A/N: Thanks so much to all the reviewers and readers for being so patient. Thank you to Katherine, Summer, Lauren, Loz, and Joan.

Disclaimer: Yup, I own Gilmore Girls. E-mail me, I'll tell you all about the plans for next season. And if you actually think it's true and e-mail me about this, I'm not holding myself responsible for the answer you'll get.

Side note: Peppino's is a real restaurant, but not in New York. It's in Rutland, Vermont. If you're ever there, check it out, it's heaven on earth.

Chapter 8

Rory rifled through her closet Tuesday evening, trying to determine the perfect outfit. Darwin was taking her to a semi-fancy Italian restaurant called Peppino's. And she was inevitably going through the typical first date predicament of wanting to look nice, but not wanting to look too eager.

Jenny peered out from behind her book. "The blue sundress."

Rory looked at her curiously. "How do you do that?" She removed her dress from the closet.

Jenny set the book down. "It's a gift." She sat up on her bed. "So . . . your feelings for Jess are gone?" She used air quotes around the word "feelings."

Her roommate paused. "I don't think so," she admitted. "But . . . there are sort of two problems with it."

"Do tell."

"Well, first, the obvious obstacle. He's my boss. Countless movies and TV shows have reiterated for me the problems with that. Second, it appears he's considering embarking on a new relationship with this girl that makes Claudia Schiffer look like she split the atom."

"Well," Jenny said. "So you're just letting it go."

"I'm pushing it aside for now," Rory answered. "And I figure, Darwin's nice, he's funny, he doesn't report to the same vicinity I do for work. Maybe he's a good distraction from this barely existent tingle I feel when I see Jess."

"So you're admitting this Darwin character is just a distraction?"

Rory pulled the dress over head and picked up a brush. She began brushing her hair. "He's not just a distraction. I could fall in love with him. Marry him, have his kids."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Right, and you can name your kids Mendel and Curie."

"What's wrong with that?" Rory asked. "It would be a good way to ensure their brilliancy."

"The brilliancy that will be knocked out of them by kids on the playground," Jenny countered.

Rory rolled her eyes. "How did we even start talking about this? I'm going on my first date with the guy, and you're already talking about the doomed nature of our children."

Jenny looked at her. "If you ever need a pessimist . . ."

"I know who to come to," Rory assure her. She resumed brushing her hair.

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Jess waited in the subway for the train Tuesday after work. It was late, and he resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn't make it home for the daily reruns of Seinfeld.

While he stood there, he thought about Rory and Elizabeth. He had been thinking about them since last night, and had come to the conclusion that he was over Elizabeth completely and he had to tell Rory how he felt. If he didn't, he was just depriving himself of the possibility of something really good. Tomorrow -- he would tell her tomorrow.

He just hoped she felt the same way.

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After Darwin had picked Rory up, they had taken a cab to Peppino's. Now, as they were settling in at their seats, Rory picked up a menu.

"So what's good here?" she asked. While she had heard raves about the place, she had never actually eaten there.

"Everything," he answered. "My favorite is the veal parmesan. Or if you don't eat meat, the tortellini is excellent as well."

Rory laughed a little bit. "I eat meat," she assured him. "I don't understand those who don't. If God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have hung meat on them."

Darwin laughed also. "That's my outlook on it."

Rory asked, "Okay, so which one is better?"

"That is a choice I cannot make," Darwin said dramatically. "However, I do have a suggestion. We could order both and split it. And if that's not enough food, they made incredible desserts here."

"That sounds good to me," Rory said, setting her menu down.

Now that the food banter was gone, they were both scrounging in their heads for something interesting to say.

"So did you grow up in New York?" Rory asked. Questions about childhood could only inevitably lead to conversation.

"Born and bred," Darwin answered. "I love this city more than you could imagine." He sipped his water. "What about you?"

"I grew up in a small town in Connecticut," Rory told him. "It's called Stars Hollow. Blink as you're driving by it and you'll miss it."

"What brought you to New York?"

"College," she answered. "I always thought I was Harvard-bound, but at the last minute . . . I don't know, something just tugged me to Columbia. It was Ivy League, and I think I wanted to give it a go at living in a bigger city."

"Well, you certainly started with the king of big cities."

"I know," Rory said. "But I really love it here. I'd like to live here as long as I possibly can. The people aren't like everyone thinks -- they're quite friendly."

"New Yorkers are horribly stereotyped," Darwin said.

"That's what I've learned," Rory answered. "Three years here, and I've never been mugged or anything. Cursed out a few times by drivers, yes, but where doesn't that happen?"

"Glad to hear you like New York so much," he said with a smile.

"I do," Rory said. Then there was silence again, saved by the arrival of the waiter to take their orders.

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Rory stepped out of the cab in front of her dorm building. Dinner was over; it had outlasted the conversation, though. By dessert time, Rory almost didn't want the cannoli. She knew she would be eating it in silence.

Darwin stepped out as well, but asked the cab driver to wait just one moment. Good -- Rory was relieved that Darwin obviously didn't expect an invitation upstairs.

"I had a nice time tonight," Darwin said. He was obviously going through the motions of a polite good-night to a one-time date.

Rory lied, "Me too." Oh, there was nothing wrong with Darwin at all -- he was a seemingly very nice person. Unfortunately, the two of them had seemingly nothing in common.

He looked as though he didn't know what to do. Finally, he put his hand out. With a small grin, Rory shook it.

"Maybe I'll see you sometime," Rory said. There was no reason to pretend that they were going to go on a second date.

"Maybe," Darwin agreed. She was relieved to see that he had no illusions about them being soulmates or anything.

"Okay, well . . . good night," Rory said. She turned to walk into her dorm.

"Good night," Darwin called from behind. He climbed back into the cab and the driver took him away.

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"So," Jenny said later on as Rory put on her sweats to sleep in. "Now that you know our earlier conversation was a moot point, and you won't be having kids . . . are you going to pursue that boss of yours?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "Darwin isn't the reason I'm not pursuing Jess. I'm not pursuing Jess because he's my boss and besides, he's my step cousin. Greek tragedy, anyone?"

Jenny rolled her eyes right back. "Step cousin. Meaning you're not blood-related. You're distantly non-blood related. That's just a lame excuse not to go for it with him when you obviously feel something."

"It is a perfectly legitimate excuse," Rory shot back. "Besides, despite what you seem to think, it's not like I'm burning up with want for him. It's just a little crush. I'll get over it."

Jenny turned on her back in a position so she could sleep. "You are truly a master of denial, Rory. Even if you're not 'burning up with want for him,' aren't you curious? Don't you want to see what could happen with this guy?"

Rory was silent. She reached over and turned off the lamp on the nightstand. "Good night, Jenny."

"Good night."

Rory closed her eyes. But somehow, she knew she wasn't going to be able to get to sleep for hours.