It was the hottest night Stars Hollow had all year and Lorelai Gilmore walked around the room holding a mini-fan to her neck.

"This does nothing."

"I told you it wouldn't," Rory said, looking up from her book. "And it was ridiculously expensive for the size that it is."

"It's shaped like a flower," said Lorelai, holding it over her daughter's face. "The fan's like petals!"

"Mom, my book!" Rory shouted, leaping up as the pages turned over. "I've lost my place!"

"Powerful for that, huh?" grinned Lorelai, taking amusement at her daughter's glare. "What're you reading?"

"Tender is the Night. Jess recommended it."

"Naturally." Lorelai rolled her eyes and flopped on the sofa besides her. "As long as he's not hoping to have a tender night with you!"

Rory went a deep red.

"Mom!"

"I don't trust his motives," Lorelai said and couldn't help making a face as Rory got up and said,

"I'm heading out to see him now."

"Rory!"

"Don't worry," Rory said, leaning over and kissing her mother. "Tender is the Night is about a couple with mental health issues on the Riviera."

"Goodie," Lorelai said sarcastically. "Just what you want to read before a date."

"See you," Rory said, snapping up her house keys and skipping out, enjoying the warm air envelope her. Lorelai sighed as she left, trying not to worry, and picked up her daughter's abandoned book. It looked depressing and she switched on the television instead.

"Trying to ruin the Riviera, Fitzgerald," she mumbled. "Bastard."

There was a special scent to the air in summer and Rory breathed in the smell of sugar and hay. A glance to the right showed that Miss Patty was teaching the girls a routine for the Summer Parade but Rory ignored them and headed straight down towards Luke's, where she could see Jess coming towards her. Rory's heart leapt and she walked normally towards him, resisting the urge to run. Just seeing him set off butterflies inside her and as Jess reached her he greeted her with a heavy, deep kiss which made Rory weak at the knees.

"Hey," she said, stopping for air and he said,

"Hey," back, just before kissing her some more. Rory kissed him back before feeling aware of being close to the window of the diner and she stopped, pulling Jess along and away from the town.

"I wasn't done kissing you," Jess said, pretending to be annoyed and Rory squeezed his hand and said,

"Me neither – I just wanted a more private location."

Jess didn't say anything but Rory knew he wasn't annoyed anymore and they strolled in silence for a while.

"You look nice without your jacket," Jess said.

"It's the first night that it's warm enough to go without one," Rory said. "Let's sit here."

They had reached the bridge . The water was still under the heavy sky and the stars were coming out.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"If you like getting eaten by mosquitoes."

"Mr Romantic," scoffed Rory, giving him a kiss, and she did not know what to say when Jess traced a finger down her neck to her chest and said,

"You're what's beautiful."

Rory kissed him again, hard, and didn't protest when Jess ran his hands over her chest and under her blouse. Her whole body ached for him. She moaned into his neck as he touched her breasts and nestled into him.

"Ror –" said Jess breathlessly and Rory whispered,

"Don't stop."

Before Jess could reply voices reached their ears – Taylor Doose was giving some sort of tour and Rory could hear him say loudly,

"And this, ladies and gentlemen, will be our special location in summer months. Can't you imagine it – your favourite old-fashioned soda on the lovers' bridge?"

"Oh, jeez," mumbled Jess and Rory stood up and grabbed his hand.

"Come on."

They hurried away from the bridge without Taylor seeing them and, before they turned the corner to Rory's street, she heard Kirk ask loudly,

"What about a penny candy stall?"

"Here," panted Rory, as they got behind some trees and started kissing again, roughly, and sank to the ground. Rory didn't protest when he put his hands back under her shirt or when he lay on top of her but when he started to fumble with the button on her jeans Rory pushed him away and sat up.

"Jess, no."

"I thought –"

"We can't here," Rory said, catching her breath. "For one thing we don't have anything."

"I brought something," Jess said and Rory went red.

"Oh."

"In case we did," Jess said uncomfortably. "You said you were thinking about it."

"I was," Rory said defensively. "I am, and it's good that you did, but we can't here, not like this."

Jess was silent and Rory took his hand.

"I want to."

"I'm not trying to push you," Jess said eventually and Rory said,

"I know."

They sat silently and the voices of Taylor and Kirk arguing over penny candy stalls reached their ears again. Rory let out an awkward laugh.

"Aren't you glad we didn't now?"

"I guess," Jess said, and he stood up. "Come on, I'll walk you back."

"Did you have a good time?" Lorelai asked, looking up as her daughter came in. Rory nodded.

"What did you do?"

"Sat by the bridge," said Rory, sounding embarrassed and Lorelai said,

"I'm watching The Partridge Family if you want to join?"

Rory wrinkled her nose.

"I'll pass."

"But the hair! The clothes! So much mocking!"

Rory leaned over to kiss her mother.

"Night, Mom."

"Night hon," Lorelai said, and looked after her daughter thoughtfully. She was in a strange mood.

Rory sighed as she lay down on the bed, hugging herself, remembering Jess's hands on her less than an hour before. It had all felt so perfect and right and she'd felt sorry to stop, relieved about the condoms. Soon, she thought she wouldn't want to stop at all and wasn't sure how she felt about that. She closed her eyes and fell into heady dreams.