Chapter 5:
The Dance Marathon was scheduled for the following Saturday. Despite Rory's protests of participating in the years past, this year, she was excited. She had a boyfriend to dance with. A boyfriend who loved her.
Lorelai, by contrast, was unusually sullen about this year. She didn't have anyone to dance with. Her last failed relationship had been Max Medina, and now she had no one to ask. Sitting in the diner Wednesday morning before heading off to work, she thought about her options. Rory? Nope. Chris? No way. Luke? Lorelai did a double-take. Luke?!! Of course not Luke. It's… It's… Luke! And besides, he never participates in any of these things anyways. But maybe I could just ask. Yeah. I'll just… wait, what? No! I'm not asking Luke to the dance marathon! What am I thinking? Lorelai sighed deeply. On and off for the past couple weeks she had seriously considered asking Luke to dance with her. She knew she was too nervous to ever ask, which scared her even more. Since when did she, Lorelai Gilmore, get nervous? She stared down at her plate of pancakes and tried to push away these bizarre freakish feelings she had been having.
"Hey, Dean?" Rory called out after school, rushing up to her boyfriend in Doose's. "Are we doing the Dance Marathon this Saturday? I thought it would be fun."
Dean turned to her with apologetic eyes. "I'm really sorry, Rory, but I can't do it. Taylor is giving me time and a half if I stay on while the rest of the town participates."
"Oh, that's fine," Rory said, smiling and trying to hide her disappointment. Why had she just taken for granted that they would go?
"Thanks for understanding, you're the best," Dean said, leaning over and kissing her.
"No problem," she said, still keeping the fake smile on her face.
"I have to get back to work, but I'll talk to you later," Dean said. "I love you."
"I love you too," Rory said, smiling at how naturally the words came to Dean. She tried to ignore the way her stomach got queasy whenever she actually voiced them. She loved Dean. Really, she did.
Lorelai was in the diner, waiting for her daughter to meet her there for coffee and an after school kind of early dinner/late lunch. She still couldn't decide who to ask to the dance marathon. She sighed, sneaking a glance at Luke, who was being handed an order pad by his nephew. Lorelai smiled at the exchange. Though they both pretended to be unattached and emotionless, but Lorelai saw how much they really cared about eachother.
"Mom, hey. Sorry I'm late. I was talking to Dean," Rory said, coming into the diner and plopping down on the seat next to Lorelai.
"No problem, sweets. How was your day?" Lorelai asked.
"Oh, it was fine. I gave the book Jess lent me to Paris, I just finished it on the bus this morning," Rory said. At that moment, Jess came up to their table.
"Did you like it?" Jess asked, sitting down on the other side of Rory without being asked.
"I loved it, you were right," Rory said, smiling at Jess.
"I told you. But you just wouldn't believe me," Jess said, smirking.
"Fine, fine, I give. You win," Rory said, rolling her eyes at her best friend's insistence
"Rory!" she heard her name called down the hallway at Chilton. It was Thursday morning, and Paris was racing towards her.
"Hey, Paris, what's the rush?" Rory asked, noticing her friend's heavy breathing.
"Doyle told me he loved me last night," she said, very excited and a little frazzled.
"Paris, that's amazing!" Rory said, giving Paris a hug a huge smile.
"Yeah, I know, and I said it back and I'm really confidant that I meant it. Isn't it just the best feeling ever?"
"I know what you mean. Dean told me he loves me the other night, and I said it back," Rory admitted. She had told Lane and her Mom of course, and Jess had asked why she was so smiley at breakfast that morning, so she had told him, too. But for some reason, she had held back from telling the Chilton crowd about the newest phase of her relationship with Dean.
"Oh, my god! Really?" Stephanie asked, coming up to the pair standing at Rory's locker.
"Yeah," Rory said shyly.
Around the corner of the hallway, Logan listened to the conversation between the girls. He felt sick. She loved him? She loved him. This news shouldn't bother him. He had no reason to be bothered. But he was. Why? But there really wasn't any reason to ask this question, because he already knew the answer. He listened in to the rest of the girl's talk.
"Yeah, and it was great and all, but the Annual Stars Hollow dance marathon is taking place this Saturday, and when I asked him to go, he told me he couldn't. I had kind of taken for granted that we would go, and I guess I'm a little disappointed," Rory said to a growing audience. Rosemary was listening now, and Juliet was walking toward them.
"Did you ask anyone else to go?" Rose asked her.
"I thought about asking Jess to go, but I figured that he would never let me drag him to one of those things.
"What about Logan?" Paris asked.
"What?" Rory said, shocked at the suggestion.
"Logan," Juliet said.
"Yeah, he'd be happy to go with you," Steph said.
"Well… I guess I could… yeah, I mean, why not? I'll ask Logan, sure," Rory said.
Logan decided to make his presence known.
"Ask me what, Ace?" he said, stepping up to the group, pretending to just walk up.
"Are you doing anything Saturday?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.
Logan knew he would go, no matter what. But he wanted to give her a little trouble before giving in.
"What time?" he asked.
"It's for the dance marathon, so… all day."
"You want to dance with me? What about Dean?" Logan asked, feigning shock.
"He couldn't make it. So can you go?" she asked.
"Sure, Ace, yeah I'll dance with you," he said with a smile.
Ok, Lorelai. This is ridiculous. Luke is your friend. The dance marathon is the day after tomorrow. Just ask him to dance. This is silly. Stop pacing. Move your foot. No! Move your foot towards the diner! Come on Lorelai. Lorelai was walking back and forth past the entrance of the diner, debating on whether or not to go in. School had ended for Rory a few hours ago, but she was at Finn's house working on homework with the Chilton gang.
At that moment an attractive blonde woman wearing a business suit breezed smoothly past her and into the diner.
Luke was busy filling coffees, seeing as Lane had band practice and Jess was upstairs "doing his homework" also known as being lazy. The diner was not particularly busy this afternoon, so Luke had no reason to complain. He looked up when he heard the bell above the door ring and locked eyes with a blonde woman wearing business attire.
"Mr. Danes?" she called out.
"That's me, what can I do for you?" Luke asked politely.
"I'm Mr. Doose's lawyer. He wanted me to come here and go over some papers with you," the woman said, smiling at Luke kindly.
"Oh, for the space next door?"
"That's right. It's really basic stuff, but Mr. Doose likes to be thorough," She said.
"Oh that's no problem…" Luke said, trailing off, realizing he didn't know the woman's name.
"Nicole Lacey," she said, putting her hand out for him to shake.
"Nice to meet you,"
"It's nice to meet you, too, Mr. Danes," Nicole said politely.
"It's Luke," he said. They smiled at each other warmly.
After twenty minutes of looking over forms, Nicole had what she needed.
"Well, thank you very much, Luke," she said.
"Yeah, no problem. Uh, listen. Nicole? Would you like to have dinner with me?" he said, all in one breath.
She smiled at him and answered. "I'd love to."
Lorelai stood outside for another twenty minutes before talking herself into entering the diner. Opening the door, she caught the end of Luke's conversation with Nicole.
"Would you like to have dinner with me?" she heard him say.
Lorelai gasped.
"I'd love to," Nicole answered, before walking past Lorelai and out of the diner.
I don't care I don't care I don't care I don't care… Lorelai thought to herself. But she couldn't face Luke right now. Turning around, she ran out of the diner, pretending she really didn't care.
Friday morning saw Rory walking with Paris, Finn and Colin to Calculus, having just left the rest of the gang at the lockers. Tomorrow was the marathon. It was all arranged. Logan was going to pick her up at 5:30 AM the next morning so they could get ready to dance. She smiled at the thought of spending 24 hours with him. She was so excited that she completely forgot that she should be disappointed that she wasn't going with Dean. She knew it wasn't good that whenever she was with Logan, all thoughts of Dean flew out of her head. But she couldn't help it!
Meanwhile, Lorelai was making one last desperate attempt to be able to participate in the dance marathon.
"Michele?" she asked, unusually timid and subdued.
"What is it that you want?" Michele said, distracted, doing something on the computer.
"Tomorrow is the Stars Hollow Dance Marathon, and I don't really have a partner. Would you like to go with me?"
"Me?" Michele asked "Why, I'd love to." His rare enthusiasm made Lorelai smile.
"Ok, so can you pick me up at 5:30 tomorrow morning?" Lorelai asked.
"I will be there," Michele asked, cracking a rare smile.
"Great," Lorelai said, smiling back and heading into the kitchen.
"Ring the doorbell," Lorelai said.
"They're your parents," Rory answered her, folding her arms across her chest.
"They're your grandparents," Lorelai said back, imitating Rory's annoyed voice.
"This is getting ridiculous," Rory said, reaching across Lorelai and ringing the bell.
"Rory, Lorelai! Hello!" Emily said, answering the door for them,
"No maid tonight, Mom?" Lorelai asked, stepping into the house and handing her mom her coat.
"It's her night off," Emily said, taking the girl's coats and leading them into the sitting room, where Richard was busy preparing drinks.
"Gin Martini with a twist, Dad," Lorelai said, sitting down on the couch,
"Club Soda?" Rory said.
"Of course," Richard said.
When the drinks were prepared, the four Gilmore sat around the sitting room making pleasant conversation.
"So, Rory. How is Chilton?" Emily asked, smiling at her granddaughter.
"Really great, I have a 4.0," Rory announced.
"That is wonderful!" Emily exclaimed, giving Rory a warm smile.
"And the Inn, Lorelai?" Richard asked, turning to his daughter.
"The Inn is fine, Dad,"
The rest of drinks and dinner went unusually smoothly, and before either of the Gilmore girls knew it, they were on their way home.
"Wow, no disaster tonight at dinner. It's a miracle," Lorelai said jokingly.
"Oh, you are hilarious," Rory said, rolling her eyes.
"Lets get home and go to bed early, so we can rest ourselves up for tomorrow," Lorelai said. "Kirk is not getting my trophy again."
A/N: The next chapter is the dance marathon!!!! Also my favorite chapter. I already wrote it, but I'm holding it back cuz I'm mean like that! Give me my five reviews!