A/N: This one came to me after a conversation with one of my friends and his lack of second dates. For now, its a one shot, but I may expand it later on.
Lorelai stepped back from his kiss before it could get too heated, by pushing him back with two hands on his chest. The gazebo in the centre of town on a Sunday afternoon was not the spot to start exploring kisses with a guy she only met the other day.
"So I think this first date went well." he said as he let her step back but took her hands in his and held them loosely between both of them.
"You do, huh?" Lorelai smiled and stepped back a little more, letting go of one of his hands and walking them towards his car that was parked across from Ms Patty's dance studio.
"Yeah, well enough to try again at any rate."
"I think you might be right." She looked up and smiled at him. Her eyes took in his light beard, his broad smile and twinkling green eyes.
"There is a cult movie screening in Greensboro Drive in on Wednesday night, do you wanna go with me?"
"Whats the movie?" Lorelai asked as they reached his car. She turned and leaned against it, grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him close enough to stand between her legs. "Because it could be a deal breaker."
"The towering inferno."
"Oh!" she exclaimed with excitement.
"I take it that's a yes?" he said as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"Yes, I love that movie."
"I'll pick you up this time." he said against her neck. "So you'll need to give me your address."
Lorelai pushed him back with a smile and shrugged. "Well, you can understand I don't usually give my address to strangers I meet in the grocery store. I thought it best that we meet for brunch rather than you picking me up."
"It's fair, I get it. But unless you want to sit in separate cars at the drive in…"
Lorelai chuckled. "I would make for some difficult conversation."
"Yeah...conversation." He leaned down and kissed her neck but Lorelai was becoming increasingly aware of the few onlookers in the square and she was sure she could feel Ms Patty boring holes into the back of her head from the door to her studio.
"Okay Neil, settle down."
"Sorry," he shrugged with a smile and stepped back from her. "So, your address?"
"It's the white house on Cherry road."
"White house?"
"There are only 4 houses on that street, mine is the white one."
"Okay, got it. I'll pick you up at 7? Should give us enough time to get to the drive in and load up on snacks."
"I like your thinking."
"Alright, so, wednesday then."
"Yep, wednesday."
Neil leaned down and kissed her cheek again then pulled her away from his car and got in. Lorelai watched him drive off then turned her attention towards Ms Patty's where, sure enough, she was leaning against the door, her lit cigarette balancing between her fingers on a long filter.
"Hey Patty."
"Lorelai darling, where did you meet that fine specimen?"
Lorelai smiled then crossed her arms over her chest and strolled over the road to stand at the bottom of the steps that led up to the studio.
"Grocery store in Hartford."
"Wow, frozen foods section? Single dinners?"
Lorelai chuckled. "Coffee aisle."
"Ahhh. First date?"
"First yes, but not the last."
"That's my girl."
"I'll let you be so you can spread the news," Lorelai said with a wave as she turned and walked towards the diner.
Luke moved around the room seeing to customers, refilling coffee, collecting paid bills and cleaning up used plates and mugs. He moved swiftly and with ease, carefully navigating his way around tables and chairs, a spring in his step and a curved smile on his lips. When Lorelai pushed the door open he greeted her with a half wave and a nod towards an empty stool by the end of the counter.
Without asking he pulled a mug out from under the counter, slid his pen behind his ear and into his cap and snatched the coffee from the warmer behind him. "Eating today?" he said as he reached for his notepad and replaced the coffee behind him. "Or have you had your fill already?" he added, his voice lower as if he wasn't sure if he wanted her to hear it or not. But she heard it.
Lorelai looked at him over the rim of her mug as she sipped her coffee and smiled when she put it down in front of her.
"You saw that huh?"
"I think everyone in town saw it." He arched one eyebrow and glanced at what she was wearing. He noticed the snug jeans, the white and blue striped tee shirt and the careful but carefree way her hair was half held up in a messy ponytail. "First date?"
Lorelai nodded.
"Not the last I take it."
Lorelai shook her head and couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips.
"Congrats." He refilled her coffee then moved away and tended to a couple of customers that were waiting by the till to settle their bill.
"How about you?"
"How about me what?" Luke asked as he sauntered back over to her.
"Didn't you go out with Cherry Tompkins last week?"
"I walked her home from the town hall meeting, does that count?"
"Maybe to Cherry."
"It didn't."
"What about Sharon Watkins?"
"Sharon Watkins?"
"I heard from," she comically covered her mouth with the back of one hand as if trying to speak in confidence. "You know who, that you took Sharon Watkins out to Hartford for dinner at the weekend."
"I take it you mean Ms Patty, and as usual her facts may be somewhat accurate, the context behind them is totally lost."
"So? What happened?"
"I gave Sharon a lift in my truck to Hartford to collect a tool bench for her husband that she purchased online or something, and she bought me dinner to say thank you."
Luke rolled his eyes as he spoke and went about the diner again tending to his customers. The tail end of lunch on a sunday was always slow and seemed to drag out but he didn't mind when he knew Lorelai would keep him amused for the guts of the afternoon and the plans he had in the evening were enough to keep him energized.
"Oh, so the rumours about you and Daisy Hoey are probably unfounded too huh?" Lorelai asked only a hint of mischief in her tone.
Luke who was passing just behind her paused and smirked. With both hands full of dirty dishes and cups he leaned over her shoulder, his chin almost touching her, his breath warm on her neck and ear. "I wouldn't say completely unfounded." he whispered then paused for a heartbeat more before moving on and into the kitchen. When he returned behind the counter to settle another bill he glanced over and delighted in the shocked look that was still plastered on her face.
"Luke!" He looked up at her with a frown at the volume she had used to speak his name. "Get over here, tell me everything!"
Luke continued to see to his customers and made one more round with the coffee pot before coming back to the end of the counter and leaning on it with his forearms. He looked up at her with a crooked smile then chuckled at the expression on her face.
"Luke!" she yelled again and slapped his arm.
"Alright, alright." he smiled, leaned up and held his arms up to stop her from slapping him again. "First, tell me what you heard."
"Luke, if you don't-"
"I just want to be sure we're talking about the same incident."
"There are multiple incidents!" she yelled again, garnering the attention of the few customers that were left in the diner.
"What did you hear?"
"Babbette said you went out on a date with her and took her to Carlito's on Route 95." Luke made no effort to correct her so she continued. "She also said you wore a suit."
"A suit?" he chuckled. "No, not a suit."
"And she said you were seen making out in the gazebo at midnight that night too!"
Luke leaned his head back and laughed. When he sobered up enough to speak he turned to face her fully, a crooked smile curving his lips on one side. "First, I was not wearing a suit, I had on a shirt but no tie. Second we went on a date but not to Carlitos, I took her to Jake's for a drink. And finally we did not make out on the gazebo."
"But you did make out?"
Luke crooked an eyebrow up as he slung the dish towel over his shoulder. "And you think I would tell you this why?"
"Because we're friends, and friends share things like this!" she sipped her coffee and shrugged her shoulders.
"Who was the guy?" Luke asked as he nodded in the direction of the square.
"Neil. Neil Lawson." Her smiled widened as her mind played a reel of memories from her date. "We're going out on wednesday again."
"Again huh?"
"Well that's the best thing about a first date."
"The second date?"
"Yeah!" Lorelai chuckled. "It's like a first date without all the pesky nerves."
Luke chuckled and turned away to deal with a couple of customers that were waiting by the till. When he returned he refilled her coffee.
"So are you taking Daisy out on a second date?"
Luke smiled. "Tonight."
"Go you!" Lorelai said with a wide smile and punched his upper arm. "Where are you taking her?"
"Make out session on the gazebo."
He spoke just as Lorelai sipped her coffee causing her to choke on her laugh and slide into a coughing fit. Luke looked on smugly as she recovered and when she could, she glared at him. "Smooth."
Luke went to speak but as he opened his mouth the phone behind him rang.
"Saved by the bell Danes!" Lorelai called after him as she turned and reached for the handset.
He tossed a smile at her then half turned away to speak. "Luke's."
Lorelai looked around the diner at the few customers that were left and wondered to herself if she could convince him into taking the cards out from under the counter for a game.
"Right, yeah, um...sure."
She glanced up at him, tried not to listen in to the one sided conversation but his voice lowered and he turned even more away from her, her ears pricked in an effort to hear.
"Ok, maybe another time...thanks for calling." Luke hung up the phone and took a minute to neutralise his facial expression before turning back to face Lorelai.
She was looking into her coffee and didn't look up until he stood in front of her. Eventually when she raised her head and looked up with a rueful smile. Luke shrugged, reached under the counter and took out a pack of cards.
"Game?"
Lorelai smiled and pushed her coffee aside to make room.
Luke pulled his truck outside her house and looked over with a half smile. He climbed out and walked around to open her door then walked her to the front of her house.
"Thanks for a lovely evening," She said as she clutched her bag in both hands and looked up at him expectantly.
"It was my pleasure."
"Do you want to come in? For a nightcap?" She swayed slightly from side to side and Luke knew by the way she tilted her chin up towards him that she was waiting for a kiss but he didn't want to lead her on. So he took a purposeful step back as he spoke.
"No thanks, I need to get going, I have an early start tomorrow and bit of a drive back to Stars Hollow from here."
"Oh," she seemed a little deflated by his words but tried to widen her smile and not show her disappointment. "I understand."
"So I better go…" Luke backed off further and she reached behind her for the door. He lifted his hand in a wave then turned and walked quickly back to his truck. He quickly climbed in and drove off, eager to finish this date as quick as possible.
He got back to the diner just as Caesar was dealing with the last of the customers and ushered him out with them, insisting on cleaning up himself. He took off his coat and hung it up on the hooks behind the curtain then hurried upstairs to grab a couple of beers. Back down in the diner he rolled up his sleeves and walked around lifting the chairs onto the tables to make it easier to sweep.
With the sweeping finished he went into the kitchen tossing one empty beer bottle into the recycling bin as he opened the other. When the bells over the door rang he popped his head out to see Lorelai swan across the room and perch on a counter stool as if it was the middle of the day.
"Closed." he called out to her and turned his attention back to the last few items that needed washing.
"Luuuuuuke!" she cried out. "I need coffee."
"It's too late for coffee." He drained the water in the sink and dried off his hands then grabbed his beer and went out to greet her.
"No fair, you have beer." she said and she pointed at the bottle dangling between two of his fingers.
He lifted it up towards her and she smiled as she reached out for it but he pulled it away at the last minute and lifted it to his lips to take a drink with a smile. She watched him with her mouth hanging open then when he passed the bottle to her she snatched it quickly and took a long drink, finishing the beer, all the while staring at him. Luke looked on with a smile then said "Another?"
Lorelai banged the bottle onto the table and glared at him. "Yes."
Luke chuckled as he went behind the curtain and hurried up to the flat to grab a couple more bottles. When he returned she had taken off her cardigan and was bent over the top of the counter, her feet dangling in the air behind her, her head bent low over the counter looking at the stuff underneath.
"What are you doing?" he asked as he opened both bottles and placed them on the counter.
"Looking for the cards."
"Move…I'll get them."
"I think I'm stuck."
Luke gripped her shoulders and tried to lift her up but at the angle he was he couldn't be sure he wouldn't push her off the counter entirely. He moved around to the other side and carefully put his hands on either sides of her waist and slowly lifted and pulled her back off the counter and placed her carefully on the stool. Lorelai was smiling when he came round the counter again.
"Head rush!" she said as she slid both bottles of beer closer to them.
"Why didn't you just go round the counter to grab the cards?"
"Seemed easier to lean over the counter to get them."
"Seemed that way huh." He reached into the back of the counter and grabbed them then slid them out of the pack and started to shuffle.
"Wait…" Lorelai had the beer covering beside her pursed lips. "Didn't you have a date tonight?"
"Yeah."
Lorelai glanced up at the clock and saw it was just after ten. "Bit early to be home on date night?"
"Couldn't get home soon enough." Luke muttered, half hoping she would hear him, half hoping she wouldn't.
"Oh, didn't go well?"
"No, it was a train wreck." He picked up his beer and sipped it then shuffled the cards and started to deal.
"Wanna talk about it?" she asked tentatively not wanting to push him.
"I want to not be dating anymore."
"Aww Luke, don't give up, I'm sure you'll find Mrs Burger boy out there."
"It feels like all the rules have changed."
"What do you mean?"
"It seemed so much easier when I was younger. I'd meet someone, we'd get along, we'd date, everything was clear, intentions were communicated. But now…"
"Now what?"
"Now it feels like everyone woman I meet has an agenda. And either I don't fit into it, or it's not something I want to get involved in."
"You mean children?"
"No. Well yes, but no."
Lorelai chuckled and took a drink of her beer. "You're not making much sense."
"Tonight I took my date out for dinner and the whole time she talked about her job."
"What was her job?"
"I'm not even sure, something in sales."
Lorelai laughed. "She spent the whole time talking about her job and you don't know what her job is?"
"It wasn't that interesting. No matter that I said, how I changed the subject, she always brought it back to her job."
"So it was a wash out."
"Yeah. and last week I took Daisy out and thought it went really well and she blew me off when I tried to arrange the second date." He sipped his beer. "I believe you witnessed that phone call." He picked up his cards and urged her to do the same. She shuffled her cards around in her hand and then placed four face down on the counter.
"Gimme four."
He dealt them out then took two for himself. Lorelai shuffled her cards in her hand again and glanced up at him to see if he was finished talking. He was frowning as he focused on his cards but she didn't think it was the cards that was the source of his annoyance.
"The second date hurdle has been a bigger obstacle than anticipated," he said his voice low as he glanced up at her to see if she was watching him and sipped his beer. She was watching him and put her cards down on the counter to give him her full attention. "I think maybe I'm just not cut out for this new world dating."
"Don't say that Luke."
"In the last few weeks I've been on more dates than Hef. All first dates. No follow through. He tossed his cards onto the counter too and drank again wondering if it would help him stop talking. He didn't usually spout out crap like this to Lorelai, hell to anyone but at this stage he was at end point and was ready to give up on this new found dating scene. "Maybe I'm just a terrible date."
Lorelai chuckled and reached out to pat his arm. "Don't say that Luke, I really doubt it's even close to being true."
"You don't know that, you only see diner Luke, or handyman Luke. Maybe date Luke is repulsive."
"Luke," She squeezed his arm all mirth gone from her voice when she realised the words he had spoken were only partially in jest. "You're the most thoughtful, caring guy I know. You're incredibly polite, charming when you want to be and ridiculously chivalrous. There is no way on this god given earth that you are a bad date. Unless you tell me you spend the time on your date talking about your mother, ex girlfriends, the diner budget control, picking your nose or adjusting your…self."
"Thats off limits?" he said and she looked up to see him crack a half smile. "I'm joking of course."
"So tell me, what is the patented Luke Danes date? What are you bringing to the table?"
Luke coughed lightly and took the time to sip his drink to stall for time before responding. "Usually I'll pick her up at home. Arrive pretty much on time but a little late just to give her that extra few minutes to get ready. They never are ready."
"Oh Luke, that's so cute," she said and patted his arm again. "Women are usually ready a couple of hours in advance and only make men wait to keep them on edge."
Luke smiled. "Good to know." He lifted his beer in a salute then took a drink and continued to talk. "I'll take her to a restaurant, the caliber of which will be depending on the mood of the date."
"Right so fancy tie restaurant or pub grub."
Luke shrugged. "Depends on the lady. If dinner is a success I'll suggest a beer or a walk. If not, I'll call it a day and bring her home."
"And what topics of conversation do you bring up?"
"Again depends on the lady." He shrugged took a drink and looked up to the ailing in thought. "With Daisy we talked a lot of baseball."
"Oh." Lorelai winced a little.
"What, she's the baseball coach at the school, she likes sport!"
"She probably spends all day talking baseball, doesn't mean she wanted to talk sports on a date."
"Well seemingly not." Luke sipped his beer again, his face creased in annoyance. "Tonight I couldn't get a word in so my topics were moot."
"Nice word."
"Usually I'll just let it flow naturally. Find common ground, find out what makes her smile, keep going in that direction." He looked up at her to see if she approved or not, but her expression was grim.
"Seems safe enough," she said after a while.
"Safe?"
"I guess it depends on you really."
"What do you mean?"
"Well this sudden flurry of dating is quite out of character for you. So if there is a particular reason for your dating…" she paused to give him a minute to fill in the gap but he didn't speak so she continued. "Or maybe you are just taken with these women in particular, and that can drive the flow of conversation."
"Ugh, it's so complicated." Luke dropped his head onto his crossed arms.
Lorelai chuckled and squeezed his arm again, only then realizing she had been holding his arm this whole time. She took her hand back and rested it on her lap then sipped her beer and finished it. "It doesn't have to be. I bet you are just tense and letting your nerves get the better of you."
"Or I'm just tense because I'm a terrible date and I know it, she knows it and soon every woman in a thirty mile radius will know it."
"Come out with me and Neil," Lorelai said suddenly.
"What?"
"Find your next date, and come out with me and Neil so I can objectively see you in action on said date and-"
"Critique?"
"Offer constructive feedback!"
"I don't know Lorelai," He gathered her empty bottle with his own to put into the recycling then came back to the counter and leaned on it with his forearms. Lorelai couldn't resist and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Think about it." Without speaking he nodded his head. She squeezed his shoulder then turned on the stool and gathered her things. "See you tomorrow?"
Luke nodded and waved as she turned and left.
Weeks had passed since they had spoken about Luke's fruitless dating life and though Lorelai was dying to ask him about how it was going she didn't want to hassle him into talking about it. It wasn't often he brought up personal stuff and when he did she relished in it, bathed in the intimacy of it, but in the past when she asked him the same personal stories he would clam up quicker than she thought possible. So she had learned to wait for him to broach the subject. Finally, one thursday after the weekly town hall meeting Lorelai walked out with Rory tucked under her arm and they were halfway to the video rental store when Luke caught up with them.
"Hey," he said as they turned when he called out her name. "You got a sec?"
"Sure." Luke glanced at Rory and Lorelai turned her daughter to face the video store. "Go in and pick a couple of movies."
"Ok, but if I choose the movie then I also choose the take out."
"You got it kid"
Rory raced into the store and Lorelai turned back to face Luke, her hands in her front jacket pockets. "Whats up?"
"I have a date."
"Great, did you want me to gather everyone back into the dance hall for the meeting so you can announce it there?"
"No!" He rolled his eyes and she loved how he squirmed when he spoke, scuffed his toe on the edge of the curb. "I wanted to know if your offer still stands."
"My offer?" she knew exactly what he meant but needed him to say it. Well, wanted him to.
"Double date."
"Oh right, yeah! Of course."
"So you and me, and Rebecca and…"
"Neil."
"Yeah we'll go out for dinner or something?"
"Whatever you want."
"Dinner seems safe."
"Safe?"
"Easy."
"Easy?" She smiled. "You want your date to be safe and easy."
"Lorelai…"
"I'm just trying to get a feel for what kind of date you want with this woman."
"Rebecca."
"Where did you meet her?"
"She works at the vets office in Hartford. I met her at the wholesale place out there, she was buying feed and I was buying supplies."
"Is she a vet?"
"No, I think she works in the office."
"How about dinner and drinks in Murphy's in Haven?"
"Murphy's? Thats kind of a loud bar."
"It's a date Luke, not a funeral."
"Okay, whatever."
"Whatever? Great attitude for a first date."
"Lorelai!" he warned her but she smiled.
"Trust me, it will be can pick her up and we'll meet there. I'll book a table for 8, so we can have a drink, grab some food and if it's going well you can excuse yourselves and take her for a walk through the park. They'll have it all lit up for the summer fest."
"Okay, that sounds good."
"So Saturday night? 8pm in Murphys?"
"Yep. It's a date."
"Double date."
"Yeah, that's what I meant, double date." Luke scuffed his toe and she watched as a creeping blush covered his cheeks making her smile. "Right, I gotta go, I'll call you tomorrow and confirm."
Luke waved then turned and practically ran back to the diner. Lorelai went into the video store to meet Rory then hurried home to get watching their movie choices. As Rory made the popcorn Lorelai raced upstairs with the phone to call Neil.
"A double date?" he said unconvinced. She hadn't told him about Luke's misfortunate dating spree, and she was sure Luke wouldn't want her to tell him about her plan to give him feedback so she just made it seem like an opportunity for him to meet Luke, the man who made the famous coffee she continuously mentioned.
"I really want you to meet Luke, he's…he's my best friend. And I don't just want to bring you into the diner, where he will be too busy to meet you."
"So we're going on a double date with him and his girlfriend."
"I don't know if it's officially his girlfriend yet."
"Lorelai…"
"C'mon Neil, we're just going to Murphy's, we can have a few drinks, bit of food, maybe a game of pool and that's it."
"Okay, sure, if that's what you want to do on saturday, it's fine with me."
"Okay, we can meet there, as it makes most sense."
"I can pick you up."
"No, that would be silly to ask you to do that, let's just meet there, I'm going to book a table for 8."
"Alright, how about we meet at 7.30 and make out in the car park before going in?"
Lorelai laughed into the phone. "Good plan."
"Ok, see you there at 7.30."
Lorelai quickly dialed Murphys and booked the table then raced downstairs to fill in Rory. After convincing her daughter that she needed to either go to her grandparents for the night, or to Lane's they settled in to watch the movies they had chosen.
Saturday night Lorelai dressed with an extra spring in her step. She was beaming with excitement at the prospect of witnessing a new side of Luke and getting to meet the woman he was hoping to date. She hadn't been to the vet before so had no idea what she looked like but she imagined her to be small and blonde for some reason. When the taxi arrived both her and Rory jumped in. Outside Lane's Rory kissed her mother and climbed out then Lorelai was on her way to Murphy's. She spotted Neil in the car park when her taxi pulled up and he walked towards the cab as she paid and climbed out.
"You came in time for the make out session."
Lorelai laughed again and cupped his face in her hands for a gentle kiss. "Make out session standing in a carpark slash smoking section. Hot."
"I thought so." He leaned down to kiss her neck and nuzzled her ear but she gently pushed him away and held onto his hands. "C'mon, let's go in." Lorelai was wearing a dark pair of blue jeans with leather boots that had a 2 inch heel and a sea green blouse with a wide neck. Neil had on a white shirt tucked into his faded levis with a brown belt around his waist. They held hands as they walked through the bar and at the counter he ordered them both gins and tonics. When Lorelai enquired about their table they were brought to a booth near the back of the room, next to the jukebox and dance floor, on the other side of which were three pool tables. The lighting was dim but not dark and the wood panelling on the wall was covered with various old newspaper clippings, photos and old irish beer advertisements.
"Perfect," Lorelai said as they both slipped into the booth either side of the table.
"So, Luke right?"
"Yes, Luke."
"He runs the diner you keep talking about?"
"He owns it," she said trying not to bristle. "He owns and runs it. And makes the best coffee known to man."
"That good?"
"Better than you can even imagine."
"You'll have to bring me there some time."
"I think you might have earned it." Lorelai sipped her drink all the while keeping an eye on the direction of the door to see when they would arrive.
It was almost 8.30 when she spotted Luke walk through the door and behind him a woman walked confidently and with purpose. She was tall, almost as tall as Luke which would make her as tall as herself, she realised and had rich auburn hair that hung in bouncing curls to her shoulders. She was smiling at something Luke had said and reached out to touch his arm as they got to the bar. He leaned in towards her, an arm hovering over the small of her back but not quite touching her. Lorelai realized he was asking her what she wanted to drink and watched the interaction with interest. She leaned towards him smiling, leaned closer than she needed to be seeing as the bar volume was not quite at raucous levels. He collected their drinks from the bartender and looked around the room until he spotted Lorelai sitting in the booth.
Lorelai smiled and waved then patted Neil's arm to point them out as they approached. Both Lorelai and Neil slid out of the booth to shake their hands when they arrived and after an awkward round of introductions they turned back to the booth to sit in again.
"How should we do this?" Lorelai said as she looked at the other three standing behind her. "Boys and girls, or dates and dates?"
"Sit with me Lorelai," Neil said and took her hand to pull her over onto his side then slid into the booth and dragged her with him.
Luke gestured at the booth for Rebecca to get in first then got in beside her and chanced a glance up at Lorelai who was watching him with a smile.
"So Luke," Neil said with a glance up and down at the man before him. Luke was wearing a blue oxford shirt, tucked into a pair of khaki slacks. "Lorelai tells me you own the diner in Stars Hollow?"
"Yeah."
There was a pause where everyone, but Luke, waited for him to elaborate but instead it was simply silent.
Neil glanced at Lorelai who watched Luke with a slight frown. "It used to be your father's hardware store right?" she prompted him but instead he just nodded and sipped his drink. Lorelai moved her foot forward under the table and pressed it against Luke's but he didn't seem to notice and instead sipped his drink, seemingly oblivious to the silence.
"And you Rebecca, you're a vet?"
"Oh no," she smiled and waved her hand. "I work in a vets office but I'm not a vet. I work in the admin office, handling schedules, medications stuff like that."
"Sounds interesting."
"No two days are the same." Rebecca laughed softly and glanced at Luke who was listening to the conversation with interest but not contributing anything. Lorelai pressed her foot to his again but realising he was wearing boots and couldn't feel her she lifted her foot to press against his shin.
Luke shifted on his seat and looked down at his leg then quickly up to Lorelai in surprise. She sipped her drink with wide eyes and did a sharp nod towards Rebecca. Luke sifted again and quickly cleared his throat.
"Um, so you must be good with animals," he said and glanced over at Lorelai who was watching him with interest. "To work in a vets office I mean."
"Well I feed them sometimes, but other than that I don't really have anything to do with them."
"Right, yeah."
Another heavy silence fell over them and Lorelai couldn't stand it any more. "So, shall we get some food? Maybe a platter?"
Neil grabbed the menus which were folded up at the side of the table, then handed them out and flicked through it himself.
"Oh, vegetable tempura!" Lorelai exclaimed and she nudged Neil. "You wanna share a portion?"
"Share?" Neil spoke without looking up and chuckled. "Evenly?"
"Sure."
"So then I don't need to order anything, as I'll get half of the tempura."
"Well...I mean no point in not ordering something, why not just get something for choice?"
Neil nudged her with his elbow and smiled. "How about I get the mozzarella sticks."
"Yumm!"
"And then we can also share a plate of nachos?"
"Sold!"
Luke watched and listened to the easy exchange then chanced a glance at Rebecca who was studying the menu. He glanced over the options then leaned over towards her and pointed out something on the menu. "We could order this...and maybe this too?" he suggested and Rebecca looked at what he was pointing at.
Lorelai noticed the slight wince behind the smile she offered Luke but he didn't seem to catch it. He smiled with her and settled back in his seat to sip his drink.
"I'll go up to the bar and order for us shall I?" Lorelai offered and Neil pulled her arm to stop her from getting out of the booth.
"They'll send a waitress over to take our orders."
"No it's fine, it'll be quicker this way. I'll get another round in too." She slid out of the booth and turned to Luke and Rebecca. "Luke, you want to come with me and place the order for you guys?"
"Um," He glanced up at her and turned to Rebecca then shrugged and got out of the booth. "Sure yeah, Rebecca you want another drink?"
"Sure."
"Same again?"
"Yes, please."
Luke and Lorelai went over to the bar and he stood back to let her lean against it then squeezed sideways into the small space next to her.
"Whats going on Luke?"
"What?"
"I know you're pretty monosyllabic most of the time but you're going to have to stretch your words out a bit more."
"What do you mean?"
"Neil was asking you about the diner and all you could say was yeah, and nod."
"I'm not on a date with Neil."
"Rebecca is sitting right there!"
"I just feel on edge, like everyone is watching me. Judging me"
"Luke, no one is watching you." Then she remembered the reason why she was on this double date. "Except for me, no one is watching you or judging you."
"Okay, okay, I'll try harder."
"Tell me this Luke," Lorelai glanced over her shoulder at Nei and Rebecca who were chatting animatedly in the booth. "Why did you ask her out?"
"Why?"
"Yeah, what was the setup that led to you asking her out?"
"I met her at the wholesale store, she was struggling to lift a bag of feed into her cart and I went over to help." He shrugged as if this was normal and Lorelai smiled. In Luke world, it was normal. "I put three bags into her cart then helped her steer it and brought it out to her car and helped her load."
"And what made you ask her out?"
"Have you seen her?"
Lorelai glanced over her shoulder again at Rebecca as she laughed at something Neil said and ran her fingers through her hair. "Yeah, she is stunning."
"Well we got chatting-"
"About what?"
"I don't know, the weather?"
"The weather?"
"Yeah the weather, the feed bags, her car, just stuff, and I asked if she wanted to go grab a coffee." Luke blushed a little and looked away as if trying to get the attention of the bar staff. "She said she needed to get back to work, but said we could meet for a drink sometime. Then she gave me her number."
"All sounds really natural."
"And now?"
"And now you are wound up tighter than a swiss clock and can barely put together a full sentence."
Luke frowned and looked away then caught the attention of the barman to place their order. He looked to Lorelai to allow her to go first and glanced back at the booth to see Rebecca and Neil laughing. Luke frowned then turned back to the barman.
"We'll get a portion of garlic mushrooms, the mixed veg platter and a portion of sweet potato fries."
"And to drink?"
"A bottle of beer and a vodka tonic."
The barman asked them where they were seated and promised to bring their food and drinks over then went back to the till to submit their order.
"Really Luke?"
"What? The vodka tonic is for Rebecca."
"Garlic mushrooms? On a first date?"
"What?"
"That's a rookie mistake. Never order garlic food on a first date. It's a signal."
"It's a garlic flavoured fungus."
"That destroys any kissing mood that might manifest."
"Oh...right…" Luke looked over his shoulder and quickly flagged the barman down again. The changed the order of garlic mushrooms to ribs but Lorelai grabbed his arm and shook her head. "Too messy?"
"Third date maybe, but not first, and not in front of people you just met."
"What else then?"
"How about the breaded chicken poppers?" Lorelai said and pointed to the menu. "You can make them a little spicey for the kick and they come with a cajun dip."
"Okay those," he said to the barman who was watching the exchange with a tired smile.
"Okay, so now, we're going back there." Luke took a deep breath and brushed down the front of his shirt as he stepped away from the bar. "You're going to relax, and use the multitude of words I know you know."
"Right, yeah."
"By the way," Lorelai said as they made their back through the bar which had now become a little more crowded. She walked in front of him and he followed close behind. "You look really good tonight."
"Sorry?" he leaned closer to her and bent his head over her shoulder to hear her better.
"I said," she turned her head towards him and was surprised by how close his head was to hers. "You look really good tonight."
Luke blushed and turned slightly towards her to see if she was looking and when he saw that she was, his blushed deepened and he pulled back. When they got to the table and slid into the booth the mood had relaxed considerably. Luke listened to the story Rebecca was telling Neil about a dog in the office that was stung by a bee.
"His whole face was swollen up from the sting and when we managed to get his jaw open, the bee flew out! And stung the vet!"
"No way!" Neil laughed and Luke chuckled too, half turned in the booth to face Rebecca as she spoke. Lorelai watched as he butted in with a question, laughed at her comments and offered her all of his attention. At least all of it, when he wasn't glancing at Lorelai.
When she was finished her story the waiter arrived with a large tray which he balanced impressively on one hand as the other put the various dishes they had ordered onto the table. Lorelai watched with interest as Rebecca leaned towards Luke and pointed at the dishes a small smile on her lips.
"No, they were out of garlic mushroom, I hope you like the chicken instead."
"I'm sure it'll be fine." she said as she speared one popper with her fork and bit into it.
As they ate Lorelai prodded Luke into telling a couple of diner stories, but no matter how much he tried to get the stories out that Lorelai knew to be funny and charming they seemed bland and uninteresting. He spoke about how Kirk argued with him over the price of toast going up but ended up coming across like a capitalist grump. When he tried to talk about Ms Patty or Babette constantly ogling him, was should have been funny and a little embarrassing, ended up with him sounding like a prude.
Neil nudged Lorelai under the table to catch her attention and when she looked he frowned in Luke's direction but Lorelai ignored him and turned her focus back onto Luke. She had never seen him like this before. Sure he was grumpy but he wasn't a grumpy guy. He didn't enjoy having Ms Patty and Babbette ogle and grope him but he never made a fuss about it other than a soft curse when they tried it. She knew him to be caring and funny, smart and thoughtful and here he was coming across like a crotchety old man who hated to be around women.
"Hey, Neil, lets dance!" she said suddenly feeling the urge to give him some space and see if he can't shake the nerves that seemed to be consuming him.
"Dance?" Neil looked over at her then over her shoulder at the small dance floor which was completely empty.
"C'mon!" she slid out of the booth and held a hand out to Neil as she stood on the edge of the dance floor and swayed her hips. Both Neil and Luke watched her and Rebecca was stirring her drink with her straw.
"The lady wants to dance, the lady gets to dance," Neil said with a smile as he climbed out after her and took her hand. The song was fast 50's rockabilly song and he twirled her around the floor, both of them laughing.
Luke turned back to Rebecca and cleared his throat softly. "Would you um, like to um...dance?"
Rebecca looked up at the dread that was in his face and smiled. She reached out and touched his hand softly. "No, that's fine. I'm happy just sitting here with you." The relief in his eyes was obvious and it made her smile even more. "So the diner you work in used to be a hardware store?"
"Yeah, it was my dad's store. I helped him run it while he was sick, then after he passed I turned it into a diner."
"Oh, I'm sorry." she winced at his words. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
"That's ok." Luke smiled a little. He tried to think of something to say, something to steer the conversation away from his father's death but his mind drew a complete blank. He picked up his drink and sipped it then glanced over his shoulder at Lorelai and Neil who were now dancing to a slow ballad, but this time were joined by a few other couples on the dance floor. Lorelai was looking at him over Neil's shoulder and frowned. She jerked her head making Neil look around, she smiled at him then turned back to Luke as soon as he looked away. Her eyes widened and she jerked her head again.
"What are you doing Lorelai?" Neil asked and he turned slightly to see what she was looking at.
"Nothing I was just making sure everything was going okay over there."
"I think Luke can look after himself."
"I know he can I just want this to go well for him."
"What? His date?" Neil chuckled and turned them so she had her back to the table. "Let's leave Luke alone to handle his own date without us interfering."
"I'm not interfering...I'm just observing."
"Well how about you observe me for a while instead?"
Lorelai turned back but instead of the soft smile she expected to see his words were barbed with a frown "Sorry." she said as she tightened her grip around his neck and rested her forehead on his shoulder.
By the time they got back to the table Luke had gone up to the bar to get in another round and Neil went to join him. Lorelai slid into the booth across from Rebecca and smiled.
"How long have you and Neil been dating?"
"A month or so."
"He seems really nice."
"Yeah," Lorelai said and glanced over at the Bar where Luke and Neil were chatting. "So you and Luke…"
"Just met a few days ago."
Lorelai waited for her to elaborate but it seemed Rebecca wasn't going to offer any more conversation. Instead she looked over towards the bar and then down to her watch. Lorelai could almost see the escape plan forming in her hear and her heart sank. By the time Luke and Neil got back, Lorelai was on edge waiting for Rebecca to announce her departure. Sure enough a few moments later Rebecca's phone rang. She grabbed it from her bag and looked at the screen with a frown.
"I um, need to take this… sorry!"
Luke slid back and let her out of the booth then sat back down and sipped his beer, oblivious to the hatched plan that was forming around him. When Rebecca returned moments later she had a stricken look on her face. "I'm so sorry to do this but i need to go."
"Oh? Is everything ok?" Luke asked worried and he stood up next to her.
"Yeah, it's nothing too serious, my friend has had an accident and needs me to pick her up from the hospital."
"Oh!"
"So I better get going."
Lorelai nodded sagely and watched as Luke handed Rebecca her coat and bag then walked with her out of the bar. A few minutes later her returned alone and sat into the booth with a whumpf. "I offered to take her but she wanted a taxi."
"Which hospital?"
"Huh?"
"Which hospital was her friend in?"
"Lorelai." Neil warned.
"Mount carmel I think."
"And she is picking her friend up in a cab?"
"Yeah, I think so. Why?"
"Lorelai!" Neil warned again, this time more harshly.
"Anyway, I'm going to head off." Luke finished his beer and slid out of the booth.
"No Luke, stay!" Lorelai reached out for him but he was out of reach.
"No, I'm going to go. I might give Rebecca a call, and make sure everything is ok."
"Oh Luke, no."
He looked at her with a frown then suddenly realizing what was happening around him his frown slowly disappeared but in its place a shadow of embarrassment appeared. "I'll see ya." He turned quickly and walked out.
"Luke! Wait!" Lorelai said and she pushed Neil to urge him to get out of the booth. Move Neil, quick!"
"Lorelai, wait…" Neil said as he stumbled aside from her pushing. She didn't wait to hear what he had to stay and instead she hurried after Luke who was against the entrance to the parking lot pulling his coat on tighter around himself.
"Luke," she said softly as she came up behind him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"It was a stupid idea. I don't know why I thought it would work."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm a terrible date."
"No, you're not. It was me, me and neil being here on a first date. Clearly we didn't think this through." Lorelai came around to his side and leaned against the wall next to him then crossed her arms over her chest.
"I feel like an idiot."
"You're not an idiot." She nudged him with her shoulder. "She's an idiot."
Luke chuckled and nudged her back. "Ugh, why am I even bothering." Luke dropped his chin to his chest and his shoulders slumped even lower.
"Because you don't want to die alone in your apartment," Lorelai said softly as she rested her head on his shoulder and leaned into him. "You rotting corpse would be left for weeks, eaten by feral cats."
"As if." He lifted his head and stared straight ahead. "I mean if you went one day without coffee you'd come looking for me and find my body."
"I am sorry Luke," she said after as she stood up straighter and looked at him.
He turned to face her but before he could speak someone behind them said her name. They both turned to see Neil standing there holding both his and Lorelai's coats. "Here," he said when she looked up then held out her coat.
"Oh Neil, thanks." Lorelai hurried over to grab her coat with a smile but Neil didn't return it.
"I'll see ya around Lorelai," he slipped on his coat and turned to walk towards his car.
"Neil," Lorelai chased him and caught him before he could climb in. "Wait, sorry."
"Whats going on with you two?"
"Nothing. Me and Luke? nothing!"
"Then why have I felt like a 3rd wheel all night."
"I think you meant 4th wheel…I mean Rebecca was there too."
"Ok, look, this isn't working for me." Neil said and he opened the car door to toss in his coat. "I don't play games. I need clarity and whatever this is," he gestured between them. "Its not at all clear."
"Neil, sorry, tonight was…different."
"I'm not interested in getting in the middle of any complicated will they won't they crap."
"Its not complicated. They won't." She pleaded but Neil wasn't convinced.
"Okay Lorelai, keep telling yourself that. Maybe one day it will be true." He leaned in, kissed her cheek then climbed into his car and drove off. Lorelai stood there for a minute then then looked up to see Luke still leaning by the wall at the entrance to the carpark. She walked over slowly and joined him. "Well looks like I'm no longer the fountain of knowledge when it comes to dating."
"I'm sorry."
They stood in silence for a few minutes then Lorelai nudged him until he looked over at her. "I have an idea."
"Uh oh."
"C'mon." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him back towards the bar.
"I'm not really in the mood to drink Lorelai."
"Hush," She dragged him through the bar, found a tall table, pushing him onto one of the high stools and claimed the one next to him. She waved down a waitress and ordered two drinks then turned to him and smiled widely.
"What? What's this idea of yours?"
"Feedback time."
"Feedback?" he said confused for a minute then as it dawned on him what she was talking about he started to climb off the stool.
She grabbed his arm to stop him. "No Luke wait. Don't let tonight be a total waste."
"What's the point. I'm done dating."
"No, no you're not. I won't let you give up." The waitress arrived, left down their drinks and Lorelai handed over some money.
"Okay whatever, gets his over with."
"Alright, first…you need to commit."
"Commit?" He sipped his beer.
"When you came in, you held the door for her, you guided her through the bar, you got her to the bar and you asked her what she wanted to drink. All without ever touching her."
"Well it's the first date-"
"I'm not saying you should grope her Luke, I'm saying touch her arm, her shoulder, her wrist. Show her you like her and attracted to her," she said and lowered her voice just enough to gain that sulty edge as her hand gently touched him on the arm, shoulder and wrist as she spoke.
Luke nodded but his mind wandered to the sensation of her hand wrapped around his wrist.
"Second. You need to be engaging. Talk a little more and lean in when she speaks." Lorelai demonstrated by leaning in a little and Luke had no control of the swift journey his eyes took to her cleavage which was more prominent when she leaned. "See, leaning helps." Lorelai laughed and sat back to sip her drink as Luke blushed.
"Third-"
"Third? How much of these do you have?"
"Hush. Third, everything about a first date is about the kiss. Everything you do and say will sway the needle for and against the kiss."
"The kiss?"
"The kiss at the end of the night!" She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "So ordering garlic food is a no-no."
"Right yeah," Luke conceded the point.
"When you suggested them you pretty much told her you had no interest in kissing her."
"But I did."
"Rules Luke, there are rules!"
"Like ribs are a 3rd date cuisine?" he said with a smile.
"Exactly!" she patted his arm and he looked down to her hand. "Fourth…"
"Ugh, this is worse than the failed date."
"Fourth," she persisted. "Relax."
"Thats a trick… no one is relaxed on a first date."
"Okay okay," Lorelai held up her hands. "Have fun!"
"Fun."
"Yeah Luke. Look I've known you for how long?"
"A million years?"
"And throughout those million years I've gotten to know you are funny. Really funny." Luke watched her with squinted eyes and waited for the punch line. "You are really smart and when you want to be you are ridiculously charming." Luke looked away with a slight blush. "So you need to learn how to let go of the grumpy old man-"
"Old?"
"…routine and let the sweet, funny charming guy I know come out and have fun!"
Luke lifted his beer and sipped it, all the while watching her. Slowly he nodded as he rested the pint on a coaster. "Okay, fair feedback."
"You wanna put it to the test?" Lorelai said and he instantly became wary of the glint in her eye.
"How?" he asked as he glanced around the room looking for who she might get him to test his new dating skills on.
"I'll go out and come back in, we'll pretend we're meeting for the first time."
"Huh?" Lorelai was putting her coat on and backing away from the table. "Lorelai no, stop."
She lifted a finger to her lips and continued to back away then turned on her heel and fled from the bar. Luke looked around the place and wondered if people realised 2 women had walked out on him that evening. He finished his drink then waved down the waitress and ordered another for both him and Lorelai. He watched the door like a hawk and when minutes had passed his anticipation morphed into annoyance then slowly a tinge of fear. When the waitress returned and he paid for the drinks he looked up to see the door opening. Lorelai walked in and he frowned at the new look she was sporting. Now instead of her hair half up at the sides it was loose and curled around her face. She had removed her undershirt and now the blouse she was wearing was tucked into her skirt. As she got closer he noticed a deep purple bra under her white shirt and the contrast was somewhat startling. He also noticed he wasn't the only guy in the room watching her walk across the bar.
She got to the table and smiled widely, loving the expression on his face. "Luke…" she held out her hand.
"Lorelai?" He took her hand in his and held it, no shaking, just a gentle but firm grip.
"Oh great, you remember my name." She smiled again and slipped onto the stool next to him. "Oh and you ordered me a drink. How presumptuous." Luke blushed and looked away. "Thanks." She lifted the beer and sipped from the bottle, ignoring the glass of ice that was next to it.
"So," Luke cleared his throat softly. "Here we are."
"Yep."
"Usually I like to pick up a date."
"You already picked me up. That's why I'm here."
"I mean," he blushed and looked away again. "Pick you up at your house and drive you to the restaurant."
"This way is way better. Now we can both have a few drinks and relax." she said, emphasizing the last word with a cocked eyebrow. She sipped her drink again and smiled.
"How are things at the inn?"
"The inn?" How do you know I work at an inn? Have you been stalking me?"
"Lorelai."
"Remember Luke," she whispered as she held the back of her hand over her mouth. "This is a first date."
"Right, right, right." Luke sipped his drink. "So, we met…"
"In the diner of course."
"Of course. You came in for coffee."
"I love me some coffee. I love your coffee."
"Thanks," He bowed in acknowledgement of her compliment. "Are you staying in Stars Hollow or just passing through?"
Lorelai smiled. "I just moved here actually, so I guess I'm staying."
"Good." Luke smiled and this time it was Lorelai who blushed.
"I got a job at the inn."
"The Independence inn?"
"Yeah, you know it?"
"I do. I know the power Mia quite well."
"Oh, I should have asked her about you. Ya know, be sure you're not a serial killer."
Luke chuckled. "In Stars Hollow? Not likely."
"It's always the quiet towns that have the weirdest secrets." She sipped her drink. "So what's the secret here?"
"No secret. I mean… apart from Taylor."
"Taylor?"
"He owns the grocery store next to the diner."
"And he's weird?"
"I think he's an alien."
Lorelai laughed out loud and Luke smiled at her reaction. "An alien?"
"I don't want to give you any leading information, so instead I'll let you meet him yourself and make up your own mind."
"I'll look forward to that so."
There was a slight lull in the conversation as they both drank and took in their surroundings.
"So you moved to Stars Hollow for the job?"
"Yeah pretty much. I grew up near enough to here though."
"Oh yeah?" without even realizing it Luke leaned forward as he listened to her and Lorelai smiled a little in triumph.
"Hartford. You know it?"
"A bit."
"Well Stars Hollow is a massive improvement."
"Really?" Luke sat back a bit and sipped his drink. "We do have that gazebo."
Lorelai laughed. "Yeah, that gazebo is pretty special."
They chatted aimlessly for a few hours until finally the waitress came around and asked for last orders. Luke looked at his watch in surprise and then up at Lorelai. "I didn't realise it was so late."
"I'll take that as a good sign."
"Yeah, you should." He smiled back. They declined more drinks and instead finished the dregs that were in front of them then put on their coats and left the bar. Lorelai pulled her coat around herself and Luke walked closely next to her as they crossed the set over by the empty taxi rank.
"You think we'll have to wait long?" she asked as she shoved her hands into her coat pockets.
"Not sure," he said as he looked up and down the street then down to her as she tried to warm up. Without even thinking about it, Luke wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him. She curled against him and slipped one hand into the front of his coat to gain the benefit of his body heat. "Lets walk."
"Walk home?" she leaned back to look up at him.
"No, but walk towards home and get a cab on the way."
She nodded then rested her head back against the front of his shoulder. As awkward as it was walking with her gripping on to him tightly he didn't care. He held her tighter to be sure she wouldn't let him go and slowly led her in the right direction. They didn't speak as they walked and with silent agreement from her he guided her towards the park.
Fairy lights were strung up around the trees along the path and along the rails of the small pedestrian bridges. Lorelai moved her hand from his chest to his waist and the arm she had around his back slipped under his jacket to rest on his hip. Luke could feel his heart hammering against his chest and wondered if she could feel it too. He pointed out random things like the lights in the trees and festival posters to keep her distracted from what was happening to him but with every step he took it seemed to beat faster. They came to a dimply lit wooden bridge and slowed the pace to a stop on the top of it. She looked out at the babbling brook below them.
"Lorelai…"
"Hmm?" she said without looking up but when he didn't respond she slowly lifted her head to face him and before she could see him fully he dropped his head and pressed his lips against hers in a firm kiss. She stood unmoving next to him as his lips, warm and soft pressed to hers then coming to her senses she pulled back and pushed him away. "What are you…what was that…whats happening?"
Luke stepped back and gave her some space. "Lorelai, I'm sorry…"
"Luke…you kissed me."
"I know I did, I'm sorry, I thought…"
"Luke…" her fingertips came up to touch her lips and she frowned.
"Oh, god!" Luke pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes. "I thought…I'm an idiot."
"Luke, wait…" she grabbed his arms and pulled his hands away from his eyes but he refused to look up at her. "Luke, look…" he glanced up but only long enough to see the small frown etched between her eyes. "Luke." Lorelai grabbed the lapels of his coat and pulled him close enough to kiss him. Luke didn't respond and was stood stock still in fear that his world was about to come crumbling down around him. But then her grip loosened on his coat, and her hands snaked up to his chest, one buried into his hair the other gripped his shoulder as her lips moved against his.
And it was that sensation that helped Luke come to life.
His hands slipped into her coat and pulled her against him, tight grip on her hips and he leaned forward forcing her to lean back. His hands moved off her hips, one up her back to hold her against him by the shoulder the other moved lower to rest on the top curve of her ass until he became bold enough to cup it and pull her against him. When she moaned he parted his lips and slipped his tongue into her warm wet mouth. She responded by rolling her tongue against his and matched the movement with her hips. This time it was Luke who moaned.
Lorelai chuckled, breaking the spell and they pulled apart each of them gasping for another breath.
"You kissed me." he whispered, mirroring her words from before.
"I needed to see if it was real."
"What?"
"That…zing when you kissed me."
"Zing?"
"Didn't you feel it?"
"I felt something." He said around a cocky smile.
Lorelai laughed and reached up to kiss the corner of his mouth. He tried to make it something more but she turned away and stepped back all while pushing him away. Reluctantly Luke let his arms loosen from around her and dragged his fingers across her butt, her hip then released her entirely.
"So that's the elusive first date kiss?" he said with a crooked smile.
Lorelai smiled and she brushed her hair back from her face. "That's not like any first date kiss I've ever had."
"In a good way?"
"In an amazing way."
Luke grabbed her coat and pulled her closer to him. "So why have we stopped…"
"Because this isn't a first date Luke. This is something different, something more…"
"More?"
"Luke, this is you…and me."
"Yeah, and it was amazing,"
"Is it supposed to be?"
"Supposed to be?"
"We just spent the last few hours being other people."
"What?"
"This mock first date."
"I was still being myself Lorelai."
"No, yeah I mean, I was too. But with the drinking and the flirting maybe we were a little out of character."
"Lorelai, kissing you, wanting to kiss you is not out of character for me." he took her chin and forced her to look up at him. "In fact it's exactly in character for me, and has been for some time."
Lorelai frowned. "If you want me to stop kissing you right now, I will. I'll take you home, and I'll see you in the morning for coffee and pancakes. But I'm not going to stop wanting to kiss you." He let his words seep in. "And then tomorrow evening I'm going to call you. And after you tell me whatever crazy story is in your head I'm going to ask you out."
"Ask me out…"
"And I'm going to keep asking you out. Until you say yes, then I'm going to take you on a date. A real one. Where I pick you up at your house. And take you out for dinner."
"A date…"
"The first of many. And each one will end with a kiss."
"A kiss…"
Luke leaned forward and kissed her cheek then put an arm around her shoulder and guided her back to the street. She was malleable and soft against him and it was all he could do not to grab her and kiss her
The End.