LITTLE VISIT 5: SATURDAY NIGHT

***

Rory and Jess had spent the majority of the early afternoon in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library on the Yale campus, one of the largest libraries in the world devoted to rare books. Afterward, they'd stopped for coffee at the cafeteria she normally frequented after her two o'clock political studies lectures, taking the time while there to discuss the conflict between science and religion so evident in Victorian literature.

They'd taken the rest of the afternoon and evening to wander around campus. They made the obligatory stops at her sociology lecture hall and at the library where she often studied on their way to the coffee shop where she was known to partake in French Roasts and Danishes before her nine o'clock journalism classes. That day, however, she chose an espresso and blueberry muffin. It was there where, when they'd settled down at a little round table, Jess had come to the conclusion that the whole of her college experience was based on the quest for the ultimate cup of coffee.

They had wrapped up the evening at the Yale University Art Gallery and Yale Centre for British Art. There, they'd studied various paintings and sculptures and held mock serious debates over composition, tonality and brushwork, topics that they admittedly knew little about. It became a game between them to see who could come up with the most ridiculously pompous critique. They were as yet undecided on who had won, but Rory thought she'd done pretty well.

Now, quite a while after the sun had set, Rory and Jess were strolling across the campus to The Green, the beautiful public park in the centre of downtown New Haven. The Green, nestled amongst three seventeenth century churches, was a popular spot for walking, lunching and summer concerts. That night, there were quite a few people out and about, taking advantage of the warm front that had blown in that evening.

Rory's feet were tired from all the walking and standing they'd done, so when Jess pulled her down next to him on the spongy grass, she was easily persuaded. The two sat cross-legged for a while, in quiet observance of their surroundings.

"I like it here," he stated.

"Picturesque isn't it? Sometimes they show movies out here, in the summer."

"Hmmm," Jess murmured in agreement.

They sat in casual silence for a while longer, and she reflected on the beauty he seemed to recognize in the Green. She smiled as she took in the silhouetted trees, and how they symbiotically augmented the spectacle of the buildings. She should have known Jess would like this place, knowing his propensity for the bridge down by the river. This place had the same feeling.

He brought her out of her reverie. "It's funny what can pass for art these days, huh?" She caught his eye with a smile. He was referring, she knew, to the modern art displays that they had just taken in.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I mean, take the shovel, for instance." Now he was referring to the artist who simply bought a shovel and displayed it, calling it art. "I mean, how much effort went into that one?"

"Maybe the artist was commenting on the ready-made, disposable nature of our society," Rory said, pulling a satirically pithy appraisal out of the hat.

"Maybe the artist was saying we should use the shovel to take out his own crap."

Rory chuckled. "Well I thought it was funny."

"Yeah. I did too." Jess smiled. "I enjoyed the museums. I could spend a whole day there."

"We did spend a whole day there."

Jess looked at her and smirked. "Just making the most out of the two bucks we donated for admission."

"You're a cheap date," she said, returning the smirk.

"Is this a date?" Jess asked seriously, catching her off guard. She'd said the word offhandedly and he'd noticed immediately. Damn, he was observant.

Rory pondered the date question for a moment. Any other time, she would have said no. But understanding now, as she did, how attracted she was to Jess, she really wanted to say yes. "I think that this could very well be a date. At least I think it may be somewhere in the vicinity of a date. What do you think?"

"Vicinity of a date?" Jess turned his attention and sarcastic wit to the passers-by on the Green. "Yeah, you know, those two over there do look like they're on a date. Yeah, I'd say we are in the vicinity of a date."

Rory rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah… I know what you mean. We can call it a date if you want."

"OK… Let's." She watched Jess flop back on the grass and look up at the night sky and she followed suit. Rory tried to make sense out of the constellations.

After a brief and comfortable silence, Jess asked, "Do you think there's life out there?"

"Yeah. Out of all the planets out there, there must be some capable of sustaining life."

"We'd be pretty conceited to think that we're the only life forms in the universe," he agreed.

"Yeah."

"And we're only thinking about life according to our own limited human experience. I don't know a whole lot about science, but it seems to me that, what's necessary for life on our planet, for known species, may not be de rigueur on another planet. I mean, humans are smart, but when it comes to the universe, what do we really understand? Probably only a small fraction of all there is to know."

Rory focussed on the brightest visible star in the sky; one that had the most strength to overcome the light pollution from the city. "You're in a pensive mood tonight."

"Sometimes I get that way, late at night." Suddenly Jess checked his watch and sat up. "Oh shit. I've only got about fifteen minutes to catch the last bus back."

"Well. If you want, you can stay again tonight," Rory replied calmly, remaining where she was on the grass.

"Rory, I don't know what you've heard about me," he quipped, looking down at her. "But I don't sleep with anyone on the first date. I'm not that kind of guy."

"No?"

"No. Second date, third date maybe, but first never," he joked.

"How about before the first date?"

"Yeah… That'd be fine." Jess looked at her in mock seriousness for a while before his smile broke free. "Do you want me to stay again tonight?"

"Yeah. If you want to."

"OK," he uttered and looked at her a while. Finally he cleared his throat, lay back down and returned his eyes to the heavens.

For Rory, it was almost a relief to be free from his powerful gaze. What was she doing, inviting him to stay over again? she thought. What must he think of her? Nervously, she tried to cover up her impudence. "Fifteen minutes isn't enough time to get to the depot from here anyway," she lied. "I'm being totally practical when I invite you to stay over." She turned her head towards him in time to catch his smile.

"Sure you are," he teased her. Rory rolled her eyes.

When her blush finally ceased to provide warmth - and now that they were no longer generating heat by walking - Rory hugged her arms to her chest and shivered. The air was relatively warm that evening, but it was still mid-October.

"You wanna get some coffee?" he asked, noticing her chills.

"No, how about we just go back to my place," she let slip out before rolling her eyes again, this time in embarrassment of her own boldness.

"My, aren't we eager," he joked.

"Shut up." As they stood and dusted themselves off, Rory finally gave in to his laughter. The two of them began the journey through the downtown shopping and theatre district, to her off-campus apartment.

"Well I don't know about you," Rory stated as they walked in through her door. "But I'm bushed."

"Just can't wait to get me in the sack, huh?" he tantalized her.

She laughed. "Jess! I really am tired."

"Of course you are. You only had two cups of coffee today."

"Four actually. I had two while you were in the shower."

"You had two while I was in the shower? How fast were you drinking?"

Rory just shrugged. She was about to say something when the phone started to ring. She picked it up as Jess walked past her into the room and pushed the coffee table away from the couch. "Hello?" she inquired.

"Rory?"

"Luke?"

"Yeah. I've been calling all day. Listen, Jess didn't come home last night. Is he still with you?"

"Yeah he's here. He stayed over last night," she replied as she watched Jess pull out the bed and smooth down the blankets.

"Oh." Luke sounded relieved for a moment, but then his worry returned. "Oh. Is that all right with you? He didn't try anything, did he?"

"Yeah it's fine. Don't worry, Luke. Nothing happened. It's not like that." At this comment, Jess looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Comically, he threw her a kiss and, standing before her, slid a palm down his torso, then slowly undid his jeans in mock seduction.

Rory laughed with wide eyes and raised eyebrows and turned her back on him. She snuck another peek over her shoulder though. Jess, jeans tossed to the floor, was getting into bed with hilarity painted all over his face. "Sorry, Luke, what did you say? I got distracted," she asked. This comment provoked a laugh from Jess.

"I asked if he was coming home tonight."

"No, actually, he's gonna stay here again tonight."

"Does Lorelai know?"

"Well, I haven't talked to her yet, but I'm not hiding anything. I'll tell her the next time I talk to her."

"Ah geez. I hate knowing something that Lorelai doesn't."

"Well it's not a secret. You can tell her if you want to. I'll probably talk to her tomorrow anyway."

"Tell Jess that whatever happens, I'm taking your side. I'll kick his ass if I have to."

"Thanks Luke. Don't worry."

"OK."

"OK. Bye Luke." Rory hung up the phone. "What's the big idea, Jess Mariano? Giving me a strip tease when I'm talking to Luke on the phone!" She wasn't angry. The whole thing had been rather funny. And she wouldn't even admit to herself how erotic it had also been.

"Strip tease?" Jess laughed. "I'm not naked."

"You know what I mean."

"What did Luke say?"

"He's looking out for me. He said he'll kick your ass if you try anything."

"Huh. Yeah. But who's gonna protect me from you?" Jess threw her a mildly askant look. Good question, Rory thought with a smirk, as she headed for the bathroom to get ready for bed. When she delicately crawled into bed beside him, some fifteen minutes later, he was already asleep.

***

A/N:

I adore everyone who has taken the time to review my little story. Thank you so much! Please keep it up. Feel free to "spam" me with all the reviews you want!

To answer somebody's question, I chose New Haven because it is the locale of Yale, it's a little closer than Boston (Harvard) and I'm guessing that that is the direction that the show's writers will take anyway.

A couple of other people wanted me to write from Jess's point of view. I'm considering the possibility of writing a companion piece to this story; retelling it from Jess's point of view. But it's not decided yet, and if it happens, it will be quite a while before it does. I want to finish my other story, Returning Home, first. (Returning Home, by the way, is from Jess's point of view.)

Jiminy Cricket, when you say "score" do you mean the story, or Rory and Jess? Just wondering. Perhaps for a sequel. ;) Thanks everyone.