Title: Conversations
Summary: Conversations between Luke and Lorelai during the summer while Luke's away in Maine.
Disclaimer: why do I even bother?
Author's Note: I have said this before in In the Clamor and the Clangor, and I will say it again. All my references are Filipino. If you didn't already know, I'm Filipino.
This is a very long chapter. I love this chapter.
Lorelai looked upon all the guests. Half the room filled with her friends from town. Though they already went to the test-run, they still wanted to celebrate the official opening of the Dragonfly Inn. The other half were the inn's guests, who seemed to be pleased with the outcome.
Lorelai stood at the front of the dining room, in front of everyone.
"Excuse me." spoke Lorelai. "Quiet please." the room fell silent. "Thank you. I would like to thank all of you who are here for the grand opening for the Dragonfly Inn." everyone applaud. "Thank you. Now, to all of the guests who are here, I hope your stay is pleasant, and we anticipate your feedbacks. And to all my friends and neighbors from this town, I thank you for coming to celebrate this with me and Sookie and to all of us who works here. Sookie and I have been dreaming of owning our own inn for quite a while now, I'd say about four years now. Then it was just an unreachable dream to us, not knowing when it would become reality. And now it has come, with help from our friends along the way. I would just like to thank Tom and his crew for putting this place together. Sookie and Michel for being behind my back the whole time." Sookie wiped tears from her eyes. Michel looked at her with annoyance. "My daughter Rory who has always been there for me for nineteen years. And is the reason for why I always do my best and keep a stable life, just for us." she looked over at Rory who was beaming proudly at her mother. "And to my one friend, who unfortunately cannot be here tonight, but I wish otherwise. This friend of mine has been through this whole inn thing from the very beginning. Helped me plan this, with the business ventures we've had. Always cheering me and lending me support when I need it. And without whom, this would still be a dream. And whom I cannot live without." Lorelai now had tear in her eyes that she's trying to keep in. so did half of the people in the room.
Lorelai did her best to keep the last part a low profile. Even though Luke wasn't there to protest, her speech was a bit too intimate, and she would still like to keep her upcoming relationship with Luke a low profile.
Lorelai walked over to the empty lobby of the inn. Everybody was at the dinning room having fun,but after her speech, she just needed to be alone for awhile. She really misses Luke. It was such a sad fact that he couldn't have been there, not just because he's an investor, but, like Lorelai said, he had been there from the beginning of this whole thing. It didn't seem much special without him.
As Lorelai entered the lobby, the phone on the front desk rang. "Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking."
"Hi, I stayed at your inn a few weeks ago, and I must say it was the best inn ever. I had a really wonderful time with an outcome that has made me happy."
Lorelai smiled upon hearing Luke's voice. "Well thank you sire, for your kind feedback. Anything else?"
"Yeah. The owner is also very hot and drop dead gorgeous."
Lorelai blushed. "Flattery will get you everywhere my friend."
"So I've heard."
"So you called."
"Yeah, listen Lorelai, I'm really sorry for not being there. I really wish I was. I mean, this means so much to you and I should be there to cheer you on. This is a big day for you. I feel like I've disappointed you by not being there."
"Luke-" Lorelai cut him off. If he was going to speck more she would sob. "It's ok that you're not here. You have to be there. Liz and Tj need you more than I do. And besides, you coming to the test-run, calling me now and every single day before, and being with me before this started is cheering enough."
"I still don't feel right."
"Well, maybe you just miss me." she teased.
"No, that's not it."
Lorelai scoffed. "Well don't I just feel special."
"No, that's not what I meant. I just mean, yes, I do miss you, very much. In fact, if Liz wasn't my sister I would be there with you right now. Of course I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. But I just mean, I feel like I'm letting you down somehow."
"Aw, Luke you're babbling. It's cute."
"It's not cute." he grumbled. "Do not ever insinuate that anything I do is cute. I'm not a baby."
"Well you're my baby."
"Lorelai."
Then her voice turn to serious "Luke, you know you can never disappoint me."
"But I feel like I am."
"No Luke, never." she argued. "You can never disappoint me. Nothing you do will ever disappoint me. You're the only one who can make me really happy. Sure, I'm a little down on you not being here, but you have your reasons. Honestly, if it weren't for this inn, I would be there with you right now, helping you helping Liz and Tj. But I can't, I have this inn to take care of. I mean, Rory practically had to lock me in my room to prevent me from going over there. Let me tell you, think she's back to reading Rapunzel or something. But you will never disappoint me."
"Ok, but you still have to keep the gifts I got you."
"What gifts?" then there was a knock on the front door. Lorelai looked up and saw Skip, the delivery guy, standing there.
"Deliver for a Miss Lorelai Gilmore." said Skip, walking up to Lorelai with a gift basket in one hand and a clip bored in the other, while Lorelai was still on the phone. "Sign here please." he said, Lorelai obliged. "Thank you. And congratulations on the inn, I'll recommend to families and friends."
"Thanks Skip." waved Lorelai as Skip left. She looked at the gift basket in front of her. "Luke what is this?" she asked,her lips forming into a smile.
"Why don't you open it?"
She did. Lorelai gasped. "A wand." she cooed, pulling out a plastic, princess wand. Then she pulled out another item. "Oooh, pretty." she said, admiring the pretty headdress decorated with yellow daisies. She felt as if she were a little five-year-old girl at the fair. "Aw, a court jester stuff toy. And a fan, wow, fancy. Oh, and what's this?" Lorelai pulled out a bag. She looked at it skeptically. "Huh, coffee grounds. Luke, did you just misplace this or what?"
"No, it's yours." he said, with a smile of relief.
"You do know that I could just buy this here?"
"Well I just thought that you'd want that kind of coffee ground since it's the kind that I use."
Lorelai gasped, wide eyed, jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"But you never give away your coffee ground."
"Well, through out our conversations, you've made it very clear that you hated the pancakes and coffee that they give you. And if I'd given you the pancake mix, you'd just burn down your house. So I sent the coffee grounds."
"Good choice mister. Luke, this is, wow. I can't believe you gave me this."
"it's just coffee."
"Not just any coffee. Luke's coffee. The best coffee in Connecticut. No, the whole world. Which nobody else have. Except for me."
He rolled his eyes. "So, do you like it?"
"I love it. And all of the other stuff too. Luke this is amazing. Thank you."
"Oh, and if you look more in the basket, you'll find something else in there."
"Luke, this is too much." But Lorelai was already looking. She saw, at the bottom of the box, a beautiful treasure box. Decorated with jewels. "Wow, Luke, loving the whole princess theme here."
"Now, before you get any ideas, Liz decorated it, I just chose what's inside it."
"There are things inside?"
"Open it."
Lorelai opened the box. The first thing she saw was a beautiful necklace with a single blue stone dangling from the chain. Lorelai was speechless. "Oh, Luke."
"Don't forget the bracelet."
Lorelai looked inside again and saw a bracelet with a dangling blue stone that performs as charms on the chain. "This is beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it. They should match the earrings I gave you."
"They do." Lorelai was still speechless.
"Good. And there's two more sets in there also. Complete with earrings, necklace, and bracelet. They're in two colors, one is turquoise, the other lavender. I'm not sure which color you and Rory would choose, so you two can just pick out which you guys want."
"Luke, this is so…" Lorelai didn't know what to say. This was the most sweetest thing anyone has ever done for her. She thought the coffee was enough to put her over the edge, but the jewelry that's Luke gave her, and considering Rory as well, it was just overwhelming. She misses him so much. "I love you." what was meant to be 'I love them' became 'I love you'. once the words escape her lips, she suddenly became panicked. "I mean…I uh…what I meant was um…thank you and…uh…the wand and wreath…and uh…coffee. God I need coffee right now. I-"
"Lorelia." he said, interrupting her. "I love you too."
"Really?" she asked, now filled with joy. "I'm sorry for blurting it out like that."
"It's ok."
"I mean, we haven't even been out on our first date yet. I can't just start blurting out stuff like that. You're probably freaking out right now."
"Lorelai, we have been on many first dates. Probably the most first dates anyone could have with each other."
"But those didn't count. They weren't official. We weren't in tune with our feelings back then."
"It may not have count, but they were still dates. And screw with dating, isn't dating just a way for two people to get to know each other more? We have known each other for eight years, that's a hell of dating we've done."
"But still, I must of freaked you out."
"I was stunned at first. But Lorelai, I really do love you."
Lorelai smiled. "I love you too. I mean, with the gifts, for me and considering Rory. And for supporting me with the inn. And for being there for me and for Rory over the years. I just, I love everything you've done for me."
"And I love doing them for you."
Lorelai now had tears in her eyes. "Are you sure you can't come home now?" she wined.
"Not now." he sighed. "But I'd say in a week I'll be back."
"A week? Luukkee!" she shrieked, but not too loud that anybody from the other room could hear her. "I don't know if I can stand for you to be gone another week. I mean, now that we've said I love you to each other, I just really want to see you. As in right now!"
"I know. I really want to see you too. But like I said, I'll only be a week. We can wait till then."
"No I can't." she pouted.
"Lorelai stop pouting. Listen, I have to go. Tj's out with his etch-a-sketch again and I have to retrain him."
"Ok, bye…I love you." she said shyly, with a smile.
"I love you too." he said, then hang up also with a smile.
Lorelai still couldn't believe she said that to Luke. But happy anyways. She looked down at her gifts, and still at awe that Luke did this. It was the most sweetest thing ever. So sweet, that she said I love you to him. Lorelai was so lost in all her Luke thoughts, that she didn't notice Rory walking in.
"You look happy." she said.
Lorelai's head snapped up to look at Rory. "Rory, what are you doing here?"
"Celebrating the grand opening of your inn, remember?" she replied.
Lorelai rolled her eyes. "I know that. I meant here." she said, gesturing the room. "Aren't you suppose to be at the party?"
"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing."
"Oh you know, the phone rang. So I had to answer it."
"Oh, from your friend whom you cannot live without?" she asked, teasingly.
"What?"
"From that speech you had there." she said with a smile.
"Oh, well, you know." she smiled, shyly.
"Mooom!" said Rory in a winy voice. "What did Luke say?" she grinned excitedly.
"What makes you think it's Luke?" but Lorelai was smiling either way.
"Moom!" now annoyed.
"Ok. He says congratulations on the opening."
"Uh-huh. And?"
"And, he sent me gifts." she smiled, pointing to the basket.
"Really? What?"
"Well, a wand."
"Ooohhh!"
"A pretty headdress."
"Nice."
"My renaissance style fan."
"Cool."
"And a court jester stuff toy."
"Aw, cute."
"And he got me jewelry too." she said excitedly, showing her the chest.
"Really? I never see Luke as a jewelry guy."
"Well, they're the jewelry that Liz made."
"Aw, cool." eyeing the chest. "Don't tell me he made that." she smirked.
"No, Liz did. But he picked out the jewelry." Lorelai held up the blue necklace and bracelet.
"Oh it's beautiful."
"I know. They match the earrings he gave me at the Firelight Festival." she said, pulling back a lock of her hair, showing Rory the earrings she's wearing.
"Oh it does."
"And he also has two more sets of these in here. One turquoise and the other lavender."
"Good colors."
"I know. One of them is yours."
Rory smiled with delight. "Really?" she asked excitedly. "Which one?"
"Well, he didn't know which color we'd want, so he said we'd choose. So, lavender or turquoise?"
Rory pondered. "I don't know. The turquoise temps me. But for some reason I've kind of been Ava Blume lately. Always with the purple. So, Lavender." Lorelai handed Rory the lavender set of jewelry. Rory eagerly takes them.
"I've got to tell you mom, you've found yourself a great man there. He spoils you too much."
"He spoils us very much. I haven't shown you the best part of his gifts yet."
"There's more?' asked Rory getting excited more and more. Like a little girl on Christmas morning.
"Oh yes dear daughter of mine. This present is by far the best."
"Better than jewelry, a wand, a crown, a fan and your own stuffed Yani?"
"Much, much better."
"What is it?" now very intrigued by this gift.
"Here, in my grasp is, are you ready for this?" Rory nodded in anticipation. Lorelai took a deep breath for dramatic effect. "Luke's very own coffee ground." she says, holding up the coffee bag.
Rory gasped, with wide eyes and jaws dropped. "NO!"
"Yes!"
"You mean…?"
"Yes!"
"Is that actually…?"
"You better believe it."
"He actually gave them to you?"
"Luke's actual coffee ground."
"The kind he makes at the diner." she mused.
"The only coffee that's substantial enough to last us an entire day. Make that an hour."
"A one of a kind coffee, and no one else has it."
"The only coffee that Luke makes and only Luke makes."
"Hence the one of a kind."
"Yes, and Luke never gives his coffee grounds away. Wow, mom, he really does spoils us too much. And he must really love you to give his coffee away."
"Oh, you have no idea." Lorelai grinned that I-know-something-you-don't-know way.
"What?"
"What?"
"Why are you grinning that way?"
"I'm not grinning in any way."
"Yes you are. And why are you not freaked out when I said Luke loves you?"
"Why would I get freaked out?"
"Because you usually get defensive whenever anyone says that Luke has any kind of feelings for you."
"Probably because he already told me he loves me and I said it back." she mumbled to herself.
"What?"
"What?"
"Not this again. What did you say?"
"Nothing."
"You said something. What is it?"
"I said nothing." she said smile forming her lips.
"Mom."
"Alright fine. I said Luke already told me he loves me, ok?"
"He did?' she asked escitedly.
"Yes, he did." she smiled.
"But you guys haven't even been out on a date yet."
"I know, that's what I said."
"And he's all the way in Maine."
"Ugh, don't remind me."
"Wait, you're not freaked out by this? How come? Usually you would bolt."
"Would not." Rory gave her a look. "Ok, maybe I would, but Rory, this is Luke."
"I know. All the more reasons that you would be freaking out by now."
"Why would I? He is an amazing man. He has been there for us since the beginning. I mean, he feeds us, gives us coffee. He built me a chuppah for my wedding with another man. He beat up Dean when you two broke up. He helped me with my business ventures. He helped me when the inn caught on fire. He helped you move into your dorm room. He gave me thirty thousand dollars, no questions asked. Why would I be freaked out?"
Rory stared at her mother in amusement. "Wow, mom. That's some list you've got there. Luke did do all that stuff for us, but you know, you always freak out when it comes to the 'L' word."
Lorelai shrugged then mumbled, "Probably because I love him too."
"What? Ok mom, you have got to stop mumbling."
"I said, I love him too." she said with a smile.
Rory looked at her mother at awe. "You do?"
Lorelai rolled her eyes, but still smiling. "Do I really need to go over the list again?"
"No need."
"Yes I do love him. And yes, I did say it to him. Actually, I was the first one to say it."
"Aw, mom."
Lorelai smiled. "I know. I just saw the jewelry and I didn't know what came over me. I was so overwhelmed by all this I just said it. And then he said it back. And all I wanted to do was see him, hug him, kiss him, and have my way with him."
"Mom! Gross. The first three are good. But the last part was little too much info."
"Sorry honey. But mommy's very sexually frustrated right now."
"Please, no need to go on."
Lorelai sighed. "It's just, I miss him sooo much. I just want him to come home."
"I know you do."
"Is it selfish for me to think that he should be with me rather than with Liz and Tj?"
"No. well, yes, but not so much. Liz and Tj are probably John Saggoring it. Luke is just there for support. But he'll come home soon."
"Not soon enough." she pouted. "God, look at me! I've turned into one of those girls who wine about their boyfriends. And we haven't even gone out yet."
"I think it's sweet." Rory smiled. "You love him."
"Yeah, I do." Lorelai smiles dreamily. And Rory couldn't help but smile along with her mother.
"So," Rory started. "You are now the Diner Queen. And Luke is the Diner King."
"Yes, and you're the Diner Princess." Rory and Lorelai giggled as they looked through the gift basket.
Just so you know, the I love you from the last chapter and the author's not above was a clue.
Up Next: Last chapter.
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