Disclaimer: not mine
Summary: a telephone call
Thanks to: Mystic, for suggesting it.

Our Secret
by Megan Reilly
eponine119@worldnet.att.net
February 13, 2001

Lorelai tossed her cell phone down next to the empty coffee cup on the counter before she sat down on the stool at Luke's. "What's that?" Luke asked her.

She looked up at him, cocking her head. "My cell phone," she told him, the beginnings of a smile playing across her face. "I need a refill."

"It's only a refill if you've already had some."

"It's always a refill for me," Lorelai said, jumping up from the stool she'd only just sat down on.

"Where are you going?" Luke asked, stopping with the coffee pot in his hand, poised to pour.

"Bathroom," Lorelai answered. "If that rings, answer it." Luke glared as she pointed to the phone. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." Luke just looked at her, so she continued her explanation. "Rory's going to call when she needs a ride home from the big scary library in Hartford. It's some kind of bus holiday."

Luke rolled his eyes in a form of agreement and Lorelai dashed behind the counter, brushing past him to the restroom in the back. Technically, customers weren't supposed to come behind the counter, but everyone knew where the restroom was from when the restaurant had been a hardware store. Considering Luke served most of the members of the board of health on a regular basis, he figured it wasn't really a problem.

He put the coffee pot back on the burner. No point in pouring Lorelai's coffee now, when it would just get cold. Not that she would care. Cold, burnt, day-old, if it was coffee, she'd drink it. Unless it was decaf. The phone rang.

Luke just looked at it. It rang again and he turned, sighing, looking at the sign behind him, the one with the picture of a cell phone with a big red line through it, instructing "Don't." Third ring. He scooped up the small piece of plastic and ran out the front door of the diner, bringing him some strange looks from the people inside. He punched the "Talk" button just as the fourth ring began.

"Yeah," Luke said.

"I'm sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number."

He recognized Mrs. Gilmore's voice. Her tone, more specifically. The way she said the words that made it sound as though she was looking down her nose at everyone.

"No, you've got the right number," Luke said. "Lorelai's in the bathroom."

"And you are?"

"The butler. What can I help you with?"

"Luke," Mrs. Gilmore said, with feigned delight.

"Yes, Mrs. Gilmore." He felt like he was eight years old. Not a feeling he enjoyed. He turned around and peered through the glass into the diner. The mayor was helping himself to an enormous danish. Luke tapped on the glass warningly, but it had no effect.

"Let Lorelai know that Rory will be staying here this evening."

"Hold on a moment and you can tell her yourself," Luke said. Now the mayor, who'd licked his fingers, was going back for more. He was going to contaminate the entire batch. "Don't do it," he warned.

"Excuse me," Mrs. Gilmore inquired.

"Not you," Luke said. Where the hell was Lorelai?

"Just give her the message," Mrs. Gilmore said dismissively.

"Wait a minute," Luke said. "She said Rory was going to call for a ride home. Why'd she change her mind?"

"The bus drivers are on strike. If Rory goes home tonight, she'll have no way of returning to Hartford for school in the morning. It makes the most sense for her to remain here until the bus drivers have settled their dispute," Mrs. Gilmore explained.

"Lemme talk to her," Luke said. "Damn it," he breathed, seeing Sookie step behind the counter. He'd warned that woman to leave his diner alone. He hadn't even noticed she was in the diner or he never would have come outside.

"That is quite enough," Mrs. Gilmore said sharply.

"Sorry," Luke said. "A crazy woman is putting paprika on cheeseburgers in my diner."

"Perhaps I'd better let you go then," Mrs. Gilmore suggested.

"Wait. What's Rory got to say about this sleepover?" Luke demanded.

"She isn't here," Mrs. Gilmore told him. "I'm sure she'll understand why the decision was made." "Yeah," Luke huffed. "You can't just rule other people's lives. As much as you'd like to." Mrs. Gilmore was silent. "I know you just want to be involved in their lives. That's understandable. Lorelai's a wonderful person," Luke said. "And Rory, too," he added, feeling the back of his neck get hot. "But this is exactly the kind of thing that's going to push them both out of your reach for good."

Mrs. Gilmore was still silent. Luke wondered if the gods of cellular technology had lost the call. Then she spoke. "You're a wise young man," she said.

"Hey, I'm not that young," Luke told her. He spotted Lorelai through the window, looking around confusedly, wondering where her phone was while Sookie poured her a cup of coffee. "Lorelai's here, want to talk to her?"

"No," Mrs. Gilmore admitted. "You won't...you won't mention this to her, will you?" She was trying to make it sound as though it wasn't important to her.

"Our secret," Luke promised, and pressed the "End" button.

"There you are!" Lorelai cried. "Did she call?"

Luke shook his head as he passed the phone back to Lorelai.

"Then who were you talking to?" Lorelai demanded.

"Some pushy woman," Luke offered.

"Telemarketers," Lorelai filled in. "Thanks for watching it for me."

"No problem." Luke didn't want to go back inside. Well, he did, to regain control over what had in 2 minutes' time become a madhouse, but not while Lorelai was out here.

The phone started to ring again and Lorelai smiled, knowing it was her daughter. Luke pushed on the door to go back inside as Lorelai answered it, stepping further out on to the sidewalk and looking up at the setting sun.