"Jackson, come ON. We never go out. Let's just get out of the house and go to the pub. I'll have a Shirley Temple and you can let me watch you guzzle down a golden crisp beer. Please?"
"Aren't you tired? You and Lorelai should go out, I'm beat. The snow peas and the lettuce seedlings are so finicky this time of year."
"No, Lorelai is on a date tonight. Come on. We can't be shut-ins at this age."
"Fine. Let's go."
What, Sook, why are you looking at me like that? Dean just wanted to know what time it was.
"Okay honey, grab that booth over there and I'll bring our drinks. I want to say 'hi' to Ned."
Jackson was almost asleep, but he knew this was important to Sookie.
"Jackson?"
"Do I know you?"
"Yeah, it's me, Kyle. I worked on your farm two summers ago, last summer I joined the army and then I went to Iraq."
"Oh, right, sure. What are you doing here?"
"Meeting a woman here shortly. See where the evening takes us."
This kid is bugging me, I want to be home, sleeping.
"Hi hello, Jackson, who is this?"
"Sookie, this is Kyle, who apparently worked on my farm two summers ago, and…"
"Siddown. Join us. You look a little young to be in here."
"No ma'am. I'm three weeks 21. Graduated Stars Hollow High in '03. I was held back in kindergarten. No big thing."
"Oh, then you knew Lane, Jess and Dean?"
"Yeah, Dean is my roommate. People always think he's older than me though, when we hang out. Guy never gets carded. If bartenders saw him today though, preparing for his date, singing that 'Lorelei' song like a schoolgirl over and over and over...Styx is not my style of music, you know? I prefer the Fleet Foxes Lorelai."
Sookie choked and coughed out her sip of Shirley Temple.
"Sookie, are you okay? What's the matter? Is that Shirley Temple too strong? Too much grenadine for baby? I'll go get Ned to make you a new one."
And I'll sit with Ned for a little while at the bar and hopefully Sookie will get the hint.
"So Kyle, you and Dean, just two 'Wild and crazy guys' out with your gals, who are here? In the bar?"
"No. my lady is meeting me here. Dean is meeting some mystery woman, he wouldn't say her name. Long as it isn't his ex, this chick from our class Lindsay. Pretty and all, but not much personality. My man Dean deserves someone better. Hey, my date is here, nice to meet you ma'am."
No no no no no. This couldn't be happening. Where was Lorelai going tonight? She was so vague. Why was she vague with me? Why Dean vague with Kyle? I saw it. I know where she is, or rather, I know who she's with. Oh my god, I knew Lorelai was checking Dean out, but I dismissed the look Dean gave her yesterday afternoon when she was talking to the tree guy on the side porch. She was flirting with Carl trying to get him to drop the price, and Dean looked, angry that Carl was flirting back. What was Dean even doing on the patio outside my kitchen window? He was avoiding her, but staring at her, possessively. Yes, that was the look. And today, Tom said they went on an antiques run? Dean returned alone, and he was so chipper. Lorelai too sounded giddy when she called to say she wouldn't be back at the inn, and no, she couldn't join me for a ladies night out. Did they have SEX this morning? Were they having sex now?
"Sookie, can we go now? I'm tired, and you can't even handle non-alcoholic beverages. Are we done?"
"Sure Jackson, let's go home. All of a sudden I don't feel well."
The tall booths hid their inhabitants if you weren't facing them straight-on. Luke heard the conversation between Sookie and that goofy Kyle kid, Luke's back stiffened against the shared wall with Jackson. Something annoyed him about the way Kyle said that Dean was singing the Styx song, especially when he heard Sookie choke on her drink. Sookie was an open book, and over the years he picked up on some of her mannerisms and tones. She reacted to the Dean/Lorelai comment, didn't she? Why? Certainly she wasn't thinking Dean was out with the only Lorelai they knew? Dean could like Styx. Lots of kids like classic rock or whatever Styx was. Nah. That was stupid. So what if Dean didn't tell Kyle who he was meeting? I wouldn't tell Kyle much either. Lorelai would never go out with Dean Forester. He must have misread something.
