Title: Hauting Eyes

Author: Bru Cardoso

Summary: His songs are hits They talk about a girl with hunting eyes and shy smile. Everyone thinks she doesn't exist. Only the one who writes them knows the truth and maybe the girl in the song. LIT

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, just the plot... you know the drill.

Chap 06

He took another sip of his iced tea and looked around the people walking on the calm streets of Hartford. He checks his watch one more time. She was almost fifteen minutes late. He threw his head back and sighted. When he looked back she was right in front of him, pulling the chair to sit down and resting her purse on the chair by her side.

He took off his sunglasses and put them on their table, right next to his iced tea. He gave her a small smiled, "I was starting to think you were not coming anymore."

She smiled shyly, a bit embarrassed, "I wasn't coming."

"Oh," he paused. "And what made you change your mind, may I ask you?"

She stared at him, his dark brown eyes that seemed to be warmer than she remembered and the spiky messy hair that still gave him the look of a rebel wanna be. But she could see his smirk had been replaced by an honest affectionate smile.

"Your smile," she said in a distant voice, a voice that could confess things she wouldn't let herself voice out loud. "There was something about the things you said yesterday, you sounded honest, open." She laughs quietly, "There was always something about you…" she shakes her head, still laughing.

The waiter walks to their table to get their order.

"Uhm… I want a coffee and a chocolate coffee cake."

The waiter looked at Jess, silently asking him his order, but he just shook his head.

"So, I see some things haven't changed."

"Nope, some things haven't."

"That's good. Comforting, even."

She nods and they just stare silently at the table.

"So…"

"Yeah?"

"You were the one who asked if you could see me again. You were the one who wanted to talk, so… talk!"

He ran a hand through his her. Then started tapping his things on the table. He looked at her. "How've you been?"

She raises an eyebrow at his dumb question but answers anyway. "Fine," she says, waving a hand and dismissing the question.

He shakes his head, "No, really, how have you been? What happened in your life? What is going on? Good and bad, everything."

She tilts her head to the side a bit suspiciously, "You really wanna know?"

"Yup," he nods.

The waiter comes at this moment and sets the coffee and the cake in front of her and then leaves quietly.

"Well, my life is good. After you left I made quite a few mistakes," she laughs bitterly. "That includes sleeping with a married Dean, getting arrested, dropping out of Yale and getting in a huge fight with my mom which led me to not speak to her for almost an year."

His eyes got wide, "Wow."

She nods, "Yeah, I bet you're think 'Wow, this girl got even more screwed up than I was.'" She said with a sad smile.

"No, actually I'm thinking, 'Wow, this girl got guys that screwed her up even more that I ever could!'"

She laughed and hit his arm. He rubbed the spot where she had hit him, "What? It's true! You know it!"

Se stops laughing, "Yeah, the sad thing is that I do." She shakes her head, "It's just… everything was so screwed up… I didn't know what to do. Anyway, after a while a got in this huge fight with Logan-"

"Logan?"

"Yeah, he was my boyfriend back then. You would absolutely hate him."

"I'm sure I would," he agreed smiling and was hit again on the same spot.

"Anyway, we got in this fight, but that's what it was: a fight. But guess what? He thought we had broken up, so he went and slept with all bride's maids of his sister! The thing is, after a while we 'got back together' and I became one of the bride's maid. So, there I am, waiting to get in the church when I start to hear a bunch of girls comparing notes on boyfriend on bed! And when I go and confront him about it he says, 'Sorry, I thought we were broken up.' And he actually thinks that that will do!"

Jess starts laughing hysterically now and she narrows her eyebrows at him, "What's so funny?"

He looks up at her, "Oh, come on, you have to find it at least a little funny. He cheated on you because he thought he wasn't' cheating!"

"I guess it could be a little funny if it hadn't happened to me."

He nods, "Yeah, you're probably right." He pauses, "You know that even if I was laughing I hate the guy to the guts and I'll beat him down if I ever bump into him, right?" he asked in a serious tone.

She smiled a big smile. She really liked the protective Jess, "Yeah, I know."

"Good. Now finish the story."

She shakes her head, "Well, when I heard him giving me that lame excuse like it was enough and I should just accept it I had an epiphany. I realized everything in my life was wrong, so I broke up with him, got to terms with my mom and got back to Yale. After that things started getting better."

"Finally!" he sights dramatically.

She hits his arm again and glares, but her eyes are amused, "After that I became the editor at the Yale newspaper and moved in with Lane and Dave, who were going to a community college in New Heaven. I even got an internship at The New York Post and I loved it, but in the end I figured I'd rather work somewhere closer to home. So when I graduated I got this job at the Hartford Gazette and that's where I've been working."

"It sounds like you've got it all. I'm happy for you."

She smiled at him, her hair covering part of her smile, "Thanks. So, what about you? Going on tours and leaving on the edge doesn't sound too bad."

He laughs and waves his hand, "Nah, it's not like that. Uhm…when I left I went to California. My dad lives there and since I had nowhere to go I thought he owned me at least a place to crash. Well, while I was there I met Leo. He plays the drums in the band and he was one of the few people I could tolerate back there. So, one day we are talking about book and music and I start to play with a guitar and he says I should join his band. Before I could realize I was playing gigs in small clubs."

"Oh, really? That sounds really cool…and easy."

"Yeah, I know. Things were pretty easy for me. I guess I never took the band seriously; it was more like a hobby. But the guys, especially Leo, were always obsessed with it and it was really hard for them in the beginning. But by the time I got in everything was pretty much set up."

Some noise behind them got their attention and they turned around to look at a few girls giggling and whispering.

"Oh God," he sighted. Rory laughed.

One of the girls pushed another to the front and all of them slowly walked to their table with the biggest smiles on their faces. The girl who was pushed forwards is the one to speak, "Excuse me, are you J Danes?"

Jess looks ready to say 'no' and go back to conversation but Rory gives him a look an he sights in defeat before rolling his eyes, "Yes."

The girls start giggling even more, jumping and almost screaming in an obnoxious voice "OhmyGod OhmyGod OhmyGod!"

He supports his head on one of his hands, waiting for them to get over their little freak out.

A couple of minutes later another girl asks, "Would you mind taking a picture with us."

He starts to reply, when Rory cuts him off. "Of course he doesn't mind," she tells them with a reassuring smile. Some of the girls hand her their cell phones and cameras and try to get as close to Jess as humanly possible. Rory takes a couple of picture with each camera and after the last picture Jess mouths to her 'You own me!' She just smiles.

The girls get their cameras and leave, smiling and laughing like they had just won the lottery.

"Oh, and there is also this," Jess said, pointing to the girls walking away. "The obsessed girls that keep trying to get too close or to read my mind or to help me 'heal' or something. I was lucky these ones forgot to ask my autograph, although with that many pictures an autograph would be kinda pointless."

"Oh, come on, don't pretend you don't like it!"

He sights, "It's not that I don't like you them, it's just the situation. It seems forced most of the time, like they have no idea what we're talking about but they listen to our songs because their friends do and one thing leads to another…"

"But you must have bumped into some people who 'get' what you're talking about."

"Yeah, sure, but it's just so rare!"

Se shrugs with a small smile, "I guess it's hard to find people like." She bits her lip, " should go, I still have to edit some stuff…"

"It's okay."

She looked at him hesitantly, "When are you leaving?"

"I don't know. I think it might take a few more days."

"Can I see you again?"

He smirked, "You stole my question. And of course."

She stands up and picks her purse trying to get her wallet, "Okay, I'll call you then."

He makes a movement for her to stop going through her purse, "I got it. And I'm staying at hotel two blocks away from the club you went to last night. Room 714. My cell phone is usually off so it's easier if you just show up, whenever you want."

"Okay then." She leans down and kisses his cheek, "Bye, Jess."

"Later, Rory"