeah, I know her. Well, somewhat. Old friend, huh?" he asked with a wicked grin.
Jess smirked again. "True, actually. We lived in the same town in Connecticut for a couple years. My uncle's married to her mother."
Chris frowned, disappointed. "Oh. So, not like a girlfriend. Sorry. I was just giving you shit."
Jess shrugged. "Not unlike a girlfriend. We're…establishing."
Chris snorted. "Sure, whatever. Just warning you, though. Huntzberger's got a thing for her. It's pretty well known. The kid's mostly not a threat, just a prick, but his old man can ruin your livelihood."
Jess's face steeled. "Yeah. I'm familiar."
"Also an old friend?" Chris asked, noting the tension.
"Not even close. You want a story? Last night he insulted Rory and she decked him in the middle of a bar."
Chris barked out a laugh. "Unfortunately that probably wouldn't rate headline news, but the image is enough for me. Tell me there's video."
Jess grinned appreciatively. "Would that there were. I'd play it every night to put me to sleep."
He was still casually chatting with Chris when Rory walked in from a press room. She spotted him right away, and her blood warmed at the sight of him. Charcoal gray suit, white dress shirt, deep teal tie… He was impossibly handsome with his tousled "don't care" hair that she knew took a good twenty minutes to perfect.
"The date?" Jack asked her, murmuring in her ear and following Rory's gaze. He'd gotten the low down in the car on the way over, though her history with Jess was no secret from him.
"He cleans up as well as you do," she whispered back, and guided him over to meet Jess.
As they approached, Jess glanced absently in their direction and back to Chris before his brain made the connection and he turned fully to look at her, stunned. She smiled uncertainly at him, a giant of a man on her left appraising him as well, but he really only saw her. The dress was strapless, as she'd promised, and black, cinched at her waist then fanning out in what appeared to be yards of fabric decorated lightly with a swirl of white crystals on the left side that began at her hips and increased in number as they continued to the floor. Her hair was pulled up and off her face in a simple way, exposing her shoulders and he imagined the many ways he would take advantage of her bare skin. Her makeup was light, emphasizing her beautiful blue eyes, though her lips were painted blood red.
Chris observed Jess's reaction with amusement. "Old friend my ass," he murmured as Rory approached them.
"Hi," she said shyly, stepping in to kiss him but stopping after only a step, unsure if they were at the kiss hello stage, then deciding what the hell and stepping back toward him again, quickly placing her lips on his.
Chris and Jack exchanged an amused glance between them at her back and forth dance.
"Hi," Jess breathed with a very appreciative smile. "Wow."
"Yeah?" she asked hopefully, her nose crinkling adorably.
"Oh yeah." His eyes roamed her entire body and she flushed under his gaze.
Turning to Chris, she smiled. "Chris! How are you?"
Chris grinned back at her. "I second the wow. And I'm good Rory, how are you? Congratulations on the Gracie."
She smiled, snaking her arm through Jess's. "I'm great, and thanks. You two know each other?" she asked, looking from Chris to Jess.
"I've interviewed dear Jess a few times. His sparkling personality just keeps me coming back for more," Chris grinned.
She snickered and rolled her eyes. "You should have seen him at seventeen. He's positively cuddly now," she told him knowingly, then turned to Jack. "Chris, Jess, this is Jack Pardo, my savior. Jack, Chris Manheim and Jess Mariano."
"Savior's a bit strong. Cameraman's more accurate," Jack corrected, offering his hand first to Chris, then Jess.
Jess made a mental note to ask Rory if Jack was short for lumberjack as his hand was engulfed. "Good to meet you. Heard a lot about you."
"I was half hoping since you were coming to this thing it meant I got out of it. She's a horrible dancer," Jack grinned as Rory rolled her eyes.
Jess gave her a sideways glance, remembering her moves the night before. "Thanks for the warning," he murmured.
"Rory!" At the sound of her name, Rory's head turned to see her agent, Beth, approaching. "Photos please!"
Rory groaned. "I'll be back," she apologized, and followed Beth to a slew of waiting photographers and press.
"Now she gets to be on the other end of things," Jack grinned.
"She deserves it," Chris noted. "She's got a hefty amount of respect in the industry."
Jack nodded. "Not that I'm excited about going to Nigeria, but she's in line for the next overseas bit," he shared.
Jess glanced at him sideways. "What?"
"The kidnapped girls by the Boko Haram. We've got people over there already, but our network's getting ready to send a team over for a full, in-depth look at what's really going on, deep inside. It's the job, but I was hoping after we left Ukraine we'd get a break for a bit before going into another war zone," Jack explained, his face resigned. "I'm sure she'll get it. She's too good not to."
Jess felt his stomach tighten and looked over at her, lined up with a bunch of people, smiling at the cameras as a million flashes blinded them. "She hasn't mentioned it."
The cameraman shrugged. "She wouldn't, if she wants it that much. Won't want to jinx it."
Chris grimaced. "I know it's sexist, but I hate when they send women over for stuff like that. Not because she can't handle it or any bullshit like that. But that group thinks less to nothing of women. I just feel like it's asking for trouble."
Jack nodded, understanding. "And you can say that to me, but not to her. She'd rip you a new one for even thinking it. I'll be there, and we'll have full military guard, but it's still nerve-wracking. I'm not particularly concerned about me. Can't help but be nervous for her. Being Caucasian, American and female aren't assets in that situation."
"She's completely capable of reporting on it. I just know she'll end up a target," Chris continued. "The media over there are already having problems."
Jack glanced at Jess, noticing the concern on the face of Rory's date. He and Rory had been over the whole first and second love conversation several times in their years together. It was actually hard to imagine that there was anything about the other that they didn't know. And Jack knew about Jess - at least, Jess and Rory of the past and the disaster it had been on both ends, with a brief summary of the events from the night before. The look on Jess's face now indicated it wasn't all in the past, not by a long shot, which was remarkably similar to the look Rory had on her face when she'd told him. Jack changed the subject out of pity.
"So, you're the writer, right?" he asked amicably, knowing full well what Jess did for a living.
Jess glanced back at him, distracted. "Uh, yeah. That's me."
Jack smiled and nodded. "I've read some of your stuff. I really liked Filter a lot."
Jess relaxed a bit. "Thanks. Appreciate it. That one did pretty well."
"Got any insider info on the new one?"
Not normally one to preview, but grateful for the distraction, Jess began giving a summary of the new book while Chris bid them goodbye and headed back to his crew. Jack noticed that while his attention may have been on the conversation, Jess's eyes flickered back and forth to Rory on average of about every ten seconds.
"Want to just go stand over there?" Jack asked eventually.
Jess gave him a blank stare, then smirked, embarrassed. "Sorry, man. It's not you. I'm sure you'd look great in that dress, don't get me wrong, but she's a little easier on the eyes."
Jack chuckled. "I didn't mean to freak you out about us going to Nigeria."
"You didn't," Jess shrugged, still unnerved.
"I did, a little. Sorry for that. She'll be fine, I promise. I'll take good care of her. We're a pretty fluid team at this point, and we've been in hairy situations before."
"The prison," Jess said, remembering the story.
Jack nodded serenely. "That, and some others. It's not glamorous, despite what you see on TV. She'll get dirty, scraped up from time to time, sleep in less than ideal conditions, eat what she can when she can. It's how it goes when you're good and get the choice assignments."
"And she lives and breathes it," Jess nodded.
Jack shrugged. "She does. Not as much as she did once, but she does. I think it's wearing on her a bit. We're on the road a ton. She'll call in a favor now and then and get me some time off when it's not a huge piece. She doesn't know I know that, but there it is. She tells me she's trying to give some of the other less experienced camera guys a chance, and I let her believe that I believe her. But I know she's just giving me more time at home with my family."
Jess's eyes wandered back to the beauty in the black dress, now standing between Ann Curry and what appeared to be Reese Witherspoon. "She doesn't go home often."
"More than she did at the beginning," Jack said thoughtfully as both men shifted out of the way of another parade of banquet attendees. "I mean, at the beginning, you're scraping. It's any and every story you can get, no matter how degrading. Fighting tooth and nail for air time. She's got a little more luxury now, a little more authority to call the shots, take the stories she wants to. But other times, it's all hands on deck and no excuses. She goes home every couple months I'd say. Hangs out with that crazy mother of hers and Luke."
Jess flashed a quick smile at Jack's assessment of Lorelei. "Crazy's just scratching the surface."
Jack returned the grin. "I love her - Lorelei. I've spent a couple weekends in Stars Hollow myself, after Rory and I were teamed up. Brought my wife down, who was instantly charmed by the whole Mayberry scene, and who also almost got into a fist fight with that Taylor guy."
Jess barked out a laugh. "I would give up a limb to have seen that."
Jack's smile was quick as well. "Sara's 5'3" and about 100 pounds soaking wet, and she had him backed up against a wall with her finger stabbing him in his face."
The laughter bubbled up. "Over what?!"
"He was making some not-so-subtle comments about the crap parking job she'd done in the town square and muttering out loud about having her towed."
The imagery was pure pleasure. "I have to meet her. Shake her hand. Give her my first-born. Whatever."
Jack grinned again. "Absolutely. It really was a horrible parking job, though."
Jess leaned in a bit, conspiratorially. "Rory tell you what happened last night?"
Jack's expression became wary, not particularly wanting the intimate details of their night at Jess's apartment. "Ah…some of it?"
"She punched Logan Huntzberger."
For a moment Jess truly thought Jack might fall over. "You are shitting me."
Jess grinned. "Nope. I wish I had it documented, but who could have seen that coming? He was being his usual self –"
"Asshole. Prick." Jack bit off heatedly.
Jess nodded in agreement, continuing. "—and made one too many comments at her expense. She turned around on our way out of the bar, he's trailing after us like a disease, and she just decks him. Fell on his ass."
Jack's eyes sparkled with happiness. "That's like the best Christmas story ever."
"So, we'll need to keep an eye out tonight," Jess nodded.
"Brothers in arms," Jack's head bobbed curtly. "No need to worry about that. I've been begging her for years to let me castrate the man."
"Finally!" Rory cried out, walking swiftly back to their group. "It's just the beginning too, isn't it. I'm going to be frozen smiling all night."
"Forget that. You have been holding out on me," Jack told her.
Rory looked at him blankly. "What?"
"I may have mentioned the events of last night," Jess filled in.
Rory blushed deeply. "You did what?!"
Jack and Jess both looked at her quizzically. "Your impression of Mike Tyson," Jess told her slowly. "At the bar?"
"Oh." Rory's eyes closed, relieved. "Oh."
Jack snickered, knowing exactly what she'd been thinking. "Oh, you sweet adorable child."
"I wasn't referring to our carnal adventures," Jess assured her with a grin.
Rory's blush deepened. "Jess!" she hissed and both men laughed.
"Your face is as red as your lips, honey," Jack told her, wrapping an arm around her and kissing the top of her head.
"Rory!" Beth called again, beckoning wildly.
Rory groaned. "Argh. Oh, hey, there's mom and Luke," she said, waving them over, then raising a single finger as she dashed off behind Beth.
Jess and Jack turned to see Lorelei and Luke wading through the crowd. "This is…like Disneyland. And I'm a princess," Lorelei gushed, approaching the two men. She looked stunning in a wine colored strapless dress that fell to the floor in one straight column, her hair pulled back in a low bun, a heavy-looking bejeweled necklace at her throat.
"Hi gorgeous," Jack greeted her, giving her a hug before turning to shake hands with Luke.
"Duh. Because I'm a princess. And princesses at Disneyland are beautiful. There are no ugly princesses," she said pointedly. "And thank you," she added with a smile.
"Hey Jack, Jess," Luke said irritably, tugging on his tie. "Can we go sit down, and where's the bar."
Lorelei smirked. "He's mad because I made Matthew McConaughey take a photo with me."
"Hey, she practically assaulted him," Luke corrected.
"He assured me there won't be a bruise," she said plaintively, rolling her eyes.
"Do you frame the restraining orders, or put them in an album?" Jess joked.
"Rory's going to be doing the photo thing for a bit, so I'm sure we can go find our seats," Jack told them.
Lorelei placed her hands on Jack's forearms. "Can you believe this is our girl?" she asked him proudly, beaming.
He smiled back at her, and for a moment, Jess felt a twinge of jealousy.
Jealousy? He rolled the word around in his brain. Irritating as it might be, the word fit his mood. The way Lorelei looked up at Jack, it was obvious she and Luke were very comfortable with Rory's friend, Lorelei, in fact, thought the world of him. Lorelei had never looked at Jess that way. He'd also never given her a reason to.
"I'm going to wait for Rory," Jess announced, and Lorelei nodded in agreement. "Come on, Luke," Jack said, throwing the diner owner a bone. "Let's find the table, and check out our proximity to the bar."
As they left, Lorelei appraised Jess. "You look nice," she told him.
"You too," he nodded. "Rory's there," he said, pointing across the room.
"Is that Jenna Bush?" Lorelei asked, squinting.
"I think so."
"Rory looks so beautiful!" her mother gasped, pressing her hands to her heart. "I'm so proud of her."
Jess couldn't help but smile. "I know. Me too."
"So," Lorelei began, casting a sideways glance at her nephew-by-marriage. "Quite the night last night."
Jess's face remained blank as he watched Rory. "Sure was."
"I've never seen her that mad. I can't believe she hit him. I was so proud."
"He deserved it," Jess said sternly.
"Oh, agreed. I wish it had been me. I've been asking for years to just randomly drive up to his house and kick him in the balls when he answers the door. But in his world, he wouldn't answer the door himself, so I'd end up kicking a maid, then there'd be a lawsuit…"
"It would be messy," Jess nodded.
"Thanks for taking care of her."
Jess suppressed a snort, thinking they'd decidedly taken care of each other. "I didn't do anything. She ordered me to follow her, and any man after witnessing her right hook wouldn't argue."
"How exactly did you end up back at your place?" Lorelei asked innocently.
He knew he was being interrogated, and let it slide. "She calmed down and we iced her hand. She said she wasn't tired and asked if I wanted to get a movie in the room, order some food. Hang out. Then she realized we were a little dressed up, and I didn't have alternate clothing options, so she suggested we go to my place instead. I think she wanted to get out of there since she lives in a hotel room most of the time."
Lorelei didn't take her gaze off of her daughter. "And after a movie and dinner, it was late, so it just made sense for her to sleep there. Your couch comfy?"
He almost chuckled at the covert operation being attempted. "I'm not an animal. She slept in my bed."
Jess could tell it was killing her, not knowing for sure what had happened, and he was enjoying it entirely too much. Lorelei's mouth opened again as she started to speak, but then she closed it abruptly. "Thank you," she said quietly after a moment.
"You're welcome," he replied.
Lorelei's brow furrowed. "He's here tonight."
"Yeah," Jess sighed. "We ran into him on the street when we were getting a cab last night. He's charming."
"He's an asshat," she said knowingly and he snickered.
"And people used to tell me I needed to grow up. I'm almost embarrassed for him. I've never seen someone so unable to let go of something."
Lorelei raised a brow and finally turned her head to face him. "Haven't you?" she asked, pointedly, a small smiled on her lips, and he swallowed uncomfortably. "Not that I mind you being here, but why exactly are you here?" she then asked.
"Lorelei," Jess began, "Is there something you want to know about me and Rory?"
She gave him her best innocent look. "Can't a mother just be curious about the people in her daughter's company?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Normal people can wonder that, yes, but we're talking about you."
Lorelei flashed him an appreciative grin. "Are you here to protect her?"
"I think she made it perfectly obvious she doesn't need me for that. And she has the mountain man in there, too," he said, jerking his head in the direction of the ballroom.
"I have this lovely image in my head. You and Jack, holding Logan down, and me stabbing him with my high heels."
"Watch Single White Female lately?"
Her lips curved with a smile. "You always could keep up with us."
Jess snorted. "Oh, seldom if ever, I'm just better at movie references than most of the human population."
"You haven't answered my question."
"I haven't?" he evaded.
"Is this a date?"
"This?" he asked, indicating the two of them. "I thought you were here with Luke," he teased.
"I'm about to hit you with my heels," she threatened mildly.
Jess groaned inwardly and rolled his eyes. The easiest way to shut her up was probably to give her the information she wanted. Or most of it. "I don't know, Lorelei, I really don't. We haven't established anything. She asked me to come with her tonight. I don't think it's entirely about Logan, but some of it probably is. We had a long talk last night. A somewhat brutal talk."
She stared at him, and blinked. "Wow. That may be the most I've ever heard you say at one time."
"Yeah, well. I'm feeling gabby."
"Okay. I was just curious."
He let that go for a solid minute. "You're really not going to ask me anything else?" he finally asked.
She smirked. "Nope. It's your business."
"Are you only saying this because you know Rory will eventually tell you everything?" he asked skeptically.
She turned to him solemnly. "Do you want me to keep asking you questions?"
"No, no, we're good," he nodded hastily, grateful when Rory swooped back over.
"Mom!" she cried, hugging her mother.
"Gorgeous!" Lorelei grinned.
"I see you've met my date," Rory laughed, hooking her arm through Jess's.
Lorelei couldn't suppress the grin. "A-ha!" she cried, pointing a finger at Jess. "We have establishment!"
He rolled his eyes again as Rory looked between them quizzically. "Can we go sit down now or do you have more stuff to do?" he asked Rory.
"God, please can we go sit? My feet are already killing me. Where are Jack and Luke?" she asked, glancing around.
"At the table. Or the bar. Hopefully at a table by the bar," Lorelei told her as they made their way to the ballroom.
The room was huge, decorated in white, red, and gold. Tables for eight were every so many feet, with bars set up throughout the room. They located their table, and the men in question, procuring beverages as they walked. While Luke pulled Jess aside to ask a question about an actor he thought he recognized, Lorelei took the opportunity to get details of the Logan incident that she had missed.
"I don't know what I'm going to do tonight when I see him," Rory said when she finished giving Lorelei all of the information she was comfortable with, a look of trepidation crossing over her face.
Lorelei faced her daughter with determination. "You're going to ignore him, and if he causes a scene you're going to unleash the 3 Musketeers over there to escort him outside, where they will pummel him into Huntzberger cubes."
Rory's lips pursed, amused. "Can you pummel something into cubes?"
"Slice? Dice?"
"Julienne?"
"It's definitely not julienne, don't be silly," Lorelei scoffed.
"Really, mom. I hit the man last night. I need a battle plan."
"Rory." She placed her hands on Rory's forearms. "He's not going to cause a scene in the middle of all this. And if he does, it's all on him. He has nothing on you. Nothing. You're successful, you're gorgeous, you have a date, which we will get to eventually don't think we won't, and all Logan has on you is that you dumped him. You're good. I promise."
Rory took a deep breath. "Okay."
"I order you to stop letting this ruin your night. Right now."
"Yes ma'am."
"Now tell mommy what's going on with Jess," Lorelei grinned deliciously.
Rory blushed. "Nothing. I don't know. Maybe something."
"Maybe something. Do you honestly think I'll be satisfied with that?"
Rory's mouth twisted into a frown and her brow furrowed as she glanced at the handsome man in question. "We…it's different now. He's different. I'm different. We talked. A lot."
Lorelei's brow furrowed. "Are you…together?"
Rory glanced again at Jess, standing at the bar with Luke. "We haven't established that yet. We still have a lot to talk about. But I think we finally got over most of the big stuff last night."
"He said you slept in his bed."
Rory swallowed nervously. "I did."
"And he slept…"
"Soundly, I'm guessing," Rory said simply, ignoring her mother. The lights began to flicker, and Rory's heart sped up. "It's starting," she gasped.
Luke and Jess made their way back to the table, followed momentarily by Jack, and Beth. "Morgan just called," Jack grinned. "He can't make it. Got called out on assignment. We have two spare seats."
"Dear God, don't say that out loud. My mother will hear it and teleport," Lorelei muttered.
Jess moved to Rory, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Ready for this?" he murmured in her ear, and she tingled at the feel of his breath on her skin.
"I'm nervous," she admitted.
He leaned in and placed a kiss near her ear, and she shivered. "You are truly beautiful," he whispered, and pulled out her chair for her.
Lorelei watched the exchange with an interested eye, but said nothing.