Jealousy Written All Over Your Pretty Little Face

I'm so sorry this chapter took longer than usual, but I've been extremely busy. So, to make up for it, I made this one A LOT longer. Hope you guys like it!

Chapter 4: Cupid Has Left The Building

After Lorelai left, Luke was once again alone. He felt that he was alone a lot lately. Sure, during the day he usually didn't. His business was always filled with starving customers. But at night, when all he had was a refrigerator stocked with food and a cold bed to lay in, he had time to think about it. Tonight was no exception. It hadn't really bugged him until his divorce from Nicole. He used to feel perfectly content being a loner. But one day, he looked himself in the mirror and saw the scattered gray hairs on his head, the wrinkles on his once vibrant face, and the dark black circles around his dimming eyes. He realized he wasn't getting any younger and that his James Dean days were over. He needed someone to be with, but he thought no one in this town would be crazy enough to love him. Who would love an outcast like him? Just as Luke began to ponder this question, a knocking noise came from his door. He slowly walked to the door, feeling the warning his aching joints were sending him. He was relieved to see who was there when he answered it: Allison.

"I'm hungry. Got any food?" she asked.

"I'm pretty sure I do," he smirked.

Luke and Allison walked downstairs and into the diner.

"How'd you even get in here anyway? The door was locked."

"Luke, you leave the key in the exact same place your father did and practically all Americans who have a business do: on top of the door. One day you're gonna get robbed."

"Allison, this is Stars Hollow you're in, remember? People's idea of breaking the law in this town is stealing an ice cream sample from Taylor's."

Allison chuckled slightly, but didn't say anything. Luke could tell that something wasn't right with Allison. Her face was pale; her eyes didn't have their usual sparkle. Plus, when he brought her her plate of French fries and a BLT, she didn't look very hungry.

"Okay, spill," he said.

"Spill what?" she asked innocently.

"There's obviously something wrong with you if you tell me you're starving –"

"Hey, I said I was hungry, not starving. There's a big difference my friend," she interrupted.

"Okay, well you said you were hungry and all you've eaten in the past ten minutes is two bites of your sandwich and four fries."

"Would you believe me if I told you I broke the world record for the slowest eater on Earth?"

"No I wouldn't."

"Rats. Well, I had to try."

"Al, what's going on with you?" Luke questioned.

"Luke, I have to be completely honest with you. I didn't come here to see Taylor."

"Well that's obvious. Whoever would actually choose to see Taylor without being electrocuted or brainwashed has to be insane," Luke jokingly said as he cleaned part of the counter.

"I came here to see you. And to get away."

"I don't understand. Why would you want to get away from your life? I mean, you're the one with a loving husband and two daughters who adore you -"

"Luke, don't do this. It was a long time ago."

"Why didn't you pick me?" he asked with fury in his eyes, "Was I really not as good as him? I loved you so much more than he ever will. Wow. Never thought I'd see the day where I could act as pathetic as a Days Of Our Lives actor."

"Luke, I needed someone who could support me financially."

"He's filthy rich. That's the reason you married him? Geez, Allison. I wasn't aware of how shallow you were."

"I left him," she bluntly put it.

"You what?" Luke asked in disbelief.

"We're getting divorced."

"But why?"

Allison stood up slowly and began walking behind the left side of the counter toward Luke.

"Because, even after twenty years of marriage, I still imagined that Jake was you. Whenever we would sleep, I would pretend it was you lying next to me. Whenever we'd kiss, I'd pretend I was kissing you. I was being unfair to him, so I told him I wanted out. But Luke, I've been in love with you since I was sixteen. That has to be some sign that it's not ever going to go away."

She was now within centimeters of him, touching his left hand, which lay against the counter. He began to shake. He couldn't stand being so close to her. So he turned away from her and looked down at the ground in shame. He couldn't lead her on like this. He couldn't let her think that he even considered getting back with her. But that was going to be extremely tricky to pull off, because even though he would never admit it if someone asked him, maybe deep down inside he still felt something for her.

"Allison that ship sailed a long time ago. I've moved on."

"Then look me in the eye and tell me that. If you can say that to my face, then I'll go. But not until you do."

Luke hesitantly turned forward back to Allison and looked her straight in the eye.

"I… I… don't…"

Just then, he broke contact with her dark green eyes. He became aware of how close their bodies were to each other. So close in fact that they could probably kiss without moving. He felt the warmth of her breath, and she felt his as well. She began to lean in toward him, her face softening. He looked out of the corner of his eye out to the window and saw her: Lorelai Gilmore was staring through the window looking back at him with the most confused look on her face. She began to walk away extremely quickly when he became conscious of the situation he was in. Luke immediately ran out of the diner and tried to catch Lorelai, leaving a distraught Allison to fend for herself.

Lorelai could not believe what she had just seen. All she had wanted was a cup of coffee, but she assumed that her life just wasn't meant to be without drama. She saw them. They almost kissed. And that bothered her. She couldn't help but think that Allison was going to hurt him. But it was too late. She had already ripped her claws into him. She heard Luke calling after her, but she didn't stop walking. She couldn't stop walking. If she stopped, she just might say something that she'd forever regret, and she couldn't have that. But Luke caught up with her, so she couldn't avoid him any longer.

"Lorelai, can we talk?" he asked her.

"I've gotta get home," she replied as she continued walking.

"Just let me explain."

"What do you need to explain? I'm not interfering in your personal life. Therefore, what you and her were doing is none of my business."

"Why did you say 'her' like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like she was a piece of mold growing on a block of cheese."

"Eww. Gross reference."

"She is a good person. You don't even know her. You have no right to judge her."

"Luke, she's gonna hurt you. It's very easy to see that she already did it once. Do you really want her to do it again?"

"Lorelai, I'm very capable of protecting myself. I'm a big boy. You know what I think?"

"No, what do you think?"

"I think you're jealous."

"Me? Jealous? Why would I be jealous of you?" Lorelai chuckled.

"Because I've got someone who wants me and you're all alone!"

Luke's words hit Lorelai hard. It was then that she realized she indeed was alone. She had evidently been missed by Cupid's arrow a few too many times, but she put her faith in him. He had steered her off course. It was then when she became aware that there was no hope for her."

He instantly regretted speaking those words.

"I didn't mean that -" he started.

"No, it's okay. You were just speaking the truth, right?" Lorelai rhetorically spoke on the verge of tears.

She started to turn toward home when Luke began saying, "Lorelai, wait –"

"You really need to get away from me right now," she interrupted, holding her right hand out to Luke in a stop motion.

Lorelai began walking toward home and all he could do was watch her and think about how badly he just screwed up. He wanted to turn back time and redo their whole conversation. But he knew that was impossible. He thought there was nothing he could do. He watched her until she was out of sight and sluggishly moved closer to the diner.

Lorelai sunk down into the couch and stared off into space. She thought about the events that had taken place that night. Was Luke right? Was she really alone? Was she destined to be an old maid? She had to know. So she called the person who knew her best.

"Hello?"

"Am I gonna turn out like Sophia Patrillo?" Lorelai quickly put out there.

"Excuse me?"

"Am I Sophia Patrillo?"

"No Mom, you are not Sophia Patrillo."

"But I think I'm starting to look like her!"

"Mom, Sophia Patrillo was over eighty on The Golden Girls. You probably won't look like her for another five years or so," Rory giggled.

"Rory, this is serious! Am I an old maid?"

"Where are you getting this from?"

"Luke and I had a fight."

"And what? Because he said you were one of those ladies who grows old alone and whose only companions are the forty-seven cats that mysteriously follow them home from the market?"

Silence followed her. Lorelai did not respond.

"He said that?" Rory asked, beginning to feel outraged.

"Well, not in so many words."

"Then what did he say?"

"He said that I was jealous of him because he has someone and I don't."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up here. Luke's got a girl? A real girl? Not an imaginary one?"

"Yes. Allison."

"Who's Allison?"

"Oh, that's right. I didn't tell you. Allison Doose and Luke Danes were together like, twenty years ago in high school. Apparently they were the next Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo."

"So she was an actress who stomped on grapes and Luke was destined to play in a mariachi band?"

"No, they were like the All-American coup –"

"Wait! Did you say 'Doose'? As in the Taylor Doose who everyone wants to fire bullets at furiously but just don't have the guts to?"

"That's the one."

"Wow."

"Anyways, so after ten years of absence, she just all of a sudden showed up a few days ago claiming she was here to see Taylor."

"Okay, seriously, who would choose to see Taylor?"

"Sookie asked that same question. But you're missing my point. Ever since she's been here, she been hanging all over him like she's Olive Oyl and he's Popeye."

"You're jealous," Rory declared.

"Ugh. Why does everyone keep saying that? I'm not jealous of her and Luke."

"Okay, whatever you say," Rory stated, unconvinced that what Lorelai said was the truth.

"Rory, why don't you believe me?"

"Because you think Luke is your territory."

"I do not think Luke is my territory!"

"Oh, come on Mom. You're used to Luke giving you all his attention, and now that she's the one getting it, you're bitter. You think she's trespassing on your property."

"I am hurt that you would make such accusations about Mama," Lorelai replied wittingly.

"Sorry Mom. Gotta go. I have this huge article to write on endangered species and how they relate to the human society."

"What on Earth would you write about that for?"

"Because Paris gave me the topic and my brain is too numb to come up with a new subject."

"Ah, I see."

"But I'll try to make it into town in the next couple of days."

"Sounds good, hun."

"Bye Mom."

"Buh-bye."

Lorelai hung up the phone and realized she was alone again. She was all alone. And she didn't like it. She wished she could do something, but she had to grasp the fact that there was no hope for her because Cupid misfired too many times and he was out of arrows. There was no hope for her.

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