I'm sorry about the wait! I had a family wedding this weekend so it's been pretty crazy and I haven't had any time to write. I'm going away on holiday on Friday until Monday so might not be able to update until after that. Anyway, here's the next chapter! I can't believe I'm at 200 reviews so thank you so much! :)
Chapter 36
The following morning Lorelai, Charlotte and Rory were walking to Luke's for breakfast before Charlotte and Rory were heading back to Yale.
"Twenty-three is old. It's almost twenty-five, which is, like, almost mid-twenties." Lorelai said.
"She did not say that." Rory said.
"She did say that." Lorelai nodded.
"It seems a little wrong that Jessica Simpson is alive and well and Roy got eaten by his tiger." Charlotte joked.
"Aw. Survival of the fittest, baby." Lorelai said as they walked into the diner. "Oh man, this place is packed."
"Damn that Zagat guide." Rory said.
"Only the loser mini-table is open." Lorelai said.
"What do we do?" Rory asked.
"Time to hover. You two take the old couple, I'll hit the cybergeek." Lorelai said.
"Got it." Charlotte said as she and Rory walked over to an older couple eating.
A while later the three of them were sat at two tables that they had put together.
"That was some of the best hovering I've ever seen you two do." Lorelai said.
"We were taught by the best." Rory joked.
"But the focus, you never blinked!" She exclaimed. "And the sneeze you did..." She told Charlotte. "So tiny, so dainty, so terrifying to the old."
"I aim to please." Charlotte grinned.
"Luke's going to be mad. I mean, he hates it when we commandeer two tables during rush hour." Rory said.
"Oh no, he only hated it that one time." Lorelai said.
"What time?" Rory said.
"The time when we did it and he was mad."
"He's hated it every time we've done it."
"No."
"Yeah."
"No, only the one time." Lorelai said.
"Which time?" Rory asked again.
"The time we did it and he was mad." Lorelai repeated.
"You're going to do this to Luke, aren't you?" Rory smirked.
"Until he's so dizzy he throws up." Lorelai grinned.
"Poor Luke." Charlotte smirked.
Just then Luke walked over. "Hey. Coffee's going to be ready in a second. You know what you want?" He smiled.
"Oh, well, we need napkins to cover this big, wide, expansive table." Lorelai grinned up at him.
"Ok. Uh, hey, are you in the mood for pancakes?" He asked.
"Pancakes, sure, yeah. I guess we have enough space for pancakes." Lorelai said confused he wasn't saying anything about the tables.
Charlotte rolled her eyes, knowing this was going to go on a while. She spotted Jess appearing from behind the curtain. "I'll be back." She told her mom and Rory before walking over to the counter, leaving them to tease Luke. "Hey..." She said cautiously.
Jess looked up in surprise. "Hey. I thought you were in Yale?"
"Rory and I felt bad for bailing on our mom so we came back late last night." She said.
"Oh." He said.
Charlotte was quiet for a moment before sitting down on a stool. "Are we ok?" She asked.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't we be?" Jess said.
"Because you hung up pretty quickly last night." Charlotte said.
"I didn't want to interrupt your evening with Marty." Jess said starting to wipe the counter, deliberately avoiding her gaze.
"You weren't interrupting anything. We were just hanging out, that's all." Charlotte said.
"Ok well I didn't want to interrupt your hanging out." He shrugged.
Charlotte sighed. "Jess..."
"What?"
"Why are you being like this?" She exclaimed.
"Like what?"
"Like acting all jealous about me hanging out with Marty! It's not an attractive trait, you know." Charlotte said.
"Huh, and I guess Marty has lots of attractive traits right? You seem to spend every day with him." Jess said finally looking up at her.
"He's a good friend yes!" Charlotte exclaimed. "I think you're being really unfair. I really think you and Marty would get on if you spent some time with him."
"You do huh?" Jess said raising his eyebrows.
"Yeah I do." Charlotte nodded. She sighed. "Look I've got tickets to this Yale/Harvard game next week. I want you to get to know Marty and I want him to get to know you too. Will you come?"
Jess was quiet for a moment. "You've got tickets to a football game?" He finally said, stifling a smirk. "You're that keen for me to spend time with Marty?"
"And me, yes!" Charlotte grinned. "Plus also I'm sure our grandpa would have forced us to go anyway." She added.
"Huh." Jess smirked.
"Please? For me?" Charlotte asked.
Jess sighed. "Yeah sure ok." He shrugged.
"Thank you!" Charlotte exclaimed grinning. "Now can I have some coffee?"
"Coming up." Jess rolled his eyes, grabbing a mug and pouring her some. "So are you here for the whole weekend?"
"No we have to get back to Yale today. But I'll see you next week." Charlotte smiled sipping her coffee. She looked up at him. "You know I love you right?" She said quietly.
Jess glanced at her before giving her a quick nod. "I know." He said gruffly.
"Good." She smiled.
The week went quickly and soon it was the day of the game. After having met up with Richard and Emily and toasting Dan the dog, Lorelai, Charlotte, Jess and Rory were sat down eating lunch at their own tailgating area.
"Isn't Tristan here yet?" Charlotte asked Rory.
"I think so. I think he's with some friends." Rory shrugged.
"I thought you guys were going to meet up." Charlotte frowned.
"We don't have to be together every minute of the day, you know." Rory retorted.
"Whoa, ok. I was just asking, geez!" Charlotte said surprised by her sister's response.
Rory realised everyone was looking at her so she focused on her food. "Sorry. I've just got a lot of work to do for the paper. Guess I'm a bit stressed." She said quietly.
"Well I think I have officially eaten a third of a cow." Richard said changing the subject.
"The steak is incredible." Charlotte agreed.
"I'm glad you're all enjoying it. Lorelai, how's your steak?" Emily asked.
"Why do you ask?" Lorelai grinned holding up her steak with her fork.
"That's it. Hand over the flask." Emily said referring to the flask with alcohol in that they had brought with them.
"I do not know what you're talking about. There's no flask here." Lorelai said quickly.
"What's going on over there?" Rory asked gesturing to a crowd of people not far from them.
"Oh Richard, it's Dan!" Emily exclaimed.
"Dan? It's Dan! It's Dan!" Richard said excitedly getting up.
"I thought we already saw Dan." Charlotte said.
"We saw dead Dan." Jess smirked.
"Shh!" Charlotte said nudging him.
"It's true." He shrugged.
"Yeah, well...aw look! It really is Dan!" She exclaimed getting up.
"Here you go, Dan." Emily said going over to Dan and giving him a dog toy.
"Enjoy it now. I just saw your future and it ain't good." Lorelai joked stroking him along with Charlotte.
"Charlotte!" A voice suddenly said.
Charlotte looked up and smiled when she saw Marty. "Hey!" She smiled. She glanced over at Jess who was still sat at the table. "Jess!" She said gesturing him over. Jess reluctantly got up and went over to them. "Uh you two have already met..." She said awkwardly.
"Yeah. Marty." Jess nodded.
"Hi." Marty nodded back. "Uh there's a party going on over there on the hill. Do you two want to join us?" He asked.
"Sure, that sounds fun!" Charlotte smiled. "I'll just check with my mom and grandparents."
After checking that it was ok, the three of them walked over to the hill in awkward silence.
Later that afternoon, Charlotte sighed as she watched Jess excuse himself to go get some food during half time of the game. He had barely said one word to Marty the whole time. Even when Marty had tried to converse with him, Jess had just answered with one word answers. She turned to Marty. "I'm sorry." She said.
"It's fine." Marty said.
"I should go..." Charlotte sighed gesturing to the direction Jess had gone in.
"Let me." Marty offered.
"But..."
"Trust me." Marty smiled at her before disappearing off. He wandered out of the stadium and spotted Jess lining up for a hot dog. He slowly walked over to him. "Hot dogs are a must for me too when I'm at a football game." Marty said in a friendly tone.
Jess glanced at him and just gave him a quick nod. "Huh." He said.
"Let me pay for these." Marty tried again getting some money out.
"I can pay for myself." Jess said gruffly.
"I know. But I'd like to." Marty said.
"Why?" Jess scowled.
"Because you're Charlotte's fiance and I think it would make her happy to know that we were getting along." He said. "Even though it's a lie."
"You seem to think you know my fiancee better than me." Jess said accusingly.
"I'm not saying that but you can hardly deny the fact that she wanted us to get along. This was the whole point of today wasn't it?" Marty said.
Jess shrugged. "I guess."
"Well then...let me pay." Marty repeated.
"No." Jess said stubbornly.
Marty sighed, knowing he wasn't getting anywhere. "Look I get it ok?"
"Get what?" Jess grumbled.
"You don't like me." Marty shrugged.
"You said it." Jess shrugged.
"Why? What have I done to you?" Marty asked.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
Jess turned to him and scowled. "Ok. I don't like you." He admitted. "Don't you think I know how beautiful Charlotte is? I know that and I know other guys know that too. You meet her for ten minutes and suddenly she's hanging out with you everyday. She talks about you the whole time. I know your motive. Charlotte's too trusting but I know why you've befriended her!" He said angrily.
"You're jealous." Marty said simply.
"Damn right I'm jealous! She thinks you're great! But I know you're type. You're just after one thing!" Jess retorted.
Marty took a deep breath. "Jess, I would never steal a girl from someone else."
Jess snorted. "Sure you wouldn't."
"I wouldn't." Marty said firmly. "Look, I had that happen to me and it really sucks. Like seriously sucks. I would never do that to anyone else and make them feel as crap as I did." He said honestly. When he realised Jess hadn't said anything, he continued. "Jess, she loves you. You say she talks about me the whole time. Well she talks about you the whole time when we're hanging out. She really loves you. I mean she said yes to marrying you, didn't she?" He said. "Charlotte's been a good friend to me and I really enjoy spending time with her but as I've told her, I'll stop if that's what you want."
Jess glanced at him. "You got cheated on?" He spoke finally.
Marty nodded. "It was my best mate." He said quietly. "Since then I've found it hard to make friends. I guess I've found it hard to trust people again." He shrugged.
"That does suck." Jess said quietly.
"It was years ago now." He shrugged. "But I vowed from then that I would never do anything like that to anyone else. Look, I really like Charlotte but as a friend. She's the only person here who actually listens to me and seems to enjoy my company. It felt nice. But I can understand why you would be jealous, I do."
Jess was quiet for a moment before glancing at him. "So does that offer to pay for my hot dog still stand?" He asked.
Marty smiled. "Sure. If that's what you want."
"It'll make Charlotte happy right?" Jess said.
"Right." Marty smiled.
They got to the front of the queue and Marty ordered three hot dogs.
"Hey Marty?" Jess said.
"Yeah?" Marty said turning to him.
"I'm sorry."
Marty smiled at him. "No need to be. Truce?" He asked holding out his hand.
Jess glanced at him before shaking his hand. "Let me give me a bit of advice though. Charlotte hates football. I say we bail." He smirked.
Marty laughed. "Oh thank god! I hate it too! I only agreed because she asked me to come."
Jess chuckled. "Yeah me too."
"Oh my god, I have never been this full in my life!" Charlotte exclaimed as she walked down the stalls of food with Jess and Marty.
"More full than the four Thanksgiving dinners you had?" Jess smirked.
"You had four Thanksgiving dinners?" Marty asked surprised.
"Oh you have so much to learn." Jess smirked.
"You'll have to give me the lowdown then." Marty laughed.
"I'd be glad to." Jess chuckled.
"Ok I think I liked you better when you hated him." Charlotte pouted.
"You love me really." Jess smirked, putting his arm round her shoulders and giving her a kiss on the side of her head.
"God help me." Charlotte smirked. Just then her cell phone rang. She smiled as she saw the caller ID. "Hi!"
"Hey hon!" Lorelai said. "How was it?"
"We bailed before the second half." Charlotte smirked.
"You are so my daughter!" Lorelai grinned. "I'm sorry I bailed."
"It's ok. Rory texted me and said grandma and grandpa haven't said a word to each other though." Charlotte said.
"Poor Rory." Lorelai sighed. "How's it going with Jess and Marty?" She asked.
"Yeah good." Charlotte smiled as she glanced at Jess and Marty who had walked ahead of her. "It was really bad and awkward to start off with. Something must have happened though. I don't know what Marty said but they seem fine now." Charlotte smiled.
"That's good then." Lorelai smiled. "I should go. Call me tomorrow."
"I will." Charlotte smiled. "Say hi to Luke from me!" She teased before hanging up. She caught up with Jess and Marty. "Let's get some ice cream!" She grinned.
"Seriously? You just said..." Marty started to say before he saw Jess smirking at him. "Something else I'm going to learn?"
"Yup." Jess said.
"Ok." Marty smirked.
"Let's go!" Charlotte grinned but then realised Marty had stopped walking. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"Isn't that Paris?" He asked.
Charlotte looked in the direction that he was looking and immediately cringed when she saw Paris kissing none other than Asher Fleming. "Ah geez!" She exclaimed. "I seriously need ice cream now." She said starting to walk away but this time she realised Jess had stopped. "What?" She asked.
"Have...uh...have Rory and Tristan broken up?" Jess asked hesitantly.
"No, why?" She frowned. Jess nodded in front of them and Charlotte looked to find Rory kissing a blonde haired guy who she didn't recognise. "Ok I officially don't need ice cream now." She said stunned.
So a twist at the end there! I hope you don't hate me! :P Please keep the reviews coming as your support means so much to me! Thank you! :)