Luke slipped on his running shoes and grabbed his iPod. "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands," he muttered to himself.
He opened the door to the diner and took off running. When he reached the edge of the town he picked up speed, letting his feet hit the pavement in a titter-tatter rhythm. Wow. He thought. Running really can make you feel better. He felt himself going faster as he pushed himself past the trees lining the side of the road. His breathing got heavier with each step he took. There was something about running, though. Something about being his own person, alone on a road with only the sound of his footsteps underneath him, that made him want to keep going and never stop.
As he ran, he became more aware of the music playing through the speakers in his ears. It didn't sound familiar to him, but he couldn't tell why. He began to listen to the words, amazed at how much they paralleled his own life.
It's her hair and her eyes today
That just simply take me away
And the feeling that I'm falling further in love
Makes me shiver but in a good way
All the times I have sat and stared
As she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair
And she purses her lips, bats her eyes
And she plays with me sittin' there slacked jaw
And nothing to say
Luke sighed as he thought about her. Lorelai. Lorelai Gilmore. He'd known her for years and yet he'd never realized the depth of his feelings before today. That look of disappointment when he'd said he was kidding. It gave him hope. He felt like he could now realize his emotions because maybe they weren't so far fetched after all. Maybe she returned them. He could only hope.
She made him nervous. When she walked through the door to the diner, his heart jumped. He spent all day waiting for that minute she'd walk through the door. Her bright blue eyes. Her long eyelashes. Her dark hair. It sent him over the top. But what he really loved… the one thing that drove him absolutely crazy… was the way she talked. The way her voice sounded. The way her sarcasm bit. The way he couldn't stop laughing inside whenever he was with her. The way she intimidated him. Not in a bad way, but in a way that made him stutter. He never knew what words would be coming out of his mouth when he was with her.
Cause I love her with all that I am
And my voice shakes along with my hands
Yes she's all that I see and she's all that I need
And I'm out of my league once again
He was so totally out of his league he didn't know what to do. Lorelai was beautiful. She was amazing. She was a breath of fresh air. And she was from high society. She didn't act like it, but she was. She was not diner man material. She wasn't fit to be with someone who wore flannel and a baseball cap to weddings. She wasn't that kind of girl. But he loved her. He loved her with everything he had. And he wondered if maybe that was enough. If maybe that could trump over his inadequacy. He couldn't stand the thought of not being with her. He needed her. He loved her.
It's a masterful melody
When she calls out my name to me
As the world spins around her
She laughs, rolls her eyes
And I feel like I'm fallin' but it's no surprise
He remembered the day she came to him when she'd broken up with Max. She'd sat down on the stool and told him all about her day. Her house had termites. Max and her had broken up and she felt broken. She hadn't had enough coffee that morning. She was having cramps. Her favorite pair of jeans didn't fit. She and her mom had a fight. She was so stressed out she'd let her head rest on the table counter. He'd brought her a cup of coffee and touched her arm lightly. When she looked up he'd already headed over to the other side of the counter.
"Luke…" she'd said. His heart had softened at the sound of it. He turned around and looked at her, giving her a small smile, but one that he knew was big for him. He hadn't said anything and she'd said "thank you." He'd nodded and walked over to her and whispered something in her ear about seeing a dog with narcolepsy. She'd smiled and burst into a fit of laughter, staring at him the entire time. It wasn't that the comment was hilarious, it was simply that it was stupid. And the stupidity of the comment made her laugh so hard. And as he watched the twinkle in her eyes, and the smile on her face, and as he heard the beautiful sound of laughter escaping her mouth, he fell in love with her all over again.
Cause I love her with all that I am
And my voice shakes along with my hands
Cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea
But I'd rather be here than on land
Yes she's all that I see and she's all that I need
And I'm out of my league once again
He felt like he'd jumped. Jumped head first in love with her and not given any thought to the instability of it all. He could get heartbroken. He could lose his best friend. He could feel empty inside forever. Yet none of it seemed to matter. He wanted to be in love with her. He wanted to jump head first into the raging sea of love. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to hold her and show her how much he loved her. He didn't care how empty he might feel later. He didn't care how hard it was to watch her love other men and get her heart broken. He just cared about how good it felt to love someone else. To adore someone else. He loved being in love with her. When she came through the diner doors, everything stopped. The world around him disappeared. It was all a blur. And there, in complete focus was Lorelai Gilmore. The only one for him. The only sustenance for him. Where she lived off cheeseburgers, he lived off her.
It's her hair and her eyes today
That just simply take me away
And the feeling that I'm falling further in love
Makes me shiver but in a good way
All the times I have sat and stared
As she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair
As she purses her lips, bats her eyes
And she plays with me sittin there slacked jaw
And nothing to say
Cause I love her with all that I am
Suddenly he saw her. Running towards him. He smiled as he approached her. She was beautiful. Even with her hair pulled back into a ponytail and sweat dripping over her face, she was beautiful. Gorgeous, even. He wasn't close enough to see her blue eyes, but he knew they were beautiful. How could a woman look so good in a t-shirt and running shorts. He pulled the earphones out of his ear and slowed down as he reached her. She slowed down as she got to him and he thought he saw a small smile widen across her face. She stopped and put her hands on her hips, breathing harder. He smiled at her.
"Hey," She said breathlessly.
"Hi," he replied. They looked at each other for a moment. "Where you headed?"
"Home," she replied, panting. "I just ran a good two miles. I'm ready for some ice cold water."
Luke nodded. "Have fun." She looked at him for a minute and nodded before taking off towards the town. Luke turned around and watched her go. He swallowed hard as he watched her figure fade into a smaller shadow.
Before he could think twice, his feet hit the pavement and he was running faster than he'd ever run before, chasing after the woman he loved.