Stromboli - Part 3
Lorelai got up from the couch immediately when she remembered that Rory had not been home before. So, when she wandered around the house in search of her missing daughter, Luke rummaged through their ridiculously large video collection. After a few seconds, Lorelai came back into the living room looking visibly worried.
"She's not home, yet." She said warily as she sank into the couch cushions.
Luke shrugged and walked toward the couch. "She's probably just out with Dean." He grabbed a movie, along with Lorelai's cookies, and sat down beside her. "Or maybe she's with Lane."
"Well, then how come she didn't call me?" Lorelai pouted and sank down further into the couch.
"Did you check the answering machine?" He glanced at her, smiling wryly.
"Hmm, that would make sense, I'll be right back." She ran quickly over to the machine and listened to the messages intently. When Rory's voice filled the room, Lorelai's muscles relaxed a great deal and she let out a deep breath that she didn't even realize was withheld. The message informed Lorelai that she was studying at Lane's house and, if Mrs. Kim will allow her, she'd probably end up staying the night. Luke watched Lorelai as her face turned into smiles and all the worries about Rory's whereabouts washed away, and he couldn't help but smile also. When the message ended, she turned away from the machine and faced Luke, smiling contently.
Lorelai grinned and walked toward the couch. "She's fine." She stated. Luke nodded and glanced at her warmly. She eyed the movie in his hands.
"Ooh, what movie did you pick? 'Naughty Ski Babes'?" She wiggled her eyebrows and opened her bag of cookies, letting her relieved body fall into the comfort of the couch.
"That's highly unlikely, considering you don't actually own 'Naughty Ski Babes'."
"And how would you know?" She frowned.
"Because I went through all your videos and I don't recall seeing anything about skiing prostitutes in there."
"You obviously didn't look hard enough. You disappoint me, Luke." She mockingly shook her head. "So, what's the verdict?"
"Huh?"
"What movie are we watching?" She stuffed an Oreo into her mouth and mumbled.
"'What Lies Beneath'." He answered and shook his head. "It's the only semi- normal movie you possess, so that's what we're watching. No complaining." He pointed at her when he said that.
"But, Luke, that's a scary movie!" She protested.
He shrugged. "So?"
"So, I'll get scared!"
"Um, isn't that kinda the point?" He looked at her oddly.
"C-mon, pick a happier movie." She urged him.
"What? No way. You had me sit in that 'Stromboli Palace', or whatever it's called, for an hour and a half, so I get to pick the movie and this is what I picked." He held it up.
"'Stromboli World'" She replied.
"What?"
"It's not 'Stromboli Palace', it's 'Stromboli World'" She corrected him, smiling. "Yeah, fine. We'll watch your scary, evil, mean, sad, bitter movie instead of my heart-warming, romantic, funny, comedy."
"Thank-you." He said and put the movie into the VCR.
She smiled and looked at him. "Hey, Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"I agree to watch the scary one, but I warn you, I'm pretty insane while watching scary movies."
"You're pretty insane all the time." He smiled and shook his head. "I can handle it."
"Okay, but don't say you haven't been warned." She smiled back at him and grabbed a giant bowl of popcorn from off of the coffee table. "Hey, I made this for you before. It's all bland and low-fat, so I thought you'd like it. It's pretty disgusting if you ask me, though."
He nodded, smiling, and took it from her. "Thanks."
"Are you cold?" She asked him, noticing that he was a little pale.
"Slightly, yeah." He admitted.
She nodded and reached behind her for a plaid-patterned, soft blanket, that was placed on the table behind the couch. "Blanket?"
"Sure." He took one half of it and she took the other half. They shared an awkward smile before turning the movie on. When they reached the part of the movie where Michelle Pfeiffer's character, Clare, finds out that her husband is a cold-hearted killer, she turned over to look at Luke.
"Luke?" She asked him.
"Yeah?" He turned away from the movie and looked at Lorelai.
"This part always gives me the creeps." She shuddered.
"Why? This part isn't even scary." He laughed lightly.
"It's just weird. I mean, you think you know someone, and then 'Bam!' you find out their actually a killer." She pauses for a second then smiled over at Luke. "You're not a killer, right?"
"Wouldn't you like to know." He smiled mischievously and turned his head back to the movie.
She laughed and turned to him. "Oh, you are not. But, what I meant was, do you have any secrets from me? I mean big secrets, not like the color of your boxer shorts or anything."
He thought for a second before answering. "I don't really have a life, so there's really no way for me to even have secrets."
"Not even one? C-mon, we all have secrets. You don't have to tell me all of them, just one."
"I'm telling you, I don't have any." He answered unconvincingly.
"Okay, ask me something that you don't already know about me and I'll answer honestly, but then you gotta do the same for me, okay?" She made him promise.
He sighed and gave in. "Yeah, okay."
"Goody." She flicked off the movie and moved herself so she was sitting across form Luke. "Okay, so, what color are your boxer shorts, exactly?"
"Oh, jeez, Lorelai." He blushed and turned away from her gaze.
"Just kidding. You get to go first, anyway."
He thought for a very long time before finally deciding on a question. Before he asked her it, he wrung his hands nervously and let out a shaky breath. "Why didn't you marry Max? Or Rory's dad?" He finally got it out and looked her in the eyes again. The pain of both relationships sent streaks of sadness through her eyes, but she did promise to answer him.
"I really don't know, um, I guess I just didn't love them. I mean, I love Christopher, but not in that 'long term' kind of way. And Max just got so edgy and weird before our wedding that it just kind of turned me off a little. The first night he stayed with us, he was great, but then, I don't know, he just got really weird." Lorelai finished her answer, then realized it was her turn. "My turn now."
Luke sighed. "Fine, what do you wanna know?"
"Hmmm, so many lurking questions, which one do I choose?" She asked herself out loud. "Okay, why do you hate the idea of marriage so much?"
"I told you why, already. It's a completely pointless ceremony that kings and queens made up just so their kids wouldn't have sex."
"So, what, your never going to get married? Ever?" She questioned him again.
"That's another question." He pointed out.
"I'm just curious." She smiled warmly at him and patted his shoulder. "I worry about you sometimes."
"Worried about what?" He laughed a little and looked confused.
She sighed and looked around the room, then back to him. "I just want you to be happy. You shouldn't be afraid of commitment just because Rachael left you. And if she's that stupid to leave such a wonderful person like you, then she obviously isn't the one, anyway."
"You think that's why I don't like marriage? Because of Rachael?" He questioned, not quite comfortable with the depth of conversation they were getting into.
"Yeah, I do. I know she hurt you, but you shouldn't give up on women just yet, there are so many more 'Rachaels' out there, just dying to be with someone like you."
He sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But, I have a little trouble with the whole 'asking a woman out' thing. Actually, more like a lot of trouble." He admitted.
"Why?" She looked surprised.
"I don't know, I guess I just don't want the rejection." He turned to face the blank screen of the television.
"Why do you assume there would be rejection? I mean, Rachael was stunning and she went out with you, why wouldn't other girls?"
Luke looked depressed all of a sudden and he asked Lorelai if they could just watch the movie for a while and finish this conversation the following day.
She nodded. "Sure, I'm sorry if I, uh, I don't know, made you sad or anything." She looked him in the eyes apologetically.
"Nah, I'm okay." He smiled warmly and they both watched the rest of the movie in a peaceful silence.
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To be continued….
*Okay, this chapter is pretty bad, but it'll get better, I promise. Sorry lol. Please review! Even if it's just for flames!*
Lorelai got up from the couch immediately when she remembered that Rory had not been home before. So, when she wandered around the house in search of her missing daughter, Luke rummaged through their ridiculously large video collection. After a few seconds, Lorelai came back into the living room looking visibly worried.
"She's not home, yet." She said warily as she sank into the couch cushions.
Luke shrugged and walked toward the couch. "She's probably just out with Dean." He grabbed a movie, along with Lorelai's cookies, and sat down beside her. "Or maybe she's with Lane."
"Well, then how come she didn't call me?" Lorelai pouted and sank down further into the couch.
"Did you check the answering machine?" He glanced at her, smiling wryly.
"Hmm, that would make sense, I'll be right back." She ran quickly over to the machine and listened to the messages intently. When Rory's voice filled the room, Lorelai's muscles relaxed a great deal and she let out a deep breath that she didn't even realize was withheld. The message informed Lorelai that she was studying at Lane's house and, if Mrs. Kim will allow her, she'd probably end up staying the night. Luke watched Lorelai as her face turned into smiles and all the worries about Rory's whereabouts washed away, and he couldn't help but smile also. When the message ended, she turned away from the machine and faced Luke, smiling contently.
Lorelai grinned and walked toward the couch. "She's fine." She stated. Luke nodded and glanced at her warmly. She eyed the movie in his hands.
"Ooh, what movie did you pick? 'Naughty Ski Babes'?" She wiggled her eyebrows and opened her bag of cookies, letting her relieved body fall into the comfort of the couch.
"That's highly unlikely, considering you don't actually own 'Naughty Ski Babes'."
"And how would you know?" She frowned.
"Because I went through all your videos and I don't recall seeing anything about skiing prostitutes in there."
"You obviously didn't look hard enough. You disappoint me, Luke." She mockingly shook her head. "So, what's the verdict?"
"Huh?"
"What movie are we watching?" She stuffed an Oreo into her mouth and mumbled.
"'What Lies Beneath'." He answered and shook his head. "It's the only semi- normal movie you possess, so that's what we're watching. No complaining." He pointed at her when he said that.
"But, Luke, that's a scary movie!" She protested.
He shrugged. "So?"
"So, I'll get scared!"
"Um, isn't that kinda the point?" He looked at her oddly.
"C-mon, pick a happier movie." She urged him.
"What? No way. You had me sit in that 'Stromboli Palace', or whatever it's called, for an hour and a half, so I get to pick the movie and this is what I picked." He held it up.
"'Stromboli World'" She replied.
"What?"
"It's not 'Stromboli Palace', it's 'Stromboli World'" She corrected him, smiling. "Yeah, fine. We'll watch your scary, evil, mean, sad, bitter movie instead of my heart-warming, romantic, funny, comedy."
"Thank-you." He said and put the movie into the VCR.
She smiled and looked at him. "Hey, Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"I agree to watch the scary one, but I warn you, I'm pretty insane while watching scary movies."
"You're pretty insane all the time." He smiled and shook his head. "I can handle it."
"Okay, but don't say you haven't been warned." She smiled back at him and grabbed a giant bowl of popcorn from off of the coffee table. "Hey, I made this for you before. It's all bland and low-fat, so I thought you'd like it. It's pretty disgusting if you ask me, though."
He nodded, smiling, and took it from her. "Thanks."
"Are you cold?" She asked him, noticing that he was a little pale.
"Slightly, yeah." He admitted.
She nodded and reached behind her for a plaid-patterned, soft blanket, that was placed on the table behind the couch. "Blanket?"
"Sure." He took one half of it and she took the other half. They shared an awkward smile before turning the movie on. When they reached the part of the movie where Michelle Pfeiffer's character, Clare, finds out that her husband is a cold-hearted killer, she turned over to look at Luke.
"Luke?" She asked him.
"Yeah?" He turned away from the movie and looked at Lorelai.
"This part always gives me the creeps." She shuddered.
"Why? This part isn't even scary." He laughed lightly.
"It's just weird. I mean, you think you know someone, and then 'Bam!' you find out their actually a killer." She pauses for a second then smiled over at Luke. "You're not a killer, right?"
"Wouldn't you like to know." He smiled mischievously and turned his head back to the movie.
She laughed and turned to him. "Oh, you are not. But, what I meant was, do you have any secrets from me? I mean big secrets, not like the color of your boxer shorts or anything."
He thought for a second before answering. "I don't really have a life, so there's really no way for me to even have secrets."
"Not even one? C-mon, we all have secrets. You don't have to tell me all of them, just one."
"I'm telling you, I don't have any." He answered unconvincingly.
"Okay, ask me something that you don't already know about me and I'll answer honestly, but then you gotta do the same for me, okay?" She made him promise.
He sighed and gave in. "Yeah, okay."
"Goody." She flicked off the movie and moved herself so she was sitting across form Luke. "Okay, so, what color are your boxer shorts, exactly?"
"Oh, jeez, Lorelai." He blushed and turned away from her gaze.
"Just kidding. You get to go first, anyway."
He thought for a very long time before finally deciding on a question. Before he asked her it, he wrung his hands nervously and let out a shaky breath. "Why didn't you marry Max? Or Rory's dad?" He finally got it out and looked her in the eyes again. The pain of both relationships sent streaks of sadness through her eyes, but she did promise to answer him.
"I really don't know, um, I guess I just didn't love them. I mean, I love Christopher, but not in that 'long term' kind of way. And Max just got so edgy and weird before our wedding that it just kind of turned me off a little. The first night he stayed with us, he was great, but then, I don't know, he just got really weird." Lorelai finished her answer, then realized it was her turn. "My turn now."
Luke sighed. "Fine, what do you wanna know?"
"Hmmm, so many lurking questions, which one do I choose?" She asked herself out loud. "Okay, why do you hate the idea of marriage so much?"
"I told you why, already. It's a completely pointless ceremony that kings and queens made up just so their kids wouldn't have sex."
"So, what, your never going to get married? Ever?" She questioned him again.
"That's another question." He pointed out.
"I'm just curious." She smiled warmly at him and patted his shoulder. "I worry about you sometimes."
"Worried about what?" He laughed a little and looked confused.
She sighed and looked around the room, then back to him. "I just want you to be happy. You shouldn't be afraid of commitment just because Rachael left you. And if she's that stupid to leave such a wonderful person like you, then she obviously isn't the one, anyway."
"You think that's why I don't like marriage? Because of Rachael?" He questioned, not quite comfortable with the depth of conversation they were getting into.
"Yeah, I do. I know she hurt you, but you shouldn't give up on women just yet, there are so many more 'Rachaels' out there, just dying to be with someone like you."
He sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But, I have a little trouble with the whole 'asking a woman out' thing. Actually, more like a lot of trouble." He admitted.
"Why?" She looked surprised.
"I don't know, I guess I just don't want the rejection." He turned to face the blank screen of the television.
"Why do you assume there would be rejection? I mean, Rachael was stunning and she went out with you, why wouldn't other girls?"
Luke looked depressed all of a sudden and he asked Lorelai if they could just watch the movie for a while and finish this conversation the following day.
She nodded. "Sure, I'm sorry if I, uh, I don't know, made you sad or anything." She looked him in the eyes apologetically.
"Nah, I'm okay." He smiled warmly and they both watched the rest of the movie in a peaceful silence.
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To be continued….
*Okay, this chapter is pretty bad, but it'll get better, I promise. Sorry lol. Please review! Even if it's just for flames!*