Lorelai approached the counter, her hair in a messy pony tail, glasses askew on her face. Luke regarded her with a wary eye. She waved him over halfheartedly.
"Coffee," she mumbled and laid her head against the cool counter. Luke got a cup and poured her coffee with a frown. Lorelai tried to get the mug to her mouth without lifting her head but her efforts were futile. She begrudgingly lifted her head and sipped her drink. Luke took note of the dark circles under her eyes and leaned over the counter towards her.
"Lorelai are you okay?" he asked his voice low and filled with concern.
"What do you mean?" Lorelai asked, pretending to be clueless.
Luke sighed. "Lorelai you've come into the diner every day this week looking like crap." He leaned back slightly, arms crossed and a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Thanks Luke. Look I know, it's just the Inn has to be ready and I have a lot of work to do believe me and with Rory at Yale, I'm just stressed out, okay?"
Luke sighed but accepted her answer. The diner had a slow but steady stream of customers and Luke turned to start a fresh brew of coffee. Lorelai finished her coffee and left in a hurry, aware of all the work she had to accomplish yet that day. What she was not aware of was her purse sitting forlorn on the counter.
Lorelai pulled up to the Inn. She reached back out of habit for her purse but came up with empty air. She panicked slightly; all she needed was in that purse. She stumbled up the steps and rushed into the kitchen out of breath.
"Sookie!" she cried over the din of the workers. Sookie's head popped up from the middle of a group and she came over.
"What's wrong?" Sookie asked, wiping her hands on her apron.
"My purse it's gone!" she cried.
"Well where was the last place you had it." Sookie said trying to calm her friend down as she leaned over to stir a dish.
"I had it…at...Luke's!" she exclaimed and rushed out of the kitchen leaving a befuddled Sookie in her wake.
Lorelai was knocked to the ground when she ran into someone as she was reaching the front door.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled as she tried to pick herself up.
A flannel clad arm reached down and helped her up. Lorelai looked up slowly as she pushed her hair behind her ears and her face brightened.
"Thanks Luke."
She spotted the purse in Luke's hand and smiled.
"I didn't take you for a purse kind of guy." she teased. Luke frowned and his cheeks reddened.
"You left it at the diner. I just thought I'd bring it to you." he said gruffly.
"Aww thanks Luke." she giggled. Luke handed her the purse and turned to leave.
"Hey Luke, wait." she said quickly.
"Yeah?" he asked as he turned back towards her.
"Can you fix something in room 12?" she asked hopefully.
"I ah I don't have my tools."
"Dirty, but you can use some that are here."
Luke sighed. "Yeah sure."
Lorelai smiled and went out to the shed to get the toolbox.
"Luke!" The call came from the direction Lorelai had gone.
Luke followed the voice and found Lorelai trying pitifully to lift the tool box. He resisted the urge to laugh and took it from her. She gave him a weak smile as she followed him back inside.
"Ok so where is the room?" Luke asked.
"Oh follow me." Lorelai said before depositing her purse behind the desk and leading the way upstairs. Luke complied and followed. They arrived in front of room 12 and Lorelai opened the door. Luke paused before entering to adjust the box. He stepped inside and watched Lorelai rummage in the bathroom for something. Suddenly her head shot up.
"Luke don't let the door ..." she called as she watched the door click shut. "close..." she finished as Luke turned to grab at the handle. The door was locked.
"Lorelai?" he questioned.
"Yeah." she replied weakly.
"How are we gonna get out of here...don't you have a key."
Lorelai gulped. "No…not on me…we haven't adjusted the door locks quite yet."
Luke let out a long sigh. He strode across the room to a telephone.
"Can't we just use this?"
"It's not um hooked up yet."
"Not hooked up." Luke repeated dully.
Lorelai only nodded. She bit her lip. Sookie and Michel would probably think she went on her many trips to the diner or that she went home.
Luke sighed and looked around.
"Well what needed to be fixed?" he asked opening the tool box.
"That thing over there." Lorelai pointed vaguely.
"Where?" he asked craning his neck to see exactly what she was pointing at.
"There!" she said pointing once again.
Luke rolled his eyes and followed Lorelai's finger. A knob on a cabinet was coming loose.
"That?"
"That." she nodded.
"Lorelai!" he growled but he tightened the cabinet knob quickly.
Lorelai plopped down on one of the beds.
"Can't you like take the door down with your tools?" she asked hopefully.
"Don't have the right kind." he said as he sat down on the other bed. Lorelai got up and went over to the window.
"What are you doing?" Luke asked as she yanked at the bottom to get the window to open.
"I can climb out." she stated.
"And fall the 10 feet to the ground?"
Lorelai sat back on the bed. Luke sighed as he played with his hands.
This was going to be a long day.