"Sook! Are you in here? I'm looking at the delivery date for the fridge and it says Sunday but can that be righ-"

Bam! Splat!

Lorelai walked straight into Dean's chest, splattering her paper cup of scalding coffee down his shirt.

Dean was turning in the direction of Lorelai's voice when she slammed right into him.

"Wow!" winced Dean as he chucked his down vest and peeled the sopping hot shirt off his torso, trying not to scare Lorelai with a primal scream as his skin turned red.

Shit shit shit. I've scalded Dean, I wasn't supposed to even SEE him today and what, wait, what is he doing taking off his shirt…

"Dean, I'm so so sorry. Let me get you a cool washcloth, I don't have any linens here, if only Towlie from South Park were here (stop spazzing Lorelai and stop looking at his chest) let me find something cold for your chest, so sorry."

Dean hastily headed out the front door and scooped up remaining snow from the path and held it to his stomach. I ran into Lorelai, literally, and I'm going to have to speak to her.

"Dean, oh, you found my good friend snow, and his girlfriend climate change who stuck around long enough to save you from my coffee bomb during this unseasonably cool weather. Are you okay?"

"Yeah Lorelai, I'm fine. I'll be fine. I need a dry shirt. Could you grab one from my car at the bottom of the drive? It's the blue Ford. I've got to go inside, it's freezing out here. Here are the keys."

"Of course, it's the least I can do, no, the least is to do nothing, or is it? I don't know. Yes, go inside and head for the kitchen. Sookie should be checking the stove and it will be warm in there."

Was she crazy or did Dean smile rather sheepishly at her just now? Oh no, she was staring at his abs a little too long and he noticed. Shit. This day was going off the rails already. Time to get a shirt, maybe a new one, in the next town, far from here.

She was checking me out. Ha! I'm not the creeper. She was flummoxed at the sight of me shirtless. Sure, I had to endure searing hot liquid pain, but worth it to see the expression on her face. Her eyes weren't meeting my eyes. Okay, get it together, Forester.

"Dean! What brings you to my kitchen? Shirtless? It's kinda cold in here isn't it? Why are you clutching a snowball to your chest?"

"Little accident. I'm fine, but my shirt didn't make it."

"Okay, well, I've got to find Tom and ask him about the sink. I know I saw him around here somewhere."

Lorelai walks briskly past Sookie and Tom in the dining room carrying a thermal shirt.

"Hey Dean, sorry again, here is a nice dry, coffee-less shirt. Are you permanently burned?"

"I don't think so. Does it look bad?"

"Well, you're not Count Laszlo, but do you want to go to the hospital?"

"Is everything okay in here? Dean, what happened? Why is Lorelai handing you a shirt?"

"Sookie, I rocketed into Dean with a full cup of hot coffee."

"Ladies, I'm fine. A little tender, but fine."

"Alright, we'll leave you in here and, you, just take your time."

Sookie yanks Lorelai's arm and they exit the kitchen.

"What is going on? Why were you staring at Dean like that?"

"Like what? I was checking to make sure a workman's comp claim wasn't headed our way."

"No, I've seen your concerned face and that wasn't the face that was checking out Dean in my kitchen. Only vegetables are supposed to get steamy in there, not glances between you and your daughter's ex boyfriend."

"Sookie! I was doing nothing of the sort. I was nurse Ratched in there. I was not 'checking Dean out' as you claim."

"Alright, you deny deny deny, but I know you, I know what I saw. You should scamper home, innocent Bambi, and finish up the day away from our younger construction crew members."

"Dirty. No, really Sookie, you saw nothing. I'm the Dragonfly nun."

"Yeah, the nun from that Elvis movie you made me watch where they fall for one another, Change of Habit? Hm. You better change your habits immediately. Lorelai, you and Jason need to spend more time together. The inn is wearing you down and making you loopy. This isn't you. Get dressed up tonight and paint the town red."

"I will go out with Jason, but not because you are right. I just haven't done anything but work on the inn. I need some fun time. Thanks Sook."

Dean smiled to himself in the kitchen. I made Lorelai Gilmore uncomfortable today. Obviously nothing will happen, but she was openly ogling me. Many have ogled Lorelai, but few have been the object of her ogling. I'm a happy man.

"Dean, if you're feeling industrious today could you put your shirt back on and help Steve with the staircase? Thanks for your consideration."

"Yeah Tom, sorry. I'll get right to it."

Driving to meet Jason at the restaurant, Lorelai couldn't stop picturing a shirtless Dean in the foyer, on the front path, in the kitchen. When did he fill out? He did not look like that when he dated Rory. He's a man. A handsome, tall, chiseled man who listens to the Go-Gos. Was that her influence? Did Dean think about her? What was she thinking? She needed sleep. Spa time. Movie time. Jason time? No, this is stupid. I'm on my way to meet my boyfriend for dinner, and we'll exchange barbs, fight for the title of most uncomfortable at the last family dinner, who hates their parents more, who has parents that hate them more, ending with heated, passionate sex back at his place.