Chapter Four: Coffee Hats
She woke up the next morning, tangled up with him under the bed sheets. She loved waking up like this. She smiled sleepily when it crossed her mind that she would wake up like this every day for the rest of her life.
She glanced at the clock, which read eight am, and smiled wider. She turned back to Jess, who was still fast asleep with an arm draped around her tightly.
"Jess," she whispered.
He stayed asleep.
"Jess... We're gonna go to Luke's today for breakfast," she kept whispering. "So I can get really, really good coffee, and we can tell him about the engagement."
"Hmmm..." He cuddled closer to her in his sleep and sighed.
She smiled and ran a finger down his nose. "Jess."
"Mmm," he grumbled. "Go back t' sleep..."
She smiled wider and sat up. "Wake up time."
"No."
She got up, and straightened out the baggy Tool t-shirt she was wearing that used to be his. She began to jump on the bed. "Come on!"
He groaned and rolled over. "God, you're so annoying sometimes."
"That's why you love me," she laughed, jumping a little higher.
"You're gonna bang your head on the ceiling," he told her, looking up at her blearily. "That'll wake Mrs. Bauman, and she'll come knocking on the door. And I'm naked, and you're wearing my t-shirt. So not only will she be angry that you woke her up, but she'll go into her lecture on how we're living in sin... again."
"Ah, but I can show her my shiny, new ring, and she'll be speechless," Rory replied. She jumped one last time and landed next to him on her bottom.
"Getting married does not make us already married," Jess pointed out. "Religiously speaking, we're still living in sin."
"Dirty."
He smirked and stretched a little, as she lay down and rested her head on his stomach. She lifted her hand up in the air to look at her ring affectionately.
"Mom said Grandma said it's too small."
Jess blinked, and looked under the covers at himself. "How the hell does she know?"
"Not that!" Rory cried with a laugh. "The ring, you dope."
"Ah," Jess nodded. "I see. Well, I'm sorry. I lost my millions at the slots last summer. But I'll get it back."
She smiled up at him. "Hey."
"Is for horses. What?"
"Why didn't you tell my family about your other job?"
"Which other job?"
"You're other job."
"Well, I didn't think my being a gigolo would go over too well."
She slapped his stomach lightly. "Still a jerk."
"I try."
"Why didn't you tell them?"
"It's just a magazine."
"That you write for," Rory added. "And it's not 'just a magazine.' It's Rolling Stone!"
He shrugged. "Didn't think they'd really have any high praise for it."
"Are you kidding?!" Rory asked. "My mother used to worship Rolling Stone! She still does on occasion when she thinks no one is looking."
"I'll tell them," Jess told her. "Or you can."
She rolled her eyes. "We're going to Luke's today."
He stared at her.
"We're gonna tell him we're getting married."
"No way," Jess replied. "No way in hell."
"Why?"
"He'll laugh."
"Because he'll be happy."
Jess sighed. "You go. I'm staying in bed."
"Jess!"
"I want to be dirty and naked all day."
"As appealing as that sounds... and believe me, it does, no. You're coming to Luke's with me. We're going to tell Luke we're getting married, thereby probably telling the whole town. Because it's Saturday morning. And everyone will be there."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
******
Rory dragged Jess into the diner and sat at the counter with a big smile on her face. Instead of sitting next to her, Jess, went into autopilot, grabbed an order pad and a pencil and began to help out.
Luke turned and gave her a surprised look. "Hey." He leaned over the counter gracelessly for a quick hug. "What're you guys doing here?" He watched Jess zoom past him behind the counter and pick up the coffee. On his way, he stole Luke's hat and put it on backwards, the way he'd seen Luke do a million times prior.
Luke glared.
Rory smiled. "I just wanted coffee."
"They do sell coffee in New York," Luke pointed out. "You know this, don't you?"
Jess came back around and poured Rory her coffee. Luke snatched the hat off of his nephew's head and put it back in place atop his own.
"She knows," Jess supplied. "She wanted your coffee. I think she might leave me for it."
"Coffee can't kiss," Rory stated.
"Coffee also can't give you pretty rings," Luke added, holding up Rory's hand. "What's this about?"
"We're getting married," Rory told him with a huge smile.
"What?"
"We're getting married," Jess repeated.
"Say that one more time."
"We're getting married," the couple chorused.
Luke looked from one to the other, and then promptly burst out laughing.
Jess glared.
Rory sighed. "You were right. I can't believe you were right."
"I'm gonna go grab Andrew's order," Jess said moodily and walked into the back.
"What's funny?" Miss Patty asked as she walked over to pay. She smiled. "Hello, Rory."
"Hi, Miss Patty," Rory replied.
Jess stalked out from the kitchen with a plate of food and Miss Patty watched him go.
"My, my," she said, giving him an once-over. "Rory, Rory, you are a lucky girl."
Rory smiled, and watched Jess put the plate of food down.
"Jess and Rory are playing a joke on me," Luke said, still snickering. "They're trying to convince me they're getting married."
Rory frowned, and Patty knew.
"Luke-"
Before the woman could continue, Jess whirled around.
"We are getting married."
"Really great, Jess," Luke smiled. "Best joke ever. Seriously."
Rory sighed.
"I think they're serious," Patty said.
The whole diner had stopped to listen.
Jess rolled his eyes and turned back around to take an order, and the diner resumed its normal level of chatter.
Lorelei rushed in and saw Jess and Rory and then rushed over to sit next to her daughter. "No wonder you didn't pick up at your apartment! You're here!"
Rory nodded. "That we are."
"Hey, Lorelei," Jess muttered, rushing back to the kitchen again.
"Hey, Son-in-law-to-be."
Luke blinked.
"Listen, your grandfather wants to help with the wedding," Lorelei said to Rory.
"Oh," she replied. "Well... I guess... I mean, he has good taste in flowers, so..."
"No, Sweets. No. He wants to pay... for the wedding."
Luke shook his head. "What wedding?"
"No, he can't do that," Rory said, ignoring Luke. "That would mean he gets a say in it. And Jess and I have plans. Big, masterful, evil wedding plans."
"What wedding?" Luke repeated.
"I know," Lorelei replied. "Just a heads up for when he offers, because he will."
"He'd better do it when Jess isn't around," Rory said worriedly. "He's really touchy about that kind of thing. He'll take it as an insult."
Lorelei sighed. "So warn Jess in advance." She smiled at Rory. "You have big, evil wedding plans?"
"Masterful ones."
"What wedding?!"
"My wedding!" Jess yelled as he stormed out from the back. "How many times do I have to repeat myself?! You are not that old! I am getting married! To Rory! Deal with it!" With that, he fled the diner, slamming the door behind him.
The entire diner fell silent.
Rory sighed and got up and walked out of the diner to find Jess leaning against a wall, lighting a cigarette.
"I thought you quit."
He sighed as he exhaled some smoke. "That was before Luke turned into an idiot."
"You should apologize."
He paused before speaking. "He was being an ass."
"Two asses don't make a right," Rory replied.
"Thank you."
******
"So... so it's not a joke," Luke said.
Lorelei shook her head. "No, Honey. They are, in fact, getting married. I'm pretty sure Rory dragged Jess all the way here for the specific purpose of telling you."
"Oh. Wow. I'm an ass," He commented matter-of-factly.
"Yup," she nodded. "And you raised one, too," she added, just as Jess and Rory walked back in.
Jess walked over to stand across from Luke with the counter in between them.
"Uh...sorry."
Luke nodded awkwardly. "Yeah... me, too."
"I'm getting married."
Luke nodded. "Yeah... uh... congratulations."
Jess nodded back. "Thanks."
Silence.
"Hey," Jess said.
"Yeah?"
He mumbled his next words. "Wanna be a groomsman, or... whatever?"
Luke blinked. "Sure."
"Good."
"Good."
"Good."
More silence.
"So..."
Jess cleared his throat. "Uh..."
"We're a couple of asses," Luke said.
Jess nodded. "Yup."
******
News of their engagement spread like wildfire around the town, and Sookie came bursting into the Dragonfly Inn, to find Lorelei and Rory chattering away about flowers and invitations.
"Married?!"
The girls looked up.
"Married?!" Sookie repeated, louder this time.
Rory smiled and nodded.
Sookie squealed and rushed over to hug her. "Oh! You're gonna get married! Popcorn is getting married!" She pulled away from Rory and smiled. "Can I cook?"
"You're offering?" Rory asked. "I mean, I was gonna ask-"
"I'm cooking. No worries. I got it covered. Anything you want."
Rory smiled.
She woke up the next morning, tangled up with him under the bed sheets. She loved waking up like this. She smiled sleepily when it crossed her mind that she would wake up like this every day for the rest of her life.
She glanced at the clock, which read eight am, and smiled wider. She turned back to Jess, who was still fast asleep with an arm draped around her tightly.
"Jess," she whispered.
He stayed asleep.
"Jess... We're gonna go to Luke's today for breakfast," she kept whispering. "So I can get really, really good coffee, and we can tell him about the engagement."
"Hmmm..." He cuddled closer to her in his sleep and sighed.
She smiled and ran a finger down his nose. "Jess."
"Mmm," he grumbled. "Go back t' sleep..."
She smiled wider and sat up. "Wake up time."
"No."
She got up, and straightened out the baggy Tool t-shirt she was wearing that used to be his. She began to jump on the bed. "Come on!"
He groaned and rolled over. "God, you're so annoying sometimes."
"That's why you love me," she laughed, jumping a little higher.
"You're gonna bang your head on the ceiling," he told her, looking up at her blearily. "That'll wake Mrs. Bauman, and she'll come knocking on the door. And I'm naked, and you're wearing my t-shirt. So not only will she be angry that you woke her up, but she'll go into her lecture on how we're living in sin... again."
"Ah, but I can show her my shiny, new ring, and she'll be speechless," Rory replied. She jumped one last time and landed next to him on her bottom.
"Getting married does not make us already married," Jess pointed out. "Religiously speaking, we're still living in sin."
"Dirty."
He smirked and stretched a little, as she lay down and rested her head on his stomach. She lifted her hand up in the air to look at her ring affectionately.
"Mom said Grandma said it's too small."
Jess blinked, and looked under the covers at himself. "How the hell does she know?"
"Not that!" Rory cried with a laugh. "The ring, you dope."
"Ah," Jess nodded. "I see. Well, I'm sorry. I lost my millions at the slots last summer. But I'll get it back."
She smiled up at him. "Hey."
"Is for horses. What?"
"Why didn't you tell my family about your other job?"
"Which other job?"
"You're other job."
"Well, I didn't think my being a gigolo would go over too well."
She slapped his stomach lightly. "Still a jerk."
"I try."
"Why didn't you tell them?"
"It's just a magazine."
"That you write for," Rory added. "And it's not 'just a magazine.' It's Rolling Stone!"
He shrugged. "Didn't think they'd really have any high praise for it."
"Are you kidding?!" Rory asked. "My mother used to worship Rolling Stone! She still does on occasion when she thinks no one is looking."
"I'll tell them," Jess told her. "Or you can."
She rolled her eyes. "We're going to Luke's today."
He stared at her.
"We're gonna tell him we're getting married."
"No way," Jess replied. "No way in hell."
"Why?"
"He'll laugh."
"Because he'll be happy."
Jess sighed. "You go. I'm staying in bed."
"Jess!"
"I want to be dirty and naked all day."
"As appealing as that sounds... and believe me, it does, no. You're coming to Luke's with me. We're going to tell Luke we're getting married, thereby probably telling the whole town. Because it's Saturday morning. And everyone will be there."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
******
Rory dragged Jess into the diner and sat at the counter with a big smile on her face. Instead of sitting next to her, Jess, went into autopilot, grabbed an order pad and a pencil and began to help out.
Luke turned and gave her a surprised look. "Hey." He leaned over the counter gracelessly for a quick hug. "What're you guys doing here?" He watched Jess zoom past him behind the counter and pick up the coffee. On his way, he stole Luke's hat and put it on backwards, the way he'd seen Luke do a million times prior.
Luke glared.
Rory smiled. "I just wanted coffee."
"They do sell coffee in New York," Luke pointed out. "You know this, don't you?"
Jess came back around and poured Rory her coffee. Luke snatched the hat off of his nephew's head and put it back in place atop his own.
"She knows," Jess supplied. "She wanted your coffee. I think she might leave me for it."
"Coffee can't kiss," Rory stated.
"Coffee also can't give you pretty rings," Luke added, holding up Rory's hand. "What's this about?"
"We're getting married," Rory told him with a huge smile.
"What?"
"We're getting married," Jess repeated.
"Say that one more time."
"We're getting married," the couple chorused.
Luke looked from one to the other, and then promptly burst out laughing.
Jess glared.
Rory sighed. "You were right. I can't believe you were right."
"I'm gonna go grab Andrew's order," Jess said moodily and walked into the back.
"What's funny?" Miss Patty asked as she walked over to pay. She smiled. "Hello, Rory."
"Hi, Miss Patty," Rory replied.
Jess stalked out from the kitchen with a plate of food and Miss Patty watched him go.
"My, my," she said, giving him an once-over. "Rory, Rory, you are a lucky girl."
Rory smiled, and watched Jess put the plate of food down.
"Jess and Rory are playing a joke on me," Luke said, still snickering. "They're trying to convince me they're getting married."
Rory frowned, and Patty knew.
"Luke-"
Before the woman could continue, Jess whirled around.
"We are getting married."
"Really great, Jess," Luke smiled. "Best joke ever. Seriously."
Rory sighed.
"I think they're serious," Patty said.
The whole diner had stopped to listen.
Jess rolled his eyes and turned back around to take an order, and the diner resumed its normal level of chatter.
Lorelei rushed in and saw Jess and Rory and then rushed over to sit next to her daughter. "No wonder you didn't pick up at your apartment! You're here!"
Rory nodded. "That we are."
"Hey, Lorelei," Jess muttered, rushing back to the kitchen again.
"Hey, Son-in-law-to-be."
Luke blinked.
"Listen, your grandfather wants to help with the wedding," Lorelei said to Rory.
"Oh," she replied. "Well... I guess... I mean, he has good taste in flowers, so..."
"No, Sweets. No. He wants to pay... for the wedding."
Luke shook his head. "What wedding?"
"No, he can't do that," Rory said, ignoring Luke. "That would mean he gets a say in it. And Jess and I have plans. Big, masterful, evil wedding plans."
"What wedding?" Luke repeated.
"I know," Lorelei replied. "Just a heads up for when he offers, because he will."
"He'd better do it when Jess isn't around," Rory said worriedly. "He's really touchy about that kind of thing. He'll take it as an insult."
Lorelei sighed. "So warn Jess in advance." She smiled at Rory. "You have big, evil wedding plans?"
"Masterful ones."
"What wedding?!"
"My wedding!" Jess yelled as he stormed out from the back. "How many times do I have to repeat myself?! You are not that old! I am getting married! To Rory! Deal with it!" With that, he fled the diner, slamming the door behind him.
The entire diner fell silent.
Rory sighed and got up and walked out of the diner to find Jess leaning against a wall, lighting a cigarette.
"I thought you quit."
He sighed as he exhaled some smoke. "That was before Luke turned into an idiot."
"You should apologize."
He paused before speaking. "He was being an ass."
"Two asses don't make a right," Rory replied.
"Thank you."
******
"So... so it's not a joke," Luke said.
Lorelei shook her head. "No, Honey. They are, in fact, getting married. I'm pretty sure Rory dragged Jess all the way here for the specific purpose of telling you."
"Oh. Wow. I'm an ass," He commented matter-of-factly.
"Yup," she nodded. "And you raised one, too," she added, just as Jess and Rory walked back in.
Jess walked over to stand across from Luke with the counter in between them.
"Uh...sorry."
Luke nodded awkwardly. "Yeah... me, too."
"I'm getting married."
Luke nodded. "Yeah... uh... congratulations."
Jess nodded back. "Thanks."
Silence.
"Hey," Jess said.
"Yeah?"
He mumbled his next words. "Wanna be a groomsman, or... whatever?"
Luke blinked. "Sure."
"Good."
"Good."
"Good."
More silence.
"So..."
Jess cleared his throat. "Uh..."
"We're a couple of asses," Luke said.
Jess nodded. "Yup."
******
News of their engagement spread like wildfire around the town, and Sookie came bursting into the Dragonfly Inn, to find Lorelei and Rory chattering away about flowers and invitations.
"Married?!"
The girls looked up.
"Married?!" Sookie repeated, louder this time.
Rory smiled and nodded.
Sookie squealed and rushed over to hug her. "Oh! You're gonna get married! Popcorn is getting married!" She pulled away from Rory and smiled. "Can I cook?"
"You're offering?" Rory asked. "I mean, I was gonna ask-"
"I'm cooking. No worries. I got it covered. Anything you want."
Rory smiled.