When the sun crept across the room he tried to ignore it. He screwed his eyes shut tighter to keep the light at bay but it was a futile battle. Eventually he succumbed, he pushed the duvet off, dressed quickly and hurried down to the diner to sort prepare for the early morning deliveries. He signed for them and put them away before slowing down to prepare breakfast for himself and Ellie.

"Morning." She said with a sleepy yawn as she came in from the stairwell and hoisted herself onto a high stool at the counter.

"Mmm." Luke put a plate of oatmeal in front of her and slid the bottle of syrup across the counter. He fixed his own dish, added some Greek yoghurt and a dash of the syrup she passed him then sat down heavily beside her with a sigh as he began to eat.

"You ok?"

"Yeah."

"You look tired. Are you getting ill?" She reached a hand up to press the back of her fingers to his forehead but he moved his head out of her reach.

"No, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well."

"Nightmares?" He cocked an eyebrow at her and cast a sideways glance but didn't respond. "Take it easy today huh?" She finished her oatmeal and carried her bowl into the kitchen.

"You want some pancakes?"

"No I want to go into school early this morning."

"Oh?" Luke looked up at her suspiciously.

"No Dad! I want to go in early because I have a debate today and I want to prepare."

"Okay," he said and he held up his hands in surrender. "And home straight after school?"

"Yes sir."

"Ellie…" he warned her.

"I know Dad, I know."

She hurried back up to the apartment to gather her school things as Luke cleaned up their breakfast and started to prep for the customers. He had the batch of pancake batter ready to go, most of the fruit chopped and a pot of cinnamon oatmeal simmering away by the time Caesar came bustling through the door, full of excuses for why he was late. Luke brushed them away and tended to the few customers that were already seated. He took their orders and helped Caesar in the kitchen until Ellie came by to say good bye. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and hugged him before leaving and he smiled at the gesture. It had been a long time since she had hugged him without being prompted. He recognized it as a partial olive branch and partial guilty gesture but he didn't care. The sensation of her arms around him in a tight if momentary hug was heaven. He watched her leave the diner and hurry across the square to the school then turned his focus back on the customers with coffee refills. Soon his sleepless night was behind him and he felt his tension ebb away.

Until she walked in.

He wasn't sure how he knew, the bells didn't sound any different but somehow he just knew. He stepped out from the kitchen grabbed the coffee pot and slowly walked over to the table she was sitting at, reading a menu. He coughed lightly as he approached, rotated his shoulders and pulled the order book from the front of his jeans. Today she was dressed for work again. A loose flowing knee length navy skirt, no pantyhose again, and a rich green short sleeved blouse that was low cut but tasteful.

"What can I get you this morning?"

"And a good morning to you too sir!"

"Morning. What can I get you?"

"Coffee with a smile?" she held the cup out to him with a bright smile. He couldn't help but notice there was no trace of a sleepless night on her face and it irritated him more than it should have.

"How about just plain old coffee?" He took the cup from her and poured out a generous amount of coffee.

"Oh Luke, you are such a charmer!" she sipped the coffee without breaking eye contact with him. "Ahhhh, so good."

"Anything to eat?"

"What's good here?" she asked as she perused the menu.

"Everything."

"Anything in particular?"

"No."

Lorelai looked up at him with a thin lipped smile. "Pancakes. With a side of bacon…you have maple syrup right?"

"Three kinds."

"Bring them all!"

Luke wrote down her order and quickly retired back to the kitchen to get it ready. He busied himself with his other customers, bussing tables, taking orders and payment then when Caesar called out her order was ready he took a deep breath and fetched the plate with a caddy of syrups.

"Here you go." He dropped it onto the table beside her, and placed the syrup down too, refilled her coffee and walked away before she could reply and engage him again. With those eyes. Those lashes. Those lips and that tongue. Flashbacks of his late shower the night before niggled in his brain and he tried to focus on his work to keep them at bay. She seemed to take an inordinate amount of time to finish her breakfast as she read the local town paper. So long in fact that most of his customers had left and she was still reading the paper, idly pushing the last few bits of her pancakes through the swamp of syrup on her plate.

"Everything ok?" he asked as he approached and topped up her coffee.

"Huh?"

"The food. Was it ok?"

"Yeah, it was wonderful!" She took the last bite in her mouth and chewed it behind a smile.

"So don't you have a new job to go to?"

"Trying to get rid of me?"

"Just making conversation."

"Yeah because you are usually so chatty!"

"Forget it." he turned and carried her plate into the kitchen then came back out to wipe down the counter needlessly.

"Ah Luke! I'm sorry!" she said laughing. "I was just teasing. I can't help it, you are such an easy target." She sat on the high stool and he flashed back to when she sat there yesterday she showed a tantalizing glimpse of her skin and an inviting gap in her jeans.

"If it's so easy, then why do you take such delight in it?" he griped back.

"Because you get this lovely shade of light red up from the back of your neck and it creeps to your ears and even colors your cheeks." Luke felt her eyes on him and his blush deepening. "Oh! There it goes."

"Stop."

"I only met you yesterday and already I've seen you blush three times…You are a timid little thing aren't you?" she teased.

"Lorelai…" he warned but she was knee deep in his embarrassment now and she wasn't about to let him loose.

"Oh I could sit here all day finding new ways to make your cheeks turn that color." She sighed with a smile as she rested her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand.

"But thankfully you have a job." Luke felt his blush fade and took a deep breath to help himself calm down.

"Yeah, if only I could get paid to sit here and embarrass you."

"If only."

She went back to her table and leaned over with her legs straight to pick up her purse, giving him, what he suspected was a deliberate view of her long legs as her skirt lifted to the bottom of her ass. She grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair and went back to the counter to pay for her breakfast then wiggled some fingers in a wave before turning on her heel and walking out. Luke felt the air pull out of his lungs when the door closed and he clenched his fists against the counter to regain composure.

"Timid…pffft." He scoffed and grabbed the rag to wipe the counter with gusto. He wondered briefly how she would handle being under the spotlight. How she would handle it if he grabbed her and kissed her. Pressed her up against the counter, on the counter and reached up into her skirt to pull her panties down. He stopped his thoughts right there and took a moment to refocus his brain on the work at the diner, only to realize the place was practically empty and there was very little for him to do. "Hey Caesar, I'm stepping out for a couple of hours. I'll be back before noon."

"Sure thing boss."

Luke hurried out of the diner and went out to his truck. He drove to Pete's and went in to find his barber sitting on a chair reading the paper. A radio played oldies at a really low volume and a grandfather clock ticked loudly in the corner.

"Hey Pete!" Luke called out as he closed the door behind him.

"Ah Luke, how's it going?"

"Slow and steady."

"Come in for a shave and a cut?" Pete got up off the chair with a grunt and dusted it down with a towel then gestured for Luke to sit down.

"Just a cut today."

"We have a special on this week," Pete said as he draped the barber's cape over Luke and fastened it at the back of his neck. "Buy a cut and get a shave for only ten dollars."

"How much is a shave usually?"

"Ten dollars."

Luke laughed and he took his hat off and held it in his hands. "Go on then. I'll have the special."

"Good man."

Pete reached over for the shaving bowl and lathered up some soap. He tipped the chair so Luke was practically horizontal then used the thick shaving brush to spread the cream over her face. Once it was covered he grabbed the straight razor and dragged it a few times over the leather strap then started to shave him. Every time Luke came in here he remembered the first time his dad brought him in. He sat terrified in the huge barber's chair, afraid of the razors and blade but Pete was funny and gentle and before he knew it, his hair was cut. And now as he felt the sharp blade pull against his skin he remembered the first time his dad brought him in for a shave. He just turned 18, and his father took him out fishing for the weekend. Then on the way back he brought him into Pete's for a shave. A whole new experience for him to have another man shave him. Pete and his father chatted idly about the fishing they got done over the weekend as Luke sat as still as he could beneath the blade. But once it was over he marvelled at the feel of his smooth skin.

Now more relaxed under the razor he settled into it. He didn't flinch when Pete pulled his skin tight, he didn't squirm when Pete moved his face and leaned over him and he just breathed normally throughout the whole process. When he was finished Pete washed off the remnants of the shaving cream and covered his face with a hot towel for a few moments. He used this time to wash Luke's hair then took the towel off his face and sat him up straighter.

"So how is the diner doing?"

"Ticking along."

"Did you get tickets for Fort Myers this year?"

"No not this year. You going?"

"I dunno if I can face seeing the Sox lose in preseason games as well as throughout the full season."

"Yeah," Luke chuckled. "I hear that."

"Well I'd still rather be a fan of the losing Red Sox than a winning Yankee."

"Without doubt."

They chatted idly as Pete cut Luke's hair. He trimmed it and pulled out the long razor to tidy it up. Then before he pulled the barber's shawl off him he slapped balm on his face and brushed his neck with a soft brush to get rid of errant hairs.

"There, all covered for another six months."

"Thanks Pete." Luke ran a hand over his head and the back of his neck then promptly covered it with his cap.

"Why do you bother getting it cut when you just cover it up?"

"You and I know how it looks Pete, that's all that matters." Luke spoke with a wink then handed over a few folded bills, paying more than the usual cost and tip combined. Pete took the notes without looking and slipped them into his top pocket and walked him to the door.

"See you around Luke."

Luke waved and strolled back to his truck. He drove slowly, much more calmly back to the diner and walked in with a half-smile.

"Whoa boss…looking good!" Caesar whistled as he walked across the room and delivered someone's order then hurried back to the kitchen when he saw Luke's glare. The phone ringing saved Caesar from further scrutiny and Luke walked over to snatch the phone from its cradle.

"Luke's."

"Luke! Thank god it's you!"

"Who is this?"

"It's Mia, at the inn."

"Mia, what can I do for you?"

"I need you to come out to the inn and fix the stairwell for me."

"What?"

"The stairwell banister is broken. One of our carts got pushed down the stairs and crashed through the bannister. I tried calling Tom but he is out on a call in Hartford. I can't have my stairs unusable for too long."

"Okay, okay, I'll come out straight away."

"Thanks Luke!"

Luke hung up and went back to the kitchen to Caesar. He explained that he needed to leave again and hurried back to his truck. He checked his tool box then took off as fast as he dared. He made it to the inn without incident then lifted his tool box out of the back and hurried into the lobby. Mia was standing at the bottom of the stairs explaining to a few customers how the stairs were not useable at the moment.

"If you care to go into the dining room, we have complimentary sandwiches and desserts for anyone who needs it, and flowing wine for those little more adventurous guests." Luke stood aside until the guests left then Mia came over to him gushing with gratitude. "Oh thank you so much for coming over."

"It's nothing." He looked up at the stairs and spotted the gap in the bannister. "Wow you really did a number on this one!" there was a four foot gap in the bannister where the vertical bars and handle were missing. The wood had been splintered and broken and he could tell this was going to be a bigger job than he would be able to finish in on day. "Okay, I can patch this up to stop you from getting sued, but I'll need to come back tomorrow to fix it properly." He pulled off his cap and tossed it onto the step ahead of him as he bent his head to look up at the underside of the bannister.

"Oh that would be great Luke." She watched as he opened his tool box and pulled out a pair of pliers to pull the broken pieces of wood out of the stairs.

"Good idea having the food and drink in the dining room," he said and she smiled.

"That was Lorelai's idea. She is great!"

"Lorelai?" He turned to face her and looked over her shoulder as if he expected her to come around the corner.

"Oh she's the new member of staff! You have to meet her." Mia raced down the stairs and called into the dining room for Lorelai, then reappeared holding her arm and pulled her up the stairs after her. "Luke, this is Lorelai!" she said proudly presenting her to him.

"Oh, um, hi." Luke muttered and he wondered briefly if he should shake her hand or not.

"Ah Luke from the diner, not just a good cook huh!" Lorelai said with a smile and when the hint of a blush colored his neck she delighted in it and pressed him a little harder. "I almost didn't recognize you without the hat."

"Not to mention the haircut and fresh shave. Did you go to Pete's for that"

Luke nodded then rubbed his hand over his freshly cut hair self-consciously and scratched the back of his neck under her watchful gaze.

"So, you two have met?" Mia asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Oh I may be new in town Mia, but I know a good coffee place when I find it. I think I've spent more time at Luke's than my own home!" she said with a laugh and watched Luke's blush deepen.

"Is that so?" Mia said with a smile.

"We met yesterday evening," Luke confirmed for Mia then he turned his attention back to the stairs. "She um, she same into the diner."

"Oh Luke!" Lorelai waved her hand at him. "Don't be shy! We ran into each other before that!"

"Really?" Mia asked innocently enjoying the game Lorelai was playing.

"Yeah Luke was kind enough to point out what a good parking job I did when I parked behind his truck." Lorelai put one finger to her lips as if thinking and smiled. "He stopped what he was doing in the diner, and came out to the street to examine what a good job I did."

"It wasn't like that." Luke rolled his eyes and tried to dampen down his blush.

"And not only did he feel the need to point it out, he did it loudly enough so everyone on the street could see it too."

"Oh Luke, you didn't!" Mia exclaimed with a stifled laugh.

"She was bumper to bumper with my truck!" he said defensively only to see Lorelai start smiling and realize she had been baiting him all along.

"Oh Luke…" Mia shook her head with a smile and watched as Luke turned away from them and tried to concentrate on the damaged stairs. "Let's leave him to it." She pulled Lorelai back down the stairs and into the dining room.

Luke watched them from the corner of his eyes as he checked the joints on the bannister. He caught Lorelai glancing at him over her shoulder and he was sure she winked. He looked away and forced himself to concentrate on his work for the next hour until he had it patched up enough to hold in place without causing any accidents. He packed up his tools and was about to drop them out to his truck that was parked out the back when Sookie called out to him.

"Luke! Wait!" she hurried out to him and met him on the porch. "Before you go, will you come by and take a look at my stove?"

"You're stove? I don't know anything about-"

"Please!" She tugged on his arm and he rolled his eyes then let her pull him back into the kitchen. It was a large kitchen for such a small inn but knowing all the effort that Sookie put into her cooking he wasn't surprised. The walls were lined with appliances of varying sizes and there were two islands in the centre of the room, each one laden down with ingredients as several staff members chopped, sliced and diced. He came around the corner and found himself looking down at Lorelai's ass. Luke stopped in his tracks and half listened to the problem Sookie was explaining as he watched Lorelai. She was on all fours her head stuck inside the oven as she looked around it and called out to Sookie.

"The hook for the shelf is broken…no wonder the rack won't slide in."

"Lorelai, honey, it's ok, don't go all Sylvia Platt on me, lunch has been saved!"

"Huh?" Lorelai looked over her shoulder to see Luke looking down at her with an appreciative smile. He crouched low behind her and shuffled in closer to take a look at what she was pointing at. "See this?"

Luke leaned in over her, braced one hand on the top of the oven and tried to see the shelf rack but it wasn't big enough. "Maybe, if you…back up…I can…yeah…"

Lorelai leaned back and slid out of the oven so Luke could look in. He crouched in closer and Lorelai tried to move her arm to show him the damage she had seen. "See this rack here? See how the hook is bent?"

"Uh huh…" Luke was finding it hard to concentrate with her body so close to his. Their thighs touching, shoulders too and when she spoke a warm wave of her breath tickled the skin behind his ear. Then he felt her arm on his back and without warning her hand on his ass. He looked at her sideways, wondering if she was intentionally touching his ass or if she was just leaning closer to show him the bent hook.

"Well the rack won't slide in or out of the oven because of that hook, will you be able to fix it?"

"Uh…yeah sure, I just…need my pliers."

"Oh goody!" Lorelai leaned back out of the oven and only then noticed her hand resting on his curved denim clad ass. "Oh…sorry…" she snatched her hand back and balled it into a fist to press to her other palm, as if this would help her get rid of the sensation of his ass under her fingers.

"Let me just grab…" he slid out of the oven and turned to face her as she spoke and she looked at him expectantly as he leaned towards her.

For one second she thought he was going to grab her ass, reciprocate the groping she had so clearly being doing for the last few minutes but he reached behind her and opened his tool box to pull out his pliers. He leaned forward, back into the oven and set to work straightening out the hook. Lorelai got up off the floor and backed away from the oven, to stand next to Sookie who was watching Luke unashamedly. Lorelai nudged her and cast her a sideways glance. Sookie's smile widened.

"Was it good?" Lorelai smiled too. "I knew it would be. I mean how could it not be. Soft denim, hard ass," Sookie said in a low voice and she giggled.

"I can hear you," Luke said.

"Oh hush!" Sookie admonished him playfully. "You're ruining the view."

Luke groaned and muttered something neither of them could make out then focused on the oven and ignored their laughter. Moments later he shimmied out of the oven, much to their delight and stood up straight. He bent over to dust his knees off then turned to find them both watching him carefully. "It's fixed." He bent over again to put his pliers back into his toolbox and snapped the locks closed. When he heard Sookie laughing he rolled his eyes and picked it up. "Goodbye ladies." He strolled out of the kitchen and carried his box out to his truck where he fastened it and covered it with a tarp. He dusted off his hands and wiped them on the back of his jeans as he approached the driver's door of the truck only to see Lorelai standing on the porch at the top of the stairs watching him.

"You'll ruin your jeans if you keep doing that," she called out to him.

"Huh?" he paused by the door.

"Don't you have work gloves?"

"Don't you keep your opinions to yourself?" He called out to her and watched as she sat on the porch rail and let one of her legs swing loosely. He hitched his jeans on his hips and rested his hands there as he approached.

"No." she spoke defiantly and kept her eyes on him, daring him to question her further as he walked closer then stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at her.

"Does your mouth ever get you into trouble?" he took a step up on the porch.

"Often."

"But I'm betting you manage to talk yourself out of it?" He came up another step wondering if she would stand up, step back, put some distance between them, but she didn't.

"Usually."

"Only usually?" he slipped his hands into his front pockets and smirked when she finally stood and brushed down the front of her outfit.

"Sometimes you have to move past the talking part."

"Right…" he stepped up the final step and found himself standing toe to toe with her. "And I bet you are pretty good at that part too."

"Pretty good…"

Luke watched her eyes shimmer with anticipation and let his eyes trail down to her slightly parted lips. His brain screamed at him to walk back to his truck, go back to work, get back to his normal life while every other ounce of his body wanted him to kiss her. It wasn't until he saw her tongue appear to lick her lips that the decision was made for him. As he leaned forward his eyes travelled up to hers again but this time they didn't seem to be wide with anticipation like he thought they would, they were wide alright but there was something else there behind the bright blue shimmer. And it made him stop. She hadn't moved and seemed to be waiting for him to decide but when he heard the sound of the porch door behind him opening he took a step back and hitched up his jeans as he half turned away from her.

"Oh Luke, you're still here."

"Just leaving Sookie. See ya," he offered them a half wave and hurried down the steps. Sookie came over to stand beside Lorelai as they watched him drive off.

"Did I interrupt something?"

"What? No."

"Really?"

"Really Sookie, nothing. We were just talking."

"Hmmm talking." Sookie nudged her and smiled then walked off leaving Lorelai standing on the porch alone. The truck was no longer in sight but she still watched after it.

"Jeez Lorelai, way to get yourself a reputation. 2 days in town and already you're groping the local diner man."

Luke guided the truck back to the diner and parked it in the alley to the side. He killed the engine and unhooked his seatbelt but sat there motionless for a minute more. He imagined that moment on the porch ending differently. He should have leaned forward to the close the very short distance between them and kissed her. But not just any kiss, no she would need more than a simple kiss. It would take a certain finesse to kiss her. He would brush his lips against hers in a soft tantalizing kiss. Wait for a signal from her to deepen it and he wasn't sure what it would be, probably when he'd feel her hands press against his chest, snake up to his shoulders and circle his neck, then, he knew with a chuckle, then all bets were off. He'd wrap his arms around her body, band her to him in the tightest grip then tilt his head and deepen the kiss. He'd part her lips with his tongue, move one hand to the top of her ass to press her against him, and the other to cup the back of her head as his tongue would caress against hers in a slow languid motion…

Luke shook his head to rid himself of his reverie and gripped the steering wheel in a white knuckle grip. What was he thinking! He admonished himself as he dry washed his face and let out a deep sigh. He didn't know her. He had his daughter to think about. He couldn't go swanning around getting involved with random women. What would Ellie think?! He shook his head, grabbed the door and climbed out of the truck and went into the diner. There were already a few customers there but the lunch rush wasn't in full swing just yet. He grabbed his order book and caught up with Caesar then proceeded to keep busy for the rest of the afternoon.

When school let out there was a bustle of kids asking for pie and shakes but even that died down. Ellie had arrived home and was up in the apartment hopefully doing her homework. He resisted the urge to go up and check on her but was thankful when close to 6 o'clock she came down and grabbed an apron from behind the counter.

"Where do you need me?"

"Clear up the tables by the door." He watched her as she grabbed the basin from the kitchen and cleared the tables. She carried them into the kitchen and he heard her starting to wash them. He went over to the tables and wiped them down then returned to the counter to take payment from some customers. Ellie finished the dishes and came back to the counter and leaned on it. "So what do you want for dinner?" he asked with a smile.

"Burger?"

"Side salad?"

"Side fries?"

"You had fries yesterday. How about some mash with veg?"

"Okay. As long as I get pie for dessert."

"Deal."

Luke went into the kitchen to make their food as Ellie manned the diner. She refilled coffee, took payments and cleared the emptied tables. As the last customers left, she latched the door and flipped the sign from open to closed. Luke carried their plates over to the table and she grabbed two glasses of milk. They sat together and started eating.

"So how was school?"

"Ugh."

"That good?"

"Let's just say the show you put on in the mall might have gotten round."

Luke had the good sense to look embarrassed. "Oh?"

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure you don't have anything to worry about when it comes to my dating life."

"Honey, it's high school. Different dramas happen every day and soon this will pass."

"Yeah I know…" she glanced up at him with a crooked smile. "I guess I kind of deserve it. I shouldn't have lied."

"Well now you know how embarrassing your old man can be, I guess you'll think twice about it."

Ellie rolled her eyes at him and continued to eat their dinner. They chatted idly, sharing their stories, Luke telling her about the incident at the inn but keeping the final details to himself. He let his mind wander as he replayed the porch scene for not the first time that day. Hell that hour. And when they finished eating they shared the clean up duty then went up stairs with pie.

"First game for the sox and cardinals tonight." she spoke as she plopped onto the couch and flicked on the TV.

Luke passed her a slice of pie and a fork and sat next to her. "Uehara will pitch a no hitter this season, I can feel it in my bones."

"That's arthritis old man!" Ellie said laughing as she nudged her father and ate a piece of her pie.

"Oi!" he nudged her back and she laughed.

"If anyone is hitting a no hitter this season you know it's Pineda."

"Ugh my daughter the Yankee fan. Where did I go wrong?"

"First of all, it's all about statistics, You know this father!" She said with a chuckle. "When you introduce me to a game centered around statistics and math you can't expect me to run with the first team you take me to."

"Honey I've told you before you don't pick your team…you're born into it!"

"That was my second point, I was born in Mount Sinai in New York so my real choices were the Yankees or the Mets."

"The mets would have been a better choice."

"Not statistically!" she finished triumphantly then left her now empty plate on the coffee table in front of them. Luke finished his pie then carried both of their plates over to the kitchen the rejoined her back on the couch.

They watched the game in silence for a few minutes and Luke let his arm rest along the back of the couch and tried to fight his eyes from closing.

"Hey Dad?" Ellie spoke softly and when he didn't respond she slinked her foot across the couch towards him and nudged his leg. "Dad…"

"Hmmm?"

"How come you never date anyone?"

As her words sank in Luke was wide awake. His eyes opened and he rolled his head towards her then the sat up straighter and turned to face her.

"Where is this coming from?"

"I dunno." she looked away and shrugged.

"Ellie?" he urged her to respond.

"I guess...last week, when I was chatting with Tim."

"Tim?"

"Oh, you know him as Mall Punk!" Ellie said with a bite of sarcasm.

"Right."

"Well last week when we were chatting, before he went on vacation I...um, I really enjoyed it."

"Ok…" Luke frowned and waited for her to continue.

"And then when he asked me to meet him at the mall…" she rolled her eyes at her father's frown and pushed herself to continue. "It was the best feeling. I mean, I hated lying to you, I wanted to tell you about it, but apart from that, the date...it was amazing. Until...ya know." She looked away and blushed. "Anyway it got me thinking, why don't you ever date?"

Luke wasn't sure where to look and he was equally unsure of how to respond. "Ellie…"

"See when mom calls and she tells me about these...guys, these guys she is seeing. And when she comes round," she ignored Luke's jaw clench and the steely look in his eyes. "I see how she makes you feel-"

"Ellie-"

"But I know how she makes you feel when she leaves too. And I can't help but wonder, if maybe you were not dating because you were waiting for her?"

"Oh Ellie...it's not like that. I promise."

"You aren't waiting for her?"

"No, your mom and I do not work. We never really did. The only good thing, the only perfect thing to come out of our relationship was you." he dropped his hand on her knee and squeezed it.

"So it begs the question...if you aren't pining for Mom then why aren't you dating anyone?"

"Um I guess, no one really has drawn my eye." Luke ducked his head and looked over at the ballgame on TV.

"Oh please...what about that lady who was helping set up the spring fling festival?"

"Who?"

"The leggy blond," Ellie said with an arched eyebrow. "Or substitute teacher you met at parents night at the school."

"I couldn't date your teacher Ellie," he said with a chuckle and looked away again.

"Or that lady you were talking to the other night outside the movie theater."

"Who?"

"You know who, you brought her home her groceries." Luke looked away and avoided his daughter's gaze and hoped his blush was not too visible. "Yeah, her." Ellie said with a smile when she spotted his blush.

"Honey, look...I just don't have time for anyone in my life right now."

"Well dad, I think you should make time." She patted her father's knee and turned her attention back to the game on TV.

Luke tried to focus on the game too. Followed the hits runs and pitches but his mind was elsewhere. He wasn't sure if Ellie knew how timely her questions were and he wasn't sure if she was pulling this out on purpose, with some sort of agenda he wasn't yet aware of but either way he welcomed this train of thought. Maybe Ellie was right, maybe he should do something about his disastrous love life. If his 14 year old daughter had noticed it probably was well past due.

Lorelai sank into her couch and crossed her legs at the ankles. she pushed her head deeper into the cushion and closed her eyes. This new job was more demanding than any she had before and only one week in and she was already beginning to feel the stress.

Customers and staff were equally demanding of her time and her only respite were stolen moments in the kitchen chatting with Sookie sharing desserts and coffee. It was only three more days until Mia left for Florida and she was determined to be fully caught up before then. So she found herself working every waking moment at the inn, covering any and all possibilities and barely made it home long enough to sleep before she was up showered and out the door again.

When the phone rang across the room she moaned and covered her head with her arms in the attempt to will it away. When her answering machine picked up she heard Sookie whispering into the speaker she sat up and looked over.

"Lorelai? Honey are you there?" she whispered almost like a stage whisper.

Lorelai jumped up and hurried over to answer it. "Sookie? Whats up?"

"Oh thank god, listen the plan as gone awry, I repeat, the plan has gone awry."

"What plan? Sookie why are you whispering?"

"Mia is here, she came back to the inn, I had the kitchen all set up for cooking her you know what, and she is back at the inn!"

"Sookie, wait. My brain is not quite functioning yet. What are you cooking?"

"Okay let me lay it out for you...Mia is leaving on Sunday right?"

"Yeah."

"We are having a big surprise party for her right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm cooking this amazing cake for her right?"

"Yeah...oh right!" Lorelai exclaimed suddenly realizing. "And she is back at the inn?"

"Bingo."

"What is she doing back there?"

"I dunno, but you have to get rid of her, if she walks into the kitchen like this the whole surprise is ruined!"

"Okay ok, lemme think...I can call her and invite her round to my place or something, I'll call her right now. Leave it with me Sookie."

"Hurry!"

Lorelai hung up the phone and dialed Mia's cell number then paced the small hallway waiting for her to pick up.

"Hello Lorelai!" Mia answered cheerfully.

"Mia, hey are you busy?"

"Not too busy for you, what's up?"

"I was just hoping we could meet up for a chat, I know you are leaving in a few days and I wanted to just go over some stuff again."

"Oh honey, you are working too hard." Mia chuckled and Lorelai could hear her moving around in her office. She heard the unmistakable click of the door opening.

"Well it's not so much about work, just a thank you meal, why don't you call around here-" she looked over to her kitchen and mentally went through all the food in there, which didn't take long. "Or we could meet at Luke's? Maybe Weston's for a coffee."

"Oh god, if we're meeting for coffee, it's gotta be Luke's."

"So you'll come?"

"Didn't we just have a coffee at the inn a few hours ago?" Lorelai could hear her walking through the inn.

"That was a work coffee, this will be a friends coffee. It's a whole section on the coffee spectrum and more than acceptable to be consumed with pie. Copious amounts of pie." She heard Mia laugh and her footsteps stop.

"Okay, okay let's do it. I can be there in about fifteen minutes."

"Perfect!"

After Mia hung up Lorelai looked at her watch and saw it was nearing 9pm. She wondered briefly if Lukes place was even open this late. She hadn't taken the route through town today and instead had come straight home, like she had done most days this week. She wanted to shower, change wash off her work makeup and change out of her work clothes but there was no time. She glanced at herself in the lobby mirror and grimaced. She looked tired, she knew it and no amount of makeup could cover up the weariness in her eyes. She brandished a wide smile for her reflection and sighed behind it.

She jumped into her Jeep and parked directly outside Luke's. She was relieved at the sight of the lights still on and more so at the sight of Luke behind the counter but as she approached the door he was approaching it also. His arm lifted to flip the sign from open to closed and she called out to him. She jumped up the few steps to the door and knocked on it to get his attention.

"Luke! No!"

He opened the door and frowned down at her.

"Lorelai?"

"You can't be closed."

"But I can. It's closing time. Generally the time I close."

"But no, you have to be open."

"You need a coffee fix? I can make you a cup to go."

"No!" she called it out and put her hand on the door to stop him from closing it.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked more concerned than confused as he stepped back and opened the door to let her in fully.

"Mia is coming here to meet me for a coffee."

"Here?" he looked at his watch. "So late?"

"You know the party we're throwing for her on Saturday night?" she started to pace in his diner as she spoke.

"I heard about it."

"Heard about it?" She stopped pacing and whirled on her heel to turn and face him. "You mean you aren't coming?"

"I'm not really much of a party guy…" he muttered as he hitched up his jeans and reached up to scratch the back of his neck, beneath the bill of his cap.

"I'll come back to that. Anyway…" the pacing began again. "Sookie is at the Inn up to her elbows in cake and desserts and fondant in preparation for the party, and Mia turned up, so I called and arranged to meet her here for a coffee to get her out of the inn so the surprise isn't ruined."

"Why here? It's so late!" Luke moaned and he rubbed his face with his hands.

"It's 9pm Luke! It's not that late."

"It's late when you have to be up at 4:30am."

"Oh god, so early, remind me never to sleep over." she said before she could stop herself and Luke looked at her through his fingers.

"Noted."

"Please Luke, just stay open for a little while." She took a step closer to him and reached out to squeeze his arm. "We'll have coffee, and pie, we'll sit in the corner quietly, you won't even know we are here."

Luke didn't respond. She lifted another hand to rest on his chest and he looked down at it for a second and a flash of his kissing daydream crossed his mind, then took a deep breath and nodded his head. A warm feeling of relief coursed through his body when he watched her smile caress her lips and he had a sudden sinking feeling that this wasn't going to be the first time he bent over backwards to acquiesce to her requests.

"Take a seat, I'll start the coffee." he backed away from her and her hands fell to her sides. He could feel her eyes on him as he walked around the counter and started making her coffee. Lorelai sat at a table by the door where she could see Mia enter as well as watch Luke without making it obvious. Moments later Mia arrived and hesitated at the door when she spotted the closed sign, but Lorelai waved her in and greeted her with a hug.

"Lorelai, isn't Luke usually closed at this time?"

"Um-" Lorelai guided her over to the table and pulled out a chair for her.

"Late night Thursdays," Luke said as he approached then dropped two cups of coffee onto the table. He turned back to the counter and picked up two slices of pie and delivered them too.

"But the sign says closed," Mia pointed out.

"Invite only." he winked at Mia then glanced at Lorelai long enough to catch her smile then turned and walked back to the kitchen.

"Isn't he just something else!" Mia said as she bit into the pie and watched Lorelai's eyes follow Luke across the room and out of sight.

"Yeah, something else." Lorelai pulled her eyes off Luke's retreating back and turned to face Mia's knowing smile. "So here we are."

"Indeed. What is it you need to talk about?"

"Nothing in particular. It just hit me, in three days you won't be here any more." She reached over and grasped Mia's hand. "I know I haven't been here very long, hell it's only been just over a week but it means so much to me that you have trusted me with your inn, and given me this opportunity."

"Lorelai honey…"

"Well I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that I'm going to do everything I can to make you proud of me, make sure you know you made the right decision."

"Oh I know I did honey, I already know."

Lorelai was surprised at the tears that stung her eyes. She had become attached so quickly to her friends here in Stars Hollow who had welcomed her with open arms and now to realize one of them would be leaving and the gap they would be leaving behind would be harder to fill than she was willing to admit.

They talked idly as Luke busied himself in the kitchen, in the store room and then for a while in his apartment. He ushered Ellie to bed shortly before ten then returned to the diner to see both women still engrossed in whatever topics they were sharing. He stood by the till going over his receipts for the tenth time all the while watching Lorelai through the corner of his eyes.

She spoke animatedly with Mia, smiling and laughing, whispering words of confidence. He watched her eyes close over as if in pain, her smile diluted by her frown then when Mia spoke to her she lifted her fingers to her eyes to brush away what he assumed were tears then chuckle and smile at Mia. Mia reached over and hugged her lightly and Lorelai rested her head on her shoulder for a few seconds then she pulled away and rubbed her face. Luke watched the whole interaction without hiding his interest but when Lorelai looked up at him, her face clearly showing her embarrassment he looked away.

"Maybe we better go," Mia said when she caught the exchange. She stood up and lifted her bag onto her shoulder and Lorelai did the same. She reached into her purse but Lorelai brushed her hands away and insisted on paying.

"Please Mia, I invited you out, I shall pay. Go, go home and rest up. Tomorrow is another day."

Mia hugged her and thanked her then waved at Luke and left. Lorelai walked over to Luke who was standing at the counter watching them with a small smile. he waved when Mia left and turned his attention back to Lorelai who pulled her wallet out of her bag.

"How much for the coffee and pie Luke?"

"Don't worry about it." He waved her money away as he looked at her eyes and noticed the remnants of tears still there. "It's on the house."

"No Luke, I couldn't do that. Seriously, how much?"

"Forget it Lorelai, it was a couple of slices of pie."

"And coffee, we had coffee too."

"It's fine."

"And you stayed open late, please, let me pay!" she waved the bills in her hands at him.

He looked down at the notes and took them then handed a few back to her. "Everything, um-" he coughed lightly. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, sure, everything is fine." she curled her hair behind her ears and shoved the money Luke gave her back into her pockets. She looked up to him with an unconvincing smile and started to back away from the counter towards the door. "Thanks again Luke, you saved the party."

"Anytime."

"Saved the party that you now have to go to!" she continued to walk backwards and reached behind her when she got to the door.

"We'll see."

"Luke If there is anything either of us has learned from this evening it's that I don't take no for an answer."

"I didn't say no."

"Great, so I'll see you then." she opened the door from behind, all the while still watching him.

"We'll see."

She smiled and stepped out then closed the door after her and went to her Jeep. Lorelai drove home and let the memories of the evening wash over her. What had started as a simple distraction with Mia, chatting idly about her work at the inn had all too quickly, as Mia had a knack for doing, getting right to the niggling points of self doubt that Lorelai tried so hard to cover up with banter and smiles.

She spoke about her parents, the lack of support she got from them, the loneliness she felt from this lack of relationship and how Mia had filled that void in such a short space of time. Mia listened to her, quelled her fears and self doubt and encouraged her to breach the gap between herself and her parents and promised her she was always available at the end of the phone if Lorelai needed her.

Now lying in bed Lorelai wondered about Mia's words. About the relationship she had with her parents. She left her parental home at the earliest opportunity. Choosing to go to college in California which her parents stated was only chosen because it was so far away. They weren't wrong. Growing up in an upper class Connecticut family wasn't the hardship Lorelai was escaping. It was the controlling parents who watched her every move, vetted friendships, fostered relationships for business needs. She never wanted for any material objects but when it came to love and affection it was the nanny, the maids, the gardeners that Lorelai had turned to. When she left for college she never looked back.

She had learned not to trust anyone, not to let anyone in and only to show this happy exterior so no one would realize how lonely she had really become. She had protected herself for so long she had no idea she was only hiding herself. Relationships never lasted longer than a few months, most of them no longer than a few weeks. Once her physical craving was met she was ready to move on. Never getting too close, never getting too attached for fear of getting rejected. Lorelai had come to terms with this existence. Was happy to let it continue.

She rolled over onto her side and slipped one hand under her pillow in an effort to encourage her sleep when unbidden an image of Luke popped into her head. She frowned at the sight of him standing behind his counter, idly drying a large blue mug with a tea towel as he looked at her with a small smile on his lips.

"I dunno what you are smiling at Danes." she said to herself, the words spoken aloud and shattering the silence she had been engulfed in. The image of Luke smiled a little wider as if it could sense her discomfort at the sight of him. He waggled his eyebrows at her and put the cup down then let both hands rest flat on the counter. She caught the edge of his smile turn up a little higher and his lips parted enough for his tongue to appear and caress them then disappear behind his smile again.

Lorelai swallowed around the lump in her throat and rolled onto her back to stare up at the dark ceiling. Suddenly the image of Luke was in front of the counter and she could see his long legs covered in soft denim, the flannel shirt was open and he wore a tee tucked in with his order book and pencil sticking out of the front of his jeans. His hands were on his hips which were cocked at an angle that made her think of other positions she'd like to see his hips in.

She closed her eyes and tried to shake the image out of her mind but it only made it more vivid. He scratched the back of his neck, ducked his head and looked at her through those impossibly long lashes. Without bidding Lorelai left her fingers stroke soft circles into her warm stomach, her little fingers brushing the band of her panties.

She sighed and tried to derail her train of thoughts but it was no use. He was smiling now, laughing even almost as if he was taunting her and she knew there was no use in ignoring him. She let her fingers dip a little deeper, and brush over her curls as she imagined his long fingers doing the same. She couldn't help the moan escaping from her lips as she felt how wet she was already. Mere moments of imagining this man and she was already weak at the knees and literally dripping with need.

She moved one of her legs aside, bending her knee and planting her foot against her other knee to give herself better access. Now that she was committed to this task she wanted to give it her all and make sure it was all worth it. She brushed her folds gently then let one finger slip between them and dragged it slowly up to her clit. She moaned and let out a long breath before repeating the motion and then added a second finger.

She opened her eyes to see Luke standing at the end of her bed. He was still fully dressed, his flannel shirt fell by his sides as he crouched down and crawled up her body. He took her wrist and moved her hand aside only to replace it with his lips, his tongue, his need. She arched up into the sensation as his tongue parted her folds licked her slowly then found her entrance and pierced her core. She cried out and gripped the sheets beneath her. She wanted it to happen slowly but her wanton desire had other thoughts. Her hips bucked and and her legs parted even more as his tongue quickened the pace then when his hand pressed on the top of her pubic bone and his thumb reached down to caress her clit and she felt the bubble inside her pop with a resonating wave.

She cried out, panting with her release as the sensation faded and she looked down at herself with a smile. It has been a long time since anyone had a starring role in any of her self guided excursions let alone someone she wasn't dating. She rolled out of bed and tied her hair up into a messy high ponytail then showered and let her body relax under the hot stream of water. She dried off quickly and crawled back under the sheets into a welcomed hard fought for slumber.