Previously in "I am the Tower Around Which You Orbited: Saturday Morning Telecast"

I have some serious feelings for Rory and she hates it when Dean and I fight, but it can't be helped. As I made my way to the door, I thought about how much Rory would want me killed, considering what was happening already between us and I decided it would be best just to sit and read Vonnegut. Why? Because a) I can and b) I didn't want to upset Rory now. I didn't want to scare her away.

But what if I eventually do?

Chapter Three: Glass Slippers

I was wiping off a table at Luke's. The place was dead, with the exception of Kirk, who was arguing with Luke.

"I wanted mustard."

"You should've said that when you ordered Kirk."

"But I did."

"No, Kirk, you didn't. But if you want mustard, Jess'll get you mustard."

"I don't want mustard."

"Kirk…"

"Could I have a patty melt instead?"

"Fine Kirk, just shut up." Luke left and went in to the kitchen, I slung my rag over my shoulder and Kirk stared at his burger.

"Want me to get rid of that for you, Kirk?"

"No, but could you get me some mustard."

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that Kirk?"

"My mother tells me every day." I walked behind the counter to get some mustard for Kirk. The bell dinged and two girls walked in. I could tell they were girls from their laughs.

"Hey Jess."

"Hi there Rory. Lane." I nodded in Lane's general direction and she repeated the gesture in my general direction.

"Table for two?"

"We'll take the counter," Lane said quickly.

"Yeah, we'll take the counter." Rory smiled lightly at me and I simpered right back at her.

"Sorry to interrupt your perfect Fred/Wesley moment here, but I'm hungry, man." Lane looked over to Rory. "Do you know what you want?"

"Yeah, could I just have fries."

"You're serious?"

"If I eat anything else, the tofu's going to catch up to me. I'm assuming that Jess and Luke already spent hours cleaning off the counter; they don't want my vomit all over it."

"That's true, we wouldn't appreciate it all that much."

"Well, I'm starved, I'll have a cheeseburger, fries, extra salt, three brownies, and a donut."

"The donuts aren't fresh. And generally speaking, people don't eat donuts for lunch."

"Generally speaking, my mother forced Rory and I to eat our fill of spicy tofu salad, so anything is good for me."

"Coming right up," I said as I turned to go back into the kitchen.

"Hey, Luke, where's that patty melt?" Kirk yelled.

Luke was at the stove next to Caesar, avoiding Kirk at all costs. "I can't stand that kid."

"Order up, "I said, just to make Luke realize that I was there.

"I'm guessing Rory and Lane?"

"And two bellyfuls of tofu."

"Lovely. You may go and entertain."

"Oh, joy."

As I was walking out of the kitchen to sit with Rory and Lane, I caught a snippet of their conversation.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Lane, I don't know why, but I just feel right when I'm around him."

"But you've told Lorelai, right?"

"She doesn't like it, but she knows. Lane, its weird, but I just… I can't explain it."

"Then don't. I get it. You and Jess are an amazingly passionate couple, in case you haven't noticed. If you both want to kick it up a notch, then that's good for you. So, okay, I don't personally think that Jess is the best guy for you, but I can't argue with emotions, now can I?"

"Lane…"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for pretending that you don't hate him."

"No problem, Rory. I'm always here to lie to you."

I walked in and pulled the coffee pot out of coffeemaker, noticing that Kirk was gone, so Rory and Lane had every right to decide on that topic: they were the only ones in the entire place. As much as I wished Rory wouldn't tell Lane or Lorelai, they were her closest friends and they deserved to know. I was assuming that Rory had told Lorelai that she thought about sex (with me) before she told me that she was ready. It hurts a little bit, but I'm not sure why. Knowing that its Lane and Lorelai that do know, it won't be all over town and that Rory deserves to be able to talk to her friends, I guess it should've bothered me all that much.

But it did.

"Coffee, at least?" I asked, more directed to Rory than Lane considering Lane would be eating a lot more than she could.

"Coffee's always welcome." Rory looked at me. "Uhm, Jess, Mom and I were wondering if you'd like to come over tonight and watch a movie with us? I mean, its not like you have to, but the invitation has been extended to you, so if you want to, you're more than welcome to."

"Depends. What movie and what food?"

"Kill Bill. There will be some sort of pizza involved, along with marshmallows, various forms of chocolate, and assortments of fruity candies."

"Kill Bill?" Lane asked, surprised.

"It was Lorelai's idea. She wanted to watch something violent. We haven't gotten it yet, so I imagine she's going change her mind."

"Sure, why not?"

"This movie bit is an amazing segue to 'Where the hells' my food?'" Lane said suddenly.

Luke came rushing out of the kitchen with Lane and Rory's plates and I moved strategically out of his way.

"Rory, you're eating a surprisingly small amount."

"Tofu salad."

"Enough said." The four of us just kind of stood or sat there, eating or doing nothing. "So, Rory, are you and Jess doing something tonight?"

"I'm going over to her and Lorelai's to watch a movie."

"Great. Don't be back late."

Lane gobbled down her food quickly, and suddenly, her watch beeped, causing bother Rory and I to jump a little bit. "No… Rory, I have to go home."

"I'll pay."

"No, don't pay. I'll pay." She turned to me. "I'll pay."

"Lovely." Lane placed the money on the counter and bolted out of the diner, saying a quick good-bye to Rory.

"She's an astounding woman."

"Isn't she, though? Like super girl." Rory just sat there staring at her fries. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. I opened my mouth to say something about her confiding in Lane, but then I realized that that was the word missing before. Rory was just confiding in a friend.

Luke, who was putting Lane's money in the register, turned to me and said, "Caesar's in charge, I need to go out and get something. I'll only be gone a little while, so stay out of the apartment." He eyed me, and then grabbed his coat and left.

"What's it like back there? Behind the counter, I mean. 'cause I've been behind the counter but only to get upstairs."

"Come on back here."

"Really?"

"I don't care. Luke cares, I don't."

"Okay," she said, and pushed herself up from the seat and walked around to behind the counter. "Its very different back here."

"Its even more different when the place isn't deserted."

"I never knew this place could be deserted on a Saturday afternoon."

"Well, it can, and often is."

"It seems strange."

"Yeah." I looked over at her. She was leaning over the counter boredly. "Where is Lorelai, anyway?"

"She had to go help Sookie with something. Lane and I were just at the bookstore."

"Didn't buy anything did you?"

"No, we forgot money."

"Money generally helps when you're shopping."

"Yeah, it does." Turning to face me, she looked me right in the eye. She was trying to read something there, but I wasn't sure what. Her eyes were this perfect blue that reflected everything and yet were so deep you could never hit the bottom.

She smiled at me and, her little pink lips spread out just enough to make any crappy day feel better. She was almost perfect. Or maybe she was perfect. It was so close, but she was perfect to me.

I kissed her lightly on the forehead and she sighed deeply, happily. I kept kissing down her face until I reached her mouth, where she greeted my lips with her sickly sweet kiss, parted lips. I put my hands on her shoulders and she sunk down to the floor, and I followed her. She was perfect.

I sat on the floor, hardly disrupting the kiss and she sat in my lap. As we intensified, I moved my fingers down her sides and to the small of her back. She placed her arms around my neck as I fell backwards, still kissing her.

We rolled over, kissing still, so that I was on top of her. She kissed me gently, passionately, wanting more. I bit her lower lip lightly, and she didn't care. She let go of my neck and I moved my hands up her back to her braline.

Her leg moved up the side of mine, one of her hands stroking my hair, and the other on the side of my face, gingerly avoiding the black eye. She sat up slightly, still kissing me, until I pulled away from her mouth and made my way down her neck.

I slid my hands up the back of her shirt, feeling her warm skin on my hands, wanting to unhook it, but unable to do so while we lay there, half sitting, on the floor of Luke's diner, with Caesar in the back. But I wanted to, badly.

She wanted me to unhook it, badly. I could feel it in her body, the way she caught my tongue with hers, the way she pushed her chest up into mine.

"We're on the floor," I said, matter-of-factly.

"True."

"I can't when we're on the floor."

"I can't let you when we're on the floor."

"Then let's go upstairs."

"As much as I would love that, I should probably go."

"Don't," I pleaded. She stopped kissing me and pulled herself up. "Don't go."

"Jess…"

"Stay until Luke comes back at least." We looked at each other. Then she kissed me sweetly, holding on for as long as she could.

I pushed her hair out of her face, still holding that kiss, as she turned her head to match me. We fell back on to the floor, in the half-sitting position. I slid my hands up the back of her shirt and, without thinking, unhooked her bra.

She paused for a moment but resumed kissing me, even as her bra was falling off. I pulled her into me, my hands on her bare back underneath her shirt.

There we were on the floor: her, braless, me with my hands up her shirt. I knew not to go in the front of her shirt yet, and I did have some self-control.

The bell chimed as someone stepped inside. "Hello? Can I get some service here?"

Dean.

THE END of chapter three