A/N ever wonder what might have happened if Lorelai invited Luke to a Yankees game to cheer him up?
This story is set early in Season 4. Nicole is on her way out and Jason is not around leaving our couple to do things together, I say let nature take its course.
The Tickets
Lorelai had enjoyed her time with Luke on the couch, watching Casablanca and then Hard Bodies. She liked seeing him happy. His face looked much better wearing a smile rather than a frown, she thought waited on hold for the tickets.
Even though movie night had gone so well she was still bugged about the 'gut-feeling' thing, why wasn't she on that list or was it reserved for people he had dated, a very exclusive club indeed. While they had done many things together none of it was officially defined as dating even though in them selves they would be considered dating activities.
She had never seriously considered dating him before but the more she thought the more she wondered why hadn't Luke asked he out or had that time past. Were they now just friends and nothing more?
Since he had sat through movie night with her rules it was time to do something that Luke liked and what better that a Baseball game. She had read up on the topic and the worse case she would have to sit around eating junk food and drinking beer while watching cute boys running around in tight uniforms.
Just then the waiting service music stopped and it was her tern, quickly before changing her mind Lorelai secured two tickets to the next Yankees game that coming weekend.
Pleased at what she had done Lorelai now set about confirming her reservations at the Days Inn in Brooklyn, there was only one room left for that night but it had two beds so things between her and Luke didn't have to change if he didn't want to make a move.
Now she would have to work out how to tell Luke, not that she saw any problems after all he was going to go with his ex-wife and had become accustom to traveling to the city with Nicole a number of times in the past year.
Later that day Lorelai sat at the counter with her coffee, watching Luke through the kitchen door as he made her burger for lunch. It was a quite day and this was a late lunch so she was the only person in the deserted diner. Lorelai didn't mind having the place to her self as she watched Luke, she saw him in a new light. The 'gut-thing' still bugging her and now she found herself paying close attention to his every move and more than once staring a little too long at his butt, when he turned to the side.
Shifting her eyes above his waistline Lorelai smiled as Luke exited the kitchen, her lunch in hand.
"Dead cow," Luke said in his usual deadpan tone as he slid the plate to her.
"You make it sound so good," Lorelai commented picking up a fry.
"You want some pie with that?" Luke asked softening his tone.
"Apple, with cream please," Lorelai asked for reaching for her bag. She pulled out the her cell phone as Luke pointed to the sign on the wall, "But I just remembered I needed to call Sookie about the Inn."
"Well go outside, no cell phones in here," he added pointing to the door.
Lorelai didn't want to upset Luke so did what she was told and started dialing as she opened the door. Minutes later she returned placing the phone on the counter next to her bag.
Luke watched as Lorelai sat in unusual silence as she ate, occasionally he would look up only to see Lorelai quickly turn her head away. Like she was caught out staring at something she wasn't meant to see. Not thinking much of it Luke went back to his cleaning but a short time later after the third time Luke needed to say something.
"Okay what's going on, have I got ketchup on my face or did you put another kiss the cook sign on my back?" Luke asked reaching for his back.
"No Luke it's nothing like that."
"Then what?" he asked turning to her.
Lorelai put down her food and turned on her stool to look at Luke, "I have a surprise."
"Never comforting words coming from you," he dryly added coming back behind the counter.
"You'll like it, I promise," she added.
"What did you do?" Luke asked, never one for surprises.
"Do you still want to go to a Yankees game? My treat," she beamed with joy.
"You what…" Luke asked in surprise.
"Next weekend," Lorelai added as Luke thought.
They had never done anything like this before. Not that this was a date or anything. Lorelai was a friend, one of the few people he like that actually tolerated him. She invited him to just about every one of her birthdays since they had known each other, which he went to willingly. Thinking back the closest thing they had done which could be considered a date would have been when he bided on her basket that one time, and that only cost him $52.50 plus an hour of his time, which he secretly enjoyed.
"Luke," she said unsure if he had heard as he was not responding.
Luke looked at Lorelai and spoke softly, almost as if there was someone close by, "You shouldn't have, they must have cost a fortune," he said breaking his silence.
"They weren't that expensive, I know people," Lorelai answered with zeal.
"You know people," he repeated, "Who are you Tony Soprano?"
A giggling Lorelai replied, "Not quite, my dad had a tickets for a client who couldn't use them."
"So I'm a cheap date," Luke joked without thinking.
"Well we do have to stay overnight, but I found a great Days Inn, walking distance from Yankees Stadium," she informed him before sheepishly adding, "There was just one room though…"
In that moment Luke's mind raced, he would have to spend the night in the same room as Lorelai, who would probably shower before bed. Images of a naked wet Lorelai crossed his mind, and just weeks before he had spent the night on her couch. Only to be woken up the following morning with Lorelai asking for coffee. He couldn't believe his eyes as he came inches away from her cleavage as she leant forward tapping his shoulder. Then came the very uncomfortable half-hour as he made the coffee while she walked around the kitchen in the very short robe, not leaving much to the imagination on the warm autumn morning.
Luke was bought back to reality again as Lorelai spoke.
"… It has two beds, so don't get any ideas mister," she joked.
"No I wouldn't," Luke quickly replied out of instinct.
Luke stepped in front of the cash register as things started to tighten in his jeans, he could only think of the room and a naked Lorelai showering. But they were just friends, while he had fantasized about things like this for years he knew he shouldn't be having these thought in her company. It didn't help that she was wearing a blouse with one too many buttons undone, revealing her lacy white demi-cup bra she tended to like.
He knew this because several times when he had worked on her upstairs bathroom she had left examples of her preferred brassieres hanging on the shower rail. Another time she had done likewise in the bedroom when he had to fix a light socket. Did this make them friends as no other woman he knew would do this unless they had been dating for a while, Luke was more confused than every about where they stood.
"So are you coming or do I have to invite Ed?" Lorelai asked leaning forward.
Luke almost dropped his cloth as he tried to maintain eye contact, "Sure," he said in a slightly higher pitched voice than normal.
"Okay it's a night game but I think we should get an early start, right after breakfast, say nine," she added picking up the last of her fries.
"Sounds good," Luke said nodding as he reached for the coffee to top off her cup.
"To go please. I have a ton of Inn stuff to organize before the weekend," Lorelai said standing while she ate.
Luke filled a cup and secured the lid before handing it to Lorelai, "Your car or mine?"
"My Jeep is still making that crunchy sound."
"I'll give the truck a once over tomorrow," Luke said with a smile, "Maybe if I have time I can check out your Jeep, see if you have to take it to Gypsy.
Lorelai grinned please things went well. It didn't go unnoticed how distracted Luke seemed at times, but she was wearing her lucky blouse, she just hope it would work on Tom to get a lower quote of the work on the Inn.
"I'll see you for dinner then," she added before turning to leave.
Luke couldn't help looking, as she seemed to put a jaunt in her stride, just for him.
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AN: okay I know this was short teaser, but should I continue? Just kidding more to follow in the coming weeks when I have time and inspiration strikes.