Part 12

Lorelai smiled and turned her head to look up at him. "Wow, you’re very thorough," she said impressively.

"Thorough?" he repeated, narrowing his eyes at her.

She nodded as she crawled up on top of him. "You use the sweet talk even after you get me into bed. That’s a very rare quality in a man."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say, I’m a natural born ladies’ man."

Lorelai laughed. "No way, that line did not just come out of Luke Danes’ mouth. Let me go write that down so I can remind you of it this time next year."

He smiled and kissed her. As he pulled back, he glanced over at the nightstand and said, "It’s past midnight."

She turned to look at the clock. "Yes, you’re right." She turned back to him and smiled. "Glad to see you’re getting your money’s worth with those telling time classes."

He rolled his eyes. "I believe that was me insinuating that I should be going."

"So you weren’t trying to impress me with your skills?" she asked as she rolled off of him.

"No, I – ," he started. He suddenly stopped talking as Lorelai got up off the bed and walked over to the closet. Luke sat up and watched her closely, his eyes wandering over the curves of her body as she pulled out her robe.

She turned around as she pulled it on. She saw him staring at her with wide eyes and she let out a small laugh. She pulled the belt tight around her and folded her arms across her chest. "Take a picture, it lasts longer."

"Trust me, the thought’s crossed my mind," he said.

She smirked as she picked up his pile of clothes from the floor and tossed it next to him on the bed. "Here. Stop your drooling and get dressed." She walked over to her vanity and picked up a ponytail holder. She pulled her hair into a disheveled bun, then walked over and leaned against the door, watching him as he got dressed.

A few minutes later, he pulled on his baseball cap and walked over to her. He placed one hand against the door and pressed his lips gently against hers. She brought her hands up to his face and ran them over the stubble on his cheeks as they kissed. As he finally pulled away, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. They walked quietly down the steps and over to the front entryway.

He pulled on his coat as she opened the front door, shivering as the cold air poured in. He finished buttoning his coat and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Bye," he said.

"Bye," she replied, smiling. He stepped onto the porch and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets before walking down the front steps and across the yard.

Lorelai shut the door and rushed into Rory’s room. She lay down on the bed next to her and started tapping her on the shoulder. "Rory!" she said in a loud whisper. "Rory, wake up!"

Rory groaned. "What do you want?"

"He told me he loves me!" Lorelai whispered excitedly.

Rory rolled over and mumbled, "What?"

"He told me he loves me!" Lorelai repeated louder.

With her eyes half closed, Rory smiled. "Aw, that’s so great, Mom."

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, after I told him."

Rory’s eyes opened all the way. "What?"

Lorelai smiled. "I said it to him first."

Rory mouth dropped open with surprise. "Oh my God! Mom, that’s – wow." She hugged Lorelai as best she could from her sleeping position. "That’s great. I’m happy for you."

Lorelai giggled excitedly. "Thanks. Night." She kissed Rory’s cheek before she pushed herself off the bed and went back up to her room.

* * *

The next morning, Lorelai and Rory rushed into the diner trying to escape the pouring rain outside. After dropping their umbrellas by the door, they looked around and saw Sookie sitting at a table sipping coffee. She looked up and waved, then gestured for them to join her. They walked over to her table.

"Hey Sook," Lorelai said, sliding into a chair. "How’s it going?"

"Hey Sookie," Rory said, sitting down and putting her backpack on the floor next to her.

"Morning," Sookie said. "You guys are soaked. Did you walk here?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, it wasn’t raining this hard when we left the house, but in the next 2 minutes it started downpouring."

"Crazy weather," Sookie muttered. She put a hand on Lorelai’s arm and gave her a concerned look. "Hey, are things okay with you and . . . your grumpy half?"

Lorelai looked at her questioningly. "Things are great. Why?"

"Uh, well, I kinda heard that there was some yelling going on last night out in front here," Sookie said, gesturing out the window.

Rory looked at her mom, surprised. "What? Really?"

Lorelai shook her head slightly. "It was nothing, forget it. Everything’s good now."

"What happened?" Rory asked.

Lorelai sighed. "Nothing, I was just upset about dinner and I was being cranky."

"Yes, you and the crankiness fairy do meet on occasion." Rory nodded knowingly, then added quietly, "Far too many occasions, if you ask me."

Lorelai smacked her on the arm. "Huh, I don’t recall anyone asking you."

"Wait - what happened at dinner?" Sookie asked.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "I’ll fill you in later." She glanced up and saw Jess wiping the counter and Caesar serving the tables. "Where’s Luke? Have you seen him?"

Sookie nodded. "Yeah, he’s here. He must be in the kitchen cooking." She frowned. "I suggested that he add a little more ground cinnamon to his pancake batter to give it a little zing, but he just gave me a dirty look."

Lorelai scoffed. "You deserved it – his pancakes are perfect the way they are."

Rory nodded in agreement. "Mmm, the best."

Caesar walked over to their table. "Coffee?"

Lorelai nodded. "Two please."

Caesar walked away and returned shortly with two mugs. "Anything else?"

Rory checked her watch. "Hmm, just a blueberry muffin to go please."

"Pancakes with bacon," Lorelai added. Caesar wrote down the order and walked away.

"I’m kind of craving pancakes right now, but I don’t have enough time to eat them," Rory said disappointingly. "We have to get here earlier next time."

"Hey, if you wanted pancakes, you should’ve ordered them," Lorelai said. "It’s okay to be late to school, but you should never, ever deprive yourself of the incredible delicacy that is Luke’s pancakes."

"I don’t think they’ll accept a note saying I was late for school due to pancake worshipping," Rory said, rolling her eyes.

Lorelai made a face. "Private schools are so unfair."

Rory nodded in agreement. The three of them sipped their coffee and talked for a few minutes before Caesar brought Rory her muffin in a takeout bag. She took a final sip of her coffee and stood up. She gave Lorelai a kiss on the cheek. "See you later. Bye Sookie."

"Bye hon, have a good day," Lorelai said.

"Bye Sweetie," Sookie said.

Rory picked up her backpack and walked to the door, grabbing her umbrella before walking out into the rain. Lorelai and Sookie sat sipping their coffee for a few more minutes before Luke walked over to them. "Hey," he said.

Lorelai smiled up at him. "Hi."

He nodded toward the window. "Nice day."

Lorelai turned her head to look out at the rain. "Yeah, this is the kind of weather where you just wanna not do any work at all, and just sit and drink coffee and talk all day long."

"Not do work, drink coffee, and talk all day long?" Luke asked. "So essentially today is like any other normal day for you, it’s just wetter."

She frowned. "Funny."

He smirked. "I thought so."

"Why are my pancakes taking so long?" she asked with a huffy sigh.

"They’re not what’s taking long," Luke explained. "It’s the pieces of pork soaked in grease and oils and lard that you so happily refer to as bacon that’s taking so long."

"Ooh, when you describe it so delectably like that, it makes me want more. Throw on some extra pieces," Lorelai said excitedly.

Luke rolled his eyes. "I’ll go check on it."

When he walked away, Sookie smiled at Lorelai. "I see dating hasn’t stopped you guys from teasing each other."

Lorelai smiled and shook her head. She glanced out the window for a moment, staring at the rain. After a few seconds, she said, "You know, I do love this weather – except for the fact that we have little waterfalls pouring from the roof onto the porch in random spots because of the stupid clogged rain gutters."

Luke, who’d arrived with her plate, said, "You still haven’t gotten those taken care of?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I’ll call someone tomorrow." She started cutting up the pancakes.

Luke waved her off. "I’ll do it this weekend."

Lorelai looked up at him. "No, Luke, you have tons of other things to do. I’ll just hire someone."

"Don’t waste your money," he said. "I’m quite capable of cleaning out your gutters."

"Luke – " she started.

"Lorelai," he interrupted. "I’ll take care of them. I’ve cleaned out rain gutters before and I already have an in-depth knowledge of your rooftop. I’ll handle it, end of story."

She raised her hands up in front of her chest in defeat. "Okay, okay." She sighed. "But I’m gonna pay you."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I’m not taking your money," he said sternly.

She leaned forward and smiled. "Well, I guess we’ll have to arrange another form of payment," she said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Luke’s eyes widened, then he quickly glanced at Sookie uncomfortably. "Uh, I’ll get to those gutters sometime this weekend." He nodded at them before walking away.

"Thanks," Lorelai called. She looked at Sookie and let out a small laugh.

Sookie giggled. "I think you embarrassed him."

"Oh yeah?" she asked. "What tipped you off – the way his face turned bright red or the evil death stare he gave me?"

Sookie laughed. "It was a combo of the two."

As Lorelai ate her pancakes, she told Sookie about the argument she’d had with Emily, and what happened with Luke afterwards at the diner. Before she could tell her what happened at her house, Sookie checked her watch, "Honey, we should get to the inn."

Lorelai nodded and took a final sip of coffee. They stood up and walked up to Luke at the counter. After they both paid, Lorelai leaned across the counter and kissed him. "Bye. Love you," she said quietly.

He nodded and replied softly, "Yeah, love you too." He pushed the register drawer closed and walked into the kitchen.

Lorelai walked toward the door and grabbed her umbrella. She held the door open for Sookie, but soon realized that Sookie wasn’t behind her. Lorelai turned around and saw Sookie staring at her from the counter with wide eyes. Lorelai looked at her questioningly. "Sookie, come on."

Sookie slowly walked toward her. "Lorelai!" she exclaimed as they walked out onto the sidewalk.

"What?" she asked, holding the umbrella up over their heads.

Sookie laughed. "What do you mean, what? What was that? You just . . . he just. . . .love you? Where did that come from!?" She stared at Lorelai with a look of shock.

Lorelai smiled. "Oh, yeah, so let me tell you about the rest of last night," she said as they walked toward the inn.

* * *

The next evening, Lorelai waked into the diner after work and sat at the counter. Luke set a mug of coffee in front of her, then walked into the kitchen to get some plates. After delivering them to their tables, he walked over to her with a tired look on his face.

"Man, you look exhausted," she commented.

"Yeah, it’s been busy today," he said. "How was your day?"

She shrugged. "Not too bad."

Luke nodded. He glanced around the diner before he brought his gaze back to her. "Um, remember a week or two ago when you told me Rory had lost her bracelet?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Whatever happened with that?" Luke asked.

Lorelai frowned. "She drove herself crazy scouring the entire town for it with no luck. She finally had to tell Dean that she lost it. . . but he took it surprisingly well."

"So you never found it?" Luke asked.

Lorelai shook her head. "Nope. I have no idea where it could be. We looked everywhere."

Luke nodded. "And what did it look like again?"

"Uh, brown leather strap with a small silver medallion on it," she said. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What’s with all the questions, Sherlock?"

Luke sighed and pulled something out of his pocket. "Is this it?"

Lorelai gasped and grabbed it. "Yes! Oh my God, where did you find it?"

"Upstairs . . .in the hallway. . . in front of my apartment," he said slowly.

She narrowed her eyes at him curiously. "What? How the heck would it get there?"

Luke shrugged. "I have no idea. It was lying in front of the door this afternoon, but I know it wasn’t there earlier."

"Huh," Lorelai said. "So how did. . ." her voice trailed off.

Knowing what she was thinking, Luke started, "Lorelai, don’t - ."

"Jess," she said knowingly.

"You don’t know that for sure," Luke said, shaking his head.

"How else would it get there?" she asked loudly. "He stole it. That little. . . ugh!" She shook her head angrily and clenched her fists. "I can’t believe he did that!"

"You have no proof that he did anything," Luke said. "Don’t automatically blame everything on him."

"God, come on Luke!" she exclaimed. "No one else goes up there except you! Did you have it this whole time?"

"No."

"So then, you explain to me how it got up there." Lorelai folded her arms across her chest and looked at him expectantly.

Luke took a deep breath and shrugged. "I’ll talk to him and see if he knows anything about it."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I’m sure he’ll tell you the truth."

"Look, I’m trying hard here to give him the benefit of the doubt. Why can’t you do the same thing?"

Lorelai scoffed. "Why should I? He’s been nothing but trouble since he got here, Luke!"

"He has not," Luke said, pursing his lips. "I know he’s not exactly perfect, but what do you want me to do, lock him upstairs all day?"

"If it keeps him from stealing my daughter’s possessions, then yes!" she said loudly.

Luke glanced around at the other customers. "Keep your voice down. I said I’d talk to him about it, let’s drop it."

"Go talk to him," Lorelai said.

"What?"

"Yes, I’m just dying to know what the kid has to say for himself. Go talk to him right now," she said.

Luke let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine." He walked away from her towards the steps.

Almost ten minutes later, Lorelai heard footsteps coming quickly down the steps. Jess stepped out of the stairway and walked into the diner, heading straight for the door without looking up. A few seconds later, Luke came down and walked over to her.

"So?" she asked. "What did he say?"

Luke sighed. "Well, it took a few minutes to get him to admit to having it, but he said he didn’t steal it – he said he found it."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Found it, right."

Luke ignored her comment. "He said he found it and he didn’t know it was Rory’s, and if he had known it was hers he would’ve gave it back to her."

Lorelai shook her head in disbelief. "And you believe him?"

Luke shrugged. "I don’t know. He seemed like he was telling the truth."

Lorelai stared straight ahead with pursed lips. She shook her head slightly as she sighed deeply. She finally stood up and said, "I’m gonna go give it to Rory."

"What are you gonna tell her?" Luke asked.

"I’m gonna tell her that you found it by your door, and I’ll let her assume what she wants. She’s a smart girl, she can figure it out on her own," Lorelai said with a shrug.

Luke nodded. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Lorelai turned and walked out of the diner.

* * *

A few hours later, Luke walked over to Lorelai’s house. He knocked on the front door and Lorelai answered. "Hey," she said.

"Hi." He gestured inside. "Can I. . .?"

She stepped back from the doorway and he walked inside, shutting the door behind him. She walked into the living room. He followed her and they sat down next to each other on the couch.

"So. . . Rory talked to Jess," Lorelai said.

"Yeah, I saw them outside," he said. "Guess they worked things out."

"Seems like it," Lorelai said with a shrug. "Dean was happy that the bracelet’s back, so Rory was pretty excited about that."

Luke nodded. After a brief pause, Luke asked with uncertainty, "Are you mad?"

"Well, Rory doesn’t seem to be, so I guess I shouldn’t be either," she said with a sigh.

"But you are?" Luke asked.

She shrugged. "A little."

"You know, you can’t hate him forever, Lorelai," he said.

She raised her eyebrows. "Why not?"

"Because. . . you just can’t," he said, sliding closer to her. "Because . . .I love you, and Jess is my nephew and. . .I don’t know. I mean, eventually, you two will have to be in the same room together. I don’t want there to be this weird feeling of hatred between you forever."

"It probably won’t last forever – just until one of us dies," she said pointedly.

Luke rolled his eyes. "I’m trying to be serious here."

"I know, so am I," she said.

Luke shook his head. He paused a moment before he said, "We should do something together."

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"You, Rory, Me, Jess," he said. "We should do something together."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, like the last time when he came over and acted like the biggest jerk in the world to me? Yeah, we should definitely do that again," Lorelai said sarcastically. "I want to relive that evening as many times as possible."

"That was when he first got here, Lorelai," Luke said, rolling his eyes. "Things have changed since then. He’s different. . . he’s not angry at the world anymore. Well, a little, but not as much." He took her hands into his and squeezed them. "Come on, tomorrow night, we’ll order pizza, get a movie, just hang out."

Lorelai sighed. She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Whatever, I don’t care," she mumbled.

He smiled. "Nice to see you’re excited about it." As a small smile fell on her lips, he leaned forward and kissed her.

* * *

The next night, halfway through a dinner that had Rory, Lorelai, and Jess eating pizza while Luke ate a salad, Jess and Rory were talking quietly on one side of the table as Luke and Lorelai were talking on the other side.

A few minutes later, Rory and Jess both stood up. "We’re gonna go start the movie," Rory said.

Lorelai nodded. "Okay, we’ll be right in."

Rory walked toward the living room and Jess followed behind her. When they were both gone, Lorelai shrugged. "So, this isn’t so bad."

"Yeah, because you haven’t said anything to him at all," Luke pointed out.

Lorelai shook her head. "Not true. I asked him if he wanted a napkin."

Luke rolled his eyes. "You know, making an effort would be nice."

"Hello?" Lorelai scoffed. "Napkins are an essential compliment to every meal, especially pizza. You know, the oil drips off and it can ruin your clothing and – " Luke tilted his head at her and gave an annoyed look. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, I’ll talk to him."

"Good," he said. He kissed her before he stood up and helped her clean off the table.

A few minutes later they walked into the living room. Jess was sitting on one end of the couch while Rory sat on the floor in front of the coffee table. Luke sat down on the center couch cushion next to Jess, and Lorelai sat next to Luke.

As Rory was fast forwarding through the previews, Lorelai cleared her throat. "So, uh, Jess. . .how’s school?"

Jess shrugged. "Not my favorite place in the world," he replied, staring straight ahead.

Lorelai bit her lip and nodded. "Mmhmm. Yeah, I was the same way. Rory certainly didn’t inherit her love of schoolwork from me." She paused a moment. "Uh, how do you like working at the diner?"

Jess shrugged again. "I’d like it better if people knew how to tip around here."

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, well . . . maybe you could post a note on the diner door about that or something. Or hang it next to the No Cell Phones sign."

"I tried that. He ripped it down," Jess said, pointing to Luke.

Lorelai looked at Luke questioningly. As Luke rolled his eyes and nodded, Lorelai and Rory both laughed.

Lorelai tapped her fingers on her knee as she tried to think of another question. "Uh, so, how’d you guys like the pizza?" she asked. "Seemed extra tasty tonight."

"I liked it," Rory said.

"Pretty good," Jess said, shifting in his seat uncomfortably.

"Oh, here we go," Rory said, pushing play on the remote control. As the opening scenes of The Wild Bunch played across the screen, Luke turned to Lorelai and gave her an appreciative smile. "Good start," he whispered. She nodded as he reached down and clasped his hand around hers.

* * *

Over two hours later, as the movie ended, Rory turned the television off and yawned. "Great movie."

"Definitely," Lorelai said. "Can never see that one too many times."

"How come you always rent movies that you’ve already seen hundreds of times before?" Luke asked. "Doesn’t it seem like a waste of money?"

Lorelai gasped. "Luke, you cannot put a price on good entertainment."

As Jess stood up and glanced around, he shoved his hands into his pockets uncomfortably. Rory said, "Here, let me show you that CD I was telling you about."

As they walked out of the room, Lorelai rested her head against Luke’s shoulder. "So. . ."

"So. . . that wasn’t horrible, was it?" Luke asked. "I told you it wouldn’t be bad."

"Yeah, it wasn’t bad. What’d you do, bribe him to be nice?" Lorelai asked.

Luke groaned. "Come on, you were good the entire night, don’t start with the cranky comments now."

"Fine, sorry," she said. She lifted her head up and kissed him. She pulled back from him and repositioned her legs so that she was kneeling on her cushion, then leaned in to kiss him again.

A few seconds later, they heard a cough. Lorelai broke away from Luke and turned around. Rory and Jess stood there watching them. "You guys done?" Rory asked with a smile.

Lorelai stood up. "Not really, but I guess we should stop anyway." As Rory and Jess walked out onto the front porch, Lorelai pulled Luke up off the couch and walked with him to the door.

"Thanks for bringing dinner," Lorelai said as he pulled on his coat.

"You’re welcome," Luke replied. "I’ll see you tomorrow." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and walked out the door. "Jess," he said sternly.

"What?" he replied.

Luke nodded toward the doorway. Jess rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Bye."

"Bye," Lorelai said.

"Bye guys," Rory said. She walked back into the house and shut the door.

Lorelai sighed. "Okay, that wasn’t a complete disaster."

Rory shook her head. "You were definitely trying."

"Too much?" she asked with a slight grimace.

"No, it was good," Rory said. "But try spreading out the questions throughout the night next time instead of asking him ten in a row."

Lorelai nodded. "Okay, I’ll work on that."

* * *

At almost 10 on Friday morning, Lorelai walked into the almost-empty diner and sat at the counter. "Luuuke!" she called in a singsong voice. "Luke, come out and talk to me!"

Luke walked out from the kitchen and checked his watch. "You were just in here three hours ago. Don’t you ever work?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes."

"Must be nice to have a job that you can leave anytime you want," he said as he started flipping through his order pad.

"Yeah, it is. And the best thing about it is how mad Michel gets when I do it," she said with a smile. "But today, I actually have a good, legitimate excuse for leaving."

"Oh yeah? What’s that?" he asked, not looking up from his pad.

"Doctor’s appointment," she replied.

He looked up at her. "Why?" he asked, a concerned look in his eyes.

Lorelai hesitated, then let out a long sigh. "Well, Luke, there’s not really an easy way to tell you this."

"What is it?" he asked worriedly.

Lorelai swallowed hard. "I think I’m pregnant."

Luke’s mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. "What? But you said . . .and the. . . .what about. . ." he stammered nervously. He stared at her dumbfounded and swallowed several times.

Lorelai smiled and rubbed her stomach. "Yup, Luke, you’re gonna be a daddy. Aren’t you excited?"

Luke stared at her completely silent, his mouth hanging wide open and his eyes widened as large as they could go.

After several seconds, Lorelai burst out laughing. She snapped her fingers a few times in front of his face. "Luke – come back to reality, I’m kidding!"

Luke closed his eyes and let out a long sigh of relief. As he opened them, a stern look appeared on his face. "Don’t do that – do you know what that kind of news can do to a man?" he said loudly.

She smiled. "Yes, it can make them stare at someone like this." She imitated his wide-eyed, open-mouthed stare.

He sighed annoyingly and gestured toward the door. "Okay, you can leave now."

She smirked and smacked his arm playfully. "Come on, admit it, it was funny."

"If your definition of funny is the same as my definition of not funny, then yes, you can call it funny," he said, rolling his eyes. "Almost gave me a heart attack," he mumbled.

Lorelai snickered. "Hmm, well I thought it was funny."

"That’s because you’re a sadist," he said pointedly.

"Nothing wrong with a little sadism now and again," she said with a smile.

"Except for you, ‘now and again’ is every single day," Luke pointed out.

She shrugged. "Keeps me entertained."

"Take up knitting or painting or drawing," he said. "Or any other hobby that can be entertaining to you without having to make some poor, unsuspecting person have a stroke for your own sick amusement."

She frowned. "You’re no fun."

"Oh, I beg to differ," he said. "You’re just too evil to realize that not everyone has the same definition of what’s fun."

She scoffed. "Hey, does this face look evil to you?" She tilted her head to the side and pouted.

He stared at her for a moment before the corners of his mouth started to turn up into a small smile. He looked away from her.

"Aha! I saw a smile, Lucas!" Lorelai said with a laugh.

He looked up quickly and gave her a dirty look.

She grimaced. "What? You didn’t let me finish my sentence. I meant to say, um, ‘Luke – us is the pronoun that means you and I.’ You know, you thought I said Lucas, it was really a combination of Luke and us," she said, nodding energetically.

He rolled his eyes. "Nice cover."

She smiled. "Thank you." She checked her watch and stood up. "Shoot, I’m gonna be late for my appointment."

Luke looked at her with annoyance. "Don’t start that – "

"Eye doctor, Luke," she interrupted with a smile. "It’s with the eye doctor. Although the idea of pulling the pregnancy joke on my parents tonight is kind of appealing."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah, Friday night dinner tonight. Is that gonna be okay?"

She shrugged. "Who knows? The Amazing Kreskin can’t even predict what Emily Gilmore’s gonna do." She leaned over the counter and kissed him. "Bye."

"Bye," Luke replied, smiling to himself as he watched her walk out the door.

End Part 12

* * *

Part 13

That night, Lorelai and Rory pulled up to Emily and Richard’s house slightly before seven. Lorelai leaned back against her seat and sighed loudly. They sat in silence for a minute before Rory asked, "Are we going in?"

Lorelai took a deep breath. "I’m just so not in the mood for this."

"Maybe it won’t be too bad. Maybe she’s over it," Rory said hopefully.

Lorelai gave her a doubtful look. "Please, Emily Gilmore does not get over things in a week, you know that." Lorelai groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Ugh, she’s just gonna start barraging me with comments about how I’m a terrible daughter and an awful mother and how I don’t deserve to live."

Rory let out a small laugh. "I don’t think Grandma wants to condemn you to death for this, Mom."

"Don’t leave me alone with her," Lorelai warned. "I may end up stabbing her with my spoon or taking off my belt and tying around her mouth so she stops talking or something."

Rory nodded. "I’ll stay with you the whole time, I promise."

"Thank you," Lorelai said. She glanced at the front door and huffed loudly. "Okay, let’s go in."

They walked up to the front door and Rory rang the doorbell, then turned to Lorelai. "Hey."

"What?" Lorelai replied.

"You’re definitely not an awful mom," Rory said quietly, shaking her head. Lorelai smiled and hugged her. "Slightly insane, but still a great mom," Rory added.

Lorelai pulled back and laughed. "Should’ve stopped while you were on my good side."

A few seconds later, the maid answered the door and invited them inside. They walked in and handed their coats to her, then followed her to the dining room where Emily sat at the head of the table sipping a glass of wine. Salads were already placed at each table setting, with a glass of soda in front of Rory’s usual spot and a glass of wine in front of Lorelai’s.

"Hi Mom," Lorelai said hesitantly.

"Hey Grandma," Rory said.

"Hello girls," Emily said, looking only at Rory.

As they sat down across from each other, Rory asked, "Is Grandpa here?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "No, he had a meeting of his cigar club. He missed a few meetings while we were on our trip, so for some reason he felt obligated to attend tonight’s even though it interferes with our dinner." She shook her head. "I still don’t understand the allure of a smoking club."

Lorelai shrugged. "Men sitting around a room getting cancer together – it’s a nice bonding experience for all ages," she said as she spread her napkin open on her lap.

"Hmm," Emily said, taking a bite of her salad.

Lorelai glanced down at her salad and picked at it with her fork.

"So, uh, Grandma, how was your week?" Rory asked. "Did you miss the Florida weather?"

"Oh, goodness, yes," Emily said. "It was nice to be home, but it was definitely an adjustment coming back."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Rory said, nodding.

"It’s so much less stressful down there. Nothing to worry about, no responsibilities, you’re just relaxing from the stresses of everyday life," Emily said. She sighed. "Then we got back, and all the stress and anxiety just piled right up again."

"Huh," Lorelai said quietly before shoving a forkful of salad into her mouth.

Emily looked at her. "What was that, Lorelai?"

"Nothing," she muttered, shaking her head.

Emily stared at her for a moment before she brought her gaze to Rory. "So tell me, how’s school going?"

Rory swallowed her mouthful of food before she answered. "Oh, it’s fine right now, but I have midterms coming up so it’s gonna be more hectic in the next few weeks."

"I’m sure you’ll do wonderful on them. You have excellent study habits. You know what your most important priorities are," Emily said pointedly while picking at her salad.

Lorelai bit her lip and took a deep breath, trying not to let Emily’s last sentence, which was surely directed toward Lorelai, get the best of her. Instead, Lorelai added, "Yup, she knows how to make the cheat sheets nice and small so she can hide them anywhere."

Rory let out a small laugh. "It took years of practice."

Emily pursed her lips. "Cheating is not something to be joked about. You can get in serious trouble for that kind of behavior."

Lorelai and Rory looked at each other briefly. Rory said, "Uh, I. . .I know, Grandma. We were just kidding. Sorry."

"Geez, Mom, it was a joke, lighten up," Lorelai said.

"Mmhmm. Yes, well, maybe you should spend a little less time joking and a little more time trying to be a role model for your daughter," Emily said haughtily.

Rory raised her eyebrows with surprise. "Grandma, mom’s a great – " Rory started.

"What are you talking about, Mother?" Lorelai asked loudly, interrupting Rory.

"You know very well what I’m talking about," Emily said, looking down at her salad.

"No, I don’t, I’d like you to clarify," Lorelai replied, slamming her fork on her plate. "Are you talking about me making a little wisecrack about cheating in school, or could you possibly be referring to something else?"

"I don’t think this is an appropriate discussion to be having in front of Rory," Emily said firmly.

Lorelai shook her head. "No, you’re the one who started the conversation, now let’s finish it."

"Eat your salad, Lorelai," Emily said.

"Mom, come on," Rory said quietly.

"No, Emily, say what you have to say to me," Lorelai insisted, folding her arms across her chest. "Rory’s old enough and mature enough to hear anything you have to say."

"Lorelai, I will not get into this right now," Emily said. "Drop it."

Lorelai ignored her. "What have I done that could possibly make you say that I’m a bad role model? If you think that me spending the night at my parents’ house makes me a bad mother, then you seriously have problems."

"Mom, please," Rory said uncomfortably.

"Lorelai, enough!" Emily said sternly.

"No, it’s not enough!" Lorelai said, her face reddening with anger. "You cannot call me a bad role model and then expect me to ignore it like you just told me I needed a haircut or something! Back yourself up Mom, or don’t say it to begin with!"

Emily took a deep breath and glanced at Rory before she turned to Lorelai. "You need to start stabilizing your life, Lorelai. You need to start acting like a mature adult and stop running around like you’re still a teenager. You think you would’ve learned that by now. . ." Emily’s voice trailed off and she turned her head away.

Lorelai scoffed loudly. "Running around like a teenager? That’s what I’m doing?" As the maid entered the room with dinner, Lorelai stopped talking. She shook her head in disbelief and exhaled loudly.

Rory sat in her chair staring at her plate uncomfortably. She lifted her head slightly and glanced at Lorelai, who had one elbow on the table and was resting her chin on her hand, an obvious look of upset on her face. As the maid exchanged the dinner plates for the salad plates, Rory was silently hoping that Lorelai was giving up on the fight.

But when the maid had left the room, Lorelai turned to Emily and said, "You have no idea what you’re talking about, Mom. I don’t think that me sleeping with my boyfriend constitutes me running around like a teenager!"

"Oh boy," Rory muttered under her breath.

Emily glared at Lorelai. She wiped her lips with her napkin, then stood up and walked out of the dining room into the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Lorelai stood up and followed her into the kitchen.

"I’m trying to take this conversation away from your daughter, Lorelai," Emily snapped.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Mom, Rory is seventeen, not four, and I tell her everything anyway."

"Well, then maybe you should learn that there are things that shouldn’t be discussed in front of children, especially a teenager who has a boyfriend and might end up making the same mistake that her mother did!" Emily yelled.

Lorelai scoffed. "Oh, please, Mother, give Rory a little credit. Do you honestly think that because I spent the night away from home, Rory’s going to rush out and sleep with her boyfriend?"

"You know how much that girl looks up to you, Lorelai!" Emily said loudly. "You have to think about how your actions will affect her!"

"What – you think that over the past sixteen years, she didn’t realize that at one point or another, her mom was probably having sex? That last week was the first time?" Lorelai shook her head slightly. "My God, I can’t even believe I’m having this conversation with you." She paused a moment and sighed. "The point I’m trying to make is that, yes, I’m sorry that I came into your house when you weren’t here, that was wrong."

"Yes, it most certainly was," Emily said quickly.

"Hi, let me finish," Lorelai said loudly. "Yes, that was wrong – and if you want to be mad at me for that, then fine, hold that grudge forever, I don’t really care. But nothing else I did was wrong, and there’s nothing I would change about how I acted. I know you have this little microchip in your head that makes it impossible for you to realize that I’m a responsible adult, Mother, but I do know how to make the right decisions! I called Rory and told her I wouldn’t be home, I told her where I would be if she needed me, I took care of my daughter!"

"Lorelai, you – " Emily started.

Lorelai held up her hand. "Wait, I’m not done." Her voice softened. "You asked me what I would do if Rory did something like this, and you know what – if she does it tomorrow, then I would be pretty damn mad. But if she’s thirty-three years old, and as much in love with her boyfriend then as I am with mine now, then I’d ignore everything else and be pretty damn happy for her, Mom. Pretty damn happy," she repeated. "Excuse me." She walked back into the dining room and joined Rory at the table, leaving Emily in the kitchen alone.

* * *

Later that night, Rory and Lorelai walked into the diner. Jess was sitting at the counter flipping through a magazine as Luke wiped down a table.

"Hey," Luke said, smiling at them as they walked through the door.

"Hey Luke," Rory said. She walked over and sat next to Jess at the counter.

Lorelai walked over to Luke. "Hi there," she said, kissing him on the cheek. He dropped his rag on the table, then sat down in a chair. She sat down next to him.

"Everything go okay?" Luke asked. "You don’t look upset."

"Nope, definitely not upset," she said, shaking her head.

"So she’s not mad anymore?" Luke asked.

"Oh, no, she’s still mad. Come on, she’s still mad that I lost my pencil sharpener in fourth grade, she’ll be mad about this until she’s ninety four," Lorelai said, rolling her eyes. "I just don’t care anymore."

"You don’t care?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Nope, I don’t care. She can yell at me all she wants and be mad at me for as long as she wants, but I don’t care," Lorelai said. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Luke, I hate when I fight with my mom. But if I had to choose between having that night with you or having her be happy with me – I mean, it’s no contest." She smiled. "I wouldn’t change anything about that night."

He smiled. "Nothing?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Not even when we fell off the bed?" he asked with a smirk.

She laughed. "Nope."

He smiled and leaned forward. "I love you."

The words still made chills run through her body, and she smiled. "I love you too." She pressed her lips against his and kissed him softly. They broke apart and stared at each other for a second before leaning forward and kissing again, this time allowing more of their passion to surface. Their mouths opened and their tongues met, an occurrence that had happened many times before but still made Lorelai’s body shiver with excitement. A soft moan from Lorelai’s throat grabbed the attention of the two teenagers at the counter, and they turned around.

"Come on now, people eat at that table," Jess said, making a face. "Don’t make me call the health inspector."

Luke pulled back from Lorelai. "Jess!" he grumbled. "Knock it off."

"Hey, I’m just trying to provide a more sanitary atmosphere for your customers. You should thank me," Jess said. Rory nudged him with her elbow and gave him a look. After he briefly shook his head disappointingly at Luke, he turned around.

Luke turned back to Lorelai and rolled his eyes. "You want some coffee?"

"Uh, yeah, to go," Lorelai said. "I’m gonna head home." They stood up and walked to the counter. "Rory, you want a coffee to go?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

A few seconds later, Luke set two cups in front of them. Lorelai paid for them, despite Luke’s protests, then kissed him goodbye before walking out the door.

* * *

The next afternoon, Lorelai sat at the kitchen table paying bills and Rory sat across from her doing homework. Lorelai suddenly looked up and started biting the end of her pen as she stared into space. "Hey," she said. "Question."

Rory looked up from her notebook. "Mom, I just explained it to you. They use special effects to do the commercial. I promise you that wearing your new low-rise jeans will not make your bellybutton sing."

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Are you sure? ‘Cause that’s really gross."

Rory nodded. "I’m sure, Mom." She started writing in her notebook.

"Okay." Lorelai paused. "That wasn’t my question, though."

Rory looked up and sighed. "What is it now?"

"Are you still sticking with Will?" Lorelai asked.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Yes, definitely. Will’s perfect for Sydney."

Lorelai shook her head. "No way. She should totally be with that really cute guy that she meets in weird random places. It’s so obvious that they’re setting them up."

"Yeah, well, sometimes they make a setup seem obvious but then they never follow through with it," Rory pointed out.

"Yeah, I hate when shows drag out the attraction between two people and it’s so obvious that they’re gonna get them together eventually, and you’re just sitting there like, ‘Come on, just get together already’," Lorelai said. "It’s so frustrating."

Rory nodded. "Yes, it is."

They were quiet for a few seconds before Lorelai said, "But come on, you gotta admit that the cute guy is much hotter than Will," Lorelai said.

Rory shrugged. "I don’t know, Mom. My loyalties are with Will."

Lorelai gasped. "But he’s so annoying. And he’s not even close to the cuteness of. . .damn, what’s his name?"

Rory shrugged. "I don’t know. I’ve never heard you say his name. You just always refer to him as the cute guy."

"I know. See, when he’s on screen, I’m too busy staring at him to listen to what they’re saying, so I never hear them say his name," Lorelai explained.

"I understand," Rory said with a nod. "Uh, are you done with your bills?"

Lorelai looked down at the papers spread out in front of her. "No, not yet. Are you insinuating that I should stop babbling and get back to paying them?"

Rory smiled. "You catch on quick." She went back to her homework.

Lorelai sighed and focused on the bills. A few minutes later, the phone rang. Rory and Lorelai looked at each other. It rang again, neither of them moved. It rang a third time. Rory sighed. "Fine, I’ll get it."

Lorelai smiled. "Ha, I win again."

Rory made a face and walked over to the phone. Lorelai watched her, tapping her pen on the table. "Hello?. . . Oh, hey. . . Right here. . . Uh huh. . . Oh, sure. . . Aww. . . I won’t . . . You’re welcome. . . Bye." Rory hung up the phone and walked back to the table. She started doing her homework again.

Lorelai stared at her. "Rory?"

"Hm?" she muttered, looking down at her book.

"Who was that?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh, just Dean," Rory said quickly.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her. "Rory."

"Yes?" she said, looking up.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Rory, you know you’ve never been able to lie to me. Who was it?"

Rory’s eyes widened. "I’m not lying." Lorelai tilted her head and smirked. Rory sighed. "Luke."

Lorelai let out a small gasp. "What? What did he want?"

"I can’t tell you," Rory said, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Lorelai asked, narrowing her eyes curiously.

"Because I told him I wouldn’t."

"So you lied," Lorelai said. "Tell me."

"Come on Mom, he wants to surprise you. Don’t ruin it for him," Rory said.

Lorelai suddenly felt nervous. She raised her eyebrows and sat up straight in her chair. "Surprise me with what?" she asked.

"God, you look terrified," Rory laughed. "It’s no big deal. He’s just bringing over some videos tonight and asked if I would mind leaving for a little while, okay? No big deal. Calm down."

Lorelai breathed a sigh of relief as she sank back against her chair, then she smiled. "Aw, he’s so cute."

Rory smiled. "Yeah, don’t tell him I told you."

"I won’t," Lorelai assured her.

* * *

At five that evening, Lorelai said goodbye to Rory as she headed over to Lane’s, then sat on the couch and waited for Luke, practicing in her head how to act surprised to see him. When the doorbell rang, she jumped up off the couch, then decided she better not act too eager. She walked slowly to the door and pulled it open.

Luke stood on the porch with a pizza and a brown bag from the market. "Hey," he said.

"Luke, hey!" Lorelai said, feigning surprise. "Come in. What are you doing here?

He stepped inside and set the bag and pizza on the bench next to the door. He took off his coat and hung it up, then kissed her. He put his hands on her shoulders and said, "Today’s our one month anniversary."

Lorelai’s eyes widened with surprise – and this time she wasn’t pretending. "What?"

Luke nodded. "Yup, one month ago today we had that movie and pizza night here, remember?’

Lorelai nodded. "Yup. Wow, I can’t believe you kept track of that." She tilted her head and smiled. "Oh my God, how adorable are you?"

"I’ve been told, pretty adorable," he said with a smile. "So I thought we could celebrate by doing it again. I brought pizza and movies."

"Aw, you’re so sweet," she gushed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. She pulled back and pointed to the brown bag. "What’s in there?"

He glanced at it and picked it up. "I was standing in front of the florist for twenty minutes trying to decide if I should waste my money on stupid flowers or not," Luke said, starting one of his quick-paced rants. "Because not only do they cost a hell of a lot of money, they’re only nice for a few days and then they start to droop and then they die in a week and then you’ve got to throw them out, so it’s like throwing money directly in the garbage can." He took a deep breath. "So I got you something you would enjoy more than flowers."

She giggled excitedly as she looked through it. "Oh my God! Red Vines, Goobers, Jelly Beans, peanut M & M’s, marshmallows, a can of whipped cream!" She looked up and laughed. "You had a choice between this or flowers, and you decided to support my junk food addiction?" She gasped. "The addiction you look down on with such disapproval? You know, this is just like throwing it in the garbage too since it’ll all be gone in a few hours."

He shrugged. "I know, but the happiness quotient of this stuff is higher than with flowers."

She smiled and looked in the bag again. "You are so right about that." She paused and squinted into the bag. "Wait, what’s that?" She reached in and pulled out a small bag. She looked at it and laughed. "Carrot sticks?"

He smiled. "I get hungry too, you know."

She smiled and put the carrots back, then picked up the bag and brought it to the living room. Luke followed with the pizza. "What movies did you get?" Lorelai asked.

"They’re underneath all the junk food," he said.

Lorelai reached into the bag and pulled out two DVDs. "Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal." She laughed. "So romantic!"

He smiled and shrugged. "I thought so."

She smiled and walked over to the television. As she slipped the first DVD into the player, she asked, "Can you get me a Coke?"

"Yeah, sure." Luke walked into the kitchen and returned a minute later with drinks, paper plates and napkins. He placed them on the coffee table next to the pizza and sat down on the couch.

Lorelai sat on the floor in between the coffee table and the couch. She opened the pizza box. "Mmm," she said, inhaling the aroma. "Smells great, doesn’t it?" She put a piece on a plate and handed it to Luke, then took out a piece for herself as the movie started.

* * *

Halfway through the movie, she pulled out the can of whipped cream. "Oh, good, it’s still cold." She crawled up onto the couch and sat next to Luke. She shook the can, then opened it and squirted some into her mouth.

Luke laughed. "That’s attractive."

Lorelai swallowed her mouthful and said, "Want some?"

He made a face. "No, thank you."

She crawled onto him, positioning her body so that she was sitting sideways on his lap, leaning back against the arm of the couch. She held the can in front of his mouth. "Just a little?"

Luke shook his head and pushed the can away. Lorelai giggled and quickly brought it back and squirted some onto his lips before his hand could knock it away. "Hey!" He laughed. "What are you doing?" He wiped it off his lips with his finger and held it out in front of him. "God, this stuff’ll kill you."

"Oh my God, it’s on your finger," Lorelai teased. "What are you gonna do now?"

"Hand me a napkin," he said.

She shook her head. "Nope, you have to eat it."

"Lorelai," he said with an annoyed sigh. "Hand me a napkin please."

"Luke, you can’t waste perfectly good whipped cream," Lorelai said. "Just eat it. I want to see Luke Danes eat something unhealthy."

He narrowed his eyes at her, then leaned forward and said, "The only way I would eat something unhealthy is if it was spread all over your body."

Lorelai felt a chill of arousal surge through her body. "Mmm," she said with a smile. She leaned forward. "I think that can be arranged." She wrapped both hands around his wrist and led his finger to her mouth. She closed her soft lips around it and swirled her tongue over it, licking off the whipped cream as she stared into his eyes. His breathing started getting heavier as she closed her eyes and gently sucked on his finger, sliding it slowly in and out of her mouth, letting her teeth drag over it gently. Luke let out a short groan of approval as his arousal started intensifying.

When she finally stopped and opened her eyes, he was staring at her with a sly smile on his face. She smiled and kissed him deeply before whispering, "Grab the whipped cream." She jumped up off of him and ran up the steps. He grabbed the can and followed her up to her room.

* * *

An hour later, the bathroom door opened and they both walked out of the steam-filled room. Luke had a towel wrapped around his waist and Lorelai had on her robe. They walked into Lorelai’s bedroom. Luke sat on the bed and collapsed against the pillows and Lorelai lay down next to him. He wrapped an arm around her and ran his fingertips up and down her arm. "Feel better now?" he asked.

"Yeah, I’m definitely not all sticky anymore," she said, making a face.

"Yeah, well, whipped cream does have that effect," he said. "Thanks for rubbing it in my hair, by the way, that was very kind of you," he said, rolling his eyes.

She looked up at him and smirked. "Hey, when you were . . .in that position, my first instinct was to grab your hair. I forgot I had whipped cream all over my hands."

He rolled his eyes. "Check next time."

"Aye aye, captain." She turned her body to lay on her side, resting her head on the pillow and staring at him. She dragged her finger over his chest. "You have a very talented mouth."

He let out a small laugh. "Uh, thanks. So do you."

She smiled. "Thanks." She stared at him for a few seconds before she asked, "Do you believe in love at first site?"

He turned to look at her. "Sure, if you’re superficial and you want to base your entire relationship on the fact that one day you saw someone attractive and suddenly decided, without even talking to them, that that person was perfect for you."

She laughed. "Okay, sensing the sarcasm. So you didn’t fall in love with me when you first saw me?"

Luke shook his head. "Nope. It took me awhile to realize it." He smiled down at her. "At least five minutes." Lorelai smiled and kissed him. A few minutes later, they got dressed and went downstairs to finish the movies.

* * *

The next morning, Lorelai woke up and heard a scuffling sound outside her window. She stared at it warily from her bed for a few minutes, trying to determine what it was. She finally walked over to it and peeked outside, and was surprised to see Luke kneeling on her roof near the gutters. His usual flannel shirt was missing; he was wearing just a black T-shirt with his jeans.

She smiled and opened the window. "Hey."

Luke turned around. "Hey. I wasn’t too loud, was I?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Nope. How long have you been here?"

He walked over to the window and kneeled next to it. He checked his watch. "About half an hour." He leaned through the window and kissed her.

She nodded toward the gutters. "How are they?"

"Clogged," he said, looking down at them. "Very clogged. I’ve found so much crap up here it’s unbelievable. Lipstick, pens and pencils, candy wrappers, a container of Tic Tacs. What, is this like your extra storage area?" he asked with a laugh.

She laughed. "Yup, we definitely don’t have enough space inside."

"You might want to invest in some sort of container," he said. He walked back down to the gutters and started working on them again.

Lorelai watched him from the window for a few minutes. "Luke?"

He craned his neck back to look at her. "What?"

"You’re really sexy when you’re doing hard labor," she commented.

He nodded. "I know. Jess tells me that all the time."

Lorelai laughed. "And on that slightly disturbing note, I’m gonna go take a shower."

He smiled. "See you later."

"Bye." She shut the window, then watched him through it as he turned around and went back to the gutters. She knocked on the window to get his attention. When he turned around, she smiled and pulled off her pajama shirt. His eyes widened as he smiled and gave her an approving nod. She waved and walked away from the window, grabbing her robe as she headed towards the bathroom.

* * *

Almost thirty minutes later, Lorelai walked out of the bathroom and back into her room. She could hear Luke pounding on the gutter right outside her window. She shut the bedroom door and walked over to her closet. She folded her arms across her chest and stared into it, trying to decide what to wear.

The pounding stopped for a moment, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement by the window, a shadow of someone walking by. Staring straight ahead at the closet, she nonchalantly untied her robe and let it slide off of her body. She glided her hands over her stomach, up over her chest, and up to her hair, where she ran her fingers through it and shook it out gently. As the shadow disappeared, she smiled to herself and picked out some clothes to wear. Seconds later, the pounding started up again and she muttered, "Okay, that’s gonna get annoying really soon."

A few minutes later, she walked downstairs and wandered into the kitchen. Rory sat at the table doing homework. "Hey hon."

"Morning," Rory said. "I think I might have to go to the library or to the diner or something. It’s kinda hard to concentrate with the banging."

"Oh, I know," Lorelai agreed. "I’ve only been hearing it for a few minutes and it’s already driving me crazy." She walked over to the coffeepot and poured herself a cup as Luke walked in through the back door.

"Hey," he said, walking over and kissing her.

She smiled. "Hey, how’s it –." She stopped talking and listened for a moment. Her smile faded as she realized that the banging on the roof was still going on. She gave Luke a confused look. "Luke, do you have one of those robotic gutter cleaners doing the work up there for you?"

Luke laughed. "What? No, Jess is helping me out."

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "What? He’s up on the roof right now? While . . .while you’re down here?"

Luke narrowed his eyes at her and nodded. "Uh, yeah. He got here a little while ago, so he’s tossing the junk down from the roof and I’m putting it into the garbage bags."

"Wait, wait, wait," Lorelai said, holding up her hands. "So, you’re telling me that Jess is up on the roof near my bedroom window while you’ve been down on the lawn?" She put her hands on Luke’s shoulders and squeezed them. "Is that what you’re telling me?" she asked nervously.

End Part 13

* * *

Part 14

"Yeah, Jess is up on the roof," Luke said, looking at Lorelai curiously.

Lorelai gasped and her eyes widened. "Oh my God." She clasped a hand over her mouth and quickly walked out of the kitchen.

Luke glanced questioningly at Rory, who raised her eyebrows and shrugged. Luke walked down the hallway and found Lorelai sitting on the couch, leaning forward with her face in her hands. He stopped a few feet away from her. "What’s wrong?" he asked.

Her hands still covering her face, she shook her head toward the ground. "Nothing," she mumbled.

Luke stared at her for a moment, then folded his arms across his chest. "I can’t believe this," he said sternly.

Lorelai slowly removed her hands from her face and looked up at him. She swallowed hard and said quietly, "You know what happened?"

"I don’t understand you sometimes," he said, shaking his head disappointingly. "You say you’re gonna make an effort with Jess, that you’re gonna try to be nice to him, but here you are – mad just because he’s around. You know, he’s doing you a favor up there, Lorelai. He doesn’t have to – ."

"You don’t know what you’re talking about, Luke," Lorelai interrupted loudly. She started biting her thumbnail nervously.

"Oh, I don’t?" he asked haughtily. "Well, it seems pretty obvious to me."

Lorelai shook her head and sighed. "Luke."

"Lorelai, Jess is apart of my life now," he said. "I wish you’d try to understand that. I can’t keep – ."

"Luke!" she yelled, interrupting him again.

"What?" he said loudly.

Lorelai glanced into the kitchen and saw Rory staring at them, but she quickly went back to her homework when she saw Lorelai look in. Lorelai stood up from the couch and took a few steps toward Luke. She folded her arms across her chest and clenched her teeth together. She exhaled loudly before she said, "Jess just saw me naked."

Luke’s face went blank. His eyes slowly widened as he stared at her, processing what she’d said. He stammered, "Uh, wha. . .what?"

Lorelai nodded and pointed toward the front door. "Yes, your perfect little nephew out there just saw me naked!" she whispered loudly.

His eyes looked toward the front door, then back to Lorelai. "He saw you. . . naked? When? How? Where?"

"Yeah, don’t forget who, what, and why," Lorelai said, rolling her eyes. "He looked in my window when I was changing, that little. . .ugh!" she said angrily, clenching her fists tightly.

"Wait, you actually saw him looking in at you?" Luke asked, still in shock.

"Yes!" she hissed. She paused and thought for a moment. "Well, no. . .not exactly. I saw a shadow at the window and I thought it was you, but then you just told me that you weren’t up there, so it must’ve been him!"

Luke took a deep breath. His face reddened slightly and his nostrils flared. He quickly turned and headed toward the front door. Lorelai followed him, grabbing her denim jacket on the way out.

The pounding got louder as they stepped out the door. Luke walked onto the front lawn as Lorelai stood uncomfortably on the porch, waiting to see what happened.

"Jess!" Luke yelled, staring up at him on the roof.

The pounding stopped and Jess looked down at the ground. "What?" he replied.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" Luke yelled.

"I’m sewing a quilt, what does it look like I’m doing?" Jess retorted.

"You’re supposed to be cleaning the gutters, not looking in people’s windows!" Luke yelled, pointing up at him.

Jess shrugged. "No idea what you’re talking about."

"Oh, don’t give me that!" Luke yelled. "You know damn well what I’m talking about!"

"You must be thinking of someone else," Jess said, standing up and stretching his arms over his head.

"You were looking in Lorelai’s window, she saw you!" Luke yelled.

Jess scoffed. "She did not – she didn’t even turn her head toward the . . ." Jess’ voice trailed off. He grimaced, realizing what he’d just said.

Luke’s eyes widened and his face tightened. "Jess, what’s the matter with you? You better explain yourself right now!"

"Look, it was an accident," Jess said, holding his hands out innocently in front of his chest.

"How the hell was it an accident?"

"I didn’t know she was in there when I looked in, okay?" Jess said with a loud sigh. "It’s not like I had my face pushed up against the glass like I was Ralph and she was a Red Ryder BB Gun. She dropped her robe just as I walked by. How was I supposed to know that would happen at that exact moment?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes as she listened from the porch. She shoved her hands into her pockets and shifted her feet, a mixture of anger and embarrassment running through her.

Luke didn’t say anything for a moment. He stared up at Jess, trying to decide whether to believe him or not. He sighed loudly as he glanced quickly at Lorelai, then looked back up at Jess. "You swear it was an accident?"

"Yes, sorry, I didn’t mean to look at her, okay?" Jess said, adding an annoyed groan. He muttered quietly, "Though now I know why you always come home with that stupid smirk on your face."

Luke shook his head slightly. "Just finish the gutters and stay away from the damn windows," he said sternly. He started walking toward Lorelai on the porch.

Lorelai scoffed. "That’s all you’re gonna say to him?" she said, stepping off the porch. She looked up at Jess, whose eyes widened when he saw her. He turned his head away from her, a slight embarrassment on his face.

"Listen, maybe no one explained to you the etiquette of cleaning out gutters, but around here we don’t walk around looking into windows like Mrs. Kravitz while we do it!" Lorelai said loudly. She took a deep breath. "How dare you – ."

Luke reached out and turned her toward him. "Lorelai, come on, I took care of it."

Lorelai shook her arm out of his grasp. "You call that taking care of it?" she asked with astonishment.

Luke shrugged. "Yeah."

"Look, I apologized, what else do you want from me?" Jess asked.

"Lorelai, he didn’t mean to do it," Luke explained. "You heard him, it was just an accident."

"Ugh! I can’t believe you’re defending him!" Lorelai said loudly, throwing her hands up in frustration. She turned around and stormed across the front yard.

"Where are you going?" Luke called after her.

"For a walk!" she yelled angrily.

Luke sighed loudly as he watched her walk quickly down the street. He glanced up at Jess, who was staring down at him. Luke shoved his hands into his jeans and looked around the yard uncomfortably.

"Uh, I’m not exactly an expert on this, but I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to follow her," Jess said.

Luke looked up at him. "Work on the gutters and don’t talk."

Jess shrugged. "Just trying to help." He kneeled back down and continued on the gutters.

"Oh, you’ve been plenty of help today, thank you," Luke said, rolling his eyes. Luke walked into the house, slamming the door behind him. He paced back and forth in the front hallway for a few seconds before he finally walked back outside. He crossed the yard and headed after her down the street.

* * *

Lorelai knocked loudly on Sookie’s front door. "Come on, Sookie, please be home, please be home," Lorelai muttered. After waiting a few seconds, she turned around and glanced toward the street, noticing that Sookie’s car wasn’t anywhere in sight.

She sighed loudly and walked off the porch. She stood in front of the house, glancing around at the town square for a few seconds before walking quickly down the sidewalk. She eventually ended up near the old bridge. She walked to the center of it, sat down on the edge, and stared out at the water.

* * *

Lorelai’s eyes were closed and she was clutching her legs tightly against her chest as her chin rested on her knees. She heard footsteps getting closer to her on the bridge. They stopped when they reached her, and she opened her eyes and glanced down, recognizing Luke’s shoes. She brought her gaze back to the water.

"It took me an hour to find you," Luke said.

"Well, then you shouldn’t become a professional hide and seeker," Lorelai replied.

He sat down next to her. "Talk to me."

She stared straight ahead but said nothing.

Luke sighed. "Lorelai, you’ve probably been thinking about this for an hour, I know you have something to say."

Lorelai turned to look at him, and he saw that her eyes were red from crying. He moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned her body against his and sniffled as he kissed her head. After a minute of holding her, Luke said, "This is crazy. Why are you so upset?"

Lorelai lifted her head up and pulled back from him. "What?"

He shrugged. "I mean, this seems like a big deal now and I can see how it’d be embarrassing for you, but everyone’ll forget about it in a few days and things will be back to normal."

Lorelai scoffed and shook her head. "I know that, Luke. That’s not the point right now. The point is that it happened, it’s embarrassing, and it’s making me upset – and look who’s right at the center of it – Jess," she said, making a face.

"Exactly, Jess," Luke repeated. "Would you be this upset if it happened with someone else – someone you didn’t already hate?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Yes, I’d be upset if it happened with anyone. This is humiliating, Luke." She paused a moment. "Would you be this not-upset if it happened with someone else?"

"What are you talking about?" Luke said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I’m talking about the way that you supposedly ‘took care of it’," Lorelai said, using her fingers to make quotation marks in the air. "You don’t seem mad at all that someone else, in particular a seventeen year old kid, saw your girlfriend naked. You were actually defending him, Luke."

Luke rolled his eyes. "What am I supposed to do, Lorelai? It happened, it was an accident, it’s over now. It’s not like punishing him is gonna change anything. It’s not like he stole something and I can force him to give it back. I can’t force him to forget what he saw. He didn’t do it on purpose. He wasn’t trying to see you naked."

She exhaled loudly. "Okay, so if Dean had been up there on the roof and he had been the one to see me naked and said it was an accident, you would feel the same way?" Lorelai asked.

Luke thought for a moment. "I don’t. . .I’d probably. . " He sighed. "I don’t know."

Lorelai nodded. "Well, I do. You wouldn’t believe anyone else who called something like that an accident, but since it was perfect little Jess, all is right with the world," she said, rolling her eyes. She stared down at a twig floating in the water. "Why is it that every time there’s tension between you and me, it has something to do with Jess?"

"I don’t know," Luke replied.

She clenched her fists. "Ugh, I’m so sick of fighting about him."

"Well, so am I," Luke said with a sigh. "Stop letting him get to you."

Lorelai scoffed and nodded. "Okay, so it’s all my fault, great."

Luke took a deep breath. "That’s not what I meant."

Lorelai was silent for a moment. Then she said quietly, "Luke, I’ve been trying with Jess. I’ve been good, I’ve tried to talk to him, I’ve tried to get to know him."

"I know you have," Luke agreed, running his hand up and down her back. "Thank you."

"But, it’s just not. . ." Lorelai sighed. "I really don’t think . . ." Her voice trailed off as she tried to gather her thoughts.

"Lorelai, don’t give up trying just because of this," Luke said. "This was just an accid -."

"An accident," Lorelai finished for him. She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Fine, it was just an accident, but it still happened and I’m still upset and. . .it’s just, this whole Jess thing is making me so stressed out. I can’t keep worrying about all this stuff all the time."

She paused for a moment, then looked up and released a deep sigh into the sky. "It’s just not gonna work out, Luke."

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you talking about?"

Lorelai turned to look at him. She swallowed hard, and as tears ran down her cheeks, she said, "I’m talking about us. It’s just not gonna work out."

Luke’s eyes widened. "No, Lorelai, no, no," he said, shaking his head. "Don’t say that. You know that’s not true."

She shook her head as more tears streamed down her face. "It’s just too much right now. Jess and I. . . we’re just never gonna get along, Luke. And I don’t want to make you choose between us, so this is really the only way," she said. "We should just end it now."

"Lorelai, stop," Luke said sternly. "You can’t give up on us just because Jess annoys you. That has nothing to do with us. That’s a completely different subject than us being together."

Lorelai sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes, but new tears immediately fell. "Luke, Jess is apart of your life, he’s always gonna be around. I just. . .I don’t think I can deal with him."

Luke put his arms on her shoulders. "Lorelai, he’s not gonna be here forever. He’s almost eighteen," he said, shaking his head. "You always try to run away when things don’t go as perfectly as you want them to, and I’m not gonna let you do that this time."

"Luke, I - ," Lorelai started.

"Lorelai, listen to me," Luke interrupted. He spoke slowly and quietly, trying hard to control his own emotions. "If you’re not in love with me anymore, if you don’t want to be with me, then that’s one thing. But if you do still want to be with me, then Jess should have nothing to do with whether or not we’re together. Just forget about him, just focus on me." He paused and swallowed hard. "Do you still love me?"

Lorelai stared ahead at the calm water spread in front of her as tears cascaded down her face. She brought her gaze up to meet Luke’s and she nodded slowly. "Yes," she said in between sniffles.

He placed his hands on her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs. "Then stop talking like this." Luke stood up and held out his hands to her. She grabbed hold of them and he pulled her up off the ground and into a warm embrace. She rested her head against his shoulder as he squeezed his arms around her tightly. They stood there hugging for a few minutes, the only sound being that of Lorelai’s sobs. Listening to her cry while his own emotions overwhelmed him, Luke suddenly felt tears forming in his own eyes. He quickly blinked them away, then kissed her head, trying to forget how close he’d just come to losing her.

After several minutes, she said softly, "I didn’t wanna break up with you, Luke. I just didn’t know what else to do."

"I know," he said, kissing her cheek. "I love you."

She pulled back from him and smiled. She sniffled and said, "Love you too." She kissed him, both of them tasting the salty tears that for the past hour had been running down onto her lips. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "I’m sorry," she mumbled softly.

"It’s okay," he said, rubbing his hands up and down her back. "Look, we’re gonna work through this, you know?"

She nodded. "I know."

"I know you don’t like him," Luke said. "But give it time; maybe after awhile you guys’ll get along."

"I’ve been trying," Lorelai said, her head still resting on his shoulder.

"I know you have," Luke said.

"It’s gonna be creepy now," Lorelai said. "He saw me naked, Luke." She shuddered. "Oh God, how am I gonna look him in the eye again?"

"Well, if it makes it easier, I don’t think he’ll be looking at your eyes," Luke said.

Lorelai pulled away from him and smacked him on the shoulder. "This isn’t funny," she said with a small laugh.

He smiled. "Come on, let’s go home."

She paused before she asked, "Is he still there?"

Luke nodded. "Lorelai, you’re gonna have to see him again eventually. You might as well get it over with now." He laced his fingers through hers and they started walking toward the house.

* * *

As they approached the house, they noticed Jess wasn’t working on the roof. "Did he go home?" Lorelai asked.

Luke shrugged. "Maybe he’s inside."

They walked into the house, where Rory was still doing her homework at the kitchen table as Jess sat next to her. Luke led Lorelai into the kitchen. Jess and Rory both looked up as they walked in.

Noticing how red Lorelai’s eyes were, Rory’s eyes widened. "Mom, is everything okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Mmhmm," she said, forcing a smile. She looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with Jess as a feeling of embarrassment washed over her.

"You done with the gutters?" Luke asked Jess.

He let out a small laugh. "Not even close. Just came in for a drink," he said, holding up a soda can.

"All right, finish it up and get back out there. It’s gonna take all day," Luke said.

Lorelai turned around and left the kitchen. She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Luke walked in and sat next to her. "You all right?"

She nodded. "Fine, great, how are you?" she replied quickly.

"Uh, pretty good," he replied, narrowing his eyes at her. "Are you hungry? You never ate breakfast and it’s already lunchtime. And I’m sure your body’s going into some sort of coffee withdrawal by now."

Lorelai laughed. "It definitely is."

"I’ll go make some, you think about what you want to do for lunch," Luke said.

"Okay," she said, smiling. She leaned in to kiss him before he stood up and walked out of the room. When he had disappeared into the kitchen, Lorelai stood up and walked out the side door. She walked around the porch over to the front yard where Jess was about to climb up the ladder. "Wait."

Not hearing her walk over, Jess was startled. He paused on the bottom rung. "What?"

She walked over to him, folding her arms over her chest. "Listen, we don’t really get along."

"No, we don’t," he said.

"And you know, Luke has this fantasy that one day we’re gonna go through this whole weird bonding thing, but frankly, I don’t see it happening," she said.

"Me either," he replied.

She shrugged. "Good, we agree on something. So listen, here’s the proposal. You try to act like a normal person around me instead of a smartass, and I’ll stop acting like you’re the spawn of the devil."

"What’s the point of that?" he asked.

She glanced toward the house, making sure Luke wasn’t looking for her. "Well, if we can engage in a normal conversation once in awhile and pretend to get along, Luke will leave us alone and won’t try to force us into becoming best friends anymore."

"Ah," he said with a nod.

"Yeah, so all we have to do is occasionally pretend to like each other for Luke’s sake. Deal?" Lorelai asked.

He shrugged. "Deal."

"Good," she said with a nod. "And who knows, maybe the pretend niceness will turn into genuine niceness someday."

He raised his eyebrows and gave her a doubtful look.

She shrugged. "I said maybe." She started walking up to the porch. As she reached the front door, she turned back and said, "And if I ever catch you near my bedroom window again, I will be forced to take drastic measures that may end with a post-funeral party in your honor."

Jess sighed. "I wasn’t lying, that really was an accident," he insisted.

She stared at him for a moment, trying to read his facial expression. She slowly nodded. "Then don’t let it accidentally happen again."

He nodded and climbed up the ladder as she turned around and walked into the house.

* * *

The next evening, Lorelai and Rory walked into Miss Patty’s dance studio for the town meeting, arriving late as usual. Luke sat in the back row with two seats saved for them. Rory sat on the aisle as Lorelai slid into the seat next to him. She kissed him before whispering, "What’d we miss?"

"Uh, nothing much," he said with a shrug. "Just the usual boring reminders. Oh, and there was an announcement about the Founder’s Day Festival."

"What – they’re postponing it again?" Lorelai asked. "It was supposed to be last month. When is it now?"

"No, it’s still next week," he said, rolling his eyes. "They were just looking for volunteers to bring the matches."

Lorelai nodded. "Ah, I gotcha." Lorelai leaned over and relayed the message to Rory, then they turned their attention to Taylor up at the podium.

" . . . to please come out and show your support for the team," Taylor concluded. He shifted through the papers in front of him. "Okay, I think that’s all the topics I wanted to address. Now then, the floor is open. Are there any issues to be discussed?"

Bootsy stood up. "I have a problem with Luke’s Diner."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Oh geez," he mumbled. "Does anyone actually care about his problems?"

"Bootsy?" Lorelai whispered. "No, I’m pretty sure everyone hates him."

Up at the podium, Taylor nodded. "Oh yes, thank you for reminding me."

Luke stood up. "What the heck is the problem?"

Lorelai and Rory glanced at each other and shrugged.

"The problem is, Luke," Taylor started. "That for the past few weeks, there have been several complaints about the inconsistency of your hours of operation. When the sign on the door says that you open at 6 a.m., and someone shows up to the diner at 6 a.m. but it’s not open, that causes confusion and chaos."

Luke scoffed loudly. "How exactly does that cause chaos?"

"Well, it forces the townspeople to rearrange their entire morning schedule in order to make up for the time they lose waiting for you to open, or having to go out and find another place to eat. It throws off their daily routines, Luke," Taylor said.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Fine, I’ll take down the sign that has the hours on it and replace it with a sign that says "Open When I Feel Like It."

Lorelai and Rory giggled next to him. "Ha, that was good," Lorelai said quietly.

Bootsy turned around and pointed a finger at Lorelai. "She’s the problem, Taylor. Ever since those two got together, Luke’s establishment has gone downhill."

Lorelai scoffed and jumped up. "That’s not true!"

"Leave her out of this," Luke said sternly.

"Yeah, no one likes you, Bootsy," Lorelai muttered under her breath.

"Patty, how long has this been going on?" Taylor asked, gesturing to Luke and Lorelai.

Miss Patty pulled out her date book. She flipped through several pages, then announced, "They’ve been together. . . one month this past Saturday." She looked towards Lorelai and Luke and smiled. "Aww, congratulations."

Luke rolled his eyes as Lorelai smiled and said, "Thank you."

"Well, that does seem to fit the timeline of the complaints," Taylor said.

"Oh, Taylor, just leave them alone," Miss Patty said.

"Yeah, leave us alone," Lorelai said. "Instead of complaining about Luke interrupting your stupid daily routines, you should be happy for him that he’s not still that guy who used to sit in his diner all day long with no life whatsoever."

Luke looked at her and groaned. "Thank you," he said, rolling his eyes.

"You’re welcome." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek before she sat down.

"This is a problem that needs to be corrected for the sake of the town, Luke," Taylor said. "You have to stick to the scheduled hours that you post on the door or you have to hire more help."

"I don’t have to do anything, Taylor," Luke said loudly.

"No, but you should if you want to prevent Stars Hollow from turning into a rundown travesty of a town," Taylor said.

Luke let out a laugh. "Where do you come up with this stuff?"

"I’m serious Luke. If you don’t deal with this problem now, it will only get worse," Taylor said.

"I’ll be sure to keep that in mind," Luke said sarcastically. "Are we done here?"

Lorelai stood up. "I’m done."

Rory stood up. "Me too. Let’s get pie."

"Good, let’s go," Luke said. They started walking to the door. Luke turned around and announced, "We’re going to the diner for pie – and no one else is invited." A disappointed murmur went through the crowd as the three of them exited the dance studio.

As they walked toward the diner, Lorelai and Rory were laughing. "Did you see the serious look on Taylor’s face when he was talking about the town turning into a travesty?" Rory asked.

Lorelai laughed. "Oh, I know! What the heck was that all about?"

Luke sighed. "It’s just Taylor being Taylor." He unlocked the door and they walked into the diner, then he locked it back up as Lorelai and Rory sat at the counter.

Luke put on a fresh pot of coffee and went into the kitchen to get the pie. He brought it out to the counter and cut them each a slice, then poured them some coffee. They both thanked him before quickly digging into their pieces.

"Mmm, so good," Lorelai said.

"Mmhmm," Rory agreed.

He leaned against the kitchen doorway and watched them with a small smile on his lips. Lorelai finished chewing and said, "Why are you grinning like that?"

Luke shrugged. "No reason. I just realized that I don’t ever have to buy you expensive gifts because you’re quite content with some sort of junk food product."

Lorelai smiled. "Yeah, but the best type of present is a junk food product along with an expensive gift. You can never go wrong if you get both."

"Two gifts are definitely better than one," Rory said.

Luke smiled. He walked into the kitchen and returned a minute later with a glass of juice for himself. Lorelai ate the last bite, then pushed the plate toward him and said, "Finished. More pie, please."

"No," Luke said, shaking his head.

Lorelai gasped. "What? I said please!"

"That was a big piece," Luke pointed out. "You can’t still be hungry."

"I didn’t say I was hungry, I said I wanted pie," Lorelai said. "It’s the addiction, Luke."

"Yeah, well, I’m not feeding your addiction tonight," Luke said, taking her plate and putting it in the sink. Lorelai pouted as she picked up her mug and took a sip of coffee. "So, I suppose you want to go to the Founder’s Day Festival this weekend?" Luke asked unenthusiastically.

Lorelai nodded excitedly. "It’s the first time in a long time that I’ll have someone to go with. I mean, besides Rory," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you," Rory said through a mouthful of pie.

Lorelai looked at Luke curiously. "Why – do you not wanna go?"

"I think that’s a given," Luke said. "But we can go if you want to."

"Are you sure?" Lorelai asked. "We don’t have to."

"You wanna go, we’re going," Luke said. He paused a moment. "Wait, it’s on Friday night."

"Aw, shoot," Lorelai said, biting her lip. "Okay, well, I’ll see if I can get the Friday night dinner moved up an hour or so and then I’ll come by afterwards and we can go to the festival."

Luke nodded. He paused a moment before he added quietly, "Or maybe I could go to dinner with you."

Lorelai and Rory glanced at each other warily. "What?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, I’d like to go to one of those dinners," he said, reaching out and stroking her hand.

"You can just stay home and light yourself on fire – it’d be more fun," Lorelai said with a laugh.

Luke tilted his head and rolled his eyes. "I’m serious."

Lorelai swallowed hard. "Uh, I don’t know, Luke."

"Just think about it," Luke said.

Lorelai shrugged. "Okay, I’ll think about it."

Luke nodded. "Good."

End Part 14

* * *

Part 15

After finishing their coffee, Lorelai kissed Luke goodbye, and she and Rory left the diner. As soon as they were out on the sidewalk, Rory said, "So?"

Lorelai looked at her. "So what?"

"So, are you gonna let him go to dinner with us?" Rory asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "I don’t know. I really don’t want him to, but he looks like he really wants to go."

Rory nodded. "Yeah, he was really serious about it."

Lorelai bit her lip. "I know. I don’t know what to do." They walked along for a minute in silence before Lorelai let out a long sigh. "I just don’t know how my mom’s gonna act towards him, you know? I mean, she’s said before that she’s seen something between us, so she won’t be shocked that it’s him. . . "

"But?" Rory prompted.

"But. . ." Lorelai shrugged. "I know she’s gonna try to tell me he’s not good enough for me."

"Ah," Rory said.

"And plus, she’s obviously gonna know that he’s the guy I spent the night at her house with. She’s gonna hold that against us for the rest of her life," Lorelai said, rolling her eyes. "I know it’ll just turn out bad, I know it."

As they walked up their front porch, Rory said, "Mom, you love him, he loves you – does it really matter what Grandma thinks of him?" She pushed open the front door and they walked inside.

"No," Lorelai said. "I don’t care what she thinks of him at all, that’s not the point. The point is that my mom’s not exactly the queen of subtlety, and I just don’t want her to be rude to him or . . .I don’t know. I just don’t want Luke to feel bad." They paused in the hallway and stared at each other. "So, what should I do?"

Rory shrugged. "Whatever you want."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and patted Rory on the shoulder. "Big help, thanks."

Rory shrugged. "Sorry, I really don’t know. Talk to Luke about it some more, explain to him why you don’t want him to go. Maybe he’ll change his mind," she said with a hopeful look.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "Huh, that’s not a bad idea." Lorelai kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you."

Rory smiled. "See, I helped, I just needed time."

Lorelai smiled and walked toward the steps. "Night."

* * *

On Wednesday afternoon at the inn, Lorelai grabbed her empty coffee mug from the front desk and walked into the kitchen. "Hey Sookie," she said as she walked over to the coffee maker.

"Hey honey," Sookie said. She removed a pan from the oven and set it on the stovetop, then turned around to face Lorelai. "How are - ouch!" Sookie exclaimed as her elbow banged against the corner edge of the counter.

Lorelai grimaced with sympathy pain. "Ooh, you okay?"

Sookie rubbed her elbow as she walked toward Lorelai. "Yeah, it’s fine. It happened twice already this morning." Sookie sat on the chair at her small work table. "What’s up? Slow morning?"

Lorelai filled up her mug and walked over to her. "Yeah, not much work to do today." Lorelai propped herself up on the small wooden table. She stared down at the ground as she swung her legs back and forth.

Sookie stared at the contemplative look on Lorelai’s face. "So, I’m guessing you haven’t decided what to do about Friday night dinner?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Luke brought it up again this morning."

"Sweetie, you do know that you’re slightly psychotic, don’t you?" Sookie asked.

Lorelai turned her head to look at her. "Excuse me?" she said with a laugh.

Sookie nodded. "You’re making too big a deal about this. You’ll go, you’ll eat dinner, you’ll talk, you’ll leave. It’s no big deal."

Lorelai sighed. "But – "

"And you said that you talked to him about it," Sookie pointed out.

"I know, but – " Lorelai started.

"And that he knows that it might not turn out perfectly but he still wants to go," Sookie finished.

"I know, I know," Lorelai said with an exasperated sigh. "I just don’t want my mom to ruin this, Sookie."

Sookie stood up and smiled. "Honey, she’s not gonna ruin anything. It doesn’t matter what your parents think or what they say or how they act. You guys are in love, and nothing’s gonna change it."

Lorelai smiled shyly and shrugged.

Sookie giggled and smacked her playfully on the shoulder. "See? I mean, if your mom says that she doesn’t want you to date Luke, is that gonna change how you feel about him? Are you gonna listen to her?"

"No," Lorelai replied. She stared straight ahead for a moment. "Okay, I’ll bring him to dinner."

Sookie smiled. "Good."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "How’s Jackson? He’s all moved in?"

"Yup, just about," Sookie said. "He just needs to get a few things out of storage."

Lorelai smiled. "So, how’s it working out?"

Sookie giggled. "Great, really great."

"Aw, that’s great, Sweetie," Lorelai said. "Let me know when you’re ready to go wedding dress shopping."

"Will do," Sookie said with a nod.

Lorelai took a sip of coffee, then stood up. "Okay, I have to go make a call." She started walking toward the door.

"See you later," Sookie said.

Lorelai walked into the lobby and over to Michel at the front desk. "Michel, everything all right?"

"Oh, you mean besides the fact that you lied and said that you’d be back in a second but you did not return for fifteen minutes?" Michel asked without looking up from the computer screen.

"Yes, besides that," Lorelai replied.

"Yes, everything is all right," he replied dryly.

Lorelai walked to the other end of the desk and picked up the phone. She dialed, then twirled her finger in her hair nervously as it rang on the other end.

"Hello?" Emily answered.

"Mom," Lorelai said. "It’s me."

There was a brief pause on the other end. "Lorelai, hello."

"Um, are you busy right now?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, I’m getting ready to go get my hair done," Emily replied.

"Ah, right, it’s Wednesday," Lorelai said. "Well, this won’t take long. Uh, I don’t know how you’re gonna react to this."

"What is it, Lorelai?" Emily asked, slightly annoyed.

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Okay, listen Mom. . . there’s a big festival here in Stars Hollow this Friday night that Rory and I really want to go to, and I was wondering if we could maybe move dinner up an hour or so."

Emily let out a small sigh. "I suppose that would be fine," she replied. "I guess I’ll see you at six."

"Wait, wait Mom," Lorelai said quickly. "I’m not done."

"There’s something else?" Emily asked.

"Um, yes," Lorelai said. She cleared her throat. "Um, Luke asked if he could come with me to Friday night dinner this week."

"Luke?" Emily asked with surprise. "Luke, the diner man?"

"Uh, yeah," Lorelai said. "Only he won’t be attending as the diner man, but as. . . my boyfriend." Lorelai grimaced as she waited for Emily’s reaction.

"Your boyfriend?" Emily repeated, sounding even more surprised. "Luke is your boyfriend? You’re seeing Luke?"

"Yes, and he wanted to know if he could come to dinner on Friday," Lorelai said. "So, is that okay?"

"How long has he been your boyfriend?" Emily asked.

Lorelai sighed. "I don’t know, Mom. Uh, about five weeks, something like that."

Emily exhaled loudly. "So I’m assuming he was the man who . . ." her voice trailed off.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Mom, please forget about that, I’m begging you. Just put that out of your mind and never think about it again. Uh oh, look Mom, you’re gonna be late for your hair appointment, so just tell me – is it okay if Luke comes?"

Emily gasped. "My goodness, you’re right. It’s almost three."

"Mom?" Lorelai prompted.

"I suppose it’s fine if he comes along, Lorelai," Emily replied. "Rory is still coming too, yes?"

"Yes, all three of us will be there. Thanks Mom," Lorelai said. "Bye."

"Goodbye," Emily replied.

* * *

That night after work, Lorelai walked into Luke’s and glanced around the diner looking for Rory. She spotted her reading at a table by herself, and she walked over and sat down. "Hey you."

Rory looked up from her book and smiled. "Hey."

Lorelai looked around the crowded diner. "Man, how can you read in here?"

Rory shrugged. "I tune things out." She put her bookmark in her book and placed it on the table.

"I’m hungry. Where’s Luke?" Lorelai asked.

Rory glanced toward the counter. "I don’t know. There’s Jess, though." She waved toward Jess, who walked over to them. "Hey."

"Hey," he said, nodding his head toward her.

"Hey Jess," Lorelai said.

"Hi," he said. "Uh, coffee?"

"Yeah," Lorelai replied. "Is Luke here?"

"He’s in the kitchen. One of the regular cooks is sick," Jess said. "I’ll be right back." He walked to the counter to get their coffee.

"So, uh, I called my mom today," Lorelai said.

Rory raised her eyebrows. "You did? For what?"

"To ask if Luke can come on Friday," Lorelai said.

Rory smiled. "Finally decided what to do, huh?"

Lorelai shrugged. "It took me awhile, but yeah."

"So, she said it’s okay?" Rory asked.

Lorelai nodded just as Jess arrived with their coffee. He placed the mugs on the table, then shrugged and said, "I guess I can take your order. What do you want?"

"Burger and fries," Lorelai said.

"Same," Rory said.

"Uh, aren’t you gonna write it down?" Lorelai asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Jess tapped his head. "Well, I try to give it as little work to do as possible, but I think my brain can handle remembering two burgers and fries." He turned around and walked back toward the counter.

Lorelai shrugged and turned to Rory. "Dinner’s at six instead of seven on Friday so we’ll have time to go to the festival afterwards."

"Okay, good," Rory said. She bit her lip and looked down at the table.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her. "Something wrong?"

Rory shrugged. "Just thinking about what happened during the last Founder’s Day festival."

Lorelai grimaced. "Why are you thinking about bad memories? Think happy thoughts. Think of how you got straight A’s last semester. Think of how funny it was when Kirk tripped on our front porch last week. Ooh, think about that letter we got in the mail yesterday that told us we may already be a winner."

Rory laughed. "Okay, okay, happy thoughts prevail, thank you."

Lorelai smiled. "You’re welcome."

Rory pushed a magazine towards Lorelai. "Oh, here, I picked this up for you on my way here."

"Oh cool, thanks." Lorelai flipped slowly through the Entertainment Weekly. She stopped on a page and gasped. "Arthur died."

"Arthur who?" Rory asked, trying to look at the page.

"Arthur who?" Lorelai asked with surprise. "We’ve seen Arthur and Arthur 2 like a billion times each, and you say Arthur who?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "He has a real name, Mom."

She frowned. "Had a real name," she mumbled. She glanced at the page. "Huh, Milton Berle died too. Man, how do I not know these things?"

"Well, you haven’t been watching much television lately and that’s how you get most of your entertainment news," Rory pointed out.

Lorelai nodded. "True." She closed the magazine and put it aside. She glanced up toward the counter, her eyes widening as she saw Luke walk out of the kitchen. She gave a small wave and he made his way over to their table.

"Hey," he said. He leaned down and kissed Lorelai. "Did you guys order?"

"Yup," Rory said. "Jess took it."

Luke rolled his eyes and sat down at their table. "Oh yeah? Then I wouldn’t count on it being out any time soon since he never writes anything down and then he forgets to tell us what people want." He sighed and shook his head. He reached over and stroked Lorelai’s hand. "So, how was your day?"

"Good, it was good," Lorelai said. "Uh, I called my mom. She said you can come to dinner on Friday but only if you wear an evening gown with matching shoes, and a yellow beret instead of a baseball cap."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Really? You asked her?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Yup, we have to be there at six."

Luke smiled. "Good, thanks."

"You’re welcome," she said.

"Hey, looks like he did remember to tell someone," Rory said, pointing at Jess as he walked out of the kitchen. He carried two plates over to them and placed them on the table.

"Burgers and fries," Jess said.

Luke looked up at him. "Who cooked those?"

"I did," he replied with a shrug.

Luke raised his eyebrows. "You did?"

"Yeah, it’s not exactly a difficult task, Uncle Luke," he said mockingly as he rolled his eyes. "Don’t act so impressed."

"Luke," Luke replied sternly. "Just Luke."

Lorelai took a bite of her burger. "Mmm," she said, raising her eyebrows. She chewed her mouthful and said, "Wow, I think you should let him cook more often, Luke. This is pretty good."

Jess smirked and walked away from the table. Luke stood up. "I better get back in the kitchen."

"Okay. You’re still coming over tonight, right?" Lorelai asked.

Luke nodded. "Yeah, probably around eight."

Lorelai smiled. "Okay. See you later."

"Bye Luke," Rory said.

Luke nodded toward them and walked away.

* * *

Later that night, Luke walked out of Lorelai’s kitchen and down the hall to the living room. He wandered over to the mantle and looked at the many pictures that sat atop it. He picked one up of Lorelai and Rory taken just a few months earlier in front of the gazebo. He stared at it for several seconds and smiled to himself as he ran his finger over Lorelai’s smiling face.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked.

Luke was startled. He looked up, surprised to see Lorelai standing only a few feet away, smiling at him. She walked over to him and looked at the picture he was holding. "Ugh, I look terrible in that picture."

He placed it back on the mantle and rolled his eyes. "You say that about every picture of yourself but I have yet to see one bad photograph of you."

She smiled. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

He smirked. "Oh no? Well, then you look like crap in every picture I’ve ever seen of you."

She laughed. "Very sweet, Luke. Thank you for that."

Luke smiled. He walked over to the couch and sat down, and Lorelai walked over and sat on his lap. "Uh, there are like ten other places to sit in this room," Luke pointed out.

"Yeah, but this is comfy," she said.

"For you," he muttered, repositioning his body to get more comfortable.

"Fine, I’ll just go sit way over there in the armchair," Lorelai said, starting to get up. Luke put his hands on her waist and pulled her back down onto his lap. Lorelai smiled and leaned back against him. "Ha, see, you like it. Stop whining."

Luke slipped his hands under the front of her shirt and ran them over her midsection, a habit that Lorelai had gotten used to. Whenever they were alone, he would glide his hands gently over the soft skin of her stomach, and Lorelai loved the feeling of calm it gave her. She gave a relaxed sigh and closed her eyes.

They sat for several minutes in silence before Lorelai opened her eyes and asked, "Are you nervous about Friday night?"

"Nope," Luke replied.

"Not at all?" she asked, surprised. "Not even a little tiny bit?"

"No, but you obviously are," Luke said with a laugh. "Why is this such a big deal?"

"Because my mom’s worse than Robert DeNiro in that movie," Lorelai said. "You know that one where the guy has to meet his girlfriend’s parents? What’s that called? Ooh, it’s on the tip of my tongue."

Luke laughed. "Uh, Meet the Parents?"

"Yeah, that’s it!" Lorelai said. "And I don’t want you to be all nervous and feel like you have to impress them like Ben Stiller did because you saw how it caused all sorts of problems for him."

"I’m not – ," Luke started.

"But I guess it’s a good thing that the chuppa’s at my house ‘cause it’ll be pretty hard for you to burn it down all the way from Hartford," Lorelai said.

Luke let out a small laugh. "Lorelai, stop worrying about it. It’ll be fine."

"What if she’s rude or something and then she and I get into this great big fight about it?" Lorelai asked. "Then it’ll be even more uncomfortable every time I go back there for dinner."

Luke paused for a moment, then said, "So don’t go back."

"Ha!" Lorelai said, forcing a laugh. "I have to go for the rest of my life, Luke. You know that."

"No, you only have to go as long as they’re paying for Chilton, right?" Luke asked.

"Right," Lorelai said. She rested her hands on top of his as they continued running over her stomach.

"So. . ." Luke said. "If dinner somehow turns into World War three and you really don’t wanna go back there, then I’ll pay for Chilton."

Lorelai laughed. "Right."

"I’m serious," Luke said.

Lorelai turned her head around to face him. She stared at him for a moment, reading his facial expression. "What?"

He nodded. "I have some money saved away. I can help you until you can afford it, or at least until you can find another way to pay for it."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "You’re dead serious," she observed.

"Yeah. I mean, this arrangement is a little ridiculous to begin with, if you ask me," Luke said, his voice getting louder. "You shouldn’t have to go eat dinner every Friday night with people you rarely get along with just because you’re borrowing money from them. It’s like blackmail or bribery or something. They can’t force you to do something you don’t want to do just because – "

Lorelai interrupted his rant by pressing her lips against his. Luke was surprised at first, but his lips immediately softened and kissed her back. Without breaking the connection of their mouths, Lorelai turned her body around on his lap so that she was facing him. She placed her hands on the back of his neck and ran her fingers through his hair as he rested his hands on her waist.

She finally pulled back and smiled. "You do know that I would never in a million years let you pay for Chilton, don’t you?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, but I thought if the offer was out there you’d feel better about dinner."

She smiled. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome," Luke replied.

* * *

That Friday night, Lorelai stood in front of her closet for ten minutes and finally let out an exasperated sigh. She walked to the doorway and hollered, "Rory, come help me pick out something to wear!"

"Just a second!" Rory called from downstairs.

Lorelai walked back to her closet and made a face at it. A minute later, Rory walked up the steps and stopped at the doorway of Lorelai’s room. "You should go with the closest thing resembling Gwyneth Paltrow’s Oscar dress."

Lorelai laughed. "Oh man, did I feel sorry for her boobs."

Rory nodded in agreement. "It was definitely not their finest hour."

Lorelai gestured for Rory to come into the room. She walked over to her and Lorelai draped an arm over Rory’s shoulder. "Okay, just take a good long look at the closet. What jumps out at you?"

Rory stared at the closet. "Hmm." Her eyes went back and forth over the jumbled assortment of clothes that were hanging down. She took a step toward the closet and pulled something out, then turned around and held it up. "This one."

Lorelai looked at the short black dress with small beaded flowers along the waistline. "Ooh, that was actually on my maybe list."

"Good, then maybe you should go put it on," Rory said, holding it out to her. "We’re gonna be late."

Lorelai smirked and grabbed it from her. "Thank you." She walked toward the bathroom. "Get me a pair of shoes please," she said over her shoulder.

Rory picked out a pair of black heels and placed them on the bed, then wandered over to the vanity and sat down. Lorelai walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later wearing the dress. "What do you think Luke’s gonna wear?" Rory asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "I told him he should get dressed up, so hopefully he realizes that the Paul Bunyan look, while sexy and appropriate for casual situations, isn’t exactly the best evening wear."

* * *

An hour later, they pulled up to the Gilmore mansion and stepped out of Lorelai’s Jeep. Rory walked up to the front porch as Lorelai and Luke lingered by the car.

Lorelai smiled as she ran her eyes up and down his black suit. "You look great," she said, straightening his tie.

"So do you," Luke said. He kissed her, then smiled and took her hand. "Come on." They walked up to the porch.

"Ready?" Rory asked. They both nodded, and Rory rang the doorbell.

A few seconds later, the door opened and both Emily and Richard were standing there. "Good eve – " Emily started. Her eyes widened with surprise as she saw Luke. "Evening," she finished.

"Hi Grandma, hi Grandpa," Rory said.

"Uh, Mom, Dad, you remember Luke Danes, right?" Lorelai said, placing her hand on Luke’s arm.

Emily stared at Luke. "Yes." She paused and narrowed her eyes. "Is this him?"

Lorelai looked at Luke and smiled. "Yeah, he cleans up nice, huh?"

Luke extended his hand toward Emily. She smiled and shook her head slightly. "Why, I didn’t even recognize you," she said, shaking his hand.

"Good to see you again, Mrs. Gilmore," Luke said. "Mr. Gilmore," he added, shaking Richard’s hand.

"Yes, same here," Richard replied. "Please come in. Emily, you might want to stop blocking the doorway."

Emily stepped back. "Oh, yes, I’m sorry. Please come in."

They stepped inside, and Rory and Lorelai hung up their coats. Emily and Richard led the way to the living room, and the three guests followed. Luke and Lorelai sat down on one of the small couches, Rory sat next to them in an armchair, and Emily sat across from them on the other couch.

Richard stood at the bar. "Okay, who wants a drink?"

"Coke, please," Rory said.

"White wine," Emily said.

"Same," Lorelai said. She turned to Luke. "Drink?"

Luke turned back toward Richard. "Uh, club soda’s fine, thanks."

Richard served the drinks, getting himself a glass of wine before sitting down next to Emily. "So, Luke, how’s the business? I assume your establishment is doing well?"

Luke cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, it’s doing very well. These two provide me with most of my income."

Lorelai smiled. "Well, he’s the cutest waiter in town. That’s why I insist we eat there everyday," she said, tapping Luke on his knee.

Luke’s face reddened slightly as he rolled his eyes at her. "I personally think it’s because you’re physically addicted to the burgers."

She smiled. "Well, eating five a week will do that to a girl."

"Oh, Lorelai, you shouldn’t be eating that much red meat," Richard said knowingly. "It’s all right in moderation, but you don’t want to overdo it."

"Richard’s been reading some books about healthy eating so he thinks he’s a nutritionist now," Emily said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, you should talk to Luke. He won’t eat anything unhealthy," Lorelai said. She took a sip of wine. "Oh, except whipped cream - but only if it’s served a certain way," she added, smiling at Luke. "Right?"

Luke narrowed his eyes at her, an embarrassed look on his face. He cleared his throat. "Uh, Rory, how’s school going?" Luke asked.

"Ah, yes, how is school?" Richard asked.

"Oh, it’s fine," Rory said. "I’ve got a few midterms next week . . ."

As Rory continued talking about school, Emily nonchalantly stared at the couple across from her. Luke leaned in close to Lorelai’s ear and whispered something to her. Lorelai giggled softly and nodded, then whispered something back to him. He smiled at her, then took a sip of his club soda. Emily brought her gaze down and noticed that their fingers were entwined. She took a sip of her wine and glanced over at Rory.

". . . and my last one is Shakespeare, which should be pretty easy. I like that class," Rory finished.

"I’m sure you’ll do fine on all of them," Emily said. "So, let’s move to the dining room, shall we?"

"Yes, that’s a good idea," Richard said. "Does anyone need a refill?" He walked over to the bar.

"I’m good," Rory said.

"I could use some more," Emily said, standing up.

"Here, I’ll get that," Luke said. He stood up and took Emily’s glass from her.

Emily raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Oh, thank you." She and Rory walked toward the dining room.

Luke turned to Lorelai. "Do you need more?"

She stood up. "Yes, please. I’ll help you."

Richard refilled his own glass and followed Emily and Rory into the dining room. Lorelai and Luke walked over to the bar. "I don’t know what you were talking about, this is going fine," Luke said quietly as he poured out the wine.

Lorelai shrugged. "She must be feeling ill or something, she’s definitely not being herself tonight."

Luke rolled her eyes. "Or maybe you just exaggerate about how she really is." He refilled his own drink.

Lorelai shook her head and laughed. "Oh, no no no. I don’t lie about my mother, I swear. I have Rory to back me up if you need proof."

"I’ll believe it when I see it," Luke said. They picked up the glasses and walked to the dining room.

"Here you are, Mrs. Gilmore," Luke said, placing her wineglass in front of her.

"Thank you, Luke," Emily replied.

Lorelai and Luke sat next to each other on one side of the table across from Rory. "So, what are we eating tonight?" Lorelai asked, placing her napkin in her lap.

"Salmon," Emily said. "I hope you like salmon, Luke."

"Oh, he loves salmon. It’s his favorite fish. He keeps several of them in a huge tank in his apartment and he likes to sit and watch them swim around all day long," Lorelai said. "It’s his favorite hobby. Well, besides that underground drug ring."

The rest of the table rolled their eyes.

"Lorelai," Emily said.

"Just sit quietly," Luke said.

"Yes, exactly," Richard agreed.

Rory let out a small laugh as Lorelai frowned and took a sip of wine.

End Part 15

* * *

Part 16

They started off with salads, and then the maid brought out the main course. She served everyone a piece of salmon, then she placed several bowls containing side dishes around the table. "Thank you," Emily said. The maid nodded and walked back into the kitchen.

"Pass the roasted potatoes, please," Lorelai said.

"Can I have the green beans?" Rory asked.

"Could you pass the rolls?" Richard asked.

As they piled the side dishes onto their plates, Luke said, "These are nice dishes."

"Why, thank you," Emily said. "Richard picked those up in . . .hmm, where was it Richard? Rome?"

"Yes, I believe it was," Richard said. "It was for one of our anniversaries."

"Oh really?" Lorelai asked. "Huh. And what year is the plate anniversary, Dad?"

Richard rolled his eyes. "I believe I gave these to her along with a diamond broach, so I guess it was the plate and diamond anniversary."

Emily nodded and smiled. "Yes, and he insists that he picked it out himself, that his secretary didn’t even help him."

"She didn’t," Richard said, taking offense. "I have an eye for fine jewelry."

Emily rolled her eyes. "So, Lorelai, you said there’s a festival tonight?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, it’s to celebrate the founding of Stars Hollow. There’s a big bonfire and tons of decorations and food and stuff. It’s fun."

Luke groaned. "Fun’s not the word I’d use to describe it."

Lorelai nudged him with her elbow. "Oh, you know you’re gonna love it."

"What’s the matter?" Emily asked. "Luke, you don’t enjoy big celebrations?"

Luke shrugged. "These festivals get pretty crowded and noisy. I’m not really into those kind of things."

"Yes, I’d much rather sit in a quiet room in front of a fireplace than be at some noisy function with a bunch of people I don’t know," Richard said.

"Thank you," Luke said, turning to Lorelai. "See, your father is the same way."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Fine, you stay here with my dad and stare at the fireplace while I go to the festival."

Emily smiled and turned to Rory. "And what about you? You’re going too, I assume?"

Rory nodded. "Dean and I are going together."

"Ah, yes, Dean. How’s that car holding up?" Richard asked.

"Oh, it’s great," Rory said, smiling. She started talking to Richard about it.

Lorelai tapped Luke on the shoulder. "Luke, Rory’s boyfriend made her a car."

"I know," Luke replied.

"So, when are you gonna make me one?" Lorelai asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Your car is fine. I’m the one who needs a new one."

"What’s wrong with your car?" Emily asked.

"It’s sort of rundown," Luke explained.

"Sort of?" Lorelai laughed. "I’ve seen trucks come out of multiple car wrecks looking better than yours."

"Okay, okay, don’t mock it," Luke said.

"It’s this really old green truck from like 1950," Lorelai explained to Emily.

"Oh, right," Emily said, looking down at her plate. "I remember Barbara describing it," she said. She pushed her potatoes around her plate aimlessly.

Lorelai swallowed hard. "Oh geez," she said under her breath.

"Barbara?" Luke asked, confused.

Lorelai leaned over to Luke and whispered, "She’s the neighbor who saw your truck out front when we were here."

Luke’s eyes widened. "Ah," he said quietly. Lorelai sat up straight and shoved a piece of her roll into her mouth.

* * *

After they finished their meals and the maid had cleared their plates from the table, Emily asked, "Anyone have room for dessert?"

"Ooh, I do," Rory said excitedly.

"You know what, we should probably save some room for the food at the festival," Lorelai said.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Rory said.

"Oh. Well, do you have time for some coffee?" Emily asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "No, I think we really should – "

"Oh, I think we have time," Luke interrupted. "We should stay for coffee."

"But you don’t even like coffee," Lorelai pointed out.

"Well, good. He can join me for some brandy in my study," Richard said, standing up.

"What a lovely idea," Emily said. "I’ll ask the maid to bring out a coffee tray." She stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Lorelai turned to Luke and forced a smile. "Okay, I guess we’re staying a little longer then."

"Don’t worry, we’ll make it in time for the stupid festival," he said, rolling his eyes.

She patted his hand. "Fifteen minutes. Drink fast." He kissed her quickly on the cheek and followed Richard out of the room. Lorelai smiled as she watched him walk away, then she leaned toward Rory. "Hey, can you give me a minute alone with Grandma?" she asked quietly.

Rory nodded just as Emily entered the room. Lorelai sat up straight and said, "Coffee’s on it’s way, Mom?"

"Yes, it’ll be right out," Emily said, sitting back down.

Rory cleared her throat. "Uh, excuse me, I’ll be right back. I just need to . . . uh, use the bathroom." Lorelai gave her a grateful smile as Rory stood up and walked toward the doorway.

Lorelai turned to Emily. "Uh, Mom . . . I sort of wanted to. . .thank you."

"Thank me?" Emily asked with surprise. "Thank me for what?"

"For not turning this night into a disaster," Lorelai said. "Thank you for being so nice to Luke."

Emily shook her head slightly. "I am capable of showing manners, Lorelai. You don’t have to act so shocked every time it happens."

"No, Mom, I just – " Lorelai started. The maid interrupted their conversation by entering with the tray of coffee. She placed it on the table between them. "Thank you," Lorelai said. The maid nodded and walked back into the kitchen.

Lorelai turned back to Emily. "I don’t mean just being polite to him," she continued. "I mean, I know you’re still upset with me for being here at your house while you were away, and I . . ." She paused. "You could’ve really held that against us and made this night pretty damn miserable." Lorelai smiled. "But you didn’t – so thank you."

Emily shrugged. "You’re welcome." She poured out two cups of coffee. After several sips in silence, Emily said, "You know, you probably don’t want to hear me say this. . . but I like him, Lorelai. I was expecting a scruffy beard and a hat," Emily said, rolling her eyes.

"Tsk, you can’t say that you like him just because he dressed up, Mom," Lorelai said. "You shouldn’t judge people on how they look."

Emily scoffed. "That’s not why I said I like him, Lorelai," she said, getting defensive. "I can’t say that he doesn’t look much nicer all dressed up, but that’s not the only reason I like him."

"Oh no?" Lorelai asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No, it’s not," Emily said. She paused and took a sip of coffee. She leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap. "He obviously likes you a great deal," she said softly.

Lorelai looked down. She picked up her spoon and stirred her coffee casually. She nodded and said, "He does."

"Mmhmm," Emily said. "And you obviously feel the same way."

Lorelai brought her gaze up to meet Emily’s. She smiled. "I do."

"So why shouldn’t I like him?" Emily asked with a shrug.

Lorelai let out a small laugh. "Uh, because he doesn’t wear business suits everyday, or, um, because he didn’t go to private schools, or because he’s not worth a billion dollars. I’m sure any one of these would be a basis for you hating him."

Emily gasped, and Lorelai could tell that she was about to deny the accusation. Then Emily paused a moment and let out a small sigh. "When you told me you were dating him, those things did go through my head," Emily admitted. "I wasn’t expecting to like this arrangement at all."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "I knew it."

Emily looked down at her coffee cup. "But then. . .I saw how you two were looking at each other."

Lorelai tilted her head and smiled. "Wow, Mom, look at you letting your standards drop," Lorelai said with a laugh.

"Hey, you just about ready to go?" a voice asked.

Lorelai looked up and saw Luke and Richard standing in the doorway. She smiled and nodded. "Yup." She stood up and shouted, "Rory, we’re leaving!"

Emily winced. "Lorelai, yelling is certainly not necessary."

Lorelai smirked. "Huh, never thought I’d hear you say that, Mom. It seems to be one of your favorite ways to communicate." They walked to the front door, where Luke helped Lorelai into her jacket as Rory walked out of the living room. Rory took her jacket from the coat rack and folded it over her arm.

Luke turned to Richard and shook his hand. "Good to see you again."

"Same here," Richard said. He wagged a finger at him. "Think about what I said."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at them as Luke smiled and said, "I will." He turned to Emily and extended his hand. "Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Gilmore."

"Oh, please, call me Emily." She smiled as she shook his hand. "And you’re welcome."

Lorelai pulled open the front door. "Bye."

"Bye Grandma, bye Grandpa," Rory said.

They stepped out onto the porch, and as the door closed behind them, Luke turned to Lorelai and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Wow, I was so not prepared for that."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you talking about? Prepared for what? It went perfectly."

"I know, that’s what I wasn’t prepared for. I’m still in shock," she said with a laugh. He smiled and kissed her.

* * *

They pulled up to Lorelai’s house almost forty-five minutes later. They climbed out of the car and Rory said, "I’m gonna go in and change my shoes first. These are bothering me. You guys go ahead, I have to stop at Dean’s anyway."

"Okay, maybe we’ll see you there," Lorelai said. She laced her fingers through Luke’s and they slowly walked toward the town square. "Are you gonna change first?"

"Yeah, I don’t particularly want everyone seeing me all dressed up," he said, loosening his tie.

"Aw, why not?" Lorelai asked. "You look like a Ken doll."

He groaned. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Absolutely. Ken’s hot," Lorelai said.

Luke shrugged. "Okay, then thanks."

"You’re welcome," she said. They walked a little more before Lorelai said, "Hey, what did you and my dad talk about?"

"Oh, just business stuff. You know, portfolio investments, mutual funds, stuff like that," Luke said. "He gave me some tips."

Lorelai laughed. "Portfolio investments? Mutual funds?" she asked, her eyes widening with surprise. "What the heck? You have a portfolio?"

"What, I don’t look like a portfolio kind of guy?" Luke asked with a smile.

She shook her head. "Definitely not. The complete opposite, actually."

Luke tapped his forehead. "Trust me, there’s a lot going on in here that would surprise you."

Lorelai smiled and raised her eyebrows. "Hm, very interesting." A few seconds later, they had reached the town square, which was filled with people. The bonfire was already lit and tables of refreshments surrounded the gazebo.

As they walked toward the diner, Lorelai glanced around the crowd and spotted Sookie and Jackson walking toward them. As they neared, Sookie raised her eyebrows at Luke. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed.

"Oh boy." Luke groaned.

Sookie giggled and patted Luke on the shoulder. "Luke, look at you all dolled up!"

"Got a big business meeting later tonight?" Jackson asked with a laugh.

"Very funny," Luke muttered. He turned to Lorelai. "I’m changing now."

Lorelai nodded. "I’ll be over there by the food," she said, gesturing to the tables.

He nodded and walked into the diner. Lorelai smiled at Sookie and Jackson. "So, how are you guys? You been here all night?"

"No, we got here like twenty minutes ago," Sookie said. "We had a late dinner because of someone." She rolled her eyes and nodded toward Jackson.

"Yeah, someone," Jackson said, nodding toward Sookie.

Lorelai laughed. "What happened?"

Sookie sighed. "Ah, it’s a long story that involves someone dropping the pan of chicken on the floor, and then someone going all the way to the store to buy more but forgetting to bring money."

"So, I’m guessing you dropped the chicken," Lorelai said, pointing to Sookie. "And you forgot the money," she said, pointing to Jackson.

Jackson nodded, then glanced past Lorelai and groaned. "Rune’s causing trouble over there. I’ll be right back." He walked away quickly, shouting, "Rune, leave that alone!"

Sookie giggled. "I love it when he yells at Rune."

Lorelai smiled. "Come with me to get food."

They walked toward the refreshment tables. "So, how was dinner?" Sookie asked.

"Oh my God," Lorelai said excitedly. "It was great."

Sookie’s eyes widened. "Great? It was great?"

"Great." Lorelai nodded. She picked up a cookie from the assortment in front of her and took a bite. She shook her head slightly. "Sookie, it was . . . my mom was nice. She was just. . . nice."

"So. . .it was nice?" Sookie asked, smiling.

Lorelai nodded. "Everything was good. Luke and my mom got along fine, and he and my dad were talking about business or something. I think they were impressed with him."

"Really? Impressed?" Sookie asked, surprised. "Your parents aren’t easily impressed."

"No, they’re not," Lorelai said, shaking her head. She smiled. "But they like him."

"Aw, that’s great," Sookie said. She rubbed her hands together excitedly. "I’m so happy that it worked out so well."

Lorelai smiled, then glanced at the rest of the refreshments. "Hmm, what do I feel like?"

"There’s pie over there," Sookie said, pointing to a table a few feet away.

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "Ooh, let’s go." They walked over to the table and Lorelai served herself a piece of pie. "You want some?"

Sookie shook her head. "No thanks. I’m still full from dinner." They wandered over to an empty bench and sat down.

A few seconds later, Luke walked over to them with a takeout cup of coffee. He held it out to Lorelai. "Here – if you’re gonna drink something unhealthy tonight, I’d rather it be this than the punch."

Lorelai smiled and took the cup. "Thank you." She took a sip and held the cup out toward him. "Can you hold it while I finish eating?"

He rolled his eyes and took the cup. "I’m not a coaster, you know." Lorelai smiled up at him and shoved a forkful of pie in her mouth.

Sookie stood up. "Here Luke, sit down. I can stand."

Luke shook his head. "No, thanks, I’m fine. You sit," he insisted, pointing to the bench. Sookie shrugged and sat back down.

Luke shoved his empty hand into his pocket as he held her coffee in the other. Lorelai glanced up at him, then she stood up. "Here, sit down. You’re annoying me just standing there like that."

"Fine, I’ll take your coffee and wait over there by the market," he said, pointing.

"Luke, sit," she said sternly.

"Let me clarify – I’m not a coaster or a dog," Luke said. She gave him a look, and he sighed and sat down. She sat on his lap.

Sookie giggled. "That looks comfy."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. The three of them talked as Lorelai finished her pie. She took her coffee from Luke and took a sip, then stood up and threw her plate in a nearby trash can.

As she returned to the bench, Sookie stood up. "I better go make sure Jackson hasn’t killed Rune."

Lorelai laughed. "Good idea. Don’t let him go to prison until after the nuptials. See you later."

Sookie walked away and Lorelai sat down next to Luke. He put his arm around her and she leaned against him. They stared at the bonfire and at the people walking by. After several minutes, Lorelai leaned her head against his shoulder. "My parents like you."

"And why wouldn’t they?" Luke asked. "I’m pretty darn charming."

Lorelai laughed. "And humble – my two favorite qualities." They were silent for another minute before Lorelai said, "You were here with Rachel last year."

"Yes I was," Luke said.

Lorelai paused a moment. "Were you in love with her?"

Luke raised his eyebrows, surprised. "What?"

"Were you in love with her?" Lorelai repeated. "I mean, when she was here last year?"

"Why are you asking me this?" he asked.

Lorelai sat up straight and shrugged. "Just making conversation," she replied. "Uh, we can talk about something else. Oh, I bought that macaroni and cheese that you can make in the microwave. Let me tell you, it’s nowhere near as good as the regular stuff, but the regular stuff is just too complicated. I mean, with having to add the milk and the butter and then all the mixing and everything . . . ugh, you have to be a professional chef or something to make that stuff come out right. Thoughts?" She tilted her head and bit her bottom lip.

Luke stared at her for a moment, then he said, "No, I wasn’t in love with her last year."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Not at all?"

"Nope."

"But you probably still love her as a friend, right?" Lorelai asked.

Luke sighed loudly. "What is this, twenty questions?"

"No, just ten," Lorelai said, smiling. "Come on, it’s a fun game."

He groaned. "Yeah, real fun. How about we put you on the spot now, shall we? Do you still love Max?"

Lorelai’s smile disappeared. "Okay, we can stop playing now." She turned her head away and stared at the bonfire. "The fire’s pretty."

Luke looked at her curiously. "Why won’t you answer? Does that mean yes?"

Lorelai shook her head. "No, not at all."

"So what does it mean?" Luke asked. "It obviously means something."

"It means that I hate this game and I don’t wanna play anymore," she said quickly. "Let’s play charades or freeze tag or anything else that makes me not have to answer any difficult questions."

"Lorelai, it’s a yes or no question. I wouldn’t call it difficult," Luke said.

Lorelai hesitated for a moment. She finally exhaled loudly and said, "I was never. . . in love with Max."

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you talking about? But you were gonna marry him."

She looked down and examined her fingernails. "I know." They both stared straight ahead in silence for several seconds. Lorelai slowly turned her head to look at him. "What? What are you thinking?"

"Nothing," he said with a shrug. "Just looking at the fire. You know, bonfires are a real safety hazard."

Lorelai sighed. "You’re thinking why would I get engaged to someone I didn’t love."

He looked at her and shrugged. "Possibly crossed my mind."

Lorelai shook her head toward the ground. "I don’t know why. He loved me. I just. . .I really liked that feeling."

"So that’s why you got engaged to him?" Luke asked skeptically. "You never stopped to think that for the marriage to work, it might actually be necessary for you to love him back?"

"Don’t do that," Lorelai said, shaking her head.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Be condescending," Lorelai said, turning her head away. "I know I was stupid, don’t rub it in."

"I’m not being condescending. I’m just trying to figure out what happened," Luke said. "So. . . what happened?"

She sighed. "I don’t even know what happened. I finally realized that I wasn’t in love with him. I was just in love with the idea of getting married, of having someone love me, of sharing my life with someone – but not him." She shrugged.

Luke nodded. "So essentially all the jealousy I felt toward him was really unnecessary?"

Lorelai smiled. "Yeah."

"Although he did get to kiss you before I did, so there’s always gonna be a little residual jealousy," Luke said.

Lorelai smiled. "But you get to kiss me now, and I’m a much better kisser now than when I was with him."

Luke laughed. "Oh yeah?"

Lorelai nodded. "You know, it improves with age." She leaned forward and kissed him, then rested her head against his shoulder.

* * *

On Wednesday night, Lorelai walked through the front door slightly after 9:30. She walked into the living room, where Rory was sprawled on the couch watching television. "Hey," Lorelai said. "Comfy?"

Rory looked up, slightly surprised to see her. "Mom, hi. I didn’t even hear you come in the door." She stood up.

"I’ve been practicing my burglar skills," Lorelai said. "Now I know I’m skilled enough to rob my own house."

Rory picked up the remote and turned off the television. "How was dinner?"

"Good. I had fettucine alfredo," she said, holding up a takeout container. "There’s some left if you want it."

"Maybe tomorrow," Rory replied. Lorelai turned around and walked into the kitchen. Rory followed her. "Uh, Mom, I have to talk to you about something."

Lorelai put the container in the fridge, then turned around. "Sure, what?"

"Uh, well, Dad called tonight," Rory started.

"Oh yeah, how’s he doing?" Lorelai asked.

"Good, he’s good," Rory said quickly. "Uh, and I mentioned to him that I had off from school next Friday, and he sort of. . . invited me to come up to visit for the weekend."

Lorelai’s eyes widened slightly. "The whole weekend? Three whole days?"

Rory nodded. "He said I could stay in the guest room, and that he and Sherry would show me around Boston. And he said that maybe we could go on a tour of Harvard, with a real tour guide and everything."

"Ah, so he pulled out the big gun," Lorelai said with a smile. "So, I guess you wanna go?"

Rory shrugged. "He told me to check with you first. I mean, I know three days is a long time so if you don’t want – "

Lorelai held up her hand. "Rory, it’s fine. Go, it’s no problem."

Rory smiled. "Really? You’re sure?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yes, I’m sure. You’ll get to see his new place and everything, it’ll be good for you guys to spend time together. Go. I’ll even call him and tell him I’m okay with it."

"You will?" Rory asked. She gave Lorelai a hug and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks Mom."

"You’re welcome," Lorelai said. As Rory walked back to the living room, Lorelai picked up the cordless phone from the counter and sat down at the table. She dialed Christopher’s number.

After several rings, he answered. "Hello?"

"Chris, hey," Lorelai said.

"Lorelai?" he replied.

"Yeah, it’s me," Lorelai said. "Uh, Rory just talked to me about this little trip that you’ve apparently got all planned out without so much as a mention to me about it."

"Yeah, Lor, I’m sorry about that," Christopher said. "I just casually mentioned that it would be nice if she could visit. I really didn’t mean to go behind your back like that."

"Huh." Lorelai paused a moment, trying to determine if he sounded sincere. "Well, she really wants to go so I told her it was fine with me."

"Really?" Christopher said, surprised. "Aw, Lor, that’s great. Thanks. Really, this means a lot, thank you."

"You’re welcome," she replied.

"Uh, let’s see. Um, I think I’ll pick her up on Thursday night," Christopher said. "That way we’ll have all of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Then I’ll drive her back down late Sunday afternoon."

"Wow, that makes it seem like a really long time," Lorelai said, frowning.

"It’s only a few days," Christopher said. "She’ll be back before you know it."

Lorelai sighed. "I know. So, uh, call us next week to let us know when you’ll be here and everything."

"Okay, I will," Christopher replied. "And thanks, Lor."

"You’re welcome," she replied. "Bye." Lorelai hung up the phone and dropped it on the table. After exhaling loudly, she stood up and wandered into the living room. Rory looked up at her. "I called your dad and told him you’re going. He’s gonna pick you up on Thursday night."

Rory smiled. "Really? Cool. Thanks Mom." Lorelai nodded and shifted her feet uncomfortably. Rory’s smile faded as she stared at Lorelai. "You look sad. Mom, I don’t have to go."

Lorelai shook her head. "No, I want you to go. I’m gonna miss you, but I really think you should go."

Rory hesitated a moment, then said, "Okay." She smiled. "If you miss me too much you can go over to Grandma’s house and stare at the near-lifelike portrait and talk to it like it’s really me."

Lorelai laughed. "Yeah, that might – " She paused and grimaced. "Uh oh."

"What uh oh?" Rory’s eyes widened. "What’s wrong?"

"You’re gonna miss Friday night dinner," Lorelai said. "She’s gonna freak out, especially since you’ll be with Sherry."

Rory grimaced. "That definitely is an ‘uh oh’. Shoot. Can you talk to her?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I’ll try. I’ll call her tomorrow."

Rory nodded. "Thanks."

Lorelai thought for a moment, then said, "I think I’m gonna go call Luke and then go right to bed. Night."

"Night Mom," Rory replied.

* * *

The next morning, Lorelai walked into Luke’s and sat down at the counter with a loud sigh. Jess walked over to her. "You look happy," he commented.

"Well, then I think you’ve got your interpretation of emotions a little confused," Lorelai replied.

Jess shrugged. "My observation skills aren’t as sharp as they used to be. Coffee?"

Lorelai nodded. "Where’s - "

"He’s upstairs," he interrupted. He turned around and poured a cup of coffee, then placed it in front of her. He watched her take a sip. "Does it suck?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Excuse me?"

"The coffee," he said, pointing to the cup. "Does it suck?"

"Oh, no, it’s good," Lorelai replied. "Why?"

"’Cause I had to make this pot myself and the last time I made it. . . .well, there were some complaints," he said with a shrug.

Lorelai smiled. "Well, you did good this time."

"Good." Jess nodded and walked away.

Lorelai sipped her coffee for a few more minutes before Luke walked down the stairs and into the diner. He walked over to her, and she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "You feeling better about Rory’s trip?"

"Still a little sad," Lorelai admitted. "You probably think I’m being crazy."

He shook his head. "No, I understand. You don’t like to be away from her. You’ll be home all alone watching television while she’s out having a good time in some other state with other people who aren’t you."

Lorelai frowned. "Are you trying to make me feel better? It’s not working."

Luke smiled. "So that’s why I was thinking that we. . . should go away that same weekend."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "What? You want. . .us to go away together?"

"Yeah. I was thinking about it last night. I can get Caesar to cover the diner. We’ll get away from here, we’ll go to a nice hotel, stay the whole weekend. You won’t even realize that Rory’s up in Boston," Luke said.

"Huh." Lorelai thought for a minute. "But you hate hotels," she pointed out.

He shrugged. "I’ll live."

"But what about Jess?" Lorelai asked.

"I mentioned it to him this morning, he said he’d be no trouble," Luke said.

Lorelai tilted her head and gave him a look.

Luke smirked. "I threatened him and told him that if there were any complaints while we were gone, he’d be doing double shifts at the diner for no pay."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Good plan." She took a sip of coffee. "Mm, he did make good coffee today though. Gotta appreciate a kid who can make good coffee."

Luke looked at the cup warily. "Let me know if you get sharp shooting stomach pains later today."

Lorelai’s eyes widened and she put the cup down. "Finished."

"So what do you say?" Luke asked.

Lorelai smiled and shrugged. "Sure, why not? Let’s go away together. Where should we go?"

"I have a few ideas. I’ll take care of everything." Luke smiled. "Feel a little better now?"

She smiled. "Definitely. Good enough to eat breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, and bacon, please."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Geez. Okay, we’re going somewhere where they only serve healthy food."

Lorelai shook her head. "Well, that wouldn’t really be in your best interest, Luke."

"Oh no? Why not?" he asked with a smirk.

"Well, because I wouldn’t eat anything all weekend, and then I wouldn’t have enough energy to do any other sort of . . . physical activity." She raised her eyebrows suggestively and smiled.

Luke’s eyes widened slightly. "Huh, good point."

* * *

* * *

Part 17

Later that morning, Lorelai stood at the front desk of the Independence Inn staring at the phone. As she tapped her fingers nervously on the desk, Michel shot her a dirty look. "That is very annoying," he said dryly.

She stopped tapping and looked at him. "Michel, I don’t know what to do. I was already nervous about having to get Rory out of dinner, but now I have to get myself out of dinner, too."

"A terrible quandary. I wish I could help you, but I don’t really want to," Michel said, walking away.

"But I – ," Lorelai frowned at him. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone. She dialed slowly, part of her hoping that there’d be an emergency with one of the guests that would force her to hang up and call back later. She hesitated before she punched the last button. She finally wrinkled her nose and pushed it, then she sighed as she heard ringing. After several rings, Lorelai was about to hang up when she heard someone answer.

"Hello?" Richard said.

Lorelai was surprised. "Uh, Dad?"

"Lorelai?" Richard asked.

"Yeah, it’s me," Lorelai replied. "Uh, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you answer the phone before."

"Well, your mother’s out running some errands and the maid went shopping," Richard explained. "And a few weeks ago, I discovered that the fastest way to get the vexatious ringing to stop is to pick up the phone."

Lorelai laughed. "Well, good going, Dad."

"Yes, well, I try to experience new things as often as possible," he said. "Did you want to talk to your mother?"

"Uh, not really," Lorelai muttered.

"Excuse me? I didn’t quite catch that," Richard said.

"Oh, it was nothing Dad," Lorelai said. "Um, I wanted to talk to Mom about dinner next week. . ." Lorelai paused a moment and smiled. "But maybe you can do your favorite daughter a huge favor and talk to her for me."

"What about dinner? Do you have some sort of specific request?" Richard asked. "Our chef can make anything you want. She’s very talented."

"Uh, no, not exactly," Lorelai said. "See, the thing is that Rory’s gonna go visit Christopher in Boston next weekend, and me and Luke are going away, too. So, uh, neither of us can come to dinner next week." Lorelai bit her bottom lip nervously. Richard didn’t say anything. "Dad?"

"Yes?" Richard asked.

"Did you get all that?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, I’m just trying to think of a scenario in my head in which your mother won’t have a stroke when I tell her this," Richard said.

Lorelai sighed. "I’m sorry, Dad. You don’t have to talk to her, she’ll just get mad at you. I can call her back later and – "

"No, no," Richard interrupted. "I’ll do it. Uh, perhaps I won’t mention it until after tomorrow night’s dinner though."

"Ooh, good plan, Dad," Lorelai said. "Thanks."

"You’re welcome," he said. "I’ll see you tomorrow night then?"

"Sure will," Lorelai said. "Bye Dad."

"Goodbye Lorelai."

Lorelai hung up the phone and smiled to herself, then wandered into the kitchen. "Sookie, Sookie, Sookie," she said in a singsong voice. She walked over to her and patted her on the shoulder.

"You sound a little too happy," Sookie said, smiling.

"That’s because I just convinced my dad to talk to my mom about us missing dinner next week," Lorelai said. "So now I don’t have to do it."

Sookie’s eyes widened. "Ooh, nice."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. She clapped her hands together a few times. "Ah, I’m so excited!"

Sookie giggled. "I can tell. Did he tell you where you’re going yet?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Nope. And part of me wants to know right now, but the other part of me doesn’t really care where it is. I mean, we could spend the weekend at a hotel in Hartford and it’d be fine with me. I just need to get away anywhere."

Sookie nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Lorelai was quiet for a moment. "You don’t think it’s too soon for us to go away together, right? I mean, we’ll be together for like. . .I don’t know, seventy hours straight. Are we ready for that?"

Sookie smiled. "I think you’re totally ready for it."

Lorelai shrugged. "But these weekend getaways can really break a relationship."

"No, they can really break an unstable relationship," Sookie corrected her. "You guys are far from unstable."

Lorelai smiled. "You think so?"

Sookie nodded. "It’ll be fine." She smiled. "Ooh, you should go shopping and buy some new lingerie or something."

Lorelai’s eyes lit up. "Oh, good idea! You wanna go out this weekend?"

"Absolutely." Sookie giggled. "Although, it’s kind of a waste of money since you probably won’t be wearing it very long."

Lorelai smirked. "Bye Sookie."

* * *

On Saturday afternoon, Lorelai and Sookie walked into the diner carrying several bags from their shopping excursion. They sat down at a table, and it was only a few minutes before Luke walked over. He leaned down and kissed Lorelai, then eyed the shopping bags suspiciously. "What did you buy?"

"It’s all stuff for you," Sookie said, smiling.

He groaned. "Me? What is it? Please tell me you didn’t buy me new clothes," he said, trying to look in the bags.

Lorelai smiled and gently pushed him away. "No, they’re not new clothes for you, but you can’t see what they are. It’s a surprise."

"I hate surprises," Luke reminded her.

"Ah, I think you’ll like this one," Lorelai said, raising her eyebrows. "Maybe you didn’t see the name on the side of the bag." She picked up the Victoria’s Secret bag and held it up.

Luke smiled. "Okay, this might be one of those rare surprises that I actually like."

Lorelai smiled as she put the bag down. "So, tell me where we’re going."

"Yeah, where are you going?" Sookie asked excitedly.

Luke smirked. "You sure you don’t wanna be surprised?" He turned around and walked toward the counter.

Lorelai jumped up and followed him. She put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. "No, I hate surprises too. Tell me, please."

He shrugged. "Fine, I’ll tell you. I made reservations at the Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa in Groton."

Lorelai’s eyes widened with surprise. "Hotel and spa? No, you didn’t!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Luke smiled. "Yup, I did. From Thursday night to Sunday morning."

Lorelai gasped. "Luke, oh my God!"

He smiled at her excitement. "Yeah, they have a ton of stuff right at the hotel. A restaurant, indoor pool, gym, massage rooms, sauna, things like that. And I booked the room with a king-sized bed and an oversized whirlpool tub right in the room. Plus, there’s a coffee shop right in the hotel," he added, rolling his eyes. "And that’s pretty much all you need."

Lorelai’s mouth dropped open. "Oh my God. That sounds amazing! Wow. . . that’s gonna be so . . . wow." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. She pulled back and said, "But – I mean, all that spa stuff. . .I know you don’t like stuff like that."

He shrugged and took one of her hands into his. "Well, if you wanna get a massage or something, I’ll just hang out in the room or go to the gym for a little while. It’s no big deal."

"Wow, you sure do know how to spoil a girl," she said, smiling. She ran a hand over his cheek. "It sounds incredible. Thank you."

"You’re welcome," he said. He kissed her softly, then wrapped his arms around her waist. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, hugging him back tightly. She glanced over at Sookie, who was smiling at them. Lorelai pulled back and said, "Uh, we’ll have a couple of burgers," she said, gesturing to the table.

Luke nodded. "Okay, they’ll be right out." Lorelai walked back over to the table and sat down.

"Okay, spill it," Sookie said, drumming her hands on the table. "Did you find out where you’re going?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Listen to this – The Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa. Doesn’t that sound fabulous? I think he said it’s in Groton. We’re going from Thursday to Sunday."

Sookie gasped and clasped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God!"

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her. "What? What’s wrong?"

Sookie smiled and lowered her voice. "Lorelai, you better be pretty darn nice to him. Jackson and I came across a brochure for that place a few weeks ago, and lemme tell you, it’s not cheap."

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "Really? How much is it?"

Sookie shrugged. "Well, I think some of the rooms are over two hundred bucks a night."

Lorelai gasped. "You’re kidding me!" she whispered loudly.

Sookie shook her head. "Nope, it’s a really nice place."

Lorelai stared into space for a moment, then leaned forward and said, "So he might be spending over six hundred dollars just on the room alone?"

Sookie shrugged. "I don’t know, maybe he got a deal or had a coupon or something."

Lorelai sat back in her chair. "Wow. And, I mean, that’s probably not including all of our meals and stuff, right? Oh God, this is gonna cost him a fortune, Sookie. That’s just. . .plus, he’s probably not even gonna use the spa part, just me. I can’t believe he did that," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

Sookie smiled at her. "He loves you. He wants you to have a good time."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "I know. Let me tell you, we’re gonna get our money’s worth out of that king-sized bed."

* * *

On Thursday afternoon, Rory carried her suitcase out of her bedroom and set it by the front door next to her duffel bag. Lorelai took a bottle of water from the fridge and walked into the front hallway. "Here, take this for the ride."

"Oh, good idea, thanks," Rory said. She set it next to her stuff and checked her watch. "Dean should be here any minute to say goodbye." Rory walked into the living room and picked up her wallet from the desk. Lorelai walked over and gave her a hug.

Rory smiled. "Mom, that’s the fifth hug you’ve given me in the past twenty minutes."

Lorelai hugged her tighter. "I know, I can’t help it, I’m gonna miss you."

Rory pulled back from her. "Mom, you’re gonna be having such a great time with Luke that you’re not even gonna notice I’m not there."

Lorelai scoffed. "Not true."

Rory smiled. "It’s totally true, you’ll see. This weekend’s gonna fly by."

Lorelai shrugged. "Don’t forget to call me everyday. I’ll leave the cell on. And call from a room where they can’t listen to you because I wanna know all the dirt."

Rory smiled. "Got it."

Lorelai reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a handful of bills. "Here, I know your dad’s probably gonna offer to pay for everything anyway, but here’s a little spending money."

Rory smiled and took the money. "Thanks. I’ll try not to spend it all." She glanced out the window. "Luke’s back."

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "He is? That was fast." She looked out the window and saw him walking up the front porch. She walked to the front door and pulled it open before he had a chance to knock.

Luke was startled. "God, you almost gave me a heart attack," he grumbled.

"Sorry," Lorelai said quickly. "I’m just excited." She looked at his outfit and nodded approvingly. He had altered his regular look slightly, keeping the T-shirt and jeans, losing the baseball cap and plaid shirt, and adding a leather jacket. "You look good. You picked up your bags, right?"

"Yeah, they’re in the car, and I also stopped at the gas station. You were on empty," he said. He stepped into the house. "Where’re your bags? I’ll load them in the car now."

"They’re upstairs," she said. "I’ll help you bring ‘em down."

"No, I’ll get them," Luke said, walking past her and up the stairs. A few seconds later, Lorelai heard, "Oh my God!" Luke’s voice bellowed through the house. "Lorelai! We’re going for three days, not three years!"

Lorelai walked into the living room and grimaced at Rory. "I told you you were packing too much," Rory said, shaking her head.

Lorelai shrugged. "I have to be prepared for all situations."

"Lorelai!" Luke called from upstairs. "Come up here please!"

Lorelai sighed as she climbed up the stairs. She found Luke at the top of the steps with his arms folded across his chest. Lorelai stopped a few feet away from him. "Yes, dear?" she said mockingly.

Luke pointed into the bedroom. "Go in there and condense those three suitcases into two. We are not bringing that much junk with us."

Lorelai scoffed. "It’s not junk, Luke. I need all that stuff."

"Two suitcases," he repeated sternly.

She frowned. "I have to be prepared for – "

"Two suitcases," he interrupted.

She pouted and sauntered over to him. She uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on her waist. She kissed his cheeks several times before pressing her lips against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck as her tongue separated his lips and found its way into his mouth. A short moan escaped his throat as their tongues glided over each other and the kiss deepened with passion.

As they broke apart, both of them were heaving to catch their breaths. "Two. . . suitcases," Luke said in between his deep breaths.

"How about two and a duffel bag?" Lorelai said through her own panting.

"Deal," he replied. He pressed his lips against hers again, then pulled back and said, "Hurry. Call me when you’re done."

Lorelai smiled and walked into her bedroom as Luke walked downstairs.

Fifteen minutes later, Lorelai walked downstairs with a duffel bag and a garment bag. Luke and Rory were both sitting on the couch. "Okay, two suitcases are up there waiting for you, meanie," Lorelai said.

Luke stood up. "Thank you."

He walked upstairs as Lorelai sat down next to Rory. "So, what’d I miss?"

"Uh, not much. Dean stopped by to say goodbye, then he had to go to work," Rory said.

Lorelai nodded. They heard a noise on the stairs, and they both looked over and saw Luke carrying the two overstuffed suitcases down the steps. "Lorelai, if these burst open in the middle of the hotel lobby, I hope you know that I’m not gonna help you pick everything up."

"Don’t worry, a fancy place like that probably has special employees who just stand there and wait for suitcases to pop open so they can help people," Lorelai said. She jumped up off the couch and rushed to the front door to pull it open for him. Luke walked out and she followed him onto the porch just as Christopher pulled into the driveway. He honked the horn and waved to her.

"Rory, your dad’s here!" Lorelai called. Noticing Sherry in the passenger seat, she mumbled, "And the psycho fembot he calls his girlfriend."

Rory rushed out of the house and ran over to the car. Rory hugged Christopher tightly as Lorelai walked over to them. Lorelai gave Christopher a casual hug, then greeted Sherry as Luke walked over to them.

"Uh, Luke, you remember Christopher?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, how’s it going?" Luke said, extending his hand.

"Good, it’s going good, thanks," Christopher said, shaking his hand. "Uh, this is Sherry."

Sherry extended her hand. "It’s so nice to meet you."

Luke shook her hand. "Yeah, same here."

"Okay, let me just get my stuff," Rory said, walking toward the house.

"Oh, here, I’ll get it," Luke said, following her.

"No, that’s okay, I’ll get it," Christopher said, following him.

Lorelai folded her arms in front of her uncomfortably as she looked at Sherry. "So, uh, do you wanna come in for a drink before you guys leave?"

"Oh, no, that’s okay. We were gonna stop somewhere for dinner on the way home," Sherry said. "Maybe I could use your restroom, though?"

"Oh, sure, come on in," Lorelai said. She turned around and walked toward the house as Luke and Christopher both walked out carrying some of Rory’s luggage. Lorelai showed Sherry to the bathroom, then walked back out front. Luke and Christopher stood talking at the edge of the yard. Sherry walked out, thanking Lorelai as she walked past her and over to the car.

A few seconds later, Rory walked out of the house carrying her jacket, her duffel bag, and a bottle of water. She and Lorelai walked halfway down the yard. Rory set her things down on the lawn and gave Lorelai a hug. "Bye Mom. Have fun."

Lorelai hugged her back tightly. "You too. Don’t forget to call me." She gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too," Rory said. Luke walked over to them as they broke apart from their hug.

"Bye Rory, have a good time," Luke said, smiling.

"Thanks. Good luck putting up with Mom for three days," Rory said with a laugh. She gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Bye Luke." She picked up her stuff and walked toward the car.

Luke, surprised by her affection, reached up and unconsciously touched his cheek. "She just. . ."

Lorelai smiled at him and said quietly, "Luke, don’t be so shocked. You’re like a father-figure to her. She loves you."

Luke’s eyes widened slightly and he smiled. "Huh."

Lorelai walked over to the car as Christopher and Sherry got in. Rory put her stuff in the backseat, then turned around and hugged Lorelai one more time. "Bye Mom."

"Bye hon," Lorelai said. Rory climbed into the car. Lorelai stepped up to the driver’s window and leaned down. "Now, she’s a little rambunctious sometimes, so make sure she takes her Ritalin or she’s just gonna get too out of control."

Christopher laughed. "Okay, got it. Anything else?"

Lorelai smiled. "Take good care of her."

Christopher smiled. "We will. Bye Lor."

"Bye." Lorelai stepped back from the car. Luke walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She placed her hands on top of his as the car backed out of the driveway. She smiled and waved at Rory as it pulled away.

When the car disappeared from her view, she turned around and hugged Luke. "I miss her already," she said sadly.

Luke rubbed her back. "I know, me too. Come on, let’s go. You need anything else from the house?"

Lorelai nodded. They walked inside. As Luke checked to make sure the doors were all locked, Lorelai collected her duffel bag and garment bag from the living room, then grabbed her purse and jacket from the front hallway. "You have the keys?" Lorelai called.

Luke walked out of the kitchen holding them up. "Yup, let’s go." They walked out of the house and locked the front door. They climbed into the Jeep and Luke started the car.

"Oh, hey, can we stop at the diner and get some coffee?" Lorelai asked.

Luke rolled his eyes. "What happens if I say no?"

Lorelai smiled. "Well, then this weekend you will become involuntarily celibate."

Luke sighed. He drove to the diner, and Lorelai got out and walked inside. She walked up to Jess at the counter. "Coffee to go, please."

"Aren’t you supposed to be on a trip?" Jess asked.

"Yup, we’re just about to leave," Lorelai said. "What are you doing while you have the apartment all to yourself? Throwing a party?"

"Yeah, the strippers are already up there waiting for me," he said, turning around to get the coffee.

"Wow, you didn’t waste any time getting ‘em over here," Lorelai said, giving an impressed nod.

"I’m very efficient," Jess said. He placed the lid on the cup and set it in front of her.

"Thanks," she said. She dropped a couple of bills on the counter. "Keep the change."

"Thanks." He opened the register. He put in the amount of the coffee and stuck the rest into his pocket. Lorelai picked up her cup, but hesitated a moment before walking away. "What?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. "Something on my face?"

She shook her head. "You know, Jess, Luke is really putting a lot of trust in you this weekend," Lorelai said.

"I know that," he said, folding his arms across his chest.

"So, you know. . . just please don’t make him regret it," she said, giving him a hopeful look. "Please?"

He shrugged. "I’ll try."

Lorelai nodded. "Good. Bye." Jess nodded toward her and walked away. Lorelai walked out of the counter and got into the Jeep.

"Geez, took you long enough. Did you have to wait for the shipment of coffee beans to arrive from Columbia?" Luke asked.

Lorelai smiled and stared straight ahead. "Just drive, Luke." Luke pulled away from the diner. "Are you sure you know how to get there?"

"Yeah," Luke said. "It’s only like an hour away. It’s easy."

* * *

An hour later, the Jeep was pulled over on the side of the road while Lorelai looked at a map. "You obviously took a wrong turn somewhere," she said.

"I know that much," Luke said, taking the map from her.

Lorelai sighed. "I told you to ask for directions at that gas station, but noooo. . . you had to pull the old ‘I’m a guy, I can’t ask for directions’ routine."

"I told you I can figure it out myself," Luke mumbled, staring at the map.

"Yes, and I have complete faith in you that you can figure it out, but can’t we just pretend that you would’ve eventually figured it out and speed up the process by getting someone to tell us?" Lorelai asked.

Luke shook his head. "Nope, I’ll figure it out myself."

Lorelai sighed and leaned back against the seat. She folded her arms across her chest and stared out the window, noticing a 7-11 down the road. She stared down at her empty coffee cup, then turned to Luke. "Hey, how about while you’re figuring it out, you pull up the road to that 7-11 so I can get some coffee. Please?"

Luke sighed. "Fine. Hold this," he said, handing her the map. He drove down the road and pulled into the parking lot. She handed the map back to him, then got out of the car. She walked inside, and Luke watched her through the window as she fixed herself a cup of coffee, then walked up to the counter. She paid for it, then she started talking to the clerk. He saw the clerk point out the window a few times before Lorelai smiled and walked away.

Luke rolled his eyes as she walked out of the store and climbed into the Jeep. "Did you just ask for directions?"

Lorelai scoffed. "No! I can’t believe you think that I don’t trust you enough to figure this out. I have complete faith in you."

Luke sighed. "So what did he say?"

She smiled. "That you missed the turn for I-95 north, and that you just have to go back down this road the way we came and you’ll see signs for it."

"I would’ve figured that out," he muttered, folding up the map.

Lorelai patted him on the shoulder. "I know, honey, I know," she said, frowning sympathetically. "I just didn’t want to starve to death while I was waiting for you to do so."

"Hmph," Luke grumbled as he pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up in front of the hotel. "Oh my God," Lorelai said, her eyes widening. "This looks like a castle or something."

Luke was just as impressed. "Wow. This place is huge."

"Are you sure you don’t have to be a member of the Royal Family to come here, Luke?" Lorelai asked.

He smiled. "I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised though." Luke pulled up near the door where other guests were unloading their luggage. "Here, we’ll unload the bags and I’ll go park the car."

"I think they have valet," Lorelai said, looking at the other cars.

"I’m perfectly capable of parking the car," Luke said. "I don’t need a stranger doing it for me."

"Okay, okay," Lorelai said, waving him off. "Let’s go in."

They climbed out of the car, and a concierge immediately brought over a cart and helped them unload their luggage. Lorelai waited with the concierge inside the lobby for Luke to park the car. A few minutes later, he walked into the hotel, glancing around impressively at the high ceilings and expensive furnishings. He took Lorelai’s hand and they walked to the front desk to check in.

Several minutes later, the concierge brought them and their luggage up to their room. He unloaded their bags off the cart for them, then stood by the door. "Thanks a lot," Luke said, handing him a tip.

"Thank you sir. Have a pleasant stay," he replied, nodding toward them as he pulled the door shut behind him.

When he was gone, Lorelai threw her arms around Luke’s neck and hugged him tightly. "Oh my God, look at this place! We could get lost in this room!" She pulled back from him and grabbed his hand, leading him around the room and pointing out everything. "Here’s the living room. . . there’s the kitchen area with a fridge and microwave. Ah, it better have a coffee maker. Ooh, it does. Okay, good. What’s this?" She pushed open a door. "Wow, look at the size of this bathroom. This is bigger than your apartment, Luke." She laughed. "Oh my God, look at that tub!" she exclaimed. "It’s amazing."

Luke smiled at her excitement. "It’s nice," he agreed.

She nodded excitedly. "Come on." She pulled him out of the bathroom back into the main room. She stopped in front of the bed. "Oh my God. That’s the biggest bed I’ve ever seen."

Luke laughed. "It’s definitely a lot different than my single bed."

Lorelai collapsed onto it. "Oh my God, it’s so comfy. Come on, feel it."

Luke fell onto it next to her. "Whoa, that is nice." He reached down and clasped his hand around hers. He turned and smiled at her. "You’re beautiful."

She smiled and kissed him. "So are you. Uh, or you might want to substitute a less feminine word that means the same thing."

He smiled. "Thank you." They both sat up and looked around at the huge room. "This is incredible."

"Look at the size of the television," Lorelai said, pointing to it. "Look at . . . just look at everything. It’s amazing here. I think I’d like to live here permanently."

He laughed. "Yeah, well, that’s not exactly in the budget, but I’ll work on it."

She stood up. "Okay, let’s unpack and then go get some dinner. I’m starving."

Luke stood up. "Yeah, me too."

Lorelai patted the bed. "Don’t worry bed, you’ll get plenty of attention after dinner." She looked at Luke and smiled. "That is, of course, unless you had other plans."

Luke smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Uh, no, that’s pretty much the only plan I had for the entire weekend."

Lorelai laughed and kissed him. "Sounds good to me."

End Part 17

* * *

Part 18

Lorelai wandered over to the work desk in the corner of the room and found a stack of brochures. She picked one up and flipped through it. "Huh, this is a brochure of all the services they have here." She picked up another one. "Here’re some restaurants and things to do in the area." She picked up a third. "Ooh, the room service menu."

Luke walked over to her. "Do you want room service or do you wanna go down to the restaurant?"

She thought for a moment. "Hmm, restaurant. I wanna get all dressed up," she said excitedly.

Luke rolled his eyes. "How did I know you were gonna say that?" he muttered as he walked away. She flipped quickly through the rest of the brochures, then walked over to the pile of luggage.

They unpacked their bags, unloading all of their clothes into the bureau and closet. Lorelai took her bag of toiletries into the bathroom and started lining them up on the counter. Luke walked in and his eyes widened. "Oh my God. You trying to start your own cosmetics store?"

Lorelai smiled. "You’re mocking now, but you should know that this is only half of my stuff. Rory convinced me not to bring everything."

Luke rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. "Remind me to thank her later." He picked up some of the bottles and looked at the labels. "You don’t need all this crap." He picked up one of her compacts and opened it up. His eyes widened. "Okay, this one you need."

Lorelai looked at it and laughed. She grabbed the compact of pills and closed it. "Yeah, unless you want me to exchange my new lingerie for maternity clothes." She unloaded the last few items and tossed her bag on the floor. "Okay, all done."

"Finally," Luke muttered. He turned around and walked out of the bathroom. "What should I wear?"

She thought for a moment. "Hmm, black pants with one of your suit shirts."

He made a face. "A suit shirt? Are you kidding?"

She shook her head. "It’s a really nice restaurant, Luke. Look at the pictures in the brochure over there," she said, pointing to the desk.

Luke groaned. "All right, I’ll wear the stupid suit shirt. What are you wearing?"

She walked over to the closet and unzipped her garment bag. She pulled out a navy blue dress and held it up in front of herself. "This."

"Hmm, nice," he said, nodding approvingly. He pulled his black pants and a suit shirt out of his drawer, then walked into the bathroom.

Several minutes later, the door opened and Luke walked out. Lorelai was already dressed and was sitting in an armchair. She stood up and walked over to him, smiling. "See, I just don’t understand why you hate dressing up so much when you always look so good." She ran her hands across his chest, smoothing out his shirt.

Luke looked down at his outfit. "Because I feel like a banker and I hate bankers."

Lorelai smiled. "I promise you that you don’t look like a banker." She kissed him. "I have to touch up my makeup, then we can go."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in the hotel restaurant. Lorelai was buttering a roll as Luke finished up his salad. She glanced around at the surrounding tables, then brought her gaze back to Luke and smiled. "This is really great."

Luke nodded. "Fancy hotels aren’t usually my thing, but. . ." He glanced around the room and smiled. "But this is really nice."

Lorelai broke off a piece of her roll and put it in her mouth. She chewed it slowly, then asked, "What do you wanna do tomorrow?"

He shrugged. "I haven’t thought about it. You?"

She shrugged. "I don’t know. There’s so much to choose from. Get a massage, take a steam in the sauna. . . ooh, we can relax in the pool. You brought a bathing suit, didn’t you?"

"Yeah, but I’m not going in the pool," Luke said, shaking his head.

"What? Why not?" Lorelai asked, disappointed.

He scoffed and looked at her in disbelief. "Because public pools are a breeding ground for microorganisms and pose a severe risk for infections. I’m not exposing myself to that bacteria, and you really shouldn’t either."

"This isn’t a public pool, Luke," Lorelai said, rolling her eyes. "It’s not like it’s in the middle of a town where anybody can go in it. It’s at a luxury hotel and spa."

"There’s still a risk," Luke said knowingly.

"You really won’t come in with me?" she asked, frowning. He shook his head. "How ‘bout if I beg? Pout? Whine? Cry?"

He shook his head continually at all of her suggestions.

She sighed. "Come on, what’ll make you go in with me? I’ll do anything you want."

He paused for a moment, then his lips formed into a small smile. "Anything?"

Lorelai gasped. "Are you thinking something dirty?" She narrowed her eyes and wagged a finger at him.

He shook his head. "You remember what we passed on the way here, a few miles back? I believe you sarcastically remarked that I’d probably move there if I could," he said, rolling his eyes.

Lorelai thought for a moment, then she grimaced. "No way, don’t make me," she whined.

Luke laughed. "Yup."

Lorelai shook her head. "Come on, there’s gotta be something else I can do."

Luke shrugged. "Nope, that’s the only way you’ll get me in the pool. Deal?"

She made a face. "Fine." Lorelai let out a loud sigh and mumbled, "I’ll go to the stupid batting cages with you."

Luke smiled. "Good, and I’ll go in the bacteria-infested pool with you."

Lorelai frowned. "My part of the deal involves more physical activity. That’s not fair. I’m gonna be so sore."

He shrugged. "But then you can come back here and get a massage, so it’ll all work out."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "Huh, good point." She smiled and took a sip of wine.

* * *

An hour later, they returned to their room, and Lorelai groaned as they walked through the door. "Ugh, I ate too much."

"I told you not to have that piece of cake," Luke said pointedly. "You should’ve listened."

"Yeah, but you didn’t tell me not to have it because it would make me feel sick, you told me not to have it because it was unhealthy," Lorelai pointed out. "So you don’t have a right to the ‘I told you so’ this time."

"But no matter how you interpret the motives behind me telling you so, the general point remains that I did tell you so," Luke said.

She frowned at him. "Okay, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just –." Lorelai was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She quickly fumbled through her purse and pulled it out. "Hello?" Lorelai answered. She smiled. "Hey! How was the car ride?. . . Good. . . .Well, that doesn’t surprise me. . . You did?" Lorelai laughed. "Good girl. . . . Yeah. . . Uh huh. . . Oh, it was good." She lowered her voice. "He got a little lost."

Luke rolled his eyes at her. "I would’ve figured it out," he muttered.

Lorelai smiled at him as she talked to Rory. "Oh my God, it’s beautiful . . .It’s like the room in Pretty Woman, I’m not kidding. I feel like a hooker. . . Yeah. . . Okay. . . Have fun tomorrow. . . Call me tomorrow night. . . Love you too. . . Bye." Lorelai hung up the phone and put it back in her purse, then smiled at Luke. "She’s fine."

"Good." Luke smiled. "What did she say?"

"Um, that the ride was good, but that Sherry kept trying to make conversation with her, so Rory finally pretended to take a nap," Lorelai said with a laugh.

Luke laughed. "Smart girl."

She nodded. "They’re going to Harvard tomorrow to take a tour."

"She’ll love that," Luke said.

Lorelai nodded. "She’ll have fun." She sighed and clutched her stomach. "Okay, what do you say we get ready for bed, then we watch television or something and pray that this stomachache goes away soon."

Luke nodded. "Sounds good."

Lorelai picked up a brochure from the desk, then walked over and sat down in an armchair. "You can use the bathroom first."

Luke grabbed some clothes from the bureau, and his toothbrush and toothpaste from his suitcase, and walked into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later in boxers and a T-shirt. "All done," he announced.

"Hey, we get a free continental breakfast," Lorelai read from the brochure.

"Oh yeah?" Luke asked, walking over to her. "Good deal."

Lorelai stood up and handed him the brochure. "Here, look through it. It talks about all the services they have. They even have a juice bar so you’ll have a place to go while I’m at the coffee shop."

Luke smiled and sat down in the armchair. He started flipping through the brochure as Lorelai walked over to the bureau. She pulled open a drawer and stared at her selection of lingerie, finally selecting a slightly see-through black camisole embroidered with flowers. She brought it, and the matching panties, into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, the bathroom door opened. Luke was on the couch flipping aimlessly through the television channels. He stopped and stared at her as she walked out of the bathroom. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open slightly. She stopped at the closet and hung up her dress, then slowly walked toward him.

A smile spread across his face as she walked over and stood directly in front of him. His eyes slowly glazed over her body, quietly taking in every inch of her beauty. He exhaled loudly and looked into her eyes. "You look incredible." She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. Luke put his hands on her waist and kissed her stomach. "Incredible."

"Thank you," she said softly. She kissed his forehead before she sat down next to him and leaned against his shoulder. "What are you watching?"

He put his arm around her. "Nothing. Haven’t found anything yet." He started flipping through the channels again.

"Ooh, stop," Lorelai said.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"Bad Lieutenant," Lorelai said. She snuggled closer against him, and his hand slid under her camisole and started gliding over her stomach. She giggled. "I was wondering how long it’d take for you to do that. It’s like a magnetic reaction or something." He smiled and kissed her head.

Almost twenty minutes later, Lorelai reached over, picked up the remote control, and turned off the television. Luke smirked as she stood up and grabbed his hand. She pulled him up off the couch and led him over to the foot of the bed.

"So, that stomachache’s all gone," Lorelai said, running her hands over his chest.

"Oh yeah?" Luke asked. "That’s good."

Lorelai looked down at the bed. "Yeah, and this poor bed looks so sad that no one’s using it."

Luke smiled and looked at it. "You’re right. And I’ve read that it’s not good to let inanimate objects feel bad."

Lorelai laughed. "That’s right. So we should really do something about that - you know, for the sake of the bed."

"For the sake of the bed," Luke agreed. He stepped toward her and their lips met in a passionate kiss. He put his hands on her waist, and Lorelai squeezed the back of his neck gently as the kiss deepened. Their mouths opened; their tongues met and began softly gliding over each other.

As they pulled apart, Luke pushed her hair aside and moved his mouth down to her neck. He kissed it several times before taking her skin between his lips and sucking on it gently. As he moved to the other side of her neck, Lorelai looked up toward the ceiling and let out a soft moan.

Her hands clutched the bottom of his shirt, and he pulled back long enough for her to slip it over his head. As she dropped it on the floor, his lips went back to her neck, kissing up and down it gently as her hands ran over his shoulders and back. She lifted his face up to hers and kissed him, then kissed a trail down his neck to his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair as she kissed over the soft skin of his upper body.

He placed a hand on her chin and guided her lips up to his. He ran a finger over the embroidery on her camisole, and Lorelai’s body surged with excitement as he grazed her breasts. The stimulation of her nipples made her shiver with arousal, and as he ran over them a second time, Lorelai’s breathing suddenly became very heavy. She raised her arms in the air, encouraging him to remove her top. He lifted it over her head and dropped it on the floor.

Lorelai leaned back and fell onto the foot of the bed, then inched herself up to the pillows. Luke climbed on top of her and immediately brought his mouth to her chest. He sucked on her breasts lightly and ran the tip of his tongue over her nipples. She ran her fingers through his hair and moaned loudly toward the ceiling.

He lifted his head up from her chest and she let out a groan of disappointment as her body craved more contact. She kissed him hungrily, darting her tongue into his mouth aggressively as her arousal increased by the second. He moved his mouth down her chest to her stomach, gliding his tongue over her soft skin. His hands found their way up to her breasts, and he squeezed them gently as he encircled her navel with his tongue.

He brought his hands to the waistband of her panties, and she arched her back to help him remove them. He pulled them down her legs and tossed them on the floor, then glided his hands up and down her long legs. As he kissed her along her thighs, Lorelai’s body throbbed with excitement as her arousal intensified.

She leaned forward and ran her hands over his chest and stomach, then moved them down to his boxers. She started to push them down, and Luke helped her by sliding them off and tossing them aside.

She rolled over onto her stomach, then kneeled in front of him and pressed her body against his. From behind her, Luke wrapped his arms around her and caressed her breasts, squeezing and massaging them gently as he kissed the back of her neck. Lorelai placed her hands on the back of Luke’s head, pushing him harder against her neck. She groaned loudly as his fingers squeezed her sensitive nipples. She muttered breathlessly, "Oh my God, Luke. . . I need you."

Luke put one hand on the center of her back and gently pushed her upper body downward toward the bed until she was resting on her elbows. As he placed his hands on her waist, Lorelai stared at the headboard, biting her bottom lip and breathing heavy with anticipation. He positioned himself directly behind her and pressed the tip of his hardness against her sex. Lorelai clenched her eyes shut tight as the initial contact caused the throbbing between her legs to intensify. In one quick motion, he pulled her hips toward him and he grunted with pleasure as his hardness disappeared into her opening.

"UggggghhhhhmyGod!" Lorelai moaned loudly as he filled her, and she buried her face in the pillows. Luke started thrusting into her, keeping one hand on her waist and bringing his other hand up to stroke her hair. She lifted her head up from the pillows and her previously muffled moans became much louder as Luke slid in and out of her wetness.

Luke leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her stomach. He pressed his chest tightly against her back as his pelvis moved rhythmically against her. He kissed the soft skin of her neck and back as his hands explored the front of her body, caressing her stomach and chest. He brought one hand up to her mouth and she started sucking on his finger hungrily.

Luke sat back up straight and he gripped her waist tightly with both hands. Letting out a low groan every few seconds, he started pulling her body against his with even more force. "Ugh. . .ugh. . .ugh. . ." Lorelai grunted loudly with every thrust, her face grimacing with extreme pleasure.

After several more deep thrusts, he pulled out of her completely and she let out a loud gasp of disappointment. "Luuuuke," she whimpered, turning around to look at him. He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around so she was lying on her back. He lay on top of her and entered her again. She let out a small sigh of contentment and guided his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body tightly against hers as he fell back into his rhythm. They stared into each other’s eyes as Lorelai began thrusting her pelvis against him, trying to meet his increasing pace.

Luke began pushing into her more forcefully and their groans got louder with every thrust. As the incredible sensations running through her body became overwhelming, Lorelai clenched her eyes shut tight. Her mouth dropped open and her body started quivering, and soon a loud scream echoed throughout the room as she reached her highest point of stimulation.

Luke pushed into her a few more times before he reached his own peak, and he let out a loud groan with his final thrust. He held himself deep inside of her as he exhaled loudly and fell on top of her body in an exhausted state. She wrapped her arms around him as he nuzzled his nose against her shoulder. She felt his deep breaths against her body for several seconds before he kissed her neck and mumbled softly, "Mmm, I love you so much."

She ran her hands up and down his back. "Love you too," she said, still panting to catch her breath. They kissed before Luke rolled off of her. She snuggled up against him and closed her eyes, sighing softly as he wrapped an arm around her and stroked her hair. After a few minutes, Lorelai opened her eyes and lifted her head up to look at him. His eyes were closed. "Luke?" she said softly.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Yeah?"

"You’re not tired yet, are you?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No – why, are you?"

"Nope," Lorelai said. She giggled lightly as she ran her hand up and down his leg. "Ready to go again in ten minutes?"

Luke groaned as her hand stroked his inner thigh. "Uh, I think five will be plenty."

* * *

The next morning, Lorelai lay in bed on her stomach as Luke walked out of the bathroom already dressed. He rolled his eyes as he looked at her. "Lorelai, I woke you up twenty minutes ago." He walked over to the bed and sat next to her. "Come on, get up."

She groaned and turned her head the other way. "Just a few more hours," she muttered.

"Come on, it’s almost 9:30," Luke said, tapping her on the shoulder.

Lorelai sighed into her pillow. She lifted her head slightly and looked at him, her eyes squinting as they adjusted to the light. "Luke, do you know what happens to people when they wake me up before I’m ready to get up?"

He smirked and folded his arms across his chest. "No, what happens?"

"They get so tired of my resulting crankiness that they end up taking their own lives," she said. She rested her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Well, I’ll just try to stay away from sharp objects today to avoid the suicidal tendencies. Now come on." He pulled the covers off of her.

"Agh!" Lorelai exclaimed, opening her eyes. "It’s freezing in here!" She reached for the blanket and pulled it back over herself. He tapped her shoulder repeatedly until she sighed and sat up. "I’m up, I’m up. Go do something useful and start the shower."

"You’re gonna take a shower?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," Lorelai said, narrowing her eyes at him. "That’s what people do in the morning. Welcome to the world of bathing."

He rolled his eyes. "I mean, you’re just gonna get all sweaty when we go to the batting cages. You should take one when we get back."

Lorelai groaned. "Oh, so that wasn’t a dream."

"Nope," he said, smiling. "We’re going right after breakfast."

She sighed and shrugged. "I’ll just take another shower when we get back."

"Fine, come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her off the bed. He led her to the bathroom and gently pushed her through the door. "Go on, do whatever you have to do, and do it fast."

Lorelai made a face at him. "You have too much energy in the morning." She shut the door.

"Thank you," he replied. He walked over and sat down on the couch. He picked up the remote and turned on the television.

Almost thirty minutes later, Lorelai walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. She walked over to the bureau and pulled open a drawer, then turned to Luke. "Hey Willard, what’s the weather gonna be like today?"

He looked over at her and said, "Hot. They just showed the forecast on the news."

"You watch the news?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yup," he said, turning his head back to the television.

She smiled. "Huh. So many fascinating things I’ve yet to learn about you." She pulled some clothes out of her drawer and walked into the bathroom. A few minutes later, Luke heard the hair dryer turn on.

A few seconds after it stopped, Lorelai emerged from the bathroom. She wore a blue sleeveless shirt with denim shorts, and her hair was pulled back into a curly ponytail. She grabbed her sneakers from the closet, then sat next to Luke on the couch.

As she pulled on her first sneaker, Luke turned off the television and ran a finger over her upper arm. "You have perfect arms," he commented.

She looked down at her arm. "Do I? I rarely look at my own arms. Or anybody’s arms, for that matter. Well, except yours because they’re pretty damn nice, and that tattoo – wow. It’s just too sexy for words," she said, smiling. She paused. "Why are we talking about arms?"

Luke smiled. "Because yours are perfect." He leaned forward and kissed her shoulder, running his tongue over it gently. He immediately pulled back and made a face. "Did you put lotion on or something?"

Lorelai laughed. "Yeah, sorry." She pulled on her other sneaker.

"Ugh." He brought his hand to his mouth, trying to wipe the taste off of his lips. "Could you possibly tell me that next time?" he grumbled.

She smiled and stood up. "Well, the next time you get the sudden urge to lick my shoulder, ask me first." She put her hands on her waist and stood in front of him. He stared up at her for a few seconds before Lorelai laughed and said, "Okay, Captain Obvious, stop staring at my chest."

He smiled and stood up. "Hey, you wear a tight shirt like that, it’s gonna happen. I can’t control my eyes."

She smiled and gave him a kiss. "Let’s go. Where’s the free breakfast?"

"Uh, the brochure thing says it’s in the lounge. Wherever that is," Luke said with a shrug.

"We’ll find it," Lorelai said, walking over to the desk and grabbing her purse.

"Yeah, I’m sure once we step into the hallway, your nose will pick up the coffee smell and lead us right to the food," Luke said. "You’re like one of those trained narcotics dogs."

Lorelai laughed and smacked his shoulder playfully. "Hey, you mock, but you’ll be surprised at how often that ability comes in handy."

* * *

Several minutes later, with help from one of the maids, they found the lounge. Lorelai’s eyes widened immediately. "Oh my God, look at all that food," she said. Several long tables of breakfast foods stretched out in front of her, and she immediately walked over and picked up a plate. Luke smiled and followed behind her, and they made their way along the buffet. Lorelai held the plates as Luke poured some juice for himself and some coffee for her. They walked over to a table and started eating.

"Mm, these eggs are great," Lorelai commented. She looked at his plate, then shook her head and laughed. "All that food up there and you get fruit salad and a bagel."

"Hey, not everyone interprets the phrase ‘free continental breakfast’ to mean ‘eat like a pig’," he said, rolling his eyes at her plate.

"Hey, I’m just getting. . .your money’s worth." She took a few more bites of her food, then looked up at him. "Luke, why’d you bring me here?"

Luke put his fork down and narrowed his eyes at her. "What?"

Lorelai gestured around her. "Here, this place. . ." She sighed softly. "I mean, I know how much this is costing you and – "

"Wait, how do you know?" he interrupted.

"Sookie told me how much the rooms are here," Lorelai said quietly as she pushed her eggs around her plate.

"Oh," Luke said, pursing his lips slightly.

"I mean, I don’t want to be rude or anything but. . . can you afford spending that much just for a weekend away? It seems kind of. . . I don’t know," Lorelai said. "It’s a lot of money, Luke."

"Are you having a good time?" Luke asked her.

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "I’m having an incredible time."

He shrugged. "Then don’t worry about it."

"But I want you to know that you don’t have to spend a thousand dollars for me to be happy," Lorelai said quietly. "You know that, right?"

Luke nodded. "I know." He smiled and shoved a piece of orange into his mouth.

"Okay." She picked up a piece of bacon and brought it to her lips. Then she put it back down and said, "Just tell me that you’re not wasting all your hard-earned money that you’ve been saving so you can buy a new truck or something."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Lorelai, stop worrying about it. I had some money to spend, so I spent it. Let’s just enjoy it."

"Okay, okay," Lorelai said, raising her hands in front of her chest. "Sorry."

"That’s okay," Luke said, taking a sip of juice. "I wanna ask you something."

Lorelai nodded. "Ask away."

He paused a moment. "You said that. . . Rory thinks of me as a father figure."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "She does."

"Since. . .we’ve been dating?" Luke asked.

"Since. . . .forever," Lorelai said, smiling. "Or practically forever. I mean, you’ve been the main male figure in her life for years, she looks up to you. You’ve always been around, you’ve always been there for her. Well, for both of us."

Luke smiled and nodded, but didn’t say anything. He took a bite of his bagel and stared into space.

"What are you thinking?" Lorelai asked.

He looked at her and shrugged. "Nothing, really. It’s just. . . nice that she thinks like that." He paused. "I mean, I’ve always felt sort of. . .you know, protective of her like that, so. . ." His voice trailed off.

Lorelai smiled. "So you think of her sorta like. . . a surrogate daughter or something?" He shrugged and gave a little nod. Lorelai tilted her head and smiled. "That’s so sweet." She took a sip of coffee and thought for a moment. "You know, this is why she probably likes the idea of us being together. I mean, it makes sense for her mom to be with the guy who’s like a father to her."

Luke smiled. "Yeah, it does make sense."

Lorelai smiled and finished up her last piece of toast. She chewed it slowly, then said, "You know, Luke, when I was little, I had a dream that I was at a batting cage and, uh, I got hit in the head with a ball, and um, I had to go to the hospital and I died. And now, whenever I go to a batting cage, I get really, really ill." She frowned. "You don’t want me to get really, really ill, do you?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "You’re going," he said sternly. "In all relationships you have to make sacrifices. Suck it up."

She wrinkled her nose. "Fine."

"You’re gonna have fun," he said. "More fun then I’ll have in the stupid pool."

"No way, pools are so much more relaxing," she said. She paused and narrowed her eyes at him. "Why’d you bring your bathing suit if you didn’t want to go in the pool?"

"I don’t know, I thought I might try out the sauna," Luke said with a shrug. "And I’m sure as hell not going in there naked."

Lorelai laughed. "Ah, I see."

"And I’m still not sure what sitting in a hot room with a bunch of nude people is supposed to be all about, but I guess I’ll find out," he said with a shrug.

"I think it cleans out your pores or something like that," Lorelai said.

Luke shrugged. "Huh. Well, you’ll have to tell me if you see a difference in my pores."

Lorelai smiled. "Will do." She wiped her lips with her napkin and dropped it on the plate. "I’m done."

He looked down at his plate. "Me too," he said. "Ready to go?"

She smiled. "Yup." They both stood up. She walked over to him and poked him in the chest. "You know, this isn’t fair that I have to make my sacrifice first. You better keep your end of the deal."

"I will." He smiled and kissed her.

End Part 18

* * *

Part 19

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to the batting cages. Lorelai watched several men walk from the parking lot into the caged areas. "Man, this would be a good place to pick up guys," she commented. Luke narrowed his eyes at her, and she quickly added, "Uh, you know, I mean, if I wasn’t already happily attached." She smiled and they stepped out of the car into the unseasonably hot weather. "It’s so beautiful out today. Ooh, maybe I’ll get a tan," she said excitedly.

"Yes, that’s exactly what I’m hoping to accomplish today, too," Luke said, rolling his eyes. He glanced around, then led Lorelai over to a rack of helmets and bats.

Lorelai sighed. "Okay, remind me again why you love swinging a bat around while you stand in a cage like an animal at the zoo."

Luke shrugged. "It makes you feel powerful when you hit the ball, it makes you feel strong. I can’t really explain it but it’s very satisfying," he said. He handed her a helmet. "Here, see if this fits."

Lorelai looked at it and made a face. "You’re kidding me."

"Just put it on," Luke said, shaking it in front of her.

"Luke, it’s gross," she whined. "How many people’s sweaty heads have been in this already?"

"They are required to clean them several times a day with disinfectant. They’re perfectly fine," Luke said. He put the helmet on her head.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. She lifted her hands up to remove it.

Luke put his hand on top of it so she couldn’t take it off. "Leave it on. You can take a shower when we get back to the room." As he removed his hand, Lorelai folded her arms across her chest and pouted. Luke put on a helmet and looked at the row of bats. He picked one up and held it out toward her. "Here, feel this."

She reluctantly took it from him and grimaced. "It’s too heavy."

He found her a lighter one, then picked one out for himself. He took her hand and led her past several occupied cages until they finally reached an empty one.

Lorelai looked at the sign on the gate. "This one is softballs."

"Yeah, they’re bigger so they’ll be easier for you than baseballs," Luke said. He pointed to a bench right next to the cage. "I’ll go first. Sit out here until I’m done, and watch me so you’ll have some basic idea of what you’re supposed to be doing in there."

She rolled her eyes. "I know what you’re supposed to do – you’re supposed to hit the ball. That doesn’t mean that I’m gonna be able to do it."

"Sure you will. It just takes practice," he said. He went through the gate into the cage as she walked over to the bench and sat down.

Lorelai leaned her bat against the fence. Luke put some change into the control box and pressed the start button. He stood over the painted-on plate and waited for the first ball.

"Swing batter, batter swing!" Lorelai yelled, clapping her hands. The people in the cage next to them looked over at her curiously.

Luke rolled his eyes and hit the first ball, then turned to Lorelai. "What are you doing? That’s for when you want people to miss the ball."

Lorelai laughed. "Oh, sorry. Quiet now." She gave him a thumbs up and whispered, "Go Luke, yay!"

He shook his head slightly and smiled to himself, then turned back to the plate just in time to hit the next ball.

As he finished his turn, he put his bat down and said, "Okay, your turn. Come in here." Lorelai stood up with a sigh and picked up her bat. She walked into the cage and over to the plate. He stood behind her and put his hands on her hips, lining her up with the pitching machine. He explained to her how to stand and swing, then he put some money into the control box. "You ready?" he asked.

"Ready to leave?" she asked hopefully.

He smirked. "No, ready to hit. I’m pushing the button now, pay attention." He pushed a button and stood with his arms across his chest, watching her.

As the first ball came toward her, Lorelai jumped back and screamed, "Agh! This is so incredibly dangerous!"

Luke laughed. "Lorelai, it’s a softball arc pitch, it’s the slowest pitch there is. Just stand where I told you. I promise it won’t hit you."

She took a deep breath and warily moved back into position. As the next ball came toward her, Lorelai swung and missed. She swung at the next four and missed them all. She sighed loudly. "Luke, I suck at this."

"All right, when I say now, just swing as hard as you can," Luke said. He watched the next ball come towards her. "Now!"

She swung and the tip of her bat caught a piece of the ball. She felt the slight vibrations in her hands and the ball rolled a few feet in front of her. She gasped. "I hit it!" she exclaimed. "At least, I think it was a hit."

Luke laughed. "I think it was more like a bunt, but it’s a start." He watched the next ball come towards her. "Now!" She swung and hit it further this time, and she laughed excitedly. "Ooh, now I know what you mean about it being satisfying."

"See?" Luke said, smiling. "I told you it wouldn’t be so bad." For the next fifteen minutes, they took turns batting. Luke continued telling her when to swing, helping her get some almost-decent hits.

As Luke finished one of his turns, Lorelai walked into the cage and stood at the plate. Luke put some money in the machine, then said, "I saw some vending machines back by the helmets. I’m gonna go get us some water."

"You’re leaving me by myself? How will I know when to hit it?" she asked worriedly.

"Just swing when it’s a couple of feet away from you. You’ll figure it out. I’ll be right back," Luke replied. He pushed the start button and walked out of the cage.

Lorelai stood at the plate swinging aimlessly as the balls came toward her, missing them all. As the last ball came toward her, she swung and hit it towards the ground, and it bounced a few times before rolling away. "Ha, I hit it!" she said to herself excitedly. She stood there in position waiting for the next one. After several seconds, she mumbled to herself, "Oh, good job, you finally learn to hit when your turn’s over."

She heard a whistle behind her. She turned around and saw three guys in their twenties on the other side of the fence. "Nice hit," one of them called.

Lorelai took off her helmet and walked over to them. "Thanks. I’m thinking of trying out for the Yankees next week. Think they’ll take me?"

"They’d be stupid not to," he replied, looking her up and down. "You definitely put the babe in Babe Ruth."

Lorelai laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh God, that’s probably the corniest line I’ve ever heard."

He grimaced. "Ooh, shot down," he said as the other two laughed. "I’ll guess I’ll have to work on it. I’m Rob, this is Mark and John."

Lorelai nodded, then walked through the gate and over to the bench. They took a few steps toward her. She put her helmet down, then noticed them staring at her. "Uh, did you want something?" She shoved her hands into her pockets and stared at them.

Rob shrugged. "Not really, I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to – ." He stopped talking as Luke walked up to them carrying two bottles of water. He eyed the three boys curiously. He pursed his lips as he wrapped an arm around Lorelai’s shoulder.

Lorelai smiled at the boys. "So, uh, Rob, was it? Did you wanna finish up that attempt to ask me out, or are you gonna pass this time?"

His eyes widened slightly. "Uh, I think I’ll pass. See ya."

Luke watched the three of them walk away as Lorelai took one of the water bottles and sat down on the bench. When they were out of site, Luke sat down next to her and took a long sip of water. Lorelai smiled at him. "Interesting."

"What is?" he asked.

"You’re jealous," she said knowingly.

Luke let out a small laugh. "I am not."

She smirked and narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh no? So what was up with the whole ‘putting your arm around me to claim your territory’ thing?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "That wasn’t jealousy," he explained. "It was. . .affection. I’m an affectionate person. I’m not jealous."

Lorelai smiled. "Okay, fine, you’re not jealous." She took a sip of water.

"That’s right, I’m not jealous," he repeated. "My turn." He put his water bottle down on the bench and walked into the cage. Lorelai watched him, a small smile on her lips.

* * *

Half an hour later, they walked into their hotel room. Lorelai sat on the bed with a sigh. "That’s definitely the most active I’ve been in a looooong time." She paused and shrugged. "Well, you know, with the exclusion of our intense lovemaking."

He let out a small laugh and sat next to her. "Yeah, but wasn’t it fun?"

She groaned. "I think fun’s a bit too strong of a word. Perhaps the phrase, ‘well, it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever had to do in my life’ might be more appropriate." She leaned back against the pillows.

Luke rolled his eyes. "You liked it. You’ll never admit it because you’re the most stubborn person in the world, but you know you secretly had a good time."

Lorelai scoffed. "I’m not the most stubborn person in the world. I’m second."

He smiled as he lay next to her. "Oh, sorry. Who’s first?"

"OJ Simpson," she said matter-of-factly. "I mean, after all these years, can you believe that he’s still claiming he’s not the killer? Geez, everybody knows it was him. Why doesn’t he just admit it already?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Stubborn."

Luke smiled. He clasped his hand around hers and brought it up to his lips. He kissed the top of it and placed it on his chest, then stroked it with his thumb. "Thanks for going even if you didn’t like it."

She turned her head and smiled at him. "You’re welcome." She paused a moment, then she climbed on top of him and straddled his stomach. She leaned forward and whispered, "Okay, you got me. I did have fun."

He smiled. "Thought so."

"Oh, don’t go getting all ‘I told you so’ on me," Lorelai said, smiling. "I only had fun because it was with you. It’s not like I’m gonna go join a batting cage team and play everyday by myself."

"I don’t think they have batting cage teams," Luke said with laugh. "It’s not exactly a competitive sport, it’s just people practicing hitting."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, I don’t care. I’m just saying that, yes, I loved spending time with you even if we were doing something that I probably never would’ve done for the rest of my life." She pressed her lips against his, then smiled through the kiss. "And now it’s time to make your sacrifice."

Luke groaned. "Oh great."

Lorelai climbed off the bed and rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Come on, let’s go in the pool!" she said. She walked over to the bureau and pulled out her bathing suit.

He sighed loudly. "Fine. Just let me get a snack first." As Lorelai walked into the bathroom, he walked over to the small refrigerator and pulled it open. He stared into it for a few seconds, then pulled out an apple. "You want something to eat?" he called.

Lorelai opened the bathroom door and stuck her head out. "Uh, yeah. . .are there any of those little bags of popcorn left?"

Luke looked into the fridge and pulled one out. "Yup. Why on earth do they keep everything in the fridge? All of this junk doesn’t need to be kept cold. Who wants to eat cold popcorn?"

"That’s how they keep everything fresh, Luke," Lorelai said. "You should know that, you’re in the food business." She let out a small gasp. "Or maybe you’re not – maybe you’re just pretending to be in the food business, but you're really an undercover spy trying to learn about the dining habits of the residents in a small town and that’s why – "

"Lorelai," Luke interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Go get changed."

Lorelai frowned at him. "Hmph. Fine." She shut the door. Luke took a bite of his apple as he walked over to the couch and sat down. Lorelai walked out a few minutes later and Luke’s eyes widened. He finished chewing the piece of apple in his mouth, then said, "What are you wearing?"

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him. "Man, how deprived are you that you’ve never seen a bikini before?"

He rolled his eyes. "I’ve seen them before, but don’t you think it’s a little. . . revealing?" he asked, eyeing it warily.

She looked down at it and shrugged. "Uh, not really. This is what a regular bathing suit looks like, Luke. It’s not like it’s a thong or something." She spun around in a circle. "What, you don’t like it?"

His eyes glazed over her. "No, I do. . .you look great. I just - ." His voice trailed off as he stared at her.

She shrugged. "So, then. . .stop complaining." She pulled her T-shirt and shorts on over her bathing suit. She walked toward him, grabbing the bag of popcorn he had left on the counter for her, and sat down next to him. She opened it and ate a handful, then said, "You know, me eating popcorn just before we go in the pool reminds me of an interesting thing I heard while ago."

"Oh yeah? What?" Luke asked.

"I’m not sure if it’s true, but I heard that Orville Reddenbacher had a heart attack while he was in the tub, and the doctors said he survived the actual heart attack, but he died of drowning. He would’ve been fine if he hadn’t been in the tub," Lorelai said, shaking her head sadly.

Luke nodded with a slightly amused smirk on his face. "Huh, I didn’t know that. And now the image of an old naked guy drowning in a tub will probably be with me for a long time, so thanks for taking up my valuable brain space with it."

Lorelai smiled and shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth. "You’re welcome," she mumbled with her mouth full. When she was finished chewing, she rolled her eyes and said, "Hey, I didn’t complain when you filled my brain space with the mechanics of hitting a softball."

Luke let out a small laugh. "Ha, you didn’t complain? That’s a good one." He took a bite of his apple. "Saying that you don’t complain about everything would be like saying that Michael Bolton deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

"Ouch!" Lorelai said with a laugh. She paused a moment and nodded. "It’s probably true, but still – ouch."

Luke smiled. "And you’ve probably already forgotten everything I told you anyway."

Lorelai scoffed. "Have not."

"Okay, tell me something that I told you today," Luke said with a doubtful smirk.

Lorelai paused for a moment and wrinkled her nose. "Uh. . . hmm. . . you told me that. . ." She stared up at the ceiling, thinking. Suddenly she smiled and said, "That they clean the helmets several times a day."

Luke rolled his eyes and stood up. "I’m glad you remember the important stuff." Lorelai smiled and nodded at him. He tossed his apple core into the garbage can, then grabbed some clothes from the bureau and walked into the bathroom to change.

* * *

Several minutes later, they were walking toward the entrance to the pool room. "If I get sick because of this, it’s all your fault. Do you hear me?" Luke said.

"Yeah, yeah, all my fault, I got it," she replied, pulling him through the door. They stood in the entryway, looking around at the large room. The ceiling and walls were made of mostly windows, allowing the sunlight to stream through. Several people were already in the water, and several others lay in lounge chairs reading or talking.

Lorelai led him over to a pair of lounge chairs, and Luke glanced around nonchalantly at the people in the chairs surrounding them. Lorelai dropped her towel on one of the chairs, slipped off her shoes, then removed her T-shirt and shorts. She adjusted her bathing suit, then looked at Luke. "Okay, ready?"

He lowered his voice and said, "Every guy in here is staring at you."

She snickered. "Oh, they are not." She glanced around subtly, then brought her gaze back to Luke and let out a small laugh. "Okay, some of them are." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why – does that bother you?"

He shook his head. "Nope, just pointing out a fact."

She raised her eyebrows, then smiled slightly. "I can tell it’s bothering you a little. Wow, I never knew you had this little insecurity thing going on. What – have you been hanging out with Dean or something?"

"It’s not bothering me," Luke said, glancing around the room. "Just because there are like twelve other guys picturing my girlfriend naked right now – why would that bother me?"

"Beats me," Lorelai said with a shrug. "If there was a ton of girls staring at you, I wouldn’t care. I trust you," she said pointedly.

"I’m not saying I don’t trust you. It’s just different for guys," Luke explained. "No matter how much we trust our girlfriends, we see all other guys as a threat because we know how other guys are."

Lorelai gasped. "Oh my God, you think that this group of fifty year old guys is a threat to you?" She laughed. "Boy, have my standards dropped." She walked around her lounge chair and took his hands in hers. She kissed his cheek. "Luke, who’s the only person in this room. . .no wait, this entire world, that I’m in love with?"

He sighed softly and replied, "Me."

"You." Lorelai smiled. "So you don’t have to worry about anything or anyone." She put her hands on his shoulders and thought for a moment. "Well, except George Clooney. If he happens to show up in Stars Hollow one day and he starts flirting with me, that’s when you should worry because I don’t think I’d be able to resist his charms. But until that day. . ." She kissed him passionately, then pulled back and smiled. "I’d say you’re pretty much worry-free."

Luke smiled. "Good." She slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. After a few seconds, Luke pulled back and sighed. "Okay, let’s get this over with. But if I get sick - "

"Yeah, yeah," she interrupted, waving him off. "It’s my fault, blame me, I’ll pay your medical bills. Let’s go, come on, hurry up."

Luke took off his shoes, then pulled his T-shirt up over his head. Lorelai stood back and stared at his chest, smiling to herself. She shook her head slightly and said, "You know, I bet I’m the only person in Stars Hollow who knows how built you are. You really shouldn’t hide those muscles under all that flannel." She ran her hands over the curves of his arms. "Plus, I bet you could significantly increase your profits with the influx of women customers you’d get," she added with a laugh.

He shrugged. "Maybe, but then women would be constantly flirting with me," he said with a smirk. "It might be too uncomfortable for you."

She laughed. "Ah, look at you trying to make me jealous. Sorry mister, it’s not gonna work. I, for one, am very secure in this relationship."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, smiling slyly.

"Yup," she said. She glanced past him and smiled. "Ah, a perfect example. You don’t see me complaining that the lifeguard is staring at your butt right now."

Luke raised his eyebrows and shifted his feet uncomfortably. "Please tell me it’s a woman lifeguard."

Lorelai laughed. "Yes, it’s a woman. Come on." She took his hand and led him over to the pool steps.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, they returned to their room. Lorelai carried a cup of coffee and an empty muffin wrapper. "Man, that muffin was not big enough. Can we go get some lunch now?" Lorelai whined. "It’s after one."

"I’m getting this chlorine off of me as fast as humanly possible," Luke said as he smelled his arm and made a face. "That pool was definitely over chemicalled."

"I don’t think that’s a word," Lorelai said, shaking her head. "But you know what is a word? Starving! And I’m starving. Let’s go eat first. . .please!" she begged.

Luke sighed and pointed to the desk. "The room service menu is right there. Go order some food while I take a shower." He pulled some clothes out of his drawer.

Lorelai’s eyes lit up. "Ooh! Good idea." She rushed over to the desk and picked up the menu. "Do you want something?"

"Uh, yeah – just order me something healthy," Luke said.

"Like?" Lorelai prompted.

"I don’t know. Just order me something that you’d never order for yourself," he said. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

Lorelai perused the menu for a few minutes, then ordered their food. She walked over to the bathroom door and heard the shower running inside. She pushed open the door slowly and smiled as she watched his profile through the fogged-up shower door. She walked towards it, removing her clothes along the way. She tapped lightly on the door and said, "Room in there for two?"

The door slid open and Luke smiled at her. She stepped in and said, "Food’s on its way." She closed her eyes and looked up toward the shower head, letting the hot water cascade over her face.

"What’d you order for me?" he asked.

"Turkey with lettuce on whole wheat and a salad," she said. "That okay?"

Luke smiled and nodded. "Perfect, thanks." He slid his hands up and down her arms. "Uh, how long will it take?"

She slicked her hair back and said, "The guy said like 20 minutes."

Luke smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Huh, well, we might as well use that time constructively," he said, leaning in to kiss her.

* * *

As they finished eating lunch, Lorelai took a sip of her soda and stood up from the table. She wandered over to the bed and lay against the pillow. A few seconds later, Luke walked over and lay next to her. "Tired?"

"Not really. It’s just. . .my arms are hurting now," she said, rubbing one of her shoulders. "They weren’t hurting earlier, but now they do."

"Yeah, it’s usually a delayed reaction like that," Luke said. "Are you gonna get a massage later?"

"Mm, probably," she said. "Hopefully that’ll help."

Lorelai snuggled closer to him and rested her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. He kissed the top of her head and ran his hands up and down her back. Lorelai closed her eyes and said, "Thank you."

Luke looked down at her questioningly. "For what?"

"I don’t know, for everything," she replied softly. "For everything you do for me . . .for everything you’ve ever done for me in my life. . . for putting up with me. . . for loving me. Just. . . everything."

He smiled. "You’re welcome."

Lorelai opened her eyes. She lifted her head up and looked at him, and his eyes stared back into hers. "I love you," she said quietly. "I love. . . just being near you."

"I love you, too," Luke said. He kissed her softly. "And if it’s possible, I think being with you for the past twenty-four hours straight has made me love you even more."

Lorelai let out a small laugh. "Wow, then you really are in love because I’ve been pretty darn annoying."

Luke smiled. "At times, yes, I’ll admit it. We’ve both had our share of annoying moments."

"Have we ever," Lorelai agreed.

"But there’s no one else I’d rather be here with," Luke said.

"Me either," she said, pressing her lips against his.

Luke pulled back and asked, "Not even George Clooney?"

Lorelai laughed. "Not even George Clooney."

Luke smiled. "Good." He pulled her closer and kissed her deeply, running his fingers through her hair. They broke apart, and Lorelai rested her head back against his chest and closed her eyes. For several minutes, the only sound in the room was that of their light breathing until Luke cleared his throat. "Uh, Lorelai?"

"Hmm?" she murmured, her eyes still closed.

"I wanna talk to you about something. Uh, something important," Luke said.

Lorelai opened her eyes and stared straight ahead, and a slightly nervous feeling came over her. She suddenly picked her head up and said, "Oh my God, are you dying?"

Luke smiled. "No, I’m not dying.

She let out a sigh of relief. "Whew, okay. What is it?" She rested her chin on his chest and stared up at him.

"Uh, well, you know how it’s been kinda crowded in my apartment lately, and how there’s not exactly a whole lot of privacy?" Luke asked.

"Yeah?" she said, prompting him to continue.

"Yeah, well, I don’t really want to, but I was thinking that it might be a good idea to look for a new place. You know, something a little bigger," Luke said.

"Wow, really?" Lorelai asked, surprised. "You’re gonna move?"

Luke nodded. "But, I mean – then I was thinking that. . .maybe buying a new place right now wouldn’t be a smart move if we. . ." He swallowed hard and paused a moment. "If you and me. . . you know, in the somewhat near but not too near future, decide to. . . uh, live together." He stared at her, waiting for her reaction.

End Part 19

* * *

Part 20

Lorelai’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly. She lifted her head up slowly from his chest and blinked a few times. She stared at him for several seconds before stammering, "Uh. . .wha. . um. . .what?"

Luke sat up straight. "I just thought that maybe we could talk about . . ." His voice trailed off as he noticed the slightly nervous look on Lorelai’s face. He bit his bottom lip, uncertain of what to say.

The room was silent as Lorelai stared down at her hands with wide eyes. She finally brought her gaze up to meet his and said quietly, "You’ve thought about us. . .living together?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I think it’s something we should. . . you know, talk about."

Lorelai looked down and shook her head slightly. She slowly lifted it back up and said, "Luke, that’s . . . don’t you think it’s a little fast? We’ve only been together a few months."

Luke quickly nodded. "I know, I realize that. I didn’t mean that we should move in together right now," he said. "I meant, you know, maybe in a few months or so, if you think that you might be ready for it – then I’ll forget about looking for another place."

Lorelai was silent for a moment before she asked, "So, you’re saying. . . that you’re ready for it?"

Luke nodded. "I’m ready when you are. If you say you’re ready right now, then we’ll do it as soon as we can. If you say you wanna wait, we’ll wait. Whatever you want."

Lorelai stared down at the bed sheets, thinking things over in her head. She finally lifted her head to look at him. She exhaled loudly and said, "I think you’re. . . the most incredible man in the world."

Luke nodded. "I agree."

Lorelai tilted her head and smiled at him. She leaned forward and kissed him, then slowly pulled back with a bewildering look in her eyes. She shut them briefly, then opened them a few seconds later with a small sigh. "I just. . .I really need to think about this."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, take your time. There’s a lot to think about. I mean, you know, like how it’ll affect Rory and everything." He paused a moment. "You do realize that if we do this. . .you know, sooner, later, whenever. . . it’ll mean that Jess will have to come with me, right?"

Lorelai nodded slowly. "I know, that’s okay. There’s a small spare room he can have if we decide to. . . ." Her voice trailed off.

"But it shouldn’t be a big deal," Luke said with a shrug. "I mean, he’s almost an adult. He’ll probably get out of Stars Hollow the minute he turns eighteen anyway."

Lorelai nodded, only half listening to him as she stared down at the bed and thought things over.

Luke noticed her discomfort and sighed. "Listen, you don’t have to think about it now. I don’t want you spending the next two days worrying about this. Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have brought it up here."

Lorelai looked up. "No, no, it’s okay," she said, waving him off. "It’s no big deal. I just won’t think about it at all until we get home."

Luke nodded. "Good." He leaned back against the headboard and opened his arms. She climbed onto him and rested her head against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her.

Lorelai stared into space, thinking about nothing else except their just-finished conversation. She started grinding her teeth nervously, and even the soothing feeling of his hands gliding up and down her back couldn’t make her feel calm enough to just relax and forget about it. She lifted her head up and looked at him. "Luke, but what about all that stuff you said?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "What stuff?"

"That stuff you said last year about living with Rachel," Lorelai said. "You said that you were a loner, that you hate living with people."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I thought you weren’t gonna think about it until you got home."

"I lied," she said quickly. "So, what about all that stuff you said?"

Luke shrugged. "That was. . . all that stuff. . .it wasn’t. . ." He paused and exhaled loudly. "I wasn’t in love with Rachel when I was living with her. I’m in love with you, it’ll be different with you."

"But what if it’s not?" Lorelai asked. "What if it tears us apart like it did to you and Rachel?"

Luke let out a small laugh. "That’s not what tore us apart. There wasn’t even anything to tear apart. We weren’t even really together. It was just like. . we were both. . .there." Lorelai stared briefly into his eyes, then rested her head back against his chest with a sigh. They were both quiet for a few seconds before Luke added, "She left because I was in love with you. She saw it. . . she knew it. . . she helped me realize it."

Lorelai lifted her head and smiled at him. She kissed him before she rolled off of him and climbed off the bed. She walked over to the desk and picked up one of the brochures. "I think I’m gonna wander down to the spa," she said as she flipped through the pages.

Luke stood up and walked over to her. "Maybe I’ll head down to the gym then."

Still looking through the brochure, she nodded absentmindedly. "Mmkay."

He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the back of her neck. He inhaled the scent of her hair before he asked, "You sure you’re okay?"

She looked up from the brochure and smiled at him. "Fine. I’m fine," she said, nodding.

He looked at her doubtfully. "Just do me a favor and don’t think about it anymore, okay?" he asked. "Please?"

"I won’t," Lorelai assured him, sitting down at the desk. "I won’t think about it at all until we get home."

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Good." He glanced around, looking for something. He pointed to the white keycard on the counter near the kitchen area. "I only see one room key. Do you know where the other one is?"

"Oh, I think it’s in my purse," she replied.

"Okay, we probably won’t be back at the same time, so make sure you take it with you," he said. He walked over to the bureau and pulled out some clothes to change for the gym.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Luke left for the gym as Lorelai was combing her hair in the bathroom. When she heard the door shut, she peeked out of the bathroom to make sure he was gone, then ran over to her cell phone. She dialed quickly as she walked over to an armchair and sat down.

"Independence Inn, Michel speaking," Michel answered.

"Michel, hey, it’s me," Lorelai said.

"Who is me?" Michel replied.

"Me is me, your boss," Lorelai replied, rolling her eyes. "Please put Sookie on the phone."

"Ah, my boss, yes," Michel replied. "The woman who thinks she can just run off for the weekend whenever she wants to, always avoiding her work, not bothering to call and check on the very busy inn that she’s supposed to be running."

"Yup, that’s me," Lorelai replied. "Now go put Sookie on the phone."

Michel sighed. "Hold on."

Several seconds later, Sookie answered, "Hello?"

"Hey, it’s me," Lorelai said.

"Hey!" Sookie said excitedly. "Is everything okay? How’s the weekend?"

"Great, it’s great Sookie," Lorelai said. "We’re having a great time."

"Good, good," Sookie said. "It’s a nice place, huh?"

"Very nice," Lorelai replied quickly. "Uh, guess what happened."

"Ooh, I know!" Sookie replied. "You came back from the spa and you were gonna eat some of that – "

"Sookie, you’ll never guess," Lorelai interrupted. "Let me just tell you."

"Hmph, you shouldn’t have told me to guess if you didn’t want me to guess," Sookie mumbled.

"Luke wants me to think about us moving in together," Lorelai said. Sookie screamed loudly and Lorelai had to pull the phone away from her ear. "Ah, honey, that’s my eardrum. Good thing I have another one."

"Lorelai!" Sookie yelled. "That’s incredible! What did you say? Are you gonna do it?"

"I don’t know," Lorelai replied. "I told him I have to think about it. What do you think? Don’t you think it’s too soon?"

Sookie paused. "Well, I guess it probably seems a little soon, but you shouldn’t think of it in terms of how long you’ve already been together."

"I shouldn’t?" Lorelai asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Nope," Sookie replied. "There are some people who have been dating for years who still aren’t ready to move in together. Then there are people who are ready for it after a few weeks. It all depends on how much in love you are and how well you guys get along and how strong the relationship is."

"Uh huh, right," Lorelai replied, nodding her head.

"Does he want an answer soon?" Sookie asked.

"No, he doesn’t even want me to think about it until we get home, but I can’t stop thinking about it," Lorelai confessed. "It’s all I’ve been thinking about since he mentioned it. It’s driving me crazy!"

"When did he mention it?" Sookie asked.

"Uh, like twenty minutes ago," Lorelai replied.

Sookie laughed. "You make it sound like you’ve been thinking about it for weeks. Hey, think of it this way – you guys are living together this weekend. Think of it as sort of a sneak peek of what it might be like."

Lorelai nodded. "Huh, good point."

"But I agree with Luke – you should try to enjoy yourself while you’re there. Don’t stress yourself out, don’t think about it until you get back," Sookie said.

"Okay," Lorelai replied. "Thanks Sookie."

"You’re welcome," Sookie replied. "Ah, I gotta run. I have to start getting the dinner specials ready for tonight. Have fun, call me if you need anything. Bye hon."

"Bye Sookie," Lorelai replied. She turned off her phone, then covered her face with her hands and closed her eyes.

When she lifted her head up, she glanced around the room with a sigh. She slowly walked over to the bed and picked up Luke’s T-shirt. She clutched it tightly in her hands for a moment, just staring at it. She brought it to her nose and inhaled the light scent of his cologne, then smiled to herself. She dropped it back on the bed and exhaled loudly as she grabbed her purse and walked out the door.

* * *

Two hours later, Lorelai unlocked the door and walked into the room. Luke was sitting on the couch in jeans and a T-shirt, his hair wet from his recent shower. He turned off the television and smiled at her. "Hey."

"Hey you," Lorelai said, smiling. She tossed her purse on the desk and walked over to him. She kneeled over his lap, straddling his legs with her knees, and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and as the kiss ended, she leaned forward and hugged him.

"Had a good time?" Luke said.

"Yeah, it was great," she said, pulling back. He ran his fingers through her hair as she spoke. "I had a full-body massage. Mmm, that felt so good. And I had good timing because you’re supposed to have an appointment but I totally lucked out and there was a cancellation, so they had an open spot. Then I got a facial. Feel this." She grabbed his hand and put it on her cheek. "Nice, huh?"

He smiled. "Very," he agreed. "What else?"

"Olive oil pedicure," she replied. "Doesn’t that sound so cool?"

"Uh, no. That actually sounds pretty disgusting," he replied with a laugh. "They just rub olive oil on your feet?"

"Basically, yeah," she said with a shrug. "But it felt great. What did you do?"

"Uh, let’s see," Luke said. "First I wandered around the hotel for twenty minutes looking for the gym. You know, they really need to have maps posted throughout the hallways or something. Then I finally found it and worked out for about forty-five minutes. Then I got lost trying to find my way back to the room – again because there just aren’t enough maps posted. Then I took a shower and watched some TV, and that’s when you got here."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Uh huh, so it was a typical guy afternoon – not asking for directions, working out, and watching television."

"Yes, it was quite a masculine filled couple of hours," Luke replied, nodding.

She smiled. "Are you hungry?"

"Starved," he replied. "Wanna go down to the restaurant?"

She nodded. "On one condition."

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "What?" he asked curiously.

"I’m paying," she replied.

He shook his head. "No, you don’t have – "

She interrupted him by placing a finger on his lips. "I know I don’t have to, Luke. But you’ve spent like a billion dollars already this weekend, at least let me pay for something so I don’t feel like a total loser." She moved her finger from his lips and kissed him. She pulled back and pouted. "Please?"

He stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "Fine."

She smiled. "Good." She jumped up off the couch. "Let’s get dressed."

* * *

They stood at the entrance of the restaurant waiting to be seated, their fingers laced through each other. Listening to the soft music playing throughout the restaurant, Lorelai nudged Luke with her elbow. "Hey, look over there." She nodded toward the center of the room, where several couples were dancing on a small dance floor.

Luke groaned. "Don’t even think about it."

Lorelai frowned. "Come on, not even one dance?"

"Nope," he replied sternly. "Not one. I don’t dance."

"Because. . . ," she prompted him.

"Because I hate dancing," he said matter-of-factly.

"You say that about everything," she said, rolling her eyes. "You need to think up a better excuse."

"Okay, how about this?" Luke asked. "Because I detest dancing."

She smiled. "Detest and hate mean the same thing, it’s still the same excuse."

He shrugged. "Well, I tried."

"I appreciate that," she said. She paused a moment and glanced around the restaurant. "Hello, do they not see us standing here waiting to eat? Geez."

"We’ve only been here for two minutes. Give ‘em some time," he said.

Lorelai sighed. She turned around, noticing that the wall she was standing in front of was mirrored. She stared at herself for a moment, then tapped Luke on the shoulder. "Hey, look." She gestured to the mirror.

Luke looked over his shoulder. "What about it?" he asked. "It’s a mirror."

She turned him around so they were both facing the mirror, then she slipped an arm around Luke’s waist and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Look at us. Look at how good we look together. If that’s not a match made in heaven, then I don’t know what is."

Luke smiled. "Can’t argue with that."

They both stared at the mirror until they heard a voice behind them say, "Two?"

They turned around and found a hostess staring at them, holding two menus. "Excuse me?" Lorelai asked.

The hostess smiled. "Party of two?"

"Oh, yes, thank you," Lorelai replied. She took Luke’s hand and they followed the hostess through the restaurant to an empty table. They sat down and ordered drinks, then started perusing the menus.

Lorelai suddenly looked up and said, "Luke?"

He lowered his menu. "What?"

"Were you ever gonna ask me out?" she asked.

Luke let out a small laugh. "What?"

Lorelai shrugged and smiled. "I’m the one who asked you out the first time. I was just thinking, would you have ever asked me out if I hadn’t done it?"

Luke shrugged. "I don’t know. I guess I would’ve gotten up the nerve eventually."

She laughed. "Gotten up the nerve? Why were you so scared?"

He shrugged. "I don’t know. Because you. . . you were just so perfect and – "

Lorelai groaned. "Luke, don’t – "

"Hey," he interrupted. "I know you don’t like to hear it, but it’s true. You’re perfect to me. . . . and I just. . .felt like I was out of your league, that you wouldn’t be interested. I don’t know, I guess it was crazy."

Lorelai smiled. "You make it sound like I’m the perfect head cheerleader and you’re the . . . president of the chess club or something." She paused. "Oh, well, you were a Trekkie, so I can understand if you feel like a geek sometimes."

He laughed. "I was not a Trekkie. It was just a shirt."

Lorelai laughed. "Right, just a shirt, I got it."

Luke smiled and brought his gaze back down to his menu. He looked at it for a few more minutes, then a voice said, "Luke? Is that you?"

Lorelai and Luke both looked up. A blond woman of about thirty years old stood at their table. She wore a short black dress, and Lorelai wrinkled her nose at her over-usage of perfume.

Luke smiled at the woman. "Oh. . . hey."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes as she glanced back and forth between them.

"Wow, I hardly recognized you," the woman said, looking him up and down. "You look good." She giggled as she ran her hand along the seam of his sleeve, and Lorelai’s eyes widened.

Luke blushed slightly as Lorelai loudly cleared her throat, and they both turned to look at her. She forced a smile and said, "Hi, remember me?"

Luke, looking somewhat uncomfortable, said, "Oh, this is Lorelai. Lorelai, this is Carrie."

Carrie nodded indifferently toward Lorelai, then turned back to Luke and smiled. She squeezed his shoulder and said, "So, I should get back to my table. It was good to see you again."

"Uh, yeah," Luke replied. "See you around."

She smiled at him and walked away, and Luke went back to reading his menu. Lorelai stared at him in disbelief for a few seconds before she reached across the table and grabbed his menu.

Surprised, he said, "Hey, what are you doing?"

Lorelai gasped and stared at him with wide eyes. "Uh, excuse me, who’s your little friend?"

"What friend?" Luke asked.

Lorelai tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips. She raised her eyebrows and stared at him expectantly.

"Oh, oh, oh," Luke said quickly. "You mean Carrie? We met in the gym earlier. We were sorta working out together."

"Sorta working out together?" Lorelai asked, raising her eyebrows. "Huh."

"Yeah, we kinda kept ending up at the same machines at the same time," Luke said with a shrug. "So we were sorta talking." He reached over the table to grab his menu back, but Lorelai held on tight.

"Uh huh, uh huh," Lorelai said, nodding. "And when you were sorta talking, did you sorta mention that you sorta have a girlfriend?"

He thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Uh, no, I don’t think it came up."

"Uh huh, uh huh," Lorelai said. "Interesting." She pursed her lips and stared at him indignantly.

Luke rolled his eyes and exhaled loudly. "Lorelai, she was just being friendly."

Lorelai gasped. "She was flirting with you right in front of me!" she whispered loudly. "And if she was doing it that much with me sitting right here, I don’t even wanna know what she was doing in the gym."

Luke leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. He smirked at her as he said, "I thought you were completely secure in this relationship?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I am, I’m very secure. That doesn’t mean I won’t get a little annoyed by trampy girls who flirt with you right in front of me."

"You’re annoyed?" Luke asked, slightly amused by her discomfort. "Not jealous, just annoyed?"

"Yes, annoyed," Lorelai said. She handed him his menu back, mumbling, "I’m not jealous."

He muttered quietly, "Yes, you are." He stared at his menu, smiling to himself.

She peeked over his menu and said, "I see you smirking, knock it off."

He lowered his menu and looked at her. "I’m not smirking. I’m just sitting here quietly trying to decide what I’m gonna make you buy me for dinner."

"Mmhmm," she muttered. They looked at their menus, and a few minutes later, the waitress brought them their drinks and took their orders.

They sat there for a few moments in silence. Luke aimlessly rearranged his silverware on his napkin as Lorelai stared off into space. Luke stared at her for a few seconds before he said, "Lorelai?"

She slowly brought her gaze to him. "What?"

"What are you thinking about?" Luke asked. "’Cause if you’re still thinking about that girl, then – "

"No, no, I’m not," Lorelai interrupted. "I’m thinking about something else."

"What?" Luke asked.

She sighed softly and smiled. "I’m just thinking about what Rory’s doing right now," she said.

Luke smiled. "Oh."

"I keep waiting for her to call," Lorelai said. "I guess they’ve been pretty busy today."

Luke nodded. "I’m sure she’ll call sometime tonight."

Lorelai nodded. She paused a moment and smiled. "So, uh, in this gym you went to – how many other women did you cheat on me with?"

He laughed. "None, just that one."

"Oh, good, glad to see you have morals and only take on one mistress at a time," Lorelai said.

"Yup, I know how to manage my women," Luke said, nodding proudly.

Lorelai let out a small laugh and shook her head slightly. "You’re cute."

Luke shrugged nonchalantly. "I get that a lot."

* * *

Almost thirty minutes later, they were talking as they finished up their meals. Lorelai, in mid-sentence about the strange man she saw earlier in the elevator, suddenly stopped and stared up at the ceiling. "Aw, I love this song," Lorelai said.

Luke narrowed his eyes as he listened to it. "What is it?" he asked, taking a sip of water.

Lorelai gasped. "All the Way, Frank Sinatra. You don’t know this song?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know the song, but I’m not you – I don’t instantly recognize a song just by the first three seconds of introduction chords."

She shrugged. "It’s a gift." She stared into space, listening to it. "Mm, I could listen to this song all day. It’s so romantic." She sighed softly.

He stared at her for a few seconds, then glanced toward the center of the room where several couples were dancing. He brought his gaze back to Lorelai, who was now buttering a roll, mouthing the words to the song. He smiled at her and said, "Let’s dance."

Lorelai looked up, surprised. "What?"

"Come on, before the song ends," he said, standing up. Lorelai dropped her roll and knife on the table and stood up. Luke grabbed her hand and led her to the small dance floor. He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his interlocking fingers near the small of her back as Lorelai draped her arms over his shoulders. As they started dancing, Lorelai smiled at him. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome." He smiled and kissed her, then she rested her chin on his shoulder as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Lorelai stared straight ahead at the mirrored wall behind him and watched the reflection of them dancing. After a minute of them dancing silently, she smiled to herself, then placed her lips next to Luke’s ear and whispered, "Two months."

Luke pulled back and narrowed his eyes at her. "What?"

"Two months," she repeated. "When Rory’s finished school – when things are less hectic for her and she’s had time to adjust to this."

Confused, Luke shook his head slightly. "Lorelai, what are you talking about?"

She smiled. "I think we should live together . . . in two months."

The song came to an end, and as some of the couples dispersed from the dance floor, Luke and Lorelai stood there staring at each other. Luke’s eyes widened and a slow smile spread across his face. "Are you serious?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "I mean, I wanna discuss it with Rory first, but I think she’ll be okay with it. I mean, she was okay with Max moving in and she knows you a whole lot better than she knew him."

Luke smiled and shook his head slightly, pleasantly surprised at what he was hearing. He finally said, "So we’re gonna do this. . . we’re gonna live together."

Lorelai nodded. "I think we’re ready. I mean, sure, it’s only been a few months, but by the time we actually do it, it’ll have been like half a year." Luke’s smile remained constant on his face, and Lorelai giggled at how excited he looked. "Say something," she said, smiling.

The smile still resting on his face, Luke shrugged. "I can’t. I’m speechless." He placed his hands on either side of her face and kissed her passionately. He pulled back and said, "Let’s go upstairs."

She smiled. "Ah, the only true way to celebrate anything." They walked over to their table and waited for the check. Lorelai paid it, then they quickly walked out of the restaurant over to the elevators.

As they stepped into one, Lorelai smiled and asked, "Have you ever done it in an elevator?"

"Done what?" he asked distractedly, pushing the floor number.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Changed a flat tire." The elevator doors shut and started moving. "What do you think I’m talking about?"

Luke let out a small laugh. "Oh, sorry, I wasn’t thinking. Nope, never done it in an elevator." He pulled her close to him and kissed her. He smiled through the kiss and said, "And since we only have one more floor to go, I don’t think we really have time right now."

She smiled. "Huh, next time we’ll have to stay at a place with like a hundred floors." The doors opened and they walked quickly out of the elevator and down the hallway to their room. Luke took the keycard from his pocket and fumbled with it in the slot as Lorelai kissed his neck. He pushed open the door and they rushed inside, slamming it behind them.

Lorelai dropped her purse on the floor as their mouths crashed together in a passionate kiss. Lorelai’s hands started unbuttoning his shirt as they moved slowly toward the bed. They stood near the foot of it, kissing until they were breathless. They broke apart, panting to catch their breaths, then fell backwards onto the bed.

* * *

They lay in bed, their chests heaving as they struggled to find their normal breathing patterns. Lorelai suddenly heard a faint beeping sound in the background and she held her breath for a moment, trying to determine what it was. Realizing that it was her cell phone, she jumped off the bed and ran to her purse. She pulled it out and answered it breathlessly, "Hello?"

"Mom? Are you okay?" Rory asked, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine," Lorelai replied, panting heavily. "Mommy’s just in a state of post-coital exhaustion right now, it’ll go away soon."

"Ugh, Mom, gross! Stop there please!" Rory said.

Lorelai giggled. "Deal. How was your day?" she asked. She walked over to the bed and sat down next to Luke.

"Incredible!" Rory said excitedly. "We went to Harvard! We took a tour, sat in some classrooms, met some professors, toured the dorms, talked to some students, raided the school store. It was so great."

Lorelai smiled at her excitement. "Oh, honey, that’s awesome. Sounds like your dream vacation." She leaned back against Luke and rested her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly.

"It’s definitely ranking up there on my list of favorite days," Rory replied. "What did you do today?"

"Oh God, I think the question is, what didn’t I do today?" Lorelai said with a laugh. "We went to the batting cages, we went in the pool, I had a massage, a facial, and a pedicure, we both got jealous even though we won’t admit it. . ." She paused. "Although I guess me saying that counts as an admission on my part." She felt Luke laughing behind her and she smacked his thigh playfully. "And uh, we ate dinner and we danced to All the Way."

"Aw, you love that song!" Rory said.

Lorelai smiled. "I know, it was great."

"Did you say you went to the batting cages? You? The representative of all things unphysical and inactive?" Rory asked, shocked.

Lorelai laughed. "Yes! And I even hit the ball a few times."

"Wow," Rory said, impressed. "Good going. What’s that about being jealous?"

"Oh, I’ll explain it when we get back," Lorelai said. She paused a moment, then looked back at Luke and smiled as she said, "Oh, and by the way, we’re probably gonna have some company in a few months."

"Company?" Rory asked curiously.

"Uh, yeah," Lorelai replied. "Um, Luke and I were talking about. . . he and Jess moving in."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Rory?" Lorelai said, narrowing her eyes. "You there?"

"Uh, I’m sorry, I’m just a little shocked right now," Rory replied. "I don’t think my mouth could’ve dropped any further to the ground," she added with a laugh.

Lorelai suddenly felt nervous. "Why? Do you not want . . . that to happen?" Luke listened intently to Lorelai’s side of the conversation, wondering what Rory was saying.

"No, I think it’ll be great. I was actually thinking the other day about how it would probably happen eventually," Rory replied. "I just didn’t think it would happen so soon. But really, I’m happy about it, I promise."

Lorelai let out a small sigh of relief. "Geez, don’t do that to me! I thought you were gonna get all freaked out and run away to live with your Dad or something."

Rory laughed. "No, I’m fine with it." She paused and let out a small laugh. "Oh boy, I’m sure Dean’ll love the fact that I’ll be living with Jess."

Lorelai grimaced. "Ooh, that’s right. They’re not exactly big fans of each other, huh?"

"No, they’re not," Rory replied. "But Dean’s been starting to lay off the whole jealousy thing now that Jess has a girlfriend."

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "He does? I didn’t know that. Hold on." She lowered the phone and looked at Luke. "Did you know that Jess has a girlfriend?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I saw them talking the other day."

Lorelai frowned. "I’m the last to know everything." She put the phone back up to her ear. "Hon? So. . .you’re perfectly fine with this?"

"Perfectly fine, Mom," Rory assured her.

"Okay, good," Lorelai said, relieved. "So, call me tomorrow night, okay?"

"I will," Rory replied. "Bye Mom, love you."

"Love you too," Lorelai replied. "Bye." Lorelai smiled as she hung up the phone and placed it on the nightstand. She turned to Luke and kissed him, then snuggled up against him.

He pulled the covers over them and said, "So she’s okay with it?"

"She’s perfectly fine," Lorelai said, closing her eyes.

Luke paused for a moment. "And you’re sure you’re okay with it?" he asked. "You didn’t rush into this decision, right?"

Lorelai opened her eyes and lifted her head up to look at him. "No, I’ve thought about it all day long. I definitely didn’t rush into it," she assured him. "I promise you that I’m ready."

Luke smiled at her. "Good. So am I." He kissed her, then she rested her head back against his chest and closed her eyes. Luke sighed softly and kissed the top of her head before he leaned back against the pillow and closed his eyes.

End Part 20

* * *

Part 21

When Lorelai woke up the next morning, she was on her side with Luke’s arm draped over her from behind. She craned her neck back to look at him. Seeing that he was still asleep, she quietly slipped out from under him and climbed off the bed. He stirred in his sleep, but his eyes remained closed. She grabbed some clothes from the bureau and walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

Half an hour later, she walked out of the bathroom and found Luke sitting up in bed talking on her cell phone. She gasped. "Oh my God – you do know that’s a cell phone, don’t you?" She walked over and sat next to him.

He smiled and nodded as he kept talking into the phone. "Yeah, just pick up enough to get you through today and I’ll order a bigger shipment when I get back . . . Yeah . . . Jess is doing okay? . . . He’s been helping out, right? . . . . Oh, good. . . Yeah, I’ll be home tomorrow. . . Good, thanks. . . Bye. . ." Luke flipped the phone shut and placed it back on the nightstand.

"Who was that – Caesar?" Lorelai asked.

Luke yawned and nodded. "Mmhmm. I wanted to check up on things, make sure the place hadn’t burned down or anything. Took me ten minutes to figure out how to use the stupid phone."

Lorelai smiled. "So, the diner’s still standing?"

"Yup," he replied. "And Jess has actually been showing up for all of his shifts."

Lorelai’s eyes widened slightly with surprise. "Wow, impressive."

Luke nodded. "Yup." He stood up and stretched, then walked slowly toward the bathroom. "I’m gonna take a shower."

"Okay," Lorelai replied. She walked over to her duffel bag and pulled out a couple of magazines, then sat on the couch and started reading through them.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Luke walked out of the bathroom with one towel wrapped around his waist and another draped over his shoulders. He walked over to the bureau and pulled open a drawer.

Lorelai looked up from her magazine. "Hey Luke?"

He pushed the drawer shut and pulled open another one. He started rummaging through it looking for his black T-shirt. "Huh?" he answered, looking into the drawer.

"I was just reading about this recent male survey thing they did and I wanna see if you fall into the majority," Lorelai said.

Finally finding his shirt, he pulled it out and shut the drawer, then turned to look at her. "What is it?"

She looked down at the magazine and read, "Putting an end to the myth that bigger is better, the majority of men surveyed said that they prefer women with medium-sized breasts." She looked up at Luke and raised her eyebrows. "Are you in the majority?"

Luke rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

Lorelai gasped. "Wrong answer! The correct answer is, ‘No, Lorelai, I love your voluptuous breasts and those are the only breasts I ever think about, so you shouldn’t classify me with the other men in society who only see breasts as objects’." Lorelai shook her head disappointingly at him.

Luke smirked. "You didn’t let me finish – I was just about to add that."

Lorelai giggled and looked back at the magazine. She read a few more sentences to herself, then she scoffed loudly. "Oh my God, listen to this. The survey says that three out of four men would rather be with a woman with cancer than one who has fat thighs." She looked at Luke and frowned. "You’re all pigs."

Luke laughed. "Excuse me, three out of four men – not all men. I’m guy number four."

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Hmph, you better be."

"Why does it matter? You have great thighs," Luke pointed out.

"Well, now I do, but you never know what could happen in the future," Lorelai said, wagging her finger at him. "And you better not be one of those guys who dumps a girl the minute she gains a pound."

"Hey, the way you eat, I’m already prepared for you to gain fifty pounds," he said.

She scoffed. "Hey, now, watch it. Commenting on a lady’s eating habits is never appropriate. I’m sure it says that in here somewhere." She looked down at the magazine and started turning the pages.

He rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Okay, are we done with this conversation? Can I get dressed sometime today?"

She waved him off without looking up from her magazine. "Sure, go ahead."

"Thank you," he muttered. He grabbed some more clothes and walked back into the bathroom. He walked out a few minutes later. He sat on the bed and pulled on his shoes, then stood up and said, "Okay, ready to go?"

She dropped her magazine on the couch and stood up. "Hi, I’ve been ready to go for like an hour," she said with an exasperated sigh.

He rolled his eyes as he walked toward the door. "You have not. Come on."

She walked right past him. "Wait, I have to do my hair and makeup."

His hand on the doorknob already, Luke groaned. "What? You just said that you’ve been ready to go for an hour."

She turned around. "Yes, but I meant that in the sense that I was emotionally and psychologically ready to go, but not in the sense that I’m physically ready to go," Lorelai explained. "There are many facets to being ready, Luke. You know, sometimes you might be ready to – "

"Okay, okay," Luke interrupted, holding up a hand for her to stop. "Just go get ready and then you can finish this highly interesting explanation about the different stages of readiness while we’re eating breakfast." He pointed to the bathroom. "Go, I’m hungry."

She made a face at him before she turned around and walked into the bathroom. Luke walked over to the couch and sat down with a sigh. He noticed her pile of magazines next to him on the couch. He glanced toward the bathroom to see if she was looking, then quietly picked one up and started flipping through it.

Several minutes later, Lorelai walked out of the bathroom. She stopped abruptly in her tracks when she saw Luke intently reading her Cosmo. "See anything good?" she asked with a laugh.

Startled, Luke jumped. He immediately dropped the magazine onto the couch and stood up. "Geez, don’t do that," he grumbled.

She walked toward him, smiling. "What were you reading?"

He shrugged. "Just skimming some articles."

"Mmhmm," she said, smiling. "Perhaps the one called ‘Ten Ways Men Drive Women Wild in Bed’? Ooh, or the one called ‘Does Size Really Matter?’ Either one of those catch your eye?" She ran her hands over his chest and kissed his cheek.

Luke blushed slightly. "Uh, nope, didn’t see either of those," he replied quickly. "Ready to go?" He walked over to the door and pulled it open. Lorelai smiled to herself as she grabbed her purse and followed him out into the hallway.

* * *

After they had eaten breakfast, they walked out of the lounge and wandered down to the lobby. Lorelai looked out one of the large picture windows and said, "It looks nice out."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, it does. Let’s sit outside for a little while."

"Ooh, you mean we can find a nice spot on the grass and lay on our backs and stare up at the sky and try to make shapes out of the clouds?" she asked excitedly.

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "Uh, no, I mean we can sit up straight on that bench right there on the shaded patio," he said, pointing to the white cushioned bench on the other side of the window.

Lorelai pouted, then she sighed. "Are you sure I can’t convince you to sit on the grass?"

"We’re not sitting on the grass," Luke said sternly, taking her hand. He led her out the door and they walked across the patio over to the bench. Luke sat down first, and Lorelai sat next to him, slumping down so that she could comfortably lean her head against his chest. Lorelai rested her hands on her stomach as Luke stroked her arm.

Lorelai glanced around at the other people on the patio. "Hey," Lorelai whispered. "What do you think that guy in the light blue shirt does for a living?"

Luke looked around nonchalantly until he spotted who she was talking about. He was an older man sitting at a small patio table with a newspaper spread out in front of him while he talked on his cell phone. "Hmm. . . accountant?" Luke suggested.

Lorelai stared at the man for a second. "Possibly. He looks like he’s good with numbers."

Luke let out a small laugh. "How can you possibly tell that just by looking at him?"

"Trust me, I can just tell these things," Lorelai replied. "Hmm. What do you think his name is?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "I have no idea."

"I think he looks like. . . a John," Lorelai said. "Yeah, definitely a John."

"Okay, John it is, then," Luke said. "Looks like John’s getting some company."

Lorelai watched as a woman walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then sat down next to him at the table. Lorelai gasped. "Oh God, she’s like one-third of his age."

"Maybe it’s his daughter," Luke suggested.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "You don’t bring your daughter to a place this fancy." She stared at the couple for several seconds. "Oh, I know!" she whispered loudly. "I have it all figured it out."

Luke smiled. "Oh yeah?"

"Yup! Okay, John is a married financial planner on a business trip, and that woman. . .who looks like a Kate. . .is not only his personal secretary, but also his mistress," she said, nodding enthusiastically. "That’s it, that’s definitely it. I’m good."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Yes, you know everything." He stared at the couple for a few seconds. "Okay, so now explain why she looks upset."

Lorelai scoffed. "Isn’t is obvious? She just realized that this business trip is the last time that they’re going to be together because he’s leaving the country tomorrow with all the money he absconded from his clients last week and she can’t go with him because she has to take care of her sick mother."

Luke laughed. "Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t pick up on that. My mistake."

Lorelai giggled. "It’s okay, you don’t have the gift like me." She glanced around the patio. "John and Kate are boring me now. We need new people to talk about."

Luke glanced around. "What about those two by the big fern? I saw them in the gym yesterday."

Lorelai scanned the patio for the fern, then raised her eyebrows when she saw the couple he was referring to. "Wow, they’re younger than most people here. How old do you think they are – like twenty-four?"

Luke shrugged. "I guess."

Lorelai eyed them curiously. "Wow, they’re both really buff," she remarked. "Look at the size of his arms. . . and those thighs." She stared at him for a few more seconds. "Wow, his chest is just. . . hmm."

Luke waved a hand in front of her face. "Hi, are you done drooling over Arnold Schwarzenegger over there?"

"I’m not drooling," she said, rolling her eyes. "I’m merely commenting on his physique. Trust me, I don’t find him attractive at all."

"Really?" Luke asked, surprised. "But you love muscles."

"I do love muscles," she said, turning to look at him. "But it’s not like you can just stick muscles on some random guy and I’ll automatically find him physically attractive. He has to be cute, too. You know, like you. You’ve got the sexy muscles, but you’ve also got the adorable face and nice butt."

Luke smiled. "So I’m told."

Lorelai laughed and turned around to look back at the young couple. "But that guy – he sorta has like a freaky looking Greg Brady head on top of a Sylvester Stallone body. It’s just not working for me," she said, shaking her head.

"Well, good. Then you can stay with me and he can have the buff woman that looks like Paula Jones," Luke said.

Lorelai turned back toward him and laughed. "Oh my God, that’s it!" she whispered loudly. "I couldn’t tell who she reminded me of! Oh God, you’re right, it’s totally Paula Jones, pre-nose job."

Luke smiled and nodded. "Definitely."

Lorelai glanced around the patio. "Do you think there’s someone out here talking about us like we’re doing to other people?"

Luke shrugged. "I don’t know. What do you think they would say?"

"I don’t know," Lorelai replied. "That we’re. . . uh. . .we don’t. . ." She paused. "Nope, sorry, there’s nothing bad about us." She shrugged, then smiled and said, "Maybe they’d talk about how perfect we look together."

Luke smiled. "Maybe," he agreed, nodding his head. He kissed her before she turned back around and rested her head against his shoulder. They sat outside talking for a few more minutes, making plans for the rest of the day.

* * *

A few hours later, having just used the sauna, they returned to their room and changed.

As Lorelai brushed her hair near the bed, Luke flipped through the brochure of things to do in the area. "Hey, how ‘bout we drive to the aquarium?" Luke suggested.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes as she walked over to him. "The aquarium?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

Luke put the brochure back on the desk. "Yeah. We don’t have to stay long. It’s just something to get us out of the hotel for a little while," Luke said. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close against his body.

Lorelai shrugged. "Sure, I don’t care." She picked a piece of fuzz off of his shoulder and dropped it to the floor.

"And even if you don’t like the animal part, they’ll probably have junk food there to keep you content," Luke said, rolling his eyes.

Lorelai smiled. "Oh, you sold me." She kissed him, then wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

* * *

Two hours later, they sat at a small table in the café of the aquarium. Lorelai was eating her second slice of pizza as Luke ate a sandwich. Lorelai took a sip of her soda and said, "Man, that was a lot of walking. I’m still tired."

"Yes, I know," Luke said, rolling his eyes. "You’ve reminded me every two minutes since we got here of how much you hate to walk."

She frowned. "And you didn’t even offer to carry me on your back." She took a bite of pizza before she asked, "So how come you don’t look exhausted?"

Luke let out a small laugh. "Because, unlike you, the laziest woman in Connecticut, I’m used to having some physical activity in my life."

Lorelai stuck her tongue out at him. "Hey, I have plenty of physical activity in my life."

He rolled his eyes. "Activity that doesn’t involve a bed?"

Lorelai thought for a moment, then said, "Um, no, not really."

Luke smirked. "See?" He took a sip of his water and said, "So, this wasn’t bad right? It was kinda fun."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it was nice. I liked the penguins."

Luke smiled. "I could tell by the way you gave them all new names."

Lorelai laughed. "Well, the aquarium people gave them all stupid names. That one penguin did not look like a Mikey. Who names a penguin Mikey?" She shook her head in disbelief. "That one definitely looked more like a Howard."

"They all look exactly the same, so if one looks like a Howard, they all look like a Howard," Luke said.

Lorelai gasped. "That’s not true! They’re all unique. If I give birth to identical twins, I’m not gonna give them the same name just because they look alike."

Luke nodded, then took a sip of water. He paused a moment, then asked, "You meant that hypothetically, right?"

Confused, Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him. "Meant what?"

"The. . .you giving birth part," he replied. "You were just using that as an example, right?"

Lorelai laughed. "Man, look at you getting all nervous!" She took a sip of soda before she nodded and said, "Yes, that was purely a hypothetical scenario."

Luke nodded and placed the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth. After he finished it, he wiped his lips with a napkin and said, "So you know what I was thinking about for dinner?"

Lorelai shook her head. "No, what?"

"Foxwoods," he replied.

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "Wow, really?"

Luke nodded. "I was flipping through the brochure earlier and they have a lot of different places to eat there. And they have a bunch of different entertainment type things, like a night club with musical and comedy acts and stuff."

Lorelai shook her head and let out a laugh. "That’s so not you. I can’t picture you in a night club atmosphere at all."

Luke groaned. "Trust me, neither can I. But we might as well check it out while we’re here."

Lorelai rubbed her hands together excitedly. "And then we can go gambling!"

Luke narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. "No gambling," he said sternly.

Lorelai frowned. "Why?"

Luke’s eyes widened and he leaned toward her. "Why? Because it’s a waste of money, for one. Do you have any idea how many problems in society are caused by gambling? Do you know how many people in this country are in debt because of gambling addictions? Do you know how much money taxpayers pay each year because casinos –"

Lorelai held up her hand. "Okay, okay, I got it. Stop now before the anti-gambling rant goes any further."

Luke leaned back against his chair. "We’ll go there, get some dinner, maybe catch a show, that’s it."

Lorelai shook her head slightly. "I don’t know, Luke. It sounds like you’re going against your own rant. You know, by eating there and participating in other entertainment activities there, you’re contributing to the casino’s profits," she pointed out. "You’re helping this evil casino become more stable so that it can live on forever and ever and destroy all of society as we know it."

Luke rolled his eyes and exhaled loudly. "Do you wanna go?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

That evening, they were driving from the casino back to the hotel. Lorelai pulled a container of Tic-Tac’s from her purse and popped a couple into her mouth. She held it out to Luke. "Want some?"

He shook his head. "No, thanks. So, uh, that food was good, huh?"

"Yeah, very good," Lorelai agreed. "So was the wine."

"And that comedian. . . he was pretty funny, huh?" Luke said, giving her a sideways glance.

Lorelai smiled. "Yeah, he was, but did you see that freaky thing he kept doing with his head, though?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"He kept moving his head around every time he made a joke," Lorelai said, imitating him. "He was like a bobble head doll."

Luke was quiet for a moment, then he exhaled loudly. "Do you always have to make fun of people?"

Lorelai was surprised. "What?" she asked, turning to look at him

Luke kept his eyes on the road as he spoke. "I mean, the guy tonight was funny, but instead of just saying, ‘Yeah, he was funny’, you have to point out something negative about him. You just always seem to find something wrong with everyone."

Lorelai scoffed. "I do not!" she said, taking offense.

"Oh no?" Luke said. "What about when we were in the elevator earlier and that lady told you she liked your purse? She was being polite to you but as soon as she got off, you made fun of her hair."

"It looked like a ratty old mop!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"But you didn’t have to say that!" Luke retorted. "You could’ve just thought it to yourself. And what about at breakfast when you commented about that guy’s outfit not matching?"

"Well, it didn’t," Lorelai said.

"And don’t get me started about all the people you picked on at the aquarium," Luke said.

"Ugh!" Lorelai groaned, clenching her fists tightly. "Stop already!"

"And out on the patio when you were talking about all those people," Luke continued.

"What?" Lorelai exclaimed. "You were talking about those people too! Don’t deny that!"

"I’m not denying that, but my point is that you do it all the time," Luke said. "You should try not to be so judgmental."

Lorelai glared at him for a second before she huffed loudly. "Whatever," she muttered.

"Look, it was just an observation. I didn’t want to start a fight," Luke said, staring straight ahead.

"Yeah, well, you did," Lorelai snapped. She folded her arms across her chest and looked out the passenger window. Luke sighed loudly and they drove back to the hotel in silence.

* * *

They entered their hotel room and Lorelai walked directly into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Luke removed his suit jacket and hung it up, then took off his shoes and socks. He took off his pants, and as he draped them over the armchair, Lorelai walked out of the bathroom now wearing her robe. Luke watched her as she hung up her dress in the closet, then walked over to the couch and sat down. She turned on the television and started flipping through the channels. Now wearing just his T-shirt and boxers, Luke walked into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, he came out of the bathroom and slowly walked over to the couch. He sat down next to her, and she continued to stare straight ahead at the television. Luke reached over and gently slid the remote out of her grip, and she let him without putting up a fight. He turned off the television and turned to face her as she sighed and folded her arms across her chest.

Luke stared at her for a moment before he spoke. "I’m sorry, okay? I wasn’t bringing it up to be mean. I was just making a point. I mean, you always seem to point out other people’s faults, and . . . you know, there’s probably some sort of reason behind that."

"Oh God, you’re a psychiatrist now? You’re Dr. Frasier Crane?" Lorelai asked, rolling her eyes.

"No, I’m not," Luke replied. "I’m a guy who’s wondering why you have the constant need to mock people so much. I think you do it because you want to feel better about yourself."

Lorelai scoffed. "I do not! I do it because . . .because. . ." Her voice trailed off.

"Because. . ." he prompted her.

She stared at him for several seconds with pursed lips. Finally, she sighed and said, "I don’t know why, okay? Maybe it is for that reason – I don’t know."

"Okay, let’s forget it. It’s no big deal. Sorry for bringing it up," Luke said.

Lorelai let out a long sigh. "Mocking people is like second nature to me. I’m just so used to doing it that I don’t realize I’m doing it," she said with a shrug.

Luke took one of her hands into his and stroked it with his thumb. "I know – which is why you’re probably gonna keep doing it for the rest of your life," he said, smiling.

She smiled. "Probably, but now I’ll be more conscious of it and maybe once in awhile, I’ll feel bad about it."

He shook his head. "Probably not."

She smiled and shrugged. "It could happen. I’m sure there’s at least one ounce of kindness in me that might feel guilty about making fun of someone. . . someday."

"Well, that’s a good goal to have," Luke said, nodding. He ran his hand up and down her thigh. "So. . .we’re good now?"

She smiled. "We’re good." She leaned back against the arm of the couch and pulled him on top of her. He kissed her hungrily, darting his tongue into her mouth with an aggression that made a surge of arousal shoot through her body. He untied her robe and smiled when he discovered there was nothing underneath. As he lowered his mouth to her chest, she let out a soft moan toward the ceiling. Moments later, Luke pulled her up off the couch and led her to the bed.

* * *

Not long after, Lorelai collapsed on top of Luke, resting for several seconds before she finally rolled off of him. "Oh. . .my. . .God," Lorelai panted. "Is it just me or was that ten times better than usual?"

Breathing heavy, Luke replied, "It wasn’t just you." He breathed heavy for a few seconds, then added, "Think about it – you know why it was so good."

Lorelai brushed her hair out of her eyes and thought for a moment, then turned and smiled at Luke. "Ah, we had a fight," she said knowingly.

Luke smiled and nodded. They were silent for a few moments as they caught their breaths, then Luke stood up and walked over to the couch. He picked up a magazine from the end table and brought it back to the bed. He placed it on her chest and said, "Page forty-six, third paragraph."

Lorelai looked at him curiously, then picked up the magazine and found the page. She read the third paragraph, letting out a loud gasp as she finished it. She lowered the magazine and stared at Luke with wide eyes. "Oh my God, Luke Danes, you set me up!" she exclaimed with a laugh.

Luke smiled. "I was just following directions."

She brought the magazine back up and read the third paragraph aloud. "Remember, it’s a well-known fact that makeup sex is always spectacular, so if you don’t mind being the bad guy for a little while, bring up a topic you know will start an argument. However, keep in mind, it must be something that will be easily resolved or you might end up on the couch instead." Lorelai lowered the magazine and laughed. "Oh my God! I can’t believe this was all a setup!"

"Good, huh?" Luke asked with a sly smile.

She smacked his shoulder with the magazine. "I can’t believe you took advice from Cosmo," she said with a laugh.

He smiled. "Hey, it was good advice, was it not?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, it was." She paused and thought for a moment. "You knew that I’d say something about that guy’s bobbling head, didn’t you?"

Luke smiled. "You’re very predictable sometimes."

She shook her head slightly and smiled. "Then you added all that other stuff in to start a fight. Wow, I’m giving you much deserved credit – you usually suck at lying."

"Well, it helped that it was dark in the car so you couldn’t see my nervous face," Luke said.

Lorelai smiled. "So, does this mean that you don’t think I make fun of people too much?"

He shook his head. "No, you definitely do, but as long as it’s not me, I don’t really care."

Lorelai laughed. "Good to know." She smacked him playfully and added, "You know, you had me upset there for awhile. That was kinda mean."

He nodded. "I know, sorry. You’ll have to blame Cosmo for that."

"You’re lucky that I wasn’t in a fighting mood tonight, Luke," Lorelai informed him. "This plan could’ve backfired right in your face and I could’ve given you the silent treatment all night. You know, I can be really stubborn sometimes."

"Really? I hadn’t noticed," Luke said sarcastically.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Ha ha." She smiled and pushed him down so he was lying on his back, then climbed on top of him and straddled his stomach. She leaned down and kissed him, then pulled back and said, "So, we have to go home tomorrow." She leaned down and kissed him again.

As she pulled away from him, he said, "Yes, we do."

She ran her hands over his chest as she said, "There’s pretty much two options for tonight."

Luke ran his hands up and down her thighs. "Two options?"

"Uh huh. We can either go to bed right now," she said, leaning down to kiss him again. She pulled back from his lips and ran her tongue down his chest to his stomach. She sat back up and raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Or we can try to set a new Guinness World Record for the most sex in one night."

Luke smiled. "Hmm, I’ll go with option two." He pulled her body close to his and rolled them over so that he was on top of her. He kissed her deeply before he pulled back and said, "Oh, unless you wanted option number one." She smiled and shook her head, then pressed her lips tightly against his.

* * *

The next morning, Luke gently rubbed Lorelai’s back to wake her up. "Lorelai," he said softly. "Lorelai, wake up."

She groaned and buried her face in the pillow. "Leave me alone," she mumbled.

Luke put his hand on her shoulder and shook her lightly. "Come on, get up."

Lorelai lifted her head to look at the clock. "Luke, are you crazy? We just went to bed like three hours ago!" she exclaimed in a loud whisper. She put her head back down and closed her eyes.

"We still have to pack," Luke reminded her. "We have to be out of here by eleven."

"Fine, you go pack, call me when you’re done," she muttered, pulling the blanket around her tightly.

"I’m not packing your stuff, I have my own things to pack," Luke said. "Now get up, you can sleep on the car ride home."

Lorelai groaned into her pillow and mumbled, "I don’t wanna go home. I love it here."

"Yeah, well, if we spend one more day here I’ll have to sell a kidney on the black market to pay for it," Luke replied. "Come on, get up." Lorelai continued to ignore his requests. Luke sighed and stared at her for a moment, thinking. Finally, he smiled and said, "If you wanna see Rory today, you’ll have to get up and go home."

Lorelai opened her eyes and smiled to herself as she slowly lifted her head up from the pillow. She yawned as she sat up in the bed. "Good point. I’m up." She shivered and pulled the covers up over her arms. "Geez, it’s always cold in here."

Luke climbed off the bed and walked over to the couch. He picked up Lorelai’s robe and tossed it to her. "Here."

"Thanks." She pulled it on, then leaned against the headboard and closed her eyes.

Luke sighed as he walked over to the bed and grabbed her hand. "Come on, you’re falling back asleep." He pulled her off the bed and led her to the bathroom. He gave her a little push through the door and said, "There, go take a shower. It’ll wake you up."

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "No, coffee will wake me up." She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

Luke sighed. "Look, you get in the shower and I’ll go get us some breakfast."

Lorelai opened her eyes. "With coffee?" she asked excitedly.

"With coffee," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

Lorelai grinned. "Thank you."

* * *

After her shower, Lorelai walked out of the bathroom and found that Luke had spread some of the suitcases open on the bed and had started packing. Lorelai walked over to him and hugged him from behind. She nuzzled her nose against his neck and said, "Mm, you smell good."

Luke pointed to the table. "I think that’s the coffee and muffins you smell."

Lorelai’s eyes widened as she glanced at the table. "Ooh!" she exclaimed. She walked over and took a long sip of coffee. "Mmm, that’s good." She glanced at the three large muffins and laughed. "Are these all for me?"

"Yup," he said. "I already ate a bagel." He grabbed a pile of clothes from the bed. "I’m gonna go take a shower. As soon as you’re done eating, start packing. We only have an hour and a half." He walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Lorelai sat at the table and ate two of the muffins. She finished up the coffee, then got dressed before she started packing. When Luke walked out of the bathroom, he nodded approvingly at her almost-filled suitcases. "Good job. I’m impressed."

She smiled. "What, you didn’t think I knew how to pack?"

"No, I didn’t think you knew how to follow directions," he replied.

"Yeah, I have problems with that sometimes," Lorelai said. "That’s why I failed kindergarten." She tossed a pile of shirts into a suitcase, then grabbed her duffel bag and walked into the bathroom to collect her toiletries.

* * *

An hour later, they called for a concierge, who brought up a cart for their luggage. He helped them load it up, then rolled it out into the hallway to wait for them.

Luke and Lorelai took one final walk through the hotel room, making sure that nothing had been forgotten. "I think we have everything," Luke said.

"Yup, all clear in there," Lorelai said, walking out of the bathroom.

They stood at the foot of the bed. Luke pulled her into a hug and she brought her arms up around his waist and hugged him back tightly.

After several seconds, Lorelai pulled back and smiled at him. "This was the most incredible weekend," she said quietly. "Really, everything was perfect. Thank you."

Luke smiled and kissed her. "You’re welcome."

Lorelai leaned her forehead against his. "I love you," she said.

He brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes and smiled at her. "I love you, too." They kissed passionately before he took her hand and led her out of the room.

End Part 21

* * *

Part 22

They went down to the front desk to check out, then Lorelai and the concierge waited outside by the entrance as Luke brought the car around. The men loaded the luggage into the trunk, and Lorelai watched from inside the Jeep as Luke tipped the concierge and climbed into the driver’s seat.

Lorelai stared up at the hotel as they drove through the parking lot. As they turned onto the road, she leaned back against her seat with a loud sigh. "I miss Howard already."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I can’t believe you named the bed."

"He was a good bed," Lorelai said. "I bet he misses us, too. I bet when he’s hanging out with his bed friends later, he’s gonna brag about how lucky he was to have had such a hot couple."

"Mmhmm," Luke muttered.

"Uh huh." Lorelai nodded. "But they might not believe him. We should’ve left a picture of us under the mattress so he had proof."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Well, next time we’ll try to get the same room so we can give him a picture."

Lorelai turned to him and smiled. "Next time?"

Luke shrugged. "Yeah. Might be nice to make this. . . a yearly thing or something."

Lorelai smiled. "Sounds good." She stared out the window. "Are you sure you know how to get home?"

"Yes, I know how," Luke assured her. "Take a nap or something."

"Nah, I’m not tired anymore," Lorelai said. She reached down and turned on the radio.

Luke groaned. "You know I hate having the radio on when I’m driving."

"Uh, no you don’t," Lorelai told him, narrowing her eyes at him.

Luke let out a small laugh. "Oh, I don’t?"

"No, because I love having the radio on when I’m driving, and you love me, so that means that you love having the radio on when you’re driving. It’s a chain reaction," Lorelai explained as she flipped through the stations.

Luke exhaled loudly. "Right," he muttered.

She skimmed through several stations, then groaned. "Nothing good’s on." As she turned it off, Luke smiled to himself. Lorelai noticed and raised her eyebrows. "I see your proud little smile. You think you won."

"I did win," he said.

"No, you didn’t," Lorelai replied, shaking her head. "I didn’t turn it off because you don’t like it, I turned it off because there’s nothing on. That doesn’t mean you won."

"Okay, fine, no one won," Luke said. Lorelai stared at him for a moment, a small smirk on her face. He glanced over at her and shrugged. "What?"

"You still think you won," Lorelai said knowingly.

Luke smiled as he stared straight ahead. "Do not."

Lorelai let out a small laugh. "You know, we’re defying the odds by being together. Two people as competitive and stubborn as us – it’s surprising that we’ve gone this long without killing each other."

"Yeah, well, we’ve had a long time to get used to each other," Luke pointed out.

"True," Lorelai agreed. "If we were two random strangers and we got set up with each other on Change of Heart or something, then it wouldn’t have worked out."

"Change of Heart?" Luke asked, confused.

"Forget it," she replied, waving him off. "I think I’m the only one who’s ever watched that show. The point is. . . " She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "That it’s a good thing we knew each other so well before we went out."

"Yup," Luke said, nodding. Lorelai rested back against her seat and stared out the passenger window. They drove for a few more seconds before Luke said, "Uh, Lorelai?"

She turned and looked at him. "Hm?"

Luke bit his lip momentarily before he asked, "Did we pass the turnoff for the highway?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes and pulled the map out of the glove compartment.

* * *

They pulled up to Lorelai’s house slightly before one o’clock. Luke turned off the engine and they sat for a few minutes talking in the Jeep.

"The archway looks nice with the plants and stuff on it," Luke said, gesturing to the chuppa.

Lorelai looked at it and smiled. "Yeah, it does."

"So, now, did you name all of the animals or just some of them?" Luke asked.

"All of them," Lorelai replied, smiling. "Wanna know their names?"

Luke smiled and shook his head. "No thanks, but explain this to me – you told me awhile ago that you’re not good at naming things, but you seem to have a name for every object known to man."

Lorelai shook her head. "That’s not true. I don’t name everything."

"Hm, let’s see," Luke said, ticking them off on his fingers. "Cars, animals, strangers, beds, appliances, toolboxes."

Lorelai leaned toward him so that her lips were only inches from his. She smiled and said, "You forgot body parts."

Luke smiled and nodded. "Oh yeah, can’t forget that one."

Lorelai giggled and ran her hand over Luke’s denim-covered thigh. "How is Chester?"

"He’s, uh, very satisfied," Luke said, smiling.

"Good, I’m glad," Lorelai said. She pressed her lips against his as she brought her hands up to his face and ran her fingers over the stubble on his cheeks.

Seconds later, they stepped out of the car and opened the trunk. Luke took out Lorelai’s garment bag and handed it to her, then took out her duffel bag and one of her suitcases. They walked up the front porch, and Luke unlocked the door and pushed it open.

"I’m home!" Lorelai called as she walked into the house.

Luke followed her inside. "Who are you talking to?"

Lorelai scoffed as if it was obvious. "The house. It probably missed me."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Of course." He put the luggage by the stairs and walked back out to get her other suitcase. Lorelai pushed play on the answering machine and listened to her messages, and Luke returned just as she was deleting them. "Anyone good?" he asked.

"Not really," Lorelai said. "Unless you count the one from my mother saying that she hates machines."

Luke let out a small laugh. "That’s it? That’s all she said?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yup. ‘Lorelai, I hate talking to this stupid machine.’ That was the whole message," she said with a shrug. She walked over to the desk and turned on the lamp as Luke started carrying one of the suitcases up the steps. "Aw, that’s okay, I can get that," Lorelai said.

"No, it’s heavy, I got it," Luke said, continuing up the staircase.

Lorelai grabbed her garment bag and followed him up to her bedroom. "I’ll take my dresses out of here so you can take your suit home."

"Thanks." Luke put the suitcase on her bed and walked down to get the other one. Lorelai removed her dresses from the overstuffed garment bag and tossed them on her chair, then zipped the bag back up. Luke returned with her other suitcase and set it by the door. "There you go."

"Great, thanks," Lorelai replied. She held out the garment bag. "Here’s your suit."

Luke took it from her. "Thanks."

They walked downstairs and to the front door. As Luke pulled it open, he pulled her keys from his pocket and held them up. "I was just gonna take the Jeep home since all my stuff’s in it anyway. Is that okay?"

Lorelai nodded. "Absolutely. I’ll pick it up later."

"Okay," Luke replied. He kissed her. "See you later."

"Mmkay," she replied. He started to walk away, but Lorelai reached out and grabbed his arm. Luke turned around, a surprised look on his face. Lorelai stepped up to him and kissed him deeply, running her fingers through his hair. She smiled through the kiss and said, "Thank you."

Luke smiled. "You’re welcome. Bye."

"Bye," Lorelai replied. Lorelai smiled to herself as she watched him walk across the lawn and climb into the Jeep. He gave her a small wave as he pulled away, and Lorelai slowly shut the front door.

* * *

Several hours later, Lorelai sat on the couch reading, glancing at the clock every few minutes as she waited for Rory to come home.

When she finally heard a car outside, she jumped up off the couch. She ran to the front door and pulled it open, smiling excitedly when she saw the Volvo parked out front.

Rory climbed out of the passenger seat, her eyes lighting up when she saw Lorelai. "Mom!" She walked quickly toward the porch.

Lorelai ran towards Rory and threw her arms around her. "Oh my God, you’re never going anywhere ever again! We are going out tomorrow and getting permanently attached at the hip."

Rory laughed as she hugged her back tightly. "We didn’t think you were home yet. Where’s the car?"

"Luke has it," Lorelai replied. They hugged for a few more seconds before they finally pulled apart. "Okay, let me look at you," Lorelai said. She stepped back and looked Rory up and down. "Uh huh, uh huh, okay, you look relatively normal."

Christopher had pulled Rory’s bags out of the trunk and had walked over to them. "Relatively normal?" he asked with a small laugh.

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, I can’t be sure that she’s completely normal until I do a few more tests later."

"Okay, just don’t give her a drug test for a few more hours." Christopher winked at Rory. "Right, hon?"

Rory smiled. "Right." She picked up her duffel bag and started walking toward the front door.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Very funny," she said, turning to Christopher. "So where’s Sherry?"

"She had some work to catch up on at home since she took Friday off," Christopher said.

"Work?" Lorelai asked. "Like, what - she has to test out the makeup or something?"

"Yeah, she sits in front of a mirror for hours at a time and just keeps slathering it on," Chris said. "The look’s quite becoming."

"Huh," Lorelai said, smiling. "Sounds fun."

Christopher picked up Rory’s suitcase and they walked into the house. They went to Rory’s room where Rory was standing at the foot of her bed already unloading her duffel bag. She pulled a few books out of the bag and walked over to the bookshelf.

Lorelai gasped and turned to Christopher. "Oh my God, what is she doing?"

Christopher set the suitcase down near the bed. "Uh, it looks like she’s unpacking."

Lorelai grabbed Rory’s arm. "Stop that. Only freaks unpack the minute they walk through the door. Come tell me about your trip first," Lorelai said, pulling her into the kitchen. "What’d you do, what’d you see, what’d you eat, how many times did you have to ask people with Boston accents to repeat themselves?"

Christopher followed them into the kitchen. "Okay, I should get going before your mom starts asking questions like, how many times did you blink?"

Lorelai frowned. "Those questions don’t come until the very end."

"Dad, why don’t you stay a little while?" Rory asked. "You just drove for two hours, you don’t wanna jump right back in the car, do you?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, Chris, stay. Have dinner with us, at least."

"Please Dad?" Rory asked hopefully.

Christopher shrugged. "I don’t know, it’s getting late."

Lorelai looked at the clock. "It’s 5:30," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Come on, we’ll go to Luke’s." Rory and Lorelai walked to the front hallway.

Christopher trailed behind them, asking, "Luke won’t mind?"

Lorelai turned around, a surprised look on her face. "What? Why would Luke mind?"

"Hey, more customers means more profit," Rory said as she stepped out onto the front porch.

Lorelai looked at Christopher curiously. "Why would Luke mind?" she repeated.

Christopher shrugged. "I don’t know. Some people get jealous when their . . . significant others hang out with their exes."

Lorelai smirked. "Some people – like Sherry?"

Christopher shook his head. "No, Sherry’s perfectly fine with me being here." They stepped out onto the porch and pulled the door shut behind them.

"So is Luke," Lorelai said. The three of them started walking across the yard. Rory walked a few feet ahead of them as they continued to talk.

"Good," he said. "I don’t want him to flip out on me or something."

Lorelai laughed. "Oh my God, are you serious? The only way Luke would flip out on you is if you tried to attack us or kidnap us or something. Were you planning on doing that while you’re here?"

"No, that’s not on the agenda this time," Christopher replied, smiling.

Lorelai smiled and shrugged. "Then he’s cool with it. You’re Rory’s dad, Chris – he’s happy that you’re spending time with her."

Christopher smirked. "He’s Mr. Perfect, huh?"

"Nobody’s perfect," Lorelai said, shaking her head. She paused a moment before she smiled and added, "But he comes pretty damn close." They increased their pace to catch up to Rory. "So, tell me about all about your trip!" Lorelai said excitedly, linking her arm through Rory’s.

* * *

They pulled open the door to the diner and sat down at the table in front of the large picture window. When Rory and Christopher finished up their story about touring the Harvard libraries, Lorelai glanced over at the counter and saw Luke, who was facing away from them. She excused herself from the table, then walked behind the counter and tapped Luke on the shoulder.

He turned around and smiled when he saw who it was. "Hey."

Lorelai kissed his cheek. "Hey." She pointed toward her table. "Rory’s home."

Luke glanced over at the table and smiled. "Good. Did she have a good time?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yup. We’re gonna have dinner with Chris before he heads back. How’s work so far?"

Luke shrugged. "Uneventful. Patty came in here looking for you earlier."

"Oh yeah?" Lorelai asked, smiling. "She probably just wants to hear about our weekend."

"Yeah, well, just summarize it for her. She doesn’t need to know the details," Luke said.

Lorelai frowned. "Aw, but I already made a miniature model of the hotel, and I made little figures out of clay so that we can invite the entire town over and give them a full visual reenactment of the trip." She smiled as she leaned forward and said, "The clay figures have removable clothing."

Luke rolled his eyes. "No details," he repeated.

Lorelai smiled. "Fine, fine, no details."

"I’ll be right over with coffee. Three?" Luke asked.

Lorelai nodded. "Yup." She walked back to the table. As she slid into her seat, she said, "Hey, did you guys go to the real Cheers?"

"Ooh, we went past it," Rory said excitedly. "It was so neat. We saw Cliff’s mail truck parked out front."

Lorelai smiled. "Really? I hope you got a picture of that." Lorelai started drumming her hands on the table.

After several seconds, Christopher put his hands on top of hers and said, "Were you planning on doing that the entire time?"

Lorelai smirked. "No, I wasn’t planning on it, but now that I know it bothers you, I think I will."

Christopher rolled his eyes and removed his hands from hers. Lorelai started drumming her hands on the table again, making Christopher groan with annoyance. A few seconds later, Luke walked over with their coffee. "Stop," he said, placing their mugs on the table.

Lorelai stopped and frowned. "You guys are no fun."

Christopher let out a small laugh. "Wow, finally someone who can make her listen. I didn’t think I’d live to see the day." Lorelai made a face at him and took a sip of coffee.

Luke leaned slightly toward Christopher. "See, it’s all in the tone of voice," he explained. "You have to be stern and tough, and you can’t let her see that she’s bothering you because that sadistic edge of hers comes out and she’ll try to drive you crazy."

Christopher smiled and nodded. "I know what you mean. It’s quite an annoying attribute she’s got there."

Lorelai frowned. "I’m right here, you know. Hmph."

Luke stood back up and smiled at Rory. "Good to have you home."

"Thanks," Rory said, smiling up at him. "It’s good to be back."

"You have a good time?" Luke asked.

"Yup, it was great," Rory said, nodding. "Dad said maybe I could come back and visit this summer."

Lorelai looked at Christopher. "Oh really?"

"Uh, you know, if it’s okay with you," Christopher said.

Lorelai shrugged. "We’ll see."

"What about you?" Rory asked. "Did you guys have fun?"

Luke gave a quick smile toward Lorelai and nodded. "Yeah, we did." He pulled out his order pad. "What’ll you guys have?"

"Burger and fries," Lorelai replied quickly.

"Same," Rory said.

"Same," Christopher said.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Healthy family," he muttered, walking away.

Lorelai smiled, then she glanced out the window. "Honey, Dean’s out there with some friends."

"Oh really?" Rory turned around to look. "I was gonna call him after we ate. I’m gonna go tell him I’m home," she said, standing up.

"You probably won’t have to tell him. I think when he sees you walking out there, he’ll figure it out," Christopher said.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Be right back." She walked out of the diner.

Lorelai took a sip of coffee and glanced toward Luke at the counter. She smiled to herself, then brought her gaze to Christopher, who was smiling at her with his arms folded across his chest. "What?"

Christopher shrugged and glanced over at Luke. "You spent the whole weekend with him and you’re still talking to each other, so that must mean things are going well."

"They are," Lorelai said, nodding. "They’re going very well."

Christopher took a sip of coffee. "I’m happy for you."

Lorelai tilted her head and smiled at him. "Thank you," she said. "Me too – I mean, I’m happy for you, too."

"Thanks," Christopher said. They smiled at each other as Rory walked back into the diner and sat down at the table.

* * *

As they finished eating, they continued to talk over coffee, sharing stories of both of their trips. After awhile, Lorelai glanced at the check, then picked up her purse and pulled out her wallet.

"No, I got it," Christopher said, pulling out his wallet. "Though I’m surprised you guys still pay for food here."

"Luke tries to give it to us for free, but mom refuses to let him," Rory explained.

"We’re not indigent," she said, rolling her eyes. "There’s no reason we shouldn’t pay like everyone else."

Christopher looked at the check, then dropped some money on the table. "Okay, ready to go?"

Lorelai picked up the check and the money, then pointed to her Jeep through the window. "You guys go wait in the car. I’ll get the keys from Luke and drive us home."

Christopher and Rory walked out of the diner as Lorelai walked up to the counter. Luke was talking with a customer at the other end, and she waited patiently for him to walk over to her.

When he did, Lorelai handed him the money. "We’re gonna get going. Did you get your stuff out of the car?"

"Yeah, hold on." Luke put the money in the register, then reached into his pocket and pulled out her keys. "Here you go," he said, handing them to her.

"Thanks," she said.

"I’ll call you later," Luke said.

"Mmkay." Lorelai leaned over the counter and kissed him. "Bye."

"Bye," Luke replied.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Christopher had left and Rory had gone into her room to unpack. Despite it only being seven o’clock, Lorelai went upstairs and changed into her pajamas. She walked back down and wandered into Rory’s room. "Need some help?"

"Sure," Rory said. She noticed the pajamas and smiled. "Tired already?"

"Nah, I just wanted to get more comfortable," Lorelai said. She pulled some perfectly-folded shirts out of Rory’s suitcase. "Are these clean? They look clean."

"Everything’s clean," Rory said. "Sherry washed everything for me this afternoon."

Lorelai, surprised, gave a sly smile. "Wow, check out her trying to be all Martha Stewart-ish with her guests." She stuffed the shirts into one of the drawers.

"Yeah, I sort of mentioned that we both hate doing laundry, so she offered to do it for me and I took her up on it," Rory said as she place two pairs of jeans into her pants drawer.

"You took her up on it?" Lorelai asked, surprised. "You never take people up on anything."

"Yeah, well, Sherry’s very persistent," Rory said. "I sort of learned that it’s easier to just take her up on things right away to save time."

"Smart girl," Lorelai said, smiling.

They unpacked for a few more minutes before Rory said, "You know, on the car ride home, Dad was asking me about Luke."

Lorelai was standing at the dresser, and she froze momentarily. She dropped the pile of socks she was holding into the drawer, then quickly turned around. "What did he say?"

"He was asking me what he was like, what I thought about him, stuff like that," Rory said, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"And. . ." Lorelai prompted. "What did you tell him?"

Rory shrugged. "That he’s great. . .that I like him a lot."

Lorelai smiled. "Good, I’m glad. I mean, not just because you told him that, but that. . you feel that way."

Rory nodded and glanced down at her hands. She fidgeted for a moment before she sighed and said, "But it was really weird."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "How come? Because he was asking you a lot of questions?"

Rory shook her head. "No, because. . . I wanted to tell him how Luke has always been there for us and how he’s always been around since I can remember, but. . ." Her voice trailed off and she bit her lip.

Lorelai nodded understandingly. "I get it."

Rory sighed softly. "I just. . .didn’t want him to feel bad."

"I completely get it," Lorelai said, sitting down next to her on the bed.

"But, I mean. . .I feel like I know Luke better than I know Dad," Rory said. "I mean, lately things have been really great, how Dad’s been calling and everything, but still. . ."

"But a part of you still remembers your old dad, the one who was hardly around for the first sixteen years?" Lorelai suggested.

Rory shrugged and stared down at the floor. "Kind of." She was silent for a moment before she said, "But I feel bad for thinking like that since he’s been much better lately."

"I know he has," Lorelai said, nodding. "I’m really happy about that."

"Me too," Rory replied.

Lorelai put her arm around Rory’s shoulder. "Rory, it’s okay if you feel a little upset at your dad sometimes. I mean, even though we both love him and he’s getting his life together now – it’s still the truth that he hasn’t always been the greatest role model, you know? It’s not something we’re being unreasonable about or making up – it’s just. . .the truth. You know?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah, I get it."

"I mean, sometimes I’m even surprised that you’re not . . . more upset with him," Lorelai said. "Most kids in your position wouldn’t even give him the time of day. But that’s what makes you special, that’s what makes you the nicest kid in the world," she said, pinching her cheek.

"Okay, okay," Rory said, laughing as she pushed Lorelai’s hand away. She leaned over and gave Lorelai a hug. As she pulled back, she said, "I told Dad that I’ve never seen you so happy."

Lorelai smiled. "Really?" Rory smiled and nodded. She walked over to her desk and turned on the computer. Lorelai stood up. "You probably have homework, huh?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah, I have some things to finish up."

"Okay, I’ll be watching tv," Lorelai said. Lorelai started to walk toward the door, then she turned around, walked back to Rory, and hugged her tightly. "I missed you."

"Me too, Mom," Rory said, hugging her back.

* * *

Later that evening, Lorelai lay on the couch watching television as the phone rang. She pressed mute on the remote and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey," Luke said.

Lorelai smiled at the sound of his voice. "Hey. How was work?"

Luke groaned. "Long. Maybe it’s because I hadn’t been there in so long, but it just seemed to drag on forever."

Lorelai frowned. "Aww, I’m sorry."

"Not your fault," he replied.

"So, how did Jess make out this weekend? Did you get any complaints?" Lorelai asked.

"None so far," Luke replied, sounding surprised. "Caesar said he showed up when he was supposed to, he didn’t cause any trouble, didn’t get in the way."

"Wow," Lorelai said, sounding just as surprised. "Who woulda thought?"

"Not me," Luke replied. "I’m still waiting for Taylor to burst through the door and accuse him of doing something."

Lorelai smiled. "Hey, just appreciate it while it lasts. Who knows how long he’ll be going through this Beaver Cleaver stage."

"Yeah, you’re right," Luke said. "What about Rory? How was her trip?"

"Amazing," Lorelai replied. "She went on and on about her Harvard tour and about all the places they visited in the city and everything. She had a great time."

"Good, that’s good. I’m glad she had fun," Luke said. "Did you call your mom?"

"Nah, I’ll call her tomorrow," Lorelai replied. "No use ruining the end of the weekend."

"Good plan," Luke said, yawning.

"Aw, you should go to bed," Lorelai said.

Luke stifled another yawn. "Yeah, I think I will."

"Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow," Lorelai said. "Love you."

"Love you too," Luke replied. "Bye."

"Bye," Lorelai replied.

* * *

The next morning, Lorelai walked into the kitchen of the Independence Inn. "Sookie, Sookie, Sookie," she said in a singsong voice.

Sookie looked up from the menu she was writing out. "Hey!" she said excitedly. "Oh my God, you’re here!"

Lorelai smiled. "Yes, I am." She walked over to the coffee maker and poured herself a cup.

Sookie rubbed her hands together. "I want all the details! How was it?"

Lorelai smiled. "I’m assuming you’re talking about last night’s episode of Alias, in which the hot guy was just as hot as ever. Man, sometimes I stare at him so hard I feel like I’m cheating on Luke."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "Okay, forget last night’s Alias and tell me about your weekend!"

Lorelai walked over to her and leaned on the counter. "Ah, my weekend." She took a sip of coffee. "You know how some women aspire to have that perfect weekend getaway with their boyfriends but it never happens because something always goes wrong and it turns out awful? Well, I’m thinking about writing a book about my weekend to give other women hope that a nice weekend away with man is still possible." She smiled. "It was unbelievable, Sookie. It was absolutely perfect."

Sookie giggled and rubbed Lorelai’s arm excitedly. "Aww! Okay, we are going out for lunch today and I want all the details!"

Lorelai nodded. "Okay."

"So, did you give any more thought to the whole moving in thing?" Sookie asked.

Lorelai smiled and took a sip of coffee.

Sookie narrowed her eyes. "What? What happened?" she asked anxiously.

"I told him yes," Lorelai said.

Sookie gasped and clasped a hand over her mouth. She squealed excitedly before she removed her hand and exclaimed, "No, you didn’t!"

Lorelai laughed. "Yup, I did. I told him yes, but not until Rory’s out of school. You know, so she doesn’t have to deal with this whole new living arrangement thing while she’s worrying about school work and stuff."

Sookie nodded. "Good idea."

"Yeah, it’s gonna happen in a few months," Lorelai said.

Sookie’s eyes widened and she hugged Lorelai tightly. "This is so huge! Lorelai, do you have any idea how huge this news is?"

Lorelai smiled. "Yes, I do, Sookie."

They pulled away from each other and Sookie asked, "What about Rory? Does she know?"

"Yeah, she’s totally cool with it," Lorelai said, nodding.

"Good, good," Sookie said. "And Jess? How’s he taking it?"

"I don’t know," Lorelai said. "I don’t know if Luke told him yet."

"Is that gonna be weird for you? I thought you guys don’t get along," Sookie said.

Lorelai shrugged. "Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. It’ll work out." Lorelai paused and smiled. "Sookie, me and Luke are gonna live together."

Sookie smiled. "I know! This is so exciting! Wait’ll Miss Patty finds out about this!"

Lorelai winced. "Ooh, don’t say anything to anyone yet, okay? Not until it’s a little closer to happening."

"Sure, my lips are sealed," Sookie said, pretending to zip them closed.

"Thanks," Lorelai replied. "Ooh, hey, when do you wanna go wedding dress shopping?"

Sookie smiled. "Anytime. When are you free?"

"Anytime you want to me to be," Lorelai replied.

"Tomorrow after work?" Sookie asked.

"It’s a date," Lorelai said. She picked up her coffee cup. "I gotta get back to the desk. Come get me when you’re ready to go to lunch."

"Okay. See you later," Sookie said.

As Lorelai walked toward the door, Michel walked into the kitchen holding a single red rose at arm’s length in front of him.

Lorelai stopped walking and narrowed her eyes at him. "You practicing to be a vase?"

"Take it, it’s for you," Michel said dryly. "The skinny, dopey-looking man just delivered it."

Lorelai laughed. "Kirk?" she asked, taking the rose from him.

"I don’t care what his name is," Michel replied. "Here, this came with it." He handed her a small sealed envelope and walked back into the lobby.

Lorelai turned to Sookie. "Hmm, wonder who this is from," she said, smiling. She set the rose and her coffee cup down on the counter.

"Come on, open it," Sookie said, clapping her hands together excitedly.

Lorelai opened the envelope and pulled out a small card. She read it to herself and laughed out loud. "Aww."

"What – what does it say?" Sookie asked, trying to look at it.

Lorelai giggled. "It says, ‘Thanks for a perfect weekend. Love, Chester.’"

"Chester?" Sookie asked, narrowing her eyes.

"It’s an inside joke," Lorelai explained, smiling. She picked up the rose and inhaled the scent, then picked up her coffee cup and walked into the lobby.

* * *

Part 23

As Lorelai reached the front desk, she lay the rose down next to her purse, then slipped the card into the pocket of her blazer. She pushed her hair behind her ears, then picked up a sheet of paper off the desk. She read over it, then turned to Michel with a confused look. "Michel, when is this from?"

Michel walked over to her and looked down at the paper she was holding. "That’s the most recent inventory list. I printed it out a few minutes ago."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "But look at what it says." She pointed to the center of the page. "We’re getting low on a bunch of things – soap, mints, cleaning supplies. I told you to order more of these last week."

"Yes, and I did. I sent the order on Friday morning," Michel said, sounding annoyed. "It’s just not in the system because we haven’t gotten the order confirmations yet."

"Oh," Lorelai said, nodding. "Got it, good, thanks. You can go now." She waved for him to go back to the computer. "And thanks for not being snooty, I appreciate that." Michel walked away with an annoyed huff, and Lorelai smiled to herself.

As she filed the inventory sheet into a binder, the phone rang. Lorelai glanced at Michel, who made no move to answer the phone. Lorelai sighed and answered it herself. "Independence Inn."

"Lorelai?" a voice asked.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Mom?"

"Didn’t you get my message?" Emily asked haughtily.

"Yes, I did, Mom," Lorelai replied.

"Oh, and you couldn’t give me the common courtesy of calling me back?" Emily asked.

"I was going to call you back later this morning, Mom. However, you have no justifiable right to be mad about me not calling you back immediately because in the message, you technically didn’t ask me to call you back. All you said is that you hate machines," Lorelai pointed out.

"When someone calls you, they obviously want to talk to you. That means that you should always call them back to see what they wanted to talk to you about," Emily said. "I thought that was basic common knowledge. Of course, not everyone is blessed with basic common knowledge."

Lorelai exhaled loudly. "So, did you want something in particular, Mom? I have things to do."

"I wanted to find out why you made your father tell me on Friday morning that you and Rory couldn’t make it to Friday night dinner," Emily said indignantly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Lorelai said, shaking her head. "I’m sorry we had to miss dinner, Mom, but I didn’t make Dad tell you. I called there with the intention of telling you myself but you weren’t home and he offered to tell you for me."

"Well, whatever the circumstances are, why don’t you explain what was so important that you had to miss dinner," Emily said.

"Didn’t Dad tell you why?" Lorelai asked.

"No, he just said that you girls couldn’t make it, and that instead he would take me out for dinner," Emily said.

Lorelai smiled to herself. "Aw, that must’ve been nice, Mom."

"Yes, it was lovely," Emily said. "Now explain."

Lorelai sighed. "It’s no big deal, Mom. Rory had off from school on Friday, so Christopher invited her to spend the weekend with him. . .and Sherry. . .in Boston." There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Mom? You doing your Silent Bob impression again?"

"You and Rory were in Boston for the whole weekend?" Emily asked quietly.

"Uh, no, just Rory was," Lorelai replied.

"Rory went alone to Boston?" Emily asked. "My God, what if something happened to her?"

"She was with Chris and Sherry, Mom, not the Boston strangler," Lorelai replied, rolling her eyes. "He drove here and picked her up on Thursday night, and then he drove her back home yesterday. She was with him the whole trip. She had a great time, she wants to go back this summer."

Emily was quiet for a moment before she said, "Yes, well. . .I suppose it’s good for her to spend time with Christopher."

"I agree," Lorelai said.

"So then why couldn’t you come to dinner?" Emily asked accusingly.

"Because me and Luke went away, too," Lorelai replied.

"You and Luke went away?" Emily asked, surprised. "Together?"

"No, Mom, separately," Lorelai replied, rolling her eyes. "Yes, together. We went away to Groton for the weekend."

"Groton? What’s there to do in Groton?" Emily asked.

"Plenty of things, Mom," Lorelai replied. "We just needed to get away."

"Don’t you think it was a little soon in your relationship to go away together?" Emily asked pointedly.

"No, Mother," Lorelai replied, her lips pursed. "I don’t."

"You know, I really think you two might be – " Emily started.

Lorelai interrupted her with an exasperated sigh. "Listen, Mom, I have to go. There’s an emergency that needs my attention right away. We’ll see you this Friday," Lorelai said quickly.

"Yes, let’s just hope you don’t skip town this week too," Emily said.

"Bye Mom." Lorelai hung up the phone and groaned into the air. She stared down at the desk for a few seconds, then her eyes drifted over to the red rose. She smiled, then picked up the phone and dialed a number.

She tapped her fingers on the desk as the phone rang several times. Finally, a gruff voice answered, "Luke’s."

Lorelai smiled to herself. "Hey," she said. "Is this a bad time?"

Upon hearing it was Lorelai, Luke’s voice softened immediately. "Hey. No, it’s fine. What’s up?" He poured some coffee for a customer at the counter before returning the pot to the coffee maker and leaning against the kitchen doorframe.

"Nothing, I just called to thank you for the rose," Lorelai said. She giggled and added, "Well, uh, I guess to thank Chester."

Luke let out a small laugh. "You’re welcome. How’s work?"

Lorelai twirled her finger in her hair and leaned forward against the desk. "Well, did you ever have one of those days where it sucks so much that you constantly have the urge to down a whole bottle of aspirin in order to die quickly and peacefully?"

"Why, what happened?" Luke replied, concerned.

"Nothing. This isn’t one of those days," Lorelai said. "I was just wondering if you’d ever had one."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Geez, don’t do that."

Lorelai giggled. "Sorry. My day’s been fine, how’s yours?"

"Good, it’s been good," Luke said. He lowered his voice. "Though right now Kirk just walked in with a large pair of hedge clippers and it’s sort of disturbing."

Lorelai laughed. "What does he need hedge clippers for?"

"Uh, let’s see – what could he possibly need hedge clippers for?" Luke asked, pretending to be confused. "I just don’t know. They should really consider renaming them so that people will know what to do with them."

Lorelai laughed. "I know what hedge clippers are for, but why does he need them? He just delivers the flowers. Ooh, maybe the flower he just delivered here was the last delivery he needed to make before he got promoted to actual lawncare duties."

"Or maybe he just uses them as a keychain," Luke suggested.

"Hm, maybe," Lorelai said. "Or maybe he’s carrying them for protection."

"Maybe," Luke said. He paused for a moment. "Why are we talking about Kirk?"

Lorelai laughed. "I have no idea. I’m sure there’s some other topic we can talk about." She thought for a second. "Oh, I talked to my mom a few minutes ago and told her why we weren’t at dinner on Friday."

"Oh yeah?" Luke asked. "Was she mad that you missed?"

"Surprisingly, no, not really," Lorelai said. "And I thought she’d freak out that Rory was with Sherry like she did last time, but she didn’t. I guess she’s used to the idea of her now." Lorelai paused a moment before she smiled. "Oh, I get it."

"Get what?" Luke asked, confused.

"I get why she’s accepting Sherry now," Lorelai said, nodding to herself. "She hated Sherry before because she wanted me and Chris to get together, but now that she sees me with someone else. . ."

"Ah," Luke said. "She’s giving up on the idea of you and him now that she sees that you’re happy."

"Exactly. Wow, I’m impressed, Mom," Lorelai muttered to herself.

"That’s good," Luke said.

"Yes, it is," Lorelai agreed.

Luke glanced around and saw a customer waving for his attention. "Okay, I gotta go. Are you gonna stop by later?"

"Hmm, I don’t know," Lorelai said, pretending to think it over. "Do you want me to?"

"No, actually, I’d rather you didn’t," Luke replied.

Lorelai gasped. "What?" she asked with a laugh.

Luke laughed. "That’s the answer you get for asking a stupid question."

"Hmph," Lorelai said, pretending to be upset. "Fine, maybe I won’t stop by later."

"Oh, I think you will," Luke said knowingly.

"Maybe I won’t," Lorelai replied.

"I think you will," Luke repeated. He quickly added, "And before you try to keep this pattern going all day long by saying ‘maybe I won’t’ again, I’m interrupting to say that I love you."

Lorelai smiled. "Okay, maybe I will."

Luke smiled and nodded. "Thought so. Bye," he said.

"Bye," Lorelai replied. Smiling to herself, she hung up the phone. She glanced to her right and saw Michel staring at her. She giggled and pointed to the phone. "He loves me."

Michel rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, maybe he should get his head examined."

Lorelai frowned at him before she turned around and walked away from the desk.

* * *

That night after work, Lorelai walked toward the diner. As she passed Doose’s Market, she looked through the window and saw Luke inside standing at the register. She smiled to herself and walked inside. With his back to her, he didn’t see her walk up to him. She leaned close to his ear and said, "Whatcha buying?"

Startled, Luke jumped. "Oh geez!" he exclaimed. "Don’t do that!"

Lorelai laughed. "God, you’re too jumpy. You’re gonna have a heart attack one of these days." She ran her hand up and down his back as the cashier handed him his change. "What are you doing here? Don’t you have a diner to run? Shouldn’t you be running it? Aren’t you supposed to be cooking people dinner? Am I annoying you with questions yet?" She smiled at him.

"Yes, you are, and I had to get a few things before the dinner rush," Luke said. He grabbed the bag and they walked out of the store and headed toward the diner. "Rory’s in there already. She’s doing homework or something."

"Oh, good," Lorelai said. "That means she got my message." She glanced toward the dance studio and saw Patty walking towards them.

Luke saw her, too. He turned to Lorelai and asked, "Have you talked to her since we got back?"

"Nope," Lorelai replied.

"Oh geez," Luke mumbled. "That means this’ll be the third degree."

"Hey you two!" Patty called, waving at them as she rushed over.

Lorelai smiled and called, "Hey Patty."

As Patty reached them, Luke gave an uncomfortable smile. "Hi." The three of them continued toward the diner.

Patty linked her arm through Lorelai’s and said, "So, tell me, how was your trip?"

Luke groaned just loud enough for Lorelai to hear.

Lorelai smiled and laced her fingers through Luke’s. "It was great. Very relaxing. Very good food. Very nice hotel. Uh, anything you wanna add?" she asked, turning to Luke.

Luke shrugged. "Uh, nice weather."

"Yeah, it was a beautiful weekend," Lorelai agreed. "Very sunny."

Patty narrowed her eyes at them. "You mean, you actually left the hotel room?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Oh look, here we are." They had reached the diner, and Luke pulled the door open for them. He followed them inside, then leaned close to Lorelai and said quietly, "No details."

Lorelai nodded and waved him off. "I know, I know. Go be a good little diner owner and cook things for the nice hungry people."

Luke gave a quick glance between Lorelai and Patty before he walked behind the counter. He talked to Caesar for a moment before they both disappeared into the kitchen.

Patty looked at Lorelai. "So, you didn’t stay inside the whole time? Is everything okay with you two?" she asked, concerned.

Lorelai laughed. "Yes, everything’s fine. We had a great time."

Patty gave her a doubtful look. "You know, sweetie, when a couple goes away together to a hotel, they usually just like to stay in and – "

"Oh, would you look at the time," Lorelai interrupted, holding up her watch. "Rory’s probably starving and waiting for me so she can order." She pointed to Rory’s table. "Oh, she looks pretty ill. I better go make sure she’s okay. See you later, Patty." She quickly walked toward Rory and sat down at the table with a sigh. "Hey."

"Hey Mom," Rory said, smiling. Rory gestured toward the counter, where Patty had taken a seat next to Taylor. "What did Miss Patty want?"

"The usual," Lorelai replied. She removed her blazer and draped it over her chair.

"Details," Rory said knowingly.

"You got it," Lorelai said. She tapped a finger on Rory’s notebook. "Whatcha working on?"

Rory looked down at it. "Oh, a story for the paper. Well, not the actual story. I’m just making some notes about what I need to look up when I get home."

Lorelai nodded. "Got it."

"How was your day?" Rory asked, chewing on the tip of her pen.

"Good, it was good," Lorelai said, nodding. "I went out with Sookie for lunch and we talked about the bridesmaid dresses."

Rory smiled. "Oh yeah?"

"Yup," Lorelai replied. "We’re going out shopping tomorrow night and we’re gonna look to see if there’s anything good."

"And if there’s nothing good?" Rory asked.

"Then someone’s gonna be doing a lot of sewing," Lorelai said, pointing to herself.

"Ah, good luck with that," Rory said. She pointed to Lorelai’s shoulder. "You have a piece of fuzz."

"Oh, thanks." Lorelai looked down and brushed it off as Jess walked into the diner. He walked past their table as he headed toward the stairway. Lorelai looked up as he passed. "Oh, Jess, good, come here a sec."

Jess stopped in mid-step and turned around to face them. He looked at Lorelai expectantly. "Yeah?"

"Uh, how was your weekend?" Lorelai asked.

Jess shrugged. "Not as eventful as a weekend at Bernie’s, but it was okay."

"Good, good," Lorelai said. "So, what did you do?"

He shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "Not much. Hung out. Watched tv. Read. Worked. Ate. Slept."

Lorelai nodded along. "So you were pretty busy then, huh?"

Jess nodded. "Pretty much."

"Mmkay, well, then. . ." Lorelai’s voice trailed off. She smiled and shrugged toward him. "Glad things went well."

Jess raised his eyebrows and gave a small nod. He started to walk away. When he reached the counter, he stopped and turned around. He gestured to the two of them. "Uh, how were your trips?"

Slightly surprised, Lorelai smiled and said, "Uh, good. It was good." She paused. "Um, thanks for asking," she added.

Rory nodded. "Yup, mine was good, too."

Jess nodded and turned around, continuing to the staircase. When he disappeared from their view, Lorelai and Rory looked at each other and smiled. "Huh," Lorelai said. "That was. . .unexpected."

"What was?" a voice asked. Lorelai looked up, startled. Luke stood over her with a coffeepot and two mugs. "What was unexpected?" he repeated. He set the mugs down and poured the coffee.

"Oh, nothing, just that. . .Jess asked us how our trips were," Lorelai explained.

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "Jess was being nice – that’s what was unexpected?"

Lorelai took a sip of coffee before she answered. "Well, no, not that he was being nice – but, I mean, he was like halfway across the room, then he turned around and asked us how our trips were. I didn’t expect that. Did you expect that?" Lorelai asked Rory.

"I didn’t expect that," Rory replied, shaking her head.

Lorelai looked up at Luke. "Nope, we didn’t expect that, hence it was unexpected." She smiled.

An amused look fell on Luke’s face. He shook his head slightly and smiled at them. He pulled his order pad out of his waistband. "Burgers?"

Lorelai looked at Rory, who nodded. "Yes, two," Lorelai replied, glancing up at Luke.

"Okay," Luke replied, scribbling it on his pad. He smiled at them and turned to walk away, but Lorelai reached out and grabbed his hand. He turned around and asked, "What? Change your mind?"

"What’s wrong?" Lorelai asked, concerned. Rory gave her a confused look.

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you mean?"

"You didn’t roll your eyes," Lorelai said.

"What?" Luke asked with a confused laugh.

Lorelai exhaled loudly and explained, "Everyday we come in here and order burgers, then you roll your eyes and write it down – or sometimes you roll your eyes and don’t write it down, you just remember it. Either way, you always roll your eyes, and ten second ago when we ordered burgers, you didn’t roll your eyes. Instead, you casually wrote the order down on the pad and smiled. Why didn’t you roll your eyes?" Lorelai asked worriedly, clasping her hands around one of his. "What’s wrong?"

Luke and Rory glanced at each other and shrugged. Luke looked back to Lorelai and let out a small laugh. "Nothing’s wrong, everything’s fine."

Lorelai wagged her finger at him. "Nuh uh, something’s up. You just don’t all of a sudden stop doing your eye roll. There has to be some reason behind the sudden eye roll stoppage."

Rory sighed. "Mom, maybe his eyes are tired of doing the eye roll. I mean, it’s been like ten years of eye rolls – maybe he has finally given in to the fact that the eye rolls have not had a deterrent effect on our red meat consumption."

Luke nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds good. Let’s go with that."

Lorelai scoffed. "You are so hiding something from me and when I find out what it is, you’re. . . you’re. . ." She struggled to think of something threatening to say.

Luke smiled. "Yes?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. "Go on."

She wrinkled her nose. "You’re gonna be. . .I’m gonna be . . ." She paused and turned to Rory. "Rory, help me out here."

Rory laughed and held her hands up in front of her chest innocently. "Hey, leave me out of this. Bicker amongst yourselves."

Lorelai frowned at her before she turned back to Luke. "What are you hiding?"

Luke laughed. "I’m not hiding anything. You want me to take your order again and add the eyeroll? Will that make you feel better?"

Lorelai eyed him suspiciously before she finally muttered, "No." She paused for a moment, then said, "Yes."

Luke smirked. "So, uh, what do you guys want today – burgers?"

"Yes please," Rory replied quickly.

Luke lowered his face down to Lorelai and gave her an exaggerated eye roll, then stood back up straight. Lorelai laughed and pushed him away playfully. "Okay, okay, get outta here."

Luke smiled and said, "Burgers’ll be right out." He turned around and walked back to the counter.

Lorelai watched him, smiling to herself. She and Rory talked for a few minutes while they waited for their food. Finally, Luke brought over their plates and set them on the table.

"Thanks, Luke," Rory said.

"Yeah, thanks," Lorelai said. She looked down at her burger and noticed that the sides were dripping with cheese. "Wow, how many pieces of cheese are on this thing?"

Luke shrugged. "I don’t know, three or four." He walked back to the counter.

Lorelai picked up some fries and ate them as Rory took a bite of her burger. "Mmm," Rory murmured as she started chewing.

Lorelai picked up her burger and took a bite. She chewed it for several seconds before her eyes widened. Her face contorted into a disgusted look and she stopped chewing. She dropped the burger down onto the plate, then picked up her napkin and spit out her mouthful of food.

Rory paused in mid-chewing. She made a face and said, "Ew, Mom, what is it?"

"Ugh! Oh my God!" Lorelai exclaimed. She grabbed Rory’s napkin and vigorously wiped off her tongue, then took a long sip of coffee to get the taste out of her mouth. "That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever had in my life!"

Lorelai looked over at the counter and saw Luke and Caesar smiling in her direction. "Luke!" she exclaimed. "What the heck was that?" As other customers turned to look at her, she pushed her plate across the table. "Ugh, I can’t look at it."

Luke said something to Caesar before he walked over to the table carrying a plate with another burger on it. He smiled and set it down in front of her, "Here. Sorry, I had to do it," Luke said.

Lorelai pursed her lips and glared at him. "Had to do what?" she asked slowly.

"Give you a turkey burger," he said, sitting down at their table.

Lorelai gasped and smacked his shoulder. "Oh my God! Gross! Why’d you do that?"

Rory laughed. "You gave her a turkey burger and didn’t expect her to be able to tell the difference?"

Luke smiled. "No, that was the point."

"Hi, there’s no point to giving someone the grossest food known to man," Lorelai said, frowning at him. "Explain, now."

"When I came in with you, I walked to the counter and Caesar asked me if he should start cooking some burgers because he knows that’s what you guys usually get," Luke said.

"Wise man," Lorelai said, nodding at Rory. She turned back to Luke. "Go on."

"So we went into the kitchen, and he said he was surprised that I don’t try to slip you turkey burgers instead to get you to eat healthier," Luke continued.

"That’s because I would be forced to cause you severe pain," Lorelai said through clenched teeth.

Luke smiled. "And I told him that’s because you would cause me severe pain." Lorelai and Rory both smiled. "And he said that you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if I put enough cheese on it, and I told him that you definitely would, and he didn’t believe me, so I had to prove him wrong," Luke finished. "So, you proved him wrong. Congratulations."

Lorelai scoffed. "I can’t believe you did that to me," she said, shaking her head.

"It was actually pretty amusing, though," Rory said, smiling.

Lorelai made a face at her. "That’s easy for you to say, you didn’t have to eat that crap," Lorelai said, gesturing to the turkey burger.

Luke pushed the new plate toward her. "Here, this is a real cholesterol-filled, heart-disease-causing burger, I promise."

Lorelai eyed it curiously, then looked up at him. "You do realize that I will never be able to confidently bite into a burger for the rest of my life?"

Luke stood up and smiled. "Good, maybe you’ll end up giving up red meat."

"Not a chance," she said, taking a bite of the new burger. She hesitated before she started chewing it, but let out a satisfied moan when she realized it was a real burger. When she finished chewing, she looked up at him and said, "You know, if we chalk this little incident up along with the Cosmo trick, you’re not coming across as the nicest boyfriend, Luke."

"Cosmo trick?" Rory asked curiously. "What happened?"

Luke’s eyes widened and he blushed slightly. "Nothing," he said quickly. "It was nothing." He turned to Lorelai. "Hey, I sent you a rose. That was nice."

A smile slowly formed on her lips. "Yeah, that was nice," Lorelai admitted.

He smiled. "No more mystery food, I promise. I just had to prove him wrong, but I’ll ignore him next time."

"Good," she replied. "Now go in the kitchen and do something to get back at him. You know, give him a pay cut or fire him or something."

Luke laughed. "Okay." He picked up the turkey burger plate and walked back toward the counter.

Lorelai took another bite of her burger. "Mmm," she moaned. "This is so good." Rory nodded in agreement. Lorelai set her burger on her plate and took a sip of coffee. "You know, when they move in with us, we’re gonna have to start having real food in our house."

"Real food?" Rory asked.

"Mmhmm," Lorelai said, nodding slowly. She swallowed hard. "Like. . . healthy food."

Rory gasped. "Oh my God!"

Lorelai laughed. "I know, I know. We’re gonna have to try to get used to it though."

Rory sighed. "It’ll take some time."

"Definitely. We should buy something healthy, like a cucumber or something, and just keep it in the fridge for awhile to get used to the idea of having non-junk food in the house," Lorelai said.

"Hm, good idea," Rory said. She wrinkled her nose. "Are we gonna have to . . . eat the healthy food?"

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "God, no! We just have to have it for Luke."

Rory breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, good."

* * *

The next evening at the second bridal shop of the night, Lorelai flipped aimlessly through a bridal magazine as Sookie tried on dress number five. Lorelai tossed the magazine back on the pile and walked over to the dressing room door. "Are you ready for me to help zipper you up, Sookie?" Lorelai called.

"Almost," Sookie’s voice called back. "I’m just about done." A few seconds later, the door pulled open slightly and Lorelai slipped into the dressing room.

Lorelai’s eyes widened when she saw Sookie in the gown. She smiled and said, "Oh my God."

Sookie giggled and looked at herself in the mirror. "It looks okay?"

"It looks fabulous, Sookie," Lorelai gushed. "Here, come here, turn around."

Sookie turned around and Lorelai zipped up the back up the dress. Sookie turned around and took a deep breath. "It feels good."

"Honey, it looks great," Lorelai said, nodding enthusiastically.

"It’s too long," Sookie said, looking down at her feet.

Lorelai waved her off. "They can fix that."

"It’s not too . . .gaudy or lacy or beady or frilly?" Sookie asked nervously.

"Um, no, no, no, and no," Lorelai said. She gestured for Sookie to spin around, and Sookie obliged. Lorelai looked her up and down. "Sookie, it looks amazing on you. I mean it."

Sookie stared into the mirror. She turned around and looked at it from different angles. "Do you think Jackson will like it?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "I think he’ll love it. It looks incredible."

"You’re not just saying that because you’re ready to go, are you?" Sookie asked.

Lorelai gasped. "Not at all! I wouldn’t tell you it looked incredible if it didn’t look incredible. You know how rudely blunt I am about everything."

Sookie giggled. "True." She stared into the mirror for another minute before she started nodding approvingly. "Okay, I think . . . this is it. This is the one."

Lorelai smiled and clapped her hands together excitedly. "Ah, this is so exciting!"

Sookie giggled. "I know!" She threw her arms around Lorelai and hugged her tightly. After several seconds, Sookie sniffled loudly.

Lorelai pulled back and rubbed Sookie’s arms. "Aw, don’t cry," she said soothingly.

Sookie wiped her tears. "I can’t help it. You know how emotional I get when I watch A Wedding Story."

Lorelai smiled. "I know."

"And this will be even worse because it’ll be like I’m watching my own wedding story," Sookie said, sniffling. "I need to have a box of tissues with me at all times from now until the wedding."

Lorelai smiled and hugged her. "Come on. Get changed and we’ll go buy this dress."

Sookie took a deep breath. "Okay. We don’t take it now, right?"

"No, they’ll measure you and they’ll take it and fix it up so you’re not drowning in it," Lorelai said.

"Okay, good," Sookie replied. "I’ll be right out."

Lorelai nodded and stepped out of the dressing room. She sat back down in the chair for a few minutes, then walked over to a rack of dresses and looked through them aimlessly.

The dressing room door opened and Sookie walked over to her. "Hey, when this dress is ready, can I store it at your house until the wedding?"

"Absolutely," Lorelai said as they walked toward the front desk. "Ooh, when it comes in, we’ll tell Luke it’s mine and see how freaked out he gets."

Sookie giggled. "Good plan."

* * *

That night, Lorelai dropped Sookie off at her house, then stopped at the diner before going home. She walked through the door and noticed there were only two other customers. Luke stood at the counter looking bored as he flipped through his supply ledger. He glanced up to see who had entered, and was surprised to see that it was Lorelai. He smiled and checked his watch. "Hey, what are you doing here so late?"

She walked behind the counter and kissed him. "Came to see you. Haven’t seen you since this morning."

He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "How was shopping?"

She rested her head on his chest and said, "Good. Sookie got a dress."

"That’s good," Luke said. "Did you get bridesmaid dresses?"

"Nope, we got fabric to make ‘em though," Lorelai replied.

"Couldn’t find any that you liked?" Luke asked.

"Nope," Lorelai replied. She pulled back and looked up at him. "We’re gonna design them together and I’m gonna sew them."

"How very Betsy Ross of you," Luke commented.

"Yes, it is," Lorelai replied. Her eyes lit up. "Ooh, speaking of which, do you have brownies?"

Luke laughed. "No, but how does Betsy Ross make you think of brownies?"

Lorelai smiled and explained, "Because Betsy Ross sounds like Betty Crocker."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Of course." He glanced at the counter. "No, no brownies, but I do have double-chocolate cookies."

Lorelai smiled. "Close enough."

"Have a seat," Luke said. Lorelai walked around the counter and sat on a stool. Luke brought her a cookie on a plate. Lorelai broke a piece off and put it in her mouth as Luke folded his arms across his chest and watched her eat.

She glanced up at him and smiled. "Am I entertaining?"

He smiled and nodded. "Very." He glanced past her and said, "Be right back." He grabbed his order pad from the counter and walked away.

As the two customers left, Luke returned to the counter with some money and stuck it in the register. He stood in front of Lorelai and said, "So, tomorrow night – do you have plans?"

"Nope," Lorelai said, shaking her head. "Wanna do something?"

Luke shrugged. "I was thinking we could go out to dinner or something. I’ll get someone to close up."

Lorelai shoved the last piece of cookie into her mouth and nodded. "Sounds good to me," she said with her mouth full.

Luke rolled his eyes. "You do realize how disgusting that is, don’t you?"

Lorelai finished chewing and smiled at him. "Yes, I do."

"Good," he replied. "Just so you know."

She stood up and said, "Thanks for the cookie."

"You’re welcome." He glanced at his watch. "I’m about to close up, I’ll walk you home."

She waved him off. "It’s okay, I have the Jeep."

"Oh," Luke replied. He walked around the counter and took her hand, then walked her out to the car. As she leaned against the side of it, she pulled him towards her and pressed her lips against his. As the intensity of the kiss increased, he pulled back from her and glanced around uncomfortably.

Lorelai smiled and rolled her eyes. "Still not one for making out in public, huh?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Not even at ten o’clock at night when no one’s around?" Lorelai pouted.

He shook his head again, and Lorelai opened the door and climbed into the car. Luke pushed the door closed and leaned through the open window. He kissed her and said, "See you tomorrow."

Lorelai smiled. "Bye." As Luke stepped back from the car, she started the engine. She waved to him as she pulled away, and Luke smiled as he watched her drive down the street.

End part 23

* * *

Part 24

After dinner the next night, Luke and Lorelai walked hand in hand through the center of town. They walked up into the gazebo, and as Luke sat down on the bench, Lorelai walked over to the railing and looked out at the town.

"It’s a beautiful night," Lorelai commented.

"Yup," Luke replied.

Lorelai inhaled deeply. "Smells like spring."

"Well, probably because it is spring," Luke pointed out.

"Yes, but it doesn’t always smell like the season that it is," Lorelai explained. "But right now, it definitely smells like spring." She inhaled deeply again and smiled.

Luke stood up and walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her neck just below her ear. Lorelai placed her hands on top of his and closed her eyes as she leaned back against him.

A few seconds later, Lorelai turned around and hugged him tightly. She rested her chin on his shoulder as his hands moved gently up and down her back. Her eyes wandered around the town, glancing at the people walking by. Suddenly she lifted her head up. "Luke," she said with a sly smile. "Turn around and stare straight ahead."

Luke narrowed his eyes at her, then slowly turned around.

"Okay, what do you see?" Lorelai asked, tapping him excitedly on the shoulder.

Luke shrugged. "I see people in line for the movies," he said, gesturing toward the theater.

"Yes, anyone you recognize?" Lorelai asked.

Luke squinted at the line of people in front of the theater. "Uh, looks like Rory and Lane," he said. He turned around and looked at Lorelai. "That who you mean?"

Lorelai nodded and smiled. "You know what that means," she said in a singsong voice.

Luke raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "What does it mean?"

Lorelai put her hands on his collar and pulled his lips to hers. She pulled back and kissed across his cheek to his earlobe, which she nibbled on gently before she whispered, "It means that there’s a big old empty house just begging for someone to use it."

A smile slowly formed on Luke’s lips. "Ah, I get it now."

"You catch on quick." Lorelai smiled and grabbed his hand. "Let’s go."

* * *

In Lorelai’s bed later that night, Luke lay on his back, thinking to himself with his eyes closed. As Lorelai returned from the bathroom, she grabbed Luke’s t-shirt from the floor and pulled it on, then climbed back into bed. She brushed her hair out of her face, then rested her head against his arm, using his bicep as a pillow. She draped her arm across his stomach and snuggled up close to him.

He opened his eyes and kissed the top of her head, then leaned back against the pillow. "You know what I was just thinking?"

"Wait, let me guess." Lorelai stared up at the ceiling for a moment, deep in thought. Finally she turned to him and said, "Were you thinking about how the idea to make Oreos with that half peanut butter/half chocolate cream filling is just incredibly wrong and should be considered a violation of the whole Oreo cookie standard of ethics?"

Luke stared at her momentarily before he said, "Uh, no."

"Oh. Well, it is," Lorelai said. "I mean, I like peanut butter and I like chocolate cream, but on an Oreo? No way." She shook her head. "That’s not what makes an Oreo an Oreo. It’s supposed to be two chocolate cookies with white cream filling – not chocolate filling or peanut butter filling, white cream filling. Now, I know they try to get all cutesy and stuff around the holidays by dyeing the cream filling to make it festive colors, but that’s okay. I admit, I protested it at first, but after realizing that it tastes pretty much the same, I was okay with it. But when they go out and change the taste of the filling completely, that’s when I have to put my foot down. That’s where I draw the line. That’s where I say, that is no longer a real Oreo." She sighed loudly.

Luke stared at her with wide eyes and an amused smile on his face. He let out a small laugh and shook his head slightly. "As much as I disapprove of your obsession with junk food, you’re really adorable when you get all worked up over it."

Lorelai smiled and kissed him, then rested her head back against his arm. "So what were you thinking about?" She placed her hand on his chest.

He placed his hand on top of hers. "Well. . . I was just thinking about how. . ," Luke started. He paused a moment before he sighed. "Forget it, it’s not important."

Lorelai lifted her head up and looked at him curiously. "Luke, what is it? I’m sure it’s important. And even if it’s not, who cares? Did you not just hear my cookie rant?"

Luke let out a small laugh. "True."

Lorelai smiled and patted his chest. "So, come on, what is it?"

Luke shrugged slightly. "It’s nothing, really." He stared up at the ceiling as he said, "I was kind of just thinking about how before we got together, I used to have bad days and I used to have good days. You know, ‘cause everybody has bad days and good days, right? That’s how life is." He paused for a moment before he continued. "And a few minutes ago, I was trying to think back to the last time I had a bad day, and I just. . . I can’t remember having one in a few months. I haven’t had any since we’ve been together. And that brought me to one conclusion." He brought his gaze down to meet hers and said quietly, "You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me."

Lorelai’s eyes widened as a chill ran through her body. She tilted her head and smiled at him, then ran her fingers gently over his face before she leaned in and kissed him. She smiled through the kiss, then pulled back and said, "Same here. I love you."

Luke smiled. "Love you, too." He kissed her.

As they pulled apart, Lorelai rested her head against his chest. They were quiet for a few seconds before Lorelai said, "Wow, my guess was really far off."

Luke laughed. "Yeah, it was. Next time I’ll try to think about cookies so you’ll be right."

Lorelai lifted her head up and smiled at him. "Aw, thank you."

He smiled as he stroked her hair. "You’re welcome." Luke glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "The movie’s probably almost over. Rory’s gonna be home soon."

Lorelai glanced behind her and checked the clock. "Yeah, we should go downstairs."

Luke reached down and entwined his fingers through hers. "Yup."

"You wanna stay and watch tv or something?" Lorelai asked. "It’s not really that late yet."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I’ll stay for a little while."

A few minutes later, they got dressed and walked downstairs. Lorelai gestured to the couch and said, "Sit down. You want a beer?"

"Yeah, sure," Luke replied. He wandered over to the couch and sat down.

Lorelai walked into the kitchen and grabbed two beers from the fridge. She opened them, then pulled open a cupboard and stared into it for a moment, looking for something to snack on. From the living room, she heard Luke mutter loudly, "Dammit, what’s with this stupid thing?"

Lorelai grabbed a bag of cookies and the beers, then walked into the living room. She saw Luke pointing the remote control at the television, pushing a button repeatedly. She smiled and said, "What’s the problem there, Ozzy?"

"The remote’s not working," he said with an annoyed sigh. "The television won’t turn on."

Lorelai set the beers on the coffee table, dropped the cookies on the couch, and took the remote from him. She slapped it on her thigh, then pointed it at the television and pushed the power button. The television turned on, and she handed the remote back to Luke. "Sometimes it just needs a slight beating," she explained. "You know, like kids."

Luke smiled. "Interesting." He patted the seat next to him and she sat down. Luke put one hand on her thigh and held the remote in the other. He flipped quickly through the channels, finally stopping on a baseball game.

Lorelai immediately groaned. "Noooo." She grabbed for the remote.

"Wait, let me just find out the score," Luke said, holding the remote out of reach.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "You can find out the score in the paper tomorrow, you don’t need to know it now. Why don’t you just put – ooh, who is that?" she asked, pointing to the batter.

Luke smiled. "Uh, Mike Piazza," he said.

"Mmm, he’s cute," Lorelai said, raising her eyebrows. "Keep this on. I’m suddenly enjoying those tight uniforms. Wow, look at that guy’s. . .hmm."

"Okay, okay." Luke playfully covered her eyes with his hand. Lorelai giggled and pushed it away. She reached up and gently stroked the side of his face with her finger. They stared at each other for a moment, then Luke turned off the television and tossed the remote onto the couch next to him. Lorelai crawled onto his lap so she was facing him. She put her hands on his neck and stroked his sideburns with her thumbs as she leaned forward and kissed him deeply.

He placed his hands on her waist as he took her lower lip into his mouth and sucked on it gently. Several seconds later, Luke pulled back and they smiled at each other, then he lowered his mouth to her neck and placed several kisses on her soft skin. Lorelai closed her eyes and moaned softly as he started sucking lightly on her neck.

When he pulled back from her, he stared at her body for several seconds. He ran his hands over her shoulders and down her arms, then ran a finger along the low-cut neckline of her tank top. "Freckles," he said.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows and gave a small smile. "What?"

He nodded toward her chest. "You have a lot of freckles on your chest."

Lorelai glanced down at them, then gave him a curious look. "Uh, yes, I do," she agreed.

Luke shrugged and ran his fingers over them. "I just think they’re cute."

Lorelai smiled. "Oh yeah? When I was younger, I begged my mom to let me get them removed because I thought they made me look really ugly. As you can tell, she obviously didn’t go for it, so then I tried to rub them off with lemons like Jan did, but that didn’t work either."

Luke smiled. "I’m glad it didn’t work. I like them." He pressed his lips against hers and kissed her hungrily as Lorelai wrapped her arms around his neck.

A few seconds later, Lorelai heard a cough. She pulled back from Luke and glanced toward the front entryway, where Rory stood staring at them with a small smirk. Panting slightly, Lorelai smiled and said, "Hey hon." She slid off of Luke’s lap and onto the cushion next to him.

Rory smiled. "Hey Mom. Hey Luke."

Luke gave a slightly embarrassed smile. "Hey Rory. Uh, how was your night?"

"Good. Lane and I went to the movies," Rory said. "How was yours?"

"Great," Luke replied, nodding. "We, uh, just went out to dinner."

Rory nodded and folded her arms across her chest. "Mmhmm. And what are you two crazy kids up to now?" she asked with a sly smile.

Lorelai let out a high-pitched giggle and spoke in a high voice, mocking a dimwitted teenager. "Well, Mom, Luke was having trouble breathing, and so. . .um, I had to give him. . . uh, CPR and stuff, but he’s doing much better now."

Luke rolled his eyes. "We were just gonna watch some tv if you wanna watch with us," he told Rory.

Rory smiled. "Nah, it’s okay. I think I’m gonna read a little and get to bed early."

Lorelai frowned. "Aw, are you sure? It’ll be fun. We can pick something really sappy like Steel Magnolias and see how freaked out Luke gets when we both start bawling."

Rory smiled. "Maybe next time."

"Can’t wait for that," Luke mumbled.

Lorelai smiled. "’Night hon."

"’Night," Rory said. "’Night Luke."

"Goodnight," Luke said. "Don’t forget, Danish Day tomorrow."

Rory smiled. "I won’t, Mom has it written on all the calendars." Rory turned around and walked toward her bedroom.

Luke smirked and turned to Lorelai, who gave him a sly shrug. "What? It’s like a holiday in this house," she said.

He smiled and kissed her, then turned the television back on. Seeing that the baseball game was still on, Lorelai groaned. "Ugh, how long are these stupid games?" She propped her feet up on the coffee table.

"Usually like three hours," Luke said.

"Geez. How much longer is this one gonna be on?" she asked.

Luke checked the scoreboard in the corner of the screen. "Let’s see, it’s in the third inning, so we got about two more hours."

Lorelai let out a small laugh. "Oh my God. Say goodbye to the hot guys, this is so not what we’re watching," she said, grabbing the remote from him. She started flipping through the channels. "No, no, no, no, no, - ooh! Saturday Night Fever." She dropped the remote on her lap.

Luke put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. "Are you gonna come to the softball game on Saturday?"

Lorelai turned to him and shrugged. "I don’t know. When is it?"

"Nine," Luke said.

Lorelai gasped. "In the morning?" She made a face. "Oh man, I don’t know."

"Yeah, I know it’s early. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to," Luke said with a shrug. "It’s no big deal."

Lorelai stared at him for a second, then smiled and said, "No, I’ll go."

Luke turned to her and smiled. "Yeah? You don’t have to, you know."

"I know. I want to," she insisted. "Ooh, will you bring me coffee and a muffin for breakfast?"

Luke’s initial impulse was to tease her by saying no, but the hopeful pout on her face immediately made him laugh. He nodded and kissed her, and they both turned to face the television.

* * *

The next morning, Lorelai and Rory walked into the diner and sat at the counter. Jess was at a table pouring coffee, and soon he walked over to them and poured them each a cup. "Thanks," Rory said.

"Yeah, thanks," Lorelai said.

Jess nodded toward them and placed the pot back on the coffee maker.

Lorelai took a sip of her coffee, then smiled at Rory and asked, "How many more to go?"

Rory smiled and said, "Mom, I already told you this morning, fifty days."

Jess turned around and said, "Fifty days until what?"

"Fifty days until my last day of school, including weekends," Rory explained.

"Geez, have you been counting down since the first day?" Jess asked. "I thought you liked school."

"I do like school, that’s not what we’re counting down to," Rory said.

"Yeah, we’re counting down to the day when you guys move in," Lorelai said.

Jess narrowed his eyes at her and held up a hand in front of him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. The day when what?"

"The day when you guys. . ." Lorelai’s voice trailed off as she realized that Luke hadn’t told Jess yet. "Um. . . nothing." She took a sip of coffee.

"We’re moving in with you guys?" Jess asked.

Before she could answer, Luke walked out from the kitchen and smiled at Lorelai and Rory. "Hey."

Lorelai bit her bottom lip nervously. "Uh, Luke?" She nodded toward Jess.

Luke looked at the three of them curiously. "What’s going on?"

"We’re moving in with them?" Jess asked him.

Luke’s eyes widened slightly. "Oh, yeah, we’re. . .uh, gonna be moving into Lorelai’s house. I was gonna tell you soon."

"Yeah, that would’ve been nice," Jess said, rolling his eyes. "But then again, people seem to enjoy just packing me up and sending me places without asking me if I actually wanna go."

"I’m not packing you up and sending you someplace, I’m packing the both of us and the both of us are moving," Luke said. "There’s a difference."

"It’s gonna be cool," Rory said. "You’ll have your own room and everything."

"Yeah, really, it’ll be good," Lorelai added. "Better than that cramped apartment you guys are sharing."

"I like that cramped apartment," Jess muttered. He took a few deep breaths and stared into space for a moment with his lips pursed. Finally he turned to Luke and said, "Why can’t you just go? Why do I have to go too?"

Luke narrowed his eyes at him. "What?"

"What?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, what?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah. You move into their house with them and I’ll keep the apartment for myself," Jess said.

Luke let out a laugh. "You’ve got to be kidding me. You are not responsible enough to have your own apartment. Out of the question."

"Hey, I spent the whole weekend living by myself and I was just fine," Jess pointed out.

Lorelai and Rory both leaned forward on the counter and watched the discussion intently.

"Jess, that was three days, not a full time thing," Luke said. "Forget it." Luke grabbed the coffeepot and walked out from behind the counter. Jess followed him as Lorelai and Rory turned around on their stools and watched the conversation continue. "You’ve been here for almost nine months, and out of those nine months, you’ve done maybe four responsible things. How can you even think that you deserve your own place?"

Jess followed him from table to table as Luke refilled the customers’ coffee mugs. "Hey, I can be responsible when I want to be. If I had my own apartment, it’d give me a reason to be responsible."

Luke scoffed and turned around. "I’ll believe it when I see it."

"Well, then give me a chance to make you see it," Jess said. Luke didn’t say anything. Jess looked down at the floor and shifted his feet. "Please?"

Luke sighed loudly and walked back to the counter. Jess followed him with his hands shoved in his pockets. Luke set the pot down on the counter and stared at the wall. Lorelai and Rory stared at Luke, waiting for him to say something. Jess stared down at the floor. They were all silent for almost a minute. The conversations of other customers floated around them, but the four of them said nothing.

Finally, Luke turned to Jess. "Okay."

Jess looked up, surprised. "What?"

"Yeah, what?" Lorelai asked, just as surprised. "Uh, Luke, what are you doing?"

Rory nudged her. "Shh, mind your own business," she said quietly.

"I said okay," Luke repeated. "I’ll give you a chance to prove you’re responsible enough to have your own place. I’ll think about it today and we’ll set something up, get some rules worked out."

Jess nodded. "Good, thank you."

Luke looked at his watch. "And it starts with school. You will not miss anymore days this year," Luke said sternly. "Understood?"

Jess groaned. "Fine," he mumbled. He grabbed a book off the back counter and walked toward the door.

They all watched him leave the diner. When he was gone, Lorelai turned to Luke. "Luke, I don’t know about this," she said warily.

Luke ignored her. "What kind of Danish do you want?"

Lorelai tilted her head and said, "Luke, are you sure this is the best idea?"

Luke pursed his lips. "Lorelai, we’ll talk about it later," he said sternly. "Now, what kind do you want? I have things to do."

Lorelai sunk down on her stool and sighed. "Blueberry," she muttered.

"Me too, please," Rory added quietly.

Luke quickly placed their Danishes in front of them and then walked into the kitchen.

Lorelai picked a piece off of hers and shoved it into her mouth. "Do you think it’s a good idea?" she asked Rory.

Rory shrugged. "I don’t know. I know he can be responsible if he wants to be."

"He’s too young," Lorelai said, shaking her head. "He’s not ready for this."

"He’s almost eighteen," Rory pointed out.

"Yeah, well, just because the birth certificate says he’s almost eighteen doesn’t mean he acts like he’s almost eighteen," Lorelai said.

Rory took a sip of coffee, then said, "I’m a little confused."

"About what?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, I’m sure the idea of him moving in with us wasn’t exactly something you were looking forward to. And here he gets this great idea so he won’t have to. . . . so I’d think you’d be happy about it," Rory said. "But you’re against it. I don’t get it. I mean, usually you. . . " Rory’s voice trailed off and she took a bite of her Danish.

"I what?" Lorelai asked curiously. "Only think about how things affect me?" she suggested.

Rory shrugged. "I don’t know, kind of. But I don’t mean it in a bad way," she added quickly. "Well, it probably sounds like I do, but really, it’s just how - "

Lorelai waved her off. "I know, I know. But this is different. There’re just so many other things to think about besides myself here. Crazy, I know, but it’s true."

Rory nodded, and they continued eating in silence as Lorelai thought things over. A few minutes later, they were both finished eating. Lorelai pulled some money out of her purse and dropped it on the counter, then stood up. "You ready?"

Rory glanced at the money. "You’re just leaving it there? You’re not gonna say goodbye to Luke?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Nah, I’ll see him later." She started walking toward the door.

Rory stood up and followed her out of the diner. As they walked toward the bus stop, Rory said, "You know, you shouldn’t be mad at him."

"I’m not mad at anyone," Lorelai replied.

"Then why didn’t you want to say goodbye to him?" Rory asked. "It’s a fairly odd occurrence when you leave that diner without saying goodbye to him, so something is obviously wrong."

"He was busy," Lorelai said with a casual shrug. "No big deal, I’ll see him later. Rory, I’m not mad. Why would I be mad?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "Because he’s doing something that you don’t want him to do and you don’t have a say in it."

Lorelai scoffed. "That’s not true. I didn’t say I didn’t want him to do it, I just said he needed to think it over some more."

"Yeah, well, that means that you obviously don’t think it’s a good idea," Rory pointed out.

Lorelai sighed as they reached the bus stop. "Oh look, the pretty bus stop, how nice." Lorelai gave Rory a quick kiss on the cheek. "Have a good day."

"You too," Rory said. She sat down on the bench as Lorelai walked down the sidewalk. "Don’t be mad at him!" Rory called. Lorelai exhaled loudly and kept walking toward the inn.

* * *

That afternoon, Lorelai walked into the diner. Caesar was at the cash register, and Lorelai walked up to him. "Hey, is Luke here?"

Caesar nodded. "Storage room."

"Thanks," Lorelai replied. She walked around the counter and made her way to the storage room. She knocked lightly on the doorframe and said, "Hey."

Luke, who was unloading a box, looked up in surprise. "Hey." She walked into the room and sat on a small table. They were silent for a moment before he narrowed his eyes at her and asked, "Are you mad . . .about this whole Jess thing?"

Lorelai shook her head. "No, I’m not mad."

Luke nodded. "Good, because I’ve given a lot of thought to this, and I think that if he takes the time to prove that he can be responsible, I think he should get to have the apartment. I mean, he’s up there by himself most of the time anyway, except at night. And I’m here in the diner almost all the time, so I’ll always be around anyway. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work out."

Lorelai took a deep breath, holding back the criticisms she wanted to express. "Mmhmm," she said, nodding. "Did you come up with some guidelines or something?"

"Yeah, you wanna hear them?" Luke asked.

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah."

Luke pulled out his order pad from his waistband and flipped to the back. "Okay, first, like I said this morning, he can’t miss any more school. You know, unless he’s really sick or there’s an emergency or something. Plus, he has to pass all of his classes."

"Got it, good start. Next?" Lorelai prompted.

"Okay, this one’s the most important one. He has to get a real job," Luke said. "Not that working here isn’t a real job, but I mean a job where he doesn’t work for a relative. A job where he works for a stranger and will have to prove himself responsible to keep it."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Ooh, good rule."

"Then, once he’s had the job for two months, he can have the apartment," Luke continued. "Now, depending on when he gets the job and depending on the exact date that I move in with you, he may have to move in, too. You know, just for a few days or even a few weeks so he can meet the two month minimum."

"Yeah, he’s gonna have to because Rory’s last day is less than two months away, so there’s no way he can meet the minimum if you move in that weekend," Lorelai said.

Luke nodded. "Right, exactly." He looked down at his pad and continued, "Okay, so, he must keep the job, not only to continue proving his responsibility, but also because he will have to pay me rent and he will have to buy his own food. He wants to live by himself, he’s gonna have to do all of his own things – cleaning, laundry, cooking, everything." He paused. "I mean, I’ll probably help him out a little with money for clothes and necessities, at least in the beginning."

Lorelai nodded. "Right, those things can get expensive."

"But he has to buy everything else himself. If he loses the job, he loses the apartment and he’ll move into your house with us. That’s that," Luke said.

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Wow, I’m impressed. Those are really good rules, Luke."

Luke shrugged. "There are a few other smaller ones, but those are the main ones." He paused a moment, then shrugged and said, "I just think this’ll be good for him. It’ll make him realize that he can do something, that he can be someone. It’ll make him see that I believe in him enough to give him a chance, you know?"

Lorelai smiled. "I know. You know, I don’t think he realizes how lucky he is to have you. I hope he appreciates it someday." Lorelai leaned forward and kissed him. "I’m lucky to have you, too."

Luke smiled. "Right back atcha." He folded his pad and stuck it back into his waistband.

Lorelai smiled. "You have no idea how sexy that is."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "What? This?" he asked, pointing to the pad.

"Yeah," Lorelai replied. "It promotes dirty thoughts."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Everything for you promotes dirty thoughts. You can take the simplest thing and turn it into a sexual innuendo. You could probably turn this visit to the storage room into something dirty."

Lorelai giggled and pointed at one of the shelves. "Well, there’s a whole shelf of pickles right there."

Luke smirked. "See? You have problems."

Lorelai gasped. "I hope you’re not insinuating that I have an obsession."

"Actually, it’s more like an insatiable addiction," Luke said.

Lorelai scoffed. "Oh man, look who’s talking, mister touchy-feely over here. If I’m an addict, then so are you."

"You’re much worse than I am," Luke said.

Lorelai shook her head slightly. "I don’t think that’s true, but you should consider yourself lucky. Most guys would love to have a so-called sex addict for a girlfriend."

"I do love it," Luke said, smiling. "I’m not complaining, I’m just stating a fact."

"Mmhmm," Lorelai said, nodding. "And I’m not complaining when I say you’re just as much into it as I am."

Luke sighed, then asked, "Look, what is the point of this conversation? You love it, I love it, we’re damn good at it, let’s leave it at that."

"Oh, no no no," Lorelai said, wagging a finger at him. "I’m not going until you admit that you’re just as much into it as me."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Fine, I’m just as much into it as you," he said. "Happy?"

Lorelai smiled. "Yes, thank you."

Luke nodded and walked over to a box of mayonnaise jars. "But I could go longer without it than you could," he muttered. He pulled out a jar and placed it on the shelf.

Lorelai gasped and let out a laugh. "Oh my God, what?"

Luke smiled and shook his head. "Nothing."

"I heard you, Lucas," Lorelai said. "You’re implying that I’m more of an addict by saying you could abstain longer than me."

Luke shrugged. "That’s not what I said. I just said that I could go longer without it, meaning that I have better control about it than you do."

Lorelai stared at him with a smirk and tapped her fingers on the table. Finally, she said, "Care to make it interesting?"

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "How so?"

"A friendly little bet between alleged sex addicts to see who can go the longest without it," Lorelai said, raising her eyebrows. "You in?"

"You’re kidding me," Luke said with a laugh.

"You watch Seinfeld," Lorelai said, smiling. "I’m sure you’ve seen the ‘master of your domain’ episode."

Luke shook his head slightly. "You’re crazy. You haven’t had enough sugar today or something. Go eat a cookie."

She ignored him. "This bet will be just like that one, but in addition to forgoing solitary acts of pleasure, there will be no mutual acts either." She smiled and nodded.

Luke rolled his eyes. "This is stupid. We’re not doing this. I’m not entering into this bet with you."

"And if you win," she continued. "I’ll give up coffee and junk food for a week."

Luke snickered and walked over to her. "Yeah right. And what would you get if you win?"

"Hmm, you would have to. . . ." Lorelai thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him close to her, and whispered something into his ear.

Luke pulled back and let out a small laugh. "You’re out of your mind. No way, forget it, absolutely not. Go back to the inn, eat some cookies or something, just forget this conversation ever happened. Pretend you haven’t seen me all day."

Lorelai leaned forward and raised her eyebrows. "Well, I think we found out who’s more of an addict." She smirked at him. "Scared you’re gonna lose?"

"No, I’m not scared," he said, rolling his eyes. "This is just. . .stupid. And anyway, even if I was to agree to this ridiculous bet, my incentive to win isn’t half as strong as yours. You giving up junk food doesn’t do anything for me," he pointed out.

Lorelai shrugged. "So then think of something else you would want."

Luke paused for a moment, biting his lip while he thought. He stared at Lorelai, who stared back at him expectantly. Finally, a sly smile appeared on his lips.

Lorelai smiled. "What? You think of something?"

Luke nodded. He leaned forward and whispered something into her ear.

Lorelai let out a gasp of surprise and she pulled back from him, a sly smile on her face. "Wow, that’s a little. . .hmm." She thought for a moment, then said, "Okay, deal."

Luke laughed. "I didn’t say I’d do it."

Lorelai giggled. "Come on, Luke, I really wanna see which one of us can last longer." She paused a moment. "Will you do it if we put a time limit on it?"

Luke sighed. "Like, what, a week?" he asked.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "A week? Everyone can go a week. That’s nuts. I was thinking more like three weeks."

"Two," he countered.

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Fine, two weeks. That’s gonna be too easy, but we’ll see what happens."

Luke pursed his lips and folded his arms across his chest. "So, if we both last two weeks, then it’s called off, right?"

Lorelai nodded. "Right. You in?" She extended her hand.

Luke exhaled loudly and shrugged, then shook her hand. "Okay, whatever. Two weeks." He shook his head slightly and mumbled, "Why do I let you talk me into things like this?"

"Because I’m adorable and you love me," Lorelai replied. She clapped excitedly and said, "Okay, two weeks, starting now. No cheating, be honest. If you go out and hire a hooker on the side, you have to tell me."

Luke smiled. "I will. Now get out of here." He pointed to the door.

She frowned. "You’re kicking me out? Why?"

"Because you’re wearing a skirt," Luke pointed out.

A slow smile formed on Lorelai’s lips. "Ah, I nearly forgot your fetish for legs." She giggled and stood up. "Ooh, this’ll be fun. I have to make sure I have two weeks worth of skirts cleaned and ready to wear."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Just leave now, thank you."

She smiled and leaned toward him. Before she reached him, she pulled back and said, "Wait, should we ban kissing?"

Luke pressed his lips against hers and kissed her deeply. He pulled back and said, "No."

Lorelai smiled and ran a finger over his cheek. "Bye."

"Bye," Luke replied. He smiled as he watched her walk out of the storage room, then he turned around and went back to unloading boxes.

End part 24

* * *

Part 25

That night, Lorelai changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. She put her hands behind her head and stared up at the ceiling, then turned toward the nightstand and checked the clock. She thought for a moment, then reached over and grabbed the phone. She dialed quickly, stifling a yawn as she brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" Luke answered.

"Hey," Lorelai said. "You weren’t sleeping yet, were you?"

"Nope, not yet," Luke replied. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything’s fine," Lorelai said. "Is Jess asleep?"

"Yup, he’s been out for an hour already," Luke said. "I guess all that reading tires him out or something."

"So what happened?" Lorelai asked. "Did you go over all the rules with him?"

"Yup," Luke replied. "I laid it all out for him. I told him exactly what he had to do to get and keep the apartment, and told him if he didn’t wanna follow the rules, then he could just forget about it."

"And?" she prompted.

Luke sighed. "And then he turned around and walked out of the diner without saying a word."

Lorelai let out a small laugh. "Guess he wasn’t too fond of the rules."

"Guess not," Luke said. "But then, two hours later, he walks through the door, stops at the counter to tell me he’ll do it, then goes upstairs for the night."

"Huh," Lorelai said, surprised. "So he’s gonna get a job?"

"Guess so," Luke replied. "We’ll see what happens."

"Yup," Lorelai said. She thought for a moment, then said, "You know, if he can’t – oh, wait, never mind."

"What?" Luke asked.

"Nothing," Lorelai replied. "I was gonna say that if he can’t find a job, then maybe I could find him something at the inn, but then I remembered that you wanted him to work for someone who didn’t know him, and he and I aren’t exactly strangers."

"No, you’re not," Luke said. "But thanks for offering."

"You’re welcome," Lorelai said. They were both quiet for a few seconds before Lorelai smiled to herself. "Hey, you know what we were doing at this time last week?"

Luke thought for a moment, then smiled. "Hmm, yes I do."

Lorelai giggled. "I believe it was around this time that we were entering the first phase of our all-night lovemaking extravaganza."

"Yes, it was," Luke replied quickly. "Now stop it."

"Stop what?" Lorelai asked slyly.

"You’re trying to bring it up so I’ll start thinking about it and wanna cave in and lose the bet," Luke said. "I know you, Lorelai. I know what you’re trying to do."

Lorelai smiled, then forced a gasp. "Luke, I can’t believe you think I’d try to get you to falter. You know I’m not like that. Not little old me. Not the little old me who’s lying in bed naked right now, running her hand up and down her thigh."

Luke laughed. "Very clever." There was a slight pause before he asked, "You’re joking, right?"

Lorelai giggled. "I guess you’ll never know."

Luke groaned quietly. "Are you gonna be like this for two weeks?"

"Hmm, probably," she replied.

"Should’ve known," Luke said, rolling his eyes. "Okay, I’m going to bed now. See you tomorrow."

"’Night," Lorelai replied.

* * *

The next night, Lorelai and Rory stood in front of Emily and Richard’s house. Lorelai was about to ring the bell, then suddenly turned to Rory and said, "Remember, don’t – "

"Don’t mention the moving in," Rory finished, rolling her eyes. "I got it, Mom. You told me fifty times on the way here that you want to tell her when Luke’s with you, I know. I won’t say anything."

Lorelai smiled. "Okay, good, thanks." She pushed the doorbell, and a few seconds later, Emily pulled open the door. "Hi Mom," Lorelai said.

"Hey Grandma," Rory said.

"Well, hello girls," Emily replied, smiling. "Come in, come in." Lorelai and Rory walked inside. They hung up their purses on the coat rack, then followed Emily into the living room. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Uh, yeah. White wine, please," Lorelai replied.

"Coke’s fine," Rory replied.

"Oh, honey, Grandma doesn’t like cocaine, remember?" Lorelai told Rory. "We’ll make a stop on the way home and get your fix."

"Stop it," Emily said sternly. She walked to the bar as Lorelai and Rory sat next to each other on the sofa. "So, tell me about Boston," Emily said.

"Oh, it was great," Rory replied. "Dad showed me around the city, and we took an official tour of Harvard with a real tour guide. That was much more informative than Mom pointing to things and saying, ‘look at that big old building’."

Lorelai wagged a finger at her. "Hey, I showed you where the coffee stand was, that’s all you need to know."

Rory rolled her eyes. "And I got to see Dad’s place and spend some time with him, so that was nice."

Emily handed them their drinks, then sat across from them on the other couch. "And his girlfriend – I suppose you got to spend time with her too?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah, but she let me and Dad have some time together without her, too, so that was fun."

Emily smiled. "I bet it was." She turned to Lorelai. "And how about you?"

Lorelai took a sip of wine and shrugged. "How about I what?"

"Well, how was your trip?" Emily asked.

"Oh. Great, it was great," Lorelai replied, smiling. "We went to the aquarium and the batting cages and . . . you know, just relaxed."

"Mom stayed at a hotel with a spa," Rory added.

Emily raised her eyebrows. "A spa, how lovely."

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, it was great. We had fun." She patted Rory on the knee. "Though I missed my little angel here."

Rory smiled. "Please, you probably forgot you even had a daughter."

Lorelai gasped. "Not true!" She wrinkled her nose. "Okay, maybe once or twice, I’m sorry."

Rory smiled. "That’s okay. I forgive you."

Lorelai sipped her drink. "What about you, Mom? You said Dad took you out?"

Emily smiled and nodded. "Yes, he took me to a very romantic Italian restaurant. I forget the name of it. Something – ino’s. Gardino’s? Angelino’s?"

"Maraschino’s?" Lorelai suggested. "Been there, great cherries."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Well, whatever it was called, it was very romantic. Candlelight on all the tables, a live band playing soft music while you eat, very private tables."

Lorelai smiled. "Sounds great."

"Yes, it was lovely," Emily agreed. "Speaking of which, where is your father?" She stood up and walked toward the hallway calling, "Richard, the girls are here! For goodness sake, would it kill you to be on time for dinner just once in your life!"

Lorelai and Rory glanced at each other and smiled. As Emily returned to the living room a few seconds later, she said, "He’ll be out in a moment. Shall we head to the table?"

Lorelai and Rory stood up and followed Emily to the dining room. "Uh, Mom," Lorelai said, clearing her throat. "Is it okay if I bring Luke with us to dinner next week?"

Emily sat down in her chair and raised her eyebrows. "Well, I suppose that would be all right, yes. For any particular reason?"

Lorelai shrugged as she slipped into her seat. "Not really, he just wants to come. You know, he knows that these dinners are for you and Dad to spend time with me and Rory, so he doesn’t want to intrude on that, but he’d like to come occasionally."

Emily smiled. "How nice." She opened her napkin and spread it open on her lap. "Of course he can come."

Lorelai smiled at her. "Good, thanks."

* * *

The next morning, Rory knocked on Lorelai’s door. "Mom, are you up?" she called. When there was no answer, she pushed opened the door and walked in. "Mom, it’s 8:30."

Lorelai lay on her stomach, her face buried in the pillows and her body covered with blankets. "So?" she mumbled. "It’s Saturday, isn’t it?"

"Yes, it is," Rory said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Then what the heck are you doing waking me up?" Lorelai muttered. She waved her away. "Go back to bed."

"You told me to wake you up for the softball game," Rory reminded her. "It starts at nine." Rory pulled the covers off of her.

Lorelai groaned loudly and blindly grabbed for her covers. When she couldn’t find them, she reluctantly sat up. She squinted into the brightness of the room, then rubbed her eyes. "Why did I have to fall in love with some who likes sports? Why can’t he like shopping or knitting or gardening or anything that doesn’t involve me having to sit outside on bleachers on a Saturday morning?"

Rory smiled. "Okay, so basically you wish Luke was just like that gay guy who has his own decorating show?"

Lorelai laughed. "Hey, if it means I get to sleep in on the weekends, why not?"

Rory rolled her eyes and smiled. "Because Luke’s too much of a manly man to ever be converted." She stood up and walked over to Lorelai’s dresser. She pulled out a pair of jeans and tossed it on the bed.

Lorelai picked them up and shook her head. "No, hand me the low-rise ones. I need to show skin."

Rory narrowed her eyes at her. "You need to show skin at a softball game?"

Lorelai nodded and smiled. "Don’t ask." Lorelai tossed her jeans back to Rory.

Rory shook her head. "I won’t." Rory threw her the low-rise ones and put the other pair back in the drawer. She walked over to the closet and pulled out a T-shirt. She turned around and held it up. "This okay?"

Lorelai nodded and climbed off the bed. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned loudly.

Rory tossed the shirt on the bed. "Okay, meet me downstairs. Hurry up." She walked down the steps.

Twenty minutes later, Lorelai walked downstairs as she was pulling her hair up into a ponytail. Rory was on the couch waiting for her. "Ready?"

Lorelai nodded as she yawned. "Yup."

Rory stood up. "Okay, let’s go."

* * *

By the time Lorelai and Rory arrived at the park, the game had already started. As soon as they sat down on the bleachers, a voice from behind them said, "Lorelai?"

She turned around and saw Kirk sitting two rows behind them. "Yeah?"

Kirk held out a white paper bag and said, "Luke told me to give this to you the minute you got here or else I would be permanently banned from the diner."

Lorelai smiled and took it from him. "Thanks."

He turned and picked up two takeout cups. "And these, too."

Lorelai smiled and took them. "Thanks." She turned around and handed one to Rory, then squinted toward the field, using her hand to shade the sun from her eyes. "Do you see Luke?" she asked Rory.

Rory stared out into the field. "No." She glanced at the bench of players. "He’s by the bench. His side must be up."

"Up where?" Lorelai asked.

"Up to bat," Rory said, rolling her eyes. "Do you know anything about softball?"

"No, and I’m perfectly happy staying that way," Lorelai said. She glanced at the bench, smiling when she saw Luke talking to another player. She stood up and waved to catch his attention. He glanced toward her, and smiled and waved at her before turning back to his conversation.

Lorelai sat back down. "Okay, he knows I’m here. That’s the extent of my duties as girlfriend, right?"

"Right," Rory said, nodding.

"Good. Do you see Dean?" Lorelai asked.

"Yup, he’s right over there," Rory said, pointing into the field. She waved to him. "Okay, he saw me. My job’s done, too."

"Wow, we’re the best girlfriends ever," Lorelai remarked. She opened the bag and pulled out a muffin. She handed it to Rory, then pulled out the second one.

Rory took a bite of her muffin. "Mmm, that’s good. Is this how he got you to come to the game, by bribing you with food?"

Lorelai scoffed. "No! I offered to come, then politely asked him if he could bring me breakfast."

"And he just said yes?" Rory asked, surprised. "He just automatically agreed to bring you junk food?"

Lorelai took a sip of her coffee before she smiled and said, "I pouted."

"Ah." Rory smiled and nodded knowingly. "No man can resist the pout. It’s a woman’s greatest weapon." She bit into her muffin.

"That it is," Lorelai agreed. "Have you been working on yours?"

"Mmhmm," Rory said with her mouth full. She swallowed her food, then showed Lorelai her pout.

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Very impressive for such a young age!"

Rory smiled. "Well, you are the best pouter in all of Connecticut, so I must have some of those genes."

* * *

An hour later, as the game finished up, they wandered over to the fence and waited for the guys to walk off the field. Dean walked over talked to them for a few minutes, then he and Rory left.

Lorelai walked over to the bench, where Luke was the last person left gathering his things together. Lorelai tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and smiled when he saw her. "Hey."

"Hey." Lorelai smiled. Luke dropped the bat he was holding, then put his hands on her waist and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him, and grimaced at how damp his shirt was. "Ew, okay, just another reason to hate sports. What’s with the massive amount of sweat?"

Luke laughed and pulled back from her. "Sorry."

She smiled and kissed him, then pulled back and said, "I’ll live." She leaned in and kissed him again.

As they broke apart, he glanced at her outfit. He ran a finger over her exposed stomach and smiled. "Wearing my favorite pair of jeans, are we?"

Lorelai giggled. "Oh, are these your favorite? I had no idea."

Luke smiled and rolled his eyes. "Right." He turned around and finished putting his things into his bag, then they started walking toward the diner.

Lorelai put her hands in her pockets. "So, any news on the ‘Jess looking for a job’ front?"

Luke shrugged. "He said he filled out a few applications, but he didn’t tell me where. I just. . ." Luke sighed. "I hope it’s not too hard for him to get something. I know a lot of people probably won’t wanna give him a chance."

Lorelai nodded. "Hopefully he’ll find something."

"How was dinner last night?" Luke asked.

"Good, it was good," Lorelai said. "My mom said it was okay for you to come with us next week."

Luke nodded. "Okay, good."

"Yeah, but you’re gonna have to pass the secret test to get in," Lorelai said. "Now, I’m not sure what it’ll be this time, but the last time it involved live chickens and Christmas wrapping paper, so be prepared for anything."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Where do you come up with this stuff?"

Lorelai smiled. "Just pops into my head." They continued walking for a few seconds before Lorelai glanced at him and asked, "Is that the hat I gave you a long time ago?"

Luke glanced upward. "Uh, yeah. It’s the only one I’ve worn since you gave it to me."

Lorelai smiled. "Really? You’ve been wearing only that hat for the past two years?"

Luke nodded. "Yup."

"You’ve washed it, I hope?" Lorelai asked.

He smiled. "Once or twice. You can’t wash a hat too many times because it doesn’t always come out the same, so I try to keep the washings to a minimum."

Lorelai nodded. "Huh. Learn something new everyday." They had reached Luke’s truck, which was parked right in front of the diner. Lorelai leaned against the door. "So that makes two new things I’ve learned today."

"Oh yeah? What else did you learn?" Luke asked. He put his bag in the back of the truck, then turned to her.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him over so he was directly in front of her. She smiled and lowered her voice. "That watching you play softball is not a good thing to do when we’re in an abstinence contest."

Luke let out a laugh. "Watching me be physically active turns you on?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Oh, you have no idea," she said. She kissed him, then pulled back and said, "And it makes me hungry. Got any more muffins?" She gave him a hopeful smile.

Luke rolled his eyes and walked toward the diner. "Come on."

Lorelai smiled and followed him. "Oh, did I mention I have business class today?"

"You still go to class?" Luke asked, surprised. "You haven’t gone in awhile." He pulled open the door and they walked inside.

"Yeah, we had a few weeks off because my professor was sick or dying or something like that, so he mailed us all of these packets to read and work on," Lorelai said. She groaned as she sat down at the counter. "It was a lot of work. You’d think if he was really sick he wouldn’t want to have to come back and grade all of this stuff, but apparently he didn’t think of that."

Luke, who had gone behind the counter, washed his hands at the sink. "Yeah. So how many more classes are left?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I don’t know, two or three, I think. Then I graduate and never have to worry about it again," she added with a smile.

Luke raised his eyebrows. "You’re graduating?" He set a muffin in front of her.

"Thanks," she said, reaching for the muffin. "Yup, this is the last class I need for my degree."

"That’s. . .wow, that’s great." Luke smiled at her. "Really great. I’m proud of you."

Lorelai smiled shyly toward the counter. "Thanks."

He pointed toward the staircase. "Okay, I’m gonna go take a shower and get changed. Will you be here when I get back?"

Lorelai checked her watch. "Mm, probably not. I have things to do before class."

"Okay, I’ll see you later then," Luke said. He leaned over the counter and kissed her cheek. "Bye."

"Bye," she replied. "Thanks for breakfast."

He smiled and nodded, then headed up to his apartment. Lorelai finished her muffin and walked out of the diner. As she passed the bookstore, Jess walked out. She stopped and said, "Hey."

He nodded toward her. "Hi."

She gestured toward the bookstore. "Doing a little shopping?"

He shook his head. "Nah."

"Oh, just browsing?" she asked.

"Nah," he replied.

"Uh, shoplifting?" she joked.

He shook his head. "Applied for a job," he mumbled.

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "Really? That’d be a great job for you since. . .you know, you like to read."

Jess shrugged. "Yeah, but I don’t really think that guy likes me, so. . ."

"Who? Andrew?" Lorelai asked.

"I don’t know who it was," he replied. "It’s kind of hard to find a job in this town when all the people hiring already hate you."

"Aw, not everyone hates you," Lorelai insisted. "I’m sure you’ll find something."

He shrugged. "We’ll see." He pointed toward the diner. "I gotta get to the diner for the lunch shift."

Lorelai nodded and stepped out of his way. She bit her lip as she watched Jess walk to the diner, then she turned toward the bookstore. She stared at the door for a moment, then took a deep breath and walked inside.

She walked up to Andrew at the counter. "Hey."

Andrew smiled. "Lorelai, hi. Can I help you with something?"

"Uh, yes, actually you can," she replied. She pointed toward the door. "Um, you know Jess, he just left here?"

Andrew rolled his eyes. "Yes, I do," he said dryly. "The kid thinks I’ll hire him after all the trouble he’s caused in this town."

"Yeah, see, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about," Lorelai said. "See, what I’m about to say is probably going to make me sound crazy, but I just need you to listen to me with an extremely open mind, okay?"

Andrew folded his arms across his chest. "I’m listening."

* * *

That night, Lorelai and Rory walked into the diner and sat down at the last empty table. "Ugh," Lorelai said, glancing around. "It’s so crowded. That means the service won’t be as good."

"I don’t know, we seem to get really good service here no matter how crowded it is," Rory commented.

"Yeah, it must be because we’re such loyal customers," Lorelai said.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that must be it."

Lorelai smiled. "I can’t think of any other reason." She glanced up and saw Caesar walking toward them with two cups of coffee. He set them on the table. "Thanks."

"Burgers?" he asked, taking out his order pad.

Lorelai nodded. "Yup, two please."

He scribbled it on his pad and said, "Coming right up."

"Thanks," Lorelai replied. As Caesar walked away, Lorelai took a sip of coffee and said, "Guess Luke’s cooking."

"Probably," Rory agreed.

"Oh my God, you know what I saw on tv yesterday?" Lorelai said. "There was this show and it had this cool segment that showed you how toothbrushes are made. Do you know they stick all of those bristles in one by one? They have this huge machine that does it super fast. It was really cool to watch."

Rory nodded. "Sounds interesting. What show was it on?"

Lorelai looked down at her coffee cup. "Uh, I don’t remember."

Rory smiled. "You do too. Come on, what was it?"

Lorelai looked up and wrinkled her nose. "Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood."

Rory laughed. "Oh my God!"

"I was flipping through the channels and I saw the toothbrush thing and it was cool. I didn’t realize what show it was on!" Lorelai insisted.

Rory shook her head slightly. "I can’t believe that. That’s so funny."

"What’s so funny?" a voice asked. Both girls looked up and saw Luke standing at their table. Lorelai smiled as he leaned down and kissed her. "Hey."

"Hi," Lorelai said.

"Hey Luke," Rory said. "Mom was watching Mr. Rogers yesterday."

Lorelai frowned at Rory. "It was only for a few minutes," she told Luke. "They had a cool segment on toothbrushes."

Luke gave her an amused look. "Whatever keeps you entertained," he said with a shrug.

Lorelai stuck her tongue out at Rory. "See, he doesn’t care what I watch. And Mr. Rogers is cool, anyway. He shows segments like that all the time. I remember one time he showed how a box of crayons is put together, how they’re all molded and stuff. That was cool. Oh, and one time he showed how paper is made."

Rory laughed. "What, do you watch it everyday?"

Luke laughed. "Yeah, watching it once was okay but now it’s starting to scare me."

"Do you have a secret shrine to Mr. Rogers in your closet?" Rory asked, smiling.

Lorelai sighed loudly. "Forget it, you don’t understand. Mr. Rogers is feeding me knowledge about the world, knowledge I might need in the future. You never know, one day I might be on a game show and I could be asked how a toothbrush is made and I’ll know the answer and I’ll win a million dollars and I’m going to remember that you two were making fun of me and I won’t share any of it with either of you." Lorelai frowned at them.

Luke put his hand on Lorelai’s shoulder. "Okay, no more mocking. Although I’m now considering buying sweaters like his just to get your attention."

"Okay, okay," Lorelai said, putting her hands over her ears. "It’s done, over, not funny anymore. New subject."

Luke smiled. "Actually, I have to get back to work now anyway."

"Okay," Lorelai replied. "See you later."

"Bye Luke," Rory said.

Luke started to walk away, then turned back to Lorelai and said, "Uh, stop in the kitchen to see me before you leave, okay?"

Lorelai nodded, and he turned and walked back into the kitchen. A few minutes later, their meals were brought out. When they finished eating, Lorelai paid for them, then walked into the kitchen and glanced around, looking for Luke. She finally spotted him near the back door. She walked over to him and said, "Hey. We’re just about to leave."

He turned around and smiled at her. He took her hand and led her out the back door. He gently pressed her up against the building and kissed her hungrily. She was surprised by his intensity, but eagerly kissed him back. A soft moan escaped her throat as she brought her hands up around his neck. He pulled back from her for a few seconds to catch his breath, then immediately pressed his lips back against hers. Several seconds later, he pulled back from her and both of them were out of breath.

Lorelai smiled through her panting. "What was that?"

Luke took a few deep breaths. "That was the most I can do without losing this contest," he said. "Which I’m pretty sure is gonna be the death of me."

"Ah, getting a little antsy already, huh?" Lorelai said, smiling slyly.

Luke answered her by leaning in to kiss her again.

She moaned softly through the kiss, then pulled back. "Okay, okay. I’m getting out of here before I do something I shouldn’t do in a back alley."

He smiled and stepped back from her. They stared at each other momentarily before they leaned toward each other and kissed again. Lorelai smiled through the kiss and said, "Okay, now I’m really going."

Luke smiled and took her hand. They walked through the door, and he led her through the kitchen and into the diner. "Bye," Luke said.

"Bye," she replied. She walked out from behind the counter and over to Rory at their table. "Ready to go?"

Rory nodded and stood up. "Yeah. What did he want?"

Lorelai smiled and glanced toward him at the counter. "Oh, he just wanted to tell me something." She waved toward Luke as she and Rory walked out of the diner.

* * *

On Monday night, the doorbell rang. Lorelai pulled open the front door and smiled as she saw Luke. "Hey." She looked at his black T-shirt and smirked. "Mm, trying to make me cave by showing off your muscles?"

Luke smiled as he stepped inside. "Maybe."

"You’re shameless," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward her for a kiss.

Luke pulled back from her and scoffed. "I’m shameless? What about you wearing the shortest skirt known to man yesterday?"

Lorelai gasped. "It was hot out!"

"And eating a banana in the most seductive way possible," Luke added.

Lorelai giggled and led him into the living room. "Okay, so I’m shameless, I’m sorry."

"Where’s Rory?" Luke asked.

"Library," Lorelai replied. They sat down on the couch. "What do you wanna do?"

Luke smiled. "What do I want to do?" He took her hand and stroked it with his thumb.

Lorelai smiled. "Oh, sorry, I know what we both want to do. Let me rephrase that – what should we do?"

Luke shrugged. "I don’t know. Watch something?"

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Nah, I’ve been watching stuff all afternoon. Let’s just hang out and talk."

Luke nodded, then nonchalantly adjusted his sleeve so his tattoo showed.

Lorelai laughed. "Subtle." She ran her finger over the tattoo. "Would you ever get another one?"

"I don’t know. What do you have in mind?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "I don’t know. Maybe you could get ‘I love Lorelai’ tattooed on your butt?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "See, what would be the point of that? Then you’d be the only one who’d see it, but you already know that I love you, so it’d be a waste of money. If you’re gonna get a tattoo that tells people something, it has to be somewhere that other people would actually see it."

Lorelai gave him an amused smile. "Ahh, I get it. So maybe your forehead might be a better spot."

Luke nodded. "Yup, exactly. ‘I love Lorelai’ is going right here." He ran a finger over his forehead. "Tomorrow morning, I’ll run out and get that done."

Lorelai laughed. "Good, good. Can’t wait to see that. Ooh, maybe I’ll come with you and get a matching ‘I love Luke’ one. Only I can get it on my butt because, unlike your butt, everyone sees mine."

"Right, because of your hobby of roaming the streets naked," Luke said knowingly.

"Exactly." Lorelai smiled and stood up. "Let’s go for a walk and get some ice cream or something."

Luke rolled his eyes and stood up. "How about we stop at the market and get some fruit instead?"

Lorelai giggled. "You’re cute." She kissed him, then pulled back and wrinkled her nose. "But no."

She turned and walked toward the door. Luke followed her out onto the porch and they walked toward the center of town.

"So, uh, seriously, how are you holding up?" Lorelai asked. "Come close to caving at all?"

Luke shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "Not really. But, I mean, it’s only been a few days. Ask me later this week, I’m sure I’ll have a different answer. What about you?"

Lorelai smiled. "It’s been pretty easy so far. Should be simple enough to last the whole two weeks."

Luke laughed. "You’re pretty confident."

"Yes, I am," Lorelai said with a shrug. "I mean, I’ve gone longer than two weeks without it before, haven’t you?"

"Yeah, but this is different," Luke said. "When you’re in a relationship and it becomes a consistent habit, you just get so used to it. I think it’s gonna be harder to go without it as the days add on."

Lorelai shrugged. "I guess we’ll see."

"Yeah, we will," Luke said. They walked for a few seconds before he smiled to himself.

Lorelai noticed his smile. "What? What’s so funny?" she asked, smiling.

Luke glanced at her. "Nothing. I was just thinking about. . .uh. . .if you lose. . ."

Lorelai smiled. "You’re already thinking about what happens if you win?"

Luke gave a sly smile. "Maybe."

Lorelai smiled and shook her head slightly. "Yeah, well, don’t count on it. You should start worrying about what you’re gonna have to do when I win."

Luke shook his head. "No, I’ve blocked that out completely. I can’t believe you want me to do that."

Lorelai giggled. "I know. It just sorta popped into my head." She gave him a stern look. "And you’re not gonna get out of doing it. If you lose, you have to do it, fair and square."

He raised his hands innocently. "I know, I have complete faith in the fact that you will hold me to it. That’s why I refuse to lose, because there’s no way I’m gonna do that."

Lorelai giggled. "I know, that’s why I picked it, because forcing you to do it is the only way you’d ever do it."

They reached the ice cream stand and stood at the end of the line. Luke pulled out his wallet, but Lorelai pushed it away. "Don’t worry about it, I got it." As they moved up in line, she pulled some money out of her pocket. "Do you want anything? I think they have frozen yogurt."

"Nah, I’m good," Luke replied.

Lorelai shrugged. "Okay." She turned to the window and ordered. "Um, one scoop of chocolate chip mint in a cone, please." Luke wandered over to a bench as Lorelai paid for her ice cream. She grabbed a few napkins and sat next to him.

She tasted the ice cream and moaned happily. "Mmm, that’s good. Wanna try it?" she asked, holding the cone out to him.

He shook his head. "No, thanks."

She pushed the ice cream against her mouth, leaving it all over lips. She smiled and asked, "How ‘bout now?"

Luke hesitated for a moment before he leaned forward and kissed her, licking the ice cream off of her lips. He pulled back and glanced around uncomfortably.

Lorelai giggled. "No one’s watching you, stop being paranoid. How was it?"

He picked up a napkin and wiped his lips. "Tasty."

Lorelai smiled and nodded, then licked her ice cream cone. She encased her lips around it and sucked on it lightly, swirling it around in her mouth. After several seconds, she glanced over at Luke and noticed him staring at her intently. She pulled the cone away from her lips, then smiled and said, "What?"

Luke swallowed hard and shrugged. "Nothing."

She looked at the ice cream cone, then back at Luke. She smiled and nodded knowingly. "Ah, I see." She seductively ran the tip of her tongue over the ice cream. "You like this?"

Luke smiled and turned his head away. "Wow, look at that nice fire hydrant," he said, pointing toward the street.

Lorelai laughed and rubbed his thigh. "Ah, poor Luke’s trying not to cave."

Luke stared straight ahead. "You know, I was thinking about only serving turkey burgers at the diner from now on."

Lorelai gasped. "Okay, okay, I’m stopping!"

Luke turned to her and smiled. "Thought that would do it."

Luke wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she leaned against him. She bit into her cone and chewed it slowly as she watched the people walk by. A couple walked by hand in hand. When they passed, Lorelai whispered, "We’re much hotter than them."

Luke nodded. "Yup."

Lorelai took another bite of her cone. When she was finished chewing, she turned to him and smiled. "Hey, you know what?"

"What?" he asked.

She leaned toward him so that their faces were just inches apart. "Only forty-six more days to go."

Luke smiled and kissed her. "I know. Excited?"

Lorelai nodded. "Very. You?"

"Yup," he replied. He smiled and kissed her again. "Love you," he said softly.

She smiled and said, "Love you, too." They stared into each other’s eyes momentarily before she pulled back and said, "Wow, we have to re-enact this scene after this contest thing is over because that was the perfect pre-sex scenario."

Luke laughed. "Yeah, it was nice," he agreed. He stood up and said, "You ready?"

She shoved the last piece of cone into her mouth and mumbled, "Mmhmm." She wiped her mouth with a napkin and threw it in a nearby garbage can. She laced her fingers through Luke’s and they started walking down the sidewalk.

End part 25

* * *

Part 26

On Wednesday night, Lorelai and Rory were sitting at a table in the diner. They had finished eating and were in mid conversation when Luke walked over and sat down with them. Rory looked at him and said, "Luke, please tell her to just do it."

He turned to Lorelai. "Just do it," he said sternly.

Lorelai took a sip of coffee, then smiled at him. "Just do what?"

Luke shrugged. "I don’t know." He turned to Rory. "Just do what?"

"Go to her graduation ceremony," Rory said. "It’s in two weeks, and I know she wants to go but she needs some convincing. Tell her to go."

Luke turned to Lorelai. "Why wouldn’t you want to go?"

Lorelai shrugged. "It’s community college, it’s nothing big."

Luke’s eyes widened. "Nothing big? It’s huge, Lorelai. Community college is just as important as any other college."

"Plus, she’s never even been to a graduation ceremony before," Rory pointed out.

"Not true," Lorelai said. "The Bayside High School graduation ceremony was so realistic I felt like I was right there sitting next to Zack and Slater as they sang the school song." She rolled her eyes. "I can’t believe you used to make me watch that with you."

"Okay, number one, fictional graduations don’t count, and number two, you’re going," Rory said.

"Yes, you’re going," Luke said. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Lorelai glanced down at the table for a moment, then looked up and sighed. "You really think I should go?"

Rory and Luke both nodded.

Lorelai sighed softly. "Okay, I’ll go, but if I trip and fall while I’m walking on stage and it turns out to be the most embarrassing night of my life, I’m blaming the both of you for the rest of your lives."

Luke smiled. "Fair enough."

Lorelai took a sip of coffee. "Oh, I almost forgot. I have a favor to ask you."

"What is it?" he asked.

"Will you have some time within the next few days to come to the inn and fix the railing on the back porch?" Lorelai asked. "There are a couple of places where it’s sorta wiggly and I can’t really afford a lawsuit."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, but don’t you have a handyman?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Please, my handyman doesn’t even know how to hold the hammer right."

Luke smiled. "Uh, you might wanna get a new one then. Just a tip."

"I’m working on it," she replied. "So you can do it?"

"Yeah, I’ll get to it this weekend," he replied.

Lorelai smiled. "Thank you."

Luke smiled and nodded. "You’re welcome." He leaned back in his chair. "So, what are you guys doing tonight?"

"I’m going over to Sookie’s. We’re gonna start working on the bridesmaid dresses," Lorelai said.

"I really like the color you guys picked out," Rory said.

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Me too. That green is so pretty. Did I show it to you yet?" she asked Luke.

He shook his head. "No, not yet."

"You’ll like it," Lorelai said, smiling. "The dresses are gonna be beautiful."

Luke smiled. "I’m sure they will be." He turned to Rory. "So, are you helping with the dresses tonight, too?"

Rory shook her head. "Nope, Lane’s coming over and we’re gonna hang out."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "Not gonna trash the place, are you?"

"Probably," Rory replied, nodding. She smiled and took a sip of coffee.

Lorelai nodded. "Okay, just don’t break the television. I wanna watch the E! True Hollywood Story about the Brat Pack tomorrow night."

"You’ve seen it like ten times already," Rory pointed out.

"Yeah, but I find it completely fascinating to watch how those guys screwed up their lives," Lorelai said. "You can never see that enough."

"True," Rory agreed. She took a sip of coffee and stood up. "Okay, I’m leaving. I’ll see you tonight, Mom. Bye Luke."

"Bye, hon," Lorelai said.

"Bye," Luke said.

Rory walked out of the diner. Lorelai glanced at the counter and saw Jess walk into the kitchen. "Uh, so what happened with Jess? Did he find a job?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh, yeah, actually, he did," Luke said, smiling. "He’s working at the bookstore."

Lorelai smiled. "The bookstore? Wow, that’ll be great for him."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I think so, too. I mean, he doesn’t seem too thrilled with the idea right now, you know, having to work and stuff, but I think once he gets into a routine, it’ll be fine."

"Yeah, it’ll be good," Lorelai said, nodding. She pulled some money out of her purse and dropped it on the table. "I should get to Sookie’s." She stood up.

"Yeah, and I should get back to the kitchen." Luke stood up and walked her to the door. They kissed goodbye and she walked out of the diner.

* * *

That Friday night, Luke joined Lorelai and Rory at Emily and Richard’s house. When they had finished eating, the five of them moved into the living room for drinks. During a lull in the conversation, Lorelai looked at Rory and gave a slight nod.

Rory nodded and cleared her throat. "Uh, Grandpa? Do you think we could go look at the books in your study? I saw one I wanted to borrow the last time I was in there. Maybe you could help me find it?"

Richard stood up. "Why, certainly, Rory. Follow me." As Rory followed him out of the living room, she glanced back at Lorelai, who gave her an appreciative smile.

Lorelai reached down and grabbed Luke’s hand. "Uh, Mom, we want to tell you something."

"Yes?" Emily said, looking at them expectantly. She suddenly gasped and clasped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God! You’re engaged again!"

Luke’s eyes widened. "What?"

"No, Mom, that’s not it," Lorelai said quickly, waving her off.

"Oh, then what is it?" Emily asked. Suddenly, she pursed her lips and put a hand in the center of her chest. "You’re pregnant." She glared accusingly at Luke.

Luke’s eyes went even wider. "What?" he said loudly. "No, no, she’s not pregnant!" His face tightened and he turned to Lorelai. "You’re not, right?" he whispered.

Lorelai smiled and shook her head. She turned to Emily and said, "That’s not it either, Mom, but you’re doing a good job of scaring the heck out of Luke. Care to take another stab at it?" Lorelai asked.

Emily took a sip of wine, then placed her glass on the coffee table. "No, why don’t you just tell me, Lorelai?" She folded her hands and placed them on her lap.

Lorelai glanced at Luke and took a deep breath before she turned back to Emily. "Uh, Luke and I are going to live together. He’s gonna be moving in with me and Rory in June." She swallowed hard and bit her lip as she waited for Emily’s reaction. Sensing her nervousness, Luke slipped an arm around Lorelai’s waist, reassuring her that he was right there.

Her lips pursed, Emily nodded slowly. "Mmhmm." She took a deep breath and stared down at the coffee table.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and sighed. "What, Mother? What is it? Just say what you want to say."

Emily shrugged. "This is your life, Lorelai, and you can do whatever you want with it. I have nothing to say."

"Yes, you do," Lorelai said loudly. "You have to have something negative to say – do you know why? Because I’m happy about this, and whenever I’m happy about something, you always, always, always find something negative to say! So, go on, say what you want to say!"

Luke put his hand on Lorelai’s knee and rubbed it gently, which she understood meant that she needed to calm down. She took a few deep breaths before she continued. "Look, you always say that I never share things with you about my life, right? That I always try to shut you out from what’s going on, right? Okay, so here I am, sharing the most important thing in my life with you, and I’m just asking you to try and be happy for me. . .for us."

Emily’s face showed little emotion. She blinked her eyes slowly several times, then said, "You’ve only been together a short while. You don’t move in with someone this quickly, especially when there’s a child involved."

Lorelai scoffed and started to respond but Luke cleared his throat and said, "Uh, you should understand that this is not exactly something we’re rushing into. We’ve thought about it and discussed it a lot, especially about how it’ll affect Rory. We’ve talked with her about it, and we wouldn’t be doing this if she wasn’t completely comfortable with it." Luke paused a moment before he added, "And it’s not something we’d even be talking about if we didn’t think it would be. . .permanent." Luke turned and smiled at Lorelai, who had been staring at him as he spoke.

Lorelai grabbed Luke’s hand and laced her fingers through his. She smiled at him, then turned to Emily. "Exactly. Um, so the bottom line is that we’re doing this whether you’re happy for us or not, Mom. It’d just make things . . .nicer if you were."

Emily was quiet for a moment. She glanced back and forth between Luke and Lorelai, then shook her head slightly. "I still think it’s way too soon."

Lorelai sighed loudly. "Okay, well, that’s not really – " She stopped talking as Richard and Rory entered the room.

"Sorry about that," Richard said. He walked over and sat down next to Emily. "What did we miss?"

Rory, who was holding a book, sat down next to Lorelai. "Did you tell her?" she whispered. Lorelai nodded.

"Richard, Lorelai was just explaining how Luke’s going to be moving in with them in June," Emily said.

Richard raised his eyebrows. "Is that so? Well, I must say, that makes me feel a little better."

Emily gasped. "Excuse me?"

"Yes, it’s not safe for those girls to be living all alone," Richard said. "Something could happen."

Lorelai smiled. "We’ve been living alone for sixteen years, Dad. Nothing’s happened so far."

"Yes, but it’s always safer to have a man around," Richard said.

"Oh, Dad, I forgot to tell you, you got call earlier from the women’s liberation movement," Lorelai said. "They want to have a few words with you."

Luke smiled and stood up. "Okay, we should get going."

"Thanks for the book, Grandpa," Rory said, standing up. "And thanks for dinner, Grandma."

Lorelai stood up slowly. "Yeah, thanks for dinner."

Luke shook Richard’s hand. "Sir, good to see you again."

"Yes, same here," Richard said.

Luke turned to Emily and extended his hand. "Dinner was great, thanks."

Emily shook his hand. "Yes, thank you for coming."

Lorelai took Luke’s hand and led him to the front door, and Rory, Emily and Richard followed. They exchanged goodbyes and the three guests stepped out onto the porch. The door closed behind them and they walked slowly to the Jeep. They climbed in and Luke started the engine.

"So, Grandma didn’t really –," Rory started.

"Not right now, hon," Lorelai said, shaking her head. She leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes.

"Okay, sorry," Rory replied quietly.

Luke looked at Rory in the rearview mirror. "Going to Dean’s house, right?"

Rory nodded. "We’re gonna watch a movie."

Luke nodded and pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, they pulled up in front of Dean’s house. Lorelai stepped out of the car to let Rory out, and Rory gave Lorelai a kiss on the cheek. "See you at home."

"Bye sweets, have fun," Lorelai said.

Rory lowered her head to look into the Jeep. "Bye Luke."

"Bye, have fun," he replied.

As Rory walked toward the house, Lorelai climbed back into the car and stared out the passenger side window. Luke stared at her momentarily but didn’t say anything. They drove back to her house and pulled into the driveway.

Luke turned off the engine and turned to look at her. She sat staring at the house with her arms folded across her chest. Finally, he asked, "You okay?"

Lorelai turned to him and smiled. "Mmhmm."

Luke took a deep breath. "Are you . . . changing your mind?"

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "What? No, not at all! Why do you think that?"

"Because I just don’t get why you seem so upset when things weren’t really that bad tonight," Luke said.

Lorelai shrugged. "I don’t know. I’m not upset, exactly; I’m just thinking about things." Lorelai was quiet for a few seconds as she stared out the window. She turned back to Luke and said, "I was just thinking about how nice it would be to actually tell my mother something and to have her just. . .be happy for me. You know, without all the criticism and snarky remarks and everything. Just to see her smile and be happy for me, that’s what I want."

Luke reached for her hand and stroked it with his thumb. "Don’t give up on that idea. It might happen someday."

Lorelai scoffed. "I doubt it." She shook her head slightly and muttered, "Why couldn’t she just smile and say, ‘that’s nice, Lorelai’ or ‘wow, congratulations. I’m happy for you.’ I just don’t get her."

Luke sighed. "Look, this moving in idea – we’re both happy about it, right?" he asked.

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

Luke shrugged. "So, then, it doesn’t matter how your mom feels about it. Instead of worrying about her, think about yourself for a change."

Lorelai laughed. "Wow, no one’s ever commented that I don’t think about myself enough."

Luke smiled. "Forget everyone else and just concentrate on what this means to you. Think about how great it’s gonna be for us. That’s what I do." He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "I mean, you know what I love to think about?" he asked softly. "I think about how, when I wake up in the morning, the very first thing I’m gonna see is you. You have no idea how happy that makes me."

Lorelai tilted her head and smiled at him. "You’re so sweet. That makes me happy, too," she said softly. She took his face in her hands and pressed her lips gently against his. She pulled back slightly and stared into his eyes. "You have really nice eyes. The first time I realized that you cared for me, it’s because I saw it in your eyes. They told me," Lorelai said.

"Oh yeah?" Luke asked. "What are they telling you now?"

Lorelai smiled. "They’re telling me that I should kiss you again."

Luke smiled. "I think you should listen to them."

She leaned forward and kissed him, gently at first but then with more intensity. She parted his lips with her tongue and ran it over his, beginning a rhythmic swirling in their mouths that made a soft moan escape her throat. As the kiss deepened and her arousal increased, Lorelai suddenly pulled back. Panting heavily, she said, "There’s still a week left."

Luke rolled his eyes and groaned. "I told you to make it only one week. Maybe you should listen to me next time." He leaned forward and kissed her again.

She eagerly returned the kiss until both of them were breathless. She finally pulled back and said, "Oh my God, you have to leave."

Luke’s chest was heaving as he asked, "What? Why?"

Lorelai leaned forward and whispered, "Because I’m so turned on right now I’m about to explode."

Luke pulled back and gave her a sly smile. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes. That’s why you have to leave right now, because I refuse to lose this contest and who knows what’ll happen if you stay."

Luke smiled and leaned toward her, but she pushed open her door and climbed out. He grabbed the keys out of the ignition and climbed out, too. He quickly walked over to her side, but she turned and ran toward the house. "Stay away from me!" she called laughingly over her shoulder.

Luke chased her up the porch and caught her by wrapping his arms around her waist. He turned her around and pressed her up against the front door. His lips immediately went to hers in a passionate kiss that made her body thrive with excitement.

When they finally broke apart, Lorelai playfully pushed Luke away from her. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to control her arousal. She opened them and smiled. "Okay, here’s the game plan." She pointed to him and said, "You’re going to go home before a wild sex-obsessed spirit takes over my body and does something she shouldn’t do." She pointed to herself and said, "And I’m going to go inside and take the coldest shower in the world. Any deviation from this game plan will result in you being severely injured by my high heels."

Luke laughed. "I never knew women were so violent until I met you." He pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them to her. "Okay, I’m going. I’ll call you later."

Lorelai nodded. "Okay."

They stared at each other for a second, both of them wanting the same thing but neither wanting to make the first move. Finally, Luke stepped toward her and kissed her. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair as she eagerly kissed him back.

They broke apart and Lorelai quickly turned around and tried to unlock the door. "Oh my God, oh my God," she muttered as she fumbled with the keys. "Ignore the temptation, ignore the temptation." She finally pushed open the door and stepped inside. She let out a sigh of relief as she turned around to face him. "Bye."

Luke gave her an amused smile. "Bye." She smiled and shut the door, and Luke turned around and walked home.

* * *

That night in her bedroom, Lorelai was watching television. When the phone rang slightly after ten, she immediately picked it up. "Oh my God, what took you so long?" she answered.

"Uh, sorry, I didn’t know you were expecting me," came the nervous reply.

Lorelai grimaced. "Oh, sorry Dean. Hold on." She cupped her hand over the phone. "Rory, it’s for you!" she yelled.

"Okay!" Rory called back. A few seconds later, she called, "Got it!"

Lorelai hung up the phone with a sigh and slumped back against the headboard. A few minutes later, Rory appeared at Lorelai’s door. "Mom, call Luke. He called when I was on with Dean."

Lorelai sat up quickly. "Okay. Are you off now?"

Rory nodded. "Yup, it’s all yours. I’m going to bed."

Lorelai smiled. "Okay. ‘Night hon."

"Night." Rory turned around and walked down the steps.

Lorelai stood up and closed her bedroom door, then turned off the television. She sat back down on the bed, picked up the phone, and dialed Luke’s number.

"Hello?" Luke answered.

"Hey," Lorelai said. "How was your night?"

Luke groaned. "The longest night of my life and it’s all your fault."

Lorelai gasped. "My fault? How is it my fault?"

"I’ll tell you why it’s your fault," he replied sternly. "You’re the one who came up with this stupid contest idea and then you’re the one who had to pick the worst thing in the world for me to do if I lose, making me one hundred percent determined to win the aforementioned stupid contest, and you’re the one who had to be all flirty tonight and get me all. . .with the. . .and the. . ." He groaned, then sighed loudly.

Lorelai laughed. "So you’re mad because you had a loaded weapon with no opportunity to fire it?"

"Yes," he replied grumpily. "Ugh, I can’t wait for this week to be over."

"Me either," Lorelai replied.

"If we both want it to be over, why don’t we just call it off?" Luke asked.

"Because. . .it’s a contest, we have to play it out," Lorelai said. "We started it, we have to finish it."

Luke groaned. "We started it, we have to finish it," he repeated mockingly. "Yeah, well, just remember that a week from now when you’re at my funeral. Cause of death, lack of sex."

Lorelai laughed. "I don’t think you can die from that. You think you’re gonna make the week?"

"Yes, I am," he replied confidently. "You?"

"Absolutely," she replied.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked.

"I have my class in the afternoon, but I’ll be at the inn in the morning," Lorelai said.

"Oh, right. Maybe I’ll come by and work on the porch railing," Luke said. "I have to get my tools and stuff together. I’m not sure where I put my . . ."

He kept talking, but Lorelai didn’t hear what he said. She closed her eyes and just listened to the sound of his voice. After several seconds, she heard him say, "Lorelai? Lorelai?"

She opened her eyes and stammered, "Uh, what . . . yeah. . . sorry, I’m here."

Luke let out a small laugh. "Did you hear anything I said?"

"Not really," she admitted.

"Oh, great, thanks," he said with a laugh. "Love you, too."

"Luke, have you ever listened to your voice?" she asked, smiling. "It’s like the sexiest voice in the world. You should be a late-night DJ for a radio station. You could be all. . ." Lorelai deepened her voice. "And coming up in this next half hour, thirty minutes of commercial free love songs to get you in the mood." Lorelai giggled. "Oh my God, people would tune in just to hear you talk."

Luke laughed. "I’ll look into that if this diner thing doesn’t work out."

"Good, you should," Lorelai said. "I could sit here all night and listen to you read the phone book."

"Okay, well, the day we run out of conversation topics, that’s what we’ll do," he said. "All right, I’m gonna go now. I gotta take a shower before bed. Which means in about three minutes, I’m going to be completely naked."

Lorelai smiled. "I’m not caving," she said firmly.

"With water cascading all over my body," he continued.

"Not caving," she repeated.

"Now to give you the full visual effect, first I’m going to lather up my strong, muscular chest," Luke said.

Lorelai leaned back against the headboard and closed her eyes, trying to picture it. "Mm, then what?"

"And then I’ll probably move onto my arms," Luke replied. "Gotta make sure those biceps are nice and clean."

Lorelai smiled to herself as the image became clearer. "Then what?" she asked quietly.

"Then I’ll probably do my stomach," he replied. "And then move down to my lower body."

Lorelai swallowed hard and her breathing started to increase. Several seconds later, she opened her eyes and said, "Oh God, I really have to go."

Luke let out a small laugh. "Goodnight."

* * *

The next morning, Lorelai walked into the inn and set her things in her office. She walked out to the front desk and grabbed a stack of papers. She turned to Michel. "Are these from this morning?"

He glanced over at them. "Yes, I put them there thirty minutes ago, which was when you said you’d be here, but of course you weren’t because you have never shown up on time on a Saturday morning ever."

Lorelai smiled and said, "So they’re from this morning, thank you." She flipped through the papers and separated them into piles. She handed a stack to Michel. "Confirm these orders." She glanced around the lobby and tried to look out the back window. "Do you know if Luke’s here?"

"I saw him earlier walking around with a toolbox," Michel said.

"Is he still here?" Lorelai asked.

Michel snickered. "What do I look like, his babysitter? How should I know?"

Lorelai made a face at him, then walked into the kitchen and over to the coffee maker. She poured herself a cup, then turned around and walked over to the counter. "Hey Sookie."

Sookie, who was standing at the stove, turned around and smiled. "Hey. What’s new?"

"Nothing much," Lorelai replied with a shrug. "Just a normal day of coming to work and trying not to kill Michel, and then going to school and trying not to kill my evil professor who insists on calling me Laura."

Sookie giggled. "Sounds fun." Suddenly her smile faded and she clenched her teeth together. "Ooh, I saw Luke a little while ago. Is he okay?"

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "What do you mean? What’s wrong with him?" she asked, concerned.

Sookie shrugged. "He just seemed like he was in a really bad mood."

Lorelai frowned. "Aw, I wonder why. He didn’t mention anything?"

Sookie shook her head. "Nope, I didn’t even talk to him. I saw the look on his face and kept my distance. Is everything okay with you guys?"

"Yeah, everything’s great, everything’s perfect," Lorelai said. She took a sip of coffee. "I’m gonna go see if he’s still here and see what’s up. I’ll see you later."

"I hope everything’s okay," Sookie said sincerely.

Lorelai nodded. "Thanks." She turned and headed into the lobby. She walked over to the front desk and set her mug down, then started walking toward the back door to find Luke. However, as she glanced out a window, she saw him walking toward the front of the inn. She turned around and rushed to the front door. She pulled it open just as Luke was reaching for the handle from the other side.

Startled, he jumped back. "Geez," he grumbled.

"Hey, what’s the matter?" she asked, grabbing his hand. "Sookie said you’re in a bad mood."

Luke set his toolbox down on the porch, then stepped into the lobby. "Are you busy right now? Do you have a few minutes?"

"Yeah, is everything okay?" she asked, concerned. "Luke, what’s wrong?"

"Is there somewhere we can talk privately?" he asked, glancing at the people in the lobby.

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, come into my office." She led him across the lobby to her office. She pushed open the door and gestured for him to go in first. She followed him inside and locked the door.

She turned around to face him. "Luke, what’s up?"

Luke stepped up to her and pressed his lips against hers. Lorelai was surprised, but kissed him back eagerly. When he finally pulled back, he asked, "Hey, can you do me a favor?"

"What?" she asked curiously.

Luke brought his mouth to her ear and whispered, "Take off your clothes."

Lorelai let out a surprised laugh. "What?"

Luke smirked. "There’s no way in hell I’m going another week," he said, shaking his head.

Lorelai held up her hands in front of her. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you serious?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"You’re caving?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes," he said.

"You’re giving up the contest – this is your official resignation from the contest?" she asked with a surprised smile.

"Yes! That’s it, it’s over, it ends right now," he replied firmly. "Now stop talking."

He leaned in to kiss her. She pulled off his cap and tossed it across the room, then ran her fingers through his hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist and ran his hands up and down her back. He lowered his mouth to her neck and sucked on it lightly, and she moaned softly toward the ceiling. "Luke. . . Luke," she mumbled. "Luke, we can’t do this here. Michel’s right outside."

He took her hand and pulled her across the room to the opposite wall. He pressed her up against it, then ran his tongue across her neck and up to her ear. "How much time do you have? I won’t need much." He took her earlobe in his mouth and sucked on it gently.

Lorelai smiled. "Yes, I can tell." She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back slightly. They stared at each other for a moment as Luke’s hands slowly moved to the hem of Lorelai’s skirt. He clutched the fabric in his fingers and stared at her hopefully, waiting for her reaction. She glanced down at them and swallowed hard, her heart racing with excitement. She closed her eyes briefly, then brought her gaze up to meet his. After a few seconds, she gave him a sly smile.

Luke tilted his head to the side. "You sure?" She bit her lip and nodded quickly.

Luke smiled. He hiked her skirt up around her waist and ran his hands over her legs. She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. Luke gently caressed her inner thighs, trying to build up her arousal. "Oh God, I had almost forgotten how good that feels," she muttered.

She opened her eyes and her hands immediately went to his belt. She quickly unbuckled it, then undid his jeans and pulled them down halfway. She used her foot to push them down around his ankles. He hooked his pointer fingers on the waistband of her panties and slowly pulled them down her legs. A surge of arousal shot through her body as he slipped them over her shoes and dropped them on the floor. She pushed down his boxers, then pulled him tightly against her, their mouths crashing together passionately.

Feeling him against her thigh made her legs start trembling with anticipation. His hand moved to the back of her left thigh. He lifted her leg up, and she rested her foot on the arm of an adjacent chair, giving him better access to her. As he entered her, she let out a loud gasp and both of their mouths dropped open. They stood still for several seconds, both of them getting used to the intense feeling of pleasure that they hadn’t felt in so long.

"Ugghhhhh, God, I’m glad we’re not going a whole other week," she muttered, leaning in to kiss him. Luke kissed her back hungrily. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as he began pushing into her. Lorelai broke the kiss and threw her head back with a loud moan. She clenched her teeth together firmly, trying hard to control the volume of her groans. Luke, who was releasing a loud grunt with every thrust, pressed his face against her shoulder to stifle them.

As Luke continued his rhythmic thrusts, Lorelai’s lower body started to feel numb from the intense stimulation. She leaned all of her weight against Luke’s body for support. She grasped onto him tightly, digging her nails into his back as the pleasure became overwhelming. "Oh my God, oh my God," she panted.

Several minutes later, they reached their peaks and tried to stifle the loud groans that accompanied their orgasms. As Luke groaned into her shoulder, Lorelai buried her face against his chest and moaned loudly. They stood that way for several seconds, both of them heaving to catch their breaths. They finally picked their heads up and smiled at each other, and Luke kissed her deeply. He leaned his forehead against hers and said, "That was great."

"Mmhmm," she moaned softly, nodding in agreement. "Best quickie I ever had."

Luke smiled and kissed her again, then slowly pulled out of her. He pulled up his boxer shorts and jeans as Lorelai pulled on her underwear. She shook her head slightly toward the floor. "I can’t believe we just did that."

"Think anyone heard us?" Luke asked as he zipped up his jeans.

Lorelai shrugged. "I don’t know." She smoothed out her skirt. "There’s nothing on me, right? I don’t wanna pull a Lewinsky."

He looked her over as she spun around. "Nope, you’re good." He fastened his belt.

Lorelai picked up his cap and handed it to him. He pulled it on, then put his hands on her waist and pulled her into an embrace. She giggled into his ear. "So this is why you were in a bad mood?"

"Yup," he replied.

"I thought you were gonna make it the whole week, no problem," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, so did I," Luke said, rolling his eyes. "Until I went to sleep last night and you paid me a little visit."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him. "What?" she asked, confused. Suddenly she smiled. "Ooh, somebody had a little erotic dream, did they?"

"Yes, they did," Luke said. "And let me tell you, I was about to come over your house at six o’clock this morning, that’s how bad I was."

Lorelai giggled. "Wow, must’ve been some dream." She kissed him. "You do realize what this means, don’t you? You caved first."

Luke sighed loudly and nodded. "I know, I know." He rolled his eyes.

"When are you gonna do it?" she asked excitedly.

He shrugged. "I don’t know. Sometime."

"Well, you have to tell me, you know, because it’s pretty essential that I’m there too," she said with a laugh.

"Yes, I know," Luke replied. He thought for a moment, then shrugged and said, "Okay, how about the night of your graduation?"

Lorelai’s eyes widened and she smiled. "Mm, good present," she said. "Okay, deal. No backing out. We have a verbal agreement."

"Trust me, I know if I don’t live up to it, I’ll never hear the end of it," Luke grumbled.

Lorelai smiled. "Just making sure." She grabbed his hand and led him to the door. They walked out into the lobby, both of them glancing around awkwardly as they walked toward the front door.

As they walked out onto the porch, Luke pulled her into a hug and kissed her neck. "Okay, I’m going to the diner. I already fixed the porch rail."

"You did?" she asked, surprised. "Great, thanks."

"You’re welcome," he said. He bent over to pick up his toolbox, then kissed her. "Bye."

"Bye. I’ll come by after class," Lorelai said. She perched herself on the porch railing and watched him walk to his truck. She smiled and waved to him as he pulled away, then walked back into the inn.

End part 26

* * *

Part 27

A few days later, Lorelai stood in the video store staring at a shelf of videos. Luke walked up behind her and let out an exasperated sigh. "Come on, how long does it take you to pick out a movie?" he grumbled.

"I can’t make up my mind," Lorelai whined, turning around to face him. "What did you pick out?"

Luke held up a video. "Raging Bull."

Lorelai smiled. "Aha! I know what goes with that. We can have a theme." She walked over to another shelf and picked out a movie, then walked back over to Luke and held it up. "The Burning Bed," she announced, smiling proudly.

Luke rolled his eyes. "So the theme is wife beating?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I didn’t say it was a happy theme," she said, walking toward the front of the store. She stopped at the rack of junk food and grabbed several items, then proceeded to the checkout counter.

After they had paid, they walked outside and headed toward Luke’s. "This’ll be fun, doing something at your apartment for a change," Lorelai said. "We never hang out there."

"Yeah," he replied, looking away distractedly.

Lorelai followed his gaze to the gazebo. She stopped walking and grabbed his arm, and he turned to look at her. "What are you doing?"

She smiled and turned him around to face the gazebo. "There it is."

He sighed loudly. "Yes, I know."

"It’s pretty, isn’t it?" she asked, gesturing toward it. "Such a beautiful, wooden, symbolic structure if I’ve ever seen one. So many important annual town events, all of which you disapprove of, take place in or near that gazebo. It’s also a very popular meeting place because of its prime location in the center of town. People say, ‘Hey, where do you wanna meet me later?’ and often the reply is, ‘Oh, how about by the gazebo?’" She paused and folded her arms across her chest. "You know, I’d say it’s probably Stars Hollow’s greatest landmark."

Luke rolled his eyes and turned to face her. "Are you done?"

"No, not quite finished yet," she replied, turning him back around. "Now, I want you to take a good, long look at that gazebo." She paused. "Are you taking a good, long look?"

Luke exhaled loudly. "I’m taking a good, long look," he replied in an annoyed tone.

She smiled. "Good. I like your enthusiasm, by the way." She leaned close to his ear and said quietly, "Now you’re honestly going to tell me that you’ve never, not once in your entire life, glanced at that gazebo and thought to yourself. . . " Lorelai lowered her voice to a whisper. "‘Man, I really wanna have sex in there.’ You’ve never, ever thought that?"

Luke’s face reddened slightly and he glanced around uncomfortably to make sure no one was around them. He slowly turned around to face her. He pursed his lips and said sternly, "No, I haven’t."

"Not once?" Lorelai asked, raising her eyebrows. "This is putting aside the fact that you hate public displays of affection and would probably never follow through on your thoughts, but you’ve never even thought about what it would be like to just . . .do it. . .in the gazebo? Not even a teeny, tiny minuscule thought about it?" She squeezed her thumb and forefinger together. "Not even this small of a thought?"

Luke shook his head. "Nope."

Lorelai persisted, "Really? You’ve never just casually walked by and – "

Luke groaned and threw one hand up in frustration. "Okay, maybe I’ve thought about it!" he said loudly. "Are you happy? Yes, fine, I’ve thought about it."

Lorelai gasped and a small smile appeared on her lips. "I knew it!"

"But I never would’ve considered doing it!" he insisted.

"I know that," she said, nodding.

He rolled his eyes and glanced back toward it with a loud sigh. "But yet, one week from tomorrow, that’s where I’ll be, living out my worst nightmare."

She giggled. "I know that, too."

He groaned loudly and turned back to face her. "Why are you so into this?"

"Because, Luke, it’s so completely erotically exciting," she said, rubbing her hands together eagerly. "And we definitely need more excitement in our lives."

"I have plenty of excitement in my life," he mumbled.

"Please," Lorelai said, rolling her eyes. "The most exciting thing you’ve done today involved a new shipment of mustard." She turned him around to face the gazebo. "Just close your eyes and picture it, Luke. You and me in the middle of the night. . .everything’s quiet around us except for the crickets chirping. . . the gazebo’s sparkling with twinkle lights – it’ll be so romantic."

He turned around to face her. "Yeah, you’re right. You and me, lying on the dirty wooden planks – can’t think of anything more romantic than that," he said sarcastically.

"Duh, we’ll bring blankets," Lorelai said, rolling her eyes. "Hell, why don’t we go all out and drag your single bed out here? We’ll try to make it as comfortable as possible for you so you’ll think that you’re in your apartment and not naked in the middle of the town square."

Luke exhaled loudly and pointed toward the diner. "Okay, this is the very last thing in the world I want to think about right now, so I’m gonna go home and start the movie. Come up when you’re done babbling." He walked past her and headed toward the diner.

Lorelai stood for a moment with her hands on her hips, staring at the gazebo. Finally, she turned and followed him, calling, "Maybe we could even hang up your frilly curtains to make it feel more like home!"

* * *

Two nights later, Rory and Lorelai walked into the diner after their weekly Friday night dinner. Luke looked up from the counter as the door opened and immediately noticed the unhappy looks on their faces. Lorelai sat down at a table while Rory walked up to the counter. "Two coffees please," she mumbled.

He placed two empty mugs on the counter. "What’s wrong with you two?" he asked, glancing toward Lorelai’s table. "Was there a fight at dinner?"

Rory shook her head. "More like, in the car on the way home."

Luke’s eyes widened slightly. "So, it’s between her and you, not your grandmother?" Rory looked down at the counter and nodded. He turned around and retrieved the coffeepot. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

Rory swallowed hard. "I sorta did something that I shouldn’t have done."

"You?" he asked, surprised. "You did something wrong?"

Rory nodded. "You know how the other day Mom said that she didn’t want my grandparents at her graduation?"

Luke nodded as he poured the coffee.

"Yeah, well, I really thought that they would wanna come. . .so I sort of invited them. . .tonight at dinner," Rory explained. "Mom was so mad. You should’ve seen the look she gave me, Luke." She shook her head slightly and sighed. "I’m so stupid," she muttered.

Luke bit his lip as he glanced from Rory to Lorelai. "Uh, so what happened? What did your grandparents say?"

Rory shrugged. "Well, Mom went along with it and pretended that she wanted them there, so they said they would come. I’m not sure if they really want to, or if they just said that. . but, they’re coming. And mom’s mad at me now." Rory sighed. "I just thought that they should be there. I mean, it’s her college graduation, Luke."

Luke nodded. "I agree with you, I think they should be there, too." He glanced at Lorelai, who was resting her elbows on the table and her chin in her palms, staring out the window. "I’m gonna go talk to her. Stay here at the counter," he said to Rory. He leaned into the kitchen and called, "Caesar, come cover the counter, I’m taking a break." He turned back to the counter and picked up one of the mugs, then brought it to Lorelai’s table. He placed it in front of her and sat down. "Hey."

She turned to him and gave a small smile. "Hey." She took a sip of coffee, then nodded toward Rory and said, "She told you what happened?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, she did."

Lorelai groaned and shook her head. "Luke, I couldn’t believe she did that. I didn’t want them to be there, I didn’t want to stir everything up all over again, I didn’t want them to start thinking about how - "

"It’s my fault," Luke interrupted loudly.

Surprised, Lorelai became silent. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Me, it’s my fault," he repeated, pointing to himself. "I told Rory to invite your parents. I told her to make sure that they knew about it so they’d be able to come if they wanted to. I didn’t think she’d do it right in front of you, though. I thought she’d do it privately. But, yeah, I told her to do it."

Lorelai sat back in her chair. "You did what?" she asked, partly stunned.

"Look, I’m sorry, but don’t be mad at her," he said. "She was just doing what I asked her to do. If you wanna be mad at someone then you should be mad at me."

Lorelai scoffed. "Luke, why would you go behind my back and tell – "

"Because I don’t think your parents should miss this," Luke interrupted. "All parents want to see their child graduate, including yours. And they didn’t get to see you do it from high school. . . don’t you think they’d want to see it from college? They at least deserve the opportunity to decide whether they want to come or not."

Lorelai shook her head toward the table, then looked at him. "I can’t believe you did that. That wasn’t your decision to make."

"I know it wasn’t," he replied. "But it was the right one."

Lorelai pursed her lips and gestured toward Rory at the counter. "So why didn’t she tell me it wasn’t her idea?"

Luke glanced toward the counter. "Oh, . . . uh, because she probably didn’t want you to be mad at me," he replied with a shrug. Lorelai exhaled loudly and stared down at her coffee mug for several seconds. "Are you mad?" he asked. Lorelai didn’t look at him; instead, she started fidgeting with her bracelet. Luke sighed. "Okay, I guess so. Sorry."

Lorelai looked up toward the counter and called, "Rory!" Rory turned around and Lorelai waved for her to come over. Rory picked up her mug and walked over to the table. She sat down across from Luke.

"Uh, I told her what happened," Luke said to Rory. "Everything’s straightened out."

Rory narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"Yeah, you know, I explained how I told you to ask your grandparents to come and that she shouldn’t be mad at you for asking them," Luke said, raising his eyebrows and tilting his head slightly. "And how you probably didn’t tell her it was my fault because, you know, you didn’t want her to be mad at me."

Rory glanced at Lorelai, who shrugged. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get all crazy on you and . . . " Her voice trailed off and she sighed loudly. She patted Rory on the arm. "Sorry."

Rory was silent for a moment as she glanced back and forth between Luke and her mom. She cleared her throat and waved her off. "Oh, no, that’s okay," she said quickly. "Don’t worry about it. You didn’t know." She forced a smile.

Lorelai nodded and stared down at her cup. Luke stood up. "Okay, listen, we’ll talk about this some more later, but I gotta get back into the kitchen. Uh, Rory, thanks for trying to cover for me."

Rory looked up at him. "Oh. . . yeah, you’re welcome."

Luke put his hand on Lorelai’s shoulder. "Uh, I’ll call you tonight."

"Fine," Lorelai replied dryly, not looking up at him. Luke walked slowly toward the counter and disappeared into the kitchen.

Rory stared at Lorelai for several seconds. "You’re mad at him?" Rory asked hesitantly. When Lorelai didn’t respond, Rory sighed. "They accepted the invitation, they want to come, Mom," Rory said. "They want to see you graduate. It all worked out. . . so why are you mad?"

"Uh, I don’t know, maybe because you went behind my back and made something happen that I specifically requested not happen," Lorelai said angrily. She exhaled loudly and placed her palms on the table. "Okay, sorry, I know it’s not your fault, you were just listening to Luke. Ugh, I can’t believe he did that." She took a sip of her coffee, then pushed the cup away from her. "I just wanna go home. Are you ready?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah, I’ll pay and meet you outside."

"Thanks," Lorelai said. She stood up and walked out of the diner.

Rory stood up and walked past the counter into the kitchen. She glanced around the noisy room, finally spotting Luke chopping something at the counter. "Luke," Rory called.

Surprised, he looked up quickly. He put his knife down and walked over to her, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. "Yeah?"

"You didn’t have anything to do with me asking them to come," Rory said, shaking her head.

Luke nodded. "I know."

"But now she’s mad at you for no reason," Rory pointed out. "You know how she holds grudges forever. Why would you voluntarily engage her wrath?"

Luke shrugged. "I don’t know – you had good intentions, and I just . . . I didn’t want her to be mad at you."

Rory sighed. "But I feel bad just letting her think it’s your fault when it’s not."

"Listen, it’s no big deal. I was gonna try to talk her into inviting them anyway, so she probably would’ve gotten mad at me eventually," he said with a shrug.

Rory exhaled slowly and shrugged. "Well. . . thanks, I owe you one. I’ll try to talk to her about it so she’s not as mad."

Luke waved her off. "Don’t worry about that. I can handle it."

Rory nodded. "Okay, well. . .she’s waiting for me outside," she said. "I told her I was paying. Here." She handed Luke some money, then turned around and walked toward the doorway to the diner.

"See you later," Luke said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Rory suddenly stopped, turned around, and quickly walked back to Luke. Without hesitation, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Luke was surprised, but quickly pulled his hands out of his pockets and hugged her back loosely.

"Thank you," she said, pulling back from the hug.

He cleared his throat and nodded a few times. "You’re welcome." She smiled at him and walked out of the kitchen, and Luke walked back to the counter.

* * *

Later that night, Lorelai and Rory were both sitting on the couch reading when the phone rang. Lorelai picked up the cordless phone and checked the built-in caller ID, then replaced the phone on the coffee table. "Don’t answer it," Lorelai said, returning to her reading.

"Who is it?" Rory asked.

"Luke," Lorelai replied, not looking up from her book.

Rory narrowed her eyes. "Why aren’t you answering it?"

"Because I don’t feel like talking to him right now," she replied.

"So answer it and tell him that, don’t let him keep calling all night," Rory said.

Lorelai looked at her and pursed her lips. "Well, in order for me to make it known to him that I don’t feel like talking to him right now, I’d have to talk to him, and since I just said I don’t feel like talking to him, it’d make more sense for me to just not answer it and let him assume that I don’t want to talk to him, okay?"

Rory huffed loudly. "Fine, fine, forget it."

The phone rang two more times before the machine picked up. Rory stared at Lorelai, who was biting her lip and staring up at the ceiling as Luke’s voice echoed throughout the room. "Hey, it’s me. Uh, I’m guessing that you’re either out somewhere, or you’re already in bed, or you’re still mad and avoiding my calls. Either way, I guess I’ll talk to you later. Bye." Luke hung up.

"Mom, call him back," Rory urged.

Lorelai sighed loudly. "Rory, please stay out of it," she said sternly.

"But he didn’t do anything wrong," Rory persisted.

Lorelai scoffed loudly. "He didn’t do anything wrong?" she exclaimed. "Going behind my back and telling my daughter to do something that he *knew* I didn’t want you to do is not something wrong? I’m pretty damn sure that if you looked up the phrase ‘something wrong’ in that stupid eighty pound dictionary that your dad gave you, you’d find that as one of the definitions."

"We were only doing what we thought was best for you," Rory said. "If your parents weren’t at your college graduation, you would regret it one day."

"So what?" Lorelai said loudly. "That’s for me to worry about – not you, and certainly not Luke!"

"Yes, but – " Rory started.

Lorelai held up her hand and Rory stopped talking. Lorelai took a deep breath. "Rory," she said calmly. "I really need you to drop this right now. This is between me and Luke, not you. God, I don’t even wanna go to this stupid graduation anymore," she muttered as she went back to reading her book.

Rory sighed loudly. She tried to concentrate on her book but her mind kept drifting. The words blurred on the page as she thought things over. Finally, she turned her book upside down on her lap and picked up the phone. Lorelai looked up from her book and watched Rory as she dialed a number.

"Luke’s," Luke answered.

"Hey Luke," Rory said.

Lorelai gasped loudly. "Oh my God, what are you doing?" she hissed through clenched teeth. "Hang up the phone, Rory."

"Rory, hey," Luke replied, surprised. "Uh, is something wrong?"

"Yes, something’s wrong," Rory replied, glancing at Lorelai, who was staring at her angrily. "Mom is completely wigging out about this whole graduation thing and she’s really mad at you and she doesn’t even wanna go anymore and . . .I have to tell her the truth."

"Rory, don’t," Luke replied quickly. "That’ll make it even worse."

"What truth?" Lorelai asked in the background.

"No, Luke, it’s not fair that she’s mad at you when you didn’t do anything," Rory said. "I have to tell her."

"Rory, we’ll work it out, it’s fine," Luke insisted.

"Sorry Luke, I’m gonna tell her right now," Rory said. "I just wanted to let you know that Mom will call you back later tonight. Bye." Rory hung up before Luke could respond. She tossed the phone on the couch and looked over at Lorelai, who had a bewildered expression on her face.

Lorelai folded her arms across her chest. "Rory, what’s going on?"

* * *

Later that night, Lorelai dialed Luke’s apartment. After a few rings, a voice answered, "Hello?"

"Jess, is Luke there?" Lorelai asked, aimlessly twirling a finger in her hair.

"Hold on," Jess replied. A few seconds later, Luke came to the phone. "Lorelai?"

"Hey." Lorelai sighed softly. "Rory told me everything."

Luke groaned. "Geez, okay, so you’re probably even madder at me now, right? Look, I’m sorry for lying but I just didn’t want you to – "

"Luke," Lorelai interrupted. "Forget it. Rory and I talked everything out – it’s over, it’s done, let’s just forget everything."

"So. . .you’re gonna go to the ceremony, right?" Luke asked.

"Mmhmm," she replied.

"Good, that’s good," Luke replied.

They were both silent for a moment before Lorelai cleared her throat. "Um, it was really nice of you to try to. . . protect her like that," Lorelai said. "I mean, I’m not exactly happy with the whole ‘lying to me’ part, but the idea of you trying to take the blame for her was just. . . it was really sweet." She paused a second before she added, "It was very dad-like."

"Yeah, well . . .you know," Luke said.

Lorelai smiled. "Very well said."

"Thanks," he replied. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Me and Rory are hitting the mall," Lorelai said. "I’m gonna buy a new outfit for the ceremony – unless you think I should be rebellious and go nude under my gown. What do you think?"

Luke laughed. "Well, you might get cold," he pointed out.

Lorelai smiled. "Good point. All right, I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Love you."

"Yeah, I love you, too," he replied. "Night."

* * *

That Thursday night, Lorelai and Luke were among the first to arrive at the college. They followed the signs to the check-in room, and after she got her cap, Luke watched while she picked out a gown. She held out her purse to him. "Here, can you hold this?"

Luke stared at it for a second, then shook his head. "Uh, no."

She let out a small laugh. "No?"

"I’m not holding a purse. Put it over there," he said, pointing to a row of folding chairs behind her.

She rolled her eyes at him and set the purse on a chair. "Typical man," she muttered. She pulled on a gown and zipped it up. "How do I look?"

He nodded approvingly. "Good. Very. . . uh, smart." She took off the gown and folded it over her arm. Luke glanced at his watch. "This thing doesn’t start for over an hour. What are we gonna do?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I don’t know. Walk around? I can give you a tour." She picked up her purse and walked toward the door. "Ooh, I’ll show you the burrito machine, and if we have time later, I was thinking maybe we could try to steal it and install it in my bedroom. Then, when you move in, we’ll fill one half with burritos, and the other half with something healthy for you, like. . .I don’t know, lettuce or something." Luke rolled his eyes as he followed her down the hall.

* * *

An hour later, they returned to the check-in room, which was now filled with people. Lorelai glanced around the crowd and saw Sookie, Jackson, and Rory standing in the corner. Lorelai walked over to them. "Hey guys." She hugged Rory tightly. "Hey you!"

"Hey Mom," Rory said. "Where’s your cap and gown?"

Luke held them up as Lorelai handed her purse to Rory. "Here, hold this, please." She took her cap and gown from Luke and pulled them on, then touched up her makeup. Several minutes later, she announced, "Okay, time for some pictures. Rory, camera’s in my purse." They took several pictures before an announcement was made for the graduates to line up and for the guests to take their seats in the auditorium.

* * *

After the ceremony, Lorelai made her way around the crowded room until she found Luke. He kissed her on the cheek and hugged her tightly. "I didn’t trip!" she said excitedly. "Did you see me not trip?"

He laughed. "Yeah, I saw. We all let out a collective sigh of relief."

She pulled back from him and saw Rory standing right behind him. "Ah, I graduated!" she exclaimed, pulling Rory into a hug.

Rory laughed. "I know, I know! Congratulations!" They hugged for several seconds before Lorelai noticed her parents standing nearby.

Lorelai pulled back from Rory and smiled. "Mom, Dad, I’m glad you guys came."

"Yes, it was lovely," Emily replied. "Congratulations, Lorelai."

"Yes, congratulations," Richard added.

Lorelai smiled. "Thanks." She turned to Rory. "Camera?"

Rory pulled it out of Lorelai’s purse. "Right here."

"Mom, Dad – would you mind?" Lorelai asked. They glanced at each other and shrugged, and Lorelai stepped between them. Rory took the picture, and Lorelai turned around and smiled at them. "Hey, we’re gonna go get some dinner to celebrate. Do you guys wanna come?"

"No, no, we don’t want to intrude," Emily replied, waving her off. "You go on ahead."

"Aw, come on, Grandma, it’ll be fun," Rory said.

"No, thank you," Emily replied. "But if the graduate has any special requests for dinner tomorrow, call us in the morning and let us know."

Lorelai smiled. "Will do."

Emily nodded. "Richard, are you ready?" Richard nodded. "We’ll see you tomorrow then. Night everyone." They exchanged goodbyes, and Emily and Richard walked out of the auditorium.

Lorelai hugged Sookie and Jackson. "Thanks for coming, you guys."

Luke put his hand on Lorelai’s back. "All right, let’s go eat."

"Yeah, I’m starving," Rory said.

"Me too," Lorelai said, rubbing her stomach. "I worked up quite an appetite moving that tassel from one side to the other."

* * *

After dinner, Luke drove Lorelai and Rory home. Rory walked into the house as Luke and Lorelai sat on the bench on the front porch. Luke cleared his throat. "Um, I got you a little graduation present."

She raised her eyebrows and smiled. "The burrito machine?" she asked excitedly.

He laughed and shook his head. "Sorry, no." He pulled a rectangular velvet jewelry box out of his suit jacket and handed it to her.

She smiled at him and opened it up. Her eyes widened and she let out a small gasp. "Oh my God." She pulled out the small diamond solitaire necklace. "Luke, this is . . .wow, this is just . . . beautiful." She shook her head slightly. "You really didn’t have to get me something like this."

"I know," he replied. "Do you like it?"

She smiled. "Are you kidding? I love it, but . . .this looks so expensive," she said, staring at it in awe. She fingered the silver chain, then gasped. "Oh my God, that’s why I haven’t seen Jess around lately – he’s not working at the bookstore; you sold him to pay for this, didn’t you?"

He smiled and took it from her. "No, I didn’t have to. It was free."

She raised her eyebrows. "So, you’re telling me you stole this?"

He smiled. "No. Here, lift up your hair." Lorelai obliged and Luke fastened the necklace around her neck.

She released her hair and looked at him expectantly. "So, where’d you get it?"

"Actually, it belonged to my mom," he said.

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "What?"

Luke nodded. "Yup. And before my dad died, he gave it to me and told me to keep it somewhere safe, that one day I would find someone special and that I should give it to her." He shrugged. "So I just did."

Lorelai felt a chill run through her body. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away and smiled. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, kissing him deeply. "Thank you," she whispered, bringing her arms up to hug him.

"You’re welcome," he said. She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. Luke stroked her arm as she stared up at the sky.

After a few minutes, she said, "Only a few more hours to go. You ready?"

Luke groaned. "Please, I’m not gonna think about it until five minutes before it happens." He exhaled loudly. "I can’t believe we’re gonna do this. You do realize that it’s illegal, don’t you?"

"Only if you get caught," she said with a shrug. "Otherwise, it’s just fun."

"Right, real fun," he said sarcastically. "Why couldn’t you think of something more. . .private to do?"

Lorelai sighed. "Come on, Luke – a bet’s a bet. You agreed to the terms ahead of time, so you can’t complain when the time comes for you to carry them out. I wouldn’t be complaining like this if you had won," she pointed out.

Luke laughed. "Please, you would be complaining twenty-four hours a day and you know it."

She turned to him and scoffed. "I would not!" she exclaimed. "I would’ve complied fair and square. It’s very rare that I have to actually utilize my graceful losing skills, but I do have some. Plus, your terms weren’t that bad," she said. She kissed him and raised her eyebrows suggestively. "If you’re nice, I might even just let you do it for fun."

Luke shook his head. "I didn’t really want to do it."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you mean?"

Luke shrugged. "I mean, I couldn’t think of anything I wanted that could compare with the. . . extremity of your terms, so I just sorta. . .threw that suggestion out there," he said.

Lorelai gave him a sly smile. "So that whole ‘tying me to the bed’ fantasy. . . you didn’t really want to do that?"

Luke laughed. "No! I mean, come on, could you honestly ever picture me doing something like that?"

Lorelai laughed and shook her head. "No, not at all – that’s why I was so surprised that you came up with it. I thought you had some weird S&M fetish I didn’t know about, or had some secret life like the guy in American Psycho."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Please, this is me we’re talking about. You know I’m not into stuff like that. I just . . .couldn’t think of anything," he said with a shrug.

Lorelai nodded and asked, "So you wouldn’t have made me do it?"

"Nah, just knowing that you had lost would’ve been good enough payment for me," he said, smiling. "And then I probably would’ve reminded you of it everyday for a few months."

Lorelai laughed. "Such a gracious winner you would be," she said, rolling her eyes. She kissed him, then pulled back and stared at him for a second. Finally she said, "You don’t have to do it."

"What?" Luke asked, confused.

"Tonight, the whole gazebo thing, you don’t have to do it," Lorelai said, shaking her head. "I mean, I think it’s exciting, but I don’t want to make you do something that’s gonna make you miserable. Just forget about it."

Luke was quiet for a moment, staring at her doubtfully. "Wait, you’re serious? I really don’t have to . . ." His voice trailed off.

Lorelai smiled and waved him off. "You’ve definitely suffered enough just worrying about it. That’s enough payment for your caving in."

Luke was still uncertain of her motives. "Are you sure? Is that it, or do you want me to do something else instead?" he asked hesitantly.

"Nah, that’s it, let’s just forget about it," Lorelai said. "You caved first and then you put yourself through two weeks of hell worrying about the circumstances – so I think that’s fair enough." She kissed him.

Luke pulled back and let out a sigh of relief. "My God, that makes me feel so much. . ." He paused and narrowed his eyes at her. "Wait – did you plan it like this?"

She looked at him curiously. "What?

"Was it your plan to pretend to be all into it and drive me crazy for two weeks and then call it off at the last minute?" he asked.

Lorelai laughed. "No, not at all, I really wanted to do it. I still wanna do it," she added with a shrug. "But you don’t and I don’t wanna make you." He stared at her dubiously, and she smiled. "Really, truly, I didn’t plan to drive you crazy. I really wanted to do it," she insisted. "Me and Rory already have a whole separate plan devised to drive you crazy, but it doesn’t go into effect until you move in."

He smiled and kissed her. "Okay, good." He put his arm around her and pulled her closer, and she rested her head against his chest.

* * *

Later that night, Luke walked quietly up the steps of Lorelai’s porch. He picked up the turtle and removed her spare key, then let himself into the house. He walked slowly up the steps and pushed opened Lorelai’s bedroom door.

He stared at her for a moment as she slept peacefully on her side. He sat down next to her and rubbed her back. "Lorelai," he said softly. "Lorelai, wake up."

She groaned and opened her eyes slightly, then craned her neck to look back at him. "Luke?" she said groggily.

"Yeah, come on, get up," Luke whispered.

She turned her body so she was facing him with her eyes half open. "What time is it?"

He glanced at his watch. "It’s almost three."

She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes, then reached out and pinched his arm. "Ow," he said, pulling his arm back. "What are you doing?"

"I’m trying to see if this is a dream," she muttered, "because that’s the only feasible way to explain why the hell you’re here at three in the morning."

He pulled the covers off of her. "Come on, we’re going to the gazebo."

She raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"You heard me, come on," he said, standing up.

"Luke," she said, shaking her head. "I said you don’t have to go through with it."

"I know you did," Luke said. "But a bet’s a bet and I lost and I’m following through on it."

"Luke, just forget about it," she said, falling back against the pillow. "I’m not making you do this. Go home."

He leaned over her and said, "Look, you said yourself tonight that you really wanted to do this, right? Okay, well, since this is probably the only time in my life that I’ll ever be out of my mind enough to even consider it, this is the only chance you’ll ever have to make it happen. Now, you have twenty seconds to get up before I walk out of here and never mention it again."

Lorelai stared up at him and let out a low sigh.

Luke stared at his watch. "Fifteen seconds left," he informed her.

She covered her face with her hands. "Luke, are you sure you – "

"Ten seconds," he interrupted.

Lorelai removed her hands from her face and rested them on her stomach.

"Five seconds," he said, tapping his watch. "Uh oh, time’s running – "

Lorelai sat up quickly. "I’m up, I’m up!" A smile slowly formed on her lips. "Let’s go."

End part 27

* * *

Part 28

Lorelai glanced down at the tank top and sweat pants that she had been sleeping in. "Should I change first?" she whispered.

"No, you’re just gonna take ‘em off anyway," he pointed out. "Just grab some shoes." He walked over to the door and leaned against the frame with his hands shoved in his pockets.

Lorelai walked over to her closet and grabbed a pair of sneakers, then sat on the edge of the bed and pulled them on. She glanced at Luke. "You look worried," she said with a smile.

Luke shrugged and shifted his feet. "I’m fine."

She stood up and walked over to him. "You know, you don’t have to do this," she reminded him.

Luke nodded. "I know. You ready?"

"Let me just use the bathroom first," she replied. "I’ll meet you downstairs."

He wrinkled his nose. "Maybe you can try to get rid of that morning breath."

She laughed, then covered her mouth with her hand. "Hey, this is just my ‘middle of the night’ breath. My morning breath’s much worse." She walked into the bathroom as Luke walked downstairs.

Lorelai walked down a few minutes later and found Luke waiting by the front door. She kissed him, then pulled back and asked, "How’s that?"

He smiled. "Much better." He pulled open the door and walked out onto the porch. She followed him, quietly pulling the door closed behind her. As they walked across the front yard, Lorelai suddenly stopped walking. "Wait, wait, wait. What about blankets?"

Luke continued walking. "It’s taken care of. Come on." She walked quickly to catch up to him and grabbed onto his hand. As they neared the town square, Luke said, "All right, we need to talk about a game plan."

Lorelai let out a small laugh. "A game plan?"

"Yes, a game plan," he said seriously.

"What, like, we’re doing some sort of invasion and we need to have a strategy?" she asked with a laugh. "Did you draw a diagram of the gazebo with pictures of little naked people that show us where we’re supposed to lie down? Ooh, do you have an itinerary all planned out of what time we should do each thing?" she asked, smiling. "Like, 3:15, remove shirt, 3:16, squeeze the right breast – stuff like that?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Will you get serious? I mean, it’s loud enough when your voice echoes throughout a bedroom, but now it’ll be echoing throughout the. . .entire. . .town. . .square." He enunciated the words slowly.

Lorelai laughed. "Okay. . . I . . . understand," she replied, mocking his tone. "Geez, you think I don’t realize that we’re outside, that I’m gonna be screaming at the top of my lungs or something? I know how to control myself."

"Yeah, but sometimes you. . ." His voice trailed off as the gazebo came into sight. "Okay, shh, let’s keep it down."

Lorelai smiled. "Aw, it looks so pretty at night," she whispered. She linked her arm through his as they approached the gazebo, which was sparkling in twinkle lights. They stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked at each other. "You ready?" Lorelai asked, smiling.

Luke nodded. He took her hand and led her up the steps into the gazebo. Lorelai saw a couple of blankets on one of the benches. Luke reached for one and spread it on the ground, and Lorelai spread the other one on top of it.

Luke glanced around at the town surrounding him. When he was thoroughly satisfied that no one was around, he exhaled slowly and said, "So, uh, should we just. . ." He gestured to the blankets on the floor.

Lorelai quickly nodded and smiled. "Yeah, let’s get to it." She took off her sneakers as Luke did the same. They stepped toward each other, meeting in the center of the blanket.

Luke brought his hands up to her face and guided her lips to his. Their mouths immediately opened and a light groan escaped Lorelai’s throat as their tongues began gently swirling over each other. As they kissed, Luke slid his hands from her face all the way down to the small of her back, and he pulled her closer against his body. His hands slowly headed down past her waist and stopped on the firmly rounded curves just below it. Lorelai’s hands were just as active as she slid them up under his t-shirt and ran them over his back.

As their lips finally separated, Lorelai glanced down at his hands, then smiled at him. "Aw, this is the first time you’ve ever squeezed my butt in public – should we write that down somewhere?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Lorelai?"

"What?" she replied.

He brought his lips close to hers and whispered, "Be quiet." He kissed her, and Lorelai wrapped her arms around his neck and eagerly kissed him back. She took off his cap and threw it on the ground, then ran her fingers through his hair.

They pulled apart from each other and Lorelai brought her hands to the bottom of his t-shirt. She saw Luke glance around uncomfortably. "No one’s around, Luke," she assured him. She pulled the shirt up over his head and dropped it on the ground, then ran her hands over his chest and stomach. She leaned forward and kissed across his chest before she began sucking lightly on his neck.

Lorelai felt Luke’s fingers on the bottom of her tank top, and she pulled back from his neck to let him pull it up over her head. A surge of excitement ran through her body and she giggled quietly. "Luke, we’re standing topless in the center of town."

Luke smiled and pulled her into a hug. The feeling of his bare chest against hers immediately sent a chill of arousal through her body. As Luke pulled back from her, he ran his hands over her chest and squeezed her breasts. She closed her eyes and began breathing heavily as he circled her nipples with his thumbs. He took them between his fingers and pinched them, forcing a moan out of her lips.

Lorelai opened her eyes and said, "Hold on." She grabbed Luke’s hands, and as she sat down on the blanket, she pulled him down with her. She pulled the clip out of her hair and tossed it aside, then lay flat on her back. "Okay, continue."

Luke leaned over her and placed his mouth on one of her breasts, sucking on it as his tongue ran over her nipple. He took the hardened center between his teeth and tugged on it lightly, causing her to groan loudly. "Ugh, God, that feels good," she muttered. Luke moved to the other breast and did the same thing, and again, Lorelai responded with groans of approval. As he moved back and forth between her breasts, she closed her eyes and ran her fingers through his hair.

As his mouth left her breasts, she let out a groan of disappointment as they yearned for more contact. Lorelai placed her own hands on her breasts and squeezed them, tugging at her nipples and building up her stimulation. He ran his tongue down to her stomach and encircled her navel, placing kisses over her flat midsection. As his hands moved to the waistband of her sweatpants, Lorelai opened her eyes and looked at him. He was staring back at her with uncertainty, waiting for her encouragement to continue.

She smiled and gave him a small nod. His hands slowly pulled both her sweatpants and panties down her legs, and Lorelai’s heart started racing with excitement. He pulled them off and tossed them aside. Lorelai’s chest was heaving up and down as her arousal intensified, and she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to try to control it.

Luke, who was kneeling in between her legs, stared at her body with a glazed look in his eyes, as if he’d never seen it before. Lorelai watched him for several seconds, then finally whispered, "Luke." He blinked a few times and broke out of his daze, swallowing hard to control his arousal. He brought his gaze to meet hers and they smiled at each other.

Lorelai held her arms out and motioned for him to come closer. He crawled forward and leaned over her body, and she pulled him down for a kiss. As his denim-covered groin pressed against her bare skin, her entire body quivered. She ran her fingers over the curves of his shoulders and arms as they kissed.

When their lips broke apart, he sat back up on his knees and ran his hands slowly over her body. He started them at her shoulders and ran them down over her chest toward her stomach, then over her thighs and down to her ankles. He ran his hands back up her legs and they lingered on her thighs, gently rubbing and squeezing them. Lorelai lay still and watched him, feeling relaxed and calm under his gentle touch.

Luke ran one finger along the crease of her inner thigh, and Lorelai swallowed hard at the sensation. He did the same thing on the other thigh, and this time Lorelai let out a soft moan as he came closer to touching her where she was waiting to be touched.

Luke pulled her legs wider apart, then adjusted them so her knees were bent and her feet were flat on the floor. Lorelai watched as he put his mouth on her knee and kissed his way down her leg toward her thigh. Her legs were trembling from the intense arousal as Luke approached her center, which was already wet with anticipation. As she had hoped, his lips didn’t stop when they reached the end of her thigh. They continued downward and Luke ran his tongue around the outside of her slit.

Lorelai clenched her eyes shut tight as she muttered "Ohh God!" in a breathless whisper. Luke continued teasing her with his tongue, avoiding her swollen lips that were more than ready to be penetrated. She jerked her pelvis, trying to make contact with his mouth, but he quickly pulled back. She squeezed her breasts tightly and groaned with frustration as she opened her eyes. "Luuuuke," she urged through her heavy breathing. He was staring at her with a sly smirk on his face, and he shrugged nonchalantly. Lorelai swallowed hard. "Luuuuke, pleeease," she begged breathlessly. "Pleeeeeease!"

Luke succumbed to her begging by leaning forward and placing his mouth between her legs. His nose brushed against her lips lightly and she moaned loudly with approval. Her sex was throbbing with anticipation. He kissed up and down her slit before he finally extended his tongue and licked it. Lorelai gasped loudly as her body shivered with pleasure. He used his tongue to separate her swollen lips and he forced it inside of her opening, where it was immediately surrounded by her juices.

"Ohhhhh Godddd, Luuuuuke," Lorelai moaned, her nails digging into her breasts as she squeezed them roughly. Her lower body jerked with pleasure as he began moving his tongue around inside of her. She moved her hands to his head and clutched his hair tightly between her fists. His tongue moved rapidly inside of her, swirling in her juices that were now running down his chin.

Luke slowed down the motions of his tongue and ran it up to her most sensitive spot. As his tongue grazed her clit, Lorelai’s mouth dropped open and her body jerked from the intense pleasure. He ran the tip of his tongue over it, encouraged by her groans of approval. He licked it slowly, trying to deliberately build up her stimulation without letting her reach her peak.

While Luke’s plan to hold her off was working, Lorelai’s frustration was building. "Luke. . . please . . . harder," she panted, her lower body wiggling from the intense sensations. She pushed his head between her legs, hoping that it would encourage him to pleasure her with more pressure. Instead, he removed his tongue and pulled back from her.

"Luuuuke," she whined. She covered her face with her hands and sighed disappointedly. Luke stood up and glanced around, then undid his belt and pulled his jeans down. Lorelai removed her hands and stared up at him, his arousal apparent through his boxers. As he kicked his jeans aside, Lorelai sat up and kneeled in front of him. "Where are my manners? It’s my turn to reciprocate," she said quietly. She smiled as she pulled down his boxers. "Oh, hello there, Chester."

Luke groaned as he stepped out of his boxers. "Naming it’s one thing, but you will not talk to it."

Lorelai giggled and stroked him with her fingers, and Luke exhaled loudly toward the ceiling of the gazebo. As she lightly dragged her nails up and down his shaft, he swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "Oh my God," he mumbled.

Luke bit his bottom lip as Lorelai leaned forward and wrapped her lips around his hardness. His mouth dropped open and a low groan of pleasure escaped his throat. Lorelai ran her hands over his thighs as she began satisfying him. He placed his hands on the back of her head and grabbed onto her hair, tugging on it lightly. "Oh God, Lorelai," he muttered, his face grimacing with pleasure. As his stimulation increased, his breathing became heavier and his grunting became more constant. A minute later, very close to reaching his brink, he tapped her on the shoulder and she quickly pulled back from him.

Lorelai lay down on the blankets and Luke kneeled between her legs and leaned over her. He kissed her passionately, darting his tongue into her mouth aggressively. Their mutual arousal was overwhelming and Luke wasted no time entering her. Lorelai’s mouth dropped open with the initial entry, and a slow smile formed on her lips as she took him in completely.

Luke started thrusting into her forcefully, aware of the fact that it wouldn’t take long for them to reach their peaks. He pushed himself deep inside of her, grunting loudly with every thrust. Lorelai responded with moans of approval as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Oh. . . God. . . Luke," she muttered in between her deep breaths. "I’m so close." She rocked her hips to meet his rhythmic thrusts, which Luke increased as he felt his own peak approaching. Lorelai’s moans were constant and increasing with volume, and Luke tried to stifle them by kissing her.

A few seconds later, Lorelai pulled away from Luke’s lips and closed her eyes. "Unh. . . unh. . . unh. . ." She let out a short moan with each thrust, and seconds later, a more powerful one poured out of her mouth as Luke released himself inside of her. As her body writhed with pleasure, she pressed her mouth against his shoulder and moaned loudly with her orgasm. As her muscles tightened around him, Luke collapsed on top of her body and groaned loudly into her neck.

As their moans subsided, their heavy breathing continued for several seconds. Luke finally lifted his head up and kissed her cheek. He kissed down her chest to her stomach before bringing his mouth back up to her lips and kissing her passionately. Her eyes were still closed, and her arms were wrapped loosely around him. As he pulled back from the kiss, Lorelai finally opened her eyes.

She smiled up at him and ran her hand through his tasseled hair. She put her hands on his shoulders and pulled his face close to hers. "That was incredible," she whispered. He nodded in agreement and rolled off of her onto his back. She reached down and grabbed his hand, then shook her head slightly. "Wow." She turned to him and smiled. "You were soooo into that."

Luke shrugged and gave a sly smile.

Lorelai let out a small laugh. "I so thought it was gonna be a quick ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am’ sorta thing so you could get outta here as fast as possible – but . . . wow." She shook her head. "It wasn’t."

Luke shrugged and cleared his throat. "Yeah, well. . . if you’re gonna do something illegal, you might as well go all out."

Lorelai laughed quietly. "Good point." She turned onto her side and ran a hand over his chest. "Thanks for doing it even though you didn’t have to."

Luke nodded. "And don’t mention this to anyone, I mean it," he said sternly. "Not even Sookie."

Lorelai grimaced and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oops."

Luke’s eyes widened and he sat up quickly. "You already told Sookie about it?"

Lorelai lay back down on the blanket and giggled. "Man, I’m so good at getting you to freak out."

Luke huffed loudly. "You know, one of these days you’re gonna do something like that and I’m gonna have a heart attack, and then you’ll have to live with knowing that you’re the one who killed me."

Lorelai rolled her eyes as she pulled him on top of her. She kissed him deeply as her hands roamed his body. Luke broke the kiss and sat up with a yawn. "Let’s go, I’m about to fall asleep." He reached for his boxers and pulled them on.

Lorelai sat up and gathered her clothes. She dressed quickly and pulled on her shoes, then sat on the bench and watched Luke finish dressing. She yawned loudly, then said, "Don’t forget your hat." She pointed to it on the ground.

He walked over and picked it up, then picked up her hair clip and walked it over to her. She pulled her hair back and clipped it up, then patted the bench next to her. Luke looked at it questioningly. "What are you doing? Let’s just go home."

"Sit down," she said, patting it again. "Just for a few minutes."

Luke yawned as he sat next to her. She leaned against him and he put his arm around her. As his hand rested on her arm, he felt how cold she was in her tank top. He reached down and picked up one of the blankets and pulled it over her. "Here."

She pulled her knees up to her chest and adjusted the blanket over her body. "Thanks." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Let’s just sit here for a few minutes," she muttered, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Luke checked his watch. "It’s almost four," he pointed out.

"Just a few minutes," she repeated, her eyes still closed. She snuggled up against him.

Luke sighed. He glanced around for a few seconds, then rested his chin on her head. "Just a few minutes," he mumbled as he closed his eyes.

* * *

Luke opened his eyes and squinted into the brightness, and it took him a second to realize where he was. He glanced around the town square and saw a few people already walking on the sidewalk. His eyes widened and he checked his watch, then tapped Lorelai repeatedly on the shoulder. "Lorelai, get up! It’s almost six!" Lorelai responded with an annoyed groan. He shook her shoulder and repeated, "Lorelai, it’s almost six, get up!"

Lorelai sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Jesus, what’s the prob – " She glanced around and saw people looking at them as they walked by. She slowly turned to Luke with wide eyes. "Oh my God." She slapped his arm. "You let us fall asleep! You were supposed to stay awake!"

Luke scoffed. "Me? This is not my fault! I was the one that was ready to go two hours ago!"

Lorelai glanced around. "All right, there aren’t too many people up yet. We can leave now and no one will know why we were here." She glanced down at her outfit. "Thank God I wore normal clothes to sleep and not my real pajamas."

"I should’ve known it would turn out like this," he muttered, glancing around. His eyes widened and he lowered his voice. "Great, Patty’s standing in front of the studio staring at us. Dammit, she’s the last person we need finding out about this!" He thought for a moment. "All right, if she asks, we’ll tell her that we got up early this morning and went for a walk, then fell asleep on the bench."

Lorelai scoffed. "What? Everyone in this town knows I hate physical activity. They’ll never believe that I got up early to walk."

"Yeah, well, make it sound believable," he replied, "because it’s all we got." He glanced down at the blankets, then picked them up and shoved them behind the bench. "Pretend they’re not ours."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and stood up. "Come on, let’s go already." She glanced toward the dance studio. "Okay, Patty has her gossip antenna up," she said quietly. "We may need to invoke phase one of the highly implausible ‘we were taking a stroll’ strategy."

They walked down the gazebo steps, and Luke started walking toward the diner as Lorelai headed toward her house. When she noticed he wasn’t following her, she stopped walking and turned around. "Where are you going?" she called, walking back toward him.

Luke turned around and gestured toward the diner. "To open up."

"I have to walk home by myself?" Lorelai asked, surprised.

"Uh, yeah," Luke replied, narrowing his eyes. "So?"

Lorelai frowned. "You’re not even gonna walk me home?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Hey, I was ready to walk you home two hours ago before your stupid ‘let’s just sit for a few minutes’ idea," he reminded her. "But right now, I have other things to do." Lorelai folded her arms across her chest and pouted. Luke quickly turned his head away and started walking toward the diner. "You’re not getting me with that stupid pout this time," he called, waving her off. "Go home."

Lorelai smiled to herself and turned around, almost bumping into Miss Patty. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Lorelai exclaimed, stepping back. "Sorry, Patty. I didn’t see you there."

"Oh, that’s okay, dear," she replied. She glanced past her toward Luke. "What are you two doing up so early?"

"Oh, uh, we were just, you know, taking an early morning stroll," Lorelai said, nodding. "Yup, that’s right. You know, last night was my graduation and I decided that the very first thing I’d like to do on my very first complete day as a graduate was to take an early morning stroll. You know, to . . . be, uh, a little more active as I. . . make my way in the world. . .yeah. . ." Her voice trailed off and she glanced down at the ground. "Boy, those are great shoes. Are those new?"

Patty stared at her curiously. "Well, first, congratulations on your graduation," she said, smiling.

"Thank you." Lorelai smiled.

"Second, no, I’ve had these for two years, but thanks for noticing," Patty said, glancing down at her shoes.

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Um, and the third?"

"The third is that I’ve known you for over a decade and you’ve never taken an early morning stroll ever," Patty said, shaking her head. "In fact, I believe I’ve heard you go on several rants about why people who take early morning strolls should be ashamed of themselves. Something about how if God wanted us to walk in the morning, he wouldn’t have given us comfy beds with warm blankets. Is that right? I can’t remember the exact words." She clasped her hands in front of her and gave Lorelai a suspicious smirk. "You’re hiding something."

Lorelai glanced at her bare wrist and said, "Oh, look at the time. I better get home and get ready for work." She started walking quickly down the sidewalk.

* * *

An hour later, Lorelai and Rory were walking toward the diner. Lorelai reached up and felt for her necklace. "Geez, I keep worrying that I’m gonna lose it."

"I can’t believe he trusts you with it," Rory said.

Lorelai scoffed. "Excuse me, I’m very responsible, thank you. I’ve kept you alive for this long, I think I can take care of an inanimate necklace – which, by the way, goes great with these earrings," she said, turning her head to the side. "Doesn’t it?"

Rory nodded in agreement. "Yeah, except the necklace is a real diamond and your earrings aren’t."

"Shh, no one has to know that," Lorelai said. They reached the diner and Lorelai pulled open the door. As they stepped inside, they saw Miss Patty talking to Luke at the counter. Seeing the annoyed look on his face, Lorelai groaned. "Hon, can you go get us a table? I’ll be right there," she said to Rory.

"Uh, sure, yeah," Rory replied.

Lorelai walked over to the counter. "Hey, what’s going on?" she asked.

Luke nodded toward Patty. "She doesn’t believe me when I say that there’s nothing strange about us taking a walk."

"I know you’re hiding something," Patty said.

Luke sighed. "For the last time, we’re not hiding anything, okay? Jesus."

"Oh, I’ve done my research, and I can bring in several witnesses who spotted the two of you asleep on the gazebo bench early this morning," Patty said.

"Okay, first, it’s not a trial, so I don’t think witness testimony will be required," Lorelai said. "And second, what does that prove?"

Patty shrugged. "I don’t know, but I’m sure some further research will piece it all together. Don’t worry, you two, I’ll figure it out eventually and you won’t have to hide whatever it is you’re hiding."

Lorelai sighed loudly. She shrugged and glanced at Luke. "Luke, we should just tell her."

Luke’s eyes widened. "What? Absolutely not!"

Lorelai nodded. "She’s gonna find out eventually." She turned to Patty. "You’re right, we’re hiding something."

Luke leaned forward on the counter. "What the hell are you doing? Do not do this, Lorelai," he said sternly.

Patty rubbed her hands together and grinned. "I knew it, what is it?"

"Well, Luke and Jess are gonna be moving in with me and Rory soon." Lorelai glanced at Luke, whose face softened as he let out the breath he had been holding.

Patty gasped and squealed excitedly. "I knew it, I knew this would happen eventually!"

Lorelai smiled and lowered her voice, "Yeah, so we got up early this morning to talk about how we’re gonna bring it up with Rory, because we’re not sure how she’s gonna react. . .you know, to a new living situation."

Patty nodded knowingly. "Oh, I understand."

"Yeah, so it’d be great if you could just keep this info out of the gossip mill until tomorrow, okay?" Lorelai asked. "We don’t want her to hear it from someone else first."

Patty nodded. "Oh, of course, dear."

Lorelai smiled. "Thanks." She turned to Luke. "Uh, two coffees and two orders of pancakes."

"Coming right up," he replied, giving her an impressed smile.

Lorelai smiled and turned to Patty. "Bye Patty." She walked over to Rory’s table and sat down with a loud sigh. "Okay, here’s the deal – we just told Patty about Luke and Jess moving in, and you have to pretend that you didn’t know about it before today."

"Okay, got it," Rory replied. "Are you gonna tell me what’s going on?"

Lorelai shrugged. "There’s nothing to tell. Luke and I went for a walk this morning, and because Patty has never seen me walk in the morning before, she automatically thinks we’re hiding something, so I had to tell her some gossip so she’d leave us alone."

Rory nodded. "Got it." She paused and narrowed her eyes. "You went for a walk?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Yes, new subject please."

Rory glanced over at the counter. "Did you order? I’m starved."

"Yup, pancakes," Lorelai replied.

"Ooh, good," Rory replied.

* * *

When they had finished eating, Rory left for the bus stop and Lorelai walked up to the counter to pay. She handed the money to Luke, then yawned and said, "I’m not gonna make it a whole day without falling asleep."

Luke shook his head. "Me either."

"I think I’m gonna try to get out of work early," Lorelai said. "I’ll probably be home after three if you wanna come over and hang out. We can watch tv or something before me and Rory go to dinner."

Luke shrugged. "Maybe. I’ll see how it is around here."

Lorelai nodded. "Okay." She leaned across the counter and kissed him, then smiled through the kiss. "Bye."

"Bye," he replied.

* * *

That afternoon, Lorelai and Rory sat on the living room sofa watching tv, surrounded by bags of junk food. Lorelai shoved a handful of popcorn into her mouth, then groaned at the television. "I hate when she does that."

Rory nodded. "I know, Mom, I know."

"She’s so. . . .ugh. . ." Lorelai made a face and shook her head in disgust.

"Mom, he’s cute, people are gonna flirt with him," Rory pointed out. "You just have to deal with it."

Lorelai pouted. "But he’s my pretend boyfriend, not hers."

"I know," Rory replied sympathetically.

"She’s so incredibly dense," Lorelai said. "Can she not see that she’s just annoying the hell out of him? Ugh!"

Rory sighed. "Mom, would you like me to write to the show and personally ask Hildi to stop flirting with Ty?"

Lorelai nodded sadly. "Yes, thank you."

"I’ll get right on it," Rory said as the doorbell rang.

"Come in!" Lorelai yelled. The front door opened and soon Luke entered the living room. Lorelai smiled up at him. "Hey."

"Hey Luke," Rory said.

"Hey," he replied. He glanced down at the junk food and made a face. "What the hell is this? It looks like a vending machine exploded."

Lorelai smiled and pushed some of the bags aside. She patted the cushion and he sat down next to her.

"Maybe we should put this stuff away," Rory suggested. "We have to leave for dinner soon." Rory gathered up the bags and carried them into the kitchen.

Lorelai picked up the remote and changed the channel. Her eyes widened and she yelled, "Ah! Rory, hurry up!"

Luke pulled his head away from her. "Jesus, that’s my ear!"

Rory rushed into the living room. "What, what is it?"

Lorelai pointed to the television. "Look what’s on!"

Rory looked at the tv as she sat back down on the couch. She clapped excitedly. "Oh, yesss!"

Luke looked at the screen and rolled his eyes. "What the hell is this. . .you’re excited about a stupid cartoon?"

Lorelai and Rory both gasped loudly. Lorelai shook her head disappointingly. "Luke, this is not a stupid cartoon. This is a cartoon for which all other future cartoons should be measured against." She gestured dramatically to the television. "This. . . is Spongebob Squarepants."

Luke stared at her in disbelief. "You’ve got to be kidding me," he said, rolling his eyes. He turned to Rory. "Okay, I can understand it coming from her because she’s crazy – but you, too?"

Rory smiled and nodded. "She got me hooked on it, Luke. It’s hilarious. Even you’ll find some of it funny, I promise you."

Lorelai grabbed his chin and turned him to face her. "Luke, come on, just watch it for five minutes and if you really hate it, then we’ll change it."

Luke sighed. "Five minutes."

"I guarantee that you’ll like it," Lorelai said, smiling. "Even if you’re too manly to openly laugh at it, you’ll definitely be giggling on the inside."

He folded his arms across his chest. "I don’t giggle," he replied dryly.

* * *

As the show ended, Lorelai and Rory both turned to Luke, who had a small smile on his face. Lorelai and Rory smiled at each other. "I think we’ve got a newly converted Spongebob fan," Lorelai said.

"I think so, too," Rory agreed.

Luke laughed and shrugged. "Okay, so you were right, some of it was funny. Stupid, but funny." He stood up and stretched his legs. "You guys want a drink?" he asked, walking toward the kitchen.

"No, thanks, I’m good," Rory replied.

Lorelai stood up and followed him. "Do you wanna come with us to dinner? My parents probably won’t mind."

He reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. "Nah, I have to get back to the diner for the dinner rush."

Lorelai nodded and leaned against the counter. Luke walked over and stood in front of her. He ran a finger along her necklace chain, then fingered the diamond. "It looks good on you."

Lorelai reached up and touched it. "Thanks," she replied, smiling. She took his hand and led him out the back door. They walked along the porch toward the front of the house and sat on the bench. Luke took a sip of water, then offered the bottle to Lorelai. She took a sip and handed it back to him. "Thanks." She leaned back against the bench and stared straight ahead for a moment. "Luke, why’d you do it?"

"Do what?" he asked, confused.

"Last night, the gazebo – why’d you do it if you didn’t want to and you didn’t have to?" Lorelai asked.

Luke shrugged. "Because I . . ." He exhaled slowly. "I don’t know. There was this annoying little voice in my head saying that I don’t ever do anything fun or exciting."

Lorelai smiled. "*My* annoying little voice?"

"It sounded remarkably similar to yours, yeah," Luke replied, smiling. "And. . . I don’t know – you really wanted to do it, and I didn’t think anyone would be up anyway, so, I just. . . I don’t know . . .tried it. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be."

Lorelai’s eyes widened. "So does that mean – "

"No," he interrupted. "It doesn’t mean we can do it again."

Lorelai smiled and shrugged. "Okay, okay, sorry." She leaned against him, slipping one arm behind his back and draping the other across his stomach. "Thank you."

Luke kissed her. "You’re welcome."

End part 28

* * *

Part 29

That night after dinner, Lorelai and Rory walked into the diner. The only other customer was standing at the counter, waiting for Luke to hand him his change. As the customer walked past them out the door, Lorelai and Rory smiled knowingly at each other and walked over to Luke.

Lorelai leaned across the counter and kissed him on the cheek. "Hey." She sat down on a stool and Rory sat next to her.

Luke smiled. "What’s up? How was dinner?" He set two empty mugs in front of them.

Lorelai nodded. "Good, it was good." She turned to Rory. "Wouldn’t you say it was good, hon?"

"It was good," Rory agreed.

Lorelai glanced around the empty diner. "Where’s Jess? Is he at work?"

"Nah, he’s upstairs," Luke replied. "Why?" He turned around and grabbed the coffeepot.

"Go get him," Lorelai said.

"Yeah, get him down here right away," Rory added.

Luke looked at them warily as he poured their coffee. "What’s this about? What did he do?"

"We need to talk to him about something important," Lorelai said seriously. "Go get him."

Luke set the pot back on the coffee maker, then folded his arms across his chest. "No, not until you tell me what this is about," he replied sternly.

Both girls sipped their coffee and stared at him silently.

Luke dropped his arms and shrugged. "You’re not gonna tell me, are you?"

"Nope," Rory replied, shaking her head.

Luke sighed. "Fine," he grumbled, walking toward the staircase.

As he walked upstairs, Lorelai and Rory looked at each other and giggled. They both stood up quickly. "I’ll lock the door and clear the counter," Rory said.

"And I’ll go get the supplies," Lorelai said, walking around the counter into the kitchen.

Luke came down a minute later with Jess reluctantly following behind him. "Now what is so damn import – " Luke started. His eyes fell upon the completely empty counter, and he looked at Rory questioningly. "What are you doing?"

Lorelai walked out of the kitchen announcing, "I could only find those frozen mini bagel things, but I think they might – " She saw Luke and Jess and smiled at them. "Oh, hey. Ready for bagel hockey?" she asked, waving the frozen bagel in the air.

They looked at each other and groaned. "This is what was so important?" Luke asked, rolling his eyes. "Bagel hockey?"

"I’m going back upstairs," Jess said, turning around.

Lorelai hurried over to him and grabbed his sleeve. "No, no, no, please! We need another person. Come on, it’ll be fun."

"Yeah, trust me," Rory said, smiling. "You can be on my Mom’s team. Luke, come over here with me. Mom, do you have the wooden spoons?"

Lorelai held them up. "Got ‘em." She handed two to Luke and pushed him toward the other end of the counter. "Here, go over to Rory’s side, she’ll tell you how to play. We have to plan our strategy," she said, gesturing to Jess.

Jess took a step back. "Hey, I never said I was playing this stupid game."

Lorelai gasped. "It’s not stupid and you’re playing. I think you can give your eyes a little break from reading to play with us. And plus, if you go back upstairs, we’ll just follow you and bang on the door until you come down."

Jess rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, we’ll play up to ten, that’s it," he said, grabbing one of the wooden spoons. "What do we do?"

She glanced over at Rory and Luke, who were talking quietly. Lorelai lowered her voice. "Okay, the purpose of the game is to use your spoon to hit the bagel between the other team’s salt and pepper shakers."

"So it’s just like regular hockey?" Jess asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "I don’t know, is that how regular hockey is?"

Jess rolled his eyes and nodded. "Uh, yeah, pretty much."

"Okay then, yes, it’s like regular hockey. Now, I think Luke’s gonna be goalie first, so that leaves Rory as the forward and she’s pretty good. You know, she gets that from me," Lorelai added. "So listen, I’ll go up against her while you stay in goal, but you have to watch out for her fakes. Sometimes she’ll pretend that she hurt her thumb and try to get the other team to act all concerned and then try to sneak it past the goalie. She got that from me, also," Lorelai said, smiling and nodding.

Jess rolled his eyes. "You must be very proud." He shrugged. "Can we just play?"

Lorelai walked toward the center of the counter and set a bagel down. "Are you ready? Let’s go," she said, slapping her hands on the counter.

They both turned around and nodded. "We’re ready," Rory said, walking toward the center of the counter. She turned back to Luke and wagged a finger at him. "And no letting her score just because she’s your girlfriend."

Luke smiled. "I won’t."

"Hello, I don’t need him to let me score," Lorelai scoffed. "Have you forgotten how incredibly good I am?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "Nice humility you have there."

* * *

Almost forty-five minutes later, with the score tied nine to nine, Rory and Luke switched places so that Rory was goalie.

"Here, let me be forward again," Jess said to Lorelai. "You be goalie."

Lorelai reluctantly agreed. "Okay, but remember, Luke cheats."

Luke laughed. "Right – you’re the one who cheats with your annoying distractions. Does ‘Luke, I think your kitchen’s on fire – really, I mean it, I’m not lying!’ ring a bell?"

"No idea what you’re talking about." Lorelai smiled at him as she switched places with Jess. She drummed her wooden spoon on the counter loudly. "Okay, go!"

Luke and Jess battled it out with their spoons in the center of the counter for several seconds before Luke finally pushed the bagel around Jess’ spoon and headed toward Lorelai. "Jess, stop him!" Lorelai urged.

Luke swung his spoon like a golf club and sent the bagel flying toward the goal. Lorelai ducked as it came toward her head. "Agh, geez!" It flew over her and landed on the floor behind her.

"Goal," Luke said. "That’s ten, we win."

"Yes!" Rory said.

Lorelai stood up quickly. "That doesn’t count!" she said, shaking her head.

"No way, that totally counts, it was between the goal posts," Rory insisted.

"Why the heck did you duck?" Jess asked with a laugh. "It’s just a bagel, and it’s not even frozen anymore – it’s all soft and mushy."

Lorelai scoffed. "Yes, well, when it’s flinging at your head, it’s a lot scarier than it looks." She dropped her spoon on the counter and frowned. "Luke, I can’t believe you carelessly tried to embed a bagel in this pretty little face," she said, running her hands over her cheeks.

Luke smiled and shrugged. "Sorry, had to do it for the sake of the team. You know how it is."

Rory smiled. "He’s quite a team player," she said, patting him on the back.

Lorelai walked over to a table and sat down. "Okay, well, winners buy the losers a snack. I’ll take some pie."

Luke smiled. "And if you had won?"

"Then the losers would buy the winners a snack," Lorelai said. "Either way, it would end with me eating some free pie."

Luke rolled his eyes and walked over to get her a piece. "Rory, you too?"

"Yes, please," she said, walking over to sit with Lorelai.

"All right, this was. . . interesting, but I’ve got things to do," Jess said, gesturing toward the stairway.

"Thanks for playing," Lorelai said. "You might wanna be more aggressive next time."

"Yeah, I’ll work on that," he replied. He walked past the counter and went upstairs.

Lorelai smiled at Rory. "That was fun."

"Yeah, it’s always fun watching you lose," Rory said, smiling.

Lorelai playfully smacked her on the shoulder. "Hey, do not take comfort in your mother’s unhappiness," she warned.

Luke brought them their pie and sat down with them.

"What, we’re supposed to eat this without coffee?" Lorelai asked.

Luke sighed loudly and stood up.

Lorelai smiled up at him. "Thank you."

He walked over to the counter and returned with their coffee.

"Thanks, Luke," Rory said, taking a sip. "You know, I think Jess had fun."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I think he did, too."

Lorelai smiled. "How could he not have? Bagel hockey is the happiest game on earth."

"Much like Disneyworld," Rory added.

"Exactly," Lorelai said, shoving a piece of pie in her mouth. She finished chewing and said, "How’s he doing with work?"

Luke nodded. "Good. I talked to Andrew tonight about it, actually. He said he had doubts about hiring him, but that he’s been doing fine."

Lorelai smiled. "Good." She turned to Rory. "Rory, how many days?"

Rory thought for a moment. "Um, four weeks from today." She smiled. "Wow, it’s coming up soon."

Lorelai smiled at Luke. "Twenty-eight days."

"Yeah, so that only gives you twenty-eight days to make room for us," Luke pointed out. "You better get started. Knowing you, it’ll take that long just to do the bathroom."

Lorelai ate the last piece of her pie and pushed the plate away. She leaned back in her chair. "Maybe you could just put your stuff on top of my stuff, and that way no physical act of cleaning would have to be done."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I don’t think so."

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, I hate cleaning."

"This is true," Rory added. "One time I gave her a choice of drinking a concoction of milk, Coke, and pickle juice, or cleaning the living room, and she drank the whole glass in like five seconds."

Lorelai smiled proudly. "Tasted pretty gross, but I did it."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Geez."

"But she does like washing dishes," Rory said, "so at least she does something."

"Since when you guys even use dishes?" Luke asked. "You always eat out."

Lorelai smiled. "See, that’s why I like washing dishes. It only has to be done like three times a month."

Luke nodded knowingly. "So it’s the ‘cleaning on an everyday basis’ part that you don’t like."

"Right," she replied. "And since I’ve seen your apartment and it’s even more cluttered than ours, I think when you move in we might finally have a chance at winning the Stars Hollow Messiest House Contest."

"There is no Stars Hollow Messiest House Contest," Luke informed her.

"Yeah, well, now that we know we’d win, we should get Taylor to invent one," Lorelai said. "Don’t you think? Oh my God, and the prize could be something like maid service for a whole year!" she said excitedly.

Luke and Rory looked at each other. "She’s your mother," Luke reminded her.

"Not by choice. However, you chose her to be your girlfriend," Rory pointed out. "So that means you voluntarily endure her insanity, whereas I’m forced to."

Luke sighed. "I know, I know." He shook his head disappointingly.

Lorelai gasped. "Hi, I’m not Helen Keller – I can hear you talking about me."

Rory put her fork down on her plate. "I’m done, Helen. You ready to go?"

"Yup." Lorelai took one last sip of coffee and stood up.

Luke stood up and kissed her. "I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye Rory, good game."

Rory smiled. "Yup. Bye."

"Good game, blah blah blah," Lorelai mocked. "You win one time and you think you’re champions of the world." She made a face.

Rory laughed. She grabbed Lorelai’s hand and pulled her toward the door. "Come on, sore loser."

* * *

A few nights later, Lorelai and Rory sat on the couch watching television. Lorelai turned to Rory. "I dare you to find one person on television. . . wait, no – I’m starting over. I dare you to find one person in this entire universe that is more annoying than Carrot Top. I bet you can’t do it."

Rory laughed. "I’m not taking that bet. If I have to see one more Call ATT commercial, I will seriously consider duck taping myself to some train tracks."

"Ugh, same here," Lorelai said, shaking her head. "I just don’t get it – I mean, do they really think that people will see that obnoxious man and say, ‘Oh, I wanna be just like him, I should use this service’ – hello!" Lorelai slapped herself on the forehead. "You’re supposed to make people enjoy your commercials, not annoy the hell out of them to the point where they consider giving up television just so they won’t have to see them anymore!"

Rory let out a small laugh. "Are you okay?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Yeah, why?"

"You seem. . . cranky about something," Rory said.

"Nope, I’m fine," Lorelai said.

"Just a personal vendetta against Carrot Top?" Rory asked.

"Yup, and I’m getting a little tired of ALF, too," Lorelai said. "You know, my television viewing would be a lot more enjoyable if we could just eliminate all those stupid phone commercials altogether."

Rory gasped. "Even Alyssa Milano’s?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Yes, she’s no sweet and innocent Samantha Micelli anymore, let me tell you."

"No, she’s not," Rory agreed.

They watched tv for a few minutes before Lorelai admitted, "Okay, I’m a little cranky about something."

Rory looked at her. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I think Luke’s mad at me," Lorelai said.

Rory’s eyes widened. "Really? What did you do?"

Lorelai snickered. "Why do you assume I did something?"

Rory tilted her head and smirked. "What did you do?"

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "I was bugging him," she mumbled.

Rory narrowed her eyes. "So? You always bug him."

"I know, but this time it was different," Lorelai said. "See, I stopped in the diner after work to see him and he wasn’t there, so I walked out of the diner to come home, and he was walking down the sidewalk toward the diner, so I waited for him and asked him where he was." Lorelai paused.

Rory stared at her expectantly. "And. . . where was he?"

"Well, he just shrugged and said ‘nowhere,’ so, of course, I persistently annoyed him with questions," Lorelai said.

"Of course," Rory said knowingly. "So did you get it out of him?"

Lorelai shook his head. "He wouldn’t say, so after another minute of me bugging him he just sighed really loud and said he didn’t want to talk about it and went inside."

Rory grimaced. "Ooh, did he yell?"

"No, but I could tell he was mad," Lorelai said with a sigh. "What should I do?"

"You should. . . call him and apologize for being annoying?" Rory suggested.

Lorelai bit her lip. "I was sorta waiting for him to call me so that way I’d know he wasn’t too mad."

"Well, maybe he’s waiting for you to call him because he thinks you’re mad at him for not telling you," Rory pointed out.

"Huh, good point," Lorelai said. She took a deep breath. "All right, I’ll call him." She stood up and grabbed the phone, then took it out onto the front porch. She sat down on the front steps and dialed the diner.

"Luke’s," Jess answered.

"Jess, hey," Lorelai said. "Uh, is Luke around?"

"Nope," he replied.

"No? Is he upstairs?" Lorelai asked.

"No, he went for a walk or something," Jess replied. "Told me to come down and help Caesar close up."

"Okay, um. . .thanks," Lorelai said. She hung up the phone and dropped it on her lap, then stared straight ahead. She jumped when she saw movement at the end of the driveway, then realized it was Luke walking toward her in the darkness. She stood up and walked toward him.

They met in the center of the lawn and hugged. "I’m sorry for. . .bugging you and everything," she muttered softly, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Forget it," he replied. He pulled back and looked down at her bare feet. "Go get some shoes on."

"Uh. . .why?" she asked suspiciously.

"We’re going for walk," he said.

"A walk?" she asked, surprised. "Now? It’s like ten at night."

"I know, but I wanna show you something," he replied. "Please?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Okay." She paused and looked at him curiously. "Wait, is this one of those things where you’re pretending that you’re not mad at me to get me to go with you somewhere but when we get there you’re gonna strangle me and throw my body in a lake?"

Luke smiled. "No, only your mind thinks in that twisted kind of way."

Lorelai smiled and kissed him. "Be right back." She walked into the house and tossed the phone on the couch. "Luke’s here. We’re going for a quick walk," she told Rory as she ran up the stairs. She returned a minute later with her shoes on.

"You do realize that it’s almost ten, right?" Rory asked.

"Uh huh, he wants to show me something," Lorelai said with a shrug. "Be back in a bit."

Rory shrugged. "Okay, but I want details of this late night excursion." She paused. "You know, if they’re not . . . gross."

Lorelai smiled. "Okay. See you later." She walked out the front door and over to Luke. "I’m ready."

He took her hand and led her across the yard and down the street. They walked silently for several minutes, occasionally swatting away mosquitoes. Lorelai wanted to ask him where they were going, but instead decided to wait until they got there.

When Luke led her into the cemetery, Lorelai’s eyes widened. "Okay, this is too much like a bad horror movie. What the heck are we doing here?" she asked, squeezing his hand tighter.

"You’ll see," he said. He led her through the cemetery and stopped in front of a headstone. He pointed to it. "Look at what it says."

She kneeled down. It took her a minute to read the name in the darkness, but she finally saw it and stood back up. "It’s your dad’s," she said quietly.

"Yeah, look at the birth date," he said.

Lorelai kneeled back down and read, "May twenty-first." She stood back up. "That’s today." She laced her fingers through his. "Okay, so why are we – " She paused a moment, then asked, "Wait, is this where you came earlier?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. I come a couple times throughout the year, his birthday being one of ‘em. You know, just to pay my respects and what not," he said with a shrug.

Lorelai swallowed hard. "That’s really nice," she said softly.

"Yeah, well. . . sorry I didn’t wanna talk about it before," Luke said.

"No, I had no right bugging you like that, it’s none of my business where you go," Lorelai said, shaking her head. "I’m not one of those women who needs to know where her boyfriend is at all times, I swear."

"I know," he replied. "But this is something that you should know about. I mean, it’s something that I do once in awhile and . . . you know, I want you to know these things about me."

Lorelai smiled and kissed him, then hugged him tightly. As they pulled back from each other, Luke wrapped an arm around her shoulder and walked her out of the cemetery and back to her house.

* * *

The following Saturday, Luke knocked on Lorelai’s front door. "Come in!" she called. Luke pushed open the door and walked into the front hall. Lorelai and Rory sat on the floor in the middle of the hallway. They were surrounded by boxes as they tried to clean out the closet.

"How’s it coming along?" Luke asked.

"Well, my mom the pack rat doesn’t want to throw any of her old jackets away so it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be," Rory said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, jackets may not seem very important right now because it’s summer, but when the fall comes you’ll thank me that we have so many choices," Lorelai said.

"Yes, okay, but we don’t have to leave them in here all summer," Rory said. "At least pack the heavier ones up and put them in the attic until the fall."

Lorelai sighed. "Fine, fine, I’ll put some of them away," she grumbled. She stood up and took a bunch of jackets out of the closet, then tossed them on the floor. "Luke, can you shove them into one of those boxes over there?" she asked, pointing toward the living room.

Luke walked over to the boxes. He picked them all up, looking for an empty one. "These all have stuff in them."

"Yeah, but they’re all going up to the attic, too, so it doesn’t matter. Just put the coats on top of the other stuff," Lorelai said.

As Lorelai went back to sorting through things with Rory, Luke picked up one of the boxes and walked over to the coats. He sat down on the ground and opened the box, then rummaged through the contents. "What is all this?"

Lorelai and Rory both looked up. "What?" Lorelai asked. Her eyes widened slightly and she glanced quickly at Rory. Rory looked over at the box, then looked back to Lorelai. Lorelai nodded toward the kitchen and Rory stood up and walked away.

Lorelai walked over and sat down next to him. She cleared her throat. "Oh, that’s just. . . my Max box."

"Max box?" Luke repeated.

"Yeah, you know, just some stuff from our relationship. . ." Lorelai’s voice trailed off.

"That you’re gonna save in the attic?" Luke asked.

Lorelai bit her lip and nodded slowly. "Uh, is that okay – I mean, do you want me to not save them? I can just throw it out if you - "

Luke shook his head. "No, no, that’s fine. Do what you want with them."

"I mean, I obviously have some bad memories of what happened with him. . . but some of the stuff was good. I just thought that someday I might. . . I don’t know, wanna go through this stuff." Lorelai paused. "Are you sure you don’t care?"

"Yup, I’m sure," Luke replied. "I actually have some stuff. . . you know, that I wanted to save. . .some little things. . .I didn’t know if you’d get upset or. . . " His voice trailed off.

"Like. . . Rachel stuff?" Lorelai asked.

Luke nodded. "Yeah, just . . . you know, some small things."

Lorelai smiled. "We can put it up there with the Max box and then they can talk to each other and maybe they’ll hit it off and start dating and then have little box children."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I don’t want to shatter your hopes but I don’t think inanimate objects can have kids."

Lorelai let out a fake gasp. "What? You’re kidding!"

Luke smiled and kissed her. Lorelai pushed the box out of the way, then crawled onto his lap and kissed him again. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer as her fingers gently squeezed the back of his neck. Lorelai pulled back from the kiss and smiled at him. "Rory!" she called. "You can come back now."

Lorelai kissed him one more time before she stood up and walked back to the closet. Rory walked out of her bedroom. "Uh, everything okay?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yup, it’s fine," Lorelai said. She pointed to a box. "Um, empty that box for Luke to put the jackets in, okay?"

"Okay," Rory replied, turning around.

* * *

A few hours later, they had cleaned both the hall closet and Lorelai’s bedroom closet, and Luke had just taken several boxes into the attic. They walked back into her bedroom and glanced around. "Okay, so where am I gonna put my dressers?" he asked.

Lorelai gestured to the wall opposite the closet. "Right along there. There’s plenty of room."

Luke tilted his head and eyed up the space. "I don’t know. Do you have a tape measure?"

"Uh, I have one that I use for sewing," Lorelai said. "Will that work?"

Luke shrugged. "I guess so. Where is it?"

"Downstairs. I’ll get it," Lorelai replied. She walked out of the room and returned a minute later with the tape measure. She handed it to Luke and he measured the wall as Lorelai watched from the bed.

When he finished, he handed the tape measure to her and said, "Okay, I think they’ll be fine but I’m gonna measure them first just in case. No point in carrying ‘em up here just to find out that they don’t fit."

Lorelai stood up and glanced at the clock. "Are you going back to work? Maybe Rory and I will come get some dinner."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I’m gonna head back there now."

"Okay," she replied. "I’ll meet you downstairs, I’m just gonna change and do my hair."

Luke nodded and walked downstairs. Rory was sitting on the couch reading. She looked up and smiled. "Hey, where’s Mom?"

"Oh, she’s just getting dressed," Luke replied, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Rory’s eyes widened and she quickly glanced back down at her book. "Oh, sorry."

Luke’s face reddened. "No, she’s not. . .we didn’t just. . .we weren’t. . ." he stammered embarrassingly. "Oh my God," he muttered, shaking his head toward the floor.

Rory waved him off. "No need to explain, Luke. I’m a big girl, I get it."

"No, really – we’re gonna go to the diner for dinner and she didn’t wanna wear the clothes she was cleaning in," Luke explained quickly. "I don’t mean she’s getting dressed, like getting dressed. . . " His voice trailed off as Lorelai came down the stairs.

"You guys ready to go?" Lorelai asked. She glanced back and forth between them and noticed their discomfort. "What’s going on?"

Rory stood up quickly. "Nothing." She walked toward the front door and stepped out onto the porch.

Lorelai glanced at Luke. "What’s up? And don’t say nothing because she just tried that and I didn’t buy it."

Luke sighed. "She asked where you were and I told her you were getting dressed and she thinks we just. . .uh, you know, " Luke said, swallowing hard.

Lorelai laughed. "Oh my God, that poor child! You haven’t even moved in yet and you’ve already contaminated her mind with dirty thoughts about us." Lorelai walked toward the front door calling, "Rory!" Luke followed behind her with an embarrassed look on his face.

* * *

On Tuesday afternoon, Lorelai and Sookie walked into the diner and sat down at a table. Luke delivered two plates to a nearby table, then walked over to them. "Hey, what’ll you have?" he asked quickly.

"In a hurry?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, Caesar had to leave early today so I’m short a man," he explained. "What’ll you have?"

"Do you need some help?" Lorelai asked. "I’ve never waitressed before, but I used to watch It’s A Living so I’m pretty sure that I know how it’s done."

"Nah, I’m okay," Luke replied, waving her off.

Lorelai stood up. "No, seriously, Sookie and I can help with the lunch rush, right Sook?"

"Absolutely," she replied, standing up.

"No, you really don’t have to," Luke replied.

They ignored him and walked over to the counter. Lorelai grabbed the coffeepot. "I’ll be in charge of coffee."

"And I can help in the kitchen," Sookie said. "I don’t know if anyone’s told you this, Luke, but sometimes I cook things."

"Oh really?" Luke asked, pretending to be surprised. "Didn’t know that. Huh." He rolled his eyes. "Go sit down at your table, I can handle this."

"Come on, Luke, please let us help," Lorelai said, pouting. "Look, I’m pouting. You know you can’t resist it. It’s drawing you in. It’s making you smile. Uh, what’s that – is that a hint of a smile forming on your lips? I think it is!"

Luke smiled and rolled his eyes. "Fine, here." He handed her his order pad. "You take the orders, me and Sookie will be cooking in the kitchen."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at them. "That sounds a little dirty. I’ve got my eye on you two," she said sternly. Sookie giggled and followed Luke into the kitchen.

* * *

An hour later, Sookie and Lorelai walked out of the diner. "Oh my God, that was so fun!" Lorelai gushed.

Sookie nodded in agreement. "It definitely was." She laughed. "What was up with that freaky order you sent in for the peanut butter and tuna sandwich? That was grossing me out."

Lorelai laughed. "I know! The guy ordered it and I made him repeat it like fifty times. I was like, ‘Are you sure you said peanut butter and tuna?’ and he was all, ‘Yes, that’s what I said’ and I was all, ‘Wait, are you absolutely sure you said tuna and you’re maybe not confusing it with this new product called jelly?,’ and he was like, ‘No, I want a peanut butter and tuna sandwich." Lorelai made a gagging sound.

Sookie made a face. "Ugh, I had to practically close my eyes when I was making it." As they walked a little more toward the inn, Sookie remarked, "Luke looks really good."

Lorelai gasped. "I knew it! You were hitting on him in the kitchen, weren’t you?"

"Yes, honey, we’re having a secret affair." Sookie rolled her eyes. "No, I mean, he just looks a little thinner. Not that he wasn’t thin before, but he looks thinner now."

Lorelai smiled. "Yeah, I’ve noticed that, too. He’s been working out and I can definitely feel the difference in weight when he’s lying on top of me when we – "

"Okay, okay!" Sookie interrupted with a laugh. "Let’s leave out the visuals, thank you."

Lorelai laughed. "Okay, sorry."

"I like the new plaid-less look, but it’ll take some getting used to," Sookie remarked.

"Yeah, he put them all away for the summer," Lorelai said. "Now he’s going for just a plain t-shirt look."

"Yeah, I never knew he was so muscular," Sookie said.

Lorelai looked at her and laughed. "Okay, now I seriously have concerns about you trying to steal him from me."

Sookie smiled. "Hey, I’m just saying he looks good – take it as a compliment."

"Okay, taking it as a compliment, thank you," Lorelai replied. They walked a little more. "So what time should me and Rory come over tonight?"

Sookie thought for a moment. "I don’t know, like six-ish?"

"Sounds good," Lorelai said.

"Your dress is almost done," Sookie said.

"I know!" Lorelai said excitedly. "I can’t wait to see it all finished. And we can finally get a little more going on Rory’s. Getting away from studying for a little while will be good for her - she’s starting to stress over her finals."

"Oh yeah?" Sookie asked. "We should have a party or something on her last day. When is it?"

"Seventeen days," Lorelai replied quickly.

Sookie laughed. "Man, look at you, Mrs. Countdown Lady."

Lorelai shrugged. "I’m excited, what can I say?"

"About Rory finishing up this very difficult school year and finally being able to breathe and relax and take some time for herself, or about what’s gonna happen the day after?" Sookie asked teasingly.

Lorelai smiled. "Am I a bad mom if I choose option number two?"

"Yes," Sookie replied.

"Okay, then, call me a bad mom." Lorelai laughed.

Sookie smiled. "You’ve been getting the house all ready?"

"Yup, we’ve been getting rid of stuff and making room and I’m pretty sure the attic’s gonna cave in from all the junk we’ve been putting up there," Lorelai said. "Ooh, and I have to make some spare keys for him and Jess." She checked her watch. "Do we have time to stop by the hardware store?"

Sookie checked her watch. "Yeah, it only takes a second to make ‘em."

"Okay, let me make sure I have some money." Lorelai rummaged through her purse and found a five-dollar bill. "Okay, all set, let’s go." Lorelai and Sookie walked down the sidewalk toward the hardware store. They went inside, then emerged several minutes later and continued walking back to the inn.