Rudy Can't Fail #5

The door to the small bookshop opened and closed, and Jess didn't look up; never did.

"Lunch time!"

That made him look up. "Hey."

Nadia Henderson was a short girl of around twenty, with straight, light brown hair, highlighted by blond streaks. She wore a pair of khaki pants with a plain, black blouse. A black apron was tied around her hips, and she was carrying a large pizza box with both hands.

To most people, she was nice-looking. Perhaps a little on the plain side.

Jess thought a bit more than that of her.

She walked over, a smile plastered on her face. "I brought lunch."

"So you said."

"Don't I get a prize?"

Jess's mouth twisted into a mischievous grin.

Nadia bopped him on the top of the head with the box. "Evil man."

He shrugged. "On occasion." He turned to the Sci-Fi section as he got to his feet. "Collin! I'm taking my lunch break!"

"Okay!" a voice called.

Jess wrapped an arm around Nadia, and they walked back to the storage room to eat.

They'd just sat down when Jess's phone rang.

Nadia got to it first and snatched it up with a snicker. "Jess's phone! How may I service you?"

Jess shook his head. "You're sick, y'know that?"

"Uhh... Hi... is Jess there?"

Nadia smiled and avoided Jess when he tried to snatch the phone. "Who's speaking?"

"It's his uncle..."

"Oh! Hold on!" Nadia smiled and handed the phone to Jess. "It's your uncle."

Jess nodded and grabbed the phone. "Hi."

"Lorelai's getting weirder."

Jess smirked and slumped down. "Oh, yeah, huh?"

Nadia smirked and sat on the table pretzel style with a piece of pizza.

"She wants free coffee, and she's mad because she's been tipping me for ten years, without knowing she didn't have to," Luke explained.

"Well, now you're have sex. It's all better."

"Shut up. How're you?"

"I'm alright," Jess nodded. "On my lunch break... Nadia, stop rubbing it in that you're eating and I'm not."

She snickered.

"So guess what happened to me last night?" Luke asked.

"Lorelai pulled out the bullwhip?"

"I got conned into going on a double date with Dean and Rory."

Jess snickered.

"Not funny."

"Sure it is."

"It was awful," Luke told him.

"I bet."

"Lorelai kissed him on the cheek."

"Ew," Jess replied, obviously repulsed. "I hope she didn't catch anything."

"We went to JoJo's."

"JoJo's sucks."

"Yup."

"Why'd you go?"

"...Don't ask..."

"What else did you do?" Jess asked, grabbing a piece of pizza from the box. He blinked, obviously slightly confused when Nadia started making funny faces at him.

"We watched Pippi Longstalking."

"Aw, jeez. Rory made me watch that four times... in a row."

"I hate Dean," Luke said suddenly.

Jess leaned back with his pizza, and placed his foot on Nadia's lap.

She gave him a shoe wedgie.

He glared. "Yeah."

"He was all over Rory."

"Don't care."

"I hate Dean."

"Okay."

"I kicked his ass in Bop-It."

"Bop-It?"

"Bop-It."

"You freak."

"Dean's not good enough for her."

"I gotta go."

"He's a punk!"

"Bye, Luke."

"I just can't stand that kid."

Jess hung up.

Nadia watched him quizzically. "Hi."

He nodded.

"What was that?"

"A conversation I didn't wanna have," Jess replied. "You got napkins?" He asked, taking a bite out of his pizza.

She nodded and passed him one. "What did he say?"

"Just... stuff."

"Okay," Nadia smirked. "You remember last night?"

Jess blushed ever-so-slightly and turned his eyes to his food. "Somewhat."

"Well... you got really drunk, and told me all about Rory and Dean... and your uncle... and Lorelai... and a swan, randomly."

Jess sighed heavily. "Luke and Lorelai went out on a double date with Rory and Dean, and he was just... rambling."

Nadia frowned and slid off the table and into his lap, getting tomato sauce on his nose in the process.

"Hey!"

Nadia laughed.

"I did it again."

Lorelai blinked and looked up from her coffee. "What?"

"I did it again! I started... ranting about Dean...To Jess this time, of all people!"

Lorelai sighed.

"He hung up on me."

"What? Why?"

Luke sighed. "You don't get it, Lorelai, he's doing so much better. He's moved on, and he doesn't want to go back. Earlier on the phone? That was me dragging him back."

"Oh, Honey," Lorelai replied softly. "I'm sure he doesn't think that."

"No, I know the way he thinks," Luke muttered. "He doesn't like talking about Dean or Rory... or Dean and Rory... I gotta make it up to him somehow."

Lorelai blinked. "How?"

He gave her a look.

Lorelai stared back. "Uh-oh..."

"Well... y'know... we went on a double date with Rory and Dean..."

"Oh, no way," Lorelai snapped. "I am not going anywhere with your nephew."

"Hey!"

"Haven't we learned that double dates are bad?" Lorelai pleaded. "I mean... I shouldn't have even thought it... my last double date was with Max and Rory and Dean... and that went well up until I called off the wedding, and before that it was with Jackson's cousin Rune. That was horrible! This one? With Rory and Dean? Just as bad! And this is Jess we're talking about! I don't like Jess! He's grouchy, and he's sarcastic, and he broke Rory's heart."

"Don't even go there," Luke warned. "She messed him up pretty good, too."

"Fine! She did! Their whole relationship was a mess! And now things are weirder, and worse than ever, and you want me to go on a double date with Jess?"

"I sat through Pippi Longstalking... with Dean... I hate Dean."

Lorelai groaned. "I don't like Jess."

"Tomorrow night, meet me here and we'll drive down."

"Oh, my god," Lorelai moaned.

He leaned over and kissed her briefly. "Be here at six. Casual's good."

"Jess's pho-OW!"

"Nadia, right?"

She hopped on one foot. "Hi. I don't know who you are but I just stubbed my toe."

"It's Jess's uncle. Is here around?"

"Yup! Hold on!"

There was shuffling, and then Jess's voice spoke up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jess."

"Hi," Jess replied awkwardly.

"Listen... I'm really sorry about before," Luke told him.

"Whatever. I hate Dean too... personally, I woulda been happy if you'da beat him with the god-damned bop-it."

Luke laughed a little. "So..." he cleared his throat. "I was thinking..."

"Sign of the apocalypse," Jess muttered.

"Shut up," Luke snapped. "I was thinking... maybe we could all go out."

"We?"

"You, Nadia, Lorelai and I."

"I don't know, Luke..."

"Come on," Luke urged. "It'll be fun."

"Lorelai hates me."

"She does not."

"Luke..."

"Come on. Dinner."

Jess sighed. "Just dinner?"

"Just dinner."

Jess raked a hand through his hair. "When?"

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Lorelai grumbled as they walked into Sniffy's.

Luke sighed. "It won't be that bad." He led her into the restaurant and stopped.

Macey smiled and laughed. "I remember when this one was just a little scamp," she told Nadia. "He used to run around here naked at least once of week."

Jess groaned. "Must you?"

"Well, no one else is here to do it."

"Oh, I can jump in on this," Luke smirked, sauntering over.

"Jeez," Jess rolled his eyes.

Nadia smiled and nudged Jess playfully. "They're ganging up on you."

"I see," Jess muttered.

"There was this one time when Dad was working in the hardware store," Luke said. "And Liz and Jess were visiting, and Jess comes bounding down the stairs from the office, and he starts trying to help... he winds up with a pair of pliers caught in his hair."

The assembled group laughed and Nadia reached up and played with Jess's hair a little. "Poor baby."

Jess rolled his eyes. "I knew this was a bad idea."

"You kids have a seat," Buddy insisted. "We'll bring you some drinks."

"Thanks," Luke nodded. He turned to Jess and Nadia. "Hi."

Jess nodded. "Hi. It had to be Sniffy's?"

Luke smirked. "It had to be Sniffy's."

"Jack-ass," Jess muttered jokingly.

"Hi, Jess," Lorelai said, trying to be nice.

He nodded. "Lorelai."

Nadia tapped Jess on the shoulder.

He glanced at her, and then cleared his throat. "Lorelai, Luke; this is my girlfriend, Nadia. Nadia, this is Lorelai, and my Uncle Luke."

She smiled and shook both their hands. "Hi."

"Hi," Lorelai smiled. "So... wow... you're brave, dating Jess."

Nadia smirked and wrapped an arm around him. "He's not so tough."

Lorelai tried to hold her smile.

They stood out in the parking lot a couple of hours later.

"It's your turn to call me," Luke told Jess sternly.

Jess nodded. "Yeah, I will."

Luke shook his head and pulled Jess into a hug.

Nadia snickered, and Lorelai couldn't help but smile.

"I wish I had a camera," Lorelai quipped.

"Not a problem," Nadia replied. She pulled a disposable camera from her purse and snapped a shot. "I now have documented proof that Jess Mariano has the ability to hug another man."

Lorelai laughed. "Send me copies."

Jess pulled away from Luke and wrapped an arm around Nadia. "We're burning that camera."

"You wish."

Jess rolled his eyes.

"It was nice meeting you, Nadia," Luke said.

"You, too," Nadia nodded. "Bye, Lorelai."

"Bye," Lorelai waved, as they walked to their car. "You know," she muttered to Luke. "I kinda like her."

Luke smirked. "And Jess...?"

"Okay, now you're stretching it," Lorelai warned. "But Nadia's nice."

Luke nodded. "Yeah... I'm glad he found a nice girl."

Lorelai nodded a little back. "Rory was nice..."

"They're not right for each other," Luke told her. "Maybe they used to be, but..."

"I know," Lorelai interrupted. "Believe me, I know, I just... they seem so... easy together... and you seemed really easy with them..."

"So did you," Luke pointed out. "Hey, don't worry about Rory. She'll ditch Dean sooner or later."

Lorelai glared.

"...Or... work things out... whichever," Luke went on, trying to save himself. "Let's just go."

Lorelai nodded in agreement, and they got in the car.