Act 3
On Monday morning, Lorelai and Sookie planned on making a checklist of repairs needed on their newly acquired inn. "Rory!" Lorelai called frantically as she tore into the kitchen, shoes in hand. "Quick, which shoes?"
Rory looked over her mother's outfit, a navy pantsuit, and gestured to the boots in her right hand. "Definitely the boots, you don't want to be trekking around the hotel in those heels."
"That's what I was going to say," Lorelai smiled. "I was just testing you; you've learned well grasshopper."
"Yes, now we both have much knowledge," Rory rolled her eyes. "Are we ready to go to Luke's?"
"You bet, what are you doing today?" Lorelai slipped the boots on and grabbed her purse.
"Actually, I was going to stop by the Photo Hut and talk to Manny -"
"The manager?" Lorelai interrupted.
"Yes."
"Hee hee, Manny the Manager.sorry," she chuckled.
"Anyway," Rory said sternly. "Kirk said that they need another part timer at the Photo Hut, so I thought maybe I could do that while I'm not helping at the Dragonfly."
"Alright, that sounds okay," Lorelai agreed. "But you know that you don't have to get a job, right? I'm not going to make you pay rent or anything."
"I know, but this way I can save up some money for school and hopefully borrow less from Grandma and Grandpa."
Lorelai looked about ready to comment on Rory mentioning her loan, but let it go. "Well," she said instead. "I'm hungry!"
"Me too," Rory agreed. "Let's go." They drove to Luke's this time, having learned their lesson the day before. Going inside the diner, they greeted Caesar. Caesar waved and brought the coffee over.
"Hey we didn't even have to ask," Lorelai beamed.
"We've trained you well," Rory chimed in.
"Hey, not bad," Lorelai remarked, referring to the coffee that she'd just tasted.
"Well," Caesar smiled. "You may be interested to know that Luke called today." Rory looked interested and Lorelai sat up in her chair, almost nervously.
Rory briefly wondered if her mother was excited over the idea of Luke's coffee, or if maybe there was another reason. She dismissed the thought quickly as Caesar continued. "He's coming back Thursday."
"What?" Lorelai now looked confused. "Isn't he supposed to be on a cruise?"
"Well, apparently he and Nicole decided not to go on it. They're driving back, left this morning."
Caesar left and they were silent for a minute. "I hope everything's okay," Rory sounded concerned.
"Me too," Lorelai sipped her coffee slowly, deep in thought.
* * *
"Hello?" Lorelai asked, answering her cell phone, which had just rung.
"Hi Mom," Rory replied over the line. "Where are you?"
"Driving to Hartford," Lorelai replied, switching lanes to pass a truck. "I have to go to Emerson's Finishing's for a price quote. What's up?"
"Not much. Manny gave me the job, wants me to start tomorrow morning," Rory answered.
"That's great Hun!"
"Yea," Rory continued. "I'm going to go to Lane's for a while. Will you be home in time for dinner?"
"Probably not," Lorelai sighed. "But there's some money in the cookie jar; but some pizza or something for you and Lane."
"Okay, I'll see you later," Rory said.
"Mmkay, bye Rory," Lorelai turned off her cell and took the Hartford turnoff. She pulled up to the parking spaces reserved for Emerson customers. Stepping out of the Jeep, she noticed a familiar woman coming down the walk from the Brownstone Law building.
"Nicole!" Lorelai called out. Nicole stopped and looked at Lorelai, pausing to give her the chance to catch up.
"Lorelai," she responded as a greeting.
"Hi. What are you doing here?" Lorelai was confused. "I thought you were driving back, and getting here Thursday."
"Luke is driving back, I took a flight from Vancouver," Nicole said, her tone bordering on edgy.
"Is everything okay?" Lorelai asked.
"Fine," Nicole said pertly. "If you must know, Luke and I are on an extended break." Nicole began to walk away.
"Wait!" Lorelai cried, catching up again. "What are you talking about? Maybe I can help you out, do something maybe?"
"I think you've done enough," Nicole said, all pretenses gone and now obviously annoyed.
"Excuse me?" Lorelai demanded defensively.
"Somehow," Nicole said, obviously blaming Lorelai for the 'how'. "Luke got it into his head that a cruise meant a serious commitment; one that he apparently wasn't willing to make. Not to me at least. I think it's best that in the future you keep your opinions about my and Luke's relationship to yourself. It's really none of your business."
"Excuse me! Luke is my friend," Lorelai cried; they were now drawing stares from passers by. "It just so happens that taking a cruise as a couple in a serious step; it implies a commitment. It's not my fault that Luke isn't ready for that with you."
"Yes it is, Lorelai," Nicole sighed, not really angry, but rather just upset. "Luke can't bring himself to commit to anyone - me or even Rachel - because he's always holding back on the hope that he'll get a chance with you. That maybe you'll wake up and realize that he's in love with you, and maybe you'll see him as more than just Luke the coffee guy."
Lorelai was speechless for maybe the third time in her entire life. "Listen Lorelai," Nicole continued, a resigned tone in her voice. "Luke and I aren't going to happen, even if he changed his mind and wanted to try. I can't be with him, knowing that he'll always have you in the back of his mind. I deserve better, and so does he. Luke should be with someone that he really is in love with, not someone he decided to settle with."
"Luke and I are just friends, Nicole," Lorelai said forcefully, unsure if she herself believed it.
"If that's how you really feel Lorelai, then take my advice; if Luke is really your friend, if you really care about him, then tell him how you feel. No matter what you feel about him, let him know if it's a possibility or not, but let him know for sure. Because another woman that cares about him, and that he might care about in return, WILL come along, and I don't want him to miss out again. He's a good man, Lorelai, and deserves to settle down and build himself a family -he won't be able to do that until his issues with you are resolved."
"Do you really think that Luke wants all that? A family I mean," Lorelai asked quietly. "He's made pretty vague hints about it before, in fact I've heard him say just the opposite. And I've never heard him say he wanted that with me."
"I'm sure, call it noting the blatantly obvious," Nicole smiled sadly and continued at the skeptical look on Lorelai's face. "When Luke isn't ranting about Jess, or telling one of his countless stories about you and your various quirks, he's raving about Rory and how proud he is of her."
"Oh, wow," Lorelai looked deep in thought. "Nicole, I really am sorry things didn't work out for you two. I know Luke wants you to be happy."
"I know he does, and reason I told you this is because I want that for him too; with or without me in his life. Probably without me, with you."
Lorelai nodded. "I'll think about what you said Nicole, and I promise I'll talk to Luke. one way or another."
Nicole smiled. "Goodbye Lorelai," she walked away.
"Goodbye Nicole," Lorelai answered softly. Her price quote now completely forgotten, she sat down on a nearby bench and stared blankly into space, deep in thought.
Commercial Break.
On Monday morning, Lorelai and Sookie planned on making a checklist of repairs needed on their newly acquired inn. "Rory!" Lorelai called frantically as she tore into the kitchen, shoes in hand. "Quick, which shoes?"
Rory looked over her mother's outfit, a navy pantsuit, and gestured to the boots in her right hand. "Definitely the boots, you don't want to be trekking around the hotel in those heels."
"That's what I was going to say," Lorelai smiled. "I was just testing you; you've learned well grasshopper."
"Yes, now we both have much knowledge," Rory rolled her eyes. "Are we ready to go to Luke's?"
"You bet, what are you doing today?" Lorelai slipped the boots on and grabbed her purse.
"Actually, I was going to stop by the Photo Hut and talk to Manny -"
"The manager?" Lorelai interrupted.
"Yes."
"Hee hee, Manny the Manager.sorry," she chuckled.
"Anyway," Rory said sternly. "Kirk said that they need another part timer at the Photo Hut, so I thought maybe I could do that while I'm not helping at the Dragonfly."
"Alright, that sounds okay," Lorelai agreed. "But you know that you don't have to get a job, right? I'm not going to make you pay rent or anything."
"I know, but this way I can save up some money for school and hopefully borrow less from Grandma and Grandpa."
Lorelai looked about ready to comment on Rory mentioning her loan, but let it go. "Well," she said instead. "I'm hungry!"
"Me too," Rory agreed. "Let's go." They drove to Luke's this time, having learned their lesson the day before. Going inside the diner, they greeted Caesar. Caesar waved and brought the coffee over.
"Hey we didn't even have to ask," Lorelai beamed.
"We've trained you well," Rory chimed in.
"Hey, not bad," Lorelai remarked, referring to the coffee that she'd just tasted.
"Well," Caesar smiled. "You may be interested to know that Luke called today." Rory looked interested and Lorelai sat up in her chair, almost nervously.
Rory briefly wondered if her mother was excited over the idea of Luke's coffee, or if maybe there was another reason. She dismissed the thought quickly as Caesar continued. "He's coming back Thursday."
"What?" Lorelai now looked confused. "Isn't he supposed to be on a cruise?"
"Well, apparently he and Nicole decided not to go on it. They're driving back, left this morning."
Caesar left and they were silent for a minute. "I hope everything's okay," Rory sounded concerned.
"Me too," Lorelai sipped her coffee slowly, deep in thought.
* * *
"Hello?" Lorelai asked, answering her cell phone, which had just rung.
"Hi Mom," Rory replied over the line. "Where are you?"
"Driving to Hartford," Lorelai replied, switching lanes to pass a truck. "I have to go to Emerson's Finishing's for a price quote. What's up?"
"Not much. Manny gave me the job, wants me to start tomorrow morning," Rory answered.
"That's great Hun!"
"Yea," Rory continued. "I'm going to go to Lane's for a while. Will you be home in time for dinner?"
"Probably not," Lorelai sighed. "But there's some money in the cookie jar; but some pizza or something for you and Lane."
"Okay, I'll see you later," Rory said.
"Mmkay, bye Rory," Lorelai turned off her cell and took the Hartford turnoff. She pulled up to the parking spaces reserved for Emerson customers. Stepping out of the Jeep, she noticed a familiar woman coming down the walk from the Brownstone Law building.
"Nicole!" Lorelai called out. Nicole stopped and looked at Lorelai, pausing to give her the chance to catch up.
"Lorelai," she responded as a greeting.
"Hi. What are you doing here?" Lorelai was confused. "I thought you were driving back, and getting here Thursday."
"Luke is driving back, I took a flight from Vancouver," Nicole said, her tone bordering on edgy.
"Is everything okay?" Lorelai asked.
"Fine," Nicole said pertly. "If you must know, Luke and I are on an extended break." Nicole began to walk away.
"Wait!" Lorelai cried, catching up again. "What are you talking about? Maybe I can help you out, do something maybe?"
"I think you've done enough," Nicole said, all pretenses gone and now obviously annoyed.
"Excuse me?" Lorelai demanded defensively.
"Somehow," Nicole said, obviously blaming Lorelai for the 'how'. "Luke got it into his head that a cruise meant a serious commitment; one that he apparently wasn't willing to make. Not to me at least. I think it's best that in the future you keep your opinions about my and Luke's relationship to yourself. It's really none of your business."
"Excuse me! Luke is my friend," Lorelai cried; they were now drawing stares from passers by. "It just so happens that taking a cruise as a couple in a serious step; it implies a commitment. It's not my fault that Luke isn't ready for that with you."
"Yes it is, Lorelai," Nicole sighed, not really angry, but rather just upset. "Luke can't bring himself to commit to anyone - me or even Rachel - because he's always holding back on the hope that he'll get a chance with you. That maybe you'll wake up and realize that he's in love with you, and maybe you'll see him as more than just Luke the coffee guy."
Lorelai was speechless for maybe the third time in her entire life. "Listen Lorelai," Nicole continued, a resigned tone in her voice. "Luke and I aren't going to happen, even if he changed his mind and wanted to try. I can't be with him, knowing that he'll always have you in the back of his mind. I deserve better, and so does he. Luke should be with someone that he really is in love with, not someone he decided to settle with."
"Luke and I are just friends, Nicole," Lorelai said forcefully, unsure if she herself believed it.
"If that's how you really feel Lorelai, then take my advice; if Luke is really your friend, if you really care about him, then tell him how you feel. No matter what you feel about him, let him know if it's a possibility or not, but let him know for sure. Because another woman that cares about him, and that he might care about in return, WILL come along, and I don't want him to miss out again. He's a good man, Lorelai, and deserves to settle down and build himself a family -he won't be able to do that until his issues with you are resolved."
"Do you really think that Luke wants all that? A family I mean," Lorelai asked quietly. "He's made pretty vague hints about it before, in fact I've heard him say just the opposite. And I've never heard him say he wanted that with me."
"I'm sure, call it noting the blatantly obvious," Nicole smiled sadly and continued at the skeptical look on Lorelai's face. "When Luke isn't ranting about Jess, or telling one of his countless stories about you and your various quirks, he's raving about Rory and how proud he is of her."
"Oh, wow," Lorelai looked deep in thought. "Nicole, I really am sorry things didn't work out for you two. I know Luke wants you to be happy."
"I know he does, and reason I told you this is because I want that for him too; with or without me in his life. Probably without me, with you."
Lorelai nodded. "I'll think about what you said Nicole, and I promise I'll talk to Luke. one way or another."
Nicole smiled. "Goodbye Lorelai," she walked away.
"Goodbye Nicole," Lorelai answered softly. Her price quote now completely forgotten, she sat down on a nearby bench and stared blankly into space, deep in thought.
Commercial Break.