Chapter 5

Rory glanced up as she gave Shea a hug. She could feel Jess's eyes on her, but it was too dark to see anything.

She told Shea goodnight and let herself into the apartment building. Hurrying up the stairs, she stopped in front of her door. It was slightly ajar. She tilted her head, and, taking a deep breath, she slowly pushed the door open, just wide enough to squeeze through.

She closed the door behind her, looking around. Much to her surprise, and immense relief, nothing looked out of place. She had half expected everything to be thrown around, like you see in the movies. But, if anything, her apartment seemed to have gotten cleaner. That didn't make any sense, though...Unless, of course, a neat freak broke into her apartment.

"Hello?" she called hesitantly. She was always hearing about break-ins and such in New York. Hell, her mother called every time she read something like that in the newspaper, begging Rory to come back to Stars Hollow. But Rory had to learn to live by herself.

She froze at the sound of footsteps. Closer and closer they came...

"I like her," Shea announced as he drove to their apartment building.

"Me too," Jess replied, looking out the window.

"She told me to call her. And I think I just might. And, hey, here's some good news for you. I may not need you to come with me this time."

"That's great," Jess said unenthusiastically.

"Yeah. Thanks for coming with us, though. It eased some of the tension, don't you think? I mean, up until Sarah left."

'Eased the tension? Yeah right,' Jess thought.

"Sure."

"So listen. I'm sorry about Sarah, but I'm sure she'll come around."

"She always does."

"That she does," Shea agreed cheerfully, parking in front of their apartment building.

They got out of the car, walking into the building and going their separate ways to their rooms.

"Hey Rory, what's up?"

"Lane Kim, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Lane held up her hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. And it's not Kim anymore, remember?"

"Oh. Right. Anyhow, what are you doing here? Why aren't you on your date?"

"He had to work late. Again. He was very sorry about it, though..." Lane trailed off, a faraway look in her eyes and a smile on her face.

"Stop looking so happy," Rory mumbled, locking the front door. She slipped off her shoes and padded barefoot over to her lumpy old sofa, sinking into it. Literally.

"Uh oh. Bad date?" Lane asked, looking sympathetic. She sat beside her friend, and the couch almost swallowed her. "Wow," she exclaimed, accepting Rory's hand to help her out.

"No, Shea's great."

"Then what's the problem? Ooh, is his friend cuter? Did you try to steal him away? How'd that go?"

Rory bit her lip. "Thinking about it and doing it are two different things, right?"

"You're kidding me."

"Nope."

"Well how cute must this guy have been?"

"I don’t know, you tell me."

"How can I--" Lane stopped and her eyes grew wide. "Was it Dave?"

"No."

"Okay...Was it...No, I'm out of people. I don't know anybody. How sad is it that you and Dave are the only ones I know in New York? Except for Dave's friends, of course, but you don't know them."

"Jess does."

"Jess does?" Lane repeated. Rory nodded. "How does Jess know Dave's friends?"

Rory frowned, shaking her head. "No, Jess lives here. In New York."

"Oh." It took another moment for realization to fully sink in. "Oh my god, Jess was the other guy!"

"Ding ding ding, give the girl a prize," Rory said dryly.

"Wow. So how did he look?"

"Like Jess."

"Did you talk to him?"

"Yeah."

"About the letter?" Lane pressed.

"No."

"What's going to happen now?" she wanted to know.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"He's got a girlfriend," Rory said softly. She stood up and went into the kitchen, opening the freezer and grabbing a pint of ice cream.

Lane got two spoons and sat beside her friend.

"What now?" she asked again, digging her spoon into the ice cream.

"I don't know."

The next morning, Jess woke up with a headache. At first he thought it was a hangover, but then the events of last night came crashing back to him and he groaned.

Of all the people in the world Shea could fall for and ask out, it had to be Rory. The one person Jess wanted to forget yet remember all at the same. If that made any sense whatsoever.

He knew what he had to do. Getting out of bed, he threw on some jeans and a T-shirt. Then he ran a comb through his hair once and sat back down on the edge of his bed. He stared at his phone, finally picking up the receiver a minute later.

He pressed a button. "Hi, can I please get the number to the Dawnwood Apartments?" He waited while the operator got him the number, then he quickly scribbled it down on a piece of paper. "Thank you."

He dialed the number he had just been given and cleared his throat as someone answered. "Uh, hi...Can I get the number for Rory Gilmore, please? I believe she lives in an apartment in your building."

"Sorry, sir, I don't think I can give out that information."

"Uh, yeah, you can. I'm her...brother."

"What's your name?"

"Jess. Jess, uh, Gilmore," he answered. "Now can I have the number or not?"

"Hold please."

Jess sighed as he was put on hold.

Rory rolled over onto her side, swinging wildly at her bedside table. Her hand searched for her alarm clock, and when she finally found it, she shoved it on the ground. It made an annoyingly loud sound, but the ringing didn't stop. Only then did she realize that it wasn't her alarm clock, but her phone, which rang.

Sighing, she picked up the receiver and mumbled a greeting.

"What's the matter, not a morning person?" a teasing voice came back.

Rory's eyes shot open and she slowly sat up. "Jess..." she breathed. What was he doing calling her? And wait--how did he get her number in the first place? She asked him this, and she pictured him shrugging in response, though, on the phone--he would have to do better than that.

"Well? How did you get my number?" she asked again.

"I have my ways," he answered mysteriously.

"Can you be a little more vague?" Rory asked sarcastically. "Did Shea give it to you?"

"Shea doesn't even know I know you."

"Okay, so why did you call?" Rory wanted to know.

"You want to do something today?"

"I...can't. I'm supposed to look for a job today."

"Fine, you're hired. You work at the bookstore now. Problem solved," Jess told her.

Rory laughed. "Well, then, sure. I'd love to do something."

"Good. I'll meet you at your--" Jess stopped in midsentence, and Rory grinned.

"Did you ever get your car back?"

"Not yet," he admitted sheepishly.

"I'll pick you up?" she suggested.

"Sounds good. I'll be outside...You know where my apartment building is, right?"

"No..."

"Well, this is proving to be more difficult than it should be, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I'll come to your place."

"How--"

"I'll get there, don't worry about it. Just tell me which apartment."

Rory told him and they hung up. Almost in shock, she lay back on her bed with a sigh. A smile came to her face until she remembered that she wasn't even dressed yet or had her shower.

"Crap!"

She took a few minutes to clean the apartment, in the off chance he would arrive before she got out. Finally satisfied, it took her another five minutes just to pick out an outfit. She grabbed her clothes and went into the bathroom.

She was just getting out of her shower, when there was a knock on the door. Throwing on a towel, she hurried to answer it, finding herself face to face with Jess. She had been expecting him, but...it still felt weird seeing him after all this time.

Jess swallowed. She's in a towel. Those words kept playing over and over in his head as he stood outside and waited to be invited in.

"Hi."

"Hi," she greeted back with a smile.

God, had she gotten even more beautiful? Maybe coming to her apartment had been a mistake...

"Come on in," she said, ushering him in with the hand that wasn't holding her towel up.

'Oh well, too late now.'

"Okay."

Jess walked into her apartment and glanced around. Very...clean. He suspected she had cleaned before he came. No one could live in an apartment this spotless.

He went over and sat down on the couch. Rory started to sit down in a chair opposite him, before she realized that she wasn't dressed yet.

"Oh my god," she exclaimed, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment. "I'll be right back. You can watch TV or something if you want."

Jess grinned as Rory hurried out of the room.

Rory entered the steamy bathroom, reaching for her clothes. Deciding she'd be much more comfortable dressing in her own room, she opened the door that connected the bathroom to her bedroom. She fell back a step when she saw Jess standing there. She clutched onto her towel more tightly as she had almost dropped it right then.

"Oh...hi," she said.

"Hi," he returned, looking up from the pictures on the wall he had been staring at. "Not dressed yet, I see."

"No," she laughed nervously. "It's just too steamy in there. I'd rather change in here, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Don't mind me." Jess turned back to the pictures.

"Jess!"

"Alright, fine. I'll go read." Pulling a book out of his back pocket, he held it up for her to see.

"Expecting boredom?" she teased.

"Hey. I'm the one that called asking if you wanted to do something, remember?"

"True. Anyhow, go, I'll be out in a minute."

Jess left the room, closing the door behind him. Rory went over and locked it. Just in case.

Jess looked up from his book as Rory came back into the room, fully clothed this time. He was almost disappointed, but still. This was the most he had seen her in five years--the only time he had seen her, in fact, excluding last night. So no need to press his luck.

"So."

"So," Jess echoed.

"Your girlfriend is pretty."

"Um...Thanks?" he laughed.

Rory grinned. "Before I say anything stupid, did you plan on talking about the day you and I left Stars Hollow?"

Jess frowned, and Rory couldn't read his expression. "I don't know."

"Okay, that's fine, whatever," Rory shrugged.

"You didn't tell me you were leaving," Jess whispered.

Rory fell beside him on the couch. "I didn't think you cared," she whispered back.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()