Chapter 2
His strong hands caressed Rory's barely dressed body assertively, while his lips trailed her skin. That pair of hands certainly knew what they were doing and where they were going, at least as long as neither really had time to think. It was for that reason, in part, why the pair of hands acted hastily, stripping the last pieces of clothing from her. Those hands were, no doubt, pressing the right buttons on her body as if playing an instrument one hadn't touched in a while, yet one that craved each stroke, caress and kiss, low withheld moans, almost desperate ones, acting as evidence of her need.
Rory pushed her head back, allowing his lips to devour her neck, knowing just the spot. She could already feel his arousal against her core, the heat radiating from it, the firmness - it was good to know she could still do that for him, having for a moment forgotten she could for anyone. It was a reminder that she hadn't lost her looks, her touch. She proved the latter by extending her arm out to stroke his erection, feeling him breathe hot air against her skin in gushes as she touched the most sensitive part.
The room was dark - but perhaps it was better that way, their desire driven by pure need for release, the comfort too but mostly the release. They were past roadmaps and guidance - and her body welcomed him eagerly, needing to feel something that no sex toy, which she had a couple of right there in her bedside drawer, behind her jewelry box, could offer her. Feeling him throb within her was the best feeling, it was for a moment filling that emptiness in her soul, the loneliness that she didn't openly dare to admit, thrust after thrust.
She was just on the verge of climax when she was woken by the sound of her phone buzzing, confusingly waking her from her allconsuming dream. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was breathing heavily, despite it having been just a dream.
There was a body sleeping next to her alright, but it certainly wasn't that belonging to a man. Em often climbed into bed with her in the mornings, often bringing a book, or sometimes the tablet and just hung out. Sometimes, like that morning, she'd fallen asleep next to her and the girl only peeked from under her eyelids as Rory's phone buzzed for the third time, having delayed answering it because she still couldn't make sense of the real world. Her body still ached for a touch, for release.
Rory turned to her side, and checked her phone.
"Jess?" she asked, picking up. Her confused tone really left not much of a secret of the fact that she'd been in bed.
"I'm outside," was his quick response, with a hint of annoyment.
"Oh, sh.., what time is it?" Rory reacted, glancing at the old Hello Kitty clock, in the shape of a coffee cup, that she used to have back at her childhood home, that now decorated her dresser, more so for nostalgic reasons than for its function. It was five past ten.
"Just past ten," Jess replied, forgivingly.
"We overslept, I'm sorry," Rory apologized, hastily getting up, urging Emily to do the same. Usually Em tended to be the perfect alarm clock, usually just getting hungry or bored, but Rory was certainly not going to blame a 4-year-old for not having set an alarm.
"Can I come and wait inside, at least?" Jess asked, hopefully.
"What?" Rory asked, having nearly missed his question, as the phone had slipped from her ear just by a little. "Right, sure, come in, of course," she fretted, and began to look for her robe. Facing him in the morning wouldn't be any easier because of the dream she'd just had, her skin still feeling a little sweaty from it, missing it's sweet release. There was that hint of sexual tension, mixed in with embarrassment.
"Come on, honey, daddy is downstairs, we need to get you ready," Rory said to her daughter, looking for her own fuzzy slippers under her bed.
Nothing got the little girl out of bed quicker than that five-letter word, and she dashed downstairs, Rory only calling after her, "Careful on the stairs!"
Rory went to the bathroom quickly, needing a minute before going downstairs. She didn't bother with a shower, and only pulled her hair back into a less messy ponytail, knowing getting Em out of the house quickly was a priority now. She still had about an hour after that for herself.
As she emerged from her room, heading over to Emily's room, she could already hear the two catching up downstairs, Em telling Jess about her week. This was the part she felt a little guilty about - she had Emily most of the week, while Jess usually took her on weekends and holidays. They hadn't needed a formal arrangement, thank god, and Jess travelled a lot, so she knew Em was better off staying with her most of the time. But she knew that Em missed Jess when he wasn't around, and Jess missed the girl too, she could tell. On top of that Rory was pretty sure Jess missed her too, the latter having made their recent fall back so dangerously easy.
Rory gathered up the basic items of clothing from Em's room down the hall. The room had vintage pink wood-panelling, with a black and white child-like wallpaper above it, rainbows, rain clouds, stars and for some reason also umbrellas, decorating it. It had been the latter that had drawn her to it but she'd never admitted that association to anyone. It symbolised, more than anything, her wish for Em to grow up feeling brave and truly living her life.
She took the clothes, the same dress the girl had worn yesterday, a pair of tights and a long sleeved t-shirt, and toothbrush, a dab of toothpaste already on it, downstairs, knowing this was the quickest way to have her get dressed. Neither of them was really a morning person.
"Hey, I'm sorry - my alarm clock dozed off with me," Rory apologized jokingly, trying to overcome feeling flushed at the sight of him, glimpses of her dream being brought right back into her mind.
"Hey," Jess in a deep husky tone. He was sitting on the couch, looking over a series of drawings Em had made, definitely taking the guest's role in the household, instead of helping to get breakfast started. Rory didn't know whether she should feel a little annoyed by that stance or not, but agreed in the end that she didn't really want him feeling at home here anymore.
Jess looked good - he always did. His hair was a little grown out, typical of him when he'd been busy, not having the time to go to the hairdresser according to him. But there was a certain something to the way his biceps barely fit into the sleeves of his t-shirt, his rough, slightly militaistic way of dressing, mixed with denim and leather, that brought out his masculinity, causing Rory to bite her lip for a moment when he wasn't looking. Even his tone still affected her. Rory knew she really shouldn't be thinking of him like that. After all, there was a reason why they weren't living in this house together anymore.
Rory handed the toothbrush to Em, and suggested she go brush her teeth in the downstairs bathroom, while she headed to the kitchen to make some breakfast.
She was almost annoyed by the fact that as Em hopped off to do as she'd been told, Jess followed her, and leaned against the doorway, watching her put on the coffee and take the quick route by putting a couple of Annie's pop tarts into the toaster. At least they were organic, even though Lorelai claimed these didn't taste the same.
"I'm going to Philly next week," Jess stated, filling Rory in on his general whereabouts like he always did.
"How's the new book coming along?" Rory asked, not really daring to look straight at him. They might not have been together anymore, but being in the same room with him was not as easy as it should've been. But she was genuinely curious.
"Bit more slowly than I would like, but it's okay, I guess. Been stuck with a bunch of paperwork for the store, it's painful," Jess explained. He'd moved to Stars Hollow - who would've thought? And he actually had built a very nice bookstore into the old Fire Station building, calling it the Apparatus Bay, but his work as an author, and occasion as an editor, as there was no way he would make a living solely on selling books, took him all over the East coast.
"Taylor giving you a hard time?" Rory inquired, barely holding back saying that she told him so. She took the pop tarts out of the toaster and burned her fingers slightly in the process. She tossed in two more, and then ran cold water over her fingers.
"Nothing I can't handle," Jess assured, tucking his hand in his pockets.
"Coffee?" Rory offered. It wasn't often she did that, usually not wanting the little time they spent around each other these days to remind too much of the past, both to the two of them and Em. She didn't want Em to start asking again when Jess would move back home. But she knew Em wasn't a quick eater, even on the best of mornings, and it'd just be outright impolite to not offer. Her late grandmother's school of manners ran deep, even in her, despite not having grown up with the woman.
Jess nodded in response. Rory was hesitant of this under the brow glance of his, that seemed to be observing her, not wanting him to think more of this than it was. It was a dangerous combination with their little lapse two weeks ago.
"Honey, did you finish brushing your teeth?" Rory asked loudly, hoping Em would hear her, switching out of that train of thought. "Breakfast is almost ready," she added, and poured the girl a glass of grape juice, her favourite.
A mumble came from around the corner, indicating what Em was doing. She was generally pretty easy to handle - she did what she was asked, and Rory truly kept up the same approach with her as her mother had done with her - treated her as an equal and didn't lie to her if she asked, but perhaps there was more of which she kept to herself than Lorelai had, not wanting to burden her.
Rory poured the coffee, and nodded in the direction of the cup on the counter for Jess to help himself. He didn't need to be told where to find the milk.
"Any big plans for the weekend?" Jess asked as he had got the milk from the fridge, and Rory followed him into the dining room, bringing Em's breakfast with him.
The girl was already sitting at the table - the end seat of the six-person dining table, the book she'd almost finished reading yesterday already open in front of her.
"Em, how about we put that book aside, you can finish it later," Rory said, and placed the breakfast on the table, only then realizing that her light robe had fallen open a little, her curves of her bare breast underneath her thin bamboo nightgown certainly being observable if one looked. She adjusted the belt on her robe, pulling it more tightly around her body, not daring to look at Jess to see if he noticed.
"So… any big plans?" Jess repeated his question.
"Nothing much, just have an appointment today," Rory replied, glancing at the time to check she still had time. "Might go grab some lunch later. And I have 'The Invisible Man' to reread for next week," Rory listed casually. Her job as the English teacher also involved rereading or at least skimming through everything she needed to cover in her classes. Most of it she enjoyed. She still found challenge in pulling apart the books which she hadn't read while she herself had been in the role of the students.
Roy took a large sip of coffee, savouring the rush of caffeine into her bloodstream, enjoying it audibly. She knew it didn't quite work like that but she could swear the ritual of the hot dark liquid pouring over her lips had a momentary effect.
"But giving drugs to a cat is no joke, Kemp," Jess cited H.G. Wells at that sound. Nobody drank coffee like the Gilmore girls did.
Rory cast a silent sideways glance, and continued to urge her daughter to finish her breakfast, the girl being once again pulled into her story book. All three of them had always had that, that was for sure.
Rory could only hope Jess had thought her appointment on a Saturday was something cooler than what it actually was. Even with him, she didn't want to seem like a loser, loner or worse - boring. With exes there was always a little bit of that competition - who was more successful on their own, unwilling to admit that perhaps some things had been better before, the physical - that she'd already failed to prove the opposite to him. Before they'd hooked up, she'd had a dry spell of two years, having since then focused all of her energy on her job and Em. It was embarrassing, to say the least. But she was picky.
For these reasons Rory was truly relieved to see Jess drive off with Em for two days, one and half, technically, twenty minutes later, leaving her just a short time to shower and get ready to head out herself. She could only hope the shower would help clear her head.
