Chapter 26: Let's Play Telephone
Early Tuesday evening, Lorelai sat at her kitchen table, sipping a glass of wine and watching Sookie prepare dinner. She sat her glass on the table and asked, "Can I do anything to help with dinner, Sookie?"
Sookie looked at Lorelai and laughed, "You're kidding, right? I love ya sweetie, but you do not belong anywhere near food preparation."
"Yeah, you're right," Lorelai admitted. She took another drink of wine and asked, "So, tell me how many versions have you heard?"
Sookie tasted something from a pan then asked, "Heard about what?"
"You know, about me and Luke? What are the people around town saying?"
Sookie waved off the question saying, "No one is talking about you and Luke."
Lorelai chortled then said, "Sookie, I have lived in this town for twenty years and I know that there is no way that no one is not talking about a juicy piece of gossip like this."
Sookie looked guilty as she responded, "I didn't think you'd want to hear about it."
"Come on, Sookie," Lorelai replied. "What's the fun of being the subject of town gossip, if you can't hear all ways that people got the story screwed up?"
"Well, if you're sure," Sookie answered. She opened the oven door to check inside. She closed the door then made a slight adjustment to the temperature, then moved towards the table while wiping her hands on her apron. After she sat down, she said, "Let's see, someone told me that you caught Luke sleeping with an old girlfriend."
"Hm, that's almost the truth. Come on, Sookie, you can do better than that."
"Well, Jackson said that Andrew told him that Luke wanted the two of you to sleep with one of his old girlfriends."
"Hm, that's kinda interesting."
"But," Sookie continued, "Andrew told me that that Luke wanted you to sleep with his old girlfriend, while he watched."
"Kinky, but creepy."
"Then there was the waitress at Al's Pancake World that said you wanted to watch Luke with his old girlfriend," Sookie said.
"Alright," Lorelai started, "don't these people realize that we're talking about a dead girl?"
Sookie looked apologetic as she said, "Well, I did hear that reference once."
"Oh, my, God. Some people are just sick." Lorelai put a hand to her stomach and said, "That's just makes me sick to my stomach."
"Anyway, that pretty much covers what I have heard," Sookie concluded.
"Well," Lorelai replied, "Not any kind of record, but respectable."
Sookie stood and walked to the refrigerator as she asked, "You want more wine?"
Lorelai looked at her glass then answered, "Naaa, I better not."
"Right," Sookie answered as she filled her glass, "on account of the baby. Speaking of the baby, have you made an appointment with the doctor yet?"
"Yeah, I see her on Monday."
Once Sookie had resumed her seat, she asked, "So, have you talked to Luke?"
"No. I just can't stand the thought of talking to him right now," Lorelai answered.
"So, I guess he doesn't know about the baby?"
Lorelai looked at her friend with a scared look as she answered, "No. Only you, Rory and I know, and you have to promise to keep it that way. At least for now. Please."
"Sure, sweetie," Sookie assured. "But unless you are planning on leaving town, he's bound to find out eventually."
"I know, but not yet, okay?"
"Sure, whatever you say."
"Has he tried to contact you?" Sookie asked.
"Not since Sunday," Lorelai said with a shake of her head. "He tried to call a bunch of times that morning, but I wouldn't answer. Then he left a note when he was here that afternoon, but I tore it up without reading it."
"Was that it?"
"No, he showed up at work on Monday morning, but I wouldn't talk to him. I couldn't bear to look at him, so I made Michel tell him to leave, or I'd call the police."
"So, are you ever gonna talk to him?" Sookie asked.
"I don't know," Lorelai replied. "Maybe, eventually."
"But you're happy about the baby, right?" Sookie asked.
"What?" Lorelai asked. "Yes, of course I am."
Sookie silently stared at Lorelai. After meeting her gaze for a moment, Lorelai turned away, her gaze away and said, "I want to be, but I'm scared. I…"
When Lorelai didn't continue, Sookie put a hand on her arm and asked, "You what, sweetie?"
Lorelai sighed and said, "I'm really not sure if I want to raise another kid all by myself."
"Oh, sweetie, I'm sure you'll do fine." Sookie said. "I mean, you did great with Rory and you have so much more now than when you had her. You have this house, a great job and lots of friends. You know I'll do what ever I can to help."
Lorelai smiled at her friend and said, "I know that, Sookie. Thanks." Lorelai played with her empty wine glass for a moment then asked, "But what if Rory was a fluke? What if I really screw up this time?"
Sookie patted Lorelai's hand and said, "You'll do fine. I promise."
"Thanks."
Sookie took another sip from her glass then asked, "So, does this mean that you don't think that you and Luke can patch things up?"
"I don't know," Lorelai sighed. "I mean I'd like to but the thought of what he did hurts so much. I just never thought Luke could hurt me like that."
"Well, one way or the other, you'll have to talk to him eventually."
"I know," Lorelai admitted. "But, not yet."
"What about your parents?" Sookie asked.
Lorelai shrank down in her chair and then said, "Oh, I can't even think about that now. I just can't handle my mother now."
Sookie started to reply but was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. They exchanged glances, and then looked at the phone. At the second ring, Lorelai asked, "Could you get it? It might be Rory, but it could be…."
"Sure," Sookie answered as she stood up. She picked up the phone and said, "Gilmore residence."
Sookie listened, then paled slightly as she responded, "Oh, hi, Luke. Yeah, it's Sookie."
As Sookie listened, she silently asked Lorelai if she wanted to talk to Luke. Lorelai responded with an emphatic shake of her head. Sookie shrugged then said into the phone, "No, Lorelai can't come to the phone right now, she's… She's in the bathroom."
Sookie paused then looked embarrassed as she replied, "No, she's not really in the bathroom, she just can't talk to you right now. Maybe later."
Sookie listened then said, "No I'm not sure when, just later, maybe in a couple of days." Sookie nodded then said, "Alright, I will. Bye, Luke." Sookie hung up the phone, and then returned to her seat.
Looking grateful, Lorelai said, "Thanks, Sookie."
Sookie nodded and said, "He said to tell you he loves you, and he wants to talk.
"I know," Lorelai nodded. "I will. I just need more time."
Both women jumped when the timer on the oven chose that moment to go off.
Early Tuesday evening, Lorelai sat at her kitchen table, sipping a glass of wine and watching Sookie prepare dinner. She sat her glass on the table and asked, "Can I do anything to help with dinner, Sookie?"
Sookie looked at Lorelai and laughed, "You're kidding, right? I love ya sweetie, but you do not belong anywhere near food preparation."
"Yeah, you're right," Lorelai admitted. She took another drink of wine and asked, "So, tell me how many versions have you heard?"
Sookie tasted something from a pan then asked, "Heard about what?"
"You know, about me and Luke? What are the people around town saying?"
Sookie waved off the question saying, "No one is talking about you and Luke."
Lorelai chortled then said, "Sookie, I have lived in this town for twenty years and I know that there is no way that no one is not talking about a juicy piece of gossip like this."
Sookie looked guilty as she responded, "I didn't think you'd want to hear about it."
"Come on, Sookie," Lorelai replied. "What's the fun of being the subject of town gossip, if you can't hear all ways that people got the story screwed up?"
"Well, if you're sure," Sookie answered. She opened the oven door to check inside. She closed the door then made a slight adjustment to the temperature, then moved towards the table while wiping her hands on her apron. After she sat down, she said, "Let's see, someone told me that you caught Luke sleeping with an old girlfriend."
"Hm, that's almost the truth. Come on, Sookie, you can do better than that."
"Well, Jackson said that Andrew told him that Luke wanted the two of you to sleep with one of his old girlfriends."
"Hm, that's kinda interesting."
"But," Sookie continued, "Andrew told me that that Luke wanted you to sleep with his old girlfriend, while he watched."
"Kinky, but creepy."
"Then there was the waitress at Al's Pancake World that said you wanted to watch Luke with his old girlfriend," Sookie said.
"Alright," Lorelai started, "don't these people realize that we're talking about a dead girl?"
Sookie looked apologetic as she said, "Well, I did hear that reference once."
"Oh, my, God. Some people are just sick." Lorelai put a hand to her stomach and said, "That's just makes me sick to my stomach."
"Anyway, that pretty much covers what I have heard," Sookie concluded.
"Well," Lorelai replied, "Not any kind of record, but respectable."
Sookie stood and walked to the refrigerator as she asked, "You want more wine?"
Lorelai looked at her glass then answered, "Naaa, I better not."
"Right," Sookie answered as she filled her glass, "on account of the baby. Speaking of the baby, have you made an appointment with the doctor yet?"
"Yeah, I see her on Monday."
Once Sookie had resumed her seat, she asked, "So, have you talked to Luke?"
"No. I just can't stand the thought of talking to him right now," Lorelai answered.
"So, I guess he doesn't know about the baby?"
Lorelai looked at her friend with a scared look as she answered, "No. Only you, Rory and I know, and you have to promise to keep it that way. At least for now. Please."
"Sure, sweetie," Sookie assured. "But unless you are planning on leaving town, he's bound to find out eventually."
"I know, but not yet, okay?"
"Sure, whatever you say."
"Has he tried to contact you?" Sookie asked.
"Not since Sunday," Lorelai said with a shake of her head. "He tried to call a bunch of times that morning, but I wouldn't answer. Then he left a note when he was here that afternoon, but I tore it up without reading it."
"Was that it?"
"No, he showed up at work on Monday morning, but I wouldn't talk to him. I couldn't bear to look at him, so I made Michel tell him to leave, or I'd call the police."
"So, are you ever gonna talk to him?" Sookie asked.
"I don't know," Lorelai replied. "Maybe, eventually."
"But you're happy about the baby, right?" Sookie asked.
"What?" Lorelai asked. "Yes, of course I am."
Sookie silently stared at Lorelai. After meeting her gaze for a moment, Lorelai turned away, her gaze away and said, "I want to be, but I'm scared. I…"
When Lorelai didn't continue, Sookie put a hand on her arm and asked, "You what, sweetie?"
Lorelai sighed and said, "I'm really not sure if I want to raise another kid all by myself."
"Oh, sweetie, I'm sure you'll do fine." Sookie said. "I mean, you did great with Rory and you have so much more now than when you had her. You have this house, a great job and lots of friends. You know I'll do what ever I can to help."
Lorelai smiled at her friend and said, "I know that, Sookie. Thanks." Lorelai played with her empty wine glass for a moment then asked, "But what if Rory was a fluke? What if I really screw up this time?"
Sookie patted Lorelai's hand and said, "You'll do fine. I promise."
"Thanks."
Sookie took another sip from her glass then asked, "So, does this mean that you don't think that you and Luke can patch things up?"
"I don't know," Lorelai sighed. "I mean I'd like to but the thought of what he did hurts so much. I just never thought Luke could hurt me like that."
"Well, one way or the other, you'll have to talk to him eventually."
"I know," Lorelai admitted. "But, not yet."
"What about your parents?" Sookie asked.
Lorelai shrank down in her chair and then said, "Oh, I can't even think about that now. I just can't handle my mother now."
Sookie started to reply but was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. They exchanged glances, and then looked at the phone. At the second ring, Lorelai asked, "Could you get it? It might be Rory, but it could be…."
"Sure," Sookie answered as she stood up. She picked up the phone and said, "Gilmore residence."
Sookie listened, then paled slightly as she responded, "Oh, hi, Luke. Yeah, it's Sookie."
As Sookie listened, she silently asked Lorelai if she wanted to talk to Luke. Lorelai responded with an emphatic shake of her head. Sookie shrugged then said into the phone, "No, Lorelai can't come to the phone right now, she's… She's in the bathroom."
Sookie paused then looked embarrassed as she replied, "No, she's not really in the bathroom, she just can't talk to you right now. Maybe later."
Sookie listened then said, "No I'm not sure when, just later, maybe in a couple of days." Sookie nodded then said, "Alright, I will. Bye, Luke." Sookie hung up the phone, and then returned to her seat.
Looking grateful, Lorelai said, "Thanks, Sookie."
Sookie nodded and said, "He said to tell you he loves you, and he wants to talk.
"I know," Lorelai nodded. "I will. I just need more time."
Both women jumped when the timer on the oven chose that moment to go off.