No, not the dominatrix kind of boot. Although he'd always thought that Anna would fit that scenario particularly well. Rachel, he saw more as the type to wear hunting or motorcycle boots. Sturdy and practical, yet the leather would just be so…
Luke jolted back to reality. It was true, however. Luke just loved the sight of a woman in boots. His favorite? Short little black high-heeled boots. A woman in boots, and well, nothing else. Nothing else at all. Luke loved it when a woman slowly crossed her legs after being seated. He loved the way that a woman's legs looked in high-heeled boots. And then there was that one special pair, the one Lorelai had ordered but never received…
But sadly for him, in a relationship, he'd always been involved with women who insisted on following certain unspoken relationship rules. And those were rather narrowly defined, rather conventional.
But Lorelai? She was different. Sure, she was a free spirit, but more importantly, Luke felt safe with her. Felt he could tell her things, like the Dark Day. Felt that she was both loving and accepting. And he remembered her in the cloakroom in New York City. And up against the door of the diner. And late at night behind the Dragonfly's reception. Maybe now it was time to see how willing Lorelai was going to be to break those unspoken rules.
-----
"Luke?"
Lorelai sounded confused, even a tad concerned.
Lorelai had gone upstairs to the apartment because she had a slight headache, but told him not to worry, by the time her got up there, she'd be all over the headache.
As he entered the apartment, he noticed that the lights were low. Made sense, if her head ached. He also saw that she was kneeling next to the bed.
Oh oh.
"Lorelai? Are you OK"
Luke knew that her eyes would be scanning the room for him in the dim light. His eyes had already adjusted, and he saw that she was still in the pale blue hoodie and sweats from earlier.
"Luke?" she asked again, louder and more fearful.
Oh oh. She had pulled a long box out from under the bed.
"C'mere," he growled, hoping to distract her.
"Luke, what's this?"
He smiled at her, hoping to come across as nonchalant, normal, matter-of-fact. But the way she was looking at him, his smile might as well have been feral, he thought. He moved closer to her, and as he did so, he could feel the uncertainty radiating off her body like heat.
"Uh, what's what?"
"These. Boots."
"Ummm…"
"Ooh, Jimmy Choos!" she suddenly squealed, holding up an especially beautiful, especially spiky pair.
Inexplicably, Luke felt proud of himself. He'd researched those boots quite carefully. He'd even gone to Manolo the Blog (all while pretending to Kirk that he was shopping for Liz) to check out the recommendations.
"Luke…" The uncertainty had returned to her voice.
For her part, Lorelai was perplexed as she handled the…merchandise…in front of her. She turned boot over boot over in her hands, and as she examined each new, exquisite item, she mulled her discovery over in her mind. This discovery was unexpected. Was he buying her presents and stashing them, waiting for the proper time to gift her? Were these boots for another woman? Given the circumstances, she doubted that was it. Luke was more likely to give her a gift, rather than engage in a tryst, rather than cheating on her.
She turned, to find him standing next to her.
For all the world, he looked like a man caught cheating. Yet at the same time, his relief was plain to see.
"Luke?"
"C'mere," he growled again, motioning with his chin and, sitting down on the bed, patting the space beside him.
Lorelai reached her hand up and he assisted her into a standing position. She took her place next to him.
Luke took a deep breath. "God, this is so hard."
"Oh my god. You are cheating on me." Lorelai began to hyperventilate. "I knew it. You were too perfect. The perfect man. What was I thinking? This is me. I don't get to have the per…"
"What are you talking about, Lorelai? Are you crazy? I would never cheat on you," he reassured her.
"But…all these boots…Wait! I've got it! They're for my birthday, right? And Christmas! And Ground Hog Day! And Founders' Day! Especially the Jimmy Choos. Can I have those first?"
Luke patted Lorelai's hand. His thoughts were all over the place. He had to tell her. But how?
"I…"
"Oh my god. I've ruined things. Ruined your surprise. I'm such an idiot. I…"
"Lorelai. It's not that. It's…it's just that I like…"
"You like me wearing boots. Got it. But now I've ruined your surprise. Just remember, the Jimmy Choos go first…" Luke watched in horror as Lorelai bent over and began rummaging through the large box she'd discovered.
She'd found them.
"Why Luke Danes, you…you…Oh, I love you! So much!" And wielding a pair of yellow fishing boots, she reached around his neck, hugged him, and placed at least a dozen kisses all over his face, head and neck.
"Luke," she continued, taking a break but still waving the boots, "You remembered! Even though we broke up, you kept them! The Morton' s Salt Girl boots. You remembered."
The look on Lorelai's face was so heartrendingly that of a woman in love, that Luke began to reconsider telling her about the boots. No one had ever looked at him that way before. Maybe she'd just put them on and he'd never have to tell her, and then he'd just give her all the boots as a gift, except…he'd have to explain why he wanted to keep them at his place.
Time to take the plunge.
"I like boots."
"You like boots." She parroted his statement, not as a question, but delivered it in the same flat, even tone he'd used.
"No. Lorelai, I really like boots." Luke tried to put a little more emotion into his statement. "Really…" he gulped, "like them."
After a beat, he added, "On girls. On…you…"
He could actually see the pieces fall into place, like dominoes knocked over in one of those knock the domino over contests.
Click. Click. Click. The pieces fell into place.
"You like boots…like…like…during…"
"Yes."
That admission had a different effect than he'd expected. Anna had been indignant. Rachel, outraged in a feminist sense. Lorelai?
Lorelai Gilmore burst out laughing. Luke watched in misery as her body shook, her hand slapped her knee, and a pink flush slowly rose across her throat, up her neck, then across her cheeks.
"Oh my God…" She continued laughing, then suddenly stopped, seeing the expression on his face, her eyes fixing on his.
"Alrighty-then," she said, attempting normalcy after she'd calmed down, "I'm going bed."
That was it?
"Still have a headache," she shrugged, apologetically. "That's why I was down there…" She indicated the floor. "Dropped my Tylenol."
Oh. OK.
"Here, let me help you." Luke got up, went to the medicine cabinet, and brought back another Tylenol for her.
As Luke approached her, Lorelai had arisen as well, and he allowed her to pass him, her lithe body brushing against his. Luke, for a second, allowed himself to contemplate the sound of a sharp stiletto heel clicking on the hardwood floor of his apartment, then quickly focused on Lorelai.
"Here." He handed her the pain reliever.
-----
They settled into bed, Luke at first reading, then giving up. Lorelai flipping the TV channels. They continued their usual evening routine, until Lorelai looked up at him and said, "I'm sorry I laughed."
And then she began to giggle.
"No really, I am. So…boots…huh?"
"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. You feeling better?" Luke indicated her head.
"Oh yeah. Tylenol, that stuff works for me every time."
"Uh…did I upset you?"
Luke waited for her answer.
"Seriously? No. Just surprised. This is a side of you I never knew…I mean, some other guys, I'd expect it. How long?"
"Huh?"
"How long have you had this…attraction?"
"Not long…"
"Liar."
Luke nodded his head. "A long time."
"God, Rory would have a field day with this!"
Luke looked mortified, and Lorelai quickly jumped in. "Oh no, I'd never tell her, but you just know she'd be looking up the whole psychology of it on the web…"
Lorelai stopped when she noticed the stricken look on his face.
"Not that there's anything wrong with that…" she deadpanned in her best 'Seinfeld' imitation.
Lorelai turned to him. "Serious, Hon. What do I do? Wear these?"
Luke still looked uncomfortable.
"Seriously. I love boots. I love you. Me. You. Boots."
Luke still looked uncomfortable.
"So, do I just wear them?"
"Yeah," Luke admitted.
"And what else do I wear?" she asked.
Silence from Luke, but he was rewarded with a quirked eyebrow and smirk from Lorelai.
"So, do I get to pick?" Lorelai asked.
Luke had never made love to a woman just wearing boots before. And in his fantasies, well, Lorelai was just wearing them. He hadn't thought of the getting there...
"OK. Here's the deal. The Jimmy Choos and the Morton's Salt Ones are a go. The others, no way."
And with that, Lorelai changed the channel. It was Jon Stewart time
TBC