It leaves you speechless. Then it leaves you dreaming.
October 2010
"Gilmore. My office now."
Rory looked up from the stacks of loose papers and primary color-coded files on top of more files on her desk.
"Now?" Rory asked, peeking up from her chair so that she could see her editor. A short, stout man with the most peculiar beady brown eyes, which, more often than not, were very kind to Rory. Other times when his evil, angry and impatient twin took over, they were blazing fires throwing insults at every staff member's incompetence and literary ineptitude. His words not Rory's.
"No, after the next issue is out." Her editor said, looking at her like she had grown three heads. "Yes. Now!"
"Oh, okay." Rory said, nodding her head and getting up to follow her editor, knocking a stack of red files in the process. "Stupid, stupid."
"Talking to me?" Her editor asked, turning around.
"Oh, no." Rory said immediately. "I knocked over my files." Rory said, pointing at the files scattered around her feet, all the papers out from the bides. Rory placed a hand over her head. It would take her forever to sort them out again.
Rory decided to leave them there and jumped over them to make her way to her editor even though it pained her to just leave them there on the floor. But her editor was not known for his patience.
On her way to his office, Rory walked past the other cubicles, very similar to her own. They all had a desk equipped with a computer and phones. Each open cubicle had partitions wide enough to give them space to breathe and occupy four people more without cramping them. Most importantly, ample storage to keep their research and files, which sadly never seemed to hold all the material they were working with.
Rory passed Joanne from the political section huddled over her desk with a new intern and three other members leaning on the side partition, their heads buried over the sample format for the Political section's next issue.
The desk closest to Harry, her editor, was assigned to Carl. Carl was unceremoniously crowned as the reigning master of handling Harry's meltdowns of epic proportions.
Carl looked up from his desk to see Rory heading into Harry's office. He mouthed All the best to her, with his lips tugging upwards awkwardly to resemble something like a smile. Rory nodded to him and returned a nervous smile back to him.
Harry's office was always open to them, literally. Harry was one of those people who believed in an open door policy so seriously that she had never seen his door closed or him relaxed.
Rory cleared her throat to announce her arrival.
"How is the next issue coming out for features?" Harry said, looking for something in the first drawer.
"Nancy and Drew are all over it. We should have a draft for you soon."
"Good. Good." Harry nodded his head and dropped a folded piece of an envelope on the table.
Rory focused on the inscription on the letter, and she could read International Conference on Journalism and Mass…
"I am going to show it to you, Gilmore. Stop trying to read it upside down." Harry chided.
"Uh, sorry." Rory said.
"Back to the next issue. Are you done with your articles and interviews?" Harry asked looking up from his glasses.
"All articles are submitted, but I have a couple of interviews to finish for Nancy." Rory said, and at Harry's frowned face, she quickly added, "Which I will get done by tonight." At Harry's, don't make promises you can't keep face, she said with a huff, "Latest by 5 PM tomorrow."
"Hmm." Harry pushed the envelope towards her.
Rory slowly inched her fingers towards the envelope, eying it suspiciously.
"I don't have all day." Harry said, irritated.
Rory tore away at the envelope.
International Conference on Journalism and Mass Communications, Business Economics, Management & Social Sciences.
Hamburg, Germany.
Category & Type
Conference
Entertainment & Media
Greetings, Rory Gilmore,
We cordially invite you to our International Conference on Journalism and Mass Communications, Business Economics, Management & Social Sciences.
The conference will include but is not limited to - Introduction to new Journalism challenges. It will cover issues becoming ever more important as global economies become intertwined and learn more of the critical concepts and frameworks from all disciplines regarding a wide range of contemporary journalism, economics, and business management issues.
Rory looked up at her editor, her mouth gaping open. "This is an invitation for a conference in Germany?"
"Yes." Harry said, looking at her with a satisfied smile on his face.
"But I never applied." Rory said softly, more to herself. Then she looked up at her editor and said loudly, "I never applied to attend this conference."
"I am aware of that as I am the one who actually applied on your behalf." Harry said fixing the files on his desk.
"But why? I can't leave. We are already short-staffed. There is no way the features section can afford to lose any staff for…." Rory looked down to reread the letter. "Three days, and that's excluding the time it's going to take me to travel." Rory ranted.
"Gilmore, Gilmore. This is a good thing." Harry said the irritation in his voice came back.
"In Germany?" Rory said in equal parts hesitation and equal parts thrill.
"Yes, in Germany."
"But.."
"No." Harry raised his hand to shut Rory down. "I asked you to apply for something that could give you an edge over things here. That was six months ago." Harry looked up sternly to see Rory, but she didn't speak up whatever kept her from applying, so he continued, "So I, as your editor, took the liberty to apply for you instead."
"Now, you can obviously choose to ignore my advice, but I have worked in this industry for over 20 years, and I highly recommend you consider this opportunity strongly." Harry said, drumming his two fingers on the big mahogany desk, "Hell, if someone gave me this opportunity 20 years ago, I wouldn't even think twice." Harry let out a small laugh towards the end.
"I need some time to go over this." Rory said much less enthusiastically than Harry, unexpected from her. Anyone else would have killed for the exposure.
"Two hours. After that, I am sending Drew instead." Harry pursed his lips together.
Being an editor, Harry knew everything that made his employees tick. He knew how to play their egos and when to threaten their jobs. He occasionally even lent his ears to them to vent their problem. And he had tried the combination of all three to get Rory Gilmore to move up. He was still waiting for the results.
"And Rory, if this doesn't work out. You need to think some things through." Harry said, looking up from his computer before going back to check the progress for their next issue.
Leaving Rory toying with the envelope in her hand, standing outside his door, and thinking over the implication of the words Harry just said.
"Hey? Everything cool?" Carl asked, shifting sideways to look at Rory. Who looked a little pale.
"Yeah, it's just." Rory gestured back to her editor's office. "Harry being Harry."
"Oh! You sound off." Carl asked Rory to fix his glasses a bit and handed her a bottle of water.
Rory took the bottle from his hand and took a few sips in. "I need to go to this conference." Rory said, showing Carl the envelope.
"I know." Carl said.
"You do?" Rory asked, her forehead creased. "I dint even know until a few minutes ago."
"Rory, I am his assistant. I know things before the boss." Carl said.
"Of Course you do." Rory said, still a bit distracted by her conversation with Harry.
"So why don't you want to go?" Carl asked carefully.
"I want to go." Rory said, her excitement finally surfaced. "I would love to go. This is a dream opportunity." The 16-year-old girl who wanted to travel the world jumped up and down in excitement at the prospectus of traveling to another country in a few short days.
"But?"
"Jess and I are not in the best space right now." Rory said, playing with the corner of Carl's desk.
"Jess?" Carl asked, with his eyebrows raised.
"Jess. My boyfriend, Jess."
"He would stop you from going?" Carl asked, surprised, "Rory, he seems like toxic stress. Dump him."
"He is not toxic. And he would never stop me. In fact, He would encourage me to go." Rory said, suddenly getting defensive.
"Hmm." Carl nodded his head and went back to working on his computer.
"Besides, feature's is already short-staffed after our intern bailed on us. Now we are just swamped with work all the time. I can't do that, Nancy. Nancy would freak." Rory continued talking.
"Uhuh." Carl nodded from behind his screen.
"We are a weekly circulation. Our weekly issues need to be good and well organized, and I'll have to leave on Wednesday. That's exactly 24 hours before we hit the shelves, you know." Rory said to Carl, who looked like he still wasn't convinced.
"What?" Rory asked Carl, but he just shrugged his shoulders and shifted his attention back to the computer.
"Things are not going very well between Jess and me. And we do have some issues going on. And I will have to dip into my savings to pay for the flight and hotels." Rory said, finally voicing out her main concerns.
"Your savings." Carl was listening with his full attention now.
"What?" Rory asked.
"Your savings, right?" Carl asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Yeah." Rory nodded.
"Then I don't see a problem." Carl said, leaning back on his chair with a grin on his face.
"I guess not." Rory said, suddenly realizing how easy the decision was, and smiled confidently.
The rational part of Rory's mind knew she was going for only 3 days, but the irrational part kept coming up with situations and scenarios of how she might spill her coffee or Ketchup on her white blouse, so she must keep five extra.
Rory jumped back onto her bed, back down. Ouch. Packing was not an easy task. Especially when many of the things you wanted to pack were stored in your childhood bedroom at your mother's house or inside your mother's closet.
Speaking of the mother's house.
Rory took her out and called her mother. Lorelai picked up on the second ring, breathing heavily.
"You are heaving. Why are you heaving? Ew, don't tell me." Rory said, scrunching up her nose.
"Hello, my daughter, whose mind is working in more and more dirty ways as the days pass. And I don't know if that makes me more proud or worried? Nope, definitely proud." Lorelai said.
"Are you drinking water after heaving? Oh my god, you were totally… I don't want to say it."
"I am riding a bike."
Rory's mouth hung open in shock, "Where do I need to drop the ransom?"
"I am not kidnapped, kiddo. I am just riding a bike."
"Willingly?"
"Jillian Michaels says 30 minutes of exercise to maintain your perky butt."
"All this after you gave me so much grief about me walking a block." Rory said.
"Walking three blocks after 10 in that city of yours is bad, hun. Not my fault you live in that big fancy city and not in the safe and secure town of Stars Hollow."
"I am sorry, but I refuse to star in any more of Taylor's posters." Rory said, shaking her head adamantly.
"I don't think I have recovered from the last one. Those shoes with that dress, yuck, what was Taylor thinking."
"Hey, those were my shoes and my dress. Taylor didn't have the wardrobe budget. And you might want to refrain from speaking against that dress because it's going to Hamburg with me." A huge smile broke out on Rory's face.
"As in Germany, Europe?" Lorelai asked after a slight pause.
"Yes, Harry applied for me to attend a Media conference there. I leave In two days." Rory said, getting extremely excited about the whole thing now.
"My baby. Yes! I am so proud of you hun, this is going to be so good for you. Your first international work trip."
"More like a conference trip."
"Just promise me one thing." Lore said seriously.
"I'll be safe and keep you updated?" Rory asked.
"You won't wear those shoes with that dress." Lorelai stated.
"Mom!"
"You going somewhere?" Jess asked, eyeing Rory walking in the door carrying two bags from Bergdorf and the open bag neatly packed with clothes on the bed.
"Yeah, I went shopping with..." Rory gestured to the door, and on cue, her mom made an entrance.
"Rory, are you sure that the group downstairs is a singing group?" Lorelai walked inside the apartment, still looking over her shoulder, and came to a stop seeing Jess standing in the room.
"So you are here." Lorelai said, widening her eyes and raising her palms to point at Jess dramatically.
"'I live here."
"I wasn't so sure, seeing you never seem to get the time to come see your uncle in Stars Hollow or call him back." Lorelai said, crossing her arms.
"'I work, I am busy." Jess said defensively.
"Ah, yes, of course. Meanwhile, the rest of us are just floating by in life."
"'Mom." Rory snapped. "Be nice."
"'Me? I am always nice." Jess snickered at Lorelai's response.
"'You too Jess."
"'Hey, I am just an innocent party. I was relaxing at my house when your mother started attacking me." Jess said tautly.
"Huh? Do you see me carrying weapons, Rory? Because I don't remember hitting Jess with my Torpedo." Lorelai asked, facing Rory.
"So your knowledge does expand beyond just superficial things." Jess said, pointing to the bags in Rory's hands.
"Jess." Rory sighed. She knew very well that Jess didn't like Lorelai, and the feeling was mutual.
"It's okay, Rory. I should head back. I know when I have overstayed my welcome." Lorelai moved you to hug Rory and whispered in her ear, "Enjoy Hamburg."
"Bye, mom. I'll call you." Rory said, waving at her mother as she left her apartment. Jess moved to close the door.
"Do you have to always do that?" Rory asked. Playing mediator between her mother and Jess was the most exhausting part she ever played.
"What? You know she started it first." Jess said, shrugging his shoulders. "She is still pissed that we are going out again."
"She is not. She just needs time to come around." Rory said, shaking her head.
"It's been four months." Jess remarked as a matter of fact.
Rory kept quiet at that.
"So you going somewhere?" Jess said, gesturing at the bag in their room.
"Yes, about that. I am going to Hamburg." Rory looked intently at Jess to capture every emotion. Annoyance? Surprise? Happiness? Anger? But his face displaced no emotion.
"Yeah? What for?" Jess asked as they opened the fridge to uncap the soda bottle.
"International Conference on Journalism and Mass Communications, Business Economics, Management & Social Sciences." Rory repeated robotically. She was nervous.
"Okay." Jess nodded.
Rory blinked her eyes twice. "Okay? Just like that?"
"What else were you expecting? That I wouldn't say no or something?" Jess asked, raising his eyebrows. "I would never do that to you. This might be good for you. You should go."
Rory thought she saw a flicker of hurt in Jess's eyes. But it was gone as soon as it came.
"Sorry." Rory said, "This just seemed really easy. Usually, things are not." Rory said, biting the inside of her cheeks.
"They are from my end." Jess said, shrugging his shoulders.
Rory disagreed.
"When do you leave?" Jess asked, putting his dinner plates in the sink.
"Day after." Rory said with an appreciative smile. Maybe things were going to be easy for her.
Jess nodded his head.
"Maybe we can have dinner together tomorrow?" Rory asked.
"Sure."
"Before I leave. It will be nice. Maybe the new restaurant that is a few blocks away?" Rory was pushing her luck. The new place had a very quirky and funky decor. Jess liked simpler things.
"Woah, Woah." Jess raised his palms in mock surrender, "You are only going for three days." Jess said. He wasn't going to be dragged to a restaurant like that under any circumstances. Rory leaving for a few days included.
"How do you know?" Rory asked, getting tense.
"What?" Jess asked, the smile and previous laughter gone from his face.
"How do you know that the conference is for three days?" Rory asked. Her legs seemed frozen in place.
Jess shrugged his shoulders and jutted his lips.
"Did you snoop through my things?" Rory asked carefully.
"It was right on the table. I think I can go through envelopes in my own house." Jess replied calmly. "What's the big deal?"
It was addressed to her. It was a big deal. Rory wanted to disagree again. Instead, she just shook her head and moved past Jess into the bedroom and swapped some of the clothes for the new ones she bought today with Lorelai.
"Do you need to wear that dress for a work conference?" Jess remarked from the door.
"Conference finishes at 5. I want to explore the city after that."
"Right. With the money, we are growing in our basement." Jess said snidely.
Rory looked at him with hurt in her eyes.
"I knew it couldn't be this easy. It is never easy." Rory muttered under her breath.
"Excuse me?"
Rory sighed and sat down on the bed facing Jess.
"I don't want to fight, Jess." Rory said, her head hung down. "I am going to Hamburg. This is a good opportunity, you said so yourself. I have to take this opportunity. And I am going to go out afterwards. It would be stupid to go to another country and not experience their culture, the food, and everything else." Rory raised her palm to stop Jess from interrupting with what she guessed was going to be an apology, "And, I am using my trust fund for the flights, hotels, and everything else that is not covered."
"Day in the life of Rich and fabulous." Jess remarked with a pointing look at the empty shopping bags and then Rory.
"What does that mean?"
"Are you planning on quitting hard work after this and joining your grandmother's society?" Something about using the trust fund ticked Jess off badly.
"I am not quitting anything, and what's wrong with her DAR work?" Rory asked, her forehead puckered.
"The fact you just asked me that says a lot about who you are becoming." Jess said, pointing at her.
"Jess, I have always been a Gilmore. Last time I checked, my last name was Gilmore." Rory shouted, her anger getting the best of her.
"You don't need to do this." Jess snickered. "Not every journalist attends these fancy conferences."
"They do. When their boss asks them to attend in not so many words. Jess, it's final. I don't understand. You were great about this minutes ago? What happened just now?" Rory stared at Jess to make sense of why he was behaving so irrationally.
At Jess's lack of response, Rory zipped her luggage and put it in a corner. "I am doing this."
"Why do I even bother?" Jess muttered, picked up his jacket, and went out the door.
Author's note - I know there wasn't much Rory and Logan interaction in this chapter but you know what Hamburg means right? Right.
Also since Rory never met Logan at Yale, she never met Mitchum so she never got the you don't got it speech.
Review!