Ch 3 Perfect Timing
The last bit on sunlight danced on the horizon as if mocking her. Lorelai had been sitting inside a coffee shop nearby Christopher's apartment for nearly three hours. Dozens of cups later she had gotten no further to going to see him. One thing she knew for sure was that she wasn't chicken; she hadn't driven all the way down here to drink coffee. Of course she could use that excuse. Then, the door to the coffee house opened and Lorelai looked back to see who it was. "Of all the coffee places," she groaned as she tried to hide behind a newspaper, "I had to pick this one." The man who had just entered glanced around the room and noticed her. He bought his coffee and began to approach the table. "No, no, no, no," Lorelai pleaded whispering.
"Lorelai?" the voice sounded uncertain. Lorelai slowly lowered the newspaper.
"Why, Christopher!" she pretended to act surprised, "Whatever are you doing here."
"I believe the correct question would be," Christopher began, "Why you are in Boston. I don't think you drove all this way for a cup of coffee, although I wouldn't put it was you."
"I resent that!" Lorelai glared.
"Come on Lor, why'd you come?" Christopher asked again.
"I'm going to stick with the coffee," Lorelai replied. Christopher just gave her a scolding look, "What?!"
"Where's Rory?" Christopher implored.
"Who?" Lorelai lied.
"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore the third," Christopher emphasized, "Our daughter."
"Oh, her," Lorelai smiled, "I think I left her out by a bar we stopped at. She met this really hot biker guy there and I decided to let her have some well earned fun."
"I think you've had too much coffee," Christopher shook his head.
"That's absolutely ludicrous!" Lorelai shouted, "I refuse to believe such a thing."
"Come on," Christopher motioned to the door, "You can tell me the real reason you're here on the way back to my place."
"What about my car?" Lorelai pointed out.
"Leave it here," Chris replied, "You can pick it up tomorrow."
"Fine," Lorelai sighed and followed him out the door. She followed him up to his Volvo and snickered a bit remembering the day he had told her about it. Then, she slid into the passenger's seat and cranked up the music. She wasn't in a rush to get to the point. Christopher just laughed and turned it down.
"So, where is Rory anyway?" Chris asked.
"At home probably," Lorelai replied, "She went to meet Paris at Chilton and settle some things about their trip to Washington. I left her a message on the machine telling her I wouldn't be home. I hope she's taken my word for once and started up a big enough party to get Taylor down there to try and shut it down."
"That sounds more like something you would do," Chris stated.
"Well, you never know about a person," Lorelai sighed, "You know she went down to New York to see Jess?"
"She did what!?" Christopher sounded surprised.
"Yeah, I know she even missed my graduation," Lorelai remembered that night clearly.
"Ouch," Chris said as if he understood.
"She kissed him," Lorelai said flatly.
"Who?"
"Rory kissed Jess at Sookie's wedding," Lorelai told him.
"What about that Dean guy?" Chris wondered.
"He doesn't know," Lorelai replied.
"The perfect daughter begins to rebel," Christopher shook his head, "We should've seen this coming eh?"
"I know," Lorelai agreed, "But who would ever thought though?" Christopher gave her a look that she interpreted as 'us'. He was right. They were her parents and if Rory was turning to be anything like them she would be a nightmare to live with.
Rory watched as people began to file into the house. Lane was finished making the phone calls. Paris had called home to inform them that she would be returning that she was spending the night after Rory had offered. Rory turned on some music and Ms. Patty and Babette began to sign and make drinks for everyone. Dean was talking with some boys from school and Lane with the cheerleaders. Rory looked around the room trying to find someone who she could talk to and wouldn't be bored out of her mind. She could think of one person, but even if he had been there she would try to avoid him.
Jess came down from the apartment downstairs ready to work. He had been in an incredibly good mood since Rory had kissed him that day at Sookie's wedding. Unfortunately he hadn't seen her since. When, he got into the diner he found it unusually empty. Luke was scrubbing the counter somewhat grumpy. "Where is everyone?" Jess asked.
"Dean came in her and said there was some sort of party of at Lorelai's," Luke grumbled, "They all fled out the door and over there."
"OK," Jess shrugged, "Guess you don't need me then." Jess began to head out the door. He wanted to check this party out for himself.
"Jess," Luke said, "Don't."
"Don't what?" Jess stopped in mid step.
"Don't go and mess things up," Luke ordered.
"I won't," Jess stated and then exited.
Rory listened as Paris listed off things that had to be dealt with before they left. She took a sip from the coke she had grabbed from the fridge. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. The doorbell rang and Rory moved towards it with Paris following, but Dean got to it first. Rory stopped in her tracks when she saw who it was and Paris nearly bumped into her. Rory closed her eyes and prayed that when she opened them the person at the door would disappear. No such luck because when she opened her eyes again he was still there resting against the door frame wearing a smug look.
Dean's face had changed from happy to angry the minute he opened the door and Rory knew that this wasn't going to end well. She gathered up her courage and approached the door. "Hi," she said simply.
"What are you doing back," Dean growled and then turned to Rory, "I thought you said he was gone for good." By now the whole room had turned silent someone had even turned off the music.
"I thought so," Rory replied meekly.
"Go away," Dean ordered Jess.
"You don't own this town," Jess pointed out.
"Just stay away from Rory then," Dean shouted.
"Don't own Rory either," Jess remained calm.
"Rory." Dean turned to her for help.
"So, now you need Rory to tell me to leave," Jess said challengingly, "You can't take care of me yourself."
"Why, I ought to!" and with that Dean lunged at Jess.
The last bit on sunlight danced on the horizon as if mocking her. Lorelai had been sitting inside a coffee shop nearby Christopher's apartment for nearly three hours. Dozens of cups later she had gotten no further to going to see him. One thing she knew for sure was that she wasn't chicken; she hadn't driven all the way down here to drink coffee. Of course she could use that excuse. Then, the door to the coffee house opened and Lorelai looked back to see who it was. "Of all the coffee places," she groaned as she tried to hide behind a newspaper, "I had to pick this one." The man who had just entered glanced around the room and noticed her. He bought his coffee and began to approach the table. "No, no, no, no," Lorelai pleaded whispering.
"Lorelai?" the voice sounded uncertain. Lorelai slowly lowered the newspaper.
"Why, Christopher!" she pretended to act surprised, "Whatever are you doing here."
"I believe the correct question would be," Christopher began, "Why you are in Boston. I don't think you drove all this way for a cup of coffee, although I wouldn't put it was you."
"I resent that!" Lorelai glared.
"Come on Lor, why'd you come?" Christopher asked again.
"I'm going to stick with the coffee," Lorelai replied. Christopher just gave her a scolding look, "What?!"
"Where's Rory?" Christopher implored.
"Who?" Lorelai lied.
"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore the third," Christopher emphasized, "Our daughter."
"Oh, her," Lorelai smiled, "I think I left her out by a bar we stopped at. She met this really hot biker guy there and I decided to let her have some well earned fun."
"I think you've had too much coffee," Christopher shook his head.
"That's absolutely ludicrous!" Lorelai shouted, "I refuse to believe such a thing."
"Come on," Christopher motioned to the door, "You can tell me the real reason you're here on the way back to my place."
"What about my car?" Lorelai pointed out.
"Leave it here," Chris replied, "You can pick it up tomorrow."
"Fine," Lorelai sighed and followed him out the door. She followed him up to his Volvo and snickered a bit remembering the day he had told her about it. Then, she slid into the passenger's seat and cranked up the music. She wasn't in a rush to get to the point. Christopher just laughed and turned it down.
"So, where is Rory anyway?" Chris asked.
"At home probably," Lorelai replied, "She went to meet Paris at Chilton and settle some things about their trip to Washington. I left her a message on the machine telling her I wouldn't be home. I hope she's taken my word for once and started up a big enough party to get Taylor down there to try and shut it down."
"That sounds more like something you would do," Chris stated.
"Well, you never know about a person," Lorelai sighed, "You know she went down to New York to see Jess?"
"She did what!?" Christopher sounded surprised.
"Yeah, I know she even missed my graduation," Lorelai remembered that night clearly.
"Ouch," Chris said as if he understood.
"She kissed him," Lorelai said flatly.
"Who?"
"Rory kissed Jess at Sookie's wedding," Lorelai told him.
"What about that Dean guy?" Chris wondered.
"He doesn't know," Lorelai replied.
"The perfect daughter begins to rebel," Christopher shook his head, "We should've seen this coming eh?"
"I know," Lorelai agreed, "But who would ever thought though?" Christopher gave her a look that she interpreted as 'us'. He was right. They were her parents and if Rory was turning to be anything like them she would be a nightmare to live with.
Rory watched as people began to file into the house. Lane was finished making the phone calls. Paris had called home to inform them that she would be returning that she was spending the night after Rory had offered. Rory turned on some music and Ms. Patty and Babette began to sign and make drinks for everyone. Dean was talking with some boys from school and Lane with the cheerleaders. Rory looked around the room trying to find someone who she could talk to and wouldn't be bored out of her mind. She could think of one person, but even if he had been there she would try to avoid him.
Jess came down from the apartment downstairs ready to work. He had been in an incredibly good mood since Rory had kissed him that day at Sookie's wedding. Unfortunately he hadn't seen her since. When, he got into the diner he found it unusually empty. Luke was scrubbing the counter somewhat grumpy. "Where is everyone?" Jess asked.
"Dean came in her and said there was some sort of party of at Lorelai's," Luke grumbled, "They all fled out the door and over there."
"OK," Jess shrugged, "Guess you don't need me then." Jess began to head out the door. He wanted to check this party out for himself.
"Jess," Luke said, "Don't."
"Don't what?" Jess stopped in mid step.
"Don't go and mess things up," Luke ordered.
"I won't," Jess stated and then exited.
Rory listened as Paris listed off things that had to be dealt with before they left. She took a sip from the coke she had grabbed from the fridge. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. The doorbell rang and Rory moved towards it with Paris following, but Dean got to it first. Rory stopped in her tracks when she saw who it was and Paris nearly bumped into her. Rory closed her eyes and prayed that when she opened them the person at the door would disappear. No such luck because when she opened her eyes again he was still there resting against the door frame wearing a smug look.
Dean's face had changed from happy to angry the minute he opened the door and Rory knew that this wasn't going to end well. She gathered up her courage and approached the door. "Hi," she said simply.
"What are you doing back," Dean growled and then turned to Rory, "I thought you said he was gone for good." By now the whole room had turned silent someone had even turned off the music.
"I thought so," Rory replied meekly.
"Go away," Dean ordered Jess.
"You don't own this town," Jess pointed out.
"Just stay away from Rory then," Dean shouted.
"Don't own Rory either," Jess remained calm.
"Rory." Dean turned to her for help.
"So, now you need Rory to tell me to leave," Jess said challengingly, "You can't take care of me yourself."
"Why, I ought to!" and with that Dean lunged at Jess.