Remembering a time when he had deliberately used speed dial to catch Lorelai's attention, Luke remained on the phone.
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Speed dial was something that Luke had not been familiar with before Lorelai. The one time he'd used it, it came in very handy, he had to admit. The look on Emily Gilmore's face when Lorelai entered the diner was priceless. So, he was grateful for speed dial. Lorelai knew lots of sometimes useless, but occasionally helpful things, he thought. As did her daughter Rory. As did his nephew Jess. And, as he increasingly was learning, his own new daughter, April. Maybe there was something he needed to pay attention to.
Hmmm, perhaps he should program in Lorelai's various numbers (cell, home--hey, that would be his home number one of these days, business) and April and Anna's numbers. Maybe he should get April a cell phone. The few times he'd been at her school, he noticed, with disdain, that a lot of kids seemed to be carrying them. Maybe he could pre-enter the speed dial numbers for April--number one would have to be her mom, number two could be the diner? Nah, she'd probably leave him off and add all her friends.
Then again, he remembered watching a certain Seinfeld episode with Lorelai that addressed that subject. Maybe it was better to just get her the phone. He'd have to make a note to add it to the list of things he needed to discuss with Anna.
Taking notes. There was another area in which his girls intersected. Whoa, now that was a revelation! His girls? April, Lorelai, and sometimes Rory. He fondly recalled Rory's pro-con lists when she was choosing a college and the advice he'd given her about lists. Rory seemed to like his advice. April made lists too. Some she allowed him to see: lists of homework, lists of things to do for various experiments, lists of potential fathers.
And there were the lists she did not let him see. He kind of suspected they had a lot to do with girl stuff. Maybe even boys, he shuddered. He'd have to ask Lorelai about that stuff one day...
Lorelai, though she was all woman, was also very much a girl. He'd never forget the look of childlike delight that enveloped her face when he presented her with that ice rink. Lorelai was a list maker too, possibly the queen of list makers. He remembered back to when she'd first told him that she loved him, really loved him. She actually gave him a pro-con list. He'd told her that he didn't need her to tell him that she loved him: that he knew. Knew from the way she smiled at him, from the way she gave him surprisingly sage advice (though he would never use the surprisingly adjective with her) and from the way she filled in all the holes in his being. Of course, he also knew from the way she totally abandoned herself to him when they made love; of the women he'd been with, he'd never noticed that they were truly all in during their most private moments. But Lorelai, from the start, had been so open and vulnerable, made all the more special because she was very much like him and he knew what it cost her to cede her pride, her independence, to lay it all on the line for him. It made him feel powerful, it made him feel manly, it made him feel loved.
He'd asked her once, when she was sitting on his lap, cajoling, wanting something he'd give her anyways but he loved to see her work him, why she loved him. He told her that he didn't deserve her, or anyone else's love. The next day he found a simple slip of paper on the diner counter under her used coffee cup: "The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves." (Victor Hugo). She'd torn it from a calendar, circled it, and added, "take that! Burger boy!)
And now he heard her words in living speed dial.
"How dare you! How dare you call a town meeting behind Luke's back to discuss what is a private matter?"
Followed by incoherent noises.
"Luke loves his daughter, really loves her, and he needs to spend time with her. Who are you to try to get in the way?"
A shiver ran down Luke's spine as he heard the tone of Lorelai's voice when she said the word "really." She rarely used that tone; he'd heard it when she'd expressed her hatred of his grandmother's bedroom set, and when she'd told him that she really loved that damn diamond necklace. It was also the tone of voice she used when she told him she loved him.
There were more incoherent noises, then he heard Miss Patty's voice.
"Now, now, Lorelai, no need to get upset. We only want the town to run smoothly."
More noises followed.
Did Lorelai need his help? Where was she? Did she need him to come over? Is that why she pressed his speed dial and wasn't talking to him?
He looked over at April, pointed at the phone, and kept listening.
Taylor's voice punctured his eardrum. "Lorelai, I'm also asking you to calm down. Frankly, I'm surprised that you of all people don't understand."
"Don't understand what, Taylor?" Lorelai continued. "And don't. Ever. Tell me. To calm down."
Luke smiled in spite of himself. He just knew her teeth were gritted, her eyes flashing daggers at the fussy older man.
Lorelai's admonition didn't stop Taylor. "This daughter of his keeps town revenues down. No one wants to go to the diner when that girl is there."
Lorelai corrected him. "Her name is April."
"Nevertheless," Taylor continued, "Revenues are down. And it affects all the businesses around the square. People are afraid to go anywhere near the diner because of that...April. Kirk? Bring on the charts."
There was silence on the phone, then he heard Lorelai blurt out: "PowerPoint, you made PowerPoint slides about Luke and his daughter?"
Luke didn't exactly know what PowerPoint was, but it involved a slideshow, and Lorelai didn't seem to like it, so it must not be good. He'd check with April after the call.
"Let's look at a chart of revenue versus the hours that Luke's kid visits the diner," Kirk stated.
There was a lot of noise.
"Lorelai! There was no need to pull the computer's power cord out of the socket!" Miss Patty exclaimed.
Wait a second, Luke thought. This sounded suspiciously like a town meeting. A town meeting that he hadn't been invited to.
"And don't blame your dog!" he heard Kirk add.
Dog? Lorelai was at a secret town meeting with Paul Anka?
Luke strode to the diner windows and looked out in the direction of Miss Patty's. Sure enough, the lights were on. On a Friday night.
Damn. Damn Taylor. Damn town.
Then he turned around and looked at April, who was still sitting at the counter. Jeez. He had to get over to Miss Patty's. But he couldn't leave April alone. He looked at the cell phone's digital clock. Anna wasn't coming any time soon.
He resumed listening in on the secret town meeting that both Lorelai and Paul Anka were at.
Miss Patty and Babette were apparently trying to reason with Lorelai.
Babette asked, "But doesn't it bother you, sugar?"
Silence.
Luke wondered why Babette would ask Lorelai if it bothered her that April came to the diner. Lorelai'd been such a trooper, he thought, making sure he had his space and privacy with April, never just showing up, never bugging him...
Miss Patty chimed in: "Luke was really in a bad way when you two broke up last year, but this is worse. We're all scared to go in there...Babette, remember how he glared at us when we merely glanced over from Taylor's Shoppe?"
More silence from Lorelai.
"And we never see you there, Lorelai," Andrew added. "If you were there, we'd know it was safe to go in."
"Hmmm, maybe he doesn't want you to be around her," Taylor added.
Now Lorelai chimed in. "Luke has had a terrible and wonderful thing happen and he just needs to process. I support his being a dad. And if it means I'm not allowed to go into the diner, then that's the way it's got to be. That's the way it is when you respect and love someone."
Paul Anka barked.
Luke was thunderstruck. Not allowed to go into the diner? But...
"And I don't expect any of you to love Luke Danes, but I do expect you to respect him..."
Luke had heard enough.
"April!"
"Luke..." April hesitatingly responded.
"Come over here..."
He put his arm around her shoulder and dragged her over to the window.
"See that building over there?"
April nodded.
"I need to go over there right now. I won't be long. Can you stay here for a few minutes while I take care of something?
"Can I come?"
Luke hesitated.
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Next: Luke shows up at the clandestine town meeting.