Jess Mariano's Sister

Date Planning and Ordering Squabbles

-- Edited --

Willow's POV 

Luke was leaning on the counter reading a book and Jess came up behind him.

"Move."

"What? Oh, sorry" he shifted out of the way, and kept reading.

"That's that," Jess asks.

"It's nothing," Luke replies quickly.

"You reading?" I ask.

"It's nothing," he says again.

"I've never seen you read," Jess says.

"Will two just-- I read," he says.

What do you read?" Jess asks, leaning next to him.

"I read. I read," he says.

"What do you read?" I repeat. Leaning on the opposite side of the counter.

"Invoices, expiration dates," Luke says.

"I stand corrected," Jess says.

He reaches over and snatches the book from Luke, looking at it.

"Hey!" Luke yells.

"Hidden romantic gems of the restaurant world," Jess reads.

He flips through a few pages before tossing it at me to look.

"Well, well, well," I say, giving it a look.

"I would like my property back, please," Luke says.

"Planning something special?" Jess asks.

He reaches over and snatches the book back from me.

"No, nothing special. I'm taking Nicole to dinner on Friday and I wanna find a place," Luke says looking at the book again.

"A place you don't normally go to?" Jess asks.

"Yes," he replies.

"So a special place," I say.

"Will you stop saying that word, please? And yes," Luke says.

"Find anything good?" Jess asks him.

"Every single description in here talks about tablecloths and dish designs, nothing about the food," Luke complains.

"You're really going through an awful lot for this lawyer," Jess says.

"She's not a Lawyer. I mean, yes, she's a lawyer, but she's also a lady, and a very nice lady who probably expects good food with her fancy plates and sparse, yet elegant decor," Luke says.

"You're pathetic when you're in love," Jess says.

"What does sparse mean?" I ask.

"I'm not in love, I'm dating. This is what you do when you're dating," Luke says.

"Does it mean little? I forgot," I add.

"It's not what I do when I'm dating," Jess says.

"Well, Rory's a lucky girl. Work. I'm going upstairs," Luke says.

"Fine, but if a house-drawn carriage shows up here, my throwing up will be eternal," Jess yells after him.

"I don't like horses," I say, still leaning on the counter.

The bell rings, and in walks Dean. I haven't talked to him since the carnival. We used to talk when we crossed paths at school, or in the street, but I've pretty much shut him out.

I know Jess can be an ass, but that doesn't make what Dean said to him any better.

"I gotta place an order," he says, walking up to the counter and standing next to me, in front of Jess.

Jess barely looks up at him, "talk into the clown," he says.

"I am," Dean says, looking at Jess.

Asses. Both of them.

"What do you want?" Jess asks.

Dean fishes a piece of paper out of his pocket and starts reading.

"Six burgers, three with cheese, two cheddar, one swiss. Two plain, once with chili, cheese and onions on the side."

He looks up, and Jess is just staring at him, smiling.

"Your memory's that good?"

"You're screwing with me," Jess says, looking upset.

"I'm placing an order," Dean says.

"For all of Connecticut."

I laugh.

"For the construction crew next door."

"Oh, you're Taylor's errand boy now," Jess says.

"And you're Taylor's waitress," Dean shoots back.

"Say that a little closer."

"I thought you had a girlfriend," Dean says.

"Give me your order and get out," Jess says, putting down his book.

"Service with a smile," Dean says.

"Uh, six burgers, three with cheese, two cheddar, one swiss. Two plain burgers, one chili burger with cheese and onions on the side. Three ham on ryes, one mayo, one mustard one combo. Combo means mustard and-"

"I know what a combo means," Jess says.

"Sorry. Guess that confused look is just how your face is," Dean says.

"You wanna talk about this outside?" Jess asks.

"Just as soon as I'm finished," Dean says.

"Why don't you stop being a dick," I mumble to Dean.

He didn't look at me, just started reading again.

"Four hot dogs, two salads on white, one chicken salad on wheat. A chef's salad with ranch. Five fries, five onion rings, two chips and extra pickles," Dean finishes.

"On what?"

"Excuse me?"

"What are the extra pickles on?"

"On the side," Dean says, like it's obvious, it's kind of not.

"On the side of what? On the side of the burgers, on the side of the sandwiches, or on the side of the road where the ditch I'm gonna dump your body into is?" Jess asks.

"Just make sure there's enough for everyone," Dean says with a cocky smirk.

"Fine," Jess says.

"Aren't you gonna read it back?" Dean asks.

"Oh my god," I mumble, looking down at the counter.

"Nope," Jess says.

"Okay, but these men were hired by Taylor, which means if they aren't satisfied with their orders, they will send them back. And they will continue to send them back until they are happy, which means you could be making this order until you die," Dean says.

"Or until you die," I say.

Jess just looks at him and starts reading the list back off.

"Slower, please. I'm checking them off as we go," Dean says, very happy with himself.

Jess reads it off really slow and Dean just smiles. I end up taking the pad and shooing Jess away, so they can't kill each other.