A/N: Glad ya'll are enjoying this third story so far. I think trying to balance all the relationships and mix in all the elements of Season 4, 5, and 6 that I want to include is going to make life (almost impossibly) interesting, but hey, I'll keeping going if you guys will stick with me ;)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 3
"It feels weird."
That was Lorelai's pronouncement as she sat down with a bump on the stool by the counter. Luke wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond to that, mostly because he hadn't a clue what she was talking about. As much as he loved her, there were times when his fiancée really baffled him beyond belief.
"Good morning, Crazy Lady," he said with a smile.
"Good morning, Handsome Diner Man," she replied in kind, moving to lean over the counter and kiss him 'hello'.
"Handsome, huh?"
"Oh, yeah. Some guys need the whole bow-tie, dinner jacket, over-dressed thing to rate as handsome, but you? Throw on that hat and you're golden," she told him happily. "Speaking from experience, you literally do not need anything else," she added with a saucy look.
Luke's eyes went a little wide as he shushed her, but he was smiling none the less. She was being complimentary and he couldn't mind that, he would just rather her not mention him in any kind of naked way where people might hear.
"So, something felt weird?" he said, bringing her back to her first comment.
"No, actually, everything feels weird!" she declared then, clearly recalling all too quickly what her original complaint had been about. "At home, it's just... empty. A hole, a vacuum. A completely Rory-less zone. I miss my Rory, Luke."
"Yeah, I have to admit, it seems pretty strange around here without Jess too." Luke sighed. "Crazy as it sounds, I'm even missing Paris a little."
"Hush your mouth!" Lorelai exclaimed dramatically. "Wow, you guys really buddied up this summer, huh?"
"She's a good kid, really. Super intense, I'll tell you that for nothing, but she worked hard, and it was clear from the way she was talking how much she appreciates having Jess in her life, and Rory too. I think mostly she was just lonely before that."
"Aaaw, poor Paris," Lorelai sympathised. "Well, now I know how she feels. She has my Rory and your Jess, leaving us with nobody but each other! Actually, now that I think about it, you and me alone, that's not such a bad thing," she said, grinning suddenly.
"Well, I guess I could come over tonight, if you're feeling lonely."
"Probably best. Check for prowlers, protect me from harm. Lord knows a woman alone like myself sure could use some protection," she said, hands over her heart as she did he best Southern Belle bit.
"Happy to be of service, ma'am," Luke told her, tipping his hat like a gent to amuse her all the more.
Unfortunately, her smile soon gave way to another heavy sigh.
"I do still miss Rory though, and it is so weird not having her around all of the time. I never realised how much she was just there. Like, I come home with funny anecdotes about my day and there's no-one to tell them to. I order Chinese and there's way too much because I have no-one to share it with. Even watching movies is no fun without company."
"Well, I know I can't compare to Rory, but I am happy to watch a movie with you tonight, and share take-out, and do whatever makes you happy."
"You're gonna make a very good husband, you know that?"
"I plan to do my best," Luke promised her, happy to lean over the counter and kiss her one more time. "So, coffee?"
"Coffee," she agreed, smiling much more genuinely than before now. "So, I have heard from my baby girl a couple of times, but she is pretty busy with her new classes and all. Has Jess been in touch?"
"Not really, but I didn't expect it." Luke shook his head. "We agreed he could still work some weekend shifts here if he had the time, but this first one, it was better for him to stay on campus and get used to the whole thing."
"Right, right," Lorelai nodded in agreement, thanking Luke for her coffee and immediately taking a long sip. "So, does he like his room-mates?"
"One of them, I think. Some guy named Marty?"
"Oh, Marty, yeah. Rory mentioned him too," Lorelai recalled. "Seems like a good guy, friendly, good movie knowledge."
"Well, I'm just glad Jess has made a friend. I'm all for him spending time with Rory and Paris, but he should really have some guy friends at his age, right?"
"Probably for the best. I'm sure he'll be fine."
Luke nodded his agreement and yet he wasn't so sure. Jess hadn't seemed so enthusiastic about the whole Yale thing when the time came, and he had described two of his room-mates as morons already. Yes, he did seem to get along with Marty, and he was happy to be where Rory and Paris were, but Luke was already having his doubts as to whether Jess would stick this thing out for the long haul. That bothered him more than a little, but he was determined to say nothing to his nephew or anyone else about it, at least not yet. No point in making trouble where there wasn't any.
"So, how are things with the inn?" he asked Lorelai then, glad of the lack of customers for now so they had a chance to talk some more.
"They're coming along. Slowly. Surely. We're looking at potential decorators right now. It's a big process."
"I'm sure it'll all be fine."
"Sure, it will. Of course, it would all go a lot faster if I didn't keep getting distracted by my beautiful, beautiful ring!" she said, flashing her left hand under Luke's nose.
"Oddly enough, Lorelai, I've seen the ring. You know, since I bought it and all?" he reminded her, smiling indulgently.
"I know, and by the way, you have the best taste in jewellery of any guy I ever met, and I am including Michel in that!" she said definitely.
"Thanks, I think," said Luke, considering that for a moment. "I'm glad you like it."
"I love it," said Lorelai definitely. "And I love you."
They shared another kiss, then she finished up her coffee and said she really had to go. Apparently, inn designer people waited for no woman.
Luke smiled as he watched her leave. He really had no regrets about being with Lorelai, especially not about being engaged to her. She was the only woman he ever felt this way about, and the only one he could ever imagine spending his life tied to. He was really, really looking forward to their date tonight too. Well, there had to be at least one upside to the kids going off to college and leaving them alone!
"But you're talking about the movie. The book is completely different!"
"Hey, speaking as someone who read the book and saw the movie, it's actually not that different. Besides which, the motivation is still the same in either one."
"Exactly."
"You do realise that every time he can't counter your argument, he waits for your boyfriend to do it for him, and then throws out a chirpy 'what he said' comment?" said Paris with a look.
"Hey, I do not!" Marty denied it hotly. "I just... Yeah, well, Jess has read a lot more books than I have. I hold my own on movies."
"Of course, you do," Rory told him kindly. "Nobody knows more about the Marx Brothers than Marty."
"That I'll agree with" said Jess, nodding his head.
They were quite the chatty bunch around the lunch table. Marty had joined the former-Chilton trio quite easily, making the three into a foursome that were happy to chat about movies, books, music, and all, as well as their classes and professors.
They were all taking at least one course with each other, so that was cool too. Of course, when they all started hanging out together most days, Paris had felt the need to make it quite clear to Marty that she was unavailable. He stammered through his apology if he gave her the impression he was interested at all, and Rory hid her giggles in Jess' shoulder. Paris clearly terrified their new friend, certainly to the point where he would never dream of trying to date her. Only Paris would ever think he might.
"Oh, by the way," said Rory to Jess then, "Mom left me a message to ask if we were coming home at all this weekend. I think she's missing us."
"She may be missing you, I doubt she's missing me," her boyfriend noted, rolling his eyes.
"Well, I'll bet Luke is missing you. Anyway, Mom has this idea that you could come to Friday Night Dinner with me, then I could drive us back to the Hollow, and on Saturday, the four of us could all go on a double date or something."
"A double date?" said Paris with a look. "You two, your mother and his uncle, all on a date together? Is it just me, or can anybody else hear banjoes?"
"Paris, stop it!" said Rory sounding pained. "You know we're not related, stop being gross."
"You wanna hear gross, you should be up early enough to hear Janet in the middle of her bending and stretching routine. It's appalling," she said of their room-mate's habits.
"I have heard, and it's really not so bad. She just likes to keep in shape."
"From what I saw, it's a shape worth keeping," said Marty, more to his plate than to his friends.
"Hey, so he does know the difference between boys and girls," said Jess, looking to Rory. "You owe me five bucks."
Rory looked mortified when Marty suddenly looked at her with those sad, puppy dog eyes of his. She really hadn't meant to cause offence with her comment. For starters, Marty was never supposed to know that she said that, and even if he did, she hadn't meant it the way it sounded.
"I'm sorry," she told him, blushing terribly. "I didn't mean... I just... You seem so shy when it comes to girls. We thought maybe you liked guys, which would be absolutely fine. More than fine, actually, in this day and age, y'know?" she rambled badly. "But then Jess said you definitely liked girls because of some comment you made about Angelina Jolie."
"Hey, room-mate code, man!" Marty said to Jess. "What happens in the dorm, stays in the dorm."
"Really?" said Paris with a look. "So, what happens in the dorm, guys?"
"Butt out, sis," Jess advised with a look of his own that was none too friendly given what she was implying, especially when he couldn't fight back in the same way.
It was all very well imagining other girls having pillow fights and making out behind closed doors, but not his girlfriend with his sister, no way!
"So, back to the point!" said Rory eventually, facing Jess. "This weekend, you and me, Stars Hollow, yes?"
"Sure, I guess," he agreed.
"Paris, will you be seeing Jamie?"
"Not this weekend," she said, shaking her head. "I'll stay here, get some reading done, enjoy the peace."
"Because I make so much noise." Rory rolled her eyes. "What about you, Marty? Any plans?"
"Er, I'm actually bar-tending at a party on Saturday. Gotta make that extra cash somehow," he explained with a smile.
"Sounds good." Rory smiled right back, glad he didn't seem to be too offended by her earlier comments. "Well, I hope you make lots of tips."
"Thanks, me too."
They parted ways a few minutes later, all headed off to classes and study time. It hadn't taken them long to fall into a new rhythm, spending time together and apart as needed. It was a big adjustment in some ways, especially for Rory who had been so close to her mom, both literally and figuratively, up to now, but at least they all had each other here. That wasn't nothing.
To Be Continued...
