Chapter 4
A woman in an obviously expensive burgundy-red shirt suit with matching boots and hair color entered Luke's diner around 10:30 in the morning. She observed that it was fairly empty as she scanned the room and sat down at a nice table in the center of the room.
She opened a large black leather portfolio and began flipping through papers, before pulling a large pad of paper with several things already written on it out. She tapped a pen impatiently on the pad in waiting, checking her imitation diamond watch several times.
"Can I get you anything?" asked Luke, coming over with a pen and notepad to get on order. The curly haired woman glanced him up and down. He unshaven man was dressed in faded jeans, a t-shirt under a plaid shirt and a backwards baseball cap, topped off with an apron. She was filled with a mix of interested curiosity and readiness to call the fashion make-over people at his appearance.
"I waiting to meet someone for brunch, but can I have a coffee to tide me over."
"Caf or decaf?' he asked gruffly.
"Caffeinated, please," she said with a charming smile.
As Luke was about to turn to fill her order, the door of the diner was opened, indicated by the bells on the door.
"Sorry I'm late," said Jess, followed by Amber, as he sat down at the table with the woman, "Someone wouldn't get up this morning."
"Yeah, him," said Amber smartly, also sitting down.
"Morning, Jess," said Luke sarcastically because he was being ignored.
"Morning," said Jess, giving him half a glance.
"Oh, you know him," asked the woman in burgundy, with an incline of the head.
"Yeah, he's my uncle."
"I'm standing right here, you know," said Luke perturbed and unheeded.
"Well," said the woman, ignoring Luke completely, "Introduce us. Where are your manners?"
"He doesn't have any. Haven't you learned that by now?' said Luke, this time heeded.
"I know," said the woman to Luke, "But a girl always thinks she can change a man."
Jess growled inwardly and swiftly said, "Sarah, Luke. Luke, Sarah."
"You're girlfriend?" asked Luke.
Sarah let out a snorted laugh. Luke looked at her. "You said girlfriend. It was funny."
Jess looked at Luke, clearly agitated by how things were going. "Sarah' my agent," explained Jess.
"And a damn good one, at that," added Sarah.
"Okay, I'll go get your coffee now."
As Luke walked away, Sarah watched him, or a certain part of him.
Jess glared at her, "Stop looking. He is too old for you and married."
Sarah looked Jess in the eye, "Why, Mariano, does your thought automatically skip to the dirtiest thing possible?"
He glared back at her, "Because yours does." She ignored him. "Are you ready to order?" asked Luke, bringing Sarah her coffee.
Neither Sarah nor Jess had looked at a menu yet but, "I am!" exclaimed Amber.
"Yes?"
"The cheese and sausage omelet with orange juice, please.
"The same," said Sarah, without even trying to look at a menu first. All eyes turned to Jess, "Um…," he said, trying to remember what was on the menu from when he had worked here, "Pancakes?" he asked hopefully.
"It'll be ready a few minutes," said Luke and left.
"Okay, Mariano, the book launch is being held in a little local bookstore, can't thin of the name, owned by someone named Andrew. Taylor, nice man, do you know him, set it up for us their. The bookstore is a bit small, but the best place for it. It adds to the ambiance," said Sarah, not breaking to let Jess speak, "Anyway, the doors are opening at 10:30 A.M. sharp, but you need to be there at nine, but come around the back way. Also, your VIP's can get in early too. Got it?"
Jess nodded, but did not get a chance to say anything before Sarah continued.
"Oh yeah, I got the room right next to yours and Amber's at the inn. Isn't this going to be fun?"
Jess groaned, but Amber exclaimed, "Yes."
"We can stay up late…" said Sarah.
"Painting each others nails…" added Amber.
"French braiding hair…"
"Painting Dad's nails…"
"Playing truth or dare…."
"Tapping secret messages through the wall in Morse Code…"
"Telling dirty stories..."
"Okay, that's enough!" yelled Jess irritated.
Amber and Sarah were silent for a moment, staring at Jess. Sarah tapped Amber on the arms and leaned over and whispered in her ear, loud enough, with intention, for Jess to hear.
"This guy's really wound up tight, isn't he?"
"You have no idea," Amber answered.
About the same time elsewhere…
Lorelai was reading some paperwork at the Dragonfly as her cell phine rang. She riffled through her purse and pulled it out.
"Hello?"
"Hey Mom, guess were I'm standing at this exact moment."
"In Siberia," guessed Lorelai, not missing a beat.
"What?"
"Sorry, continue."
"In my room!" exclaimed Rory.
"At the house?"
"Yeah, I got back early!"
"Oh, that's great. Why didn't you drop by the inn?"
"Um…I-," stuttered Rory uncomfortably.
"Oh…," said Lorelai in acknowledgement, "He's not here."
Their was a silence then, "I'm all grungy from the flight anyway. I need to get shower and unpack."
"Okay, but meet me at Luke's in an hour of lunch, okay?"
" 'Kay, bye." Rory hung up her phone.
"Yeah, bye." muttered Lorelai to her cell, even though Rory was already gone. Was she really still that hung up on him?
Rory took a long hot shower. She was going to have to disguise all these uncomfortable feelings she had towards Jess, and his daughter, being here. Luckily most would relate it to their dating history, but that would only go so far.
Rory dried off, got dressed and put on warm coat, deciding to walk to Luke's on the comfortable winter day…
At Luke's diner…
Sarah had finished eating and annoying Jess and had gone. Jess went up to the counter to pay.
"This will cover it," said Jess handing Luke a bill form his wallet and Amber waited impatiently at the table.
Luke rang it up on the cash register and wrote it down on a receipt. "Good job," he said not looking up as he wrote.
"What?" asked Jess.
"With Amber, she seems like a good kid."
"She is," Jess confirmed. There was a moment of silence between them.
"Your raised her yourself?" pondered Luke.
"Yeah."
"And her mother is…?"
"Gone."
"Gone as in dead or gone as in-"
"Gone as in gone." Jess turned to leave, but Luke said,
"Also, good job, for…for making something of your life."
Jess looked back at his uncle, his uncle who could finally be proud of him. He didn't know why he cared so much; it wasn't something he used to care about.
"Thanks," Jess said back. He led his daughter out on the diner and then stopped.
"What?' asked Amber as Jess patted his pockets.
"I left my wallet," answered Jess. Amber huffed. Jess handed her his set of keys, "Here, go get in the car. It is right down the street. I'll be fast."
Amber ran off towards their SUV as Jess went back into the diner and retrieved his wallet from a waiting Luke, who Jess had forgotten to give passes for his book launch to.
Jess was checking his wallet and stuffing it in his pocket outside the diner as he walked when he glanced up to find Rory walking his way.
They both stopped suddenly, standing a few feet apart, averting their eyes quickly. Rory looked up at him, observing his appearance. He looked as good as ever, she was glad for that.
"Hey," she said quietly, weakly, her voice breaking a little as she did so.
After a moment he echoed, "Hey," but it was empty, hollow, cold.
An unnatural silence filled the gap between them. He still stared at the side walk and she still stared at him. She opened her mouth to say something, whether an apology, a question, a compliment, or mindless small talk she wasn't sure, but before any sound could escape her lips, Jess brushed by her.
"I gotta go, my daughter is waiting."
To anyone else it would have sounded casual, but it stung Rory like a blade. She almost flinched. 'My daughter,' he had said, 'my daughter.' Rory Gilmore felt like dieing right then, but rather walked into Luke's, trying to hold back impending tears.