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Chapter Two: Lorelai in the Manger
-Alli's POV-
Three weeks.
That's how long I had to make him fall in love with me. And by him, I meant Luke Danes.
Now, that wasn't my original goal when I came back to Stars Hollow. I was just coming to visit my aunt, catch up with some old friends, and use up my accumulated vacation time. However, the moment I set foot in that diner and saw him again, I knew I had to have him.
Even underneath the flannel, I could tell that he still had a terrific body. And I found out from some older blonde busybody that he wasn't seeing anyone at the moment, so I was free to pursue as I saw fit.
And pursue I would.
After all, we were doing pretty well in high school until I moved away. How hard could it be to rekindle an old flame? I'm sure he remembered me. I didn't consider myself a forgettable person.
Now all I had to do was put my plan into motion.
-Lorelai's POV-
Later that day I was at the Independence Inn, hard at work. As usual, there was a function to plan, along with all the usual duties of running an inn. This one involved a woman throwing her husband's 60th birthday party. A woman who could not manage to make up her mind about anything for the life of her.
As I stood at the front desk, listening to her ramble on about twenty-five different ideas she couldn't decide between, and nodding every once in a while when I felt it was necessary, I felt myself begin to drift back to the events of the morning. Blondie still bothered me.
There was just something in the way she looked at Luke that just...made me uncomfortable. I'm not exactly sure why. I mean, it's not like I want him for myself.
And what the hell kind of name is Alli, anyway? She sounds like she should be twelve years old, jumping rope and popping bubble gum while talking about boys.
Whatever. I'm not going to let it bother me. She's probably only passing through town, maybe visiting a couple old buddies.
I wonder if she and Luke really did date in high school. But he didn't act like he recognized her.
So maybe not.
Okay, that was it. I was mentally putting my foot down. Enough obsessing over mysterious blonde chick. Back to work, Lorelai. I zoned back into what the woman, a Mrs. Bradley, was saying.
"...I was thinking maybe golf. But that may remind him of his knee, and the fact that he can't play anymore."
Cue sympathetic nod.
"So...I was thinking about an island theme!" She said brightly, looking to me for confirmation.
Cue enthusiastic nod. "I think that sounds terrific, Mrs. Bradley. Your husband will definitely like it."
"You think so?" She asked hopefully.
"I do."
"Of course, there was also the Marilyn Monroe theme he seemed to keep hinting at..." She trailed off with a frown. "I never was too fond of that woman."
"Would you like my personal opinion, Mrs. Bradley?" I asked cordially.
"Of course," She answered.
"I think he would love the island theme. It's bright, warm, and it wouldn't remind him of his injuries."
She seemed to think it over for a minute. "I think you're right. I've decided. Island theme, it is." She smiled. "Thank you so much for your help, Miss Gilmore."
"You're welcome, Mrs. Bradley," I said, waving as she exited the inn.
I breathed a sigh of relief, and Michel peeked his head in from the other room.
"Ees ze evil woman gone yit?" He asked, in that exaggerated French accent of his.
"Yes. And she's not evil, Michel...Just a little undecided."
"Tomato, tomoto," Michel shrugged, sorting through the few white envelopes on the front desk gingerly, taking care not to ruin his perfectly manicured nails.
Speaking of manicures, that was something I definitely needed. I hadn't had one in a while.
I put it on my mental list to do that tonight with Rory, and went back to work.
--
"Mom, I'm home!"
"In here, hon!" I shouted from my location at the kitchen table, staring at the three different bottles of nail polish I had on display in front of me.
"What's up?" Rory asked as she tossed her backpack on her bed and came back out to join me.
"I'm trying to decide what color to paint my nails," I said, still not taking my eyes off the offending bottles.
"Well...how 'bout the red?" She suggested.
"I don't know...maybe."
"The pink?"
"Too Jessica."
"I heard she's doing more black now," Rory commented.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I saw it on the Internet, though I can't remember where."
"Huh. Interesting."
"So, pink's still out?" Rory broke the silence.
"Yep."
"Okay, then the blue."
"Ick. Too 'I couldn't find another color, so I used this one.'"
"Well, then, we're back to the red."
"Uggh, too hookerish."
Rory rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't know if you noticed, but you just ran out of colors."
I gasped. "You're right. Well, this just means one thing."
"You need to be committed?"
I shot her a look. "No...we need to go the mall!"
"To buy new nail polish?" She asked with a wrinkled brow.
"No!" I paused. "Well, yes. But that, and we need to get manicures! The manicure place has the most amazing selection! It could take hours to decide."
"Just what I need," Rory deadpanned.
"Someone's grumpy tonight. Bad day?"
"Nope, just tons of homework."
"Well, how else are you going to become brillianter than you already are?"
"More brilliant," She corrected.
"Well, don't we have an ego?" She shook her head at me, though I also noticed the small chuckle, which let me know she wasn't in too terrible of a mood, thankfully.
--
Two hours later
"Ahh, this is the life," I sighed, pausing to lick the chocolate ice cream cone I held between freshly manicured fingers.
"Definitely," Rory agreed, smiling, as she did the same.
We were walking around the mall, right after buying the cones.
"Oh, my God," Rory said, glancing off somewhere to the left.
"What?" I asked, trying to follow her gaze.
"Isn't that that blonde woman from the diner this morning?"
"Where?"
"Over there," She said, gesturing toward 'Forever 21.'
"Yep, that's her."
-Alli's POV-
I was just coming out of my favorite store - 'Forever 21' - when, from behind a fake palm tree, a woman with dark hair and blue eyes stumbled into me.
"Hey!" I exclaimed.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" She said at the same time.
"Just watch where you're going." I sighed, turning from her.
As I walked away, it occurred to me that the woman had looked kind of familiar. I thought about it for a few more minutes until it occurred to me: she had been at the diner this morning. I had not liked the way Luke looked at her, or vice versa. Everything about the woman annoyed me.
It wasn't until I got to my car that I realized my brand new black and white mini-skirt, the one I had been planning on wearing solely for Luke's benefit the next day, was now covered in chocolate ice cream.
Oh, I was going to kill that woman.
-Lorelai's POV-
"I still can't believe that happened!" Rory laughed, as we drove home in the Jeep.
"I know. I was going to offer to pay for it, or something, but she just walked away! I'm surprised she could see where she was going with that nose of hers stuck so high in the air," I joked.
Rory laughed.
"But seriously, Mom," She began. Uh oh, I know that tone. "What was all that about?"
"All what?" I asked casually. "I didn't mean to bump into her."
"I meant the hiding and spying that preceded the bumping."
"Oh. That. I don't know." I shrugged. "I guess I was just curious."
"About what?"
"Oh, you know..." I tried to think of something. Truth was, I didn't exactly know why I had behaved that way. "I just...wanted to see how another old girlfriend of Luke's acted. I mean, I haven't ever heard of any, besides Rachel."
"Mom, they went out in high school. For a couple of months. And we aren't even sure of that."
"So? What's your point?"
"My point is, why do you care?"
"I don't."
"Mmhmm." It was obvious from her tone that she didn't believe me.
"Well, what do you want me to say? It's not like I'm jealous of her."
"You aren't?"
"No. Why would I be? Luke and I aren't together. I don't even want us to be together."
"So, you don't want Luke, but you don't want Alli to have him?"
"Hey, you're twisting my words. I never said I didn't want her to have him," I exclaimed.
"It was implied. You know, you're active very dog in the manger-ish."
I gasped. "Am not!"
"Are too."
"SO am not!"
"Yeah, whatever, Baby Jesus."
Her tone implied that there was nothing I could do to change her mind, and I sulked the rest of the way home.
I wasn't acting dog in the manger-ish...was I?
TBC...