Lorelai stood in front of the mirror, putting the finishing touches on her "back together with Luke" look. A few moments later, while making some last minute adjustments, she heard a knock on the door. He's here, she thought, feeling giddy. She finished what she was doing and bounded down the stairs excitedly.
She opened the door and there he was standing in front of her, holding a bouquet of flowers, with a nervous grin on his face. Luke. She inhaled sharply at the sight of him. It had been too long since they had done this.
"Lorelai, you're beautiful," he said breathlessly.
She looked down, blushing as a smile formed on her lips. Lorelai wasn't always one to get flustered by a man complimenting her, but there was something that made Luke's compliments different. Maybe it was because she loved him more than she had ever loved anyone else. Maybe it was because they had spent years as friends pining after each other before ever getting together. Whatever the case, a compliment from Luke sent shivers down her spine and heat to her cheeks.
"You look great, too," she told him. "Really great."
He was dressed in his nice date clothes and he looked good. He looked like dating Luke again. The special side of him that he hid from other people and only let her see.
Luke looked down at his hand as if remembering that he was holding something, and then held the flowers out to her. He cleared his throat
"Um… here, these are for you."
"Luke," she started. "They're beautiful."
"I want tonight to be special," he told her, holding her gaze.
The truth was, he wanted this to be their last first date. They had been through enough, and they had somehow found their way back to each other. He wanted it to last this time. No matter what challenges they faced, he knew that she was it for him, and he wasn't going to let her be the one who got away.
"It's off to a great start," she informed him.
They stood there smiling at each other like love struck teenagers. Gathering herself, Lorelai broke the silence.
"Let me put these in a vase, and then we can head out," she said, walking back into the house.
When she was done, she came back out of the house.
"Ready?" he asked her.
"Ready," she confirmed, nodding.
He wrapped his arm around her, leading her to the truck. When they reached the truck, he opened her door for her, made sure she was settled, and then made his way to his side.
"Hi," she said, turning toward him with a goofy smile on her face.
"Hi," he replied, returning her smile.
"Any new Reggae CD's?" she joked.
"God, no. I learned my lesson last time. My truck is completely free of Reggae CDs or any other items that you would mock."
"Why, Butch Danes, you're not only athletic but a quick learner, as well. All of the girls must be all over you."
"There's only one girl who I want all over me."
"Dirty," she quipped. "So, where are you taking me tonight, Prince Charming?"
"You'll see when we get there," he answered.
The conversation in the truck felt natural. They bantered and flirted as if they had never taken any time apart. When they pulled up to their destination, Lorelai turned to Luke.
"Sniffy's," Lorelai said.
"It's where I had the best first date of my life. I told you that I want tonight to be special. This place is special to me because it's where this whole thing all began between us. It's where I told you that I was all in, and it's where I wanted to take you to show you that I am still all in."
"Luke, that is so romantic. Who knew my guy could be so romantic?" Lorelai said.
She took a deep breath, her mind filled with memories of the first time they had come here.
"It's perfect," she told him after a moment.
She leaned over to give him a kiss. The kiss quickly became heated. Both of them were swept away in the emotions of the moment. When they finally broke apart, they were breathing heavily.
"We better head in there before we skip the date and head straight home instead," she said.
Luke nodded in agreement, got out of the truck, and opened the door for her. He took her hand then led her inside.