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my lifeline! (Please note the rating change) - for insurance purposes only.
And now, here's the latest chapter in my highly acclaimed story - enjoy!
-Morning has broken on the ship of dreams: "Good morning sunshine!" Rory exclaimed as she jumped onto her mother's bed.
"Aghh! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? What time is it?" Lorelai was in yet another chipper mood.
"Hurry and get up, or we'll miss the breakfast buffet!"
"I think not! I am so not going to another buffet - so full," Lorelai moaned in mock pain.
"Well, your stomach may have no vacancy, but mine is certainly open for business."
"In English please," whined Lorelai.
"I'm hungry!" Rory was becoming quite agitated too, a deadly combination.
"Alright, you go on ahead and I'll catch up." Lorelai was very shrewd.
"Ha, nice try! When were you planning on catching up? Two hours, maybe three?"
"Now you're just being silly. I was thinking closer to four!" Honesty was the best policy.
"Ok - get dressed." Rory was reverting to drill sergeant mode. "I'm gonna give you 10 minutes before I get Kirk in here!"
"Eeep! Ok, ok you win! My daughter is seriously the devil's child."
"Eight minutes and counting!" Rory aggressively shouted.
-Much later:
"Hey it's not my fault that the stupid hair dryer wouldn't work!" Lorelai snapped.
"Maybe if you hadn't short-circuited the socket with your stupid cell phone, it would have!" Rory snapped back.
"Look, let's not argue. What's done is done. Any breakfast buffet that only lasts until 11am has a thing or two to learn about Lorelai Gilmore's internal clock. This is why we like Luke's; breakfast is served all day, the way it should be," Lorelai was on quite a tangent.
"Great speech and all mom, but your voice, as lovely and soothing as it is, doesn't have the power to cure my hunger!"
"The lunch buffet starts at 12:30pm - can't you wait until then?"
"Do not underestimate the severity of my hunger. Without proper sustenance, I will surely meet my end!" Rory over-dramatized.
"Goody! You'll finally meet your father! Tell Satan I said hi!" Lorelai teased.
"You're not funny."
Lorelai looked serious for a moment as though she were deep in thought. "There has to be food somewhere on this contraption." She began marching towards the kitchen area of the dining room.
"Mom! Where are you going?" Rory hesitated, then reluctantly followed her mother.
- The girls entered the kitchen uninvited. Neither could have anticipated what awaited them upon entry.
"Sookie!" Lorelai shrieked in utter astonishment. "What are you doing in here?"
"Lorelai, Rory! I'm so glad to see you guys! Aren't you just loving this cruise?" Sookie was radiant with delight.
"Sookie, what are you doing in the kitchen?" Lorelai asked again.
"Oh - well, last night after I feasted on the spectacular dinner buffet, I noticed that a few of the dishes, particularly the crab bisque, needed Sookie's magic touch. So, I sauntered right into the kitchen, demonstrated my expertise and won the praise and admiration of the entire cooking staff. It was my crowning moment!"
"Sookie that's amazing!" Rory proudly stated.
"Yeah Sook, that's really great," Lorelai agreed. "But, why are you still in the kitchen? And where is Jackson?"
"Jackson is sleeping. We were up pretty late last night - tee hee hee," Sookie giggled naughtily. "I'm here right now, because the head chef wanted my 'expert' opinion on the fillet mignon he was serving later this evening. Isn't this great? I am loving this cruise!"
"Sookie, how about you use that 'expertise' of yours and get us poor, frail and starving girls some grub." Lorelai pleaded.
"I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem - follow me," Sookie instructed as she led the three of them through large glass doors and into the heart of the kitchen. "Here we are," Sookie presented a lovely platter, one that had been untouched from the previous breakfast buffet.
"Sook you're an angel!" Lorelai exclaimed as she and Rory demolished the food before them.
"Mmm this is so good. Sookie, you are officially my hero!" Rory spoke between enormous bites.
-With full tummies and warm hearts, the three girls departed the kitchen and traveled together to their separate cabins.
"God damn it!" Lorelai cursed loudly as she and Rory stepped foot into their room.
"What?" Rory asked concerned.
"I left my purse in the kitchen! God, I'm such an idiot!"
"Relax mom - just go back to the kitchen and get it." Rory was startled by her mother's reaction.
"It's not that simple. I'm trying to avoid Luke and Nicole here, and the more I'm on the main deck, the more likely that they'll see me."
"But I thought you said that it was safe to show our faces now. They already know we're here. What's the big deal?" Rory was genuinely confused.
"I dunno, it's just so awkward having Nicole here. It would be so much easier to talk to Luke without her hanging off his arm all the time." Lorelai made an unpleasant face.
"Mom, what really happened between you and Luke? You never did tell me."
"I know hon, and I don't mean to keep it from you, I just need to figure a few things out first, ok?"
"Alright, but don't even think about asking me to get your purse, because the answer is a big fat N-O!"
"Fine then -I'll get Sookie to do it."
"Mom!"
"Kirk?"
"No - not unless you want to be indebted to him."
"Good point. I guess I'll have to get it myself. See you in a bit." And with that, Lorelai was off to the races, or technically speaking, the main deck. -Luckily for her, she was able to retrieve her purse without a hitch, well almost. She was on her way back to her room, when a tall, dark and handsome obstacle appeared.
"Going somewhere?" asked Luke
"Luke! Hi! No, I mean - yes I am going somewhere, I think. Lorelai was undoubtedly frazzled.
"Are you feeling alright?" Luke was puzzled by her awkwardness.
"Oh, yeah - just peachy!" She lied.
"That's good to hear," Luke said sincerely.
"Isn't it though?" Lorelai looked around nervously. "Where's Nicole?"
Now Luke was the one caught off guard. "Uh, well, she had to make a few business calls."
"I see. So what are you up to?"
"Uh - nothing really. Lorelai, can I ask you something?" Luke looked like a frightened schoolboy.
"Yeah, sure - I guess."
"Why are you really here, on this cruise ship?"
Lorelai hadn't yet prepared a convincing answer for that very question. "I don't know Luke. I, I just, well - I hated the way we left things, the way I left things, at Rory's graduation party," finally the truth.
"What exactly happened at Rory's graduation party?" Luke was being very open and forward.
Another question Lorelai was dreading to answer. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I don't know - never mind." Luke was afraid to get any more personal; he had already surpassed his comfort zone.
"We almost kissed!" Lorelai blurted out, and immediately regretted it. "Didn't we?"
Luke's face turned a bright shade of scarlet. Their conversation had taken an intensely intimate turn.
"Well, didn't we?" Lorelai was determined to get an answer, although she didn't exactly know the answer she desired.
"It was my fault, I don't know what came over me - I'm sorry." Luke bashfully turned away.
"Luke, it wasn't your fault. We're both adults here. Whatever came over you obviously came over me too."
"Really?" Luke was somehow relieved. "Uh, did, did you uh want me to kiss you?"
Lorelai was taken aback by Luke's forwardness. "I don't know." Lorelai was completely tongue-tied. "I, I, maybe I did - I haven't really thought about it," a blatant lie. That's all she'd been thinking about.
There was an uncomfortable pause, then Lorelai continued. "Luke, I came on this cruise so I could apologize for disregarding you the way I did. I felt so guilty - I was just so confused and I didn't want Rory to think anything. I never meant to hurt you."
"I know," Luke took a deep breath. "Thank - you," he smiled slightly.
Lorelai returned his smile. "You're welcome."
"Uh, I better go," before Luke could finish, Lorelai grabbed his arm and eagerly interrupted.
"Hey! You wanna check out the gift shop with me?" Lorelai beamed him a smile. They were back once again to friendship mode. This was good. This was comfortable.
Luke couldn't resist that smile if he tried. "Do I have to?" He liked playing hard to get.
"Yep."
"Alright. Lead the way."
-No matter how hard they tried, there was no going back now. Luke and Lorelai's relationship had changed. They could either ignore the obvious, or explore the unknown. But for now, the friendship act would have to suffice.
*To be continued - Please R/R - Then prepare yourself for the next spicy, blisteringly intense chapter. It just keeps getting better and better!
-Morning has broken on the ship of dreams: "Good morning sunshine!" Rory exclaimed as she jumped onto her mother's bed.
"Aghh! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? What time is it?" Lorelai was in yet another chipper mood.
"Hurry and get up, or we'll miss the breakfast buffet!"
"I think not! I am so not going to another buffet - so full," Lorelai moaned in mock pain.
"Well, your stomach may have no vacancy, but mine is certainly open for business."
"In English please," whined Lorelai.
"I'm hungry!" Rory was becoming quite agitated too, a deadly combination.
"Alright, you go on ahead and I'll catch up." Lorelai was very shrewd.
"Ha, nice try! When were you planning on catching up? Two hours, maybe three?"
"Now you're just being silly. I was thinking closer to four!" Honesty was the best policy.
"Ok - get dressed." Rory was reverting to drill sergeant mode. "I'm gonna give you 10 minutes before I get Kirk in here!"
"Eeep! Ok, ok you win! My daughter is seriously the devil's child."
"Eight minutes and counting!" Rory aggressively shouted.
-Much later:
"Hey it's not my fault that the stupid hair dryer wouldn't work!" Lorelai snapped.
"Maybe if you hadn't short-circuited the socket with your stupid cell phone, it would have!" Rory snapped back.
"Look, let's not argue. What's done is done. Any breakfast buffet that only lasts until 11am has a thing or two to learn about Lorelai Gilmore's internal clock. This is why we like Luke's; breakfast is served all day, the way it should be," Lorelai was on quite a tangent.
"Great speech and all mom, but your voice, as lovely and soothing as it is, doesn't have the power to cure my hunger!"
"The lunch buffet starts at 12:30pm - can't you wait until then?"
"Do not underestimate the severity of my hunger. Without proper sustenance, I will surely meet my end!" Rory over-dramatized.
"Goody! You'll finally meet your father! Tell Satan I said hi!" Lorelai teased.
"You're not funny."
Lorelai looked serious for a moment as though she were deep in thought. "There has to be food somewhere on this contraption." She began marching towards the kitchen area of the dining room.
"Mom! Where are you going?" Rory hesitated, then reluctantly followed her mother.
- The girls entered the kitchen uninvited. Neither could have anticipated what awaited them upon entry.
"Sookie!" Lorelai shrieked in utter astonishment. "What are you doing in here?"
"Lorelai, Rory! I'm so glad to see you guys! Aren't you just loving this cruise?" Sookie was radiant with delight.
"Sookie, what are you doing in the kitchen?" Lorelai asked again.
"Oh - well, last night after I feasted on the spectacular dinner buffet, I noticed that a few of the dishes, particularly the crab bisque, needed Sookie's magic touch. So, I sauntered right into the kitchen, demonstrated my expertise and won the praise and admiration of the entire cooking staff. It was my crowning moment!"
"Sookie that's amazing!" Rory proudly stated.
"Yeah Sook, that's really great," Lorelai agreed. "But, why are you still in the kitchen? And where is Jackson?"
"Jackson is sleeping. We were up pretty late last night - tee hee hee," Sookie giggled naughtily. "I'm here right now, because the head chef wanted my 'expert' opinion on the fillet mignon he was serving later this evening. Isn't this great? I am loving this cruise!"
"Sookie, how about you use that 'expertise' of yours and get us poor, frail and starving girls some grub." Lorelai pleaded.
"I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem - follow me," Sookie instructed as she led the three of them through large glass doors and into the heart of the kitchen. "Here we are," Sookie presented a lovely platter, one that had been untouched from the previous breakfast buffet.
"Sook you're an angel!" Lorelai exclaimed as she and Rory demolished the food before them.
"Mmm this is so good. Sookie, you are officially my hero!" Rory spoke between enormous bites.
-With full tummies and warm hearts, the three girls departed the kitchen and traveled together to their separate cabins.
"God damn it!" Lorelai cursed loudly as she and Rory stepped foot into their room.
"What?" Rory asked concerned.
"I left my purse in the kitchen! God, I'm such an idiot!"
"Relax mom - just go back to the kitchen and get it." Rory was startled by her mother's reaction.
"It's not that simple. I'm trying to avoid Luke and Nicole here, and the more I'm on the main deck, the more likely that they'll see me."
"But I thought you said that it was safe to show our faces now. They already know we're here. What's the big deal?" Rory was genuinely confused.
"I dunno, it's just so awkward having Nicole here. It would be so much easier to talk to Luke without her hanging off his arm all the time." Lorelai made an unpleasant face.
"Mom, what really happened between you and Luke? You never did tell me."
"I know hon, and I don't mean to keep it from you, I just need to figure a few things out first, ok?"
"Alright, but don't even think about asking me to get your purse, because the answer is a big fat N-O!"
"Fine then -I'll get Sookie to do it."
"Mom!"
"Kirk?"
"No - not unless you want to be indebted to him."
"Good point. I guess I'll have to get it myself. See you in a bit." And with that, Lorelai was off to the races, or technically speaking, the main deck. -Luckily for her, she was able to retrieve her purse without a hitch, well almost. She was on her way back to her room, when a tall, dark and handsome obstacle appeared.
"Going somewhere?" asked Luke
"Luke! Hi! No, I mean - yes I am going somewhere, I think. Lorelai was undoubtedly frazzled.
"Are you feeling alright?" Luke was puzzled by her awkwardness.
"Oh, yeah - just peachy!" She lied.
"That's good to hear," Luke said sincerely.
"Isn't it though?" Lorelai looked around nervously. "Where's Nicole?"
Now Luke was the one caught off guard. "Uh, well, she had to make a few business calls."
"I see. So what are you up to?"
"Uh - nothing really. Lorelai, can I ask you something?" Luke looked like a frightened schoolboy.
"Yeah, sure - I guess."
"Why are you really here, on this cruise ship?"
Lorelai hadn't yet prepared a convincing answer for that very question. "I don't know Luke. I, I just, well - I hated the way we left things, the way I left things, at Rory's graduation party," finally the truth.
"What exactly happened at Rory's graduation party?" Luke was being very open and forward.
Another question Lorelai was dreading to answer. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I don't know - never mind." Luke was afraid to get any more personal; he had already surpassed his comfort zone.
"We almost kissed!" Lorelai blurted out, and immediately regretted it. "Didn't we?"
Luke's face turned a bright shade of scarlet. Their conversation had taken an intensely intimate turn.
"Well, didn't we?" Lorelai was determined to get an answer, although she didn't exactly know the answer she desired.
"It was my fault, I don't know what came over me - I'm sorry." Luke bashfully turned away.
"Luke, it wasn't your fault. We're both adults here. Whatever came over you obviously came over me too."
"Really?" Luke was somehow relieved. "Uh, did, did you uh want me to kiss you?"
Lorelai was taken aback by Luke's forwardness. "I don't know." Lorelai was completely tongue-tied. "I, I, maybe I did - I haven't really thought about it," a blatant lie. That's all she'd been thinking about.
There was an uncomfortable pause, then Lorelai continued. "Luke, I came on this cruise so I could apologize for disregarding you the way I did. I felt so guilty - I was just so confused and I didn't want Rory to think anything. I never meant to hurt you."
"I know," Luke took a deep breath. "Thank - you," he smiled slightly.
Lorelai returned his smile. "You're welcome."
"Uh, I better go," before Luke could finish, Lorelai grabbed his arm and eagerly interrupted.
"Hey! You wanna check out the gift shop with me?" Lorelai beamed him a smile. They were back once again to friendship mode. This was good. This was comfortable.
Luke couldn't resist that smile if he tried. "Do I have to?" He liked playing hard to get.
"Yep."
"Alright. Lead the way."
-No matter how hard they tried, there was no going back now. Luke and Lorelai's relationship had changed. They could either ignore the obvious, or explore the unknown. But for now, the friendship act would have to suffice.
*To be continued - Please R/R - Then prepare yourself for the next spicy, blisteringly intense chapter. It just keeps getting better and better!