Chapter 52
"Sorry to cut our visit short, dad," Rory said soon after her father arrived. "But I have graduation plans with Logan."
"Catch up with you later," Chris said. He was trying to read his daughter's face, to see if she knew what happened between him and Lorelai. But Rory wasn't giving away anything.
"We'll walk you out," Lorelai said. She gestured with her hand for her mother to follow her. The women walked all the way outside with Rory. Once Rory was out of the driveway, Lorelai turned on her mother.
"What. Are. You. Doing?" Lorelai asked her mother, emphasizing each word so her mother couldn't possibly misinterpret.
"Lorelai, I know this seems questionable," Emily said.
"Ya think?" Lorelai said sarcastically.
"I have a plan to get Christopher to leave you alone."
"By doing what?" Lorelai asked. "Oh god, you're not going to sit him down to 'talk' are you? I told you to stay out of this!"
"I'm not doing that," Emily told her daughter. "I'm planning to set him up with someone tonight."
"Setting him up? Wha…oh god mom! Leave him be!"
"If he meets a new woman maybe he will form an interest in her!"
"Well super for you that you think that," Lorelai said. "But couldn't you have done this when I wasn't here?"
"This was convenient," Emily explained.
"Is that your favorite C word now?"
"Just leave it to me, Lorelai. He won't be bothering you much longer."
"I highly doubt that," Lorelai mumbled. And a few seconds later, another car pulled up on the driveway. The woman was skinny with blonde curls. She was cute, but Lorelai knew Chris wasn't the kind of guy to go for a set up. This would be interesting.
"Oh my god!" Lorelai said startled. Christopher had followed her into the bathroom. "What are you doing?"
"What do you mean, 'what am I doing?'" Christopher asked like it was obvious. "I thought 'restroom' was code for, 'follow me and we'll talk about how to get you out of this.'"
"What the hell kind of spy school did you go to?" Lorelai asked. "And why would I want to talk to you? If it weren't for my mom's uncontrollable need to match make, I wouldn't be standing with you right now."
"Come on, Lor," he said. "Can we just forget about that?"
"Considering my engagement was almost broken up? No, I don't think we can."
"You're fine now, right?"
"Yeah now, but only if you stay the hell away from me."
"Oh come on! I can be friends with you without making a move on you!" Christopher argued.
"Yes, in the past 21 years you've proven that," Lorelai said sarcastically.
"Why don't we just focus on the matter at hand," Christopher said, using his hands to gesture moving on. "Let's talk about…how to get me out of this!"
"Out of what?" Lorelai asked. Lorelai felt she had a right to have a little fun playing with Christopher's feelings for a bit.
"Are you going to help me or what?" Christopher asked.
"Uh…no." Lorelai said, definitely.
"What? Come on!"
"No!" she said with conviction. "You will be the polite gentlemen that I know you have the ability to be for at least 2 hours out of everyday. You will be nice to this woman."
"But I don't even like her!"
"She's a very smart woman, I think she'll figure it out," Lorelai said. "Just because you are being nice to her, doesn't mean you have to date her. I mean, what are you? In high school?"
Christopher groaned. He gave in, without another plead. And then Lorelai kicked him out of the bathroom so she could use it. During dinner, Lorelai watched as Christopher begrudgingly made polite small talk with Lynnie. Lorelai considered jumping in to deflect, but she felt it wasn't her job. Christopher needed to know what it felt like to have someone hanging on him that he didn't like. Lynnie could obviously tell Christopher wasn't interested. So she tried her best to just talk to Emily and Richard.
Lynnie and Christopher left separately. Lorelai was on her way out, being ranted at by her mother about how Christopher had ruined his, 'chance.' When Lorelai got outside, she saw that Lynnie was still there, talking on her phone. But Christopher was nowhere to be seen.
Lorelai got on the road and began to head back to Stars Hollow. Halfway back, she got a call on her cell phone, from Christopher. He was probably calling to rant to her about how the night had gone. Her telling him to stay the hell away from her in the bathroom had held no sway. He didn't know about the new rule Lorelai and Luke had made.
"God, Lor, it was so awful!" Christopher said through the receiver.
"I know, I was there," Lorelai said. She wanted to get off the phone.
"Hey, want to meet for a drink?" Christopher asked. "I could really use one."
"Alcohol is the last thing I want to see you drinking," Lorelai told him.
"I don't want to get drunk…" he started to say.
"Doesn't matter," Lorelai told him.
"Are you ever going to forgive me?" he asked her. Lorelai pulled over into a parking lot.
"Chris," she said. "I don't want you in my life."
"What?" he asked. He couldn't believe she was saying this.
"Luke would feel more comfortable if you and I only talked about Rory, and didn't visit with each other."
"You're letting your fiancé tell you how to live your life?"
"In all honesty," Lorelai said. "I don't mind distancing myself from you."
"Why?" he asked.
"You bring me unnecessary drama, Christopher," Lorelai explained. "I know we've been friends for a long time, but I'm done with you and your immaturity."
"If I stopped drinking, could things go back to the way they were?" he asked.
"You've done plenty of terrible things while sober, Christopher. You just have a little more control of yourself when you're sober."
"Please Lor," he begged. "I can't lose my best friend." Lorelai paused, even though she hadn't forgiven him yet, she felt bad doing this to him.
"It's high time you got a new best friend."
"No…" he begged more. "Please don't!'
"Goodbye, Christopher," she said as straight as she could. And she hung up. As she was getting back on the road, her phone vibrated. She peaked and saw his number. She pushed the end button. She waited to here the alert saying she had a new message on her machine, but it didn't come. Christopher probably was too afraid to leave a message. She knew that he would need time to get over this.
When Lorelai got home, Luke was watching a game on TV. He turned to see her, and frowned when he saw the look on her face.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Mom invited Christopher to dinner," she told him.
"What!" he said outraged. He jumped up.
"Relax," Lorelai said. "I talked to him. He won't be bothering me any more."
"You're sure about that?" Luke asked.
"Christopher is like Mondays." Lorelai said. "He always comes back around eventually. But, for now, he will leave me alone."
"There's no way to make him permanently stay away?" Luke asked.
"Not unless you want to kill him," Lorelai told him
"Oh, I want to," Luke said. "But I won't."
"Good," Lorelai said, chuckling awkwardly. "Rory might have a problem with that."
Luke took Lorelai's hand, and they sat down on the couch. Luke flipped channels until he found something Lorelai wanted to watch. Lorelai cuddled up to Luke, and they sat in silence. They were both watching the movie, but Lorelai only heard one thing. It was repeating over and over in her head.
"It's high time you got a new best friend."
"No…please don't!"
*You thought I meant Luke and Lorelai were breaking up? No. I wouldn't do that to you all. I just thought I'd scare you. -DD *
