Authors Note: This is just a filler chapter. Thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter. The more reviews I get, the quicker the chapters come up, guys. And now, enjoy. Chapter 3 will be up soon (reviews pending).
Luke grabbed a broom and started sweeping the floors of the diner, trying to persuade his customers to leave. It was only twenty minutes before closing time, but Luke felt the need to get out of the diner earlier that day. He looked around at the characters that were sitting at his tables. There was, of course, a fight insinuating between Kirk and Taylor about Stars Hollow's annual Valentines Day festivities the next week. Kirk, of course, wanted a parade and floats and sparklers. He wanted to make sure that it was something his mother could attend: the noises often were too much for her to bare. Of course, the entire diner knew what Taylor had to say about that.
"I am not going to let you ruin Stars Hollow's tradition of having a Valentines Day dance and snowman contest because your mother complains about the cold and the volume," Taylor yelled audibly. "Tell her to go live somewhere else if she can't deal with dances and snow because neither of those are leaving Stars Hollow anytime soon!"
Kirk looked frustrated and began to bicker with Taylor before Luke ran his broom over their table.
"Alright, out. I'm closing up."
"But Luke, your sign clearly states that your diner does not close until 11:00 pm on Saturday nights." Taylor looked at his watch. "It is now only 10:37, which means I still have another 23 minutes to sit here and debate with Kirk while I eat this 'hamburger' you sold me for three dollars over its' value," Taylor contested.
"Taylor, get out. This is my diner; I can close when I want to; I can charge you however much I want to. If you think the prices are so bad, then go somewhere else and get a hamburger. Go debate with Kirk outside in the snow." Luke said tartly, opening the door to the diner for them to walk through. When Taylor started to open his mouth again, Luke interrupted him. "Taylor, get out!"
Taylor and Kirk stormed out the door, followed by Miss Patty, Babette, and a slew of other townspeople giving Luke weird looks. Luke watched them out the door and then flipped the open sign on the outside part of the door and finished sweeping up the floor. He turned the coffeepot off and looked up to see Rory standing at the door, peering in through the glass with a small frown on her face.
He unlocked the door for her, "Rory, what are you doing? Get out of the cold."
"I thought you closed at 11," she said. "What time are you closing now, Luke?"
"Whenever I feel like it," he said. "Contrary to Taylor's belief, I own this diner and I don't have to close it at the time that the sign on my door says."
Rory stared at him. "Gee, tough day, Luke?"
He looked at her for a minute. She looked back.
"Lorelai," they both said in unison.
"Do you have any idea why she's been so weird lately? This morning she stormed off on me. It was really weird because it was like ten seconds after she was kissing all over me," he asked.
Rory debated telling him. Mom would absolutely kill me if I muddled in their business. But he'll never figure it out. He can be quite retarded sometimes. All men can. Especially men in flannel….
"No, Luke, I don't know," Rory lied. "Maybe it's the weather. Sometimes Mom gets weird when it's cold. Ooh or maybe there's a full moon tonight. Or maybe the coffee was bad. I don't know." Rory tried to cover up her knowledge with falsettos.
Why are all the Gilmore girls acting so strange lately? Luke pondered. I swear, I hate living with two women.
"When will you be home tonight?" Rory asked, changing the subject.
"I was just about to head home when you came in," Luke replied. "Do you have any idea where your Mom is?"
"Yeah, she called me and told me she was going to go over to Sookie's and she'd be out late tonight," Rory said.
"Why is she going over to Sookie's?" Luke asked concerned. "She only goes over to Sookie's at night when she's upset. Why is she upset, Rory?"
"I don't know…." Rory lied again. "I didn't ask?"
Luke grunted. "Fine. But I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it if she won't tell me. I'm not a miracle worker here. I can't read minds. I don't have ESP."
"Yeah, but you have ESPN," Rory said. "What a trade-off." She rolled her eyes.
"I'm going to Sookie's and picking up your mother." Luke said and walked out the door to his diner, leaving Rory with the key to lock up.