A/N- So. Madrid. How is it? I couldn't tell you because I'm staying in a soccer complex. La vida de la hermana de un jugador del futbol. Le sigh. Oh well, I'm supposed to go on a tour of the city tomorrow and after that I'll probably do some digging around, which should be cool. Spain itself is beautiful, the rolling hills and the colors in the sky just stun. Really.
Anyway, enough of boring you with my life. Enjoy this chapter, I know you all love your Matt and Chris. I'm glad so many of you were receptive to the Rory-Jess interaction last chapter and that she's here now. I wonder how long she'll stay...care to place any bets? )
Keep reading, reviewing, and telling people, if you feel like it. I don't own Gilmore Girls or any of its concepts or characters but I do own most of what would be the combined Gilmore-Mariano library, so it's kind of like possessing their souls I suppose.
Chapter 34
The next day, Jess was downstairs an hour before opening. He'd need to catch Matt and Chris early to prevent any homicides, especially in light of the new plan he'd formed last night while Rory was asleep. He'd still have to clear it all with her, but first priority were Matt and Chris.
"I thought it was the rooster that was up at dawn, not the ass," Chris said as he walked through the front door, "What the hell are you doing up so early?"
"I come bearing gifts, so why don't you stop being a prick for a minute and grab a donut?" Jess offered the box. Chris narrowed his eyes.
"Why do I suddenly have the strange feeling that you are about to tell me something that will greatly piss me off?"
"Would you like to hear the answer to that unarmed or fortify yourself first?"
"Fair point," Chris replied, walking over and grabbing a pink sprinkled donut. Jess smirked.
"Not helping," Chris warned, his mouth stuffed. Jess laughed as Matt entered.
"Oh god, donuts. What have you done?" Matt cried as he went straight to the box and grabbed a chocolate glazed. Jess rolled his eyes.
"Why hello, Matthew. There's coffee too."
"Then we're really fucked. Why don't you just get on with it?" Matt sighed, handing a coffee to Chris and grabbing his own.
"Alright. There's really no good way to tell you this," Jess exhaled, "Rory's upstairs. She's staying here. We're still not together. She's crashing while she works some things out. And I'd like her to work here during the day, just doing stocking and stuff. Probably for free, though maybe I'll cut her a little of what I get. Or feed her."
"Dear god," Chris breathed slowly, "Well, at least you get to the point."
"Yes, your confrontation style is legendary and effective," Matt agreed, "But for news that dire I'm gonna have to grab a second donut. When did this come about?"
"Last night, mostly," Jess answered, taking a glazed one and a gulp of the one of the remaining coffees, "She's not aware of the working thing yet, but I think she'll want to do something to keep her mind off things. Probably starting tomorrow. I'm taking a half day today. But before you get on me about that, I got Jacobs last week while I was in the boonies, so you should really be saying your hail mary's."
"We can finally demolish the Sanders stack!" Chris exclaimed happily. Matt narrowed his eyes and Chris quickly regained his composure.
"Look, didn't we say our personal lives…"
"Were absolutely, unavoidably going to affect this business and we'd have to deal with it as it came? Yes," Jess answered, "And mine's been the least disruptive of all. But she'll be helpful, no doubt, Chris can attest."
"That's true," Chris reluctantly answered, "But it still doesn't make it okay."
"Look, all of us have gone through times that weren't pretty, alright?" Jess implored, "She needs somewhere to ride it out. This is that place for her. Now can you guys please just get on board with this and try to remain civil? I'm not asking you to treat her like a princess. In fact, work her as hard as you work each other, and me. She'll benefit from not being pampered, especially right now. She hates it when people act that way. But if you could try to recall the modicum of respect idea I referenced at one point, that would be very greatly appreciated."
"For how long?" Matt sighed, relenting. Jess looked at him hesitantly.
"Honest answer?" Matt nodded. "Indefinitely."
Exhaling deeply, Matt looked at Jess silently. After a moment he nodded.
"Alright," Matt said, "We'll do that, as best we can, as long as you understand our frustrations and are lenient with us when it's trying."
"Absolutely," Jess agreed, "Thank you, both."
Chris nodded. "We care about you. This is important to you. There really wasn't a question in the first place."
"Then why the hell did I bring donuts?"
"Because whenever you have to pull a dick move you bring donuts. It's tradition."
"Does that mean that you're going to spend the next two days making me your errand slave as well?"
"Progress for progress' sake must be discouraged," Chris mocked, making Jess grin.
"Wow, Harry Potter references," Jess shook his head, "And I thought we were highbrow in our literary tastes"
"We aren't highbrow in anything."
"Bring on the whores and booze."
"Maybe at ten," Jess nodded, "I'll be back by two and I'll close out tonight." He grabbed another glazed donut and a cinnamon sprinkled donut, as well as the other coffee, before walking up the stairs.
"You're damn straight you will!" Matt called up the stairs after him, earning a slight chuckle from Jess as he quietly opened the door to his apartment.
"Hey," Jess said softly, tapping Rory on the shoulder, "I come bearing coffee."
"That is the only appropriate way to wake me before nine," Rory moaned, sitting up and grabbing the mug from his hands. She took a huge gulp and smiled, rubbing her eyes, "You should record that for posterity. What time is it?"
"Early," he admitted, "But I was thinking we could get food. And hang for a while. I'm not going in until 2 but I thought maybe a walk was in order."
"That sounds amazing," she admitted, "Though I'll probably need to find a Laundromat. I'm out of clean clothes."
"For now, wear something of mine. We've already established they suit you better," he offered, and she smiled, walking over to his wardrobe, "How much did you bring?"
"Five outfits."
"You've been here five days? How did you survive?"
"Takeout, long walks, a lot of sleep, endless hours with Ayn Rand."
"And till the end it wasn't sounding half bad."
"You can't pretend not to like her now, you've shown your hand," Rory teased, pulling out a plain white tee shirt and grabbing a few things from her bag before heading to the bathroom, "Ten minutes."
"See you in fifteen."
"Sexist."
"Realist."
"Maybe," she grinned, closing the door behind her.
