"Mystery Woman – part 4"
* * *
That same night, Luke and Leslie walked into the diner. It was already past closing time, so they had the place to themselves. Luke flipped on the light, then took off his jacket and draped it on a chair. "You want anything?" he asked as he walked behind the counter.
Leslie walked to the counter. "Yeah, sure. Got hot chocolate?" She ran her fingers through her hair, giving it a little flip over her shoulder.
Luke quickly glanced down, releasing an almost inaudible sigh. Please stop doing that, he wanted to say to her. Every time you do that, you remind me more and more of Lorelai. He nodded toward the kitchen and said, "Yeah, I think I can find some back there."
"Cool." She gestured toward the doorway to the back. "Um, is the bathroom. . ."
Luke pointed to the double doors. "Yeah, right through there."
"Great, thanks." She walked to the back as Luke walked into the kitchen.
He put on a kettle of water and propped himself up on the counter as he waited for it to boil. He exhaled slowly and stared down at his shoes.
He liked Leslie – he liked her a lot. But things were different now than they were before. Now when he was with her, all he saw was Lorelai. He couldn't help it – now that he was aware of the resemblance, it was always in the front of his mind.
And while he felt stupid for not noticing it earlier, he wondered if maybe, subconsciously, he had. . .maybe it was the reason he'd ask her out in the first place. Maybe he'd been imagining himself with Lorelai this entire time. That was something he needed to figure out. . .and soon, before things with Leslie got more serious.
A knock jarred him from his thoughts, and he looked up. Leslie was standing at the doorway. "Am I allowed back here or is this an 'employees only' area? Do you have security guards waiting to attack anyone who walks back here without permission?"
Luke hopped off the counter and waved for her to walk over. "Nah, come in. It's almost ready."
Leslie smiled and walked over to him. "So. . .those are some nice bathroom facilities you have."
"Yeah, I'm pretty proud of 'em," Luke replied with a nod.
She looked around the kitchen, then ran her fingers over the steel countertop. "Nice kitchen, too."
Luke nodded in agreement as he glanced around. "Yup." He retrieved two mugs from a cabinet, then from another, he removed some cocoa mix and a tea bag.
He dropped the tea bag into one mug, then spooned some cocoa into the other. He turned off the tea kettle, which had just started to whistle, and poured some water into the mugs. He gave them each a quick stir, then handed Leslie hers. "There ya go."
"Thanks." She inhaled the aroma. "Mm, smells good." She blew lightly on the steaming liquid to cool it down some, then took a sip. "Mm, tastes good, too." She noticed him staring at her. "Something wrong?"
Oh, no, not at all, Luke thought. You know my friend Lorelai? Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but you look exactly like her, and I've been thinking about her all night instead of you. . . but let's not talk about it until I've had a chance to sort things out in my mind.
He shook his head. "Nope."
"Good." Leslie smiled up at him and kissed him on the cheek. "Let's go sit at a table."
"Okay." Luke watched her walk out of the kitchen, then sighed and followed her into the diner.
* * *
The next afternoon, Luke walked out of the kitchen with two plates of food. As he delivered them to people at the counter, he saw Rory walk in and sit at a table by the door. She set her backpack on the chair next to her and pulled a book out of it.
Luke walked over to her with his order pad opened. "Hey."
Rory looked up at him and smiled. "Hey Luke."
"Can I get you something?"
Rory glanced at her watch. "Uh, not yet. I'm meeting Lane here, so I'll wait for her before I order. I'll just start with coffee."
"Okay." Luke stuck his pad into his waistband and his pencil behind his ear. "Be right back." He walked over to the counter and returned a moment later with a mug of coffee.
As he set it down, he noticed her staring at him. "What?"
Rory smirked and shrugged. "Oh, nothing."
Luke sighed and glanced past her out the window. "You see it. . .the whole Leslie thing. . ."
"Yes, I do."
He took a deep breath. "So I guess. . ."
"Yes?" Rory prompted him.
"Your mom. . ." Luke gestured oddly, waving his hand slowly back and forth in front of him. "I guess she. . ."
"She's not blind," Rory confirmed.
He sighed and nodded. "Right."
They were quiet for a moment before Rory asked, "You didn't see it at first, did you?"
Luke shook his head. "Nope."
"Yeah, she didn't either," Rory said.
Luke nodded, then gestured over his shoulder. "So I gotta. . .get back to the kitchen. Call me when you wanna order something."
Rory nodded. "Okay."
* * *
It was just a few minutes before closing time when Lorelai walked into the diner. Luke, standing near the register, was the only one there, and he said nothing as she walked toward him.
She sighed as she leaned forward on the counter. "We need to talk."
Luke shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced down at the floor. "About what?"
"Luke, you know what," Lorelai said, not buying his attempt at confusion. "I've heard the rumor, I've seen her – let's talk about what it means." Luke started to respond, but Lorelai held up her hand. "Wait. After I get some coffee."
Luke nodded and turned around to the coffee maker. He pulled a mug out from under the counter, and as he reached for the coffeepot, he felt Lorelai's presence right behind him.
He froze.
He suddenly felt her hands graze over his flannel shirt, and her touch sent shivers up his spine. As she began dragging her fingertips up and down his back, he swallowed hard. Oh God. "What are you – " he started.
"Shhhh," she interrupted. She slid her hands up his back and ran her fingers through the soft curls of hair sticking out from under his cap.
He closed his eyes and pressed his palms tightly against the counter, as if trying to prevent himself from collapsing. His breathing increased to the point where he was almost panting. Her hands. . .God, her hands felt so good against his body. They were running over his back, over his shoulders, down his arms.
"Do you want me?" she whispered. Her warm breath felt like a torch against his earlobe.
He opened his eyes and exhaled slowly as he nodded and whispered, "Yes."
She placed her hands on his shoulders and turned him around to face her. As she ran her hands over the stubble on his cheeks, he stared into her bright blue eyes, fierce with intensity, need, desire.
She took his hands into hers and squeezed them gently. "Are you sure that you want me. . .and not her?"
He nodded.
"Good." She brought his hands down and rested them on her waist. Denim had never felt so good to him in his entire life. They were both still for a moment, staring at each other, their chests heaving with every breath.
Suddenly, he pulled her tightly against his body, and she released a small gasp of surprise. She smiled up at him and draped her arms over his shoulders.
"Luke!"
Surprised, they both turned toward the door where the angered voice had come from.
Luke, looking like a deer caught in headlights, croaked, "Leslie."
Lorelai wriggled out of his grasp and pushed herself away from him. "You called her Leslie. I'm Leslie!"
Leslie walked toward them. "No, I'm Leslie, you're Lorelai."
"What?" Lorelai exclaimed. "I am?"
As they began arguing, Luke took a few steps back from them. His eyes quickly moved back and forth between the two women, and he suddenly couldn't tell which was which. He started to take another step backwards, but instead he stumbled and landed on his back with a thud. He closed his eyes and groaned as he covered his face with his hands. The sound of the arguing women slowly dissipated until it suddenly became completely silent.
When he opened his eyes, he was staring up at the ceiling of his apartment. He patted the area surrounding him. Felt his mattress, his blanket.
He was in bed.
It was just a dream.
He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room, then he lifted his neck to check the clock. He fell back against his pillow with a loud sigh. God, Luke, you're gonna drive yourself crazy.
* * *
A few days later, Lorelai walked into the kitchen of the Independence Inn. "Hey Sookie," she said as she walked to the coffee maker.
Sookie looked up from the pan of onions she was sautéing. "Hey. Come here a sec."
Lorelai poured herself a cup of coffee, then walked over to Sookie. "What's up?"
Sookie dipped a wooden spoon into a nearby pot. "Here, tell me what you think of this." She held it up to Lorelai's lips, and Lorelai tasted the reddish substance.
Lorelai's eyes widened and she licked her lips. "Mm, that's good. It tastes strawberry-y."
"Because it is," Sookie declared proudly as she tossed the wooden spoon into the sink. "It's strawberry glaze for the cheesecake."
"Yummy," Lorelai said. She leaned against the counter and took a sip of her coffee as Sookie stirred the onions.
"So. . .you still haven't mentioned the resemblance thing to Luke yet?" Sookie asked cautiously.
"You mean since this morning when you asked me that?" Lorelai asked, rolling her eyes. "Uh, no."
"Okay, sore subject, sorry," Sookie said, holding up her hands in defeat.
Lorelai scoffed and shook her head. "It's not a sore subject."
"Then why did you practically run out of the kitchen after I asked you this morning?" Sookie asked.
Lorelai gestured toward the lobby door and stammered, "Uh, because. . .out there. . .I had to. . .Michel was calling me."
"Right," Sookie said with a smirk. "Talk to me."
Lorelai sighed and shrugged. "There's nothing to talk about. Luke's girlfriend looks like me."
"Yeah, I know that part."
"That's it, that's all there is to say."
"How does it make you feel?" Sookie asked. "Does it make you feel weird?"
Lorelai picked up a carrot stick and tapped it on the counter. "No, not really. It's no big deal."
"Uh huh."
"Really, Sookie," Lorelai said with a shrug. "It doesn't bother me at all."
Sookie turned off the burner and wiped her hands on a dishtowel. "You know, maybe he doesn't see the resemblance."
"He does," Lorelai said quickly. "Rory told me he does."
"Rory talked to him about it?" Sookie asked, surprised.
"Well, not really," Lorelai replied. "A few days ago, she said that he asked her if I saw it, and she said yes, and he claimed that he didn't see it at first, but now he does."
"So now he knows that you see the resemblance?" Sookie asked.
Lorelai nodded.
"And you know that he sees it?" Sookie asked, and Lorelai nodded again. "But neither of you have brought it up?"
"Nope."
"You just avoid the subject completely?"
Lorelai nodded. "Pretty much."
Sookie narrowed her eyes curiously at Lorelai, and a small smile appeared on her lips. She nudged Lorelai on the shoulder. "What's going on with you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I know you, Lorelai," Sookie said. "If it really was no big deal, then you would already be running around joking about it, teasing him about it, driving him crazy. . .but you're not."
"So what?"
"So. . .it obviously makes you feel a little weird," Sookie declared.
Lorelai was quiet as she stared down at the carrot in her hand. She tossed it into the garbage can and sighed. "Maybe a little," she admitted. "I mean, it makes me wonder things, like. . .when he's kissing her. . ."
"Is he imagining that it's you?" Sookie filled in.
Lorelai nodded. "Yeah. Do you think he is?"
Sookie shrugged. "Well, as much as you deny it, he does like you, so he might be. How does that make you feel?"
Lorelai sighed. "Okay, you and Rory both need to stop asking me how everything makes me feel. I don't wanna talk about my feelings."
"Sorry, sorry," Sookie replied. "I'm just trying to help you sort out whatever's going on in that head of yours."
Lorelai started walking to the door. "And I appreciate that, but the only thing going on in there is the confusion over which episode of the Brady Bunch is my favorite."
Sookie tilted her head. "Lorelai. . ."
"There are way too many classic episodes to choose just one," Lorelai continued. "The one where Jan gets glasses but she doesn't like wearing them, the one where the football hits Marsha's nose, the one where Peter plays ball in the house and breaks the vase. . ."
"Lorelai. . ."
"All great episodes."
"Honey. . ."
"I'll let you know when I narrow it down. Bye Sookie." Lorelai walked through the door into the lobby. She stopped a few feet away and took a long sip of her coffee. Maybe you should talk to her, she told herself. It's better than keeping everything inside and driving yourself crazy.
Lorelai glanced toward the door to the kitchen. She tapped her fingernails on the side of her mug as she considered going back in to talk to Sookie.
Finally, deciding against it, she turned and walked toward the front desk.
She wasn't ready to tell anyone the truth yet.
* * *
On Saturday afternoon, Lorelai was sprawled across the couch watching television when the doorbell rang. She walked over and answered the door.
Luke stood on the porch, his toolbox in tote. "Hey."
Lorelai smiled. "Aw, thank you," she said, waving him into the house. "Thanks for coming."
As he walked through the door, he said, "No problem."
"Really, I mean it," Lorelai replied. "I didn't expect you to come in the middle of the day. I'm sure the diner's busy and everything."
"Nah, it gets pretty slow around this time," he replied, shrugging it off.
"Okay. . .well, thank you," Lorelai said as she led him to the kitchen.
"You might wanna save the thanks until after we find out if I can fix it," he said. "I'm not exactly a plumber."
"No, but you can fix everything," Lorelai said. "You could start your own home improvement show and give Bob Vila a run for his money."
Luke set his toolbox on the kitchen table. "Yeah. . .well, I'll think about that if I ever get tired of the diner."
"Okay, good." She gestured to the sink. "Well. . .there it is, the faucet of doom."
He opened the toolbox and rummaged around for something.
Lorelai shoved her hands into her pockets. "Uh, so. . .can I get you a drink or something?"
"Nah, I'm good."
"Okay." She sat down at the table and opened a magazine. She skimmed through a few pages as Luke rolled up his sleeves and started working on the sink.
After a minute of pretending to read the magazine, she slowly brought her gaze to Luke. He was crouching down, looking at the pipes under the sink.
She hadn't wanted to call him. She didn't want to bother him by asking for favors, especially now when she had all these crazy emotions running through her. But she also didn't have extra money to spend on a real plumber, one who would undoubtedly charge two hundred bucks for something that could probably be fixed in five minutes.
Does he feel as weird as I do, she wondered. Should I say something? Should I make small talk?
He stood up and turned back to his toolbox, and she quickly glanced down at the magazine. "I found the problem," he announced. "It won't take long to fix."
She looked up at him and smiled. "Oh, great, thanks." She cleared her throat and asked, "So, you going to the rummage sale tomorrow?"
"Uh, yeah, I'll probably stop by," Luke replied, pulling a wrench out of his toolbox. "You?"
"Oh, absolutely," Lorelai replied. "There's no force strong enough to keep me away from those piles of cheap useless junk."
Luke smiled and turned back to the sink.
Lorelai exhaled softly and stared at him. She wanted to tell him how she'd been feeling. . . but she couldn't tell him, she couldn't ask him if he felt the same. She was terrified.
She'd never be able to say it. How would she even form the words?
Luke, I think this whole Leslie thing is making me realize that I might have feelings for you.
No, she'd never be able to say it. That would destroy their friendship. Things would never be the same again.
Though, with how she was feeling right now, they weren't looking to be the same anyway. Because if she didn't do anything, there'd always be this feeling of regret, of 'what if.' But if she did do something and it turned out bad, there'd be a different feeling of regret. Either way. . .things were different now.
Luke turned on the faucet and checked the water pressure, then turned to Lorelai. "There, all fixed." He put his wrench into the toolbox and closed it up.
Lorelai stood up and smiled. "Wow, that was fast. Thanks, I owe you one."
"Give up coffee," Luke suggested.
Lorelai smiled. "I don't owe you that much. I'd rather live with the faucet of doom."
"I tried." He picked up the toolbox and started walking toward the back door. "Well, I better get back."
Lorelai nodded. "Right. Thanks for coming over." The phone rang, and she glanced toward the living room, then back at Luke. "So, I'll see you tomorrow. Or maybe later tonight."
"Yeah, see ya." As Luke reached for the doorknob, Lorelai gave a small wave, then jogged toward the living room to answer the phone.
After explaining to the man on the phone that she was already satisfied with her long distance service, she hung up and dropped the phone on the couch.
Then heard something in the kitchen.
She narrowed her eyes as she walked toward the noise, and she peeked into the kitchen from the doorway. The backdoor was open and Luke was kneeling in front of it, his toolbox opened on the ground next to him.
Surprised, Lorelai said, "Luke. . .uh. . .what are you doing?"
Luke looked over at her. "Oh, I just wanted to screw your back door before I left."
Lorelai's eyes widened and she gasped loudly. "Luke Danes, you are a dirty, dirty man," she said, shaking her finger at him.
Blushing slightly, Luke sighed and shook his head toward the ground. "Why don't I think before I talk to you?"
Lorelai smiled and walked over to him. "I don't know. You'd think you would know better by now." She gestured toward the door. "So, why are you screwing my back door?"
"Because the doorknob felt a little jiggly to me," Luke replied, holding up his screwdriver. "So I figured while I'm here, I might as well tighten it."
Lorelai smiled appreciatively. "Aw, thanks. Well, then, screw away." She took a few steps back from him and watched him work.
Maybe this is a second chance, she thought. Maybe God performed some sort of miracle that made the doorknob loose so that Luke would stay, giving me a second chance to talk to him about things. You're not really gonna turn down a second chance from God, are you?
Luke dropped the screwdriver into his toolbox, closed it, and stood up. "Okay, that's fixed, too."
"Thanks, Luke." He started to step out the door when she cleared her throat loudly. "Luke, wait."
He turned and stepped back into the kitchen. "Yeah?"
She began wringing her hands furiously. "Um, I wanted to talk to you about something."
Luke suddenly became nervous. "About what?" Oh God, don't say Leslie. I'm not ready to talk to you about that. Please don't say Leslie.
"Um. . .Leslie," Lorelai replied hesitantly.
Dammit. Luke sighed toward the ground. "Uh huh."
Oh God, are you really doing this, she asked herself. Are you really gonna tell him?
"I mean, we both know that. . ." Lorelai started, then paused. "I mean, we can both see that. . ." Her voice trailed off.
Luke shifted his feet and nodded uncomfortably. "Yeah, I know."
Lorelai took a deep breath. "And so. . .I was just . . .you know, I was thinking about it, and. . . " She sighed loudly. "God, I don't know how to say this. . ."
Luke wanted to drop his toolbox and run out the back door. He couldn't even look her in the eye. "It makes you feel weird, doesn't it?"
Lorelai nodded. "A little bit, but I realized that. . ."
"It doesn't mean anything," he interrupted.
Surprised, Lorelai flinched slightly. "What?"
Luke gestured with his one free hand. "The resemblance. . .I didn't mean to. . .it's just. . .one of those weird coincidences. . ." Try to escape this conversation with as little embarrassment as possible, Luke. Don't freak her out any more than she already seems to be. "I didn't even notice it until recently," he added with a casual shrug.
Lorelai felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach.
Or the heart.
"Oh," she said in an almost-whisper. "Right, that's what I figured." She forced a smile and nodded. "Coincidence. . .right."
"Yeah," he replied. "So. . .I'm sorry if it's weird. I didn't mean to make everything all. . . "
"No, no, it's fine," she said, waving him off. "Uh, thanks for . . .fixing the. . ." She gestured toward the toolbox.
"You're welcome," he replied. "I'll see you later?"
"Yeah, maybe," she replied with a nod. "Bye."
He nodded goodbye and walked out the back door, pulling it closed behind him. With the soft click of the door, her lower lip quivered and a single teardrop rolled down her cheek.
* * *
To be continued. . .
Much thanks to those of you who reviewed. :)