The Gilmore-Grey Union
By Michael Weyer
POV: Paris
Having a job is something I'm still getting used to. Going from having Mom and Dad pay for everything to having to actually work for a living is a major comedown for me. So much focus on my studies and I didn't bother to find out if Daddy had been paying his taxes on time. So now while he and Mom prepare for a vacation to Club Fed, I've got to earn a living in order to keep college going.
I have to admit I'm enjoying working for Ms. Gilmore. She was always nice to me, even when I was something of a bitch in high school. She understands how dedicated I am and I do believe she's grateful that to achieve helped Rory succeed as well in school.
So I'm arriving at the Inn to check over some information for a big shindig she's hosting next week. Funny, I wasn't into the whole lifestyles and traditions of the blue bloods thing but I'm getting the hang of party planning. True, I'd much rather be running my own Fortune 500 company but even Martha Stewart had to start somewhere. I just won't make the mistake of being caught.
The desk is empty when I reach it so Michel is probably massacring both the French and English languages yelling at someone. I set my folder down and am ready to look for Lorelai when the phone rings. I pick it up and speak professionally. "Hello, Dragonfly Inn, may I help you?"
"Yes, is Lorelai in?" a familiar female voice comes on.
"Not at the moment. May I take a message?"
"Just tell her to call her mother as soon as possible. And when I say that, I do mean, as soon. As. Possible." She hangs up, leaving me a bit chilled at her tone.
I'm hanging the phone up when Lorelai walks in, her face tired. "Hey, Paris," she says to me absent-mindedly. "Sorry, had to…get something before I go back to Luke."
"Okay," I say, a bit thrown by her downbeat attitude. "By the way, your mother called."
She stops and looks at me. "What?"
"Your mother called. Just a minute ago. She wanted you to call back and she sounded mad."
Her fatigue disappears and is replaced by pure horror. "Oh, no," she whispers. "Oh, God. Oh holy celestial pantheon!"
"What's wrong?" I ask, worried if she's finally having a nervous breakdown. It's not like she doesn't have cause with what Rory's done and the inn and everything. Frankly, I'm amazed she's not drinking. My mom does and she doesn't have half the problems Lorelai does. Well, actually, she does now but she can't afford the booze. I wonder if they even give you booze in the slammer. It's a federal prison so maybe they do.
Wait a second, she just said something. "I'm sorry, what was that?"
"Rory got drunk and married a guy she met in a bar last night."
I'm stock still for a moment before the shriek escapes my lips. "She did WHAT!" Everything stops and stares at me but my gaze is focuses on Lorelai, who just nods. "Yep. And since I'm pretty sure that 'what happens here, stays here' thing only works in Vegas, we're going to have to deal with the fallout."
"Holy crap!" I yell. "I can't believe this!"
"Already drunk that kool-aid, kiddo," Lorelai sighs. She faces the desk and steels herself. "Okay…okay…I need to call her." She pauses and shakes her head. "I can't call her. I can't talk to my mother right now, I can't…."
"Breathe, breathe!" I quickly tell her, gripping her arms. "Listen, maybe you should go home and try to rest."
"No, I tried resting at Luke's, it didn't work. I need to be moving, I need to do something because if I sit down and let this impact me, I'm going to completely collapse." She runs her hands through her hair. "I can't believe she did this…This is so…so…"
"Stupid! How can she be so stupid! Like she wasn't throwing away her life before, she gets married to boot?" I wave my arms frantically. "She has no job, no income, no insurance, no college degree. I'm smarter than her and I'm having problems adjusting to actual work! How's she going to handle that and marriage too? She can't do this, she has to find a way out or she'll…she'll fall between the cracks, she'll be in a dead end job and ten years from now, we meet at the Chilton reunion and she'll be overweight and carrying a pair of kids under her arms who will be tearing their hair out and everyone will be pointing and going 'aww' when they're really thinking 'ha, ha, look who didn't reach her potential and turned into a big failure with her life.' We have to do something, we have to----"
"Paris!" Her word stops me in place and I take a huge breath. "Right…right…we gotta talk first before we handle this. So you want me to handle Rory or your mother?"
"Um…well…" She seems to be trying to figure something out. "Right now, I'll handle my mother. I wouldn't wish her mood right now on anyone. It's like being caned, after the first lashing, it doesn't sting as much."
"Okay, I'll get to Rory then." I turn and march to the desk phone. "Why don't you use the one in your office?"
"Paris…" I hear her calling but I'm already picking up and dialing. Someone has to put this girl on track and damn if I won't try. As the line rings, I steel myself. Okay, Paris. It's time to turn the bitch firmly to 'on.'