Luke ran his fingers through his hair self-consciously, feeling somewhat exposed without his signature baseball cap affixed to his head. He was surprised to find his palms were slightly clammy, outwardly reflecting the nerves that fluttered in the pit of his stomach.
He didn't know why he was nervous; he saw Lorelai almost every day and generally had no trouble forming a coherent sentence or, as was often the case, a trademark grunt. Perhaps it was the fact that every other date he'd planned for them so far had been called off and there was a part of him that had still half-expected the cancellation call to come once again. Maybe it was the niggling concern that the evening's activities wouldn't live up to her expectations. Or quite possibly, it was the fear that Lorelai Gilmore would come to her senses any day now and realize she could do so much better than him.
Taking a deep breath, Luke pointedly reminded himself that his anxiety was unfounded; after all, their surprise date had been a roaring success and she had welcomed his affections with the warmth, fervor and intensity that were uniquely Lorelai. Being with her felt natural; effortless – as if all the cogs had finally clicked into their rightful position. He just needed to keep a cool head and trust in the inexplicable magnetic pull that somehow always drew them to each other.
Removing the keys from the ignition, Luke relinquished the safety of his truck, stepping out into the warm summer night. He slowly exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, staring up at the brightly lit house in front of him.
One foot in front of the other. C'mon Danes, you've got this.
Anxiously wiping his sweaty palms against the front of his jeans, Luke drew himself up to his full height before marching purposefully toward the front porch.
He'd deliberately selected a smart casual clothing ensemble for the evening, favoring a white collared shirt beneath a dark blue sweater that had grown soft and pliant after years of going through the wash. It molded to the hard planes of his body, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows to combat the balmy evening weather. Paired with a set of denim jeans – much dressier than the worn pairs he sported in the diner, but comfortable nonetheless – Luke reveled in the fact there was no need for pretenses with Lorelai. Sure, he'd made a point of abandoning his regular flannel and donning some more respectable attire, but he knew without a doubt that he didn't need an expensive suit and branded apparel to impress her. She didn't place much stock in status symbols.
His soft knock was answered almost immediately, the door flying open to reveal the younger Gilmore, her hair messy and her Disney pajamas indicating she was preparing to settle in for the night.
"Hey Squirt, how you doing?" Luke asked, offering the pint-sized 10-year-old a warm smile.
"I'm well thank you Lucas," Rory responded seriously, her uncharacteristic prim and proper manner and the unprecedented use of his full first name prompting his smile to falter slightly. "Please come in."
Feeling slightly confused at the atypical greeting, Luke did as instructed, stepping into the foyer and allowing her to direct him into the kitchen. He noticed Mia hadn't arrived to babysit yet.
"I'm glad you're here a little early. Please, take a seat," Rory encouraged, gesturing to the kitchen table.
Hesitating for only a moment, Luke obliged, surreptitiously glancing around for any sign of Lorelai.
"She's upstairs getting ready," Rory explained. "She'll prefer it if you're a little late anyway, so I thought we could have a talk before you head out."
"Oh…er…okay," Luke nodded slowly, feeling slightly unsettled by her peculiar behavior. "Everything okay Rory?"
"Yes. Everything's fine," she agreed, taking a seat opposite him at the table.
Reaching for what appeared to be Lorelai's sparkle-covered glasses case, Luke watched as the young girl carefully extracted her mother's black frames from the case and proceeded to put the oversized spectacles on. Placing both palms face down on the table and leaning in toward him, Rory confidently said, "Luke, I need to ask you: what are your intentions with my mother?"
Luke felt the deep rumble of laughter bubble in his stomach and fought hard to suppress the smile that threatened to grace his features.
"Your mom put you up to this, didn't she?" he asked, looking around the room and half expecting to see Lorelai snickering from behind from the door. "Get out here Gilmore," he growled, doing his best to pinpoint her hiding spot.
"I told you, Mom's upstairs getting ready," Rory stated earnestly. "She doesn't know you're here yet. I'd really appreciate it if you could answer the question before she comes down please."
Once again, Luke had to do his best to stifle any signs of laughter.
"My…er…intentions?"
"That's right," Rory affirmed.
"You mean…ah…just for tonight or…?" he queried awkwardly, clasping his hands together in his lap.
"Umm…" Rory trailed off, her eyes darting down to the floor sheepishly. "Actually Luke, I don't really know what intentions are. I just heard someone ask that question in a movie once before the main character went on a date. It seemed kind of important."
He couldn't stop the corners of his lips from edging upwards at her words, but responded seriously nonetheless.
"Right, well, in that case, I guess I better answer your question. My intention for tonight – that is, what I plan to do and how I see this going – is to take your mom out for dinner and then a movie. Does that seem okay to you?"
Rory nodded, involuntarily flashing her girlish smile before quickly recovering her humorless expression. Leaning back in her chair, she folded her arms across her chest as she sized him up.
"Which restaurant?"
"I thought we'd try the new Mexican one that has opened up in Litchfield. Your mom seems to like Mexican food and I've heard good things about this place."
Rory simply nodded. "And the movie?"
"Breakfast at Tiffany's."
"At the Black, White & Read?"
"Actually, no. It's in Litchfield too. They've got an outdoor screening in the park."
"Hmm," Rory murmured, lifting her elbow up onto the table and resting her chin in her palm, her face deep in thought.
"Not good?" Luke asked, suddenly doubtful. Rory knew her mother and her taste in movies better than anyone.
The pre-teen surveyed him carefully through the oversized glasses, her eyes scrunching up as she tried to focus through the lenses that warped her vision. Allowing the frames to drop lower on her nose, her piercing blue gaze met his over the top rim.
"No, it's good," Rory agreed slowly. "Just make sure you pick up an extra burrito when you leave the restaurant."
"Sorry?"
"An extra burrito. Or taco...either one. Mom will want one to eat during the movie. Don't listen to her if she says she's full."
"Right, of course, thanks for the tip."
Rory nodded, hastily pushing the glasses higher up the bridge of her nose when they almost slipped from her face.
"And after the movie? What are your intentions?"
"We'll drive back to Stars Hollow."
"And then?" Rory pressed.
"I'll drop your mom home."
"And?"
"Walk her to the door?" he wagered uncertainly, taken off-guard by her incessant line of questioning.
"And?"
"Annnd….?" Luke asked slowly, unsure of what more she wanted him to say.
"And?" she repeated, her eyes wide and imploring. "What are you going to do when you drop her at the door?"
"Umm…say g…goodnight?" he stuttered uncertainly.
"And?" At Luke's perplexed stare, she hissed, "Are you going to K-I-S-S her?" Her cheeks flamed red as she spelled out the word as if it was the most taboo subject in the world. Luke reasoned that for a 10-year-old, it probably was.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, finally grasping what she was getting at. Again, the laughter threatened to overtake him and he had to work hard to return her serious gaze.
I'm planning on kissing her senseless.
"I think I'll let your mom decide on that one kiddo. How about we just see how the date goes first?"
"Okay," she agreed . "What time will you have her home by?"
"Oh…umm…midnight, I guess. I can't imagine it would be any later."
At her cocked eyebrow he quickly amended his statement. "Actually, 11 seems closer to the mark. I'll have her back by 11."
"You realize it's a school night?" Rory countered pointedly.
"I thought you were on summer vacation," he challenged.
Rory blushed, quickly recovering as she said, "Okay, well, a work night for Mom."
"11pm and not a minute later, I promise."
"I'll be checking to make sure that's the case."
"You'll be sleeping soundly at that hour young lady," he teased. "I happen to know for a fact that a freight train couldn't wake you when you're out cold."
Her facade crumbling, Rory giggled, recognizing the truth to his statement. She slowly removed the glasses from her face, her blue eyes settling on his.
"Hey Luke?" she ventured, resuming her usual girlish tone.
"Yeah Squirt?"
"Take a breath mint with you for after the Mexican. I think you'll need it for the end of the night."
-o-
"You got hustled by a 10-year-old!" Lorelai teased gleefully, her laughter reverberating around the truck cabin as they pulled up outside the park in Litchfield. They'd not long finished dinner at the Mexican restaurant and had made their way across town for the movie screening.
"I did. I got absolutely hammered," he grumbled, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips after recounting the story of his encounter with Rory to Lorelai.
"That's Mommy's little girl! I can't believe she wore the glasses. Haha!"
Unclipping her seatbelt, Lorelai slid a little closer to Luke's side, cupping his cheek as she said, "Say, did you happen to take her advice and pack a breath mint or two soldier?"
"Might've taken care of it," he replied smugly, inching one arm around her waist and drawing her closer. "You can call me Colgate."
"What can I say? My kid gives good advice."
"That she does," he agreed, leaning in to brush his lips against hers.
"Why Mr Danes, that felt awfully like a K-I-S-S right there, and it isn't even the end of the night," she teased. "I'm scandalized."
"What can I say? I'm a rebel without a cause," he countered, enjoying the feel of her hands against his chest as he leaned down to peck her lips once again.
"If she's that scandalized by a K-I-S-S, imagine how outraged she'd be if we F-…."
"Lorelai," Luke warned, effectively nipping her spelling exercise in the bud.
"R-E-N-C-H K-I-S-S-E-D. Geez Luke, what did you think I was going to say?" Her bright blue eyes danced with laughter, leaving no doubt as to her true meaning.
"You're going to be the death of me," he growled, nipping lightly at her lower lip. Welcoming his questing tongue, Lorelai's hands tangled in his hair as she held him to her, finally easing her grip when they both became desperate for air.
"Lucky Rory wasn't here to see that," she breathed. "On a school night and everything. You are bad."
"Don't you start," he grumbled, resting his forehead against hers and feathering light kisses against her lips.
"Mmm minty fresh."
"If we don't move soon we're going to miss the movie," Luke ventured reluctantly.
"Would that be such a bad thing?"
"No, but seeing as we're here, we might as well watch it."
"I'm so full I'm going to need to roll out of here," Lorelai groaned.
"C'mon, I'll give you a push," Luke offered, dropping one last kiss against her mouth before pulling back and getting out of the vehicle. He walked around to the back and retrieved the picnic rug and cooler he'd packed, which now held the food package from the restaurant that he'd managed to slip in there while Lorelai was in the ladies room. Making his way to the passenger side, he opened her door and helped her out before leading her into the park.
"So what movie are we watching Cool Hand?"
"The Terminator," Luke answered easily, silently counting down the seconds until Lorelai rose to the bait.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Nope, it's a classic. You'll love it."
"How about we go make out instead?" she whined, looping her arm through his.
"We can do that just as well right here."
"But Luuuukkkeee."
"Relax, I'm kidding. It's Breakfast at Tiffany's."
"Oh my god! Are you serious? You are officially the best boyfriend ever! There is going to be so much K-I-S-S-I-N-G tonight you won't know what's hit you."
"Glad to see my evil plan worked," he said with a smirk. "Here, grab this," he added, handing her one end of the rug and crouching down to spread it out on a vacant patch of grass. The park was fast beginning to fill with couples, families and teenagers and Luke was grateful to find an available spot offering a good viewing angle of the screen.
Watching as he smoothed out a wrinkle in the rug and lowered the cooler onto one corner, Lorelai noted, "Well, well Danes. I must say I didn't have you pegged as a sit-on-the-ground, picnic-rug kinda guy."
"You got that right," he mumbled.
"And yet, here we are; second date, second picnic rug."
"First official date," he reminded her, gesturing for her to sit down. "And in my defense, I had nothing to do with the last picnic rug setup. That was all Rory. Besides, I might recognize the true value of a good beach chair but you sure don't seem to mind slumming it on the hard ground."
"Such a smooth talker," Lorelai gushed sarcastically, a mischievous glint in her eye as she settled on the rug cross-legged. "Why Lucas, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to impress me."
"If I wanted to do that, I'd just wrangle you a cup of coffee and be done with it," he scoffed dryly.
"Please, give me some credit. Coffee and pie at least. Preferably cherry flavor."
Stretching her long legs out in front of her, Lorelai leaned backwards, resting her weight on her palms as she surveyed the crowd around them. People of all ages continued to filter into the park, setting up picnic rugs and beach chairs and chattering away as they awaited the start of the screening. Her attention was captured by a pimple-faced teenager working his way through the masses of people just a few meters away. He was one of about 10 uniformed attendants selling buckets of popcorn and all manner of glow-in-the-dark paraphernalia.
Following her line of vision, Luke pre-empted her inevitable squeal of delight with a gruff, "You don't need it."
Affronted, Lorelai turned to face him, her eyes wide as she fast began formulating an argument.
Before she could utter so much as one word, Luke tapped the cooler and stated sternly, "You've got more than enough junk food here to successfully clog your arteries. And the answer is no; the glow sticks are for all the 12-year-olds."
"But Luke…" she began, her lower lip dropping ever-so-slightly as her blue orbs settled on him.
"Five minutes ago you told me you could barely move from the truck you were so full. Now you're honestly telling me you want popcorn?"
"It's not a proper movie night without popcorn," she pointed out despondently, and it was all he could do not to bail up the attendant and buy every single box of popcorn in his carry case.
Masking his features with feigned exasperation, Luke waited until he caught the teen's eye before waving him over and drawing his wallet from his back pocket.
The gangly attendant wound his way through the motley assortment of rugs and chairs, stopping in front of them and asking, "What can I get you sir?"
Glancing at Lorelai's enthusiastic expression, Luke sighed.
"We'll have a large popcorn please. And some of your glowy things…" he requested, waving his hand vaguely toward the incandescent jewelry. He gave Lorelai a resigned nod, impelling her to select her accessories of choice.
He should have known that the glow bracelet wouldn't be enough. Of course she would want to be decked out in the full ensemble. As she deliberated earnestly between the matching glow necklace and crown, Luke finally grumbled, "We'll take one of each."
Her resulting smile practically outshone the luminous jewelry and she eagerly proceeded to inform the salesperson of her preferred color choices. As the teen rifled through his stock in search of a blue crown, Luke added, "Better make that two. Pink for the second thanks."
Lorelai arched her eyebrow inquisitively, barely able to withhold her laughter as she uttered, "Is that to match your prom dress Danes? You'll look awful pretty."
"What can I say? Pink does wonders for my complexion," he deadpanned. Accepting the item from the attendant, he proceeded to place it beside the cooler bag, murmuring simply "For Rory," and simultaneously prompting Lorelai's heart to melt.
He paid the attendant and watched as Lorelai arranged her plastic bangle and necklace, the bright colors glowing in the evening light. After settling the crown amidst her crop of curls, Lorelai grinned broadly and asked confidently, "How do I look?"
"Like the fairy on top of the Christmas tree," Luke laughed, taking in the eclectic mix of colors.
"Thanks for spoiling me with all this bling Burger Boy," she acknowledged delightedly, untangling one curl from the base of the crown.
"Did I have a choice?"
"Do you ever?" Lorelai teased, prompting Luke to scowl pointedly.
Despite his grimace, Luke reached over to trail his fingers through her silky locks, smoothing the wayward curl and murmuring, "You look like a princess."
Lorelai smiled, a soft, arresting smile that forced his heart to skip a beat as he studied her face closely. Never one to behave in a ladylike manner for long, she proceeded to demolish a sizable handful of popcorn, grinning cheekily as her tongue darted out to capture the granules of salt spattering her lips.
Unable to resist her mesmerizing pull, Luke leaned forward to brush his lips lightly against hers, murmuring, "Salty," as he pulled back, a lop-sided grin adorning his face. Not generally one for public displays of affection, he was grateful for the park's dim lighting.
"You got any sweet in there?" Lorelai inquired hopefully, casting a meaningful glance toward the cooler.
Shaking his head in disapproval, Luke flipped open the top of the bag, withdrawing an assortment of candy that he had begrudgingly purchased at Doose's Market.
"Reese's cups!" she exclaimed gleefully, immediately reaching for one and peeling back the wrapper. "You know, you might just be the best boyfriend in the world," she mused thoughtfully, the words muffled as she hastily chewed the sweet treat.
"And you might just be the classiest girlfriend," he smirked, watching in morbid fascination as she attempted to cram a handful of candy corn in her mouth.
Swallowing the sugary treats, she muttered darkly, "And just like that, he loses his number one ranking."
Luke simply smiled brightly, unable to maintain the pretense of disgust any longer.
Their playful banter was soon cut short by the commencement of the movie, a hush falling over the crowd as the audience turned its attention to the big screen. Lorelai shot Luke an excited glance, hugging the popcorn to her side and settling in for an enjoyable few hours.
To say Luke couldn't care less about the movie was an understatement, but he focused his gaze on the screen and forced himself to concentrate. Knowing Lorelai, she'd make at least 16 references to the film on the way home and he'd need to be on his game to even come close to keeping up with her. Every now and again he felt his eyes flick in her direction, watching captivatedly as she mouthed the familiar words of the script.
Engrossed in the plot, she quoted, "If I could find a real-life place that'd make me feel like Tiffany's, then…then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name."
Feeling his eyes on her, Lorelai turned her head questioningly toward Luke, prompting his cheeks to flush slightly at being caught staring. Reaching out her hand, she grasped his fingers and gave them a gentle squeeze.
Unwilling to surrender the close contact, Luke shifted closer to her on the rug, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and drawing her lean frame against his side.
"You good?" he whispered.
"Better than good," she confirmed contentedly, welcoming the kiss he dropped in her hair.
And it was the truth. The night had been beyond perfect, she decided, casting her mind back over the evening's activities. It was so them. Casual and comfortable and fun, with no airs or graces.
Rather than attempting to impress her with a fancy, overpriced restaurant, Luke had opted for a lively, unpretentious, hole-in-the-wall cantina bursting with character and offering authentic, flavorsome food. The lingering summer weather had allowed them to sit in the outdoor service area, the softly lit cobblestone laneway giving the impression of being in some quaint little town half a world away. Upbeat Latin American music spilled from the nearby speakers and Lorelai let the happiness radiating from her core take hold, beaming non-stop for most of the night. Somehow, the somewhat cramped conditions added to the intimacy of the evening, Lorelai and Luke's knees knocking beneath the handmade pallet table as they hovered over a shared a bowl of chili con queso to start.
It was sitting beneath a bright red umbrella and sipping a beer and a particularly potent batch of sangria respectively that Luke had produced the horoscope from his wallet; a tattered newspaper clipping that had survived years of wear and tear. They reminisced about their first encounter, laughing and teasing and joking as they both privately thanked their lucky stars that the annoying woman had not, in fact, gone away after all.
Watching intently as Lorelai seemed to return from her reverie, Luke rearranged his legs on the picnic rug and whispered, "Welcome back. You seemed pretty far away just now."
"Just thinking," she murmured, a lazy smile appearing on her face.
"All good thoughts, I hope."
She nodded, nuzzling into his chest contentedly, not even fazed that they were breaking her strict movie night rules by talking through the film.
"You hungry?" he queried, well aware that despite her having chowed down on plenty of popcorn and candy on top of her already full stomach, it generally took less than 10 minutes and the lure of something cheesy and delicious for her to shift gears from 'I'm so full I'm never eating again' to 'beam me up Scotty.'
"I'm so full I'm about to burst."
"So I guess you won't want the extra taco I picked up at the restaurant then?" he uttered knowingly, smirking as her head popped up in a combination of surprise and delight. "Figured as much," he chuckled, reaching into the cooler and handing her the doggy bag. "You can thank Rory for that idea."
She proceeded to devour the snack happily, her appreciative moan sending a shiver of desire down Luke's spine. When she held the taco to his mouth in invitation, he willingly took a bite, reveling in their closeness and marveling at how natural it felt to hold her in his arms; how effortless it was to slip into the rhythm of coupledom after so many years flying solo; how seamlessly they fit together.
Before he knew it, the credits had begun to roll and Luke realized with a jolt that more than two hours had passed since they'd arrived at the park. He watched as Lorelai pulled away to stretch languidly, a satisfied smile plastered across her face as she resumed her position snuggled against his side.
"Happy?" he asked simply.
"Mmmhmm," she murmured, breathing in the masculine scent of his sweater. "That movie never gets old."
"I would never have guessed that you'd seen it 100 times before," he chuckled, amused at how she'd been able to silently recite line after line of the script.
"That's nothing. Rory had the lines down pat after about the fifth viewing," Lorelai boasted proudly.
"Apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
They set about packing any remaining foodstuffs into the cooler, Luke reluctantly suggesting that they join the crowd of people making their way toward the exit to begin the drive home.
Unwilling to bring the night to an end so soon, Lorelai offered him a coy smile and said, "Or we could stay here a little longer. You know, wait it out until the parking lot clears out a bit."
"You're full of good ideas Gilmore," he acknowledged, giving her a gentle squeeze around the waist.
They cuddled close for a further 15 minutes, the parking lot emptying out in no time and leaving the park largely deserted save for a few workers collecting rubbish from the grounds. Flopping down onto her back, Lorelai soaked up the stillness of the night and savored the rich smell of the summer air.
"This is the best part of summer, you know," she murmured happily. "Being able to sit out under the stars and look out at the whole universe without freezing your ass off."
Luke smiled, leaning backward to recline beside her on the rug.
"I thought eating popsicles would have taken out the top spot."
"Oooh, you're right. It's definitely up there. And picking out cute bikinis."
"My personal favorite," he responded dryly. "Although, in all fairness, I look much better in a one-piece."
Laughter bubbled from Lorelai's chest and she raised her head momentarily to glance over at him. "Now that I would pay to see."
Using her hands as a makeshift pillow, she lowered her head once again and turned her attention to the sky.
"I used to do this all the time with Rory when she was a baby."
"Check out the stars, you mean?" he clarified.
"Yeah. On the nights she was really wired, I'd drag a blanket out on the grass outside the potting shed and try to lull her to sleep. It always seemed to calm her."
"It is peaceful," Luke agreed, enjoying her impromptu recollection.
"Mmmhmm. I used to do it before Rory came along too. When it got too much being at home, I'd sneak out in the middle of the night and hop a bus to wherever. Just find a nice spot to kick back and breathe for a few hours."
"That can't have been too safe in the dark," he grumbled.
"Always looking out for me, aren't you Superman?" she smirked, but there was genuine affection in her tone. "It's okay. Spoiler alert: I didn't die."
Luke simply rolled his eyes and grunted disapprovingly. "You shouldn't have been out wandering all alone at night time. Anything could have happened to you."
"You won't hear any regrets from me. After all, that's how I stumbled across Stars Hollow," Lorelai shrugged.
"It was?" Luke asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Yeah. The night I took Rory and left my parents' house, I jumped on the first bus I saw and ended up at that stop on Mulberry Street, just out past the inn. The plan was to rent a room for the night and then get as far away from Connecticut as possible come daylight, but it didn't quite pan out that way."
"What changed your mind?"
Lorelai paused for a moment, carefully considering her answer. "I don't know. Something about the town just struck a chord with me. I remember thinking that I'd never seen a sky look more beautiful than that night…maybe it was just the relief of finally being free. Then it occurred to me that my parents would expect me to run as far as I could; not stay right underneath their noses. They'd never think to look for me so close to Hartford. It all seemed to make sense and it was a hell of a lot cheaper to stay put than to go traipsing across the country."
Taking a moment to ponder her words, it crossed Luke's mind that while Lorelai had desperately wanted to be free of her life in Hartford, perhaps there had been a part of her that had wanted her parents to find her after all. A part that doubted whether they would care enough to look for her across the country. A part that secretly hoped they might cross paths in the street one day and not be ashamed of the person that she was.
Luke exhaled softly, reaching his hand over to entwine his fingers with hers. Capturing her gaze, he offered her a warm smile in the muted evening light and murmured, "I'm glad you changed your mind."
Her resulting smile was luminous; the kind that it up her eyes and made him feel like he held the entire universe in the palm of his hand.
"I am too Luke."
And then she was kissing him softly and her mouth was warm and wet against his, and lying beneath the iridescent blanket of stars, he knew – knew – without a doubt that he had found his true north.
-o-
"Shit! Shit, shit, shit!"
"Relax, Burger Boy. You're not going to get grounded or face the firing squad if you don't have me back by curfew," she smirked, amused at his determination to have her home by 11pm.
"I promised Rory," he reiterated, glancing at the clock on the dash once again and willing it to go slower.
"You know she'll be sound asleep, right? We could be three hours late and she'd have no idea," she pointed out logically.
"Totally not the point," he grumbled.
She continued to watch on in fascination as he deftly navigated through the outskirts of Stars Hollow, his eyes constantly darting between the road, the speedometer and the glowing numbers of the clock.
"Hey, take a breath babe. It's not a big deal," she soothed, reaching over to rub the tension from his shoulder.
"It was a big enough deal to Rory that she felt the need to raise it with me," he murmured quietly, acknowledging her attempt to pacify him with a grateful half-smile. "I just…I want her to know that her blessing means a lot and I'm not taking this for granted. It can't be easy on her to have to share you with somebody else after all this time. She's been so great about it all and I want to make sure she knows she's as important to me as you are. I'm not gonna disregard her wishes just because she's a kid."
"Oh Luke," Lorelai sighed, her heart swelling in her chest. "You keep that up and you're in serious danger of ruining your reputation and having people find out you're one giant softie."
"Am not," he grumbled.
"For what it's worth, Considerate Luke is really working for me. Almost as sexy as Dating Luke," she teased, offering him an exaggerated wink.
"Yes, well, Flirting Lorelai better keep it down over there because I can't afford to be distracted. I've got three minutes to get you home and I'm gonna need every second of it."
As if to prove his point, he edged the gas pedal a little closer to the floor.
When the truck pulled to a stop in Lorelai's front yard, she gestured to the clock and said, "Well, what do you know? Home safe with time to spare. Move over Mario Andretti."
Luke smiled, visibly exhaling with relief. Exiting the vehicle, he made his way around to the passenger-side door, offering her his hand as she stepped down onto the lawn. He passed her the pink crown he'd purchased for Rory, watching as she slipped it into her handbag with a whispered "Thanks," ready for when the younger Gilmore awoke in the morning.
Lorelai looped her arm through his as they ascended the porch steps, a girlish grin adorning her face as she stated softly, "This has been fun."
Luke nodded his head in agreement as they came to a stop at the front door. They broke apart, Luke grasping Lorelai's hands lightly in his as they turned to face one another.
"So…" he began.
"So…" she repeated slowly. "I seem to recall my daughter giving you strict instructions to pack mints tonight for a very specific purpose. I must say, you've been very thorough in adhering to her guidelines so far. Was there anything further you needed to take care of?" she asked, making a point of batting her eyelids flirtatiously.
"Well now that you mention it, there is one thing springing to mind..." he trailed off. Leaning forward slightly, he whispered in her ear, "I'm nothing if not obedient."
"Well, by all means, don't let me keep you from your work Mr Danes," Lorelai replied, giggling.
He offered her a fleeting smile before leaning in and capturing her mouth with his. It started out soft and sweet, gradually growing in intensity. Lightly running his tongue along Lorelai's lower lip, Luke waited for her invitation, moaning appreciatively when she willingly parted her lips. The kisses came hot and fast and Lorelai felt herself sinking into his embrace as he held her to him. The need for air getting the better of them, they finally broke apart, Lorelai burying her face in the hollow of his neck.
"I want to ask you in," she whispered, somewhat out of breath.
Stroking her curls lightly and straightening her now off-center crown, he simply murmured, "Rory," with a sigh.
"No, I'm Lorelai," she said, drawing back and pointing to her chest teasingly. "Lo-re-lai," she sounded out slowly. "Rory's the short one. Much better manners, although I must warn you, there's a bit of an age gap and she's got some questionable taste in music that I haven't quite been able to beat out of her yet…"
"Lorelai," he growled pointedly.
"Do you want to come in?" she asked boldly, her eyes darting up to meet his.
"Yes," Luke responded immediately. "But I shouldn't," he added in a hushed tone, pressing his lips to her forehead. "You have rules, remember?"
"I hate rules," she whispered resignedly, recognizing the validity of his words.
"Me too."
Reaching down to cup her cheek, Luke kissed her sweetly one last time before murmuring, "I should go before it becomes impossible to walk away."
Lorelai nodded, withdrawing her hands from his chest and reaching for the door handle, her eyes never leaving his. It was only when they noticed Mia's head appear in the lounge room window that they found the impetus to part ways.
"Thanks again Luke. I had a great night," she stated, backing into the now open doorway.
"I did too," he admitted, imparting one of those rare, dazzling Luke smiles. "Will I see you tomorrow?"
"You can count on it. Have the coffee ready Burger Boy."
-o-
Lorelai felt the wind knocked out of her as the streak of pink and white collided with her torso and sent her careening backwards into the kitchen bench.
Powerless against the death grip engulfing her, she simply focused on remaining upright and tuning out the high-pitched squeal emanating from the crazy person hugging her waist.
"You're finally with Luke. I'm so happy for you!" Sookie squealed, somehow managing to tighten her stranglehold. For someone who was all of five-foot-tall, Lorelai noted the chef could sure pack a punch.
It was the morning after her date with Luke and she'd deliberately arrived at work early to dissect every glorious detail with Sookie. Feeling the pressure lift from against her body as her friend stepped back, Lorelai gingerly flexed her right hand which throbbed painfully from the impact of their collision. Convinced that her motor function was in order, she finally allowed herself to take in Sookie's beaming face, her eyes alight and her signature dimples more pronounced than ever.
"Tell me everything. Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out!" Sookie pressed eagerly, steering Lorelai toward a stool in the empty kitchen and unceremoniously plonking a cup of coffee in front of her.
"Well, we went on a date last night," Lorelai began.
"A date! Oh, this is so exciting!" Sookie exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight.
"But I guess you could say we kind of had an unofficial date before that."
"Oooh! An unofficial date!"
"And we sort of decided to give this a try a few weeks before that."
"A few weeks!"
"You know Sook, repeating everything I say doesn't make it any more real," Lorelai smirked.
"Oh hush! You owe me a bit of excitement. I've been waiting for this day forever."
That pulled Lorelai up short. "You have?" she asked in bewilderment, her brow furrowed.
"Me and everyone else in this town. I was beginning to think you'd never open your eyes."
"That's what Rory said," Lorelai muttered.
"Yeah well, it's going to cause quite the stir when word gets out. Jerry Cutler had some big money riding on you guys not getting together until Rory was in college. College, can you believe that?"
"What do you mean big money? There's a betting pool?" Lorelai asked incredulously.
Sookie coughed awkwardly, her eyes widening as she realized she'd said too much. "Er…no. No betting pool…"
"Sookie!"
"It was just a bit of fun. Nobody really expected the stakes would get so high. It wasn't until Archie Skinner started speculating on what religion you'd christen your kids that the bets really started rolling in…"
"Our kids? Hang on, did you say Archie Skinner?" Lorelai fumed. "Since when is a reverend allowed to gamble?"
"Well arguably he's got the big man upstairs on his side so his chances of taking out the pool were pretty solid…" Sookie began, trailing off and lowering her eyes repentantly when she noticed her friend's incensed expression.
"I can't believe this!" Lorelai raged. "Who else was involved?"
Teetering awkwardly from foot to foot, the chef mumbled, "Actually, it's probably easier to ask who wasn't involved unless you've got a lot of time on your hands…"
"Oh my God! Are you serious? The whole town was in on this?"
"Well, technically Rabbi Barans declined on religious grounds and Taylor was kept in the dark in case he shut it down."
"Gee, that makes me feel so much better."
"No, don't get upset honey. I'm sure there are more that will spring to mind," Sookie added desperately. "Bootsy for one."
Her face deep in thought, the chef grimaced as she added, "actually no, he never had two dimes to rub together after blowing his money on booze each week so he couldn't afford to enter. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure he did try to bet his grandmother in place of currency so maybe that's not my best example."
"Sookie!"
"Ooh, I'm forgetting Mia! She never really felt comfortable about the whole thing so she didn't get involved."
"Good to know this town has at least one paragon of virtue," Lorelai muttered disgruntledly. "Leaving aside the fact that my love life has somehow become Stars Hollow's most watched sport, how the hell is it that everyone else seemed to see this relationship coming but me?"
"Well honey, it has been kind of obvious for a while now," Sookie pointed out. At Lorelai's perplexed stare, she added quietly, "Surely, you must have noticed the way he's always looked at you."
"What are you talking about? Looked at me how?"
Sookie sighed, taking in Lorelai's confused expression. "Oh sweetie, you really haven't seen it, have you? All that time. The poor guy's had a thing for you since day one. You could be the female Jack the Ripper and I think Luke would still look at you like all his Christmases had come at once."
Lorelai paused, Sookie's words echoing around her mind. While her initial reaction was to deny the accusations, now that she mulled it over, it did seem to make sense. Luke's admission of 'you've been in my head for a really long time' all those weeks ago. The horoscope. His willingness to come whenever she called even before they were together, no matter how trivial the matter or what time of day. How could she have been so clueless?
As if reading Lorelai's thoughts, Sookie patted her knee gently, murmuring, "So you didn't know. No biggy, right? It's all worked out now anyway. Maybe you just weren't ready to see it before."
Lorelai sighed, silently cursing her own stupidity. Well, she'd noticed him now and she'd be damned if she let herself be blinded again.
"So…" Sookie pressed. "You mentioned something about a date. Care to bring me up to speed?"
Her demeanor immediately brightening, Lorelai proceeded to recount all of the key events leading up to Luke walking her to her door the night before.
"So how was it?" Sookie asked boldly, one eyebrow raised suggestively as she watched Lorelai chow through the plate of eggs benedict she'd placed in front of her. "I mean, we've all long suspected with a body like that, Luke would be some kind of sex god, but did he live up to expectations?"
"Sookie!" Lorelai chastised half-heartedly, laughing as she speared more food with her fork.
"Oh come on, we're all friends here. Give a girl some details. God knows I'm getting no action of my own right now. If I can't live vicariously through you, what hope have I got?"
The chef leaned in conspiratorially, a pleading look in her eyes.
"If you must know, it was a non-event," Lorelai gabbled through a mouthful of eggs.
"Oh, you mean he couldn't…" Sookie stated leadingly, finishing her sentence with a grimace.
"No!" Lorelai refuted, quick to correct her friend's misconception. Luke would kill her if he knew they were discussing this. "I…I'm sure he can," she assured her, an uncharacteristic blush creeping onto her cheeks. "We just didn't get the opportunity."
"No sex," Sookie uttered dully.
Lorelai laughed. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were more disappointed than me."
"But…why no sex?" she implored, her shoulders slumping. "I thought you said the night went perfectly."
"It did. There was just the minor detail of my 10-year-old daughter asleep downstairs. I am seriously regretting the whole 'no guys staying over' rule."
"But Luke's stayed the night before, right? When Rory had the chicken pox?"
"Bit of a difference between him innocently falling asleep downstairs and purposefully accepting an invitation to my bedroom for a night of no-holds-barred sex," Lorelai snorted, shoveling the last of the eggs into her mouth.
"Ouch, that's tough," Sookie sympathized. "So how'd Luke take it?"
"Like a gentleman. I was practically ready to rip his clothes off then and there and he was the one who reminded me of my own house rule."
"No way!" Sookie crowed, gob smacked.
"Scout's honor. I almost said to hell with the rule book and dragged him up the stairs."
"That would've made for quite a show for poor Mia."
"I'll say," Lorelai giggled, setting down her cutlery and dabbing at her lips with a napkin. "Wow, it just hit me. I'm a total hussy aren't I? Putting out on the first date. Call me Vivian Ward."
"All depends on how you look at it, sweetie. If you think of how long you and Luke have been friends and how much sexual tension there has been between you two since you met, it's probably equivalent to the 300th date. You're well overdue. And let's be honest, I don't know many girls that would knock back that man and his fine, fine ass. It's practically a crime not to go there on the first date."
"It is a great ass, "Lorelai conceded, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Well, Skanky McSkankerson, need I remind you that technically, as much as you tried to put out on the first date, follow-through apparently isn't your strong point? What exactly are you planning to do about that when there's always going to be this pesky little thing called responsible parenting getting in your way?"
Lorelai shrugged. "I don't know but believe me when I say, I need to sort it ASAP. The man is sexy as hell and it's driving me crazy. I'm liable to jump him over the diner counter at breakfast if I don't find a solution soon."
"Completely understandable," Sookie nodded. "You can't just do it there once everything's closed up for the night?"
"In the diner?" Lorelai asked disbelievingly. "Have you met Luke? He'd have a pink fit!"
"Not in the diner!" Sookie clarified, laughing. "Although, hey, never say never. I meant his apartment."
"Oh, yeah, of course. Maybe we'll have better luck next time we go out. I'll just need to sort a sitter and have a word to Rory about the non-essential nature of curfews. Mommy needs a little action."
"Oooh! I'll babysit for you! Name the day and time and I'll be there. I could even stay over at yours or Rory could come to my place. We can make it a proper sleepover…you know, have a pillow fight, braid each other's hair."
"Wow, you take your wingman responsibilities very seriously," Lorelai commented, arching her eyebrow.
"Hey, at least one of us will be getting some lovin'. Better one than none. Seriously honey, go out and have some fun."
"You're sure about this?" Lorelai queried skeptically, unwilling to get her hopes up prematurely. "Suddenly you've just become my pimp."
"Yeah well, you're looking at the head cheerleader for Team Luke and Lorelai. Believe me, I'm sure. And besides, I love spending time with Rory so it's a win-win."
Springing from her stool, Lorelai danced around the kitchen bench, throwing her arms around her friend and voicing her appreciation at a mile a minute.
"Have I told you how amazing you are?" Lorelai gushed gratefully.
"Yeah, yeah. Tell it to the next eligible young bachelor you come across," Sookie replied with a wave of her hand. "Go on, get out of here and call your guy. I think you have a date to tee up."
Lorelai began to bustle from the room excitedly, stopping just outside the doorway as a thought struck her.
"Hey Sook?" she asked, popping her head back inside the kitchen. "Out of interest, how did you fare in the betting pool?"
Ducking her head abashedly, the chef muttered, "Once word gets out, I'll have lost a clean $150. Would it have killed you to have held out another six months?"
-o-
Sunday dawned warm and sunny, the intoxicating scent of late-blooming azaleas assaulting Lorelai's senses as she meandered toward the middle of town. Having dropped Rory at a school friend's birthday party, she found herself contemplating how best to occupy her time. It was rare she had a few hours to herself, and with Luke rostered to work most of the day, there was little chance of making the most of some one-on-one time.
Eager to see him nonetheless and get her mid-morning caffeine hit, she picked up her pace and hurried toward the familiar yellow coffee cup sign swaying in the breeze. It was only when she was within meters of the doorway that she registered the exasperated tone that signaled Taylor's attempts to get her attention.
"Young lady, do not walk away from me," he chastised, panting slightly as he scurried toward her, brandishing a stack of colored paper in one hand.
"Oh, hi Taylor, "Lorelai greeted, coming to a stop and inwardly cursing the man keeping her from her beloved coffee pot.
"Well, thank heavens I finally caught you. I'll have you know I have been trying to get hold of you all morning. I went to the inn; I called your house and now I've been following you for the last block and a half."
"You know, that would be considered stalking in at least three states," she quipped dryly.
Shooting her an aggravated glare, he ignored her comment, instead drawing her attention to the pile of flyers clasped in his right hand.
"As a long-standing Stars Hollow citizen Lorelai I'm sure you'll be aware we have the Summer Send-off festival coming up shortly," he explained impatiently.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world Taylor. Rory will be there dressed in a sun costume as promised."
"Yes, well. It's crucial we have the full support of the town to attract as many tourists as possible, so I'm counting on you to help spread the word," he declared authoritatively, tapping the flyers with a pointed look.
"Sure Taylor; I can put a few up around the Independence Inn," she agreed easily, hoping to end the conversation as soon as possible and quell her caffeine craving.
"Well, actually, I already left a stack at the inn when I went looking for you earlier. I thought perhaps you could put a few up around the town. You know, in some of the establishments frequented by tourists. Luke's diner for example…" he trailed off, his eyes darting away from her as he puffed his chest out self-importantly.
"Oh well, you know Luke. He's not one for town events so I don't like your chances of him agreeing to pin them up. But I can swing past the dance studio and Andrew's book store and drop a few off for you," she offered helpfully.
"I can't help but think that you don't have the best interests of this town at heart young lady," Taylor reprimanded. "It's one thing that Luke has such blatant disregard for any kind of community spirit but I would have expected much more from you. If you have any kind of loyalty to this town then I trust you'll find a way to get these flyers in front of the diner patrons."
Eager to put an end to the conversation, Lorelai simply offered a halfhearted, "Sure, leave it with me Taylor," before accepting the flyers and hastily excusing herself. He made to follow her, but thankfully Kirk stumbled down the diner steps at that moment, diverting Taylor's attention as the door slammed behind him. The weedy-looking man shot a reproachful look over his shoulder before straightening his collar and tightening his hold on the black briefcase clasped in his hand.
Not bothering to ask what he'd done to get thrown out this time, Lorelai seized the opportunity to escape, quickly mounting the diner steps and slipping through the door.
At the sound of the bells, she heard Luke's infuriated voice boom from the kitchen.
"I meant what I said. Get out and stay out," he growled.
"Wow, gold star for customer service today," she remarked sarcastically, taking up residence on the stool closest to the register – the only available seat in the diner.
"Oh, hey," he greeted, poking his head around the door frame and offering her a fleeting smile. "Sorry, I thought you were Kirk."
"Sadly, I'm not as pretty but I'm workin' on it."
Drumming her fingers on the counter as she waited for him to pour her cup of coffee, Lorelai cast an eye around the floor, commenting, "Boy is it packed in here today."
"Tell me about it," Luke grimaced, grabbing hold of the pot. "It's been like this the last few days. Suddenly every man and his dog wants to hang out at the diner."
"Good for business I guess."
"Hardly. They're taking up my tables, drinking my free coffee refills and barely buying a thing. I've got half a mind to kick everyone out," he murmured, lowering his voice so only she could hear.
Lorelai accepted the steaming mug of coffee enthusiastically, inhaling the familiar scent and smiling contentedly as she swallowed her first mouthful.
"Damn that's good," she sighed. She held his gaze a little longer than usual, but forced herself to draw her eyes away after a few seconds. While Rory, Sookie and Mia all knew about their budding relationship, they hadn't mentioned anything to the rest of the town as yet.
They made idle chit chat before Luke disappeared to the kitchen to prepare Lorelai's order.
Continuing to sip her coffee, Lorelai couldn't shake the sudden feeling of being watched. Before she had a chance to investigate further, the sound of Miss Patty's greeting had her spinning on her stool.
"Lorelai, how are you honey? It's been a while since I've seen you and that beautiful daughter of yours."
"Oh hi Patty. I'm great thanks. Same old, same old," she explained casually. What's new in your world? Sinjin still desperate to win you back?"
"Says I'm the Elizabeth Taylor to his Richard Burton," the older woman purred, fluttering her eyelids coquettishly.
"Ah well, treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen. That's what I always say."
"Exactly. You know, I have a feeling the fourth husband might be the charm."
"In that case, I should really get my skates on. I've got a few to work through."
Chuckling appreciatively, Miss Patty soon turned her attention to the upcoming dance recital Rory was participating in.
"You know dear, I could really use a hand with theming this year. The rehearsals take up so much time that before you know it, the big day's upon you. I don't suppose…"
"Say no more Patty. I'm happy to help with costumes. Whatta we got this time? Quakers? Sugar plum fairies? Sunflowers?"
"60s hippies."
"On it. Leave it with me."
"Actually, it's the sets that are the real challenge. You wouldn't happen to know any strapping young men that are handy with a toolkit would you?" she asked nonchalantly, although Lorelai couldn't help noticing the way her eyes flitted toward the kitchen.
"I don't know. Can you assure me it won't end in a sexual harassment suit?" Lorelai joked, all-too-aware of Miss Patty's taste for anything male with a heartbeat.
"A girl never makes a promise she can't keep," Miss Patty winked. "Say, Luke is quite skilled with that kind of thing isn't he? Maybe you could work your womanly charms on him and see if he could spare a few hours."
"Why don't you go ahead and ask him while you're here?" Lorelai prompted, gesturing toward where Luke was manning the grill.
"Oh well honey. You'd have much better luck than I would."
"Why would you think that?" Lorelai frowned, a quizzical look on her face.
It was then that she saw the knowing look flicker briefly in Miss Patty's eyes. Heard her awkward cough as her eyes darted around the diner, looking anywhere but at Lorelai and the kitchen.
Waving one hand dismissively, Patty recovered quickly and uttered, "Oh no reason. I mean with a face like yours, what man could possibly say no?"
Lorelai's eyes narrowed and she finally turned her attention to the remaining patrons in the diner, watching as many of them hastily bowed their heads or looked out the window, pretending they hadn't been watching her every move.
Confused, it took Lorelai a moment to connect the dots, by which time Miss Patty had excused herself and made her way back to the table she shared with Babette.
Staring down into her coffee mug, Lorelai felt her mouth opening and closing as she processed the thoughts swirling around her head.
Patty knew. They knew. Somehow, they all knew about her and Luke.
A moment later Luke appeared from the kitchen brandishing a hot plate and slipping it in front of her on the counter.
"French toast, side of bacon," he deadpanned, setting cutlery down beside it.
Noticing the wide eyes she was purposefully directing at him, he paused and asked, "Are you okay?"
Lorelai's stare continued to bore into him, trying to communicate her new discovery without saying it within earshot of the fellow townies.
"They know," she mouthed silently, subtly tilting her head to the side.
"Sorry?" Luke pressed, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"They know," she mouthed again. "About us. They know."
"Will you just speak like a normal person?" he hissed exasperatedly, unable to make out what she was saying.
She tried gesturing between them pointedly, but at Luke's puzzled expression she huffed in frustration. Rising from her stool, she rounded the counter and tugged on his elbow insistently, dragging him toward the storeroom.
"You can't be behind the counter Lorelai," he barked loudly, throwing a dish towel over his shoulder.
"Quit whining and follow me," she said between gritted teeth, aware that all eyes were now on the two of them.
The minute she closed the door behind them and released her hold on the sleeve of his flannel, he sputtered, "Are you having a stroke? What's with the crazy head jerking and miming?"
"They know," she hissed.
"Know what?" he asked, perplexed.
"About this. Us. That we're together."
"Oh," he exhaled in relief. "I thought the zombie apocalypse was here the way you were carrying on."
"It might as well be," she muttered. "Wait…you don't care?" she queried, pulled up short by his reaction.
"Why would I?" he shrugged. "Word was bound to get out sooner or later. You were the one that wanted to keep this under wraps for a while. Now that we've broken the news to Rory and she's heard it from us rather than someone else, I couldn't care less if the gossip brigade talks. "
Lorelai calmed at his words, quickly realizing he was right.
"So they know," she stated casually, as if testing whether she was truly okay with the concept. "They know and it's no big deal."
"Lorelai?"
"No big deal, you're totally right."
"You're freaking out, aren't you?" he pressed, taking a step closer to her and imploring her to look at him. He squeezed her forearm gently, remembering her reason for wanting to keep the relationship private when they first got together all those weeks ago. Her fear of screwing up; her determination to learn how to let someone else in; her longing to discover how to be in a functional adult relationship without the added pressure of town gossips watching her every move.
"I…actually, I'm not. I'm totally not freaking out," she breathed incredulously, almost as if she couldn't believe it herself.
"Lorelai?"
And then she was giggling, her body overcome with spasms of laughter as the reality sunk in.
"I'm not freaking out. I am in a real relationship and I'm not freaking out," she giggled wildly.
"Kinda sounds like you're freaking out…" Luke muttered, eyeing her skeptically.
"No, don't you see? Normally I would be running for the hills right now. Anyone gets too close and I bail…that's what I do. I thought it would be hard to invite you into my life or to let anyone be a part of mine and Rory's little bubble. But it's actually been kind of easy with you. It feels natural. I'm not freaking out because it feels right, Luke," she giggled, tears of laughter now beginning to seep from the corners of her eyes. After a moment's pause she added, "Oh god, and now you think I'm crazy," prompting her to laugh harder.
He eyed her curiously for a moment, his hands perched on his hips as he seemed to assess whether he needed to call the men in the white coats.
"For the record, I always thought you were crazy," Luke growled, drawing her to him and allowing his own chuckle to escape at her antics. "I don't pretend to understand the inner workings of your mind but I kinda like it, crazy parts and all."
She giggled against his chest, burying her head in the soft cotton of his flannel.
"So are we gonna do a bit to give them something to talk about?"
"Huh?"
"I know! We go back out there as normal and then when I ask for a coffee refill you jump over the counter, take me in your arms and kiss me senseless."
"Not going to happen," he stated dryly.
"Party pooper," she scowled. Okay, how about we…"
"No," he said firmly, giving her a stern look. "I said I didn't care if they knew. I didn't say I wanted to make a Broadway production about it."
"Fine," she sighed. Nuzzling deeper into his chest she snickered, "I should have realized something was up sooner. Miss Patty just tried to get me to rope you into building sets for her dance recital."
"She what?"
"And Mrs. Lanahan casually mentioned yesterday that her fence palings were in need of repair if I happened to know of anybody capable of fixing them. And on my way here, Taylor tried to get me to put flyers up in the diner to promote the Summer Send-off festival."
"He did what?" Luke fumed, always one to take the bait when it came to Taylor.
"Those cheeky shitheads knew and they all tried to work it to their advantage," she pointed out, one last giggle breaking free.
"That would explain Kirk," he muttered, shaking his head.
Drawing her head back, she gave him an inquiring look, prompting him to elaborate.
"He came in this morning trying to sell me a range of…er…wares, shall we say."
"Wares?" she asked quizzically. "What kind of wares?"
With a resigned sigh and a raised eyebrow he enunciated, "The protection kind."
It took a moment for the penny to drop, but when it did, Lorelai couldn't help the splutter of laughter that feel from her lips. "You mean he tried to load you up with Trojans Burger Boy?"
"Flavored ones, glow ones, vibrating ones; you name it, he had it," Luke groaned embarrassedly, a flush of pink coloring his cheeks. "I mean honestly, who needs them to glow? I'd only dragged him halfway to the door when he pulled out the novelty handcuffs."
Lorelai broke into howls of laughter, clutching at her stomach as she tried to draw breath. "Oh that is too funny. Your face would have been priceless."
"I'm going to tear him apart limb by limb," he seethed. Feeling his irritation building, he added, "Taylor too. That's it, I'm going to strangle them with my bare hands just as soon as I kick everyone out of the diner."
"Oh my God. Everyone's in the diner. It all makes sense now," she said wide-eyed.
"What are you on about?"
"The crowd of people not buying anything. Everyone watching me like a hawk when I came in. They were watching us," she explained, her mind racing a mile a minute.
"Why the hell would they care?"
"Because they've got a lot of money riding on it," Lorelai muttered, shaking her head as it all became clear to her. At Luke's bewildered expression, she clarified, "apparently these supposedly upstanding people that we call our friends and neighbors have been using us for sport. The betting stakes are pretty high."
"I'm not following," Luke said slowly, confusion evident in his eyes.
"Sookie said there's a betting pool and half the town has been wagering a packet on when we'd get together. My guess is that they've somehow found out about us and they're here for confirmation. No one's gonna pay up without cold, hard proof."
She felt his spine stiffen and his muscles tense as he processed her words, allowing the ripple of indignation to consume him.
"They did what?" he bellowed, one fist clenching at his side. Without waiting for a response, he drew back from her, squeezing her hand as he hissed, "You wanted a Broadway production? You're about to get one. I'm gonna kill every last one of them."
Striding purposefully toward the store room door, he flung it open and marched out into the diner, anger seeping from his every pore.
Unwilling to miss a moment of the action, Lorelai scampered toward the door gleefully, arriving just in time to hear Luke declare, "Game's up. You can all go to hell. Everybody OUT."
He hurriedly began working his way around the room, loading half-drunk cups of coffee in his arms and dumping them unceremoniously in the sink, the resulting clatter indicating at least one had broken.
Looming imposingly, his arms gestured wildly as he ranted, "You think you can come here and take up my tables and drink my free coffee refills while you wait to see whether it's pay day? Well I've got news for you. My private life is exactly that: private. You don't get to bet on it; you don't get to pass judgement; you don't get to comment because it is none of your goddamn business. Whatever relationship Lorelai and I have is between us and us alone," he roared, a vein pulsing visibly in his temple.
"So you admit it Sugar," Babette rasped eagerly. "You and Lorelai are in a relationship."
Shooting her an irate glare, Luke stomped towards the doorway, wrenching the diner door open with a clang as he thundered, "That's it. I mean it. Everybody out NOW."
Ignoring his proclamation, Gypsy called from a side table, "Easy Luke. All we're asking for is a simple yes or no. It's just a silly bet."
"You want something to bet on? Bet on this: If you don't all get the hell out of my diner right now, I'm gonna kick your sorry asses all the way to China before you can say 'Jackpot'."
Scowling as they blinked back at him indifferently and continued to remain in their seats, he yelled, "Fine. You know what? I don't care. Here's your goddamn answer."
Yanking the dish towel from his shoulder, he slammed it down on the counter top before turning on his heel and striding determinedly toward Lorelai. Grabbing her by the hips, his biceps flexed as he drew her flush against him in one swift movement, landing his lips squarely on hers. He kissed her hard and rough, his tongue battling with hers momentarily before he pulled back, his chest heaving.
A chorus of cheers and wolf whistles echoed around the diner and Lorelai smiled a brilliant smile as her eyes connected with Luke's, his hands still holding tight to her hips.
"On you Dollface!" Babette shouted, clapping her hands in delight.
"Why are you celebrating?" Andrew asked her disbelievingly. "Your money was on it happening a year from now."
"Ah money, schmoney. I'm just glad they're finally together," she admitted happily.
"Pay up everybody," Miss Patty cooed, rubbing her hands together delightedly. Begrudgingly, Andrew pulled a wad of bills from his wallet, many of the other diner patrons following suit.
"I've never been so happy to hear Kirk was right about something," Miss Patty gushed.
"Wait. Kirk was the one who told you?" Lorelai asked, perplexed, reluctantly drawing her eyes away from Luke. "How could he have possibly known?"
"Oh he picked up work at the outdoor cinema in Litchfield. Brings his tally of jobs to 43 I believe. He saw you two getting cozy when he was cleaning up the grounds after the movie screening. Lucky, lucky girl Lorelai," Miss Patty purred suggestively.
"I'm gonna kill him," Luke vowed vehemently.
Spying the stack of cash in Miss Patty's hand as she waved it triumphantly above her head, Luke released Lorelai from his grasp and attempted one last rebuke, plucking the winnings from her fingers and tucking them neatly into his back pocket.
"You know what? By the sounds of it, you've got plenty more of that on the way once word gets out to everyone who couldn't fit in my diner these last few days. This can cover the tourist takings I missed out on thanks to your little town camp-out," he grumbled. "And I was serious about the getting out thing."
Laughing at Patty's disgruntled expression, Lorelai wound her way to Luke's side, wrapping one arm around his waist. She stood on her tip-toes and leaned into his ear, whispering boldly, "Maybe we should get Kirk to bring his wares back and put that money to good use."
Watching his cheeks redden and his jaw gape in shock, she giggled happily, patting his chest and winking mischievously as she said, "For what it's worth, I like the glow ones."
-o-
Hooray! Our favorites finally got to have a proper date! What did you think?
So here's the million-dollar question: Now that Luke and Lorelai are moving forward with their relationship, how do you feel about me putting that 'M' rating to good use? So far More Than Enough has been pretty tame but I'm now leaning towards spicing it up a little where the storyline calls for it. Given that this story has been marked 'M' all along I'm thinking everyone reading it isn't opposed to a little adult content but I thought I better check first (once my mind hits the gutter, there's no telling where it will go!) So...can you handle the occasional shot of smuttiness thrown in the mix? Or should I just skip right on over the bedroom scenes? Let me know your thoughts :)