A/n: Thank you to all who reviewed. And to those who gave an answer to my rating question. I hope you're all still enjoying the story. So without further ado….here is chapter 3…

$&$

Luke looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"Our spouses are happy with us, right?" she asked.

Luke nodded, still confused.

"And we were happy last night, right?" she asked, honestly making sure.

This time, Luke gave her an answer. "Yes."

"So if they're happy not knowing and we're happy doing this, then why does it have to be a one-time thing?"

Luke was still al little confused, but he got the gist. "What will we tell them?"

"I could use the Friday night dinner excuse, he hates those. You could-"

Again, he finished her sentence, "Tell her I have early deliveries on Fridays."

"Yeah." She nodded.

There was another silence as they smiled at each other.

"Want some coffee?" Luke asked, the smile never leaving his face. "I haven't opened the diner yet, so no one will see where you came from."

"I'd love some." Lorelai waited for Luke to go ahead of her before she followed.

Luke stopped at the door, turned around suddenly, grabbed Lorelai around the waist and pressed his lips to hers.

No words were spoken when they parted. They simply joined hands and walked down to the empty diner.

$&$

Lorelai returned home an hour later. She felt guilty for lying to anyone that asked her why she was at the diner so early, but the smile Luke gave her before she left make it all ok. It was Saturday, so Max was home. Rory wasn't coming home this weekend, and for the first time, Lorelai was glad. She didn't want to have to explain this to Rory.

Of course, Rory would understand. She never really thought of Max as anything but her mother's husband. And Lorelai knew, for a long time, she had thought about Luke as her step-dad.

"Where the hell have you been?" Max's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Lorelai moaned. The hangover had been delayed, but it still showed up to the party.

"Keep your voice down. And I stayed at a friend's last night." 'Friend? Luke is more than a friend.'

"You stayed at Sookie's?" Max asked, hope could be heard through the anger in his voice.

"No, I didn't stay at Sookie's." Her voice expressed her irritation. "I stayed at Luke's," she added.

Lorelai knew Max had always been jealous of Luke. 'Way to twist the knife, Gilmore.'

Lorelai walked past an angry Max into the kitchen. She got herself a glass of wa ter and sat down at the table.

Max tried to calm himself down before speaking to his wife. "Why didn't you just come home last night?"

"I didn't feel like coming home and getting screamed at, I'm sorry." Her temper was getting the better of her. She finished her water and, once again ignoring Manx, started to head upstairs. Max grabbed her hand to stop her before she could exit the kitchen.

"We're not done here," he told her, his voice gentle but firm.

"Yes, Max. We are done." She snatched her hand out of his and continued her journey upstairs.

$&$

A half an hour later, Lorelai came down the stairs, freshly showered and in clean clothes. Max was sitting on the couch, reading. Before he looked up, she had a chance to study him. He had changed a lot in the five years they had been married. And it wasn't for the better. He had become and angry, jealous man.

Max looked up when he heard the bottom stair creak under Lorelai's weight. "Hey," he started. "Look, I'm sorry. You were right. We both needed some time apart last night. I'm sorry," he repeated.

Lorelai forced a smile. "Yeah." It didn't mean she was sorry too, but she knew he'd take it that way. He always did. She never said 'I'm sorry' to him.

It was at that moment she realized, she had never said 'I love you' to her husband. In five years she had never uttered those words. She couldn't, because she didn't. 'Hm,' she thought. 'I wonder if I would be able to…'

"You going in early?" Max's voice interrupted her thoughts yet again.

"Uh, yeah. Early meeting," Lorelai lied.

"Right, so I'll see you tonight then?" Max asked, almost shyly.

"Yeah," was all she could say. She quickly walked past him to the foyer. Grabbing her keys and her purse, she walked out the door.

$&$

Five minutes later, Lorelai walked into Luke's. the diner was moderately busy. Nothing Caesar and Lane couldn't handle.

"Hey, Lorelai," Lane called.

"Hey. Do you know where Luke is?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, he's upstairs," Lane replied.

Lorelai started for the stairs when Lane added, "With his wife."

Lorelai cringed at the word. "Nicole? He's up there with Nicole?"

Lane noticed the look on her face. "Uh, yeah," she stated slowly.

Lorelai turned around, heading for the door. "Ok, I'm just gonna go."

Lane stopped her, "Don't' you want some coffee?"

Lorelai stopped. "Yeah." A thought popped into her head. "To go," she added.

Lane walked behind the counter and poured the object of Lorelai's addiction into a to-go cup. "Here you go." Lane handed it to her.

Lorelai paid for the luscious liquid and, hearing footsteps on the stairs, said a quick "Thanks, Lane," and was out the door.

$&$

Lorelai walked into the kitchen of the Dragonfly Inn to Michel complaining that Sookie wouldn't make him something without flavor. "Coffee," she moaned.

"You're in early," Sookie stated cheerfully.

"Had to get away from Max. Did you make any coffee?"

Sookie smiled at her caffeine addicted best friend. "Just made a fresh pot." She pointed to the coffee maker.

Pouring herself a cup, Lorelai exclaimed, "Sookie, you're a goddess!"

"I know," Sookie replied as she chopped onions.

Michel, who had been quiet since the start of the short conversation between the two business partners and best friends, again began to complain. "I do so much, and I ask for so little."

"No," was Sookie's short reply.

"Argh!" He stormed out the door leaving it swing back and forth.

"I love it when he does that," Lorelai said, sipping her elixir of life.

"So, you two are fighting, again?" Sookie inquired.

"Yeah. And it's getting worse," Lorelai answered.

"Honey, all marriages go through rough patches. It's the law," Sookie comforted.

"Yeah, I guess." Lorelai finished the last of her coffee and refilled her cup. "Thanks, Sook." Lorelai left the kitchen to do some work in her office.

She walked in to find Luke sitting behind her desk. She quickly closed the door behind her. There was a look of panic on her face.

"Don't worry," Luke soothed. "Michel saw me, but I brought Bert. He thinks I'm here to fix something."

She smiled. He thought of everything. Lorelai held u her index finger to say 'one minute.' She stuck her head out the door. She spoke to Michel, who had just returned behind the desk. "Michel, I have a lot of work to do. Do not let anyone interrupt me."

Michel groaned. "Yes, your highness."

Lorelai grinned. "Aw, you remembered." Before he had a chance to reply, she quickly closed the door and locked it behind her. She turned back to Luke.

"Hi." Lorelai spoke in a low voice.

"Hi," Luke answered, his voice just as low.

"To what do I owe this very much wanted surprise?" Lorelai asked. She took a few steps toward him.

"You can thank your fellow townspeople for not being hungry this morning," Luke replied, not moving from his chair.

Lorelai finished the journey around her desk and planted herself on Luke's lap. He didn't mind at all. "Hmm, remind me to do that," she replied, pressing her lips gently to his. Of course, the kiss didn't stay gentle for long as the pair raced to reach the high they had experienced the night before.

Outside, a loud thud was heard. Michel paid no mind to it. He often heard weird things from Lorelai's office. 'Well,' he thought. 'look at the occupant.'

$&$

Awhile later, Luke emerged from the office with Bert in hand and a smile on his face. Michel watched as he exited the inn. He turned to see Lorelai emerging from her office. "What did he have to fix?"

Lorelai smiled, "He had to fix my desk," Lorelai replied dreamily.

"It took him an hour to fix your desk?"

Lorelai's smile turned into a smirk as she stared at Michel. "Well, he had something else to screw."

Michel, being a snobby Frenchman that has no interest in the personal affairs of others, took no other meaning from this than the diner man had to fix more than the desk and went back to his work.

$&$

A/n: Again, I could've gone on, but decided that I would keep you all hanging for awhile. Plus, it was hard enough typing this up when my fingers are drunk! And here are the men with white jackets again, so review, it makes me happy…or maybe that's just my pill…