How's that for a Jiffy! Well it was quick for me so let's at least be grateful for that! Now prepare to be enthralled by the latest antics in Star's Hollow…
The diner had been relatively quiet for most of the day. This allowed Luke a lot of time to think…too much time in fact. He didn't like to think so hard. His thinking soon led to scheming and trickery. He was simply biding his time till Lorelai made her entrance.
Lorelai exited her jeep and slowly ascended the steps to Luke's diner. She was nervous, her pulse had quickened and the moisture on her palms had thickened. She had past the point of no return, Luke had seen her; she must go in.
"Hey stranger," Luke joked.
"Long time no see!" Lorelai played along. She was both surprised and relieved by the lack of patrons in the diner.
"So, coffee?" Did he even have to ask?
"Do you even have to ask?" She smiled, feeling more at ease. She strode up to the counter and took a seat, watching Luke's every move.
"I'm guessing that the Inn is still intact?" Luke was alluding to their previous conversation.
"Well, after the roof cave-in, and the flood, and the explosion in the kitchen, we decided to call it quits."
"That's too bad. I hear that place had a lot of potential." Luke knew how to handle her sarcasm.
"May I just say that this is an exceptionally good cup of coffee Luke Danes!"
"You may, and I would expect no less."
Lorelai smiled and then took a deep breath. "Listen Luke, I was thinking that maybe we could…I mean, if you're not too busy…well obviously you're not cause this place is dead. I could scream bloody murder and no one would hear me! But anyway, I just wondered if you wanted to go…uh, see a movie or um, something?"
Luke didn't seem a bit surprised by her invitation. "See a movie?"
"Uh, yes." She treaded carefully.
"Tonight?" He was playing dumb, one of Lorelai's favorite pastimes.
"Or, whenever…" She was reaching here.
"Like a date?" Now he was being cruel.
"Call it what you like." She needed an answer.
"I don't know. I don't think that's such a good idea." And there goes the bomb.
"What?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Luke Danes turning down a date with Lorelai Gilmore. Apocalypse now!
"I'd rather not, but thanks anyway." What kind of game was he playing?
Lorelai's jaw had dropped to the floor and she was staring at Luke in complete shock. "Did you not hear what I said?"
"I heard you fine." Cold.
"You did?" Still shocked.
"Yep." Ice cold.
"And still no?" Becoming faint.
"That's what I said." Frigid.
"O—K then. I feel pretty stupid right now." Her heart had sunk and she was moments away from tears. "Thanks for the coffee." She turned towards the door. She had to get out of here.
"Lorelai wait," Luke pleaded.
She faced him again, hoping against hope that this was all a big charade, that he had changed his mind, that she had imagined the whole thing.
"You forgot your purse." That was it. That's all he had to say.
She grabbed it in a hurry and fled from the dark and sinister building. Lorelai sat in her jeep for an endless amount of time. She didn't know where to go or what to do. How could this happen? Her visit to the diner hadn't at all gone according to plan.
Luke was trying desperately to pull himself together. He had waited eight years for Lorelai to say those words to him. How could he dismiss her request so easily? He was up to something. That sneaky little devil was certainly up to something.
Lorelai collapsed onto her bed in tears. The drive home was nothing more than a blur. She couldn't understand Luke's demeanor. She couldn't even fathom the possibility of Luke being so completely distant and unfeeling toward her. Maybe she had been wrong about him. Maybe the whole damn town had been wrong about him. Little did she know there was method behind his madness. There truly was.
Lorelai awoke to a beautiful spring day. After such a dreadful night, she eagerly welcomed the sun's warm rays. She reached for the phone and dialed Sookie's number. She was ready to talk.
"Hello?" Sookie drowsily answered.
"Sook, hey – it's Lorelai."
"Oh hey, hi – how are you doing? Are you feeling alright?" What was with all the questions?
"Uh, I will be. I just had kind of a rough night, that's all." There was no 'kind of' about it.
"Yeah, well why don't you come over and tell me all about it. I'll put on some coffee." Sookie knew more than she was letting on.
"Ok, sure. That sounds good. See you in a bit." Lorelai was definitely interested in the coffee part.
"You bet."
Lorelai arrived 20 minutes later in desperate need of her fix.
"So, tell me everything." Sookie needed her fix too.
"Coffee, then details…coffee then details."
"Ok, ok. Here's your coffee, now spill!"
"Well, you know that brilliant plan of yours, the one where I waltz into the diner and Luke falls madly in love with me and carries me off into the sunset?"
"Uh, yes?"
"He said NO!" She was still in shock.
"No?"
"Yes!"
"Yes he said no, or no he said yes!" Sookie was utterly confused.
"I asked him to the movies and he turned me down! The gull! The absolute gull of that man!" Shock was becoming anger.
"Oh, well if at first you don't succeed, try, try again!" Who was this woman?
"What? Sookie, did you not hear me? He turned me down. Period, end of story."
"I'm sure he had a good reason…maybe he was really busy!"
"Sookie, the diner was empty!"
"Well, I wouldn't give up on him." This behavior was rather uncharacteristic of Sookie. Typically right about now she would've been blasting down the diner's door, pitchfork in hand.
"Whoa, whoa…wait a minute…hold the phone. You know something." The jig was up.
Sookie turned a pale shade of crimson. "No," she gulped.
"Oh yes, yes you do. Don't make me get the 'peach schnapps'!" Thems were fightin words!
"Fine, fine. Maybe I do." Sookie could never keep a secret. It was one of her worst faults.
"I don't believe this! You and Luke are in cahoots!"
"Lorelai, all he did was ask me to convince you to go to the diner. That's all."
"He asked me himself!"
"I guess he figured you might lose your nerve. Which you did!" It's true.
"What kind of game is he playing?" Lorelai's thoughts were stirring. She could be conniving and manipulative too. She was the Queen of deception! "Let the games begin!"
Man, this is FUN! This story is getting a little kooky, just like me!
Stay Tuned Folks, we're nearing the finish line!
Remember to REVIEW!