About a week later, as usual Taylor annoys Luke. Apparently, a train that had pickles in it derailed somewhere outside of town and the pickles have been sitting in the sun for a few days. The smell moved to Stars Hollow and it's stinking up the whole town. Taylor knew about the train, but he didn't tell the town because it wasn't a problem until this morning. He tells the town that he doesn't know how long the smell will last. Taylor doesn't want to take responsibility for the mess, since the train came from Ohio and the pickles are on the Woodbridge side of the tracks.
"Just pick up the damn pickles, Taylor!" Luke tells him, frustrated that he's trying to find a way out of this.
Later that night, April has the idea to make a bonfire. Luke tells her that's a great idea and he builds it with some help from the town. Taylor shows up, muttering something about needing a permit to have a bonfire. Luke just tells him that the forty eight hours that Taylor said it would take to get rid of the smell will take too long, so the fire is to help the town get through the night. Taylor goes on about bonfires being illegal, but the town gangs up on him and he gives up and leaves.
April asks Luke if he wants to try a "smoreos" that she made, a smore made with Oreos. He doesn't really like sweets, but he can't say no to here so he takes it from her, "Of course." He tells her. But then he looks up and across the square and he sees her for the first time since their encounter at the supermarket. She's driving by in Christopher's car. He stares at the car. So she is seeing him. He overheard Babette and Miss Patty talking the other day, Babette telling Patty that she saw Christopher picking up and dropping Lorelai off. Clearly Lorelai is finding it easier to move on. He didn't want to believe it when he heard Miss Patty and Babette, but seeing them together himself confirms it. She's moved on, it's really over.
"Dad? Dad! Dad, come on. You haven't tried it yet what do you think?" April gets his attention back.
"Oh." He takes a bite of it and tells her it's delicious. But he looks back across the square only to find Lorelai and Christopher gone. They must have only been driving through to leave town. Good, if they had come to the bonfire, he and April would have to leave. He doesn't want to see her with him.
A few days later, Luke drives to pick April up from her swim practice. Her coach greets him and he introduces himself.
"April's dad. She talks a lot about you." The coach replies.
He's happy to hear that. The coach introduces herself as Susan. She asks if April got her love of swimming from him.
"Oh, no, not me. No I don't really know how to swim." He tells her, which isn't necessarily true, he could swim to save his life, but he doesn't really love swimming. "I could doggy-paddle to shore in a pinch, but I never really learned formally." He adds.
Susan tells him that's not good; she tells him that he can come to her adult swim class that Saturday. He tells her: "I guess I could do that."
He goes on Saturday. And Susan flirts with him a little; she even touches his chest while teaching him how to breathe properly. It's a little uncomfortable for him. She asks if he eats and drops a hint that he could call her and they could go eat. She gives him her number and he agrees to call. When he gets back to the diner that night, Kirk tells him that he is going to break up with Lulu. Luke sets him straight, telling him that he is the luckiest man on the planet to have a sweet girl like Lulu, that he will personally break every bone in Kirk's body if he is ever unkind to Lulu. He doesn't want to have to deal with a heartbroken Kirk or see a sad Lulu. He doesn't want Kirk to feel like he feels right now and he won't let Kirk make the same mistake of letting the woman he loves get away. Luke doesn't want anyone to feel the same way he's feeling.
He calls Susan and makes a date. Since Lorelai has moved on so fast, why can't he do the same? He might as well try to move on with a woman that seems to like him. It's better than pining for a woman for eight years only to end up breaking up… twice. Maybe Lorelai just isn't meant to be with you. Maybe you're meant to with Susan or some other woman and Lorelai is meant to be with Christopher. Luke tells himself.
On the date, Susan tells Luke to sit next to her instead of across from her. He thinks that's a little strange, but he moves to sit next to her. He looks at the menu and realizes that it's a vegan restaurant. He tells her that he's never eaten this healthy before. She tells him that soy steak is "scrumptious"; he doesn't think it will be, but he doesn't exactly tell her that. Then she starts asking weird questions and tells him about her ex, another one of her student's fathers he assumes. She asks who he thinks would play him in a movie… then she tells him how her ex went "Psycho!" shouting this loudly, scaring him. He stares at her, bewildered at her behaviour. She tells him that she wasn't gonna date any more single dads after that, but here she is. He chuckles a little and smiles nervously, trying to be polite.
"You hooked me." She tells him. He just responds by nodding his head with a "Hmm."
Thankfully, the waitress comes and asks if she can get anyone a drink. "Yes, please." Luke tells her and he orders a beer, hoping it will somehow help him come up with a way to end the date quickly.
Luckily, Susan drove herself to the restaurant, so he won't have to drive her home. But before she gets in her car, she leans in, trying to kiss him. He awkwardly steps back and offers her his hand instead. She frowns but takes his hand, "I'll see you at the pool again soon?" She asks. He just nods, not trusting himself to say anything polite after that terrible date.
He gets home and sees Kirk and Lulu walking together. Good. At least they're happy. He gets to the apartment and after Lane leaves, Luke tells April that he'll keep calling Susan "Coach Bennett", letting her know that he won't be dating her swim coach. He and April sit on the couch and watch T.V. while Luke finishes off the leftover pizza, thankful to eat some real cheese. Luke is comfortable there, with April next to him. Although his love life isn't looking so good right now, at least he has a great daughter in his life to make him feel content.
Author's note: The bonfire scene is a deleted scene from the "The Great Stink." It's on youtube if you've never seen it.