A/N: This is rapid fire writing, I need to slow down or take a holiday! Had this idea brewing for a while, I hope it hasn't been done to death. Enjoy!
Luke had her coffee poured before she even sat down. He carried it over to her and pulled the order pad from the front of his jeans but had written "cheeseburger and chili fries" before she uttered the words with a wide smile. He nodded his head and returned to the kitchen to place her order then took his customary position by the till to continue counting the receipts.
"Hey Luke," Lorelai called out as she held up her coffee towards him. "This coffee is the best batch yet." When he didn't even look up she smiled. It was quiet in the diner. Kirk was sitting in the corner eating cereal and Tom was finishing up a burger by the window. Lorelai loved it when the diner was like this. Luke usually tried to look busy, but she knew from his repetitive motions that he had already counted those receipts at least ten times. She sipped her coffee again and released a breath with a loud "Ahhhh!"
Luke glanced up and her smile widened when she caught him. "It's just the same old coffee," he muttered, trying not to give her any more ammo.
"Same old coffee?" She sipped it again. "No, no, not this batch, this batch is different. What did you put in it?"
"Cocaine."
"And it's still a buck fifty!" she sipped again and loudly proclaimed her pleasure.
"When does Rory get here?" Luke asked, knowing that when Rory arrived Lorelai's attention would be focused on her daughter instead of tormenting him.
"She's not coming tonight. She's eating at Lane's."
"Poor girl," Luke said with a crooked smile.
"Order up!" Caesar called from the kitchen.
"Thanks Caesar, and you can head off now. I'll take care of the rest."
"You sure boss?"
"Go, before I change my mind."
Luke took the plate for Lorelai and delivered it to her table then collected the empty plate from Tom's table. He grabbed the money and receipt too then went back to the till to settle it up. Kirk brought his own dish up to the counter and Luke scowled as he took it off him then held out his hand as Kirk counted out his bill in quarters.
"Seriously Kirk?"
"This is legal tender and if you refuse-"
"Just leave it, this is enough."
He opened the till and dumped the coins in without counting and Kirk smiled as he turned and left. Luke cleared the rest of the tables and went about his closing routine while Lorelai finished her food, thankfully only uttering a few words of delight now and then.
When she was done she brought her plate up to the counter and took a seat to watch him settle his till. "So about that coffee…"
"Refill?"
"Please!" she grinned and held out her cup. "So are you going to the summer ball?" Luke scoffed at the thought as he put her coffee in front of her and slung a dish towel over his shoulder. "It's not a formal ball Luke, you don't have to wear a monkey suit."
"Still not interested."
"It's for charity!"
"Charity? It's to fund the Summer festival!" Luke said as he tossed his hands up in despair. "A festival that serves no purpose, might I add."
"Charity Luke, is defined by helping others, and that is what will be happening at the ball."
Luke took a deep breath and turned to face her, his rant curling around his tongue as his hands gripped the edge of the counter. But when he saw the glint in her eye and the lifted curve on one side of her mouth he realised he was being baited for a rant. He lifted one finger up and wagged it from side to side in front of her as he grabbed the towel off his shoulder and went around the counter to wipe down her table.
"Awww!" Luke looked over his shoulder to see her pouting with her bottom lip protruding out in exaggerated annoyance.
"Shame on you Lorelai Gilmore, shame on you!" He slid the chairs into the table and carried the salt to the counter to sit with the rest of the shakers he had already collected.
"I can't help it, I'm bored!"
"Maybe you should go home, read a book!"
"But this is so much more fun." She smiled and turned on her stool to keep facing him as he went back around the counter and put the salt and sugar away.
"Glad to be of service, but unfortunately the time has come for me to close up, so you have to go someplace else and entertain yourself."
"Booo!" Lorelai finished her coffee, fished in her bag for some money then slid it over the counter to him with an overly exaggerated seductive smile. "I put in a little something extra for the show."
Luke rolled his eyes and took the money, counted out enough then slid the rest back over to her. "First showing is always free."
Lorelai laughed and took the money he proffered. "Hey, how about a second viewing tomorrow night?"
"Huh?" Luke dropped all pretence and looked up to her with a confused frown. His heart clenched and his breath caught in his throat. Did she just ask him out? "What did you say?"
"Tomorrow night, after work, any chance you can come by and take a look at my back door?"
"Oh, you want me to fix something."
"Yeah, it won't close properly and keeps swinging open. I have to prop it closed with a ski boot."
"Ski boot?"
"It's heavy enough to keep it closed, but pretty enough to not be an eyesore."
"Geez, Lorelai," Luke said and he rubbed his face with one hand. "I can swing by now and take a look."
"No, tomorrow is fine." Lorelai slid off the stool and reached back to grab her jacket from the chair she had sat at.
"Let me just grab my tools. You have your jeep?" Lorelai nodded. "You go on ahead, I'll follow you in my truck."
He moved towards the curtain as she went to the diner door and he watched as she exited, crossed the road to her jeep and drove off. It was only then that he climbed the stairs to his flat to grab his toolbox. He took a deep breath and calmed his nerves as he went out to the truck after locking up, a self admonishing chuckle on his lips as he climbed in. He shook his head at the thought that she was about to ask him out. He rolled his eyes and gripped the wheel tighter as he drove slowly through the streets and parked behind her jeep.
When he climbed her porch he noticed she had left her front door wide open for him. He tried to dampen down his irritation and walked in with a quick scuff of his boots on the door mat.
"Lorelai?" he called out as he stood in her foyer and walked around to the bottom of the stairs by the entrance to the kitchen.
Her head popped around the corner at the top of the stairs and he could tell by her visible but bare shoulders that she was topless so he looked down to the toolbox in his hands. "You know where it is, I'll be down in a sec."
Luke half saluted her with a wave of his hand and went around to backdoor in her kitchen. Sure enough, it had been propped closed with a white and pink ski boot. Luke kicked the boot aside and watched the door slowly swing open. He reached up to the hinges to examine them more closely and sure enough the screws had come out and made the door unbalanced.
He reached into his toolbox to find the right replacement screw and was reaching up to put it in place when Lorelai came into the kitchen. She spotted him immediately and leaned against the counter to enjoy the play of the muscles on his back beneath his tee-shirt. He stretched and moved to screw it in tighter and only noticed her presence when he turned to grab another screw.
"Oh hey," he said after casting a cursory glance in her direction. He returned his attention to the door as she circled the room to prepare a pot of coffee.
"You want some tea?"
"No, I'm good." When he had the second screw attached, he swung the door closed but still it wouldn't not stay shut. He examined the latch and saw the slot in the frame was damaged. "What the hell…?" Luke hunkered down to check it out as Lorelai came over to see what he was looking at. "What happened to the door?"
"I dunno," she said as she leaned over him, her falling hair brushing the side of his head.
"It looks like someone tried to break in!"
"It does?"
"The lock is damaged, the latch slot is broken."
"Oh, right, yeah…"
"You did this, didn't you." He looked up at her and she looked down with a half smile.
"I may have forgotten my keys the other day."
"And you broke in?"
"Well I kinda just…" she looked sheepish as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I broke in."
"When?"
"Last weekend."
"And it's been like this ever since?"
"No Luke… I fixed it and it magically got broken again." she stood up and rested her hands on her hips
Luke frowned as he stood up and mirrored her stance. "Lorelai, this isn't safe."
"Can't you fix it?"
"Fix it?"
"Yeah, don't you have something in there to fix it?" she kicked his tool box enough to make the lid rattle and he looked down at her foot and back up to her face, his frown deepening.
"I can fix it, but it's going to take more than I have in my tool box."
"Don't you have a bigger tool box?"
"Bigger toolbox?" Luke rubbed his hand over his face with exasperation. "Lorelai it's got nothing to do with the size-"
"Dirty."
He stopped talking and looked at her with a frown. "You can't stay here, while the door is like this."
"What? It's fine!"
"Lorelai, it's not safe."
"It's fine, it's been like that for almost a week."
"That doesn't mean it's safe now."
"Hey mom! I'm home!" Rory called from the hallway as she slammed the front door behind her.
"We're in here honey."
Rory walked in and saw Luke standing by the door, his hands gripping his hips with a deep frown on his face. Lorelai was leaning against the kitchen table and had her feet crossed at the ankles and her arms across her chest.
"Hey Luke." Luke nodded his head in her direction, obviously too mad to speak and she couldn't help the small smile at the state she knew he mother had wound him into. "What's going on?"
"Luke is saying that the house isn't safe to sleep in because the door lock is broken."
"But it's been broken for a week."
"That's what I've been trying to say!" Lorelai said with a wave of her arm.
"That's not the point!" Luke said his voice a low angry whisper. "Anyone could walk right in."
"Like who? Kirk?" Lorelai said with a smile.
"Or worse, Taylor!" Rory said as she gripped her mother's arm in mock horror.
"Oh no! Luke you should stay over, protect us from whatever may come creeping in."
"Yeah Luke, stay with us, it'll be like a sleep over."
"I'm not staying in this death trap of a house," Luke said with a scoff as he bent over to close up his tool box.
"C'mon Luke, we'll watch a horror movie and do each others hair."
"Goodnight ladies." He picked up his box and made to move away but each of them grabbed an arm and pulled him back.
"No Luke! How will we sleep if it's so unsafe!" Rory said.
"We need a big burly man in the house!" Lorelai said.
"Let me go." Luke tried to shake them off but they held on tight as he started to walk towards the door, dragging both of them in his wake.
"What if someone breaks in?"
"What if we get murdered?"
"What if something happens?"
Luke slowed his steps as he approached the door and stopped in the hallway. He felt his shoulders slump even before he realised the decision had been made for him. He knew they were joking, mocking him and his overprotective nature but he also knew that if something did happen, he would never forgive himself.
"Ok, fine."
They jumped up and down behind him clapping their hands as he lowered his toolbox to the ground and kicked it to the side so it wouldn't get in the way. He turned to face them and they sombered their reactions to stand smiling at him, Lorelai's smile wide and triumphant where as Rory's was simply genuine.
Lorelai reach for his arm and grasped it tightly then guided him to the couch and pushed him down. Rory went into the kitchen and when Lorelai passed Luke the remote for the TV she followed Rory. Luke looked after her and shook his head at the situation he had gotten himself into...again then turned his attention back to the tv and switched it on. He flicked through the channels and settled on a the first sports thing he found then tossed the remote onto the couch next to him and rolled his head onto the back with closed eyes.
When he heard their footsteps approaching he rolled his head towards them without lifting it and saw Rory carry a massive bowl of popcorn and Lorelai behind her with a couple of beers. All of a sudden this evening was looking up he decided as he sat up and moved his legs aside to make room for them to pass by the coffee table. Rory sat on the floor with her back against the couch and Lorelai sat in the middle, her legs crossed and passed him a beer.
"Thanks." He took a long drink and dangled the beer loosely between two fingers over the arm of the couch.
"So tonight we were planning on watching the Notebook, but it's a tearjerker, so maybe we should change the lineup!"
"How about Tremors?" Rory said as she scrambled over to the tv and shuffled through the dvd collection.
"I don't mind, watch what you want."
"It's a romance movie Luke," Lorelai said and she patted his arm.
"Seriously, I don't care." He took another long drink of his beer and settled in against the couch, his head finding a comfy spot against the back.
"Ok, the notebook it is."
Rory put the disk in and crawled back to her spot, sharing a smile with her mother. They shared the popcorn and watched in relative silence as the movie unfolded. Luke watched with minimal interest, his mind quietly running through all the things he had to do tomorrow. Prep the weekend bakes, change the frier oil, give Caesar his shift times for the week, buy a 2x4 to fix Lorelai's door frame, replace her back door lock. His mind wandered back to the movie in time to see the male protagonist pull the top off the female lead. Luke glanced over at Lorelai who had her fingers interlocked under her chin as she focused on the movie.
When he looked back at the movie again the female lead was naked but silhouetted by a large window. The male was topless and showering her with kisses and Luke shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He spotted Lorelai's smile and her eyes shifted sideways towards him. He looked away and drank more of his beer then tried to think of anything but what was going on on the screen.
"You ok?" she whispered and she moved her knee to nudge his thigh.
Luke nodded and finished his beer and Lorelai did the same then jumped up and grabbed two more. Luke took the bottle she offered with a crooked smile and moved his legs again for her to sit down.
By the end of the movie, both Lorelai and Rory were holding back tears and Luke a sigh of relief. He had finished his second beer but Lorelai's remained untouched on the floor by his foot. Rory stood and stretched, rubbed her eyes with her knuckles and sighed.
"Why do we watch that movie...it destroys us!"
"You've seen that before?"
"A few times," Lorelai admitted sheepishly.
"Never gets old." Rory leaned forward and kissed her mother. "G'night."
"Night honey."
"Good night Luke!"
"Um, night, Rory."
After Rory left Lorelai reached for her beer and sat back against the couch, her shoulder brushing against his. "So did you like the movie?"
"Sure."
"Did you even watch it?"
"Not really," he admitted with a smile.
"Not really a movie guy huh," she sipped her beer and watched him carefully.
"I like movies, just maybe not as much as you."
"What do you like as much as me?" she asked pointedly and Luke looked over at her with a slight frown.
"Sorry?"
"Is there anything you like as much as I like movies?" she asked as she lifted her drink and sipped it again to hide her smile.
"I love to bake."
"That's your job though, anything fun?"
Luke watched her drink her beer and wondered if she was taking him down this route for a reason. Did she want him to kiss her? Was she toying with him? He wanted to kiss her but he wanted it to be clear, not some sort of game or teasing fun she was playing with. She was flirty, he had been at the receiving end of her flirtiness before but always before it got too far she would pull back and end the game. This time it felt different though. Was it because they were in her house, her territory and she felt safer?
"Fun?"
"Yeah, what do you do for fun Luke?"
"I like to fish."
"Riveting."
"I used to like running, but my bones are too old now." he said with a chuckle and he turned away from her, not willing to play her game.
"No stamina?" He didn't need to look at her to know she was smiling wickedly.
"Maybe for the first hour or so but after that my knees turn to jelly." He sighed and smiled himself then added, "There used to be a time that I could go for hours and hours. A couple of times a day."
"Couple?"
"Easily." he closed his eyes over and chuckled aloud. "But those days are gone."
Lorelai finished her beer and wondered how he had managed to turn the tables on her so swiftly. Part of her wanted to push him, see how far she could take him but the rest of her was terrified in her succeeding. She took a deep breath and let it out in a yawn then reached forward and put the now empty beer bottle on the coffee table.
Luke could pinpoint the minute she backed away. Her shoulder moved away from his, her gaze shifted from some part of his body to the wall across the room and her fingers intertwined between her knees. He toyed with the idea of pushing her back a little but something held him back and he decided against it.
"Well, thanks for staying to look after us Luke, let me get you a couple of blankets."
She jumped off the couch and over his knees and hurried upstairs to the hot press to get some bedding for him. When she returned he was in the kitchen throwing away the empty beer bottles and rinsing out the popcorn bowl.
"You don't need to do that," she said as she put the ski boot back in place to hold the door closed. Luke looked over his shoulder at her and rolled his eyes. He dried his hands on a dishtowel then slung it over his shoulder and went out to his tool box. He grabbed a large flathead screwdriver then went back to the door. He pushed it closed and leaned against it with his shoulder then jammed the screwdriver into the latch to hold it closed. "Yay! You fixed it! My hero!" she said as she patted his shoulder.
"It's not fixed."
"Enough though."
"I don't like leaving it like this," he said as he stepped back and looked at his handy work. "It's not safe if there is a fire or something."
"It'll be fine for one night." she grabbed his elbow and pulled him away. 'C'mon, bed time."
Luke whipped his head around but she was looking at the couch now and trying to decide how best to make up the bed. "It's fine, I can sort it out." he said as he picked up the sheet but Lorelai took it out of his hand and spread it out. He stepped back and let her finish as she plumped up the pillow and spread out the blanket then folded the top down t make it easier for him to climb in.
"There!"
"Thanks."
"So, goodnight."
"Goodnight Lorelai."
She stood before him for a few seconds and he wondered if she was waiting for him to kiss her. He almost did, his fingers twitching by his leg about to move to grab her when she turned and walked away. Lorelai raced up the stairs, and didn't slow down as she crossed her room and jumped onto her bed. She felt giddy and excited and couldn't help the giggle that escaped as she covered her head with her duvet.
Luke looked up at the ceiling towards her bedroom and shook his head. No one confounded him like Lorelai did. He pulled his shirt off over his head and pulled down his jeans. After folding his clothes across the arm of the chair beside the couch then lay back and covered himself with the blanket only to then realise a pressing need to pee.
"Dammit."
He wondered if he could resist the urge and lay back to try and forget about it but the need only intensified. Luke kicked the blanket off and stood in the living room for another second. He listened to the sounds of the house and wondered if everyone else was asleep yet. When he heard no noises he carefully climbed the stairs in search of the bathroom. He walked on the balls of his feet, avoiding the steps he knew to be squeaky and hurriedly made his way to the bathroom. When he was done he flicked off the light, before opening the door then stepped into the hallway and paused while his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
Just as he took a step out into the hallway, her bedroom door swung open and she walked out right into him. Luke grabbed her arms to steady both her and himself and her hands came up to his chest. It didn't take long for Lorelai to realise he was topless. And when she looked down she realised he was nearly bottomless too as she spied the boxer briefs he was wearing.
"Sorry…" he muttered.
She looked back up to his face and before she could stop herself her fingers curled in the soft hair of his chest, she pushed herself up on tiptoes and kissed him. Luke stood stock still as her lips crashed against his but his hands gripped her arms tighter to hold her in place. When her tongue appeared past her lips and brushed his, he opened his mouth with a sigh, curled one arm around her waist as the other found purchase on the wall and turned her back towards it.
Luke leaned into her kiss, pressed her against the wall and let her tongue set a rhythm which he found to be slow and languid not the fast one he expected from their first kiss. But as he tilted his head and tried to get a better angle and his lower body pressed against her he felt a shift in her participation. Her tongue made it's way back into her own mouth and her lips became slow and unresponsive. Her hands which gripped his shoulders and back closer, were now flat against his chest causing resistance to his movements.
He leaned back and placed two hands flat against the wall either side of her shoulders. His breathing was ragged and he tried to calm it as best he could but he could feel hers was just as bad.
"I um…" she stuttered and looked away from him.
"Sorry," Luke pushed away from the wall and stepped back. He put his hands on his hips and only then realised his state of undress. He looked back up at her and noticed she was wearing a pair or shorts and a tee, her nipples taut and protruding through the cotton material. He dragged his eyes away and stepped back again, into the bannister. "I'll just, um, yeah."
Lorelai watched him go and pressed herself back into the wall as if it could swallow her only when she heard him settle back onto the couch could she move into the bathroom. She flicked on the light and braced her hands on the sink to look at herself in the mirror.
"Holy shit."
She took a deep breath and let it out through pursed lips then allowed the smile that was threatening, to break out across her lips. "You kissed Luke."
"He kissed you back."
"You kissed him first."
"He enjoyed it."
"You enjoyed it more!" she glanced down at her nipples and instinctively covered her breasts with her hands and chuckled.
"Dammit."
She turned on the tap and cupped her hands beneath the cold water then splashed it over his face. She repeated the motion a couple more times then grabbed a towel and dried off before leaving the bathroom and creeping back to her room.
Luke lay on the couch with his hands locked behind his head and stared at the ceiling. He relived her kiss over and over again not even the slightest bit interested in getting some sleep. He waited for the dawn to creep through the curtains then got up and dressed. He folded his bedding up and placed it neatly on the arm chair then grabbed a pad and pen by the phone to leave a note, placing the note in the one place she was sure to look. With only the slightest hesitation he quietly crept out of the house and drove away.
Lorelai listened to him moving about downstairs and only moved when she heard him drive away. She raced for the shower and dressed as quick as she could then hurried downstairs to see if Rory was awake. It was another hour or so before her alarm would wake her and as Lorelai went into the kitchen to find her car keys she spotted the note he left by the coffee pot.
"I'll come back after the lunch rush to fix the door. - Luke" She read it aloud and smiled, touching the curling script of his note then folded it into her pocket and raced out to her car.
When she pulled up at the diner she spotted him talking to the bakery delivery guy but when she climbed out of her jeep and he spotted her she noticed his words falter. She took a steadying breath and forced herself to keep walking all the while her eyes were locked on his. He finished the conversation he was having and walked the delivery guy to the door of the diner to see him off with a pat on the back then held the door open for Lorelai to step in.
"Coffee?"
She nodded and preceded him across the diner to perch herself on a stool at the end of the counter.
"Early riser."
"Couldn't sleep." she smiled then added, "You?"
"Not a wink."
His words made her smile widen and then when he put the coffee in front of her she picked it up and held it with both hands, as if taking strength from its heat. The silence between them was almost stifling and as if on cue they both tried to break it at the same time.
"Do you want to go out for dinner sometime?" he said, his eyes glancing between her eyes, her mouth and her hands.
"Do you want to go out with me sometime?" she said, her eyes fixed on his.
They both smiled and Luke nodded. Lorelai sipped her coffee and placed it back onto the counter.
"You wanna call me later and hash out the details?" she asked as her fingers ran along the rim of her coffee and her eyes watched their trail. She looked up in time to see his smile widen and his head bob up and down in a slow nod. Then turned on her stool and stepped off to walk towards the door.
"I'll fix your door later, after the lunch rush," he said before she could leave.
"Thanks." She looked over her shoulder at him and waved then hurried to the jeep and drove home. It wasn't until she was home and in her bathroom fiddling with the shower that it really hit her. "Oh my god, a date with Luke Danes."
"Who has a date with Luke Danes?" Lorelai jumped and turned to see Rory leaning against the door in her bathrobe.
"Sorry?"
"Who has a date with Luke Danes?" she said as she stepped into the room and grabbed her toothbrush and paste.
"Maybe, I do?"
"You?" Rory turned to face her mother, her brush dangling from her mouth as she stared at her mother who was now perched on the edge of the tub.
"I think so."
"Well either you do or you don't young lady, which is it?"
"I do, I do, he's going to call me later to hash out the details." Lorelai felt herself blush and covered her face.
"What? How? When?"
"This morning. He asked. Well I kinda did too."
"Mom!"
"What?" Lorelai looked up to Rory and wondered if she had made a huge mistake. "Is it ok if I go on a date with Luke?"
"Ok?" Rory sat next to her mother, her toothbrush still hanging out of her mouth. "It's...surprising, but yeah, it's ok."
""Good." Lorelai draped an arm over Rory's shoulder and hugged her daughter tight. "You know if it was weird or made you uncomfortable, I would back off. You know that right?"
"I know, and it's not weird, it's surprising, but it's anything but weird."
Lorelai smiled but looked away before her blush could be seen then stood and fiddled with the shower taps more to find the right temperature. She shoo'd Rory out of the room and showered quickly. They were dressed and ate poptarts sharing knowing smiles then Lorelai dropped Rory off at school and went to work.
The day seemed to drag and though it was on the tip of her tongue to talk to Sookie and examine every last minute detail of her experience with Luke, something was holding her back. Eventually she made it home and dropped her bag in the hallway then kicked off her shoes by the couch. She saw Rory's school bag on the kitchen table and beside it another note from Luke. As she picked it up she noticed the back door had been fixed.
"Fixed the door -Luke." She smiled at his note and folded it over as she made her way up to her room and placed it into the drawer with the other one. She changed quickly and went down stairs as Rory came in through the front door.
"Hey honey."
"Your boyfriend was here, he fixed the door."
"Hush you."
"Lane wants to know if she can come to the wedding." Rory said as she grabbed a juice out of the fridge and ducked out of Lorelai's reach.
"It's one date!" she said as she caught the juicebox Rory tossed over at her.
"That's how these things begin!"
"Shut it, offspring!"
They both went into the living room and collapsed on the couch, their customary thursday night routine already in full swing. Rory had finished her homework, Lorelai had the chinese menu open on her lap and they had already picked the movie they were going to watch the week before.
"So we killed all the chicken options, time to move onto pork!"
"Do it." Rory jumped up and put the movie into the DVD player then grabbed the phone from the cradle and tossed it to her mother.
They started the movie and paused it when the food arrived. Lorelai kept the phone on the table next to her, every so often staring at it, willing it to ring but so far it remained traitorously silent. Then finally, as the ending credits started to roll, the phone rang. Rory and Lorelai looked at each other as Lorelai reached for it gingerly.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Lorelai." Luke said and she could almost see him standing behind the counter, scratching the back of his neck. "It's me, Luke" he added as an afterthought.
"Hi Luke," she said laughing as his introduction.
Rory nudged her mother and got up to give her some space. Lorelai turned on the couch and tucked her feet underneath herself as she settled into talk to Luke.
"Hey."
"You ok?"
"I'm, yeah, I'm fine."
"So, you called."
"Yep, this is me calling." he coughed to clear his throat, hating how his voice was tense and scratchy. "So, you asked me out."
"I did, I did."
"And I decided to say yes."
"You did huh?"
"Yeah, I had to think about it, but I decided to give you a chance."
"Really?" she was laughing now and he basked in it's sound.
"Yeah." his voice suddenly became low and serious. "I really want to take you out. Tomorrow."
"No, not Friday, I can't Friday."
"Oh...Saturday?"
"Yes!" Lorelai said excitedly. "Saturday works."
"Great." She felt him sigh with relief even over the phone.
"I'll pick you up at 7?"
"Perfect."
"Ok, good. I'll see you then."
"Um, you'll probably see me before then. I mean you're the one with the coffee."
"Right. So I'm going to hang up before I mess this up."
"Ok," she said with a chuckle. "Bye Luke."
"Bye."
He hung up the phone and leaned back against the diner wall. For such a short conversation it sure as hell took a lot out of him. He went about closing the diner then strolled up to his apartment and collapsed straight into bed.
Friday moved torturously slowly. She came in at lunch for coffee and a donut to go but the diner was so packed he didn't have time to offer her any attention. Friday evening he knew she went to dinner at her parents house so he didn't expect to see her so when he had ushered the last patron out and was focusing on settling the till, he was surprised to see her approaching the diner door. He came around the counter to unlock it before she got to it and held it open as she sauntered in. She was wearing a navy wrap skirt and baby blue blouse with a pair of 4 inch heels that made her legs look even longer.
"What brings you here?" he asked as he closed and locked the door behind her.
"You."
"Me?"
"Well, your coffee."
Luke smiled and shook his head as he rounded the counter and started a fresh batch for her. "Good dinner with your folks?"
"Thats an oxymoron if ever I heard one."
"Where is Rory?"
"Over with Lane."
"So what happened?"
"Oh just the usual," she played with the sugar packets on the counter. "Lorelai, why don't you find a man? Lorelai why can't you get a better job? Lorelai, why don't you join the DAR?"
"DAR?"
"Daughters of the American Revolution."
"Sounds riveting."
"Whats wrong with your job at the inn?" Luke asked as he poured her a cup of coffee and Lorelai couldn't help but smile at how he ignored the first parental question.
"Not quite prestigious enough."
"You're the manager of a whole inn!" He passed her the coffee and leaned on the counter before her.
"You don't need to tell me." She sipped her coffee and sighed. "Anyway, it's over for another week so I should put it behind me and move on. I've other things to look forward to."
"You do huh?"
"Yep."
"Like what?"
"A hot date tomorrow." Luke lifted his eyebrows up and smiled. "Not sure where we're going so it'll be tough to dress for it."
"I'm sure you'll look fine."
"Would be nice to have an idea though."
"Dinner."
"Where?"
"Chapters."
"In Hartford?" Luke nodded and waited for her response. She nodded slowly and smiled then sipped her coffee. "That makes it much easier to dress then."
"Happy to help." She looked at him over the rim of her coffee and took another sip then turned on her stool and stood.
"Thanks for the coffee."
"See you tomorrow."
Luke wanted to hurry around the counter and grab her for a kiss but instead he decided to watch her leave. He finished his closing routing and went up to bed.
Lorelai was still smiling when she got home and she hurried upstairs to grab her phone and call Sookie. She was still talking to her friend when Rory came home but shortly finished and went down to see Rory climbing into bed.
"Hey, honey," Lorelai said as she climbed onto the bed beside her daughter. "Let's talk."
"Whats up?"
"I'm going out with Luke tomorrow."
"This, I know."
"We're going to Chapters."
"In Hartford?" Lorelai nodded. "Swanky!"
"I wanted to talk to you-"
"Mom, it's fine. I'm not worried, I'm not confused, or jealous." Rory rolled onto her side to face her mother. "I really like Luke. He's a great guy. He really likes you and I knew you really liked him for a long long long long time."
Lorelai smiled and clasped her daughter's hands. "I've not dated much."
"I noticed."
"I just didn't want this to be strange for you, because I think this could be something."
"Mom," Rory smiled and kissed her mother's knuckles. "It already is something. It's been something for a while now and I'm just happy the both of you are finally realising it."
Lorelai smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead. "Okay, so tomorrow you need to help me pick out what to wear."
"I'll clear my schedule, because that's an all day event."
Lorelai laughed as she rolled off the bed and walked to the door. "G'night."
By the time Luke pulled up in the garden it was just after 7. He knew better than to turn up on time, but also couldn't wait any longer. He leaned against the jeep and took a few steadying breaths then pushed himself away from the truck and walked towards the door.
Rory pulled it open before he had a chance to knock and he smiled sheepishly trying his damnedest not to blush, but failing miserably.
"She is almost ready."
"Thanks."
Rory led him into the living room and asked him to sit down but the minute his butt touched the couch she started to descend the stairs and he hopped back up to his feet again to watch her approach. She wore a slim fitting black dress that seemed to be fastened by a wrap and knot on her side. The neckline plunged low enough to show her cleavage and the bottom half flew freely against her legs, just about reaching her knees.
She carried her shoes in one hand and smiled at him as she made it to the bottom without falling. He stepped forward and instinctively reach out a hand for her. She took it and used it for balance as she slipped on her shoes and then stood up to her full height, assisted by the 4 inch heels she was wearing. Her hand moved along his arm but when it got to his hand he clasped it tightly to keep hold of it.
"You look amazing." He loved that her hair was down, clipped up on one side and loose curls falling down her neck.
"Thanks," She smiled and looked him up and down. He wore a pair of black slacks and a dark grey shirt which was tucked in with the top two buttons open. "You look pretty amazing yourself." she realised he had a haircut but didn't want to comment on it just yet, not in front of Rory.
"You ready?" he asked.
Lorelai nodded and turned to Rory who held out a lilac chiffon shawl and a bag and followed them to the door.
"Have a good time you two!"
"Thanks Rory."
"And remember your curfew young lady!"
Luke turned back to Rory, smiled but looked away as his blush started to come up his cheeks again. He held the door open for Lorelai then climbed in on the other side and waved at Rory who was still watching them before until they were out of sight.
The first half of the journey was spent in stifling silence and the longer it lasted, the more worried Luke became that he had made a mistake. What if they crossed a threshold and couldn't recapture the easy friendship they had cultivated over the years. What if this turned into the most awkward date ever, and so started the crumbling foundation of their relationship.
"Hey Luke," she said and reached across the seat to touch his arm.
"Hmm?"
"You nervous?"
"Crazy nervous," he said with a chuckle and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"Me too." He looked over at her and smiled. "I don't know why though. It's not like this is a stranger date…"
"Maybe that's why." he muttered and focused his eyes back on the road. "Much more at stake, much more to lose."
His voice was low and whispered and when she didn't respond Luke glanced over to see her staring out of the front window too. He checked his mirrors and pulled up on the highway, left his blinkers on and killed the engine.
"Do you think we're making a mistake?" he asked.
"No." She spoke suddenly and with conviction and it was like a soft warm salve on his nerves.
"Good." He reached across and took her hand in his then started the engine and drove again. They remained silent for the rest of the journey but this silence was more comforting than the previous one.
As they entered the restaurant he guided her through the tables by holding her hand in both of his then held out her chair for her before sitting down himself. They ordered drinks and appetizers from the waiter who walked off and finally left them alone.
"Ah the most anticipated moment of a first date," Lorelai said with a crooked smile.
"What's that?"
"The stifled conversation and awkward silence."
"That'd be a first for you surely." she smiled and swatted his arm. "This isn't stifling, and it's not awkward." he reached across the table to take her hand. "I've wanted to take you out for a while now, so even if it was, I wouldn't care."
"Why didn't you ask before?"
Luke shrugged. "I wasn't sure you would want to, I wasn't sure I was able for you."
"Able for me?" she laughed and sat back in her seat as the waiter arrived with their drinks. When he left she lifted her glass to her lips, never taking her eyes off him sipped her glass of wine. "What do you mean?"
"You're...you're amazing Lorelai." His grip on her hand tightened and her eyes flickered from their fingers to his eyes. "You're beautiful, you're funny, you're smart, incredibly sexy and independent. It's a terrifying, intoxicating combination." Lorelai leaned forward and rested her chin in her other hand. "And I wasn't sure I would be able to handle you."
"And now you are sure?"
"Oh god no!" Luke said with a small laugh and he squeezed her hand. "But I want to try. At least then my failure is interspersed with kisses."
Lorelai laughed this time and she pulled his hand to urge him towards her. He leaned over the table and she kissed him lightly. "Like this?" she uttered against his lips.
"Something like that yeah."
She kissed him again then they both sat back into their seats in time for the waiter to bring their starters. She sipped her wine and he his beer and they both nibbled off each others plates as they talked, and laughed their way through dinner. The chat came easily as if they were just hanging out and it was with a smile that Lorelai realised they rarely hung out. Sure they spent time together, when she was at the diner or he was fixing something at her house, but this was just hanging out. Hanging out interspersed with kissing she added with a smile.
"What's so funny?" he asked as he caught her smile. He put his knife and fork down on his plate and pushed it aside.
"This."
"This date?"
"Not like that!" she smiled again. "This is fun. It's really fun."
"Good."
"First dates are not usually this fun."
"Have you had many?"
"First dates?" she sipped her wine, stalling for time.
"Sorry, It's none of my business."
"No that's fine. I've had a few, none of them too memorable. Except the bad ones."
"Bad ones?" he lifted his beer and finished it. "How bad?"
"There was one guy who talked about all the dates he goes on and how he picks up women." She enjoyed his chuckle and tried to elicit more out of him. "There was one guy who turned up to the restaurant in shorts and flipflops and tried to check in a skateboard at the coat check." She watched him hold back his laughter, but the worst one, the very worst one had to be the guy who turned up in a dress."
She timed her words for when he was taking a sip and caused him to spit his water out and cover his mouth. "A dress?" he said and rubbed his chin with the back of his hand.
"I swear to god." Lorelai said with a wide smile. "I met him at a seminar in Boston. We were both staying at the same hotel and we arranged to meet for dinner in the hotel restaurant. I went down and waited in the bar and he turned up in this beautiful red suede dress that looked amazing on his hips."
"Why was he wearing a dress?"
"I really couldn't tell you." She sipped her wine. "I mean it was weird enough, him turning up in a dress but he acted like it was nothing. We had dinner-"
"You stuck around?"
"Yeah, well he was a nice guy, it obviously wasn't going to go anywhere but he was still a nice guy. So after dinner we went back to the elevators and he tried to kiss me."
"He what? In the dress?"
"Well, in the elevator but yeah, while wearing the dress," Lorelai laughed at his expression.
"Are you making this up?"
"I wish. What about you?" she sipped her wine and finished it and Luke lifted the bottle to pour out more for her.
"Are you asking if I've ever worn a dress on a date?"
"Or ever for that matter." Luke chuckled and shook his head. "So what about your first dates?"
"There haven't really been that many." He lifted his water and swirled it around the glass before sipping it. "And none of them were that bad, boring maybe, but not bad."
"And where does this one rank?"
"It's up there." he looked over at her and smiled.
"Yeah?"
"This morning, when I was getting ready, mentally, for this date, I was so sure it would be awful." he put his glass aside and joined his hands on the table in front of him. "I thought it would be awkward, and we wouldn't find anything to talk about, we'd be too self aware of everything we already know about each other and there would be nothing left to discover. We'd both call it a day and try to claw back what ever friendship we could from the tattered remains of our date but inevitably we would drift apart."
"Wow."
"And that was all while I was having my oatmeal."
"But it's not like that."
"No." Luke leaned back from the table and let the waiter take their plates. He offered them the dessert menu which Luke took and handed to Lorelai.
"Do you want to share?" Luke nodded and watched as she perused the menu. The waiter came back and she made her choice then handed him back the menu and turned to Luke with a wide smile. "Oops, I forgot to tell him to bring an extra spoon." Luke sipped his water and looked at her over the rim of his glass.
"Tell me a secret."
"Huh?" Lorelai put down her wine and frowned.
"Tell me something about you that I don't already know."
"My underwear always match on a thursday," she said suddenly and Luke bit back some laughter. "And I mean always. Without fail."
"Why on a thursday?"
"I usually do my laundry on a wednesday." Luke smiled and nodded knowingly. "Now you."
"My coffee recipe is from my dad."
"What?"
"He didn't even like coffee, he used to make it for my mom every morning before going to the store. When my mom was sick, he showed me how to make it so I could make it while he was in the store." Luke smiled at the memory and looked up to see Lorelai smiling back at him.
"That's a good one."
The waiter arrived then with her dessert and placed it onto the table between them then placed two spoons down in front of each of them.
"Oh, would you look at that!" Luke held up his spoon and started to pull the bowl closer to himself.
"Whoa there bucko!" She stopped him from hogging the bowl and pulled it closer to herself then looked down and studied the chocolate brownie cake with wide eyes then dug in. They finished it quickly, with Lorelai eating the lion's share and when Luke called for the bill there was a minor scuffle to pay but ultimately he won.
Back at the truck he made to open the door but before he could she grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him in for a kiss. Luke didn't hesitate to reciprocate and gripped her waist as he leaned back against the truck door. He pulled her with him and her body pressed against his as he widened his stance and she melted against him.
He opened his mouth and licked her lips so she opened them and met his curious strokes with strokes of her own. Her hands moved up his chest to grip his neck and she stepped ever closer. Luke moved one hand to cup her ass while the other went up her back to press between her shoulder blades and hold her against him. When he released her mouth so they could both take a needed intake of air she whimpered at the loss of contact so he crushed her lips in another kiss.
When they broke apart for the second time Lorelai leaned back and looked down between them as she caught her breath.
"You ok?" he asked and he rubbed her arms soothingly. She nodded her head and looked up to him with a smile on her lips and he sighed with relief at the sight of it. "C'mon, I better get you home before curfew." He stepped away from the truck and opened the door for her then hurried around to the other side and climbed in beside her.
She held one of his hands between both of hers, on her lap as they drove and slowly locked and unlocked their fingers, her thumbs drawing soft circles into the palm of his hand. When he could he glanced over at her but she was enthralled in his hand so he left her to it. He parked behind her jeep and killed the engine and only then did she look up at him with a smile.
"I had a really good time." she said.
"Me too."
"Good enough to try again?"
"Try and stop me." Lorelai chuckled and squeezed his hands. Luke gripped her hands and pulled her towards him then lifted an arm and draped it over her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "When?"
"When what?"
"When can I take you out again?"
"When do you want-"
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Lorelai chuckled. "How about Tuesday?"
"Too long. Monday?"
"Okay, Monday works."
"This time I'll cook for you."
"You'll cook?" She sat up and turned to face him.
"I mean real food, not diner food."
"But I love diner food."
"Real food."
"Okay," she smiled and he tugged her closer for a kiss.
"C'mon," he opened the truck and stepped out and tugged her with him then held her against him as he walked with her to her door.
"You want to come in?"
"No, I don't want to push my luck." He took her hands in his. "I really had a great time tonight.'
"Me too."
Luke leaned in and kissed her cheek and Lorelai leaned into him. She draped her arms loose over his shoulders and hugged her body against his, her forehead dropped to his shoulder and she sighed.
"I don't want this date to be over." She whispered softly against his neck. Luke's arms tightened around her as his mind reeled through all the possible options. Rory was home, his truck was too small, they weren't at his, she had nosy neighbours.
"If we don't end this one, we can't start the next one."
Lorelai chuckled and lifted her head up to see his face. "Smooth."
"Go inside." He pushed her hips back and stepped away from her. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Lorelai nodded as he stepped back further still and walked off the porch. Lorelai opened the door but stood on the porch until he drove off then closed the door behind her and leaned against it with a sigh.
"Mom?" Rory called from the living room.
"Hey honey."
"How'd it go?"
Lorelai couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face and she pushed herself off the door and went in to sit next to her. "Amazing."
Rory laughed with delight and clapped her hands together. "Tell me everything, except the kissing parts, I could do without hearing them."
"It was really good. It was just like hanging out except there was no diner or broken faucet. It was just us."
"What is date Luke even like?"
"Charming."
"Really?"
Lorelai laughed at her daughter's surprised tone. "Incredibly charming. And a great kisser."
"Aaaaaand I'm done."
"Sorry, I couldn't help it."
"So there will be a date number 2?"
"Yes, he is cooking dinner for me on Monday."
Rory smiled and leaned over to hug her mother, placed her head on her shoulder and sighed. "I'm really happy for you. Both of you." She picked up the remote and unmuted the movie she had been watching.
"Me too."
Lorelai kissed the top of her daughter's head and turned her focus back to the tv though her brain was showing a minute by minute rerun of her date.