Chapter Two: Coffee Kamikaze
THE PREVIOUS EVENING: FRIDAY NIGHT
Lorelai entered the diner with a look of determination and mischief set on her face, a devious twinkle in her blue eyes.
She wants something, Luke thought, recognizing that familiar expression: the one usually only reserved for him. Luke felt almost special knowing that there was a look reserved especially for him, even though the look seemed laced with the everlasting promise of a platonic relationship. Better get her liquid tar ready. Whatever she wants, coffee should distract her for a few minutes.
"Hey Luke," Rory greeted for both herself and her mother as they sat down at "their" table. She, too, knew the expression Lorelai wore. On this particular night, though, Rory had no energy to decode it.
Luke nodded in the girls' direction as he prepared with two cups of coffee. Lorelai smiled sweetly at Luke placed the coffee before her; the expression clung tightly to her flawless face.
Pulling the notepad out from the front of his jeans, he asked, "What'll it be tonight?"
"Cheeseburger with chili cheese fries," Rory replied. Luke jotted the order down and looked to Lorelai for her order. She was still staring intently at him.
"The same," Lorelai smiled.
"Two plates of suicide coming up," Luke mentioned as he headed back to the kitchen to prepare their food.
Once Luke was out of earshot, Lorelai's smile came off and a look of desperation passed over her delicate features. "I should have ordered a salad to soften him up."
Rory shook her head. "Yeah, because you ordering a salad wouldn't be suspicious."
"I am offended."
"You're offended? You're the one trying to get something from Luke."
Lorelai giggled, "Dirty."
Rory ignored her mother's immature comment. "Whatever it is you want, just ask him already. He probably already knows you want something. You have that look on your face."
"What look?"
Rory was getting tired of running in lopsided circles with her mom. "The look you get when you want Luke to do something. It's a very common look."
Luke came out of the kitchen and was back behind the counter, though neither of the Gilmore girls took any notice. Their conversation was just loud enough for Luke to hear in the near-empty diner.
Luke noticed that Lorelai was slightly pouting. She retorted to daughter, "I do not have a look."
Rory again shook her head and took a sip of her coffee. "And I doubt pouting will get you anywhere."
"Again I am offended!" Lorelai exclaimed. "My pout is famous. It has gotten me out of speeding tickets, PTA functions, and it has worked very well with Luke in the past. How else do you think my coffee gets refilled?"
Still unnoticed by the girls, Luke raised his eyebrows at the last part of Lorelai's comment. We'll see if that pout works tonight, Luke thought, though he knew how easily he gave into anything Lorelai wanted him to do. Hell, I'd probably take up ballet if she asked me to. He grimaced at the thought of himself in fruity tights. Not tonight. Whatever she wants, not tonight. Luke felt he needed to prove it to himself that he could be strong again Lorelai. It's not like they were more than friends or anything; he wasn't obligated to be at Lorelai's beck and call.
Cesar rang the bell at the kitchen window. "Order's up, Boss."
Luke grabbed the plates and headed to Lorelai's table. Seeing her food approaching, Lorelai's I-need-something-from-Luke-even-though-it-sounds-very-dirty expression returned with even more determination. Luke caught the instant change. After he sat the burgers down, he asked, "Do you want anything else?"
"Well, since you asked…"
Here it comes, he thought. The reason behind the expression.
"…I have a yoga class that starts at the butt-crack of dawn tomorrow morning and I know that you don't open until six, but I would be eternally grateful if you could maybe, please, please, please, switch the coffee pot on a couple minutes earlier so I can come by here on my way to class and get my jolt before class so that I can do a better Jane Fonda circa-1970s impression," Lorelai exhaled in almost one breath, holding the sweet smile the entire time.
"Nope."
Lorelai's face fell. "What do you mean?"
"I mean no."
The determined look came back, followed closely by the pout. "But…"
"If I opened early for you, I would have to open early for everyone. And by everyone, I mean Kirk."
"But…"
"Here's your bill," Luke cut her off again, placing her tab on the table. "Please come again." He turned around and went to the kitchen, kicking Cesar out to work the counter. Even from the kitchen, he could hear Rory laughing.
"So much for the pout," Rory chuckled.
"But…" Lorelai repeated, staring at the kitchen, wondering why in the world Luke had not submitted to her whim.
LATER THAT NIGHT
Considering that Lorelai had to wake up so early the following morning, she and Rory only got through two Jane Fonda-themed movies: Jane Fonda because she is what Lorelai sought to be the next morning.
Lorelai was lying in her bed, playing with her fingers, willing sleep to come. She glanced at the clock so often that time seemed to stand still. I swear the minutes are moving backwards. It was hard for sleep come when all Lorelai could think about, in addition to time actually moving backwards, was Luke not giving into her whim. I have been obsessing over this since dinner. Seriously, what harm does opening five minutes earlier do? Lorelai picked up her cordless phone and dialed Luke's apartment.
After six rings, he finally picked up and mumbled something incoherent.
"Seriously, what harm does opening five minutes earlier do?" Lorelai inquired, not waiting to interpret the garbled "hello".
"Lorelai, it's just after midnight!"
"Please Luke!"
"No."
"Please!"
"No!"
Lorelai paused before she repeated, "Please!"
"I will see you tomorrow, after your class. Good night!" With that, Luke hung up the phone and headed back to bed, shaking his head the entire way. Lorelai sat on her bed with her mouth open in astonishment that she still could not get Luke to budge. She eventually managed to fall into an uncomfortable sleep.
SATURDAY MORNING
"Mom! Mother!" Rory shook Lorelai almost violently.
Lorelai groaned and managed to open one eye half-way.
"Setting my alarm clock to wake me up to wake you up at 5:30 in the morning on a weekend is not right!" Rory informed her, plopping down on Lorelai's bed. "Get up, Mother."
Lorelai slowly rose and Rory stole the warm spot in bed. "I was just having the oddest dream."
With her eyes closed, Rory replied, "How is that different from any other dream?"
Lorelai reluctantly got out of bed and fished around on the floor for a pair of yoga capris. "I was drowning in a river of coffee like Augustus Gloop was in the chocolate river in Willy Wonka and Luke was dressed in purple velvet like Willy Wonka and refused to throw me a cherry Lifesaver to rescue me. And then Oompa-loompas who looked like Kirk were dancing around and singing to my demise."
Rory snickered. "Luke as Willy Wonka."
"Do you have no concern at all that I was drowning? You are no longer my favorite daughter."
With a yawn, Rory answered, "Let's continue this discussion when the sun is up."
By the time Lorelai left her room and her now sleeping daughter, she had less than ten minutes to get to Miss Patty's. Why is it that the mornings I need coffee the most I have no time to have it? Damn Luke.
