CHAPTER 5
"Hey, Lane. Thanks for covering the morning rush. I owe you one," Luke said.
"Don't worry. I won't let you forget it," Lane said with a smile.
The door chimes rang and the Gilmore girls walked in.
"Hey, Lane!" Rory greeted, giving her best friend a hug. "Luke."
"Hey, you," Luke greeted Rory.
"Where's my greet?" Lorelai asked.
"I know I am going to see you at least two more times today. I have to space out the greetings!" he replied. "So, what do you ladies want?"
"Well, I'm headed home," Lane stated. "Luke, you going to give me a ring tonight if you need help with the dinner rush?"
"Will do. Thanks again," Luke said to her.
"Uhm, mom, I'm leaving with Lane," Rory indicated.
"I thought we're having breakfast together?" Lorelai asked.
"Lane and I have to catch up. Reschedule?" Rory pleaded.
"Hmm. Will I see you tonight?" Lorelai asked.
"Barring a tornado taking me to Kansas, I will be home some time today," Rory said as she walked out with Lane. The chimes tinkled behind them.
"Hi," Luke greeted her.
"Hi," Lorelai greeted bashfully.
"I'm surprised Rory didn't stay for coffee. Everything okay with her? " Luke asked.
"I think she just needs some breathing space," Lorelai said looking at Rory and Lane's backs as they disappeared around the corner from the diner.
"Has she talked to Dean yet?" Luke asked as her served her the cup of coffee.
"I don't think so," Lorelai contemplated.
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"So there I was, trying to find gramps and I run into Lindsey," Rory told Lane.
"No! What happened?" Lane pumped her friend for information.
"Well, she sprained her ankle and had to get it checked out and then, Tristin came in and started talking to her and then Dean came around the corner," Rory said.
"Did they have another face off?" she asked.
"Lindsey stepped in and told me to have Tristin fight my battles and to leave Dean out of it. Then Tristin took me home after checking up on gramps," Rory ended.
"Tristin took you home? That was nice of him," Lane commented.
"Convenient, too," Rory responded. "God, I am just so confused!"
"What is there to be confused about? Tristin: single. You: single. Dean: married. Even to me that's a no-brainer," Lane said as she unlocked the door to her humble abode.
As they entered the small apartment, Brian greeted them with a grunt as he looked up from his graphic novel. Zach was snoring away in his bunk. Lane plopped her keys on the dining table. She looked around the room to make sure her roommates were not looking. She fished out a box of Nilla Wafers from the dark nook the floorboard provided.
"So..." Lane proceeded closing her bedroom door behind them, "how did Dean react when he saw you with Tristin?"
"He wasn't pleased, of course, but I think his reaction really ticked Lindsey off," Rory reflected.
"I'd be upset, too, if the guy I'm with is still hung up on his ex," Lane commented. "Well, enough about Dean... So, anything happen when Tristin brought you home?" Lane asked angling for juicy details.
"Not really. We fell asleep," Rory stated.
"Aw, you're such a bore!" Lane accused her, throwing a wafer her way. "I can't believe that we're a bunch of young, nubile vixens and yet, remain virgins."
"He and I almost got to second base," Rory pointed out.
"Wait," Lane told her as she brushed off the crumbs off of her fingers. "Okay, so what was he dressed in?"
"A tux. He left his jacket in the car," Rory informed her.
"Good. What did he smell like?" Lane asked again.
"Cool Water Deep kind of scent... Not intoxicating but very sexy... Not musky," Rory detailed.
Lane had her eyes closed, trying to picture the scenario in her head. "Very titillating," she said. As she opened her eyes, she squinted toward her friend. "You stopped at second base... why?"
"I called him Dean," she admitted bluntly.
The room suddenly became chilly. Rory knew that her best friend was going to ream her badly.
"You did what?" Lane asked. She was angry.
Rory broke eye contact from her friend and started wringing her hands. She stood up and looked out of Lane's bedroom window.
"Are you insane? This guy who is apparently crazy over you just got called by another guy's name mid foreplay," Lane reiterated. "You have to really think this over, buddy. I mean, what were you thinking?"
"I wasn't. That's why it happened," Rory said lamely.
"Why among whys did you call him Dean?" Lane inquired.
"I wanted him, Dean, out of my head... And I ended up calling his name out instead of Tristin's," Rory explained.
"Have you talked to Tristin since then?" Lane asked.
"No," she mumbled. "I'm too embarrassed."
"I suggest that you get rid of that bug you have in regards to Dean. It's bad enough that your name's being implicated in a few of the heated arguments in the Forrester household," Lane pointed out.
Rory winced. She wanted to pump her friend for information but she knew that she was guilty.
"I'll try," Rory said. "Well, I have to go and run some errands. I still have to get a gift basket for the Sullivans for having me around."
Lane walked her friend outside her bedroom. Zach was rummaging the cupboards.
"Hey, Lane, I'm out of cereal. Can I have some of your Cocoa Puffs?" he asked.
Lane blushed. "Uh, yeah... As long as you replace it! And you still owe me a box of Golden Grahams," she said hurriedly.
"I promise to grocery shop today. You're the greatest," he said as he laid a kiss on her cheek and gave her a hug. Lane's day was made.
