They walked into the bookstore, and almost immediately Rory felt the stress of their argument drop away.

'It's amazing, Jess! So many books.'

There were floor to ceiling bookshelves just about everywhere, and it had that musty book smell, as though just in entering the shop she were pressing her nose into a spine.

'You like it?'

'Like it? I could live here,' she said, and then spotting something, 'Ooh!'

Rory headed off to one set of shelves and ran her fingers across the spines. Jess watched her as she took reverentially slid a book out of its place and ran her hand over the cover, before opening it and doing the same on the pages. It was as though she was feeling her way into it, before she even got to the words. Jess watched from a shelf away. The place was empty except for him and Rory, and Mike, manning the desk and eating his sushi lunch.

'Who's this?' Mike asked, indicating Rory.

'Gilmore.'

'Really?'

'Real as they come.'

'Is she alright?'

Rory hadn't looked up when her last name was mentioned, and was now wandering between shelves, eyes casting around the spines like a devotee in a shrine.

'I think so.'

'Big reader?' Mike asked.

'Biggest,' Jess said.

'Let's hope she's got a big wallet.'

'Not likely, she's living on my paycheck at the moment.'

'Guess we'll stay broke then.'

Jess walked up to where Rory was thumbing through a novel.

'What have you got there?'

She held up the cover to him, grinning:

'Dawn Powell!'

'Dawn who?'

'Powell! She's amazing. And totally rare. She was totally overlooked in her time, and still is, but you have a Dawn Powell – an original Dawn Powell!'

'What's the price on that?'

Rory flicked to the first page.

'Four dollars.'

'How much should it be?' Jess asked.

'Maybe 400?'

'Shit.'

Rory fingered her pockets and held up a few notes:

'Too late, Mariano.'

'Hey, Gilmore, that's my nest egg you're holding there.'

Rory tilted her head:

'I'll look after it,' she said, walking to the counter.

'She's about to rip us off, Mike,' Jess warned.

'Great. That's four dollars.'

'You want twenty for it?' Rory asked.

'Sure,' Mike said, 'you don't know how haggling works do you?'

'Hey, that's my money, you know,' Jess said from across the room.

Rory turned:

'I'll pay you back, I promise.'

'Whatever.'

Returning with the book tucked safely under her arm, Rory looked around.

'I think I could spend all day here.'

'Yeah? If you want to volunteer, I'm sure Mike would want a break.'

'Mike would,' said Mike.

'Sure,' Rory said, eyes glowing.

Jess smiled.

'So it's not so bad?'

'Jess, it's amazing. Where did you get all this?'

'We bought the old owner out. Well, about nine of us did. And I didn't help all that much,' Jess said, 'It's not really a goldmine. But we've got the apartment upstairs, too – where some of the guys live. We manage.'

Rory idly ran her fingers of some of the books stacked in the central table.

'I love it. It's so chaotic.'

'Like a bookshop should be, right?'

'Absolutely,' Rory said, smiling again.

'You're in a better mood.'

'That's why I had to talk to you before we came in.'

'Damn, shouldn't've let you herd me around like that,' Jess said, raising his hands in defeat.

'We Gilmores are great herders,' Rory admitted, 'Men, children, flora, fauna'

'All kingdom, phylums, and orders at your beck and call,' he growled.

'Actually, the plural of phylum is phyla.'

'And I missed one, didn't I?'

'Maybe,' Rory replied, busying herself with the books.

'Don't want to embarrass me in my place of work?' Jess asked.

'Not in front of Dawn Powell.'

Jess thought for a second –– 'Classes.'

'Right!'

'Gold star for me,' Jess muttered.

'See, you could have passed. I still don't understand why –'

Jess shook his head.

'I couldn't go back to that school. Taking the whole year again.'

'So it was a pride thing?' Rory asked.

'Maybe. Partly. Is that so hard to get?'

'I used to think so.'

'Not anymore?' Jess asked, moving closer to her. All of a sudden, there was electricity in the air, and the musty smell of the books in her head seemed to make her dizzy. Or maybe it was Jess, so close, and looking so good. Bookshops, she thought, really suited him.

Rory wrapped the book around her chest defensively, as though to keep her distance from him. They were quickly backing into another wall of books.

'I guess everyone has their own things.'

'Things?'

'Things they won't compromise. Parts of themselves.'

'Uh-huh,' Jess moved closer again, his voice dropping low. The store was quiet, and they were alone in a cloister of bookshelves, out of sight even of Mike. Rory pressed the book harder against her chest. Leaning in, he said quietly, looking her straight in the eyes:

'I missed you, Rory.'

He reached a hand out to adjust a strand of hair that had fallen over her face, and asked, voice barely audible.

'Did you miss me?'

'Uh-huh,' Rory answered, letting the book drop from her chest to her knees.

'Woo, sorry guys,' Mike said as he turned the corner and almost ran into them. Rory and Jess flew apart and Mike raised his eyebrows:

'Alright, alright. Bit more tension than the bookshop's used to. I'll just sneak in here, just pop this one back on the shelf. Where's the E section? E-E-E…,' he flapped around, crouching and standing up again, looking for the right shelf.

'It's right there,' Jess said, frustrated, and added, pointing, 'A – B – C – D – E. Man–we're alphabetised, how hard is it?'

'Hey, I'm working here. This isn't some M-rated hangout for teenagers.'

'Go back to the desk, Mike,' Jess said.

'OK, OK, I'll be there – behind the desk, eyes closed, headphones in. It's not like we're gonna get a customer or anything, anyway.'

He walked always, leaving Jess and Rory standing, fidgeting.

'Hey, so, you want to get a bite to eat?' Jess asked.

'Sure. And a coffee.'

'Coffee, right. Can't forget coffee.'

'Not if you want me to be up to my usual conversationalist standard.'

'Hm,' Jess said, mock-considering, 'maybe withholding coffee isn't such a bad idea.'

'Hey!' Rory protested, 'We can't all speak in monosyllables.'

'Monosyllables? Is that an insult?'

'Just an observation.'

'You wound me, Gilmore,' he replied, hand over his heart as though in pain.

'Oh, I have one more thing to show you,' he said.

'Another bookshop? Are you a franchiser as well?'

'Not quite. But follow me,' he said, leading her around the shop to a shelf opposite where he knelt down slipped a small volume from under a box.

'What is it?' Rory said, as he passed her the book.

'Nothing much.'

She looked at the cover. It was a collection of short stories. And one of the authors' names down the bottom – Jess Mariano.

'You're in this!?'

Jess shrugged, 'It's nothing major.'

'Jess this is amazing! You're published.'

'It's just one story.'

'I've got to read it.'

'Oh geez.'

Rory started flicking through the pages, but Jess held up his hands.

'Hey, I've got a whole afternoon planned Gilmore. I know you're a fast reader but I haven't eaten breakfast yet. Read it later.'

'But Jess.'

'Come on. You want me to starve?'

'OK,' Rory conceded, 'can I keep it?'

'Yeah, it's for you.'

She reluctantly put both the Dawn Powell book and Jess' in her bag and then looked back up, smiling at Jess. She still couldn't believe that he had gotten published. In fact, she could barely believe he was standing right in front of her. And only two days ago – Dean.

'Hey, we going to eat? Or are you just gonna stand there doing puppy eyes all day?' Jess asked, pulling on his jacket, his gruffness not quite able to hide the smile on his face.

'Fine. You're the New York native, you lead.'

'Fine,' Jess said, and put an arm around Rory's shoulder, wrapping her into him as they left the shop and headed out into the city.

/Coming up, a bit of romance, a farmboy interruption, and a worried mother enlists an uncle in a roadtrip. Thanks for reading!