Halfway through, time for a little Luke :) Let me know what you think
A New Phase - Chapter 7
Lorelai looked up from the computer screen as the front door of the inn opened. She forced a smile at the already checked in patron as he made his way upstairs. Giving a nervous sigh she turned her attention back to the screen and tried to carry on working. It had been 3 weeks since she had last seen her mother. Three weeks since she had seen Emily at her most vulnerable and it seemed that it had been a step to far for her mother because as soon as the door had closed the next morning Lorelai had not managed to speak to her or see her. The previous 2 Friday night dinners had been called off, her father calling her to tell her first that they were both ill and then just her mother. Every time Lorelai had called to check up on Emily, the maid had always informed her that her mother was sleeping. It was upsetting and worrying to Lorelai and she had analysed everything she had said and done that night and the following morning. Other than actually making her mother talk and admit what she had been through there had been nothing that warranted the freeze out. Lorelai had been kind and gentle, respecting the fact that Emily hadn't wanted to talk much about anything the following morning. Yet it seemed that by being the closest she had ever been to her mother had created a new rift between them.
She shook her head and tried to focus on the computer screen. The dinner at the inn had been a desperate attempt at finding out what she had done wrong. It had been Luke who had finally come up with the solution. He had no desire to go to her parents' house but he could cope with the neutral venue of the Inn for Friday Night Dinner with her parents if she would like, he didn't mind acting as a lure if it helped her out. It had worked; her father somewhat excitedly accepting the invitation on behalf of her parents. So far they hadn't cancelled, and the fact that it was less than 10 minutes before they were due to arrive filled her with hope that she might be able to find out what it was that she had done wrong this time.
The door opened once more and she looked up, she gave a relieved smile as Luke skulked into the lobby, carefully checking around for her parents.
"They aren't here yet," Lorelai called to him. She pressed her lips together in amusement as Luke visibly relaxed. "You scrub up well," she gave him a once over. "It's so strange to see all of your face."
Luke self-consciously rubbed his clean shaven chin. "Well, can't give them anything to complain about," he stepped in behind the front desk so he could greet her properly, tenderly kissing her on the lips. "Hey, how was your day?"
"Oh you know,"
"Yeah I do." He gave her a sympathetic smile. "Where do you want me?"
"Why don't you wait in the library," Lorelai gave him a peck on the cheek.
"They'll show up," Luke assured her giving her hand a squeeze before he slipped away silently.
Lorelai futzed on the computer for a few minutes glancing up at the clock every 20 seconds until the night manager arrived to take over. Normally it would mean she would leave but tonight she stood looking out the window, giving up all pretence at doing anything other than waiting for her parents to arrive. Even though she was desperate for them to show up she wasn't sure if she actually wanted them to turn up. She didn't feel prepared for whatever would happen if they did arrive, and the nervousness felt like it was eating her stomach. Still, she gave a sigh of relief as she saw the cart pull up and her father help her mother out of the cart.
She moved to the door to greet them, opening the door wide and fixing a wide smile on her face.
"Lorelai," her father called jovially as he moved up the steps to meet her. "Lovely to see you. Lovely to be out of the house," he pivoted round and took a step back allowing Emily to step in and greet their daughter. "Your poor mother, caught my cold which then morphed into this awful flu."
"You've had the flu?" Lorelai studied her mother carefully. On the surface Emily looked exactly like she was supposed to, hair and make up perfect, navy blue suit crisp and neat, but when you looked closer you could see the how waxy her skin looked, how glassy her eyes were. "Are you ok for tonight?"
"Oh yes," Emily assured her. "I'm feeling much better now."
"She was desperate to get out," Richard protectively guided Emily into the lobby. "Nothing like two weeks in bed to make you stir crazy."
"Oh well good." Lorelai mumbled uncertainly as she closed the door and took their coats from them. "Luke's in the library." She could feel panic rising in her chest, and though it would seem that the freeze out was genuinely caused by her mother being ill, she had to check. "Dad you go through, I just need to show Mom something in the office."
"Alright," Richard gave her a jovial smile and strode off.
Lorelai guided Emily to the office behind the front desk. "This is your office?" Emily muttered casting a critical eye around the room. "It's very small. Why are there two desks?"
"One's Michel's," Lorelai told her leaning against her desk.
"Why does Michel need a desk in your office?" Emily turned her critical eye on to her daughter.
"Because he's Michel," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "It was easier to give him a desk then having to listening to him whinging."
"He's your employee Lorelai," Emily chastised her, sending a glowering look over Michel's larger and neater desk. "He should be thankful he has a job and know his place. Not take up valuable space in your very cramped office."
"Well," Lorelai swallowed. "I don't use it that much so it's fine," she exhaled sharply.
"What did you want to show me Lorelai?" Emily fiddled with the strap of her purse. "I would very much like to get on with the evening, I'm not sure how long my stamina will last and who knows when I'll get a chance to have dinner with Luke again."
"Right," Lorelai closed her eyes for a moment to bring her thoughts back on track having been thrown off by Emily's complaints about her office. "I don't actually have anything to show you. I just wanted to check that we were Ok, after what happened." Emily's mouth dropped open slightly in surprise. She squared her shoulders in awkwardness, her lips pressing into a fine line. "I didn't know if you'd told Dad about what happened so I said to come in here" Lorelai explained; nervous about her mother's posture and expression and what it could mean
"We're fine Lorelai," Emily swallowed nervously.
"It's just you didn't return any of my calls. I know Dad said you were sick. But I didn't know it was properly sick I thought it was avoiding me sick. But you've been properly sick, if you'd told me how bad I could have come and helped you out," Lorelai chewed her lip.
Emily shook her head. "I didn't want to risk you catching it and the maids for once had everything under control, it's what they're paid to do. I'm sorry I didn't return your calls, please be assured that it was nothing to do with what happened that night."
Lorelai hesitated, "You're sure?"
Emily reached forward and gently squeezed Lorelai's hand. "I'm positive."
Lorelai released a breath that she hadn't realised she had been holding. "Ok, Good."
"Good," Emily nodded her head in a way that indicated she had put an end to the subject. "I'm looking forward to proper food. All I've had is soup. It gets tiresome."
"Well you know Sookie, her food is always great," Lorelai held the door open for her mother and followed her out into the foyer. "If you'd like I'm sure she would make up some meals for you to take home with you and then just heat up."
"I appreciate the offer, but that is what I have a cook for," Emily glanced over her shoulder at her daughter as they moved through the dining room and into the library.
Lorelai sent an apologetic smile at Luke as they entered; he was sat awkwardly in the seat staring at Richard, who was sat his fingers pressed together, both men seemingly unsure of what they were supposed to be doing. Luke stood up to greet Emily, "Hello Mrs Gilmore, I'm sorry to hear you've been ill."
"Thank you Luke," Emily moved to sit beside Richard, "and please call me Emily."
"Emily," Luke nodded. "So…" he looked awkwardly at Lorelai as she sat beside her. An uneasy pause fell around the room.
"Perhaps some drinks," Emily offered the suggestion. "Or we could go through to the dining room."
"Great idea," Lorelai stood up and scurried through the doors to the dining room to the table she had specially reserved and ensured was perfectly set fifteen times before they had arrived. "Here we are,"
"It looks lovely," Richard offered as he pulled a chair out for Emily. "I think I enjoy this venue more each time I see it. You have done a wonderful job, Lorelai."
Lorelai blinked in surprise at her father's comment, it was rare that she received a complement from him and for a moment she was floored and couldn't think of anything to say.
"Though I do question the taste of those bobble head dolls," Emily spoke loudly as she placed her napkin across her lap.
Lorelai gave a sigh of relief at her mother's comment; there was something comforting in her mother's displeasure. As she sat down she caught the small smile on her mother's lips and realised that Emily had said what she had for exactly the purpose of diffusing her surprise. Lorelai nodded in gratitude, which was returned with her mother's slight inclination of her head to indicate that she was welcome. "Now have what you like, I don't know if you want 2 or 3 courses. Sook's been experimenting recently and her new menu is amazing!" Lorelai stared at her menu even though she knew what was on it having tasted every single dish multiple times as each time she ventured into the kitchen to get coffee Sookie would shove a spoon at her to taste.
"Her duck is great," Luke added as he looked down at his own menu. "And that tart thing she did the other week. The chutney relish one you brought home the other day."
"Oh that's that one," Lorelai pointed at his menu. "It's really great," she pointed the tart out to Emily on her menu.
"Well I'll have that, and the duck seeing as they come recommended," Emily smiled pleasantly at the table.
"As will I," Richard added.
"Me three," Lorelai glanced at Luke and saw his nod of agreement to the same food selection. "Ok four. Easy order," Lorelai looked up and caught the eye of the server. Who quickly came over and took their food order. "Drinks?"
"Sparkling mineral water for me please," Emily requested.
"Club soda for me," Richard ordered, at his daughter's puzzled look he glanced across at Emily. "Your mother has been warned off alcohol until she finishes her prescription, and I feel beholden to follow suit."
"Well, cheap date as well as easy," Lorelai waggled her eyebrows in Luke's direction. "You fancy sharing the recommended wine?"
"Why not?" Luke nodded and somewhat reluctantly handed his menu to the server.
With the order given the table fell into an uneasy silence as it seemed that no one really knew what to talk about. There were too many subjects that had been taboo in the past and no one seemed to know what an appropriate subject was.
"Luke," Emily finally broke the silence, her husband and daughter looking at her slightly surprised, while Luke shifted nervously in chair at the attention. "Lorelai told me that your sister now lives in Stars Hollow and that she and her husband have a young daughter."
"Doula, she's 1," Luke blurted.
Emily's eyebrows raised a fraction. "What an unusual name."
"I think Liz was pretty out of it when they chose it," Luke cut her off. "But she's a great kid, she's walking and just started to talk actual words not just baby speak." Luke relaxed slightly as he fell into a subject he was comfortable with "I reckon she'll be another bookworm, whenever she comes over she always brings a book and takes it straight to Lorelai to read to her."
"It's my youthful enthusiasm," Lorelai smiled back at him, "that and I do voices for all the characters."
"It's fun to watch. Cute too" Luke's eyes lingered on Lorelai before he remembered he was sat with her parents. "Lorelai is really great with her."
Lorelai glanced at her mother out of the corner of her eyes and waited, she could see what her mother was thinking; she could see what Emily really wanted to say. At that moment the drinks arrived and the conversation collapsed with the intrusion.
Soon after, their appetizers appeared and Lorelai used the break to ask her father about his work at Yale. It was a topic that everyone engaged with easily before the conversation became taken over by the men, Luke engaging with her father in a way that Lorelai had never seen before. Eager for it to continue she remained silent. As their plates were cleared she looked over to her mother who had remained as equally silent and was sat back into her chair watching Luke and Richard converse. It occurred to Lorelai that she had seen her mother act like this before, sitting back silently as her father talked to the person he needed to make a positive contact with. Her mother was adopting her role as the perfect corporate wife to allow her father and Luke to connect. Lorelai felt a rush of gratitude towards her mother. Feeling that she was being watched Emily turned to look at her daughter and for the second time that evening gave a soft nod of her head to signify she understood and that Lorelai was welcome.
When their duck entrees arrived the conversation once again dipped and once again it was Emily who started the conversation, this time falling on the topic of Rory's work, which once more led Richard and Luke to dominate the conversation as they discussed Rory's articles in length. Whilst Lorelai and Emily contributed to the conversation, they kept their input minimal both fearing breaking the flow that Richard and Luke had established.
As their plates were cleared away Richard finally ended the conversation as he looked across at Emily. "Are you alright Emily?" he asked her softly.
The table's attention shifted to Emily, she smiled weakly and though she smiled pleasantly at her table mates there was no denying how exhausted she looked "I'm fine, just a little tired."
Lorelai swallowed nervously at how exhausted her mother looked, a testament to how sick Emily really was as all she had done was sit and eat. "I can ask for dessert to go."
"That would be lovely Lorelai," Richard smiled in thanks as he gently took Emily's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I think we best get you home."
"I'll get them," Luke stood quickly and disappeared off to the kitchen.
"Thank you for inviting us Lorelai," Emily smiled at her daughter. "It's been a lovely evening."
"It has," Richard agreed as he pulled back Emily's chair. When Emily was standing he reached into blazer.
"No Dad, this is on me," Lorelai waved her hand at him to stop. "Dad, it's fine," she stopped him from protesting. "How much have you guys spent on all those schmanzy fancy Friday night dinners. One meal is nothing in comparison."
"It's not about the cost, Lorelai, you mustn't feel that you owe us anything for those meals," Emily told her quietly.
"I know Mom, that's not what I meant," Lorelai stepped alongside her mother so she could walk her out "I mean, let me treat you for a change. I mean a hamburger in a food court against Emily Gilmore's perfectly planned 3 course affairs. It hardly stacks up. A greasy burger for dishes with names that I can't say because my eighth grade French is long forgotton."
"She's teasing you Emily," Richard chuckled good-naturedly as he moved to get the coats from the Inn's coat rack.
Emily pouted slightly at being once again at the brunt of her daughter's teasing. "Why do you insist on doing that?"
"I know it's not fair when your poorly sick, but you look cute in a funny way when you're all pouty," Lorelai teased Emily further. "If I do it really bad you pull a Tabitha and that's really hilarious."
"I do not pull a Tabitha nor do I pout," Emily frowned, trying to make sure that her expression looked in no way like a pout.
Richard chuckled. "My dear girl you can pout with the best of them. Where do you think Lorelai and Rory get it from?" He held Emily's coat out so she could slip her arms inside. "Certainly not from me" Emily rolled her eyes and held her hand up like she was calling for a truce. "My dear," Richard conceded kissing her softly on the crown.
"Here you are. I got you one of everything, which is probably too much but I didn't know what you'd like," Luke joined them from the kitchen holding a white bakery box.
"No swan? This is a fancy joint Cool Hands, there should be a swan." Lorelai took the box and peeked inside. "Ooh, the Chocolate cake is amazing, eat that first."
"We are fine to be swan less," Richard took the box from her hands, "and we shall try them all."
"Well drive safe," Lorelai started walking her parents to the door. "Mom, I'm in Hartford on Wednesday for a supplier fair, I could stop by after it's done to check in if that's OK, about 4?"
Emily's face lit up, her exhaustion wiping off her face momentarily as joy flushed across her features, "That would be lovely."
"I'll see you Wednesday," Lorelai nodded and leaned in slightly. "And thank you," she flicked her eyes left and right to indicate her father and Luke.
"You're very welcome," Emily whispered back, "thank you for a lovely evening. Luke it was lovely to see you again."
"You too Emily," Luke nodded goodbye, "Richard." He joined Lorelai as she stood in the doorway watching her parents leave. When they were finally out of view in the gloom of the night he placed his arms around her waist and pulled her hip against his. "Good night, it went well. I may have even made a positive impression." he waited for Lorelai to say something but when he got no reply he forced her to turn into him. "I didn't know you had a supplier fair" he nodded his head in understanding as he caught her expression of guilt. "You know crazy lady," he kissed her softly. "One of these days, you need to tell her how you really feel."
