Kiss with Open Eyes
Chapter 3: Get in the Car and Let's Drive Away
Disclaimer: You know it's not mine.
Summary: Lorelai's world is falling apart. He is the only one who can make her smile and she just wants to be happy…
A/N: Alright…
So, I finally got smart and realized that I can just send email replies to everyone's reviews… Oh man, my mother would be proud.
So, I'll just write thank you's on herefor the people who don't have accounts that I can send stuff to… You know? Everybody else should get a reply thing in their email or something.
Tom: Once again, you seem to read my mind… Well, sort of. I hope I can surprise you. You know I hate those stories where they get together in the first 3 sentences, so don't worry about that. It won't be like that. And I updated A Different Path so check that out.
Ciderlover: Ew kissing Christopher… I think I just threw up a little. Don't worry, it won't take 8 years, I promise you that. Thanks for the review.
Anyway, thanks for everyone's beautiful reviews. I love you all.
"Hey Luke?" She asked.
"Yeah?" She heard him call.
"Do you know how to fix a TV?"
And finally, on with the story…
Luke was coming over to fix the TV today. She couldn't wait; it was always so lonely at the house during the day and she was excited to have some company.
She went through her closet in frenzy, trying to find something to wear. She finally settled on the shirt in the back of her closet. She smiled when she slipped it on and looked in the mirror. She couldn't remember when she wore that shirt last. It had always been one of her favorites. It was black and hugged her in all the right places. Across the chest it said 'who needs boys? I have toys' in hot pink letters. This was one of those shirts, which she used to always wear, before everything got so complicated. Christopher didn't like that shirt, and her mother had to agree with him. So, she had put it in the back of her closet along with the 5 fluorescent Blondie t-shirts, the hundreds of multi-colored Mardi Gras beads, the I Love Lucy pajamas, the Nightmare Before Christmas slippers, the 'spooning is better than forking' t-shirt, the 400 other dirty t-shirts she owned, the glittery belt, the incredibly hot aviators, and the Power Puff Girl earrings.
But, Chris wasn't here. She could wear whatever the hell she wanted, because Chris wasn't here, and neither was her mother, and Luke wouldn't mind.
She smiled and searched the back of her closet.
As he drove, he wondered how the hell he had gotten himself into this. How the hell had she gotten him to agree to do this. How the hell did a woman he barely knew, rope him into driving 30 miles away just to fix her TV?
And why did she ask him anyway? She was married. He saw the wedding ring on her finger. She was married. Didn't she have a husband to fix the TV for her? Didn't she have a neighbor or someone to do it, if her husband couldn't?
And again, as he drove, he wondered how she had roped him into this. It was something about her eyes. They were so blue. He had never seen eyes quite like hers before. It was the face she made when she was pouted. And it was the way she licked her lips and did that little hair-flip thing. It was the way she batted her long eyelashes at him. It was the way she smiled when she knew he was caving. It was how she wouldn't give up. It was the way she made him feel needed. It was the way she pleaded and slowly talked him into it. It was the way she babbled on about how he needed to fix her TV because she didn't want to open up the paper and see pictures of boob jobs and Marilyn Manson's future babies. Maybe he heard her wrong?
God, he didn't even know her last name and she already had him fixing stuff around her house.
Except, she was married. She had a husband and a daughter. She had a life. So, why did she make him go over to her house and fix her TV? Why were women always so confusing?
He sighed as he pulled into the driveway. He looked up at the house, and then back at the printed out MapQuest directions she had given him. Yup, this was her house. He looked up at it, and it didn't look how he had imagined. It's not like he had been up all night, picturing where she lived, but if he had, this would not have come to mind.
It was white brick, with very dark shutters; it wasn't very big, but definitely not small. The landscaping had definitely been done by professionals, and it all looked so neat and clean.
He rang the door bell and could hear her yelling things he couldn't make out. A few moments after, she appeared at the door, smiling at him and catching her breathe.
"Hi." She said, breathlessly, gesturing for him to come in.
"Hey." He said.
"Find the place OK?" She asked.
"Yeah." He nodded, and starting looking her up and down, at the outfit she was wearing. She was wearing tight jeans, that definitely worked for her, a shirt with some crazy saying, which also worked her. Then, she had on these crazy slippers, with some white face on them, at least 10 Mardi Gras necklaces, a very glittery belt, and earrings that were of some cartoon characters.
"What?" She asked, when she noticed him looking at her.
"Nice outfit." He said.
"Thank you." She said, flashing him a smile.
"You always dress like this?" He asked.
"Only on special occasions." She said.
"Having a small town, diner owner, come over and fix your TV?" He asked.
"No, my husband isn't home... I'm celebrating." She said, though, the second it came out, she felt extremely guilty.
He nodded, as she led him further into the house. "Want a tour?" She asked, smiling.
"Sure." He said, knowing that if he didn't say yes, she would probably give him one any way.
"OK, my name is Lorelai and I will be your tour guide for today. Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all-"
"Jeez, Lorelai, hurry up." He told her.
"Someone's a little impatient." She said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Yeah, yeah." He said, rolling his eyes. It was weird, how they had only known each other for a week, and yet, they acted as if they had been friends for 20 years. It was weird, but they both liked it.
"So, this is the kitchen- Wahoo, kitchen." She said, waving her arms around. "And this is Rory's room and the bathroom" She said pointing to a room a few feet away. "Down this hall is the big bathroom and Chris's office/den." Lorelai said, leading him down the hall. "This is my room… this is Chri-uh, the guest room." She said, quickly covering up what she was about to say.
"And this is the family room… and over here we have the TV." She said, leading him to the TV.
"Alright, let's see what we got here." He said, getting down on his knees to be level with the TV.
"You'll be able to fix it, right Luke? Cuz I swear, if I open up the paper and see-"
"Boob jobs and Marilyn Manson's babies… I know." He said.
She was shocked that he remembered, but also happy about it. "Yeah." She said quietly.
"There was a huge, big-screen TV in that room. Why didn't you just use that one?" Luke asked.
"That's Chris's TV." She said.
"So?" He asked.
"I don't know how to turn it on."
"The power button usually does the trick." He said, sarcastically.
"No way, that TV is much more complicated… You have to turn on the Amp, and the DVD player even if you aren't watching a DVD… and there's a separate remote for the volume, which confuses me because I can never remember which remote is the volume one… And you have to press the on button three times, and then the amp button once… or something. Who knows? It's too complicated." Lorelai said.
"OK." Luke shrugged. He played with a few wires and pressed a few buttons, and the TV turned on.
Lorelai gasped. "Luke! You did it!" She said excitedly.
"A few of the wires were mixed up." He shrugged.
Lorelai jumped up and down, and he stood up. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squealed.
"No problem." He told her, as she pulled away from him.
"Rory is going to be so happy." She said.
"Well, I'm glad I could uh, help." Luke said.
Lorelai smiled at him. "Thank you so much, Luke." She told him.
"No problem." He said. "I should uh, get going." He said.
"No!" Lorelai told him, and he spun around to face her.
"Stay." She told him. "It's too quiet when it's just me." She said.
"Now, I have trouble believing that." He said.
"I hate quiet. I hate being alone, it's so… lonely." She said.
"Well, that's probably where they got the word." He said.
"Yeah." She said, quietly.
"Yeah." He repeated.
"Stay?" She asked. "We can… we can play cards!" She told him.
"Cards?" He asked.
"Yeah, c'mon. It'll be fun." She said, taking his hand and leading him to the kitchen table. He followed because, even though he only knew Lorelai for a few days, he knew she could talk anyone into anything, and he shouldn't fight it.
They sat across from each other at the kitchen table, and she began shuffling the cards. "So, what'll it be?" She asked, in her best black jack dealer impression.
"I don't care." He shrugged.
"Aw, c'mon, you must have a preference." She said.
"5 card draw?" He asked, knowing she wouldn't give up.
"5 card draw." She said, as she began to deal.
"So, Luke, tell me about yourself." Lorelai said as she looked at her cards carefully.
"What do you want to know?" He asked, also looking at his cards.
"Oh, I don't know… anything. Do you usually run around, rescuing damsels in distress?" She asked.
"Yeah, I always drive all the way to Hartford and fix TV's." He said, putting two cards down and then picking up two more.
"Interesting." She said as she put three cards down, and picked up three more. "You must meet a lot of hot babes that way."
"And most of them don't own I Love Lucy pajamas." He said
"How did you-" She asked. He pointed to the couch where her pajamas, two Blondie t-shirts, her aviators and some more beads where.
"How did you know they were I Love Lucy?" She asked, grinning.
"I have a sister." He said.
"Uhuh." She said sarcastically.
"I do." He told her.
"I believe you, Luke." She said.
He rolled his eyes and then placed his cards in front of her. "Aces and sevens." He stated.
"Damn." She said, putting her cards down and showing him that she only have pair of fives.
She collected the cards and began shuffling again.
"So, Lorelai, tell me about yourself." He said mockingly.
"Hey, no fair, you didn't tell me anything." She said, accusingly.
"Yeah, I did… I have a sister." He said.
"You should work for the CIA or something…" She said. "Luke Danes 007." She said, in her best Russian/Secret Agent accent.
"Right…" He said.
"You really want to hear my pathetic life story… You might as well wait for the Lifetime movie to come out." Lorelai said.
He gave her this look, and she knew he was interested… or at least a very good actor.
"Well… Basically, I grew up in Hell… The stupid parties, the stupid expensive Christmas presents you were never allowed to touch because they cost so much, the stupid maids that my mother went through… It was just… blah. I tried to escape of all of it… and well… in my parent's house there's this balcony. Nobody ever went out there, so it was like my escape. Then, I guess Chris had the same idea that I did, and one day he came up to the balcony, too." Lorelai told him.
"It was a really nice balcony. It was definitely one of those Romeo and Juliet balconies. When I was like seven years old, I used to imagine being Juliet or someone, and I imagined standing on that balcony while Romeo called to me and told me how amazing I was, in that Shakespearian language." She said, flipping her hair, and laughing at herself. "I was a very adorable kid." Lorelai said. "You know, the big, poofy dress that was always really dirty, and the messed up hair… I was a sight." She said, laughing.
"And anyway… I don't know, one day Chris just decided to come and join me on the balcony and next thing you know I'm putting my clothes back on and freshening up my lipstick."
"You did it on your balcony?" He asked, surprised at her, and surprised that he was even asking her this.
"Jose Cuero has the tendency to do that to you sometimes… It's funny, though. My parents didn't even notice. I mean, they were home and everything. How did they not notice we were gone for so long?" She asked herself out loud.
"Anyway…Then, I got pregnant… it was late January, it was just before my 16th birthday. Our parents forced us to get married… So, we did. It was OK at first. I mean, we had been friends since we were 6 years old, so we knew each other and we could make each other laugh. After Rory was born, it was just like playing house, you know? I was the mother, he was the father, and Rory was the baby. We did it for Rory… We got married because 'it was the right thing to do.' But, then she started growing up and since Chris and I were never really 'in love' we just started fighting… and you know… the rest is history."
"Wow." Was all Luke could say. "I could definitely see a Lifetime movie in the making." He said.
"Have you ever even seen a Lifetime movie?" She asked him.
"I have a sister." He said, again.
"Right." Lorelai nodded, taking two cards from the deck. "So, it's your turn." She said.
"What?"
"Your life story… Come on, let me hear it." She said.
"It's not that interesting." Luke said.
"Oh, come on, living in that town? It has to be interesting." She said.
He shrugged.
"I don't know… it's like some incredibly weird, Disney-wannabe theme park… only instead of Mickey Mouse and Aladdin, there's Kirk and Babette." Lorelai said.
"Yup… That's basically it." He said. "It's just… Stars Hollow… A couple of streets named after fruit, a dance studio, Doose's… the book store that plays movies… the crazy people that have known you since you slept with a Kermit the Frog night light… no privacy, no secrets… everyone knows everything about you… It's creepy." Luke told her.
"That's nice, though." Lorelai said, beginning to deal out some more cards.
"You'd think that." He said, as he collected his cards.
"No, it is… I mean, to have people that know you and care about you… people who would let the cable guy in, if you were stuck in traffic… people who would lend you a nickel if you didn't have enough change… it's nice." Lorelai said.
"I guess." Luke said.
"Did you actually have a Kermit the Frog night light?" She asked.
He shook his head, and laid his cards out for her to see.
"Ugh! Beginners luck!" Lorelai cried.
"I've been playing 5 card draw since I was 7, Lorelai." He said. It was weird how the way he said her name, made her stomach flip. She wasn't used to people saying her name like that, pronouncing it right, and not using that disappointed, 'what the hell do you think you're doing' tone. He didn't say 'Lor' like Christopher did… He actually pronounced her full name, and she liked it.
"Well, you're a beginner with these cards." Lorelai said, as if it was obvious.
"Oh, right… must have slipped my mind." He rolled his eyes.
"How about we play rock, paper, scissors instead?" She smiled.
"You know… I've got a pretty good board game selection. How do you feel about Pretty, Pretty Princess?" She asked with a giggle.
"Like I shouldn't even ask." He told her.
She laughed.
"So… what do you want to do?" She asked, happily.
"I don't know. What do you usually do around here?" He asked.
"Run around in my underwear and blast Spice Girls?" She said, jokingly, but trying to act serious.
"Right…" He said, eyeing her suspiciously.
"If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends…" She said, singing, and spinning on her hard wood floor.
"You are a horrible singer." He said, laughing.
"Oh, come on, you can't do better." She said.
"You know, Miss Pattie did try and give me singing lessons when I was eight." Luke said.
Her jaw dropped. "Seriously?"
He nodded.
"Sing me something!" She said.
"No, no, no… I said she tried. I never said it worked." He told her.
She studied him for a second. "You did it, didn't you?" She said, grinning.
"No." He answered quickly.
"Oh my God, you took singing lessons." She said, pointing at him.
"No I didn't."
"Oh, Lukey sing me something! C'mon, you know Blondie?" She asked.
"No."
"Let's go boom, boom, boom in the zoom, zoom room. Oh yeah, uh huh. Boom, boom, boom in the zoom, zoom room." Lorelai sang. "C'mon Luke, join in." She said.
He rolled his eyes at her.
"No? Don't like that one?" She asked. "Hmm… How about…" She said, as she began thinking.
"I'm not like anybody else. When I think about you I touch myself, ooohh, ohh…" Lorelai sang.
"Jeez, Lorelai." He said.
"Fine, I'll stop." She said.
"Thank God." He sighed.
"Hey! Let's dance!" She said.
"I'm not a big Spice Girls fan." He told her.
"You just don't want me to see your underwear!" She said, pointing at him, and squinting her eyes.
"That's it." He told her, sarcastically.
"Aw, c'mon… We won't dance… we'll… we'll practice doing the wave." She said, reaching for his hands so she could pull him off the chair, but stopped when she heard the door open.
"Hello?" She heard Rory call from the front door.
"Rory?" Lorelai asked.
"Hey Mom." She replied.
"What are you doing home?"
"I had a half day today… I can only stay for a couple minutes; Paris is flipping out about the-" She stopped when she saw what her mother was wearing, and Luke, sitting at her kitchen table.
"Hi Luke." She said, completely confused.
"Hi Rory." He said with a wave.
"Rory, Luke fixed the TV!" Lorelai said excitedly.
"What are you wearing?" Rory asked. "You haven't worn that since…" She said, not wanting to finish the sentence.
"I know… but I saw all this stuff in the back of my closet… and, I… Rory, Luke fixed the TV!" Lorelai said, trying to change the subject.
"Thanks Luke." Rory said, not so sincerely.
"Uh, no problem." He told her. "I- I better get going." He said, starting to stand up.
"You don't have to." Lorelai said.
"No, it's fine… I better get back to the diner, anyway. I'll see you later?" He asked.
"Yeah." She said, smiling at him. "Bye… and thanks." She told him sincerely.
"No problem." He told her again, right before he closed the door behind him.
"That was rude." Lorelai told Rory.
"What?"
"He fixed our TV, Rory, and you couldn't even say a polite thank you." Lorelai said.
"I said thank you." Rory said, crossing her arms.
Lorelai rolled her eyes, and sat at the kitchen table. Rory sat across from her.
"Mom…" She said.
Lorelai looked up at her.
"Why have you been spending so much time in Stars Hollow?"
"It's for the DAR, Rory, you know that." Lorelai said, even though it was a lie.
"You and I both know that you can do that stuff over the phone." Rory told her.
"I like it there, Rory… and you did, too. Why does it even matter?" Lorelai asked, coldly.
"It's just… You've been there every day this week… I don't know… You've been spending a lot of time with Luke, haven't you?" Rory said.
"So what if I have? We're friends. I'm allowed to have friends." Lorelai said, feeling like a teenager.
"I know… Dad's coming home tomorrow." Rory said, quietly.
"I know." Lorelai said.
"Are you going to Stars Hollow tomorrow, too?" Rory asked. She didn't seem mad, anymore… maybe she was finally catching on.
"Maybe." Lorelai said.
"OK." Rory said, quietly.
"Rory…" Lorelai started.
"No, I get it. I know this sucks sometimes… I know that you need an escape sometimes… you need a break… from all of this DAR crap, your parents, Straub and Francine…" Rory said.
"The entire upper class." Lorelai rolled her eyes.
Rory nodded. "I get it, don't worry."
"But, hey… It's not you that I need an escape from, OK?" Lorelai said, making sure her daughter understood that. That was always the hard part about her situation. She was always so worried that Rory would feel at fault for the way everything turned out… the fact that Lorelai didn't go to college, that Richard and Emily were disappointed… that she had married Christopher so young. She knew Rory blamed herself sometimes, and she hated that.
"OK." Rory nodded.
"I just… It's a nice place, you know?" Lorelai asked.
"I know." Rory said. "Could I go with you sometime?" She asked.
"Duh." Lorelai said with a smile. "It's a great place… the people… the coffee." Lorelai said smiling.
"So… What was Luke doing here, anyway?" Rory asked.
"Fixing the TV, Rory… My you are mighty slow today."
"Why didn't you just get Sal to come by… or Ed?"
"Luke brings me coffee… and he's definitely nicer to look at." Lorelai said, with a grin.
Rory playfully slapped her mother's arm. "I'm sure Dad would love to hear that." She laughed.
Lorelai laughed, too, but not because it was funny… it was just what she was supposed to do, and she always did was she was supposed to do.
"Let's go watch TV." Lorelai said. "I hear there's a Home Alone movie marathon on. We haven't seen them all in a row since you were 10." Lorelai laughed.
"You got the Red Vines?" Rory asked.
"Do you even have to ask?" She said, as she got them from the cabinet and handed them to her daughter.
Hola amigos. How is everyone?
Well, so I actually just realized that you could send direct replies to the people who review. I know, I am so slow, but I just realized it. So, now I probably won't send shout outs at the top… Only to people who don't have accounts, you know? So, if you have an account, I will just reply to you through that. That way, you don't have to scroll so much… I know, I'm just so considerate.
It's supposed to snow a lot tomorrow. Maybe I'll get a delay or something. That would be o so sweet.
Anyway,
I hope you guys liked that. The next chapter will be up sometime soon. Please review!
Sneak Peak Chapter #4:
Last One out Please Shut the Door: When Rory says she is spending the night at a friend's house, Lorelai knows that means that she and Chris will sleep in separate bedrooms… but what happens when they fight and she walks out… it's 3 AM and she still isn't home. But where oh where could she be?