[Story #92. The idea for this one just popped into my head and I had it wrtten in just a couple of hours. Lorelai and Rory are still living in the potting shed behind the Independence Inn. Mia wants to retire and needs someone to take over for her as manager. Rated G. ]

Jun 12, 2007

Independence
Chapter One
Lorelai heard the alarm clock click just before it went off, and her hand was there to turn it off a half second after it started ringing. She looked over at Rory, asleep next to her in their double bed. She was still sleeping.

Lorelai quickly got out of bed, threw on a heavy terrycloth robe, and turned on the small electric heater they used to heat the potting shed they called home. She tried being quiet as she gathered up her maid's uniform and shoes, but she stumbled against a chair that scraped loudly on the floor.

"Is it time to get up?" Rory asked, still mostly asleep.

"Shhh," Lorelai whispered, "go back to sleep. It's still too early."

Rory moved to the warm spot where Lorelai had been and fell back asleep. 

Lorelai finished getting her things together. She was going to change into her uniform in the kitchen of the Independence Inn, where it was much warmer.

As she passed by the bed, she leaned down and kissed Rory on the top of her head as she always did. And for the thousandth time she said quietly, "One day we'll have a real house, and you'll have your own room." 

Lorelai hurriedly made her way to the back door of the kitchen. Before she got dressed, she started a pot of coffee. 

Sookie would be in by six thirty, and at seven Lorelai would go back to the potting shed to get Rory up for school and to take her two muffins and a cup of coffee for breakfast. By then the shed would be warm enough for Rory to get dressed and they could have their morning together before Rory had to leave for school.

After the coffee was started and Lorelai had changed, she went to the front desk.

"Morning, Tobin."

"Good morning, Lorelai. Did you sleep well?"

"Not bad. How was the night? Any new guests?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. A couple from Rhode Island, the Murrays, checked in a little after eleven. They left a wake-up call for seven thirty. They said they want to go antiquing right after breakfast. I told them it wouldn't be a problem."

"Well, Michel should be in around eight, so that should time it just right."

"Lorelai, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure. Let me grab a cup of coffee and I'll be right back."

Lorelai went back into the kitchen for the coffee, shaking her head. She had a feeling she knew what was coming.

"Okay. What's up?"

"It's about Michel."

"Again? What's he done this time?"

"I don't think he likes me."

"I don't think Michel likes anyone, Tobin."

"He likes Mia."

"Well, sure he does. She brought him here and gave him his job. And I’m quite sure she's paying him very well. So, is that it?"

"No, there's something else. And I'm sure you know more about this than I do."

Lorelai waited for Tobin to come to the point.

"You know that Mia's been talking about making some changes."

"That's the rumor, but I haven't heard anything concrete."

"Well, Michel seems to think she is thinking about retiring and that she is gong to make him the day manager."

"I haven't heard anything like that. I do know she wants to slow down, and maybe she does want to retire. But I really doubt that she'll make Michel the new manager. She hired him as a concierge and as far as I know, that's it. That's his job."

"If he becomes the new manager, I'll have to quit. There is no way I could work for Michel."

"But, Tobin you're the night manager. You wouldn't be working for Michel."

"But he'll be the day manager. And everyone knows the day manager. . . ."

"Look, I think you're worrying about nothing. If, and until, Mia decides to retire and bring in a new manager, everything is just rumor and idle speculation."

Lorelai patted Tobin on the shoulder and started to go back into the kitchen.

"I'd work for you!" He suddenly exclaimed, taking Lorelai by surprise.

"Me? Yeah, like Mia would really make one of her maids the manager."

Lorelai went back into the kitchen, dismissing such a ridiculous thought.

After Lorelai saw Rory off to school, she went back to the inn to begin her day. She made sure the Murrays were woken up at seven thirty, and eased the transition between Tobin leaving at eight and Michel's arrival at eight fifteen. She checked out several guests as Michel ate his egg-white omelet for breakfast. She made sure the other maids knew which rooms were now unoccupied and needed to be cleaned. And she went over the guest register, just so there would be no surprises.

After a quick walk-though of the dining room, she was satisfied with everything there. Even though she knew Tobin was reliable, she still made sure the front porch and steps had been swept off, and the night cleaning crew had finished everything on the list she had left for them. 

Mia would be in around nine and Lorelai wanted everything to be as perfect as it could be. She owed Mia so much, for so many years, that anything she could do to make her job any easier, she did.

Chapter Two


The morning passed quickly. The brisk autumn weather seemed to energize everyone, especially the guests. They came for the fall foliage and to take in the small-town charm of Stars Hollow. 

Lorelai swore that one day she would do the tourist thing – walk through the town, visit every shop, and eat in every café and restaurant. She might even, one day, eat lunch sitting in the gazebo in the center of town. But it seemed like there was always just so much to do at the inn. And at the end of the day she was too tired to do anything but spend the evening hours with Rory doing her homework as they listened to the radio. And after Mia gave Rory a CD player for her birthday, they listened to their growing inventory of CDs.

Lunch was finishing up and Lorelai was in the kitchen with a plate of Sookie's pot roast, potatoes and carrots when Mia found her.

"Lorelai, I have a few errands to run, and after you've finished eating, would you mind changing clothes and coming with me?"

"Of course. I can finish this later."

"Oh, no. You finish eating first. We'll be doing a lot of walking and you'll need your strength to keep up."

Mia patted Lorelai on the hand holding the fork then said as she turned to leave, "About thirty minutes."

"I wonder what that's all about." Sookie commented.

"She's probably going shopping and needs me to carry all the bags for her."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Lorelai finished the pot roast and poured herself a cup of coffee before she walked down to the potting shed to change clothes.

Twenty five minutes later Mia and Lorelai were leaving the inn. Mia insisted they walk since it was a such a nice day. 

"So, you said you had some errands," Lorelai said. "What's our first stop?"

"It's not very far away," Mia answered.

"Okay," Lorelai replied, somewhat mystified. "You can't tell me where we're going because. . . . "

Mia smiled at Lorelai warmly, and only said, "You'll see."

They walked for almost fifteen minutes when Lorelai realized they were in a part of the town she had never been. It was a rather nice neighborhood with well-kept houses, some that were close to a hundred years old.

They stopped in front of a two story house with a porch that seemed to run around the entire house.

"What do you think of this house?" Mia asked her.

"It's nice. It's big. But it's nice. It looks expensive."

"You think so? I think it might be quite affordable."

"Mia, are you house hunting? You have a house, and it's a great house. Why are you looking at houses?"

"I don't know. I just felt like looking at houses."

"Are you thinking about buying rental property?"

"Let's go inside."

The front door was unlocked and they went inside. Lorelai followed Mia as she walked through the downstairs, commenting on every room and its possibilities, and asking Lorelai her opinion. They next walked up the stairs to give the second floor the same analysis.

Going back downstairs they went back into the kitchen, then out of the back door to look at the yard. They walked around to the front and Mia sat down on the front porch steps and Lorelai sat next to her.

Lorelai could sense there was something on Mia's mind other than rental property and old houses, but she waited patiently until Mia was ready.

Finally, staring out at the front yard, Mia said, "Lorelai, I’m sure you've heard the rumors about me wanting to slow down, and maybe retiring."

"I have, but I haven't paid much attention to them. People like to talk, and they really like to talk about the boss!"

"Well, I want you to be the first to know. The rumors ARE true. I'm getting tired of running the inn, and I am thinking about making some changes."

"You're not selling it are you?" Lorelai was horrified at the thought.

"Oh no. The Independence means too much to me to sell it. But I do want to not have to come in everyday. That part of it I'm getting tired of. So I've decided to look for a manager. I want someone to run things for me. Someone I know I can trust -- not only to do things the way I know they should be done, but someone I know who loves the Independence as much as I do and wants its reputation as a top quality inn to continue."

Mia looked at Lorelai.

"Do you have any suggestions? Anyone you think could think of who might fill the bill?" 

"Well, Tobin's been with us for quite a while. And he's the best night manager we've ever had."

"What about Michel?"

Lorelai hesitated, not wanting to bad mouth anyone, not even Michel.

"I honestly have to say that I think Michel would be a bad choice. I don't think Tobin would stay on if Michel was the manager. Sookie, maybe. I can't say about the staff, but I’m sure some of them would leave, the day staff anyway."

"What about you?"

"Oh god no! Mia, I would never leave! The Independence is my home, mine and Rory's. Believe me, there is no way Michel could ever make us go!"

Chapter Three


"No. I mean what about you as the new manager?"

"What?"

Lorelai was stunned. She wasn't sure if she heard right.

"You heard me. What about you taking over for me as the manager – the general manager?"

Lorelai was finding it hard to find the words.

Mia chuckled then got up and walked back into the house. Lorelai followed her, still dumbfounded at Mia's suggestion.

"You've got to be kidding," was Lorelai's eventual reply.

"No, I'm not. Why would I kid about something like that?"

"But – I can't be a manager. I don't know anything about running an inn. I've never been to college. I never even graduated from high school!"

"You know more than you think you do."

"But, I'm just a maid. Sure, the head maid, but . . . ."

"Lorelai, when was the last time you changed a bed? Or did turn-down service? How many times have you checked guests in and out? Who orders the supplies, and sweet talks the vendors into getting us the things we need when no one else gets them? How many times have you worked a ten-hour shift and then filled in for those irresponsible night managers we had to put up with until YOU suggested I hire Tobin?"

Lorelai never had a chance to answer her. 

"Lorelai, honey, you may still wear the uniform, but you haven't been a maid for almost two years. You have filled so many shoes, worn so many hats, I'm surprised you haven't demanded to be made at least assistant manager."

"But only because you showed me . . . ."

"Exactly! I trained you. And I pushed you. And I made sure you knew everything I did about running an inn. And if there is anyone who loves the Independence as much as I do, I know it's you."

"Mia . . . ." Lorelai was on the verge of tears.

"Lorelai, if you don't take this position, I'll have no alternative but to make Michel the manager. And please, PLEASE don't make me do that! I can barely understand what he says. Who knows WHAT he would do to my poor inn."

Lorelai put her arms around Mia, not able to stop the tears of joy as she agreed to become the Independence Inn's new General Manager.

After Lorelai had composed herself and blew her nose, Mia dropped another bombshell.

"Of course you realize you and Rory will have to move out of the potting shed."

"What? But why? It's our home. We've lived there for over ten years."

"Really, Lorelai, do you actually think the potting shed is a fit home for the manager of an inn?"

"But where will we live?"

"Obviously, you'll have to move into a house somewhere."

"I suppose I could find one, somewhere. I always told Rory that one day we'd have a real house . . . ."

"And she'd have her own room," Mia finished for her. "And you'd want your own room as well."

"Well, sure."

"So what about this house? You could have the entire upstairs for your room. And Rory's room will be right next to the kitchen. You know she'd just love being able to grab a snack anything she wanted."

"Oh, Mia! Yes, I'd love it! But I can't afford a house like this. I can't even afford to buy a car."

Mia laughed, she couldn’t help it.

"Honey, didn't it ever occur to you that the general manager of an inn makes at least three times to four times what a maid makes? Even the head maid?"

Again, Lorelai was speechless. Then the possibilities began to come to her.

"I could buy this house! And a car! And I'd need new clothes if I'm going to be the face of the Independence; and shoes! And I could buy Rory new clothes. No more hand-me-downs."

But then she had another thought, one not so pleasant.

"But what about Michel? This means I'll be his boss! What if he won't work for me? What if none of them will?"

"I don't think you have to worry about that. Everyone loves you. You know that."

"But what if I'm a bad boss? What if the staff won't do what I say?"

"Lorelai, you've been bossing the staff around for two years. Now, it'll just be official."

"But Michel –"

"You don't worry about Michel. If he values his job – well, I'll talk to him."

"Now," Mia continued. "We have two more stops to make."

"Where now?"

"First to the Stars Hollow bank to open you a checking and a savings account, and then to arrange a mortgage loan for you. And then to the real estate office to start the paperwork on your new home."

A light went off in Lorelai's head.

"You did all this, for me. You knew I'd take the job and you arranged everything -- the house, the bank. But … no one knows me. I've got no credit cards, no financial history. So -- how?"

Mia patted Lorelai's cheek then said, "You seem to forget that Stars Hollow is MY town. And some day, sooner than you think, this will be YOUR town, yours and Rory's."


And The Rest Is GG History