A/N: Thank you all for the awesome reviews, I really appreciate them.
Chapter 2
Rory quickly poured the coffee into the cup. She went over Jess' instructions in
her head -- 'four sugars, three creams.' He hadn't asked for coffee -- he'd asked for
milk.
She finished assembling the drink (whatever it was) and carried it to Jess' office.
He was sitting at his desk, writing.
Rory waited for a second, and then asked, "Is there anything else I can do?"
"Yeah," he said, looking up from his papers and picking up the coffee. "Get
me a donut."
Rory gritted her teeth. Jess noticed.
"Problem with that?" he asked.
"No," Rory answered. She turned around. Then she turned back. "Wait.
You've been treating me like this for four days now. Am I ever going to put my college
education to use, or may I as well have an apron on and a notepad in my hand?"
Jess looked at her. "Huh."
"Huh what? Are you going to answer me, or continue to practice for your 'The
Piano' audition?"
"And Sandra Dee has a backbone."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, you walk in here one day, say 'I'll do whatever the boss tells me to do,'
don't put up a fight, and I'm taking advantage of it. Now you're starting to fight it."
Rory thought for a moment. "So what you're saying is, you're consciously being
an asshole."
"I'm trying to teach you a lesson," Jess said innocently.
Rory laughed. "And what's that, coffee is better with sugar?"
"What?"
"Never mind."
"Well anyway, the lesson is, stand up for yourself," Jess said.
"Bullshit."
"Hey, I'm still your boss," he reminded her. "You have to treat me with some respect."
"You're not that much higher up than me."
He raised his eyebrows. "I'm a staff writer; you're a student intern."
Rory sighed in frustration. "You're only a little older than me."
Jess shrugged. "Well, it seems as though I've done better things with my time. Because
I'm working at the best paper in the country, and you're only interning there. For me."
"What do you mean, you've been making better use of your time?" Rory asked. "I've
been going to college, getting an education, so I can make use of myself in the world."
"Were you raised in a cave?" Jess asked. "Because you're not very wordly.
Nowadays, you don't have to go to college to succeed. Look at me."
"You went to college."
"For three years. Didn't graduate."
"Oh, right," Rory said.
They were silent for a moment. Then Rory walked out of Jess' office to the front desk.
That night, Jess arrived home to his apartment, popped open a cold beer, and settled
down in his chair to watch "The Sopranos" in reruns. He took a swig of his beer and thought
about his day at the office. Mostly it had been paperwork, with little opportunity to get any
actual writing done.
Then there was the verbal sparring match with the intern. Rory. Jess didn't know what it was, but there was something about her that was . . . nice.
Nice. Jess nearly smacked himself in the head. First of all, she was his intern, for god's
sake. She was practically his employee. Second of all, she thought he was a class-A jerk. She
had certainly made that clear in the office earlier.
The phone rang.
"Hello?" Jess said when he picked up.
"Jess, it's your uncle Luke," Luke Danes said.
"What's up?" Jess asked.
"I need you to come to Stars Hollow this weekend."
Jess snorted. "Yeah, right. Like I would ever set foot inside that crazy town. Oh, my
mom and I didn't have the best relationship, but she told me about that place."
"It's mine and Lorelai's one-year wedding anniversary party. She's pregnant, having
mood swings, and her latest whim is that she wants to meet my whole family. You -- my
nephew. Therefore Lorelai wants to meet you."
"I came to your wedding, isn't that enough?"
"Flying into Hartford intending to come to my wedding and then partying all night long
doesn't count, Jess."
Jess said, "Well, I had the best intentions."
"Not good enough." Luke paused for a moment. "Come on, Jess, how bad can it be?
You'll come, stay a night with Lorelai and me, maybe interact with some people, and leave and
go back to your enclave in New York."
Jess thought for a moment. Luke was family, and the wedding thing had been low of
Jess. He did have some sort of a conscience.
"Fine. Count me in."
A/N: So what do you think? Again, good or bad, reviews are welcome! Next chapter, Rory
and Jess learn each other's true identities (cue As the World Turns music). I'll try to have it up in
the next couple of days.
~Lauren
Chapter 2
Rory quickly poured the coffee into the cup. She went over Jess' instructions in
her head -- 'four sugars, three creams.' He hadn't asked for coffee -- he'd asked for
milk.
She finished assembling the drink (whatever it was) and carried it to Jess' office.
He was sitting at his desk, writing.
Rory waited for a second, and then asked, "Is there anything else I can do?"
"Yeah," he said, looking up from his papers and picking up the coffee. "Get
me a donut."
Rory gritted her teeth. Jess noticed.
"Problem with that?" he asked.
"No," Rory answered. She turned around. Then she turned back. "Wait.
You've been treating me like this for four days now. Am I ever going to put my college
education to use, or may I as well have an apron on and a notepad in my hand?"
Jess looked at her. "Huh."
"Huh what? Are you going to answer me, or continue to practice for your 'The
Piano' audition?"
"And Sandra Dee has a backbone."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, you walk in here one day, say 'I'll do whatever the boss tells me to do,'
don't put up a fight, and I'm taking advantage of it. Now you're starting to fight it."
Rory thought for a moment. "So what you're saying is, you're consciously being
an asshole."
"I'm trying to teach you a lesson," Jess said innocently.
Rory laughed. "And what's that, coffee is better with sugar?"
"What?"
"Never mind."
"Well anyway, the lesson is, stand up for yourself," Jess said.
"Bullshit."
"Hey, I'm still your boss," he reminded her. "You have to treat me with some respect."
"You're not that much higher up than me."
He raised his eyebrows. "I'm a staff writer; you're a student intern."
Rory sighed in frustration. "You're only a little older than me."
Jess shrugged. "Well, it seems as though I've done better things with my time. Because
I'm working at the best paper in the country, and you're only interning there. For me."
"What do you mean, you've been making better use of your time?" Rory asked. "I've
been going to college, getting an education, so I can make use of myself in the world."
"Were you raised in a cave?" Jess asked. "Because you're not very wordly.
Nowadays, you don't have to go to college to succeed. Look at me."
"You went to college."
"For three years. Didn't graduate."
"Oh, right," Rory said.
They were silent for a moment. Then Rory walked out of Jess' office to the front desk.
That night, Jess arrived home to his apartment, popped open a cold beer, and settled
down in his chair to watch "The Sopranos" in reruns. He took a swig of his beer and thought
about his day at the office. Mostly it had been paperwork, with little opportunity to get any
actual writing done.
Then there was the verbal sparring match with the intern. Rory. Jess didn't know what it was, but there was something about her that was . . . nice.
Nice. Jess nearly smacked himself in the head. First of all, she was his intern, for god's
sake. She was practically his employee. Second of all, she thought he was a class-A jerk. She
had certainly made that clear in the office earlier.
The phone rang.
"Hello?" Jess said when he picked up.
"Jess, it's your uncle Luke," Luke Danes said.
"What's up?" Jess asked.
"I need you to come to Stars Hollow this weekend."
Jess snorted. "Yeah, right. Like I would ever set foot inside that crazy town. Oh, my
mom and I didn't have the best relationship, but she told me about that place."
"It's mine and Lorelai's one-year wedding anniversary party. She's pregnant, having
mood swings, and her latest whim is that she wants to meet my whole family. You -- my
nephew. Therefore Lorelai wants to meet you."
"I came to your wedding, isn't that enough?"
"Flying into Hartford intending to come to my wedding and then partying all night long
doesn't count, Jess."
Jess said, "Well, I had the best intentions."
"Not good enough." Luke paused for a moment. "Come on, Jess, how bad can it be?
You'll come, stay a night with Lorelai and me, maybe interact with some people, and leave and
go back to your enclave in New York."
Jess thought for a moment. Luke was family, and the wedding thing had been low of
Jess. He did have some sort of a conscience.
"Fine. Count me in."
A/N: So what do you think? Again, good or bad, reviews are welcome! Next chapter, Rory
and Jess learn each other's true identities (cue As the World Turns music). I'll try to have it up in
the next couple of days.
~Lauren