Title: The Green-Eyed Monster Bites Back
Disclaimer: If I controlled the universe, I would not stop at owning the show. I would have a button on my remote that could pop Luke out of the TV and into my living room.
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Lorelai has been at the forefront of Nicole's thoughts all evening, though she has been silent on the subject through dinner and an 8:00 showing of Chicago – her choice, not Luke's. She hasn't seen much of the movie.
The night of their first date, Lorelai was in the diner when Nicole arrived. Luke had introduced her simply as Lorelai. Not 'my friend' or 'my ex-girlfriend,' just 'Lorelai.' Later, when Nicole asked Luke how he knew her, he said he'd been serving her coffee everyday for years. Nicole suspected then that there was a little more to it, but she has held her peace.
Luke has told her about Jess, his nephew, dating Lorelai's daughter, Rory, and has made her laugh on more than one occasion by relating his attempts at parenting and protecting the two intellectual teenagers. Lorelai seems to crop up in these stories; as well she might, considering the circumstances. Still, Nicole doesn't understand why Lorelai has to crop up in most of Luke's other stories as well. If she's just another regular customer, she might be in one or two, but she ends up a main character in half of them. Lorelai drags Luke to stupid town event, Lorelai and Luke come up with some scheme to annoy the hell out of Taylor Doose, Lorelai runs the diner for Luke when his uncle dies… The list goes on and on.
While she knows she can't expect Luke to have lived in a total vacuum before she arrived in Stars Hollow, Nicole can't help but wish his best friend didn't have to be quite so pretty, so tall, or so definitely feminine. If she asked him outright, she knows he would tell her Lorelai is just a friend. She's sure that's what he tells himself as well.
The lights in the movie theater come back on, and Nicole stretches her legs.
Luke: For a musical, it wasn't too bad.
Nicole: You liked it?
Luke: I said it wasn't bad.
They follow the crowd out of the theater and into the parking lot.
Nicole: That's as much praise as I'm going to get from you, isn't it.
Luke graces her with one of his few, true smiles.
Luke: Probably. Huh. Richard Gere… Who would've thought?
Nicole: Apparently he got his start in musical theatre.
Luke: Really?
Nicole: That's what it said in the review.
Luke: Huh.
Nicole: Would you like to get a cup of coffee? It's not too late.
Luke: I should probably get back to the diner; make sure it's still standing.
Nicole: This isn't the first time you've left Jess in charge, you know, and you did remind him to turn off the lights.
Luke looks down at Nicole. Her expression in innocent, but something in her eyes tells him she's teasing. He smiles again.
Luke: I did, didn't I?
Nicole: So… Coffee?
Luke: I'll get tea, but sure.
Luke holds the car door open for Nicole.
Nicole: I know a place about 10 minutes away
Luke circles around to the passenger side door of Nicole's car. They have an unspoken agreement that on date nights the truck remains parked at the diner. Nicole is a cautious driver, so Luke doesn't really mind. She focuses on the road and he doesn't have to fill the space with empty chatter.
The coffee shop Nicole picks is half empty and quiet. Luke orders his usual peppermint tea. It doesn't taste quite right, but it's ok. Luke isn't picky. They chat a little until both get tired of sipping from nearly empty cups.
Nicole: (slowly) So, back to Stars Hollow?
Luke: Yup.
Nicole: Ok.
Luke hears the note of disappointment in her voice, but isn't sure what exactly has caused it. Maybe it will come to him later.
They walk out to the car in relative silence. Luke spends the ride back contemplating the movie. Nicole spends the ride back contemplating Luke.
She had a feeling that it was going to be slow going with Luke. After all, it had taken him nearly ten minutes of banal chatter to ask her out. Still, they had been going out for six weeks now. It was time they moved beyond a simple goodnight kiss.
It is not until they are stopped at Star's Hollow's only traffic light that Luke figures out what Nicole meant. By then, it is too late to say anything; even that he hadn't understood. Especially that he hadn't understood. It's not that he hasn't thought about it, because he has. He just hadn't been thinking about it right then.
When they get to the diner, Nicole walks Luke to the door. The interior is dark, except for a glimmer of light coming from the direction of the storage room. A receipt with the word 'OUT' scribbled on the back is taped to the door.
Nicole: Very eloquent, isn't he?
Luke: At least he left a note this time.
It is now time to be obvious, Nicole thinks.
Nicole: I had a really nice time tonight.
She rests her hand on his upper arm.
Luke: I'm glad.
Nicole smiles up at him.
Nicole: Listen, I have to go to New York next weekend for business.
Luke: Ok.
Here goes…
Nicole: And I was wondering if you'd like to come.
Luke is silent for a moment, letting the implications sink in.
Luke: When exactly?
Nicole half smiles; he's not exactly jumping for joy, but this isn't bad.
Nicole: My meeting is on Saturday. I thought we could drive down that morning. I know you're not a huge fan of big cities, but I won't be busy for that long. We could walk around, you could criticize everything…
Luke smiles again. It's getting easier.
Nicole: Then dinner, and maybe a show if we can find one that isn't sold out.
She squeezes his bicep to punctuate her next words.
Nicole: Well, what do you think?
Luke considers for a moment. He knows he's not supposed to, but he just doesn't make spilt second decisions about things like this.
Luke: I'll have to ask Caesar to work Sunday.
Nicole: Mmhm.
Luke: And I have to let Lorelai know.
Nicole is taken aback. She stiffens.
Nicole: Lorelai? Why does she have to be involved?
Luke doesn't understand why Nicole is so upset. He was just thinking out loud, and Lorelai was the next logical step for him.
Luke: She has to know the apartment is going to be empty, of me I mean. It's Jess' apartment too, and he and Rory…
Nicole: Oh. I see.
Nicole relaxes. Luke is relieved.
Luke: Yeah.
Nicole: Well, let me know.
Nicole is turning a to go, her hand sliding off Luke's arm, when she thinks better of it. She reaches up with her other hand and pulls Luke's head down to hers.
This is different from the other, gentle kisses they have shared. Nicole is hungry, and Luke can feel it. He is genuinely surprised at his own response. There is very little that is gentle about this encounter.
Nicole is the one who eventually breaks the kiss. She strokes his cheek.
Nicole: Goodnight, Luke.
Luke is speechless, not reticent per usual but completely struck dumb. He watches Nicole drives off.
Jess: (rounding the corner, clapping loudly) Bravo, Uncle Luke. Nice show.
Luke: Shut up and get upstairs.
Jess: Whatever you say. Coming?
Jess unlocks the door and holds it open. Luke walks in.
Invisible from the sidewalk, but now in plain sight, a single mug rests on the counter.
Luke: Jess, you were supposed to clean up.
Jess: I am. Someone seriously stank up the bathroom and you were out of Lysol.
He holds up the can.
Jess: Of course, I could just leave it the way it is.
Luke: Just go deal with it.
Jess walks off to deal with the toxic fumes.
Luke walks over to the counter and picks up the mug. Nicole's image vanishes from his thoughts. It smells of coffee, and her.
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A/N: I never thought I'd get this much response. Thank you, everyone who took the time to say something about my piece here.
Gluglug – the Molly Ringwald reference can be one of a few movies. It's mainly Pretty in Pink, because in that one she has the best friend who is madly in love with her and whom she walks all over constantly. There are quite a few other parallels though: Sixteen Candles (Anthony Michael Hall trails after her), The Breakfast Club, sort of (she ditches the guy who defends her for the bad boy), For Keeps (she got pregnant in high school), or Betsy's Wedding (she re-made a ridiculously expensive wedding dress that her mother had bought her).
Ok, so maybe I've seen a few too many Brat Pack movies. It was the 80's; I owned leg warmers and wore slap bracelets. I have no excuse clever enough to cover any of it.