gilmoregirl1979: thanks for you suggestions.. i was away over the weekend and wrote the next part, so i couldn't put them in. but i would be glad to talk to you via email to discuss some ideas!
---- Chapter 2
A few minutes later, Lorelai arrived home. She slipped out of her jacket and threw it on the couch, heading straight to Rory's room, "Rory?" she shouted.
But with a sigh she remembered that her daughter was at Babette's, babysitting her little cat.
So she walked back into the living room, trying not to think about what happened at the Diner. She and Luke. Her old friend Luke, she thought laughing, kissed her behind the counter. She put a hand on her forehead and shook her head, 'Do not think about that!'
Suddenly the phone rang. Hesitantly she walked to the table, staring at the phone. When she was about to pick up, the machine answered.
"Hey. It's me. Uhm, seems like you're not home yet or you don't want to talk to me." Luke paused for a moment, "It's probably the second. I… look, what happened back there, it wasn't… I… I didn't…" he sighed, "Could you please pick up the phone. I feel like an idiot, talking to this damn machine." He waited again, "Okay, apparently not. I'm sorry for calling." he said and ended the call.
Somehow Lorelai felt sorry for Luke but she couldn't deal with this. Not yet, not today. So she headed upstairs into her room and sank onto her bed, where she soon fell asleep.
---
The next morning
"I can't believe you didn't wake me up." Lorelai said sleepily, coming down the stairs still wearing her pyjamas.
"And I can't believe you let it escape." Rory got up and looked at her mother with her hands on her hips.
"What?" Lorelai asked yawning, looking around.
"Stella." She told her but noticed Lorelai's puzzled expression, "You know, the bird you named Stella. My school project. I came home this morning and saw the cage in the kitchen with no bird in it."
"Oh." Lorelai rubbed her eyes.
"Yes. Oh. I saw the cage and asked myself, what the hell happened and why is the cage open? And then I remembered that you were the last one who saw it. It's seven now, which means I was looking for this bird for an whole hour but I couldn't find it and..." Rory said and stopped as Lorelai turned to walk into the kitchen. "Hey, where are you going?"
"Coffee." Lorelai mumbled.
"What?"
"I need coffee first." She turned around to look at her daughter. "I heard you talking to me. No, not exactly. All I could hear was something like 'blah blah blah' which is a sign that I have no coffee in my blood. I need coffee, Rory! Lots of coffee!"
Suddenly the bird ran through the kitchen, "Stella! Ha, gotcha!" Rory piped up, triumphantly.
"Aaaaaah!"
"What?" Rory turned around with the bird in her hands.
"Where... is... the... coffee?"
"Empty? I'll put it on the list."
"Great beginning of a day. No coffeein, it's seven and I'm coffee-less, Rory. Coffee-less!"
Rory glanced at her watch, "Let's go to Luke's. I still have time."
"To Luke?"
"Yes Luke. You know him. The town's Luke, our coffee god, Mr. Backwards baseball cap, remember?"
"I know who Luke is." Lorelai shifted from one foot to the other.
"But?"
"But? I didn't say but."
"But it sounds if there's going to be a but."
"No, it's not."
"I'm not sure." Rory said, narrowing her brows.
"You better put Stella back into the cage." Lorelai pointed at the little bird in Rory's hands.
"And you get dressed."
"Yes, Muuuum!" Lorelai answered and headed upstairs into her bedroom.
--
They walked the stairs up to the Diner when Lorelai stopped abruptly and pulled on Rory's jacket, "Oh no, I forgot something."
"What?"
"I need something from the supermarket."
"And what?"
"You know... the thing."
"The thing?"
"Yeah."
"What kind of thing do you mean?"
"Rory!" Lorelai sighed.
"What? I want to know what kind of thing is more important than Luke's coffee. Especially for you." Rory asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just go inside. I'll be right back." Lorelai headed towards the supermarket.
"Okay!" Rory shrugged and entered the Diner.
Luke heard the bell and looked up from behind the counter, "Hey!" he said to Rory when she sat down in front of him.
"Hi Luke. Coffee please!" she pleaded, smiling.
"You know I have other things, too. Like tea, milk, hot chocolate, orange juice."
"No, coffee please!"
"It's unhealthy, Rory!"
"I know but I can't help myself. Addiction!" she shrugged, innocently.
"Yeah, like mother, like daughter." He grabbed a big mug and filled it with coffee, "So, you're alone today?"
"What? Oh, well... Mum wanted to buy something at the supermarket." She told him and reached for her coffee.
"Oh, okay. Doughnut?" he asked her, pointing at the plate with different kinds of Doughnuts.
"Yep. Chocolate, please!"
Luke put it on a plate and shoved it over to her, "So, will she come?"
"Who?" Rory looked up at him.
"Your mother."
"Oh, yeah.... she said so." Rory answered, "Why?"
"Just asking." He wiped the counter without looking at her.
"Uh-huh. No, I'm sure she'll come. We're outa coffee at home."
"Oh, okay!" Luke answered, giving her a small smile.
"Okay Luke, I gotta go." She took her purse out of her backpack but Luke stopped her.
"No, it's on the house!"
"Oh, thanks. Bye!" She took her Doughnut and hurried out of the Diner to get the bus when she pumped into her mother. "Mum! What took you so long?"
"Sorry, I have lots of powers but flying isn't one of them. My mistake!" Lorelai smirked.
"Very funny! I gotta go or I'll miss the bus."
"Bye hon." Lorelai said and watched her daughter running to the bus station. Then she turned around to look at the door to the Diner. Just a few more steps and she would get her lovely coffee. Slowly she walked up the stairs and put her hand on the knob to open the door when she changed her mind. Luke, she thought. What I'm supposed to say to him? She shook her hand and made a few steps back. Coffee, Luke, coffee, Luke. Damn it!
Luke watched her from behind the counter while he made more coffee. It hurt him that she was avoiding him. Was the kiss that bad? He didn't feel any struggle from her yesterday. The kiss felt right for him and he hoped she'd feel the same way.
He watched her for a few more minutes, fighting with her inner demons to enter the Diner or not. And suddenly their eyes met and his heart jumped. They looked at each other and Luke gave her a smile but she didn't return it. She looked down on her shoes nervously, before she turned round and walked towards the Independence Inn.
----
"Sookie, I need coffee!" Lorelai started when she entered the kitchen.
"Hi sweetie, it's ready and waiting for you." Sookie told her while she decorated one of her famous cream cakes.
"Thank god!" she said and filled herself a big mug full of black coffee.
"Look, this is one of my new creations. I made the cream like four times but now I'm satisfied. It's delicious. Please, try it and tell me what you think." She spooned some of the cream and held it out to Lorelai but she just sipped her coffee not aware of the things around her. "Hey, sweetie."
Now she looked up, "Yeah?"
"Is something wrong?" Sookie asked a bit worried.
"What? Oh no, the coffee is fine." She took another sip.
"I'm not talking about the coffee, hun."
"No?"
"Did something happen to Rory? Did you too have a fight?"
"No, no." Lorelai shook her head.
"Then you had a fight with Emily?"
"No."
"Hmm, then maybe with Luke?"
"No. Hey, you want me to try this cream, so gimme the spoon." She held her hand out for it.
Sookie looked at her suspiciously but gave her the spoon. "So, no fight with Luke?"
Lorelai shook her head again, "Mmhh, you're right. What is it made of, it's so delicious?"
"Thanks." Sookie grinned for a moment before she continued, "So, why you're avoiding the subject?" she asked with a wooden spoon in one hand and the other hand on her hip.
"I'm not." Lorelai protested
"Yes you are. Since I mentioned Luke. So?" Soukie asked again, raising her eyebrows.
"So what?"
"Ah, you were at Luke's yesterday, right?"
"Yeah, I showed him some colors for the Diner."
"Uh-huh. And?"
"It was fun. We talked, we laughed and then we..." Lorelai stopped and bit her lower lip, "I need more coffee!" she turned around and walked to the coffee machine.
"You did what? Don't give me half sentences here."
Lorelai turned to look at her and sighed, "Okay, we kissed!"
Sookie's eyes widened and her mouth fell open, "You did what?"
"I don't know. We sat there on the floor and then we kissed. No, actually he kissed me. Maybe I kissed him back, I'm not sure."
"Oh, sweetie. That's so cute!" Sookie said, clapping her hands together in excitement.
"Sookie!"
"What?" she grinned, "And? Was it a good kiss?"
"Did you hear what I was saying?"
"Yeah yeah, you and Luke made out, on the floor." Sookie said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Geez, I didn't say we made out, Sookie. We kissed, that's all." Lorelai repeated, sighing.
"Okay, got it. But you didn't answer my question. How was the kiss?"
"I don't... it was.... I think it was nice."
"Nice?"
"Yeah, nice. Or really nice. But that's the problem." Lorelai said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I don't see a problem." Sookie said, confusing.
"Of course. It's Luke. Luke!!" Lorelai emphasised.
"I know and that's great. To be honest? I'm just surprised it took you so long."
"What are you talking about? Me and Luke... that's just ridiculous. We're friends and that's it." Lorelai explained.
"Sweetie, be honest with yourself."
"I am."
"You like Luke."
"Sure!"
"You like to have him around."
"Sure, he's my friend." Lorelai tried to explain.
Sookie nodded, "He's always there for you. In every situation. He helps you with everything, repairs you everything, no matter what time."
"I know. That's so nice of him, isn't it?"
"You do the same for him. When he needs help, you're there."
"That's what friends are for, right?"
She nodded again, "Then you kissed each other and you liked it." She reminded her.
"Yeah." Lorelai answered, hesitantly.
"See, think about that, Sweetie." She gave her a smile.
Michel came into the kitchen, "Telephone!" he said, holding out the phone to Lorelai.
"Who is it?"
"Your mother."
Lorelai rolled her eyes, "And it keeps getting better!" she muttered under her breath when she reached for the phone, "Hey Mum..."
---
To be continued... Please, R&R !!