20 Mar 2005

After Sniffy's

1

Luke finished what was left of his beer and set the mug down next to the half-full glass of warm champagne.

"You about ready?" He asked Lorelai.

"Ready when you are."

They stood up and Luke fished a ten-dollar bill out of his wallet and dropped it on the table.

Maisy met them at the cash register.

"I didn't see the check," he said to her.

"No check this time, this one's on the house."

"Well, thanks, Maisy."

"Yes, thank you," Lorelai added. "Everything was delicious."

"Well, you sure ate your fill. I liked seeing you eat like that."

"She CAN pack it away." Luke agreed.

"You're the first girl Luke's ever brought here. You must be very special."

"I'd like to think so," Lorelai said a bit shyly as she leaned against his arm.

"She is," Luke confirmed. "She's very special."

"I'm glad. A good man needs a good woman."

"She's the best," Luke answered, now becoming a little uncomfortable with the conversation. "We should go. Tell Buddy I said thanks and I'll see him next time around."

"I will, and you two come back real soon."

"We'd love to." Lorelai replied.

Luke put his arm around Lorelai's shoulder as they walked to his truck. He guided her to the passenger side and opened the door for her.

"You don't have to do that," she said, smiling warmly at him.

"I know."

After she got in the truck he closed the door and went around to the driver's side.

They sat there for a few seconds.

"So, what do you want to do?" Luke asked.

"I don't know, what time is it?"

"Close to ten-thirty."

"Ten-thirty! We've been sitting in there for two and a half hours?"

"Hard to believe, isn't it?"

"Wow. I knew I was enjoying the evening . . . ."

"Yeah, me too."

They sat for a few more seconds.

"Do you know what would be the perfect ending to this perfect date?" Lorelai said.

"What?"

"A perfect cup of coffee."

"You want to go back inside?"

"No. There's only one place I know that has perfect coffee, and that's Luke's Diner."

"You drink my coffee everyday, and it's certainly not perfect."

"Oh, but it is. Especially tonight."

"Okay then, we'll go get that perfect cup of coffee."

2

Luke parked the truck in the alley behind the diner and they went in through the back door.

"I don't think I've ever come in this way."

"Probably not. You did go out this way one time. It was when your dad was in the hospital and I took you up there."

"I don't remember that part, just how slow you were driving."

Luke flipped on the lights behind the counter and began making the coffee as Lorelai went around to sit on one of the stools.

"It's funny." Lorelai said.

"What's funny?"

"As many times as I've sat here, somehow, now, it all seems so . . . different."

"Well, it IS darker, and there is no one else here."

"That's not what I mean. I guess it's now that we're . . . dating . . . together . . . I don't know, I'm just babbling."

"I know what you mean. It is different, but good."

"Oh, yes! It's very good! It's great! It's amazingly great!"

"So we're agreed it, it's pretty damned good?"

"It's pretty damned good."

Luke poured fresh coffee into a cup and set it down in front of her.

"Join me?" Lorelai asked.

"You know I don't drink that stuff."

"Please, just this one time? Please?"

"Sure."

Luke poured a second cup.

Lorelai raised her cup to him and he did the same.

They clinked them together.

"To the perfect coffee," she said. "And to the perfect couple."

"THAT I'll drink to," he said, and so they did.

3

For the next hour they made small talk about the diner, the inn, how irritating Taylor was, if Miss Patty would ever get married again, Rory, Yale. They talked about everything but how the night would, should, might, end.

Lorelai had drunk half the pot while Luke was still nursing his first cup.

Then an awkward silence set in.

"Well," Luke finally said, "It's getting late. I guess maybe I should get you home. We both have to get up early."

"I guess so."

Lorelai stood up, then turned in a slow circle, looking at everything.

"I've been coming in here for a long time, haven't I?"

"Eight years."

"You know, I feel really comfortable here."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"It's like a second home to me."

"Really?"

"Really. I actually feel like I AM home."

"You do?"

"I sure do."

Lorelai smiled seductively at Luke, then glanced upwards where his apartment was.

"It's just like being home."

"Okay." Luke was still a little hesitant, not wanting to jump to any conclusions.

Lorelai walked around behind the counter and took his hand and started toward the stairs, but he still hesitated.

"Uh, Lorelai, are you sure this is what we want to do? I mean, you're always hearing about that 'first date' thing."

Lorelai caressed his cheek with her free hand then kissed him softly.

"As far as I'm concerned we have been dating, off and on, for eight years."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. We have, haven't we?"

"Of course I'm right," Lorelai answered as she tugged on his hand again. "Come on, let's go to bed."

This time Luke allowed himself to be led upstairs.