Job Wanted
"Do you know how disturbing it is to see you stalking Kirk on social media like that?" Lorelai fixed herself a cup of coffee, looking at Kirk's Facebook page displayed on Rory's laptop screen. "I know pregnancy is supposed to make you feel needy, but you joining Tinder to find a date in your current stage would be less creepy than the idea of having Kirk as my son in law. Should I be worried?" She sat with her daughter at the kitchen table.
"Ha-ha, very funny. Add that to your stand-up routine, Joan Rivers..." Rory feigned a smile at Lorelai and turned again to the laptop. "You'll probably call me crazy, but I think there's a good idea here for... something... I just can't put my finger on it yet."
"I get the man had every possible job in Stars Hollow and mostly in the Central Connecticut area, but is he really the best option for career guidance?"
"He surely had something to say about a millennial college grad, with no qualification in customer service, asking Taylor for a temporary job at Doose's..."
"Mmm... So your Kirk obsession is because of that curriculum review post last week?"
"Oh, no! Although I was not happy to be news on Stars Hollow Page Six and I'm still looking over my shoulder for paparazzi Kirk after fresh gossip, Taylor was right not hiring me for the manager position. I have no experience. Going with the girl from the 30 something gang was the best option. She has a business degree and is a better fit than me. Plus, it is a job she can put on her resumeé. For me, it was just a way to stay solvent while I finish the book and think of my next move."
Luke, who was upstairs until now, entered the kitchen and bluntly jumped in the conversation.
"Is Kirk bothering you again, Rory?" He said looking at the computer screen. "Don't pay attention to this crap. It's Kirk for Christ sake. The man is a lunatic. No one takes him seriously."
"Lulu does," the girl chuckled, "and although he may be insane, his financial status is better than mine. He sure had 250 grand to make an offer on the Twickham house years ago."
"Maybe Kirk hit his first million by now and is getting ready to replace Trump as the new host of The Apprentice," Lorelai added with a playful grin.
"If it is so, then I'm the first contestant he fired and the season hasn't even started." Rory wailed, leaning the elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hand.
Luke exhaled firmily and scratched his baseball cap. "You're missing the point. You know you're more than enough qualified, Rory. I have that magazine article on the menu as a reminder for everyone. I'd hire you anytime," he weighed for a moment and continued. "In fact, if you are interested in making some quick cash you can work at the diner, or help at the inn. Right, Lorelai?! Just say a word."
"Yeah... Sure," the mother agreed, but a hint of uncertainty escaped in her voice.
"Thanks, you both, but no. If I accept that, it's like you are giving me an allowance and I'm not 16 anymore," Rory spotted a sparkle of pride in Lorelai's expression by the answer. "To be honest, I should be offering my services whenever you need, no payment necessary. It's the least I can do for all the support, free rent and endless food resources. Seriously..." She examined their faces to assure her gratitude. "Besides, Doose's wasn't my only bet, I registered in a few freelance websites and already applied for some gigs. They don't pay a lot, but I can work from home and some things are possible to do in an afternoon. And there are pretty interesting projects, like proofreading some sort of magazine. Maybe I can make connections. Let's see."
"If you change your mind..." Luke pressed.
"I know where you live, mister."
The grouchy man nodded and then left the house to prepare for the evening rush hour at the diner. As soon the girls were alone again in the kitchen, Lorelai insisted.
"Okay, so, if you're not sensitive about Kirk's mean curriculum review, why monitor his Facebook and Instagram? Spill it!"
"Like I said before, I feel there's an idea, a project, perhaps a story here... It's difficult to explain. I remember how good it was to have news from home when I was in New York. That's a reality for many people. I just don't know how to turn this into something concrete. It's really bugging me. Therefore, I keep staring at his social media to crack the code."
"Now that you mentioned... I've gotta say that small towns have indeed become a thing on movies and TV shows lately. I think there's even a Netflix category... A strange one, I might add, in which Buffy The Vampire Slayer is side by side a lot of shows with heart in the title. Heartland, When the heart calls, Hart of dixie - tough the last one is a pun."
"See? And it's not only in fiction. The New York Times published a piece recently about people who are leaving big cities. Obviously to save a lot of money on rent, but these people are not whining about the decision. On the contrary, they look smitten by the life in the new location. Even Meryl Streep is talking about selling her crib in New York. Actually, she already has a house here in Connecticut. It is a luxurious country mansion in Salisbury, of course. But local people see her riding a bike around the streets every now and then. Google has been sending me all kinds of news about charming and quirky towns in the US soil since my geospot changed."
"A-ha. Told you Google is spying on us. I swear there's an evil device hidden in these new smartphones listening to all our conversations. Soon they will manipulate us to eat our vegetables, go blond, turn into The Stepford Wives and join the Republican Party"
"I know we didn't expect the last election result, but let's go easy on the conspiracy theory kool-aid"
"Judge all you want. But I never tell any secret near my phone and, since the last time, it stays far away from the master bedroom."
"What do you mean by 'the last time'? Wait... I'm not really sure I want to know what Google overheard in your bedroom," Rory covered her eyes with her hands.
"Let's just say Google's Artificial Intelligence minion eavesdropped on something and used the information to spread ads for me, on every website, about strip clubs within 10 miles range."
"Eww! All your jokes about naked Luke wearing only a baseball cap finally hit me. I don't wanna picture it..." The girl mocked and winced, with eyes still closed.
"Wanna guess where the closest club is?"
"No way..." Rory abruptly opened her eyes. "...here? In Stars Hollow?"
"MmmHmm. Miss Patty's studio address. This town already has a secret bar, maybe a secret strip club is in the making."
"Well, the woman was always ahead of her time." Rory smiled at the memory of Miss Patty's website that Paris discovered back when they were teenage students' at Chilton. The dance teacher had a presence online even before the internet was a thing. "This could be a lead for my future big scoop, huh? I've always had my mind so set on Politics, but I recently came to the conclusion I underated that journalism is about telling all kinds of stories. Christine Amanpour chose to focus on war and international conflicts in the Middle East. But Joseph Mitchell and Gay Talese wrote amazing pieces, even books, basicaly about average Joes. Their work was the fuel for The New Yorker in the 60's and, until today, is a symbol of Literary Journalism."
"Wow! I never, ever, could imagine a conversation about Kirk ending with such a passionate speech," Lorelai joshed. "In any case, you sound pretty excited and that's great. It doesn't matter if you don't know what it is yet. I'm sure you'll find out sooner or later."
"Don't you think I'm a little delusional? Maybe I'm experiencing a severe case of mommy brain... or I'm just lonely and developing strange feelings for Kirk," Rory shuddered.
"I wish I had a mommy brain like yours back in the day. I'd probably be the next Angela Merkel now. But all I could think of was the lyrics of Purple Rain and tracking the last time I went to the bathroom."
"The lyrics of Prince's entire discography are available online these days and there are apps now to keep track of how many times I pee in order to predict the next visit to the little girls' room. So, technology took a lot of the pressure off me." Rory chuckled and glanced one more time at the laptop screen, where, without warning, the image of a shirtless Kirk - striking an Arnold Schwarzenegger pose - popped up on Facebook timeline. "Oh, boy! I didn't need to see that. No crush can survive it," she snorted at the photo and quickly closed the lid of her laptop.
Out of digital distractions, Rory's attention was drawn to the only other person in the kitchen: her mother. The girl watched Lorelai distractedly taking a sip of coffee and remembered turning 14 years old, finally allowed to have a taste of it herself - that was the beginning of our shared love for caffeine.
The sweet recollection was followed by a rush of childhood memories, including a vivid image of a young Lorelai in a maid uniform. Rory never thought too much about that experience before, but, given the circumstances, a sudden interest took over her. With hesitation, the girl decided to broach the subject.
"Since you mentioned the pregnant days of your life..."
But Lorelai's unexpected protest interrupted her.
"I'm not authorizing any old picture from my sweet 16 on the book cover," the woman blurted. "I demand a professional photoshoot, with a hair and make-up team to make me look 10 years younger. A big fan, blowing my hair naturally in the wind to get that fierce Beyoncé vibe, would be also appreciated." She put down her cup, with a small smile turning up the corner of her mouth.
"You only get to be a diva if I sell the book, okay?! And it's not that," Rory paused and studied her mother for a second. "I want to ask you something... About after you left Hartford... How did you handle working at the inn and taking care of baby me? After all, there was no nanny."
"Believe me! I tried to get hold of Mary Poppins, but she was overbooked with bankers in the old continent," Lorelai shrugged, trying to maintain the cheerful mood, but the anxiety on Rory's expression forced her to start again with a serious approach. "Honestly," she sighed, "it took a lot of juggling and it was only doable because I was a maid fluffing pillows, making the bed and cleaning empty guest rooms. Beyond that, I had a super understanding employer who let me carry you around with me... Sometimes I suspect Mia was the one behind the labor movement to push companies to provide free child care onsite." Lorelai observed her daughter for a moment. "Why? What's on your mind?"
"That a baby may not go together with a newsroom environment."
"Oh, well..."
"I mean, don't get me wrong, I was ready to go after a position in a local paper. I updated my resumeé, spent the last two weeks making a list of publications in the area and I wrote a killer presentation email... But when I was about to send, it hit me: let's say one of these papers call me for an interview, it would be easy to wear something to disguise my bump. Sarah Jessica Parker did it when she was filming Sex and The City. And I already got a great baggy yet professional outfit for the alumni reunion at Yale next weekend. However, I'm due in May. If they hire me, in three months I'll have to explain I need some time off, won't I?! Is it the right moment to go for it? Or it's just going to make me look bad for every decent paper in the estate? I'm in limbo here"
"Yeah... Even if you dismiss maternity leave and schedule a C-section during the weekend, believing you'd be in condition to return to work on the first Monday is a fairy tale."
"That's what I thought..."
"You know the dilemma continues after you give birth, right? I'm sorry but I won't be available to babysit full time... The plan to expand the inn is already on the move..."
"Mom, you don't need to justify. Having you as a full time babysitter never crossed my mind."
"Okay... And your idea is postponing the job search only until the baby is out and your body is recovered?"
"I don't know yet. I think it is...Right?"
"Uh... I think first you need to decide if you really want to drop your newborn in daycare or leave the baby with a nanny so soon."
"What's your opinion on that?" Rory frowned.
"I can't tell you what to do, hon. It's your decision. If it makes you feel better, I don't believe there's right or wrong here. Many women have to or want to come back to work as soon as possible. I'll support whatever you decide."
"I think I better search more freelance jobs for now," Rory mumbled, looking paler than usual.
"Sorry to throw all this on you like that. I know it's a bit scary. You have the right to be overwhelmed. It's all completely new."
"Yep... It's not just about me anymore, huh?" Rory set her bright blue eyes on her mother to fight the panic. Until now, every career move she ever made was only about her own interests. It was time to learn how to put someone else under consideration. And fast.
A∕N: Rory definetely has a lot to think about. It's interesting to see her realizing her career is goingo to be differente from now on. I would say she has an immediate challenge to make quick cash to cover some expenses and also projects for the long run. This convo is important to show why she is not sending her curriculum to every newspaper in Connecticut just now. But ideas are in the making... What do you think it could be? Why is she obsessed with Kirk's social media (I explained about his posts in chapter 4)? And what can we expect from the Yale alumni event next week?
Writing about journalism in this chapter was really nice. I'm a journalist myself and I graduated in 2007, just like Rory. So I know well about the crisis that aflicted most newspapers. However, I always say journalism is a dynamic and versatile career. I was disappointed to see Rory so snob and narrow minded about journalism in 2016 (for that, I blame a lot Richard and Emily). I understand the appeal to interview a president and powerful people of the government (Been there, done that), but sometimes the great stories are far away from them... I don't need to explain that I am a fan of Joseph Mitchell and Gay Talese, right?
I have to say I am a little uncomfortable to call Rory a millenial... Millenials in general are struggling because of student debt and she never had that problem, since everyone is always showering her with money. But every comment about her character treats her as a millenial because she thinks she is so special... and I decided to go with it