I own nothing. It's all ASP.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Luke started to turn and walk away. He didn't know what to say, how to start. All he could see was Jason's car parked next to hers, making a nice little statement. But he knew he couldn't leave it like that, his head was full of questions. So he turned back, to meet her gaze. She watched his body turn then turn back, trying to read into his every move.
"So how was dinner with the parents last night? Must have been fun, you seem to be in a very good mood."
"It was dinner with the parents. What else can I say. The 'Rory' part was good."
"And the 'Jason' part, how was that?"
"What?"
"The 'Jason' part, I know he was there."
"Yes, he was, but how did you know?"
"I know because I drove to Hartford late last night. Worried that something horrible had happened to the woman I love..........and then drove home thinking that maybe something even worse had happened. Maybe I had lost her forever." Luke looked into her eyes waiting for an answer.
"Luke, I didn't know he would be there. And nothing happened except another annoying Jason encounter."
"Annoying?"
"Yes, annoying. Probably the opposite of your little 'Nicole' encounter yesterday in the diner. Very cozy by the way."
"Is that what all of this is about? Not calling, not stopping in..."
"Oh, I stopped by. Just in time to see you and your wife in a tight embrace, talking and smiling......."
"Lorelai, that's not what it was." Luke finally taking a breath, "That was a final good bye, the glossing over of a stupid mistake, a mistake finally being rectified. Nicole came to tell me the divorce would be final soon. And that we both could get on with our lives, separately."
Lorelai, slowly smiled. "Really. That's not what it looked like." But he knew the ice was starting to melt.
He walked toward her and pulled her close. "We have to stop this. Being so unsure, and jealous is killing me. We have to trust each other more, and learn to communicate our feelings and our fears. I love you, always have, but we need to really talk to each other. You should have come in the diner yesterday and confronted what you saw. You and I, we have something here. But we doubt it at every turn."
"You're right. We'll have to work on those skills. We're so used to hiding everything. It's hard to break old habits, I guess. All the years we hid behind the friendship thing, unwilling to test the waters. And now, it's all so new and I want it to work so badly. I want a lover but I want the friend too. I love you but it's scary some times."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. It's great when we're together and then when we're apart, all the doubts creep in. Not doubts about our feelings.......doubts that we can make the whole thing work. We both have such lousy track records with relationships."
Lorelai looked up at him, "So why didn't you stop in last night to meet the parents?"
Luke laughed, "That would have been good. The old boyfriend, the new boyfriend and the parents who know nothing of either relationship."
"Well. I guess we're going to have to change that." She kissed the tip of his nose and picked up her cell.
"Lorelai, no. Not now."
"Have you changed your mind?"
"No, of course not."
"Well, then..."
Luke watched her dial the phone and then listened to her side of the conversation.
"Hi, mom. It's Lorelai.
I'm great.
Yep, the headache is gone, in more ways than one.
I just wanted to clear the air about last night. What you saw....nothing, nada, didn't mean a thing. (Luke looked puzzled)
Because I'm already involved...... in love with someone, actually.
Yes, it is someone you know.
No, you don't have to guess. It's Luke mom, the purveyor of wonderful coffee and many other things. (Luke gave her a look.)
Yes, I know you always thought there was something there.
Yes, I know I denied it for years. ( Lorelai rolled her eyes, as Luke laughed.)
So that's why I called. I wanted you to be the third to know.
The first -- Luke of course, then Rory.
Tonight? I'll ask."
Lorelai covered the phone, "Are you willing to go through family torture tonight, disguised as dinner with the Gilmores?"
Luke nodded yes.
"Ok, mom, dinner tonight. And, mom, please don't invite Jason. Let's just keep this family." She smiled at Luke making sure he knew that meant him.
Lorelai closed her cell, and launched herself into Luke's arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him warmly. "Hope you're ready for dinner with the firing squad. It could be uncomfortable."
"Or it could be just fine. They know me. I know them and I know a lot about them. Which maybe I should ignore for know."
Lorelai laughed, "That might be an excellent idea."
He kissed her deeply and ran his hands down her back. She cooed and snuggled into his chest. "We're really going to do this? Make this thing work?"
Luke laughed, "God, I hope so. All the years we danced around it, we deserve a pay off."
"Wow, such a romantic thing to say."
"You know what I mean. We deserve to be together. Out in the open, in front of everyone in this crazy town and your parents, and ........"
Lorelai kissed him again. "Nice picture you are painting there, mister."
"Thanks," as he kissed her back.
"So, now that the air is clear, and we have a date for tonight. I have to get back to work and I bet you do too."
"I sure do. I have been worthless the last two days. Caesar thinks I'm thoroughly whipped."
"And what do you think?" Lorelai, tilted her head as she asked.
"I know I'm whipped, but you didn't hear it from me."
Lorelai laughed, patted him on his butt and sent him out the door. "Pick me up at six, IF you don't change your mind about this whole thing."
"Six it is. And I won't change my mind. After all these years, I know what I want."
"Ahhh, that's nice Luke. That gets you bonus points for later."
"I'll remember that." He left laughing and with a much lighter heart.
Sookie wandered back in the room and found a much happier Lorelai.
"So how much did you hear?"
Sookie looked sheepish, "Not much.......some..........all of it. I'm happy you worked it out. But dinner with the parents. What were you thinking, girl?"
"Bad move?"
"Nope, the right one. Wish I could be a fly on the wall."
"Yeah, me too. Guess I'd better go home and get ready for tonight. We're done here, right?"
"Sure. We got absolutely nothing done."
"Speak for yourself, missy. I got a lot accomplished today."
"Yep, you sure did. Have fun tonight. Should be a lot different than last night."
"One can only hope." Lorelai bounced out the door, already thinking of Luke's favorite little black dress and an important little item she had to pick up on her way home.
When Luke returned to the diner, there was a certain lift to his step, a huge smile on his face, and an air of confidence that hadn't been there before. Luke rifled through the mail and quickly opened one particular piece. His smile grew wider and Caesar knew that either something big had happened or was about to. Grasping the letter, Luke ran upstairs. Caesar retrieved the envelope from the floor, the envelope from Nicole.
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CHAPTER NINETEEN
Luke started to turn and walk away. He didn't know what to say, how to start. All he could see was Jason's car parked next to hers, making a nice little statement. But he knew he couldn't leave it like that, his head was full of questions. So he turned back, to meet her gaze. She watched his body turn then turn back, trying to read into his every move.
"So how was dinner with the parents last night? Must have been fun, you seem to be in a very good mood."
"It was dinner with the parents. What else can I say. The 'Rory' part was good."
"And the 'Jason' part, how was that?"
"What?"
"The 'Jason' part, I know he was there."
"Yes, he was, but how did you know?"
"I know because I drove to Hartford late last night. Worried that something horrible had happened to the woman I love..........and then drove home thinking that maybe something even worse had happened. Maybe I had lost her forever." Luke looked into her eyes waiting for an answer.
"Luke, I didn't know he would be there. And nothing happened except another annoying Jason encounter."
"Annoying?"
"Yes, annoying. Probably the opposite of your little 'Nicole' encounter yesterday in the diner. Very cozy by the way."
"Is that what all of this is about? Not calling, not stopping in..."
"Oh, I stopped by. Just in time to see you and your wife in a tight embrace, talking and smiling......."
"Lorelai, that's not what it was." Luke finally taking a breath, "That was a final good bye, the glossing over of a stupid mistake, a mistake finally being rectified. Nicole came to tell me the divorce would be final soon. And that we both could get on with our lives, separately."
Lorelai, slowly smiled. "Really. That's not what it looked like." But he knew the ice was starting to melt.
He walked toward her and pulled her close. "We have to stop this. Being so unsure, and jealous is killing me. We have to trust each other more, and learn to communicate our feelings and our fears. I love you, always have, but we need to really talk to each other. You should have come in the diner yesterday and confronted what you saw. You and I, we have something here. But we doubt it at every turn."
"You're right. We'll have to work on those skills. We're so used to hiding everything. It's hard to break old habits, I guess. All the years we hid behind the friendship thing, unwilling to test the waters. And now, it's all so new and I want it to work so badly. I want a lover but I want the friend too. I love you but it's scary some times."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. It's great when we're together and then when we're apart, all the doubts creep in. Not doubts about our feelings.......doubts that we can make the whole thing work. We both have such lousy track records with relationships."
Lorelai looked up at him, "So why didn't you stop in last night to meet the parents?"
Luke laughed, "That would have been good. The old boyfriend, the new boyfriend and the parents who know nothing of either relationship."
"Well. I guess we're going to have to change that." She kissed the tip of his nose and picked up her cell.
"Lorelai, no. Not now."
"Have you changed your mind?"
"No, of course not."
"Well, then..."
Luke watched her dial the phone and then listened to her side of the conversation.
"Hi, mom. It's Lorelai.
I'm great.
Yep, the headache is gone, in more ways than one.
I just wanted to clear the air about last night. What you saw....nothing, nada, didn't mean a thing. (Luke looked puzzled)
Because I'm already involved...... in love with someone, actually.
Yes, it is someone you know.
No, you don't have to guess. It's Luke mom, the purveyor of wonderful coffee and many other things. (Luke gave her a look.)
Yes, I know you always thought there was something there.
Yes, I know I denied it for years. ( Lorelai rolled her eyes, as Luke laughed.)
So that's why I called. I wanted you to be the third to know.
The first -- Luke of course, then Rory.
Tonight? I'll ask."
Lorelai covered the phone, "Are you willing to go through family torture tonight, disguised as dinner with the Gilmores?"
Luke nodded yes.
"Ok, mom, dinner tonight. And, mom, please don't invite Jason. Let's just keep this family." She smiled at Luke making sure he knew that meant him.
Lorelai closed her cell, and launched herself into Luke's arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him warmly. "Hope you're ready for dinner with the firing squad. It could be uncomfortable."
"Or it could be just fine. They know me. I know them and I know a lot about them. Which maybe I should ignore for know."
Lorelai laughed, "That might be an excellent idea."
He kissed her deeply and ran his hands down her back. She cooed and snuggled into his chest. "We're really going to do this? Make this thing work?"
Luke laughed, "God, I hope so. All the years we danced around it, we deserve a pay off."
"Wow, such a romantic thing to say."
"You know what I mean. We deserve to be together. Out in the open, in front of everyone in this crazy town and your parents, and ........"
Lorelai kissed him again. "Nice picture you are painting there, mister."
"Thanks," as he kissed her back.
"So, now that the air is clear, and we have a date for tonight. I have to get back to work and I bet you do too."
"I sure do. I have been worthless the last two days. Caesar thinks I'm thoroughly whipped."
"And what do you think?" Lorelai, tilted her head as she asked.
"I know I'm whipped, but you didn't hear it from me."
Lorelai laughed, patted him on his butt and sent him out the door. "Pick me up at six, IF you don't change your mind about this whole thing."
"Six it is. And I won't change my mind. After all these years, I know what I want."
"Ahhh, that's nice Luke. That gets you bonus points for later."
"I'll remember that." He left laughing and with a much lighter heart.
Sookie wandered back in the room and found a much happier Lorelai.
"So how much did you hear?"
Sookie looked sheepish, "Not much.......some..........all of it. I'm happy you worked it out. But dinner with the parents. What were you thinking, girl?"
"Bad move?"
"Nope, the right one. Wish I could be a fly on the wall."
"Yeah, me too. Guess I'd better go home and get ready for tonight. We're done here, right?"
"Sure. We got absolutely nothing done."
"Speak for yourself, missy. I got a lot accomplished today."
"Yep, you sure did. Have fun tonight. Should be a lot different than last night."
"One can only hope." Lorelai bounced out the door, already thinking of Luke's favorite little black dress and an important little item she had to pick up on her way home.
When Luke returned to the diner, there was a certain lift to his step, a huge smile on his face, and an air of confidence that hadn't been there before. Luke rifled through the mail and quickly opened one particular piece. His smile grew wider and Caesar knew that either something big had happened or was about to. Grasping the letter, Luke ran upstairs. Caesar retrieved the envelope from the floor, the envelope from Nicole.
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