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Chapter Two - Worry About it Later
Rory arrived back in Stars Hollow later that afternoon. She walked in the front door and called out for her mom and Luke.
"Kitchen, sweets!" the reply came. Rory walked to the kitchen and found her mom who was reading 'Glamour' magazine and Luke, who was making soup. She kissed her mom on the cheek and sat down at the table.
"So, what are you doing here?" Lorelai asked not looking up from her magazine.
"I have the week off, I told you I was coming to stay. Hey Luke." Rory smiled at Luke, who waved and returned her hello without turning round.
Lorelai continued flipping through 'Glamour' and with an "ohh cute shoes!" she closed it and looked at Rory. "Yes but you don't live here. Remember? You finally moved you're crap out and you stay at the diner apartment when you're in the Hollow." She beamed at her daughter.
"So I can't come by and see my mom even though I've had a very rough and crappy day?"
"Of course you can sweets. But why so rough? You left for DC yesterday to drop off your stuff and then you were heading back here today after finishing off some things at the paper? Where's the rough? The boxes fall apart? Someone at the paper picking on you? Does Momma have to kick some butt? Soup? I hate chicken soup! I'm not eating that, Luke" Lorelai finished her rant as Luke set down her soup in front of her.
"Yes, you are eating it. You've had a cold all week." Luke replied as he sat at the table too.
"I didn't go to the paper, mom, I went to Philadelphia." Both Luke and Lorelai looked at Rory in surprise. Lorelai was the first to speak, after looking at Luke for a second, "Philly, huh? Doesn't…"
"- Jess…" Luke interrupted, "Jess lives in Philadelphia. Rory, I gave you his number, you said you were gonna phone him, about the wedding. What happened?"
"I don't know." Rory replied. "I found my Jess box, and I just needed to talk him again but I kept hanging up before I finished dialling and I needed to see him so I got his address from information, and I got in the car and started driving. I think I had a stroke or an aneurysm or something, what does an aneurysm feel like?"
"I dunno. Not good?" Lorelai replied. "So you went to Jess' apartment and then what happened?"
"And he looked great, and I was about to tell him how I feel, how I was really stupid to leave him at the open house for Logan, that I still...love him and we were interrupted."
"Roommate?" Lorelai asked.
Rory shook her head "No, worse."
"Oh, Jess has a girlfriend?" Lorelai then ventured.
"Worse..."Rory nearly choked thinking about it.
"A...boyfriend?"
"No, a wife, mom. Jess is married!"Rory said and put her head down on the table.
"Married? Wow, that's... wow. Jess is married? Well, what's she like?" Lorelai asked in shock.
"I don't know, she was only there for a minute, but she seems...amazing. She's pretty and seems smart and I think they really love each other." Rory replied, sounding defeated.
"You got all that from a minute meeting? That's impressive." Lorelai said, pushing her bowl of soup out of the way. Rory got up and went to pour herself a cup of coffee.
"Well it was a...a vibe they had. But I could be wrong." Rory said as she took a sip of her coffee.
"No, you're right," Luke spoke up, "They're really happy and Lydia's great. They're good together."
Lorelai just started at her fiancé, while a look of realisation hit Rory.
"That's right, Jess said you knew. Why didn't you say anything when I asked for his number?"
"Because, you were phoning him about the wedding, and he asked me not to tell anyone." Luke replied turning around in his chair to face Rory.
"And by 'anyone' you mean me right?" Rory retorted.
"No, he didn't want anyone to know. This town didn't exactly warm to Jess, remember? And to be honest Rory, can you blame him for not wanting you to know? He never asks about you or your life. He didn't want or need to know, and he asked that I didn't tell anyone about him." Luke snapped back. "Rory, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Rory put her hand up and stopped him "No it's fine. I'm going to go. See Lane and the boys. I'll be at the diner later. Bye mom."
Rory lifted her bag and walked out leaving Luke and Lorelai speechless.
Luke looked at Lorelai, who still hadn't quite gotten over the shock. Luke was the first to speak. "Do you think we should have told her that you knew?"
"What? Are you kidding? She would have flipped. You told me because I promised I would tell on one. Not even Rory. I just can't believe that she still loves him. I always knew there would be a Jess blow-up. But I never, ever imaged the L word would be used. No, it's better she thinks I didn't know. Besides I've never met Lydia, and Jess still thinks only you and his mom know. It'll be fine."
She stood up and walked behind Luke, putting her arms around his shoulders. "Don't worry, it'll work out. I promise. Rory's just upset because she hates not having all the information. Information which could have saved her a lot of embarrassment had she known it." She kissed the top of his head, before heading up to the nursery to check on Charlie.
"Married?" Lane asked, almost choking on the muffin she was eating. "The same monosyllabic Jess, as in didn't finish high school or take you to prom and asked you run away, Jess? He's married?"
"Yes," Rory confirmed, "But you have to remember, that Jess turned into Jess who wrote a book and now co-owns a publishing business."
"Right, right, Jess isn't seventeen anymore. He grew up too. And you still..."
"Love him." Rory finished Lane's sentence. "I'm an idiot. I mean I treated him horribly, and he was so nice about it at the time but I know that he was just putting it on. And what do I expect, that four years after I tell him I can't be with him because I'm in love with another guy, that he's just going to be sitting around in Philadelphia, waiting for me to come to my senses?"
"Yeah, wow." Lane tried to take in her friends rant, "I'm sorry? You love him?" she questioned, but Rory never got to answer as the door to Lane's apartment open and Zach came in carrying Steve and Kwan.
"Auntie Rory!" They shout in unison, as their dad let them down and they run to Rory, both flinging their arms round her neck!
"Hey!" she replies, taking their hands and forcing them to take a step back, "Lets take a look at you. My Lord you're getting big. You must be eating all your vegetables, yeah?"
Steve and Kwan looked at each other and then hung their identical heads. "Yes," replied Steve.
"But please don't tell Auntie Lorelai." Kwan pleaded, "She says vegetables are bad for you."
Steve nodded his head in agreement and continued, "But Grandma Kim makes us eat them and she's..."
"Scary!" finished Kwan.
Rory laughed and pulled the boys close to her. "That's ok boys. Your secret's safe with me. And I'll tell you a secret, Auntie Lorelai is afraid of Grandma Kim!"
"Really?" The twins asked together, wide eye in shock. "But Auntie Lorelai isn't afraid of anything!" Steve continued.
"Well now you know," smiled Rory, "and if you go into your room you might have a surprise waiting for you!"
With that the boys took of to their room shouting, "Thanks Auntie Rory!"
"What did you get them?" asked Zach coming in from the kitchen.
"Oh just some White House merch I swiped!" Rory replied, standing to give Zach a hug.
"Cool, and how are you today?" he replied, hugging her and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, good, you know, great!" Rory answered nervously pushing her hair behind her ears.
"O.K..." Zach glanced at Lane, "Which one is it? Fine? Good? Great?"
"Yeah, sweetie, you did kind of give him three answers, and to be honest, you are none of them!" Lane told her as Zach sat down beside her.
"Oh my God, I'm a mess, you're right. What is wrong with me?" Rory asked no one in particular, placing her hand to her forehead and squeezing her eyes shut.
Zach glanced at Lane and mouthed 'What happened?' but she dismissed him with a wave of her hand and got up to sit beside Rory, pulling her best friend into a hug.
"Sweetie, you're not a mess. Just slightly askew. And there's nothing wrong with you. You and Jess just never got an ending, it was always left in the air. Even after his open house. But maybe now, it is over, and you can move on."
Rory looked at her Lane and tried to smile. "Yeah, maybe. I mean, no, you're Lane. When did you get so wise? Probably when you became mom. Weird! But I invited them to the party on Saturday. You think they'll come?"
"I dunno, Ror, I mean Jess is best man, so he might come. But the wife, she might stay at home. This is probably really awkward for her too. And you might be able to straighten everything thing out with Jess then."
"Yeah, that's true. Well thanks for listening to me rant. I just needed to...you know, vent, I guess. Kiss the boys for me, and I'll come by tomorrow maybe to give you guys some suggestions, you know, favourite Lorelai Gilmore songs to include in the Hep Alien reunion gig." Rory said, standing up and putting her bag over her shoulder.
"Sounds good." Lane laughed, hugging her friend again, "and really, stop worrying about Jess. It'll all be good. I promise!"
"Thanks. Bye Zach." Rory waved and headed out the front door, feeling slightly, but not much better about the whole being in love with her high school boyfriend. But maybe Lane was right. Maybe Jess and Lydia wouldn't come. It would be really awkward for Lydia and Jess hated this town. Maybe.
Lydia was sitting at the coffee bar in Truncheon Books staring at the door of Jess' office. Jane Austin's 'Pride and Prejudice' sat in front of her, unopened; she merely flicked the pages of the book, from corner to corner, absentmindedly.
"Here," Mathew said, placing a beer in front of her, "beer for your thoughts."
"What?" She jumped at the sound of his voice and looked around, somewhat disorientated. She glanced at the beer and then at her friend who sat down opposite her, "What is this for?"
"Well, you have your 'I'm worried and I need a beer face' on, so there's a beer." Mathew clarified.
"That's not what face I've got on, you don't know me that well, Math." Lydia retorted.
"I've known you since you were six, Teach. That's the face you have." Mathew replied calmly.
Lydia narrowed her eyes and then sighed, "Damn it, that is my face." She lifted the beer bottle and giving Mathew a silent cheers, took a long sip.
"So," Mathew said after Lydia placed her beer back on the counter and continued to stare at Jess' door, "are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." was the reply, with an offstandish hand wave to back the point up.
"Lyds...this nothing wouldn't have anything to do with the brunette ex-girlfriend that came by on Monday would it?"
Lydia closed her eyes and rubbed them with the heels off her hands. "You know what? It's just stuff!" she exclaimed throwing her hands off her head. "O.K? Jess stuff, married people stuff," raising her left hand to show Mathew her ring, "something you would know nothing about, Mr I'm on dates number eight and nine, with the eighth and ninth different girl of the week and it's only Thursday!"
"Hey, what can I say? I'm popular!" Mathew said laughing, holding his hands up as a sign of his innocence, "aAnd you used to do the same thing." he reminded his friend.
"Yeah, in freshman year of college, then I grew up."
"Grew up, dated a gay guy...one in the same, right?" Mathew said, laughing as he dodged 'Pride and Prejudice', which Lydia had just thrown at him. "You wanna hear my advice?" he asked, settling himself back onto his seat.
"No!" Lydia protested, putting her head on the counter, "Your advice would be to do it on his desk!"
"While desk sex is always a good option, I was going to suggest, boring old fashioned talking."
Lydia raised her head off the counter top just enough to look at Mathew. "Talking? You are suggesting talk..." She sat up straight and leant across the counter to feel his forehead with the back of her hand, "Nope, no fever, so you are honestly suggesting talking? When did you get so...mature?"
"I guess you're finally rubbing off on me." He shrugged, taking a drink of the beer he had given to her, "Now, please go and talk to him, you're kinda putting a dampener on the atmosphere in here!"
"Fine, I'm going!" She said standing up from her stool, taking a final sip of beer before heading to Jess' office.
Lydia knocked on Jess' door, opened it and popped her head in. "Hey, hun. Can I come in?"
Jess looked up from his computer screen, "Murphy," he smiled, "you don't need to ask."
"Yeah, well, I didn't want to interrupt your work." She replied, entering the room and closing the door behind her.
"Never. You're always a welcome distraction." Jess told his wife, as she crossed the office and sat on the edge of his desk, putting her feet on his chair, one foot on either side of his left leg. She picked up the stapler that was sitting on Jess' desk and started pressing it closed, watching the staples fall onto the desk.
"Lyds?" Jess asked, rubbing her calves "Is there something you needed? Or did you just want to waste my office supplies?" he added, grinning.
"Hmm?" Lydia snapped out of her trance and lifted her head to look at Jess. "What? No, I didn't need anything. You know, other than to get away from the mad house for ten minutes."
"Mathew making fun of you again?"
"Yeah, but that's nothing to write home about. But, actually, Jess, there was something I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh yeah?" Jess smirked up at Lydia, his fingertips dancing across her knees.
"Yeah. Rory."
"Oh, Rory." Jess replied, his smirk falling into a frown. "Lyds, I thought you were over that, that you understood that Rory's a part of my past and that I'm with..."
"I do get it. All of it, Jess." Lydia cut him off, rubbing the pad of her thumb along his bottom lip, and letting it linger there for a moment, Jess gave it an affectionate kiss.
"Then what's this about?" He asked quietly.
"The party." Lydia replied looking down at her knees.
"Party?" Jess questioned, tracing figures of eight on her knee.
"Yeah, the surprise party for your uncle Luke and Rory's mom... I don't know her name." Lydia replied, rubbing her eyes.
"Lorelai. And I didn't think you'd want to go. I don't." Jess quietly confessed.
"You don't?"
"Not really. That town hated me. And I'll go to the wedding because Luke asked me, but I really don't want to spend anymore time than I have to there. Plus I figured you would be really uncomfortable, it would be an awkward situation."
Lydia sighed and took Jess' hand in hers. "It would be way more awkward if I showed up with you the day they were getting married and said 'Hey Lorelai. You don't know me, but congrats on the wedding!' And besides, I'm the queen of dealing with awkward situations!"
Jess looked up at his wife and raised his eyebrows in silent questioning.
"Well," Lydia continued, "this one time, Seth's parents caught us having sex on their sofa, and it was totally awkward but I handled it like a pro. You know, looked them straight in the eye, didn't get flustered at all. Plus I was only seventeen at the time." She finished with a smug grin on her face.
Jess let out a low chuckle at his wife's anecdote about her first boyfriend and lifted her hand to kiss her palm. Lydia moved her hand to stroke his cheek before she continued.
"And I know the town hated you. But you're not that seventeen year old anymore. You wrote a book, you co-own a publishing house, you don't fake murders. Plus as an added bonus, you have this really hot, really smart wife. And she promises to run interference."
"Oh yeah?" Jess asked, grinning.
"Yeah."
"How?"
"Well I'll be like a buffer." Lydia explained. "You can concentrate on me. The townsfolk can concentrate on me. My dad once said that if they sent me back in time, I could have charmed old Joe Stalin out from behind the Iron Curtain! So I'm pretty sure charming a teeny tiny little Connecticut town will be a snap." She finished, clicking her fingers for added effect.
"Oh yeah, you're such a charmer-"
"Oh no!" Lydia sang. She looked down at Jess and smiled softly. "So?"
"Okay. We'll go." Jess conceded, pulling Lydia off his desk, so she was straddling him.
"Really?" she asked, biting her lower lip. When Jess nodded her face broke into a large grin. "Good. 'Cause the main reason I wanted to go was to meet someone very special."
"Who?" Jess asked, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.
"Your mom." Lydia smiled up at him. "I always wanted to meet her. But I know you guys don't have the best relationship so I never brought it up. But now I finally get to meet her. And Doula. And T.J."
"You know they're all whackjobs, right?" he said peppering kisses along her jawline.
"I don't care. You've met my whole family. I want to meet yours."
"Your whole family, is your brother, Jamie."
"Well Math and Chris kinda count." She replied kissing his neck.
"No they don't, I met them before I met you." Jess reasoned.
"I still don't care." She smiled, "I'm meeting your mom!" and she kissed him hard on the mouth.
Still kissing her, Jess pulled back slightly and whispered, "God, Murphy..."
"I know, I know. I love you too." Lydia gave him a final, chaste kiss and jumped off his lap.
"Where are you going?" Jess inquired.
"Shopping. I need a new outfit for this party!" She laughed. "Now back to work!" She pointed at him and headed out of the office.
And there we go. A little insight into how Lydia and Jess are together. And Rory, melting heads! Lol. How will she deal with Lydia at the party? I'll try and get the next chapter up ASAP.