Hey folks! Thanks again for the flurry of reviews! For those interested, the secret word from the last chapter was "awkward" and was provided to us by the one and only: Bambi McBimbo! Who will be the next lucky winner! I can hardly contain my excitement! You will find the next word hidden near the end of this glorious chapter!

Read On!

At 9pm Lorelai began to stir. The gurgling in her stomach was causing slight tremors in the apartment. Luke had taken to the stove in anticipation. He praised himself for having made that extra trip to Doose's. A Gilmore's hunger was not to be toyed with.

The pleasant aromas filled Lorelai's nostrils and she sighed happily, stretching her limbs across the bed.

Luke glanced downward and caught her gleeful expression, "Hungry?" he asked.

"Mmhm," she grinned, "very."

"Well, dinner's almost ready. It's pot roast," Luke contentedly replied. "One of my mom's old recipes," he added.

"Smells wonderful," she spoke sincerely.

"You can wash up if you'd like. There're extra towels under the sink." Luke did not often house company. This whole 'arrangement' was making him slightly uneasy.

"Oh, ok. Thanks. I'll just be a sec." Lorelai was surprised by Luke's hospitality. She slowly climbed from bed and drifted into the bathroom. Her clothes were rather wrinkled, yet her disposition had improved ten fold.

She exited the bathroom a few minutes later, refreshed and ravenous. Dinner had been placed on the table. Modest plates, cutlery and napkins sat atop the tropical fish-decorated placemats. A gift, Luke assured her.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Luke asked as he spooned a generous helping of pot roast and all the fixings onto Lorelai's plate.

The look on her face indicated to Luke that her helping wasn't quite generous enough. "An amazing sleep."

Luke rolled his eyes in disgust as he filled her plate to capacity. "Maybe you should try it first, you know – before you decide to eat my portion too. You might not even like it." Luke knew that possibility was entirely out of the question.

"Oh Luke, you know my affection for meat. We have this connection. It's like a part of me." She took a bite and her head flew back in a fit of bliss. "Your mother is officially my hero."

"I'll send god a telegram," he teased.

"You can do that?" she poked back. "Oh, oh - ask him how Gran liked the underwear I picked out for her!" And the giggling commenced.

"Aw geez," Luke groused in protest, "Just eat your food."

"Seriously though, this food is delicious," she smiled gratefully.

"Good," Luke smiled back.

The two friends tended to their plates in comfortable silence. Perhaps Lorelai's eyes were a fraction bigger than her stomach, but she was a fighter.

"Thank you for doing this Luke," she began.

Her voice shook him from his peaceful reverie. "Uh, doing what?"

"All of this. Everything. For, for…" she couldn't find the words.

"Kidnapping you," he supplied lightheartedly.

She laughed. "I was going to say rescuing me – but yeah, kidnapping works." Her smile was contagious. "So, thank you for kidnapping me," she winked playfully at him.

"Anytime," he winked right back. A little flirtation never hurt anyone.

Their eyes lingered on one another for a tad too long. Luke nervously cleared his throat and attempted to distract himself by removing the empty plates from the table. There was undeniably electricity in the air. Lorelai felt it too and it gave her goose bumps.

"I'll help you with that," she offered. Lorelai stood and gathered their empty bottles. They were drinking beer of course, a Danes' house special.

"Lorelai, you don't have to, I mean - I've got it covered. You're here as a guest. I just want you to relax."

"But Luke, I want to help. I can't just sit around and do nothing. Please let me help?" Her pouty lips were enough to make him weak in the knees, or at the very least succumb to her request.

"Fine. I'll wash, you dry." He preferred washing anyway.

"Deal," she beamed. All tension had left the building.

The clattering of dishes and sputtering of soapsuds provided the soundtrack to an eventful evening.

"So…is the diner closed?" Lorelai asked out of the blue.

"Yep. Why?" He most definitely knew why she was asking.

"It is? Where did everyone go?" She knew that he knew.

"They went wherever they went. What does it matter?"

"Well how did you get rid of them?" She was curious. Dish drying could only entertain for so long.

Luke was becoming rather agitated. "They just left, ok? And not one of them ordered a damn thing." That reality bothered him still. He did run a business you know.

"That's odd…very odd indeed," she pondered for a moment. "What kind of shenanigans are they up to now?"

Luke thought it best to change the subject. "You asked if the diner was closed?"

"Yes." Lorelai was distracted. Mission accomplished.

"And what is it that you wanted from the diner?" He wanted her to spell it out for him.

"You know what I want," she spoke almost seductively. Coffee had that effect on her. Yes, coffee.

"I'm not sure that I do." Torture. This was torture.

"Then let me refresh your memory," Lorelai instinctively splashed soapy water in Luke's direction.

"Hey!" he shouted, wiping his face on his sleeve. "You're going to get it now!" he threatened.

Lorelai shrieked with laughter as she bolted to the other side of the room. "No Luke! Please don't! I'm so sorry!" she pleaded between giggles.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the scene before him. He grabbed the nearest glass and filled it with water, then stomped toward Lorelai. She was cornered in seconds, and loving every minute of it. "Let me refresh your memory," he mocked. Grabbing her arm he raised the glass and emptied half it's contents onto her head.

"Aaaah!" she yelped. "That's freezing!"

Before Luke could garner any sympathy for her, she had swiped the glass from his grip and poured the remainder of liquid down his shirt.

"Lorelai!" he boomed, shaking his shirt to relieve some of the moisture.

She slowly backed away, her grin spreading wider and wider. He slowly inched forward, holding her gaze with his own. Her pace quickened; his pace quickened. He reached for her. Her heal made contact with the bedpost, and they stumbled…

To Be Continued

Remember The Word Game!