Chapter 8

"So how long are you staying?" Rory asked.

"Just a few hours," Lorelai replied.

"If we're imposing, we could always just--"

"Luke," Rory interrupted. "You aren't imposing. Did you guys already have lunch? I could cook something."

Lorelai's head shot up. "You know how to cook now?"

"Not really," Rory admitted.

Luke stood up. "Would you like me to fix lunch?"

"Would you? That would be great." Lorelai grinned at him and he shook his head, heading to the kitchen.

"Jess, go help," Rory urged.

He made a face. "Why? I can't cook. All I ever did in the diner was clear tables and make coffee."

"So go set the table and make us some coffee."

"Why should I?"

Rory and Lorelai each stuck out their lower lip in a pouty face. Jess rolled his eyes, going into the kitchen to help Luke.

Lorelai immediately pulled Rory onto the couch next to her.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me about Jess being the double date guy."

"What about you not telling me about Luke, before?" Rory asked.

"That's different. Anyway, so you're hanging out with him now?"

Rory blushed. "Actually...I kissed him."

"You what!" Lorelai exclaimed. Luke and Jess looked over, and she lowered her voice. "So I guess I don't need to ask if you still feel something for him or not."

"I like Shea," Rory stated matter of factly.

"God, Ror. It's the Dean thing all over again."

"Except I just started going out with Shea, and he and Jess are best friends, not mortal enemies."

"Yeah, but other than that..." Lorelai trailed off. "Notice that half of the guy equation is still the same."

"Mom, I know what I'm doing."

"Do you? Why'd you kiss Jess then?"

"That's not fair. I had a moment of weakness. Why haven't you kissed Luke yet?"

"Because it's...Luke," Lorelai answered, her eyes shifting over to him, standing in front of the open refrigerator and frowning at the contents.

"Right. It's Luke." Rory leaned back and regarded her mother in pensive silence until Lorelai sighed and ordered her to speak her mind.

"Well," Rory began, pausing dramatically, "I think you should kiss him."

"What?" Lorelai cried.

"I think you should kiss him," Rory repeated.

"When?"

"Now. I dare you."

"You dare me? What, are we in the fifth grade? I cannot kiss him for the first time, or any other time for that matter, just because you dared me to."

Rory shrugged. "Fine. But you're not getting any coffee until you kiss Luke."

"Aw, now that's just mean. What did I ever do to you?" Lorelai looked like she was about to cry, and Rory laughed. "You can't do this. I need my coffee. Jess will give it to me," she added as Jess walked into the room with their cups of coffee. He handed one to Rory, then he moved to give Lorelai hers, but Rory stopped him.

"Rory!" Lorelai whined.

Jess stared at Rory, confused. "What?"

"Don't give it to her just yet."

"But I hate cold coffee," Lorelai protested, reaching out for the cup.

Jess grinned as Rory smiled at him mischievously. He didn't know what she was up to, but he wanted to be in on it. He sat beside her, moving the cup away from Lorelai's grasp.

She narrowed her eyes and stood up with determination on her face. Taking a deep breath, she marched into the kitchen and up to Luke.

Rory hurried after her, watching from the doorway. Curiously, Jess followed, peering over her shoulder.

"What are we looking at?" he asked.

"Shh!" Rory hissed, placing a hand on his arm. He glanced down at her hand, then his eyes raised to her face, but she wasn't paying attention to him. He focused his attention back on Lorelai and Luke.

Lorelai stepped closer to Luke, since he hadn't acknowledged her yet.

"Oh, hey Lorelai," he greeted, glancing up. "Come to help?"

"Not exactly," she responded, staring at him.

He frowned at her suspiciously. "Why are you looking at me like--"

Before he could finish his question, Lorelai leaned over and kissed him.

Rory giggled from the doorway, a big grin on her face. She hit Jess. "She really kissed him!" she squealed.

He raised an eyebrow. "That's why you wouldn't give her coffee?"

Rory nodded, walking back into the living room. Jess followed her, shaking his head.

"I'm not even going to try to understand this one."

Lorelai pulled away from Luke. "Bye!" she exclaimed, starting to turn away, to make a run for the door.

"What? Lorelai, wait!" Luke grabbed her wrist, and she sighed, walking back over.

"Yeah?"

"What was that?"

"I must be slipping," Lorelai commented, almost to herself. She glanced at Luke. "That was a kiss," she spoke slowly.

He smirked. "I know that. That's not what I meant."

"Oh. Sorry, I just felt like doing it."

"Is that right."

"Yup. Now if you don't need help, which it doesn't look like you do, I'll be in the living room."

She went to join Jess and Rory, and Luke stared after her in astonishment.

"Are you sure you have to go? You just got here."

"Hun, I'm gonna see you next--woah." Lorelai gasped. "That was weird. Did we just have a Freaky Friday moment there, or what?"

Rory grinned, giving her mother a hug. "I'll see you next week, Mom."

"Next week," Lorelai agreed, getting into the car after Luke opened the door for her.

Rory hugged Luke. "I'll see you next week, too."

"Bye Rory."

"Keep an eye on Mom for me."

He nodded, stealing a glance at Lorelai. "I will," he promised. Taking his place behind the wheel, he started the car and drove off. Lorelai waved until they turned a corner, and she was no longer visible to Rory.

Rory headed back inside, where Jess was waiting for her. He had said his goodbyes in the apartment, claiming that he wasn't good at goodbyes. And, well, he didn't want to 'see them off', to put it plainly.

"Hey," Rory called, making her way over to the couch that he was sprawled out on.

"They're gone?" was his response.

"Yup."

He nodded, sitting up. "So."

"So." Rory clasped her hands together in front of her, and she casually glanced around the apartment, before her eyes landed on Jess once again.

"Um, should we be getting over to the store?"

"Nah. Taylor knows where we are."

"Yeah, but now that Mom and Luke are gone--"

"The bookstore's going to close for the night soon anyway. It would really be pretty pointless going over there now," he pointed out.

"Okay." Rory let out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"So what now?" Jess questioned, standing up so they were only about a foot apart.

Rory's eyes searched his face, before making eye contact again. They were standing so close, she could feel his warm breath on her face. Her eyes closed for a moment, and she sensed that Jess was leaning forward. She quickly stepped back, her eyes now wide open.

"Jess--"

"Rory--"

"You can't keep doing this to me," she told him weakly.

"Doing what?" he asked, stepping over to her again, trailing a finger up and down each of her arms until goosebumps formed.

"Coming to my apartment, sending me mixed signals..."

"You don't want me to come around anymore?"

"That's not the point," Rory answered. "I'm with Shea, Jess."

"The tables have turned, haven't they?"

"What do you mean?"

"Bye, Rory. I'll see you at work tomorrow."

Jess walked over to the door, letting himself out and quietly shutting the door behind him.

"Bye Jess," Rory replied softly, falling onto the couch with a sigh.

Later that night, Rory fixed herself a cup of coffee, bringing it into the living room and sitting on the couch in front of the TV. Her eyes shifted to the phone, and she was tempted to call Jess. She was debating over it, anyway.

Finally, she punched a button on the remote control, turning off the TV. As if in slow motion, she reached for the phone and dialed a number.

A few rings later, someone finally answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, what are you doing answering the phone?"

"Rory?"

"Luke?" she countered.

He laughed. "Let me get your mom. We were just watching a movie, and she fell asleep."

"Oh, don't wake her," Rory replied. "Um...just let her know that I'm going to come home tomorrow."

"What for?"

"Well that was kind of rude..." Rory declared, half joking.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I was just wondering..." Luke trailed off. "Did Jess do anything?"

'Yeah, he came into my life and complicated everything. Again.'

"No, I just need to get away for a few days."

"You should just move back. You and your mother see each other all the time anyway."

"I appreciate what you're saying, and I understand what you're saying, but...I need to learn how to live on my own."

"How can you do that if you come home every other day?"

"Hey! You make it sound like I have no life."

Luke sighed. "You know I love you like my own daughter, Rory. I am not trying to...Well, to be rude. I'm just saying instead of being here in Stars Hollow hanging out in my diner with your crazy mother, you could be in New York, finding a job, going out..."

"Baby steps, Luke. Baby steps."

"So I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"See you tomorrow, Luke."

Rory hung up the phone, smiling. She had a good feeling about this trip.

"That was nice," Lorelai mumbled.

Luke looked over at her and flashed her a half smile. "What was?"

"The things you said to Rory. Thanks." She yawned, her head falling onto his shoulder. He hesitantly placed an arm around her, and was surprised at how perfectly they fit together.

"You're welcome," he said softly, brushing away a stand of hair from her face. Her eyelids fluttered open at his touch.

"So...She's coming home tomorrow?"

"Yeah. She said she needs to get away for a few days," Luke explained. "She's coming early."

"Good," Lorelai whispered, her eyes closing again.

"Come on, let's get you to bed."

Luke helped her stand up, and she nearly fell over.

"Do I have to carry you up the stairs?" he asked.

"Depends. Will you drop me?"

"Never," he told her, though he didn't pick her up, after all. He put an arm around her waist and took one of her hands, leading her upstairs.

As soon as they reached her room, Lorelai collapsed onto the bed. Luke pulled a blanket over her, and she rolled over. She turned her head toward him.

"You can stay here tonight, if you want," she offered. "I mean, you already closed the diner, and it's real late..."

"You want me to stay here?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "Totally your call."

He swallowed. "Alright. So it's settled. I'm staying here tonight."

"Looks like it."

Luke nodded, glancing around nervously.

Lorelai gazed up at him. "You can sleep in Rory's room if you want, or--there's plenty of room here." She motioned to the other side of the bed.

His face turned pink, and Lorelai grinned.

"We're adults, Luke. We can sleep in the same bed...it's no big deal."

"Right." He nodded again.

"Well I'm going to sleep now, because I'm tired."

"Good. Yeah, me too."

"Go for it." Lorelai stood up. "I'll be back. I'm just going to brush my teeth."

Luke watched her disappear into the bathroom, and he stared at the bed that suddenly looked so small to him. He hadn't slept in the same bed with another person in a very long time. Lorelai said nothing was going to happen, but he couldn't shake the feeling that--

"Done!" Lorelai cried a minute later, coming back into the room and interrupting his thoughts.

Luke swallowed, taking in her short nightshirt as she climbed into bed.

'Oh god.'

The next morning, Jess was getting ready to go to work, and was actually almost out the door, when the phone rang. He went over and grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"Jess."

"Um, Luke? Why are you calling me so early? Is something wrong? Is it Lorelai?"

"No, she's fine," Luke assured him. "I just wanted to tell you, in case you didn't know, Rory is coming back to Stars Hollow today for a visit."

"Why? She just saw you guys!" Jess exclaimed.

"She said she needed to get away. Anyway, she just called and said she was going to the bookstore when it opened to tell you she wasn't going to be there. Then she was leaving."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, can you miss a day of work?"

"Yeah, I don't think the boss would mind," Jess said dryly.

"Okay. There, I told you. Now I'm going to go."

"Okay..."

"Bye Jess."

"Bye," Jess echoed, hanging up the phone. He stared at it, shaking his head. He glanced at the clock. He should have opened the bookstore ten minutes ago.

Sighing, he called Shea, hoping he hadn't left yet. He was in luck. Shea answered on the third ring.

"Hey, Taylor--you have to open today, okay? It'll just be you and Rory working." Better to say that, then to have Shea get suspicious later. "I have somewhere else I have to be today."