A/N thanks again to samvalasam for doing the beta and providing feedback and some changes to make the chapter better.
Luke's Lake
Chapter 17
"Luke's gonna be mad. I mean, he hates it when we commandeer two tables during rush hour," Rory said sitting at her chair.
"Oh, he only hated it that one time," Lorelai replied sitting down.
"What time?" Rory returned.
"The time when we did it and he was mad," Lorelai said with a smile.
"Please don't do this to Luke," Rory said realizing what her mother was doing, "He'll break up with you and then we'll starve!"
"Okay I'll play nice," Lorelai grinned back at her daughter.
"Hey since you're dating him why can't we phone ahead to reserve a table in the future?" Rory suggested.
Lorelai smiled, "Good idea, I'll ask him tonight after our date."
"So tell me, how is that going? I'm in a serious romantic dry spell here, but please feel free to leave out any details which may scar me for life," Rory said.
"Luke's been great…" Lorelai said seeming not finishing the sentence.
"But?" Rory asked.
"He's not what I expected, I never really saw myself with someone like him," Lorelai confessed.
"What are you talking about, half the town has been waiting for this for years," Rory informed her mother.
"Oh please… stop that," Lorelai said, blushing a little after having had similar thoughts over the years.
"It's true," Rory added.
"Even so, they should mind their own business," Lorelai said wanting the topic to be over.
"So has he done boyfriend stuff?" Rory asked immediately regretting the question, "And I don't mean dirty stuff!"
"Well that about all he's done," Lorelai said before Rory could stop her.
"So no flowers, candy, a nice restaurant?" Rory asked.
"This is Luke, that's not his scene and I have accepted that. Mind you he does a great candle-lit dinner with wine so it's not all bad," Lorelai said smiling at the man him self walked up.
"Why are you at two tables?" Luke asked, "If I had known you were coming I could have saved you a table together," he said leaning in to give Lorelai a quick peck on the cheek, Lorelai turned her head to kiss him on the lips surprising Luke.
"I told you he'd be mad," Rory joked
Luke cleared his throat, still not used to such affection in front of the younger Gilmore, "Oh I'm not mad, I'm happy actually," Luke said getting out his order pad, "How would you two like pumpkin pancakes with homemade cinnamon butter, I set some aside just for the two of you."
"That sounds great," Lorelai said wondering why he was so happy.
Lorelai now knew how to make him happy but they had spent the last two nights apart so it couldn't have been her doing.
"Why are you so sunny this morning?" Lorelai asked.
"Well, actually, I finally hired some help," Luke smiled.
"Oh, good for you," Rory said.
"Yeah, I figured I needed the help. What the hell, get a kid in here to pick up the slack, ya know? I kind of feel like a weight's been lifted, ya know?" Luke said in a happy mood.
"Sounds very sensible, Hon. More time for us to be together," Lorelai said touching his arm, causing Luke to blush.
"I'll be getting your coffee now," Luke said leaving the girls.
--
Lorelai lay in her bed in a slumber she was just waking up, smiling she could still feel Luke's warmth on the sheet he laid on even though he left for work over an hour before. She hugged his pillow taking in his scent and a few stray hairs, which she quickly spat out of her mouth.
An annoying ringing finally snapped Lorelai out of her slumber, "This better be good," she said picking up the cordless phone.
"This is you 6:30 call mama," Luke said knowing it would annoy Lorelai to use the "M" word.
"If you ever want me to sleep with you again you better never use that word again mister!" Lorelai said still upset that she was getting up so early on a Saturday no less to watch a game she couldn't care less about.
"So I'll see you here for breakfast in thirty minutes?" Luke asked serving coffee, while using his elbow to hold the phone.
"Try closer to an hour…please tell me why I'm doing this?" Lorelai asked.
"Because you want to spend some time with Rory," Luke reminded Lorelai.
"And you'll be there before the game starts?" Lorelai asked, remembering he had to work this morning.
"Yes, I'll be there by noon, it gives me an hour to have lunch and relax. At least I won't have to talk to your parents much. It's not that I hate them it's just we have nothing in common," Luke said still busy working.
"Can you come and help me shower?" Lorelai asked with a grin that Luke couldn't see but he knew what she was doing.
"Tempting but you'll have to get along without me this morning," Luke replied.
"Okay but you owe me a back rub tonight and a movie," Lorelai said still not making a move.
"You have 55 minutes to get her or Kirk gets your table, love you," Luke said hanging up the phone.
--
"Luke, good I got you," Lorelai said standing by Handsome Dan.
"Yeah I'm just about to leave," Luke said standing in his apartment dressed in a dark blue shirt and his leather jacket.
"Can we go out somewhere, anywhere?" Lorelai said still in a state after the most recent fight with her mother.
"What happened?" Luke asked hearing the tone of her voice.
"Just the usual," Lorelai said not wanting to elaborate one the fight.
"Are you okay to drive?" Luke asked still concerned knowing how her mother could drive Lorelai crazy some times.
"Yeah, I can be back there in thirty minutes," Lorelai said.
"Okay, I'll make some calls and see what we can do," Luke said as they hung up together.
--
Lorelai needed some retail therapy to cheer up after the fight with Emily so stopped at the nearest mall. After topping up with a triple shot cappuccino and pie with extra whipped cream, Lorelai wandered the mall.
Finding some four-inch pumps, which were works of art, Lorelai moved on to some lingerie, more a gift for Luke but she liked wearing something pretty and naughty under her clothes. Lorelai then moved on to find a dress, but after three shops she had all but given up hope. On her way back to get more coffee when she spotted it, the perfect evening gown.
Lorelai decided to try it on so stripped down and to get the full effect she put on the pumps. Standing there she thought she looked fantastic, it was a perfect fit. The cleavage deep enough to stop traffic, it would probably make Luke a little jealous as other guys were bound to stare at her chest.
Its hem fell with just enough space to show off her new shoes and had a slit up the right side exposing her leg and stopped where the lace topped of the thigh-high pantyhose she planned to wear.
Pulling out her phone she made a call, "Hey there," she said before Luke could speak.
"Hi Lorelai," Luke said a little busy dealing with Kirk's lunch.
"Have you got that new phone I bought you, nearby?" she asked.
"It's up in the apartment I think," Luke said not having used it much since Lorelai insisted on getting it to keep in touch.
"Is it charged?" she asked still looking in the mirror.
"I think so, why do you need it?" Luke asked.
"No, I'm shopping and just wanted to see if you approve of my outfit," she said with a dirty tone Luke knew too well.
"You know I'll love anything you buy, not that you need to buy any new clothes," Luke said dryly.
"It's this little black number with an evil amount of cleavage and a slit up the thigh," Lorelai said getting Luke's attention.
Clearing his throat, "I can't wait to see it."
"I'm sending you some pictures now, check them out and I'll see you at seven, if you can wait that long," Lorelai said ending the call.
Luke's interest was peaked, "Caesar take care of this," he said handing him Kirk's plate.
Bolting up stairs Luke could feel his jeans tighten as he imagined the dress. Opening his apartment door Luke heard the cell phone beeping, quickly finding it in the side table and after a few moments of trying to remember how to use it Luke found the first pictures.
Luke grinned as he saw the dress from several angles, her leg through the slit and the cleavage, which was starting to drive him crazy. Then one more, this time the dress was gone and Lorelai was standing in the pink changing room in just a pair of heels.
--
"Wow this is fancy, how did you get a table here?" Lorelai asked Luke as they walked into the quaint but modern Italian restaurant.
"I remember some of the places your parents mentioned the other night. Now it's not as fancy as some because they were just outrageously expensive, but I hope you like it," Luke said, waiting for Lorelai response.
"It's perfect Luke," she said looking around before kissing Luke on the cheek.
Luke grinned as she pulled back, "Can I tell you again how great you look in that dress."
"Don't forget the pumps," she said lifting her leg behind her, showing of her thigh through the slit in the dress, "I wasn't sure what to wear since you didn't say where we'd be going." Lorelai said.
"It's perfect, you're perfect," he said returning with another kiss.
"I'm far from perfect," she said chastising herself, "You've seen me in the morning, my hair a mess, no make-up…"
"You always looked perfect to me," Luke said cutting her off, "I told you before I hate saying you look better now than you normally do but for tonight you're perfect. And for future reference an old potato sack would look great on you," Luke said taking another look at Lorelai.
"Thanks, I think," Lorelai said before looking around, "I wonder if any famous people come here, sometimes they avoid the fancier places because of the paps."
"Paps?" Luke asked.
"Paparazzi, oh is that Meryl Streep?" Lorelai asked.
"I don't' think so," Luke said in a dry tone, wanting to get to their table before Lorelai did something to get them kicked out.
The hostess came up, "Danes, for two," Luke said.
"There will be a short wait, maybe 30 minutes, would you like a complimentary drink at the bar while you wait?" she offered.
"A drink before dinner would be nice," Lorelai said as Luke agreed and the hostess walked them to the bar.
Seated they ordered, martini for Lorelai and Luke had a beer in a glass, "I must say you are full of surprises Lucas, but how did you manage to get us in here so quick?" Lorelai asked putting her glass back down.
"I started making calls the day after the dinner with your parents," Luke admitted, "I wanted to take you out for a fancy dinner as you seemed pleased with the talk about them even after what happened," Luke said taking a sip of his beer.
"A flower for the lady," A voice said as the couple turned to see a young girl with a basket of red roses.
"Well hello there," Lorelai said, "Are you allowed in here?"
"My parents own the restaurant," the young lady said, no more than 15 years old.
"Well I guess that's okay," Lorelai added.
"So do you want to buy your wife a rose," the girl said.
Luke looked a little nervous, "Were…"
"Newly weds," Lorelai said cutting Luke off, "How did you know?" she giggled.
Luke wasn't mad, just a little confused as the girl asked again, Luke payed the 10 for one rose, "Thank you sir," she said walking of to the next un-expecting couple.
"I think we were had," Luke said handing the rose to Lorelai.
"It not the best rose I've seen, but it's the thought that counts," Lorelai said holding onto the thorn-less stem.
"Well I'm not a flower guy, you know that. It took me a week to order the ones I got for you before," Luke admitted.
"You did good," Lorelai assured him as she smiled.
--
A short time later they were seated at their table.
"Well I hope you like it," Luke said as they looked around, "I knew you wouldn't want to be stuck in some corner, this is private but we are still part of the action."
"Luke it's all perfect, especially after the day I've had," Lorelai remarked.
Luke leant forward and reached across the table to touch the top of Lorelai's hand, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Lorelai took a moment, "There's not much to say… everything was going great, Mom scolding me just once for wearing the wrong colour. We had the fun flask, met Dan and were having a nice time tailgating then Pennilyn Lott came along."
"Pennilyn Lott?" Luke asked.
"My dad's ex from college," Lorelai informed Luke.
"Ah, go on." Luke said.
"Well of course my Dad had been seeing her for secret lunches for the last 35 years and Emily lost it, I ended up being a casually of the event. Mind you I did manage to get some college boys out of there before the worst of it happened, the poor boys wouldn't have stood a chance," Lorelai said taking a deep breath.
"So you just left?" Luke asked.
"Sometimes that's all you can do, take a step back to breath… Mom will calm down, things will get back to normal," Lorelai said picking up the menu the hostess had left.
Luke looked at Lorelai a moment before looking at the menu as well, "So your Dad and…"
"It was innocent, just lunch with an old friend, we all have past," Lorelai said filling Luke in, "You have Nicole, I have Chris, and sometimes we can just cut people off. Others we will always have some contact with."
"I guess," Luke said a little unsure.
"Let's put that aside for tonight, I'll call my parents in the morning." She told Luke, "Let's order and talk about other things."
A few moments of silence followed before a waiter came up to take there orders.
--
"You want one, hon?" Lorelai asked.
"I just ate," Luke said as they sat in the Taco Barn drive-through.
"Your loss, they have the best Tacos," Lorelai said.
"We just had a great meal and very expensive meal, if I'd have known you were this easy to please I would have just ordered take out tonight," Luke said dryly as they waited for Lorelai's order.
"I didn't have enough at dinner," Lorelai said looking across to Luke.
"You could have ordered more, I would have paid," Luke said.
"But you don't eat huge amounts food at places like that, beside I didn't want to look like a pig in front of Mrs. Streep," Lorelai said.
Luke scoffed, "That was not Meryl Streep."
"It could have been," Lorelai smiled before turning to Luke again, "Thanks again for the night and the rose," Lorelai said smelling the flower.
The food came to the window, Luke handing it to Lorelai before driving off.
"Can you please at least wait until we get home? I don't want my car to smell like Mexican food for a month," Lorelai ignored him and opened the bag.
"Trust me this bares little in common with Mexican food," Lorelai said.
Luke shook his head and Lorelai opened the wrapping, "But it smells great."
Putting the taco to her mouth just as the truck hit a stray pothole sending the food, which no longer resembled a taco down her front, "Luke!" Lorelai yelled as he pulled up to the side of the road.
Luke flicked on the light, "Lorelai!" he said sternly before reaching for an old towel he kept behind the seat.
Lorelai putting the remains back in to the bag before taking the paper napkins that came with the order and started cleaning her chest down, "Lucky the dress has a deep neck line or it could have been worse," Lorelai joked as she continued to wipe slowly.
Luke looked on, his eyes fixed on the sight before him, "Do you need a hand," Luke said clearing his throat.
"Luke!" she said surprised at his comment.
"I didn't mean… okay I'm driving us home if you can hold off on eating that discussing food for twenty minutes.
TBC…
Feedback would be good.