Lorelai woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee. It was the first time she had ever connected the phrase "Wake up and smell the coffee" to actually waking up and having the wonderful aroma floating her way. It took her a minute, but she rolled over and opened her eyes. She sat up, stretched, and waved to Luke.
"Sleep okay?" he asked.
Lorelai yawned and nodded in response. She rubbed her eyes, trying to focus despite the bright light hurting her eyes. "What time is it?" she asked groggily.
"Eight thirty. The tour's at ten, then we have a layover until seven for the game," Luke replied. "Coffee?"
Lorelai nodded and accepted the cup of coffee. She took a sip and watched Luke as he looked through the menus to find something decent for breakfast. She stared at him, not for any particular reason other than the fact that she was too tired to say anything.
"Wow, you're quiet in the morning," Luke said.
"My brain doesn't properly function without coffee. Once the caffeine kicks in you'll want this moment back," Lorelai teased.
"All these places have pretty good stuff, so I figure we can eat breakfast around nine or so, and then take the tour, eat lunch somewhere, and head back over around five thirty for the game. That way, you can find the snacks, I can be at the park early and get the lineups, we'll watch the Yankees lose, and we can come back here," Luke said.
Lorelai squinted. "How long have you been up again?"
"Since six. But that's later than normal. And I didn't want to wake you up for fear of drawing blood," he replied.
"You're wearing the hat," she said, pointing to Luke's new Red Sox hat.
"Yeah, I figured I'd wear it for today. Maybe after that, too, you never know," Luke said.
Lorelai got out from under the covers. "I'm going to get dressed and then we can eat," she said, sipping her coffee. "Slowly, but surely, I'll get there."
"That's why I woke you up a little early. I figured it would take you awhile to clear the cobwebs."
Lorelai got dressed and ready for the day ahead. After eating breakfast, Luke led the way to Fenway Park. Lorelai was amazed at how well Luke knew his way around. She tried to imagine Luke as a boy, in awe of the experiences of going to games with his dad. As they waited for their tour guide in the souvenir store across the street from Fenway, Lorelai looked around at all the memorabilia.
"They sure have a lot of stuff here," Lorelai said. "I like the giant cardboard cutout over there. He'd make a nice date for the next wedding I have to go to, or a function my parents make me go to, and I don't have a date…"
"Your parents force you to go to functions with someone? You can't go alone?" Luke asked.
Lorelai shook her head. She almost regretted bringing up her sorry love life to Luke. He knew already how bad it was, but he didn't need to hear about it while he was supposed to be having fun.
"Alone? Nah. Going alone is the deadliest social sin of all, and of course that reflects badly on Emily and Richard. And I've always wanted to bring someone I could pretend was my fiance, or something. Everyone would congratulate me, and tell us how cute of a couple we were, and then they'd send me a wedding present. But the thing is, my parents are there, so I can't fake it very well."
"If you ever need a fake fiance, I'll do it for you," Luke offered.
Lorelai whipped her head around. She blinked and stepped back. "This isn't pod Luke, is it?" she asked.
"No, I'm being serious. I'd hate for you to have a bad time at a party you're being forced to go to all alone. I'm not that bad of an actor," he said.
"I'll call you," Lorelai said.
Lorelai was taken aback by Luke's sweet, yet surprising suggestion. She almost didn't know what to say in return. "Thank you" didn't seem appropriate, but she really didn't know what was appropriate. She ran events through her head, trying to figure out the next time Emily and Richard wouldn't be attending a social gathering she was required to go to. She finally came across an event, and thought about bringing it up to Luke, but the tour was moving and Lorelai had missed the entire introduction.
"What did I miss?" Lorelai asked.
"Nothing. I'll fill you in on everything that's important. You don't need to know half the stuff they tell you. I'll condense it for you, so you can comprehend it, and appreciate it," Luke insisted.
Lorelai was glad she wore her flats on the tour, there was a lot of walking to be done. Fenway looked so much larger in real life than it did on TV. She stared at the grounds crew, preparing the field for use later in the day.
She looked up at the various scoreboards, checking to see if there was anything important flashing on it. She read that Bronson Arroyo would be the starter for the Red Sox that night.
"If Arroyo starts, do we have a chance to win?" Lorelai asked Luke. "I want to see them kick some Yankee butt."
"We have a chance with whoever goes out there," Luke insisted. "This club has a chance to go all the way."
Lorelai stared up at an enormous yellow foul pole next to her. "What's the pole for?" she asked.
"That's Pesky's pole. See, there's a guy who used to play for the Red Sox, his name is Johnny Pesky. He's in his eighties now, and he sits on the bench and gives the players advice and stuff. Anyway, he used to hit home runs down here all the time. That's why it's Pesky's Pole," Luke said.
"Why did everyone write on it?" Lorelai asked.
"Because some people are more concerned with making their mark than letting something make a mark on them," Luke ranted. "They just can't sit back and enjoy the history you get here. I mean, I come in here, it's my first time on the field, and I'm just letting it soak in. I don't need to write my name on a pole to make my visit worthwhile. Some really great players have walked these grounds, and it almost seems surreal, in a way, that I'm walking where they walked."
"Should I bow, or kiss the ground? Is there any chant I should repeat?"
Lorelai was almost sorry she asked. She brushed her hand against the padded right field wall as she followed the tour. "What are all those numbers for?" she pointed to the numbers on the wall.
"Those are retired numbers. That means that no one can ever wear that number if they play for this team. See how number 9 is up there? That was Ted Williams' number. He hit .406 one season. That's how good he was," Luke explained.
"You saw these guys play?" Lorelai asked.
Luke shook his head. "They were before my time. But growing up watching baseball and reading my dad's old newspaper clippings... and borrowing baseball books from the library... I learned a lot. There are some things you just learn when you become a Red Sox fan. You didn't necessarily have to experience something to know how it was. I feel 86 years of pain and torture, and I haven't been alive that long, you know?"
Lorelai was intrigued by what Luke said. She listened intently as he explained the Impossible Dream season, the red seat, and Bill Buckner's error that caused every Red Sox fan to harbor an extreme hatred toward him. She now knew about Carlton Fisk, and Luis Tiant, and Dennis Eckersley… even though she wasn't sure she'd remember them an hour later. Lorelai was aware of the Red Sox debacle at Yankee Stadium the previous year, with Aaron Boone's home run.
She now felt like she was a part of an exclusive club. She felt like she got to know Luke a little better through his explanations of Red Sox history.
"Well, I don't know if I've ever told you this, Luke, but I am amazed at how much you know about this team. It's Rory-ish, only Rory knows a lot about… books," Lorelai said. "You're probably the smartest Red Sox fan out there."
Luke shook his head. "I'm just a spectator. It's something I enjoy. I don't spend hours studying statistics, or anything like that."
Lorelai thought about how this experience was for her compared to Luke. She took a deep breath and smelled hot dogs and freshly cut grass. She heard people mumbling and shouting directions of where to put the bags of drying agent to prevent slipping from the rain the night before. All of those experiences must have been so much more meaningful for Luke. He probably remembered where he sat when he caught the home run ball.
The tour was over, and the two wandered around Boston, searching for a place to eat. They passed restaurant after restaurant, unable to agree on a place to eat. Finally, Lorelai stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted something.
"Ooh! Finagle-A-bagel! That is the coolest name for a restaurant. I have to take a picture of this for Rory," Lorelai said. "And then we can eat here. I'm sure you can Finagle a salad, too," Lorelai suggested as she took a picture.
"Will you pose next to the Finagle a Bagel sign? Please, Luke?" Lorelai begged.
Luke headed for the door. "I'm hungry," he said. "Can we please get something to eat?"
Lorelai sighed and put away her camera. "But you have to promise me you'll pose by the Finagle a Bagel sign for Rory after," she insisted.
He pulled the door open and allowed her to go in first, rolling his eyes at the thought of posing by a rhyming sign. Lorelai laughed, knowing he would have to consent to many other amusing moments throughout the day.