miss americana | gilmore girls

041

"I told you to start at twenty." Harley scolded Connor as they walked hand in hand towards the treehouse. "That guy looked tempted." He chuckled. "Then you up the bid to twenty one not forty." She giggled.

"We can split the cost." He offered. "Nope, I've done my part." She pushed the basket into his chest. "Right." He followed her up the ladder.

"So, what did I just spend my retirement on?" He popped the basket open. "Homemade muffins, blueberry. Orange juice, freshly squeezed. Chocolate covered pretzels straight from Doose's Market. An apple, because balance is important, and peanut butter because balance tastes yucky."

"Wow, Goldie. You're a true DAR wife in the making." Connor complemented through a proud grin. "You mock, but it's much more impressive than the canned mystery meat and leftover chinese food that Rory packed."

"No, I'm not mocking." He denied, picking up the muffin and taking a bite. "This tastes great. Worth every cent. Good job, babe." He gave a boyish grin. "Well, thank you." Harley blushed.

"Do you suppose Travers will play DAR wife for Sadie?" Connor snickered at the thought. "Well, she certainly won't have time to attend luncheons and participate in charity auctions when she's running Blythe Corp."

"A boy can dream." He offered a smile but it didn't reach his eyes. "Dad's been trying to work some father son bonding angle."

"Maybe it's not an angle and he actually wants to bond." Harley chuckled. "I'm not an optimist." Connor swirled an apple slice in the tiny jar of peanut butter.

"Hey, forget about all that bureaucratic nonsense. You've got a pretty date across from you." Harley urged.

"Consider it forgotten. I'm all yours." He held the apple out for her, and she bit it with a smile.

-

"A cigar club. Can you imagine a more disgusting organization to join? Your grandfather now pays money to sit in an enclosed room with a bunch of other men and blow smoke in each other's faces. Twice a week he comes home smelling like a flophouse. So I finally just confronted him. I said, Richard, I know you're going through a transitional period here and I encourage your trying out new things, but this seems completely out of character for you.' I'm sorry, am I boring you?"

"No, you're not." Lorelai insisted. "Sorry Grandma." Both girls offered in mumbles. "So how are things at the inn?" Emily swiftly changed topics. "Fine, the same." Lorelai shrugged. "How's Connor? How was Florida?"

"Oh, it was amazing, Grandma. The sun, and the sand, and that house. Incredible. And Connor isn't half bad himself. We've agreed to hyphenate our last names." Harley gushed. "Well, hyphenation is very respectable. Powerful even."

"Yes, well, Gilmore is a powerhouse in itself." Harley giggled at her grandmother's expression as she forked her potatoes. "And Rory, how's that boyfriend of yours?"

"Apparently very chatty." Rory gave her mother a sharp glare. "Well, that's nice. Lorelai, anything new with you?"

"No, nothing. It's been pretty quiet around the house lately."

"Well, sometimes quiet can be nice. Soothing. You can hear yourself think. All right, what's going on with you two?"

"Nothing."