Chapter Eighteen

Luke built a small fire and they sat on the sofa and watched it grow into a roaring one. He grabbed a couple beers and a small notebook and they set about planning their wedding.

"I think for obvious reasons that the plan should have a name."

"A name?"

"Yes, so that we can talk about it in front of people but they won't know what we're talking about."

"Lorelai only you would ever think of something like that."

"Do you want everyone knowing what we are doing? And trying to add their two cents?"

"No of course not but..."

"I suggest we call it The New Menu."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Silly question but I'm still going to ask, why?"

"Well, we can talk about The New Menu for hours -- what should be included, the order of things, the food choices, get my point?"

"Sadly I do. I still don't understand why we need a secret name but if it will speed things along."

"Thanks, so about the new menu, where should it be?"

"I like the Dragonfly. It was your dream and we both have a little of ourselves invested there. It's where we got started."

"Our first kisses on the porch, the times in the stable... great idea, but we are solidly booked for September."

"Which leaves the little town church."

"That works too. The night we broke the bells..."

"The night you told me you didn't want me to move away."

"You had no intention of moving anyway."

"I already had."

"Yeah, right, so the town church." Lorelai wrote it down. "Sookie will cater the dinner and make the cake, chocolate or white?"

"I don't care. I don't like cake."

"Luke, it is our wedding cake."

"Yeah, yeah, how about marble?"

"Easy way out mister."

"I don't like cake."

"You'll like this one, I promise."

"And by the way, it will not end up all over my face."

"Of course not," Lorelai grinned and quickly went on. "Now, what kind of food?"

"Anything healthy."

"No way. I say we leave it up to Sookie. She has wonderful ideas and it will keep her busy so she can't ask more personal questions."

Luke laughed. "I'll agree to that. She's married to Jackson and he grows healthy stuff."

"Best man?"

"That's tough."

"Well there's T.J, and Kirk, and you obviously have friends I've never met.....or there's Jess."

"Jess?"

"Seems fitting somehow."

"But what about Rory?"

"I don't think she'd make a good best man. Besides which I've already reserved her particular wedding participation."

Luke rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you mean the two of them being thrown together? There hasn't been anything there for a while. And maybe the 'jerk' will still be around in September."

"The 'jerk' isn't around now."

"Sure he is. Why do you think she took that extra class?"

"Because she thought she might learn something to help with her career in journalism."

"Sure, yeah. Well okay, keep thinking that."

"Well, I can ask I guess. I think he's over her."

"You think?"

"He really loved her you know. He told me."

"Yeah, well he had a strange way of showing it."

"Hey, you Gilmore girls are intimidating. Hard to know what approach works best."

"And your approach was?"

"Be the best friend with the coffee. Watch the parade of men go through and then..."

"And then get married and pretend to move away."

"Well, it worked didn't it?"

"Seems like there was an easier way, Luke."

"Believe me it wasn't planned."

"I know. Next, flowers."

"Fall flowers are easy. They're big and plentiful, nice dark colors." Luke looked at her.

"You're right, yellow, gold, burgundy....lots of greenery."

"Unless you want more traditional ones, like roses?"

"No, it's a fall wedding it should have fall flowers." Lorelai scribbled a couple notes. "Now the hard one, the honeymoon. I vote right here in this place."

"That would be nice. But I was thinking something a little more exotic. It starts to get cool here in September and the days are shorter. I was thinking more like a beach somewhere. Somewhere warm and sunny with lots of things to do....maybe some gambling."

"And shopping..."

"Or a cruise might be nice."

"No way! What are you thinking?"

"I guess I wasn't."

"I like the beach idea. Any ideas?"

"How about I look into it and get back to you. You can take care of all the other stuff."

"Honeymoon is all yours." Lorelai added to her list. "I think that covers the major stuff. Oh, wait, how about rings?"

"Rings as in plural?"

"Yep, one for me the bride and one for you the groom."

"Lorelai I'm not one for jewelry."

"No negotiating on this one my friend. I want a ring on that hand so other women will know you are mine, especially Crazy Carrie."

"You don't have to worry about her. She scares me and besides she's married."

"You might want to tell her that. On second thought, just stay away from her."

"No problem." Luke teased, "I like jealous Lorelai."

"You ever give me a real reason and I promise you that you won't."

"Possessive."

"You bet. Took me this long to snag you...."

"I thought I snagged you."

"Talk about snagging, how about we 'snag' each other right now?"

"Sounds good to me. Wedding planning over?"

"I'm closing the book right now." Lorelai slammed the notebook closed. "I say we rehearse for the honeymoon."

"I think that's just another one of those God given talents. You either have it or you don't."

"Oh, really?"

"Did you ever take a lesson?"

"Well, no but it does take time to cultivate a certain...."

Luke pulled her close and kissed her to shut her up. "I say we adjourn this meeting and head up to bed. Our last night you know."

"Don't remind me."

"It's not like you're going back to prison tomorrow."

"No and I'm happy to go back to the inn and my house and Rory. But here we are just two people having fun, another couple in love. Back there, we are Luke and Lorelai of Stars Hollow. Fodder for the gossips and kicking board for disgruntled parents and employees."

"Maybe we should just stay here."

"Sounds good to me. You can get a job on one of those fishing boats and I can make cute tee shirts for one of those shops."

"We're leaving in the morning."

"I know." The wrapped their arms around each other and walked up the stairway.

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