Chapter One

There She Goes

There she goes. He watched her walk down the street towards his diner like every other morning since she had started coming here. It was like clockwork. You knew the sun was going to rise the next morning, and you knew Lorelai was going to get her cup of coffee. He was the "bearer of the coffee" as she put it, and she never left without adding her own quip about anything under the sun.

They were friends, great friends at that. Every time she left though, he got a strange feeling that she should not be leaving.

He watched her cross the street while flipping her hair out from under her purse strap. He always tried to guess what witty remark she was going to make each day, but his predictions never came close to what she would end up saying while rushing through that door.

He also thought what would happen if he told her that he could possibly have feelings for her. With each passing day, it had become increasingly harder for him to contain his feelings towards her. Should he just say something? It has been an internal battle for him, time, and time again.

Just then, a small jingling noise snapped him back to the room in front of him, signaling she just entered the diner. He didn't need the bells though; just the sweet smell of coffee and chocolate that lingered in the air when she entered a room would be signal enough for him.

"COFFEE!" a desperate cry filled the space followed by the door slamming shut causing the shades to rustle.

"I can't give you coffee. Try some tea. I have some nice Earl Gray that you might like." Luke replied with determination.

"You aren't seriously thinking I would take you up on that offer," Lorelai said, shocked by just the thought of tea instead of coffee.

"No, I guess not." With a sigh of defeat, Luke sulked over to the coffee pot and poured steaming coffee into a paper to go cup. Just her face lit up at the sight before her.

"So where's Rory?"

"Um, I think she is with Lane today. Something about catching up on some music listening." Lorelai said with a swish of her hand.

"Oh." This is my chance. Just ask her to dinner or out to coffee. She can't refuse coffee. And if it doesn't work out, so what! You can still be friends with her.

This was it. Luke was done thinking about it. Just as he opened his mouth…

"Well I guess I better be going. You know. Places to go, people to see." Lorelai stated while getting up from the stool she was sitting on.

"Yeah, of course," was all Luke could muster up. "See you later?"

"Definitely," and with that, she was gone. Again.

The promise of her coming back though, put him in a strangely good mood. I will tell her tonight.

"Luke?" Once again, Luke was brought out of his thoughts, but by Kirk's voice this time.

"What is it Kirk?"

"Well, I know you don't like me asking you to remake my grilled cheese sandwiches, but this has sharp cheddar cheese on it and I can't eat sharp cheddar cheese. I think I am allergic, but I get these weird cramps in my…"

That was true. He did not like making orders over again, but since the diner was pretty empty and had newfound confidence with Lorelai; he might as well throw him a bone.

"It's ok Kirk. Let me make a new one." He grabbed the plate and was off to make Kirk his new sandwich.

LGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLG

"Cold and blustery day! COLD AND BLUSTERY DAY! What! Are they kidding! It's like a giant tornado out there!" she finished her sentence with a very dramatic whoosh of her hands, gesturing the movements of a tornado. "I mean, can't they warn you? Good people of Connecticut, today do not set up a wedding outside because as soon as you finish every single detail of a very detailed wedding, IT WILL BLOW AWAY!"

"Bad day?" Luke asked.

"The worst."

Lorelai looked down at her watch to see the minute hand click to exactly 6:00. "Ah, shoot! Rory was expecting me home with pizza fifteen minutes ago! I've got to go!"

"Well at least take some coffee to go." He handed her a cup and she brushed her hand across his while grabbing it and was out the door.

Even the slightest touch made his blood pulse through his veins.

"So much for telling her," he said under his breath.

LDLDLDLDLDLDLD

"Luke!" the familiar voice screamed.

"Sit down! I'll be right there!" he yelled back.

"No, you have to come with me. Let Caesar close tonight. Rory and I have a surprise for you!"

"I can't go. See I have this little thing called a diner and I can't leave it or else it might not be here in the morning."

"It's an emergency Luke!" Lorelai pleaded, "Please just come with me!" She hooked her arm around his and started pulling him towards the door.

"Is someone dying?"

"If I say yes, will you come with me?"

Knowing there would be no possible way of getting out of this, Luke put down the pad of paper he was taking orders on and called to Caesar, "Caesar I'm going out and won't be back till later. Close up for me, will ya?"

"Yes sir," he replied popping out of the kitchen to salute him.

"Let's go!" Lorelai yelled while grabbing Luke's arm and dragging him all the way to her house.

GGGGGGGGGGGGGG

"Wow! You did all of this, for me?"

"Well apparently that's what it says on the banner." Lorelai pointed up to the giant banner that read HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE! She would have never known it was Luke's birthday if it wasn't for Caesar. He was acting all grumpy this week. You would think on your birthday week, you would be a tad bit happy. Then again, you were talking about stone cold Luke.

"Come on!" Lorelai called, leading him into the house. It was decorated with all sorts of brightly colored streamers and balloons, almost as if it were a circus. Everybody in town was there. As soon as he walked in, there was a chorus of 'happy birthdays' coming from all directions.

"Luke! Come over and sit with me and Miss Patty!" Babette screamed while scooting over to make room for him on the couch.

"Oh great." Luke mumbled.

"I remember this boy when he was just a kid. Boy, has he grown up! I remember one day…" and they started reminiscing about everybody's favorite diner man.

LGLGLGLGLGLGLGLG

"You really didn't have to do this all for me." Luke said after the last guest left ten minutes ago.

"Of course I did! It's what friends do."

Yeah, friends.

Oh how Luke wanted to change that fact so badly, he just could not contain his feelings any longer.

"And plus, I'll take any reason to throw a good party."

"Right." Luke said while breathing out a chuckle.

A comfortable silence had taken over the conversation and all you could hear were the quiet whispers of a cold, wintery night.

"Hey, Lorelai?" Luke turned his head to face her. Her eyes gazing out towards the trees dusted with snow and up towards the stars poking out from their indigo colored blanket.

"Hmmm?" was all she could reply with.

"Hey I was just wondering if maybe we could go see a movie and have dinner one night, you don't have to answer now, I'm just asking."

That sure snapped Lorelai out of her daze. Did he mean like a date kind of thing? Wow, do I even want to date Luke? That would be weird, but then again, there had always been a thing between the two of us, hadn't there? That's what Sookie keeps on saying.

"Oh…" Lorelai couldn't even put together a coherent sentence with all the thoughts rushing though her head.

"You don't have to answer right now, actually, I'll leave and let you think about this. Take your time." Luke started to get up. His legs felt like Jell-O with nervousness. Do not take this as a no. Just because she did not say 'yes' right away does not mean she isn't going to say yes.

"Oh, Luke don't go."

"No really, it's ok. Great party, and thanks again!" Now it is my turn to walk away, he thought as he hopped into his truck.

LDLDLDLDLDLDLD

It had been a week since Luke's birthday, and no word from Lorelai yet. Each day was filled with false hope and each day his confidence was starting to deteriorate. Oh well, at least I tried.

Just then, a whoosh of brown and pink flew past the windows of the diner and headed straight for the door. Once there, she flung the door open stepped in, put her hands to her knees and bent down, huffing out breaths.

"Jeez, what happened to you?" Luke asked, cautiously walking towards Lorelai.

"I…huff…ran…huff…all the way…here…huff huff…to see…you" and pointed to Luke after standing up straight.

"Jeez, well, come here and take a seat." He pulled a chair out from a table and pointed for her to sit.

"Yes, sitting good."

"Let me get you some water, hold on."

"No water, coffee good."

"Ah, fine. Let me get you some coffee." Luke was halfway to the coffee machine when he heard "No wait, I only came here to ask you something."

Luke turned around and walked back towards the table she was currently sitting at.

"Is your offer still good?"

"What offer?"

"You know, movie, dinner, the date?"

"Oh, well, we don't have to do that," Luke said, preparing for a rejection." It was just a silly…"

"No!" Lorelai had cut him off, "I just wanted to say, yes."

"What?" Now Luke was utterly confused. "Yes to what?"

"Jeez did you forget to take your meds today cause your really slow today. Yes to the date!"

"Really?" Luke was in a state of shock.

"Yup." Lorelai stated with a satisfied grin plastered on her face.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"Oh my god! Yes!"

"Okay." Luke said, finally believing what was going on.

"Okay."

"I'll call you with details."

"Sounds good."

"Ok, good."

"Yeah." The conversation had taken a very awkward turn. "Well, I better get going, I'll talk to you later Luke."

"Yeah, bye."

For once, Luke watched her walk out the door without that weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. For once, he got the girl. For once, he had a date with Lorelai Gilmore.