Jess sat on the couch and began dialling the number and then hung up. He tried several times.
"Want me to dial for you?" Rory offered.
"No. I just need a minute."
"Where's your Mom anyway?" Rory asked.
"Luke said the fair was just outside Sanford, Maine." Jess replied.
"That's what four hours away?" Rory guessed.
"Something like that."
"So don't call her." Rory replied.
"What?"
"How about we take a road trip?"
"Rory what are you talking about?" Jess asked.
"I have four days before I have to go back to Yale. What if we drove to Maine to see Liz? I've never been to a Renaissance fair so it should be fun. You can tell her in person."
"You want to drive to Maine."
"We drive there tomorrow, tell your Mom. Stay over night and then drive back and make a stop in Boston so I can tell my Dad."
"You want to go to Maine."
"They're our parents, maybe it would be better to tell them in person and this way we have less chance of chickening out."
"Lorelai is going to hate the idea."
"Probably. But I'm an adult and besides she and Luke can have the night to them selves and do whatever they want to and I don't want to know. Especially she's spent most of the last week at Luke's apartment anyway."
"You really want to drive to Maine?" Jess questioned.
"Why not?" Rory shrugged. "It'll be nice to get out of Stars Hallow for a few days."
"Town beginning to get to you?"
"Just paranoia." Rory replied. "So are you in?"
"Okay."
"I'll pick you up at 9."
"You can get up at 9?"
"We could make it 8." Rory offered.
"Nine is fine."
"We'll tell Mom and Luke in the morning and then run out the door."
"Very responsible."
GG
Lorelai hadn't questioned when Rory had offered to drive her car to the dinner the next morning. Rory had already put an overnight bag in the trunk.
"Mom can I talk to you upstairs?" Rory asked when they'd finished breakfast.
"You'd have to ask Luke." Lorelai pointed out.
"I want to talk to Luke too."
"Okay." Lorelai said before walking over to the counter. "Luke?"
"No more coffee." Luke said instantly.
"We'll get back to that in a minute, but first Rory wants to talk to us upstairs."
"I think Jess is still asleep." Luke replied.
"That doesn't matter."
"Cesar I'll be back in a minute, you're in charge."
Jess was sat on the bed reading when they all came through the door.
"And good morning to you all." Jess said.
"So what did you want to talk to us about?" Lorelai asked ignore Jess.
"Jess and I are going away for a few days." Rory told her mother.
"Excuse me? You go back to Yale in 4 days."
"I know. We'll be back tomorrow night." Rory explained.
"You're not eloping are you?" Luke asked. Lorelai glared at him.
"No!" Jess stated adamantly.
"Where exactly do you think you're going?" Lorelai asked.
"Maine." Rory replied.
"What's in Maine?" Lorelai was dumbfounded.
"Liz and the Renaissance Fair." Luke guessed.
"Rory thinks I should tell Liz in person so I don't chicken out." Jess confirmed.
"We're going to come back via Boston tomorrow so I can tell Dad." Rory paused. "Mom are you okay?"
"Do you have any money?" Lorelai asked Luke. Luke pulled his wallet out of his pocket and handed it to her. Lorelai pulled out fifty bucks and handed it to Rory. "For gas money. Call me when you get there, and before you go to bed and when you wake up and when you get to Boston and after you've spoken to Christopher."
"I promise Mom."
"If anything happens to her I'm blaming you." Lorelai told Jess.
"I guess that much."
TBC