OK. I know the way I left things with Tristan in the last chapter wasn't the best, but he hasn't left yet. He's still going to be around for a while.
Chapter 3 The Diner Shindig
On the way to Luke's Rory and Logan did their usual bantering back and forth until they reached Star's Hollow.
When they were about to walk into LUKE'S, Lane came out, looking nervous. "Lane! Logan this is Lane! She's been my best friend for like, ever," Rory said happily.
Logan smiled at Lane. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said politely.
Lane quickly glanced back inside, and then turned to Rory. " I don't think you should go in there right now. Luke has already left," she said.
"Don't be silly," Rory laughed, as she pushed her way through the door. "I haven't had any LUKE'S coffee in three weeks. I'm feeling deprived."
She and Logan sat down at a table. Then, the waiter came over. "Can I take your order," he said in a bored voice. She knew that voice! Rory looked up.
"Jess!" she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"You two know each other?" Logan asked suspiciously.
"Um… we dated off and on for a while," Rory answered, carefully choosing her words.
This bothered Jess. "We were in love," he said in his most sarcastic voice ever, hoping it would conceal his true feelings.
"You left for some biker chick!" Rory exclaimed, trying to hold back her anger.
"So," Jess said, changing the subject. "I went to the market the other day. Heard you've broken up with bag boy for the last time. Tell me, how does it feel?"
"It feels like it's none of your business!" Rory yelled, storming off to the restroom.
Logan had been sitting here watching this whole shindig go down. Jess pulled up a chair, sat next to Logan, and started up a conversation. "So, are you the new boyfriend? Rory's never seemed the type to go for rich guys," he asked with a smirk.
"I'm just a friend actually," Logan replied.
"Oh," said Jess delighted. "Want to hear some stories that you'd never get Rory to admit to, so you'd have to hear them from someone else?" He said with a smile.
"No thanks, I'd rather not find out anything Rory obviously wouldn't want me to know," he answered, flashing a smile of his own.