Dandelion- Jess Mariano

♡Chapter 2: Job♡

Parker looks up at the big inn in front of her, all lit up in the dark, and it takes for a moment before she decides to take another step. She doesn't know if she's able to even stay there, she doesn't have much cash.

The bus driver gave her $50 before she got off, no matter how many times Parker tried to refuse the offer. But she'd figure something out.

She walks in and pushes open the big door, looking around at the big room in front of her. It is full of people, even though it is starting to get late at night.

There's a harpist in the corner, and a big desk to her right. She walks over to the desk and waits for someone to talk to to come over.

Eventually a tall woman, with long brown hair, and light blue eyes came over to her, a bit distracted with papers in her hands. The woman looks up at her, and hesitates for a moment. She regains her composure, realizing that she was a guest.

"Sorry, you just look like someone I know" The woman laughs. "Hi there, I'm Lorelai Gilmore, is there anything I can help you with?"

Parker froze. She knew that name. That was the name on all of the documents she was given at the adoption agency. It was her mother. But clearly, she didn't know that. So Parker quickly cleared her throat and went back to the conversation.

"Hi, I was just wondering how much a room for a night would be?" Parker answers, her voice wavering a little bit.

"Well for a single room, prices start at $75 a night, and $90 for a double room." The woman looks back up at her, carefully eyeing her injuries. "Are you all right? Are your parents around?"

"Yeah they just sent me to find out this information from the car." Parker lies, because she knows she needs a reason to leave without suspicion. "I'll go talk to them, and then we'll be right back!"

"Sounds good." The woman replies, with a warm smile on her face. Parker turns around to walk out, and because there weren't any parents for her to go talk to, she just kept walking.

________________

Parker had been walking for about an hour, trying to find a place to sleep for the night. She had followed the path she remembered from the bus back into the center of town.

She thought maybe she could find a bench, and use her jacket as a pillow for the night. That should last until she could get a job and get some money.

Eventually, Parker found a gazebo in the middle of the town. It had enough cover from the elements, and some benches inside. She took off her jacket, and shivered a little as she placed it down. She was exhausted.

The second Parker placed her head down, she fell asleep.

Unbeknownst to Parker, a man by the name of Taylor Doose had been walking past, and gasped as he saw the young girl sleeping on the bench.

Taylor immediately ran into the diner nearby, asking Luke if he knew who the girl on the bench was.

Throughout that night, the news spread through the town of a girl on the bench. But when anyone went to look the next morning, she was gone.

____________

As soon as Parker woke up the next morning, she put on her jacket and started walking again. She was looking around town to see if there was anywhere that she might be able to apply for a job.

Finally she stopped in front of Luke's diner, the place she had seen the night before. She stands outside for a moment before deciding to walk in.

The second she walks in, she's surrounded by a bustle of people, and orders being taken, and the buzz of conversation around her. She walks up to the front counter, and sits at a bar stool.

A grumpy looking man walks up to her, with his baseball cap on, and an ordering pad. Without looking up, He says "What can I get for you?"

"Hi, actually nothing I was just wondering if I could apply to work here?" She answered, quickly.

He looks up at that, squints at her for a moment, and then grabs a piece of paper from under the counter.

"Here, fill this out with your name, age, and any other information on there that you can fill in." He says quickly and then goes back to taking orders.

Parker looks down at the page, and starts filling out what she can. While she's doing this, The door opens and the bell dings. She looks up to see the same woman from the inn. Her mother, Lorelai Gilmore.

Lorelai doesn't see her as she accidentally startles Luke and starts peppering him with questions about some mysterious 'he'.

"So? Is he here?"She asks him, excited.

"He's here."Luke responds, not seeming all that amused.

"Yeah? How is he?" She asks

"Fine."

"Did he see the bed?"

"He saw the bed."

"Well where is he? I want to meet him." She says happily and curiously.

"Oh he's out."

"Out where?"

Luke shrugs, "I don't know"

"You don't?"

"No, He just went out."

At this point, Parker felt like she was eavesdropping on a personal conversation that was getting a little heated, so she chose to try to ignore it as she went back to filling out the paper.

That plan was going great, until she heard the bell of the door ding again, and a boy about her age walked in, with messy brown hair, and a book in his pocket.

Luke calls him over to meet Lorelai, as Parker watches as he unenthusiastically joins the conversation. Lorelai tries to talk to him and get him to laugh but it's extremely awkward to watch as he just nods at her.

Eventually, he gets released from the conversation and jogs his way back upstairs. Luke feebly tries to start a conversation with him, but he's already gone.

At this moment, Parker has filled out all of the information that she could, and slides it to the other side of the counter as Luke takes it.

While he is taking the paper, Lorelai starts offering to have them over for dinner, to introduce him to town. Luke accepts the offer, and looks back down at the paper in his hands.

"Huh." He says as he looks over at Parker quizzically. "No parent information? No social security? And you can work everyday?"

At this, Lorelai looks over at them too. "Oh hey! You were at the inn last night right?"She says, and Parker nods.

Luke looks between the two of them for a moment and then says "You two know each other?"

Lorelei shakes her head. "No, She came into the inn last night asking about pricing."

Luke looks back at the sheet, and realizes it does have enough information that he can give her the job, but he looks a bit concerned at her first. "As long as you know that I will need that social security in case you ever want to use a bank, then you're hired"

She looks at him and smiles, "Thank you. Seriously, thank you."