The bell over the door jingled insistently, and Jess's head snapped up from
the cash register, a hopeful look on his drawn face. The noise that had
previously annoyed him to death now made him jump with hope that Rory might
be coming through the door.
But as it always was, it was someone other than Rory. His heart fell, his face crumbled, he scolded himself for his unwarranted optimism, as he did every time it was another face and not hers.
But his time, it was her mother.
"Coffee, please," She interrupted Luke as he took the order of a couple.
Luke looked at her with scorn, shaking his head. "Wait until I'm done," He said, turning back to them.
"But I want it NOW!" Lorelai pouted, following him to the next table.
"You'll have to wait." Luke told her, a twinkle in his eye.
Sighing, Lorelai spied Jess and asked, "Two coffees, two burgers to go."
Jess nodded, turning around to fill up the disposable cups.
He went into the kitchen, and returned a minute later with a two bags. "8.50," he told her quietly, not meeting her inquiring gaze.
"Jess?" She said as he dug around in the drawer, mumbling about Taylor taking all the quarters. "Je-ee-sss!" She taunted, as he didn't seem to hear her.
"Yes?" He said, looking up at her reluctantly, his face slack and tired looking.
"Smile."
"What?" He asked, confused.
"I said smile, diner boy." She commanded him.
Confused, Jess's face obediently morphed into a weak, pathetic grin.
"Bad smile, bad. Totally unconvincing. You need to work on that," Lorelai said, taking her changed and the coffee holder. She walked out of the diner, telling Luke his nephew was much more accommodating to his best customers.
Jess watched her go, a genuine smile, though still weak, gracing his face at her attempt to make him feel better.
Not that it worked.
The bell rang again, and his head snapped up.
Exiting the diner, Lorelai took a deep breath of the warm, late summer air, and glanced around the town, her mind back in the diner with Jess and Luke.
"Hey babe," she said as she met Rory by the gazebo. "I've got eats! And of course, coffee."
"I've got movies!" Rory replied, holding up her bag triumphantly. "Kirk was mad. He wanted this one tonight."
"What'd you get?" Lorelai asked eagerly, reaching for the bag.
"You said you were in a sappy mood," Rory began, pulling the movie out of her mother's reach and giggling.
"Yes…." Lorelai said impatiently, jiggling her legs, a pout on her lips.
"So I thought, what is the sappiest movie of all time?" Rory asked as they began to walk.
"You didn't."
"I did."
"YAY!" Lorelai yelled happily. "Leo before he got ugly!"
"Titanic," Rory pronounced, pulling it out of the plastic bag and waving it around. "Big ships and romance."
The two began walking towards the house.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Lorelai asked the silent Rory, who shrugged. "I bet I know."
"Oh, you do, do you?" Rory said.
"I get three guesses. The first two don't count," Lorelai said.
"You're on. I get coffee if you don't guess," Rory said.
"Okay. Then my first guess is….coffee!"
"Ooh….coffee…." Rory said, taking her cup from her mother and inhaling the smell. "But no."
"Ummm……how ugly Leo got?" Lorelai asked, faking hopefulness.
"He got very, very ugly." Rory sighed, shaking her head. "But no."
Lorelai's face grew serious, "Jess?"
Rory looked at her quickly, then her eyes focused on the ground under her moving feet. She slowly said, "Yeah."
But as it always was, it was someone other than Rory. His heart fell, his face crumbled, he scolded himself for his unwarranted optimism, as he did every time it was another face and not hers.
But his time, it was her mother.
"Coffee, please," She interrupted Luke as he took the order of a couple.
Luke looked at her with scorn, shaking his head. "Wait until I'm done," He said, turning back to them.
"But I want it NOW!" Lorelai pouted, following him to the next table.
"You'll have to wait." Luke told her, a twinkle in his eye.
Sighing, Lorelai spied Jess and asked, "Two coffees, two burgers to go."
Jess nodded, turning around to fill up the disposable cups.
He went into the kitchen, and returned a minute later with a two bags. "8.50," he told her quietly, not meeting her inquiring gaze.
"Jess?" She said as he dug around in the drawer, mumbling about Taylor taking all the quarters. "Je-ee-sss!" She taunted, as he didn't seem to hear her.
"Yes?" He said, looking up at her reluctantly, his face slack and tired looking.
"Smile."
"What?" He asked, confused.
"I said smile, diner boy." She commanded him.
Confused, Jess's face obediently morphed into a weak, pathetic grin.
"Bad smile, bad. Totally unconvincing. You need to work on that," Lorelai said, taking her changed and the coffee holder. She walked out of the diner, telling Luke his nephew was much more accommodating to his best customers.
Jess watched her go, a genuine smile, though still weak, gracing his face at her attempt to make him feel better.
Not that it worked.
The bell rang again, and his head snapped up.
Exiting the diner, Lorelai took a deep breath of the warm, late summer air, and glanced around the town, her mind back in the diner with Jess and Luke.
"Hey babe," she said as she met Rory by the gazebo. "I've got eats! And of course, coffee."
"I've got movies!" Rory replied, holding up her bag triumphantly. "Kirk was mad. He wanted this one tonight."
"What'd you get?" Lorelai asked eagerly, reaching for the bag.
"You said you were in a sappy mood," Rory began, pulling the movie out of her mother's reach and giggling.
"Yes…." Lorelai said impatiently, jiggling her legs, a pout on her lips.
"So I thought, what is the sappiest movie of all time?" Rory asked as they began to walk.
"You didn't."
"I did."
"YAY!" Lorelai yelled happily. "Leo before he got ugly!"
"Titanic," Rory pronounced, pulling it out of the plastic bag and waving it around. "Big ships and romance."
The two began walking towards the house.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Lorelai asked the silent Rory, who shrugged. "I bet I know."
"Oh, you do, do you?" Rory said.
"I get three guesses. The first two don't count," Lorelai said.
"You're on. I get coffee if you don't guess," Rory said.
"Okay. Then my first guess is….coffee!"
"Ooh….coffee…." Rory said, taking her cup from her mother and inhaling the smell. "But no."
"Ummm……how ugly Leo got?" Lorelai asked, faking hopefulness.
"He got very, very ugly." Rory sighed, shaking her head. "But no."
Lorelai's face grew serious, "Jess?"
Rory looked at her quickly, then her eyes focused on the ground under her moving feet. She slowly said, "Yeah."