Author's Note: See the Title and Disclaimer in Chapter One. I'm not sure if it's because I haven't updated in a while, but I haven't gotten any reviews in awhile so I hope people are still reading. I was having some personal problems the last few days, but I am starting to get back into the swing of writing. I will still finish this story, but if everyone's lost interest, I probably won't write the sequel. Let me know what you think. If this sucks let me know and I will try to fix it. The long hiatus sort of screwed with my characterization. Also, I am trying something with the asterisks denoting time passing, so that's new but not really important.
On with the story . . .
Chapter 19: Diner Lingo
"Hey Diner Man!" Lorelai called, walking into the diner, bright and early, Monday morning. "I'm ready to start my career as a soup jockey."
"Wow, I didn't expect to see you so early" Luke said.
"I said I'd help open and this is when the diner opens" she explained, taking off her coat. Luke shrugged.
"I just thought that it might be a bit ambitious of you . . . What are you wearing?" Luke yelled, shocked. Lorelai looked down at the blue tee shirt she was wearing. In large letters it said "Chubby's Sports Bar and Grill, Where the beers are cold and the jugs are big." She smiled proudly.
"Isn't it great?! Oh wait!" she exclaimed, turning around and moving her hair to show Luke the back. His eyes grew as big as saucers.
"Everyone Scores!?! You can't wear that!" he yelled.
"Why not?" Lorelai asked innocently.
"Because it says . . . it sounds like . . . " he searched, flustered. The look on her face told him she had gotten the reaction she was hoping for. "Just wipe down the tables," he growled. Lorelai laughed and Luke threw his rag at her. She looked out the window and saw people approaching. She began wiping a table down as slow as humanly possible. The second the door knob turned she yelped, "Ooh customer! I'll get this one." Luke just shook his head and walked into the kitchen. He watched her through the window as she smiled and chatted with the customer. He could see why the inn did so well. Soon she was done and talking to Luke through the opening.
"Luke, I need you to fry a crowd, let the sun shine and put a zeppelin in the alley" she said with a heavy Boston accent. He remembered the last time she had helped at the diner and her penchant for diner slang. The customers had loved it, but he could never understand her.
"What?" he asked, trying to sound annoyed. Lorelai sighed and looked at him witheringly.
"Three eggs, sunny side up, and a side of sausage."
It's going to be a long day, Luke thought.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
By lunchtime, the diner was packed. Word had gotten around that Lorelai was working there again and everyone came to enjoy the atmosphere she created. Luke had resigned himself to the kitchen partly because he didn't trust Lorelai at the grill and partly because she was so happy to chat and serve people. Everyone liked Luke, but Lorelai danced from table to table like a butterfly. There was a tremendous wait for food, with the diner being packed, but no one complained. Lorelai had convinced tables to join together to make room and a few people were even sitting outside on the sidewalk. Everyone was simply mesmerized.
"What can I get you?" Lorelai asked a customer, smiling.
"Can I have a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup?"
"One jack with a splash of red noise coming up." The customer smiled and the people around him nodded. The town troubadour sat at a table nearby, writing down the names Lorelai gave to each of their orders. He was planning on writing a song about it. Lorelai was just headed back to the counter when Sookie rushed in.
"Do you have any Evaporated Milk? I can't find any anywhere." Sookie was out of breath and sounded desperate.
"Canned cow."
"What?" Now Sookie was confused.
"Diner slang" Lorelai explained. Sookie nodded.
"Bugging Luke?" Sookie asked knowingly. Lorelai frowned.
"He is remarkably patient today" she complained.
"Well you tried" Sookie comforted. Lorelai nodded.
"Yeah, why the sudden search for evaporated milk?"
"Jackson's mother is coming to visit. She loved this dinner that I made last time and it calls for evaporated milk." Sookie sighed heavily.
"Honey, I'm sure she'd love anything you make." Sookie shook her head sadly.
"She's really critical and with all this stuff at the inn and with Davie just born, she thinks I'm doing too much and I need every brownie point I can get." Lorelai rubbed Sookie's shoulder and led her to a chair.
"I'll go check for you."
* * * * * * * * * * *
By the time dinner time rolled around, the diner was slowing down. Most of the town had come by earlier in the day. Only a few people were left now. Luke watched intently as Lorelai came back from the store room and approached a customer.
"Hello, what will it be?" she said brightly. The customer took a deep breath.
"One cheeseburger, raw on the inside, crispy on the outside. With extra ketchup and no lettuce" he said slowly as if he was trying to remember. Lorelai looked at him suspiciously.
"Anything to drink?"
"Water, no ice"
"Ok" she said and walked up to a smug looking Luke at the counter.
"What's that one?" he asked grinning. Lorelai smiled.
"A Pittsburgh with wax, paint it red and keep off the grass. And Adam's ale, hold the hail" she rattled off crossing her arms over her chest. Luke's face fell faster than she had ever seen. He grunted loudly and stormed into the kitchen.
"I still get it free Luke!" the customer called.
A few minutes later, Luke came out from the kitchen and started to hand Lorelai the plate with the cheeseburger on it.
"Oh no" she said. "You tried to stump me and you lost big time. Plus, since it's on the house, there's no tip. You get to deliver it, big boy." With that she wound up the rag and shot it at him. It hit him squarely in the middle of the butt. He jumped and looked at her with more shock than anger. Lorelai laughed and shooed him away.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Just before closing, Luke was cleaning tables while tried to rearrange various things on the counter, when Kirk walked in. Luke looked at Lorelai and scowled. She nodded, understanding.
"Hey Kirk. What can I get you?" she asked when he approached the counter.
"How's the pie today?" he asked.
"The pie's great!" Lorelai replied.
"I'll take a banana shake with whole cherries in the bottom." Lorelai looked confused. Luke wiping a nearby table, just cringed.
"Are you sure you don't want pie?" Lorelai suggested.
"No just the shake."
"Okay, that's a . . . " Lorelai said slowly, wrinkling her forehead in thought.
"Pick something else, Kirk" Luke growled.
"What? I wanted the shake" Kirk whined.
"Something else, or you don't eat." Luke gave Kirk the look he always gave him to shut him up.
"Apple pie with ice cream and a cup of coffee with milk" Kirk said, glancing at Luke. "Uh, make that to go and skip the milk" he added quickly. Lorelai smiled, happy that she knew this one and amused at Kirk's fear of Luke.
"Eve with a hat on it and one cup of mud, no cow, on wheels" she sang.
After Kirk left, Luke locked the door and turned the sign to "Closed"
"We did pretty well," Lorelai said happily. "I didn't see you get a chance to eat tonight. Want me to make you some boiled leaves and cow feed?" Luke gave her an irritated look. "Tea and a salad" she corrected. He shook his head. "Okay, want to make me a Dagwood Special, heavy on the maiden's delight?" He stood staring at her, not moving. "Banana split with extra cherries."
Luke nodded and headed behind the counter, while Lorelai poured herself a cup of coffee and took her usual spot on a stool at the counter. Luke came back, handed her the ice cream, and stood looking at her quizzically.
"What?" Lorelai asked, uncomfortable with his stare. He looked at her for another moment.
"Eggs" he said. Lorelai smiled.
"Cackle fruit" she responded.
"Butter"
"Cow Paste"
"Toast"
"White or Rye?"
"Rye"
"Whiskey Down"
"A hamburger"
"Hockey puck"
"French fries"
"Frog sticks"
"Fine you win" Luke finally said, defeated. Lorelai clapped and bounced in her seat.
"Yay! What do I get?"
"You get to collect the salt and pepper shakers . . . "
"Mike and Ikes"
"and the ketchup . . . "
"Hemorrhage"
"and the mustard"
"Mississippi Mud"
"Just do it" said Luke, exasperated.
After Lorelai had collected everything off the tables and put up all the chairs she began to move things off the counter. Luke stopped sweeping and walked up.
"What are you doing?"
"Moving things off the counter"
"I see that. Why?"
"Well after a hard days work, and my prize being more work, I think a round of bagel hockey is in order." Luke began to argue so Lorelai grabbed a bagel and licked it.
"We can use this one" she said innocently.
"Fine. One Round."
The next half hour was spent mostly attempting to hit each other with the bagel, rather than make a goal with it. Lorelai did a little dance every time she hit Luke. He enjoyed that and didn't block the bagel a few times that he could have. He got her back plenty however, hitting her once in the hip and once in the stomach. The game ended when the bagel hit her in the chest and broke apart, sending crumbs down the front of her shirt.
"I call this game on account of the deterioration of the puck" she said glumly.
"You played good" Luke said gamely, shaking her hand. He laughed as Lorelai tried to shake crumbs out of her bra without shaking other things. She caught him staring and he quickly turned and walked to the kitchen.
"Now what?" Lorelai asked following him.
"Now I get to load the dishwasher" Luke answered.
"Ooh, the bubble dancer" she said excitedly. Luke shook his head.
"Go home, Lorelai" he said.
"Do I get to keep the job?" she asked, misunderstanding his tone.
"You worked hard. It was a good day" he reassured her. "You can come back, if you leave right now." Lorelai jumped up and down and hugged him.
"Night, you big softie" she said before running out.
As Luke finished closing up, he thought about how good the day had been. It was fun working with Lorelai. As busy as they had been, the day went unbelievably fast for Luke. None of his dates had ever been as much fun as work was today. Lorelai made even the mundane fun. Sure, her crazy nicknames had driven him nuts, but he loved the way she exasperated him. It was part of who she was. Clever and witty. He hadn't even minded her towel-snapping him. He was already plotting to try it on her tomorrow. She was bringing something strange out in him.
Lorelai was lost in thought on her walk home. Today had been so much fun, she was still smiling. She always liked work anyway, but this was different somehow. She had loved seeing Sookie every day and bugging Michel, but she was surprised how different seeing Luke all day was. She realized she had never spent that amount of time with him before. It hadn't seemed like sixteen hours. She had worked at the diner before. It was a blast then too, but the day had caught up with her. She smiled at the thought that it had only taken Luke a few hours to give up arguing with her all together and to even play back with her. She made a goal to bring that time down the more they worked together. She was still smiling when she approached her house and saw the small figure on her porch.