AN: The most important thing to know is that this takes place IN "So...Good Talk". A different twist on things. What if Sookie wouldn't have been pregnant for the girl's night out? Well...read on.
LORELAI'S HOUSE – OUTSIDE
Lorelai exits the front door and joins Sookie, waiting in her car.
LORELAI: Oh, I am so hot. I'm going to hit on myself tonight.
SOOKIE: You look nice.
LORELAI: So do you, your hair is so fancy.
SOOKIE: And I'm ready to let it down!
LORELAI: So, what town are we painting first?
Sookie smiles and giddily replies, "I was thinking Woodbury and red."
"Red?"
"Let's paint it red!" She cranks the car and turns on the stereo.
"Ahh, the colors of blood and seduction."
"More seduction than blood I assure you." Sookie gives her a knowing glance.
"Naughty!"
They pull out into the night as Cyndi Lauper blares on...
"I come home in the morning light,
My mother says "When you gonna live your life right?"
Inside a Woodbury bar, Sookie and Lorelai sit in a booth taking in the sights around them. Two older men playing pool, a few giddy college girls screaming "BlowJob Shot! She's 21!" Pictures are snapped as evidence of the joyous night. A few loners sitting at the bar sipping on drink of choice, gazing through the television, wondering where they went wrong. It is nearly empty and the music is low. The bartender, handsome with dark short hair, wipes down the counter, his face solid and stoic. The birthday celebraters laugh and take turns licking salt off of each other's necks.
"When did lesbianism become so 'in'?" Lorelai breaks the silence.
"Huh?"
Lorelai takes a sip out of her martini and lazily plays with the olive resting at the bottom of her glass. "You know, every college girl and her sister are constantly in bars making out these days. I mean more power to them, just seems strange that it has become a bandwagon."
Sookie smiles and looks at the girls. She looks back to Lorelai to see her still languishing over her drink. She frowns. "You're morose! I'm failing at my attempts to lift your spirits! I'm the worst best friend ever! Who knew the lack of bar activity at 10 o'clock! Not-"
Lorelai raises her eyes and grins as she cuts her off. "No. You are a great best friend, I was just making an observation. I think this is exactly what I needed." She finishes off her martini and goes to get up from her position. Pointing to her empty glass. "Well and a few more of those."
Sookies laughs. "Let me get us another round!" Sookie jumps up before Lorelai can finish her movements towards standing. Lorelai settles back into her seat and looks at the girls as they dance in front of the jukebox. She smiles sadly as Sookie reappears with gifts in hand. She hands Lorelai her drink and notices the frown.
"Are you okay? I mean we can go somewhere else if you want. This place might be too depressing."
Lorelai smiles at her friend. "Well then let the waters take us away like Laura Brown. We're going nowhere my friend. The night is just beginning. And plus, the bartender is hot!" She looks at Sookie who seems unconvinced. She caves, no longer attempting to hide her sadness. "Honestly, just looking at those girls makes me realize I sort of missed that whole 'I'm 21', 'I'm free from my parents', 'wet tee shirt contest and jell-o shots', 'papa don't preach' phase in my life." Sookie looks at her sadly. She notices and cocks her head. "Okay. I'm done being 'morose'."
"Honey, you have Rory. That's the most important thing." Lorelai smiles. Sookie, encouraged, continues. "Well then let's make up for lost time shall we?" Sookie's eyes have turned very mysterious, scandal in every corner. If Lorelai didn't know better, she'd be convinced that Sookie was about to pull out cocaine and start cutting lines with a platinum credit card.
Skeptically Lorelai smiles. "What exactly did you have in mind?"
Instead of answering Sookie downs the rest of her Sidecar. Her eyebrows raise and she jumps to her feet. "Can we get two blowjob shots over here please!" Every head in the bar turns to Sookie and she blushes slightly. All is quiet, and for a split second Lorelai sympathetically considers grabbing Sookie and high tailing it to the door. Or maybe standing on the booth and flashing the room. But the bough breaks. The giddy girls scream delightfully and run towards the duo chanting "Us too, us too!" The bartender breaks into a smile, taking out a few shot glasses and starts mixing his concoction. Sookie turns and looks at Lorelai smiling widely, excited to see her eyes showing nothing but pure joy and laughter. Sookie turns to the bartender, "Make that six!" as the girls start surrounding the two of them. Names begin to be exchanged and the handsome bartender comes to the table holding a tray of foam topped shots.
One of the girls scoots into the booth with Lorelai and the others follow suit, one next to Sookie and the other two pull up chairs.
"So whose birthday is it?" Lorelai asks grinning.
"And that would be me!" The girl next to Lorelai says swaying slightly in a drunken haze.
"We have successfully wasted Chelsea ladies." A collective "yeah!" comes from the group and Sookie and Lorelai laugh.
"Well Chelsea, I see Mac and Cheese in your future!" Lorelai says grinning. The shots are distributed and the girls all laugh. The bartender stands by the table and his face now shows a small grin as he watches the girls.
"So Lorelai, Sookie, do you guys know how this is done?" Sam, one of the girls turns towards them. Lorelai scoffs and Sookie laughs. The girls look at them amused and Lorelai smiles widely. "Do we know how it's done! Please, we could give you girls some pointers!" She winks at the bartender flirtily, who immediately blushes and the group bursts into fits of giggles and raise their eyebrows at the suggestion.
Sookie chimes in, "Dirty! And cheers!" The six lean to the table and all expertly down the shots using nothing but their mouths. The bartender collects the glasses and the wiping of mouths and giggles commence. Lorelai leans in to the group and lets out her secret. "This doesn't happen much, but I see Mac and Cheese in my future too!"
The girls continue to bask in the glow of drunkenness and laughter. Sookie looks over to Lorelai and smiles as she watches her talking to the girls, happy. And then she hears it.
"So where are your husbands?" Lorelai's face changes abruptly, fallen, she quickly tries to hide it with a smile. Sookie sympathetically turns to the girls. "No husbands. Well Jackson, but no, tonight we are independent women. Jackson who?" She lamely finished. The girls are all looking at Sookie questioningly. Lorelai steps in, recovered. "Jackson is Sookie's husband. I however, am officially single, and ready to mingle." She smiles weakly as silence falls over the group.
Sam looks at her knowingly. "Fuck men!" Lorelai looks relieved and the girls all cheer. "Yeah!" Sookie finds her eyes apologetically. Lorelai reassures her with a look. She lifts her drink to cheers the awaiting glasses sitting patiently in the air. Vodka tumbles to the table and Sookie looks at her friend as she is smiling again. Grace under pressure.
An hour or so later, the drunken group had fallen in comfortable conversation. Chelsea was basked in a glow, officially cut-off from receiving any more alcoholic beverages, toasted, wasted, far from resembling any sort of a sober person. Lorelai, as usual, the center of attention, telling one of her many antidotes, smiles bouncing from the walls. "And then, we went to Mrs. Kim's only to find a tofurkey! Who eats tofurkey! Feed me that and death shall soon follow!"
Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there...
A familiar tune comes on. "I love this song!" Chelsea breaks into a wide grin. "Girls, we dance!"
"Ahh yes our anthem for tonight! You heard the woman, let the dancing be danced." Lorelai announces. The girls all get up in giddiness, Lorelai goes around to Sookie, pulling her up. "You too lady!"
"It's like an angel sighing..." Elizabeth sings loudly and her and Chelsea turn on the dance floor. The girls all careen into each other smiling. Lorelai hugs Sookie in the dancing. "Thanks babe, this has been really fun!" Sookie smiles, "Didn't I promise you a good time. And I deliver, and we paint red well. Yep, we still got it." Sookie sways drunkenly. Then abruptly stands up straight sobering, "I can't drive! And you definitely can't drive. How are we going to get back to Star's Hollow!" Lorelai smiles. "Not a problem. Tonight is too good to waste. We'll take a cab if we must!" Sookie's giddy smile returns. Lorelai continues, "Now I need a refill!" She stumbles to the bar.
The bartender smiles at her as she approaches the bar. He is fixing a drink and for a second Lorelai wonders how he is able to work so well with no eye contact with his cocktail. She smiles back, and breaks from her staggering, jauntily finishing the walk to the bar. He breaks from the smiles reluctantly and finishes preparing the drink. He delivers and stands in front of Lorelai wiping his hands on a rag. "The regular?" Lorelai smiles and nods almost shyly. He begins fixing her drink, maintaining eye contact with a playful smile on his face. "You do that well." He nods at her, continuing his work. His gaze never leaves her face, except when it glances down her body for a split second, she blushes. "Especially with your eyes elsewhere..." Lorelai finishes. Now it's his turn to blush. He shakes the martini, and she adds, almost purring, "Make it dirty." His blush deepens and he smiles coyly to her. Intense eye contact, and then,
"Lorelai!" Chelsea runs up behind her and grabs her waist. Bartender's face becomes stoic again as the impatient begin to wave their money towards him; moment officially over. He adds the olive juice and passes the drink to Lorelai, who is now talking to the birthday girl. She turns to receive her drink and smiles to him again. His face softens, but only for a minute. "Corona!" He turns annoyed to put in the order.
"Come back and dannnnnnce some more!"
"I just needed a refill my lady!"
Chelsea leans in, "Were you flirtttting with the hannnndsommme barrrrtender?" She drunkenly leans too far and Lorelai catches her as she sloshes into a group of people. Lorelai laughs. And then suddenly stops. She was flirting with the handsome bartender. She was suggestive and all jaunty and welcomed, hell, encouraged his glances. She sets Chelsea upright and slips away. Chelsea turns and begins conversing with the nearby bar-goers. As Lorelai retreats she hears Chelsea wail, "Did you know it's my birrrthhhhdayyy?" The group around her laughs and she hears someone call for a round of shots. The kid can take care of herself for now.
She runs into the bathroom and locks herself in a stall. The tears are flowing down her face and she covers her mouth as a small sob escapes. She pulls out her cell phone and begins to dial a number. She stops abruptly and puts her phone back in her purse letting more tears fall. She hears the door open and voices she doesn't recognize barrel off of the walls. The girls are laughing and knock on her door. "Is someone in there?" Lorelai struggles to find her voice, sits upright, shoulders back, clearing her throat, "I'll be out in a second." Her voice was squeaky but luckily the girls fail to notice and stumble towards the other stalls. "This one's open Carrie!" Giggling ensues. Her figure slumps and she places her head in her hands.
"Lorelai?" The bathroom door opens and Sookie's voice calls out to her. "Lorelai, are you in here?" Well no escaping now. Sookie would surely panic if Lorelai was MIA, she had to reveal herself. Maybe just let her wonder for a few more minutes. She can still save her appearance; her dignity. "Sam said she saw you come in here!" So much for that plan. She wipes her face and slowly opens her stall door, Sookie sees her and runs into the stall.
"Honey! What happened?" She locks the stall behind her and turns around, Lorelai surprises both of them by falling into Sookie and begins crying onto her shoulder. "Are you okay sweetie? Talk to me!" Lorelai sniffles and then raises her head, turning to grab some toilet paper to dab her face.
"Just having a small, miniature meltdown in the bathroom. I'm sorry, I'm okay."
"What happened honey?" Her voice was syrupy and sweet. Lorelai tasted the beginnings of the vomit in her mouth. She swallowed it back.
"Nothing, nothing. Just had a Luke attack. I'm okay." She shrugs Sookie concerned hand off of her shoulder. "My makeup must be ruined!" She forces a small smile. "I must look like a wreck."
Sookie returns the small smile, letting her friend be strong. "I have some reinforcements in my bag. You wanna wait here and I'll go grab it?"
"If you are my ruca then I am Sublime." The reference flies over Sookie's head but she chooses to ignore it.
"I'll be right back." She leaves the stall and Lorelai latches the door behind her. It's been four weeks, a month, a
whole month. Lorelai shakes her head breathing in deeply. Composure. Highly overrated.
The girls from a few stalls down finish their business. "I'm going home with him tonight. I'd put money on it!" "No money needed. I know your powers!" A nauseating laugh. Lorelai winces. They leave her in silence again. Drip,
drip, drip. Distant music, laughing, clinking glasses.
Sookie soon returns with a gentle knock to her door. Lorelai opens the door, smiling. "Thanks hon".
"No problem. Now let's work some magic!"
Sookie begins pulling out her tools. "So wanna tell me what this was all about?"
Lorelai sighs. "I was flirting. I was being hit on. By the handsome bartender. The handsome bartender with the stoic face, a reserved smile, he was standing there behind the counter and flirting ensued! Sound familiar?"
"Oh hon..."
"I mean what is it with me a men behind counters!" A forced laugh and then she begins to rub the concealer under her eyes. Sookie studies her face, judging her readiness for the suggestion on Sookie's mind. She opens her mouth to speak, words begin, "You're dr-", but Lorelai continues.
"It's been a month Sook, a month. Am I crazy? I mean surely he would have made some sort of contact with me if he had any intention of rectifying the situation!"
"Well, you wanna know what I think?"
Lorelai continues, as she moves to replace the mascara that minutes ago transferred onto the discarded tissue in the toilet. "And you wanna hear the worst thing, I mean this takes the cake! He never even heard me out! Never let
me talk!" Anger begins bubbling and Sookie decides to tread lightly.
"Do you want to leave hon? Maybe that would be best..."
"No! We were having fun! Why should I be getting all upset like this. There is nothing I can do, live for the day baby!" Anger escapes and Sookie's mascara takes the fall, Lorelai throws it hard into the bag.
Gently, "You had your heart broken sweetie, this is normal. You're allowed a few tears."
Lorelai puts some lip gloss on and smacks her lips together forcefully. Sookie's statement hangs in the air.
"I need another drink! Live for the day baby!" Lorelai smiles, forced and angry. "Am I fixed?"
Sookie gives in and smiles sadly. "You look beautiful."
Okay, so my first chapter is done. Hope you enjoyed! Lots more drama and good stuff to come.