2nd date

Lorelai came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee and plopped down on the sofa next to Rory, who was flipping channels, looking for something to watch on TV.

"What do you have planned while Luke and I are out tonight?" she asked.

"Going to Lane's for dinner, then hanging out. We might head out to a club or something if we can think of someplace to go." Rory sounded calm, but she was excited about the evening. Not only would Lane be there, but also Zach, Brian and Jess.

"Are you excited about tonight? Rory asked. Before Lorelai could answer, the phone rang.

Rory, who had been holding the phone, answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Rory, this is Luke. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Rory looked over at Lorelai and mouthed the word "Luke." Lorelai took the phone out of Rory's hand and answered, "Hi there, can't wait to talk to me?"

"Lorelai, I was talking to Rory. Can you put her back on?"

"Well, OK! What a way to be romantic. Are you putting Date Number 2 in jeopardy already?" she huffed as she handed the phone back to Rory.

"She was too quick for me, Luke, she took the phone right out of my hand."

Luke spoke, then Rory laughed. "Are you laughing at me? That's mean!" Lorelai said.

"Hush, Mom, we're trying to talk here." Rory answered Luke, saying, "Oh, I see. Sure that sounds good. Shouldn't be a problem."

Lorelai, frustrated, started to grab for the phone again, but Rory pushed her away. "Go away, Mom, this doesn't involve you!" she scolded.

"You guys are planning a surprise, aren't you?" Lorelai grinned from ear to ear.

Rory listened to Luke a moment longer, then said to Lorelai, "Luke says to go get ready to go. He doesn't want to sit around here all evening waiting for you to primp."

"Did he really use the word 'primp'?" she chuckled, reaching for the phone again. Rory got up and danced out of her way.

"Sorry, Luke, there's an annoying puppy trying to get my attention. " To Lorelai, she said, "Go away! Naughty puppy! I'll swat you with a newspaper!" Lorelai giggled.

"Anyway, Luke, I think I can manage that. No, no problem if you come over half an hour earlier. I'm sure Mom will be out of our way by that time." Rory gave her mother a warning stare, then listened to Luke a bit longer.

"No, no, it's no bother. You're very welcome. See you in a few!" Rory hung up.

"What's that all about?" pressed Lorelai.

"None of your business, it's between me and Luke. Go get dressed, how long do you think he'll wait if he knows you've just been messing around instead of getting ready?"

Lorelai stomped her foot in pretend anger and went upstairs to finish getting ready.

Half an hour before the appointed start of the date, Luke knocked on the door. Rory let him in and they seated themselves on the sofa.

"Hey, Rory. Here's my new cell phone. I'm having the damnedest time figuring out how to set up the phone list."

"OK, let's take a look. It's not so much different from my phone," Rory said.

"Lu-uke! Couldn't wait, could you? That's so sweet," called Lorelai from upstairs.

"Don't dawdle; I don't want to be late." Luke grumped loudly.

"Whatcha doing down there? Planning something? Should I keep my eyes closed when I come downstairs?" She was relentless.

"The work. So much work," Luke muttered so only Rory could hear. She looked at him and smiled.

"You volunteered for it, you know," she teased quietly. "Look, here's how it goes. Which number first?"

"How about here?" Luke asked, smiling.

"OK, here we enter the name, C-r-a-p-s-h-a-c-k, then there the number and save. Now you try it," she coached.

"The diner, ok, then the number, damn, how do you delete?" he asked.

"That button there. You know you can also put nicknames instead of real names, and it saves time if you just have the person call you and you save their number. Here, let me get Mom's phone and show you."

Rory took her mother's cell phone and dialed Luke's number as he read it off to her. His phone rang and Lorelai, thinking it was her phone, came running to the landing. "Is that for me?"

"No, Mom, it's Luke's new cell. We're just setting up the dialing directory. What name shall we use for you?"

"Main squeeze," said Lorelai. Luke: "No way."

"Hot Plates!" "No!" Luke was getting irritated.

"Sugarpuss!" "How about Number 2 Girlfriend?"

"Feeling the love up here, feeling the love. How about Junie?"

"You mean Junie of Junie and Momo?" he laughed, remembering her reaction to that rant. Rory chuckled, too. "A circus couple. I can deal with that."

"Rory, please program Luke's cell on my phone too. Let's call him Schnickelfritz."

"Mom, no! Be kind." Rory shook her head and rolled her eyes in sympathy with Luke.

Luke stood up and went over to the stairs. "You know, Lorelai, it's getting hard to be romantic when you act like this," said Luke, running his hand through his hair in an exasperated manner. "Are you trying to make this date a disappointment?" He went back to the sofa and sat in a relaxed position, knowing he'd have to wait a few more minutes.

"At least give me Momo!" she called. Luke nodded yes.

"Deal!" called Rory.

Rory and Luke continued updating the phone directory, adding her number, the Dragonfly and more. The two of them were concentrating so hard they didn't notice Lorelai coming down the stairs. Her killer black dress was hidden under a shot-silk pink coat, and she was beautiful. For once her hair was curling perfectly, just long enough yet not too long. Her nails were beautifully and elegantly manicured, her clutch purse was just big enough to handle the few essentials one might need on a second date.

When she reached the lower landing, she turned and posed, but Luke didn't notice. His head was bent down as he and Rory exchanged more phone numbers, so Lorelai began posing, trying to get his attention.

Rory glanced up, saw her, looked at Luke and smiled, then winked at Lorelai. Giving up, Lorelai came quietly downstairs and stood just behind him. Rory walked past her, saying softly, "No need to find an emergency room, apparently his immune system's pretty strong." As Rory picked up her drink and went back to sit beside Luke, Lorelai gave her daughter an icy look.

Eventually Lorelai's perfume drifted Luke's way. He sniffed, looked up at Rory, and then turned around.

Pleasantly surprised, he stood and greeted her with a small kiss and put his arm around her waist. "You look nice," he said. With pride, he showed her his new phone and started to explain the details that Rory had taught him.

Lorelai's eyes glazed over quickly after she verified that her number had been entered correctly.

Letting him go on for another minute, she finally bent down, looked him in the eye, waved at him to get his attention, and asked, "Is Momo off his meds?"

Rory saw the look on Luke's face as it dawned on him that Lorelai was not quite as thrilled with his phone as he was. She laughed while Lorelai tried to give him a reprimanding, school-marmish look, but failed. Rory laughed even harder at Lorelai's frustrated expression.

Sheepishly, Luke closed the phone and said, "Beautiful. You look fantastic. Are you ready to go?"

"Where are you going?" asked Rory, to which Luke replied, "Persephone's on the outskirts of Hartford. It's a great seafood restaurant."

Lorelai commented, "It is a nice place, very good choice, blah blah, have a nice evening. Let's go, I'm getting hungry." She tugged on his jacket to lead him to the door. Luke turned and winked at Rory as they left, saying to Lorelai, "Are you really sure you're not trying to sabotage this date?"

They parked at Persephone's in the semi-darkness, talking so animatedly that they stayed in the truck for a minute or two longer.

As Luke opened Lorelai's door, he finished his story, saying, "…and there I was, flat on my ass in the middle of the river, with a broken fishing rod."

Lorelai laughed, asking, "Did you catch anything?

"Only the one that swam into my waders. Actually tasted pretty good."

Lorelai stopped and took in the beauty of the night and the restaurant. Persephone's was situated in an old mansion with a large portico. Twinkle lights decorated the columns and large potted plants flanked small settees and gliders. Tiny tables in front of the settees held flickering candles. The front garden had more twinkle lights in the lower trees and strategically placed garden candle lanterns. Leaded glass windows revealed the golden lights inside, and shadowy figures moving back and forth.

They climbed the stairs slowly, enjoying the moment, Luke's hand at the small of Lorelai's back. She barely leaned an elbow against his torso as her heels unsteadily negotiated the broad steps. At the top of the stairs, she walked the length of the portico, her fingertips touching his, pulling him inevitably along behind her. At the far end, in a dark corner, she took his tie, pulled him back against the building and gave him a kiss, both tender and tingly at the same time.

"I thought you were hungry," he murmured as he held his face close to hers, feeling her breath, tempted to abandon dinner altogether.

"There's more than one kind of hunger," she answered in a husky voice, "but I really do need food now."

They reluctantly went in the front door, where they were greeted by the maître d'hôtel and shown to the coat check. Lorelai placed her clutch on a nearby occasional table and unbuttoned her coat.

As Luke slid the coat off her bare shoulders, he saw first the nearly-open back of the very tight dress. When she turned around he was struck by the beauty of the black fabric circling her neck, leaving a large keyhole opening between her clavicle and her breasts. He involuntarily drew a breath.

"Oh, god, my immune system can't handle this at all. Are you sure you don't have that emergency room number?" he whispered in her ear. Lorelai just turned her head and smiled at him, feeling slightly light-headed, either from his scent or the lack of food, she couldn't tell. Luke gripped her waist tighter as her hair brushed against his cheek.

The maître d'hôtel showed them the front of the restaurant, explaining that they had designed the dining space to take advantage of the original architecture of the building. There was one relatively large dining room, used mostly for business dinners. The rest of the rooms were decorated in antiques of the period, with only the most necessary of modern conveniences included. There were just a few tables in each of the smaller rooms.

Their table was situated just inside the door of a small parlor, large enough for just three parties of two. A large potted palm in the center of the room provided privacy for each couple. Lorelai was seated on an angled loveseat, her back to the quiet discreet hallway. Luke took the other half of the loveseat, their elbows touching, knees within just the right distance for contact, but with enough room for Luke to stretch his legs out when needed.

"A Kir Royale, perhaps, to start?" asked the maître d'hôtel, "It's our signature aperitif."

"Yes, I'd love one," said Lorelai. "Luke, would you like one, or perhaps something without champagne?"

"Special occasion, of course a Kir is the right thing. Two, please," he requested.

The maître d said, "Of course. Your server will be here shortly to discuss your dining options." He paused, then continued, "If I could ask, are you celebrating a special occasion, perhaps an anniversary? You seem so connected and so happy, something extraordinary must be happening."

"It is extraordinary," Lorelai replied, "it's our second date." She beamed at Luke, taking his hand in hers.

"Ah, my apologies, I would have thought you'd been together much longer. Please enjoy your dinner, and don't hesitate to ask if there's anything you need or want."

"See, Momo, we're just an old married couple out for our 88th wedding anniversary. We're lucky we aren't using walkers and drooling."

"Momo is very happy you've stuck with him so long."

"Really happy Momo, or are you back on your meds?" she laughed.

The cocktails arrived quickly, the crème de cassis laying perfectly at the bottom of the champagne flute, with the champagne bubbling over it, a purple and golden rainbow. Raspberries floated on top, and a porcelain dish of frosted raspberries was served alongside the drinks.

Lorelai looked into Luke's eyes and let her heart tell her what it saw there. It saw eight years of growth, learning, fighting, laughing, loving, and finally acknowledging the love that lay deeper still.

He watched, fascinated, as these emotions changed the color of her eyes, one moment darkening, another like the flash from a camera.

"To you, Luke," Lorelai said, picking up her glass and leaning in close to him. "To finally understanding what my heart has been saying for so many years, that our connection is so primeval, so true, it's unbreakable. I love you, that's a given. That I'm in love with you, openly and completely, is the fulfillment of a dream I never admitted to myself before now."

These words, words Luke had hoped to hear one day, set off fireworks in his head, destroying years of wanting and waiting, crumbling walls and barriers around his heart.

"Lorelai, I love you with all my heart."

They toasted, then kissed. Lorelai fed Luke a raspberry, then kissed the juice from his lips. After a discreet interval, the waiter came to explain the specials, fresh from the ocean today. With the exception of the main course, which was to be served with wine, Lorelai ordered a martini, and Luke requested a beer. The waiter offered a pilsner from the Czech Republic, which turned out to be delicious.

The amuse bouche consisting of a miniature lobster bisque, a tiny sea scallop on a bed of baby arugula, and a puff topped by caviar, followed the aperitif.

Slowly the atmosphere returned to a new normal. Love, once spoken, could not be unheard, and changed everything. Except hunger. Lorelai and Luke both ate with gusto, first the salad, then the dorade, which the maître d filleted with two spoons.

"We haven't worked through the list yet, Luke." Lorelai spoke while swallowing the last morsel of fish.

"List? What list?"

"The second date list of appropriate topics and behaviors. Don't you think we should make sure we're doing this right?"

"What do you think I think?" He arched an eyebrow.

"Point taken. How's your dinner?"

"Great, it tastes like fish I've caught before on my fishing trips," Luke answered. "Beautiful presentation, though. Not too many Kir Royales out at the lake."

"Does it taste like the fish you caught in your waders?" laughed Lorelai. "Ooh dirty" she said before Luke had a chance to call her on it.

"Ha ha. Do you want some of these potatoes?"

"I get it, that was a conversation-killing question. Let me try again." She took more potatoes out of the serving dish, took a bite, then said, "Tell me something about yourself that you think I don't know."

Folding his napkin and putting his fork down, Luke regarded her carefully. "I drink espresso, but not coffee."

"Good, I'll buy an espresso machine. What do you do when you're not catering to my every whim?" She teased this time, hoping for a rise out of him.

"You think there's energy left over after you've drained the life out of me?" he asked. "Actually, when I get the chance, I go to Sniffy's Tavern. Buddy and Maisie, friends of my parents, run the place. It's a place where I don't have to run the show, like at the diner, or have to follow your bidding, like at your house."

Lorelai had the good grace to feel guilty about using Luke too often and too much. "Sorry, I did at least try to entertain you. From now on, that will change. You can look forward to the Crapshack as a home away from home, and I'll take care of you for a change." She edged closer, touching his knee with her own.

Luke put his arm around her waist, pulling her to him and played with a stray curl. "That I'll enjoy, but I might enjoy the reverse even more, depending on the activity." He placed tiny kisses on her temple, moving down along her jaw until he reached her neck. Lorelai moaned the softest of moans. She lifted his chin and kissed him gently on the lips, opening her mouth just enough to press the tip of her tongue to his lips, which parted immediately and took her tongue even deeper.

They drifted back to reality when the server made a subtle noise, then unobtrusively cleared the table. He topped off the wine in their glasses, emptying the bottle, and said, "The maître d will bring the cheese selection by in a moment. Can I get you anything else?"

"No, we're fine," said Lorelai, "We'll probably have espresso with dessert, but we'll decide later."

Before the maître d arrived, Luke's pocket buzzed. "I didn't put it on vibrate," he said. "Hmm, Rory must have done that. Good kid. Did I ever tell you you have a good kid?" he asked, looking at her smilingly before he answered the call.

"Caesar? What's up? Wait just a second, I can't stand to use this thing in here. Let me go out to the porch and I'll call you right back." He stood up, saying, "It's the rule in my diner, the least I can do is keep it here as well." He kissed her on the top of her head and she made him pull his hand out of her fingertips before she allowed him to leave. "Don't forget where we left off," he said, putting his finger on her lips.

She turned and looked out the door after him. Now, that's a fine figure of a man, she thought to herself. A moment later, she could see him walking on the porch. He looked through the leaded glass window and smiled, then he headed toward the end of the porch.

Lorelai settled back in her chair, glad to have the glass of wine for company.

"Lorelai?" Her skin prickled when she heard that voice.

Jason had been walking by when he recognized Lorelai. He charged into the room and stood before her with an eager look on his face.

"This is just great! I was here for a business dinner, trying to salvage what's left of my career, and here you are, waiting for me. It must be a sign. Lorelai, we can't let this go. I can't let you walk out of my life, just like that," said Jason pleadingly. He spoke fast, as if he were constantly afraid someone would interrupt him.

"Jason! What are you doing here? What are you saying?" asked Lorelai, confused.

"We belong together, Lorelai, you know that. We are so great together. I gave you a key!"

Jason's logic was absurd, she thought. The key had nothing to do with anything.

"Jason, listen. We broke up. We are not together. I do not want to get back together with you!"

"You can't mean that Lorelai! Everything was so good between us!"

"Everything was just OK between us, and then you sued my family. I won't be with anyone who sues my family. Period."

Jason stopped talking, looked around then asked, "Are you on a date?"

"Yes, now it's time for you to go." Lorelai was getting angry.

"I want just one more chance, Lorelai, just one more! The guy who left you sitting here alone is crazy. Let me take you home. Or better yet, my place."

"Or maybe he's just a responsible person, taking care of business," she countered angrily. She stood up, towering over him in her high heels. "I'm leaving. My date's outside, don't follow me."

As she turned to go, a small group of noisy laughing women came by, clearly tipsy. Lorelai got a sinking feeling in her stomach when she recognized one woman's auburn hair. Emily.

"Lorelai! What are you doing here?" Emily had returned and was standing in front of her, swaying back and forth slightly.

She looked over at Jason, not recognizing him. "Are you on a date, Lorelai?" she asked. "With this guy?"

"Yes, Mom, but not with Jason. He was just leaving."

Jason stood stock still when Emily turned her attention to him. "Do I know you? You look like a garden troll. What's your name? Dopey?" She laughed overly loud.

Emily's friends had missed her, came back and took her with them, laughing like only women who have nothing to lose can laugh. "Emily, come on! We're going to the cigar room to celebrate your separation from Richard."

Lorelai stood there, stunned. Her parents had separated. Unbelievable.

Luke, finishing his call, walked past the window again, where he saw Lorelai with Jason. His shock was palpable, and he practically ran the few steps from the door to Lorelai's side.

Luke put his arm around Lorelai's waist, pulling her tightly to his side. "Lorelai, are you alright? Lorelai?"

No answer from her, but Jason jumped into the silence. "Who are you? What are you doing with my girlfriend?" Sometimes you have to gamble it all on a high-risk bet, he decided.

Luke moved between Jason and Lorelai. "Go now," he growled.

Jason still stood there. "Hey, wait a second, aren't you Duke? Lorelai, you're dating Duke? Seriously?"

Luke's expression showed Jason that he was very serious, and finally Jason got the message. "Alright, alright, I'm gone!" he said as he exited hastily.

Luke took Lorelai in his arms and held her, caressing her hair as she leaned against him, glassy-eyed. "Oh Luke, that was unbelievable. You will never believe what I just saw."

After a long minute, she calmed down enough to stand on her own, but she kept her hands on Luke's arms for comfort.

"Come sit down, you'll feel better in a minute," Luke said. He guided Lorelai to her seat just as her mother came back into the room.

Jess arrived not long after Luke and Lorelai had gone, and he and Rory headed over to Lane's. Even after having visited her best friend several times in this shabby little apartment, Rory was still slightly dismayed at her friend's living circumstances. Plumbing that didn't work well, crowded in with her bandmates, Lane was both happy and uncomfortable.

Lane was also feeling awkward with Jess around. They had never hung around when he was Rory's boyfriend during high school, and realistically she hardly knew him. She did know he could be a mood-killer in a small group if he were in a snit.

This was a different Jess tonight, though. He held onto Rory the whole evening, conversing about music with Lane and Zach, generally being rather pleasant for Jess.

"We have another party gig near Woodbridge in two weeks," said Lane. "Now that we've learned our lesson from Kyle's party that you guys attended, things are better prepared. It should go off without a hitch."

"Have you learned a lot of new songs?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, man. We are so ready for this gig," said Zach. "It took us forever to get the set list together, with just the right mix of originals and covers. Our style is really starting to gel, too."

"What's going on with you guys?" Lane asked, opening a bag of chips, which was promptly snatched away by Brian and Zach.

"I'm writing a lot," said Jess. "There's no better way to get better at writing. Better at better? You'd think I had a vocabulary of about 20 words when I put sentences together like that." He made a wry face at his own joke.

Rory added, "and I'm writing just as much, except it's all for course papers and the Yale newspaper. Totally different kind of writing from Jess' because he has to really dig deep to find the fiction muse."

"Dude, the pizza's taking too long, I'm starving!" complained Zach.

Rory answered Lane's question by describing how they met up again on the last night of finals. Squeezing his hand, she said, "It's really nice to be together again."

Slightly embarrassed, Jess wandered off with Zach and Brian to drink some beer. His knowledge of the latest music trends in New York caught their attention, and they got involved in Brian's disc collection.

Even though Lane would have preferred to be duking it out with the guys over the best bands on Mojo's recent releases list, her friend was more important. They moved over to a corner of the room and Lane asked, "So what really happened? Jess came to Yale? What did he want?"

"He wanted to run away with me to New York," answered Rory. "We talked for a while and he began to understand how important school is to me, and the next thing you know, we're back together again."

"How was the sex?" Lane was tense, waiting to hear about Rory's experiences.

"No sex. At least not yet. This is all pretty new, you remember how hurt I was when he left without saying goodbye? We've made up about that."

"Well are you going to? It's not like you're in high school any more, and I remember the way you talked about his kisses. How are you going to resist. Heck, why should you resist, if you're ready. I mean it's JESS." Lane waxed romantic.

Pausing to grab the chips back from the boys, she continued. "What does Lorelai think?" Lane inquired, munching on a chip.

"She only remembers that he left without saying goodbye, and she had to pick up the pieces. I haven't exactly had time to tell her yet. Jess and I were busy all day, and Mom is working like a demon to get the inn ready for the test run. Also, she and Luke have gotten really involved. I'm happy for her, but it's so intense and so quick."

"Ha ha, now who sounds like the mom?" Lane teased. "You guys used to do that role reversal back in high school, even a little in middle school. So cute. "

Lane continued. "Don't worry about intense, Luke is the same as Lorelai when it comes to intensity. You can't expect them to not be all in from the start. You heard about their dance at the Renaissance wedding, right? Patty was wild about the sparks Lorelai and Luke were giving off."

"Oh, yeah, I've heard it about a million times. If I haven't been calming Mom down so she could get ready for their next date, I've had to field questions from half of Stars Hollow, wanting to know the scoop. Just walking down the street today was a nightmare."

The guys were laughing over some lame joke Jess had told, so Lane and Rory wandered over to join in on the fun. Rory put her arm around Jess' waist and kissed him just below his ear, feeling very happy.

"Lorelai! Good, you're still there. Come back with us broads – we're going to have a cigar. In the cigar room. We chased all the men out." Being a 'broad' had apparently become important to Emily, thought Lorelai. "And brandy. Brandy and a cigar."

Luke was still standing beside Lorelai, trying to get her to sit. She sank down in her chair and looked up at her mother. He then stared at Emily, surprised at her behavior.

"Seriously, Lorelai, it will be fun. My friends and I, we decided to start a first wives' club. We're having our inaugural meeting tonight, and we're celebrating. Brandy and cigars, and no men."

Emily turned her head and finally noticed Luke. "Wait. Did you just grow? When I was here a little while ago, you were shorter. And you looked like a troll."

"You don't look like a troll now." Emily turned to Lorelai again. "Are you on a date?" she asked. A smile slowly spread across Luke's face. Drunk Emily was fun.

"Mom, you just asked me that question, and I said yes, I'm on a date, but not with Jason, with Luke."

Emily reacted at Jason's name, not hearing the rest of what Lorelai said.

"Jason? Jason was here? That little weasel. Never liked him. Where is he now, I'll tell him." Emily looked around the room. Luke and Lorelai were both relieved that the only other couple in the room with them had left a long time ago.

"OK, you." Emily turned to Luke. "You look nice, very nice."

She weaved a little and Luke put his arm out to steady her. "Oh, and strong too. Meaty, like a Porterhouse steak."

Lorelai stifled a giggle, remembering the last time Emily used a Porterhouse steak reference for Luke – Rory's birthday party. Luke knitted his eyebrows together, trying to figure out an appropriate response. Lorelai just waved her hand at him indicating he shouldn't even try.

Emily looked Luke over again, liking what she saw. She turned to Lorelai and asked, "Are you on a date?"

Lorelai sighed. "Yes, Mom." Luke stifled a laugh.

"With Porter here? That's a nice name, Porter. And such a gentleman, too. Strong, very strong." She put her hand on Luke's lower arm to steady herself. Luke made big eyes at Lorelai, pleading for help.

Lorelai eyed him defiantly back, deciding to let it play out Emily's way.

"Yes, Mom, I'm out with Porter. You know his family, I think, don't you? The Housesteaks? I think his mother is in the DAR over in Providence." Luke gave her a look of disbelief.

"Oh, of course! The Providence Hausstakes! How could I have forgotten? You will forgive me, won't you, Porter?" She smiled sweetly at him.

Luke had to stifle laughter again as he nodded. "Anytime, Emily. My pleasure."

"Mom, don't you need to get back to your First Wives' club? Your friends must be missing you," said Lorelai, trying to get her mother to move along.

"Oh! Bitsy must come and meet you, Porter. She will love meeting you. I'll go get her." Emily exited and headed back toward the cigar room.

"Quick quick, sit down, before she returns! You'll be safer if you're sitting." Lorelai was half in tears from laughter.

"Why didn't you rescue me? That made me feel very uncomfortable," he said, laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

"Don't worry, Luke, she'll only remember Porter tomorrow."

"What was that whole Porterhouse steak thing about anyway?"

"I'll give you the details later, but here's a teaser – Rory's 16th birthday. That's when Emily met you for the first time."

"I remember that night. She came over and talked to me for about two minutes that night. Longest two minutes of my life. That was actually worse than drunk Emily. God, the questions she asked."

Emily walked back in at that moment, carrying a half-finished snifter full of brandy and dragging her friend Bitsy by the hand. "Bitsy, come along, I want you to meet my daughter's boyfriend. He is sooo nice." She dragged the last two words out in a low, gravelly voice.

She came to the table and stopped, looking a little puzzled. She turned to Lorelai.

"Lorelai, are you on a date?" Lorelai dropped her head on the table in frustration, while Luke openly grinned.

"Yes, Mom, I'm on a date," she mumbled into the tablecloth.

Emily turned to Luke. "You must be her date, nice to meet you. Bitsy, this is Lorelai's boyfriend, …" Emily stopped, turned back to Luke and asked, "Do I know you?"

Luke stood up to greet the ladies. "Yes, Emily, we've met before. Several times, as a matter of fact." He deliberately didn't say when or where, unsure if she were talking to Porter or Luke.

Emily stood there a while longer, pondering when she had met this nice, tall man. Bitsy pushed her a little to the side, got close to Luke, and took his hand in both of hers. "Hi, nice to meet you. My name's Bitsy." She rubbed his hand suggestively, looking behind him to see the whole package.

Luke looked back at Lorelai, pleading silently for assistance. She sat back, intending to let him suffer just a moment longer. He responded politely to Bitsy, "Hi Bitsy, I'm Luke."

That caught Emily's attention, who had been sipping her brandy. "Luke? You're Luke?"

Surprised, Luke turned back to Emily, using that as an excuse to extricate his hand from Bitsy's grasp and step a safe distance away from her.

Emily continued.

"Diner Luke?" He nodded.

"Romanov Luke?" Another nod.

"Hospital Luke?" He shrugged, a little self-conscious, but nodded again.

"Lap dance iceman Luke?" The shock on Luke's face prompted Lorelai to act.

"Yes, Mom, all of those Lukes. I'm dating Luke. He's my boyfriend."

Emily looked him over again, top to bottom. "You clean up good," she told him.

She turned to Lorelai, saying only, "I told you so."

Emily drained her glass, stood up straighter and took Bitsy by the arm. "We're going now. Feel free to stop by for a cigar if you like. Luke, I'm sure the other girls would like to meet you too." Bitsy's face showed her clear enthusiasm for that idea.

"Thanks, Mom, I think we'll pass tonight. Maybe next time."

After Emily and Bitsy left, the couple breathed a sigh of relief and drained their wine glasses.

"I'm starting to understand the Porterhouse steak reference. Sheesh."

Lorelai laughed darkly, saying, "And you thought Babette and Miss Patty were bad, didn't you? The thing about the DAR ladies is, they sneak up on you, acting all polite and genteel, and then they pounce. At least you know what to expect from Patty."

Rory and Jess walked back to her house in the dark, arms wrapped tightly around each other like lovers do. Upon entering the house, they discovered no one was home.

"Hmm, I wonder where they are. It's pretty late, seeing how they both work and all. Do you wanna watch a movie?" Rory asked, drawing Jess over to the sofa, where they flopped down on the middle cushion, legs entwined, Rory half on Jess' lap.

"Movie sounds great. I don't know if you should expect your Mom back tonight, I made sure Luke knew that I was gone out of the apartment, just in case he needed some privacy. Luke doesn't even know I'm still in town, unless Patty told him." He wandered over to the stack of tapes and perused them a few minutes.

"Do you think they're really going to have sex tonight? They've only been seeing each other for a few days." Rory was a little concerned. "On the other hand, some of the girls on my floor at the residence hall seemed to sleep with a different guy every couple of weeks. I got really lucky with my roommates. They're weird but not really all that disturbing."

"Seriously? Paris?" he asked skeptically.

"OK, Paris is an exception, but she and I have friendly limits worked out. All I have to do it tell her I've got about three minutes of patience left before I explode and she makes herself scarce."

"Here's a movie I'll watch. East of Eden with James Dean, one of my favorites." Jess put the tape in and cuddled up near Rory again.

Necking and movie watching went hand in hand, mouth on mouth. Jess did take a break to pay attention to his favorite moments, remarking, "This is the only film James Dean ever saw finished. Such a life he had."

Rory had a little chill about that. "He also wasted his life, dying before he should have. That's just stupid, not wonderful or romantic."

"Ah, you just don't understand him. He was a great artist, and was treated like shit by everyone around him."

"I don't want to talk about him anymore. Tell me more about Mom and Luke at the diner." She snuggled close to Jess, playing with his hands as he talked.

He entertained her with the story and sideline commentary from Patty, cracking up at the dirtier bits. Rory hung on his every word, seeing a new version of her mother in his story, and a Luke she'd never seen before.

"Your story is so much better than Mom's version; I think she's trying to protect me, like she thinks I was raised in a convent or something. Maybe you should become a writer," she teased.

"Har har, you're so funny. Maybe I should become a writer and tell some of Patty's stories. I used to think she was just crazy, but I really admire her. She has really lived life the way it should be lived."

"Do you know what I like, Jess?" Rory asked, kissing him on the chin, then making her way down his neck. "I like that you see things that others don't, and aren't afraid to talk about it. Or write about it. That's what will make you a great writer someday."

Jess brought her face up to his and began kissing her in earnest. The petting went deep, deeper than Rory had gone before. She paused, panting, for a rest. Feeling her own desire for him, she looked at Jess for a very long time, searching, pondering, deciding.

"Yes." She said it calmly while looking him directly in the eyes. "Let's go back to my bedroom."

The waiter and the maître d arrived with the cheese tray and dishes. The maître d was as cool as a cucumber, in spite of the sparkle in his eyes, but the young waiter's face was as red as a beet. He'd been forbidden to let his customers know they'd heard the whole interchange, but his face betrayed him.

Lorelai asked, "What hard alcohol do you recommend with the cheese?"

The maître d immediately answered, "Kirschwasser." "Two shots, please," she requested.

They downed their shots and enjoyed the rest of their meal, revisiting every hilarious and embarrassing moment.

Over espresso and dessert, Luke said, "It may be a bit premature, but I've got a big question for you."

Lorelai held her breath. Was he going to ask her to marry him? She'd already had one false alarm, could she be wrong twice? Hardly possible.

"Lorelai, what do you think? Was this a disappointing second date?" he asked.

She exhaled. Gilmore, she told herself, you need to get a grip. You're really losing it. That question will come when the time is right. You can't go around every day wondering when this particular shoe will drop.

She took his hand in hers and answered, "This is going down in history as the best second date ever. There will be ballads written about it, the story of Emily and Porter."

"Good. Now I'd like to stop dating, if it's OK with you."

Stunned, Lorelai said, "I don't get it. You just said you loved me. I love you. I'm IN love with you. Why do you want to not date me anymore? What the hell?" Her face turned several shades of red.

Luke's jaw dropped. "What are you upset about? It's not that big a deal."

"It's a very big deal, the biggest deal. The Yeti of big deals. The Godzilla of big deals! You don't want to see me anymore?"

"What are you talking about, Lorelai? Of course I don't want to stop seeing you. I just want to stop this damn date mode stuff and get on with our lives. Our lives together," he emphasized.

Luke closed his eyes for a brief moment, took a breath, and continued. "I don't want to spend another minute apart from you; I'm ready for it to be us against the world, Lorelai and Luke, together, with Rory, a family."

He took both of her hands in his left hand and put his right arm around her shoulder.

"I'm not talking about rushing into any decisions like marriage blindly. Those decisions will come when the time is right, but I do want to feel free to be with you every moment we can spare, coming and going between our houses as if we both owned both of them. I want our daily lives to be as entwined as you are around my heart, there with every breath we take. We've been deeply involved in each other's lives for eight years, we're not children getting to know each other as we grow up. The only difference between then and now is we put us first."

As Luke talked, Lorelai let his words sink in, and she began to comprehend. It was freedom for them. Free to not do what the self-help books or the dating books said to do. Free to be themselves, strong, smart, enjoying each other's company more than anyone else's, challenging each other to be the best people they could be.

"Luke."

"What?" he asked, a little unsure of what he was about to hear.

"The Yeti is dead. Godzilla just fell over and crushed Tokyo. Luke and Lorelai aren't dating anymore. Does that work for you? It's what I want. I want my life entwined around yours."

"Good. Dating is a pain in the ass. You on the other hand, …"

She cut him off by kissing him deeply and said, "Let's go home."