Author's Note: I just wanted to send a thank you out to those who have so kindly read and reviewed so far. I wanted to have this one out sooner, but I was busy with school starting, and I got sick...so anyway...This chapter was planned, but as I was fleshing it out, I changed a few things around, but nothing you would really notice or that would change my plans. So please, let me know what you think-it helps me so much!
Chapter Seven: Pass the Parmesan
"I'm sick! I...am running a very high fever, and therefore can't go."Lorelai said, following Luke into the kitchen.
"If you want me to make up an excuse for you, I don't think it'll work."Luke replied.
Lorelai pouted. "Come on...ooh, there's a tornado. It's perfect!"
Luke crossed his arms, leaning against the counter. "There's a tornado in Stars Hollow, and they don't know about it in Hartford?"
She thought about it a moment before finally sighing it defeat. "So I really have to go?"
"Do you want to?"Luke asked in return.
"No, see, I asked you a question. You can't just reply with a question, which by the way, happens on more than one occasion."Lorelai replied.
Luke shrugged, sighing. "Maybe you should go, your mother called asking you specifically. She's been on that whole DAR thing, and wants you to come. Doesn't that mean something?"
Lorelai hummed, tapping her nails against the counter. "I guess this means I have to go. Fine..."She said, leaning forward to kiss him. "I'll see you later?"
Admitting that Lorelai's whole pouting act, while slightly aggravating, was endearing, Luke leaned in to kiss her before watching her leave.
Scanning the living room, Lorelai held her drink in her hand, trying to avoid any overly chatty conversation with her mother while Richard was still on the phone with a business partner in the other room.
"So, how's Sookie?"Emily asked, a smile gracing her face. "Is she taking to everything well?"
"Uh, sure I guess. I mean she's been through it twice before, but I guess they say it's different every time."Lorelai replied, bringing her drink to her lips.
"That's true. I was speaking with one of the women at the club yesterday, and she told me about her daughter delivering twins...of course I'm not saying I was particularly interested, but she did say it was particularly difficult-"Emily paused, suddenly staring towards the doorway. "When are they going to be finished with dinner? You'd think this was a restaurant or something with how long you wait."
Lorelai let out a nervous laugh, wishing that Rory was there with her. "I'm sure they're finishing up, Mom. Finishing touches...those little green things that decorate the plates and stuff. Well, we never really have those, but-"
"Hello, Lorelai..."Richard said, offering a reprieve of rambling on again. "I'm terribly sorry to keep you both waiting. Apparently there was a problem with one of the partners that needed sorting out. I'm sorry that it had to take so long."
As he sat down, Lorelai nodded, clearing her throat. "Oh it's fine...we were just discussing how dinner is taking a while, parsley on plates and...well, that's about it."
Richard nodded, glancing at Emily before returning to their conversation. "It is taking a while, isn't it? I suppose we'll have to see then."
"I could go and see...you know, check to see if there's pasta holding it up, or maybe they still haven't baked something."Lorelai offered, wanting a moment to think, to collect her thoughts.
"Nonsense, Lorelai. There is decent help around here who should be doing their jobs. You shouldn't have to go in there to check up on them."Emily corrected her, noting how she fidgeted. "So what are your plans for next weekend?"
"What?"Lorelai asked, taken back by the question.
"Well, I'm assuming that you would have already penciled in plans for this weekend, therefore it would simply be rude to ask you to move them. But your father and I have decided to take up tennis lessons at the club, and we were wondering if you would like to join us. Of course, you'd have to find another team member, seeing as your father and I would be on a team."Emily said, a smile gracing her features. "But the choice is up to you, Lorelai."
Lorelai coughed, attempting to come up with a sensible answer. "Um...well, I don't really know anyone that I could you know...make a team with."
"I'm sure there's someone, Lorelai."Richard insisted.
While her mind instantly went to Luke, and the laughs she'd get of him wearing any kind of uniform, the idea was quickly shut down by the reality that for one-Luke would never agree to it. And for two-as of that moment, her parents had no idea that they were back together. "I'll..I'll have to see. You know, check with their schedule...see if it meets my schedule. Then of course see if the matching schedules...match...with the whole thing. I'll figure something out."She said, biting her tongue. She had to stop talking.
Shortly after their discussion, dinner was served in the dining room, and Lorelai tried to keep to herself, yet still remaining part of the conversation. Lorelai would put in a comment every now and then, hoping it would make sense with the flow of conversation before eventually just waiting until either one of them asked her a question. "Hmm?"She asked, after hearing her name called.
"I asked if you were feeling well, Lorelai. You've been stirring the remnants of your pasta for the last five minutes, and didn't even bother to pretend to pay attention when I asked if you thought the fish was dry."Emily said.
Lorelai took a deep breath, shifting in her chair. She loved them, she did. They were her parents and if something was wrong with either of them, she would be there in a second. But there were times she felt as if she were suffocating, and she felt it was one of them. "Actually, I am feeling a little sick. Could I just...step out for some air? My head is just..."
Emily waved at her, nodding in reply. "Don't stay out too long, you could catch a cold."
Once Lorelai left the house, she walked slightly towards her car, until she felt it was safe enough again to breathe. It wasn't that having dinner alone with them was hard, because in reality it was easier than she had expected it to be. Still, as she checked her phone for messages, she found herself wanting someone to talk to.
"Mom?"Rory answered after three rings.
"Hey..are you busy?"Lorelai asked, leaning against her car.
"I'm...planning an article. But I needed a break, what's up?"She asked, glad for the reprieve.
Lorelai bit her lip, sighing. "Honestly? I don't know. But it's Friday, and it's dinner. Mom and Dad want me to do this tennis this with them...only I have to find a partner, and-"
"Oh, that's right. You're still doing Friday nights. Oh, mom...I'm so proud of you."
"Save it, Rory."Lorelai replied, feeling bad as she did. "I went out for a minute, because...well, honestly I don't even know why. Things were...well, of their usual level of tenseness, I guess. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary minus the big gaping hole across the table that read 'Hey, Rory isn't here'. Which, by the way, reminded me again of how much I miss you."
Rory sighed, tucking her knees against her chest. At the moment, she was relaxing inside of her hotel room until she went out to dinner. "I miss you too, mom. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there, but from the sounds of things it isn't all that bad."
"Maybe that's the problem."Lorelai said, as if it was just dawning on her. "Maybe the problem...is that nothing is bad. Not that I want it to be bad...but the day that Lorelai and Emily Gilmore make it through without one single, real argument..is a miracle. Which is exactly what tonight is."
"You haven't told them about Luke, have you?"Rory asked, face solemn.
Lorelai kicked the driveway, pouting. "No."She replied simply. "It shouldn't be that hard, right? I mean, they've heard the news before. Everyone in Stars Hollow saw it coming, I'm sure my parents had to have known somehow."
"You get that the longer you draw it out, the more torturingly silent dinners you'll have to go through? Just talk about it, get it out in the open."Rory said, surprising even herself.
"What's with the newfound optimism, Gilmore? Is that what they teach you on that press tour?"Lorelai asked, knowing their conversation would soon come to an end.
Rory laughed, shaking her head. "Not exactly. It's a little bit of something I've picked up on. Because once you get the wrong hotel, get to the right hotel only to have your rooms switched because the couple next door is being too loud, to which you have to say you need to stay up late to work...well, you have to learn to take what you can get."
Lorelai shivered at the thought before staring up at the sky. "It's clear out tonight."She said. "Are you coming home? I mean, I know you said you were, but for the snow? You always want to be here for the snow."
"I'll be there for the snow, mom."Rory reassured her before taking a look at the clock. "Well, I've finished my break...I have to leave in about fifteen minutes to meet with the team downstairs. We're all going for dinner downtown. Calm me later if it gets worse."
"Why, do you wanna know all the gruesome details?"Lorelai asked, trying her best to make it sound interesting. "I have to get back inside...I think I hear mom firing another maid."
Lorelai returned home that night to spot Luke's truck in the drive. While she had to admit she couldn't complain, she was a little surprised that he had chosen to stay. "Luke?"She called, walking inside. Shutting the door, she leaned to pet Paul Anka when he came padding up to her. "Hello, Luke?"
"Oh, hi"He said, coming from the kitchen. "Sorry, I was...well, you're here. How'd it go?"He asked, resting his hands upon her shoulders.
"Well, I survived. It wasn't incredibly, terribly painful."Lorelai replied, shrugging. "So you stayed, huh? Whatever could you find to amuse yourself while I was gone?"She asked, winking an eye.
"I watched some movie that was on TV...it really wasn't all that good, but then when I went into the kitchen, the faucet was leaking, so I...well, I fixed it. I mean, not that you ever get around to fixing the thing, but-"Luke shrugged, a tired smile on his face. "But I figured you'd need someone to talk to after getting out, and I said I'd see you, so I'm here."
Lorelai nodded, shrugging. "Well, I like that you're here. Not that I wouldn't on a normal basis, but this..this is good. Great, actually. Oh, so...funny story.."She said, leading him into the living room. "See, you know those awkward silences when you have absolutely no idea what to say? See, there weren't that many of those. But um, well...when there was one, I um..well, she was looking at me with those "I know there's something you have to tell me" eyes, and staring at me and being all "ha...I was right.""Lorelai paused, attempting to shield herself, as if the mere memory would make her mother appear there in the living room. "So, um...well, I may or may not have let it slip that...you know, you and me...and we're...together..and, well-"
"You're serious?"Luke asked, finding the way she fidgeted cute. "You couldn't live through one dinner alone with them, could you?"
"No, I could. I'm going next week, too. I'll just be alone with you with me."Lorelai defended, eyes pleading with his. "For what it's worth, I really didn't feel like mentioning anything yet, but the way that gossip flies, she was bound to find out sooner or later."
Luke stared back at her, knowing that she was really trying. He smiled, nodding. "It's okay. I'll go. If you want me too, I mean."
"You really do love me, don't you?"Lorelai sat, seemingly in awe. "Everytime I think I have you figured out, you go and do something that makes me just...realize things."
"Realize things?"Luke asked, curious.
Lorelai shrugged, settling back against the couch with him. "That you aren't given nearly enough credit by those whining customers of yours."She said, leaning against Luke's shoulder. Though she couldn't see him, Lorelai knew Luke was staring at her.
"You get that you're technically still one of my whining customers, right?"Luke asked.
"Yes, but I wear tight jeans and lean really attractively over the counter...and you know, I don't complain when you give me free food. See, I don't count."
Luke laughed, shaking his head.
"What?"Lorelai asked, lifting her head to look at him. "Did I say something? My god, I have fish in my teeth, I knew it. I have fish in my teeth, and they didn't bother to say anything."Lorelai said, attempting to get up, only to have Luke pull her closer. When she looked at him, noting the look in Luke's eyes, Lorelai's mouth hung open. "So I don't have fish in my teeth?"
"No, you don't."Luke replied before kissing her.
"Good."Lorelai muttered afterwards. "Because see, if I did, you probably wouldn't have done that."
"That's true."He said in return, rubbing her back with his hand.
"So...the golden question of the night..."Lorelai said, silently chewing on her lip before deciding to just say it. "Are you going to stay? I mean, you don't have to stay, but I figured you would, so...will you?"
Sometimes she was one of the most frustrating people Luke had ever dealt with. Other times Lorelai was one of the most ridiculous. Others still, Luke found, were the ones he loved the most. The moments when she'd sit there, for a moment actually not speaking. But what she said in that moment meant more than a thirty second speech that he swore came off the top of her head. "Of course."
Lorelai grinned, pulling him up off the couch. She held his hand as they walked to the stairs. "Good. See, I like when you stay."Lorelai said. "Oh, by the way, make sure you have off next Saturday...we're playing tennis with my parents."
"What?"Luke asked, as if the idea sounded completely random.
Lorelai laughed while they were walking up. "Hey, I was kidding. Testing you. So hey, I call the shower first. Because even if it wasn't in my teeth, I can still smell that fish..."
Luke shook his head, listening to Lorelai rant as they made their way down the hall. There were some things that never got old.
Okay, so I get that nothing huge happened in this chapter-well, completely huge. But Luke and Lorelai are obviously way more comfortable than they have been, as he's staying. And Lorelai went through a Friday Night Dinner alone...although she did call Rory. I know that she's not exactly in the picture, and I keep finding reasons to have one of them call the other or whatever, so if that's annoying or you find it useless I can stop, but I find it a way to sort of keep the connections open and things and...well, I actually in the end ended up liking this chapter.
I'm SO sorry that it took so long to get it to you guys, though. I have been incredibly caught up, and I felt so horrible. I will update within the next several days, I'm sorry! Oh, and one more thing...yeah, so when I spell-checked this...my system keeps wanting to spell her name "Lorelei"..eww. Just, no. It's Lorelai, people! LOL..leave me a review to wake up to, guys. :)