Hey, folks! I'm back with a lovely little sequel to my last story: Falling Into You. Now, if you haven't read the former story, no need to panic. You'll get along just fine with this one. And once you've read even the smallest portion of this story, I'm sure you'll be inspired to read the previous one anyway, so it all works out in the end ;) One thing to note (for the newbies) is the fact that Luke and Lorelai are an item – and the whole town knows it. As do Richard and Emily. Now, get ready for some good times. Ready…Set…Read!!!
It had been about a week since D-Day. Dragonfly Inn Day. The day that the townies chipped in and helped the money-hemorrhaging Inn owners with last minute adjustments, paint touch-ups and more. It was quite the to-do. Hell, Taylor even declared it a Town Event. But most importantly, it was successful. Sookie, Lorelai and Michel were now ready to meet the business world head on. And Stars Hollow was about to up its tourism rate.
Of course, the Inn owners were still game for a test-run. After all, this was the perfect opportunity to measure their preparedness for genuine customers. Earlier in the week, Lorelai had sent off invitations to their devoted friends and neighbors. All twelve rooms were ready and waiting to be occupied.
As Saturday rolled in, Sookie and Lorelai were busy chatting in the foyer. It was early. Lorelai's cheesed off expression hinted as much.
"So, are your parents still coming?" Sookie asked.
"Unfortunately."
"Well, I think this could be good. This might be good for them," the chef encouraged.
"So would a murder suicide," Lorelai grimaced.
Sookie shrugged, "What about Luke?" Changing the subject was smart.
"What about Luke?" Lorelai wondered.
"Is he still coming?"
"Wild horses couldn't drag him away. Or Cletus and Desdemona for that matter."
"Really? What did you do to him?"
Lorelai feigned surprise, "Nothing."
"Was it something slutty?" Sookie probed.
Lorelai chuckled, "You'll have to ask him."
Sookie giggled. "Ooh, I still can't get over the two of you. I can't believe you're together. I've never slept better."
"O-ok," Lorelai said with an air of concern in her voice.
The shuffling of showy hand-woven twine directed their attention towards Michel. He broke right into pleasantries. "Lorelai, where the hell is my chair?"
She was unfazed by his question. "Nice shoes."
Michel admired his feet for the fortieth time that day. "Thank-you."
"Expensive?" Sookie queried.
"Very," he replied superciliously.
"So, what can I do for you, Michel?" A straitjacket fitting would be a good start, Lorelai thought.
The concierge huffed, "You can start by answering my question. Where is my chair?"
Lorelai gestured towards the chair resting behind the front desk. "See that shiny thing over there? The thing with four legs, a padded seat, and a nice long back. Looks like a chair to me," she smirked.
"No. No. That is not my chair. I specifically asked for a Queen Anne Wing!"
"Yes, you did," Lorelai confirmed.
"You actually remember?" Michel added in a petulant tone.
"I do remember," Lorelai agreed, "I also remember my response. I believe it went something like this: When Stars Hollow gets swept up in a tornado, soars magically through the air and suddenly becomes Cloudcuckooland, I will give you your chair. In other words…never gonna happen."
"You are a vile woman."
"And proud of it. Now, if you two will excuse me, I have some things to take care of. People are going to be here in a few hours. That should be sufficient time for you to get acquainted with your modest chair, Michel." With that, Lorelai was off and running.
Michel scowled at the woman.
Sookie fought back a smile.
"I just hope Jean-Luc has room for me next week," Michel whined.
"Who's Jean-Luc?" Sookie spoke in her best French accent.
"My chiropractor," he stated as though it was obvious. He turned on his heel and walked toward the contested contraption.
Sookie sighed and headed for the kitchen. She rolled up her sleeves and dug right in. There simply wasn't time for remissness. This was her culinary battlefield and she was going to lead her troops to victory. The accolades would be falling from the heavens come evening.
The last remaining prep-hours quickly passed. The guests were set to arrive at any minute. Lorelai gathered the staff, gave them a peppy…pep talk and led them to the porch to greet the travelers.
"Ok, everyone. Here they come. This is our time to shine," Lorelai beamed.
The shuttles scooted around the circular drive and finally came to a stop. The boys immediately tended to the luggage, while Lorelai and Sookie escorted their friends inside. Keys were distributed and smiles and handshakes were eagerly exchanged.
Taylor of course had to add his two cents. "Lorelai, the ride over here was terribly dusty. You might want to warn your guests in the future to bring along another set of clothes. I suppose the complimentary press and shoeshine will have to suffice for now.
"The what?"
"Complimentary press and shoe shine. Surely you know what amenities your business offers?"
"Uh, yeah. Taylor, will you excuse me for a minute." Lorelai slinked through the crowd, searching for Michel. A bewildered Mr. Doose was left to stare openmouthed at his half-full complaint card.
Emily and Richard walked through the entrance just as Lorelai had wrapped her fingers around Michel's throat…or wrist.
"Crap," Lorelai sighed.
Patty and Babette enthusiastically welcomed the Gilmores.
"Richard, Emily. So nice to see you," Patty cooed.
"This place is a zoo," Emily returned.
"Are all of these people staying here?" Richard wondered aloud.
Lorelai released her hold on Michel. "I'll deal with you later," she warned. With a slight adjustment of her blouse, she was ready to tend to her parents. "Mom, dad! I'm so glad you're here." She even said it with a straight face.
"Are all of these people staying here?" Richard repeated.
"Yeah, dad. This is an Inn. The room you and mom are staying in has a private entrance."
"That's nice." Emily almost sounded pleased.
"Ok, good. Just follow Derek and Paul outside. They'll help you get all settled in." Lorelai instructed.
"Fine." Richard and Emily did as they were told.
Before Lorelai could take a breath, the beloved Kirk was in her face. "Where's Luke? He said he'd be here! But I don't see him. He wouldn't lie to me, would he?"
"Kirk, calm down. Luke will be here."
"He better be. I don't know how I'll make it through the night without him."
"Um…" Lorelai didn't bother trying to comprehend Kirk's ramblings as he disappeared out of sight. She finally took a breath and composed herself. This was going to be a long day.
"Lorelai, there you are," Taylor boomed. "I don't know why you felt the need to hide from me."
"I wasn't hiding, Taylor," Lorelai assured the man.
"I want to know what's taking so long with my loafers?"
"Excuse me?"
"I gave them to Michel…for the complimentary shoeshine."
Lorelai rolled her eyes in utter disbelief. "Unbelievable. This is unbelievable. Taylor, I assure you that I will get to the bottom of this. Until then, I can offer you a complimentary pair of Dragonfly Inn slippers." She retrieved a yellow pair from inside the closet.
"Oh, very well. But I'm going to have to add this little fiasco to my list of complaints." Taylor slowly made his way towards the staircase.
"Same here," Lorelai muttered.
By this point the foyer was nearly clear of all traffic. People were finally getting settled into their rooms. The Inn was almost at capacity. Only one person was missing.
The moment he stepped foot through the door, Lorelai broke into a grin. Perfect timing, Mr. Danes. And the flowers were a nice touch too. Their embrace was immediate. The flowers fell to the floor. Maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all.
TBC…
I've decided to bring back the Word Game. What is the Word Game, you ask? Well, you (the reader) suggest a word or two (or twenty) that you are especially fond of. It can be a word that is funny, weird, dirty etc. And I will include as many of your favorite words as I can in each chapter. Now hurry along and think of some. There'll be about five chapters in this quirky little story. Stay tuned.