Rory walked into the house the next day. She had called Tristan the
previous night to tell her she was spending the night at Mona's house. She
entered the living room and got the shock of her life. Tristan was on the
couch, making out with some girl. They pulled apart for a minute, and Rory
recognized Summer's face.
"Summer? What's she doing here?" Rory thought to herself. She gasped, and went upstairs to take a shower. She had plans to meet the girls in town in an hour.
When she came back downstairs forty-five minutes later, Summer was gone and Tristan was sitting on the couch watching TV.
"How was Mona's?" he asked when she sat down next to him.
"Fine. How was Summer?"
Tristan smiled. "You saw us?" He enjoyed the way Rory's temper was raising over Summer. "She's jealous" Tristan thought to himself.
"Yes, I saw you. What's she doing here?"
"She came to visit me. She's staying with a friend."
"Well, congratulations. I know you were devastated when she dumped you. I hope you're very happy together. Now, if you excuse me, I have to get to town." Rory left the house, slamming the door behind her. Tristan grinned. He had the perfect plan: use Summer to get Rory. He knew it was evil, but Summer had been a bitch to him and besides, it was working already.
**************************************************************************** ******
Rory wandered around town with her friends, distracted and lost in thought. They had walked through almost the entire small town, and the rest of the girls were having a great time shopping, laughing, and gossiping. Suddenly, Rory bumped into something. She stopped.
"I'm sorry, I didn't-"Rory broke off as she looked at the guy she had bumped into. He was tall, with dark hair and a swimmer's build. He was walking with a blonde guy who looked a lot like Tristan.
"Great. Now I'm seeing Tristan everywhere" Rory thought to herself disgustedly. She realized the guy had longer hair and different colored eyes, and was a little shorter than Tristan was. Mona ran up to him, squealing in delight.
"Charlie!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the mouth.
"This is my boyfriend, Charlie. He goes to Boston Bay college. I'll be joining him there in the fall. Charlie, this is Rory, Amanda, Danni, Sarah, and Washu."
"Pleased to meet you all. This is my friend Jake" Charlie indicated the guy who had run into Rory.
Once all the introductions were made, Amanda suggested they get lunch. They went to a pizza place and took up the whole back wall.
"So, what brings you to Mackinac?" Rory asked Jake, who was sitting across from her.
"Charlie invited me to spend the summer with him. We weren't supposed to come until the beginning of August, but our other trip got postponed. So we'll be here until August 15."
"That's nice."
"Yeah. So, Rory, right?" Rory nodded. "You from around here?"
"No. I'm visiting for the summer with my friend, Tristan. We're staying in his summer place."
"Well, we'll be staying with Mona, so I imagine we'll see a lot of each other." Jake smiled flirtatiously. "Listen, you wanna grab some dinner tonight or something?"
The word 'no' was on the tip of her tongue, but then Rory remembered Summer. So instead, she found herself accepting the date.
"Great" Jake smiled. "Pick you up at 7?"
"Sure." Rory felt a little bad. Jake seemed like a nice guy, and she was using him as a replacement for someone else. She thought about saying she couldn't go on the date after all, but Summer's face flashed through Rory's mind again. She kissed Jake on the cheek before walking out of the restaurant. "See you tonight," she said, and went back to Tristan's house. She had to call her Mom.
**********************************************************************
"So let me get this straight. You like Tristan, but Tristan's dating Summer, and you're using Jake to make him jealous. Daughter of mine, I am SHOCKED. I've taught you well." Rory could almost see her mother grinning on the other side of the phone.
"Well, we all know you're the master!"
"Yes, I am" Lorelai said proudly. "Enough about you. Let's talk about me!"
"Sure" Rory said agreeably. "How's Luke? Have you told him he's going to be a daddy?"
"Yep, and I've told Grandma and Grandpa, too. Everyone's thrilled. Actually, the twins don't really get it yet, but everyone else is thrilled." Rory grinned. "So, what are you going to do with the twins? I assume you want the baby to have their room? Oh, and if you think you're moving me, you're dead wrong."
"Well, the baby can sleep in my room for the first few months. The twins will be three in a month, which means they'll be three and a half when the baby's born. I figure by the time they're four, they'll be ready to move all the way downstairs."
"How are the twins? I really miss them."
"They miss you, too. Lisa's taking good care of them during the day."
"That's good. Tell them their big sister says hi, and tell everyone I miss them. I have to go now."
"OK. Bye, sweetie. I love you."
"Love you too, Mom. Bye."
Rory hung up the phone and stood up. She decided to go hunt up some coffee, then she had to get ready for her date.
**************************************************************
Rory sat at the table, playing with her napkin. She should have been having a great time. Jake had taken her to a steakhouse, and the food was excellent. She sighed, feeling bad. Jake was cute, fun, and, she was sure, interesting to talk to- but her mind was on Tristan more then it was on the conversation at hand.
"Rory?"
Startled, Rory looked up at Jake. "Yeah?"
"What's wrong? You seem kind of distracted."
Rory sighed. She knew she would have to tell him. "Listen, Jake-"
Jake cut her off. "I don't like the sound of those words," he said jokingly.
Rory smiled a little. "I'm sorry. It's not you, I promise. It's just- I think I like someone else."
"It's that Tristan guy isn't it?"
Startled, Rory looked up. "Yes. How did you know?"
"The look on your face when you introduced me to him gave it away. Pure longing. The question is, why are you here with me, and not out with him?"
"He just got back together with his ex girlfriend. He was devastated when they broke up."
Jake looked at her gently. "If you really like this guy, shouldn't you want him to be happy?"
"That's just it. I don't think he is happy."
"Well, what if I helped this guy realize his feelings for you? How do you feel about pretending to date me?"
"You mean to make Tristan jealous?" Rory smiled. "I like it! But, are you sure you want to go along with it?"
"Hey, I like you. I want to see you happy."
"That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me. Thank you, Jake."
Jake smiled. "You're welcome, Rory."
"Summer? What's she doing here?" Rory thought to herself. She gasped, and went upstairs to take a shower. She had plans to meet the girls in town in an hour.
When she came back downstairs forty-five minutes later, Summer was gone and Tristan was sitting on the couch watching TV.
"How was Mona's?" he asked when she sat down next to him.
"Fine. How was Summer?"
Tristan smiled. "You saw us?" He enjoyed the way Rory's temper was raising over Summer. "She's jealous" Tristan thought to himself.
"Yes, I saw you. What's she doing here?"
"She came to visit me. She's staying with a friend."
"Well, congratulations. I know you were devastated when she dumped you. I hope you're very happy together. Now, if you excuse me, I have to get to town." Rory left the house, slamming the door behind her. Tristan grinned. He had the perfect plan: use Summer to get Rory. He knew it was evil, but Summer had been a bitch to him and besides, it was working already.
**************************************************************************** ******
Rory wandered around town with her friends, distracted and lost in thought. They had walked through almost the entire small town, and the rest of the girls were having a great time shopping, laughing, and gossiping. Suddenly, Rory bumped into something. She stopped.
"I'm sorry, I didn't-"Rory broke off as she looked at the guy she had bumped into. He was tall, with dark hair and a swimmer's build. He was walking with a blonde guy who looked a lot like Tristan.
"Great. Now I'm seeing Tristan everywhere" Rory thought to herself disgustedly. She realized the guy had longer hair and different colored eyes, and was a little shorter than Tristan was. Mona ran up to him, squealing in delight.
"Charlie!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the mouth.
"This is my boyfriend, Charlie. He goes to Boston Bay college. I'll be joining him there in the fall. Charlie, this is Rory, Amanda, Danni, Sarah, and Washu."
"Pleased to meet you all. This is my friend Jake" Charlie indicated the guy who had run into Rory.
Once all the introductions were made, Amanda suggested they get lunch. They went to a pizza place and took up the whole back wall.
"So, what brings you to Mackinac?" Rory asked Jake, who was sitting across from her.
"Charlie invited me to spend the summer with him. We weren't supposed to come until the beginning of August, but our other trip got postponed. So we'll be here until August 15."
"That's nice."
"Yeah. So, Rory, right?" Rory nodded. "You from around here?"
"No. I'm visiting for the summer with my friend, Tristan. We're staying in his summer place."
"Well, we'll be staying with Mona, so I imagine we'll see a lot of each other." Jake smiled flirtatiously. "Listen, you wanna grab some dinner tonight or something?"
The word 'no' was on the tip of her tongue, but then Rory remembered Summer. So instead, she found herself accepting the date.
"Great" Jake smiled. "Pick you up at 7?"
"Sure." Rory felt a little bad. Jake seemed like a nice guy, and she was using him as a replacement for someone else. She thought about saying she couldn't go on the date after all, but Summer's face flashed through Rory's mind again. She kissed Jake on the cheek before walking out of the restaurant. "See you tonight," she said, and went back to Tristan's house. She had to call her Mom.
**********************************************************************
"So let me get this straight. You like Tristan, but Tristan's dating Summer, and you're using Jake to make him jealous. Daughter of mine, I am SHOCKED. I've taught you well." Rory could almost see her mother grinning on the other side of the phone.
"Well, we all know you're the master!"
"Yes, I am" Lorelai said proudly. "Enough about you. Let's talk about me!"
"Sure" Rory said agreeably. "How's Luke? Have you told him he's going to be a daddy?"
"Yep, and I've told Grandma and Grandpa, too. Everyone's thrilled. Actually, the twins don't really get it yet, but everyone else is thrilled." Rory grinned. "So, what are you going to do with the twins? I assume you want the baby to have their room? Oh, and if you think you're moving me, you're dead wrong."
"Well, the baby can sleep in my room for the first few months. The twins will be three in a month, which means they'll be three and a half when the baby's born. I figure by the time they're four, they'll be ready to move all the way downstairs."
"How are the twins? I really miss them."
"They miss you, too. Lisa's taking good care of them during the day."
"That's good. Tell them their big sister says hi, and tell everyone I miss them. I have to go now."
"OK. Bye, sweetie. I love you."
"Love you too, Mom. Bye."
Rory hung up the phone and stood up. She decided to go hunt up some coffee, then she had to get ready for her date.
**************************************************************
Rory sat at the table, playing with her napkin. She should have been having a great time. Jake had taken her to a steakhouse, and the food was excellent. She sighed, feeling bad. Jake was cute, fun, and, she was sure, interesting to talk to- but her mind was on Tristan more then it was on the conversation at hand.
"Rory?"
Startled, Rory looked up at Jake. "Yeah?"
"What's wrong? You seem kind of distracted."
Rory sighed. She knew she would have to tell him. "Listen, Jake-"
Jake cut her off. "I don't like the sound of those words," he said jokingly.
Rory smiled a little. "I'm sorry. It's not you, I promise. It's just- I think I like someone else."
"It's that Tristan guy isn't it?"
Startled, Rory looked up. "Yes. How did you know?"
"The look on your face when you introduced me to him gave it away. Pure longing. The question is, why are you here with me, and not out with him?"
"He just got back together with his ex girlfriend. He was devastated when they broke up."
Jake looked at her gently. "If you really like this guy, shouldn't you want him to be happy?"
"That's just it. I don't think he is happy."
"Well, what if I helped this guy realize his feelings for you? How do you feel about pretending to date me?"
"You mean to make Tristan jealous?" Rory smiled. "I like it! But, are you sure you want to go along with it?"
"Hey, I like you. I want to see you happy."
"That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me. Thank you, Jake."
Jake smiled. "You're welcome, Rory."
