Rory's 21st Birthday Ch. 01

"Is this better than going to Atlantic City for your birthday?" Lorelai asks as she and Rory approach the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA.

"So much better," Rory beams, sitting down at one of the cute cafe tables outside while the docent provides a brief history of the house before they go in, shading her eyes with her hand to take in the spectacular view of the house, even with the sun shining brightly behind it. "Plus we're still going to the casino tomorrow. One with, I'm assuming, fewer creeps than there would be in A.C."

"Yes, indeed," Lorelai agrees, ushering her daughter into the house to start the tour with a small, barely-there touch to her lower back.

It's a gentle, almost nothing gesture, but it sends a thrill down Rory's spine as she contemplates where her mother's hands were recently.

On her ass as Lorelai spanked her as part of their student/teacher roleplay.

Gripping the headboard of her bed while she was queening, cumming all over Rory's face twice.

And her own hands weren't so innocent either--palming Lorelai's breasts during that latest facesitting session, massaging her own tits while they masturbated together one night when they were too tired to fuck, but still horny as hell.

"And no one suspects a thing."

It's a major turn-on for both of them, but it's also not too difficult to maintain their previously normal mother-daughter closeness when they're out and about. They've always supported each other's interests more than most family members do, and spending a lot of time together is hardly weird, either.

"And," Lorelai whispers to her as they're walking up a back stairwell to the servants' quarters, "I can't wait for you to see where we're staying."

"It must be good if you've insisted on keeping it a surprise for this long."

Lorelai grins. "Definitely."

The house tour is both informative and entertaining, with the interpreter adding context to some of Hawthorne's earliest work that Rory wouldn't have known otherwise. The rest of Salem is delightfully kitschy--even though Halloween's still about two and a half weeks away, the whole place is already swept up in the holiday's mania, all "bubble, bubble, toil and trouble" and women sporting matching witch costumes for bachelorette parties.

"Off we go," Lorelai declares as she presses the unlock button on the key fob to their rental car.

The traffic's much worse than Stars Hollow, of course, but it's not horrible for Boston and the surrounding areas, and it only takes them about an hour to get closer to the city proper.

They're just passing over the Charles River, with Rory looking out the window, her role as navigator momentarily forgotten until Lorelai announces, "We're nearly there."

She makes a right turn and pulls the rental, a gold Nissan Altima, into a valet parking area.

"We get valet service?" Rory asks in near disbelief--she's used to being holed up in Motel 8s and Best Westerns, at best, on trips. The kind of inoffensive, suburban hotels and motels that have oversized parking lots, uninspiring breakfast buffets, and mediocre coffee.

"Comes with the room," her mom answers breezily. "C'mon, let's get our stuff from the trunk."

They each retrieve their suitcases, and Rory allows herself a smirk at the secret knowledge of what she'd packed.

She goes slack-jawed as she and her mom enter the lobby together, the door held open by a courteous bellhop.

They simply don't stay in places like this, with a dazzling chandelier framing the center of the room, a full dining area in the open space, separated from the lobby by an ornate marble fireplace, and what looks like a meticulously maintained courtyard nearby, too. This is Richard and Emily's domain.

Lorelai allows herself a self-satisfied, smug smirk at her abject shock.

"Good surprise, huh?"

She nods wordlessly as they approach the front desk, and she can't blame the guy on staff for chuckling a tiny bit at her before he says, "Welcome to the Aurora. I take it this is your first time staying with us?"

"Yep! We're new to Boston, too. Here to celebrate my daughter's 21st birthday." Lorelai squeezes her upper arm and it's insane how even such slight, traditionally motherly shows of affection can get her pulse pounding. "Spent the earlier part of the day in Salem."

"Well, congratulations, and happy birthday!" The concierge, Alex, smiles at both of them. "You must be Lorelai and Rory, then, but I'll just need to see IDs to confirm, along with the card you used to book the room."

They pass over their licenses, and Lorelai offers her credit card.

"And will you need valet service?"

"Yes, please," Lorelai replies.

"Okay--Brendan can take care of that," he notes, and another staff member walks out from behind the desk to take her keys and hands her a card. "If you need the car, just call this number and give them the license plate number, and we should have it ready in fifteen minutes or so. Maybe twenty if traffic's bad."

Alex then gives each of them a thick, black, glossy keycard, embossed with a bold WH insignia in white.

"You'll use that to get into the fifth floor hallway, and you're in the corner room, the King Charles suite, number 509. We have a little something for your birthday," he nods at Rory--her jaw drops again and she's gaping like a fish, "and there are complimentary, individually wrapped cookies, brownies, and water bottles in the pantry to your right when you gain access to your floor."

"Free cookies and brownies?!" Lorelai and Rory chorus together.

Alex laughs at their excitement. "There are pantries on every floor, but if yours happens to be out of anything, just call down to the front desk and someone will restock it by the end of the day at the latest. Oh," he glances down at his watch, "and there's a complimentary charcuterie arrangement available from 3 to 4:30, so if you want to come back down for that after you check out your space, feel free. Just ask one of the waiters or the chef about it."

"We'll definitely do that," Rory says. "Thank you so much!"

"Of course," Alex nods. "Should you need anything at all, we're here for you. Just dial zero on your room phone to reach the front desk. Again, welcome to the Aurora, and we hope you enjoy your stay."

"We definitely will," Lorelai assures him with a warm smile. "I'm in hospitality myself, and between the service and the atmosphere," she gestures at the furniture and architecture, "well, it's clear why this place has such incredible reviews. Thanks again!"

She and Rory call the elevator and it immediately dings, the doors opening smoothly to continue their welcome into the lap of luxury.

"Mom!" Rory squeals as the doors shut, wrapping her up in a tight hug. "This is amazing!"

"It is," she agrees happily. "Think this is gonna be a birthday to remember, Rory?"

She nods and barely suppresses the urge to give Lorelai a quick peck on the lips just before the elevator comes to a halt on the fifth floor.

They sidestep a family waiting to take it back down, probably to the lobby, and unlock the door to the residential hall.

"Jackpot!" Rory cheers at the sight of baked goods galore when she opens the pantry cabinet.

"Grab two of everything," Lorelai instructs. "Those boutique rice krispy treats look fantastic."

"Don't have to tell me twice."

After the dessert delay, they resume their journey down the hall, hanging a left, walking further away from the other rooms.

"I can't believe you booked a suite for us," Rory comments.

"The price wasn't that much more compared to their standard king rooms, so it felt worth it. Not to mention," she leans a bit closer to her daughter, "the added bit of seclusion with where it's located. And it's specially designed with more insulation to muffle noise for even more privacy."

"Sounds perfect."

That's before they even see the room and its king bed with French linen sheets, a breathtaking view of the Charles River, a giant glass shower, and a bottle of champagne on ice, complete with a note from the manager saying, "Thanks for choosing to celebrate with us!"

"You didn't have to do all this," Rory says again as she leans her suitcase against a chair in the corner of the room and admires the ambiance, "but I'm so grateful that you did."

Lorelai waves away the compliment. "You only turn 21 once, baby. I was happy to splurge for you. And it's not like I won't enjoy this," she points at the champagne, "or that," an upward chin tilt toward the shower, "or that."

Her gaze lands first on the bed, then Rory.

"The feeling's very, very mutual," Rory murmurs, savoring her latest kiss with her mother. "Now," she ends it quickly, since their capacity for getting in trouble together has increased about ten-fold since they became lovers, "should we go see about that free charcuterie board? I could go for a little something before dinner, and the champagne should keep until later on with all the ice."

"Spoken like a girl after my own heart," Lorelai notes, and Rory giggles at the accuracy of her statement. "To the selection of cheeses!"

____

Shortly after enjoying the spread of meats, fruits, and cheeses, Rory and Lorelai take in the sights and sounds of a new city on their way to and from a pub that's about a ten-minute walk away from the hotel. The food's decent, not incredible, but the night's much improved with their discovery on the way back.

"Small batch ice cream: fifteen flavors," Rory reads the sign out in front of a confectionery shop. "Should we get some to go?" she asks Lorelai before they even go inside.

"Absolutely."

Another ten minutes later, they're back in their hotel room, trading bites of sweet cream cookies and cream and coffee and trying not to swap too many kisses.

Which is going better than it usually does for them these days until Lorelai suggests, "How about we test out the shower and enjoy some champagne while we're at it?"

"Who knew that, one day, you'd be encouraging me to strip down and drink while I'm in college?" Rory rejoins with a laugh.

"Well, I'm here to supervise, and there are no dumb boys to get you in trouble, so," Lorelai shrugs, flips her hair back, "it's fine."

"And you're more than fine."

"Flattery will get you everywhere...tomorrow night," Lorelai lets her down gently, but Rory still groans in disappointment.

"The birthday sex will be worth the wait, baby," Lorelai murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before they start getting undressed to get in the shower. "Promise."

"I know," she says, but it's impossible to ignore the now-familiar swooping sensation in her stomach as she watches her mom strip down to her bra and underwear.

"Another reminder of how she's got you wrapped around her little finger," her subconscious whispers while she turns the water on.

"Nice and steamy," Lorelai comments in approval when the glass doors start to fog up, redirecting her gaze to Rory at the sound of her jeans hitting the bathroom floor, biting her lip as she studies her daughter's nearly naked body.

"Uh huh."

They pry the cork free of the champagne bottle with a small pop, pour a couple of glasses, and stay out of the shower's range when Lorelai says, "Cheers to your 21st birthday, Rory. It's a bit different from how I imagined it would be a few years ago," she admits, and Rory laughs at the understatement of the century, "but I'm thrilled we're getting to celebrate together."

"Me too, mom. Thanks."

"Also, I'm sure this," Lorelai indicates a free, built-in ledge in the shower, "is for the world's fanciest bubble-bath products or something, but it looks like it'll make a nice drink holder."

"Mmhmm," Rory agrees. "Mind if I get under the hot water for a second before we try out a couple of these body washes? After being on that flight and walking around Salem, I could go for...peachy keen," she decides after inspecting the available bottles.

"Lemme warm you up and start applying that," Lorelai offers, grabbing her preferred choice. The shower is spacious enough that she can skirt by her daughter with a half-turn, and she wraps her arms around Rory from behind, letting her enjoy the hot stream of water. She squeezes a healthy amount of lotion into her left hand, applying it first to Rory's arms and shoulders, then her collarbones, then her breasts and stomach.

Rory sighs contentedly at the sensual, caring, devoted touches, leans back into her mother's arms, and lets the stress of airport travel and the physical toll of walking around Salem melt away.

"Best birthday weekend ever," she says, loving the feel of Lorelai's smile against her cheek just before she kisses her there. "And it's just getting started."