Disclaimer: I own double nothing. I don't own the show and I don't own Trisha Yearwoord or the song that partially inspired this story. Well, I'm looking like a loser about now, aren't I?
A/N: Okay. Don't kill me. I'm not entirely sure that this story will be accepted with open arms, but I'm trying to heed James Dean's advice (ironic since he died so young) and live on the edge. Or was that Jess' advice? Hm, they tend to blend together for me. Anyway, my point was not the quoter, but that I'm going to try this. If it's horribly rejected I'll probably just can it, but ASP has truly opened doors for what is acceptable of Rory, and at least I'll do it with... taste? I can do that.
Now, to explain why I would even dip my toe into this pool, I do not -repeat do not- encourage this. ::Stern voice:: Kids, don't try this at home. Hehe, sorry. But anyway, I do have a friend who's sort of belly slammed into it and I myself have -shamefully- almost stepped my foot in.(But I stopped it before it actually developed/even happened, I'm just saying I understand how you can fall, or be temped to do it, in this fic's case, just plain fall. Although this is probably why I frowned so much on Rory in the season finale, so to make that better I'm going to do it anyway, isn't that sensible?) And I was listening to Trisha Yearwood when my relatives came up and it just struck my mind, "Hey, this would make a nice Lit fic." So here I am. Writing it. I'll probably run it by Erika first though. If she hates it you'll never see it anyway.::Waves at nobody:: Sorry.
So...yeah, like it if you will. ::regal voice:: I'm dedicating this story to Trisha Yearwood, for inspiring me, and my ex-manager Jared, for... well, also inspiring me. Without ya' two (who are absolutely not reading this anyway) I would never try my hand at this. Though I'm not sure if that's a compliment anyway.
I didn't know what to do with the prologue. I thought out a few ideas in my head, this is the one that came out. Plus I had to inform you all of what's going on. I think this chapter is going to be Rory's POV, but the rest of the story won't be, it'll just be general. If you haven't heard/read In Another's Eyes go listen to it/read the lyrics, even if you hate country, because it's good. Now I have to see what comes out in this story. And if this one's short don't worry, that's not a sign of chapters to come, that's just the prologue being difficult. Oh, and Rory never --I repeat NEVER-- slept with Dean.
===
I giggle a little and Jess stops kissing me and looks at me oddly. "What?"
"I was just thinking," I said.
"About a clown?"
"No, it's just funny because Sorority Boys is on right now and that is so not a romantic atmophere unless you consider seeing Barry Watson get a boner romantic."
He glanced back at the television and got a small smile as he saw the humor in it too. "Yeah, that's not exactly the stuff of romance novels, is it?"
I smiled. "No. Not even really cheap ones would go that far."
"How 'bout this?" He asked, scooping me up in his arms. "And then he gallantly carried her off the couch and to the bedroom where soft music was playing and he had a hard time not just tearing her shirt off her."
I laughed a little. "You've never read a romance novel, have you?"
"Gladly, no. Why, not quite the lonely housewife's dream?"
"No, not unless you mention that I'm a poor, lonely pregnant secretary and you're a handsome rich guy who has his choice of any woman in the world, but your male body parts won't quit--"
"I think I get it," he said, cutting me off.
I grinned. "You don't want to hear the rest of my dirty romance novel?"
"I'd rather act out the rest of it," he said.
"Do we have time?" I asked, looking at my watch.
He also looks at my watch. "Yeah, we should have about an hour, do you need more than that?" he asked teasingly.
I smile a small smile. "I guess it will have to suffice."
He nods slightly, thinking the same thoughts I am, understanding my double meaning.
"To the bed, handsome rich guy," I say, to break the silence.
He chuckled. "Come on, poor, lonely secretary."
"You forgot pregnant," I reminded him.
"But you're not pregnant," he pointed out.
"And you're not rich. Don't be picky."
"Sorry," he says mockingly as he uses his foot to close the door behind us.
I close the door to my apartment behind me and almost trip over the shoes in the floor before taking my own off and placing them beside his.
He greets me in the hall and smiles at seeing my face. "Hi, honey."
"Hi," I greet, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"How was Katrina?"
"Oh, freaking out over what to wear," I reply, rolling my eyes. "You'd think it was her first date or something."
He smiles and rolls his eyes. "Women."
"Yeah." I pause a moment, what I feel as an appropriate space of time before changing the subject. "Anyway, I'm really tired, I think I'm just gonna get a shower real quick and get to bed."
"It's only ten," he says.
"I know, but I had to get up really early and I haven't had coffee for hours because Katrina's coffee maker is broken and I was having withdrawls, it was bad."
"I'm surprised she lived to see the date."
"I was also very surprised, I think my self-control is getting better," I say, mentally noting the irony in that statement.
He nodded. "Okay, well, I'm gonna go finish reading this," he said, holding up a magazine," and then I'll join you."
I nod and lie. "I'll be waiting."
He smiles a slightly suggestive smile and goes toward his office. "I'll hurry."
I nod and smile a false smile, noting that I better take a quick shower.
It all started out innocent enough. It usually does. I had never intended to see Jess again, I thought he was in California. I don't know why I thought he would stay there forever, but I guess I did, because I was definitely not prepared to pull around to the drive-in window and see Jess telling me I owed him $11.73. Of course he wasn't looking at me when he said it, he was glancing behind him to see if my order was ready, then he was looking at the screen to see my amount again to make sure it was in fact $11.73. I guess when I didn't hand him the money he decided to look at me with raised eyebrows. He started to say something but saw it was me. He stood there and I stared, finally stumbling to get my money and hand it to him. Then I took the bag and left the window without a word, but I did look back in my rearview mirror despite telling myself not to.
I had thought that I would just avoid that place for the rest of my life. Somewhere else in New York had to have good food.
Of course I couldn't avoid the place forever, it was my boyfriend's favorite place in the city. I can't even tell you how awkward the second meeting was. That's because Michael, my boyfriend, was with me. Yeah. Awkward. We went inside this time, despite my trying to convince him to go for Chinese. We went to order and of course Jess was the one up there that day. I read his nametag to avoid his face. Jess. Manager. So that's why his shirt's a different color than everyone else's, I thought. Michael ordered, not even noticing my awkwardness, then told me it was my turn and jokingly told Jess I'd probably order the whole menu. I just said I'd have whatever he ordered although I wasn't paying attention to what he ordered. I didn't care. I just didn't want to stand there and decide between number five and number three while Jess' eyes were watching me intently.
"You want a fish sandwich with a side of cole slaw and potato wedges?" Jess had asked skeptically.
"Oh. No," I replied. "Um, just give me the number five with mashed potatoes and gravy," I said, pushing my hair behind my ear. I had never felt so awkward.
He nodded and pushed some buttons and I felt myself watching his hands for no particular reason. "Coffee?" he asked.
"You serve coffee?" I asked brightly. That had never been on the menu before.
"We have some in the back," he said, nodding. "I'll get you some."
I smiled slightly and refused to look him in the eyes. "Thanks."
"No problem," he replied, his voice surprisingly friendly.
I had to look at him. I couldn't understand why he sounded friendly.
That was how it all started. He didn't seem awkward, so I felt silly for feeling awkward and immediately stopped. Then I was back to eating there all the time again. I even caught myself not willing to go there if I didn't look nice, but I convinced myself that had nothing to do with Jess. I had a boyfriend. A wonderful boyfriend. I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend. I just wanted to look nice when I went out to eat.
Before long I knew which car was his and if that black car wasn't there I didn't even stop. I went for pizza or Chinese. Soon I would go in there for lunch and he'd take his lunch break at the same time so we could eat together. It was nice to be friends again.
But then one day before I went in for my normal lunch as I opened the door and saw a woman lean over the counter and give him a kiss, I heard her say she'd see him at home and then she headed in my direction to leave. I turned on my heel and ran out before he could see me, not understanding -or at least not admitting that I understood- why it upset me. But it did. Then and there I vowed that those romantic feelings (that I wouldn't admit to having anyway) had to go. They were gone. Within minutes. That was my story.
I didn't go in for about a month after that happened. I didn't want to. Or I did, but I didn't want to want to, if that made any sense. But I did miss the food. So one day when I didn't see his car I decided to go in and grab something real quick. What I didn't realize was that it was the top of the shifts. People were changing drawers and Manager Jess was on duty in place of the Cameron Manheim look-alike. Great, I thought.
"Hey, we've missed your patronage," Jess replied lightly as he put his headphones thingies on.
"I've been busy," I replied succinctly before going on casually. "I'll take a number three with green beans and mashed potatoes and gravy and an extra side of macaroni and cheese, please."
He frowned. "Something wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Okay," he replied, unconvinced.
"Pepsi to drink," I added.
He glanced up at me from the buttons he was pushing. "Okay, so a number three with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, macaroni and cheese and Pepsi. Would you like that chicken extra spicy to melt that cold shoulder?"
"I have no cold shoulder," I said.
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Is that all?"
"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend," I blurted at seeing that he wasn't going to pursue conversation any farther.
He raised his eyebrows at me. "You didn't ask."
"Well, I know, but you could have told me. Then I wouldn't have been so surprised to see some strange woman kissing you."
"Joan is far from strange and I find this funny coming from you, because you brought your boyfriend in here and rubbed him in my face."
"I did not, we were just having dinner."
"And my girlfriend was just giving me a kiss goodbye. I didn't avoid you when you brought him in, and I didn't say you had to run out of the restaurant, you just did that. So don't blame me because you haven't talked to me for a month."
I just stood there with my arms crossed, feeling stubborn, but not sure if I was right. He had a point. "Why was it rubbing it in your face, anyway?" I asked.
"Don't change the subject."
"I'm not, that's completely on topic," I said.
"You know why," he said boldly, looking me in the eye.
I had to look away. Yes. I did know why.
That concluded the cold shoulder period. After that we continued doing the innocent things, sometimes we'd go to the movies, a few times he even took my hand, and we both insisted it was strictly innocent. Holding hands was no big deal. Friends could do that.
But then one day when I went over to borrow a CD he wanted to loan me we did something that friends don't do. We kissed.
It was sort of sudden, to be honest. We were standing there, I had the CD in my hand and we were in his room. We kind of stood there a bit awkwardly at first, neither of us willing to admit why it was awkward. He broke it by leaning over to point out the track number of the song he wanted me to hear.
"Number three," he said, pointing to the case.
I nodded and looked up, noticing how close his face was. I glanced at his lips and that was all it took. We kissed. I'm not even entirely sure who initiated it, but we kissed. Before long I found myself on his bed, and we were still kissing. Just then my brain started back up and told me to stop, told me to drop the CD and run and never ever look back. But I didn't. I didn't even want to, so I ignored it, knowing that later I would pay for it in guilt. Knowing even then that it was a mistake. But it didn't feel like a mistake. It felt wonderful.
But then the phone rang. It knocked us ot of our selfish little bubble and he clumsily grabbed the phone. "Hello?"
I stayed there under him, my mind racing a million miles a minute.
"Oh... hey."
It was her. I could tell by his tone. He got nervous.
"Nothing," he said, sitting up. "Oh... early? How early?" I saw his eyes widen a little. "Oh. Um, I'm gonna go then, I'll see you in a couple minutes."
"Who was that?" I asked, even though I already knew.
He looked down at me and climbed off the bed, then he just stood there, not really knowing what to do. "Joan. She's on her way home."
I nodded. "I'll go."
"Rory..." He caught my arm.
Without thinking I reached over and gave him a kiss, almost a reassuring kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow," I said, taking the CD and with a small smile, leaving.
That was how it started. And as of yet, it hasn't ended. I know it's wrong, Katrina keeps telling me that, but I can't seem to listen. For once in my life, I feel like I have no control. And for once in my life, I don't really want control.
===
A/N: Okay, I ran it by my beta ::hugs Erika:: and she liked it, so I posted it, but now I need you guys to tell me what you think, so is it horrible? Should I completely trash it? Or should I continue? Because I do have a general plot for it. So... review please, I would love to hear what you think! Good or bad, really. And I think I am going to do the rest of the story in Rory's POV, do you think that would be okay?
A/N: Okay. Don't kill me. I'm not entirely sure that this story will be accepted with open arms, but I'm trying to heed James Dean's advice (ironic since he died so young) and live on the edge. Or was that Jess' advice? Hm, they tend to blend together for me. Anyway, my point was not the quoter, but that I'm going to try this. If it's horribly rejected I'll probably just can it, but ASP has truly opened doors for what is acceptable of Rory, and at least I'll do it with... taste? I can do that.
Now, to explain why I would even dip my toe into this pool, I do not -repeat do not- encourage this. ::Stern voice:: Kids, don't try this at home. Hehe, sorry. But anyway, I do have a friend who's sort of belly slammed into it and I myself have -shamefully- almost stepped my foot in.(But I stopped it before it actually developed/even happened, I'm just saying I understand how you can fall, or be temped to do it, in this fic's case, just plain fall. Although this is probably why I frowned so much on Rory in the season finale, so to make that better I'm going to do it anyway, isn't that sensible?) And I was listening to Trisha Yearwood when my relatives came up and it just struck my mind, "Hey, this would make a nice Lit fic." So here I am. Writing it. I'll probably run it by Erika first though. If she hates it you'll never see it anyway.::Waves at nobody:: Sorry.
So...yeah, like it if you will. ::regal voice:: I'm dedicating this story to Trisha Yearwood, for inspiring me, and my ex-manager Jared, for... well, also inspiring me. Without ya' two (who are absolutely not reading this anyway) I would never try my hand at this. Though I'm not sure if that's a compliment anyway.
I didn't know what to do with the prologue. I thought out a few ideas in my head, this is the one that came out. Plus I had to inform you all of what's going on. I think this chapter is going to be Rory's POV, but the rest of the story won't be, it'll just be general. If you haven't heard/read In Another's Eyes go listen to it/read the lyrics, even if you hate country, because it's good. Now I have to see what comes out in this story. And if this one's short don't worry, that's not a sign of chapters to come, that's just the prologue being difficult. Oh, and Rory never --I repeat NEVER-- slept with Dean.
===
I giggle a little and Jess stops kissing me and looks at me oddly. "What?"
"I was just thinking," I said.
"About a clown?"
"No, it's just funny because Sorority Boys is on right now and that is so not a romantic atmophere unless you consider seeing Barry Watson get a boner romantic."
He glanced back at the television and got a small smile as he saw the humor in it too. "Yeah, that's not exactly the stuff of romance novels, is it?"
I smiled. "No. Not even really cheap ones would go that far."
"How 'bout this?" He asked, scooping me up in his arms. "And then he gallantly carried her off the couch and to the bedroom where soft music was playing and he had a hard time not just tearing her shirt off her."
I laughed a little. "You've never read a romance novel, have you?"
"Gladly, no. Why, not quite the lonely housewife's dream?"
"No, not unless you mention that I'm a poor, lonely pregnant secretary and you're a handsome rich guy who has his choice of any woman in the world, but your male body parts won't quit--"
"I think I get it," he said, cutting me off.
I grinned. "You don't want to hear the rest of my dirty romance novel?"
"I'd rather act out the rest of it," he said.
"Do we have time?" I asked, looking at my watch.
He also looks at my watch. "Yeah, we should have about an hour, do you need more than that?" he asked teasingly.
I smile a small smile. "I guess it will have to suffice."
He nods slightly, thinking the same thoughts I am, understanding my double meaning.
"To the bed, handsome rich guy," I say, to break the silence.
He chuckled. "Come on, poor, lonely secretary."
"You forgot pregnant," I reminded him.
"But you're not pregnant," he pointed out.
"And you're not rich. Don't be picky."
"Sorry," he says mockingly as he uses his foot to close the door behind us.
I close the door to my apartment behind me and almost trip over the shoes in the floor before taking my own off and placing them beside his.
He greets me in the hall and smiles at seeing my face. "Hi, honey."
"Hi," I greet, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"How was Katrina?"
"Oh, freaking out over what to wear," I reply, rolling my eyes. "You'd think it was her first date or something."
He smiles and rolls his eyes. "Women."
"Yeah." I pause a moment, what I feel as an appropriate space of time before changing the subject. "Anyway, I'm really tired, I think I'm just gonna get a shower real quick and get to bed."
"It's only ten," he says.
"I know, but I had to get up really early and I haven't had coffee for hours because Katrina's coffee maker is broken and I was having withdrawls, it was bad."
"I'm surprised she lived to see the date."
"I was also very surprised, I think my self-control is getting better," I say, mentally noting the irony in that statement.
He nodded. "Okay, well, I'm gonna go finish reading this," he said, holding up a magazine," and then I'll join you."
I nod and lie. "I'll be waiting."
He smiles a slightly suggestive smile and goes toward his office. "I'll hurry."
I nod and smile a false smile, noting that I better take a quick shower.
It all started out innocent enough. It usually does. I had never intended to see Jess again, I thought he was in California. I don't know why I thought he would stay there forever, but I guess I did, because I was definitely not prepared to pull around to the drive-in window and see Jess telling me I owed him $11.73. Of course he wasn't looking at me when he said it, he was glancing behind him to see if my order was ready, then he was looking at the screen to see my amount again to make sure it was in fact $11.73. I guess when I didn't hand him the money he decided to look at me with raised eyebrows. He started to say something but saw it was me. He stood there and I stared, finally stumbling to get my money and hand it to him. Then I took the bag and left the window without a word, but I did look back in my rearview mirror despite telling myself not to.
I had thought that I would just avoid that place for the rest of my life. Somewhere else in New York had to have good food.
Of course I couldn't avoid the place forever, it was my boyfriend's favorite place in the city. I can't even tell you how awkward the second meeting was. That's because Michael, my boyfriend, was with me. Yeah. Awkward. We went inside this time, despite my trying to convince him to go for Chinese. We went to order and of course Jess was the one up there that day. I read his nametag to avoid his face. Jess. Manager. So that's why his shirt's a different color than everyone else's, I thought. Michael ordered, not even noticing my awkwardness, then told me it was my turn and jokingly told Jess I'd probably order the whole menu. I just said I'd have whatever he ordered although I wasn't paying attention to what he ordered. I didn't care. I just didn't want to stand there and decide between number five and number three while Jess' eyes were watching me intently.
"You want a fish sandwich with a side of cole slaw and potato wedges?" Jess had asked skeptically.
"Oh. No," I replied. "Um, just give me the number five with mashed potatoes and gravy," I said, pushing my hair behind my ear. I had never felt so awkward.
He nodded and pushed some buttons and I felt myself watching his hands for no particular reason. "Coffee?" he asked.
"You serve coffee?" I asked brightly. That had never been on the menu before.
"We have some in the back," he said, nodding. "I'll get you some."
I smiled slightly and refused to look him in the eyes. "Thanks."
"No problem," he replied, his voice surprisingly friendly.
I had to look at him. I couldn't understand why he sounded friendly.
That was how it all started. He didn't seem awkward, so I felt silly for feeling awkward and immediately stopped. Then I was back to eating there all the time again. I even caught myself not willing to go there if I didn't look nice, but I convinced myself that had nothing to do with Jess. I had a boyfriend. A wonderful boyfriend. I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend. I just wanted to look nice when I went out to eat.
Before long I knew which car was his and if that black car wasn't there I didn't even stop. I went for pizza or Chinese. Soon I would go in there for lunch and he'd take his lunch break at the same time so we could eat together. It was nice to be friends again.
But then one day before I went in for my normal lunch as I opened the door and saw a woman lean over the counter and give him a kiss, I heard her say she'd see him at home and then she headed in my direction to leave. I turned on my heel and ran out before he could see me, not understanding -or at least not admitting that I understood- why it upset me. But it did. Then and there I vowed that those romantic feelings (that I wouldn't admit to having anyway) had to go. They were gone. Within minutes. That was my story.
I didn't go in for about a month after that happened. I didn't want to. Or I did, but I didn't want to want to, if that made any sense. But I did miss the food. So one day when I didn't see his car I decided to go in and grab something real quick. What I didn't realize was that it was the top of the shifts. People were changing drawers and Manager Jess was on duty in place of the Cameron Manheim look-alike. Great, I thought.
"Hey, we've missed your patronage," Jess replied lightly as he put his headphones thingies on.
"I've been busy," I replied succinctly before going on casually. "I'll take a number three with green beans and mashed potatoes and gravy and an extra side of macaroni and cheese, please."
He frowned. "Something wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Okay," he replied, unconvinced.
"Pepsi to drink," I added.
He glanced up at me from the buttons he was pushing. "Okay, so a number three with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, macaroni and cheese and Pepsi. Would you like that chicken extra spicy to melt that cold shoulder?"
"I have no cold shoulder," I said.
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Is that all?"
"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend," I blurted at seeing that he wasn't going to pursue conversation any farther.
He raised his eyebrows at me. "You didn't ask."
"Well, I know, but you could have told me. Then I wouldn't have been so surprised to see some strange woman kissing you."
"Joan is far from strange and I find this funny coming from you, because you brought your boyfriend in here and rubbed him in my face."
"I did not, we were just having dinner."
"And my girlfriend was just giving me a kiss goodbye. I didn't avoid you when you brought him in, and I didn't say you had to run out of the restaurant, you just did that. So don't blame me because you haven't talked to me for a month."
I just stood there with my arms crossed, feeling stubborn, but not sure if I was right. He had a point. "Why was it rubbing it in your face, anyway?" I asked.
"Don't change the subject."
"I'm not, that's completely on topic," I said.
"You know why," he said boldly, looking me in the eye.
I had to look away. Yes. I did know why.
That concluded the cold shoulder period. After that we continued doing the innocent things, sometimes we'd go to the movies, a few times he even took my hand, and we both insisted it was strictly innocent. Holding hands was no big deal. Friends could do that.
But then one day when I went over to borrow a CD he wanted to loan me we did something that friends don't do. We kissed.
It was sort of sudden, to be honest. We were standing there, I had the CD in my hand and we were in his room. We kind of stood there a bit awkwardly at first, neither of us willing to admit why it was awkward. He broke it by leaning over to point out the track number of the song he wanted me to hear.
"Number three," he said, pointing to the case.
I nodded and looked up, noticing how close his face was. I glanced at his lips and that was all it took. We kissed. I'm not even entirely sure who initiated it, but we kissed. Before long I found myself on his bed, and we were still kissing. Just then my brain started back up and told me to stop, told me to drop the CD and run and never ever look back. But I didn't. I didn't even want to, so I ignored it, knowing that later I would pay for it in guilt. Knowing even then that it was a mistake. But it didn't feel like a mistake. It felt wonderful.
But then the phone rang. It knocked us ot of our selfish little bubble and he clumsily grabbed the phone. "Hello?"
I stayed there under him, my mind racing a million miles a minute.
"Oh... hey."
It was her. I could tell by his tone. He got nervous.
"Nothing," he said, sitting up. "Oh... early? How early?" I saw his eyes widen a little. "Oh. Um, I'm gonna go then, I'll see you in a couple minutes."
"Who was that?" I asked, even though I already knew.
He looked down at me and climbed off the bed, then he just stood there, not really knowing what to do. "Joan. She's on her way home."
I nodded. "I'll go."
"Rory..." He caught my arm.
Without thinking I reached over and gave him a kiss, almost a reassuring kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow," I said, taking the CD and with a small smile, leaving.
That was how it started. And as of yet, it hasn't ended. I know it's wrong, Katrina keeps telling me that, but I can't seem to listen. For once in my life, I feel like I have no control. And for once in my life, I don't really want control.
===
A/N: Okay, I ran it by my beta ::hugs Erika:: and she liked it, so I posted it, but now I need you guys to tell me what you think, so is it horrible? Should I completely trash it? Or should I continue? Because I do have a general plot for it. So... review please, I would love to hear what you think! Good or bad, really. And I think I am going to do the rest of the story in Rory's POV, do you think that would be okay?