Jess spent the next ten minutes standing in the same spot down by the creek
with a silly grin on his face. She kissed him. SHE kissed him. He always
assumed that, if it happened, it would be the other way around. Was this
just a one-time thing or was Rory going to break up with Dean now? Jess
shook the questions out of his head, trying not to overanalyze the
situation. He just wanted to concentrate on the feeling of that kiss.
By the time he had snapped back to reality and realized that he was hiding in the woods with a ridiculous grin on his face, Luke had spotted him. He thought about running, but that seemed like a stupid idea. So, instead he wiped the grin off his face and waited for Luke to walk down to where he was standing.
"What do you think you're doing here?" Luke asked.
"Nothing much."
"I told you to stay at the diner until I could smooth things over with everyone."
"Well, I just had to get out and enjoy the beauty of Star's Hollow."
"Okay, fine. The wedding ceremony's over and Lorelai's already seen you here, so you may as well stay for the reception." Jess thought about the proposition for a minute. He really had no interest in going to any reception, but then again, Rory would be there.
"Whatever," he responded, which translated to "okay, I'll go to the reception" in Jess-speak.
Luke led the way up the hill to the reception hall. Just outside the door, Luke told Jess to wait there, as he went inside to find out if Sookie and Jackson minded if Jess came in. Apparently, they were fine with it, because Luke came out a minute later and motioned for Jess to step inside.
As he entered the hall, Jess could feel all eyes staring at him, not that he really cared. He just wanted to spot Rory, without seeming like he was looking for her. He found her standing in a corner talking to her mom, who seemed upset about something. About a minute later, Lorelai walked away and Rory was left standing alone, looking shy and lonely. For some reason, Dean was standing on the other side of the room, just staring at Rory. Jess couldn't figure why he wasn't with Rory; the guy seemed to spend every possible second with her. At that moment, Jess came up with a plan that would allow him to spend a moment with Rory and simultaneously make Dean jealous.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Rory stood in the corner, wishing she could break down the wall and run away without being noticed. She was glad that her mom had walked away; she wanted a second alone to think. And she was also glad that Dean was keeping his distance, for whatever reason. She was just feeling too guilty to face him at this moment.
Suddenly, she noticed Jess approaching. All she could think was, "why on earth is he here and is my mom going to kill him when she notices?" When he arrived in front of her, her reaction was as equally polite as it had been when she noticed him down by the creek.
"What are you doing here?"
"You're not good at this whole polite greeting thing are you?"
"Sorry," she muttered as she tried to regain her composure. "Seriously, though. My mom and Sookie and Luke are all going to kill you when they see you here."
"Chill. It's cool with them."
Rory still had more questions, but decided to just let it go. After about a minute of awkward silence, Rory was beginning to wonder if she should ask one of those questions, when Jess posed one of his own.
"Would you like to dance?" Part of her desperately wanted to dance with him, to be in his arms. The other part of her wanted to shout, "How dare you, you cad! I have a boyfriend whom I love and would never betray with the likes of you!" Ultimately, when she noticed that Dean had walked off to the bathroom, she decided to do the polite thing and say yes.
When they got to the dance floor, things were just as awkward as Rory feared they would be. They spent a few seconds trying to decide where to put their hands. Jess started to put his hands on her waist, but then pulled away; Rory started to put her hands around his shoulders, but also pulled away. Finally, they settled on the traditional dancing pose with her hand in his. Rory spent most of the dance looking off to the side, desperately trying to avoid looking into Jess' piercing eyes.
Just as the song was ending, Dean stepped out of the bathroom, and automatically fixed his radar on Rory. Rory knew Dean would be upset that she was dancing with Jess, so she pulled away from Jess as soon as the song ended. Clearly sensing something was going on, Jess turned around to face Dean.
"What do you think you're doing?" Dean yelled.
"Just dancing," Jess responded in his usual nonchalant way. Dean stood right in Jess' face, showing his height advantage, and poked a finger in Jess' chest.
"Yeah. Well, don't," he said in his toughest voice possible.
"Whatever," Jess responded. "I'm out of here anyway. Bye, Rory." Just as he said those last two words, he quickly pecked Rory on the cheek, sending more shivers through her than any real kiss from Dean ever had. And with that, he left.
Rory tried desperately to act as if nothing were wrong.
"So, you want to dance?" she asked Dean casually. Dean looked as though he couldn't decide if he should murder Jess or cry.
"I'm out of here."
Next time: will Rory ever be able to repair her relationship with Dean? Does she even want to?
By the time he had snapped back to reality and realized that he was hiding in the woods with a ridiculous grin on his face, Luke had spotted him. He thought about running, but that seemed like a stupid idea. So, instead he wiped the grin off his face and waited for Luke to walk down to where he was standing.
"What do you think you're doing here?" Luke asked.
"Nothing much."
"I told you to stay at the diner until I could smooth things over with everyone."
"Well, I just had to get out and enjoy the beauty of Star's Hollow."
"Okay, fine. The wedding ceremony's over and Lorelai's already seen you here, so you may as well stay for the reception." Jess thought about the proposition for a minute. He really had no interest in going to any reception, but then again, Rory would be there.
"Whatever," he responded, which translated to "okay, I'll go to the reception" in Jess-speak.
Luke led the way up the hill to the reception hall. Just outside the door, Luke told Jess to wait there, as he went inside to find out if Sookie and Jackson minded if Jess came in. Apparently, they were fine with it, because Luke came out a minute later and motioned for Jess to step inside.
As he entered the hall, Jess could feel all eyes staring at him, not that he really cared. He just wanted to spot Rory, without seeming like he was looking for her. He found her standing in a corner talking to her mom, who seemed upset about something. About a minute later, Lorelai walked away and Rory was left standing alone, looking shy and lonely. For some reason, Dean was standing on the other side of the room, just staring at Rory. Jess couldn't figure why he wasn't with Rory; the guy seemed to spend every possible second with her. At that moment, Jess came up with a plan that would allow him to spend a moment with Rory and simultaneously make Dean jealous.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Rory stood in the corner, wishing she could break down the wall and run away without being noticed. She was glad that her mom had walked away; she wanted a second alone to think. And she was also glad that Dean was keeping his distance, for whatever reason. She was just feeling too guilty to face him at this moment.
Suddenly, she noticed Jess approaching. All she could think was, "why on earth is he here and is my mom going to kill him when she notices?" When he arrived in front of her, her reaction was as equally polite as it had been when she noticed him down by the creek.
"What are you doing here?"
"You're not good at this whole polite greeting thing are you?"
"Sorry," she muttered as she tried to regain her composure. "Seriously, though. My mom and Sookie and Luke are all going to kill you when they see you here."
"Chill. It's cool with them."
Rory still had more questions, but decided to just let it go. After about a minute of awkward silence, Rory was beginning to wonder if she should ask one of those questions, when Jess posed one of his own.
"Would you like to dance?" Part of her desperately wanted to dance with him, to be in his arms. The other part of her wanted to shout, "How dare you, you cad! I have a boyfriend whom I love and would never betray with the likes of you!" Ultimately, when she noticed that Dean had walked off to the bathroom, she decided to do the polite thing and say yes.
When they got to the dance floor, things were just as awkward as Rory feared they would be. They spent a few seconds trying to decide where to put their hands. Jess started to put his hands on her waist, but then pulled away; Rory started to put her hands around his shoulders, but also pulled away. Finally, they settled on the traditional dancing pose with her hand in his. Rory spent most of the dance looking off to the side, desperately trying to avoid looking into Jess' piercing eyes.
Just as the song was ending, Dean stepped out of the bathroom, and automatically fixed his radar on Rory. Rory knew Dean would be upset that she was dancing with Jess, so she pulled away from Jess as soon as the song ended. Clearly sensing something was going on, Jess turned around to face Dean.
"What do you think you're doing?" Dean yelled.
"Just dancing," Jess responded in his usual nonchalant way. Dean stood right in Jess' face, showing his height advantage, and poked a finger in Jess' chest.
"Yeah. Well, don't," he said in his toughest voice possible.
"Whatever," Jess responded. "I'm out of here anyway. Bye, Rory." Just as he said those last two words, he quickly pecked Rory on the cheek, sending more shivers through her than any real kiss from Dean ever had. And with that, he left.
Rory tried desperately to act as if nothing were wrong.
"So, you want to dance?" she asked Dean casually. Dean looked as though he couldn't decide if he should murder Jess or cry.
"I'm out of here."
Next time: will Rory ever be able to repair her relationship with Dean? Does she even want to?