A/N- Hi everyone! I hope you like this chapter. Wanted to add something. I've seen a couple questions about things like what certain characters would do or why they'd do it in the reviews, which is totally fine! But I don't really know how to answer those in reviews, and I'm not into the idea of writing answers into these author's notes or changing the content of the story to address them. So if you're curious, you can keep posting them there, though I'm not quite sure how to respond to them, or you can message me and I'll respond to you directly! Usually there's a rhyme or reason and sometimes when there's not someone has given me a really good idea. Anyway, that was all on that. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Things are so happy and fun right now. There are rocks up ahead, but I hope you enjoy the adventure of it all. Now that I'm done with cliches for the night, please continue reading and reviewing. I do not own Gilmore Girls, but I now own a TV so I can start watching them again! YAY!
Chapter 88
"Paris, this is ridiculous. I don't think that just because I one time had a failed interview at the New York Times, we have to automatically cross off any other papers where their writers may have been employed at the Times when I interviewed!"
"Rory, people hold grudges. This isn't your goody-two-shoes-happy-small-town-little-corner-of- the-world anymore. This is business. The business of journalism. A business you've managed to burn your way through pretty quickly for someone as seemingly quiet and likable as yourself. So now we have to play hardball. I can get you into at least three papers on this list in spite of the facts if we use Doyle's knowledge as power."
"We are not blackmailing reporters Doyle found together in a copy room, Paris. That's cruel and also creepy," Rory shook her head, "We're doing this the right."
"Have it your way," Paris shrugged, returning the black marker to the posterboard, "Then we'll have to parenthesize these eight papers and add extra references to those."
"And if they don't accept…"
"Everyone accepts extra references if they're all worth a damn," Paris said, her voice bored, "If Oprah, Madonna and the Pope all wanted to sell my skills, I'm sure most people would be willing to read all three letters."
"Well, Oprah might be kind of long-winded," Rory joked, returning to her computer and the list she was reading out loud to Paris. "Boston Globe and Boston Herald."
"We know someone at the Herald, so I'll mark that with a red plus," Paris said, doing so, "The Globe you'd have as good a shot as anyone. What do you think of Boston?"
"I'd be okay with it," Rory answered, "I like the city, and it is close to home."
"Home being Connecticut or your shacked up apartment?"
"Paris…"
"Look, he's gone, can we just level about this for a second?" Paris sat down next to Rory and looked her in the eyes. After a few seconds she spoke.
"You want to be in Philadelphia."
"I didn't…"
"It wasn't a question. You'd be okay with Boston or New York, well, more okay with those than anywhere far, like Chicago. But when it comes down to it, you want to be in Pennsylvania. Not even just Pennsylvania, I'm guessing Pittsburgh would be too far for you. In fact, judging by the look on your face as I'm saying this, I'm just about certain that you want to be sleeping in the same bed that you are now for every night in the forseeable future. Is that true?"
"Is it wrong?" Rory asked quietly, "Look, I remember when we were graduating from Yale and you got all your acceptances. You were strong enough to not factor Doyle in and to make the right decision for yourself. But he was able to factor you in and work around you. Jess can't do that for me. He has a solid base there, and he loves it, and it's good for him. I love it. I don't want him to sacrifice. But I don't want to have to do long distance with him. I just…I don't know. I don't want to be the girl that gives up her career for the guy, but I want to be near him. I don't want to wake up without him. There. Go ahead, judge me."
"It's not weak to know what you want, Rory," Paris answered, looking at her friend carefully, "I know I made that decision with Doyle, or tried to. And it hurt, if you recall, and took a lot of strength. I won't deny that. But you don't have to choose one or the other, necessarily. It might work out that you can get everything you want. And even if you do choose to prioritize him over your career, I wouldn't hold that against you or call you weak. You have the right to make your own decisions based on your own reasoning. But to be clear, you want to be in Philadelphia. And you'll apply for other jobs in the New England area, but primarily, you want to reside in Philadelphia, run a paper there, and live where you're at. Am I correct?"
"Yes," Rory answered, more firmly this time, "Is that a possibility?"
"Absolutely," Paris answered, "In fact, you might have more luck there. It's not a big journalistic hub, so your dear old friend the Titan lacks as much reach there. Smaller papers, a bit more independent, not much prestige, but you'd probably have a good shot at getting the job and getting a lot of creative control. There's the Inquirer, the Tribune, and the Press. Doyle has a contact at one of them, I believe the Press, but I think that either way you're overqualified for the positions. My suggestion is that we narrow our focus to primarily prepare you to interview for any of those three places, and then spend a lesser amount of time and energy preparing back-up for other New England papers."
"But are any of them even looking for an editor?" Rory asked, "I mean, I know that if the editor, or maybe even a high profile journalist for the Wall Street Journal walks into your paper and wants to be the editor the current guy is likely to be moved out. But I'm not either of those things."
"No, but the field of journalism is more open now and more political. Which in this case proves an advantage to you. Since print journalism is beginning to fall, papers are desperately trying to retain and increase readership to save their own asses. So they do a lot of corporate restructuring, frequently, and are often willing to push away those who have spent years dedicated to a company in order to make room for someone who actually does the job better."
"That sounds cruel," Rory bit her lip.
"It's just efficiency," Paris shrugged, "Utilitarianism. And it's going to get you one of these jobs. So should we restructure the boards?"
"Okay," Rory answered, "But don't make it too clear. I don't want Jess to notice."
"Ahh," Paris exhaled, smirking, "So Kerouac doesn't know you want to settle down?"
"I just don't think he'll be happy about me limiting my options," Rory answered, "Especially 'for him', as he'll see it. I don't want to have that argument yet. I know what I want and eventually we'll hash it out, but right now, I just want your help getting there."
"Fine by me," Paris shrugged, "Just keep providing posterboard and Mac and Cheese and I'm here for whatever you need."
"I can do that," Rory grinned, "Let me just call Jess and have him continue to do our bidding."
"Good man, that one."
"I wholeheartedly concur. Especially when food is involved."
