Not Just A Kiss ~~ Chapter Three
~
Suppertime at the Gilmore household was pretty uneventful, as far as suppers go. Rory rarely spoke, and when she did, it was to only make mindless small talk about unimportant things such as soap operas and toothpaste.
She was afraid that if she so much as opened her mouth about anything regarding Jess or Dean, the events that took place earlier that day would come tumbling out. And she really didn't want that to happen. So she silently chewed on a piece of slightly stale pizza, as she listened to Lorelai ramble on about her job working at the Inn. All the while only one thing remained on her mind; Jess, and what she was going to do about their relationship.
To say Lorelai wouldn't be pleased about the latest development would be an understatement. It was true she wasn't too fond of Jess to begin with, but if she found out he was dating her daughter? She would go ballistic.
At a little after seven that evening they decided to head down to Luke's Diner at Lorelai's suggestion. Rory was very torn over this - on one hand, she was excited to see Jess, but on the other, she wasn't sure how they would react around each now that everything was out in the open. Would things be weird or awkward between them? They had parted quite happily, but things had a way of changing when you least expected them to. She knew from experience.
As they walked into the diner, she breathed in the smell of coffee and felt a little better. Caffeine had a way of doing that to her.
"So did I tell you about the new George Cloony look-alike that the Inn just hired?" Lorelai gushed, draping her jacket over one of the chairs and sitting down. Rory soon did the same, drumming her fingers on the table while her mother retold the story. Something about Lorelai's enthusiasm made her feel just a little bit better, too.
"Can I get you two anything?" Luke asked, breaking into their small talk.
They both grinned up at him, before saying, at the exact same time, "Coffee!"
"Why do I even bother asking?" he said dryly, with a roll of his eyes. "Coffee will be here in just a few minutes. Or not. We have some tourists here, and they don't speak English, so we're have some difficulties taking their orders."
Lorelai waved her hand frantically in the air. "Ohhh, I can help! I can speak foreign languages and everything."
"Aloha doesn't count."
"Darn," she said, pouting at him. "How about Pig Latin?"
"I'll be right back," Luke said, before stepping away.
"Meanie."
Rory just sat there throughout their exchange, smiling inwardly. Watching her mom and Luke banter always brought a smile to her face, no matter what the ocassion.
A few minutes later, and still no coffee had arrived. Rory could hear her mother grinding her teeth, eager for the caffeine fix. Chuckling, she glanced towards the counter to see if Luke was having any luck with the tourists.
While she was watching them, she felt someone tap her shoulder. Turning around, she saw that Jess was standing there, with two cups of coffee in his hands.
"Hey," he said, setting the coffee down on the table. "Uncle Luke said to bring these over. Thought you might be needing them." He let out a wry grin.
A blush formed on Rory's cheeks the instant she saw him, thinking back to their kisses earlier that day. She quickly managed to cover it up by coughing rather loudly. "Uh, thanks," she managed to stammer out.
"Yeah, thanks," Lorelai said, rather shortly, before taking a sip of her coffee.
"Sooo..." Jess's voice trailed off. "Anything else you need?"
Lorelai shook her head. "Nope. We're good here."
"That's good." An awkward silence lingered over the next minute; none of them daring to say a word. "So, mind if I join you guys while I'm on my break?"
"Sure," Rory said, before Lorelai could interrupt. She really wished her mom and Jess could get along, but of course, that was never going to happen. "So how'd the thing with the tourists go?"
"I think one of them is filing a law suit. Either that, or they ordered cherry pie. Luke's still handling it last I checked."
"Well I guess you should go help him out, then," Lorelai offered with a bright smile, although her intentions were clear. "We'll be fine."
"I think he's got it covered, but if you really want me to go-"
"No Jess, you don't have to leave," Rory cut in, sending her mother a scathing look in the process.
"You sure?'
"Positive."
They smiled at each other, just nice and sweet, and full of longing, for a good full minute. It could have been longer, in fact, but neither of them could tell; they were so caught up in each other. Rory felt her pulse quicken, something she hadn't felt for a long time - not around someone who was her boyfriend, at least, and her heart sped up, and she really hated the expression, but she felt like she was drunk on love. That's the only way she could describe it; blurry and soft, yet surprisingly clear in some moments, the moments that were left unguarded between them.
Lorelai finally cleared her throat, the action was quick and loud, and it broke both Rory and Jess out of their reverie. They looked up, their faces flushed, embarrassed at having been caught by Lorelai of all people. Rory fiddled with her paper napkin, gazing downward, not meeting her mother's eyes.
While her mother merely coughed, Rory could already tell she was displeased. And who could blame her? As far as her mother knew, Rory was still together with Dean, all the while making mooneyes at Jess. She knew that she had to set Lorelai straight, eventually, but she was really not looking forward to the task.
"Uh, Rory?" Lorelai asked, rather softly, probably as to not be heard by Jess. "Can I talk to you for a sec? Alone.'
Beads of sweat trickled down Rory's neck. She knew what was coming. And she knew what she had to do. "Sure." She scooped up her jacket, before turning to Jess. "I'll be back in just a minute."
Stepping out into the brisk night air, Rory gave a slight shiver from the cold. She snuggled into the jacket further, trying to ward off the cold.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" she finally asked, attempting to sound as innocent as possible.
"I think you know."
~
Suppertime at the Gilmore household was pretty uneventful, as far as suppers go. Rory rarely spoke, and when she did, it was to only make mindless small talk about unimportant things such as soap operas and toothpaste.
She was afraid that if she so much as opened her mouth about anything regarding Jess or Dean, the events that took place earlier that day would come tumbling out. And she really didn't want that to happen. So she silently chewed on a piece of slightly stale pizza, as she listened to Lorelai ramble on about her job working at the Inn. All the while only one thing remained on her mind; Jess, and what she was going to do about their relationship.
To say Lorelai wouldn't be pleased about the latest development would be an understatement. It was true she wasn't too fond of Jess to begin with, but if she found out he was dating her daughter? She would go ballistic.
At a little after seven that evening they decided to head down to Luke's Diner at Lorelai's suggestion. Rory was very torn over this - on one hand, she was excited to see Jess, but on the other, she wasn't sure how they would react around each now that everything was out in the open. Would things be weird or awkward between them? They had parted quite happily, but things had a way of changing when you least expected them to. She knew from experience.
As they walked into the diner, she breathed in the smell of coffee and felt a little better. Caffeine had a way of doing that to her.
"So did I tell you about the new George Cloony look-alike that the Inn just hired?" Lorelai gushed, draping her jacket over one of the chairs and sitting down. Rory soon did the same, drumming her fingers on the table while her mother retold the story. Something about Lorelai's enthusiasm made her feel just a little bit better, too.
"Can I get you two anything?" Luke asked, breaking into their small talk.
They both grinned up at him, before saying, at the exact same time, "Coffee!"
"Why do I even bother asking?" he said dryly, with a roll of his eyes. "Coffee will be here in just a few minutes. Or not. We have some tourists here, and they don't speak English, so we're have some difficulties taking their orders."
Lorelai waved her hand frantically in the air. "Ohhh, I can help! I can speak foreign languages and everything."
"Aloha doesn't count."
"Darn," she said, pouting at him. "How about Pig Latin?"
"I'll be right back," Luke said, before stepping away.
"Meanie."
Rory just sat there throughout their exchange, smiling inwardly. Watching her mom and Luke banter always brought a smile to her face, no matter what the ocassion.
A few minutes later, and still no coffee had arrived. Rory could hear her mother grinding her teeth, eager for the caffeine fix. Chuckling, she glanced towards the counter to see if Luke was having any luck with the tourists.
While she was watching them, she felt someone tap her shoulder. Turning around, she saw that Jess was standing there, with two cups of coffee in his hands.
"Hey," he said, setting the coffee down on the table. "Uncle Luke said to bring these over. Thought you might be needing them." He let out a wry grin.
A blush formed on Rory's cheeks the instant she saw him, thinking back to their kisses earlier that day. She quickly managed to cover it up by coughing rather loudly. "Uh, thanks," she managed to stammer out.
"Yeah, thanks," Lorelai said, rather shortly, before taking a sip of her coffee.
"Sooo..." Jess's voice trailed off. "Anything else you need?"
Lorelai shook her head. "Nope. We're good here."
"That's good." An awkward silence lingered over the next minute; none of them daring to say a word. "So, mind if I join you guys while I'm on my break?"
"Sure," Rory said, before Lorelai could interrupt. She really wished her mom and Jess could get along, but of course, that was never going to happen. "So how'd the thing with the tourists go?"
"I think one of them is filing a law suit. Either that, or they ordered cherry pie. Luke's still handling it last I checked."
"Well I guess you should go help him out, then," Lorelai offered with a bright smile, although her intentions were clear. "We'll be fine."
"I think he's got it covered, but if you really want me to go-"
"No Jess, you don't have to leave," Rory cut in, sending her mother a scathing look in the process.
"You sure?'
"Positive."
They smiled at each other, just nice and sweet, and full of longing, for a good full minute. It could have been longer, in fact, but neither of them could tell; they were so caught up in each other. Rory felt her pulse quicken, something she hadn't felt for a long time - not around someone who was her boyfriend, at least, and her heart sped up, and she really hated the expression, but she felt like she was drunk on love. That's the only way she could describe it; blurry and soft, yet surprisingly clear in some moments, the moments that were left unguarded between them.
Lorelai finally cleared her throat, the action was quick and loud, and it broke both Rory and Jess out of their reverie. They looked up, their faces flushed, embarrassed at having been caught by Lorelai of all people. Rory fiddled with her paper napkin, gazing downward, not meeting her mother's eyes.
While her mother merely coughed, Rory could already tell she was displeased. And who could blame her? As far as her mother knew, Rory was still together with Dean, all the while making mooneyes at Jess. She knew that she had to set Lorelai straight, eventually, but she was really not looking forward to the task.
"Uh, Rory?" Lorelai asked, rather softly, probably as to not be heard by Jess. "Can I talk to you for a sec? Alone.'
Beads of sweat trickled down Rory's neck. She knew what was coming. And she knew what she had to do. "Sure." She scooped up her jacket, before turning to Jess. "I'll be back in just a minute."
Stepping out into the brisk night air, Rory gave a slight shiver from the cold. She snuggled into the jacket further, trying to ward off the cold.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" she finally asked, attempting to sound as innocent as possible.
"I think you know."