"Luke, I haven't seen you in weeks, and you want me to spend my time working? Not likely." Something almost akin to a smile crossed her lips and Luke thought he saw her humor and familiar warmth in her expression.
They sat in awkward silence for a few more minutes. Then, taking a deep breath, Lorelai asked, "How's April doing in this…" she waved her hand noncommittally, "contest? Funny how it ended up here, what with Katrina…"
Luke's face sobered as it took on a pained and sad expression as he answered, "She's knocking it out of the park. I don't know how I ended up with a kid like her…"
He stopped and looked her in the eye. "Don't say it, Lorelai…"
"You and me both...Like I said, what is it with this oh-so-smart younger generation?"
They were interrupted by a waitress carrying a tray.
"So, tea for you…and coffee for me…Thanks…" she dismissed the waitress.
"As good as mine?"
"Never," Lorelai replied.
"Peppermint tea. You remembered. Lorelai, thank you." Luke shyly smiled his thanks, and Lorelai, for the first time in weeks, felt hopeful, as if a great burden had been lifted off her.
Maybe they could get along again, after all that happened.
Five cups of coffee for Lorelai, and one cup of tea for Luke later, they were finally ready to get down to business.
"Luke."
He knew what was coming.
"I am so sorry. For everything. For telling you. For not telling you, about Anna. For…you know…Chris. I'm sorry," she said in a low voice, almost as if she feared his scorn.
"Well, it is what it is. For Anna, you have nothing to apologize for. And for what it's worth, both Sookie and Rory informed me of the presence of vast quantities of tequila."
Lorelai gratefully nodded, but her mind was somewhere else. "Luke, about Anna…"
He inclined his head, ready with a retort, but she jumped in. "I think a lawyer might help…"
"I'm April's father. I'll deal with Anna," he replied, then looked at the clock in the lobby. "I need to go check on the kids. Their prep time…it's done."
"When you gotta go, ya gotta go," Lorelai said, as she placed her hand on his arm. "I'm taking the day off. I'll be in my room, and then back here in a few hours."
He frowned at her. "You look worn, Lorelai."
"Ya, well…"
"Try to get some rest?" He squeezed the hand she'd placed on his arm. He thought about kissing her on the cheek, and then thought better of it.
"Tell April…good luck," she said with a wry smile, as both left the lobby.
-----
The problem with working in a cozy establishment was the same as with living in a small town like Stars Hollow: the gossip mill worked at warp speed, Lorelai noted as she returned to her suite. Trish had left no less than four messages about the "hunk with the delectable triceps dent" she was "snacking with" in the lobby. She briefly considered returning the calls, but there was something more important that she needed to do.
Swallowing her pride, she called Hartford, Connecticut. The Gilmore Group. Its CEO, to be precise.
"Dad? Do you know any lawyers here…?"
-----
Two hours later, she was in a lawyer's office.
"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," she said as a venerable-looking lawyer ushered her to a seat in front of a standard mahogany desk. "This really is kind of important to me..."
"Of course, Miss Gilmore. Anything for Richard and Emily. So good to hear from them again…" He perfunctorily continued, "What can I do for you? Your father indicated something about having a restraining order rescinded…"
"I made a huge mistake. I had a restraining order put out against someone without meaning to…"
"Miss Gilmore…"
"I know, I know it sounds odd."
"Richard was not too happy that you want to rescind this order. Tell me, Miss Gilmore; are you under any form of duress?"
"No. Yes. No, not right now. But then, I was. And now I'm wondering if there is any way I can get it taken care of…you know…removed…"
"You would like the person released from it." The lawyer frowned, raising his eyebrows, almost scowling at her. "And why do you want to do this again?"
Lorelai hesitated, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse. "I was…under stress…when I did it."
"Uh huh. Susan? The fax?" he spoke into his intercom. "Let me take a look at them…hmmm…." He perused the papers that had been faxed in from Connecticut.
"Is it possible?" Lorelai probed.
"Well, there shouldn't be any difficulty here, even across state lines. We can assign power of attorney to your father and have him take care of it."
"Really?"
"Really. He smiled, avuncularly, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Ken DeLay, Lorelai thought.
He continued. "This is also only a temporary restraining order…actually…it's expired….already…"
"Wow."
"Wow indeed, Miss Gilmore."
Lorelai smiled. "Um, that's good news then. I guess I'll be going." She almost tripped trying to get up.
The lawyer reached his hand out to her. As they shook hand, he added, "Please give my best to your parents. They simply must come stay here, even if they don't ski," he chuckled.
"I will. Thanks. Thank you for your time."
"Of course. And if you ever need legal advice again, please just call Susan and she'll make arrangements." He handed her his card.
"Thanks. Thanks again." Lorelai smiled, took the card, and then practically ran out of the office.
-----
Returning to her small suite, she let herself into the room and collapsed on her couch, not even making it into the bedroom. Fortunately, she noted, Housekeeping had already tidied up the room and made up the bed. So she was free to just be alone for the rest of the day.
First order for the rest of the day: call Luke. Second: a nice relaxing bath.
Lorelai left a message at Luke's room, vague enough so that the other Dad sharing it wouldn't know what was going on, but specific enough, hopefully, that Luke would know. Babbling on about wadded pieces of paper having been expired anyways, she left her message and then hung up.
Lounging in her warm bath, Lorelai couldn't help but think about Luke. Trish was right: he did look delectable. She wanted to see him so badly, to make amends for everything bad she had done to him. She reached to the tub's edge, where she'd placed her cell, and dialed Luke's cell.
"Luke?" she asked, in an unsure voice.
"Lorelai?" he answered.
"Did you check your voicemail…in your room?"
"No…should I?"
She smiled. D'oh, she thought.
"Yeah, I left a message. Or I tried to make sense of one, I think. And umm…I kind of rambled…but I wanted you to know…no more restraining order."
Crickets.
"Well, fine." She paused again, and then continued. "Anyways, I just want you to know that I'm glad circumstances…led you here."
It seemed to her that Luke was quietly absorbing her statement, and all its implications.
"Well…bye…" she continued.
"Okay." And that was the end of that.
Or so she thought.
Two minutes later, Luke called her back.
He was coming over.
-----
The light was softly drifting in through the window with its spectacular view of the Rockies. When his knock came at the door, Lorelai quickly opened it, nervously gathering the hem of her t-shirt around her.
The door's opening and closing were a blur. One moment she was clutching her shirt, the next she was turned around, her back to the door, pressed hard up against it. And he was kissing her. And in spite of herself, she was kissing him back. And she also felt his hands roaming, the hand on her arm moving ever so slowly, stroking her.
This could not continue. She was no longer worthy. Not after having been with Christopher. Not after having spent time in his home, with his kid, with him, having left Luke. She tensed for a second, but he didn't seem to notice. She momentarily relaxed, again, as he moved his kisses to her neck, to the juncture between neck and clavicle. And all the while, he continued his soothing touches on her arms.
She pushed him away.
Luke was surprised to see tears in her eyes. Bringing a hand to her face, he tenderly brushed away the droplets. "What? What's wrong? What is it?" he inquired, just as gently as his touch.
Lorelai turned her face into his hand and could not resist pressing a soft kiss into his palm. "We can't." She swallowed. "Christopher…Anna."
"I said I'll take care of her."
She worried her lip with her teeth.
"And Christopher…I know it's partly my fault too. I was jealous of you and afraid. Afraid that April…"
"Oh Luke," she said softly. "I would never come between you and your kid." For a long minute, they stared at each other, neither wanting to break the closeness. Then Lorelai's eyes drifted closed, as she leaned forward to rest her head on Luke's chest, just cherishing the feeling she thought she'd never have again.
"I know that…now," Luke huskily added. "I am such an idiot…"
Lorelai smiled through the tears that were quickly returning. "Yes, you are…but you're mine."
"You're so pretty, so alive..." he murmured.
Lorelai quickly tried to hide her smile, to no avail, as Luke's face filled with relief.
Luke pulled her back towards him, and leaned forward to gently touch her lips with his own. Lorelai, still ashamed for having been with Christopher, tentatively leaned forward to wrap her arms around him. Luke buried his nose in her hair and breathed in her scent, as Lorelai put her ear next to his heart and listened to the life flowing through him.
Luke then clasped both of her hands in his, and held their hands close to his chest, kissing her hands, then back to her mouth.
"Show me…" he whispered.
"What…" she responded?
"You know…"
And that's when she knew that she had to do her utmost to put the past behind her. She reached up to kiss him back, as Luke grasped her, more forcefully, behind the neck, drawing her even closer towards him and covering her mouth with his. Lorelai barely had time to breathe before Luke's tongue was exploring her mouth, tasting her. His hands were everywhere, working their way from the small of her back to the curve of her breasts. He bent forward and sucked again on her neck.
"Luke please…"
"I'm not going to stop, Lorelai…"
Lorelai whimpered as Luke pressed his body hard against hers, his erection making itself known rather insistently.
"Oh, god Luke…"
"It can be the way it was. We can get through all of this." His hands were now bringing forth feelings she'd thought she'd never have again. "It was good then and it can be good now…"
"So good…" Lorelai parroted back.
"Mmmm…"
"Bed…" she commanded.
TBC…