Chapter 14 : Where You Lead

CHAPTER 14

After the kiss, Jess watched Rory. He had a smile on his face. Rory, on the other hand, looked scared. Either that or like she was going to be sick. She kept swallowing and taking deep breaths. Gone was the intense, longing look that had been on her face just moments before.

"Are you going to be okay?" Jess asked her. "Do you want a bucket or something? I knew I wasn't the best kisser, but..."

Rory laughed. "No, I...you're fine. I just..." Rory placed a hand to her head. "I can't believe I did that. I'm supposed to be mad at you."

"I can pretend to be mad at you, too, if that helps any," Jess offered.

Rory grinned. "No, that's okay, Dodger."

He reeled back. "Okay, okay. So...about what we talked about online..."

Her face grew hot. "Yeah?"

"I am officially 'the other guy' now?"

"I'm not telling you anything ever again."

"Oh, come on. You didn't know you were telling me anything to begin with."

"That's not the point. Don't try to change it around. And, okay, let's talk about you now. What about when you were talking about me, huh? I'm funny, and smart, and beautiful..." Rory trailed off, a teasing smile on her face.

"I wasn't talking about you."

"Yeah right," Rory laughed.

"I wasn't. I was talking about this girl names Kaelie that was in my english class last year."

She looked skeptical. "You were?" she asked, frowning.

Jess laughed.

"So when exactly did you start thinking it was me?" Rory asked.

"When your 'problem' was so similar to mine, and you said you 'almost' cheated on your boyfriend, but it was an accident..."

"Oh geez," Rory groaned. "Are you going to hold this over me forever?"

"Not if you don't hold me not telling you over me." Jess trailed off, thinking about what he just said and hoping it made sense.

"That didn't make any sense whatsoever!" Rory cried.

"Yeah, I know," he admitted.

"So you want to try again?"

"What, the kiss?"

Rory blushed. "No, what you were..."

Jess started to lean forward, when the door opened and Luke walked in. He looked at them, uncomfortable.

"Uh, Jess, I need you to help downstairs."

Jess glanced at Rory. "Okay." He stood up and held out a hand to help her up as well. They walked past Luke, and Rory flashed him a tight-lipped smile as she followed Jess downstairs.

"Coffee?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

"Rory!"

Rory and Jess both looked up as Dean walked over.

"Rory, can we talk?"

Not this again, Rory thought.

She looked over at Jess, but he refused to make eye contact. She turned back to Dean. "Why?"

"Uh, why?" He looked confused.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, we...I just wanted to...can't we just..."

"Dean, you know as well as I do that it wouldn't have lasted. We're two different people."

Dean shook his head. "I know, but--"

"No, Dean," Rory said quietly.

He sighed. "This is because of him, isn't it?" He glared accusingly at Jess, who still refused to get involved in it all.

"No, this was never about him. God, why can't I make you see that?" Rory cried in frustration.

He nodded. "Okay, I get it. I'll see you around."

Rory watched him leave, the pain in his eyes mirroring her own. She had caused him that pain. She would never forget the look in his eyes as he left just then.

It hurt her to see him like that, but at the same time, she felt...relieved. Now she definitely knew it was over. She just hoped that they could still be friends.

Lorelai walked into the diner and came up behind Rory, who sat talking with Jess.

"Hey you," Lorelai called.

Rory turned around. "Hey."

Lorelai sat down on the stool beside her daughter. "Hey Jess."

He raised an eyebrow at her and nodded in acknowledgement. "Coffee?"

Lorelai nodded, overjoyed. "And he's back."

Rory grinned as Jess went to make some more coffee.

"So what did you have to talk to him about?" Lorelai asked curiously.

"You know that guy I'm talking to online?"

"Jess knows him?"

Rory bit her lip, saying nothing. She stared at her mother until realization flashed across Lorelai's face and she shook her head.

"Don't tell me..." Rory nodded. "Aw, it's Jess?"

"Yeah."

"What are the odds?"

"Slim to none."

"Oh, wow--did you know all this time?"

"No. But he did."

"So what's up now?"

"I...kissed him," Rory whispered.

Lorelai's eyes widened and she took a sip of Rory's coffee. "Wow."

"Tell me about it."

"So ya kissed him? What was that like?"

"Mom!" Rory exclaimed, blushing, just as Jess came back with a full coffeepot.

He poured a cup for Lorelai, and she eyed him. He set down the coffeepot and turned to Rory.

"You told her, didn't you." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Hey, she asked," Rory shrugged.

"Huh."

"I did," Lorelai confirmed.

"And?"

"And nothing."

Jess nodded at Rory. "You sure you told her?"

"So, what now?" Lorelai asked Rory later that night.

"What do you mean?"

"You. Jess. You and Jess--what's going on?"

"I don't know."

"Is he a good kisser?"

"God!" Rory cried. "You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

"I haven't decided yet," Lorelai replied thoughtfully. "But come on, details!"

Rory laughed as Lorelai fell onto the couch beside her. "Are you that starved for entertainment?"

"You have no idea," Lorelai answered. "Okay, so you kissed him. Like out of the blue, or..."

Rory turned sideways, sitting cross-legged and facing her mother. She told her exactly what had happened, starting with when she left the house to go meet him. Once she got to the part where she kissed him, Lorelai squealed. She told Rory to start over, at the very beginning, when she and Jess didn't know they were talking to each other.

"Well, I went into this Oliver Twist chatroom and started talking to people, and next thing I know..."

"What, that is some story," Lorelai exclaimed.

"I know."

"Okay, Mommy's going to sleep now."

"I think I'm going to stay up a while longer," Rory replied.

"And do what?"

"I don't know." Rory inconspicuously looked over at the computer. She started toward the living room.

"Where ya goin'?" Lorelai asked in a teasing voice, a grin on her face.

Rory stopped and turned back. "I was just going to--"

"See if Jess is online?" Lorelai asked knowingly.

Rory felt herself smile. "Maybe."

"Don't stay up too late."

"I won't."

"Night, hun."

"Night, Mom," Rory responded, signing online. Lorelai headed upstairs to bed.

Rory smiled. He was on.

NYer02: well, if it isn't Ms. Cathy Coffee herself.

CoffeeJunkie02: Dodger, hey

NYer02: how was your night, Cathy?

CoffeeJunkie02: excellent. And it just keeps getting better.

NYer02: huh. mine, too.

CoffeeJunkie02: that's good.

NYer02: I guess it is.

CoffeeJunkie02: what are you doing tomorrow?

NYer02: I was thinking of asking this friend of mine if she wanted to go to the movies.

CoffeeJunkie02: is that so? think she'll say yes?

NYer02: I don't see why not. See, she already kissed me...

Rory grinned, biting her lip. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she thought of a reply.

CoffeeJunkie02: interesting. I guess it's a given she'll say yes then?

NYer02: pretty much.

CoffeeJunkie02: meet me at Luke's tomorrow around two?

NYer02: see you then.

Rory let out a breath, shivering. She had goosebumps.

CoffeeJunkie02: I'm going to sleep now...ttyl?

NYer02: you're not going to throw rocks outside my window again, are you?

CoffeeJunkie02: no...too cold outside.

NYer02: fair enough.

CoffeeJunkie02: Goodnight, Dodger.

NYer02: night Cathy.

Rory signed offline, turned off the computer, and walked to her room. She closed the door behind her, all the while thinking of Jess.

She didn't know what would happen in the future--or tomorrow, even--but one thing she knew for sure: she couldn't wait to find out.