A/N: Isn't Rory just terrible with figuring out what she's doing, re: the men in her life? I'm sure she'll get there... eventually ;) As always, thanks for those lovely reviews, folks :)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 10
"Hold on a second," said Lorelai, hand held up in a 'stop right there' gesture as she literally halted in walking and got Rory to do the same. "You're telling me that you spent more than a week avoiding the guy, because you didn't know how to tell him you didn't want to see him anymore, and then, when you finally do run into him, at the newspaper office, you just, what? Have a charming little chat about the weather and go your separate ways?"
Rory squirmed as she tried to come up with an answer to her mother's question. It wasn't easy to find the right words at all, which was weird, because she was usually so good with words and explaining herself, at least where her mom was concerned. Not so much with the guys in her life, as it turned out.
"It's not as simple as you're making it sound," she said eventually, shaking her head and walking on down the street. "I mean, yes, I was confused about my feelings for Logan, and for Jess, and yes, I did say that I was kind of avoiding the issue a little bit, but it wasn't all that. I was so, so busy last week. You know I've had classes on top of classes and assignments-"
"Yeah, yeah, the busy Yale thing, I get," Lorelai insisted, waving away what she doubtless saw as the uninteresting part of the conversation, "but still, I thought you were just trying to find a good opportunity and then it was Huntzerberger out, Mariano in, right? Rory?" she prompted when no answer came.
Rory heaved a huge and frustrated sigh. "I don't know!" she said too loudly, realising it only when another couple of people in the street stared at her in surprise as they walked on by. "I thought I knew. I mean, me and Jess, I told you how good it is when we're together. I really, really like him, but I also do really like Logan, and the thing of it is, I was trying to choose between them because I figured that was what I needed to do, but... well, maybe it's not."
It didn't sound right when she said it like that, Rory was well aware. She knew it even more strongly when she looked to her mom then and saw that Lorelai's eyes appeared to have grown three sizes.
"Um, Rory, sweetheart," she said carefully, "Mommy is real open-minded, but if you're about to suggest what it sounds like you might be suggesting..."
"Oh! Oh, God, no!" Rory gasped, realising just exactly where Lorelai's mind had gone to. "I mean, no judgment on anybody who... I mean, lifestyle choices, modern world, but no, Mom. I am not that girl," she said definitely, making sweeping gestures with her hands. "What I meant was, well, I only ever really had steady boyfriends before, you know? First Dean, and then Marty, and then Dean again. I've never really dated, you know, casually or anything."
"Right, that's true," Lorelai agreed, nodding her head, looking every possible shade of relieved by now. "And there's nothing wrong with casual dating," she was quick to add. "It's just... well, the way you talked about Jess, I just thought... It seemed serious."
"After a couple of weeks?" Rory checked, shaking her head. "I don't know, Mom. I mean, maybe I thought it was, or could be, but I don't really think that's what Jess wants, and I know for sure it's not what Logan is looking for. Maybe it would be better for me to just, I don't know, play the field or whatever."
"Play the field?" Lorelai asked with a look. "Between two guys that live in the same house, and have been friends since they were kids? Sure, that doesn't sound awkward at all."
"Mom!" Rory complained, rolling her eyes. "I thought you were supposed to be helping."
"Sweets, I do what I can, but this is... I never really did this," she admitted helplessly. "In case you forgot, I didn't do the whole college thing, not even the last couple of years of high school properly. I did the teen dating thing, just a little, got with your dad, then there was you. It really wasn't until much later, you know, with Max and everything, that I got serious about guys again. I wish I had more good advice for you, but I just don't know much about this area of things, I guess."
"It's okay," Rory assured her, looping her arm through Lorelai's own and giving it a squeeze. "We shouldn't even be talking about my dating life anyway. We should absolutely just be celebrating you and Luke being back together," she said, easily finding a smile just as soon as she mentioned the reunion of her two favourite people.
"It is pretty amazing, having him back," Lorelai agreed, grinning widely. "God, I did not know anything could hurt as much as losing him the way I did. One of my best friends and my boyfriend all at once, you know?" she said, shaking her head. "I never want to go through something like that again."
"I'm sure you won't. You guys must be stronger for all of the badness, right? Isn't that like the only silver lining to these horrible relationship messes?"
"Pretty much," Lorelai agreed, "but as happy as I am to be back with my guy, I still want you to be just as happy, babe. You sure this whole playing the field thing is really for you?"
"Honestly? I don't know," Rory admitted. "I just don't want to burn too many bridges. Like I said, I really do like Logan, and I don't really feel as if I gave him a fair chance, not after Jess showed up, and for all I know, he'll be going away again pretty soon. You know, he's just here visiting with Joe."
"The step-dad, right?"
"Ex-step-dad, and also, Logan's dad's valet."
"Tangled."
"Extremely."
"But also, weirdly convenient. I mean, you get lonely, you drop by the Huntzberger place, two-for-the-price-of-one on cute boys that know about books and are totally into you."
"Mom!" Rory groaned but smiled at the same time, glad to realise she was at least half-joking. "It's like I said, I just feel like I didn't give Logan a fair chance, and as for Jess, well, he's never actually said anything about what's between us being serious. He likes me, I guess."
"Well, who wouldn't?"
"But he never actually asked me out or defined us as having a relationship. When I mentioned being casual, he agreed pretty fast, so for all I know, he does this kind of thing with a lot of girls."
"Huh, and apparently, he's not the only one."
Something about Lorelai's tone more than her words made Rory stop and look at her strangely. Next thing she knew, her mom was pointing across the street, and when Rory followed her finger, she saw Logan was sitting at the end of it, with his arm around another girl, and his lips heading for hers.
"Oh," she said, startled by the sight. "Well, that's okay. Like I said, we're casual. I'm playing the field and, clearly, so is he."
"Apparently so," said Lorelai, turning her back on the view. "Um, Rory, I'm gonna try to be supportive of your new lifestyle choice, I swear, but if I have to keep on looking at a guy I know you're seeing macking on another girl, I will have to punch him."
"Even though I've been seeing another guy in much the same way?" Rory checked.
Lorelai shook her head. "I never said it was a rational response."
Rory smiled, tugging on her mom's arm to lead her towards another store with stylish shirts and crazy jewellery in the window. Shopping was what they really came out for and Rory suspected it would be a whole lot easier picking out clothes than picking a guy right now!
It had to be some kind of weird twist of fate. Of all the calls in all of the house, Jess just happened to pick up when it was her. What were the odds of that anyway? Had to be pretty slim, but right in that moment, he didn't have it in him to care about the math.
"I was starting to wonder if you left town without telling me," said Rory in his ear. "I called a couple of times already today, but nobody could find you."
"I was around," said Jess cryptically, kicking himself for even the partial lie. "What's up?"
"Nothing, really," she told him, "I was just... well, I ran into the guys today, you know, Colin and Finn, and they mentioned this party..."
"Finn's birthday bash?"
"That's the one. I'm guessing he invited you already?"
"He mentioned it." Jess nodded pointlessly, since of course Rory couldn't see him.
"Were you planning on going?" she asked, not waiting for a response before she ploughed on. "Because I was just thinking, if you were going to go - and if you're not then don't worry about it, but if you were - maybe we could go together, you know, you and me."
"You and me," Jess echoed, unable to keep the smile off his lips just from saying the words. "Interesting idea."
"Interesting as in you'd actually be interested?"
"Maybe," said Jess, biting his lip. "You have costume ideas?"
"For you, no. For me, I have one," she admitted. "My old uniform from Chilton would work pretty well for Gogo from Kill Bill."
The very idea of Rory dressed that way made Jess' eyes roll back in his head. He may like to think he was classier and more intelligent than some other guys, but there were certain things that applied to almost all straight men in the world. Women in school girl uniforms tended to be one of them.
"Jess?"
"Uh-huh," he forced out, swallowing hard one more time. "So, this Saturday, right? Over at Yale?"
"Yes," Rory agreed. "I was thinking, if you wanted to come by my dorm around eight, then we'll head over to the party together?"
"Together, like a date?" Jess checked, unsure why he was even bothering to clarify.
He was going to go no matter what, he already knew that, no matter how stupid he had to look to do it or how many crazy drunks he had to be around. It was a chance to spend an evening with Rory. If he was honest with himself, he would crawl over hot coals and broken glass for that kind of chance, especially when it was her idea and request.
"I mean, if you want to put a label on it," she said in his ear. "Sure, it can be a date."
He wasn't buying how off-hand she was trying to be about it, not at all. The longer this thing went on between them, the more Jess started to realise he had been right in his first thoughts about Rory. She just wasn't casual girl. She wasn't Logan's usual type at all.
"Talk of the devil," he muttered as the front door slammed and in walked the man himself. "Uh, so, I gotta go," he told Rory fast, "but Saturday, eight o'clock at your place. It's a date," he said pointedly, looking right at Logan and failing badly at keeping his smirk in check.
"Hey, Jess," his so-called friend greeted him the moment he hung up the phone. "A date, huh? I hope you're bringing her to Finn's party. He'll be crushed if you don't show."
"If I know Finn, you'll be lucky if he remembers that he showed up." Jess rolled his eyes. "But I'll be there."
"Good, good. So, who's the lucky lady?" Logan asked then, a grin on his face a mile wide as he slapped Jess in the shoulder just a little too hard.
Jess was usually pretty good at reading people, especially those he knew, and he knew Logan pretty damn well. This time, he wasn't so sure. Did Huntzberger really think it was anyone but Rory on the phone? Did he already know the answer and was just looking for a fight? Only one way to find out for sure.
"I don't know how lucky she is. After all, she asked me," he said pointedly, watching Logan's expression carefully. "Still, I'd be pretty stupid to turn down a date with Rory Gilmore, right?"
Not waiting for a response from his buddy, Jess started to walk away, only for Logan to yell after him, loud enough to shake the chandeliers.
"You stay away from her, Jess! I'm serious, just leave her alone."
Jess stopped walking, turned around to face Logan again and shook his head.
"What's your problem, man?"
"Jess, you're not this stupid. You met Rory in my dorm, so you know she's off-limits."
"Is she?" Jess checked, walking back up close again. "'Cause last I checked, we're all free citizens here in the good old US. You know, Rory is a woman with a mind of her own, Logan. I know that's probably a new concept for you, given some of the brainless idiots you've been with before-"
Suddenly a handful of his shirt was bunched in Logan's fist.
"You are so out of line, Mariano!"
"I'm outta line?" Jess checked, giving Logan a shove and taking a step back to put more space between them. "Are you freakin' kidding me?! You know, I would understand this attitude if I thought for a second you genuinely cared about her, but I know this is all about a Huntzberger getting what he wants, just because he can."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
There was something in his eyes that gave Jess just a moment's pause for thought, but it soon passed.
"Really? So, come on, tell me," he challenged Logan head on. "Do you love her?"
Watching his eyes go so wide with surprise was almost comical.
"Do I...? Seriously?" Logan checked. "That's where we're going with this?"
"Where else is there to go?" Jess shrugged his shoulders. "If you're seeing Rory casually - which is what she told me and it's all I've ever known you do with anyone - then you don't have a right to care if she sees other people," he explained as if to an idiot. "If you were dating exclusively, then you still couldn't actually stop her from dumping your ass in favour of somebody else, because hey, that's life," he said, waving one arm in a random gesture. "So, the one and only thing that is going to make a difference right now is if you're about to tell me that you love her. So, do you?"
As he expected, the silence from Logan was truly deafening.
"Yeah," said Jess, nodding his head, "that's what I thought."
Turning around to walk away, he almost made it out of the foyer and through the safety of a door he could close in Logan's face when he heard the sound of hastened footsteps and felt fingers wrap around his arm, pulling him back.
"What?" he asked crossly, looking back at his apparent rival.
"Do you?" asked Logan, his meaning more than clear after what they had just been discussing mere moments before.
Jess opened his mouth to answer, only to close it again fast. Wrenching his arm from Logan's grip, he continued on through the door, letting it clang shut in his wake.
To Be Continued...