Chapter 7

Distracted and Determined

8 Days Post Kiss, 3pm

Lorelai and Rory were trailing along the beach, soaking up the sun while they had the chance. It was peaceful, still too early in the season for the summer crowds, and they took full advantage of the near deserted shoreline.

They were deep in a pause of conversation, having spent most of the day discussing Rory's next move, and how she had ended up in the current predicament. Most of the previous night had been the hashing and rehashing of Lorelai's feelings towards Luke, so she had pounced after breakfast at a local café, telling Rory they couldn't leave Mia's cottage until they both knew what their next move was. Rory's first instinct was to happily agree and then ask if that meant they were never going home, but one look from her mother forced her to at like the adult she now could no longer deny she was.

So they had spent all morning in the café, each with a bottomless cup of coffee, talking about the events leading up to that unforgettable night. Rory explained how it seemed that the entire world was concerned about her single status, that everyone had told her over and over how lonely she must be, and that at some point she must have started to believe it.

She talked about her friendship with Dean, and how Lindsay had tried to stop him seeing her, but she hadn't wanted to lose him, so she asked him to defy the request and he had readily agreed. Then things had snowballed and he was confiding in her how unhappy he was with Lindsay, and he seemed to want to be closer to her, and all she could hear in her head were the voices repeating 'you're lonely, you're so lonely.' And she couldn't help but want to feel the safety of Dean's arms around her again, she wanted to make the voices go away.

Lorelai had listened intently, letting her daughter expose her insecurities and uncertainties, and by the time lunch rolled around, she had a clearer view of what had been going through Rory's mind.

They hastily relocated to a local burger stand, and then headed down to the shoreline to eat and continue their discussion. She asked Rory to explain Lindsay's outburst, and it was concluded that Dean hadn't confessed to her what they had done, only that he didn't want to be married anymore. They agreed that Lindsay had jumped to an easy conclusion, that his request for a divorce had at least a little to do with Rory – as to whether she was assuming there was an affair, Rory couldn't tell, but she didn't think Lindsay expected it to get that far.

Lorelai offered advice on how to handle the situation. First, she should keep her distance from both Dean and Lindsay, and let them sort out their problems. That was the easy part. The hard part would be handling her own emotions, coming to terms with how her first experience had come about. Lorelai suggested she not focus on the negative, try to accept that it wasn't necessarily the best decision, but there was no way to take it back. She had to move forward and try not to dwell on it too much.

Rory then raised the question of whether she should go to Europe with Emily, and Lorelai simply said that she is entitled to go if she wants to, but it should be for the right reasons. If she was running away, then she should turn down the offer. Rory agreed that it was something she had to think on some more before they left the next day.

After dinner, they spent the evening apart, Rory in her room under the premise of reading, and Lorelai out on the porch, watching the small waves lap at the beach in the moonlight. She had turned her phone on for the first time since calling Mia the previous day, and found two messages waiting. The first was Sookie, reminding them they had to returned the next day and asking to please call her when they were on their way. She seemed to pause a moment, as if contemplating her next words, but she forged ahead and explained that Luke had been looking for her and he seemed somehow lost. She left it at that, and offered a quick cheery goodbye.

The second message was a strange collection of sounds; silence, then a slight cough as someone cleared their throat, a deep sigh, and then falteringly the voice finally came. "Hi.. uh.. I know you're probably ignoring my calls, but I just uh.. wanted to.. to apologise for yesterday. I didn't really give you a chance to say anything so I uh.. wanted you to know that I'd like to try that conversation again, when you get back. Just uh.. stop by the diner, or.. or call even. If you're too busy, then um, that's ok too. Ok well.. bye."

Lorelai covered her eyes with one hand as all the emotions she had managed to suppress for the last twelve hours came rushing back. She hated this feeling. She didn't know how to make it go away. She liked hearing his voice, but she was so afraid of every word that left his mouth. She knew that with that message, he had tossed the ball into her court, and it would be up to her to make the move to start that conversation.

She knew though, that once she started it, she was not going to leave until they knew, one way or the other, exactly where they stood. She just had to find the courage to take the first step.

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8 Days Post Kiss, 8pm

Luke had gratefully escaped the diner to eat dinner, glad to be away in the privacy of his apartment, where he didn't have to pretend that everything was ok, where he didn't have to hide behind his façade of the usual attitude mixed with a willingness to please the customers. To those he didn't know, he had always been a pleasant person. Certainly a man of few words, but pleasant nonetheless. It was only the regulars, like Kirk, Andrew, Taylor and Lorelai who had to bear the brunt of his attitude. He knew who he could speak honestly with, and who should be treated as a privileged customer.

Inside his apartment, he was able to be himself. He was able to vent his frustration by yelling at a baseball game on TV, he was able to consume a beer in the hope that it would give him the courage he'd been looking for most of the day. Since visiting Sookie's house, he had been unable to shake her parting comment. He knew she had no idea what was going on between her friends, but he believed she was an extremely receptive person, and it wouldn't take much to figure it out. Which is why, he guessed, that she had suggested it in the first place. He knew she wanted them both to be happy, and if encouraging them to talk was going to aid the cause, then she had no hesitation in doing so.

She had been right to say it; he knew that. But saying it and doing it were two completely different matters. All day as he had passed through the doorway to the kitchen, he had glanced at the phone, wondering when was the right moment to call, even if there was a right moment. He knew that even if she actually did have her cell turned on (which was unlikely given the circumstances), she could quite easily recognise his number and choose not to answer.

He paced the floor, knowing he couldn't spend too much longer away from the diner. Caesar was due to finish his shift soon, and he had to get back to finish closing up. He put his hands on his head, adjusting his cap, trying to psyche himself up for the challenge. He turned and strode purposefully toward the phone on his nightstand, and dialled her number before he had a chance to think about it. When her voicemail message picked up immediately, he knew his first suspicion was correct; her phone was off. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts, and he realised that the  beep had already sounded, and he anxiously tried to figure out what he was going to say.

He stumbled hopelessly through the message and hung up as soon as he could. At least it was over with. The next move was up to her.

He returned downstairs and sent Caesar home, locking the door behind him and turning out the kitchen light. He worked silently, enjoying the peace. He had always liked closing. It was rewarding to see the mess of the day disappear, and to have the tables and chairs clean once again, ready for the next day. It was a routine he could always control, something that he took pride in. It was small, but it was satisfying.

He was halfway up the stairs when to phone rang in the diner. It was late, past eleven already, and he wondered who would be calling a closed diner at this time of night. He contemplated ignoring it, but a fleeting thought made him pause, and then hurry back down the stairs.

"Hello?"

"Hi," she replied cautiously.

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TBC... heeeheeeheee, you asked for interaction... there it is.. heeeheee ok, I'm fine now, promise. Thanks to those who gave suggestions, much appreciated. I had most of this written already, just not the end, but it just happened fairly naturally. The words were flowin'! Anywho, please do review, I'd love to hear what you think!

Oh also, just a reminder, though I said there'd be other characters, most of them are only appearing to advance the Luke Lorelai plot, but because I touched on Rory's run in with Lindsay, I had to explain it. So there it is :) but you know, since I have each chapter set in time since the kiss, I think it's fairly obvious who my main characters are... no offence.. just my personal preference.