Chapter Twenty-Five
Jess had one last meeting the next morning before they headed to Pittsburgh, so he left Rory to pack while he made his way across town to Book Culture. When he got back to the hotel, Rory had everything packed into the car and was ready to go.
"How did it go?" She asked when he came back into the hotel room.
"They liked me," Jess smiled. "And even better than that, they're going to carry my book in all three of their stores."
"That's awesome!" Rory squealed and hugged him. "Good job!"
"Thank you," he smiled back at her. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah, the car's all packed. We just have to drop our keys off at the desk."
"Alright, let's go!" Jess took her hand. "One more city, and we can finally go home."
"Oh, don't be like that," Rory threw herself into his side, making him stumble. "You're having fun."
"I am having fun," he agreed. "But I also like sleeping in my own bed."
"You're such a homebody," Rory laughed at him.
"There's nothing wrong with that," Jess shrugged.
"What about travelling the world and spreading your wings?"
"I have spread my wings. I've lived in New York, Stars Hollow and now Philly."
"You lived in a drug den in New York," Rory scoffed. "That doesn't count. Come on, don't you want to see the world?"
"Only if I'm seeing it with you," he smirked.
"Wow!" Rory laughed. "That is a new level of cheesiness!"
"What can I say, you're inspiring."
"God, please don't let it be known that I'm the muse of cheesiness," Rory groaned. "If that ends up on my tombstone, I'm going to kill you."
"If it's on your tombstone you won't be able to kill me," Jess pointed out.
"I will find a way," Rory assured him. "I will Cathy Earnshaw my way back into your life and beat you to death with whatever I can find."
"So you're going to be the kind of ghost that can pick things up?" Jess laughed.
"I'm very talented."
"Yes you are." He threw an arm around her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her temple.
The drive from New York to Pittsburgh was 6 hours without traffic but, as Jess was eager to point out, the last time there was no traffic in New York was when Alexander Hamilton was still alive. Two hours into their drive, they hadn't even made it out of the city.
"I need food!" Rory complained. "I'm starving!"
"Just wait until we get out of the city," Jess told her. "If we stop now, we'll be stuck forever. Isn't there a box of Twinkies somewhere in the back?"
"I want real food!"
"Since when are Twinkies not real food?" Jess scoffed. "Last week you almost castrated me for even implying that."
"I think you're being a little over-dramatic," Rory rolled her eyes. "Besides, I would never do that to you, it would just be to my own detriment."
"So you admit it," Jess nodded. "You just keep me around for the amazing sex."
"And the private library that seems to have accumulated in the apartment," she nodded. "Sorry to have to tell you like this, but it's for the best."
"I understand," Jess nodded. "So, Twinkies?"
"Fine," Rory huffed and pulled off her seat belt so she could reach into the back seat. "We have way too many books back here."
"Bite your tongue!" Jess spanked her lightly. "There are never too many books."
"They're blocking the food!" Rory explained. "We should have put them in the trunk."
"We did put them in the trunk," Jess pointed out. "These were the ones that didn't fit."
"We have a problem," Rory stretched farther into the back to get the box.
"I thought we were just committed?"
"Touche... Got it!" She grabbed the corner store bag that held her snacks and dropped back into her seat. "Damn it!"
"What?" Jess glanced over at her.
"There's no Twinkies left," she sulked, making Jess laugh. "Shut up!"
"I'm sorry," he shook his head.
"You mock my pain!" Rory cried, pressing her hand to her forehead dramatically.
"Life is pain, you fruitcake."
"Would you quit calling me a fruitcake?" Rory frowned. "It's like the most disgusting of all the desserts. If you're going to call me names, at least call me something that tastes good."
"Sure, Oreo."
"Hey, I know! Why don't you just keep your pet names to yourself?"
Jess laughed at her suggestion, then started honking his horn and yelling at the idiot driving in front of them.
"Why don't you yell a little louder," Rory winced. "I don't think he heard you."
"Obviously, seeing as he's STILL NOT MOVING!"
"Jess, I am the only person on this road that can hear you," Rory covered her ears. "So would you please stop yelling?"
"Sorry," Jess huffed. "I hate traffic."
"I know that," Rory assured him. "You know what would make you feel better?"
"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me."
"A red vine," Rory smiled and handed the candy over.
"You know, I don't think it will, but thank you."
"No problem."
Rory took a bite of her own piece piece and started flipping through their CD's.
"Why do we have such crappy music?"
"Excuse you?" Jess demanded.
"There's nothing good here."
"No, you're just not in the mood for any of it. It's all good."
"Sublime?" Rory challenged.
"What about them?"
"They're not exactly what I would call 'good'."
"That's because you're a prick."
"Speak for yourself," Rory laughed. "Mister, 'I-can't-hang-my-band-shirts-next-to-each-other-if-the-bands-don't-get-along'."
"My organizational skills are not being called into question here," Jess argued.
"They are now," Rory smirked. "So, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"There is nothing wrong with the way I organize my closet, especially since you are the Queen of weird organizational habits."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rory shook her head.
"Really? Miss 'I-organize-my-sock-drawer-by-brand-colour-and-size'."
"I am not that bad!"
"You're close."
"Okay, but I don't organize the cupboards by brand."
"You don't organize the cupboards at all," Jess pointed out. "You barely even step into the kitchen."
"That is a blatant lie."
"You keep telling yourself that," Jess nodded.
"I cooked dinner the other day!"
"That was three weeks ago," Jess shook his head. "And Kraft Dinner doesn't count."
"Who says?"
"I do. Pouring some pasta into hot water and adding a packet of cheese dust is not cooking."
"It is too," Rory argued.
"No it's not!" Jess laughed. "Now, if you were making it from scratch that would be different."
"Fine," she snapped. "When we get back to Philly, I'm going to make you dinner, completely from scratch and you will eat those words. You hear me? Eat them!"
"I look forward to it," Jess smirked. "And I'll be sure to have the fire department on standby."
"Ya, laugh it up Buddy. I'm going to cook you the kind of meal that Julia Child would be jealous of."
"Uh huh."
"I'm serious."
"I can see that," he assured her.
"You don't seem too concerned."
"I'm very concerned," he promised.
"No, you're patronizing me, and I don't appreciate it."
"I'm sorry," he reached over and squeezed her knee.
"Whatever," she pushed his hand away and pulled out another piece of candy.
Jess smirked and turned his focus back to the road.
Jess finally agreed to stop half an hour later, when they got into Warren, New Jersey.
"There's a Panera just off there," Rory pointed to an upcoming exit.
"Panera?" Jess raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a little healthy for your taste?"
"Are you going to spend the entire day mocking my eating habits and cooking skills?" Rory asked.
"Maybe, it's kind of fun."
Rory smacked his arm and pointed to the exit again.
"Just pull off. I'm starving. I think I might actually collapse in on myself from lack of food."
Jess snorted and changed lanes, electing not to comment on her dramatics.
"Don't mock, just feed me," she snapped.
"Yes Dear."
"I hate it when you say that," Rory cringed.
"I know," he smirked. "Where am I going from here?"
"Um... left," Rory consulted her notebook and the GPS.
She successfully navigated them to the cafe and practically bolted from the car before Jess could even put it in park.
"You can't be that hungry," Jess followed her into the restaurant. "You just finished an entire box of Red Vines, and it's barely noon."
"Those don't fill you up," Rory reasoned. "They're empty calories that give you a sugar boost. And time has nothing to do with things. We ate breakfast at 8 this morning, it's feeding time."
"Got it," Jess nodded. "You get the food, I'm going to hit the restroom."
"What do you want?"
"Whatever," he shrugged and left her to join the queue.
Rory ordered them a strawberry and banana smoothie each, then got Jess a turkey and avocado BLT with a side of black bean soup, and a grilled cheese with tomato soup for herself.
"Okay, maybe not as healthy as I thought," Jess shook his head when he saw her selections.
"Yours is healthy," Rory shrugged. "Mine is classic."
Jess nodded his agreement and took the tray from her.
"So where are we going from here?" He asked once they sat down.
Rory pulled her trusty notebook out of her bag and flipped it open.
"We're in... Warren?"
"Yep," Jess nodded through a mouthful of food.
"Okay..." She pulled out a map and flipped through her notebook. "If we get gas here, and pick up some more snacks-"
"Twinkies," Jess interrupted.
"Twinkies," she laughed. "Then we shouldn't have to really stop again until... Willowhill, Pennsylvania? It's about a three hour drive."
"Seems reasonable," Jess nodded. "What time do you think we'll get to the hotel?"
"Late," Rory wrinkled her nose. "Depending on traffic... I don't know, 10?"
"Seriously?"
"It's really far," Rory shrugged.
"If you say so."
"I do. And as the designated Navigator/DJ/Snack Provider/Trip Coordinator, what I say goes."
"That's a lot of titles," Jess nodded appreciatively.
"I'm a woman on many talents," she smirked.
"Oh, I know."