"Luke! Just the man I wanted to see," Taylor exclaimed as he rushed over to
Luke's side and thrust a paper into his hand. "I want you to hang up this
sign in your window."
Luke looked down at the paper and shuddered in disgust. He looked back up at Taylor. "Another dance marathon, Taylor? Hasn't our town had enough of the craziness yet?"
Taylor laughed at Luke. "Not a marathon this time, Luke - a formal holiday ball. The proceeds going, of course, to the reconstruction of the rundown bridge."
"I thought the bridge was fixed?"
"It needs a new coat of paint."
Luke snorted. "Are you kidding? You're holding a ball to finance the painting of an old bridge that should be torn down anyway?"
Taylor eyed Luke, quickly losing his patience. "It's not just to raise funds to paint the bridge. It's also to raise town morale. You do realize that some people actually consider dancing fun, don't you?"
"Crazy people," Luke muttered.
"Happy people. Just keep the brochure and at least think about putting it in the window, okay?"
Luke just grunted as Taylor left the diner. He looked over at Lorelai and Rory, who had witnessed the whole thing. "Can you believe this? The whole town's gone crazy."
Lorelai looked up at Luke. "I think it's nice . . . it is a bit soon to have a dance, considering the last one was just a couple of weeks ago, but it still sounds like fun."
"Mom!" Rory interrupted, "Food!" She turned her attention to Luke, "Please, food. Quick."
Lorelai watched with a slight smile as Luke walked away. She looked at Rory. "Can you only talk in monosyllables today, honey? You sound like Luke. Or Jess."
"I'm hungry, Mom."
Lorelai looked skeptically at her daughter. "Uh-huh. So . . . are you going to go to the dance with Jess?"
"Probably," Rory answered, "Who are you going to go with?"
Lorelai turned her head to the side in thought. "I hadn't really thought about it. I mean, I want to go, but I have no idea who I would go with. I haven't really been on a date since that creepy guy from the auction." Lorelai glanced over at Luke. "I wonder who he's going with?" she wondered softly.
Rory smiled at her mother. "You, if you ask him really nicely."
Lorelai jumped out of her reverie. "Geeze . . . did I just say that out loud?" Looking at her daughter, she knew she had. "Luke wouldn't want to go to the ball with me. He hates dances, he hates formal clothes, he hates town events. He wouldn't want to go."
Rory rolled her eyes. "Mom, that man would do anything for you. Can't you see that? If he thought you really wanted to go with him, he would go in a heartbeat. The only reason he didn't want to go to the marathon with you was because he thought you were asking him out of desperation. Make him your first choice. Come on, mom, how often will we ever get to see Luke in a tux?"
Lorelai laughed at that thought. Luke in a tux, huh? She wondered what he would look like in a tux. Handsome, she was sure. Lorelai realized where her train of thought had taken her and snapped out of it. "Well . . . maybe I will ask him. It would be nice to see him take off his flannel clothes for a change." When Rory raised an eyebrow at her, Lorelai realized what she had said. "I meant, it would be nice to see him in clothes other than flannel . . . not that it would be nice to see him naked!"
"See who naked?" Luke wondered as he walked over with Lorelai and Rory's food.
Rory watched her mother's face turn beet red as she looked down at her hands. Rory smiled up at Luke and said, "Oh . . . that man who plays Santa at the Hartford Mall. My mother told me it would be nice to see him take off his outfit he wears every day. When she realized what she said, she said that she meant it would be nice to have him take off that outfit in exchange for other clothing . . . but I think she just wants to see him naked."
"Uh-huh," Luke grunted as he placed Lorelai and Rory's food in front of them. "You guys get weirder every day. Must be the coffee consumption."
Lorelai looked up at Luke. "You know you love it, coffee boy . . .you know, if you didn't agree to serve us the most amazing coffee on earth, we wouldn't be in here every day."
Rory glanced at her mother and then back at Luke. "Oh, I bet we would come in every day anyway," she said with a slight smile. She turned back toward Lorelai and said, "I'm going to go take my food and find Jess. You talk to the person you said you were going to talk to about what you said you were going to talk about!"
"Wow . . . that child talks way too much. I wonder where she gets it from?" Lorelai mused.
Luke snorted out loud and looked at Lorelai strangely. "Way too easy of a comeback, Lorelai. Are you losing your touch?"
"No, I'm not losing my touch. I've just been a little preoccupied with other thoughts lately."
"Such as?" Luke asked warily.
Lorelai glanced around the nearly empty diner. "It's ten o'clock, Luke. No more customers will be coming in for at least another hour . . . why don't you sit down?"
Luke nodded reluctantly and sat down across from Lorelai. He hoped that whatever her troubles were, they wouldn't involve a guy. He wasn't sure if he could handle watching Lorelai obsess over another guy again - and complain about it to him.
Lorelai eyed Luke carefully before preceding. "Well . . . you know the dance?"
"You mean the one Taylor was bugging me about less than 15 minutes ago?" Luke said sarcastically. "Yes, I believe I do."
Lorelai started tapping her fingers nervously on the table. "Well . . . obviously, Rory is going with Jess . . . and, well, I haven't dated anybody seriously for quite awhile . . . and, well, I thought it might be fun if we went together."
Luke looked at Lorelai surprised. "You want me to go with you to a town function at which tuxedo wearing is a must? You've got to be kidding me, Lorelai."
"Lorelai looked at Luke with puppy-dog eyes and pouted. "Come on, Luke. It'll be fun. You know," she looked at him with a sly smile, "I was planning on wearing a form-fitting, low-cut, red dress . . . if that helps your decision any."
Luke laughed. Little did she know that she could go to the ball in a jogging suit and still look beautiful to him. "You know I'm not a dancing kind of guy, Lorelai. You asked me to go to the dance marathon with you, I said no. Why do you think I'll say yes this time?"
"This time is different, Luke," Lorelai insisted. "Last time I asked you to the marathon out of desperation, I needed someone to dance with. This time I really want to go with you. Come on - It'll be fun, I promise."
Luke looked at Lorelai, quickly losing his resolve. Damn it, she could get anything she wanted from him if she begged long enough. "Fine," he muttered.
"What?" Lorelai looked up surprised. She didn't think that Luke would give in - at least not this easily.
"I said I'd go with you, just shut up. You're giving me a headache."
Lorelai squealed and jumped up from her chair. She ran around the table and gave Luke a big hug. "Thanks Luke."
"Your welcome," he grunted.
She smiled at him. "Okay, tomorrow at 8 p.m. I'm going to come over here and we're going to practice."
"Whoa," Luke cut in, "you didn't say anything about having to practice dancing."
Lorelai looked at Luke. "Do you know how to dance?"
"Well, no, but . . .
"Then we need to practice," Lorelai interrupted. "It's this weekend. I'll be here, tomorrow night, at 8, okay?"
Luke rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he grunted. Lorelai would never rest until she got what she wanted anyway.
Rory came bounding down the stairs from Luke and Jess's apartment. "Mom," she said, "are you ready to go now?"
"Yep," Lorelai replied. "I'll just take what I haven't eaten yet home with me." She smiled at Luke. "Can I have a food container, please?"
"Sure thing," Luke replied. He handed her a container and watched her put the remains of her breakfast in it. "See you tomorrow night, Lorelai. Bye Rory."
"See you, Luke," Lorelai replied as she walked toward the door.
"Bye, Santa," Rory replied as she followed her mother to the door.
"What?" Luke asked confused.
Lorelai stared menacingly at her daughter for a moment before turning back toward Luke. "Oh, she must have hit her head upstairs. She seems a little delusional. I better take her home to rest."
"Well . . . okay," Luke said hesitantly, "see you later." With that comment, the Gilmores walked out the door.
Luke looked down at the paper and shuddered in disgust. He looked back up at Taylor. "Another dance marathon, Taylor? Hasn't our town had enough of the craziness yet?"
Taylor laughed at Luke. "Not a marathon this time, Luke - a formal holiday ball. The proceeds going, of course, to the reconstruction of the rundown bridge."
"I thought the bridge was fixed?"
"It needs a new coat of paint."
Luke snorted. "Are you kidding? You're holding a ball to finance the painting of an old bridge that should be torn down anyway?"
Taylor eyed Luke, quickly losing his patience. "It's not just to raise funds to paint the bridge. It's also to raise town morale. You do realize that some people actually consider dancing fun, don't you?"
"Crazy people," Luke muttered.
"Happy people. Just keep the brochure and at least think about putting it in the window, okay?"
Luke just grunted as Taylor left the diner. He looked over at Lorelai and Rory, who had witnessed the whole thing. "Can you believe this? The whole town's gone crazy."
Lorelai looked up at Luke. "I think it's nice . . . it is a bit soon to have a dance, considering the last one was just a couple of weeks ago, but it still sounds like fun."
"Mom!" Rory interrupted, "Food!" She turned her attention to Luke, "Please, food. Quick."
Lorelai watched with a slight smile as Luke walked away. She looked at Rory. "Can you only talk in monosyllables today, honey? You sound like Luke. Or Jess."
"I'm hungry, Mom."
Lorelai looked skeptically at her daughter. "Uh-huh. So . . . are you going to go to the dance with Jess?"
"Probably," Rory answered, "Who are you going to go with?"
Lorelai turned her head to the side in thought. "I hadn't really thought about it. I mean, I want to go, but I have no idea who I would go with. I haven't really been on a date since that creepy guy from the auction." Lorelai glanced over at Luke. "I wonder who he's going with?" she wondered softly.
Rory smiled at her mother. "You, if you ask him really nicely."
Lorelai jumped out of her reverie. "Geeze . . . did I just say that out loud?" Looking at her daughter, she knew she had. "Luke wouldn't want to go to the ball with me. He hates dances, he hates formal clothes, he hates town events. He wouldn't want to go."
Rory rolled her eyes. "Mom, that man would do anything for you. Can't you see that? If he thought you really wanted to go with him, he would go in a heartbeat. The only reason he didn't want to go to the marathon with you was because he thought you were asking him out of desperation. Make him your first choice. Come on, mom, how often will we ever get to see Luke in a tux?"
Lorelai laughed at that thought. Luke in a tux, huh? She wondered what he would look like in a tux. Handsome, she was sure. Lorelai realized where her train of thought had taken her and snapped out of it. "Well . . . maybe I will ask him. It would be nice to see him take off his flannel clothes for a change." When Rory raised an eyebrow at her, Lorelai realized what she had said. "I meant, it would be nice to see him in clothes other than flannel . . . not that it would be nice to see him naked!"
"See who naked?" Luke wondered as he walked over with Lorelai and Rory's food.
Rory watched her mother's face turn beet red as she looked down at her hands. Rory smiled up at Luke and said, "Oh . . . that man who plays Santa at the Hartford Mall. My mother told me it would be nice to see him take off his outfit he wears every day. When she realized what she said, she said that she meant it would be nice to have him take off that outfit in exchange for other clothing . . . but I think she just wants to see him naked."
"Uh-huh," Luke grunted as he placed Lorelai and Rory's food in front of them. "You guys get weirder every day. Must be the coffee consumption."
Lorelai looked up at Luke. "You know you love it, coffee boy . . .you know, if you didn't agree to serve us the most amazing coffee on earth, we wouldn't be in here every day."
Rory glanced at her mother and then back at Luke. "Oh, I bet we would come in every day anyway," she said with a slight smile. She turned back toward Lorelai and said, "I'm going to go take my food and find Jess. You talk to the person you said you were going to talk to about what you said you were going to talk about!"
"Wow . . . that child talks way too much. I wonder where she gets it from?" Lorelai mused.
Luke snorted out loud and looked at Lorelai strangely. "Way too easy of a comeback, Lorelai. Are you losing your touch?"
"No, I'm not losing my touch. I've just been a little preoccupied with other thoughts lately."
"Such as?" Luke asked warily.
Lorelai glanced around the nearly empty diner. "It's ten o'clock, Luke. No more customers will be coming in for at least another hour . . . why don't you sit down?"
Luke nodded reluctantly and sat down across from Lorelai. He hoped that whatever her troubles were, they wouldn't involve a guy. He wasn't sure if he could handle watching Lorelai obsess over another guy again - and complain about it to him.
Lorelai eyed Luke carefully before preceding. "Well . . . you know the dance?"
"You mean the one Taylor was bugging me about less than 15 minutes ago?" Luke said sarcastically. "Yes, I believe I do."
Lorelai started tapping her fingers nervously on the table. "Well . . . obviously, Rory is going with Jess . . . and, well, I haven't dated anybody seriously for quite awhile . . . and, well, I thought it might be fun if we went together."
Luke looked at Lorelai surprised. "You want me to go with you to a town function at which tuxedo wearing is a must? You've got to be kidding me, Lorelai."
"Lorelai looked at Luke with puppy-dog eyes and pouted. "Come on, Luke. It'll be fun. You know," she looked at him with a sly smile, "I was planning on wearing a form-fitting, low-cut, red dress . . . if that helps your decision any."
Luke laughed. Little did she know that she could go to the ball in a jogging suit and still look beautiful to him. "You know I'm not a dancing kind of guy, Lorelai. You asked me to go to the dance marathon with you, I said no. Why do you think I'll say yes this time?"
"This time is different, Luke," Lorelai insisted. "Last time I asked you to the marathon out of desperation, I needed someone to dance with. This time I really want to go with you. Come on - It'll be fun, I promise."
Luke looked at Lorelai, quickly losing his resolve. Damn it, she could get anything she wanted from him if she begged long enough. "Fine," he muttered.
"What?" Lorelai looked up surprised. She didn't think that Luke would give in - at least not this easily.
"I said I'd go with you, just shut up. You're giving me a headache."
Lorelai squealed and jumped up from her chair. She ran around the table and gave Luke a big hug. "Thanks Luke."
"Your welcome," he grunted.
She smiled at him. "Okay, tomorrow at 8 p.m. I'm going to come over here and we're going to practice."
"Whoa," Luke cut in, "you didn't say anything about having to practice dancing."
Lorelai looked at Luke. "Do you know how to dance?"
"Well, no, but . . .
"Then we need to practice," Lorelai interrupted. "It's this weekend. I'll be here, tomorrow night, at 8, okay?"
Luke rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he grunted. Lorelai would never rest until she got what she wanted anyway.
Rory came bounding down the stairs from Luke and Jess's apartment. "Mom," she said, "are you ready to go now?"
"Yep," Lorelai replied. "I'll just take what I haven't eaten yet home with me." She smiled at Luke. "Can I have a food container, please?"
"Sure thing," Luke replied. He handed her a container and watched her put the remains of her breakfast in it. "See you tomorrow night, Lorelai. Bye Rory."
"See you, Luke," Lorelai replied as she walked toward the door.
"Bye, Santa," Rory replied as she followed her mother to the door.
"What?" Luke asked confused.
Lorelai stared menacingly at her daughter for a moment before turning back toward Luke. "Oh, she must have hit her head upstairs. She seems a little delusional. I better take her home to rest."
"Well . . . okay," Luke said hesitantly, "see you later." With that comment, the Gilmores walked out the door.