Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
LUKE
I’ve thought about Lorelai a lot since I last saw her. I mean, a lot. I spent the last four days in Elk Lake—I had to pick up my car—and it was all I could do not to call her. I did find myself driving down her street once or twice. It was like my car had a mind of its own and I had no choice but to let it take me where it wanted to go.
I’m drawn by an undeniable force as I walk across the dining room at Capon. Stopping at her table, I realize Lorelai is even more beautiful than I remember her being. “Lorelai, what are you doing here?”
She looks up and stares at me like I’m a phantom. “Luke. Hello.”
“Hello.” I repeat, “What are you doing here?”
She shrugs nonchalantly before answering, “Eating, I hope.”
I don’t like the chill coming off her. Not one bit. “I mean, what are you doing in Chicago?”
“Oh, that.” She releases a nervous laugh. “I’m here with my friend Chip. ”
For the first time I notice she’s not alone and I turn to her dinner partner. Chip is unexpected. He’s hands down the most handsome guy I’ve ever seen, which is alarming. “You’re on a date?” She’s on a date?
Lorelai takes a long sip of her water before answering me. In fact, she must set a world record for taking her time. She eventually says, “I’m helping Chip out.”
“By dating him?” I demand heatedly.
“By helping me design my home,” Chip interjects. Then he stands up, all eight feet of him—not really but he’s taller than I am. Putting his hand out, he says, “Chip Greenberg. I’m one of your biggest fans.”
Now this is a conundrum. I love happy customers, just not really good-looking ones eating with Lorelai. I tentatively shake his hand. “Luke Phillips. It’s nice to meet you.” Lies.
“My husband and I eat here at least twice a week,” he offers.
Husband? Yes! Chip is gay! Talk about good news. I’m suddenly quite happy to make his acquaintance. Even though no one asks me to join them, I still pull up a free chair and sit down. “So, Chip,” I say. “Tell me how you know Lorelai.”
“Our mutual friend, Trina Rockwell, introduced us.”
Lorelai doesn’t seem overly pleased that I’ve joined them. “How long are you in town for?” I ask her.
“I don’t know,” she says evasively. “I have some things to do here before I go back to Elk Lake.”
“So, you haven’t moved here?” I want to know.
“No.” She doesn’t offer anything else. Then she says, “I hear you’ve been in Elk Lake.” The accusation in her tone is clear. I was in Elk Lake, and I didn’t call her.
“I was,” I tell her. “I have some exciting news.”
She visibly rolls her eyes, but she doesn’t ask what my news is, so I volunteer, “I just bought Pop’s.” I wish I’d had a camera trained on her face when I said that. Her expression is priceless.
“You what? Why did you buy Pop’s? ”
“My dad was selling it.”
“Yes, but you don’t want to live in Elk Lake.”
“Who told you that?” I ask. I know I’m yanking her chain a little, but this really is a delicious moment.
“ You told me that,” she practically yells. “In no uncertain terms. Repeatedly. You told me that you wanted to stay in Chicago.”
“You told me that you never wanted to come to Chicago, but here you are,” I retaliate.
She opens her mouth like she’s going to reply, then she closes it, before opening it once again. “Yes, but …”
I shrug. “I guess we both changed our minds.”
“Yes, but …”
“Unless of course you aren’t going to be here for long.”
Lorelai’s head looks like it’s going to explode. “I don’t know how long I’m going to be here.”
“You came to help Chip.” I can’t help but wonder if there’s another reason she’s here. A reason that might be me.
Her head bobs up and down. “I did.”
“Is he the only reason?” I can see Chip out of my peripheral vision and his focus keeps moving back and forth between us like he’s watching a ping pong match.
“I … no … I mean …” She is so adorably flustered that all I want to do is pull her into my arms and kiss her.
With the worst timing ever, Eve walks over and announces, “Luke, table forty would like a word.”
Annoyed by the interruption, I tell her, “I’m kind of busy.”
“It’s Jerry Reinsdorf,” she says.
I turn to Lorelai and tell her, “He owns the Chicago Bulls. I’m doing a special event for them next week.”
“You’d better go, then.” She makes a shooing movement with her hands.
Once I’m standing, I address both her and Chip. “I would like to send you food of my choice, if you’re okay with that.”
“That sounds wonderful!” Chip exudes .
Lorelai merely says, “Fine by me.”
I know she’s mad at me. But now that I’ve bought Pop’s and plan on spending half my days in Elk Lake, this is my chance to woo her. Even if she decides to stay in Chicago, I’ll be here, too.
I make a quick stop at Jerry’s table before going back into the kitchen. I’m going to make Lorelai the best meal she has ever had in her life. I start out with a candied beet and feta salad. On the side of her plate, I use a balsamic reduction and write the words, “Will you …” Then I send the first course out.
The second course is my famous chicken pot pie with truffles and water chestnuts. On that plate, I write the words, “Go out …”
The third course is a chocolate mousse dome featuring a trio of mousses with a mirror glaze. I finish my request in fudge sauce. “With me, please?”
My plan is to give her a few minutes to cobble the message together into one cohesive request before going out to see what her answer is. I watch the clock for five minutes, before charging through the kitchen doors in a near military march as I head to Lorelai’s table. When I get there, I look down and discover that the waiter put the dessert with the message in front of Chip.
He looks up expectantly, so I tell him, “I think you got the wrong plate.”
“Really?” It’s clear he’s faking shock as he asks, “You weren’t asking me out on a date?”
“I, uh … well … no,” I tell him. “I was asking Lorelai.”
She breaks her silence by saying, “You want to date me? Why?”
“Lorelai.” I get down on one knee in front of her. I belatedly realize this is the same posture I might use if I were proposing. “I bought Pop’s so that I would be in Elk Lake more.”
“You didn’t do that for me,” she states almost bitterly.
“Part of the reason I did that was so that we could see what might happen between us. I like you so much. I think you’re the loveliest, kindest, most beautiful woman in the world, and more than anything, I want to see what might happen if we give us a chance.”
Her eyes fill with unshed tears and I can’t tell if they’re tears of joy or something else. “Luke …”
“Please, Lorelai,” I beg. “I have enjoyed getting to know you so much as an adult. I admire you, I respect you, I want to get to know everything about you. And I want to kiss you. There needs to be a lot of kissing.”
Blinking rapidly to staunch the moisture in her eyes, she asks, “Will you eat Toaster Strudel with me?”
“God, no,” I tell her. “But honestly, I’d do almost anything else.”
The tension eases from her face and she offers me the slightest smile. “I might be in Chicago for a while.”
“Luckily, I have a restaurant here, too,” I tell her. “So, wherever you are, I can be in the same place.”
Lorelai doesn’t answer right away. In fact, she takes so long that Chip interjects, “For the love of God, woman, date the man! If it weren’t for Bob, I’d go out with him myself!”
Going for levity, I smile at Lorelai and ask, “So what’s it going to be? You and me, or me and Chip?”
She laughs heartily before answering, “For Bob’s sake, I’ll agree to date you.”
“You won’t be sorry,” I tell her. Then I lean in slowly and say, “I’m going to kiss you now.” But she doesn’t give me the chance. Instead, she hops onto my lap and throws her arms around my neck and lays one on me. It is the sweetest, most passionate kiss. It’s full of hope, and promise. When we finally break apart, I ask, “Will you let me take you home tonight? I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?” she wants to know.
Chip stands up and declares, “It’s not that I mind being a third wheel, but I think things might move a little faster if I go.”
He takes his wallet out, so I motion for him to put it away. “ Your dinner is on me,” I tell him. “And let me know the next time you and Bob come in. I’d love to meet him.”
“Thank you,” Chip says. Then he winks at Lorelai, and adds, “I’m going to need to know what that surprise is. Call me tomorrow.”
Once Chip is gone, I tell Lorelai, “Thank you. I promise you won’t be sorry.”
I can’t help but laugh when she says, “I’d better not be …”