** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**
"Keys!" Said Lorelai, finishing the last of
the coffee in her cup. Luke placed her house keys in her hand. "Kiss!" She
said, leaning in and waiting for Luke to kiss her.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked.
"Nope." She said.
"You are."
"Then tell me what it is!" She sighed.
"My bread delivery guy comes on Tuesdays." He said.
"Congratulations. Can I have a kiss now?"
"I can't take Rhiannon to day care today!" He sighed handing Rhiannon to
Lorelai.
"Me either, I have to get to the Inn!" She said.
"I can take her." Said Rory casually, coming out of her old bedroom and
taking Rhiannon from Lorelai.
"Ah, angel of mine!" Said Lorelai thankfully, kissing Rhiannon and then
Rory. "The car keys are where they always are." She said.
"Have a good day." Said Luke, kissing her.
"Love you all!" Lorelai called over her shoulder, making loud kissing noises
as she left.
"I gotta' get going too." Said Luke, picking up his jacket. "Oh… that
bridal shop in Hartford called and said that you can pick up your dress any time
you're ready." He said, opening the back door.
"Thanks!" She called as he left.
She sighed and looked around at the mess that had become breakfast in the
Gilmore house.
"I see you prefer to decorate with you food rather than eat it?" She smiled
at Rhiannon who grinned back at her. "Great job by the way. I love the jam
accents around the door frame."
She loved how Rhiannon seemed to listen even though she didn't understand a
word she was saying.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in." She called, making her way there with Rhiannon in her arms.
Jess stepped into the entrance way and smiled at them.
"Hey."
"Hi… I wasn't expecting to see you." She said, letting go of Rhiannon
with on hand so she could brush some hair from her face.
"Yeah… I kind of… wandered over." He smiled. "I thought maybe we could
talk?"
"Um… I have to go to take Rea to day care and then go to Hartford." She
said.
"Mind if I tag along?" He asked.
"It's going to be boring." She laughed softly.
"No more boring than my full day of sitting around doing nothing." He said.
"Ok well… I have to get my things so…" She handed Rhiannon to him.
"Hold the baby." She said.
Jess held Rhiannon at arms length and frowned at her while Rory sat on the
stairs and pulled her shoes on.
"Kick the baby?" He smiled.
"Don't kick the baby!" Rory laughed.
"Kick the baby." He winked at her.
"You haven't matured in the slightest have you?" She teased as she picked
up her coat and purse.
"I like to think I have." He said, handing Rhiannon back to her.
"Thinking? Now there's an improvement."
"You got meaner!" He laughed, closing the front door behind them as they
left.
They dropped Rhiannon off at daycare and drove out to Hartford.
"So… what's in Hartford?" He asked.
She hesitated for a minute and then answered.
"I have to pick up my wedding dress."
He nodded and looked at her briefly. She looked as uncomfortable as he felt.
"Who's the lucky guy?"
"His name's Adam." She said, shifting in her seat.
"Adam. Good strong biblical name." He nodded.
"Are you mocking." She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Not at all. It was just an observation. So, does Adam have a last name?"
"Hamilton." She said, waiting for his response.
"Rory Hamilton. Sounds like you're going to be rich." He smiled.
"Pretty much." She laughed. "His family is… more than comfortable.
Let's leave it at that."
"Did you meet him at Yale?"
"Nope. I met him in New York outside the building I work in." She smiled
softly. "He was on his cell phone and he mowed me down."
"What a charmer."
"Now you're mocking." She smiled.
"Maybe just a little bit." He nodded. "So, where are you going to live
once you're married?"
"I don't know. We haven't really talked about it." She shrugged.
"Where do you live now?"
"I have an apartment in Brooklyn." She grinned happily.
"Really?" He raised his eyebrows. "I'm impressed. I had you down as more
of a Manhattan girl."
"Yeah. Adam too. He hates my apartment." She laughed and shook her head.
"He has this great place with an amazing view. But it's a real bachelor pad.
All chrome and black." She rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure you can convince him to redecorate. Lots of pastels and
stenciling." He said playfully.
"Oh yeah, and frilly curtains, because that's so me!" She laughed.
Rory pulled the car into a parking spot on the street outside the bridal store.
"Do you want to wait here?" She asked.
"Nah, I'll come in." He said, opening his door and getting out.
"It's going to be all girly and you'll be totally bored."
"I'll survive. I have a very feminine side!" He smiled convincingly.
"Oh yeah?" She raised an eyebrow at him as he opened the door to the shop
for her.
"Yeah. I love flowers." He smiled and she hit him with her purse playfully.
"And you should see me crochet! I'm like a pro. If crocheting were an
Olympic sport I would get gold every time!" He continued and she started
laughing.
"Shhhh." She said as people in the shop started looking at them strangely.
Jess looked around the store and suddenly felt very out of place. It was very
pink and pretty. Classical music played lightly in the background while a few
women stood around admiring dresses in mirrors or having their dress altered by
the store assistants.
"Can I help you?" One of the employee's asked Rory.
"Yes. I'm here to pick up my wedding dress. My name is Rory Gilmore." She
said politely as they walked over to the counter.
The woman pulled a dress off of the rack and looked at the tag.
"Here we go. Would you like to try it on and make sure it fits?" She
offered.
"Um…" Rory bit her lip and looked at Jess briefly.
"She'd love to." Jess smiled giving Rory a little shove towards the
dressing rooms.
She scrunched her face up at him playfully and followed the lady over to one of
the rooms. She took her dress and closed the door. Jess sat on one of the
uncomfortable looking stools and waited.
"Let me know when you need help." Said the assistant, waiting outside the
door.
After a moment, Rory opened the door a little.
"I need help." She laughed and the assistant stepped inside.
Jess waited a little longer and when the door opened again he looked up, but it
was only the shop assistant coming out again.
"There are no mirrors in here." He heard Rory say a few minutes later. He
smiled.
"Then you'll just have to come out here like everyone else."
"No… I can't." She said. It was as if he could almost hear her blushing.
"Yes you can." He persisted.
"No she can't. You can't see the dress before the big day." Smiled the
shop assistant.
"Oh I'm… we're not…." Jess laughed and looked over at the dressing
rooms. "I'm just… a friend."
"Oh… well in that case…" The shop assistant walked over to Rory's
dressing room. "Come on out Miss Gilmore." She smiled.
The door slowly opened and Rory stepped out. Jess didn't know why, but he felt
compelled to stand up.
He watched her walk slowly over to the mirrors.
"How does it feel?" Asked the assistant, fussing with the skirt.
"Good. It's perfect." Smiled Rory.
"Just to make sure we have this right… This is a Jessica Mcclintock satin
two piece with an A-line skirt and a corset top?" She smiled.
"Sounds right to me." Laughed Rory, turning too look at the dress at
different angles.
She turned around and looked at Jess.
"What do you think?" She asked hesitantly.
He swallowed hard and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm a guy… my opinion doesn't matter." He laughed uncertainly.
"It matters to me." She said. "Come on, I need to know that I don't look
stupid." She laughed softly.
"You… definitely don't have to worry about that." He nodded.
"Ok…" She frowned at him looking for more reassurance than that.
"You look…" He swallowed again and took a deep breath. "You look
amazing."
"Thank You." She smiled at him. "I should probably get out of the dress
before I manage to tear a big hole in the skirt." She said to the shop
assistant.
"Ok, do you need some help with the top?" She asked.
"Please." Smiled Rory as they headed back to the dressing rooms.
"I'm going to… wait outside." Said Jess quietly.
Jess waited until she was in the dressing room and then hurried out onto the
street.
He rested his back against the side of the building and closed his eyes. He felt
like screaming or hitting something but he managed to suppress it.
