Hey guys! I am glad to see people are interested in this. Here is the next chapter, it is a one-shot about the first time Luke and Lorelai met at the Diner. We heard a little bit about it during their first date, but this is my full take on it and how Luke and Lorelai felt about it.Based on the song "Everything has Changed" by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran
All I knew this morning when I woke
Is I know something now, know something now I didn't before
And all I've seen since eighteen hours ago is green eyes and freckles
And your smile in the back of my mind making me feel like
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you
'Cause all I know is we said hello
And your eyes look like coming home
All I know is a simple name, everything has changed
All I know is you held the door
You'll be mine and I'll be yours
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed
And all my walls stood tall painted blue
But I'll take 'em down, take 'em down and open up the door for you
And all I feel in my stomach is butterflies the beautiful kind
Making up for lost time, taking flight, making me feel like
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you
'Cause all I know is we said hello
And your eyes look like coming home
All I know is a simple name, everything has changed
All I know is you held the door
You'll be mine and I'll be yours
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed
Come back and tell me why
I'm feeling like I've missed you all this time
And meet me there tonight
And let me know that it's not all in my mind
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you
All I know is we said hello
Your eyes look like coming home
All I know is a simple name, everything has changed
All I know is he held the door
You'll be mine and I'll be yours
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed
All I know is we said hello
So dust off your highest hopes
All I know is pouring rain
And everything has changed
All I know is a new found grace
All my days, I'll know your face
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed
Luke was running back and forth from the kitchen to the counter, back to tables to take more orders. His head was spinning, as much as he was glad the Diner was successful he also felt like he was running on empty. The last few months had been a blur, Rachel had blown through town again, go this hopes up and now she was gone. Not surprising...but it still hurt. He felt like all he did was work, and sleep...it wasn't much of a life.
He was scribbling a woman's order when he felt a rush of wind and noticed something standing in front of him before they yelled. "Coffee, coffee, coffee!"
Luke looked up and felt his heart drop to his stomach, standing in front of him was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. She was tall, dark hair, and the brightest blue eyes he had even seen. He caught himself for a moment and shook his head and looked back at the pad of paper in front of him.
"You're' going ot have to wait. I'm a little busy." Luke said trying to remember what the customer had said she wanted.
"I can't wait. I need coffee!" The woman said in a whiney voice.
Luke grimaced, "You and everyone else in this damn town."
"Order up!" Caesar yelled from the kitchen.
Luke turned and grabbed the plates and started to walk around the counter, he nearly dropped the plates when he realized the woman was hot on his heels, "Geez…
"You don't understand. I got like no sleep last night and I need to have coffee in large quantities if I am going to make it through the rest of the day!" She yelled running after him.
Luke put one plate down and turned towards her, "Not my problem."
He turned to go to the next table to bring them their food but she persisted, "But I need the coffee. And Miss Patty said you have the best coffee so naturally I came here. Please…"
Luke spun around quickly, "You're being annoying." He glanced towards a table that was just being cleaned up, "Sit down. Shut up. And I'll get to you when I get to you."
Shei raised an eyebrow, "Lovely service you have here...I sure hope Miss Patty was right about the coffee…"
Luke huffed and tried to ignore the tantalizing smell of her perfume as he went to walk behind the counter again. As he cleaned plates from the counter, his eyes traveled towards her on more than one occasion. After a few minutes, she got up from the table and sat down right in front of him at the counter.
"I said I'd get to you when I get to you." Luke said wiping down the table.
"Yes but you are taking to long." She said putting her hands under her chin.
"I'm doing the best I can lady!" Luke said glancing around the Diner, "If you haven't noticed the place is mobbed and you are not the only person in the world."
She sighed and reached across the counter for the abandoned newspaper, "What's your birthday?"
He shook his head, "What are you doing?"
"What's your birthday?" She asked again more persistently as she flipped through the pages to find what she was looking for.
He glanced at the page and realized she was looking at, he rolled his eyes, "I'm a Scorpio. But why does that matter?"
She nodded quickly, ripped the horoscope out of the paper and reached behind his ear to take the pen lying there, "Need that."
"Hey!" Luke yelled as he felt his ear, the tiny area of skin she had touched was burning but he ignored it. "What the hell are you doing?"
She glanced up at him quickly and gave him a coy smile before continuing scribbling on the paper. When she finished, she folded the small piece of paper up, put his pen back where it belonged and slid the paper across the table to him.
He glanced from the paper to her for a few moments but she didn't say anything. With a sigh, he picked up the paper and unfolded it and read: You will meet an annoying woman. Give her coffee and she'll go away.
He couldn't help but crack a small smile but quickly cleared his throat and went back to frowning. He glanced up at her and she smiled looking hopeful and yet very determined. With a sigh, he turned, poured a cup of coffee in a to-go container and slid it over to her.
"Here." He said plainly.
Her face lit up and she lifted the cup to her lips, she made a soft moaning sound as she tasted the liquid and he had to look away. She lowered the cup to the top of the counter again and sighed happily.
"My God...Miss Patty wasn't kidding. That is the best coffee I have ever had. And I have had A LOT of coffee." She said emphasizing her words dramatically.
Luke snorted, "Hence the crazy personality."
She stuck her tongue out at him and reached into her bag to throw some bills on the table, "Well...I am going to pretend you didn't say that and just say thank you for the coffee."
He nodded, "You're welcome…"
She paused by the door and turned towards him with a mysterious glint in her eyes that made his heart rate spike. "You should hold onto that horoscope."
He stared at her for a moment, confused by her words, "What?"
She shrugged and took another sip of her coffee, "Put it in your wallet. One day it will bring you luck."
She winked, turned on her heel and exited the Diner as fast as she had blown in. He was left standing there trying to make sense of his encounter. He had lived in Stars Hollow for his entire life, and he knew just about everyone. But he had never seen that woman in his life...and he was pretty damn she he would remember her if he had.
He glanced down at the horoscope in front of him and read it again: You will meet an annoying woman. GIve her coffee and she'll go away.
His smile returned and he tried to pretend like she hadn't made an impression. He glanced around the Diner and was quickly reminded of how busy it actually was. He reached into his back pocket, opened his wallet and slipped the piece of paper in the last pocket. When he slipped it back in his jeans, he wondered what had made him do exactly what she had said.
All he knew was that there was some sort of shift in his life and he wasn't sure what it would bring...but he was interested to see where it brought him.
Later that night, the busy day had slowed down. There was just two tables for a late dinner and he was making a list of what foods he needed to order on Friday for the following week. Many times during the day, his mind wandered to the crazy woman that had burst into the Diner earlier that afternoon. And once during a quick break, he had even checked in his wallet to make sure that the encounter was real and he hadn't just made it up.
With a sigh, he tried to focus on his task at hand. But he was interrupted when he heard the bells jingle signaling a new customer. He looked up quickly and swallowed hard when he saw that familiar dark haired, blue eyes woman walk in. Only this time she wasn't alone...a young girl followed her, and she looked strikingly like her, only smaller.
He watched as the young girl walked to a table at her Mom's request and sat down, her feet just grazed the floor when she sat on the chair. The familiar woman smiled at her, walked up to the counter and smiled.
"Hiya. Remember me?" She said with a large smile.
Luke narrowed his eyes at her, "How could I forget? You were like a tornado when you came in earlier...I had to clean up the tumbleweeds for an hour after you left. Think there still might be some rolling around in the storeroom."
She laughed and looked down nervously, "You're funny."
Luke shrugged, "So...the horoscope said you would go away. And yet...you're here. Guess those zodiac signs are all a crock of shit after all."
She shook her head and pointed a finger, "It didn't say she would go away forever...just go away. And I did go away...for a few hours."
Luke nodded, "Fine. Fair enough." He glanced towards the table, "That your sister?"
He noticed her face flushed as she looked back at the young girl, "Um...daughter actually."
Luke tried to hide the surprise in his voice but he failed miserably, "Oh. Wow."
She looked down at her hands and nodded, "Yup. That's my kid. Teenage Mom…"
Luke cleared his throat, "I didn't mean…"
She looked up and smiled somewhat sadly, "It's okay. I get it all the time."
Luke narrowed his eyes at her, "I'm sure you're a great Mom."
She swallowed hard, "I hope so." He watched her look at her daughter again before turning to him, "So...I figured since the coffee was so good I'd try the rest of the things on your menu. And I can't cook to save my life...so I figured I'd bring my kid with me. Can we glance at a few menus?"
Luke nodded slowly and reached under the counter to hand her the menus, "Sure."
She nodded and began to turn away, but she stopped and turned towards him. "Um...are you Luke?"
He tried to keep from staring and he stumbled on his words, "Uh...what?"
She gestured to the door, "The sign says Luke...so I'm assuming you're Luke. Am I right?"
Luke nodded quickly, "Oh. Yeah. That's me. Luke Danes."
She smiled and reached her hand out, "Lorelai Gilmore. Nice to meet you Mr. Danes."
Luke hesitated as he reached to take her hand, he felt a shot of electricity run from his fingertips to every part of his body at her touch. "Nice to meet you too. And please...just call me Luke."
She smiled, and her eyes lit up the room. "Well alright. It's nice to meet you Luke."
He couldn't help but smile and nodded quickly. He watched her walk back to the table where the young girl was and noticed how in tune the pair seemed. He couldn't pretend that he wasn't shocked when she said it was her daughter and not her sister. She was young, and the child had to be at least 11 or 12 which meant that Lorelai was quite young when she had her daughter.
It didn't mean anything really, it was just still surprising. He watched them as they perused the menu. He was fascinated by the way Lorelai leaned in and pointed to things, made little jokes and silly faces which made the young girl laugh. Something about the way they interacted tugged at his heartstrings.
Luke Danes was never a man to take to kids. Especially when they came into the Diner. They were often loud and demanding, extremely messy and unaware of the fact that there were other people in the Diner. But this child, this young girl was so composed. She was sitting on her hands, swinging her feet under the chair and talking quietly and happily to her Mother.
After a few minutes, he saw them close their menu's and he took that as a signal that they were ready to order. Composing himself quickly, he walked around the counter and made his way over to their table.
"All set?" He asked glancing at Lorelai.
Lorelai nodded, "Yes. I will have a cheeseburger, and french fries please. And Rory...can you tell the nice man what you'd like?"
Luke glanced over at the young girl named Rory and tried to smile, "Can I please have a grilled cheese with french fries?"
Luke was shocked by how well behaved she was, "Um...sure. Anything to drink?"
"Just water please." She said glancing up at him with a kind but nervous smile.
Luke nodded, "You got it." He turned towards Lorelai, "And you?"
"Water. And coffee. Definitely coffee. In fact...skip the water and just bring the coffee and keep it coming." Lorelai said smiling up at him.
He scoffed, "Coffee at this time of night? You'll never sleep!"
Lorelai shrugged, "Yes I will. My body has come accustomed to so much coffee. I need the coffee to keep my feet moving." She glanced over at her daughter, "Right Rory?"
Rory smiled at her Mom, "Mom loves her coffee. You can't take the coffee away from her. If you do...you may put me in peril danger."
Lorelai shook her head, "Hey...don't say that. Mommy loves and takes care of you with or without the coffee. I'm just more fun with the coffee!"
Rory laughed, "That's true."
Luke sighed, "So...I'm getting the coffee, aren't I?"
Lorelai beamed up at him, "Yes please!"
Luke rolled his eyes, turned and went back to the kitchen. He filled their cups, brought them over and exchanged quick smiles with them. When he went to the kitchen again, he began to cook their meals and couldn't help but hear them talking. At that point they were the only customers left, so there was nothing else to listen to.
"So hun, how was school?" Lorelai asked.
"Fine. Mr. Collins made me read my paper in front of the whole class...it was so embarrassing." Rory said with a sigh.
"Why'd he do that?" Lorelai asked softly.
"He said that it was the best one he had read in years. He said it was advanced…" Rory said in a shy voice.
"Rory! That's great!" He could practically see the large smile plastered on Lorelai's face.
"But it was so embarrassing...you know I hate talking in front of people." The young girl said quickly. "I'm sure my face was bright red the whole time. Lane said I did fine...but she said it with that look on her face that said I'm glad you didn't puke."
"Aw hon…" Lorelai whispered, "I know it's hard for you...but you're so smart and your teachers know that. And I am so incredibly proud of you. Just like I always am…"
Rory sighed, "I know…"
"You have to to know how great you are kid. Every single day you make me proud to be your Mother. You're only 11 but you're going places. I know that. Everyone knows that." Lorelai said with a happy voice.
"Thanks Mom…" Rory whispered softly.
"Tell you what...you deserve desert. I'll see if I can have Luke make you an ice cream sandwich after you finish your dinner. What do you think of that?" Lorelai asked.
Rory smiled, "Sounds good."
Lorelai stood up quickly, walked over to the counter and called out to Luke, "Oh Luuuuke!"
Luke pretended he hadn't been listening to their conversation, he poked his head around the doorframe and smiled. "Yeah?"
She gestured towards him, "Can I ask for a favor?"
Luke pretended to not know what she was going to ask, "Depends on what it is."
Lorelai smiled, "Rory had kind of a rough day...think you can make her an ice cream sundae after she finishes her dinner? I know it would cheer her up."
Luke walked closer to the counter and her, "She okay?"
Lorelai smiled and glanced back at Rory who was now happily reading the book she had brought with her. "Oh yeah...she's just kind of a shy kid if you couldn't tell. Her teacher made her read her paper in front of the class and it totally embarassed her...she doesn't realize how damn smart she is."
Luke smiled at how happy she was talking about her daughter, "She's really well behaved...most kids run in here screaming and demanding things."
Lorelai sighed happily, "Yeah...I got really lucky with her. She's one of a kind."
Luke couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her, "Guess so…"
She turned back to him and smiled brilliantly, "So...what do you think? Can you make the girls night with some extra sugary goodness?"
Luke nodded, unable to say no he replied, "I think I can make that happen."
She bit her lip and nodded, "Thank you!"
He shrugged, "No worries…" He watched her walk back to the table and once again interact with her daughter.
Walking back to the kitchen, he tried to think of anything other than those bright blue eyes and that smile that drew him in. What was it about this mystery woman that him turn soft? He had barely known her for 24 hours and she already had him hanging on her every word. This was unusual...and confusing and quite frankly a bit terrifying.
But when he heard her laugh filter in from the dining room to the kitchen, he calmed down and returned to his task at hand. When their food was finally ready, he carried the plates out to them and placed them in front of them.
"Here you go." Luke said as he reached for a ketchup bottle to hand to Rory.
"Thank you." Rory said with a soft smile up at Luke.
He nodded, "No problem."
He saw Lorelai take a bite out of her burger and make that same moaning sound she had made when drinking his coffee that morning, "Man...what magical cooking powers do you have? Not only do you have the best coffee I've ever had...but the best burgers too!"
Luke blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, "No magic powers. Just lots of practice."
Lorelai smiled, "Well I hate to break it to you buddy...but that horoscope was a lie. I'm not going away. I think I'm now addicted to your coffee and burgers." She turned towards Rory, "What do you think kid? Happy?"
Rory swallowed her food and nodded, "It's really good. Much better than when you try to make it and burn them."
Lorelai scoffed, "Hey...don't be mean to Mommy."
Rory smiled, "Just being honest like you always told me to be."
Lorelai playfully feigned hurt, "Except when it hurts me…then you are allowed to lie through your teeth. In fact I encourage it!"
Rory rolled her eyes, "Nice. Teach your kid to lie."
Luke chuckled, "Are you two always like this?"
Lorelai and Rory smiled at each other and answered insync, "Yes."
He laughed again and shook his head, "Good to know. Can I get you anything else right now?"
Lorelai glanced down at her now empty coffee cup, "More coffee?"
Luke sighed, "You're going to rot your insides."
"But at least I will get a lot done while it happens!" Lorelai said with a sparkling smile.
He pretended to look angry and walked away to get her more coffee. Luke continued to clean as he casually listened to their conversations. It was hard to keep up, they jumped from one topic to the next. School, work, he gathered that she worked at the Independence Inn which interested him. He had known the owner Mia for his whole life, and he was wondering why she had never mentioned the tall, beautiful woman who worked there.
It didn't go unnoticed by him that the word 'Dad' never came out of the young girl's mouth. And he couldn't deny that he made a mental note to check her finger for a ring when he refilled her coffee for the second time. It surprised him when he felt a sudden rush of relief when he saw that her finger was bare.
Pushing that happiness aside, he went back to the slow process of closing down the Diner. He noticed when their plates were near empty and went to the kitchen to prepare the sundae that Lorelai had requested for Rory. He brought it over just as they were pushing their plates to the center of the table.
"Like magic he appears with more delicious treasures!" Lorelai said with a smirk as Rory's face lit up at the sight of the large sundae.
"I doubt you will be able to finish it." Luke said with a chuckle.
"Yes we will." Lorelai and Rory said together.
"Can you bring me a spoon to share?" Lorelai asked with a flutter of her eyelashes.
Luke shook his head, "On it."
He walked to the counter again and went to get a spoon and another cup of water for Rory when he heard them talking again.
"Mom…" Rory said with a mouthful of ice cream, "I'm supposed to bring that check tomorrow for our field trip to Hartford next week."
Luke peeked behind him and saw Lorelai's face redden, "Oh right...I keep forgetting about that."
Rory nodded, "I know...but tomorrow is the deadline and if I don't bring it Mr. Collins says I can't go...and I was really looking forward to going to that museum. Lane and I were going to sit on the bus together and eat candy because Miss Kim will never know."
Lorelai nodded and took out her wallet, "Right. I remember. No problem. I will have the money kiddo. I promise!"
Rory nodded and turned to Luke, "Excuse me, but do you have a bathroom here?" She asked shyly, unable to meet his eyes.
Luke nodded and pointed to the back, "Right through there."
Rory nodded, "Thank you." She turned back to her Mom, "Be right back. Don't eat all the ice cream before I get back please…"
Lorelai turned from her wallet and plastered a smile on her face, "I wouldn't worry about it...I'm still without a SPOON." She made sure to yell the last part of her sentence.
Luke jumped and walked around the counter, "I got it. I got it."
Rory excused herself and made her way to the bathroom. Luke picked up Lorelai's empty plate and watched her return to staring blankly at her wallet. A knot began to form in his stomach.
"You want more coffee?" He asked casually.
She glanced up at him quickly, "Oh uh...no. That's okay. Probably had enough for tonight…" She licked her lips nervously, "I'll...I'll just take the check."
Luke stared at her for a moment, "You know...I have this rule...first time customers meals are on the house."
The words left his mouth before he realized what he was saying. But he didn't want to take it back, despite the fact that it wasn't a rule, he figured she didn't need to know.
Lorelai's face reddened, "Oh really?"
He shrugged, "Yeah. You can even ask Miss Patty…"
Lorelai took a deep breath and looked up at him, "I'm not sure I'd feel right about that. Plus...I don't' believe you because I paid for my coffee this morning."
Now it was Luke's turn to blush, "Yeah well...that was only because I didn't have the time to tell you about the rule. You blew out of here so fast I didn't have time to form the words."
She laughed and he knew in that moment that he would do whatever it took to keep her laughing, "Like a tornado, right?"
He smirked, "Tornado...hurricane...epic tropical storm."
She laughed again, "Real smooth talker you are…"
He shrugged, "Anyway...it is a rule. And I would have told you if I had the time but I didn't. So...now I am and you have to abide by my rules. I am the owner…"
"It does say our name out front…" She said nodding as she pointed to the sign outside. "But I'd have to see your birth certificate to confirm you are in fact the very Luke that it refers too…"
Luke playfully rolled his eyes, "Again...ask Miss Patty. She'll tell you who I am."
She leaned her chin on her hands and smiled up at him, "Oh I fully intend to ask her all about the plaid wearing funny man who owns the Diner. Don't you worry about that!"
Luke groaned, "Oh great…"
She laughed, "I'm sure she will have some wonderful stories to tell me!" She paused and looked down again, "But um...are you sure?"
He nodded slowly, "I'm sure. No paying." He held out his hand and offered her a spoon, "Enjoy your sundae…"
Lorelai took the spoon from him and smiled, "Oh, I will."
Their eyes locked for a moment, and Luke wasn't sure if anything could break the connection. But then Rory walked back in the room and sat down breaking the tension.
"Wow...I really thought I'd come back to an empty bowl." Rory said staring down at the still full but melting sundae. "Nice self restraint Mom."
Lorelai sighed playfully and pointed the spoon at Luke, "Someone was withholding the spoon...I don't think he trusts me."
"I don't." Luke said playing along as he shook his head, "The sundae was for the kid...not you." He said glaring at her.
Rory giggled and took a spoonful into her mouth, not caring that the whipped cream had stuck to her nose, "Thanks Duke!"
Lorelai laughed, both at the whipped cream and the wrong name her daughter had used. "Yeah, thanks Duke!" She said digging into the sundae herself.
Luke groaned, "Aw geez...it's Luke."
"That's what she said...Duke." Lorelai said with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Rory continued to giggle as she scooped up more ice cream, "Duke! Duke! Duke!"
Luke's face burned but he couldn't help but laugh as he walked back to the counter. He began to count the money in the register and often stole glances over at the two dark haired girls devouring their sundae. As the ice cream got lower and lower in the bowl, he felt a strange sense of sadness that they would be leaving.
He wondered if they would be back again…
Lorelai left the last bit of the sundae to Rory and walked over to the counter. Luke pretended to be counting still, but truth be told he had lost count awhile back while staring at her.
"Did you need something else?" Luke asked trying hard to note stare too intensely.
Lorelai shook her head, "Oh no...we are full for once which is unusual." She glanced back at Rory and then turned back to him quickly. "I just uh...I wanted to say thanks. She seems a lot happier than when I picked her up from school."
Luke nodded, "No big deal. I'm here to serve my customers…"
She smiled softly and looked down at her hands, "Well I am very glad that Patty suggested I try this place…"
Luke made a mental note to give Patty extra eggs and bacon in the morning, "Well good…"
Lorelai licked her lips and patted the counter twice, "I should get her home...she has school in the morning."
Luke nodded, "Sure right. She needs her sleep…"
Lorelai nodded, "Yep. Kids need sleep…"
Luke rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry...this is probably going to sound weird. I just...I've lived here forever and I know pretty much everyone in town."
"Oh...big man in Stars hollow, huh?" Lorelai said with a teasing smile.
He rolled his eyes, "There aren't that many people here...it's easy to know everyone. Especially if you grow up here."
Lorelai nodded, "Right. Got it. So...you were saying?"
He cleared his throat, "I just...haven't seen you around before. Are you new in town?"
"Technically...I guess we are." Lorelai said with a blush rising in her cheeks. "We were living at the Independence Inn for the first years of Rory's life...but I just bought a house on Maple Street."
"You lived at the Independence Inn?" Luke asked curiously. "I know Mia very well…"
Lorelai smiled, "She's the best. Yeah she...she gave me a job when I first showed up there when Rory was just a baby. She converted the old potting shed into kind of like a loft for us. And I saved every penny I could...and bought our house."
Luke's eyes widened, impressed by her words. "Wow. That's amazing…"
Lorelai shrugged, "Our house isn't the best. Could use a lot of work...but it's the first real home Rory has had. Mine too really...so for now it will do."
Luke squinted a little, "You said Maple Street?"
Lorelai nodded, "Yeah. We live next to Babette and Morey...do you know them? A little strange...but they seem very nice. They've been very helpful since we moved in."
Luke nodded, "Oh I know them alright. And I know your house." He hesitated, "Sorry...that was probably a weird thing to say."
She shook her head, "No. You've lived here forever, right? You must know everything about Stars Hollow."
"Sometimes I wish I didn't." He said with a laugh before glancing down at his hands, "But uh...yeah that house could use some work." He cleared his throat, "If you...if you ever need help with anything…"
"Mom can we go? I'm super tired…" Rory said pulling at Lorelai's sweater gently.
Lorelai snapped out of her Luke daze and glanced down at her daughter, "Oh sure kid. Sorry...it is getting late. Grab your stuff and we will head out. Can you say thank you to Luke?"
Rory sheepishly turned to Luke and smiled, "Thank you for dinner. It was delicious. The ice cream sundae was even better."
Luke couldn't help but smile at her, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Come back anytime."
"I'm sure we will. Mom can't cook a piece of toast." Rory said with a shrug as she turned to get her book and jacket at the table.
Lorelai couldn't help but laugh, "Aw kids...they tell it like it is."
Luke smiled, "Guess so…" He cleared his throat, "But um...like I was saying...if you need help fixing anything up...I know a thing or two."
Lorelai's smile grew, "I'll remember that...thank you."
He nodded, "Don't mention it…"
"Mom?" Rory called again from the table.
Lorelai took a deep breath and stepped away from the counter, "Right. Time to get you home kiddo. Gotta keep you at the top of your class!"
Rory smiled and walked towards the door as Lorelai grabbed her bag, "Bye Duke!" Rory yelled as she walked out the door.
Lorelai giggled and turned to him before leaving, "Yeah...bye Duke!"
Luke lifted a hand to wave, not even pretending to be annoyed. He watched them out the window until he couldn't see them anymore. He quietly walked to the door, turned the lock and the sign from Open to Close. As he turned out the lights, took the money to put in the safe and walked up to his apartment...he couldn't help but think that his earlier thoughts were right. There was a cosmic shift the moment that Lorelai waltzed into the Diner and it both intrigued and scared him. But as he lay in bed that night...he just hoped he'd see her again...and soon.
The following morning, Luke kept busy with the usual morning rush. He made countless pancakes, enough bacon to stop a heart and poured enough coffee that would make even Lorelai Gilmore sick. His mind wandered to her over and over though he wished it wouldn't. He couldn't pretend that every time the door opened and the bells jingled he didn't secretly hope it was her.
It wasn't until around 10:15 when the breakfast rush had finally died down that the door opened and she walked in looking as beautiful as he had remembered.
"Hey…" Luke said nodding towards her as she walked in.
She smiled and walked towards the counter, "I saw Miss Patty this morning...and she had some interesting information for me…"
Luke's heart sped up and he raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"
Lorelai sat down at the stool near the register and leaned her elbows against the counter, "Yup. She said she's never heard of your first time customers don't pay rule…" She pointed a finger at him, "In fact...she said she was your first customer ever and you totally charged her full price despite that fact that you've known her forever."
Luke smiled slightly but also blushed, "Huh...she must have a faulty memory."
Lorelai clucked her tongue, "I may have only known her for a short period of time...but I can tell that that women's memory is as tight as a vault. She knows everyone's secrets."
Luke laughed, "Can't argue with that…"
She narrowed her eyes at him, "So why didn't you make me pay?"
Luke sighed and looked out the window, "You get Rory's check for her field trip?"
Lorelai's face flushed, "Yes…"
Luke nodded, "Good." He reached for the coffee pot and began to fill a cup for her, "I'll tell you what...bring her by tonight and I'll charge you full price. Okay?"
Lorelai opened her mouth to fight him, but something in the way his blue eyes shined almost through her soul made her realize it would be a useless cause. "Okay…"
Luke nodded and slid the mug closer to her, "Okay."
She watched as he turned back towards the counter to fill some salt shakers and she tried to remember the last time she had ever felt so comfortable with anyone, especially a man. And quite honestly...she couldn't. Daring to push things a bit further, she shifted on her stool and pulled the cup closer to her.
"So...my kitchen sink won't stop leaking. Babette gave me the name for this plumber guy last week when we had a problem with the tub…" She lifted the mug to her lips, "But um...to be honest he was a bit of a creep. Scared Rory I think…"
Luke still had his back to her but he couldn't help but smile, "I can come by sometime to take a look at it…" He turned to face her and shrugged, "If you want…"
Lorelai smiled as she took a sip of her coffee, "I'd like that."
He smiled and turned back to his work. "Okay."
She smirked as she watched him work. "Okay."
They sat in comfortable silence for awhile until Lorelai's stomach grumbled. Luke slid a danish over to her on a plate and said something about them being yesterday's leftovers. She took a bite and knew they were quite fresh but didn't fight him. She was just thankful she had finally found a real friend in this tiny town.
Things were changing...everything was changing...and for the first time in a long time neither of them were scared of what it would mean.
So what did you think? I just always pictured their first meeting being such a big moment for both of them. They mean so much to each other, and this song signified that to me. Their lives changed once they met. Hope you liked it and want me to continue with more one-shots! If so - let me know and drop a review! I will try and update soon!
