Be My Someone
Chapter 6: Crossroads
Written by: V Lynne
echoinghearts@yahoo.com
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Jessica Leigh Gilmore never thought the day would come when she would actually see her mother in the living room of the DuGrey mansion. If ever there was a time to run for cover, Jess honestly thought that now wouldn't be such a bad idea cause by the looks on the adult's faces this was going to be anything but a happy-family reunion.
~
Jess thought to when she had come to a complete stop upon seeing her mother in the doorway of Luke's diner. The door still opened and then shut as if to symbolize that her mother was back in a big way and not leaving anytime soon. Without thinking she ran across the diner, ignoring Luke's yelling at her to 'not run' and flung her arms around her mother.
"God, Mom, it's so good to see you."
"Jess," Rory was startled by her daughter's outburst, "it's good to see you too," Rory kissed to top of her daughter's dark head and sought out her mother and Luke with her eyes, mouthing 'What's been going on'.
Lorelai, in true Lorelai fashion, shrugged while Luke mouthed 'Later'. Rory saw Jess pull back, and Rory moved a hair from her daughter's face behind her ear.
"You gonna tell me why you looked like I had just become your savior right then?"
"Can we talk later?" Jess asked, as Rory walked across to the counter and gave her mother a hug.
"That is Adam's car, right?" Rory inquired while she leaned and kissed Luke's cheek, "why are you driving Adam's car?"
"Long story. Listen, could we not talk about this here?"
"Since shopping is off," Lorelai announced, "why don't we go to the house and you can tell us why you're here early, Rory and your 'Mini Me' can tell us what's got her goat."
"Luke, if you hear screaming and a loud thud upstairs," Jess called as the two women were bustling around to leave, "it's just Nathan's dead body. So don't go up for at least an hour."
"I take it that is his girlfriend?"
"She will be once he does some major kissing up for not telling her I'm his sister not his love interest."
Luke nodded, before turning back to work on cooking hamburgers. Rory paused as they went outside and Jess inhaled.
"I have been out of touch haven't I?" Rory asked.
"You have no idea, Mom."
~
At the Gilmore House, Jess sat with her feet tucked up under her on the floor while Rory was at one end, Lorelai the other of the couch. Three generations of Gilmore's, the looks passed down all evident in each of them and Jess was not ready for the words that were sure to come out of her mother's mouth.
"So tell me what was that all about?"
Not surprise, Jess thought, as Grandma bet Mom to the punch.
"Nathan hasn't been on the really telling people I'm his sister kick, so the reason Paige hates me is because she thought we were dating and that's why she isn't letting me write for the paper."
"Sounds like Paris." Rory muttered ruefully.
"And you fixed it?"
"Hopefully. I'm tired of Nathan hiding the fact that he's one of my brother's just causes he doesn't want to complicate my life. It made him miserable and frankly I don't want to be the one causing him misery, that's his girlfriends job."
"How right you are, young one. So he told her?"
"Yep and I'd say that she'll have a day of not talking to him and then you'll see them all PDA in the halls."
"What was the problem that Luke said you were having that caused the Dark Knight to come cheer you up?"
"Nothing."
That was queue in the Gilmore world for there was something very 'up'.
"Alright, we'll get back to you," Lorelai concluded before turning her attention to Rory, "so tell us why the sudden appearance?"
"My job qualifications changed and I talked to my boss. So I'm here early, to stay."
Lorelai squealed in glee, having missed her only offspring terribly, and saw that Jess was smiling.
"Are you going to live with Tristan?" Lorelai asked casually, which got Jess and Rory to blanch.
"We haven't…"
"Really talked about it?" Lorelai finished, "but you will and he'll be all 'Please, Rory, love of my life stay with me forever so we can continue to create beautiful children' and you'll be all like 'Of course, Tristan, whatever was I thinking, I would love to marry you, bear more children and live happily ever after'."
Jess was rolling in laughter at her Grandmother's deepening and lightening of her voice to be more female and then masculine. Rory rolled her eyes.
"Mom, this isn't something you enter into lightly."
"Oh, but having his son was? Come on, Ror, he's been in love with you, you've been in love with him since you were Jess's age," Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her granddaughter in mock seriousness, "and don't you go learning by example, kiddo, we expect big things from our resident painter."
"Right, Grandma."
"I just don't know, Mom," Rory sighed, "Tristan and I are from two entirely different worlds. He has a son by a woman who would love to see me six feet under, that side of the family would never accept me as step-mother to Terry, and it's not like he's asked."
Jess and Lorelai glanced at one another and then at Rory.
"Mom, if he did you would say yes right?" Jess questioned.
"I love him."
"Good, cause C.J. and I do too. Tristan loves you, you love him and the only thing stopping your marriage is him not asking you? I'd say that isn't it."
"And what do you think it is, Jess?"
"You're scared."
Rory and Lorelai were both stunned.
"Oh, come on, it's not hard to figure out. Grandma hasn't ever married and lives perfectly happy with Luke," Jess grinned wickedly, "doing very 'married people' things. She had you by Grandpa Christopher and yet still has a complete life without marriage. Not that she needs it anyway."
Lorelai winked at her very realistic granddaughter.
"And you," Jess turned to her mother, "you love Tristan, he loves you. He had to do the family obligation and marry a woman he detests and had Terry. You found out and had me with Dad. Then you and Tristan realized you are always gonna love one another and have C.J. Yet neither of you are truly sure what you want only that you love one another. So I think you and him are scared. In our family it's not tradition to marry," Jess laughed at Lorelai's mock noose around her neck, "and taking that step would mean something deeper than I think either one of you are ready to commit to."
"I leave her with Tristan and she becomes the Love Doctor." Rory stated.
"No, I just have my eyes open. Everyone who knows you two knows you belong together."
"What about you and Hot Boy, Jr.?" Lorelai asked.
"Terry and I will never be anything more than rivals. We have our moments of peace but he is him and I'm me. Things changed and I don't really see us together given that he's a model and I'm not about to go traveling after him like a pet dog. Besides if Mom and Tristan get married then I don't have a problem cause he'll be my stepbrother. And that's another thing," Jess looked at her, mischief in her eyes, "I would like a sister. I've got brothers, I'd like a sister. So if you and Tristan decide not to marry maybe you could work on one for me?"
Rory let out a gust of air and threw a pillow at Jess.
"Some daughter you are. What's next, me bare-foot and pregnant in the kitchen?"
"No!" Jess exclaimed, "the fire department would be called entirely too often."
That had all of them in a fit of giggles. Luke opened the door sometime later with Nathan and the little tow-head of C.J. in tow.
"Mom!" C.J. cried and Rory stood to hug her son, "Luke said you got back but I thought you said it would be later."
"Seems I can work around my schedule and start my job here earlier than we thought."
"Hello, Rory." Nathan said with a smile, as Jess grinned wickedly to see his lips were redder than when she had left him.
"Nate, thanks for watching out for Jess."
"Someone has to."
"Bite me."
Nathan just grinned at her, walking over to Jess as C.J. was talking non- stop to the three adults.
"You do know how to shock a person," Nathan told her, "I thought Paige was going to have a heart attack when I told her."
"I take it," Jess stood on tiptoe and rubbed off the lingering lipstick on the edge of his mouth with rueful grin, "that you two came to terms?"
"She wants to talk to you on Monday about everything, I took her home"
"Evading my question, Nate? How unbrotherly." Jess teased.
"Watch it, Jess, or I just might be insightful enough to lock you and DuGrey in a room together."
"Do it and I'll make sure you'll never be able to have children," Jess swore with a wink, "so now that the cat's out of the bag, gonna let me tell Hill and Sam?"
"Just them," Nathan allowed, "I want to tell mom when she comes home again. The scandal and all," Nathan rolled his eyes.
"Okay."
"So everybody settled?" Lorelai asked.
"Sure."
"I'm sure Dad is wondering where we are," C.J. told Rory as she went to Jess's face.
"C.J. spent the night at his friend's house and I left before Tristan got back." Jess told her.
"Let's take you both back to get things settled," Rory planned, "Nathan could you take Jess to the diner and let her drive Adam's car back to the house, I'm sure he'll need it."
"No problem, come on, trouble."
"Trouble? Me?"
"You."
When they were driving, Jess remembered cursed before she got out of Nathan's truck.
"What?"
"I forgot to tell my mom that Claudia is at the house."
Nathan whistled.
"How many years has it been since the two of them have seen each other?"
Jess moaned, "Not long enough."
~
Not long enough was the understatement of the year when Jess showed up in Adam's car with Nathan having followed her. Jess knew he didn't want to go in and was doing it for her sake. Getting out of Adam's car, she saw the sandy-haired boy come out of the house with the look of utter gratitude on his face.
"You don't want to go in there," Adam said, as he took his keys from Jess, "and next time you want to pull a disappearing act take the other cars, not mine."
"How am I supposed to know? I was angry, I didn't think straight and went for your keys."
"I thought that the world was gonna end when Rory entered the house and Claudia saw her. Tristan got home an hour ago and pacifying her while worrying about you and why it was taking C.J. so long to get home, then to have Rory show up. It is not a pretty picture," Adam stared at Nathan, "I don't think you should go in, just add fuel to the fire."
"I need to bring over Jess's car," Nathan explained, "it's still at my house."
"I'll ride with you to get it," Adam offered, "anything to get out of World War III."
"What about me?"
"Sorry, Jess, but you will be needed on the premises in case a cat fight breaks out."
Adam and Nathan climbed into the rusty and orange colored Ford and left.
"Cowards." Jess cursed before heading up the drive, seeing her Mom's Expedition. Taking in a deep breath she entered.
~
And now as she sat in the position she had for the past two hours, she wondered why she hadn't fled with the guys when she had the chance. Watching Claudia and her mother talk was as hazardous as walking on broken glass barefoot. Tristan seemed even more agitated than both women, he hadn't stopped pacing for an hour and Terry was in the corner with Lizette, who found everyway of touching Terry on his legs and upper body without it seeming like she was trying to seduce him. C.J. had been taken quickly upstairs with Mrs. Fitz as that was another ammunition for Claudia to use and he didn't need to be subjected to the two women's old battle.
In her mind, Jess knew that Claudia loved Tristan possessively. The woman thought anything she considered hers, even after such a big thing as divorce, was still hers. Manipulator that she was Claudia never considered it that maybe Tristan loved someone other than her and their son. The argument was old but Jess remembered that Claudia had once thrown such a fit that the words she said were etched in Jess's mind. That no matter how Claudia had tried to get Tristan to love her, he never saw past blue eyes and dark hair. She resented it, when she knew when they got married that Tristan was in love with someone else and was only marrying her for his parent's cold-blooded reasons.
Jess had not wanted to be drug into this living room to become part of the audience to the old battle but somehow with a pleading look from her mother she had entered and Claudia, who perfected the fake pleased expression, had greeted her again. Tristan was about as livid that Claudia had invited herself to the house as a person could get but their topics were barely civil as if to keep them just enough to stop Claudia's photographers from guessing too much into their mutual hatred.
"Jess," Tristan's voice finally filtrated into her thoughts, "I think it's time for you kids to go upstairs, don't you?"
Silently thanking him for the escape he left open, as they had eaten dinner, the quietest one Jess had ever had, she stood and made to leave when Claudia stopped her.
"I take it, ma petite, that it wouldn't be too much trouble for you to see to Lizette's comforts, non?"
Jess was about to spit nails at the elder woman. What the hell did she look like?
"Not at all, Claudia, I always look forward to seeing to everyone's comfort in the house."
Jess left the room with Terry and Lizette following her, as Jess climbed the stairs muttering under her breath that what was this the seventeenth century and did she look like the chatelaine.
Lizette was clinging, that was the only word Jess could think of for it, to Terry's arm and Jess opened to door that obviously had been previously invaded by the nauseating girl. Jess saw Lizette's hand travel a little southern of Terry's chest and broke in, separating the two.
"Just holler if you need anything. The bed has been turned down and it never gets real cold so you should need any new blankets."
"Only one." Lizette's eyes left no doubt of who she was referring to.
"Goodnight," Jess reached in the room and efficiently slammed the door shut blocking the model from seeing Terry.
"A little rude weren't you?"
Jess let out a snort and moved away from him.
"Me? Cause I didn't want to see her pawing at you like a wild animal anymore?"
Terry had that smirk, that irritating movement of his lips that caused her to want to hit him, on his face.
"I thought maybe you could learn something from her on how to please that boyfriend of yours."
Jess almost asked what boyfriend when she remembered that he was referring to Nathan.
"I don't need to learn anything from a practiced superficial model, Terry, but thanks for offering the tutor. I am sure that I can find someone to help you with your manner if I tried but unfortunately you aren't worth the effort."
Again, Jess thought she could see him really want to hit her. Maybe it was her imagination that caused these scenarios when she just had to say something to get him all pissed off at her.
"Care to explain why you high tailed it out of here earlier?"
Jess continued down the hall to the entrance of her room, when she felt him pull on the doorknob that had her hand on it and keep it firmly shut.
"I just didn't feel real into seeing your mother."
Terry touched her shoulder and used his grip to turn her so that her back was against her bedroom door, their hands still on the doorknob.
"Or maybe it's because you felt like I had betrayed you."
"Betrayed me? Why would I think that?"
"Cause Lizette mentioned that I said something about you to her, when I've never talked about you to anyone and that set you off. She was pulling your strings and you let her."
"I'm not really into people thinking they know things about me when they don't. You don't and neither does your very busy handed friend."
"So why did you leave?"
"I had to go shopping today."
"Yet I see no bags."
"Why are you so interested in what I did? Think maybe I was thinking about you? Well, sorry, I was out with Nathan, making passionate love in his Ford while you were letting your French friend paw you. Is that what you want to hear? Or maybe that I screwing the debate team? Whatever it is, whatever I did or didn't do today it is none of your business."
"You are just ticked because after last night I still didn't let up on you."
"Forgive me for thinking you had emotions, I forgot they were located in your groin area."
Terry leaned forward as his grip tightened on hers on the door making her wince, his chest was a inch from hers and his head leaned in that for a split second she was sure he was going to kiss her, when he moved his mouth to her ear, the warm breath causing ripples of sensations to break loose in her skin.
"So interested in my lower region, Gilmore? Davenport not giving you enough you have to wonder about me?"
Jess inhaled, unevenly.
"No," Jess whispered, "I couldn't care less cause you keep your emotions out of sex and I rather make love to someone who feels something, anything, than wonder what it would be like between us, I'd only be another notch on your bedpost. I don't ever wonder about that. I know you, as much as I want to, and from what I know I would never, ever wonder that."
He jerked back from her and she saw anger light his blue eyes.
"Keep that in mind and stop trying to save me from people I don't need saving from." Terry finally stated.
"I was only saving her from some very boring sex with you, not the other way around. Goodnight, DuGrey."
Jess moved her foot so that she could move into her room when his hand caught hers on the doorknob and brought it up to his shoulder, his intentions known, Jess panicked and felt a hand go to her waist. His hands so warm, she felt hot. His lips descended that she closed her eyes only to open them again at the sound of C.J. calling to them. Instantly springing away from one another, Terry went down the hall to see about what C.J. wanted.
Jess gave a relieved sigh and went into her room, collapsing against the door.
Cause if he had kissed her, she just might have kissed him back.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Another chapter…..well, enough for now….more to come and TRORY…
February 6, 2002
Chapter 6: Crossroads
Written by: V Lynne
echoinghearts@yahoo.com
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Jessica Leigh Gilmore never thought the day would come when she would actually see her mother in the living room of the DuGrey mansion. If ever there was a time to run for cover, Jess honestly thought that now wouldn't be such a bad idea cause by the looks on the adult's faces this was going to be anything but a happy-family reunion.
~
Jess thought to when she had come to a complete stop upon seeing her mother in the doorway of Luke's diner. The door still opened and then shut as if to symbolize that her mother was back in a big way and not leaving anytime soon. Without thinking she ran across the diner, ignoring Luke's yelling at her to 'not run' and flung her arms around her mother.
"God, Mom, it's so good to see you."
"Jess," Rory was startled by her daughter's outburst, "it's good to see you too," Rory kissed to top of her daughter's dark head and sought out her mother and Luke with her eyes, mouthing 'What's been going on'.
Lorelai, in true Lorelai fashion, shrugged while Luke mouthed 'Later'. Rory saw Jess pull back, and Rory moved a hair from her daughter's face behind her ear.
"You gonna tell me why you looked like I had just become your savior right then?"
"Can we talk later?" Jess asked, as Rory walked across to the counter and gave her mother a hug.
"That is Adam's car, right?" Rory inquired while she leaned and kissed Luke's cheek, "why are you driving Adam's car?"
"Long story. Listen, could we not talk about this here?"
"Since shopping is off," Lorelai announced, "why don't we go to the house and you can tell us why you're here early, Rory and your 'Mini Me' can tell us what's got her goat."
"Luke, if you hear screaming and a loud thud upstairs," Jess called as the two women were bustling around to leave, "it's just Nathan's dead body. So don't go up for at least an hour."
"I take it that is his girlfriend?"
"She will be once he does some major kissing up for not telling her I'm his sister not his love interest."
Luke nodded, before turning back to work on cooking hamburgers. Rory paused as they went outside and Jess inhaled.
"I have been out of touch haven't I?" Rory asked.
"You have no idea, Mom."
~
At the Gilmore House, Jess sat with her feet tucked up under her on the floor while Rory was at one end, Lorelai the other of the couch. Three generations of Gilmore's, the looks passed down all evident in each of them and Jess was not ready for the words that were sure to come out of her mother's mouth.
"So tell me what was that all about?"
Not surprise, Jess thought, as Grandma bet Mom to the punch.
"Nathan hasn't been on the really telling people I'm his sister kick, so the reason Paige hates me is because she thought we were dating and that's why she isn't letting me write for the paper."
"Sounds like Paris." Rory muttered ruefully.
"And you fixed it?"
"Hopefully. I'm tired of Nathan hiding the fact that he's one of my brother's just causes he doesn't want to complicate my life. It made him miserable and frankly I don't want to be the one causing him misery, that's his girlfriends job."
"How right you are, young one. So he told her?"
"Yep and I'd say that she'll have a day of not talking to him and then you'll see them all PDA in the halls."
"What was the problem that Luke said you were having that caused the Dark Knight to come cheer you up?"
"Nothing."
That was queue in the Gilmore world for there was something very 'up'.
"Alright, we'll get back to you," Lorelai concluded before turning her attention to Rory, "so tell us why the sudden appearance?"
"My job qualifications changed and I talked to my boss. So I'm here early, to stay."
Lorelai squealed in glee, having missed her only offspring terribly, and saw that Jess was smiling.
"Are you going to live with Tristan?" Lorelai asked casually, which got Jess and Rory to blanch.
"We haven't…"
"Really talked about it?" Lorelai finished, "but you will and he'll be all 'Please, Rory, love of my life stay with me forever so we can continue to create beautiful children' and you'll be all like 'Of course, Tristan, whatever was I thinking, I would love to marry you, bear more children and live happily ever after'."
Jess was rolling in laughter at her Grandmother's deepening and lightening of her voice to be more female and then masculine. Rory rolled her eyes.
"Mom, this isn't something you enter into lightly."
"Oh, but having his son was? Come on, Ror, he's been in love with you, you've been in love with him since you were Jess's age," Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her granddaughter in mock seriousness, "and don't you go learning by example, kiddo, we expect big things from our resident painter."
"Right, Grandma."
"I just don't know, Mom," Rory sighed, "Tristan and I are from two entirely different worlds. He has a son by a woman who would love to see me six feet under, that side of the family would never accept me as step-mother to Terry, and it's not like he's asked."
Jess and Lorelai glanced at one another and then at Rory.
"Mom, if he did you would say yes right?" Jess questioned.
"I love him."
"Good, cause C.J. and I do too. Tristan loves you, you love him and the only thing stopping your marriage is him not asking you? I'd say that isn't it."
"And what do you think it is, Jess?"
"You're scared."
Rory and Lorelai were both stunned.
"Oh, come on, it's not hard to figure out. Grandma hasn't ever married and lives perfectly happy with Luke," Jess grinned wickedly, "doing very 'married people' things. She had you by Grandpa Christopher and yet still has a complete life without marriage. Not that she needs it anyway."
Lorelai winked at her very realistic granddaughter.
"And you," Jess turned to her mother, "you love Tristan, he loves you. He had to do the family obligation and marry a woman he detests and had Terry. You found out and had me with Dad. Then you and Tristan realized you are always gonna love one another and have C.J. Yet neither of you are truly sure what you want only that you love one another. So I think you and him are scared. In our family it's not tradition to marry," Jess laughed at Lorelai's mock noose around her neck, "and taking that step would mean something deeper than I think either one of you are ready to commit to."
"I leave her with Tristan and she becomes the Love Doctor." Rory stated.
"No, I just have my eyes open. Everyone who knows you two knows you belong together."
"What about you and Hot Boy, Jr.?" Lorelai asked.
"Terry and I will never be anything more than rivals. We have our moments of peace but he is him and I'm me. Things changed and I don't really see us together given that he's a model and I'm not about to go traveling after him like a pet dog. Besides if Mom and Tristan get married then I don't have a problem cause he'll be my stepbrother. And that's another thing," Jess looked at her, mischief in her eyes, "I would like a sister. I've got brothers, I'd like a sister. So if you and Tristan decide not to marry maybe you could work on one for me?"
Rory let out a gust of air and threw a pillow at Jess.
"Some daughter you are. What's next, me bare-foot and pregnant in the kitchen?"
"No!" Jess exclaimed, "the fire department would be called entirely too often."
That had all of them in a fit of giggles. Luke opened the door sometime later with Nathan and the little tow-head of C.J. in tow.
"Mom!" C.J. cried and Rory stood to hug her son, "Luke said you got back but I thought you said it would be later."
"Seems I can work around my schedule and start my job here earlier than we thought."
"Hello, Rory." Nathan said with a smile, as Jess grinned wickedly to see his lips were redder than when she had left him.
"Nate, thanks for watching out for Jess."
"Someone has to."
"Bite me."
Nathan just grinned at her, walking over to Jess as C.J. was talking non- stop to the three adults.
"You do know how to shock a person," Nathan told her, "I thought Paige was going to have a heart attack when I told her."
"I take it," Jess stood on tiptoe and rubbed off the lingering lipstick on the edge of his mouth with rueful grin, "that you two came to terms?"
"She wants to talk to you on Monday about everything, I took her home"
"Evading my question, Nate? How unbrotherly." Jess teased.
"Watch it, Jess, or I just might be insightful enough to lock you and DuGrey in a room together."
"Do it and I'll make sure you'll never be able to have children," Jess swore with a wink, "so now that the cat's out of the bag, gonna let me tell Hill and Sam?"
"Just them," Nathan allowed, "I want to tell mom when she comes home again. The scandal and all," Nathan rolled his eyes.
"Okay."
"So everybody settled?" Lorelai asked.
"Sure."
"I'm sure Dad is wondering where we are," C.J. told Rory as she went to Jess's face.
"C.J. spent the night at his friend's house and I left before Tristan got back." Jess told her.
"Let's take you both back to get things settled," Rory planned, "Nathan could you take Jess to the diner and let her drive Adam's car back to the house, I'm sure he'll need it."
"No problem, come on, trouble."
"Trouble? Me?"
"You."
When they were driving, Jess remembered cursed before she got out of Nathan's truck.
"What?"
"I forgot to tell my mom that Claudia is at the house."
Nathan whistled.
"How many years has it been since the two of them have seen each other?"
Jess moaned, "Not long enough."
~
Not long enough was the understatement of the year when Jess showed up in Adam's car with Nathan having followed her. Jess knew he didn't want to go in and was doing it for her sake. Getting out of Adam's car, she saw the sandy-haired boy come out of the house with the look of utter gratitude on his face.
"You don't want to go in there," Adam said, as he took his keys from Jess, "and next time you want to pull a disappearing act take the other cars, not mine."
"How am I supposed to know? I was angry, I didn't think straight and went for your keys."
"I thought that the world was gonna end when Rory entered the house and Claudia saw her. Tristan got home an hour ago and pacifying her while worrying about you and why it was taking C.J. so long to get home, then to have Rory show up. It is not a pretty picture," Adam stared at Nathan, "I don't think you should go in, just add fuel to the fire."
"I need to bring over Jess's car," Nathan explained, "it's still at my house."
"I'll ride with you to get it," Adam offered, "anything to get out of World War III."
"What about me?"
"Sorry, Jess, but you will be needed on the premises in case a cat fight breaks out."
Adam and Nathan climbed into the rusty and orange colored Ford and left.
"Cowards." Jess cursed before heading up the drive, seeing her Mom's Expedition. Taking in a deep breath she entered.
~
And now as she sat in the position she had for the past two hours, she wondered why she hadn't fled with the guys when she had the chance. Watching Claudia and her mother talk was as hazardous as walking on broken glass barefoot. Tristan seemed even more agitated than both women, he hadn't stopped pacing for an hour and Terry was in the corner with Lizette, who found everyway of touching Terry on his legs and upper body without it seeming like she was trying to seduce him. C.J. had been taken quickly upstairs with Mrs. Fitz as that was another ammunition for Claudia to use and he didn't need to be subjected to the two women's old battle.
In her mind, Jess knew that Claudia loved Tristan possessively. The woman thought anything she considered hers, even after such a big thing as divorce, was still hers. Manipulator that she was Claudia never considered it that maybe Tristan loved someone other than her and their son. The argument was old but Jess remembered that Claudia had once thrown such a fit that the words she said were etched in Jess's mind. That no matter how Claudia had tried to get Tristan to love her, he never saw past blue eyes and dark hair. She resented it, when she knew when they got married that Tristan was in love with someone else and was only marrying her for his parent's cold-blooded reasons.
Jess had not wanted to be drug into this living room to become part of the audience to the old battle but somehow with a pleading look from her mother she had entered and Claudia, who perfected the fake pleased expression, had greeted her again. Tristan was about as livid that Claudia had invited herself to the house as a person could get but their topics were barely civil as if to keep them just enough to stop Claudia's photographers from guessing too much into their mutual hatred.
"Jess," Tristan's voice finally filtrated into her thoughts, "I think it's time for you kids to go upstairs, don't you?"
Silently thanking him for the escape he left open, as they had eaten dinner, the quietest one Jess had ever had, she stood and made to leave when Claudia stopped her.
"I take it, ma petite, that it wouldn't be too much trouble for you to see to Lizette's comforts, non?"
Jess was about to spit nails at the elder woman. What the hell did she look like?
"Not at all, Claudia, I always look forward to seeing to everyone's comfort in the house."
Jess left the room with Terry and Lizette following her, as Jess climbed the stairs muttering under her breath that what was this the seventeenth century and did she look like the chatelaine.
Lizette was clinging, that was the only word Jess could think of for it, to Terry's arm and Jess opened to door that obviously had been previously invaded by the nauseating girl. Jess saw Lizette's hand travel a little southern of Terry's chest and broke in, separating the two.
"Just holler if you need anything. The bed has been turned down and it never gets real cold so you should need any new blankets."
"Only one." Lizette's eyes left no doubt of who she was referring to.
"Goodnight," Jess reached in the room and efficiently slammed the door shut blocking the model from seeing Terry.
"A little rude weren't you?"
Jess let out a snort and moved away from him.
"Me? Cause I didn't want to see her pawing at you like a wild animal anymore?"
Terry had that smirk, that irritating movement of his lips that caused her to want to hit him, on his face.
"I thought maybe you could learn something from her on how to please that boyfriend of yours."
Jess almost asked what boyfriend when she remembered that he was referring to Nathan.
"I don't need to learn anything from a practiced superficial model, Terry, but thanks for offering the tutor. I am sure that I can find someone to help you with your manner if I tried but unfortunately you aren't worth the effort."
Again, Jess thought she could see him really want to hit her. Maybe it was her imagination that caused these scenarios when she just had to say something to get him all pissed off at her.
"Care to explain why you high tailed it out of here earlier?"
Jess continued down the hall to the entrance of her room, when she felt him pull on the doorknob that had her hand on it and keep it firmly shut.
"I just didn't feel real into seeing your mother."
Terry touched her shoulder and used his grip to turn her so that her back was against her bedroom door, their hands still on the doorknob.
"Or maybe it's because you felt like I had betrayed you."
"Betrayed me? Why would I think that?"
"Cause Lizette mentioned that I said something about you to her, when I've never talked about you to anyone and that set you off. She was pulling your strings and you let her."
"I'm not really into people thinking they know things about me when they don't. You don't and neither does your very busy handed friend."
"So why did you leave?"
"I had to go shopping today."
"Yet I see no bags."
"Why are you so interested in what I did? Think maybe I was thinking about you? Well, sorry, I was out with Nathan, making passionate love in his Ford while you were letting your French friend paw you. Is that what you want to hear? Or maybe that I screwing the debate team? Whatever it is, whatever I did or didn't do today it is none of your business."
"You are just ticked because after last night I still didn't let up on you."
"Forgive me for thinking you had emotions, I forgot they were located in your groin area."
Terry leaned forward as his grip tightened on hers on the door making her wince, his chest was a inch from hers and his head leaned in that for a split second she was sure he was going to kiss her, when he moved his mouth to her ear, the warm breath causing ripples of sensations to break loose in her skin.
"So interested in my lower region, Gilmore? Davenport not giving you enough you have to wonder about me?"
Jess inhaled, unevenly.
"No," Jess whispered, "I couldn't care less cause you keep your emotions out of sex and I rather make love to someone who feels something, anything, than wonder what it would be like between us, I'd only be another notch on your bedpost. I don't ever wonder about that. I know you, as much as I want to, and from what I know I would never, ever wonder that."
He jerked back from her and she saw anger light his blue eyes.
"Keep that in mind and stop trying to save me from people I don't need saving from." Terry finally stated.
"I was only saving her from some very boring sex with you, not the other way around. Goodnight, DuGrey."
Jess moved her foot so that she could move into her room when his hand caught hers on the doorknob and brought it up to his shoulder, his intentions known, Jess panicked and felt a hand go to her waist. His hands so warm, she felt hot. His lips descended that she closed her eyes only to open them again at the sound of C.J. calling to them. Instantly springing away from one another, Terry went down the hall to see about what C.J. wanted.
Jess gave a relieved sigh and went into her room, collapsing against the door.
Cause if he had kissed her, she just might have kissed him back.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Another chapter…..well, enough for now….more to come and TRORY…
February 6, 2002