February
"Luke!" Lorelai barged into the diner, hyper with excitement. Giggling, she ran up to the counter. "Do you know what's going on out there?"
He paused the menu planning for the next week and glanced out the front window, where he could see Taylor standing pompously at a podium and what appeared to be the rest of Stars Hollow milling about on the square. About half of the onlookers were toting baskets. "Of course I know," he responded. "The same insanity that goes on every year in the middle of February."
She climbed onto a stool and pulled off her knitted hat. "Then why didn't you tell me about it?"
He focused on her and saw a light sprinkling of snowflakes clinging to her hair. A few were stuck to her eyelashes, sparkling with reflected light. He thought briefly about the picture frame she'd given him for Christmas, and even more fleetingly, he considered using his fingertips to gently brush away the snowflakes before they melted. Instead he swallowed hard and looked back down at the calendar page where he was penciling in daily specials. "How did you not know?" he countered. "I thought you had an in with the town council about all this crap."
"I've been busy," she said defensively. "I'm still catching up from my vacation. And besides, this is geared mostly for Stars Hollow residents, so they didn't need me trying to market it. I knew something was coming up, I just didn't realize it was something this fun."
"Fun?" Luke twisted the word into something disgusting. "Yeah, right."
"It is! It's charming! If I'd understood what was going on, I would have totally made a basket!"
He looked at her skeptically. "Really? And what would you have put into this hypothetical basket? A couple of stale Pop Tarts and a Slim Jim?"
She glared at him. "You do realize that my business partner and best gal pal is a top-notch chef, right? You don't think she would have put together a basket for me if I'd asked?"
"Then why didn't you ask?"
"Because, as I've already stated, I wasn't aware it was a thing!"
"Sookie didn't tell you about it? Or Patty? Or Babette?"
Lorelai opened her mouth to argue, but then seemed to lose her drive. "Maybe they did," she muttered. "My head's been…elsewhere lately. It's possible they mentioned it but it just didn't stick."
Her rare admission of personal failure got his attention. He tried to study her without looking like that was what he was doing. "What's got you so stressed? Work or the Dragonfly?"
"Both," she sighed. For a moment her face went blank as she slumped in her seat. She quickly rallied, shaking off the small bout of depression. "Just a couple more months, though. This hard patch will be over soon. Once the Dragonfly is up and running I'll be swimming in free time!"
"Right," Luke said wryly. "Business owners have nothing but free time."
"That's what I've heard," Lorelai confirmed with a grin. "So tell me, if you have all this free time, why aren't you out there bidding on a basket?"
Luke snorted dismissively. "If you ever see me doing that, you'll know it's time for me to take my place at Pine Hills Nursing Home because senility has kicked in. Bring on the mushed-up peas."
"Aww, come on. You'd bid on my basket, wouldn't you?"
"No," he scoffed. "Why would I do that?"
"Because we're friends? Because I do stale Pop Tarts and Slim Jims like nobody else?"
"You know I don't participate in anything that goes on out there." He waved his hand out toward the crowd in the square.
"Oh, I forgot. Forced socialization is a fate worse than death." She hopped down from the stool and put her hat and gloves back on.
"Finally. Someone who understands."
Lorelai stopped on the way to the door, turning around to see him. "But seriously, Luke. You really wouldn't bid on my basket?"
"I really wouldn't bid on your basket, neither real nor imaginary," he confirmed, his attention going back to his interrupted menu planning.
He was aware that she continued to hold her position for several long seconds, watching him. "OK," she finally said. "Good to know where I stand."
He looked up in time to see her plaintive smile before she exited the diner. When the door opened he could hear Taylor's auction chant and the ongoing teasing and laughter of the crowd. It did sound as if everyone was having a great time.
And immediately he realized just how big a mistake he'd made.
It was the next Thursday, shortly after two o'clock, when the bells over the door chimed out, drawing Luke's attention. He was surprised to see Lorelai enter. It was an odd time for her to be in town, let alone frequenting the diner.
Nevertheless, he grabbed a cup and a pot of coffee and headed her way.
She pulled out a chair at the first table she came to, and sat down as if she didn't have enough strength to walk further. Chilled by the empty expression on her too-pale face, he got to her as fast as he could.
"What's going on?" He poured a cup of coffee for her automatically. When she made no move to take it, he pushed it closer to her. When she still ignored it, he sat down across from her. "Lorelai? What's wrong?"
Startled, she sucked in a huge gulp of air, as if she hadn't thought to breathe for a while. "I…I quit my job."
"You what?"
"Quit. My job. I quit." She took another super deep breath. "I walked out."
Luke was so stunned he merely stared at her for several minutes before he realized that he should get her to talk about it. "Did I miss something? Were you planning on that?"
She shook her head, but made no effort to add any other words of explanation. She was shivering, he noticed, and he touched her hand in concern. "Geez, Lorelai! You're a block of ice!" He began to chafe her hands in his. "Where's your coat and gloves?"
She looked down at herself blankly. "Um…" Slowly, she looked outside, maybe to wherever her car was parked. "I don't…I don't know."
It began to dawn on Luke that she was in shock. He'd dressed for the weather that morning, adding a thermal long-sleeved Henley to his usual clothing choices, so it was no hardship for him to share his flannel shirt. He draped it over her shoulders and tucked it in around her as much as he could. He molded her hands around the hot cup of coffee. "Drink some, OK? It'll warm you up."
Her hands shook as she tried to raise the cup, so he helped her get it to her lips. He nodded approvingly as she sipped at it. "Better?" he asked, also guiding the cup down.
She nodded, finally focusing on him. "Yeah. Thanks."
"Do you feel like talking? What happened?"
"Well, uh…" She frowned, as if she was actually thinking about what to say, and not just spaced out due to shock. "Daniel called me in to his office, right before lunch."
"That's your boss, right?"
"Yeah. He owns the agency."
"OK. And then what happened?" Luke glanced around the diner covertly. He was the only one working at the moment. Luckily, the few customers present seemed riveted to what was going on with Lorelai, and weren't clamoring for his attention.
"I thought he probably wanted to talk about some new accounts. You know, discuss what they needed, deadlines, that kind of stuff. But instead…" She breathed deeply again, and her cheeks flushed with sudden anger. "He told me it had come to his attention that I wasn't pulling my weight." Lorelai glared at Luke, as if he'd been the one to say it. "Pulling my weight," she repeated sarcastically.
"Whoa," Luke commented, trying to stay neutral.
"After all the years – the years – I've spent making sure his agency looked good! The weekends I spent scrambling to finish a project before a Monday morning deadline! The nights I never went home, because of some ridiculous, arbitrary timetable we had to meet! Do you know how many times he sent me out to meet with the customer, because he knew I'd be the one able to placate them? Because he knew I'd smile and make jokes and get them to accept the changes we'd made?"
"A lot?" Luke guessed, since she seemed to be waiting for a reply.
"Damn right, a lot! And I…well, I didn't actually mind," she grumbled. "I knew it was the best thing for the agency, and I was good at it. Really good," she said fiercely.
"Absolutely," Luke agreed, scared not to.
"And now," she stormed on, "just because I'm not as available as I used to be, now that I had the gall to actually use some of my vacation time, suddenly now I'm not a team player? Suddenly I'm not pulling my weight?"
"Ridiculous," Luke murmured.
"You know, people told me all the time what a tyrant Daniel McCain was; how he used up his employees and then tossed them away! But I defended him, always, just because of the stupid cherry marshmallow Easter eggs!"
"What?"
"Never mind," Lorelai huffed. "Well, my eyes are open now, buddy. He doesn't have Lorelai Gilmore to kick around anymore. Who's going to go sweet talk the insufferable Shirley, the PR head at the Hartford mall, into sticking with us for another year now, huh?"
"Not you?"
"That's right, not me! Let's just see how much the mighty Mr. McCain likes doing his own dirty work!"
Luke nodded thoughtfully, then cleared his throat. "So how did you actually leave things with him?"
"How do you think? I said, that's it! I'm out! Hasta la vista, baby!" Lorelai shifted angrily back and forth on her seat. "I said if he didn't think I was working hard enough, then he could surely get along fine without me!"
"Hmm, OK." Luke was still trying to determine which lines she'd crossed in the argument with her boss. "And you actually said you quit?"
"Yes!" she insisted, but then she blinked and tilted her head. "Um, I think so, anyway. I mean, I was pretty emphatic about leaving. I'm pretty sure I made it clear that I was not coming back." Her face turned troubled. "I don't know that I even said anything to Nance, I blew out of there so fast. I just grabbed my purse and stalked out. Slammed a couple of doors." She looked down at her empty lap. "At least, I think I grabbed my purse." She glanced out at the street again, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.
"Are you going to be OK?"
"Uh, sure? I'll get over it. I'll move on. I mean, I have to, right?"
"Of course you will, but, um…" Aware of their eavesdroppers, he leaned closer to her. "I meant financially."
She went still and stared at him. "Oh, yeah. Money." Her face paled again.
"Yeah, money. It's kind of important, especially when you're in the middle of a big building project."
"I'll figure it out," she said resolutely. "I'll have to figure it out," she insisted, but she looked less determined and more scared, and her voice lost its bluster. "After all, there are other people depending on me now," she said quietly. "It's all on my shoulders, isn't it?"
"Maybe it's not as bad as you think. Maybe you could still get your job back."
"Go back and grovel to that contemptuous, ungrateful ass? No way! I'll starve first!" she declared haughtily.
Their eyes met. Both of them knew he'd never let that happen.
"I'll be OK," she assured him. "I was probably going to quit anyway when the Dragonfly was ready to open. This just…moves things up a bit, that's all. It will be OK," she repeated, putting on a brave face. "I will figure out a way to make this work."
Even though you're not working, Luke thought, but wisely did not say. He stood up from the table. "How about if I go get you a burger and some fries? I have a feeling you could use some food in your stomach to offset the drama."
"Maybe I need to save up my pennies and not be spending them on burgers and fries," she said soberly.
"New diner rule. First meal after you quit your job is free."
"Luke." She managed to smile, but just barely. "You can't keep doing that."
He shrugged. "Maybe not, but I can do it today."
"Wait. Here." She stood up too, took his shirt from off her shoulders, and gave it back to him. "Thanks for…rescuing the damsel in distress." She grimaced. "I hate that that's what I became today."
"Only for the briefest of moments. I'm just glad you knew to come here for help." He stepped a bit closer to her and lowered his voice. "And if things do go south, you know to come here again, right?"
She searched his face. "I'll be fine, Luke. But thanks. Thanks for propping me up today."
"My pleasure. Now, sit down and regroup. Drink your coffee. I'll have some food out to you in a jiffy."
When he reached the doorway to the kitchen he took a second to look back. Lorelai was hunched over the table, looking empty in a way that no burger in the world could replenish.
Mid-morning the next Monday, Lorelai appeared in the diner, looking casual but sharp in jeans and a shearling leather jacket. A weekend of being buoyed up by her Stars Hollow friends seemed to have restored her spirit. She greeted Luke with a big smile as she hopped up onto an empty stool at the counter. "Hey, guess what?"
"What?" Under the circumstances, he was willing to play along.
"Turns out that when you quit your job, your employer is really picky about getting your company-owned car back."
Luke stopped in his tracks. "Oh, no."
"Yeah, I hadn't thought about it either." She nodded her thanks as he pushed a cup of coffee her way.
"What are you going to do about a car?"
She shrugged. "Find another one, I guess." She sipped at the coffee. "Any suggestions about where to look?"
"Actually, yeah. I'd start at Gypsy's."
"Really?" She looked skeptical. "Gypsy sells cars?"
"Not as a rule, but she usually knows if anyone has one to sell, and sometimes she'll have a couple of vehicles at the garage that she's picked up here and there. In any case, she knows what to look for, mechanically. If you do find something, I'd recommend letting her look it over before you make a decision."
"OK, that's good advice."
"How about breakfast?"
"Thanks, but I had a box of stale Pop Tarts at home."
Luke cringed, hating to be reminded about his thoughtless comments on Bid-a-Basket day. "What's on your agenda for today?"
"Well, first thing, I'm turning in the agency's car before they send the cops after me."
"Come on. They wouldn't really do that, would they?"
"The joyless HR person who called me at precisely 8:01 this morning hinted that it was a strong possibility."
Luke was irritated on her behalf. "Let them try that. The county deputy is a pretty good friend of mine. I bet I could persuade him to look the other way."
Lorelai grinned. "Let's not get on the wrong side of the law, OK? Besides, it's not my car. If I hadn't been so rattled on Thursday, I would have left it there then."
"But still, they don't need to act so uptight about it. Of course you're not trying to steal their car." He frowned. "How are you getting back home?"
"Sookie's going to follow me to Hartford in her car, and bring me back after I get everything buttoned up at the agency. Papers to sign, keys to return, stuff like that." She snapped her fingers at him. "That reminds me. Do you have any boxes I can take? I need to pack up my office."
"Yeah, I think there are probably some in the storeroom. I'll grab them for you before you head out."
"Thanks." She enjoyed another swallow of coffee before she looked around the restaurant. "You know, this isn't all bad. Here I get to sit in the diner after the breakfast rush is past, savoring an extra cup of coffee. Gives you a whole different perspective on life. It's nice not to be part of the rat race."
Luke sensed that she was trying extra hard to put a sunny spin on everything. "You know, I could go to Hartford with you," he offered. "You don't have to bother Sookie."
She smiled knowingly at him. "I shouldn't bother Sookie, but it's OK to bother you?"
"Not a bother," he insisted.
"Really? You could leave the diner, be gone over lunch, and it wouldn't upset your day at all?"
"I'm the boss. I make the rules. You'll find out what it's like to have that kind of power once the Dragonfly opens."
"Uh huh, right. Well, for today, Sookie's letting me ride shotgun on the way home. She doesn't have to work until the dinner shift, so she's got the time. We're going to get lunch, maybe look around for some more odds'n'ends for the Dragonfly while we're in Hartford."
"More stuff?" He shook his head at her. "That extra room at your place has got to be ready to burst. I don't know how you've stored everything you've collected in there the way it is."
"I'm just glad I've got that weird little room off the kitchen to use as a storage space. I mean, what else would I use it for?"
"Don't know," Luke said with a shrug. "Maybe an office?"
"Yeah, maybe? I'll give that some thought once I can clear the room out and haul everything over to the Dragonfly."
"I can haul it all over for you. I'm the one with the truck."
"Luke," she said, laughing at his continued insistence on helping her. "Will you stop being so nice to me? I'm OK, really. I'm not going to have a breakdown or anything. It's all good. Promise."
"I know," he grumbled. He pushed away from the counter. "Let's go see how many empty boxes we can find for you."
She took a last mouthful of coffee and stood up too. "Thanks. I really do appreciate that. And…I appreciate you, too."
She said the last words so sweetly he thought she was teasing him, but when he glanced at her face he could see she meant them seriously.
"Look, just ask me first the next time you need something, OK?"
"Yes, boss! Will do!" She saluted him smartly as she waited for him to open the door to the storeroom.
"You can be a real pain, you know that?"
She grinned slyly. "Yes, I've heard that for most of my life."
Shaking his head, he proceeded to fill their arms with boxes.
Luke grabbed a pen and the order pad before answering the ringing diner phone, expecting to hear a request for carry-out. "Luke's!"
"Hey, hi. It's me."
Her voice on the phone gave him a sense of déjà vu. He remembered every detail about the first time she'd called the diner.
"Hi. What's up?"
There was an unusual pause of silence on her end. "Is there any chance you could come over to Gypsy's for a couple of minutes?"
He looked around the diner before craning his neck to see where Caesar was in the kitchen. "Yeah, probably. Why, did you find a car?"
"I found…something," she said vaguely. "I'd feel better if I could get your take on it."
"Uh, sure," he said, fearing what kind of four-wheeled disaster she might have found. "I'll run over as soon as I can."
"Thanks," she said, and hung up without one pop culture reference or double entendre.
When he got to Gypsy's, Lorelai was leaning up against a Jeep that looked as if it had baked to a golden tan in the sun. "This?" he questioned her, smiling. "I never would have thought you were the Jeep type."
"I'm not," she agreed, straightening up. She joined him in staring at the vehicle. "But I think she was."
"She?"
"You know who. Her."
"Why do you say that?"
She sighed in resignation. "You don't remember, do you?"
"I remember everything," he told her quietly. "You're the one who wasn't here."
"That first day in the park, I told you that she tried to take the gardener's car." Lorelai pointed at the Jeep. "This could be the twin of the one he drives."
They both regarded the Jeep again.
"Where'd you find it?" Luke made the decision to just act like a normal car guy, instead of a conduit to other dimensions.
"At a used car lot just this side of Hartford. The salesman says it's in great shape, and Gypsy agrees. Low miles, the oil is freshly changed, it runs beautifully, and even gets fairly decent gas mileage. The price is in my range. Plus, look at it. No more bottoming out on the way back to the Dragonfly."
"So what's the problem?"
Unsmiling, Lorelai studied him for a long minute, before pointing over at the edge of the garage's lot. "Is that the infamous bench?"
He nodded soberly, and she walked over to it and sat down. Reluctantly, he followed.
She tipped her head back to enjoy the late February sunshine. "Sometimes…this all really creeps me out, Luke."
He sat down next to her, gingerly. "Yeah, I hear you. Me too."
She raised her head. "I mean, sometimes I feel like she got to write the script, and now we have no choice but to follow along."
"Then don't buy the car. No one's forcing you to do anything!"
"But I like the car! That's what's so annoying!" She shook her head angrily. "How did she get to be so much better at life than I am? Why is she so much smarter about what makes me happy? How could she figure this all out and I can't?"
"There was nothing wrong with how your life was before, was there?"
"But this is better. This is all so much better!" Agitated, she wrapped her hand around his arm and gave it a slight shake, desperate to make him understand.
In response, he placed his own hand over hers, in memory of the current that had flashed between them on that other day. Today, the shock of awareness once again electrified his senses.
Lorelai gasped and pulled her hand away, staring wide-eyed at him.
"Yeah. That's nothing new," he commented as calmly as he could.
She blinked numerous times, watching him. He waited for her to say something about what they'd just experienced.
Instead she jumped off the bench and began walking towards the vehicle. "I'm buying the Jeep!" she announced crossly.
He followed her. "You're sure?"
"Yes, damn it all!"
"Do you want me to come along?"
"Yes!" She stopped beside the Jeep, breathing erratically, and Luke honestly thought she was going to kick the crap out of it. Instead she whipped around to him. "Because even though I'm perfectly capable of buying this car on my own, I know they'll only take me seriously if a man is there with me!"
"Hold on. Why are you so mad at me?"
"I'm not!" she yelled.
"Then you're doing a really good imitation of it."
She caught her breath and wiped a hand over her eyes. She turned towards the street and looked at what she could see of the town. "You'd think…" she began, sounding a tad calmer. "You'd think, if this really was all written in the stars or something, if it was already all decided, that it'd be easier, wouldn't you?"
"What would be easier?"
She buried her face in her hands and groaned. "Never mind. Just get in the car." Her voice turned sarcastic. "Let's go make yet another crossover between the universes official."
"It's your life," Luke muttered as he passed her.
"Is it? Is it really now?" she demanded. She hopped up into the driver's seat and slammed the door behind her. "I'm not so convinced of that, are you?"
March
Luke was bussing one of the window tables when he saw the Jeep drive past. He expected the door to open and Lorelai to appear in short order. When that didn't happen, he looked out the window to see where she was.
She'd parked the Jeep and had gotten out, but was standing beside it aimlessly, her head tilted down, her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets. When she finally moved, it was to walk over to the gazebo. She sat down on one of the benches and slouched over, staring down at the floor.
He took the bin of dirty dishes to the kitchen and told Caesar he'd be back in a couple of minutes.
When Lorelai first quit her job, he'd assumed that he'd see more of her because she'd be in town all the time, but instead, the opposite had proven true. Maybe he actually saw her more often, but it wasn't the same. The long talks he'd grown used to having with her late in the evening, when he was ready to close the diner, were no more. She spent as many hours as possible at the Dragonfly, so when nighttime came around, she was dead tired and ready to go home. There were no extra minutes to squander at the diner, talking to him. Also, because she was at the worksite all day, there was no reason for him to go out there with her in the evening. Their quality time had disappeared.
As Luke walked over to the gazebo, he thought about the attempts they'd both made in the past month to keep their friendship going. He'd suggested meeting up at K.C.'s, but it took only one drink, combined with Lorelai's usual state of exhaustion, to knock her out. He'd had to help her stagger home, much to her embarrassment. Next, she'd invited him over for a movie night at her place, but instead of enjoying a movie together, they'd both fallen asleep on the couch. The only positive that came out of that attempt was the fun Lorelai had in telling various scandalized townies that they'd slept together.
Luke rubbed at the small of his back, remembering the unplanned snooze. She had to have the most uncomfortable couch in existence.
"Doesn't look like you've had a good day," he observed, sitting down beside her.
She stared off in the distance. "I haven't."
"Want to talk about it?"
"No."
He waited for her to say something else, but she did nothing but continue to stare blankly. "Fine," he finally said, standing up. "Come into the diner if you want anything."
"No, Luke, wait." She roused herself enough to snatch at his arm and tug him back. "Of course I want to talk about it. I just don't have the brain power yet to put it into words."
"What's going on?" He retook his seat, genuinely concerned.
"I had to do something unthinkable today." She finally glanced his way. "I asked my parents for a loan."
Now he was the one staring, but at her. "Things have gotten that bad?"
"It's just things are getting to the end, and people need to be paid. And by that I mean everybody, and all at once. I didn't want to go to my bank, because I don't especially want the loan department to know I'm no longer employed. So I went to my parents, hoping that if I went to them in a business-like manner, they would be willing to treat the loan as a business proposition, and not as parents having to bail out their failing kid."
"You're not failing," Luke muttered.
"Not yet," she said, a ghost of a smile passing over her mouth. "Give me time, though."
"Did your parents say no to the loan?"
"No, they agreed to it right away." She looked pained. "Under one condition."
"Go on."
She turned to look at him directly. "I have to have dinner with them one night a week."
He almost laughed. "What?"
"They miss having me around. They say they don't see me enough. So, in spite of me trying to be all business-like and proper about borrowing money from them, they made it as personal as possible."
"Well, that's not so bad, is it?"
"I guess not," she sighed. "Mom tried to pin me down on a set day and time, but Dad convinced her that we'd need to play it by ear depending on what's going on at the Dragonfly. He even suggested that they drive to Stars Hollow some weeks and eat here with me instead." She suddenly glared at him. "Are you ready to feed my parents, if necessary?"
"Sure, I can do that, as long as they're not expecting anything fancy."
"The way my father still fondly reminisces about the hamburger you made for him, I don't think fancy will be an issue."
They shared a moment of silence together.
"You know," Luke reminded her, a bit reproachfully, "you were supposed to come to me if money got tight."
"I think that our relationship is already plenty weird, Luke. I really didn't want you to be my loan officer too."
"I wouldn't be your loan officer! I'm your friend. You know that!"
"Exactly. Let's keep it that way."
They set in silence again, Luke stewing a bit over her rejection of his offer to help. After a minute or two, he heard her trying to stifle a giggle. "What?" he wanted to know.
She gave him one of her flirty smiles. "I was just wondering what the terms of your loan would be. My parents want a weekly dinner. What would you want from me?"
Usually he was pretty good at deflecting her spicier comments. Either he rolled his eyes and refused to respond or he said something ridiculous to shut her down. And sometimes, if he felt flirty enough himself, he was willing to play along. But today her question had caught him by surprise, and there was only one thing that immediately popped into his brain. Since this morning had been one of the infrequent days when he used a razor on his face, there weren't any whiskers there to hide the hot flush on his cheeks.
Lorelai laughed in delight at his discomfort. She jumped up from the bench and ran around the gazebo in sort of a Rocky-esque victory lap, throwing her arms up over her head. "Yay! I am still a young and desirable woman!"
"Will you quiet down? And was there really any doubt of that?" Luke muttered.
Grinning, she stopped in front of him. "Maybe," she said, shrugging. "Cats showed up on my porch the other day, so it's nice to have my vitality confirmed." She held her hand out to help him off the bench. "Let's start small. What would you need as collateral to spot me a cup of coffee?"
April
The door to the diner opened. Lorelai poked her head inside at the same time she rapped against the door frame. "I know it's really late, but is it OK if I come in for a little bit?"
"Of course!" Luke waved her in. "I haven't started closing down yet. Come on in." As she closed the door and began to walk to the counter, Luke noted the tiredness in her walk, the exhaustion evident on her face. "You look beat."
"Thanks," she said smartly, taking a seat on her favorite stool. "You really know how to make a girl feel special."
"You know what I mean. It just looks like you've had a hard day, that's all."
"They're all hard," she muttered. "But yeah, I guess this one was harder than most." She yawned, then propped her head on her hand.
"Do you want coffee?" Luke glanced over at the machine. "There's still a little bit at the bottom of the pot, but I make no guarantee that it's actually drinkable. Of course, that's never seemed to bother you before."
After a moment of consideration, she shook her head. "I think I'll pass. I've had so much coffee today I feel like my insides are swimming in it."
"Are you delirious?" Playfully, he placed his hand briefly against her forehead. "Or is this a sign of the apocalypse?"
She merely shook her head instead of firing a jab back at him. "I think I'm just coffeed-out."
"Do you want something else?"
Her weary eyes tracked over the visible offerings before landing on his face again. "I think I just wanted the company. I feel like I haven't talked to you in days."
A nice warm glow lit up his own insides. "That's true. You've been mostly a blur for the past month. My banter's getting rusty."
"Last push, you know? Just a couple of weeks left before the Dragonfly – supposedly – opens."
"You'll make it."
"Hope so." She sighed and looked around the counter again. "Hey, do you have a cupcake?"
"Does this look like a bakery? No."
"How about a muffin?"
"Nope, all gone."
"A doughnut? Anything even remotely dessert-like?"
He looked around. "How about a slightly de-iced Danish? That might be the best I can do." He slipped the damaged pastry onto a plate and sat it in front of her.
She stared at it for a moment. "By any chance, do you have a candle?"
Sometimes he was slow at picking up on clues but this one he understood immediately. "You're kidding me. It's your birthday?"
Keeping her head down, she nodded.
"Aww, Lorelai, why didn't you say something? I would've made something special for you if I'd known."
"It's OK," she said quickly. "I thought that was the way I wanted it. I feel so pulled apart right now, so over my head in to-do lists, I thought it would be nice to be able to just skip all of the birthday hoopla. No forced gaiety in the breakroom. No awkward singing in a bar after work. I could just keep working and ignore it."
"What about Sookie? Your parents?" He took a breath before trying the last name. "Christopher?"
"Sookie doesn't know. No one in town knows. My parents are out of town right now, so they gave me a present before they left. Christopher –" She sighed. "He never remembered it, even when we were together, unless Mom reminded him."
"You know the whole town would have thrown you a party," he pointed out, a little reproachfully.
"I do know," she agreed, "and I didn't want that. I didn't want a big thing, and that's why I kept quiet. Any other year I like the over-the-top productions, but I'm so overwhelmed right now, even the idea of getting together with a couple of friends seemed like too much effort." She smiled sadly at him. "But now it's the end of the day, I'm incredibly tired, and I feel like I don't have a friend left on earth. It's supposed to be my special day, but no one's even wished me a happy birthday." She laughed, but by the sound of it, she was edging towards tears. "It turns out that being ignored on my birthday wasn't what I wanted after all."
He already felt bad enough without the ominous threat of tears. "Here." He pushed a mug her way. "I know it's not coffee, but I was making a cup of tea for me. Try it, OK? You might find it sort of soothing. Drink some tea, nibble on the Danish. I'll be back out with something else for you as fast as I can."
"Luke, no!" She tried to grab for his hand. "I don't want you to fuss. I didn't come in here to make more work for you. I just needed a friendly face."
"Too late. I know the truth now, and this is something – as your friend – I want to do." He backed towards the door to the kitchen. "Eat. Drink. I'll be back soon. Just don't expect anything too elaborate."
Inside the kitchen he looked around frantically, trying to think of anything he could whip up to fit the birthday bill. He glanced back out at the counter, watching as Lorelai tentatively tried the tea. She grimaced at the first mouthful, but then sniffed at the cup before trying it again. She broke off a piece of the Danish and nibbled at it before taking a more enthusiastic sip of tea.
Feeling like he now had more time, Luke catalogued the ingredients he had at his disposal. There was still some meatloaf left from lunch. He cut off two thick slices, then used a biscuit cutter to round them into discs before throwing them into the microwave to warm them up. Normally not a fan of instant mashed potatoes, he nevertheless had a box stashed away in case of emergencies – which this certainly was. He grabbed the kettle of almost-boiling water he'd used for his tea and mixed up a serving of spuds. Once the meatloaf was hot, he put one round on a plate, placed a slice of cheese on it, then topped it with the second piece of meatloaf. He iced the entire creation with mashed potatoes before halving a couple of cherry tomatoes and placing them artistically around the sides. As a finishing touch, he decorated the top with an "L" made out of sliced black olives.
He stepped back and regarded his creation critically. Not bad, he decided.
Next he found a utility candle stashed in a drawer, along with some matches. Now he had cake, of a sort, complete with a candle. So far, so good.
If only he could find something like a card…
His eyes landed on the day's edition of the Stars Hollow Gazette. He leaped on it, quickly flipping through the pages. What he was hoping to find, he didn't know. Just anything that might serve as a birthday greeting.
He reached the horoscope page. Was that a possibility? He scanned down to Taurus. The bull. "Well, that's appropriate," he muttered. The daily horoscope was bland and stupid, something about relishing your personal freedom. Making an instant decision, he cut it out, then blacked out what had been printed there. With no time to lose, he didn't waste any by second-guessing himself. The next year will see all of your dreams come true. He snorted at the goofy sentiment he'd written down, but it was too late now. He put the candle, matches, and the doctored horoscope into his shirt pocket, picked up the 'cake' and made his way back to the counter.
It was all worth it when Lorelai's face lit up. "What did you do?" she wanted to know, sounding much happier.
He put the culinary endeavor down in front of her with as much of a flourish as he was capable of. He placed the candle to one side, then lit it before stepping back.
"Aren't you going to sing to me?" she teased him.
He shifted his feet and took a deep breath as if in preparation, but then he leaned forward and landed a swift kiss to her forehead instead. "No," he said.
She giggled, obviously delighted with his efforts. "What am I looking at here?"
He held up a finger. "Don't mess with tradition. You make a wish first, blow out the candle, then cut the cake."
"Oh, suddenly we're bound to tradition?" Despite her protest, she obediently closed her eyes for several seconds, and, after opening them, blew out the candle. "There," she said.
Luke nodded, picked up a knife and sliced her a piece of the 'cake,' exposing the secret within.
"Is that…?" Lorelai stuck a finger in the 'icing' and put it to her mouth. "Mashed potatoes?"
"And a meatloaf cake, filled with a layer of cheese," Luke further explained. He handed a fork to her.
"I think I can safely say that this is the most disgusting thing anyone's ever made for me." However, she took a bite and dissolved into pleasure. "Oh my God. Luke." She put a hand over her mouth as she chewed. "This is fantastic. Forget the cake and the icing roses. From now on, this is my birthday request."
"It's really OK?" he asked, relieved that she found his last-minute recipe acceptable.
"Sooooo good." She stuffed another bite into her mouth. "Seriously. It's perfect."
"How's the tea? Would you rather have something else?"
"It's not bad." She leaned over and sniffed at it again. "Is it peppermint?"
"Yeah, my favorite. Kind of a nice way to wind down at the end of the day."
She took another sip and then smiled at him. "I can see how it has a mellowing effect."
"I think I'll go fix myself another cup and join you, if you don't mind."
"Please," she agreed, licking off her fork.
When he returned, he came around the counter and sat on the stool next to her. While he waited for his tea to steep, he pulled the horoscope out of his pocket and slid it her way. "Here. Sort of a make-do birthday card, too."
At first she looked puzzled, but then she laughed, and then she went quiet. Her eyes turned dewy again. "Do you really think that could happen?" she asked him, her voice hesitant, but yearning. "All of my dreams coming true?"
He was going to make some sort of joke, but the look of longing on her face made him reconsider. "I hope so, Lorelai. I really do."
She nodded and rubbed the thin piece of newsprint between her fingers, before reaching for her purse and extracting her wallet. "I think I'll keep this. You know, kind of as a good luck charm or something."
"Collateral," he suggested, and that made her laugh.
They sat and chatted during the time it took Lorelai to finish her birthday meal. "Nice to catch up," she sighed, putting down her fork for the last time.
"Nice to see you for longer than it takes to pick up a carry-out order," he agreed.
"Yeah, I know, I'm the one who's been MIA for the last month or so. Tell you what, once the Dragonfly's open, why don't we plan a day away from the grind? Maybe we could go see a movie or get out of town or something like that?"
For once he was the one smiling at her naiveté. "I hate to remind you, but once the place is up and running you'll be busier than ever, boss lady."
"Ugh, that detail must have been buried in the fine print of How to Open Your Own Inn for Dummies."
He glanced back at the street, not sure if her Jeep was parked out there or not. "Do you need a ride home?"
"No, I'm fine, Luke, but thanks. Thanks for everything. You've definitely lifted my spirits. I no longer feel alone and unloved."
"That was the plan." He bumped his elbow against hers. "Happy birthday," he said lightly. "I'll go mark it on my calendar so I'll be prepared next year."
"Yes, that way you can make sure to have meatloaf available that day." She stepped down from the stool and immediately winced in pain. She reached for the counter to steady herself and bit down on her lips against the hurt.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He jumped from his stool and went to stand behind her. "Your back?" he guessed.
"No big deal," she bluffed. "I painted a couple of ceilings today. I must have tweaked it at some point."
Luke made a fist and gently rubbed the knuckles into the small of her back. "Here?"
She dropped her head and groaned. "Oh, my God, Luke, yes! That is exactly the spot. How did you know?"
He shrugged, even though she couldn't see him. "When my back hurts, it seems like it always hits right there." Buoyed by her response, he dug his knuckles into her back a little harder and moved them around in a small circle, trying to judge where the massage would do the most good.
Her head lowered further. Bracing her arms against the counter, she pushed back against his hand, moaning in relief.
And then…everything tipped. He became super aware of their positions, of his hand on her back, and of her delicious moaning response. Friendship was the last thing on his mind. Even the fact that she'd been in pain faded from his consciousness. The only thing left was the most agonizing flame of desire.
Slowly, even though he was vaguely aware he was crossing a line, he slid his hands from her back to her hips.
She inhaled sharply and straightened up. Instead of leaning against the counter, she leaned back, putting her weight on him.
His hands anchored her hips in place against him. She moaned again, but in a totally different way.
It was too much. Everything was too much. He recognized that, but he couldn't move. Thankfully, Lorelai could. She yanked her body away from his. She held on to the counter again for a moment, breathing hard, before she dared to turn around.
"Sorry," they both said at the exact same time. Their voices sounded the same too: breathless, drenched with desire, ashamed.
She grabbed her purse and coat and walked to the door as fast as she was able. From the way she was wincing, it was obvious that her back was still hurting her.
Instinctively, Luke knew he couldn't let her leave that way. He caught her arm before she reached the door.
"Don't. Let go," she warned him.
"No, Lorelai, we can't just ignore this. We can't keep pretending that there's nothing there."
"I'm not pretending. I've never pretended," she said raggedly. "But I can't handle this tonight. I promise – I promise – I'll face this on another day. I will, Luke. I'll come back with jokes and insights and make this all OK. But tonight – I can't. I just can't. If you care for me at all, you'll let me go." Her voice was barely a whisper by the last word.
Of course he cared for her. He cared for her a great deal. There was no disputing that. So he did as she asked. He dropped her arm and let her go, even though he knew that was another mistake.
"Happy birthday," he tried to say, but she was already gone.
Author's Chat: Well, here we are, folks. We're at the top of the roller coaster, ready to careen down. Wish me luck getting everyone to the end safely. *Takes a deep breath in preparation*
Thanks, Drew Carey, Chip Esten (Hi, Deacon!) and the rest of the improv crew for allowing me to alter your title for my own devices. (Yes, I know there's a new Whose Line but I prefer the original.) Now I'm off to finish what I suspect will be my new favorite chapter! BTW, I'm totally delighted at how all of the various pieces came together in this one - let's hope that luck holds out for a couple more chapters.
