Chapter 2: Quiche, Bert, and Flashbacks, Oh my!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls, because if I did I wouldn't be here, I'd be off writing good Luke/Lorelai storylines.

A/N: Thank you everyone for your fabulous reviews! I hope this chapter meets your approval...tell me what you think in your reviews please and thank you! ; )

Lorelai walked into the kitchen of the Dragonfly.

"Sookie?" she called.

"Over here!" came the muffled reply.

Sookie was behind the giant, restaurant sized refrigerator, fiddling with some wires.

"Uh, Sook, you are aware that as Chef, you only have to deal with the front of the fridge, right?"

"Thank God you're here, Lorelai. The fridge is broken and I have twelve trays of mini quiche in there for the business convention tomorrow and I swear, if I have to make one more quiche-"

"Ok, Sookie, calm down." Lorelai said, as she helped her best friend up from the floor.

Lorelai sighed and rubbed her temples in an attempt to make the pounding noise in her head disappear.

"Great, just what I need. Now I have this, on top of the banister, my mom, and the whole Luke thing…"

"Luke thing?" Sookie's eyes twinkled mysteriously. "What Luke thing?"

Lorelai looked surprised, as if she hadn't meant to say that all out loud.

"Oh…uh, it's nothing."

"Lorelai…"

"Look, Luke's coming over at one to fix the banister and hopefully the fridge. Ok? That's the whole Luke thing. Happy?" Lorelai snapped bitterly.

Sookie knew Lorelai well enough to know that she was lying, that was not the whole "Luke thing." However, she also knew that Lorelai was under a lot of stress lately, after breaking up with Max and opening up the Dragonfly. She knew Lorelai would fill her in on whatever was going on when she was good and ready. Until then, Sookie would have to rely on Miss Patty.

"Ok, hon, relax." Sookie rubbed Lorelai's arm and handed her a cup of coffee.

Lorelai sighed an took a sip.

"Thanks, Sook. Sorry I snapped at you."

"There is a man out there. A man who looks like he owns neither brush nor soap. He says is here to fix something, but I fear he will scare the guests away."

Michel entered the room, addressing Lorelai with an icy glare.

Great, it's Luke. Lorelai thought sarcastically.

"Hey!" Lorelai called across the lobby, with feigned enthusiasm.

"Hey." Luke replied.

"Aw, you brought Bert." Gesturing to the toolbox in his hand.

"Huh? Oh yeah." He had somehow forgotten that she liked to name inanimate objects.

"Well, um...this is the banister." Lorelai said, stating the obvious.

They both sensed the awkwardness betwenn them and they both tried to pretend they didn't know what was causing it.

Lorelai knew: her mind flashed back to the memory of those piercing blue eyes she had caught watching her.

Luke knew: for him it was always awkward around Lorelai, his mind flashed to the first time he had seen her. She had been young, coffee-driven, and just as crazy as she was now.

Hell, even the old guy reading his newspaper in the lobby knew.

"So...uh, I better get started." Luke said trying to end the awkwardness.

"Luke, are you free tonight" Lorelai blurted out before she could think.

What am I doing? Lorelai thought.

What is she doing? Questioned Luke.

"Uh, I think so. Why"

Please, please. Luke pleaded in his mind.

"Well, my mother is forcing me to go to this fancy gala-whatever-shindig tonight and she said I can't go alone, because ya know, then Armageddon will be upon us and we'll all be goners and so.."

Shutup Lorelai, You're babbling. She scolded.

Why is she so nervous? Did she just ask me out?

"So, if you're not doing anything, would you consider going with me? I mean...as friends."

Friends. Luke hated that word.

"Uh, sure. Would I have to wear a tux or something" Luke feigned annoyance.

The truth was, he would do or wear anything if it meant he could spend time with Lorelai.

"Yeah, it's black tie. Look Luke, you don't have to do this if you really don't want to. I mean, you do enough favors for me as it is." She said, gesturing towards the banister.

Favors. Dirty! She giggled inside. Stop thinking about Luke that way Lorelai! She was tired of scolding herself.

Please, please. Lorelai crossed her fingers and hoped he wouldn't say no.

"Nah, it's ok Lorelai, I'll come. So, I guess black tie means no baseball cap"

Lorelai breathed a sigh of relief.

"I have a feeling that'd be a "no" in Emily's book."

"Ok...so what time is it at"

"Right. Well, it starts at seven, and we have to drive to Hartford so we should leave at about six."

"So, should I pick you up"

Oh no, this is beginning to sound like a date!

"Yeah...that'd be fine."

"Ok."

"'Ok."

"So, I'm gonna get started on this."

"Good idea. I have a meeting now anyway. Luke"

"Yeah"

"Thank you. For everything."

He grinned as he watched her walk out the door.

A/N: This chapter is shorter than I would have liked, and sorry, I know things are moving slowly, but this is how I imagine Luke and Lorelai would start things. I hate those fan fics where they get together in like, a second. I'm working on the next chapter, I promise it will be longer and things will get moving! Please review, they really motivate me to get off my butt and write!