UPDATE: Please Read—

I have chunks of this story written ahead, but I'm worried about what you all think since I haven't been getting a lot of feedback. If you could please review with your thoughts, I would be more confident in my postings.

I figure this story will be about 15 chapters or so, and I already have chapters 4 and 5 written, but I feel like I've been putting them out too quickly.

Anyways, I just ask that you give me some feedback and show me your love.

Thanks for your time everyone!

Suggested Soundtrack:

--Scar Tissue- Red Hot Chili Peppers

--Sitting, Waiting, Wishing- Jack Johnson

Chapter 3: Did I Say Awkward? I Meant Excruciatingly Awkward

It took Rory nearly an hour to reach The Dragonfly Inn where her mother was currently harassing Michel to get his act together and stop his hysterics.

"Michel, I've told you at thousand times, no more lavender candles! If we had any more going we'd suffocate our guests to death and then the cops would come after me because I am your boss, and they'd assume it was my lavender and it would just be like that scene in American Beauty where Mena Suvari is like, plastered to the ceiling and the rose petals are falling onto Kevin Spacey, only it would be lavender… And it's just a mess!"

Lorelai took a deep breath and looked over the snooty "concierge", watching as he turned his nose at her, gathered the lapel of his jacket together as if he were over exposed, and huffed off to the kitchen. She sighed, looking over to the door to see her beautiful young daughter standing there, watching on in amusement.

"Spawn!"

"Satan!" They shouted at each other before embracing one another warmly and walking into the small dining room.

"How are you?" Her mother asked, giving her daughter the "up and down".

"I'm fine mom. Are you checking me out?"

"Yes, you look different…more like me or something," she brushed it off throwing herself into a nearby chair.

"Must be all the hair," she replied, throwing a hand into the air to wave her mother off.

"Yes. Definitely. Big hair equals Lorelai Gilmore." She smiled fondly at her daughter watching her carefully.

"Smells like lavender in here," Rory noted, sniffing the air in great swoops.

"Stop doing that you look like Sherlock Holmes's dog…and you are much to pretty to be a dog…so kid, what's up? Why the sudden visit? Though, I love having a clone of me wandering around. People really ask 'Is she actually your daughter or did you go to some crazy scientist and get cloned. Are you the first human Dolly?' It's insane!" Lorelai rambled, watching Rory curiously, before smiling up at Sookie who had come to bring them coffee.

"Sookie," Rory cooed, standing up to give the woman a tight squeeze.

"Hey there kiddo…Michel came in grunting about lavender and your arrival, so I thought coffee would be a good idea," she smiled warmly and stood awkwardly for a moment.

"You are huge!" Rory exclaimed, "And I mean that in the nicest possible way," she added, touching the woman's belly.

"Yeah, babies will do that to you…take up space, make you expand to double your size," she wrung her fingers together and put a small smile on her face. "Well, I better get back to the kitchen, who knows what they will try and put in my salad while I'm not there. Last week, I caught Mary putting beets into my Caesar salad. I could have killed her…How about some cake?" Sookie turned and wobbled back into the kitchen.

"She's particularly pregnant today," Rory commented with a huge grin.

"She always is…that woman is a baby oven. I swear she could start a business, 'Sookie's Babies', or something equally as creative," Lorelai looked over at her daughter, noticing the slight frown hiding in her eyes. "Kid, seriously, what's wrong…There is definitely something wrong, you haven't even touched your coffee…You're not pregnant are you? Oh geeze, my baby is pregnant!" She sighed dramatically and allowed a devious smirk to grace her lips.

"No I'm not pregnant," Rory sighed, "if only that were the case…It's just…things with Steven aren't exactly, well 'hunky dory" She winced at this statement, realizing the truth in her own words.

Lorelai stared at her daughter in confusion. "This morning you told me things were great. What's wrong?"

"We broke up." She stated plainly before looking up at her mother, a frown creasing her forehead.

"Broke up? No…that's terrible. What happened? You guys seemed so good for each other. He made you laugh, you made him cry, I mean it was a very balanced relationship," she replied, trying in her own way to lighten the mood.

"Well he just doesn't love me anymore," she said truthfully.

"Oh. Is that how he said it? What an ass! I mean, he goes up to you and is all 'Yo Ror, I don't love you anymore and stuff.' What a guy! Is that what he did?"

"No, ugh" she was starting to become frustrated and it was all she could do not to come right out and say it.

"Then what? I don't understand. How does someone just break up with you for no real reason? You are smart and beautiful and funny and charming…and basically mini-me, so how could he not love you!" she said exasperatedly. She really was not grasping onto what her daughter was saying.

"Fine, he's gay. G-A-Y. Gay. In fact, I found him in our bed with his parents pool boy last week," she paled visibly at this statement and stared down into the thick, dark liquid she held in her hands.

Lorelai tried not to let the shock creep up her face, but it was too difficult not to. "Gay! He's gay?!"

"Apparently…Him and… Billy are seeing each other now… They came to pick up his stuff, that's why I left the apartment, I needed to be as far away from him and Landon as possible." She cringed as she let Landon's name slip from her lips. She hadn't meant to expose that tiny detail to her mother, but now it was fair game.

"Landon, what do you mean you wanted to stay away from Landon-" she asked, but was cut off with the arrival of cake and pastries from Sookie.

"Here are some desserts ladies," she looked between the mother and daughter and realized she needed to excuse herself immediately. "What's that Michel, your finger is caught in the blender? Crazy Frenchman!" She laughed at her faux statement before scurrying off again towards the kitchen.

"Actually, I don't really want to talk about it…All I can tell you is that vodka and a bathtub were involved…" she shook her head in confusion before talking a heavy gulp of coffee.

"Kinky!"

"Mother!" she whispered, looking around to make sure Miss Patty and Babette were no where in ear shot.

"Well, I'm imaginative! What did you expect? You may want to give some sort of detail before my mind wanders too much," she offered, downing the remains of her coffee.

"This is utterly humiliating," she shook her head, but decided to dish out the details, leaving out the descriptions as to not gross out her mother, and finished with a dramatic sigh. "The weird thing though, is that it felt kind of normal, like not awkward really. I wasn't mad or upset, I was just confused at hell because he looked so nervous." She bit her lip trying to hide the smile as she thought of his naked chest, the near perfection of his abs and the beautiful biceps-the byproducts of being a swimmer.

"Well maybe you like him! I saw you guys as kids… His mother and I practically bathed you two together…I think it's meant to be," she smiled again…A whole lot of smiling going on for such a weird gathering, but nonetheless she smiled knowingly. She knew that her daughter, deep down, whether she realized it or not, had feelings for one Landon Deaker.

"But mom, I can't like him… That would be unnatural…We've known each other since we were kids…and I mean…he's like my brother…" she realized quickly what she had said and corrected it, "but not, because I would have committed incest.. EWW!" she winced before banging her head on the table repeatedly.

Lorelai laughed, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to put myself in a coma so I can forget this entire mess!" she answered continuing the head against the table thing.

"You know what I think? I think that your glad that Steven is gay, because now you are free to be with Landon, and he is free to be with you… I mean that boy has had a crush on you since God knows when and--"

Rory raised her head and glared at her mother, "What do you mean he's 'had a crush on me since God knows when'?"

"He has! Have you ever seen the way that boy looks at you? And don't even deny it, he looks at you like you are the only girl on the entire planet."

Come to think of it, Rory had never really noticed the way he looked at her because she was sure that it was merely a friendship sort of thing. After all, she looked at him the same way because he was her oldest and dearest friend. Although, she couldn't really remember any of his girlfriends in high school…or any of his relationships at Yale… Had he had any? Surely he was not a virgin…not by what had happened last night… or rather what she remembered of last night.

"Earth to Rory!" her mother called.

"Hmm? Sorry. I've got to be some place," she said and took off towards the door.

"Be safe! Don't be a fool, wrap his tool!" Lorelai called childishly and laughed to herself as she sipped Rory's left over coffee.

--

Landon had spent the afternoon in utter torment. He wallowed away in a coffee shop for two hours before meandering to the bookstore for another two. The walk back to his apartment, just a few blocks from Rory's, had felt like the walk of shame back in his first year of college when he'd left Rebecca Jorday's room after a night of timid love-making. He'd tried to like her as much as she did him, but he never really could allow himself. Regardless, this day felt just like that, heavy eyes judging him as he walked from her apartment to his own and even in the empty elevator, he felt a heaviness he hadn't felt in so long. It took him a moment to open the door to his apartment, wanting to just die right on the spot from shame.

He hadn't meant to let it go that far last night. He hadn't meant to be seduced by her warm lips and sensuous smile. Surely she just thought of him as "feel better sex", but then again she wasn't like that. Things had been rather awkward that morning though, making him feel like he was just a pawn in an overdue chess match.

Feeling the need to shower, he took heavy steps towards the washroom and turned the water onto scalding hot. As he washed away the night before, he remembered the burning sensation of her hands grazing his chest and his arms. Her fingers were like fire, erupting sensations he hadn't known in quite some time. Just then, he heard the door to the bathroom squeak open and the sound of fabric ruffling. He sighed again, turning the shower to an even hotter temperature.

"Baby is that you?" a feathery voice called.

"Yeah, I'm almost done," he called back gruffly, letting the water pierce his back and turn his skin a bright red.

"No need to rush, I just might join you," the voice answered back. Before the speaker could do as she pleased, he shut off the water and grabbed a towel from the nearest rack. Covering himself from the hips down, he left the shower to be assaulted with the vision of a leggy red head wearing nothing but a thin white wife beater and a pair of his boxer briefs.

"Oh you're no fun," she pouted, stepping towards him to drag her delicate fingers across his wet body. She placed an open mouthed kiss on his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled down at her and held her by her hips. She had startling green eyes that danced in the light, with a face covered in freckles that sprinkled across her cheeks and nose. She was a beauty in her own right, with the softest lips he had ever tasted…that is until yesterday.

"Sorry Delilah, I'm just a little tired," he answered truthfully. Well one does tire themselves out when they 'workout' so vigorously.

"Where were you last night? The bed felt so empty without you," she pouted again. Damn he could just kiss that pout right off of her…but he couldn't. Not right now at least. He pushed away from her suddenly and walked towards his bedroom before answering.

"I was at Rory's last night. I slept on her couch. You know the whole Steven thing just had her really upset and all," he went on, pulling on a fresh pair of dark jeans and towel drying his hair into a perfectly messy 'do.

"Oh that's awful sweet of you to stay the night baby," she cooed appreciatively. "Have you told Rory about us yet? I mean, she knows me as your roommate, but does she know about us as an… 'us'?." Another pout followed and he walked over to kiss her roughly. She smiled into him, biting his bottom lip and sucking it gently. Rory's face flashed up before his eyes, he remembered her luscious lips, the playful sucking and teasing she had done the night before. He shook off Daphne once again and startled she frowned up at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing Delilah, just tired, remember?" he said again, going back to his closet.

Before he could go all the way back, she grabbed a hold of his bicep and looked up at him coyly. "Then let's take an afternoon nap?" she offered suggestively, drawing tantalizing circles across his arms. He turned back to her, pulling her roughly against him and let his arms fall down her curvy sides. She was curvier than Rory, but taller with legs that really went on for miles. He cursed himself mentally trying to get her out of his head. He looked down at his girlfriend who stared up at him curiously. Sighing he kissed her lips gently before releasing her and heading out of the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" she called, following him out of the room.

"I have to go. I'll be back in a bit, I promise. We can order in tonight, it will be great," he grabbed his coat and found his keys on the table. He walked over to his girlfriend, kissing her forehead softly and then left the apartment. He needed to talk to Rory and soon.

--

Lovestoned erupted from her purse as she walked quickly towards her apartment, as to ensure no more run ins with her ex-boyfriend and his pool boy lover. She had waited patiently outside of her building after her doorman told her that the boys hadn't been down yet. After watching them leave hand in hand (she mentally gagged herself) she all but ran in and locked herself inside. Making a mental note to change her ring tone, she did love JT but this was getting excessive, she answered her phone, too flustered to check the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rory, it's me…Landon"

She tingled at the mention of his name, noticing the effect his voice had on her. Her entire body was shaking, but in a good way. How was that possible?

"Oh hey," she replied, mentally kicking herself to avoid any awkwardness.

"I think we need to talk…" he said, and there it was, the pink elephant appeared in the room.

"Oh, okay?"

"Are you at home, because I'm outside your door right now," he said, touching the dark wooden panel.

"Umm, I am. I'll be right there," she said, hanging up the phone and opening the door to notice Landon in fresh clothes and damp hair.

"Hi there," he smiled at her, a toothy smile that made her insides jump unexpectedly. What was wrong with her today? Maybe her mother was right after all.

"Hi," she added her own weak smile before moving out of the way to let him in.

He strode past her to sit at the kitchen counter, folding his hands in place, staring forward. "I just wanted to talk to you about last night…I mean I know you didn't really mean to sleep with me, so I just wanted to make sure that things wouldn't be awkward between us. I mean, it's fine we just made a mistake and I just don't want to lose you as a friend because of it," he rambled, hoping she would disagree.

"A mistake…yes, just a drunken accident," she forced a laugh, and noticed the way her heart started beating faster and the way she felt like it dropped to the pit of her stomach.

"Ugh, thank God! I was really worried that you hated me or something," he said, smiling, looking way more relieved than he was actually feeling.

"Of course, I mean, I just broke up with Steven, how could we just get involved like that?" she put on another forced smile and watched him carefully. Was there any truth in those eyes of his?

"Right. Besides, we have bee friends for years, and nothing petty like this should have come between us. But there is something I need to tell you," he began looking at her carefully.

"What is it?" she asked, thinking the worst like he had and STD or that he was dying…okay so two extremes but the whole 'I need to tell you something' isn't exactly a very precise statement. It could mean just about a billion different things.

Seeing the look of worry cross her face he spoke gently, "Oh it's nothing major Ror, I just wanted to tell you that I'm kind of seeing someone." He noticed her hesitate for a moment before smiling in a way that appeared sincere but was nothing of the sort.

"Really?! That's great Landon. Good for you. She must be something special…why haven't you mentioned her before?" she asked, a little perturbed.

"I know, I'm a terrible human being. This just sort of happened though and I've been trying to tell you for weeks but it just never came up," he answered still watching her.

"Well, it's about time you had a girlfriend, being the stud you are," she joked, but meant those words a lot more than she knew.

"Thanks Ror, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but you know how these things are…"

"Yes, new and happy and too exciting to figure out. Yep I know, oh do I know. I know lots… Lots," she looked around, trying to cover her rambling. "As much as I would love to talk about this, I really need to be somewhere so," she replied, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Oh right, I'd better go anyway," he said looking at his watch. "Wow, it's already six, time flies…I guess." He backed towards the door, Rory following behind closely.

"Well, it was nice seeing you," she said, trying to edge the awkwardness out of her voice.

"Yes, you too. We should have coffee later this week," he said, stepping out into the hall. She leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms with a smile.

"Yes, you can tell me all about this girl of yours," she plastered a fake smile on her lips before turning her attention to stare at the wall.

"Right, well bye Ror," he said, stepping into the now waiting elevator.

"Bye," she called and slammed the door as the elevator shut closed. She stormed to her bedroom as the anger filled her from the pit of her belly. The nerve of that boy to tell her he was seeing someone when they had just had sex the night before. And the poor girl he was seeing! She would hate to know that he'd slept with another girl…She stopped for a moment, desperate to remember who kissed whom first but it was lost on the vodka. Sighing heavily, she spun on her heel and threw herself onto the bed. She couldn't really blame him for having a girlfriend. He was, after all, quite the catch.

--

I bet you didn't see that coming, eh kids?

Thanks for the reviews and story alerting. I appreciate it. Please continue to review, it's like a life force, it really keeps me going. Like Rory and her coffee…What would the Gilmore's be without coffee? What would a writer be without reviews? Please do try…

More to come, what did you all think?

Also, I have another chapter already written and another started, so maybe if you would be so kind as to review I could post those others knowing that people actually read them. I really like my ideas for this story and I think you all will too… So please please please review and show me the love

-beautymarked.