CHRISTOPHER'S APARTMENT, 10AM BEFORE THE PARTY
Lorelai tapped her foot impatiently. "Please pick up," she murmured into the phone.
"Hello?"
"I'm so sorry to call you like this but I'm desperate. I really really need your help and if you do this for me I will...I will do anything, give you anything...I will name my first born after you. Well it's too late for that but I'll change Rory's name, or I'll get a hamster and name it after you..." Lorelai pleaded.
"Please don't change Rory's name to Luke," said Luke on the other end. "What's up?"
"The party for my parents starts in 4 hours and I'm stuck in Boston, my ride crapped out on me and I have like a billion phone calls to make and I left my organizer at home so I don't have any of the phone numbers!" shouted Lorelai.
"OK, calm down. Do you need me to come get you?"
"What? No, I've got a cab coming."
"You're taking a cab? From Boston? Are you nuts? Why not just hand over your entire retirement savings," said Luke.
"Luke! Please! I need you to go to the house and get my organizer, and then call me back on my cell. Please," she pleaded.
"OK, OK." he replied.
CAB, 10:15
Lorelai's cell phone rang. "Luke?" she answered anxiously.
"Yeah, I've got the organizer, what do you need?" asked Luke.
"How did you get in the house?"
"Well, I tried climbing the tree again but your bedroom window was closed and all the other windows were locked so I ended up having to kick in the back door. You'll need a new lock and maybe a new door. I'll take care of it tomorrow."
"Thanks."
"So what do you need me to do?" asked Luke.
"If you can just flip to the back section, I've got a page of phone numbers for the party," said Lorelai.
"Yeah, I see it," he replied, thumbing through. "You want to divide them up?"
"Just read me the numbers, I'll take care of it," said Lorelai.
"Lorelai, you've got more numbers here than a telemarketer."
"But you don't know what needs to be checked," she said.
"You have very detailed notes here, if I can actually read your chicken scratch, that is," said Luke.
"OK, OK, read me the list. I guess you could take a few," Lorelai agreed.
GILMORE RESIDENCE, 12:45 PM
The cab pulled up to the house, Lorelai got out, ran inside and grabbed some clothes to change into for the party. She dashed outside, got in her car and drove to Luke's. She ran into the diner.
"OK, how far did you get?" she asked, out of breath. She looked around but Luke was not there.
Lane came out of the kitchen carrying some plates.
"Lane? Where's Luke?" she asked.
"Oh, he said something about running an errand," said Lane. "I don't know where he went."
"That man has got to get a cell phone!" said Lorelai, running back out and getting into her car.
DRAGONFLY, 1:00 PM
Lorelai ran into the Inn to find Emily chatting with one of the waitstaff.
"Lorelai, you're here," said Emily, surprised.
"No Mom, I'm actually a hologram. My real body is in cryostasis down in D.C."
"Your friend said you probably wouldn't make it here before the party started. I don't know what you were thinking by running off to Boston the night before an event like this," said Emily.
Lorelai sighed. "Of course. Christopher disappears leaving me stranded, but naturally this ends up being my fault."
"Christopher disappeared?"
"Yes Mom. That's why I was stranded."
"Oh, I just assumed his car broke down or something like that. Why would Christopher disappear? Did you say something to him?"
"And it's my fault again," said Lorelai wryly. "Are the musicians here yet?"
"Oh yes, everything seems to be under control," said Emily. "I need another taste of those mini quiches, that Sookie of yours is an absolute genius," she said, walking off into the kitchen.
Just then Luke walked in the door, carrying a stack of linens.
"What are you doing here?" Lorelai asked him.
"Oh, I called the party supplier about the dinnerware and they said they were running behind on the deliveries so I just went to pick it up," said Luke, putting down the linens in the dining room. "By the way, Kirk has been looking all around for raspberry jam, apparently it's an ingredient in something called a 'Pink Panther Shake'?"
"Luke, I can't thank you enough..." Lorelai began.
Just then Emily emerged from the kitchen. "Oh Luke," she said upon seeing him, "When are we expecting the wine delivery?"
"They said no later than 1:30," Luke replied. "But they're all out of that Bordeaux you wanted." Luke went back outside to finish unloading the truck.
"Ohh," Emily said, disappointed. "What on earth are we going to serve with the meal now?"
"Uh, OK, this is weird," Lorelai commented, watching them.
"What?" asked Emily.
"Oh it's nothing I guess, just you and Luke chatting away about wine," said Lorelai. "It's a conversation I never would have pictured."
"He's helping with the arrangements for the party. Didn't you ask him to help?"
"Yes, Mom."
Luke came back in carrying a crate of dinnerware.
"OK, Luke, you can just set it down over there and I'll take it from here," said Lorelai. "I appreciate this so much, you've been a lifesaver." She awkwardly went to hug him, backed away and ended up shaking his hand instead.
"Yes Luke, you've been very helpful," said Emily. "Would you like to stay for the party? I'm sure there's enough time for you to go change," she said, eyeing his flannel, baseball cap uniform up & down.
"Oh, uh, no, thanks, I should get back to the diner," he said.
"Well, thanks again," Lorelai said, waving goodbye as he walked out the door.
Just then she heard a series of loud pops from the dining room. She ran in to see what the problem was, to find several holes in one of the walls.
"What happened here?" she asked a very guilty-looking Kirk.
"I had a little accident with the champagne corks," Kirk informed her.
"Kirk, this wall is practically demolished. How did you pop six champagne bottles at the same time? Never mind, I don't want to know."
"We could just hang a few pictures..."
"It'd take Michelangelo to cover up all that," replied Lorelai, picking up her cell phone. "I have to call Tom."
DRAGONFLY, 1:15PM
"Michel, is all the wait staff here yet?" Lorelai asked, walking into the lobby.
Michel sat on the floor with Davey, surrounded with baby toys. "I was not aware that I was supposed to be baby-sitting the kitchen staff as well as this," he said, indicating Davey. "By the way, the hutch in the front room now has a rather large dent in it. Apparently he thought the fire tongs would make a good baseball bat."
"Hang in there, Michel, Jackson should be back in about an hour," Lorelai told him.
Just then Dean walked in the door.
"Hey Lorelai, Tom sent me. Said something about sheet rock damage?"
"Uh, yeah, in here," Lorelai led him into the dining room. "Kirk had a little mishap with some champagne corks."
"OK, I'll get on it," said Dean, going to fetch his tools.
Richard walked in. "Hi Dad," said Lorelai, going over to greet him.
Emily came out from the lobby to greet Richard. "What on Earth happened here?" she asked, as she spotted the damage to the wall. "This can't look like this for the party."
"Police academy cadets were here doing target practice. Already got someone on it, Mom. It's under control."
"Is the wait staff here yet? I'd like to speak to them about the serving procedure," said Emily.
"I think they're in the kitchen," said Lorelai. Emily went to look for them.
"Lorelai, where is Christopher? Did he get the painting?" asked Richard.
"Ah! Now that's the question of the day, isn't it?"
"Excuse me, Lorelai?"
"Christopher is gone," Lorelai informed him.
"What?"
"I don't know where Christopher is, Dad. I spent last night at his place. When I woke up this morning he had left me a note saying he was getting the painting, and I haven't heard from him since. And it's probably lucky for him that I haven't because it won't be pretty when I do see him. I'm thinking Carrie only with more blood."
"I'm sure he'll be here, Lorelai."
"Dad, I had to take a cab all the way from Boston or else I wouldn't even be here right now."
"Christopher would not shirk his responsibility like this, Lorelai."
"Christopher already shirked, Dad. The shirking has been done. We can consider ourselves officially shirked," said Lorelai. "I've got a cab bill the size of the defense budget to prove it," she said as she walked away into the dining room to check on the repairs. "What's the prognosis, doc?" she asked Dean.
"Well I won't be able to patch it properly before the party but I can rig something to make it look OK, and then fix it properly later," said Dean. "And I'd recommend lots of pictures to cover it up for now."
"Pictures, got it," said Lorelai.
Dean took a deep breath. "Hey Lorelai?" he asked hesitantly. "Uh, Is Rory coming?"
"Yes, Dean, she is. And she's bringing her boyfriend," Lorelai informed him coldly. "If you have a problem with that I suggest you work quickly so you can get out of here."
Dean's face fell as he started back at his work.
Lorelai tapped her foot impatiently. "Please pick up," she murmured into the phone.
"Hello?"
"I'm so sorry to call you like this but I'm desperate. I really really need your help and if you do this for me I will...I will do anything, give you anything...I will name my first born after you. Well it's too late for that but I'll change Rory's name, or I'll get a hamster and name it after you..." Lorelai pleaded.
"Please don't change Rory's name to Luke," said Luke on the other end. "What's up?"
"The party for my parents starts in 4 hours and I'm stuck in Boston, my ride crapped out on me and I have like a billion phone calls to make and I left my organizer at home so I don't have any of the phone numbers!" shouted Lorelai.
"OK, calm down. Do you need me to come get you?"
"What? No, I've got a cab coming."
"You're taking a cab? From Boston? Are you nuts? Why not just hand over your entire retirement savings," said Luke.
"Luke! Please! I need you to go to the house and get my organizer, and then call me back on my cell. Please," she pleaded.
"OK, OK." he replied.
CAB, 10:15
Lorelai's cell phone rang. "Luke?" she answered anxiously.
"Yeah, I've got the organizer, what do you need?" asked Luke.
"How did you get in the house?"
"Well, I tried climbing the tree again but your bedroom window was closed and all the other windows were locked so I ended up having to kick in the back door. You'll need a new lock and maybe a new door. I'll take care of it tomorrow."
"Thanks."
"So what do you need me to do?" asked Luke.
"If you can just flip to the back section, I've got a page of phone numbers for the party," said Lorelai.
"Yeah, I see it," he replied, thumbing through. "You want to divide them up?"
"Just read me the numbers, I'll take care of it," said Lorelai.
"Lorelai, you've got more numbers here than a telemarketer."
"But you don't know what needs to be checked," she said.
"You have very detailed notes here, if I can actually read your chicken scratch, that is," said Luke.
"OK, OK, read me the list. I guess you could take a few," Lorelai agreed.
GILMORE RESIDENCE, 12:45 PM
The cab pulled up to the house, Lorelai got out, ran inside and grabbed some clothes to change into for the party. She dashed outside, got in her car and drove to Luke's. She ran into the diner.
"OK, how far did you get?" she asked, out of breath. She looked around but Luke was not there.
Lane came out of the kitchen carrying some plates.
"Lane? Where's Luke?" she asked.
"Oh, he said something about running an errand," said Lane. "I don't know where he went."
"That man has got to get a cell phone!" said Lorelai, running back out and getting into her car.
DRAGONFLY, 1:00 PM
Lorelai ran into the Inn to find Emily chatting with one of the waitstaff.
"Lorelai, you're here," said Emily, surprised.
"No Mom, I'm actually a hologram. My real body is in cryostasis down in D.C."
"Your friend said you probably wouldn't make it here before the party started. I don't know what you were thinking by running off to Boston the night before an event like this," said Emily.
Lorelai sighed. "Of course. Christopher disappears leaving me stranded, but naturally this ends up being my fault."
"Christopher disappeared?"
"Yes Mom. That's why I was stranded."
"Oh, I just assumed his car broke down or something like that. Why would Christopher disappear? Did you say something to him?"
"And it's my fault again," said Lorelai wryly. "Are the musicians here yet?"
"Oh yes, everything seems to be under control," said Emily. "I need another taste of those mini quiches, that Sookie of yours is an absolute genius," she said, walking off into the kitchen.
Just then Luke walked in the door, carrying a stack of linens.
"What are you doing here?" Lorelai asked him.
"Oh, I called the party supplier about the dinnerware and they said they were running behind on the deliveries so I just went to pick it up," said Luke, putting down the linens in the dining room. "By the way, Kirk has been looking all around for raspberry jam, apparently it's an ingredient in something called a 'Pink Panther Shake'?"
"Luke, I can't thank you enough..." Lorelai began.
Just then Emily emerged from the kitchen. "Oh Luke," she said upon seeing him, "When are we expecting the wine delivery?"
"They said no later than 1:30," Luke replied. "But they're all out of that Bordeaux you wanted." Luke went back outside to finish unloading the truck.
"Ohh," Emily said, disappointed. "What on earth are we going to serve with the meal now?"
"Uh, OK, this is weird," Lorelai commented, watching them.
"What?" asked Emily.
"Oh it's nothing I guess, just you and Luke chatting away about wine," said Lorelai. "It's a conversation I never would have pictured."
"He's helping with the arrangements for the party. Didn't you ask him to help?"
"Yes, Mom."
Luke came back in carrying a crate of dinnerware.
"OK, Luke, you can just set it down over there and I'll take it from here," said Lorelai. "I appreciate this so much, you've been a lifesaver." She awkwardly went to hug him, backed away and ended up shaking his hand instead.
"Yes Luke, you've been very helpful," said Emily. "Would you like to stay for the party? I'm sure there's enough time for you to go change," she said, eyeing his flannel, baseball cap uniform up & down.
"Oh, uh, no, thanks, I should get back to the diner," he said.
"Well, thanks again," Lorelai said, waving goodbye as he walked out the door.
Just then she heard a series of loud pops from the dining room. She ran in to see what the problem was, to find several holes in one of the walls.
"What happened here?" she asked a very guilty-looking Kirk.
"I had a little accident with the champagne corks," Kirk informed her.
"Kirk, this wall is practically demolished. How did you pop six champagne bottles at the same time? Never mind, I don't want to know."
"We could just hang a few pictures..."
"It'd take Michelangelo to cover up all that," replied Lorelai, picking up her cell phone. "I have to call Tom."
DRAGONFLY, 1:15PM
"Michel, is all the wait staff here yet?" Lorelai asked, walking into the lobby.
Michel sat on the floor with Davey, surrounded with baby toys. "I was not aware that I was supposed to be baby-sitting the kitchen staff as well as this," he said, indicating Davey. "By the way, the hutch in the front room now has a rather large dent in it. Apparently he thought the fire tongs would make a good baseball bat."
"Hang in there, Michel, Jackson should be back in about an hour," Lorelai told him.
Just then Dean walked in the door.
"Hey Lorelai, Tom sent me. Said something about sheet rock damage?"
"Uh, yeah, in here," Lorelai led him into the dining room. "Kirk had a little mishap with some champagne corks."
"OK, I'll get on it," said Dean, going to fetch his tools.
Richard walked in. "Hi Dad," said Lorelai, going over to greet him.
Emily came out from the lobby to greet Richard. "What on Earth happened here?" she asked, as she spotted the damage to the wall. "This can't look like this for the party."
"Police academy cadets were here doing target practice. Already got someone on it, Mom. It's under control."
"Is the wait staff here yet? I'd like to speak to them about the serving procedure," said Emily.
"I think they're in the kitchen," said Lorelai. Emily went to look for them.
"Lorelai, where is Christopher? Did he get the painting?" asked Richard.
"Ah! Now that's the question of the day, isn't it?"
"Excuse me, Lorelai?"
"Christopher is gone," Lorelai informed him.
"What?"
"I don't know where Christopher is, Dad. I spent last night at his place. When I woke up this morning he had left me a note saying he was getting the painting, and I haven't heard from him since. And it's probably lucky for him that I haven't because it won't be pretty when I do see him. I'm thinking Carrie only with more blood."
"I'm sure he'll be here, Lorelai."
"Dad, I had to take a cab all the way from Boston or else I wouldn't even be here right now."
"Christopher would not shirk his responsibility like this, Lorelai."
"Christopher already shirked, Dad. The shirking has been done. We can consider ourselves officially shirked," said Lorelai. "I've got a cab bill the size of the defense budget to prove it," she said as she walked away into the dining room to check on the repairs. "What's the prognosis, doc?" she asked Dean.
"Well I won't be able to patch it properly before the party but I can rig something to make it look OK, and then fix it properly later," said Dean. "And I'd recommend lots of pictures to cover it up for now."
"Pictures, got it," said Lorelai.
Dean took a deep breath. "Hey Lorelai?" he asked hesitantly. "Uh, Is Rory coming?"
"Yes, Dean, she is. And she's bringing her boyfriend," Lorelai informed him coldly. "If you have a problem with that I suggest you work quickly so you can get out of here."
Dean's face fell as he started back at his work.