Title: Sex or Love
Author: Bru Cardoso
Summary: Rory is a successful businesswoman in her mid-twenties with no time - or skill - for relationships. Jess is a good looking guy who is willing to spend a night pleasing a woman as long as she pays for it. What happens when they meet? AU Lit
Disclaimer: Don't own Rory, Jess or Lorelai. But I do own the plot.
A/N: A crazy idea that I had last night and I just had to write it. I don't know if it's any good or if I should continue or not, so please let me know what you think. As always, reviews are highly appreciated.
Chap 01
Rory is once more working overtime in the office, going over papers and trying to keep up with the craziness that is the business world. She looks at the clock in her laptop and reads the time. 9:37. Looking through the glass window that separates her from the other employees, she finally realizes that she is the only one in the dark office. Sighing, she closes her laptop and decides to call it a day.
She takes the elevator down and bids good night to the door man before calling a cab and telling him her address. She pays the driver, giving him a big tip; almost the entire price of the ride, and takes the elevator to her apartment. When she finally unlocks the door and steps inside, there is no one to greet her, no messages in her machine, and no pictures on her desk. She can't remember the last time she saw her mother or the rest of her family; or even the last time she was on vacation or took some time off for herself.
She had become a workaholic and hadn't even noticed it. Since kindergarten, she was always very determined, but she always thought it was only a good characteristic of her personality and nothing more. Then elementary school came, and she would always be found with her nose in a book. In high school, she would spend her weekends working on projects or studying because she found that "more fun" than going out; or at least, she convinced herself of that. In college it got even worse, with Harvard being a demanding university and she only accepting straight A's, she almost drove herself crazy.
Now, as a very successful businesswoman, she spends most of her days and nights working, including weekends. Her stress level is often measured by the rates of her company; there is no space for anything else in her life. Including relationships.
The closest to some kind of healthy relationship she has are her monthly dinners with her fellow businesswomen friends. They had graduated together with some of the highest grades in the university. Some had taken over big companies, while others had opened their own business. Their schedules are just as busy as Rory's, but they had promised to always find time to have dinner together once a month; to try and keep in touch with one another, keep up with each other's lives and have someone to talk to. As depressing as it might sound, they don't have time for friends or people in general - unless they were trying to make a negotiation - so if they didn't go to these dinners, they simply wouldn't have any relationship at all.
Rory was getting ready for this month's reunion when the phone rang. It really startled her, because it is so rare to anyone call her home number. She picks up the phone almost hesitantly. "Hello?"
"Rory?"
"Oh, hey Mom."
"Hey, dear. How've you been?"
"Fine. What about you?"
"Great. Luke and me are thinking about going on a second honeymoon, you know. He keeps saying we should go some place romantic and exciting like Hawaii. But I say we just go to some really nice hotel, like 30 miles away; after all it's not like we will leave the hotel room..."
"Mom, way too much information!"
"Sorry, I keep forgetting you don't have half as much sex as I do; which is kind of weird since I'm the mother and you are the daughter. You should be going wild, while my sex life should be going down. But no, I dare say it's exactly the opposite."
"Don't say it like that."
"Isn't it true?"
She pauses. "Maybe. But still, don't say it that way. It makes me feel like a nun or something."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyway, I'm calling because I know you need some notice to program even a weekend away, and since I'm planning on going on a honey moon and I wouldn't have anyone to take care of James..."
"Mom! You know I can't! There is this huge deal going on. I can't just take time off to take care of James."
"I'm not asking you to take time off. At least not too much time. I just need you to take Thursday and Friday off and not to work too much on the weekend so he won't be totally bored. I'd get him Sunday evening. Please, say yes!"
She sighs, "When?"
Lorelai giggles in triumph and smiles. "Thank you, so much! We're thinking about going away in two months, but we don't have a date yet. I'll call you as soon as I know which weekend it will be, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, fine. Just give me at least two weeks notice so I can plan everything."
Lorelai sighs on the other side of the line, "Maybe you should stop planning everything, honey. Have you considered that? I mean, I know you like to be in control of everything, but sometimes it's good not to be in control."
"Uhm, I have to go. I was just getting ready to leave."
"Oh, really?" Lorelai's asks getting excited, "Some hot date?"
"Uhm... no, just some friends. You know, the girls from college..."
"Oh, right. You still see them once a month?"
"Yup."
"Maybe you could come to Stars Hollow one of these days?"
Rory smiles, "I'll try to show up next month."
"Okay, I'll let you go. Bye, hon."
"Bye, mom."
She arrives at the restaurant about fifteen minutes late, but there is still one of them missing.
"Hey girls. Sorry I'm late, but my mom called just when I leaving," Rory says, approaching a table with four other women in their mid-twenties.
One of them, who is smoking a cigarette and almost flirting with her cell phone on the table says, "It's okay, Ror. Layla hasn't even gotten here yet. By the way, how is Lorelai?"
Rory looks at her friend suspiciously and answers, "She's fine", before whispering to the woman on her left, "Why she is looking at her cell phone like it is Brad Pitt and being so nice about me being late?"
Judy, the woman sitting on her left, laughs quietly. "There is this huge deal going on between her company and some company in Hong Kong and someone from the other company is supposed to call her some time this night to settle the details and close the deal."
"Oh man, I hope this deal goes right or the people in her office will be working in hell until she finds a bigger deal."
"Yeah, I really feel for the people in her office."
Just then Layla enters the fancy restaurant and walks to their table. "Hey girls, how are you doing?"
They all mumbled "Fine" or something alike. After a couple bottles of wine and a lot of talking about their professional lives, which sounded more like a competition to see who was more workaholic, Layla starts asking about their personal lives.
"So, Jen," Layla starts, "How is your love life? Any better than last month?"
Jennifer sighs and sips her wine, "It's harder to find casual sex than people believe. I go out to nice bars and try to find someone to hook up with but it's very difficult to find a good looking guy who actually has a brain. And to have a relationship is out of the question," she sighs again tired, and waves a hand through the air like dismissing it. "I'm just about to give up."
"Wow, I thought you'd be the most hopeful one. What about you, Judy…have you found anyone?"
Judy laughs bitterly. "I'm with Jen on this one, with only a small difference; I have already given up."
Layla turns to another of her friends. "Clara? C'mon, at least you?"
Clara shakes her head. "Sorry, I can't find one decent man to date."
Judy interrupts, "C'mon, girls! Let's face it; men don't want women who are superior to them!"
Jen and Samantha, who is still stealing glances of her cell phone, nod their heads in agreement.
"But Clara," Layla turns back to her. "You were the most romantic one in the group. I mean, you were always the sweetheart and all..."
"Yeah, yeah, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not getting laid. And I'm not blaming my job or myself just because men are stupid, egotistical and too fucking proud to be near a woman who earns more than them!" she says, irritably.
All other women on the table start laughing uncontrollably, but Clara's face is still red with anger.
"Okay Rory, you're my last hope here. Sam is out of question. So, what do you say?"
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I make Clara's words, mine. Even my mom is teasing me about the lack of sex in my life, and I think I'm talking for all of us when I say we all could use more - or at least some - sex in our lives."
After a moment of hesitation they all agree, except Samantha who says, "My sex life is great, thank you very much," as she still stares at her cell phone.
"What?" Jen asks her, surprised, and then tries to cover it, "I mean, you talk about relationships like they are poison, you sent condolences to Claudia when she got married for crying out loud!"
"Who said anything about relationship? I thought we were talking about sex."
"Okay Sam, explain."
"Well, relationships are messy. Besides, I have to work crazy hours and I can't change my schedule to have sex. So I pay for it and do it when I want and with whom I want."
Clara's jaw drops and she stumbles with her own words. "Are you saying you go to a hooker?"
"Well, not exactly. After all, 'hooker' is such a harsh word. There are some guys; most of them around our age, who don't have much money. They couldn't find a good job, but they are very talented... in a way. So, you meet one of these guys and if you hit it off, you two set a price and have lots of fun for a night."
Jen rolls her eyes and turns to Clara. "Yeah, she's sleeping with male hookers."
Samantha looks accusingly at her, "Oh, now, tell me you have never done that."
Jen is silent for a minute while all other women on the table look at her, "Okay, I have. And I have to agree with Samantha, it was very convenient."
"I bet," Clara says sarcastically.
"Actually," Judy says. "It really was, from what I remember of my time with Mike. And with my current bad luck with men, you've guys got me seriously thinking about giving him a call."
"You can't be serious!" Rory says, surprised.
Layla shrugs. "Don't knock it until you've tried it."
"Even you Layla?" Rory asks, her jaw dropping.
"I was broken hearted and a friend told me about Josh and his 'job', so I called him and that's how it started. I kind of miss him," she tells them thoughtful. "Maybe I should call him, too."
"Wow!" Clara says, shocked. "My friends are beautiful, successful women in their mid-twenties who used to pay guys to have sex with them. And to make it worse, are considering going back to their old habits!" When she started her speech she thought her friends would end up feeling at least embarrassed but now that she has finished it she can see they are not ashamed at all. In fact, they seem to be eager to call their old lovers.
"Okay Rory, please tell me that at least you see the craziness in all this."
Rory looks from girl to girl, not sure about her own opinion in the subject. "I don't know... like Layla said, 'Don't knock it until you've tried it.'"
"That's it! That's my girl," Samantha says. "Lorelai would be so proud to hear you say that," she says and all girls start laughing, nodding their heads in agreement.
"Actually," Samantha says. "I think you really should try it. God knows you need some fun and this is the easiest and best way to have it. Besides, it's not half as bad as people make it sound. It's not like you are buying them as slaves. They choose if they want to accept you as a client just as you choose from whom you want to get the 'service' done."
"I don't know... I think it's not like me to do something like that. And even if I wanted to, I'd never know where to find a guy like that. And please, don't even think about offering me to borrow one of yours."
Samantha laughs, "I didn't even think about that. But I do have a suggestion and from what I heard, he is very skilled."
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"Nope. Never used him, but I really think it would do you good to use him," she says, grabbing her purse and looking for her wallet.
"Please, don't say the word 'use' when you are referring to a person and what the hell are you doing?"
Samantha finally finds her wallet and takes a card from it. "Here, this is his card. Just call him and try it once; I bet you won't regret it," she says firmly, as if she is a hundred per cent sure about it.
Rory takes the card hesitantly and suddenly Samantha's cell phone goes off and she jumps from her sit, wearing a smirk that goes from ear to ear. "Now I have to go convince some Chinese guys to invest a few millions in my company. I'll be back soon, hopefully," she says before flipping her cell phone open and walking to the lobby. The other four women start discussing another topic among themselves but Rory ignores them. All her concentration is on the simple card on her hands that makes her feel torn. She stares at the card as if it could give her an answer to an unknown question, but it remain the same, with only a cell phone number and a four-letter name; Jess.