No sooner had Lisa hung up with Lorelai than her phone rang again. She sighed, and Max grinned.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's probably Lorelai again."
"No problem," he assured her. "Go ahead."
"Hi, Lorelai," Lisa greeted. "What's up?"
"Not much, Leese," Jackson mocked her. Lisa's stomach fell out. It hit her then. She hadn't even thought of the consequences of what would happen if Jackson saw her with Max. "How's the new boyfriend?"
"He's great, actually," she replied stiffly. "Wondering who the hell is calling me, but otherwise doing pretty smoothly."
"Tell him that its his worst nightmare," Jackson said smoothly. "Tell him to stay away from what's rightfully mine."
"I'm not yours, Jackson," Lisa replied angrily. Max took her arm and stared at her with worry. "Leave me alone. Are you done with your stupid recruit yet?"
"As a matter of fact, I am," he informed her. "Just getting ready to leave. Wanted to check up on you before I did so."
"Well, I didn't tell anyone except who you said I could," Lisa snapped. "So lay off me."
"Fine," he growled. "I'll see you later."
"I thought you were leaving."
"I am."
"Then what-" Click. Lisa rolled her eyes, and turned to Max.
"Um...is that the thing I couldn't know about?"
"Yes," Lisa nodded. "Ready to hear the story?"
"Of course," he said eagerly.
"Well, it started when my grandmother died..."
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Rory sat on the couch across from her mother and cried softly into a tissue, her head in Lorelai's lap.
"Sweetie, what happened?"
"He just said...he said that I was too into school and everything else, and not enough into our relationship..." Rory sobbed. "How could I not be? I tried telling him, tried telling him how much I loved him. I thought I proved that, a few weeks ago."
"By sleeping with him?" Lorelai's countenance grew stiff. Rory froze.
"Well..."
"That doesn't exactly prove anything, sweets," Lorelai informed her. "In some cases it just proves that you're a slut."
"I'm not a slut!" Rory stood up angrily from the couch. Lorelai gently pulled her back to a sitting position.
"That's not what I said," she said softly. "I know you care about him. I get that. But Dean's a sensitive guy. Things are a little hazy for him, and you know he has a hard time trusting you, especially after you ditched him for Jess."
"That was a long time ago, Mom."
"But he hasn't forgot it."
"I don't even have feelings for him anymore!" Rory cried. "I want Dean!"
"I know, honey," Lorelai sighed. "I know."
Rory moaned and stood up. "I'm going to go to bed, I think."
"Okay. Do you mind if I quickly run over to the Inn and check up on Lisa? I'm a little worried, leaving her on her first night."
"Go ahead," Rory smirked. "I like Lisa. She's so nice."
"She is nice. I just hope she had fun with Max."
Lorelai left within a few moments, quietly shutting the door behind her.
Rory finished brushing her teeth and began climbing into bed when she heard the tap on the window. At first she jumped, thinking it was a branch. She cautiously padded over and in her shock, saw Jess's face at the window. She sighed and opened it.
"Go away, Jess." She began to shut it, but he caught her wrist.
"Wait, Rory. Please. We need to talk."
"I don't want to talk," she snapped shortly, but seeing the desperance on his face she sighed. "Fine."
"Can you come out?" he requested. Rory thought.
"Yeah. Hold on."
She quickly pulled on a pair of flipflops and a jacket and stepped outside, walking around to where Jess stood. She held back a scream of shock.
He wasn't alone.
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Lisa's fingers clicked rapidly on the Dragonfly keyboard as the last two customers headed to bed. She smiled. She loved this job.
The customers were much nicer, more easygoing, than they had been at the Lux. It was an easy job, her ten pm to six am job, and she wouldn't trade it for the world.
Lorelai had just left after checking up on her, and then gone home to sleep and be with Rory. Who, Lisa was assured by Lorelai, was fine but melancholy. The clock now read a little after twelve and Lisa was beginning to feel the darkness closing in on her.
She was mildly comforted that Jackson was gone, but she still felt skittish, especially since it was so late. Something gave her the creeps.
As she finished her work at the computer, the phone rang, startling her. She quickly answered it to Lorelai's frantic voice.
"Rory's gone."
