"Jess, everything is going to be fine." Gillian straightened Jess' tie and smoothed the shoulders of his suit.
"Easy for you to say. You get to be the guest of honor. I have to make a speech."
"I have to too dummy. Acceptance speech. You know, you think you're not good at them, but you are. You mesmerize people with that sexy voice."
"I just want to do you justice."
"You do already."
Jess leaned down and kissed his wife of seven years.
"You look beautiful by the way."
"Charmer."
"Do we have time for a quickie?"
"Ugh, don't say quickie. And no, we're going to be late."
"But your ass is killing it in that dress," he said grabbing it.
"I wish I could say the same for your face with your mustache."
"I thought you liked my mustache?"
"Not when you're all slicked up. It's less 70's porn star, and more 80's porn star."
He wrapped an arm around her waist. "I can show you what that looks like tonight."
"Oh tempting."
He kissed her hard.
"Mmmmmm, you're yummy. You got me. Late night porno movie love making it is. I'll drink coffee."
….
They arrived at the ceremony early and milled around chatting.
"Don't forget," Jess whispered in her ear and tweaked her on her ass. "Coffee. Lots of it."
She giggled and swatted at his arm.
A literary prize was no laughing matter, but she didn't want to be here. She'd much rather be home with Lizzie cuddling with a book, Jess reading in the corner, but she'd won it, and Jess was so proud. She couldn't let him down by not coming, even when it turned her stomach. Anyway, it wasn't like it was a Pulitzer.
And it was good publicity for the new publishing house location hosting it there.
"Heads up. Luke and April are here," he said pointing.
Her eyes lit up. She loved Luke so much, that old curmudgeon. And April was a fantastic weirdo that seemed to idolize her.
No Luke's wife, which wasn't surprising. She'd never warmed to Jess completely, and Gillian had only met her a handful of times. They seemed to be on the same wave length, and she enjoyed talking to her, but there was always a strange rivalry there. Probably because they occupied the same verbal mental space. That wasn't anything Gillian could help, and she didn't care, but Lorelai seemed slightly intimidated. Oh well. Luke was here, and he was the best surprise.
"I didn't think you could make it!" said Gillian hugging him warmly.
"Well, you know, I couldn't miss this!" He took her arms in his hands. "I'm so proud of you Gillian. I actually read this one!"
"What did you think?" she asked.
"It was good! I understood some of it. You're the best writer I know."
"Thanks you old softy," she said blushing. "Even more than your nephew and step daughter?"
"Don't spread that around," he muttered behind his hand.
"Scouts honor." She winked. "April! Good to see you!"
April grabbed her around the middle.
"Ok, ok, don't wrinkle the dress. I missed you weirdo."
"Gillian! I missed you so much! We have so much to catch up on." She looked up at Luke. "Privately. Later. About Ricky…"
"Oh geez," said Luke.
"Hey Old man," said Jess finally making his way over. They hugged, slapping each other on the back. Gillian loved their relationship. "We still on for dinner at our place tomorrow?" asked Jess.
"Yeah, but we're going out, my treat," said Luke.
"No, no, you've done enough."
"Jess let me take you guys out. I want to. With all you've accomplished here, I'm so proud. Both of you. And I have something for Lizzie too."
"We'd love to," said Gillian preventing Jess from protesting again.
They talked for a while longer until Jess was pulled away, and then Gillian.
She greeted more people than she cared to, being passed around. She spied Jess and walked over to him, linking her arm through his. He bent down to kiss her head. She smiled up at him, but his eyes were wide, staring at the door.
In the doorway was a woman. Pretty, brown hair, red lips.
"Who's that?" she asked.
"I don't believe it," he said.
"Who is that?" she asked a little louder.
"It's Rory."
"Rory your ex-girlfriend Rory? Luke's step daughter Rory?" It wasn't like there were a ton of Rory's in the world in Jess' acquaintance.
"Yeah."
"Oh."
"Come on. I want you to meet her."
He took her hand and walked her over.
"Who let you in?" he asked.
She smiled. "You know those crazy doormen didn't even flinch. How are you?"
"I'm… Fantastic!" They gave each other a stiff hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so good. Rory, I want you to meet my wife, Gillian."
"Your wife! Oh my God!"
Rory gave her a stiff hug too.
"It's really nice to meet you," said Gillian.
"So, Luke told me you got married. What was that about five years ago?"
"It's been seven," said Jess.
"It has not."
"Scout's honor."
"I heard it was in Europe or something?"
"Switzerland," said Gillian. "We got married on a mountain. Jess bought me this amazing tulle and I made a veil as long as Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music. I have pictures if you want to see later."
"I'd love that," said Rory, not sounding like she'd love it.
"So, what are you doing here?" asked Jess.
"I was in town. Luke told me about this. I had to come see it. It's remarkable, really Jess."
"Well, the remarkable thing is my wife. Best seller list for six months." He kissed Gillian's hair out of habit.
Rory looked awkwardly to the side.
"But I heard your book is finally out, that's great," he said.
"Yeah, it started out so fast, but the last fifteen chapters took me so long. And life happened. But it's doing pretty well."
"I heard, I heard," said Jess. "So life happened. You have a daughter now."
"I do! Josephine. She's amazing. Seven years old, kicking butt at school. You have one as well!"
"Elizabeth, Lizzie for short," said Gillian. She pulled out her phone and showed her a picture. She was more proud of her five year old than anything else in her life.
"Oh, she's beautiful. That black hair. And wow, green eyes."
"She's perfect," said Jess smiling at his wife.
"Well, congratulations Gillian," said Rory. "The Percival award. It's great."
"Thanks. I don't really go in for all that bullshit, but it's nice. I can't complain."
There was an awkward silence.
"Hey," said Rory finally breaking it. "So Jess, I was wondering if we could talk. Privately. If that's ok with you," she said addressing Gillian.
"Fine," said Gillian. "There's a back office if you'd like. It's a little crowded in here."
Jess looked at her warily with a silent, Are you sure? question in his eyes.
"Thanks," said Rory. "It won't take very long, I'll be done before the ceremony."
Jess gestured to the hallway and Gillian watched them walk away. She seemed like a twitchy creature, with an abnormally childlike voice for a forty something.
Seven years had taught her that jealously was wasted on Jess. He'd never so much as glanced at another woman. But looking at them now, she felt a tiny prick of it. After all, they had history. And a book written about her.
But what could happen in fifteen minutes? She checked her phone. Yep, fifteen until Jess had to make his speech. She took a deep breath.
This was her last chance to pee. She walked down the hallway, and saw the door cracked to the office. Suddenly Jess's voice came through the gap and she froze.
"Rory, what the hell!"
"Jess, I'm not happy. Logan and I, we aren't happy. We never made sense, you and I make sense."
"Goddamn it Rory, do not do this right now. Do not do this here."
"You told me remember? You told me that you knew we were supposed to be together. You knew it the first moment you saw me, I knew it too, I just wasn't ready."
Gillian pressed herself against the wall outside, her heart hammering.
"Rory, there is something seriously wrong with you. To think you can show up here, after seven years, and demand that I leave with you? On one of the biggest nights of Gillian, MY WIFE'S life!"
"I know, I know, our timing has never been good. But Jess, I want to be with you. You couldn't count on me before, but you can now."
Gillian pressed her hand to her heart. Oh Jess. No. Please.
"No, no, Rory, hear me now. I love Gillian. More than I ever loved you. More than I've ever loved anything; her and Lizzie. They're my whole world, and you barging in like this makes me think long and hard about how much time I spent on loving you. You've done this our whole lives. You are the most entitled woman I've ever met. You think anything you want is just going to be handed to you on a silver platter."
"That's not true."
"It is true. It didn't used to be, but you've changed and there's no going back for you. Flitting between all three of us. So who's next? If I say no, you'll try for Dean and break up his marriage? Again? Go ahead, he's a sucker. Jesus Rory. I can't do this."
Gillian thrilled.
"You don't mean that…"
"I do. You should leave."
"Jess…"
"Good bye Rory."
Oh God, they were coming out. She hurried to the bathroom just as the door swung open. Jess walked out huffing. She could read the back of his head like no other.
She saw the door open wider, that girl about to run out and she closed the bathroom door.
She entered the stall and pulled down her panties, sitting on the toilet and sighed, her cheeks flushed. That was the most thrilling thing she'd ever witnessed, and she'd witnessed a lot.
Jess. Her husband. The love of her life. Rejecting that beautiful mess.
She flushed, and washed her hands, and hurried out.
"Jess," she said sitting down on the stage next to him.
"Where were you?" he whispered. The MC was starting to talk at the mic.
"Bathroom," she said.
He nodded, his jaw set, and lips pursed.
"Everything ok?" she asked.
"Yeah, everything is fine. I'll tell you later."
"I love you," she said.
He looked at her. "I love you."
"Jess let's not have porno style sex tonight." She whispered hushed into his ear. "Let's make love. Slowly. So I can worship every inch of your skin."
His eyebrows knit together in confusion, then he smiled. "Ok. I'm ok with that."
"And to introduce her is her husband, author and part owner of Truncheon Books, Jess Mariano."
Jess kissed her cheek and stood up straightening his suit and walked to the podium and gave her a wink.
She smiled at him and blew him a kiss. She was so glad they came.
