AN: Okay, just to let you know, Jess and Rory are thirty three at the
moment. Sorry I didn't mention it before but it will come up in future
chapters. Anyway, enjoy! And review!!!
stumbling on reasons
Jess sat at the table nervously, waiting. He still couldn't believe he had actually agreed to do this.
He had never been on a blind date. He didn't really know what to expect.
But then again, he hadn't even been on a 'date' in three years. He thought about the last one he'd been on, it hadn't been very nice.
*Flashback*
Jess sat at the table, waiting. Where was she? She was supposed to be here ages ago, well a half an hour ago anyway. She was never late. Or hadn't been before . . .
A flustered Rory sat down on the chair across from him, "Sorry I'm late."
He sighed, "Where were you Rory?" He noticed the bags forming beneath her eyes, she hadn't gotten much sleep lately.
"I had to stay later then I expected." Rory said.
She was lying through her teeth, "No you didn't." He said quietly.
"Yes. I did." She shot back.
Jess looked down and ran his hands through his hair; then looked back up at her, "What's happening to us Rory?"
She only stared at him.
"We've always been honest with each other." He paused thinking of happier times. "Always."
She looked away, he could tell that she was thinking of something else. Or someone else?
The thought made him want to shrivel up and die. Was she really having an affair? He didn't have the courage to ask.
"I hate lying to you." She said finally.
Was he finally reaching her?
"Then why are you?" Jess reached across the table to take her hands. They were foreign and cold to him now.
She shook her head forcing back tears.
Now he was really frustrated, "Why do you keep closing yourself off to me like this?"
He watched a tear slipped down her cheek, she pulled her hands away to wipe it off.
"Did I do something wrong?" He was so afraid that he had hurt her in someway.
Her eyes widened in surprise, "Oh no Jess. You didn't do anything wrong. You never have." She looked away again, her mind else where.
"Then why do this Rory? Why?" He asked persistently. "You won't even let me touch you anymore." He whispered it.
'I just haven't been feeling very well." Rory said staring away from him.
He looked up sharply, "You haven't been feeling well for a month now."
A waiter came to their table but Jess brushed him off, "Give us a minute please."
"What's happening to us?" Jess asked when he left.
Rory only stared blankly at him and shook her head.
"Because I don't know Rory, I just don't know." He leaned towards her, "But I think you do."
She gazed at the table, "I don't know."
"I know you do Rory." He sighed and leaned back, "Things had been going so well. We were starting to make more money, we were even going to buy a better apartment and then . . ." Jess trailed off not wanting to finish his sentence.
"And then I broke down." Rory finished for him.
"Yeah, and then you broke down." Jess repeated her. For the third time that night he asked, "What's happening to us Rory?"
When again she didn't answer he left the table.
*Present*
A voice across from him tore Jess out of his reverie, "Are you Jess?"
Jess looked up to see a pair of emerald green eyes staring back at him, "Yeah." He stood up and offered his hand. "You must be Julie."
Her eyes sparkled, "That's me, but my friends call me Jules so you can too."
They sat down across from each other. She was beautiful. She had long honey colored hair, a few freckles were sprinkled across her nose and she had deep green eyes.
"I've never been on a blind date before." Jess confessed. "Never have liked to be set up."
Jules laughed, "Neither have I. To tell you the truth I was forced to come."
Jess smiled back, "I was too, in a way anyway. Mrs. Hanover is always trying to set me up, I finally gave in."
"Oh, dear old Mrs. Hanover. She's been the town matchmaker for as long as I can remember." Jules reminisced.
"You've lived here long?" Jess asked.
"My whole life." She answered, "But I've been away at medical school for the past six years. I come to visit as often as possible though."
"That's probably why we've never met. I moved here almost three years ago now." Jess said. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
"Where'd you live before?" She asked.
"Connecticut, in a small town." Jess didn't really feel like talking about his past but he knew it was going to happen at some point anyway. Maybe that's why he had never dated again.
"Once a small townie, always a small townie." She grinned.
"Yeah, I guess." He didn't mention that he had once lived in the city as a child. And with his wife..
The waitress came then and they ordered their drinks.
"So you want to be a doctor?" He asked.
"Yeah, I have my whole life." Her eyes brightened when she said this.
"What kind of doctor?"
"Definitely a pediatrician." Jules said. "I love kids."
We always wanted kids, Jess thought. And then inwardly kicked himself, don't think about that now! "That's great!" He forced out a smile, all of a sudden he didn't want be here.
"And you're a teacher, right?" Jules took a sip of her wine.
Jess nodded, "I teach English."
"Is it ever frustrating?"
Jess shrugged, "It has its ups and downs, but I love it all the same."
She grinned, "That's great. You're so lucky to have a job that you love."
"You don't think you'll love your job?"
She shook her head, "Oh no, I know I'll love it. But some people just aren't that fortunate."
"Yeah, we're the lucky ones." Jess said. Yeah, real lucky. Right.
An hour later they headed out of the restaurant together laughing and just having a good time overall. Jess was surprised that he had such a good time. He hadn't expected it.
But he didn't feel anything for her. Couldn't really.
On the way to the car Jules stopped him and turned, "Listen Jess. When I said I was forced into this date earlier I was telling the truth."
"I believe you." He said.
"Well, I didn't want to come tonight because I'm sort of seeing someone else." She bit her lip hoping he wasn't upset.
Jess smiled, "Don't worry about it, I'll live."
Jules looked relieved, "I really did have a great time tonight. Let's be friends!" She hooked her arm through his.
Jess laughed, "Okay."
"Did you drive your car here?" Jules asked looking around the parking lot.
"No, actually I walked. I only live about ten minutes away." He shrugged, "I like to walk."
Jules laughed, "I walked too!" She told him where she lived.
"I live right by there, I'll walk you home. We can stop at my apartment on the way there I can I can show you that movie collection I was talking about."
"Great!"
As they walked along their conversation was non stop. It was as if something had clicked, and they had known each other for years.
As they walked by Jess's apartment he said, "This is it." He gestured toward the brick building. "So do you like books?" Jess asked as they made their way into the building.
"Mmm, I read one every now and then. But I have never been much of a reader, I like movies better."
He pushed the button for the elevator, "Well I'm not surprised considering the way you went on and on about the Rocky movies throughout dinner." They entered the elevator when it opened.
"Those movies are absolutely excellent."
"Yeah, all ten million of them." Jess exaggerated but he laughed.
"Hey, there's not THAT many." She said as the elevator doors opened. "There's only . . ." She collided into Jess.
He had stopped dead in his tracks, actually he could barely breath.
"What are ya doing silly?" She asked rubbing her jaw which had come in contact with his shoulder.
Jess stared at her. She was sitting in front of his door with a coffee cup in her hand. A brief case was by her side. She slowly stood up and met his gaze.
"Jess . . ." Jules trailed off when she saw the woman down the hall. They were staring so intently at each other, she looked from one to the other. "Jess," She whispered, "I'll walk myself home."
That finally brought him back to earth, he turned to her. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine." She touched his hand, "Don't be a stranger, okay?"
Jess nodded, "Alright, see you later."
Jules went back down the elevator.
Jess walked slowly towards her, he stopped a foot from her.
"Hey Jess."
stumbling on reasons
Jess sat at the table nervously, waiting. He still couldn't believe he had actually agreed to do this.
He had never been on a blind date. He didn't really know what to expect.
But then again, he hadn't even been on a 'date' in three years. He thought about the last one he'd been on, it hadn't been very nice.
*Flashback*
Jess sat at the table, waiting. Where was she? She was supposed to be here ages ago, well a half an hour ago anyway. She was never late. Or hadn't been before . . .
A flustered Rory sat down on the chair across from him, "Sorry I'm late."
He sighed, "Where were you Rory?" He noticed the bags forming beneath her eyes, she hadn't gotten much sleep lately.
"I had to stay later then I expected." Rory said.
She was lying through her teeth, "No you didn't." He said quietly.
"Yes. I did." She shot back.
Jess looked down and ran his hands through his hair; then looked back up at her, "What's happening to us Rory?"
She only stared at him.
"We've always been honest with each other." He paused thinking of happier times. "Always."
She looked away, he could tell that she was thinking of something else. Or someone else?
The thought made him want to shrivel up and die. Was she really having an affair? He didn't have the courage to ask.
"I hate lying to you." She said finally.
Was he finally reaching her?
"Then why are you?" Jess reached across the table to take her hands. They were foreign and cold to him now.
She shook her head forcing back tears.
Now he was really frustrated, "Why do you keep closing yourself off to me like this?"
He watched a tear slipped down her cheek, she pulled her hands away to wipe it off.
"Did I do something wrong?" He was so afraid that he had hurt her in someway.
Her eyes widened in surprise, "Oh no Jess. You didn't do anything wrong. You never have." She looked away again, her mind else where.
"Then why do this Rory? Why?" He asked persistently. "You won't even let me touch you anymore." He whispered it.
'I just haven't been feeling very well." Rory said staring away from him.
He looked up sharply, "You haven't been feeling well for a month now."
A waiter came to their table but Jess brushed him off, "Give us a minute please."
"What's happening to us?" Jess asked when he left.
Rory only stared blankly at him and shook her head.
"Because I don't know Rory, I just don't know." He leaned towards her, "But I think you do."
She gazed at the table, "I don't know."
"I know you do Rory." He sighed and leaned back, "Things had been going so well. We were starting to make more money, we were even going to buy a better apartment and then . . ." Jess trailed off not wanting to finish his sentence.
"And then I broke down." Rory finished for him.
"Yeah, and then you broke down." Jess repeated her. For the third time that night he asked, "What's happening to us Rory?"
When again she didn't answer he left the table.
*Present*
A voice across from him tore Jess out of his reverie, "Are you Jess?"
Jess looked up to see a pair of emerald green eyes staring back at him, "Yeah." He stood up and offered his hand. "You must be Julie."
Her eyes sparkled, "That's me, but my friends call me Jules so you can too."
They sat down across from each other. She was beautiful. She had long honey colored hair, a few freckles were sprinkled across her nose and she had deep green eyes.
"I've never been on a blind date before." Jess confessed. "Never have liked to be set up."
Jules laughed, "Neither have I. To tell you the truth I was forced to come."
Jess smiled back, "I was too, in a way anyway. Mrs. Hanover is always trying to set me up, I finally gave in."
"Oh, dear old Mrs. Hanover. She's been the town matchmaker for as long as I can remember." Jules reminisced.
"You've lived here long?" Jess asked.
"My whole life." She answered, "But I've been away at medical school for the past six years. I come to visit as often as possible though."
"That's probably why we've never met. I moved here almost three years ago now." Jess said. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
"Where'd you live before?" She asked.
"Connecticut, in a small town." Jess didn't really feel like talking about his past but he knew it was going to happen at some point anyway. Maybe that's why he had never dated again.
"Once a small townie, always a small townie." She grinned.
"Yeah, I guess." He didn't mention that he had once lived in the city as a child. And with his wife..
The waitress came then and they ordered their drinks.
"So you want to be a doctor?" He asked.
"Yeah, I have my whole life." Her eyes brightened when she said this.
"What kind of doctor?"
"Definitely a pediatrician." Jules said. "I love kids."
We always wanted kids, Jess thought. And then inwardly kicked himself, don't think about that now! "That's great!" He forced out a smile, all of a sudden he didn't want be here.
"And you're a teacher, right?" Jules took a sip of her wine.
Jess nodded, "I teach English."
"Is it ever frustrating?"
Jess shrugged, "It has its ups and downs, but I love it all the same."
She grinned, "That's great. You're so lucky to have a job that you love."
"You don't think you'll love your job?"
She shook her head, "Oh no, I know I'll love it. But some people just aren't that fortunate."
"Yeah, we're the lucky ones." Jess said. Yeah, real lucky. Right.
An hour later they headed out of the restaurant together laughing and just having a good time overall. Jess was surprised that he had such a good time. He hadn't expected it.
But he didn't feel anything for her. Couldn't really.
On the way to the car Jules stopped him and turned, "Listen Jess. When I said I was forced into this date earlier I was telling the truth."
"I believe you." He said.
"Well, I didn't want to come tonight because I'm sort of seeing someone else." She bit her lip hoping he wasn't upset.
Jess smiled, "Don't worry about it, I'll live."
Jules looked relieved, "I really did have a great time tonight. Let's be friends!" She hooked her arm through his.
Jess laughed, "Okay."
"Did you drive your car here?" Jules asked looking around the parking lot.
"No, actually I walked. I only live about ten minutes away." He shrugged, "I like to walk."
Jules laughed, "I walked too!" She told him where she lived.
"I live right by there, I'll walk you home. We can stop at my apartment on the way there I can I can show you that movie collection I was talking about."
"Great!"
As they walked along their conversation was non stop. It was as if something had clicked, and they had known each other for years.
As they walked by Jess's apartment he said, "This is it." He gestured toward the brick building. "So do you like books?" Jess asked as they made their way into the building.
"Mmm, I read one every now and then. But I have never been much of a reader, I like movies better."
He pushed the button for the elevator, "Well I'm not surprised considering the way you went on and on about the Rocky movies throughout dinner." They entered the elevator when it opened.
"Those movies are absolutely excellent."
"Yeah, all ten million of them." Jess exaggerated but he laughed.
"Hey, there's not THAT many." She said as the elevator doors opened. "There's only . . ." She collided into Jess.
He had stopped dead in his tracks, actually he could barely breath.
"What are ya doing silly?" She asked rubbing her jaw which had come in contact with his shoulder.
Jess stared at her. She was sitting in front of his door with a coffee cup in her hand. A brief case was by her side. She slowly stood up and met his gaze.
"Jess . . ." Jules trailed off when she saw the woman down the hall. They were staring so intently at each other, she looked from one to the other. "Jess," She whispered, "I'll walk myself home."
That finally brought him back to earth, he turned to her. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine." She touched his hand, "Don't be a stranger, okay?"
Jess nodded, "Alright, see you later."
Jules went back down the elevator.
Jess walked slowly towards her, he stopped a foot from her.
"Hey Jess."
