Okay all the usual disclaimers apply. The perfume mentioned in this chapter is an actual product found at Bath and Body Works. I own one bottle, but not the trademark or the brand, so don't sue me.
Lorelai's shift at the Inn seemed to be moving very slowly. She'd arranged to work til 5, giving her two hours to prepare for her date. With Luke. My date with Luke. Her day might be progressing slowly because she was having that thought every 3 minutes. She kept running through her mental To-Do list. Ask Mia to sit for Rory? Check. Finish hem on cute new purple skirt? Check. Strappy black tank top washed? Check. Shoes, Purse, earrings? Check, Check, Check.
Getting pregnant at 16 doesn't make you a shining example of forethought and planning, but Lorelai had learned a lot after she became a mother. Consequently she had a brand new razor to shave her legs, new lipstick, and a bottle of inexpensive but pretty perfume from the beauty supply store. Mmmmm Midnight Pomegranate, sweet and cheap. And to push her new planning skills to even more freakish heights… she had all her beauty products arranged on a shelf, in the exact order she intended to use them.
Lorelai thought Rory could actually sense her mother's excitement. All morning she'd been bouncing around and giving more kisses than usual. Lorelai wondered if her Luke-kiss flashbacks were showing on her face. When her shift officially ended she sprinted to the shower with her sweet smelling shampoo and razor.
Calm down Lorelai, Barbie band-aids on your poorly shaved legs won't be much of a turn on.
Luke had agreed to work in the store until 6. He was picking Lorelai up at 7 and one hour was just enough to shower, shave and dress. With no extra time to stress about the beautiful exciting girl you're taking out tonight.
Luke was embarrassed by just how much he was anticipating this date. Girly. Don't go overboard Danes, you'll scare the crap out of her. He'd already decided to take her to a little Italian place outside of town. It was nice, but not stuffy. Lorelai hated stuffy. It was colorful and eclectic, but small and…cozy. Cozy? You are such a girl.
Despite wanting to make a good impression Luke hadn't gone out and gotten roses and candy. Lorelai didn't seem like the type to appreciate clichés. He'd gone to the florist looking for something he hadn't seen a million times. He'd picked up a small bouquet of tulips in varying shades of pink. It wasn't a flower you normally give, but it was pretty and smelled nice. He'd picked out his clothes the day before so after his shower and careful shave he still had 20 minutes to pace around. "Screw it, if I don't get out of here I'll drive myself mad." He grabbed his jacket and headed to the truck to drive around Stars Hollow for a bit before heading to the Inn.
For the first time in her life Lorelai was running on time. She was dressed, make up done and now all she could do was repeatedly ask Rory how she looked.
"Well babe?" she did a little twirl.
Rory clapped happily, "Mama, Yay! Mama 'pin!"
Lorelai twirled again before stopping short at the knock on the door. She glanced at the clock. Right on time.
Lorelai inhaled and opened the door. She smiled shyly, "Hey Luke. Come in I just need a sec."
Luke looked at Lorelai and tried to come up with adjectives to describe what he was seeing. "You look…really…umm…you…nice."
Lorelai smiled happily. Stuttering compliments are so much cooler than smooth ones. "Thank you, you look nice too. I just need to run in and drop Rory with Mia, can you grab her diaper bag?"
"Sure oh hey wait here a sec." He rushed out to his truck where he left the flowers and walked back in to hand them to Lorelai, "These are for you."
'They're beautiful thank you." Lorelai took them and turned quickly to put them in some water. "You know, no one has ever given me flowers before."
"Really? I've never bought anyone flowers before."
"You did good, tulips are one of my favorite flowers." Lorelai walked out towards the Inn.
"Really?"
"Yeah my mom always used to have roses in our house but I always preferred the simple things. Tulips, daisys, daffodils, violets."
Luke smiled, "Good to know."
Dinner had been wonderful, Lorelai loved the food and found the restaurant cozy and fun, just as Luke had guessed. She'd managed to save room for dessert but Luke had a better plan.
"Why don't you hold off on dessert. I…know a place. It's on the way home I thought we could stop there?"
Lorelai smiled. It was obvious that this wasn't an off-the-cuff suggestion. Luke certainly didn't care for dessert. He'd obviously found this place, just for her. "That sounds great."
They'd been driving for a while and Lorelai marveled once again at Luke's patience, "Are we there yet?"
"We're two minutes closer than we were the last time you asked."
Lorelai smirked, "Well if I didn't ask then how would I know when we got there. It's so dark I can barely see my own hand."
"You could wait until I say 'we're here'."
Lorelai huffed teasingly, "fine."
"We're here."
"Luke! You could have just said that when I was-"
"Whining?"
"Ha ha."
Lorelai looked around and saw that they were on a large lake. Actually it looked like the Lake they always went to…but wrong. "Are we on Palmer's Lake?"
"Yup."
"It looks weird."
"We're on the other side. It's a pain to drive but it's worth it if you have the time."
Lorelai glanced up and saw an old cabin with a long wooden dock out to the water. And on the end of the dock were a table and two chairs. "Luke?"
"I ummm thought we could have dessert out here tonight. This is my dad's cabin. I have to go in and get it out of the fridge. Everything's prepped I just have to get it ready, okay?"
"Luke it's beautiful."
Lorelai sat at the table to wait. Luke had set up a camp lantern on the table and some citronella torches along the dock. She watched him walk down up the dock towards the house. Moonlight and candles flickering against his hair and skin. She couldn't help what wonder what he saw in her to inspire this…magic.
A few moments later Luke came walking down the dock with their dessert. "It smells great Luke."
"Thanks the recipe looked easy enough."
"What is it?"
"It's called a turtle cheesecake. It had chocolate on the bottom and caramel sauce and nuts on top," he shrugged and cut her a piece.
Lorelai gaped at him. She picked up her fork and took a bite, her eyes rolled back into her head. "Ohhhhhhhh Luke. This is unbelievable. You should own a restaurant. Seriously you should own a place called 'Eat Yourself To Death' because everyone will just keep ordering and ordering until they explode."
Luke grinned but blushed slightly, "Actually I always thought it would be cool, to own my own place. Nothing fancy though. Like a pub or a diner or something."
Lorelai smiled softly, "I think you'd be great. I'd probably be in there everyday."
"You don't think it's...boring?"
"Boring? What could be boring about owning your own restaurant?"
"No I mean opening up a business and sticking around Stars Hollow. Becoming a 'lifer' or whatever."
Lorelai sighed. I could kill Rachel for the crazy shit she put in his head. "Luke, it doesn't have to be one or the other."
"What do you mean?"
"Having a real home…a base…doesn't mean you can't travel and see the world. I bet if you opened your own restaurant it would be a smash. And as the boss you could take off to go anywhere you liked. But when you got tired of trains and planes you could just…come home."
Luke tilted his head thoughtfully, "I guess I never thought of it that way."
"I can't wait to have that. Don't get me wrong I have Rory and the potting shed, which is cool. But I always wanted a house. Just a small one painted warm colors. The kind of house where you can lounge on the furniture."
"You'll get it."
"How do you know?"
"I just do."
Lorelai smiled and hesitantly leaned across the table. Luke flushed briefly and met her halfway for a warm, soft kiss. "Mmmmmm."
Luke swallowed hard at the soft moan from Lorelai's lips as she pulled away. He was desperately trying to not get excited. Oh God, she's gorgeous. Stay calm. You can't just jump on her. You've got to be the mature one. She deserves more than that.
Lorelai was floating. Her entire spine had turned to jelly, she barely had the strength to hold her head up. Wow, if that's just the kissing…what's going to happen when we get to the touching. Lorelai was pretty anxious to get to the touching. But what if he thinks you're…easy. Having a kid does kind of say something. After years of being a disappointment to her parents Lorelai wanted nothing more than the respect of this man who always made her feel…amazing.
Luke cleared his throat, "We should probably get going. You need to pick up Rory."
They arrived at the Inn around 11:30. While picking up Rory, Mia asked Lorelai to give her a hand prepping some things for the following day. Luke agreed to take Rory to the shed and put her down.
When Lorelai walked into her home she stopped short at the sight before her. Luke was half lying on the bed, back propped up against the headboard, his eyes closed. And lying against his chest a sleepy Rory in yellow footy pajamas, grasping his shirt in her tiny fist. Lorelai walked quietly into the room and shut the door.
At the click of the door Luke's eyes sprung open. "Hey sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep on your bed. But she's so warm it kind of lulls you to sleep."
Lorelai giggled quietly, "Don't apologize, it was really sweet."
Luke grumbled, "Men are not sweet. Even if you put a baby on them."
"Awww is Lukey sensitive about his macho persona?"
Luke scowled, " I can't argue about this now because I don't wanna wake Rory…but don't call me that."
Lorelai smirked triumphantly, "Here let me take her."
"No, I got it. You do it everyday, take the night off."
Luke got up and crossed the room to lay Rory in her crib. "Good night kiddo," he gently stroked her soft hair. "Nigh-nigh Dada."
Luke sucked in a shocked breath as he glanced up at Lorelai and back down at the now sleeping toddler.
"She just-"
"Yeah. We can teach her to say "Luke' instead, if you want?"
The shocked expression left his face as he looked down a Rory sleeping peacefully as her small body rose and fell with her breath. Luke's voice was so quiet Lorelai barely heard it, "We don't have to. She should have someone to-to call Dada."
Lorelai's voice was just as soft and tender, "I can't think of anyone better."
