"Jess!" Grant said, turning off his car and getting out of it. He slammed
the door. Jess set down his bags and they did that guy thing where they
high-fived, pulled into a hug and slapped each other's backs.
"What are you doing here?" Jess asked when they released.
"Well, I was a little bored without you, so I thought I'd come for a visit," Grant said. Leering a little at the confused Rory, he grinned and said. "Who's the chick?"
In order to keep Rory from objecting at the word chick, Jess hastily spoke. "This is Rory Gilmore."
"Right, right," Grant said. Sticking out his hand, he introduced himself. "Grant Patrick Kruger. Pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Rory said, shaking his hand and noticing the black nailpolish adorning his finger tips. "So how do you two know each other?"
"Jess, I'm hurt. You haven't mentioned me?" Grant said. "We go way back. Since a few years ago, anyway. Jess moved away, didn't write, and I had to make sure he wasn't being converted to a townie."
Jess laughed shortly, "No chance of that, man."
Rory stood their awkwardly, averting her eyes when Grant winked at her. "I should probably go. My mom's waiting."
Jess looked from Rory to Grant, debating whether or not he should continue to Rory's house.
"It's fine, Jess. You don't have to come." Rory smiled, "You two catch up. I"ll talk to you at the diner tomorrow, though." She left.
When she was out of earshot, Grant let out a low whistle. "Hot, man. Very hot. Kind of innocent, though. Didn't know you liked to corrupt."
Jess laughed. "She's a friend."
"Right, right." Grant said.
"So how'd you get your parents to let you come?"
"Mariano, my man. You've been in this town for much too long. I just left."
Jess smirked. "Fun."
"So, what do you do in this town for fun?" Grant asked, grabbing his duffel bag out of the car as they began to walk.
"I work. In a diner. That, in this town, is fun."
"You WORK?" Grant exclaimed. "Will wonders never cease."
"Ya, come. See the fun."
The two entered the empty diner, and Grant looked around.
"Quaint." He said sarcastically.
"No shit." Jess agreed.
"Who are you?" Luke asked gruffly as he came from the kitchen.
"My friend Grant, from back home. He's gonna stay with us."
Luke glanced at Grant, who said, "Nice place. I'm sure you pick up hot chicks with it, right?"
"For how long?" Luke asked, ignoring Grant's question.
"Probably the summer." Jess said, then added when Luke started to protest. "You bought the whole building, Luke. Don't tell me there's not enough room."
Luke sighed in concession. "Fine. Just stay out of my way." He finished, returning to the kitchen.
"My, he's friendly." Grant said.
"This is the nurturing environment my mother sent me to," Jess said as they headed up to the apartment.
Jess opened the door and led Grant in, gesturing to his room.
"Better," Grant said, taking in the music posters and scattered clothes.
"Right," Jess said, grabbing Grant's bag and tossing it in a corner.
"So, about that fun thing?" Grant asked, flopping down on the bed.
"And the complete and utter lack of it?"
"Shit. What have you been doing with yourself? Macking on that Rory chick, I'm sure."
Jess shook his head. "Up until this morning, she had an asshole boyfriend."
"That's never stopped you before."
Jess shrugged. "She's different."
"Ooo! Jess's in love!"
"Shut up, I am not."
"Fine. As tonight I am beat from driving, we are going out tomorrow? Comprendo?"
Jess agreed.
Grant held out a cigarette to Jess, who took it.
"What are you doing here?" Jess asked when they released.
"Well, I was a little bored without you, so I thought I'd come for a visit," Grant said. Leering a little at the confused Rory, he grinned and said. "Who's the chick?"
In order to keep Rory from objecting at the word chick, Jess hastily spoke. "This is Rory Gilmore."
"Right, right," Grant said. Sticking out his hand, he introduced himself. "Grant Patrick Kruger. Pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Rory said, shaking his hand and noticing the black nailpolish adorning his finger tips. "So how do you two know each other?"
"Jess, I'm hurt. You haven't mentioned me?" Grant said. "We go way back. Since a few years ago, anyway. Jess moved away, didn't write, and I had to make sure he wasn't being converted to a townie."
Jess laughed shortly, "No chance of that, man."
Rory stood their awkwardly, averting her eyes when Grant winked at her. "I should probably go. My mom's waiting."
Jess looked from Rory to Grant, debating whether or not he should continue to Rory's house.
"It's fine, Jess. You don't have to come." Rory smiled, "You two catch up. I"ll talk to you at the diner tomorrow, though." She left.
When she was out of earshot, Grant let out a low whistle. "Hot, man. Very hot. Kind of innocent, though. Didn't know you liked to corrupt."
Jess laughed. "She's a friend."
"Right, right." Grant said.
"So how'd you get your parents to let you come?"
"Mariano, my man. You've been in this town for much too long. I just left."
Jess smirked. "Fun."
"So, what do you do in this town for fun?" Grant asked, grabbing his duffel bag out of the car as they began to walk.
"I work. In a diner. That, in this town, is fun."
"You WORK?" Grant exclaimed. "Will wonders never cease."
"Ya, come. See the fun."
The two entered the empty diner, and Grant looked around.
"Quaint." He said sarcastically.
"No shit." Jess agreed.
"Who are you?" Luke asked gruffly as he came from the kitchen.
"My friend Grant, from back home. He's gonna stay with us."
Luke glanced at Grant, who said, "Nice place. I'm sure you pick up hot chicks with it, right?"
"For how long?" Luke asked, ignoring Grant's question.
"Probably the summer." Jess said, then added when Luke started to protest. "You bought the whole building, Luke. Don't tell me there's not enough room."
Luke sighed in concession. "Fine. Just stay out of my way." He finished, returning to the kitchen.
"My, he's friendly." Grant said.
"This is the nurturing environment my mother sent me to," Jess said as they headed up to the apartment.
Jess opened the door and led Grant in, gesturing to his room.
"Better," Grant said, taking in the music posters and scattered clothes.
"Right," Jess said, grabbing Grant's bag and tossing it in a corner.
"So, about that fun thing?" Grant asked, flopping down on the bed.
"And the complete and utter lack of it?"
"Shit. What have you been doing with yourself? Macking on that Rory chick, I'm sure."
Jess shook his head. "Up until this morning, she had an asshole boyfriend."
"That's never stopped you before."
Jess shrugged. "She's different."
"Ooo! Jess's in love!"
"Shut up, I am not."
"Fine. As tonight I am beat from driving, we are going out tomorrow? Comprendo?"
Jess agreed.
Grant held out a cigarette to Jess, who took it.