Chapter 25

A groan escaped her the second she caught sight of the wax-sealed envelope in Rory's hands the following Tuesday, prompting Lorelai's otherwise pleasant mood to spiral downward into gloom.

The flawless script could only signal one thing, and Lorelai dreaded the prospect of attending another of her parents' stuffy soirees. Burying her head in Luke's shoulder, she threatened to lock her daughter outside the house if she dared to enter the sitting room with the invitation in tow.

Having heard her mother's weak threats one too many times before, Rory simply rolled her eyes as she plonked down on the coffee table and held the envelope out for Lorelai, who recoiled visibly.

"Don't go waving that thing near me, Chachi!" the elder Gilmore exclaimed, flapping her hands about wildly as if to force it away.

"Mom, you're gonna have to open it at some point," Rory reasoned. "Might as well get it over with."

"Says who?" Lorelai demanded. "We can pretend it got lost in the post. It wouldn't be the first time Kirk has delivered something to the wrong county. Ohh! Better yet, burn it! Best not to leave any trace when it comes to Emily Gilmore. She'll probably have some poor, unsuspecting maid raiding our trash cans for evidence."

"Give me that!" Luke scowled, taking the envelope from Rory and dumping it in Lorelai's lap. He muted the television and turned to his girlfriend, asking, "What's the big deal? It's only a damn letter."

"Oh ho, Bambi! It's all fine and dandy until the hunter shoots your mother!"

"What the hell is she talking about?" Luke asked with a frustrated groan, directing the question at Rory.

The 11-year-old raised her eyebrows, stating simply, "Grandma's sent us a party invite and Mom doesn't want to go."

"I warned you this would happen! Did I not say she was only biding her time? I knew she'd never let us off the hook after our Thanksgiving visit went by the wayside," Lorelai rambled, her eyes wide.

Rory sighed. "Well, we only see Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Of course they were going to cash in on their visit now they're back from visiting Gran."

"I maintain if they're the ones that aren't here for the holidays, we're not obligated to agree to a do-over," Lorelai protested petulantly, her lower lip jutting out in defiance.

Rory dropped her forehead to her palm, groaning audibly. "They were in Europe Mom. It's not like they pushed it to go golfing."

"Fine, well I'm glad you're so eager to go. I'll stay home and you can fly the flag alone."

Silently pleading with Luke for help, Rory watched as he held the letter up to Lorelai once again and grumbled, "Open the damn envelope Lorelai."

Sighing dramatically, she snatched it from him, shooting him a mutinous glare in the process.

It wasn't until her eyes flicked over the neat calligraphy on the front that she grasped the full extent of the trauma that awaited them.

"Oh God no," she moaned.

"You haven't even opened it yet," Luke chastised, fast losing his patience.

"I don't need to," she responded, twisting the envelope around to reveal all three of their names printed neatly in duck-egg blue. "Welcome to the family," she rasped in her best Don Vito Corleone voice.

Luke's eyes damn near bugged out of his head.

"How the hell does she even know my name?" he asked incredulously. "I mean, first name I get, but surname? And who told her we're together?"

"Hey, don't look at me Bucko! I'm practically Chief Bromden when it comes to sharing information with my mother," she defended, throwing her hands up in the air. "Damn she's good," she half marveled, half seethed, her strangled chuckle suggesting she was bordering on hysteria. "I don't think I've seen her stage a coup this good since Nixon was in office."

"Why would she invite me?" Luke asked, perplexed.

"Because she's Hitler, and she's hell bent on making my life miserable," Lorelai moaned, covering her eyes with her hands.

Luke frowned in confusion. "I'm not following."

"She wants to judge you Luke. She wants to dissect every part of you, limb by limb, and tell me what a terrible mistake I'm making because I'm not dating Winston Blockenfeffer III."

"Who the hell is Winston Blockenfeffer III?" he sputtered.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say a hedge fund manager with a chip on his shoulder and a stick up his ass," she muttered darkly.

"Lorelai," he chastised, shooting a worried glance at Rory. The 11-year-old seemed wholly unfazed at her mother's less-than-optimal language choice.

Resigning herself to the inevitable, Lorelai slid her fingernail along the envelope, tearing the expensive paper in one final act of rebellion rather than gently popping the wax seal. The action would have surely pissed Emily off if she knew.

"Dear Lorelai, Rory and Lucas, you're cordially invited to celebrate Richard Gilmore's 30-year anniversary at Stiles Gilmore Frankston Insurance," Lorelai read aloud, skimming over the perfectly printed cursive. "Yada, yada, yada…Richard has been an integral part of the firm since its inception in 1963 and we would be delighted to have you join us in marking this special occasion."

Passing the invitation to Rory who was craning her neck to see it, Lorelai looked to Luke and explained, "It's on next week. Friday night at the country club."

"Okay, I'll have Caesar close up," he responded with a nod.

Her mouth agape in shock, Lorelai exclaimed, "I'm sorry, what? You can't be serious! We are not going to this."

Looking up from the invitation, Rory countered, "We have to Mom. It's Grandpa's special night. We should be there to support him."

"Traitor!" Lorelai hissed. "Since when are you on his side?"

"I'm not on anyone's side," Rory huffed. "I just think that he's gone to the effort of inviting us, so we should at least show up."

"They won't even have the apple tarts if it's at the country club," Lorelai whined petulantly.

"Yeah well, if you play your cards right, maybe you can talk the wait staff into slipping you a few of those coffee crème brûlées they had last time."

Momentarily distracted by the prospect, Lorelai's eyes widened in awe. She was brought crashing back to reality when Luke murmured, "So that's that. What time should I pick you up?"

She did a double take, her head whipping around to face him once again. "Woah, down boy! I am not dragging you along to this thing, even if I have to suffer through it. I can't even believe you're willing to go."

"Well, I'm gonna have to meet your parents sooner or later. Might as well get it over and done with," he shrugged.

Lorelai simply gawked at him. "You have met them…well, my mother anyway. And need I remind you how well that panned out or do you need me to jog your memory?"

Luke winced at the recollection of his run-in with Emily at the mall all those months ago, remembering her less-than-friendly demeanor.

"I rest my case," Lorelai said smugly.

"Make the call," Luke growled determinedly.

"What?"

"Make the call, Lorelai," he reiterated, nodding toward the hall table where the phone sat. "Tell them we're coming."

"Are you insane?"

He sighed and looked to Rory for back-up.

"I can't avoid them forever, and at least this way they'll be too busy working the room to bother drilling me with questions for hours on end."

At Lorelai's dubious expression, he added, "Besides, if I'm not there, how else am I gonna defend my territory from Winston Blockenfeffer III?"

-o-

The party invitation wasn't the only letter that caused a stir in the Gilmore household that week, with Lorelai receiving confirmation she'd been accepted into Hartford Community College's fall semester. She'd been ecstatic at the news, and Luke had cooked her a special dinner to celebrate, boasting to any diner customer that would listen just how proud he was of his genius girlfriend.

It was only when he proposed mounting her letter of acceptance on the wall alongside the dancing pork chop sign that she was forced to rein him in, but his obvious pride filled her with warmth right to the tips of her toes.

Aside from that one bright spot during the week, Lorelai wondered what she'd done to attract such bad luck of late.

It could have been that she'd strategically avoided every one of her mother's 14 phone calls, or perhaps that she'd refrained from disclosing the location of Taylor's new toupee after she caught the Banyan boys attempting to wrestle it onto a stray cat outside the diner.

Either way, the unwelcome invitations kept coming, with Christopher calling her a few days later to let her know he was in Connecticut and ask her out to lunch. She politely declined, informing him he was more than welcome to take Rory out after school, but he pressed the issue, begging her to make some time in her work day.

When it became apparent he wasn't going to take no for an answer, she finally gave in and told him she could spare half an hour if he came to the inn. Sookie would be able to whip them up something and she would keep it brief, making it clear she had to get back to work.

She was going over some paperwork in her office when he appeared at the door, tapping lightly on the frame to get her attention.

"Hey Lor," he greeted, his usual happy-go-lucky smile in place.

"Chris, you made it," she responded, pulling her glasses from her face and offering him a smile in welcome.

"Damn, it's good to see you. You look great," he complimented, watching as she rose from behind the desk.

"Er, thanks. You look well too. That tech start-up still keeping you out of mischief?"

He drew her to him, not noticing that the embrace was entirely one-sided.

"Pfft, that's been over for a while," he responded, brandishing one hand dismissively. "It didn't work out but I really think I'm onto a winner this time around. I'll tell you more about the new company I'm about to start with over lunch. Care to play tour guide and show me around this place before we hit the dining room?"

"Sure," she agreed, abandoning her papers and directing him out into the hall.

They chatted easily over lunch, Sookie loading them with all manner of Italian fare for their main meals. They carefully avoided any mention of Luke, the topic having proved somewhat of a sore spot after their less-than-pleasant last encounter at Rory's eleventh birthday party. The last thing Lorelai wanted was to get into another argument.

Christopher told her about his pending move to California and they discussed Rory's recent stint at the hospital following her asthma attack. Lorelai also mentioned getting accepted into college, as well as the discussion she'd had with Rory's teacher months prior, where Mrs. Fletcher recommended enrolling the young girl in one of Hartford's more elite schools in the years to come.

Christopher let out a low whistle at that one, grinning as he said, "Man, can you imagine Rory at our old stomping ground? Brings back memories!"

Lorelai grimaced, imagining her daughter in the checked maroon uniform. "Can't say I'm thrilled at the thought of splitting her and her best friend apart, but I've started to come around to some of the prep schools," she admitted. Thanks to Luke, she silently added. "It wouldn't be for a few years yet, but I've at least got to start saving now if we've got a hope of getting her in to one of them down the track. Grade A snobbery doesn't come cheap," she snorted.

"You'd be happy to send her to St. Jude's?" he asked, referring to their former high school.

Lorelai smiled wryly. "Nah, I don't think I could stomach it," she confessed. "I had a quick look at some brochures and I'm leaning toward Chilton. At the end of the day though, it will probably come down to what Rory's preference is and whichever school has a vacancy for her – that's if she wants to go at all. Rory doesn't know yet. I've been keeping it on the down-low while I get my head around it, but I'll probably mention it to her soon to see what she thinks."

"Huh. Well don't rule out St. Jude's just yet. It would be kind of cool to see another generation of Haydens passing through there," he said approvingly, and Lorelai had to bite her tongue to resist correcting him. Rory was a Hayden by blood alone, and certainly not by name.

Lorelai made sure they finished their meals in record time, and unsurprisingly, Christopher offered a half-baked excuse as to why he couldn't hang around to visit Rory after school. When she insisted she had to get back to work, he walked her back to her office, eager to prolong the encounter.

He handed her a business card with his new number in California, and she moved to grab the Rolodex on her desk to file it.

As she did so, Lorelai noticed something capture Christopher's attention from his position in the doorway, and she followed his gaze to the frame on her desk. It contained a photo of Rory and Luke at Rory's Victorian-era-inspired birthday party, the young girl twirling an old-style parasol over her shoulder and Luke crouching in front of her with a piece of chocolate cake held up in offering. The image never failed to make Lorelai smile, mainly because she felt it captured their relationship so well. Rory was beside herself with excitement, her eyes a bright blue and a radiant smile on her face, and Luke looked utterly besotted by the pint-sized brunette in front of him, offering the sugar-filled treat against his will purely to make her happy.

She could have kissed Kirk when he'd shown it to her days after the party, having taken it upon himself to act as official event photographer. She'd made several copies, including one for the photo wall in Luke's apartment, which he'd not-so-subtly relocated to prime position on his night stand.

She swallowed in readiness for Christopher's reaction, wondering how he would respond.

"So that's still…" he trailed off, his eyes probing hers for information.

"Yeah," she agreed simply.

"I gotta say, I'm surprised it's lasted this long. I thought you would have given him the flick by now."

Not wanting to fuel an argument, Lorelai merely raised her eyebrows.

"Why him?" Christopher asked sharply, and she saw the anger flare in his eyes.

"He's the best caffeine dealer on the Eastern seaboard," she quipped lightly, hoping to diffuse any potential quarrel. "His brew's practically the equivalent of China White as far as coffee goes, and you know as well as anyone how much I need my hourly hit."

The humor was lost on him, and she saw the muscle flex in his jaw as he waited for a real answer.

"He's good for us," she said softly, her words laced with sincerity.

"He's a stiff," Christopher spat, shaking his head.

"He's not a stiff. He's a good guy, Chris. You'd see that if you knew him. He treats us well. Don't you want that for Rory and I?"

He pursed his lips, one hand clenching into a fist.

"I hate that you're with him. You're settling Lorelai. I never thought I'd see the day that you'd settle for a bore like him. It was never meant to be this way."

"What? I was supposed to sit around waiting for you?" she demanded hotly, finally losing her cool.

"Well it would have been a damn step up from where you're at right now!" he growled. "He works at a diner for God's sake. Can you honestly tell me he's what you want? That he makes you laugh? That he's got any God damn fire in him at all? That you're not going to get bored in no time and regret settling for him? He's a fucking dick and you know it."

Lorelai's eyes flashed with fury at his words and she wanted nothing more than to hurl the Rolodex at his overly-primped hair.

"You've got no idea what you're talking about," she seethed. "Not that I need to justify it to you, but for your information, he makes me laugh harder than anyone I know. He's steady and he's caring and he could be a God damn bell boy on minimum wage or the freakin' president and I wouldn't give a shit Chris, because he's exactly what I want. And as for fire…"

Her mind flashed to the impromptu, toe-curling sex-against-the-bathroom-door that she and Luke had fallen prey to the night before, his arm ensnaring her waist possessively and his eyes full of hunger as he sent her spiraling over the top of Mount Pleasure. Not once, but three times, thank you very much. The stark contrast to her and Christopher's dissatisfying, awkward teenage fumbling from years prior would have struck her as comical if not for the anger coursing through her veins.

She exhaled loudly. "He's got more heart and more fire on any given day than most people have in a lifetime, and I'm far from settling. If anything, he's far too good for me. So if you want to judge then be my guest. Just know that Rory and I are happier than we've ever been and that's entirely because of him."

Her eyes narrowing, she added furiously, "Now that we've got that straight, I suggest you see yourself out before I say something I'll regret. I've got work to do. Goodbye Christopher."

-o-

Lorelai didn't tell Luke about the lunch with Christopher, primarily because she knew it would piss him off unnecessarily and also because she considered the entire encounter to be an utter waste of time.

Chris was a spoiled brat that had once again managed to weasel his way out of visiting his daughter, so what else was new? She might as well save her breath, especially as he'd indicated he'd be flying out to California in a day or two.

By the time Richard's anniversary party rolled around a week later, Lorelai hadn't given the lunchtime visit a second thought, and all her energy was focused on finding a plausible excuse for pulling out of the party.

"Maybe we could tell them you came down with a bad case of malaria," Lorelai called to Luke hopefully, fixing one silver hoop earring in place.

"Considering it was wiped out of the states 40-odd years ago and I haven't been travelling, I'm guessing it might raise a few red flags," he grumbled, fiddling with his tie uncomfortably as he entered Lorelai's bedroom.

His breath caught in his throat when he spotted her and he licked his lips unconsciously, entirely infatuated at the sight she presented.

"Jesus, give a guy a little warning next time."

"Huh?" she asked distractedly, but his meaning became clear the moment she turned to see the unbridled desire in his eyes.

A wide smile overtook her face, and she preened self-indulgently before saying, "Like what you see, hey spunk?"

"Love what I see," Luke corrected, his voice low and gravelly. He made his way over to her, abandoning his attempts to straighten his tie and letting his hands fall to her waist. She wore a midnight blue, knee-length gown, the fabric infused with some kind of silvery thread that shimmered in the light. Both hers and Rory's dresses for the evening had been hand-me-downs from Miss Patty's off-Broadway days, which Lorelai had taken some creative license in adapting to suit their own tastes and figures.

"You look incredible," he murmured, running one hand down her bare back and admiring the elegant cowl neckline that only hinted at what lay beneath.

"Thanks, you look pretty damn handsome yourself," she complimented, kissing him softly before wiping some residual lipstick from his skin.

"How the hell am I meant to take you out in public looking like this? You're gonna give me a heart attack," he groaned.

Lorelai smiled impishly, leaning in close to his ear as she whispered, "Want to know a secret?"

She held her position for a few moments, her breath tickling his ear as she finally whispered, "This dress doesn't exactly allow me to wear underwear."

She could have sworn he blew a gasket right then and there, his hands tightening their grasp on her.

"Fuck," he hissed.

"That's the plan," she assured him, a mischievous glint in her eye. "All this could be yours right now if you just agree to pull the plug on the party."

"I'd take you up against the dresser right now if I thought I could get away with it," he growled, his hand snaking inside the low back of her dress and pulling her against the growing bulge in his suit pants.

She rubbed against him teasingly, whispering, "Say the word Luke."

He took a few seconds to compose himself, his breathing labored.

"Later," he managed to grunt, using all his will power to take a step back from her. He knew as well as she did that with an 11-year-old in the house, they couldn't feasibly escape behind closed doors until much later in the evening.

Lorelai pouted in disappointment, muttering, "I thought going commando would have worked for sure."

"Oh, it's working," Luke laughed humorlessly, willing his arousal to diminish.

"Well in that case, consider it incentive to leave the party early, yeah?" she winked. "If I'm being forced to go then I might as well get some benefit out of it."

"You're going to kill me, Gilmore," he groaned.

Satisfied with his reaction, she offered him her most dazzling smile, then reached her hands toward him saying, "C'mere big guy. Let's fix that tie."

-o-

It was awkward enough that the Jeep stood out like a sore thumb beside the rows of Jaguars and Mercs lining the parking lot, but when Luke introduced himself to the valet and shook his hand, the bemused looks and critical glances from other patrons made it glaringly obvious he didn't belong in the Gilmore's social circle.

Lorelai, of course, took it all in her stride, appearing wholly unfazed at his faux pas and subtly giving him a nod to indicate a higher tip may be in order when he handed the attendant a five dollar bill. Apparently even the help was on bigger money at this end of town.

His cheeks burned with embarrassment, and Lorelai wrapped both her arms around one of his as they walked toward the front entry of the country club, assuring him with a quick kiss to his shoulder that he was doing just fine.

Knowing how nervous she was about facing her parents for the first time since storming out of their Christmas in July gathering nine months prior, he forced himself to push his mortification aside and focus on supporting his girlfriend. Moving his hand to the small of her back, he held his head high and took a steadying breath.

Emily and Richard stood by the entrance to the Spinnaker Room, welcoming guests and smiling graciously as the attendees filtered inside in groups.

Luke felt Lorelai stiffen as they approached the front of the queue, and he was grateful when Rory skipped ahead of them, drawing all eyes to her.

"Rory, how lovely to see you! You look just darling in that dress!" Emily exclaimed, taking a step back to admire her granddaughter. "Doesn't she look darling Richard?"

"Simply magnificent," he agreed heartily, prompting Rory to smile.

"Hi Grandma, hi Grandpa," she greeted, ducking her head shyly and tugging on the hem of her dress.

"Oh, Lorelai," Richard gasped upon catching sight of his daughter. "My dear, I believe you've taken my breath away. You look simply exquisite," he told her softly, his eyes raking over her curls and the elegant cut of her dress. Even Emily struggled to find fault with her garment and Lorelai found herself wishing for one brief moment that she'd thought to lift the hemline a little, if for no other reason than to infuriate her mother.

"Thanks Dad," she responded. "Congratulations on your anniversary. Hi Mom."

"Hello Lorelai," Emily greeted curtly.

Taking a deep breath, Lorelai blurted, "You remember Luke, right?"

He offered a brief hello, withdrawing his right hand from Lorelai's back briefly to shake hands with the two elder Gilmores and thank them for the invitation.

"Hello Luke," Emily responded. "Thank you for coming this evening. It's always so nice when Lorelai introduces us to her significant other."

The words were said with a polite smile, and while Luke may not have noticed the warmth didn't quite reach her eyes, Lorelai took the statement for what it was: a dig at her for forever keeping her personal life firmly under wraps. She couldn't remember the last time she'd introduced her parents to one of her boyfriends. Other than the tattooed motorcycle-rider she'd dated at 14 purely to spite her mother, she wasn't sure she'd ever bothered.

Suddenly in desperate need of a drink, Lorelai gratefully accepted the glass of champagne the waiter offered and took a gulp. Eager to escape, she gestured to the handful of people behind them and stated, "Well, we don't want to hold you up. You've got plenty of other guests waiting to say hello so we'll move inside. I'm sure we'll catch up with you later."

With that, she high-tailed it through the doorway, Luke and Rory at her heels as she headed straight for the space outside the kitchen.

Pulling to a stop, she explained, "Okay, this is officially Ground Zero troops. We park ourselves here and get first dibs on the food that comes out. Rory, you know the drill. Eyes open for the coffee crème brûlées come dessert time. And if you get wind of a tiramisu, send out the bat call. Got it?"

Rory nodded dutifully.

Eyeing the roomful of upper class guests warily, Luke decided he needed a stiff drink. Or seven.

"I think I'm gonna head to the bar," he murmured, prompting Lorelai to smirk.

"Fast learner," she laughed, tipping her champagne glass in salute.

"You want anything Rory? A soda?"

The young girl shook her head, indicating she was okay for the time being.

"Okay, I'll be back shortly. Let me know if you change your mind."

The lengthy queue at the bar would have truly horrified Emily, and the lack of screeching seemed to indicate she wasn't yet aware of it. Luke joined the end of the line, gradually working his way forward over a period of 10 or so minutes. When he finally secured a beer, he turned to find Lorelai engrossed in conversation with several men in suits. Rory had somehow been roped into standing with her grandparents by the door, and he could see her smiling politely as the Gilmores proudly introduced her to their guests.

As always, Lorelai's face lit up animatedly as she talked, and Luke noticed more than one guy openly ogling her. Gritting his teeth, he strode across the room, intent on staking out his territory.

Her eyes twinkled as she saw him approaching, and she offered him that special Lorelai smile that was reserved solely for him.

"Hey sailor, I was beginning to think you'd pulled an Andy Dufresne on me and escaped through the sewer."

"Didn't pack my rock hammer," he shrugged, immediately regretting his choice of words when she raised her eyebrows suggestively. Surrounded by so many people, her pointed smirk said exactly what her mouth couldn't.

He flushed and she took that moment to introduce him to the group, her hand settling on his arm.

"Gents, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Luke Danes. Luke, this is Jason Stiles, Clive Lawson, John Appleby, Jeff Fullerton and Carl Bowman," she informed him, working her way around the group one by one. "Jason, John and Carl are all in the insurance industry like my father," she elaborated, watching as Luke said hello and shook each of their hands. "Carl was just telling us about a dilemma that's been plaguing him of late," she began leadingly, and it was only because Luke knew her so well that he could tell she found the subject highly amusing.

"Yes, it's been nothing short of a nightmare," Carl sighed. "I'm taking two months off work and my wife and I cannot come to any sort of agreement about where to go on vacation. She wants to sail our yacht around the Bahamas but quite frankly, I have no interest in dealing with the extra help that would be required to make it happen. I mean, in addition to the usual cook and bartender, we're going to need to organizer a skipper, a steward, an electrical engineer and a deckhand at the very least. It would be so much easier if we just went skiing in the Swiss Alps."

Carefully avoiding Lorelai's eyes in an attempt to withhold his incredulity, Luke grunted, "Ah…sure. Sounds like a tough gig."

"It must be very stressful for you," Lorelai agreed, patting Carl on the arm and feigning sympathy.

"Yes, quite. We had a tremendous time in Chamonix and Val d'Isère a few years back so the slopes seem to make a lot more sense."

Looking around the group, Luke noticed that he and Lorelai weren't the only ones fighting to stifle laughter; it appeared the dark-haired man with the beard – Jason, if he recalled correctly – seemed to find the situation humorous too. That would have earned him a few points of respect in Luke's book if it wasn't for the fact the man's eyes kept raking over Lorelai when her attention was directed elsewhere.

In an attempt to ward off any unwelcome advances, Luke slipped an arm around her waist, making it very clear she was off the market. That didn't stop various men from staring at her throughout the evening, and Luke felt his blood pressure rise a few notches each time he caught another one in the act. Sure, she was captivating, but she was his.

When Lorelai excused herself to go to the bathroom some time later, Luke took the opportunity to escape the crowd with her. After rounding the corner into a deserted hall, he looked left and right before snaking his arms around her torso and pulling her to him.

"Luke!" she giggled, his movements taking her by surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Marking my territory," he growled, walking them a few steps so her back rested against the wall.

"God, I hope you don't use the same technique as Bootsy's Doberman," she quipped, looping her arms loosely around his shoulders.

He lowered his head to her neck, pressing urgent kisses to her exposed skin.

"Seriously, not that I'm complaining, but what has gotten into you?" she breathed, angling her head to give him better access.

"You're driving me crazy," he murmured between kisses. "All of those guys are looking at you and I just want to tear their heads off."

"How about you tear my clothes off instead?" she teased, raking her fingernails down his back.

"Don't think I won't," he challenged, pulling back to stare her hard in the eye.

They were interrupted by the sound of footsteps, forcing them to break apart. As the fellow party guest rounded the corner, Lorelai gave Luke an apologetic smile and whispered, "Later." She took off toward the restroom, reemerging after a short time with a fresh coat of lipstick. "You ready to get back in there?" she asked, holding out her hand to him.

"I guess so," Luke agreed grudgingly, prompting her to laugh.

"C'mon Burger Boy. We've almost paid our penance. Let's suffer through the speeches and then we can blow this popsicle stand."

As they rejoined the party and got roped into yet another conversation, it struck Luke how easily Lorelai melded into the elite social circles. As always, she could hold her own in any conversation and it amazed him how seamlessly she fit into every group they encountered. One thing was for sure; while Lorelai appeared to be well-versed in each of the topics of conversation, Luke didn't know what or who the hell a 'Swarovski' was. He eventually concluded a 'Birkin bag' must be code for something, because there was no way anyone in their right mind would spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a damn handbag. Utterly perplexed, he opted to remain quiet, feeling decidedly out of place.

Mid-way through an impromptu lecture from the Gilmore's minister on the perils of living together before marriage, Luke caught sight of Emily fast approaching, a harried look on her face as she slipped through the crowd.

"Excuse me Reverend Boatwright. I'm terribly sorry to interrupt your conversation but I'm hoping to have a word with my daughter. It's rather urgent," she intoned, pulling on Lorelai's arm without giving the man a chance to respond.

"Woah, what's your damage Heather?" Lorelai exclaimed, frowning as she stumbled over her footing. Luke caught her elbow, managing to stabilize her despite Emily's insistent tugs.

"I need you to come with me immediately. Your father's popped a button on his suit coat and I need you to fix it."

"Well maybe Chief Wiggum should have thought of that before he went on his latest donut binge," Lorelai muttered.

"Lorelai, this is not the time for jokes," Emily snapped. "This is an important night for your father and I can't very well have him making a speech with his suit gaping open. I trust a simple button isn't beyond your realms of capability."

"Mom, I know this might come as a shock to you, but I don't exactly have a needle and thread hidden in my high heels for precisely this occasion. I'm a party guest, not Agent 86."

Emily silenced her with a look before turning her gaze on Luke and stating pointedly, "Your services are not required. I'll have Lorelai return to the party as soon as she's done."

With that, she pulled Lorelai away, leaving Luke with his mouth agape and watching as Lorelai mouthed a pitiful, "Help me!"

Left to his own devices, Luke killed time securing another drink, then turned his gaze to Rory who was happily ensconced playing with two children across the room. He watched her for a few minutes, content to stand alone and observe the room.

Much to his dislike, he found himself being coerced out to the terrace by Mr-Anti-Bahamas to engage in a round of golf conversation and cigar-smoking. Baseball he was well-versed in, but golf? He was decidedly clueless on that one. Feeling sheepish and also utterly repulsed by the stench of cigar smoke surrounding him, he managed to keep up the pretense of interest for a short time, before slinking back inside at the earliest opportunity.

On reentering the room, Luke noticed Emily had rejoined the party, but Lorelai and Richard were still nowhere to be seen. Taking a moment to sip his beer in silence, Luke watched as Rory made a beeline toward him from across the room. The movement captured Emily's attention and she followed the 11-year-old, reminding her it was good manners not to run inside the venue.

Rory blushed furiously, whispering, "Sorry Grandma," as she hung her head.

Emily watched as Rory walked the final few steps to Luke, the young girl's expression brightening as she said, "Hey Luke, is it okay if I go and play in the next room for a little? Honor and Logan said they have board games in there." She gestured to the two blonde children she'd been playing with, who looked on hopefully.

He threw a cursory glance at the room she'd pointed out, seeing no harm in her spending time there. "Sure, no problem. Check back with me or your mom in about 20 minutes though, okay?"

Rory nodded agreeably, but before she could turn on her heel, Emily intercepted her, calling, "Rory, you know your father's right over there. He's not long arrived. You should be asking him permission while your mother's out of the room."

Christopher's presence surprised them both, and Rory's brow furrowed in confusion. She looked between Luke and Emily awkwardly before murmuring, "Er…."

She'd never once sought Christopher's permission for anything, having always interacted with her father like she would a family friend rather than a parent or authority figure.

Resigning herself to the fact it was easier not to put up a fight, Rory shot Luke a look that subtly told him she thought her grandmother was crazy, then approached her father for the obligatory nod of approval. Christopher seemed just as surprised as she did, but he gave the go-ahead nonetheless. She scampered across the room, smiling back at Luke and giving him a wave of thanks as she rejoined her new friends.

Luke felt a sense of unease in his gut the moment he locked eyes with Christopher. The last time they'd seen each other had been at Rory's eleventh birthday party months prior, where Christopher had forgotten to get his daughter a gift and laid claim to Luke's carefully selected dictionary instead. Given he lived interstate, Luke hadn't realized he'd be among the attendees, so his presence triggered a feeling of agitation.

Luke figured his extreme dislike for the man was mutual, so it surprised him when Christopher made a point of walking over to where he stood by the window.

"Luke," Christopher acknowledged.

"Christopher," he returned, offering a simple nod of his head.

"Nice party, huh? Although no sign of the dancing midgets yet so the night is still young."

Luke grunted noncommittally, not entirely sure what he was referring to but figuring it was a dig at Emily's party planning.

"Lor about?" Christopher asked casually.

"Yeah, helping her dad," Luke replied, making an effort to be civil. "He popped a button or something."

"Right. Well, I hear congratulations are in order. We might need to crack a bottle of champagne."

When Luke eyed him questioningly, he elaborated, "To celebrate Lor getting into college. She mentioned she'd gotten her acceptance letter in the mail when I saw her last week."

While Luke felt his chest fill with pride as it tended to do whenever he thought of Lorelai's new status as a college student, he was momentarily distracted by Christopher's revelation that he'd caught up with Lorelai the previous week.

Noticing Luke stiffen, Christopher seized the opportunity to gain the upper hand, adding, "You did know we met up for lunch, right?"

Luke's heart skipped a beat and he cleared his throat before answering nonchalantly, "Sure. Lorelai mentioned it briefly."

The words were a lie and he hoped Christopher couldn't sense the way his stomach churned as he spoke.

Luke's refusal to make eye contact told Christopher he'd hit a nerve, so he pushed a little more, recognizing the opportunity to sow seeds of doubt and hopefully drive a wedge between Lorelai and the glorified waiter she deigned to call a boyfriend.

"Yeah, it was great. We indulged in a little Italian, had a glass of wine, shared a few laughs," Christopher prattled. Had a fight, he added silently. Luke definitely didn't need to know that particular aspect of the catch-up.

The clenched muscle in his jaw gave Luke away once again, and he managed to get out, "That's good you had a chance to connect after Rory's hospital visit." Seeing as you weren't there, he thought bitterly.

"Yeah, I'll have to spend a few minutes with Rory tonight and see how she's doing. Sounds like it was a pretty rough ordeal."

"We managed," Luke stated simply. He willed the conversation to end there, but it wasn't to be, with Christopher moving on to another topic.

"So, sounds like Lor's not the only brain in the family," he pointed out. "She mentioned Rory's teacher wants her to transfer to one of the Hartford prep schools for her senior years."

"Yeah, she's a bright kid," Luke said, his smile genuine.

"Chilton or St. Jude's though. Not exactly cheap at half the price," Christopher pointed out, raising his eyebrows. "The tuition's what? $20,000 a year? $25,000? Multiplied by however many years she's there. Not exactly the kind of money I'd imagine Lorelai has lying around."

"We'll figure it out," Luke grunted.

"Bussing tables pays well does it?" Christopher smirked, knowing he was slowly pushing button after button and enjoying every second. He'd get Luke to breaking point if it killed him.

"I'd imagine it's a touch more dignified than taking handouts from Mommy and Daddy," Luke growled, unable to hold back his anger any longer.

Abandoning any pretense of niceties, Christopher narrowed his eyes and retorted, "And yet, you and I both know a trust fund could be the difference between Rory enrolling in Hartford or slumming it at Stars Hollow High."

His words were quiet, but laced with an underlying threat and Luke quickly realized Christopher had been warming up to this moment since approaching him.

Taking a step closer, Christopher stood just inches from Luke's face and said pointedly, "Do you really want to be the reason Rory doesn't make it to Harvard?"

"I'm not gonna fight with you Christopher," Luke grit out, but he made no move to step away.

"You and I both know you and Lorelai don't have the money to fund her tuition," he pressed, his words stinging with truth. "You can flip and fry and work your ass off, but you'll never be enough for them," he warned. "How do you think Lorelai's going to feel when she looks back in 10 years' time and realizes that being with you made her sacrifice her daughter's dream? That being with you is the reason Rory will never make it to Harvard? That she could have had more if only she'd picked someone else."

"Rory will make it to Harvard," Luke snarled, his pulse pounding in his ears. "I'll make damn sure that that little girl gets there if it's the last thing I do."

"Then admit it!" Christopher goaded. "You're not what's best for them. You love swooping in and playing the hero, but you're out of your depth on this one. If you truly wanted what's best for them, then you'd walk away. Because if there's one thing I know, it's that if you stay with Lorelai, you're going to destroy the one thing Rory's been working toward since the moment she could read. And nothing will make Lorelai hate you more than that."

The anger boiled in Luke's gut, and the only thing he hated more than Christopher's words were the fact they were true. It wasn't the first time he'd questioned his ability to provide for Lorelai and Rory, and the pain in his chest intensified as Christopher continued to speak his private thoughts aloud.

Finding it impossible to contain his rage, he exploded, "Well where the hell are you in all this? If your God damn pockets are so well lined then why the fuck aren't you stepping forward to support your daughter?"

Thankfully, the music and conversation around them was enough to drown out their heated exchange, so the other guests remained largely oblivious.

"I'll play my part on one condition," Christopher growled, his glare never wavering. "You stay the fuck away from my family."

"You've got to be kidding me," Luke seethed. "You're her God damn father! If you've got the means you should be making it happen no matter what."

His outburst finally attracted the attention of some nearby guests, and they shot the two men a curious glance before averting their eyes awkwardly.

Continuing to glare at Luke, Christopher's gaze never wavered as he brought the argument to an end, his voice low and cool.

"Let me be very clear. I am not forcing you to do anything. But you will do it. I know it and you know it. You don't belong in this world…and Lorelai, Lorelai does. Tell me you haven't seen it tonight with your own eyes?" he challenged. "You're never going to fit here, and while Lorelai might think you're enough for now, we both know that eventually, she's going to resent you. Hell, she didn't even trust you enough to tell you we had lunch, did she? Rory is her God damn life, and she needs someone who can help her kid be everything she wants to be, not hold her back. I can get Rory into Chilton. I can fund her way through Harvard. So if you love them like you say you do, you'll walk away."

And that, Luke realized with a pang of dread, was all there was to it.

-o-

The dinging of knives against glass rang in his ears and Luke vaguely registered Emily flitting to his and Christopher's side in a cloud of overpriced perfume and haute couture.

"Where in God's name are Lorelai and Richard?" she hissed, her eyes darting between the two men.

Luke was having a hard time forming coherent sentences, so Christopher informed her that to his knowledge, the duo hadn't rejoined the party.

"I told the MC to push back the speeches and he's blatantly ignored my instruction," she ranted, her eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of her husband or daughter. "Oh thank God," she sighed, catching sight of Lorelai's brown locks as the duo hurried through the doorway, Richard's coat now intact once again.

Luke watched as Lorelai's eyes landed on her mother from across the room. Her gaze then shifted to him, eliciting a smile. He saw the moment she registered Christopher's presence beside him and she flushed with shock, her face falling as her eyes darted back to Luke in panic. She clearly hadn't expected Christopher to be there.

She immediately began to wind her way through the crowd, offering mumbled apologies as she brushed past various guests on her quest to get to Luke. Finally reaching his side, she bit her lip and eyed him with a worried frown before whispering, "Can we talk?"

He simply jerked his chin toward the stage, indicating that now was not the time as Richard took to the microphone.

The minutes that followed were some of the most excruciating of his life and it took every bit of stamina for Luke to stay rooted to the spot. He longed to escape, but there was no easy way of slipping away unnoticed. As if fearing he'd make a break for the exit, Lorelai clung to his arm, her chest filled with anxiety as she wondered whether Christopher had tormented him with news of their lunch gathering. His rigid posture told her all she needed to know.

Luke thought the torture was over when Richard shared his final words, but he was then forced to endure a further two speeches and toasts from other industry colleagues. The moment the round of applause erupted, Luke barreled toward the exit, Lorelai hot on his heels.

"Luke, wait! Will you slow down a second?" she called, doing her best to run in heels as they reached the front steps. When he showed no signs of letting up, she stopped momentarily to pull off her shoes, figuring her chances of catching up were better in bare feet. "Let me explain!"

He turned angrily, his face contorted in a mixture of fury and pain as he yelled, "What is there to explain Lorelai? You had lunch with him and you didn't tell me. Seems pretty clear-cut to me. You lied and I had to find out from him."

Not waiting for a response, he resumed storming across the front lawn, waving at one of the parking attendants to indicate he needed a taxi.

"I didn't lie!" she cried, barely registering the sharp stones digging into her feet as she chased after him determinedly. She didn't care that they were making a scene in front of the valet; she just needed to make things okay.

"Maybe not directly, but by omission," he growled. "It's just as bad."

"There was nothing to tell!" she pleaded, breathing hard. Cardio was not her strong point.

"Could have fooled me," he muttered, coming to a stop at the taxi rank.

"I swear. I don't know what Christopher's told you but it was just two people who happen to share a kid, talking and eating lunch. It meant nothing. Less than nothing, Luke. It was one shitty lunch. You've got to believe me," she stressed.

"I can't do this right now," he breathed, running one hand through his hair in frustration.

One traitorous sob broke free from her throat and she begged weakly, "Don't go. Let's talk about this!"

"Oh, now you want to talk?" he asked incredulously. "Maybe you should have thought of that before Christopher went and opened his big mouth."

"Luke," she whimpered.

"I'm going to stay at the apartment tonight. Tell Rory I said goodnight."

And with that, he stepped into the cab and pulled away.

-o-