AN: No, you misunderstood, Lorelei and Luke aren't together yet. He is calling her for the first time. Okay, it was supposed to be a cliffhanger. So much for suspense…Ok, in the last chapter, everything Jess and Rory said to Luke, they were just fooling around with him. He wasn't paying attention to what they were saying…because he was preoccupied. With what I wonder...

oooooooo

At the Dragonfly, the phone rang. Lorelei, busy organizing some paper work, stretched over the stacks of manila folders and papers to reach the phone. "Dragonfly Inn, this is Lorelei speaking."

"Hi, Lorelei, it's Luke."

"Oh hey Luke."

"You sound surprised," he asked more than said, really.

"Just, you don't call here very often. Usually I'm calling you, you know, 'come fix this', 'help me with that,'" she explained.

"Oh, well, I could call more often if you wanted me to. I mean, I don't, but I could, if that's what you want. Because, you want-"

"Luke," she interrupted, "You called?"

"Right, well, I wanted to run something by you, tonight, when you come for dinner. I'm just assuming you'll come for dinner. You, uh, pretty much always do, so…. You could just come, and, maybe, not bring Rory? I'd preferred this stayed between you and me."

"Yeah, sure Luke," she paused. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah, no," he assured her, "no it's nothing like that."

"Alright, so, see you at dinner."

"Right. Dinner, Bye." And he hung up. She looked at the phone, before hanging up, if not to pick it up again to dial Rory's number.

oooooooo

"So, Jess, where are we going?"

I rolled my eyed up, making a pouty face, "Huh, I don't know." We walked top her car, and I opened the passenger-side door for her. "Get in," I instructed. She obliged. I went around the car, to get in on the driver's side. "Keys?" I asked. She handed them to me. I started the car, and we headed towards the highway.

"Wow," she said, "I must really love you to let you have complete control of my car."

"That you do," I told her.

She didn't speak again until we were already on the highway, half way to Hartford. "So, where are we going?"

"Last night, when I couldn't sleep, I came up with the best idea."

"Huh," she said, mockingly.

"So, the first stop in out tremendously quixotic evening is the Hartford mall, I informed her, pulling off the highway.

"You're going to a mall?"

"I hear that's where clothes are sold," I replied.

"Huh," she said, mocking me again.

"What? Didn't you know that?" I joked.

"Well I did, I didn't think you do, though."

"Ah ha. Ha ha," I replied sarcastically. Right then, her phone rang, and she pulled it out to answer it.

"Hey! Oh… Luke called you? Ooh, mysterious. Yeah, well, he's kind of vague but…. Aww. Alright, well, I'm on a mystery trip, so I guess it kind of all works out. Oooh, maybe they plan to seduce us…. Yeah, okay, just a little weird, I know. Yeah okay, so just tell him that Jess is with me and we'll be back around," she paused looking at me. I shrugged. "Late. Yeah, just late. Okay love you too. Have fun."

"We are free!" she announced, closing her phone and dropping it back into her purse.

"Really? How so?" I asked, getting out to open her door for her.

"Luke called my mom and he needs to talk to her tonight…alone," she finished, saying the last part with her eyebrows raised.

"Oh, mysterious."

"That's what I said," she told me, as we went into the main entrance. "Not so unlike someone else I know," said, obviously pointed at me. "I suggested to her that you are trying to seduce us."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it," I joked.

"I wouldn't put it past you."

"Me…no, but, Luke?" I questioned.

"Ehh."

We arrived in the center of the mall. There was a little fountain and a few chairs for lounging. I gave her some money. "Okay, you go buy something nice… a dress or something. You'll need something nice, but…um…fun. So, um, I'm not really good at this shopping thing, so I'll meet you here." I held the money out to her.

"Jess…" she started.

"No, take the money," I said putting it in her hand and closing it for her. "you can make it up to me later," I teased.

"Maybe I will," she teased back.

I sat down, book in hand, watching as she skipped off.

oooooooo

Forty minutes later, she came back with one big bag and another, smaller bag.

"So mystique man, what are you intentions?" she asked, sitting next to me and taking away my book. She tuned to face me, but I stopped her, kissing her.

"I lost a tooth yesterday."

She looked at me like I was crazy, "Well, congratulations."

"Guess what to the Tooth Fairy left me?"

"A shiny new quarter?"

"No, they're not really that shiny," I answered in all honesty. I pulled out an envelope, handing it to her. She opened it up, peering in.

"Oh my God. Jess," she looked up at me, pulling the rectangles of paper out of the envelope. "Jess, these are tickets to see the Pixies. Tonight. At Madison Square Gardens."

I made an imitation shocked face, taking the tickets out of her hand to examine them. "I thought I ordered Shania Twain!"

She threw her arms around my neck, pulling me closer. I inhaled her aroma, a soapy smell filled with the sweetness of Nectar. She pulled away, looking into my eyes. "You can't afford this," she said.

I ran a hand through my hair. "I know a guy."

"Right…"

"Now," I started, "don't be jealous just because I know a guy and you don't."

"Oh I know a guy," she said. "A great, wonderful, spontaneous, romantic, sexy guy."

"Hmm, should I be jealous?" I wondered out loud. "What's this guy's name?"

"Mess Jariano."

"Nice," I said, wrapping my arms around her, kissing as we walked.

oooooooo

"He wants to meet with me?" Lorelei turned to Sookie, who was sitting on Lorelei's bed as she raided her closet. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"Honey, I think your blowing this way out of proportions," Sookie assured her.

"Why can't he just be…wait, what am I saying, it's Luke, of course he has to be vague," Lorelei was clearly panicking.

"Why don't you just wear something nice, but casual; so that it doesn't say 'Hey, I spent hours panicked in my closet'. Just pair of jeans and a cute shirt."

"Ooh," Lorelei pulled out a soft blue silk camisole and a black tie sweater. "This?"

"Great," Sookie confirmed, getting up to go.

"Oh, my hair!"

"Straight. Definently."

Lorelei walked up to Sookie, giving her a hug. "Thanks Sook. I don't know what I would do. I'll call you later."

"Have fun," Sookie called on her way out.

oooooooo

After the concert, Rory and I walked, hand in hand, down the streets of New York. It was a cool night, and she shivered. I wrapped my arms around her, and we kept walking.

"I love you."

"I know," I paused. "I love you. You know."

"I do." We kept walking. "The opening of the inn is in four days."

"It is," I agreed. "Did you get a chance to talk to your mom about the rooms yet?"

"No, not yet, I'm planning on springing on her last minute," she clarified.

We walked to the car and drove home.

oooooooo

Lorelei walked into the diner, warily sitting down at the counter. She had decided, earlier in the day, after the fiasco with Sookie, to pretend that it was a normal day; act surprised when he said whatever he was going to say. Only, it was different. The place was the same; there was a lull presently, but it was different. She couldn't just waltz in and call his name, begging him for coffee. This was different, unlike every other night. He asked her to come alone.

"Coffee?" he asked her, holding a pot in front of her.

"Please," she sighed, and the night went one as any would. She ordered a burger, he warned her of the dangers of fries, and the crowd slimmed.

"So, Luke, did you call me here to watch me eat all alone."

Luke swallowed, walking over to her, "Nope."

"Didn't think so." She paused, waiting, but no other words came. "So…" she started, for him.

"Do you think we could, I don't know, maybe go see a movie or something sometime?"

"A…a m…movie," she stuttered. "Movie. Movie, yes, movies are fun. We could go see a movie. Movies are prime hang out spots."

He laughed a little, slightly nervous, and slightly amused by her ramblings. "Right. I'll call you then."

"You'll call me, yes," she paused, rashly picking up her stuff. "Well, I've got to…Rory."

"Right, Rory," he smirked as she rushed out the door.

00000000

We pulled up in front of her house. She looked out the window, but made no motion to get out of the car. In fact, she even moved closer to me, so that her head rested on my shoulder.

"Actually," I started, "the Tooth Fairy did leave me something shiny." I paused. "Well, two things actually."

I pulled out a two keys, displaying them in my palm, her gaze following my hand. She reached a hand out, picking one up to examine it. She lifted her head up, and I slipped an arm around her waist.

"What are they to?" she asked, looking at me.

"An apartment."

"Star's Hollow?" She asked, looking down, nervously.

"Nope." At my words, she drew a sharp in take of breath, letting it out slowly. Her body tensed, and she pulled away slightly, dropping the key back into my hand, but my grip on her didn't loosen. She sat their, uncomfortably.

"Oh."

"Don't you want to know where it is?" I asked her.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she answered, looking past me, out the driver's window.

I placed my thumb on the left of her chin, gently repositioning her face to look at me. "New Haven," I whispered.

She looked up, into my eyes. "Really?" she whispered.

I nodded, "A block off of campus." A smile exploded on her face, and then, her body was on mine. Her arms pulling me into her, her lips all over, my lips, my ear, my neck. Finally she yielded, resting with her back against my stomach, her head on my shoulder. Her breath coming out in short, warm stints on my chin. Her left hand was wrapped up in mine.

With my free hand, I twirled one of the keys between my index and middle fingers. "Anyway, since I'll be in New Haven, and you'll be in New Haven, I thought maybe you could stand to be in New Haven together, at least some of the time, so I made you a key." I finished, handing it to her.

She took it, holding on to it like it was a treasure. "When?" she asked.

"Two weeks after the inn opens. I figure I could take the last months of summer to set up, you know move in my stuff, well, the little I have. Probably by some stuff to. Paint." I would have gone on, but she stopped me.

"I want to help."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Absolutely. We can start the Monday after opening weekend." She hesitated, looking out the window. "I have to go," she realized, finally getting up to open the door.

I grabbed her hand, and she turned around to face me. I captured her lips with mine, briefly, but she broke away. "I love you," I told her.

"I know."

oooooooo

Rory walked in her house to find her mother sleeping peacefully, curled up in bed. She kissed her cheek, and went to her own room, picking up a Hemingway on the way to her bed.