Rory awakened the next morning to the faint sounds of whimpering coming
from the kitchen. She had had such a fitful night's sleep that she wondered
if she had slept at all. When she turned the alarm clock towards her and
saw that it was 10:00 am, she realized she had probably dosed off around
6:00 from pure exhaustion. Before that, she had spent the night in an
endless cycle of dreaming about the breakup, waking up to feel guilty about
it, falling back asleep to dream about Jess, then waking up to feel guilty
about that.
When she finally pulled herself out of bed and trudged into the kitchen, she discovered that the whimpering noises were coming from the caffeine- free Lorelai Gilmore.
"I see someone hasn't had their coffee today," Rory teased.
"We're out of the good stuff and I didn't want to wake you to go to Luke's," Lorelai responded.
"So? You could've gone out and bought more coffee."
"Well," Lorelai responded hesitantly. "Since you and Dean, um, broke up, you know, I didn't really think I should go to Doose's."
Rory grimaced. Having had only four hours of sleep, she hadn't exactly had the mental capacity to connect buying coffee with Dean. But then her slowly awakening mind made another connection, and a question formed:
"How did you know we broke up?"
"Well, Dean isn't exactly soft-spoken. Plus you were crying when you came in. I know I'm not the one in this family who's going to Harvard, but I can put two and two together." Suddenly, her tone changed from that of her usual, joking self to that of the concerned mother. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
"Okay." Lorelai paused. "Now do you want to talk about it?"
"Mom!"
"Okay, okay. Put some clothes on, we're going to Luke's."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Jess stood at the counter, mindlessly wiping the surface with a rag. He was completely oblivious to Taylor's shouts of "Boy! Hey you, boy!" while raising his coffee mug towards Jess. All Jess could think about was Rory, which wasn't new. But this time, he wasn't thinking about their long arguments over what constituted great literature, or what it felt like to her, or even what it might feel like to do other things with her. At this moment, he thought only of what he was going to say when he apologized to her.
"I wanted to apologize for causing trouble for you and Dean. I know I took the teasing thing too far by kissing you on the cheek in front of him and I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me," he played over and over in his mind. Sincerity wasn't his strong suite, but he figured he could give it a shot.
Once he was sure he had his speech down cold, Jess let his mind wander a bit. For the first time, he allowed himself to hope. Maybe Rory would accept his apology, tell him that the kiss had meant as much to her as it had to him, and break up with Dean. A small smile danced in the corner of Jess' lip.
When Rory and Lorelai finally arrived at well past 10:00, Jess decided to keep it cool. He wouldn't do anything until he got a signal. He didn't have to wait long because as soon as she sat down, Lorelai began to chant "coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee" as a speed that would require most humans massive amounts of caffeine to achieve. He figured this was his chance. He'd go over to serve their coffee, and Rory would look him in the eye. But she kept her eyes averted the entire time he stood at the table. So, Jess walked back behind the counter and waited. And waited. And waited. Rory did not even look in the general direction of the counter the entire meal.
Finally, as Lorelai and Rory stood up to leave, Jess decided to take action. He ran out from behind the counter and touched Rory's arm.
"Can we talk?"
Rory turned around, a mixed look of longing and dread on her face.
"Okay. Mom, I'll meet you back at home."
With that, Rory and Jess walked out the door and sat down on the bench across the street. Jess took a deep breath and began his speech.
"Listen, Rory, I wanted to apologize for causing trouble for you and Dean-"
"My Go! Have you ever actually apologized for anything before?"
Jess reeled from the out of character outburst. Rory had clearly snapped. Her face screamed anger, yet tears were streamed down from her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," she said, backpedaling. "But how could you have kissed me on the cheek right in front of Dean? He broke up with me! The only person I've ever loved broke up with me and it's all your fault!"
"My fault?! You kissed me on the lip!"
Rory looked down at her feet, clearly realizing that Jess was right. "I just can't believe he broke up with me over something so stupid. That kiss was just a big mistake," Rory said softly.
Jess could almost feel tears well up in his eyes as he heard those last words.
"Oh," he said as he stood up. "Well if that's how you feel. I'm sorry about getting between you and your true love." With that, he walked away.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Rory watched Jess as he walked back into the diner and then buried her heard in her hands. She could detect the bitterness in his voice when he said "true love." How could she have done this? First she hurt dean and now she had hurt Jess.
She thought about going into the diner and apologizing. She even stood up and walked towards the door. But just as she reached for the door handle, she spotted Dean walking across the street. Something inside her pulled her hand away from the doorknob. She just couldn't do it. Rory lowered her head and began to walk home.
Next time: Rory goes to Washington and finally realizes whom she loves.
When she finally pulled herself out of bed and trudged into the kitchen, she discovered that the whimpering noises were coming from the caffeine- free Lorelai Gilmore.
"I see someone hasn't had their coffee today," Rory teased.
"We're out of the good stuff and I didn't want to wake you to go to Luke's," Lorelai responded.
"So? You could've gone out and bought more coffee."
"Well," Lorelai responded hesitantly. "Since you and Dean, um, broke up, you know, I didn't really think I should go to Doose's."
Rory grimaced. Having had only four hours of sleep, she hadn't exactly had the mental capacity to connect buying coffee with Dean. But then her slowly awakening mind made another connection, and a question formed:
"How did you know we broke up?"
"Well, Dean isn't exactly soft-spoken. Plus you were crying when you came in. I know I'm not the one in this family who's going to Harvard, but I can put two and two together." Suddenly, her tone changed from that of her usual, joking self to that of the concerned mother. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
"Okay." Lorelai paused. "Now do you want to talk about it?"
"Mom!"
"Okay, okay. Put some clothes on, we're going to Luke's."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Jess stood at the counter, mindlessly wiping the surface with a rag. He was completely oblivious to Taylor's shouts of "Boy! Hey you, boy!" while raising his coffee mug towards Jess. All Jess could think about was Rory, which wasn't new. But this time, he wasn't thinking about their long arguments over what constituted great literature, or what it felt like to her, or even what it might feel like to do other things with her. At this moment, he thought only of what he was going to say when he apologized to her.
"I wanted to apologize for causing trouble for you and Dean. I know I took the teasing thing too far by kissing you on the cheek in front of him and I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me," he played over and over in his mind. Sincerity wasn't his strong suite, but he figured he could give it a shot.
Once he was sure he had his speech down cold, Jess let his mind wander a bit. For the first time, he allowed himself to hope. Maybe Rory would accept his apology, tell him that the kiss had meant as much to her as it had to him, and break up with Dean. A small smile danced in the corner of Jess' lip.
When Rory and Lorelai finally arrived at well past 10:00, Jess decided to keep it cool. He wouldn't do anything until he got a signal. He didn't have to wait long because as soon as she sat down, Lorelai began to chant "coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee" as a speed that would require most humans massive amounts of caffeine to achieve. He figured this was his chance. He'd go over to serve their coffee, and Rory would look him in the eye. But she kept her eyes averted the entire time he stood at the table. So, Jess walked back behind the counter and waited. And waited. And waited. Rory did not even look in the general direction of the counter the entire meal.
Finally, as Lorelai and Rory stood up to leave, Jess decided to take action. He ran out from behind the counter and touched Rory's arm.
"Can we talk?"
Rory turned around, a mixed look of longing and dread on her face.
"Okay. Mom, I'll meet you back at home."
With that, Rory and Jess walked out the door and sat down on the bench across the street. Jess took a deep breath and began his speech.
"Listen, Rory, I wanted to apologize for causing trouble for you and Dean-"
"My Go! Have you ever actually apologized for anything before?"
Jess reeled from the out of character outburst. Rory had clearly snapped. Her face screamed anger, yet tears were streamed down from her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," she said, backpedaling. "But how could you have kissed me on the cheek right in front of Dean? He broke up with me! The only person I've ever loved broke up with me and it's all your fault!"
"My fault?! You kissed me on the lip!"
Rory looked down at her feet, clearly realizing that Jess was right. "I just can't believe he broke up with me over something so stupid. That kiss was just a big mistake," Rory said softly.
Jess could almost feel tears well up in his eyes as he heard those last words.
"Oh," he said as he stood up. "Well if that's how you feel. I'm sorry about getting between you and your true love." With that, he walked away.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Rory watched Jess as he walked back into the diner and then buried her heard in her hands. She could detect the bitterness in his voice when he said "true love." How could she have done this? First she hurt dean and now she had hurt Jess.
She thought about going into the diner and apologizing. She even stood up and walked towards the door. But just as she reached for the door handle, she spotted Dean walking across the street. Something inside her pulled her hand away from the doorknob. She just couldn't do it. Rory lowered her head and began to walk home.
Next time: Rory goes to Washington and finally realizes whom she loves.