Chapter 13: If It's Friday, This Must be Hartford
"You know," Lorelai said to Rory as they got out of her SUV, "I haven't missed these Friday night dinners at all."
"Well, try and think happy thoughts," Rory suggested.
After they arrived at the door, Lorelai looked at Rory and asked, "How do I look?"
Rory looked her mother over then said, "Beautiful. How about me?"
"Beautifuler."
"Thank you, Mom. And thanks again for the dress."
"No problem." Lorelai pointed at the dress and added, "You know I hear that blue is the new teal."
Rory reached out and rang the door bell as she said, "You don't say."
Before Lorelai could respond, the door opened, revealing Richard Gilmore, wearing a blue sports coat, and a red bow tie. He smiled brightly and said, "Hello, girls."
Rory smiled back and said, "Hi, Grandpa." Rory stepped through the door and hugged her grandfather.
After a moment, they stepped back and Lorelai said, "You know, Dad, I don't know if I ever remember you answering the door before."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Lorelai, "Richard replied. "I've answered the door many times."
Lorelai shrugged and said, "If you say so."
Lorelai and Rory followed Richard into the family room. Lorelai asked, "Where's Mom?"
"She's right here."
Everyone turned to see the speaker, Emily entering from the dinning room. "I was checking on things in the kitchen."
Emily turned to Rory and said, "There she is."
"Hi, Grandma," Rory said as the two women embraced.
As Emily led Rory to the sofa, she said, "You have to tell me all about school."
"Can I get you something to drink, Mom?" Lorelai asked from near the liquor cart.
"Thank you, Lorelai. I'll have white wine."
Lorelai filled a glass for herself and her mother. As Lorelai handed Emily the glass, Emily looked around and asked, "Where's Luke?"
As Lorelai sat down in a chair, she glanced at Rory, and then said, "Oh, he couldn't make it."
"I thought he was the owner of the diner," Emile said. "He couldn't get one of his employees to work tonight?"
Lorelai suppressed her first response. Instead she said, "He is the owner, Mom." Lorelai knew she should drop the subject, but she said, "But he didn't have to work tonight."
"Oh, really," Emily stated. "What could be so important that he refused a dinner invitation?"
"He didn't refuse, mom, he just couldn't accept."
"I fail to see the difference," Emily said.
"No, Mom, you wouldn't," Lorelai replied.
"So, Grandma," Rory said, trying to divert the budding argument, "how was your trip to Martha's Vineyard this year?"
Not taking the bait, Emily said, "Well, could I at least know what was so important that your fiancée felt it was ok to be rude? What was it, bowling night?"
"No," Lorelai scoffed, "it is not bowling night."
"So, what is it?" Emily challenged.
"It's nothing Mom, he just had other commitments, and since this came up last minute, I told him not to come."
"What kind of commitments?"
"Mom, it's none of your business."
"Well, there's no need to get defensive about it, Lorelai," Emily replied. "I just thought that since Luke is going to be part of this family, he would want to participate in family gatherings. I didn't mean the invitation to be an inconvenience."
"There's no inconvenience, Mom," Lorelai responded, the argument beginning to cause her stomach to churn. "Like I said, he had other commitments."
"Well, I hope he doesn't feel unwelcome here, because Lord knows, I've done my best to make him feel welcome," Emily said.
"No, Mom, Luke feels welcome here," Lorelai replied. "Maybe more welcome than I do. It's like I said…"
"I know, I know," Emily interrupted. "He had other commitments." Emily shrugged and turned back to Rory and asked, "So, tell me, how is Kyle?"
"You know," Lorelai said to Rory as they got out of her SUV, "I haven't missed these Friday night dinners at all."
"Well, try and think happy thoughts," Rory suggested.
After they arrived at the door, Lorelai looked at Rory and asked, "How do I look?"
Rory looked her mother over then said, "Beautiful. How about me?"
"Beautifuler."
"Thank you, Mom. And thanks again for the dress."
"No problem." Lorelai pointed at the dress and added, "You know I hear that blue is the new teal."
Rory reached out and rang the door bell as she said, "You don't say."
Before Lorelai could respond, the door opened, revealing Richard Gilmore, wearing a blue sports coat, and a red bow tie. He smiled brightly and said, "Hello, girls."
Rory smiled back and said, "Hi, Grandpa." Rory stepped through the door and hugged her grandfather.
After a moment, they stepped back and Lorelai said, "You know, Dad, I don't know if I ever remember you answering the door before."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Lorelai, "Richard replied. "I've answered the door many times."
Lorelai shrugged and said, "If you say so."
Lorelai and Rory followed Richard into the family room. Lorelai asked, "Where's Mom?"
"She's right here."
Everyone turned to see the speaker, Emily entering from the dinning room. "I was checking on things in the kitchen."
Emily turned to Rory and said, "There she is."
"Hi, Grandma," Rory said as the two women embraced.
As Emily led Rory to the sofa, she said, "You have to tell me all about school."
"Can I get you something to drink, Mom?" Lorelai asked from near the liquor cart.
"Thank you, Lorelai. I'll have white wine."
Lorelai filled a glass for herself and her mother. As Lorelai handed Emily the glass, Emily looked around and asked, "Where's Luke?"
As Lorelai sat down in a chair, she glanced at Rory, and then said, "Oh, he couldn't make it."
"I thought he was the owner of the diner," Emile said. "He couldn't get one of his employees to work tonight?"
Lorelai suppressed her first response. Instead she said, "He is the owner, Mom." Lorelai knew she should drop the subject, but she said, "But he didn't have to work tonight."
"Oh, really," Emily stated. "What could be so important that he refused a dinner invitation?"
"He didn't refuse, mom, he just couldn't accept."
"I fail to see the difference," Emily said.
"No, Mom, you wouldn't," Lorelai replied.
"So, Grandma," Rory said, trying to divert the budding argument, "how was your trip to Martha's Vineyard this year?"
Not taking the bait, Emily said, "Well, could I at least know what was so important that your fiancée felt it was ok to be rude? What was it, bowling night?"
"No," Lorelai scoffed, "it is not bowling night."
"So, what is it?" Emily challenged.
"It's nothing Mom, he just had other commitments, and since this came up last minute, I told him not to come."
"What kind of commitments?"
"Mom, it's none of your business."
"Well, there's no need to get defensive about it, Lorelai," Emily replied. "I just thought that since Luke is going to be part of this family, he would want to participate in family gatherings. I didn't mean the invitation to be an inconvenience."
"There's no inconvenience, Mom," Lorelai responded, the argument beginning to cause her stomach to churn. "Like I said, he had other commitments."
"Well, I hope he doesn't feel unwelcome here, because Lord knows, I've done my best to make him feel welcome," Emily said.
"No, Mom, Luke feels welcome here," Lorelai replied. "Maybe more welcome than I do. It's like I said…"
"I know, I know," Emily interrupted. "He had other commitments." Emily shrugged and turned back to Rory and asked, "So, tell me, how is Kyle?"