Lorelai sat across the table, looking significantly at her daughter. She hadn't heard from her in weeks, not since Rory told her mom that she thought her marriage was over. But then here she was, having a normal family dinner with her husband, acting as if nothing had happened. Rory saw the looks and knew that she had to tell her mom something. But she wasn't sure herself, so what would she be able to tell her mother?

Rory avoided her meeting her mom's eye during dinner. Lorelai was obviously waiting for the official announcement, the mutual statement that they were separating but it didn't come. In fact their relationship looked like it was better than she had seen it before when she came to visit them. Less... stuffy and fake somehow. Had they reconciled?

Rory wasn't surprised when her mom cornered her alone after dinner.
"So what's going on?" her mom asked, trying to sound casual.

Rory didn't meet her eyes. "Mom, what I said to you on the phone, forget it. I was just mad at him about something."

"Kid you didn't sound mad, you sounded serious. Like it was something you put a lot of thought into. So tell me what's going on with you. You call me out of the blue, tell me your marriage is over, then hang up as quickly as you can. I don't hear from you in weeks and then suddenly Logan calls and invites me to dinner and you two are here all lovey-dovey."

Rory sighed. She looked around to make sure that Logan or one of the servants weren't around.

"Okay I'll tell you. But it stays between us. I'm not sure if my marriage is over. The marriage hasn't exactly been great lately, or for a while. But it was fine, he didn't do anything wrong, it just wasn't really working. And then I ran into Jess... and something happened."

Lorelai's eyes widened in shock. For once she didn't know what to say.
"I've been seeing Jess every weekend, and it's been great." Rory confessed. "But then something changed and Logan's been acting completely different towards me. It's almost like when we were first married all over again. So originally I was sure I wanted out, and now I'm not so sure. And Jess keeps wanting me to leave Logan."

"Rory you can't leave your husband for Jess!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Why not?" Rory asked, although she could think of a million reasons herself.

"Because you are having an affair. You don't know how serious he is, or committed, or what's going on with him now. I mean Rory he has never been very reliable. You shouldn't throw away a marriage for less than a sure thing. Even if Jess is really the guy you want to be with don't rush out of your marriage because he might not feel the same way. And Logan deserves to know what's going on. Honey if you don't love Logan anymore you need to tell him, and leave the relationship. It's never a good idea to start a new relationship before you are done with the old one."

Rory sighed. "I know." she said somewhat sullenly, feeling 16 again. "I just don't know what to do. It felt so liberating at first, and now it's just a mess. The weekends I spend with him are great, I don't want to go home... but then when I'm here I don't want to leave Logan."

"I can't figure that out for you. But Jess?"

Rory smiled. "He's grown up a lot mom. He's different now."

Lorelai looked at her watch. "I really have to go. Just be careful. And remember that nothing is going to be right with either one until you make up you mind and pick one. Just think about it."

She gave her daughter a hug and a kiss, gave Logan a hug and had to leave.

Rory looked forward to the weekend when she could see Jess until Logan came to her on Thursday.

"I have to be out this weekend but the Merlsons are coming into town. I need you to throw them a dinner party." he instructed her.

Rory almost bit her lip with frustration. She hated the insufferable Merlsons, Logan's business associates. Like Logan they were newspaper owners and in former times she would have been delighted to spend time with them. Unfortunately, over the years she had gotten to knew them and found them tediously boring, stiff and old-fashioned.

"What day are they coming?" she asked.

"Plan it for Saturday." he told her.

Rory's heart sunk. That was right in the middle of the weekend. There was no way she could fly out to see Jess now. It wouldn't make much sense. And she would have to spend tomorrow planning the dinner.

"I'll do it." she said, like a dutiful wife although she hated her husband at this moment.

"I knew I could count on you." he told her, stopping slightly to kiss her forehead. "I have to get ready, I have to leave early tomorrow morning."

She nodded glumly and started planning. Then she stopped, wrote a quick letter to Jess and mailed it out, next day delivery. Hopefully he would get it in time! Then she went back to planning the dinner. Of course her friends would be invited and a couple of Logan's associates.

Rory had been anxiously checking the window since Logan had left that morning. The party was pretty much planned. She had stayed up long into the night making all the arrangements she could at such short notice so there was nothing to do now but wait for... and there he was! It was Jess, stepping out of the cab, walking up her steps, ringing her bell. Rory jumped up and went downstairs. The maid was flustered. "This man says he is an old friend of yours. From high school." she said.

"Of course, let him in." Rory instructed. Jess gave her a slight smile when he saw her.

The maid was still standing there. "You can go now." Rory told her and she scurried off. Rory briefly wondered if she was as scary as her grandmother.

Jess was looking around at the house, looking completely out of place here, like she had the first time in his apartment.

"I'm glad you got the letter and the money." she told him. "Was your ticket waiting at the airport? I tried to make sure they would have it there waiting for you."

Jess seemed to ignore her question. He was just standing there, looking around the room as if something had just dawned on him. As if he hadn't realized that she had lived like this before.

"Jesus Rory you have a maid! You live in a mansion. We used to make fun of stuff like this, and now this is your life. And you want me to be impressed and tell you good job, great catch." He seemed angry.

Rory gave him a hurt look. What was his problem?

"Hey I can pay for my own things." she said.

"Oh like your diamonds and flying out to see me? Why did you bring me here Rory? To show me what you are giving up? To make this some big fucking sacrifice, like oh look I had the perfect life but I wasn't with you. So I'd rather be poor and live in a cardboard box with you! How do you think that makes me feel? I'm happy with my life but I don't have a fucking maid!"

"Oh yeah, this is the perfect life." Rory spat back, bitterly. "I have everything I never wanted."

"You know, I'm never going to be as successful as him. And I'm fine with that, I'm fine with my life until you bring me here and show me all this."

"I'm not trying to rub anything in your face." Rory said. "I just wanted to see you, that's all. This stuff means nothing to me and you are twice the man he is."

"Well it looks pretty damn deliberate."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you would react like that. You knew we were rich, right?" she said.

"Yes I knew, I just didn't expect this. I mean it's a little overwhelming to see you living here like this. I had a hard time believing how your grandparents lived. And then, no explanation you want me to come out here to see you this weekend. I've just had a bad feeling about it. But I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm just on edge. So why are you stuck here this weekend?"

"Dinner party." she responded, making a face. "I have to fulfill my social responsibilities, at least until I'm out of this marriage."

He noticed an evil gleam in her eye. "What's with that look?" he asked.

"Just feeling spiteful towards Logan." Rory responded. She sat up suddenly. "We should have sex on every piece of furniture Logan owns." she said with a wicked smile.

Jess looked around dubiously. "You know this is a gigantic house. With a helluva lot of furniture."

Rory smiled wider. "We better get started."

"You have maids." He reminded her. "I'm sure old high school friends aren't supposed to fuck on the dining table."

"Very true."

Rory called the servants over and gave them some chore or other to get them out of the house for a couple hours.