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Love and Suits and Snow
Chapter 1
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Donna glanced at the person behind the wheel as he skillfully maneuvered them along the icy Connecticut roads. With his hair a little tussled from the many times he'd tensely run his fingers through it and his square jaw darkened by a five o'clock shadow, he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen.
And he was hers.
Butterflies fluttered in her belly. Only three months into her relationship with Harvey and Donna felt like a teenager in love. Acted like one, too. Sneaking kisses when nobody was watching, stolen touches under the table and her hormones were once again raging. Combine that with thirteen lost years to make up for and a biological clock ticking away like a time bomb, they hardly made it out of the house.
Unable to keep from gawking, she let her gaze linger until his tired eyes eventually found hers.
"What?" he grumbled, his face softening as she smiled.
"Nothing," she said, her lips curving upwards for no other reason than the bliss coursing through her veins and she sat back, staring at the windshield wipers angrily fighting the elements.
Manhattan, although cold, had not seen a single snowflake this week, but as they had traveled northeast, the drops of rain had slowly turned to a flurry of ice until the roads had become covered in a thin layer of white and traffic had slowed to a crawl when an accident up ahead had diverted them off the main road.
Bumper to bumper on a poorly lit by-way wasn't exactly how she had planned to spend her Friday night, but thankfully the Tesla had heated seats and every comfort one could need on a two-hour drive, gliding across the highway as if nothing could faze it.
Beside her, Harvey cursed. "We could have been there by now."
Exhaustion washed over his features and she reached for his hand in a soothing effort. "I know."
He took her offering, and when his eyes met hers, she saw the love driving the sacrifice he was making. So, she brought his palm to her lips and kissed the back softly. "Thank you for doing this."
"Anything for you," he said, glancing her way. "Although I do wish this traffic would start moving."
"I'll text my mom that we're running late."
"If I had known the weather was gonna be this bad, I would've—"
"Harvey. It's not your fault. I'll just tell her not to wait up. I know where they keep the spare key. It'll be fine. We have all weekend to spend with them."
Harvey squeezed her hand, shooting her a soft smile and her heart skipped a beat.
Now that they were officially a couple, her parents had invited them over for the weekend. And although Harvey and her dad had some issues to address, Jim Paulsen had seemed genuinely excited to meet Harvey as her boyfriend and not just her boss. The initial invite had been extended weeks ago, but the sudden passing of Harvey's mom right after the holidays and their work schedules allowing for little time off, the trip to Connecticut had gotten postponed more than once.
But now they were finally on their way.
A short while later, traffic gradually advanced, and soon enough they were making progress when a subtle beeping noise sounded from the dashboard.
Donna looked at Harvey, whose frown dipped down, and a gazillion alarm bells went off. "What is it?"
"It says battery power very low."
"How can that be? The thing was fully charged when we left," Donna stated, unable to contain the nervousness straining her voice.
"I know."
"The next exit is only a mile from here. We have to find a safe place to park."
Checking his mirrors, Harvey moved them onto the ramp, straight into a closed gas station, where only a single street lamp illuminated the otherwise deserted lot.
A new notification on the car's center screen showed the nearest charging station to be twenty-five miles away. The same screen also informed him the car didn't have enough battery power left to even make that.
"Shit. It says ten miles, but I don't trust this thing anymore."
A tinge of panic teased Donna's spine at the sudden change of events. She could rescue her way out of pretty much any situation, but cars were not her forte, and with a man beside her, she was happy to let him handle this one. But the sky was dark and dropping snow, and help would be miles away. "What do we do?"
"I don't know. Call AAA, I guess."
"That's gonna take forever in this weather."
"It's not like we have other options. At least we'll be warm for a while until the battery dies completely."
"That can be any minute. And we'll be covered in several inches of snow by then. And who knows what prowls around here at night. We can't stay in the car, Harvey."
"Then what do you suggest? Look outside. It's snowing."
"I know." Taking a deep breath, Donna needed a moment to think. What were their options? Waiting out here for God knows how long or perhaps see if there was a dealer or something close by. They had been passing through towns for the last twenty minutes. The next one was bound to be coming up. Checking her maps app, her screen showed her the nearest town was about a mile away. It was only nine-thirty. With some luck, they would find a bar or another warm place to safely wait until their car got towed.
"Come on, let's go," Donna said, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting ready to continue their journey on foot.
"Donna! We can't go out there!"
"We have to. Come on. Grab the umbrella. There's a diner twelve minutes from here. It's open 'til ten. We can call AAA from there, because I refuse to perish in the middle of nowhere because of a stupid car battery dying on us." She knew the time indication was pushing it, but telling him the hike was twice as long would only work against her, so she led by example—believing he either trusted her sufficiently to follow, or he was protective enough not to let her wander off by herself.
She didn't even wait for him, knowing instinctively he would, regardless of his reasoning and reservations.
Not a second had passed when she heard the driver side door close, and she smiled.
"What about our luggage?" he asked, pulling his collar to the wind as he geared up for the cold. Without a sound, the hood popped open and Harvey retrieved their only shield against the northeast winter.
"We can get it later." Donna linked her arm through his, cowering under the umbrella, and hoping the smile she wore was reassuring. "Come on."
"Just so you know, if I end up freezing to death, it's your fault."
"Well, at least we'll freeze together."
Scrubbing the countertops one final time, Luke Danes heaved a sigh. He was bone-tired. Seasonal traffic always carried more tourists to Connecticut—the cosy small towns a delectable getaway this holiday season, according to the exposé in the New York Times about the 'Top 10 Things To Do This Winter'. If it hadn't been for Rory's column right next to piece, he never would have read the article, but his stepdaughter had brought the paper over last night and he couldn't have been more proud—having seen her grow into this lovely woman and now mother, with Rory having given birth last summer
Although he still struggled with the term 'grandfather', he had been in love with the baby girl from the moment he'd held her in his arms. Her full head of hair and ocean blue eyes were identical to her mom's, even resembling his own wife's piercing gaze and stunning looks, and he couldn't have been prouder.
Luke smiled to himself, thinking of little Lorelai the Fourth.
Filling the coffeemaker with freshly grounded beans ready to go in the morning, he slammed the thing back into its place when he heard the bells above the door jingle and he grumbled out of habit. Without looking up, he grunted, "We're closed."
He had no patience left to deal with whatever townsperson had decided it was time for a late-night snack. He had an early day tomorrow and was more than ready to go home.
"I'm sorry, we saw the light still on and… We need some help," a deep voice said, causing Luke to turn around. In his diner stood two people, covered in a thin sheet of snow, shivering. The man was big, with a spiked haircut that reminded him of Kirk; the woman a tall redhead, with a nose the color of her hair. Both sported a weary gaze. Luke cursed, not in the mood to be the good Samaritan, yet unable to kick these fancy dressed strangers out—not just because of karma, but also because Lorelai would never forgive him, which was far worse in his book.
"What can I do for you?" he muttered, trying not to sound irritated.
"Our car broke down a few miles back. We're looking for an auto shop or a dealer. Anything," the man said.
"It's 10 pm in Stars Hollow on a Friday night. You're not gonna find one here," he stated, and watched how the pair exchanged a nervous look.
From upstairs, Lorelai's voice sounded and increased in volume as she descended the stairs. "Luke, I need to get back to the inn or Michel will throw a hissy fit for being late again. Which is always fun to watch, but I need him to cover for me next week, so I have to stay in his good graces. Did you save me that piece of peach p–" Lorelai appeared from behind the curtain, coat on and purse in hand. "Oh, hi!" she said cheerily to the strangers before looking at her husband to see if she could figure out what was going on. However, something in the fleeting image of the two human popsicles standing in the diner forced her gaze back and her mouth dropped. "Donna Paulsen?"
"Ohmygod, Lorelai?" Donna squealed.
Lorelai launched herself through tables stacked with chairs where Donna joined her halfway where the pair embraced warmly, exchanging loud exclamations of their incredulity at the coincidence.
Luke glanced at Kirk Two and the man met his gaze briefly, wearing an identical look of wonder.
"Our car broke down," Donna exclaimed, helping Lorelai pull a few chairs down.
"Here, have a seat. Luke, make them some coffee. They're freezing," she said. "Are you guys hungry? I'm sure Luke can whip something up."
"No, we're fine," Donna replied. "We had dinner before we left, but coffee sounds great! This is Harvey," she added, watching him approach and hesitantly lower himself onto the chair beside her.
"It's nice to meet you, Harvey. This here is Luke," Lorelai said, taking her coat off and draping the garment over one of the barstools while getting some donuts from the counter. The others might not be hungry, but she certainly was.
"You two know each other?" Harvey asked.
"We do! We went to school together in Hartford," Donna explained. "Even though Lorelai was a few years ahead of me, we somehow became best friends after our family moved there, but then she got pregnant and dropped out, and we sort of lost touch." She turned her attention to Lorelai. "How old is your daughter? Gosh, she must be, what, thirty-something?"
"She is. Actually, she just had a baby of her own."
"Ah, that's so great. Congratulations," she said.
Donna couldn't believe her eyes. Lorelai Gilmore, as she lived and breathed, still sporting the infectious energy that had drawn the two girls together all those decades ago. The grumpy man behind the counter seemed uncomfortable at their intrusion, but judging by the ring on Lorelai's finger and his readiness to obey her swift commands, she deduced they were an item, and that easily made him okay in her book.
"So, what brings you to Connecticut?" Lorelai chirped.
"We were on our way to my parents who live about thirty miles from here now, but the battery of our car died out of nowhere, so we left it by a gas station, and we figured we needed a place to call AAA, and that's how we ended up here."
"You're not gonna get your car fixed tonight. Gypsy is out of town for the weekend and won't be back until Monday," Lorelai said almost apologetically.
Donna and Harvey shared a look. "We could give Ray a call," Harvey suggested.
"Who's Ray?" Luke asked, putting three cups of coffee on the table.
"He's my driver," Harvey explained.
"You have a driver? What do you do?" Luke hated hotshots and this guy was starting to check one too many boxes.
"I'm a lawyer."
"I see," Luke mumbled.
"Luke," Lorelai warned.
"What? I didn't say anything," Luke defended.
"You have something against lawyers?" Harvey asked incredulously, warming his hands on the drink in front of him. So much for small-town friendliness, he thought.
"Luke hates lawyers," Lorelai explained. "It's nothing personal," she added while taking a bite out of her donut.
"Why do you hate lawyers?" Donna inquired, genuinely curious.
"I used to date one."
"He married her," Lorelai corrected with a mouthful, smirking at Luke.
"Lorelai," Luke growled. Why did she insist on sharing things with strangers? Ok, so apparently she knew the redhead, but still, they were strangers to him and had no business knowing his business.
"Actually, he was only running away from his feelings for me," Lorelai explained, sipping her coffee with a proud smile on her face, glancing lovingly at her obtuse husband.
Donna had to chuckle at that. "We've heard that before. This guy dated his therapist before he finally realized I was the one."
"Donna," Harvey warned, but Donna ignored him, sharing a knowing grin with Lorelai.
"Listen, if you guys need a place to stay, we have a room at the Dragonfly. The Goldfarbs got snowed in on the way here, so their room is available. It's already paid for and yours if you want it."
Harvey and Donna looked at each other and Donna faintly remembered seeing the name and its five-star rating when she checked out the area on her phone earlier.
"We can't call Ray," Donna asserted. "I think we should stay here."
Trusting her judgment, Harvey nodded, too tired to protest, or worse, come up with an alternative. However, they had abandoned their suitcases in that useless piece-of-shit car. If they could get those first, staying in Stars Hollow for the night might not be such a bad idea.
"We'd love to stay at the inn, Lorelai. Thank you," Donna said.
"Our luggage is still in the car," Harvey commented.
"No problem. Hun, why don't you and Harvey get their things, and I'll take Donna to the Dragonfly?" Lorelai half-ordered to a reluctant growl stemming from the blue, backwards baseball cap.
"Sure. You want that coffee to go?" Luke asked, to which Harvey eagerly replied, "Yes, that'd be great. Thanks."
As the men left, Donna and Lorelai finished their drinks.
"Boyfriend or husband?" Lorelai smirked.
"Boyfriend. Although it feels like we've been married for years."
"Been there," Lorelai laughed, noticing Donna's sheepish smile and flushed cheeks that had nothing to do with the cold. "So, what do you do?"
"I am the COO of the law firm. Harvey is a name partner."
"Oh wow, that's great. How long have you been working together?"
"A little over fourteen years. I was Harvey's secretary for about twelve years before I decided I needed something more."
"Have you been together all that time? Have you seen Secretary?" Lorelai's brain couldn't help but connect the two.
Donna laughed. "I have and no, it was nothing like that. It's quite a long story, actually."
"Well, you can tell me on the way. But first, I wanna know what happened to your acting career! Last time we talked you had just moved to New York."
An icy shudder ran down Harvey's back as the cold February air pierced him once more, and he dug his free hand deep into the pocket of his dark grey winter coat in an attempt to keep it warm, while the other clutched the rapidly cooling coffee.
The green pickup truck was parked right in front of the diner, and he watched as Luke walked around the vehicle and pulled open the door before climbing behind the wheel.
"You don't lock your cars here?" he asked surprised as he slid into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut with a loud thud. Unfortunately, the interior of the car wasn't much warmer than the outside, causing Harvey to rub his hands together, attempting to retain some warmth in his fingertips.
"This is Stars Hollow," Luke deadpanned as he pulled out of the parking spot. "The only thing being stolen around here is your will to live when you're forced to sit through a town meeting."
Knowing better than to ask any further questions, Harvey simply nodded and focused his gaze on the deserted streets of the town in front of them. "You need me to give you the directions?"
"There is only one way in from New York, I think I'll be fine," Luke huffed, and briefly glanced over at the man next to him who had emptied his hot drink and had had stuffed his hands back into his pockets—his shoulders stiff and his head sunk in between them. "There's no use turning the heating on. By the time the truck is warmed up, we'll be at the inn."
"I'm good."
A heavy silence settled between the two strangers and Luke felt a pang of guilt over his vehicle's lack of warmth, so he breached the distance—the conversation a veiled apology. "So, you guys were visiting her parents?"
Harvey looked at the man behind the wheel—his voice suddenly carrying a tad of sympathy and kindness it had been lacking until then. "Yeah," he sighed, at the thought of having to call Jim and Clara to tell them they weren't going to make it due to his defective car. Knowing Donna's father, he would probably accuse him of having planned the mishap all along. This weekend was supposed to gain him a bunch of future-son-in-law credit, not reinforce Jim's conviction that Harvey was a flake.
Luke nodded as he took a sharp left turn before accelerating the truck as they entered the highway. "So, is getting stranded a good or a bad thing, then?"
Harvey chuckled at the question and felt relieved to notice the tension between the two of them slowly eased up. "I've never been a meet-the-parents type of guy, but it's my first time visiting them since we've gotten together, and Donna was very excited about the trip."
"Was she?" Luke raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Lorelai always tried to keep me as far away from her parents as physically possible."
"How come?"
"They aren't…weren't the most welcoming of people. I'm not quite the kind of guy they'd hoped their only daughter would end up with."
"Believe me, I know what you're talking about."
"I can't imagine any parent not wanting their offspring to marry some fancy lawyer."
The choice of words made Harvey snicker. "Let's just say, her dad and I didn't exactly get off on the right foot."
"I see. Lorelai's father once took me golfing under the guise of getting to know me better. Turns out his ulterior motive was to get me to turn the diner into a franchise and change me into a businessman in the process. To make me more suitable for her, I guess. I mean, even after he passed away, he left me a bunch of money so I could still execute that ridiculous idea."
"I take it you're neither a golfer nor a businessman?" The question leaving his lips was more rhetorical than anything else. Luke's appearance alone spoke volumes.
"Not really my thing, no. I'm more a beer and ballgame kind of guy."
The gas station came into their line of vision, and Luke nodded in its direction. "That it?"
"That's it."
The truck pulled up alongside the car, blanketed in a thick sheet of white, and Harvey got out, clearing away the inch of snow before opening the hood and reaching inside to retrieve two carry-on suitcases. The feeling of a pair of eyes boring into his back was hard to ignore, and although Harvey had only met the man an hour ago, he could already hear the judgment regarding his choice of vehicle without the diner owner even saying a word. And the way Luke peered at him when he resumed his position in the passenger's seat, only confirmed his suspicion.
"Don't say it," Harvey warned as he buckled up his seatbelt again.
"Ran out of battery?"
The grin that spread over Luke's face was amusedly smug and unlike any other expression Harvey had seen that night. It moved something inside of him, and for a split second he found himself thinking that the guy didn't seem so bad after all.
"Very funny, I'm not an idiot. The battery should've gotten us there and back to the city without a problem." Harvey rolled his eyes at the complacent look on the other man's face. "The thing just died prematurely. It must be faulty. These things happen."
"See, that's why I like to drive proper cars," he stated, reaching out to softly pat the dashboard of his trusty truck.
"Yeah, well, at least my car has working heating," Harvey shot back. And with that, they considered the dispute settled, and continued their journey to the inn in a much more comfortable silence than the one they started out with.
"Of all the places we could've stranded at, I can't believe fate picked the tiny town you're living in." The improbability of the situation was written all over Donna's face as she climbed into the passenger seat of Lorelai's Jeep and fastened her seatbelt.
"Plus, you chose my husband's diner to seek refuge." Lorelai pointed her finger at the redhead in mock accusation. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've been stalking me and planned this all along."
"Of course." A heartfelt laugh escaped Donna's lips. "Because, obviously, 10 pm on a Friday night in the dead of winter is the perfect time to surprise someone I haven't seen or spoken to in over thirty years."
"You always did have an odd sense of humor."
Donna raised her eyebrows at the brunette in the driver's seat. "Actually, I'm pretty sure that was you. And still is, by the looks of it."
"Ha! I feel offended!" A shocked expression painted Lorelai's face, and she placed a flat palm on her chest in a feigned huff. "Hey, can you still do that mind-reading thing? Quick. Tell me what I'm thinking right now!"
Unable to suppress another giggle, Donna shook her head and sunk back into the soft vinyl seat as exhaustion took over her body. She couldn't shake the feeling of ease and familiarity that Lorelai's presence evoked in her. They hadn't seen each other in over three decades and obviously they had changed—grown into adults who had built a life the other one had not been a part of—and yet it felt like the foundation of what had connected them all those years ago was still there. A sense of comfort engulfed Donna, combined with a tinge of excitement over the unexpected possibility to be able to reconnect with such an old friend.
"I must say, Stars Hollow looks incredibly charming, even during night time. I can't wait to see it in the daylight tomorrow. How long have you lived here?"
"You picked a good weekend for it, too. We have our annual Firelight Festival this weekend. Rory and I moved here when she was just a baby. I needed to get away from the Gilmores, so I packed all our things, got myself a job as a maid at the Independence Inn. The potting shed behind it became home for the first few years. Once we had enough money, I bought a house in town and we've been here ever since."
Donna nodded as she listened, remembering the strained relationship Lorelai used to have with her parents. She had been too young to understand then, but hearing her story now—a teenager running away from home with a tiny baby to take care of—Donna finally recognized what a herculean task she had performed. But if anyone could have pulled that off, Lorelai Gilmore was definitely the one. "That's incredible and must have been so hard."
"It was in the beginning. But I had help. At the inn and then this town. So, we made it unscathed," she smiled proudly. "So, you were on your way to your parents? First time meeting their future-son-in-law?" Lorelai suggestively raised her eyebrows as she glanced over at Donna.
"Not exactly. They've met him before, but this is the first time they'll meet him as my boyfriend."
"Uh oh… That calls for trouble."
"Yes and no. My dad and Harvey have a…complicated relationship."
"Ha, I could fill books about the complicated relationship between Luke and my parents." The emphasis on 'relationship' didn't go unnoticed by Donna and was further accentuated by the quotation marks Lorelai gestured into the air. "My mother was actually responsible for Luke breaking up with me, a few months after we started dating. You know, in typical Emily Gilmore fashion. Utterly incapable of staying out of other people's business, thinking she knows what's best. She's always had a twisted sense of what she thinks is right for me."
"Oh, wow." Donna's face fell at Lorelai's words, unable to stop the wheels from turning and comparing her friend's situation to her own. "I was really hoping Harvey and my dad would use the weekend to get to know each other better and put their differences aside. But perhaps prolonging the inevitable isn't such a bad thing after all."
"Oh, prolong it. Maybe even until you get married. Or even better, elope and prevent them from meeting altogether. Although, I eloped with Rory's dad and that didn't end well, so maybe that's a bridge too far."
Another bellow escaped Donna's lips at Lorelai's choice of words and tune of voice, and she felt her heart bask in a warm bath of nostalgia—her mind flooded with childhood memories of them—once again assured in her impression that Lorelai hadn't changed all that much. Three decades on and she was still the same witty, kind-hearted person she had known and loved a lifetime ago.
Several minutes later, Lorelai pulled the Jeep into the inn's driveway, listening to Donna chronicling her history with Harvey.
"It took him another twelve years to finally figure out he wanted to be with me," Donna said as she exited the car, a new sensation thrilling her as she relayed intimate details of her past to Lorelai. There weren't many people in her life who'd known her pre Harvey and the few she had known before moving to his desk, had met him in the meantime. So, telling her story to someone who had no clue brought a fresh layer of excitement to the tale.
"But you knew you wanted to be with him all those years?" Lorelai was shocked. Pining for a person for eight years was already pretty ridiculous, twelve just seemed plain crazy.
"Yes and no. I wanted to be with him, but he wasn't ready. And maybe I wasn't, either. And I dated, but none of my relationships ever worked out. Because it was always him, you know?"
Lorelai smiled. "Yeah, I know."
As Donna stepped onto the front porch of the old building with the lights framing the railing and the fireplace visible through the window, she fell in love with the picturesque inn on the spot.
"Thirteen years." Lorelai moaned in disbelief. "Well, then you got us beat. It took Luke only eight to figure out he wanted to be with me."
"What is it with men and not knowing what they want?" Donna asked, exasperated.
"Beats me. But we've been together for about a decade and a half, if you don't count the year we were separated. And we finally tied the knot just over a year ago."
"That's amazing! So, this place, you work here?" she inquired as they walked inside and immediately a blanketing warmth engulfed them.
"I own it," Lorelai smiled in a proud yet humble way, and Donna's heart swelled with delight as she watched her saunter over to the front desk.
"Michel, this is Donna Paulsen. She'll be staying in the Goldfarb's room with her boyfriend, who should be here soon. Can you get her checked in?"
"Of course, I can, even zough you were supposed to take over my sheeft ten meenutes ago. But I'll gladly stay longair to check your friend een, so you can stand by and watch me do eet," Michel drawled sarcastically, his accent heavier than usual every time he was tired.
"Excellent! Thanks, Michel." Lorelai turned to Donna. "You want some tea or coffee?"
"Tea would be great. Thanks, Lorelai."
A few minutes later, room key in her pocket, Donna sat near the fireplace in the dining room, a fragrant cup of chai warming her hands. "This place is lovely, Lorelai."
"Thank you. I started this business with my best friend, but she's off doing her own thing now. She still drops by occasionally, but it hasn't been the same without her here."
"Hmm, I know what that's like," Donna hummed in response.
"Last year, we added a spa. It was the first major change I didn't get to discuss with her. And it feels…less complete, somehow." A mournful smile disappeared as quickly as it came. "Let me know if you want to get a facial or something, and I can book you an appointment for tomorrow."
"Thank you, Lorelai. But I don't think that will be necessary. We'll probably get back on the road first thing."
The front door flew open, allowing a bitter wind to battle the warmth inside as Luke and Harvey marched in, two small suitcases in tow.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Harvey let go of the luggage and blew hot air into his hands.
"Harvey, you're freezing," Donna noted, forgoing her drink, and meeting the men in the entryway.
"No heat in the truck," he uttered through rattling teeth.
"We need to get you warmed up."
"I need a hot shower. And a bed," he grunted, the chill coming off him not just nature's doing, but his overall desire to let this hellish week end by curling up next to his woman. Alone.
"Come on, I'll show you to your room," Lorelai said, and proceeded to lead the way, while Luke waited downstairs, seemingly unfazed by the cold.
The door to room seven opened with a creak and Lorelai made a mental note to have those hinges oiled up. "There are fresh towels in the bathroom, the minibar is filled up, and breakfast starts at seven-thirty tomorrow morning. But if you wanna sleep in, I'm sure we can arrange something. The perks of knowing the proprietor," she added with a wink and caught Harvey's surprised gaze. "I'll be around for another hour or so, waiting for the night manager, so if you need anything, just call down. Other than that, I think you guys should be all set." Lorelai smiled affectionately at the couple taking in the decor and scribbled her phone number down on the notepad left by the side of the bed.
Donna's eyes travelled around the carefully picked out interior—the floral wallpaper and the matching curtains, the antique clock that hung on the wall—before they landed on Harvey, and she had to fight back a smile at the way he was examining his surroundings. The wood paneling and the botanic patterns weren't exactly his style—she knew that much—but he hid his disapproval well.
"Thanks Lorelai, this place really is lovely." The bed dipped gently underneath Donna's weight as she plopped down on top of it, feeling more than ready to sink back into the cushions and sleep off the exhaustion the day had brought.
"You guys must be tired, so I'll leave you to it. Maybe I'll see you in the morning. Just don't take off without saying goodbye, okay? And you," she lifted her finger and pointed at the still shivering lawyer, "should go and take a hot shower. My husband's stubborn refusal to get the heating of his car fixed shouldn't be the cause of you getting sick. I can bring you some more tea if you like?"
Donna smiled up at Harvey and reached out, taking one of his frosty hands between both of hers and brushed his skin softly. "Don't worry. I'll warm him up."
Harvey gazed at his redhead uncomfortably. "I'll be fine." Then a polite smile teased his lips as he glanced at Lorelai. "Thanks again."
The door clicked shut behind Lorelai's retreating form, and her footsteps grew fainter in the distance, leaving Donna and Harvey alone in their cozy suite.
"Lorelai is right, you should go take a shower. You're still freezing." Donna tugged at his hand as she pulled herself up and placed her palms on both his forearms, turning and steering him in the direction of the bathroom. "I'll unpack a few things." She pressed a soft kiss to the back of his shoulder before he obliged and disappeared into the adjoining room.
When Harvey emerged a little while later, his color had returned, although the tiredness in his eyes had doubled.
Leafing through one of the tourist brochures she had found on the dresser, Donna was already relaxing under the covers. A soft smile tugged at her lips as Harvey crawled into bed beside her, shrugging underneath the duvet before huddling as close to her as possible and she delightedly inhaled his scent engulfing her.
The brochure closed with a rustle and Donna placed it on the bedside table before turning in Harvey's arms to face him. "My mom just texted. Looks like she and my dad are coming down with a cold, and since we already lost tonight, she asked if we wouldn't mind rescheduling."
"So, we go home tomorrow?" His voice was quiet and laced with sleepiness; his eyelids growing increasingly heavy as he waited for her answer.
"We could…" Weighing her next words, Donna traced his chin gently with the tip of her finger. "Or, I was thinking, maybe we could stay here for the weekend."
"Hmm, that'd be nice," Harvey responded with a nod of his own, his eyes closed and his face softly snuggling into her shoulder.
"Is this the fatigue speaking or are you actually up for it?" She pulled back slightly to gauge his features.
"No, I'm serious." Forcing his eyes open, he caught her gaze. "If you want to stay, we can."
"I'd really like to." A tentative smile graced her lips, excitement bubbling underneath the surface at the prospect of getting to spend a weekend away with Harvey while simultaneously reconnecting with her oldest friend.
"Then we'll stay." Harvey bridged the short distance between their lips and placed a soft kiss on her mouth before pulling away, his curiosity suddenly seeming to win over his drowsiness. "So, Lorelai had a baby at sixteen? That's a lot."
"I know. At the time, I wasn't mature enough to deal with her being a new mom, dropping out of school and running away from home. Our friendship didn't survive it, unfortunately."
"She seems like a nice person. That Luke-guy, the other hand…"
A chuckle erupted in Donna's throat. "He's a bit grumpy, isn't he? But you haven't exactly been all that jolly yourself tonight, so I think we should wait and see what tomorrow brings."
"He can't be all bad, I mean, she married him, after all. Plus, he said he likes baseball."
"That's the spirit." Donna grinned and leaned closer to steal a kiss from him. "I'm really excited to explore Stars Hollow tomorrow. It looks like a beautiful town."
"It sure does." The soft sound of his voice was muffled by the way he buried his face into the satin fabric of the camisole clinging to her shoulder, and Donna knew better than to continue the conversation. They were both desperately craving some relief from their exhaustion and they were going to need all the energy they could muster to enjoy their first weekend away as a couple.
"Erm, Luke," Lorelai's voice echoed through the empty lobby of the inn as she climbed down the stairs. "Whatcha doing down there?"
"This…floorboard seems to be loose," Luke muttered from his crouched position just in front of the inn's main entrance, seemingly preoccupied by the task at hand. "It's a hazard. Someone could trip and fall and sue you for negligence while they're lying in a hospital bed with two broken legs."
"Oh, well, lucky for us we have a lawyer sleeping upstairs."
"This isn't funny, this thing is a death trap." His bewildered gaze found hers as she stepped closer, a smile playing on her lips as she shook her head at her husband.
"I know you take your handiwork very seriously, but it's a little too late to bring out the hammer, so let's deal with this tomorrow, shall we?"
Luke reluctantly accepted the outstretched hand offered to him.
A defeated sigh left his lips as he straightened out his legs and brushed the dust from his jeans. "The night manager just took over from Michel." He pointed over his shoulder at the new face tending to the front desk. "So, we're all good to go."
"Ah, see." A mischievous grin painted her lips as she shot the employee a quick wave. "That was my plan all along."
"So, did you say goodbye to your friend?"
"Not yet, I told her to give me a call before they leave tomorrow. It's a shame they can't stay longer."
"They don't strike me as the kind of people who would enjoy the small-town charm."
"Come on, Luke, you should really give them a chance. Donna lived outside Hartford, so she knows how wonderful small towns can be and she's really great. And I'm sure Harvey is, too, once you get to know him better. If anything, Donna is a pretty remarkable judge of character."
"Yeah, well, he drives a Tesla, so…" A hint of repugnance crossed over Luke's features, and he rolled his eyes at the sheer stupidity of someone buying a ridiculously overpriced car only to end up stranded during a two-hour drive. "So, you and Donna went to school together? I've never heard you mention her before."
"We did. She had this freaky ability to read people. I was having a particularly bad day one day. My mother had caught me alone in my room with Jimmy Halliwell the night before, she all but threw him out the window and had the maid remove the door to my room, but anyway, Donna took one look at me while we were standing in line at the cafeteria, and she told me she knew something was wrong and was able to cheer me up. I think, at the time, she was struggling to adapt to her new surroundings and being the new kid at school, but from that moment on we were pretty much joined at the hip." A smile tugged at the corner of Lorelai's lips as she recounted the happy memory. "We lost touch when I dropped out of school and only talked occasionally until she moved to New York a few years later. But by then I'd had Rory and my life was so different. We just grew apart."
"Well, I'm glad you ran into her tonight," Luke said, reaching out and giving her hand a soft squeeze as he returned her gentle smile. Witnessing her excitement over running into her long-lost friend filled him with happiness, too. "Maybe you can visit her in New York, sometime."
"Yeah." Lorelai nodded as she let the suggestion sink in, linking her fingers with his. "You're right, maybe we can."
Their shoulders bumped together when they squeezed through the front door, the crisp air hitting their faces as they stepped onto the porch. "I was hoping we could have breakfast with them tomorrow?" Lorelai gazed up at Luke through thick lashes, giving him her most convincing look.
"I run a diner. Breakfast is one of three moments that's kinda all hands on deck, in case you hadn't noticed."
"Ha! I know the perfect solution for that. We could have a post-breakfast breakfast at Luke's!" A slender finger pointed in Luke's direction as they separated to walk towards their respective cars.
"We'll see about that," he muttered underneath his breath, knowing better than to argue with his wife. Besides, he would indulge her willingly. He always did like to see her happy.
A/N: To be continued... Soooo, the idea for a crossover between my two all-time favorite shows is something I have been toying with for a looong time. And finally Nina shared in my idea and this is our baby! Seriously, without her this fic would never have seen the light of day. Thanks to Marie and Liz for the idea of Lorelai and Donna being friends and to Sarah and Elle for beta'ing this! Please let us know what you think!