Chapter Fifteen
Luke woke up before the alarm and reached over to shut it off before it woke up Lorelai. She felt the bed move and opened her eyes.
"Good morning." Luke smiled down at her.
"Morning," Lorelai sleepily replied.
He leaned over and kissed her. Then he slipped out and went to start his shower. Lorelai fell back to sleep but woke again when Luke started to get dressed. She liked watching him move around his apartment, wrapped in a towel, hair slightly damp. It was intimate and personal and felt right.
He looked over at her and caught her gaze.
"What?"
"Nothing, just watching."
"Go back to sleep."
"Can't, you're distracting."
"I'll be gone in a minute."
"Don't go."
"Have to. I'll stop by the Dragonfly later. Want to catch a movie tonight?"
"Sounds good. Do I get to pick?"
"Sure, why not. Not too sappy, ok?"
"I'll see what I can do."
He walked over and kissed her goodbye. She reached up to touch his face and noticed her ring.
"I love my ring."
"Good. It looks good on you, looks like it belongs there."
"Yeah, it does. See you later."
"There's fresh coffee when you're ready." Luke touched her hair and quietly left the room.
Lorelai didn't want to stay in his bed all alone. She got up, made it quickly and jumped into his shower. She looked around at all his personal stuff and smiled. After her shower, she wrapped a towel around her and opened his closet door. She found her favorite flannel shirt of his and slipped into it. It fit like a dress and smelled faintly of Luke. She was rolling up the sleeves when Luke walked in balancing two plates.
"I like the look. Looks better on you than on me."
"I call it Diner Chic. I think it should be in the new line at Victoria Secrets."
"So I brought breakfast."
"You take such good care of me."
"I try."
Lorelai poured a glass of juice for Luke before she poured her coffee.
"Nice."
"What?"
"Taking care of me, before you're beloved coffee."
"I try."
She filled him in on her busy day as they finished breakfast.
Lorelai pulled her jeans on under his shirt. He thought she looked too cute for words. He walked her down to the back door and they kissed goodbye.
Lorelai made it to the inn by eight. Michel greeted her like a long lost friend. He knows she thought, good old Sookie. Lorelai wandered into the kitchen and found her friend with her hands deep in flour. It was up to her elbows, in her hair and all around her on the floor.
"Hey, Sookie, like the new look."
Sookie looked down and all around her and just laughed. "Sorry, I've been trying to get this recipe to work since dawn. And finally, I think I've found the secret."
"Dawn? You're crazy. Don't you know the brain definitely works better later in the day?"
"Davey had me up early and then Jackson wanted to, well, never mind. I've been waiting on pins and needles here."
"Waiting for what?"
"Waiting for all the down and dirty details of course."
"Details?" Lorelai teased, "Well, we're doing great. Business is booming so to speak. Rory is safely at Harvard. Michel is at the front desk – being very friendly for a change. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
"Lorelai Gilmore! You know what I am talking about."
"Maybe."
"Spill. I'll give you chocolate."
"Bribery? I'm surprised at you."
"Sit and tell me now. I can't wait another second. Was it romantic?"
"I'm not going down that road again."
"What?"
"That's exactly what Rory asked. Are you sure you two aren't the same person? It has been a while since I've seen you both in the same room at the same time."
"So you told Rory."
"Well, she just wheedled it out of me. Early morning, before coffee, well, before the coffee kicked in."
"So you told an innocent nineteen year old, but you won't tell your best friend? You're business partner, the women who invited you to witness the birth of her first child?
"The women who almost broke every bone in my hand because she squeezed it so hard during said birth? That friend?"
"Well, Jackson was a little green and the doctors seemed too busy."
"And did I, my friend, utter one unkind word or cry out in pain at any time during that whole process?"
"Nope, but you did ask Jackson if he was that particular shade of green during conception. And then when he finally fainted you yelled, and another one bites the dust."
"That was just for comedy relief. You seemed a little tense."
"Lorelai I was pushing out a nine pound baby in front of four strange men, an unconscious husband and a comedienne in some weird dress and a bonnet!"
"Your point being?"
"I deserve details, no matter how dirty. In fact, the dirtier the better."
"Ok, but don't say you weren't warned."
"Talk." Sookie teased her with a chocolate donut. Passing in front of her mouth but not letting her have it until Lorelai actually started to speak.
"Well, we were in my kitchen doing the dishes. And Luke started talking about how he had thought a lot about us while he was away. Then we went up to my room."
"Niiice."
"He admitted that he had learned a lot about himself in the last few months. He talked about how we have had this long friendship and even with all the ups and downs, well, that we are still friends who trust each other and value each other."
"True."
"He told me meeting Jason had scared him. Jason gave him the impression that maybe we were still together or at least trying to work things out."
"That guy is something else."
"And that made Luke mad or brave or something. Because that's when he got all hot and made his move. Anyway, he said he was tired of playing around and that maybe it was time for both of us to get on with it."
"Get on with what?"
"Life. Take a chance, get married, see what happens."
"Sounds romantic so far."
"It was very romantic. He took me in his arms and we started kissing and touching...."
"I can hear the clothes hitting the ground as we speak."
"Yeah, well.... So we were in bed, facing each other and he asked me to be his wife..."
"Did you answer before or after?"
"Before or after what?"
"You know."
"Before of course. That's what led to the after."
"And the after?"
"Ah, Sookie, it's like I've never done it before. It's perfect. He knows how to make a woman feel like she's the only one on earth."
"And did the earth move?"
"Ok, Sookie. I earned the donut and now I'm out of here. I'm going back out to the desk to tease Michel some more. He has tried everything to get a glimpse of my left hand. Amazing how most things can be done one handed."
Lorelai started to push at the kitchen door when she turned. "Sookie, the earth thing, I'm surprised you couldn't feel it at your house!"
"That's how you know its love."
Lorelai smiled wickedly. "No, that's damn good sex. The love is in my heart."
Michel kept trying to catch a glimpse of her left hand. It became a game with them Lorelai hiding her hand whenever he was around, him trying fruitlessly to see it. They were standing by the front desk when he finally grabbed her hand so he could finally check it out.
"Michel!"
"I just want to see what the diner man gave you."
They were laughing when someone said, "Hi."
Lorelai looked up to see Jason.
"Hi. What are you doing here?"
"Just thought I'd stop by and see the place in the daylight. It's exquisite. But I shouldn't be surprised. So are you."
"Jason, I don't think that....."
"Could we talk? Away from the front desk?"
"I guess. Michel, call if you need me."
Lorelai led Jason out on the porch.
Jason heard the horses. "Let's go over to the stable. I'd love to see the horses. I haven't been around them since summer camp."
They walked to the stable and entered. Jason patted both horses and then turned to her.
"So how are things going?"
"Great. We're almost fully booked until Thanksgiving. Seems everyone wants to spend the summer and fall in the country. And everyone that has stayed here so far wants to come back for Sookie's Thanksgiving extravaganza."
"Wow, I'm impressed. I knew you would be successful but I didn't expect such a great start."
"So Jason, what do you want?"
"I want...I need...another chance. I got a new job. I'm based in New York but since I travel so much, I can live anywhere. I can stay in Hartford or I could even live here."
"Why would you want to live here?"
"Because you are here."
"Jason."
"Just listen for a moment." He took a deep breath. "I can't get you off of my mind. I look around my place and I see you everywhere. I drive around Hartford and I remember every place we stopped, every restaurant, every store..."
"Jason, I...."
"Lorelai, give me another chance. One more dinner, any night you choose."
Lorelai didn't notice Luke's presence at the stable door.
"Jason, I can't. I have plans."
"With Luke? I assume you are still together?"
"Yes, with Luke. We are still together. We are..."
"You can't be with him every night. Surely you can..."
"Yes, every night Jason. Luke and I are engaged. We're going to be married soon."
"Married? That's pretty fast. Pregnant again?"
"That was rude."
"Yes it was, extremely rude." Luke spoke up. "And none of your business."
"Ah, so you are pregnant."
"Jason, I think you should leave now. I'm trying to be patient here. I really have no beef with you but you can't talk to her or about her that way."
"I think you should leave Jason." Lorelai softly added, "I'm not pregnant. But I do love Luke. We're getting married because we love each other and we don't want to wait to start our new life."
"Lorelai, look at him. What can he give you that I can't? I know I can give you more."
"More what Jason? More material things? Luke gives me everything I need and more. He knows what I need before I do. He loves my daughter and guess what.....he will sleep with me by his side all night long. We sleep together and it doesn't bother him. If I wake up or he wakes up, it's welcomed. We hold each other and drift back to sleep together. Can you do that for me? Never mind, I know the answer. Plus, I really don't care."
Jason had backed her against the wall and she had come out swinging. And Luke was watching and silently bursting with pride. He had talked to Jason exactly two times, and both times Jason had seemed a self assured bastard.
"She's with me now, Jason. She's right and we're right together. When it's right, it's right."
Luke just had to throw those words back at him.
Jason took one last look at both of them and stalked out.
Lorelai looked at Luke and shrugged her shoulders as if to ask what was that?
Luke laughed, and added. "You just had to be there."
He walked over to her and kissed her and they walked back to the main building together.
"So dinner and a movie?"
"Yep, and because you are my night in shining armor, it's your choice."
"Hey, from what I just witnessed, the last thing you need is a defender."
"Why thank you. I feel pretty good about that myself."
They had a nice dinner and as they sat waiting for the movie to start, Lorelai got a call from Rory. Luke listened to her side of the conversation.
"Hey, how's it going?
You're supposed to be swamped. That's why they call it an intense course of study.
Paris is there too? Bright side...she's down the hall.
Luke and I are great. We're waiting for a movie to start.
He is a movie guy, I promise.
He's across the hall, Rory. Don't let it get to you. You'll win him over. You always do. You probably will never see him again.
He goes to Yale too?
There's no accounting for taste and sometimes you do get a little carried away.
Well, if you do run into him you can just ignore him.
Rory, 'gotta go, movie is about to start. Love 'ya. Call me when you get a chance. Bye."
Luke looked at her. Lorelai filled him in quickly.
"Rory is swamped with work. Doesn't have one spare moment to shop.....important for us....our shopping time. Paris is there too, but in a room down the hall. Rory doesn't believe that I've gotten you to several movies. She doesn't understand the art of seduction from the male point of view obviously. There's an annoying guy in the suite across the hall. His roomies all like her, but he's a jerk. He turned up in most of her classes there and she found out he also goes to Yale. He's already made fun of her music and the way she takes notes. She hopes she never runs into him there. I think there's a little something starting there. Goodbye Deano!"
Luke looked at her. "You figured that out from what? Sounds like she hates the guy."
"Silly man, weren't you listening? Honestly, I don't know how you guys get through life. You don't pick up on anything. The girl protests too much. Half of the conversation was about the jerk across the hall."
"Of course, silly me. Movie is starting Lorelai. That, I do understand."
Luke wrapped his arm around her and this time he reached down to put the arm rest up. She laid her hand on his chest and settled in to watch the movie that she had chosen. He was a good man.
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More??? I need encouragement.