Chapter 3 – Of Dancing and Surprises

"There is nothing for me but to love you
And the way you look tonight"

Frank Sinatra, 'The Way You Look Tonight'

- - - - -

She did see it in his eyes. All day long she saw it in his eyes. Every look he gave her, every brush of shoulders as they passed one another, she saw it. And then she began to feel it. Her knees went wobbly, her cheeks turned red, her heart leapt into her throat and stayed there. Lorelai Gilmore was head over heels in love with Luke. And she was afraid... very afraid.

Why she didn't realize it before was a mystery to her. He was the constant figure in her life, the one she could always lean on when things with Chris or others didn't work out. Every morning she secretly couldn't wait to go to the diner, get her coffee, and exchange some witty banter over breakfast.

She was surprised by her sudden strong feelings. After all, she had only just discovered this today. But in the back of her mind, Lorelai knew that she had always loved Luke. She loved teasing him, she loved his flannel shirts and backwards baseball cap, she loved his scruffiness, she loved the way he smelled, she loved his grumbling, she loved his eyes. Yes, she was head over heels in love with Luke Danes.

However, she seemed to hide this fact extremely well from Luke himself. Sure, there was the usual chemistry between them, but nothing out of the ordinary, seeing as they had kissed just last night. The only cue to Luke that she was fighting a mental battle with herself was that Lorelai was exceptionally quiet. When Luke questioned her about this, she blamed it on the radio. About an hour ago, she had insisted on the Oldies station, much to Luke's displeasure. The song playing now was one of her personal favorites.

'Some day, when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight'

Lorelai smiled, noticing how uncomfortable Luke looked. She knew his secret; he could waltz. She took pleasure in embarrassing him, and was just about to say something sarcastic when he held out his hand.

"Ha, I win! I kn-" she happily babbled, slapping her palm into his.

"Shut up and dance," he growled.

'With each word your tenderness grows
Tearing my fear apart
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose
It touches my foolish heart'

One of her hands rested on his shoulder, the other Luke held in his own. He was a fairly good dancer. Anything that involved Lorelai made him nervous though. It took him a moment to find the beat, hardly helped by the half-smile-smirk on her face. It was still surprising to her that Luke could manage anything of finer arts.

Lorelai felt so good in his arms, so right. He sighed, bringing their bodies closer together as he waltzed her around the upturned tables and chairs. They had danced once before, at Liz's wedding. It had been more romantic than this last time. Rather than paint-covered and exhausted, they had been dressed up, outside versus the diner, dreamy lighting and softer music…

'Mm, mm, mm, mm
Just the way you look to-night'

As the song ended, Luke twirled Lorelai around before dipping her against his arm in a final move. He left her breathless, and she giggled as she clutched his shirt to keep from falling. However, Luke nearly dropped her when he saw somebody at the door. Lorelai shrieked with surprise, grabbing the nearest table for support. Giving Luke a puzzled look, she followed his gaze and realized why she had almost ended up on the floor.

"Oh…" she whispered.

'Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft
There is nothing for me but to love you
And the way you look tonight'