Title: It All Starts With A Kiss
Chapter 2: A Date and Dinner, Dinner and A Date
Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. This is my third Gilmore Girls story and about the fourtieth time I have denied ownership of the show, so I'm telling you, I really don't own it.
~~~~~~
Jess sat alone in a coffee shop in Hartford. He polished off his second cup of coffee and just sat there, staring around the little cafe and tapping his toe impatiently. He didn't like drinking coffee, because it put him on edge. He really only drank coffee when he was sitting there waiting for her. He looked up as the bell over the door jingled and smiled as his eyes met hers.
"Hi," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "Sorry I'm late."
"No, you're not," Jess got out as they sat down, his arm around her shoulder. "You're always late."
"Well, I'm always sorry." They smiled at each other and waved the waitress over to order more coffee.
Half an hour later, after spending the entire time catching up on the last week, Jess looked at the clock and sent her on her way, telling her she was going to be late. She kissed him and grabbed her coat to leave. Her hand hit the door and he called out her name.
"Rory!" He ran up to catch up with her, ignoring the dirty looks he got from the other cafe-goers. "Listen, do you think we could tell them we're dating?"
Rory bit her lip. "I don't know. You haven't exactly endeared yourself to Lorelai yet."
"Well, I'm tired of sneaking around. I think we should tell them."
"Why the sudden need for approval?"
"I kinda let some privileged information slip."
"Oh, really? What was that?" Rory crossed her arms.
"Friday night dinners are now Saturday night dinners so you can do schoolwork."
"You told both of them?"
"Yeah."
"So now they both know?"
"They both suspect."
"Oh, Lorelai doesn't suspect, she knows." Rory bit her lip again. "Give me a little while to get you on her good side, and then we can tell them together."
"Okay." Jess nodded and turned to leave.
"Jess." This time she called for him. He turned around. "Did he say anthing about the kiss?"
"There was a kiss?"
"He didn't say anthing, then."
"They were flirting a lot more than usual, and last night after he locked up the diner he acted all weird."
"Weird how?"
"Happy. Like us."
"Aaah!" Rory squealed and threw her arms around Jess again. "Oh, this is great news! Oh, I have to tell Mom!"
"Aren't they gonna know we're dating then?"
"Oh, I'll just tell her you called. Aah, this is great news! I've gotta go now." Rory pecked Jess on the cheek. She ran down the street. Jess watched her go.
"Love you." He muttered at her slowly diminishing form. He kicked a pebble down the street and pretended it was him.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lorelai pulled the Jeep to a stop behind a strange car in her parents' driveway. She stumbled out of the car and arranged her dress while staring curiously at the unknown car. She walked over to it. Her hand reached for the handle of the driver side door--
"Mom!" Rory ran through the gate and ground to a halt next to her shocked mother. "You'll never guess what I just heard!"
"The sound of your dear mother's heart stopping? Cause I heard it."
"Your heart didn't stop."
"Yeah-huh! If I'd been on 'ER', Noah Wyle'd be performing mouth-to-mouth on me right now! Oh, actually, that sounds good. Okay, do it again." Lorelai turned around. "I'll act surprised."
"Mom." Rory slightly whined.
"No, not like that, like you did before."
"Noah Wyle's not gonna give you mouth-to-mouth."
"How do you know?" Lorelai faced Rory with her hands on her hips.
"Because we're not on TV. This is real life."
"It could be like The Truman Show ."
"Okay, I'll give you that." Rory thought for a second. "How about this: If we are on TV, how do you know Carter'd be the doctor? You're unconscious; for all you know, Susan could be giving you mouth-to-mouth."
"Ewwww!" Lorelai made a face. "Okay, you've made your point, we can go in." They started up to the door arm in arm. "Party pooper." Lorelai muttered. Rory hit her. "Okay, now we're gonna have to go to Chicago and specifically ask for Carter."
"Only if we stop at Central Perk for a bowl of coffee."
"Deal."
The girls giggled and rang the doorbell. The latest maid opened the door. She looked tall and stern.
"Good evening. May I ask what I can help you with?" She talked slowly and properly in a deep voice, and reminded both Rory and Lorelai of Count Dracula.
"Yes, if you could kindly tell Igor and Mr. Hyde that Cousin Itt and Morticia have arrived, that'll be great. Thanks." Lorelai smiled at the large woman. The maid stared blankly ahead.
"Please tell Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore Rory and Lorelai are here." Rory spoke up. The maid nodded and slammed the door in the girls' faces. Lorelai turned to Rory.
"Why are you first?"
"What?"
"Why did you say your name first?"
"Mom, you're such a kid."
"Tell me now!" Lorelai stamped her foot.
"You called me Cousin Itt, so I got you back."
"That's right you were Cousin Itt. Okay." Lorelai faced the door again. They stood in silence for a minute. Then Lorelai started giggling.
"Mom!"
"Sorry."
~~~~~~
"So, Rory, how is school?" Emily asked over dinner.
"Good. Difficult."
"Of course it's difficult! Yale is one of the top schools in the country and it's no wonder they chose my granddaughter. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be one of the top three percent in the school." Richard nodded at Rory.
"At least." Emily smiled.
"Still, you know, it would be nice to see her more than two hours every Saturday night." Lorelai said in between sips of wine.
"But Rory got here at six." Emily said, confused.
"What? You did?" Lorelai turned to Rory.
"Uh, yeah. I got here early."
"But I thought I saw you run up at seven when I got here."
"Yeah, I did."
"Well, how did you get here at six?"
"I drove in Paris's car."
"Oh, that's whose car that is."
"Yeah. My car broke down."
"So you're always here at six?"
"Sometimes six-thirty."
"Okay." Lorelai turned away from Rory.
"Are you mad, Mom?"
"No, of course not."
"Okay."
~~~~~
The girls walked out of the elder Gilmore residence and headed toward their cars. Rory paused before getting in, but decided to slide in.
"Rory." Lorelai was standing at the open driver's side door of the Jeep, just staring at the keys in her hand.
"Mom." Rory climbed out of the car and faced her mother in the dark.
"Do you not like spending time with me anymore?"
"Of course I like spending time with you. You're my best friend."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Then why do you come early for dinner and you never come see me?" Lorelai finally faced Rory.
"I meet a friend in Hartford. It's the only time I ever see him."
"It's a him?"
Rory paused before answering, silently cursing herself for revealing that much about her meetings with Jess. "Yes."
"A boy is more important than your mother?"
"No, of course not! But I see you all during the week! In case you didn't notice, you spent the night in my dorm room last night. And I've spent the last ten Saturday nights at home."
"That's true."
"Look, Mom, I'll make it up to you. I have a school break coming up. I was going to use it to study, but I think we should make good on our earlier deal. I'll go to Chicago with you if you'll wander around New York with me."
"And we can go to the county hospital and ask for every single character from 'ER'?"
"Yes. But we have to go to the Seinfeld restaurant and look for Central Perk."
"Deal! Again." Lorelai and Rory shook hands and hugged.
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you, Rory."
The girls got in their cars and headed in opposite directions, both of them feeling unnatural because they weren't going to be under the same roof that night.
~~~~~~
Lorelai needed a coffee fix and some good-natured bantering, so when she reached Stars Hollow she headed straight for Luke's. Lorelai could tell he was in the process of cleaning up, but the door was unlocked, so she walked right in.
"Hi."
"I knew I should have locked that door earlier."
"Wow, you're getting funnier and funnier." Lorelai headed for the counter.
"Careful, don't step in that wet spot." Luke pointed and Lorelai daintily side-stepped it. He tried to ignore her and continue mopping the floor, but she came and stood right in front of him. He used his mop to threaten her shoes, but she didn't move, knowing he wouldn't back up his threat. He sighed, stuck the mop back in the bucket, and looked up at her. She smiled, leaned in, and kissed him on the lips.
"Coffee" was the first word that spilled from her lips when they seperated.
"I'm glad my kisses can get your mind that far off track."
"No, you taste like coffee."
"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment." He smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
They stared at each other for a minute before Luke cleared his throat and set about getting coffee. Lorelai walked behind the counter and stopped him.
"Behind the line."
Lorelai backed up, keeping her hand on Luke. "Would you like to go out with me?"
"What?" Luke finally looked up.
"Would you like to go out with me? On a date. It's what people do when they like each other. Which, I'm assuming you do, cause you've kissed me twice. And I wanna get kissed again, and I figure a way to do that would be to ask you out."
"Okay. Well, then, Lorelai, I would love to go on a date with you."
"Okay. That's good to hear." Lorelai smiled and headed to the other side of the counter. She didn't sit down, though, only picked up her purse and headed towards the door.
"Wait!" Luke walked over to where Lorelai had stopped, halfway out the door. "When? Where?"
"I'll get back to you on that." Lorelai smiled again and headed down the steps. Luke stood in the door watching her leave. She stopped at the bottom of the steps and turned around. "By the way, I don't kiss on the first date."
"Of course not."
Lorelai walked to her car, smiling, not realizing that Luke was watching her, smiling.
Chapter 2: A Date and Dinner, Dinner and A Date
Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. This is my third Gilmore Girls story and about the fourtieth time I have denied ownership of the show, so I'm telling you, I really don't own it.
~~~~~~
Jess sat alone in a coffee shop in Hartford. He polished off his second cup of coffee and just sat there, staring around the little cafe and tapping his toe impatiently. He didn't like drinking coffee, because it put him on edge. He really only drank coffee when he was sitting there waiting for her. He looked up as the bell over the door jingled and smiled as his eyes met hers.
"Hi," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "Sorry I'm late."
"No, you're not," Jess got out as they sat down, his arm around her shoulder. "You're always late."
"Well, I'm always sorry." They smiled at each other and waved the waitress over to order more coffee.
Half an hour later, after spending the entire time catching up on the last week, Jess looked at the clock and sent her on her way, telling her she was going to be late. She kissed him and grabbed her coat to leave. Her hand hit the door and he called out her name.
"Rory!" He ran up to catch up with her, ignoring the dirty looks he got from the other cafe-goers. "Listen, do you think we could tell them we're dating?"
Rory bit her lip. "I don't know. You haven't exactly endeared yourself to Lorelai yet."
"Well, I'm tired of sneaking around. I think we should tell them."
"Why the sudden need for approval?"
"I kinda let some privileged information slip."
"Oh, really? What was that?" Rory crossed her arms.
"Friday night dinners are now Saturday night dinners so you can do schoolwork."
"You told both of them?"
"Yeah."
"So now they both know?"
"They both suspect."
"Oh, Lorelai doesn't suspect, she knows." Rory bit her lip again. "Give me a little while to get you on her good side, and then we can tell them together."
"Okay." Jess nodded and turned to leave.
"Jess." This time she called for him. He turned around. "Did he say anthing about the kiss?"
"There was a kiss?"
"He didn't say anthing, then."
"They were flirting a lot more than usual, and last night after he locked up the diner he acted all weird."
"Weird how?"
"Happy. Like us."
"Aaah!" Rory squealed and threw her arms around Jess again. "Oh, this is great news! Oh, I have to tell Mom!"
"Aren't they gonna know we're dating then?"
"Oh, I'll just tell her you called. Aah, this is great news! I've gotta go now." Rory pecked Jess on the cheek. She ran down the street. Jess watched her go.
"Love you." He muttered at her slowly diminishing form. He kicked a pebble down the street and pretended it was him.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lorelai pulled the Jeep to a stop behind a strange car in her parents' driveway. She stumbled out of the car and arranged her dress while staring curiously at the unknown car. She walked over to it. Her hand reached for the handle of the driver side door--
"Mom!" Rory ran through the gate and ground to a halt next to her shocked mother. "You'll never guess what I just heard!"
"The sound of your dear mother's heart stopping? Cause I heard it."
"Your heart didn't stop."
"Yeah-huh! If I'd been on 'ER', Noah Wyle'd be performing mouth-to-mouth on me right now! Oh, actually, that sounds good. Okay, do it again." Lorelai turned around. "I'll act surprised."
"Mom." Rory slightly whined.
"No, not like that, like you did before."
"Noah Wyle's not gonna give you mouth-to-mouth."
"How do you know?" Lorelai faced Rory with her hands on her hips.
"Because we're not on TV. This is real life."
"It could be like The Truman Show ."
"Okay, I'll give you that." Rory thought for a second. "How about this: If we are on TV, how do you know Carter'd be the doctor? You're unconscious; for all you know, Susan could be giving you mouth-to-mouth."
"Ewwww!" Lorelai made a face. "Okay, you've made your point, we can go in." They started up to the door arm in arm. "Party pooper." Lorelai muttered. Rory hit her. "Okay, now we're gonna have to go to Chicago and specifically ask for Carter."
"Only if we stop at Central Perk for a bowl of coffee."
"Deal."
The girls giggled and rang the doorbell. The latest maid opened the door. She looked tall and stern.
"Good evening. May I ask what I can help you with?" She talked slowly and properly in a deep voice, and reminded both Rory and Lorelai of Count Dracula.
"Yes, if you could kindly tell Igor and Mr. Hyde that Cousin Itt and Morticia have arrived, that'll be great. Thanks." Lorelai smiled at the large woman. The maid stared blankly ahead.
"Please tell Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore Rory and Lorelai are here." Rory spoke up. The maid nodded and slammed the door in the girls' faces. Lorelai turned to Rory.
"Why are you first?"
"What?"
"Why did you say your name first?"
"Mom, you're such a kid."
"Tell me now!" Lorelai stamped her foot.
"You called me Cousin Itt, so I got you back."
"That's right you were Cousin Itt. Okay." Lorelai faced the door again. They stood in silence for a minute. Then Lorelai started giggling.
"Mom!"
"Sorry."
~~~~~~
"So, Rory, how is school?" Emily asked over dinner.
"Good. Difficult."
"Of course it's difficult! Yale is one of the top schools in the country and it's no wonder they chose my granddaughter. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be one of the top three percent in the school." Richard nodded at Rory.
"At least." Emily smiled.
"Still, you know, it would be nice to see her more than two hours every Saturday night." Lorelai said in between sips of wine.
"But Rory got here at six." Emily said, confused.
"What? You did?" Lorelai turned to Rory.
"Uh, yeah. I got here early."
"But I thought I saw you run up at seven when I got here."
"Yeah, I did."
"Well, how did you get here at six?"
"I drove in Paris's car."
"Oh, that's whose car that is."
"Yeah. My car broke down."
"So you're always here at six?"
"Sometimes six-thirty."
"Okay." Lorelai turned away from Rory.
"Are you mad, Mom?"
"No, of course not."
"Okay."
~~~~~
The girls walked out of the elder Gilmore residence and headed toward their cars. Rory paused before getting in, but decided to slide in.
"Rory." Lorelai was standing at the open driver's side door of the Jeep, just staring at the keys in her hand.
"Mom." Rory climbed out of the car and faced her mother in the dark.
"Do you not like spending time with me anymore?"
"Of course I like spending time with you. You're my best friend."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Then why do you come early for dinner and you never come see me?" Lorelai finally faced Rory.
"I meet a friend in Hartford. It's the only time I ever see him."
"It's a him?"
Rory paused before answering, silently cursing herself for revealing that much about her meetings with Jess. "Yes."
"A boy is more important than your mother?"
"No, of course not! But I see you all during the week! In case you didn't notice, you spent the night in my dorm room last night. And I've spent the last ten Saturday nights at home."
"That's true."
"Look, Mom, I'll make it up to you. I have a school break coming up. I was going to use it to study, but I think we should make good on our earlier deal. I'll go to Chicago with you if you'll wander around New York with me."
"And we can go to the county hospital and ask for every single character from 'ER'?"
"Yes. But we have to go to the Seinfeld restaurant and look for Central Perk."
"Deal! Again." Lorelai and Rory shook hands and hugged.
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you, Rory."
The girls got in their cars and headed in opposite directions, both of them feeling unnatural because they weren't going to be under the same roof that night.
~~~~~~
Lorelai needed a coffee fix and some good-natured bantering, so when she reached Stars Hollow she headed straight for Luke's. Lorelai could tell he was in the process of cleaning up, but the door was unlocked, so she walked right in.
"Hi."
"I knew I should have locked that door earlier."
"Wow, you're getting funnier and funnier." Lorelai headed for the counter.
"Careful, don't step in that wet spot." Luke pointed and Lorelai daintily side-stepped it. He tried to ignore her and continue mopping the floor, but she came and stood right in front of him. He used his mop to threaten her shoes, but she didn't move, knowing he wouldn't back up his threat. He sighed, stuck the mop back in the bucket, and looked up at her. She smiled, leaned in, and kissed him on the lips.
"Coffee" was the first word that spilled from her lips when they seperated.
"I'm glad my kisses can get your mind that far off track."
"No, you taste like coffee."
"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment." He smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
They stared at each other for a minute before Luke cleared his throat and set about getting coffee. Lorelai walked behind the counter and stopped him.
"Behind the line."
Lorelai backed up, keeping her hand on Luke. "Would you like to go out with me?"
"What?" Luke finally looked up.
"Would you like to go out with me? On a date. It's what people do when they like each other. Which, I'm assuming you do, cause you've kissed me twice. And I wanna get kissed again, and I figure a way to do that would be to ask you out."
"Okay. Well, then, Lorelai, I would love to go on a date with you."
"Okay. That's good to hear." Lorelai smiled and headed to the other side of the counter. She didn't sit down, though, only picked up her purse and headed towards the door.
"Wait!" Luke walked over to where Lorelai had stopped, halfway out the door. "When? Where?"
"I'll get back to you on that." Lorelai smiled again and headed down the steps. Luke stood in the door watching her leave. She stopped at the bottom of the steps and turned around. "By the way, I don't kiss on the first date."
"Of course not."
Lorelai walked to her car, smiling, not realizing that Luke was watching her, smiling.