This Isn't A Meet Cute Romance

"Muffin? They're fresh! I just went out."

Rory looks up at the plate pushed in front of her and hungrily grabs for the Chocolate studded option.

"Thanks!" She chirps, stuffing a large mouthful quickly into her mouth.

You glorious, wonderful, baked goods laden goddess of a boss. She hadn't meant to work straight through lunch, but she's trying to catch up on work before she leaves later that evening.

"You're my favourite, Karen." She mumbles, mouth still full.

"Yeah right Rory, 'cute guy' at the coffee cart downstairs is your favourite person." Karen scoffs.

Rory mockingly raises an eyebrow sceptically as her mouth is still full.

"He's adorable." Karen continues, perching on the end of Rory's paper packed desk. "That whole tall, dark and handsome vibe – plus he's the man with the Java. I know you dig it."

Lets not talk about those mocha eyes… Rory thinks to herself, sassily.

"Okay. Kar, You're my second favourite then. For sure." She smiles. This isn't a lie; Karen is the most patient senior editor she's ever worked under. A mother figure for the whole office.

"Better be." Karen laughs and gets up, slipping off her high heels as she does so. She starts padding her way over to her office, suddenly 6 inches shorter, before turning back and calling over. "You flying out tonight, right? Heading home? Come by my office before you go, I've got a couple of things for you."

Rory rolls her eyes. After telling a couple of her co-workers about Star's Hollow, Karen had decided that idyllic sounding a holiday was perfect. She'd hit it off so well with Lorelai every time Rory went home she was laden with gifts for her. "Got it, Chief. I'm just writing the handover notes for Charlotte for the week I'm gone."

The rest of the afternoon is a blur of editing her own small section of the paper, all the emails, rewrites and notes takes her well into the late afternoon before Rory realises. Quickly throwing on her coat and stuffing scarves and gloves into her bag she walks over to Karen's office. She needs to get home and pick up her suitcase then head straight to the airport she's worked so late.

"You all done, hon?" Rory walks in and sees Karen perched up at her desk, feet put up casually and glasses haphazardly propped up on her head. A large pile of books and papers is stacked up in front of her.

"Mmmhmm, handed every last thing in, right…" Rory brandishes her phone and clicks 'Send' on one last email with a flourish. "Now"

"Good. Enjoy the freedom while it lasts!" Karen ushers her over and reaches under her desk pulling out a large box of exquisitely wrapped gifts. Old fashioned white lace paper and cord bows.

"These are for the happy couple. Give Luke and Lorelai my love again will ya? That room she put me in that time I visited." She whistles. "It was ah-may-zing, oh my god. And.. and tell Luke I said his Diner was amazing too! That coffee? I can see why you're addicted!"

Rory laughs wholeheartedly. "Don't worry Kar, they'll remember when you told them all this when you were there." She slings her handbag over her shoulder and groans under the weight of the box. "So, are you going to let me leave?' Or going to go through the town census listing everyone you want me to send your regards?"

Karen huffs. "Okay, okay fine. Have fun!"

Rory waves under the weight and is one foot out the door before she hears Karen calling her back inside.

"What is it? Want to jump in my suitcase? I'm sure if I skip out shoes you'd squeeze in. Well maybe not just shoes. Shoes and pants…. shoes and dresses…maybe shoes and jackets?"

"Very funny. Your outfits can stay intact, you'll need them. It's your job to have scandalous sex with at least one of the groomsmen." Karen beams, a satisfied smile on her lips.

"Eurgh! Jeez"

"Anyway, anyway! Take this." Karen hands over a chunky paperback she also pulls from the top drawer, balancing it on the pile of gifts in Rory's arms. "I got it from Jenny in Film and TV. She was ranting about it yesterday and I thought you'd like it, some fluffy chick lit for your flight now you don't have any more correspondence emails to check."

Rory hesitates. "Thanks, but I'm not sure it's my thi-"

"Oh give it a go! You don't have to ready Tolstoy every day." Karen pouts. "They're turning it into a miniseries, which is why Jen was reading up on it first."

"Uh huh." Rory picks it up and mulls it over. The Snowstorm Girl, the front cover reads.

"Juicy stuff apparently, small town romance, saucy love triangle, a love square even! Bunch of hilarious minor characters, some fast paced dialogue. Sounds right up your street!" Karen grins, "I had a flick through it over lunch."

"Okay, okay." Rory sighs, piling it back into the package. "I'll give it a look over! Bye, crazy lady!"

::::::::

"It was a bright, cold day in October, but somehow the snow fell thick. Leigh was named after her father, her mother left her with the name and that was pretty much all."

Rory smirks.

I kind of know how that feels. Nice name though.
Her middle name is Leigh. It's childish but a part of her enjoys when she shares something with the character, it puts her a little more into the story.

She's sat curled up under a thick blanket on her quick evening flight, she'd been restless and ran out of reading through the airplane magazines. Suddenly remembering the paperback she'd hurriedly stuffed into her bag when she zipped through home.

"Leigh is bright, fiercely intelligent bright, but you wouldn't know that unless you spoke to her. You first notice her eyes, colourless glassy blue, if eyes could tell a story these would hold your attention for days. Light brown curls frame the rest of her fragile doll like face. It's almost ageless, beautiful."

She almost snorts to herself. God this is a bit cheesy. Gorgeous, intelligent Heroine. Let's see what the first' Romeo' is like… She uncharacteristically flicks forward a few pages.

"Dan was the perfect boyfriend; he was nice enough. Dan the high school jock. Dan who loved the Chicago Cubs and fixing cars. Dan though was dull, and he'd probably never get her "Ginsberg" references. Dan never had a chance. Dan was no Jack."

She raises and eyebrow and flicks forward a couple more pages.

"Jack is arrogant, fierce, the angry asshole kind of fierce. That makes him a terrible boyfeind, but a tempting one none the less."

Oh my god… She shakes her head and pushes her hair back nervously. Don't worry, it's nothing. Let's try here. Picking a random page in the middle of the book she turns the pages over, and feels the blood slowly drain from her face.

"He glances down at her, her hair hangs in damp tendrils over her cheekbones. She looks worried, he wants nothing more than to stay and brush that hair from her face, but he turns the sprinklers back on and walks away. She looks like doesn't want him to go either, but it is what it is. "

Calm down, Rory, it's totally narcissistic to even think that this could be…. One more random flick to a couple of pages ahead.

"I can't catch my breath." She whispers almost into his ear; he continues nibbling into her neck, kissing down her face. It's all smooth, glorious, his. "You're not supposed to. "he smirks.

Turning it over in her hands she touches her fingers gently over the spine, 'Marianne J Ernest' the curly lettering runs under her fingers. She turns to the biography at the end. There's no author portrait, only a short biography.

"Marianne J. Ernest was born and grew up in New York. The Snowstorm Girl, her first book has been shortlisted for multiple awards and is published in many languages around the world. She now lives in Idaho, where she works as an editor, with her husband Lowell, and her two dogs – Dogder and Will. The sequel, Tempest Woman is due next Spring."

She slams down the book, it shakes the chair in front of her but the passenger is luckily fast asleep.

"That. Bastard." She's quietly furious.

Jess, you bastard.

I drum my fingers on the wheel, filled with nervous energy that's impossible to tap away. The road stretches long out far as we can see, feeling the crunch of the thick snow as we trundle along makes me wish we could get there a little faster.

Certainly never crashing another car with you in it though, that's for damn sure. Lorelai would definitely murder me. Hell everyone we know would murder me. Town vs. Jess. Bloodbath.

"Can't believe we're doing this" I think out loud.

You reach for my hand, and clasp your small one over it, stopping my fidgeting.

You think for a moment before you answer though and it drives me crazy. Your eyebrows knit together like you're putting together a puzzle. I've never felt so nervous. If you pull out of this… That's it, I'm a broken man, done for. Finished.

A smile pulls at the corner of your lips and you simply say "It is what is is. Us. This is us." With a nonchalant shrug… and was that a wink?

You tease. You steal my words and my shrug and you tease me with them.

I want to pull over right now and start by kissing you again like there is no tomorrow. But there is a tomorrow and something tells me it might just be the best day of my life.