FRIDAY, 2PM
Lorelai got into her Jeep and headed out on the way to the Dragonfly for the grand opening. She drove past Luke's, paused for a moment, then proceeded on, stopping only to get a cup of coffee at the coffee joint a few doors down from Luke's.
Lorelai walked in the door of the Dragonfly, to be greeted by Sookie and Michel.
"Lorelai, thank God you're here!" Sookie said, running up to her. "Lorelai, I need your signature on this," Michel said.
"OK, OK, one at a time," said Lorelai. "What's this for?" she asked Michel, indicating the forms he was holding.
"Apparently the flowers you asked me to order for the rooms, despite the fact that the order was placed by me in my name, I am not allowed to accept them," said Michel.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we need the signature of the person whose name is on the credit card," the flower delivery boy explained.
Lorelai signed the forms then turned to Michel. "Michel, the first guests are arriving any time, I need you to go through the rooms and make sure everything is in place."
"Oh goody," Michel said as he strode off.
"Oh, and can you get hold of Tom and make sure he took care of all the paint touchups?"
"Lorelai, we have a huge problem in the kitchen," said Sookie as she led Lorelai into the kitchen.
"Sookie, can't you..."
"Look at this!" she showed Lorelai some raw meat, looking very aggravated.
"OK, that's bacon..." Lorelai said, unsure.
"Exactly." Sookie threw up her hands.
"And the problem is?"
"I ordered pancetta, and they sent me this. Our guests will be expecting pancetta in their stuffed peppers and they'll get this."
"What did the delivery guy say?" asked Lorelai.
"He said that they're receiving a shipment of pancetta on Monday, and that bacon is an acceptable substitute until then," Sookie said, aggravated.
"Sookie, I'm sure you can make it work," Lorelai patted her arm as she left the kitchen and went into the lobby. Just then Christopher came in, carrying some boxes.
"Hey, hon, thanks for bringing that over," Lorelai said as she gave Christopher a peck on the lips and helped him put the boxes down.
"All ready for the big night?" he asked.
"Not even remotely. Hey, you want a job? I really think I'd rather be working the strip clubs. I think I saw a 'help wanted' sign on Crazy Harry's last time I was in Hartford. You can handle things here, right?"
"The commute would kill you," Christopher replied.
Michel came down the stairs. "Oh great, Michel, I need you to put out the cheese & crackers for me."
"10 years experience and I'm being put in charge of cheese & crackers? I'm so happy. I can only dream that you'll promote me to feeding the horses if I really work hard," Michel said as he went to unpack the snack plates.
Just then Rory came in. "Hey Mom," she said.
"Hey hon, how's the packing going?"
"Slow. I can't believe the things Grandma is telling me to bring. Why do I need 5 bathing suits? And 3 pairs of high heels?"
"Oh, she's going easy on you. I would've expected 6 pairs of pumps," replied Lorelai.
"So when are the guests arriving?"
"Any time now," said Lorelai.
Just then Richard came in. "Hello Lorelai," he said.
"Dad! What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to be here for your grand opening, to wish you luck."
"Wow. Uh, thanks, Dad," Lorelai stammered.
"You've done a beautiful job with this place and I wanted to wish you the best of luck with this endeavor. Hello, Christopher," Richard nodded towards Christopher as he saw him. "Lorelai, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked, pulling Lorelai aside.
"What's up, Dad?"
"Your mother and Rory are going to Europe."
"I know that, Dad."
"And you approve of this?"
"Dad, Rory is a big girl and Mom will take care of her anyway. "
"I just thought you'd want her around for support when you're dealing with your new business."
"Dad, if you don't want Mom to leave, you should tell her."
"I never said I didn't want her to go, and anyway there's no telling that woman anything," Richard grumbled. "What is Christopher doing here?"
"Oh, uh, well Dad, he's actually staying with me for a few days, he's separating from his wife."
"And he came to you? Are you two dating now?"
"Dad, not so fast. Yeah, maybe, I guess..."
"Lorelai, there is a car pulling up outside," Michel informed her.
"Oh my God, there's our first guests! OK, places everyone!" Lorelai shouted as the staff all ran around in preparation.
Lorelai took Christopher's hand, put her other arm around Rory and smiled at Richard. "I'm so glad you could all be here at the second biggest moment of my life," she said affectionately.
Meanwhile Luke ambled up from the diner into his apartment, grabbed a sandwich from the fridge and sat down to eat with his newspaper, alone.
END OF PART I
Lorelai got into her Jeep and headed out on the way to the Dragonfly for the grand opening. She drove past Luke's, paused for a moment, then proceeded on, stopping only to get a cup of coffee at the coffee joint a few doors down from Luke's.
Lorelai walked in the door of the Dragonfly, to be greeted by Sookie and Michel.
"Lorelai, thank God you're here!" Sookie said, running up to her. "Lorelai, I need your signature on this," Michel said.
"OK, OK, one at a time," said Lorelai. "What's this for?" she asked Michel, indicating the forms he was holding.
"Apparently the flowers you asked me to order for the rooms, despite the fact that the order was placed by me in my name, I am not allowed to accept them," said Michel.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we need the signature of the person whose name is on the credit card," the flower delivery boy explained.
Lorelai signed the forms then turned to Michel. "Michel, the first guests are arriving any time, I need you to go through the rooms and make sure everything is in place."
"Oh goody," Michel said as he strode off.
"Oh, and can you get hold of Tom and make sure he took care of all the paint touchups?"
"Lorelai, we have a huge problem in the kitchen," said Sookie as she led Lorelai into the kitchen.
"Sookie, can't you..."
"Look at this!" she showed Lorelai some raw meat, looking very aggravated.
"OK, that's bacon..." Lorelai said, unsure.
"Exactly." Sookie threw up her hands.
"And the problem is?"
"I ordered pancetta, and they sent me this. Our guests will be expecting pancetta in their stuffed peppers and they'll get this."
"What did the delivery guy say?" asked Lorelai.
"He said that they're receiving a shipment of pancetta on Monday, and that bacon is an acceptable substitute until then," Sookie said, aggravated.
"Sookie, I'm sure you can make it work," Lorelai patted her arm as she left the kitchen and went into the lobby. Just then Christopher came in, carrying some boxes.
"Hey, hon, thanks for bringing that over," Lorelai said as she gave Christopher a peck on the lips and helped him put the boxes down.
"All ready for the big night?" he asked.
"Not even remotely. Hey, you want a job? I really think I'd rather be working the strip clubs. I think I saw a 'help wanted' sign on Crazy Harry's last time I was in Hartford. You can handle things here, right?"
"The commute would kill you," Christopher replied.
Michel came down the stairs. "Oh great, Michel, I need you to put out the cheese & crackers for me."
"10 years experience and I'm being put in charge of cheese & crackers? I'm so happy. I can only dream that you'll promote me to feeding the horses if I really work hard," Michel said as he went to unpack the snack plates.
Just then Rory came in. "Hey Mom," she said.
"Hey hon, how's the packing going?"
"Slow. I can't believe the things Grandma is telling me to bring. Why do I need 5 bathing suits? And 3 pairs of high heels?"
"Oh, she's going easy on you. I would've expected 6 pairs of pumps," replied Lorelai.
"So when are the guests arriving?"
"Any time now," said Lorelai.
Just then Richard came in. "Hello Lorelai," he said.
"Dad! What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to be here for your grand opening, to wish you luck."
"Wow. Uh, thanks, Dad," Lorelai stammered.
"You've done a beautiful job with this place and I wanted to wish you the best of luck with this endeavor. Hello, Christopher," Richard nodded towards Christopher as he saw him. "Lorelai, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked, pulling Lorelai aside.
"What's up, Dad?"
"Your mother and Rory are going to Europe."
"I know that, Dad."
"And you approve of this?"
"Dad, Rory is a big girl and Mom will take care of her anyway. "
"I just thought you'd want her around for support when you're dealing with your new business."
"Dad, if you don't want Mom to leave, you should tell her."
"I never said I didn't want her to go, and anyway there's no telling that woman anything," Richard grumbled. "What is Christopher doing here?"
"Oh, uh, well Dad, he's actually staying with me for a few days, he's separating from his wife."
"And he came to you? Are you two dating now?"
"Dad, not so fast. Yeah, maybe, I guess..."
"Lorelai, there is a car pulling up outside," Michel informed her.
"Oh my God, there's our first guests! OK, places everyone!" Lorelai shouted as the staff all ran around in preparation.
Lorelai took Christopher's hand, put her other arm around Rory and smiled at Richard. "I'm so glad you could all be here at the second biggest moment of my life," she said affectionately.
Meanwhile Luke ambled up from the diner into his apartment, grabbed a sandwich from the fridge and sat down to eat with his newspaper, alone.
END OF PART I