Title: Three's a Crowd, Chapter 5
Author: Gluglug
Spoiler Warning/Timing: Late Fourth Season (post "Girls in Bikinis")
Rating: PG - 13
Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls and all characters are property of The Dubba Dubba Dubba WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions and Amy Sherman- Palladino. They don't belong to me, just borrowing.
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"Oh that must be the line for the movie. Just follow the high pitched chatter of pubescent girls." Lorelai said as she and Jason stood in the lobby of the Loews Plainville, having just retrieved their tickets from the vending machine.
"I hope we didn't lose Luke." Jason said. "I tried to drive slowly but I'm not sure if he was following me."
"Oh, don't worry. Luke will be here, he's got a better sense of direction than I have."
Just then, she spotted him. "Luke! Over here!"
Luke approached them, embarrassed. "You didn't have to yell out my name like that. I could spot you amongst the throngs of teenage girls."
"Are you saying that I look old, Luke?" She teased.
"Not old, just um, older?" Luke shrugged, knowing he wouldn't be able to get out of this one.
"Well, I would have trouble picking you out." Jason said, smiling at Lorelai.
"Ew, Jason that's gross. You would try to pick me up if you thought I was underage?"
Luke laughed. "Well I guess neither of us is getting out of this gracefully."
Jason agreed and relaxed a little. This was the first time that night that he didn't feel so threatened.
"Ooh, the line is moving. This is so exciting. I can't wait for the movie." Lorelai exclaimed.
"I think she's more excited than the kids." Luke said to Jason.
"Yeah, that's one of the things I like about her, she's like a kid at heart."
"I know." Luke agreed. "When I was teaching her how to fish, she was cooing and naming all the fish, just like a little kid."
"Get out of town! Fishing? Lorelai, you're not the outdoor type!"
"I'm not, but Luke is. He was only teaching me because I was dating this guy who liked to fish. Needless to say it didn't work out."
Luke had momentarily forgotten about why he was teaching her to fish in the first place. He mentally kicked himself for bringing it up. Not only was that an uncomfortable memory for him, but it also reminded him of Nicole. When Lorelai told him she was going on a date with the fishing guy that was when he made up his mind to ask Nicole out.
Lorelai noticed a change in Luke's demeanor. "Are you okay, Luke?"
"Yeah, I was just reminded of Nicole."
"Nicole liked to fish?"
"No, but she liked to eat fish." Luke lied.
"Who's Nicole?" Jason asked. "Is that your ex?"
Luke nodded. "Yup."
"I've always had a thing for girls named Nicole. You know, Kidman, Eggert....In fact, I used to date a girl named Nicole when I was at Princeton."
"Really? I think Nicole mentioned that she went to Princeton. Her last name is Leahy."
"No way! I dated a Nicole Leahy. She's a skinny brunette, right?"
"Well, when we were together, Nicole's hair was red and lately it's been blond."
"Well, she's definitely a brunette, if you know what I mean." Jason said lasciviously. "We dated when I was a junior, she was a sophomore. We went out for about six months, I really liked her but she two-timed me with my fraternity brother, so we broke up."
"Gee, I guess old habits die hard." Luke said.
"You mean, she cheated on you? That's really harsh."
Luke nodded, not quite believing that he and Jason had more than one woman in common. Meanwhile. Lorelai was the one feeling kind of like a third wheel while Luke and Jason bonded over their shared misfortune.
"Come on guys, let's find our seats."
"Well, I need an aisle seat." Jason said. "Just in case I get any calls, so I can make an easy escape. You don't want me to be climbing all over you, I hate when people constantly do that during a movie, it's so annoying."
"Why can't you turn your phone off?" Luke asked.
"Because my clients call me at all hours and I need to be available to them. But I'll leave my phone on vibrate."
"How considerate." Luke muttered.
Meanwhile, Lorelai found three empty seats near the back of the theatre and claimed them. Luke sat in the third seat, Jason on the aisle and Lorelai in between them.
"Jason, honey, since you have the aisle seat, will you also be on snack duty? Can you get me a coke, a large popcorn with extra butter and some nachos? Oh, do you want anything, Luke?"
Luke shook his head. "Are you serious? Why would I eat overpriced junk food? It's bad enough that movies cost nearly ten bucks these days...."
"Okay, I'll take that as a no, Mr. Ranty-Pants."
"I'll be back with the snacks, Lorelai."
After Jason disappeared, Lorelai turned to Luke. "So besides the overpriced tickets and the sugar filled snacks, are you having a good time? You and Jason seem to be bonding."
"Yeah, he's okay, I guess. I can't believe that Nicole cheated on him, too. Small world."
Luke saw a glint in Lorelai's eye and knew he was in trouble. "I beg of you, please do not start singing that song."
"What song Luke? You mean the small world song? It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small small world!"
Some of the girls sitting in front of Lorelai started to snicker. "Gawd, Disney World is like so elementary school." One of them said.
Lorelai stuck her tongue at the back of the girls' heads. "Some people just don't know how to have fun."
"Come on Lorelai, let's not get into a fight with the little girls. You're the grown up here, set an example."
"Yes, sir!" Lorelai gave him a mock salute.
Luke looked at his watch, they still had a few minutes until the movie started and stood up. "I'm going to the men's room, I'll be right back."
"Fine, leave me all alone." Lorelai pouted as he left.
A minute later, Jason returned with the snacks. "They were all out of nachos, can you believe it? So I bought an extra tub of popcorn. Hey where did Luke go? Did he bail so soon?"
"No, he didn't bail. He just went to the bathroom."
Jason sat down and handed Lorelai her snacks. "Then I get a couple of seconds alone with you."
He leaned over and started to kiss her but he felt his cell phone vibrate.
"Damn it." Jason said, pulling away from Lorelai and answering his phone. "Jason Stiles. Oh Mr. Sutton, hi." He motioned to Lorelai that he would have to take this and walked up the aisle out of the theater.
Lorelai sat back and pouted again, feeling neglected just as Luke returned from his trip to the bathroom.
"I'm back." He announced and Lorelai smiled up at him.
"Well at least one of you is here." She said as she stood so Luke could get to his seat. She felt the back of his leg brush her thigh as he went past her, sending an involuntary thrill through her. Okay, what the hell was that?
"What happened to Jason? Did you send him back for more junk food?" Luke said surveying the two tubs of popcorn and jumbo sized Coke she had on her lap on a card board tray.
"No, he got a call from a client." Lorelai said shaking her head. "He's always doing that, taking calls on our dates. I used to think it was cute, but now it's just annoying."
"So you didn't invite me out tonight to cheer me up, did you? You just wanted someone to keep you company while Jason chatters away on his cell phone." Luke teased.
"Ah, you always see right through me, Luke."
Luke only wished. Well at least he was starting to see the chink in Jason's armor – he hoped that he would have many calls from clients that night.
The lights started to darken as the first movie trailers popped up on the screen. Lorelai tried to concentrate on the trailers but she wondered how long Jason was going to be gone. Meanwhile, Luke tried to concentrate on the inane attempts at Hollywood movie studio marketing but he was also distracted. He had watched movies before with Lorelai but never sat next to her in the darkness of the theater.
He hadn't meant to brush against her thigh before but it was a nice little thrill. He wondered if he could test the boundaries. After all, if she did notice that he was invading her space, he could just blame it on the cramped seats of the theater.
Lorelai's arm was on the arm rest so Luke placed his arm alongside hers on his armrest, making the tiniest bit of contact. Lorelai didn't move or flinch so he left it there, enjoying the touch of her silk blouse against his leather sleeve.
Just as the opening credits of "New York Minute" started, Jason returned. "Oh good, I didn't miss anything." He whispered to Lorelai.
Unfortunately for Luke, she removed her arm so she could snuggle up against Jason's shoulder. Luke sighed and tried to concentrate on the silliness of the movie. He did think the Olsens were kind of hot but he found them kind of creepy, kind of Stepford-ish.
Meanwhile, Lorelai was having a ball. She was snuggled against Jason and she laughed out loud at the Olsen's antics. Occasionally she would whisper some private joke in Jason's ear. Occasionally she snuck glances over at Luke to see if he was enjoying the movie. He was sitting in his usual movie watching pose, legs spread and arms crossed, brow furrowed. She was relieved when she saw him chuckle. She really did want him to have a good time.
When the movie ended and the credits started to roll, Luke stood up. Lorelai pushed him back down into his seat.
"Luke, we're not going yet! I like to watch the credits of movies, and I think they're showing bloopers."
Just then, Jason's phone went off again. "Oh, I've got to take this," he said, "I'll meet you in the lobby."
"Well at least the guy had the courtesy not to call during the movie," Lorelai sighed.
When the credits were done, the lights came all the way back up.
"So you're ready to go?" Luke asked.
"Yeah. So, did you like the movie Luke?"
"It was kind of cute I guess, but I'm not the target audience."
"Yeah, but did you think about Nicole at all during the movie?"
"Nicole who?" Luke asked, smiling. Truth be told, he didn't think about her once, mostly because he was thinking about the woman sitting next to him.
"Well I liked it a lot. And didn't you think that the guy who played Trey looked a lot like Dean?"
"Yeah, he did. I kept thinking he looked really familiar." Luke agreed.
"Well I guess we should go before the ushers kick us out."
Luke and Lorelai left the theater and scanned the lobby for Jason. They saw him near the entrance still on his cell phone.
He hung up as they approached him. "Lorelai, I'm afraid I have to cut this short. I need to go back to the office to revise Mr. Sutton's contract and fax it to him. I'm really sorry about this."
"This can't wait until tomorrow Jason?" Lorelai said, disappointed.
"No, it can't I'm sorry. Mr. Sutton is flying to London first thing and I have to get this contract signed before he goes. I guess I'm going to have to leave you in Luke's hands then."
"I'll get her home safely." Luke nodded, relieved that Lorelai wasn't going to be spending the night with Jason.
Jason gave Lorelai a quick peck on the lips and headed out to the parking lot.
Lorelai watched him go and then turned back to Luke, linking her arm through his. "Well, I guess it's just the two of us now."
"Just the two of us." He repeated as they headed towards his pickup.
Author: Gluglug
Spoiler Warning/Timing: Late Fourth Season (post "Girls in Bikinis")
Rating: PG - 13
Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls and all characters are property of The Dubba Dubba Dubba WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions and Amy Sherman- Palladino. They don't belong to me, just borrowing.
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"Oh that must be the line for the movie. Just follow the high pitched chatter of pubescent girls." Lorelai said as she and Jason stood in the lobby of the Loews Plainville, having just retrieved their tickets from the vending machine.
"I hope we didn't lose Luke." Jason said. "I tried to drive slowly but I'm not sure if he was following me."
"Oh, don't worry. Luke will be here, he's got a better sense of direction than I have."
Just then, she spotted him. "Luke! Over here!"
Luke approached them, embarrassed. "You didn't have to yell out my name like that. I could spot you amongst the throngs of teenage girls."
"Are you saying that I look old, Luke?" She teased.
"Not old, just um, older?" Luke shrugged, knowing he wouldn't be able to get out of this one.
"Well, I would have trouble picking you out." Jason said, smiling at Lorelai.
"Ew, Jason that's gross. You would try to pick me up if you thought I was underage?"
Luke laughed. "Well I guess neither of us is getting out of this gracefully."
Jason agreed and relaxed a little. This was the first time that night that he didn't feel so threatened.
"Ooh, the line is moving. This is so exciting. I can't wait for the movie." Lorelai exclaimed.
"I think she's more excited than the kids." Luke said to Jason.
"Yeah, that's one of the things I like about her, she's like a kid at heart."
"I know." Luke agreed. "When I was teaching her how to fish, she was cooing and naming all the fish, just like a little kid."
"Get out of town! Fishing? Lorelai, you're not the outdoor type!"
"I'm not, but Luke is. He was only teaching me because I was dating this guy who liked to fish. Needless to say it didn't work out."
Luke had momentarily forgotten about why he was teaching her to fish in the first place. He mentally kicked himself for bringing it up. Not only was that an uncomfortable memory for him, but it also reminded him of Nicole. When Lorelai told him she was going on a date with the fishing guy that was when he made up his mind to ask Nicole out.
Lorelai noticed a change in Luke's demeanor. "Are you okay, Luke?"
"Yeah, I was just reminded of Nicole."
"Nicole liked to fish?"
"No, but she liked to eat fish." Luke lied.
"Who's Nicole?" Jason asked. "Is that your ex?"
Luke nodded. "Yup."
"I've always had a thing for girls named Nicole. You know, Kidman, Eggert....In fact, I used to date a girl named Nicole when I was at Princeton."
"Really? I think Nicole mentioned that she went to Princeton. Her last name is Leahy."
"No way! I dated a Nicole Leahy. She's a skinny brunette, right?"
"Well, when we were together, Nicole's hair was red and lately it's been blond."
"Well, she's definitely a brunette, if you know what I mean." Jason said lasciviously. "We dated when I was a junior, she was a sophomore. We went out for about six months, I really liked her but she two-timed me with my fraternity brother, so we broke up."
"Gee, I guess old habits die hard." Luke said.
"You mean, she cheated on you? That's really harsh."
Luke nodded, not quite believing that he and Jason had more than one woman in common. Meanwhile. Lorelai was the one feeling kind of like a third wheel while Luke and Jason bonded over their shared misfortune.
"Come on guys, let's find our seats."
"Well, I need an aisle seat." Jason said. "Just in case I get any calls, so I can make an easy escape. You don't want me to be climbing all over you, I hate when people constantly do that during a movie, it's so annoying."
"Why can't you turn your phone off?" Luke asked.
"Because my clients call me at all hours and I need to be available to them. But I'll leave my phone on vibrate."
"How considerate." Luke muttered.
Meanwhile, Lorelai found three empty seats near the back of the theatre and claimed them. Luke sat in the third seat, Jason on the aisle and Lorelai in between them.
"Jason, honey, since you have the aisle seat, will you also be on snack duty? Can you get me a coke, a large popcorn with extra butter and some nachos? Oh, do you want anything, Luke?"
Luke shook his head. "Are you serious? Why would I eat overpriced junk food? It's bad enough that movies cost nearly ten bucks these days...."
"Okay, I'll take that as a no, Mr. Ranty-Pants."
"I'll be back with the snacks, Lorelai."
After Jason disappeared, Lorelai turned to Luke. "So besides the overpriced tickets and the sugar filled snacks, are you having a good time? You and Jason seem to be bonding."
"Yeah, he's okay, I guess. I can't believe that Nicole cheated on him, too. Small world."
Luke saw a glint in Lorelai's eye and knew he was in trouble. "I beg of you, please do not start singing that song."
"What song Luke? You mean the small world song? It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small small world!"
Some of the girls sitting in front of Lorelai started to snicker. "Gawd, Disney World is like so elementary school." One of them said.
Lorelai stuck her tongue at the back of the girls' heads. "Some people just don't know how to have fun."
"Come on Lorelai, let's not get into a fight with the little girls. You're the grown up here, set an example."
"Yes, sir!" Lorelai gave him a mock salute.
Luke looked at his watch, they still had a few minutes until the movie started and stood up. "I'm going to the men's room, I'll be right back."
"Fine, leave me all alone." Lorelai pouted as he left.
A minute later, Jason returned with the snacks. "They were all out of nachos, can you believe it? So I bought an extra tub of popcorn. Hey where did Luke go? Did he bail so soon?"
"No, he didn't bail. He just went to the bathroom."
Jason sat down and handed Lorelai her snacks. "Then I get a couple of seconds alone with you."
He leaned over and started to kiss her but he felt his cell phone vibrate.
"Damn it." Jason said, pulling away from Lorelai and answering his phone. "Jason Stiles. Oh Mr. Sutton, hi." He motioned to Lorelai that he would have to take this and walked up the aisle out of the theater.
Lorelai sat back and pouted again, feeling neglected just as Luke returned from his trip to the bathroom.
"I'm back." He announced and Lorelai smiled up at him.
"Well at least one of you is here." She said as she stood so Luke could get to his seat. She felt the back of his leg brush her thigh as he went past her, sending an involuntary thrill through her. Okay, what the hell was that?
"What happened to Jason? Did you send him back for more junk food?" Luke said surveying the two tubs of popcorn and jumbo sized Coke she had on her lap on a card board tray.
"No, he got a call from a client." Lorelai said shaking her head. "He's always doing that, taking calls on our dates. I used to think it was cute, but now it's just annoying."
"So you didn't invite me out tonight to cheer me up, did you? You just wanted someone to keep you company while Jason chatters away on his cell phone." Luke teased.
"Ah, you always see right through me, Luke."
Luke only wished. Well at least he was starting to see the chink in Jason's armor – he hoped that he would have many calls from clients that night.
The lights started to darken as the first movie trailers popped up on the screen. Lorelai tried to concentrate on the trailers but she wondered how long Jason was going to be gone. Meanwhile, Luke tried to concentrate on the inane attempts at Hollywood movie studio marketing but he was also distracted. He had watched movies before with Lorelai but never sat next to her in the darkness of the theater.
He hadn't meant to brush against her thigh before but it was a nice little thrill. He wondered if he could test the boundaries. After all, if she did notice that he was invading her space, he could just blame it on the cramped seats of the theater.
Lorelai's arm was on the arm rest so Luke placed his arm alongside hers on his armrest, making the tiniest bit of contact. Lorelai didn't move or flinch so he left it there, enjoying the touch of her silk blouse against his leather sleeve.
Just as the opening credits of "New York Minute" started, Jason returned. "Oh good, I didn't miss anything." He whispered to Lorelai.
Unfortunately for Luke, she removed her arm so she could snuggle up against Jason's shoulder. Luke sighed and tried to concentrate on the silliness of the movie. He did think the Olsens were kind of hot but he found them kind of creepy, kind of Stepford-ish.
Meanwhile, Lorelai was having a ball. She was snuggled against Jason and she laughed out loud at the Olsen's antics. Occasionally she would whisper some private joke in Jason's ear. Occasionally she snuck glances over at Luke to see if he was enjoying the movie. He was sitting in his usual movie watching pose, legs spread and arms crossed, brow furrowed. She was relieved when she saw him chuckle. She really did want him to have a good time.
When the movie ended and the credits started to roll, Luke stood up. Lorelai pushed him back down into his seat.
"Luke, we're not going yet! I like to watch the credits of movies, and I think they're showing bloopers."
Just then, Jason's phone went off again. "Oh, I've got to take this," he said, "I'll meet you in the lobby."
"Well at least the guy had the courtesy not to call during the movie," Lorelai sighed.
When the credits were done, the lights came all the way back up.
"So you're ready to go?" Luke asked.
"Yeah. So, did you like the movie Luke?"
"It was kind of cute I guess, but I'm not the target audience."
"Yeah, but did you think about Nicole at all during the movie?"
"Nicole who?" Luke asked, smiling. Truth be told, he didn't think about her once, mostly because he was thinking about the woman sitting next to him.
"Well I liked it a lot. And didn't you think that the guy who played Trey looked a lot like Dean?"
"Yeah, he did. I kept thinking he looked really familiar." Luke agreed.
"Well I guess we should go before the ushers kick us out."
Luke and Lorelai left the theater and scanned the lobby for Jason. They saw him near the entrance still on his cell phone.
He hung up as they approached him. "Lorelai, I'm afraid I have to cut this short. I need to go back to the office to revise Mr. Sutton's contract and fax it to him. I'm really sorry about this."
"This can't wait until tomorrow Jason?" Lorelai said, disappointed.
"No, it can't I'm sorry. Mr. Sutton is flying to London first thing and I have to get this contract signed before he goes. I guess I'm going to have to leave you in Luke's hands then."
"I'll get her home safely." Luke nodded, relieved that Lorelai wasn't going to be spending the night with Jason.
Jason gave Lorelai a quick peck on the lips and headed out to the parking lot.
Lorelai watched him go and then turned back to Luke, linking her arm through his. "Well, I guess it's just the two of us now."
"Just the two of us." He repeated as they headed towards his pickup.