Chapter 5
Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!
Rory slid into the spot next to Jess on the secluded bench just off the square.

"Whatcha reading, diner-boy?" Jess held up his book. "Salman Rushdie, Fury. Never heard of it."

"It's set in New York." He smiled at her.

"Wow, Rushdie and New York. That must be exciting." Rory turned so she was slouching on the bench next to him.

"Not as exciting as you."

His voice was provocative and she blushed. "Jess!" she chastised him, but he could see her start to smile.

"I thought you were avoiding me in public."

"Well, this isn't exactly completely public." Rory gestured to the deserted street.

"Oh?" Jess raised his eyebrows. "So I can say suggestive things to you, after all?"

Rory fidgeted and smiled a little more, watching her shoes. "How suggestive?"

Jess twisted slightly to face her. That wasn't the sarcastic response he was expecting. "Hmmm, she fidgets." He smiled slightly, his eyes intense. "Do words arouse you, Rory? I should have known that they would. That's something we haven't really done yet, have we?" His voice was soft but deep. "Do you know that I can see the pulse in your neck throbbing? Your skin there is so beautiful. So soft. I kissed you there in the storeroom, and my face was buried in your hair, and I felt like I was completely enveloped--do you know how amazing it feels to me to touch you? Do you know what you do to me, Rory?" He moved slightly closer to her, leaning against the back of the bench. "I can tell from your pulse that your heart is racing. If we weren't sitting outside on a park bench, if we were back in your room like we were last night, I could stand behind you and slide my hands under your shirt so I could feel your heart beat. And touching you would make me want to pull that sweater over your head and find the pulse in your stomach, then press my lips against it like I did last night when you were lying underneath me..."

Rory had dropped her head back and was looking at him with unconcealed longing. "Jess..."

He reached out and traced his finger along the vein in her neck, remembering what it was like to kiss her there and feel her pulse jump.

"Rory!" They jumped apart at the voice, and Rory turned to see Lane running toward them. "Rory, guess what? I..." Lane stopped behind the bench and stared at Rory, who was struggling to keep her arousal off her face. "Oh. I think I interrupted something. I'm sorry..."

Jess grabbed his book and jacket and stood up. "No problem. I need to get back to the diner anyway. Girl-talk away. Bye Rory. Lane." He walked off, and Rory fell back down onto the bench, looking a little stunned.

"Okay, dish." Lane plopped down on the bench next to her and stared at her friend. "What was just going on with you and James Dean?" Rory just blinked at her. "Come 'on! Snap out of it! You have to tell me! I can't stand the suspense!"

Rory inhaled. "It's a long story."

"Believe it or not, I have time. I live for these moments of intrigue. Start at the beginning..."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lane stared at her friend, aghast at the story she'd just heard.

"Say something, Lane." Rory's hands were nervous. "Anything."

Lane inhaled and blew out the breath. "Wow."

"OK, say more than that!" Rory begged.

"In your bed." Lane shook her head. "WOW."

"That's not enough more, Lane." Rory’s face was nervous.

Lane smirked. "Very sexy. I am so jealous. And you are SO lucky your mom didn't catch you." The smirk turned into a grin. "So we should jump up and down and say 'ooh ooh ooh' or something."

Rory grinned back. "I am all about 'ooh ooh ooh' right now." She leaned back against the bench and shook her head. “I just can’t believe the way he makes me feel.”

"So I hate to burst the romantic bubble here, but what are you going to do about Dean?"

Rory's face fell. "I'm gonna break up with him. I'm just having trouble working up the heart to do it. It'll make him unhappy and I just don't relish the thought of making him unhappy. I wish he'd break up with me."

Lane looked pensive. "Well, if he found out about last night I think you'd get your wish." Rory looked at her incredulously.

"A leak?" Rory snorted. "You mean leak our 'relationship' to the Stars Hollow gossip chain? You've got to be kidding!"

"Hey," Lane threw up her hands in mock surrender. "I’m not suggesting that we make him find out, just that it would work to get him to break up with you.”

“Yeah, but it would hurt him so badly.” Rory sat up and turned to look at Lane. “How am I going to tell him this, Lane? How do you tell someone who loves you that you’re in love with somebody else?”

Lane shook her head, her expression serious. “I don’t know. I’m not jealous about this part. I think you just have to come right out and tell him.”

“Maybe I could write him a letter.”

“I don’t think so.” Lane shook her head. “You’d probably say it better if you write it out first, but you kind of owe it to him to do it face-to-face.”

Rory nodded. “But I’m going to feel so awful when I see his expression when I tell him. I’m almost scared I’m gonna chicken out and not be able to go through with it!”

Lane’s expression was sympathetic. “Like I said, if you decide you want it leaked just tell me and I shall attempt to create a hole in the pipe."

"There has to be a mixed metaphor in there, but it's so mixed up I can't find it."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Lane grinned. "So tell me what you guys were doing when I walked up..."__________________________________________________
Back To Literati::Perfection Chapter 6