A/N: Not dead. Long story, not pretty. But I'm glad I've been missed and that there are new readers as well. Welcome!
Sparing you the long author's note for many reasons, but I figured I'd tell you that I indoctrinated someone new into the Cult of Gilmore today, so that's my community service for the year.
I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters or concepts, which are all the extraordinary brainchildren of the goddess Amy Sherman-Palladino. However, I now own about 50 books, all of which I have accumulated in a year living abroad where I promised I'd have no more than 5. I blame Literati.
Chapter 111
"So…"
"I'm alive," Rory said flatly. Jess frowned, holding the phone closer to his ear.
"That doesn't sound promising."
"That I'm not dead?"
"That that's the best thing you have to say."
"No…it's not that. The job's great, really," Rory sighed, her voice tinged with worry, "It's just going to be a bit more difficult to assimilate into the peer culture here than I expected."
"Meaning…"
"Someone was an ass."
"Ah."
"And I'm being my usual, oversensitive, thin-skinned self."
"Is there a right response to that?"
"No."
"Alright…continue."
"Well, it started out fine. Eliza introduced me to all the major section editors, and my features team, which was fine for the most part. Everyone seemed really nice, and the reporters especially were very receptive. Two of them were actually familiar with my work, and one of them was really enthusiastic about the change. But the other one…he was kind of a piece of work."
"He didn't like your style or something?"
"Just the opposite. He actually did a panel with me back when I was at the Yale Daily News, and was applying for jobs around the same time as me, but coming from Stanford and just being a beat reporter, he didn't have much luck right away. I mean, neither did I, but his didn't change. And he decided to make some smartass comment about my choice to come here."
"Which was…"
"It's stupid."
"Rory…"
"He made some nasty comment about how it was obvious why I wasn't working in New York or San Francisco. Because of course, he's familiar with my history and that particular journalistic monopoly. And when one of the other reporters asked me what he meant, I said that I chose to live here in part because your business is based here, which I thought was a much better answer than the one he was suggesting, and to the point is the actual answer, he just got obnoxious."
"Well…I mean, on some level, you can't be…"
"'Yet another woman whose ambition and prodigious talent are plunged into the ground by her hormonally-driven compulsion to copulate'".
"Wow. Is that an exact quote?"
"Maybe. I was pretty mad." Rory bit her lip. Jess held back a smirk.
"You waited until the first opportunity and then wrote it down, didn't you?"
"It was sexist!"
"I'm not disputing that."
"And one of those sick insults that tries to disguise itself as a compliment, so that you feel guilty getting mad about it."
"Again, I don't disagree with you."
"It was horrible."
"It was, and I hate anyone talking about you like that," Jess said, his tone turning more serious, "But look, Rory, you know people like that exist, and sometimes you're going to have to deal with them. He's just one person out of the many. And smart people, the kind of people you choose to spend your time with, will know better than that."
"That's true," she admitted, "You can't like everyone you work with."
"Wisdom of the ages," Jess nodded, "So tell me about the rest of your day."
"Well, I got along really well with Eliza, who as you know is the Editor in Chief. And I actually got along pretty well with the Arts editor, Maria and the Crime section guy, George. I have mainly 4 reporters under my direction, and they're all great, except for obnoxious guy."
"Does he have a name or just a moniker?"
"Alex."
"And the others?"
"Tina, Taylor and Raj. All awesome, really enthusiastic and open to direction. Which is good because I'm changing a lot about the section, right away."
"Do you think that's wise?"
"Maybe not, but I can't stand it the way it is. It's a mess."
"Well if anyone can clean it up, it's you."
"Yes, because I am known for my cleaning abilities."
"It's your domestic charms that drew me to you in the first place."
"Thank god. Otherwise however would I have fulfilled my hormonally-driven compulsion to copulate?"
"Brothel?"
"Most likely."
"So I'll be home in about ten minutes," Rory smiled, "God, that's really nice to hear myself say."
"It's nice to hear on this end as well," Jess admitted, "You working so close has its perks."
"Though now you probably won't have time to hide all the hookers and blow before I get home."
"I'd think you'd be used to all of that from your brothel days."
"Don't be silly, no one likes competition."
"Everyone likes competition, especially you."
"This conversation is getting ridiculous."
"Especially since you're literally on your way home. Explain to me why we're recapping by phone when you no longer have an hour long commute?"
"You couldn't go another hour without hearing my voice?"
"If it's the annoying one in my head reminding me to separate paper clips and learn to use Quickbooks, I'm pretty sure I've heard it nonstop since 2:30."
"Oh. Then I have no idea."
"Well then this is rather inefficient."
"Wait! There was a reason!"
"Which was…"
"Can you put on coffee?"
Jess smirked. "I have no idea how you lived without me."
"Auto-timer."
"So I'm that easily replaced?"
"And don't you forget it."
