The Orange Soda Will Get You Every Time Pt. 4
Jess sighed as he walked into the dance studio. He hated dressing up, but Patty had ordered it, and so he wore a white dress shirt and black slacks.
He looked around but saw no one. "Hello?"
"Hi."
He turned to see Rory, her long hair framing her face, her forest green dress showing off her curves.
"Hi," Jess repeated, staring at her. "You're my blind date?"
She smiled. "That would be me."
He nodded. "Huh."
"I'm out of practice," She told him. "My translation is rusty. Was that an indifferent 'huh,' a disappointed 'huh' or a happy 'huh'?"
Jess smirked. "Somewhere in-between indifferent and happy."
Rory smiled. "I think that's a good sign."
He nodded and offered her an arm. "Shall we?"
Rory took it. "Surely."
"Why couldn't I go on the date?" Dan asked.
"Dates are for grown-ups, sweetie," Lorelai replied. "You'll see your Dad and Rory when they get home."
"If they get home," TJ muttered.
Dan looked distressed. "Why wouldn't they come home?!"
"They're coming home," Luke growled lightly, shooting TJ an annoyed look.
"When?" Dan asked.
"Soon, Angel," Liz reassured. "Don't you worry."
"Can I wait up for them?" Dan asked, looking up at his grandmother.
Three yes's and a no were given in response.
Luke shook his head. "He should go to bed."
"Come on Luke," Lorelai pleaded. "Don't make him go to bed. He's too cute for bed."
"Yeah," Liz nodded. She took Dan's face in her hands. "Look at this face."
Dan wrinkled his nose as his lips shmooshed together.
Luke rolled his eyes, just as the door opened.
"Hello?"
Luke looked over to see Dean and Lindsay walk in. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Lorelai invited us," Lindsay replied. She smiled at Dan and waved. "Hey."
"Hi," Dan waved back.
Dean held up the paper bag he held. "We brought stuff."
"What kinda stuff?" Liz asked, excitedly. "Illegal stuff?"
Dean blinked, and glanced back at Luke. "I no longer wonder why Jess turned out the way he did."
Luke nodded. "Now you know why I never held it against him."
Dean nodded back.
Lindsay smiled and took a Playstation out of the bag.
"VIDEO GAMES!" Dan cried, almost knocking over his bottle of orange soda as he hopped to his feet to rush over.
"....So the first date was a mess. He spilled wine all over himself and sneezed on my food."
"Gross," Jess replied.
Rory nodded as they were seated in the nice restaurant in Hartford. "So this date is much more successful."
"Sounds like it," Jess smirked. "My worst date... I couldn't find a sitter for Dan and I had to bring him with me."
"Oh, no."
Jess laughed a little. "He was three and this girl..." He shook his head. "She wanted..." He nodded.
Rory snickered.
"So she's hanging all over me, and Dan is confused as hell." He put his napkin in his lap. "And we walk her back to her place, and she invites me up, and Dan asks if we're going to play Candy Land."
"Candy Land?" Rory laughed.
Jess nodded. "Candy Land. So this girl says no, and she gets all mean, and she starts yelling at me. Y'know... why'd I have to bring Dan, where's his mom, what's my problem..."
Rory smiled. "Go on."
"So Dan is standing there," Jess continued. "And he doesn't like the way she's talking to me... and she's in these really high heels... gaudy, too... and Dan just kinda... kicks a heel out from under her."
They both laughed a little.
"HA! I WIN!"
Dean grumbled and threw down his game controller. "Jeez, TJ."
Liz snickered and wrapped an arm around TJ. "We don't even own a video game system... I don't know how he got so good."
"Sheer talent," TJ announced proudly.
"At least he's good at something," Luke muttered.
Dan listened from his spot lying curled up on the couch, eyes glazed over, staring at the television screen.
"Uh-oh," Lorelai commented. "Looks like somebody's ready to go to bed."
"No," Dan muttered. "No bed... not 'til Dad gets home..."
"So..."
She smiled as they reached the front walk of her mother's house. "So..."
"Guess this is it."
She nodded. "Guess so. I had a great time, Jess."
He smirked. "Me, too."
"We should do this again," She suggested.
He nodded. "We should."
"I don't have your phone number," Rory said with a smile.
"Ah, a true blind date," Jess mused jokingly.
She laughed lightly and reached into her purse, pulling out a business card.
He gave it a glance. "Lorelai Gilmore: Political Journalist."
"I've been doing a series of columns for Time."
"That's great," Jess nodded. "Sadly, I'm a little behind on that one... the only magazine that really makes its way into our house is MAD."
"Understandable," Rory smiled. She thought for a moment. "I don't even know what you're up to these days."
"I review books for The Times," Jess replied. "Jeez, what did we talk about all night?"
Rory looked up in thought. "Bad dates... Dan... whatever happened to good music... and... Ayn Rand."
Jess nodded. "So the usual."
"Just about."
They stood in silence.
He shifted a little. "So... end of the date... how much trouble would I be in if I kissed you goodnight?"
She blushed slightly. "I think you'd be in more trouble if you didn't."
He smiled and took a couple of steps closer. "Oh, yeah?"
She nodded as she slowly wrapped her arms around him. "Yeah."
And the world disappeared.
"Dad's home! Dad's home!" Dan shot up from the couch and out of the apartment, down the stairs to the diner, just as Jess was locking himself in for the night.
Dan collided with Jess's legs and stumbled back.
Jess turned and looked down. "It's eleven o'clock."
"I know," Dan replied guiltily.
"Bedtime is at eight," Jess said.
"I know but... you weren't home to tuck me in."
"You had other people ready to do it," Jess argued. "It's way too late for you to be up."
"He was half asleep, but he heard your car pull up and came running," Luke said, walking into the diner.
Jess nodded. "Figures."
"How was the date?" Luke asked.
"It went well," Jess replied.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." Jess lifted Dan and walked to the stairway. "Bedtime."
Dan pouted.
Luke shook his head.
Lorelai sat in Luke's bathroom with her cell phone to her ear. "So?"
"So, it went really well," Rory's voice replied. "He kissed me goodnight."
"Aaaaawwwww," Lorelai cooed. "Really?"
"Really," Rory said. She sighed. "I really like Jess. I gave him my number."
"Good call," Lorelai said. "Let him call you."
"We're both still here for another day," Rory reminded her mother. "I hope it's not... awkward or anything..."
"Jess!" Luke's voice cried from outside the bathroom. "I told you! He brushed his teeth already."
"Then why does his breath still smell like orange soda?" Jess knocked. "Jeez, Lorelai! Did you fall in or something? Hurry up!"
"Jess alert," Lorelai told Rory. "Gotta go." She clicked off the phone and opened the door. "Boys," she nodded as she walked past them.
"She didn't wash her hands!" Dan accused, looking shocked.
"She didn't use the potty," Jess replied, setting his son on the sink counter.
"Then why was she in the bathroom?"
Jess shrugged. "Don't know."
Dan tilted his head. "Where's Rory?"
"At Lorelai's house."
"Why didn't she come here?" Dan asked.
"Because she's staying at Lorelai's," Jess replied. He squirted toothpaste onto the Batman toothbrush and handed it to Dan, who gave his teeth a good scrub.
"Spit," Jess ordered, pointing to the sink.
Dan obeyed and Jess poured him a cup of water.
"Rinse."
Dan sipped the water, swished it in his mouth and then spit that out too. "Did you have fun?" Dan asked.
Jess nodded.
"Can I come next time?" Dan asked.
Jess shrugged. "If there's a next time to come to... we'll see."
"There's gonna be a next time," Dan said, a little distraught. "There is!"
Jess sighed. "Don't get worked up. It's bedtime."
Dan pouted.
Jess rolled his eyes. "Come on, you. Let's go say goodnight." He picked Dan up and carried him out to where Lorelai was now facing off against TJ on the Play Station. "Everybody say goodnight!"
Liz hopped up first and kissed Dan on the cheek. "G'night, Angel. Sweet dreams." She turned her attention to Jess. "You, too. Give mommy a kiss."
Jess stared blankly, and turned to put Dan to bed in the other room.
Dan waved to everyone else.