A Rainy Night
Chapter 1
Luke watched as Lorelai left the dinner following Mrs. Kim out the door, He wondered for a moment what could have been, why didn't he have the courage to just ask her out. She was all he wanted since the moment she gave him that note when they met but she was a friend and he didn't want to ruin that by being knocked back, rejected, how would he go on.
The rest of the evening moved slowly, he served Sookie and Jackson their burgers and watched as their friendship chanced, they were dating they had taken the chance to go from friends to more why could he with Lorelai?
By nine o'clock the diner was empty and Luke was cleaning up, putting the chairs on the tables, then sweeping the floor. Reaching to lock the door he saw a familiar and welcomed face at the door.
"I'm closed." He grumbled but in that friendly way, which Lorelai secretly loved.
"So no coffee?" The brunette said with a sparkly in her eyes.
"Just about to wash the pot." He said as Lorelai made her self comfortable, putting a stool on the floor.
"Coffee to go then?" Luke asked sarcastically.
Luke filled a to go cup, putting a lid on it and handing it to Lorelai.
"So we were playing cards?" Lorelai asked as she looked on the counter for the deck.
"I took them up to the apartment." Luke answered. "Do you want to play with me." He added blushing, as Lorelai was about to speak. "Don't say it."
But it was too later. "Dirty!" Lorelai said giggling. "So are you about to go up?" She asked as she took a sip of the lukewarm coffee.
"Just washing out the coffee pot." He said.
Lorelai stood. "Can that wait?" She asked. "I need to talk."
"In my apartment?" Luke said.
"If you don't mind." She said walking to the curtains.
Luke didn't object, switching off the diner lights and following Lorelai up the stairs.
Lorelai waited for Luke to open his apartment door, he then switched on the lights and motioned for Lorelai to enter.
"Smaller than I thought." Lorelai said.
"Well I don't spend much time up here." He said tossing his cap on the table. "Do you want something else to drink?" He asked.
Lorelai drank the last of the coffee. "Guess you have none of this up here?" She asked.
"Water, juice or beer?" Luke asked.
"Beer thanks." Lorelai said putting the empty cup on the counter then handing her bag on the chair and taking off her coat.
Luke shook his head as he handed Lorelai the beer he just opened.
"What?" Lorelai asked.
"I don't know how you do it." Luke said.
"What?" Lorelai asked taking a drink.
"Having a cold beer right on top of hot coffee." Luke said in amusement.
"First the coffee was anything but hot, second you're not me." She said taking another drink.
There were a few moments of silence as they sat at opposite ends of the table.
"So did you sort that think out with the girls?" Luke asked.
Lorelai nodded. "Yes but I think Lane will be grounded until she's married." She said with a laugh. "Its just part of the wonderful world of teenage dating."
There were another few moments of silence.
"You said you wanted to talk?" Luke said.
"Yes." Lorelai said talking a drink of the beer. "Before in the diner, we."
"We." Luke asked with a childish grin.
"Our game of cards was interrupted." She finished with a giggle.
"So you want to play cards?" Luke asked with a smile.
"Well I wanted to finish kicking your butt mister. So cards." Lorelai said spotting the deck on the table.
"Okay but just a few hands I have to get to bed soon, early morning deliveries." Luke said.
They played a dozen hands and before they knew it an hour had passed, neither one wanting to make a move, just small talk before they were both shaken by a clap of thunder and lightening filling the room.
Lorelai jumped. "What the f…" She said almost jumping out of her chair.
"Sounds bad." Luke said getting up just in time to see the rain pour down through the town square.
Lorelai stood next to Luke to watch, moving a little closer with each clap of thunder. "Long time since we have a storm this bad." She said not realising how close she was to Luke.
Luke stiffened, he could smell the perfume Lorelai was wearing, he could smell her shampoo in her hair as it brushed his shoulder.
"I need to call Rory." Lorelai said breaking their contact to get her phone. Dialling she got no answer. "Damn it."
"No answer?" Luke asked. "Lines are probably out. "Where did you park?"
"At home, I walked here tonight." Lorelai said working herself into a panic. "Where's your truck?"
"Gypsy's, brakes are being serviced." He said.
"Don't you do all your own repairs?" Lorelai asked.
"Most, not all. Brakes need a qualified mechanic and the right tools." Luke said. "Okay we can work this out. She had a pager right?"
Lorelai nodded "Yes I'll send her a page and she can page me back. Good thinking." Lorelai said smiling again.
Lorelai sent the page and all they could do was wait for an answer.
"She'll be fine." Luke said touching Lorelai's hand as they sat at the table.
They smiled at each other the rain still coming down hard. Lost in the moment as they held hands they almost didn't hear the pager beeping.
"She's fine." Lorelai said. "She's doing home work to keep busy." Lorelai sent back a page but stopped before sending. "How am I getting home it's like Noah's Ark weather out there right now."
Luke didn't hesitate. "You can sleep here." He said. "I'll sleep on the couch."
Lorelai finished her message and sent it, moments later it beeped with a reply. Lorelai giggling as she read.
"What?" Luke asked.
"Nothing, just a funny joke." Lorelai said.
"Okay." Luke said getting up. "I'm going to have a shower." With that he picked up some clothes from the dresser and went into the bathroom.
Lorelai made herself comfortable on the couch, turning on the TV as the water came on. But Lorelai was distracted from the Wonder Woman re-run. She was just feet away from a naked Luke, at least she assumed he was naked since he was in the shower.
But this was Luke, the diner guy, her chief coffee supplier her friend. She shouldn't be having these feelings like this about him. She know they shared a moment when at the hospital with her dad. But did that change things between them?
She was still thinking about Luke when the door opened, Luke was still drying his hair but now dressed in dark track pants and a t-shirt.
"Your turn." Luke said. "But I'm not sure what I have for you to wear." Luke opened his dresser.
Lorelai came over. "Its all flannel." She said.
"I have some track pants that might fit." Luke offered pulling them out of the closet.
"Thanks, I shouldn't complain here I am taking your bed and all I can do is complain about your wardrobe." She said. "I'll take these and maybe this t-shirt."
With that Lorelai disappeared into the bathroom closing the door behind and making sure it was locked. Lorelai looked around for a moment thinking about how Luke just minutes before had been naked in this very room, she hesitated before undressing and quickly turning on the shower.
Luke prepared for bed, getting the spare sheets and a blanket from the closet. Setting up his bed for the night Luke got a glass of water and sat at the kitchen table, but in the back of his mind he could not get the thought out of his mind. Lorelai Gilmore was in his shower, with the water and soap.
He shifted in his seat he shouldn't be having these thoughts, yes he wanted to ask Lorelai out but he didn't want to loose her as a friend. In a lot of ways she was his best friend, she made him smile and he enjoyed her every visit. He didn't even mind her annoying coffee habit and actually wondered what it would be like to kiss her with the after taste of coffee on her breath.
Next thing he knew Lorelai was standing before him, wearing his track pants bunched up around her feet and the t-shirt covering her butt. Her hair still wet from the shower.
"You alright Luke." She said. "I said what do you think?"
Luke was lost. "About?" he asked getting up to fill his glass.
"You shouldn't have to sleep on the couch, you're much to big for it." She said.
"I'll be fine besides my bed is not my bigger." Luke said.
"I wanted to say something earlier." Lorelai joked.
"Do you want some water?" Luke asked.
Lorelai nodded "Thanks." She said moving to sit on Luke's bed. "Hey Luke are you seeing anyone?" She asked as Luke bought over the glass of water.
Luke wasn't sure how to answer. "When do I have the time to meet anyone new?"
"You run a diner, people come to you every day." Lorelai said.
"Only the crazy town's people." Luke said dryly. "Trust me no one new that I like has been in my diner in a very long time."
"Is there anyone you might consider dating?" Lorelai asked.
"What is this about?" Luke replied.
Lorelai was sheepish with her answer, not wanting to look at Luke. "It's just in the diner earlier I thought, I don't know. I thought maybe you wanted to say more, before I had to leave." Lorelai said needing to get it out.
Luke was surprised, shock but relieved it was out in the open. "I didn't want to mess things up with us." He said. "We're friends I don't want to mess that up."
"Oh Luke." Lorelai said smiling back.
"Lorelai you may not realise this but I don't have very many friends, people I actually like to talk to everyday." Luke said looking at his glass.
"Luke you have friends." Lorelai said.
"Lorelai I think you're my best friend." Luke replied. Lorelai was silenced for a few moments by his admission. "Yes I want to ask you out but I don't want to loose you if it didn't work out."
"I understand but Luke sometimes in life you need to take a chance, if you don't then something good might pass you by and before you know it you're 40 and feeding you dozen cats and Luke you don't look like a cat person." Lorelai said getting up.
"I don't like pets." Luke said. "What are you doing?" Luke asked as Lorelai approached.
"I'm taking a chance." She said sitting down in Luke lap, her legs to his left on the couch.
"But…" Was all Luke managed to say, as their lips touched for the first time.
TBC?
Should I go on?