Author's Notes: Wow, so I'm really sorry about the length of time it took to get back to this. I was very surprised and quite preoccupied by an unwelcome liquid visitor to my apartment. It has not been fun and continues to be a hassle. Anyway, besides that I need to thank my usual betas for taking time out of their busy lives to help poor little old me. You both rock. Much love.
Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I love them.
Chapter 14: Butterflies
The next morning I met Luke in front of his dad's store as he had instructed last night.
"Good morning," I kissed him shyly.
"Good morning," he echoed.
"So, how are we going to get this dress?" I asked him curiously.
"You'll see," he told me with a grin. "Come on," he motioned to the truck parked along the street.
"But, where are we going?" I pestered him.
"You'll see," was all he would say.
Our ride was short. We soon pulled up to the Independence Inn which was at the edge of town. I looked at him with my eyebrows raised.
"This is it," he said.
"Um...Luke? What are we going to do? Steal a dress from a tourist?"
He rolled his eyes. "You'll see."
We walked into the lobby and looked around. Luke seemed to be looking for someone.
A petite woman walked out of what appeared to be the kitchen. "Mia!" Luke called, walking over to her.
"Ah, good morning Lucas," she said and I tried to smother a grin.
"You got my message?" he asked her.
"Yes, honey, I got your message. I'll see what I can do. Where is your friend?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," he pulled me over. "Mia, this is Rachel. Rachel, this is Mia. She owns the Independence Inn. Her son John is one of my friends from track."
"It's very nice to meet you," I told her. "I've been here before to take pictures. It's beautiful."
"Thank you, dear. Nice to meet you too. It is wonderful to see Lucas with someone so lovely." I smiled. "He mentioned that you need a dress for tonight."
"We're sorry this is kind of last minute," Luke said.
Mia smiled. "Oh, I know this. We will figure something out." She looked at me. "There are several bolts of beautiful fabric, leftover from some weddings we held recently, in the basement. I'll let you pick one out, take your measurements, and we'll have a dress in no time."
This woman had me beaming. I liked her already.
"Well," Luke said. "I'll take that as my cue to leave you two alone. Do you have a list for me?" he asked Mia.
She pulled a sheet out of a folder. "Here you go. This young man is the best handy man I've ever found," she told me as Luke blushed.
"Okay. Well, I'll see you later." He kissed me on the cheek and disappeared out the front door.
Mia took my arm. "Come on, honey. Let me show you the fabrics."
I had always been wary of dances and other frilly things. A side effect of only living with Dad, I always assumed. The way Mia worked though, I felt like Cinderella. Before long she had created a masterpiece out of red satin, with puffy sleeves and a skirt much shorter than I was used to. It was beautiful, but I wondered how I would pull it off.
It wasn't so much the dress as it was the aura that it created; one where I was suddenly noticeable again. As the photographer, I was used to being behind the scenes, inconspicuous, but tonight I would be walking into the lion's den of Stars Hollow High School in a dress as bright as a matador's cape. I remembered the last time I felt that way, standing in the middle of the cafeteria, and I did not relish the thought of repeating it.
By the time I was ready to go I had butterflies in my stomach. I had explained the basics of the situation to Dad. When I came downstairs he raised his eyebrows a bit at seeing me in such a fancy dress, but otherwise only gave me a slightly crooked smile.
The knock at the door made me jump, but I opened it quickly. Luke stood on the porch looking dashing in dark pants and a sports coat. I was shocked to see that he was even wearing a nice tie. He stood there, looking a little bit shocked for a moment before he remembered to lean in for a kiss.
"You look incredible," he whispered as his lips pulled away from mine.
"Likewise," I told him, the butterflies a flurry of activity.
Dad had snuck up behind me. "Hey there lovebirds," Luke and I cringed, "we need to get a picture before you two escape." We both laughed nervously as we posed in front of the fireplace.
The night was brisk, but the goose bumps on my skin were nothing compared to the fluttering in my stomach. I subconsciously began to slow down as we approached the school. Luke finally turned around when he realized I wasn't keeping up.
"Rachel?" he asked puzzled, looking back at me.
I stopped and sighed, looked down at my shoes then back up at him, trying to keep my heart from beating its way out of my chest.
He walked back towards me and rubbed my arms. "Are you cold? Do you want my jacket?"
I shivered and stepped into his arms. "Well, yeah, but...that's not...I just..."
"What?" he looked down at me.
"I'm a little bit scared to go in there," I finally admitted.
His arms tightened around me and I breathed in the smell of his cologne as my face pressed against his neck. "I'm sorry," he whispered. One hand made its way up to my hairline, kneading the muscles there absentmindedly. "If you don't want to go, we can find something else to do."
"No," I pulled back a little to look at him. "I want to go, I just...I need to know that you're really here, that you won't just walk away like...like..."
"I know." He rested his forehead on mine. "I don't know what to say to convince you, but if you trust me, I'll...I can...well you'll see. I won't let you down again."
I looked into his eyes and couldn't find any indication that I shouldn't believe him. The blueness of them calmed my nerves and settled my stomach. Suddenly I could see nothing else but their depths. I tilted my head up to kiss him and my worries melted away with the warmth of his lips.
When I looked at him again, he had an incredibly serene look on his face. I laughed at seeing him with his guard down again. Different memories sprung back to me now. There were no more fireflies this late in the year, but I could see them in my mind's eye. They danced around the edge of my vision as I stared at him again. And as they flew away, the tension of the past weeks flew away with them.
