Luke watched as she took a sip of the coffee. Lorelai closed her eyes and said, "Mmm.. this is the best coffee I've ever had."

"Well," Luke replied, cocking his head slightly. "Like I said, we only use the best animal fat around." He smiled.

Lorelai laughed. "I'm not sure what the animal fat has to do with the coffee.. but it's good."

"Me neither. It just sounded right in context," He shrugged. 'There's a beautiful woman standing in front of you and you're talking about animal fat?' Luke swallowed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "So, you're not from around here." He eyed her expensive suit and the leather bag that lie on the swiveling seat next to her.

She gulped the last of the coffee down. "Yea, I'm just passing through... could you by any chance recommend a good hotel?"

'My place.' Luke looked thoughtful. "Your best bet would be the Independence Inn. Real nice place. It's run by Mia; she also owns it."

Lorelai smiled to herself. 'So the inn is popular around here.'

"You better take advantage of its small town appeal soon. Rumor has it that some big, high class company wants to buy the hotel from Mia. I don't like that," Luke shook his head. "That hotel has been in her family for ages. I don't know why she wants to sell it to some company. They'd probably give her good money, but it'll turn into some crowded smorgasbord of weirdos."

Lorelai kept her face neutral. "I know what you mean. I guess Star's Hollow doesn't need more 'Kirk's."

Luke grinned. 'She's perfect. She has a sense of humor, she's beautiful'... He hadn't felt this way since Rachel. Luke shook the thought of Rachel off his mind. He swallowed hard. "I don't know.. what you would think about....," Luke started.

He was interrupted by the door. "Ms. Gilmore, are you ready?" It was her driver. Lorelai groaned. "No, not yet. Give me five minutes." He nodded and left.

Luke tried to build up his confidence again. Lorelai turned her attention to Luke. "Um.. you were saying?" Lorelai asked.

"Uh.. what you thought about... Iraq?" Luke said.

"Excuse me?" She looked confused. "Iraq?"

"Or.. what you would think if you got asked out twice in one night?" He blurted out.

She smiled. "It depends on the guys. Are they close to their mamas?"

"Very close. In fact, 34 years ago, she birthed me," Luke replied.

"Wow, you guys must be very close," Lorelai said dryly as she smiled.

"You can't imagine what it's like," He shook his head. "The closeness of it all just tears me up. And how she calls me up and asks 'Why don't you ever call, you jackass!' I just get teary, every time."

"Ooo, is that your middle name?" She asked.

"Yes, but I prefer Jack," He replied.

"Well, Jack, I probably should get back...," Lorelai started. She reached into her bag and started to pull out a business card. 'Wait a second.. he just said that he's upset that some company's going to buy the inn...' She slipped the card back into her bag and grabbed a pen instead. Luke handed her a napkin. "Thanks," She said, scribbling. "This is my cell phone number."

He took the napkin from her. "Mom's gonna be proud I brought home a phone number."

"Bye, now," Lorelai waved at him as she left the diner.

***************************

"I met a guy," Lorelai said to herself. She couldn't believe that she had just given her number to a guy she just met. She didn't know him. Yet, they had just clicked. The silly banter, the weird chat about animal fat, his heroic attempt to save her from that Kirk guy.. and how he flashed her that sexy smile... She just melted. Lorelai rarely went for flannel guys. She went for guys like Derek, who wore pin-striped suits, Gucci shoes, and owned apartments that were more expensive than several small children. Oh, but straight.

"We're here, Ms. Gilmore," The driver called out.

"Thanks," She grabbed her briefcase, her handbag, and her overnight. He parked the car in front of the hotel and took the bags from her.

As Lorelai walked in, she was met with the late night bustle of inns. Since she had started the first Gilmore Suite five years ago, she had forgotten how cozy a small inn could be. The Independence Inn was quaint and decorated stylishly but sparsely. Lorelai approached the desk. "Hi, I'd like a room for the night.. I hope it's not too late," She said.

The lady looked up at her and smiled. "Let me just check the computer." After typing for a couple of seconds, she looked back up and Lorelai and said, "You're in luck. One room left."

As the woman handed her the keys, Lorelai extended a hand to her. "I'm Lorelai Gilmore, by the way."

The lady shook her hand. "I'm Mia Graham."

"Your inn is lovely," Lorelai took the key and pocketed it. "I know that some people have been against your selling the inn to a big company, but I like the way the Independence Inn is right now." She looked around her. "I've only been here 2 minutes, but I love it already. I just wanted to reassure you that not much will be changed."

Mia smiled at her. "I'm grateful for that, but I haven't agreed to sell it yet."

Lorelai was a little taken back. "Yes, of course. I was..just expressing my point of view. The inn is lovely."

Mia nodded and rang the bell for the bellhop to come get her bags. "I hope you enjoy your night, Ms. Gilmore. I'll be seeing you tomorrow morning?"

Lorelai nodded and followed the bellhop up to her room.

**************************

Luke sighed as he finally turned the 'open' sign over. He quickly finished wiping the tables down and turned the light out.

"Jess!" He shouted up the stairs to the apartment. "Are you up there?"

There was no answer. Luke groaned. "Where is that kid?"

Ever since his nephew had come to live with him, life had been rather hectic. Luke shrugged and went upstairs.

Meeting this Lorelai had been the best thing that had happened to him in years. He barely knew her, of course, but they had just clicked.. she had a gorgeous smile and the way she always had an answer for everything.. He liked how she was so confident of herself, but yet still modest and sweet.. and cute.. and those piercing blue eyes.. God, were they real? They probably were; she seemed like a genuinely kind and wonderful person. And he couldn't get her out of his head.

***************************

Lorelai changed out of her skirt and put on some sweats. She was tired from the day's events, but fulfilled. She did love her job and being the CEO and all, there were a lot of perks. She frowned as she thought back to the owner, Mia Graham. She didn't seem to want to sell the inn. Or was it just to her? Luke had said that he wondered why Mia would want to sell the inn to a big name company. But looking around, Lorelai could understand. The inn had a personal feel to it. Like someone had decorated themselves and painted the walls themselves... it had a homey feeling to it. Gilmore Suite Hotels were very elegant and beautiful.. but they didn't have the feeling of home and comfort as the Independence Inn did.

But she could feel it. She wanted this inn. Besides the rather inconvenient location in a small town, the inn was a gem.

She thought back to Luke. It wasn't just that he wasn't the 'type' of guy she usually went for, she wasn't the type of woman to hand her cell phone number to a guy she had just met. No one knew her cell phone number except for her secretary, Derek, her parents, and a couple of really close friends. But now, the circle had widened to welcome this flannel covered, fast-talking diner man, Luke. And well, she rather liked it.

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Ugh, unexciting chapter.. yuck, ycuk.. hehe i'll try to make hte next chapter more exciting

-Ggirl