Disclaimer:Nothing related to Gilmore Girls is mine. Never was, never will be. I'm very sad about that.

A/N: It's getting ridiculous, guys. Every chapter takes such a long time, it's not funny anymore. Please be assured, I really try to translate faster but it's simply so damn frustrating. Without the assurance that Kassandra will read over it after I'm done this would be an abandoned project. But here we go: Chapter 5. Let's say it's the silence before the storm. A very happy chapter with my favourite scene so far. I really love Jess. He's such an adorable man. *sigh*

Hope you enjoy, as always reviews would be lovely. You rule, guys! ;)

Chapter 5 – Ordinary Day

"Helen's Poison" turned into a bestseller and stayed on the bestseller lists for weeks, whilst CMC Publishing returned to everyday life.

It was Friday evening and except for some lonely figures the office was nearly empty. Rory was hunched over a cover design and a front page flap, her eyebrows knitted together and deep in concentration. She absentmindedly chewed on her thumbnail, a bad habit from her college days. The Yale Daily News had taken its toll; the nail on her thumb could sing a song about it.

"It's Friday night. You should be home and making yourself ready for a hot date," his voice tore her from her thoughts and she raised her eyes, a broad smile on her face.

He stood in the doorway of her office, both of his hands buried in the pockets of his suit.

"I thought you left already?" she answered, simply ignoring his allusion.

"I thought the same about you. Actually, as far as I know, I was to pick you up in half an hour?" He grinned and her gaze fell for the first time on the clock at the wall. Once again she hadn't realized that she lost track of time.

"Goodness!" She jumped from her seat, grabbed her purse and started to throw all kind of things into it, while at the same time pushing some buttons on her notebook.

Jess smirked and took some steps in her direction. Finally he leaned on the edge of her desk, his legs stretched out in front of him and his arms akimbo, before leaning over and whispering mischievously in her ear, "or did you want to be the last one in the office?"

Rory knew exactly what he tried to say and couldn't stop the slight blush creeping on her cheeks.

"You would probably like that," she answered smoothly nevertheless.

"Wouldn't you?" he countered, eyebrows raised provocatively, just before pushing himself in a standing position once again, clearing his throat and calling, "good night, Tracy. Wish you a nice weekend."

Rory's head shot up again only to discover her secretary in the doorway, putting on a silky scarf. The woman looked up as well and responded with a clueless smile, "thank you, Mr. Mariano. Same to you. Good night, Rory." And with these words she closed the door and was gone.

The second the office door snapped in place. Jess took Rory's arm and pulled the surprised woman into his arms, while the other hand came to a rest just beneath her ear, his thumb softly brushing over her cheeks.

"I am so looking forward to tonight, you have no idea." Back was the half smirk and he finally leaned in and pressed his lips on hers. A sigh escaped her and she needed to grab the lapels of his jacket to hold herself up as her knees went weak.

He stopped kissing her and whispered at her lips, "Let's get out of here, Miss Gilmore."

Rory smiled back, "Okay, Boss."

She slipped into her jacket, grabbed her purse again and together they left the office, his hand resting at the small of her back and never leaving it once.

oOo

Hours later she wrapped the sheet around her upper body while sitting up and leaning herself against the headboard of his bed, a content sigh escaping her lips. He lay beside her and his finger traced an invisible track up and down her leg.

"Why did you – back then – give me the job?" Her question came out of nowhere, her fingers brushing tenderly through his dark hair.

He just shrugged and answered: "You were the best." A second later he softly pressed a kiss, for a brief second, on the skin of her inner thigh. Goosebumps covered her skin immediately and a grin appeared on her face.

"Bullshit," she laughed, wrapping the sheet firmer around her body and sitting up straighter, at the same time repositioning her leg so he couldn't touch it anymore.

With a sigh he sat up, too, and leaned – just like Rory a minute ago – against the headboard of his bed before responding. "You had your own opinion and you stuck by it. You didn't want to simply agree with what I was saying, only because I had the power to pull the strings of your future career. Most of the others would have agreed full heartily, even though they maybe had another opinion."

He thought with this explanation it would be done, he raised his arm and tried to pull her to him, but then he discovered the appalled look on her face.

"That's it?" she exclaimed, disbelieve gracing her features, "Only because I was honest? Not my grades? My certificates? My curriculum vitae? That didn't have any influence on your decision?"

Her trepidation attracted him immensely; he didn't even have a choice but he needed to continue this little game of theirs. Therefore his lips started to form his typical half smile and he simply shrugged.

He didn't think it possible but she even looked more aghast.

"Really? Nothing at all?"

Seconds later she lay beneath him, his arms propped beside her head, his fingers slightly brushing her hair. His body pressed into hers. It happened so fast, Rory didn't even register it at first that her position had changed.

"Of course there were other reasons," he murmured and she felt his breath on her lips.

"Pray tell," she gulped and silently cursed herself for behaving like a lovesick teenager. Never before had self-control felt so difficult. But she needed the truth. She was bursting with curiosity. Nevertheless her arms wrapped around his torso and she pressed herself firmer into him. If at all possible.

Jess' grin turned into a mischievous smirk, his features changing into something roguish-like, when he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Back then the only thing I was able to think about for the whole day was how this skirt emphasized your legs. It should be illegal!"

A minute ago she thought nothing would stop her from kissing him after he answered, but now she gasped for air, pressed her palms against his chest, and pushed him away. With a fast gesture she pulled the Egyptian cotton-sheet to her and jumped out of the bed.

Jess didn't see that one coming or else it would have been more than just virtually impossible for her to escape his arms. He couldn't hold back his laugh.

"Oh my god!" she gasped, "You hired me because you got the hots for me?"

His legs swung over the edge of the bed and he sat up. She fled to the opposite part of the room and paused right beside the door leading to the adjoining bathroom. He quickly jumped out of his bed but kept his distance.

There he stood, in all his breathtaking glory, the mischievous grin never faltering as he once again answered, "Correction: Because I get the hots for you."

Rory huffed, her frustration clearly visible, she tried to flee to the bathroom when his arms caught her, one sneaking itself around her upper body while the other one slipped under her knees. A moment later he carried her – bridal style – back to his bed. His grin had turned into a smile.

"You want the truth?" She was only able to nod, fearing that her voice would simply abandon her. Jess put her back down while peeling the sheets away from her body, simultaneously starting to talk again, "Of course I noticed you. Already when I stepped out of the elevator and you waited there at the front desk, deeply engrossed in one of those silly forms. And yes, I really thought you were hot," he brushed his lips over her cleavage, it nearly took her breath away, "And yes, your legs looked really very amazing in that skirt. It's the skirt I like on you the most by the way," a giggle escaped her and his hand grazed down the side of her body, before he halted in the movement and cupped her breast. A deep sigh left her lips, his touch making her inhale deeply. Her eyes shut and her head dropped back into the pillows.

Jess looked at her, following the lines of her face with his eyes, just before his fingers drew the curves of her cheekbones, the line of her chin. All the while his other hand caressed her breast. But he wasn't finished yet, "But you surely know that's not the reason why you got the job. I wouldn't manage a successful company if my decisions were based on such terms," his lips pressed down on hers and remained there for a few moments before he continued, "Your grades, and your certificates, and your curriculum vitae were the reasons why I invited you to the interview", he stopped his movements and took her face into his hands, softly forcing her to look at him. Surprised she opened her eyes, cornflower-blue met coffee-brown, and once again he had to kiss her before he was able to go on, "But it was the enthusiasm in your voice when you talked about Rand, and the provocative glint in your eyes when defending her against Hemingway which got you the job. It was the fact that after nearly fifteen years of absolute refusal you were able to make me give The Fountainhead another chance", he stopped for a second and it seemed liked something was happening to him when his last words left his mouth, "It was your love for books."

Squabble or not, Rory knew if she didn't kiss him right now she would die. Therefore her lips crushed down on his, she pressed his body to hers and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

Meanwhile Jess wasn't sure if she saw it, but something really had happened to him. Because for a short moment he realized that he had never before ran into a woman like Rory. And he probably never would again. And he should be damned if he didn't try to keep her exactly where she was: In his arms. In his bed.

And in his heart.

oOo

Saturday night 37 messages waited for her on her answering machine. More than two thirds of them came from Lorelai.

Message One: "Hey hon! Call me! I totally need to tell you the story about Michel and the coat-rack, and my mother thereupon … wait! Call me! This needs to be told 'live', you understand? Sayonara."

Message Three: "Babe, I can't believe you didn't call yet. In the meantime so much time has passed, I can only remember half of the story. Half remembering means only half the fun. I don't even know anymore which persons were included. Huh, you see? Only half the fun. So, call! Now!"

Message Fourteen: "Where are you? Four hours passed since my first call and now the story isn't funny at all now because now I've really forgotten all the details! But I have something new. It includes Luke and the failed attempt of a pancake. But more details when you call. Yes, you heard correctly, WHEN you call, not IF! Hurry up, Babe!"

Message Twenty-seven: "Okay, slowly but still I get worried. Do I need to get worried? Oh my god! Maybe you are lying there, your beautiful face pain-distorted, but you can't reach the phone while I babble meaningless things on your answering machine. Call me now! NOW! With now I mean five minutes ago! I mean it! I count to three, then I disconnect this call, and if the phone doesn't ring the second after, I'll call the paramedics and the cops. I can't believe I didn't think about this earlier. The news is full of those story about young women who work way to much and then – suddenly – they have a heart attack! Okay, one more chance: I call your office. And if I reach you there, missy, you will be in BIG trouble! Putting your own mother in such despair, I can't … BEEP!"

Message Twenty-eight: "Rory, it's Daphnée. I'm sorry! I told her. But you know how Lorelai is. She called and chattered on and on about something like 'Rory is dead!' and 'She's lying in a puddle of her own blood in the middle of her super-fancy kitchen!' and the devil knows what else. I simply couldn't stop myself from telling her that you had a date? After that the line went silent for a second before she stated in a deadpan voice that she really finds it astonishing that your rendezvous seems to have started yesterday night? I simply told her that this is not my story to tell. So prepare yourself for quite some calls. Once again, really sorry, Ror. Which reminds me: When you come home I want details, details, details!"

Message Twenty-nine: "Can you believe your damn answering machine cut me off? ME? And then the line was busy! … At least it gave me a few moments to calm down, and I realized I overreacted. Yeah, I know, so not how I'm usually behaving! But you are a grown woman, and you can look after yourself, and there is probably a good reason why you did not call your mother back. So … how old is he? Does he work in your office? Is he more the Sunnyboy-Paul-Walker- or the rakish-dark-daredevil-James-Dean-type? I need ALL details! There is only one reason a woman wouldn't call her lovely, wonderful, awesomely beautiful mother, and I'm quite sure right now, at this precise moment, while I talk to your answering machine, your are totally occupied with canoodeling and … BEEP!"

Rory sighed and rolled her eyes before she grabbed her phone and started to answer her missed calls. And she prepared herself for a marathon, for she was sure her mother wouldn't stop bothering her unless she told her every little detail. A small smile grazed her features thinking about the fact that the next few hours would be spent thinking and talking about one single topic: Jess. Because – if she wanted to or not – in the short time of their affair he had turned out be one of her favorite topics.

On one hand this kinda disturbed her; but otherwise she couldn't care less, because for the first time in a long while she felt this dizzying, thrilling feeling: Happiness. And at the moment nobody was able to destroy that.

At least she thought.

TBC