Stepford Friends

Chapter 4 - Pounce

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Dear Readers, thanks for your support. It turns out, I didn't need a rating change YET! I'm sorry to disappoint some people, but sometimes, a girl needs a chapter to set up for all the good stuff to come, and in this story, this is the set-up chapter. Don't fret, the next chapter will definitely be for mature audiences only. I've already started it!

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Thank you Jewels for the wonderful work you do fixing all my commas! Your insight and instinct for all things Gilmore leave me wowed once again.

Thank you BigBagofWeird (Boom!) for reading my paragraphs and LOL'ing supportively!

And, LoriDhhp, thanks for helping with the references.

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"Rory? They're gone," Lorelai said into the phone as she peered out her living room window.

"Hello, Mom? Who's gone?"

"The cats."

"I thought you were so pathetically single, they staked out your house and formed little cat committees."

"Well, apparently I'm not as pathetic as I thought. Or maybe it's the ankle brace and crutches that scared them away."

"Ankle brace and crutches? What?" Rory stopped in her tracks, forcing hurried Yale coeds to maneuver around her.

"Oh, Loin Fruit! Your klutzy mother did it again, and this time in front of everyone at the inn. You should have seen me. I would have made Dick van Dyke seem like a swan."

"Oh no, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. It seems the biggest bruise I sustained was that to my own ego. The X-rays came out showing no fractures."

"X-rays? Mom, why didn't you call me?"

"Well, I didn't want to worry you. Besides, it was okay. Luke took me to the emergency room, so you know…"

"Luke, huh?"

"Yeah, Luke. Why?"

"No reason. No reason at all." Rory rearranged her books to balance them better, trying not to spill her coffee-to-go in the process. "Does it hurt?"

"Actually, it hurts more today than it did yesterday. I'm supposed to keep all my weight off it completely for two weeks. When I stay in, I'm supposed to keep it elevated. When I go out, I have to wear a bionic Robocop thingy. "

"Wow, bionic Robocop thingy. That's intense. So, have you been keeping your weight off it?"

"Oh, yeah. I can't even touch it to the ground."

"Did you go to work? And are you keeping it elevated?"

"What's this, the third degree? Yes, I went to work for a few hours. And yes, I kept it elevated, except when, you know, I had to work and couldn't keep it elevated."

"What about now, is it elevated?"

"Hold on." Lorelai hobbled over to the couch, plopped down, swung her legs up, and leaned back on the armrest. "Yep. It's elevated."

Mom!" Rory scolded.

"I know, it's just hard. I have so much to do. I even had to bum a ride off Babette this morning."

"Oh, no."

"Oh, yes. Who knew that a sprained ankle meant I had to mooch rides from every citizen of Stars Hollow?"

"It could have been a lot worse."

"Yeah, you're right. I did get off pretty lucky on this one."

"So, what about the cats? Why did they make a hasty retreat?"

"Well that brings us back to Luke." Lorelai squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, allowing Rory to process the cryptic message.

"Ah ha! The plot thickens."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it, daughter-of-mine."

"Well, get to the point, but spare me the gory details."

"All right, but no judging, okay?"

"Mom, come on, there is a judgement free zone between us."

"I know, Hon. It's just, I sort of have a date with Luke tonight."

"You sort of have a date with Luke? Mom, you can't sort of date Luke. You know that ,right? He's Luke, our Luke. Besides, I thought you were mad at him or something."

"Who said I was mad at him?"

"Nobody had to say it."

"Then why would you bring it up?"

"Usually he's in all of your stories. It's either Luke or Luke's Diner. But for the past several days, you haven't even mentioned him, or his coffee. So, I figured you were mad at each other."

"Very perceptive. Well, it turns out he wasn't angry with me so much."

"So much as what?"

"So much as…he wanted to, um…more than date me. I agreed to go out with him on a real date."

"Wow! Are you sure? What if it doesn't work out? You don't exactly have the best track record. Have you thought about this?"

"Yeah, I know, and I don't know. You're right. But last night, when he kissed me, he became another person. I can't explain it. His whole persona changed, he was smoldering. You should have seen him. His voice deepened, and his intensity heightened, and…"

"Ewww! Mom! Please stop before you get to the part where I gouge my own eyes out!"

"Oh, sorry. I got carried away."

"I guess so. He kissed you?"

"Um, yeah. We made out."

"You do know what making out means, right?"

"I won't even justify that with an answer," Lorelai said with feigned indignation.

"'Making out' is kind of a high school term."

"Well, we were the quintessential maker-outers, actually. We gazed at the lights of Stars Hollow while we parked!"

"Oh, wow! Luke took you parking?" Rory laughed.

"I know, it sounds surreal. But seriously, Hon, what do you think? Are you okay with this? I know how you adore Luke, and I don't want to ruin that either."

"Um, yeah. I'm more than okay with this. And I do adore Luke. He's a really good man. You deserve someone like him," Rory said sincerely.

"I'm not so sure that I do," Lorelai's voice wavered as she bit her lip.

"Mom, you do. You work so hard and you've given up so much. Why not Luke? You already like him. Why couldn't you love him? With all the coffee you drink, the attraction between you two has been brewing for years."

"Very witty. It's all so important, you know? I'm not sure if I'm making the right decision. I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do."

"Well, then, let me ask you this. How was, you know, the making out?"

"It was more than amazing," Lorelai said dreamily.

"There's your answer then. It's inevitable if you both really like each other and the other stuff is amazing."

"How'd you get to be so smart?"

"I take after my mother."

"Aww, schmoopy!"

"Yeah, schmoopy!" Rory echoed. "So let's get to the really important question. What are you going to wear?"

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"Darn, darn, darn!" Lorelai shouted, trying to walk with her crutches in yet another shoe. She slipped a different one on, put all her weight on one foot, then swung her body forward, landing on the newly shod foot. "Gah!" she expelled in frustration when the new shoe wouldn't stay steady. The pile of discarded, mateless shoes was growing into an impressive mound on her closet floor.

She slipped on a navy wedge espadrille and tried again. "Finally!" she yelled when it held her foot steady and didn't hurt. Having only one shoe that fit the bill as third leg in a tripod, she had limited choices in what to wear. It pained her to point her toes and put on jeans or trousers, so she opted for a dress. She chose a plain navy wrap that she could accessorize for dinner.

She decided to take a bath, rather than a shower, since it seemed the safer route to take. Standing in the shower with crutches would be rather cumbersome. She lathered and scrubbed and used her special occasion bath oils to make her skin silky smooth and fragrant. She took extra time shaving her legs, just in case. While she soaked in the tub, she allowed her thoughts to drift back to the previous night.

When did Luke become so sexy? She always thought he'd be intense, but last night he took intensity to a whole other strata. He was amazing. Each kiss was a little different than the last, taking her places she'd never been. And his insistence that she go out with him clearly demonstrated his desire for her. Her heart skipped at the thought of his throaty murmurs, enticing her to acquiesce.'

She worried about whether or not he would remain a gentleman tonight, like he had been the night before. After making out for what seemed like hours, he didn't try anything beyond kissing. Her stomach was tied in nervous knots of girly anticipation at just the thought of him. She wasn't sure if they should take the physical part of their relationship to the next level. But she knew she didn't have the resolve to resist him, especially if he lapsed into the smoldering Luke that made his debut the previous night.

She began fretting in the opposite direction, too. What if he didn't try anything? Would she be disappointed? Could she withstand the temptation of making the first move? It was exciting and scary to venture down a new path with Luke. Whatever happens, please don't blow it, she told herself.

As the minutes ticked by, she grew more flustered. She was running late, her hair was still more than damp and she hated her shoe. And now, on top of the pressure of having a real date with one of her best friends, her ankle was beginning to throb.

Luke thought about the date all day. His mind kept retracing the kisses in the truck. He felt a mixture of pride and apprehension. Pride, because he was finally able to show Lorelai how he felt. Apprehension, because he feared that he hadn't played fairly and took advantage of her by pressuring her into saying yes. But, she did say yes, he thought. He gave himself a pep talk about remaining a gentleman. God knows keeping his hands off her the night before was one of the most difficult things he had ever done. Don't move too fast or you're going to scare her away, Danes, his inner coach warned.

She looked at her clock and began to panic. Luke said 7:00 and it was already 7:10. She was late and still standing in nothing but her bra, panties, and ankle brace, desperately fluffing up her hair, trying to get it dry enough to look presentable. She picked out her favorite date perfume and spritzed two pumps of it into the air, before hopping through the scented cloud. She slid into her dress and tied the wrap, slipped on the unfashionable footwear, and rifled through her jewelry box. She opted for shiny silver items so they'd match her crutches.

At 7:15 Luke stood outside of her home, leaning against his truck. Looking up at her bedroom window, he could see the light on, and shadows periodically rushing past the shades. He knew Lorelai, and he knew she always ran late. Hoping to give her the extra time that she needed, and to calm his own nerves, he waited for a few minutes with a small red and white package in his hand. When he saw the light go out in her window, he proceeded to the front door.

The doorbell startled her, even though she was expecting it. Her heart raced at the thought of Luke being on the other side of the door. She didn't want him to have to wait for her to dismount the staircase in her gimpy state, so she opted to shout out an invitation.

"It's unlocked! Come on in!" she cried from the top of the flight.

He opened the door, closed it quietly behind himself, and said, "You know, you really should lock your door. It isn't safe."

She looked at him through a half smile and decided not to argue. He looked too damn good. He wore a hunter green sweater that hung from his wide shoulders and broad chest. It partially covered his slim hips that were clad in black slacks. The sleeves were pushed up to reveal his strong forearms. His head was sans cap and his hair was combed back neatly. And, surprise of all surprises, his face was clean-shaven. Behold the healing powers of a bath she thought.

Their eyes locked as she began her descent. She held the banister with one hand and both crutches in the other, while hopping on one foot from stair to stair. He was captivated as he watched her hair bouncing freely around her luminous face. The neckline of her dress was wide, but not revealing, and there was a neat bow topping the point where the fabric overlapped. With each hop, the flimsy material parted and her long legs became exposed momentarily, giving him glimpses of more thigh than any hot-blooded man could resist. Had she a free hand, she would have undoubtedly held the dress together. Since she didn't, his eyes were the fortuitous recipients of the fleeting vision.

Ever the gentleman, Luke put the package on the entry table then scaled the stairs and relieved her of the crutches, allowing her to rest mid-way down.

"Thanks," she said. "The stairs are so much easier without crutches."

"No problem," he said, not taking his eyes off her. He stood directly in front of her on the step below. He leaned the crutches against the banister so they wouldn't fall, then he pulled himself toward her, with his hands on either side of her waist. He brushed his lips over hers and rasped, "Hi."

"Hi," she said, barely breathing.

"You're wearing a dress," he whispered as he rolled the hem between his fingers and thumb.

"Yeah, well,women tend to do that."

"I wasn't prepared for a dress," he said, flipping the split open a little where the fabric overlapped.

"Prepared?"

"Yeah, mentally. I knew you'd look beautiful, and I prepared myself to at least have an ounce of self-control. But it didn't even occur to me you'd wear a dress," he said as his hand found her bare skin. He grazed the softness of her inner thigh, and smoothed his hand to the outside of her bare leg. Stepping up to the stair that she occupied, he rested his foot on a diagonal next to hers, then he lifted his leg and put it on the stair above him. At the same time, he pulled her injured leg up and hooked her knee over his thigh where he allowed it to rest without putting any pressure on her ankle.

Suddenly his mouth was covering hers, brushing soft caresses across her lips, licking her teasingly and coaxing her mouth open. Lorelai gasped at the sensation, but soon found herself in the throws of another Luke kiss. She parted her lips and granted him access. His soft tongue probed her mouth, dancing around her own tongue in a slow, sinewy tango. Her arms grasped onto his shoulders as he repositioned both of them to allow Lorelai to lean against the wall. Their slow kiss soon gave way to a fiery passion that had them moving their heads from side to side and pressing their bodies more snugly into each other, closing the space between their hips.

His hips churned into hers, as he moved aside more of the fabric, exposing the small triangle of her lacy blue panties. He moved both hands up her legs and around to her backside. He held onto each side of her ass, and pulled her into him. She could feel his impressive desire, hot and hard against her groin. Wanting more of it, she pulled him in closer with the leg that was hooked over his.

Coming up for air, he planted heated kisses on her face and jaw. He slid his silky tongue to her neck, where he nibbled and sucked lightly. She relished the feeling, allowing her head to fall back. He took advantage of the real estate in front of him and began kissing the expanse of skin on her chest.

"You have a beautiful chest," he murmured as he nuzzled his face into it.

Lorelai chuckled deeply at his words.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just…I've received my share of compliments from men, but not one has ever said that I have a beautiful chest."

"Oh, but you do. Your skin is so smooth and you wear delicate necklaces, like this one, that drive me wild. It's all I can do not to stare at you. Most women can't wear a dress like this without looking trashy. But on you, it's beautiful, and elegant. Look at this." He gestured to the hint of breast that was exposed. "It's so sexy. I've always wanted to do this," he said, as he his placed light kisses at the top of her dress, sliding his tongue along the inner contours of one breast, then the other.

"Luke," she groaned involuntarily.

"I know, we need to go," he said ruefully.

"Not yet," she said, breathing heavily, holding onto him.

"Yes, this is a date. I need to feed you. I should at least let you make it down the stairs without pouncing on you," he said.

"Pounce away!"

"What if I promise to pounce again later?" he negotiated.

"Promise?"

"Definitely," he said with an arrogant growl.

"One more," she said, bringing her mouth to his, seeking another slippery, smooth kiss.

They finally pulled themselves away from the heated embrace and he lowered her leg carefully. When it touched the stair, he noticed her flinch subtly.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"Nothing, I'm good," she said through a stiff smile. She turned away from him and hopped down the remaining stairs.

"How's your foot?" he asked, grasping the crutches.

"Everything is great. It's good. You know me, I'm fine."

He wasn't buying it. "Let me see," he said in a slightly stern voice. He followed her to the couch, where she had already taken a seat. It was difficult to tell how much swelling she had because of the brace, but he could see part of her puffy toes sticking out of the front. He loosened one of the Velcro straps to inspect it.

"I can't traipse you all over town with your foot so swollen. You should have it elevated," he said seriously, while placing a throw pillow on the coffee table. He patted it in invitation for her to put her foot up.

"No, really, I'm ready to go. Boy, am I starved. You know me, I can always eat," she said, trying to persuade him.

"Lorelai, it's me you're talking to. I know you. It's not fine."

"But we have a date. Don't you want to take me out?" she pouted.

"Of course I want to take you out. But we have to make an adjustment tonight,that's all. Let's call Joe, we'll order pizza and stay in. I wasn't thinking about your injury. I'm sorry. Maybe I should have waited longer for this date."

"No, you shouldn't have waited one minute longer. This is perfect timing. I'll call Joe," she said, hoisting her leg onto the coffee table. "What do you want on your Tombstone?"

"You can pick whatever you like, I'll eat it," he said.

She looked at him with her eyebrows raised, as if to say, 'Are you really going to allow me to pick your toppings?' He thought better of it, and said, "Ok, for my half, my usual artichoke hearts, eggplant, and tomatoes."

"You've got to be kidding," she said.

"I never kid about pizza," he replied, while picking up the handset and handing it to her.

She looked dubious, but pushed number five on her speed dial anyway. "Hey Joe, it's Lorelai. Can I have a large pizza? Half with pepperoni, sausage, ham, and meatballs. The other half with artichoke hearts, eggplant, and tomatoes," she said, wrinkling her nose at Luke. "Um, yeah. Okay? I don't know. He's right here. Sure. Hold on." She covered the phone and whispered to Luke. "He said he wants to talk to Luke about the sauce and cheese."

Luke shrugged his shoulders and took the phone. "Hey, Joe. Yeah, I'm here. That's my half, yep. Uh huh. Yeah, extra sauce and light on the cheese for my side. No," he chuckled, "no onions tonight. Thanks. Hey Joe." He exhaled, then continued. "Uh, can you add an antipasto salad with some ranch and Italian on the side. Also, what do you have for dessert?" He looked up at Lorelai and repeated Joe's response, "Raspberry cheesecake or tiramisu." Lorelai smiled and nodded vigorously. "Uh, we'll have one of each. And Joe, do you have a bottle of the Sangiovese Riserva? Yeah, well I wouldn't want you to break the law. I understand. But, what if you didn't sell it from your pizzeria, but you took it from your own private collection and gave it to a friend? Then that friend would reciprocate the gesture on Monday, say at that friend's diner? Would that be against the law? Oh good, well then we're looking forward to it. Thanks, bye." He hung up the phone smugly.

"Look at you getting all Pauly Walnuts on him, skirting the law." She smiled, clearly impressed.

Flicking his fingers under his chin, he said in a convincing Sopranos accent, "Yeah, well whadda ya gonna do?"

Lorelai laughed at his lighthearted attempt to salvage the evening by ordering an entire meal.

"I got us the wine, didn't I?" he said.

"Yes, you sure did."

"Lorelai, I want this to be a real date, even though I'm not taking you out," he said, looking at her.

"You think after the um… session on the stairs that it could be anything but real?"

He blushed deeply, then asked, "Hey, Lorelai, is it…how do you feel about Joe figuring out that I'm here?"

"I guess everyone will find out sooner or later. I just thought it would be later, after we've done the figuring out ourselves. But basically, I'm okay with it. What about you?" she asked.

"I'm okay with it too." He nodded.

"We're going to be the talk of the town tomorrow."

"Well, hopefully they'll have something to talk about," he said, smiling at her. This time she blushed.

"I brought you something," he said as he returned the phone to its cradle. He picked up the red and white box he brought for her.

"What is it?" She smiled broadly, recognizing the style of the packaging.

"Just a little gift."

"I like gifts!"

"Here you go," he said, sitting on the couch next to her and handing over the package.

"You went to Ye Olde Fashioned Soda Shoppe!" she squealed!

"It was either this, or flowers. And well, you can eat these, so the decision was easy."

"Good thinking," she said as she opened the box. There were a dozen plump truffles, each dusted in cocoa, looking tantalizingly decadent. "Oh, Luke, thank you! These are perfect. They're my favorite." She raised her face in invitation for him to kiss her. He leaned in and planted a lingering, yet soft kiss on her lips.

He smiled to see her so happy. "Aren't you going to eat one?"

She nodded, smiling at him, "Can I?"

"Of course, they're yours."

She lifted one to her lips and bit it in half, closing her eyes and relishing the treat. "Oh," she gasped, "this is delicious. Here." She offered the other half of the candy to him.

"No, thanks," he declined, "I'll taste it this way." He leaned in and kissed her cocoa-dusted lips. "You're right, delicious," he said staring at her leg as it peeked through the open seam. "So, how about if I get the table ready, and you go put some pants on?" he suggested.

"I think that's an excellent idea," she said with a smile.

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To be continued...