Prologue
After a few really busy days at the Dragonfly, Lorelai finally had a free afternoon she could enjoy. It was a warm spring day, and she felt good. She certainly wouldn't let her happiness be ruined by the fact she only had this free time because the delivery of the doors had been postponedagain. It was still a few weeks before the test weekend, plenty of time left for them to arrive, right? And the fact that the water pressure in a few rooms still sucked wasn't a reason to spoil the warmth of the sun today. Everything would be ready in time. Maybe if she told herself often enough it would come true. Still, the weather was perfect and she felt good.
On her way to the diner Lorelai was approached by Miss Patty in front of the dance studio.
"Lorelai, darling, did you hear there is a town meeting tonight?"
"No, what is it about?" she asked curiously.
"As far as I know Taylor wants to announce a new annual town festival," Miss Patty shrugged. "He's keeping the theme a secret until tonight. I couldn't get it out of him, and believe me, I really tried," she frowned. "Someone has to know more about it, I think I'll keep trying to find out."
"Cool, a new town thing, I love that. When does the meeting start?"
Miss Patty, already a few steps away, no doubt deep in thought about who could know more about it, mumbled "At eight."
"Okay, thanks, Patty," she called after her, but it fell on deaf ears, as Patty plotted how to get the information from Taylor.
A new annual town festival? How awesome. Lorelai made a mental note to call Rory to tell her about it, and continued to the diner.
"Dare I ask why you're so happy?" Luke asked her as she entered the diner smiling and cheerily ordered a coffee from him.
"I've just received exciting news!" Lorelai exclaimed, pausing dramatically and waiting expectantly for Luke to take the bait and ask about her news. He didn't.
"There's going to be a new annual town festival," she blurted, deciding she wasn't going to wait for him any longer. "Just what I need right now, with all the stress with the Inn. Something fun to distract me!" She smiled widely, taking a sip of her coffee.
"There already is a town thing every couple weeks, isn't that enough distraction for you?" Luke grumped. "It's getting pointless. Festivals should be something rare. If this crazy town gets two or three festivals more a year, we'll have one of these stupid things going on constantly. Never a break! There'll always be one or another festival the whole damn time. And every single one of them is just an excuse to drink and eat junk!"
Lorelai tried to disagree with his rant. "Oh, there aren't THAT many…"
"No?"
"Well, let's see: there's the Firelight Festival…" Lorelai started.
"The Spring-Spree..." Luke added.
"First-Day-Of-Summer-Festival…"
"End of Summer-Festival…"
"Fall-Festivities…"
"Winter-Waltz…"
"Don't forget the Bid-on-a-Basket-Fundraiser…"
"Or Movie-In-The-Square-Night…"
"Fourth of July…"
"Easter Egg Hunt…"
"And the Chocolate-Celebration-Carnival," Lorelai said, smiling at the thought of all the chocolaty goodness that would inevitably come with a festival like that.
"There's a Chocolate-Celebration-Carnival!" Luke asked, curious and disgusted at the same time.
"Well, there should be!" she declared indignantly. "There will be if I get my way…"
Luke interrupted. "Celebrating chocolate? What for? Because it's full of sugar and fat and rots your insides?"
Lorelai leaned forward and stage-whispered, "No, because eating it is like a mini orgasm on your tongue."
"Ah, jeez." Luke blushed, causing Lorelai to giggle. "Do you have to say things like that in public? There are other people here."
"Are you suggesting I should say those kind of things to you in private? How scandalous of you!"
"I just…" Luke sputtered. "I never… So what's the theme of the new annual town thing?"
"Trying to change the subject?"
Luke gave her an exasperated look, so she decided to let it go. "I don't know yet. I hope it's the Chocolate-Celebration-Carnival, which you, by the way, correctly identified as made up by me. I've suggested it to the town several times now, but they haven't gone with it. Or any of my other brilliant ideas, for that matter."
Luke snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure they're great. I've got some ideas, too. What about a festival where every crazy person in this crazy town is put into a straightjacket and forced to do therapy? The last handful of residents could celebrate that."
"Oh, don't act like you don't love this town, Luke," Lorelai smiled knowingly at Luke who softened at her remark and half-smiled back.
"Well, maybe some things that aren't too bad," he admitted as they locked eyes.
After a few seconds of staring, Lorelai shifted uncomfortably and looked down at her cup.
"Anyway, the theme of the new festival will be revealed tonight at eight at a town meeting. Are you coming? I'm sure you're curious to find out what this is about," she rambled to end the silence.
"Yeah, I can't wait to find out."
"I'll ignore the sarcasm and expect you to come to the meeting."
When Luke shook his head, Lorelai shrugged. "Well, you know how Taylor is. If you're not there to refuse to do something, he'll just decide that you'll have to participate with the diner. I would try to prevent it, but I'm afraid this is something you have to do yourself. So if you're not there, your diner will end up being in the center of the whole thing. And then I can say I told you so."
Luke gave in. "When does it start?"
"Eight," Lorelai answered, clearly delighted. "Does that mean I'll get to hear the rant about too many town festivals a second time? It's like watching reruns of Bewitched."
"Huh?"
"It never gets old." Luke gave her an irritated look, so she quickly shook her head. "Never mind. I have to go now." She downed the rest of her coffee. "See you tonight. I'll be the one cheering loudly about the new town thing." She paid and made her way to the door while talking. "It'll be great."
"How do you know you'll like it?" Luke called after her.
Lorelai stopped at the door and turned around. "When have I ever not liked a town festival?"
With that, she stepped out on the street, into the spring sun, leaving a smiling Luke behind.
"I think the world might finally be ready for our Chocolate-Celebration-Carnival," she said when Rory answered her cell phone.
"Mom?"
"Who else would call you talking about a chocolate carnival?"
"I don't know, Willy Wonka? Someone from Hershey's? Paris when she's PMSing? Or maybe some crazy woman who loves chocolate so much she just calls random people to talk about that?"
"Yeah, and again I ask, who else?"
Rory sighed. "What did you say about the Chocolate-Celebration-Carnival? Did Taylor finally give in?"
"I don't know yet. But there will be a new annual town festival. Nobody knows what it is about yet. Not even Miss Patty."
"Not even Miss Patty? Thatis top secret. How did Taylor manage that?"
"I don't know! But wouldn't it be great if he uses one of our suggestions? Perhaps it's something with music..."
"Or the 24-hour-movie-marathon" Rory added dreamily.
"Nah, I'm still hoping it's the one with the chocolate. Or, it can be the movie-marathon, but only chocolaty food is allowed!"
"And there'll be cool music between all the movies!"
"Ooh! Ooh! And then there'll be free coffee, but only the good stuff from Luke's!"
Rory snorted. "I think you're going over the top now, Mom. Ain't gonna happen. Luke doesn't give his coffee away for free."
"Well, it doesn't have to be free for the whole town… just for me. Oh, and free pie would be great, too..."
"Yeah, I'm sure Luke would love that suggestion. Did you ever stop and think about the possibility that this new thing could be something you won't like?"
"What! I love all the crazy things in this town!"
"Well, shall I remind you of the Firelight Festival a few years ago? You went all grumpy because of all those happy couples around you…"
"That was just one time; ONE TIME! I LOVED it all the other years. And this year I even got earrings out of it."
"Right. And then all the times Kirk won the dance marathon?"
"I'll win it someday!"
"Oh, and do you remember when you drank too much of Miss Patty's punch at the Winter Waltz of '99?"
"No, I don't remember that at all."
"Luke had to keep you from doing a table dance on the counter in the diner, directly in front of him. And then he practically had to carry you home because you couldn't even walk alone anymore. And you wouldn't stop babbling about all the things you wanted do to him after he'd brought you to bed…"
"I DID NOT! I really don't know what you're talking about." She said indignantly, "I think you must be mistaking me for someone else. How do you know about that anyway? You weren't even there! And I did not tell him what I want to do with him in bed."
"So the other things really did happen? I always thought they were just making it up."
"Who is 'They'?"
"I can't reveal my sources. Journalistic Ethics 101. Did you really try to table dance on the counter?"
"You do know that isn't an argument against me liking every town thing, it just shows that I shouldn't drink Miss Patty's punch."
"Nobody should drink that stuff."
"Very true."
"Why did you call me again?" Rory asked.
"I just wanted to tell you about the brand new and exciting town thing!"
"And you did, among other things."
"Yeah. I suppose that's your oh-so-subtle way of telling me you want to get back to studying?"
"Sorry, I have to. But call me again tonight anyway to tell me about the town meeting and we can talk more then. Compare, contrast, make a pro/con lists…"
"It's a date. Have fun stuffing your head with all that useless knowledge."
"Please try not to annoy Taylor too much."
"Well, I never…!"
"Must be my other mom, then. Bye, Mom."
"Bye."
TBC