INT. COFFEE SHOP - A SHORT WHILE LATER
RORY, SHANE, and GUS are sitting at a table. GUS sips a drink out of a children's cup and occupies himself with a stuffed animal. SHANE flips through Literati.
SHANE: (reading) I can't believe he wrote a book...this is amazing.
RORY: (happily) I know.
SHANE: I can't believe he wrote a book about us. Well, mostly you.
RORY: There's a large part devoted to you.
SHANE: (reading aloud from the book) Maggie rolled over to face me and stroked my chest. I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep. She begged me to make love to her again. I angrily rolled over and told her I was tired. She whined and I told her to leave if she was going to do that. I thought of Mary and how I had seen her earlier that day with Joe, kissing in Hollowtown center. My body hurt from jealousy; I could feel it in every inch of me. A wave of anger came over me. Before I could ask Maggie to leave, she slipped under the blanket and began to pleasure me. I closed my eyes and hoped I could ejaculate all my anger into her mouth and forget that Mary ever existed. When it was said and done, Maggie looked me in the eyes. "Don't leave me."
SHANE looks down with a small smile. Her and RORY make eye contact.
SHANE: (softly) I remember that.
RORY: The side of the story that you don't see is how jealous I was of you back then.
SHANE: You were jealous of me?
RORY: (smiles) You have no idea.
SHANE: So you did like him the whole time.
RORY: (nodding) Yeah...
SHANE: Were you guys...
RORY: He never cheated on you. Not with me anyway.
SHANE: I'm surprised.
She sighs and closes the book.
SHANE: I always knew he didn't really like me. I guess I just tried to convince myself that it was about more than sex. (shaking her head) It wasn't.
RORY: (quietly) I'm sorry.
SHANE: I really did like him, you know. I know he just used me to get to you. I guess it was the attention that I liked...he treated me awful, but he paid so much attention to me. He wasn't ashamed of me, he kissed me everywhere, always had his arm around me. He always made sure I was comfortable and got me everything I wanted. But it was all just to make you jealous.
There is a moment of silence.
SHANE: I always wondered what it would be like to be you. To have a guy fawn over you or pay you the attention that Jess did, even though he was getting all the sex he needed from me.
RORY looks at SHANE and tries to keep herself from crying.
SHANE (CON'T): Well, you guys got together. That's all that counts, right? As long as he's happy, and he's treating you right, then I'm glad everything happened the way it did. Besides, if I never met Jess I would have never met the guy who gave me him (gesturing towards GUS).
RORY: (smiles) He's beautiful.
SHANE: (watching him play with his toy) He's been a Godsend. Changed my life completely. Really made me think about what I was doing to myself.
There is a pause.
SHANE (CON'T): Anyway, I really should be going. Thank you so much for the book. Are you sure you don't need it?
RORY: Take it. I have tons of copies.
SHANE smiles. Her and RORY hug.
RORY: Again, I'm sorry...about everything.
SHANE: Don't be...but, me too. You take good care of Jess, okay? I wouldn't really know, but, he seems like a great guy.
RORY: (smiles) He is.
SHANE: (to GUS) Come on sweetie, it's time to go.
GUS: Tired...
SHANE: I know angel. Put on your jacket.
SHANE helps GUS put on his coat and reaches inside her purse. She pulls out some money.
RORY: Don't worry about it.
SHANE smiles. She puts on her jacket. Her and GUS leave.
CUT TO:
INT. LUKE'S APARTMENT KITCHEN - EARLY EVENING
LUKE and JESS are making dinner. LUKE stands at the stove and JESS stands off to the side chopping vegetables.
JESS: Saw Shane today.
LUKE stops to think for a moment. JESS brings the vegetables to the stove and dumps them into a pot.
JESS (CONT'D): (sitting down at the table) You walked in on us a few times. Blonde hair, nice figure.
LUKE: I remember who she is. So...you say hi?
JESS smirks and shakes his head.
JESS: No.
LUKE: What? Something happen? Was Rory there?
JESS: No.
LUKE: Oh. Had me worried for a minute.
JESS: She has a kid.
LUKE: (surprised) Wow. How old?
JESS: Looked about three.
LUKE is silent. He sits down at the table with JESS.
LUKE: Was there a guy with her?
JESS: Nope.
LUKE: Did you even talk to her?
JESS: Nope.
LUKE: I'm sure if there were any chance that it was yours that she would have contacted you.
JESS: How? I disappeared without a trace.
LUKE: Well did he resemble you at all?
JESS: Who?
LUKE: The kid. Did he, or she look anything like you?
JESS: Oh yeah, he had a book hanging out of his back pocket. Chip off the old block.
LUKE: You might wanna actually talk to Shane before you start jumping to conclusions. Relax.
JESS: If you saw Nicole with a kid who looked kinda like you and was about three, would you be able to relax?
LUKE: Point taken. But Jess, I'm a lot older than you. I have my own business. If I was in this situation I could handle it.
JESS: You're saying I can't handle it?
LUKE: No, I'm just saying it's a lot of responsibility, especially at your age.
JESS: Oh, flashback to health class.
LUKE: Wait, so he did look like you?
JESS: I don't know. He had dark hair.
LUKE: Not many people have naturally blonde hair.
JESS: Someone's been watching Bill Nye The Science Guy.
LUKE: Jess, this is serious. You'd have to get a job.
JESS: I have a job.
LUKE: A real job.
JESS: I have a real job.
LUKE: A steady job.
JESS: I hold my pen very steadily.
LUKE: A steady job that delivers a weekly paycheck. One they would take money out of and put directly in Shane's pocket.
JESS: Great. Maybe she can get those breast implants she's always wanted.
LUKE: Jess...
JESS: Personally, I think she has a great rack, but she was always a little self conscience.
LUKE: This is all a joke to you, isn't it? Do you find this funny?
JESS: Feel like I'm watching Chappelle's Show.
LUKE: Why do I even bother.
JESS: (angry) You think I'm not upset about this? How dare you say I think this is a joke! This is a kid, a real live kid that I would have to be responsible for the next fifteen years! Me and a girl who I don't even remotely like. I'd have to see her on holidays. For the rest of my life, all of my family albums and cell phone call lists would have Shane in them. Do you know how much that disgusts me?
LUKE: Look, I didn't mean it like that.
JESS: You know, with my luck, I probably am the father. I never wore a condom.
LUKE: I hope you're a little more careful with Rory.
JESS: And I actually thought we were getting back together this time. I'm an idiot.
There is a moment of silence.
JESS (CONT'D): This is just life's little way of saying, sorry Jess, do not pass Go, do not collect 200 dollars, you made a couple mistakes three years ago and you're going to be punished for them for the rest of your life. (to himself) What did I do to deserve this?
LUKE: You didn't do anything, sometimes these things just happen.
JESS: I hurt Rory.
JESS gets up and gets his jacket.
LUKE: Where are you going?
JESS: Out.
LUKE: Hey. You said you were gonna try to work on the communication thing. Now let's try this again. Where are you going?
JESS: (speaking slowly) I'm going out.
JESS leaves and slams the door behind him. LUKE throws his arms in the air, frustrated.