The Kissing Competition Part 3

"I can still smell you on my fingers and taste you on my breath…"

-Beth Orton, Central Reservation

Lorelai couldn't sleep. She'd been tossing and turning since going to bed what seemed like hours and hours ago. How was she supposed to relax and get to sleep when her whole body was still tingling? She kept licking her lips and feeling that kiss, she was sure she could still taste him. But she knew that stuff would fade, it was his face right after the first kiss that still had her spinning.  

That kiss had been a shock, a world shifting on its axis explosion of a kiss. It was like he'd saved of his most passionate kisses just for her and then poured everything of himself into her. Somehow it had been more intimate than if they'd actually just had sex, right there. 

Who knew that Luke could kiss like that? That man never seemed to date, where the hell did he find time to go to kissing lessons. But that kiss hadn't been for any woman that kiss had been all for her, she could still feel the intensity of his focus during those few minutes. 

Man, she was so confused, upset, strung out.

She needed answers. Lots of answers or she was never going to settle, it would all just keep circling in her head like a spinning top. She had to see him. Right now.

Lorelai jumped up, grabbed her slippers and ran downstairs; on her way through the house she raced passed Rory's room. Jumping up and down to put on her betty-boo slippers, she said frantically.

Lorelai: Rory, I'm just going out for a while. I'll be at Luke's. Rory!

Rory: What? Mom?

Lorelai: Did you hear what I said?

Rory: Yes. Luke's, ok, ok. I'll meet you later.

Lorelai grabbed her keys and coat, raced outside got into the Jeep and sped off. She could've walked but she didn't want time to reconsider. After all, jumping in with both feet was her speciality. She knew it take less than three minutes of thinking to realise this was a really, really, reckless plan. Especially right now when that kiss was still so fresh in her mind.

As she drove the couple of blocks to Luke's she did something silly, she started to think. And she started to wonder.

She arrived at Luke's getting angrier by the minute. How could he have wanted to kiss her for years, years! And not had the guts to tell her. What kind of man tries to be someone's friend when along he'd wanted her for something more?  But then that was Luke, ignore it and it'll disappear, no change, no difference, no loss. 

Lorelai didn't consider the fact that if he had told her she would've run like hell, if he had told her.

Without looking around, she parked the Jeep right outside the diner and raced up to the door. She angrily banged her fist on the door until she heard him coming down the stairs.

She was ready with the first words when he opened the door. Aggressively, she pushed him inside the door and slammed it shut behind her.

Lorelai: I need to talk to you.

Luke: Yeah, well, I've got some stuff to say to you too.

Lorelai: Are you sure you don't want to wait another decade to tell me? Wouldn't want to do anything or say anything before I'm ready to hear it. Might have to actually talk to me then, you know about real adult stuff.

Luke: You haven't got a clue what you're talking about.

Lorelai: Oh, I've had about six hours to think about what you said and you know what I think? I think that you're the most cowardly man I've ever met. If you wanted something more all this time why didn't you just tell me instead of pretending that you were my friend?

Luke:  I never pretended with you and you know it. There are heaps of reasons why I didn't tell you, mostly because I was sure you'd react like this. You're so terrified right now because that kiss has made you see something you've been ignoring for years. I'm just as upset as you by all this.

Lorelai: Oh, no, I don't think so. I think you've been planning this kind of discussion for years, I may have ignored it but that meant I knew it was there. 

Luke: You knew I wanted you? Well, I guess it's easier if you put me in the friends box and just take for granted that I'd be content with that? That's so you, if it's too much emotion, ignore it. God forbid you might actually have to explore your own feelings in depth, keep it simple stupid. 

Lorelai: I'm not stupid when it comes to men. I know what attraction feels like but I hate knowing that all along you've been thinking about me in a non-PG way and have never said anything. Nothing! How can that be honest? How can I trust anything when I know you've been lying from the first minute?

Luke: Attraction? You think this is all about sexual attraction? Man, you're unbelievable. If you knew the number of times I've imagined a kiss like the one last night you'd know that it's so much more-

Lorelai: Yeah well if you even had some blood left in your head during those thoughts you'd know that it would be the worst mistake we could make. You and me, Luke it'd never work.

Luke grabbed her. Lorelai froze and prepared to fight him. But he didn't kiss her as she'd thought he just shoved her down behind the counter.

Luke smiled tightly at Miss Patty as she walked passed.

Miss Patty: Oh, Luke, have you seen Lorelai? Is she with you?

Luke: No, Miss Patty, I saw her get out of her car and head towards Taylor's. 

Miss Patty: That's funny. I'm sure I saw her march in here a few minutes ago.

Miss Patty walked away, already hitting the speed dial on her mobile.

Luke smoothly walked over to the door and turned the lock.

Luke: She's gone.

Lorelai: You know it'd never work, Luke. And it wouldn't just be you or me who got hurt when it ended, Rory, the whole town wouldn't be able to ignore it.

Luke: Yeah, we wouldn't want to upset the town. Okay! Okay, It'd never work. And I understand about not hurting Rory. But can we really go back to being friends?

Lorelai: I think that'd be for the best.

Luke: The best for you, sure, okay, Lorelai we'll do it your way.

Lorelai: I'm sorry, Luke. In a few weeks when this is all past history, baggage, you'll see that I'm right.

Luke started walking towards her, Lorelai started shaking her head.

Lorelai: Luke-

The next second, he was kissing her.

Kissing her, knowing he'd never get another chance. This had to be it. It had to be enough. He knew with every taste of her that a million years of kissing her wasn't going to cure him of her. He'd tried. Lord knows, he'd tried to bury the feelings so deep they'd never be uncovered but now the lid had been sprung.  It was going to hurt like hell to push them back in. He felt her sliding as the kisses got more heated. It nearly killed him to break away.

Luke: Go home, Lorelai. I'll see you later.

Lorelai studied him as he turned and walked upstairs to his apartment. She felt like she was never going to see him again. Lorelai shook off that feeling and determinedly focused on the fact that she'd done the right thing. She hoped.