“So, do you have plans with Dean?” Lorelai asked as they walked out of Luke’s.

Oh…Dean. Rory hadn’t thought about him all day. “Actually, no. I told him it was just going to be a girls night.”

“Aww trading romance for a night out with your mom. What a very strange child you are…”

Rory shook her head and laughed. “So video night?” She asked.

“Yes let’s. How about you get the videos – any you want – and I’ll get the food. And we will meet back here in five minutes.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

They both turned and headed to their designated locations.

Rory walked into the video store and looked around. Kirk was at the register arguing with someone over the movie they had selected.

“…but Battlefield Earth was a classic...”

Rory snorted before turning to the shelves. Hmm. It felt like a Pretty Woman kinda day. She was about to head to the P section when she saw him. He was standing straight ahead, his head bent as he read over the back of a video case.

She drank in the sight of him. He looked good. His dark hair was unruly and a few strands fell over his brow. He was wearing a long sleeved red shirt with some rock band on the front and dark pants.

She hadn’t seen him in over a month and now that he was right in front of her she couldn’t help but replay the kiss back in her mind. And it came back in vivid detail. She touched her lips trying to recall how it had felt to have his lips on hers for that brief moment.

Maybe she wasn’t ready to see him yet. The feelings of confusion and need were still too strong. Maybe she should give herself a few more days to face him. As she mulled it over, Jess looked up and the choice was abruptly taken out of her hands. He noticed her and she didn’t have any other choice but to walk over to him.

“Hey!” She said simply.

“Hey,” he responded in turn.

She took a deep breath. “So…How was your summer?”

He shrugged. “Yours?”

“It was fine.” She said responding to his nonchalant tone with one of her own.

“Good.”

“Yeah.”

“Jess…” Suddenly a blond girl came up to them, looking at Jess inquiringly.

He turned to her quickly. “Let’s go!”

“Aren’t you gonna get anything?” The girl said this in a low slightly grating voice.

Rory looked her over. She had short blond hair that obviously wasn’t real and looked trashy. And she was wearing a leopard print tank top with low rider jeans. Leopard print? Who wore leopard print anyway? Well her mom. But that was different. Her mom did it with style and would never wear anything as tacky as pink and brown leopard print.

Rory stopped herself from inspecting the girl anymore before she got even bitchier with her thoughts. And she was being bitchy, which surprised her. She rarely ever got catty.

“No. Come on.” Jess said, already heading towards the exit.

“Fine. It’s not like we would have watched it anyway.” The girl ran up to him and caught his hand with hers.

Rory couldn’t believe he was just going to leave like that. He wasn’t even going to introduce her to the girl…or say goodbye.

She watched the two reach the door and their conversation wafted to her as they exited the store.

“Who was that girl?” She could hear the girl ask. Her breath caught as she waited for Jess’s response.

It came out short and curt. “No one.”

The door banged close behind them and Rory felt like someone had punched her in the stomach. She turned away from the door and closed her eyes so that she wouldn’t cry. Taking a calming breath she opened them again and reached for the first video in her view. She didn’t really care what it was, she just needed to get out of there, get home, crawl in bed and forget this whole moment ever happened.

She took the video to Kirk and didn’t notice the approving glance he gave to the video before he tucked it into a plastic bag and handed it back to her. She put the money on the counter and left the store.

Lorelai was already waiting outside the building when she walked outside.

“What did you get? What did you get?” She said bouncing up and down like a child.

“Uh…here.” Rory said passing the bag to Lorelai.

Lorelai peeked in the bag then took the video out of the bag completely. “Uh Ror…”

“Yeah?” Rory responded distractedly.

“Xanadu?”

“Excuse me.” Rory finally turned her full attention the conversation.

“You rented Xanadu?”

“I did not. Take that back!”

“Ah ha, I will not. In fact you should take it back. And do it now before someone sees it in our possession.” Lorelai pushed the video at Rory.

“Eww. I don’t want to hold it.” Rory said putting her hands up.

“You are an evil child. What were you thinking when you got this?” Lorelai asked as they both walked back into the video store.

“I guess I wasn’t.”

They slid the video into the return slot and moved to the shelves.

“Don’t make any sudden movements towards the videos. You can’t be trusted.” Lorelai scanned the movies.

“Hey! It was one time. You can’t punish me because of one time.”

Lorelai made a face. “Should I bring up a certain day last year when someone came home with a video of Speed 2?”

“That wasn’t my fault. The cover was Pretty in Pink. That’s what I thought I was renting. It wasn’t my fault that some sick freak mixed up the tapes.”

“Uh huh. I didn’t believe that story then and I don’t believe it now.”

Rory glared at her mom before shrugging. “Pretty Woman?”

Lorelai nodded. “Now that’s the girl I know.” She grabbed the video and made her way to the cash.

Kirk looked at them oddly. “What happened to Xanadu?”

“What? Xanadu? I know not of such a thing? Do you, Rory?”

Rory shook her head. “Never heard of it.”

“But you just rent—“

Lorelai quickly cut him off. “Kirk, have you been drinking?”

Kirk looked askance. “What? No?”

“Good. Keep it that way.” Lorelai put the money on the counter, grabbed the video with one hand and Rory with the other and left the store.

“Quick thinking,” Rory said as they walked down the street.

“Yes, I am rather brilliant. I hope you were taking notes.”

Rory smacked her head. “I knew I was forgetting something.”

“So you saw Jess, huh?” Lorelai asked suddenly.

“Umm…”

“I saw him leave the store a few minutes before you came out.”

“Oh.”

“He got back around the same time you left for Washington. You have no idea how shocked I was when I passed by Luke’s and I saw him leaning over the counter reading.”

“Right.”

Lorelai stopped walking and grabbed Rory’s arm. “Are you ok?”

“Of course, I’m ok.”

“I know you must have been surprised to see him back.”

Rory wondered if she should lie about seeing him before she had left to Washington but just as quickly dismissed lying. “I already knew he was back.” She said finally.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“How did you know that?”

“I just saw him one day…”

“And?”

“And nothing. It was no big deal. I saw him and then I left and that’s it.” Rory started walking again.

“Ok.” Lorelai said following her.

“Ok.”

Lorelai draped her arm around Rory’s shoulder and they walked the rest of the way home in silence.

 

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