09.03.2005, 19:18
A long line of mistakes – Part I
Lorelai Gilmore was in confusion. How could it happen? How could she let it happen? Why did it happen? The kiss from yesterday evening was running through her head again and again. It was running through her head yesterday, when she was lying in bed, trying to sleep and it was running through her head now, while she was dressing up. Lorelai knew she needed coffee to think about it. She went to the kitchen to make coffee only to find out that there was no coffee in the house. She groaned. Normally she liked to go to Luke’s Diner. Luke had the best coffee in town and was always good company, but this morning she was not certain if she could stand the company of the people who knew her, who would see that she had changed. Lorelai decided to go anyway. She wouldn’t be Lorelai Gilmore if she could stand a morning without coffee.
Some minutes later she entered Luke’s Diner and sat on her and Rory’s favorite table. Luke came over to the table, put a mug in front of her and filled it with the desired black liquor.
"Pancakes are coming soon," he mumbled without any further greeting.
"Not necessary. I have now appetite," Lorelai answered.
Now Luke was looking directly at her. "What’s wrong? Are you sick?"
"Oh, just to much pizza yesterday in the evening," she lied. Luke shrugged his shoulders and left her with the coffee mug only.
While she was staring into the steaming coffee she tried to sort out her thoughts, her feeling. This was a complete mistake, a voice in her head said. A mistake that felt good, surprisingly good, she answered the voice. Her thoughts were drifting away, back into yesterday.
I was sitting on the couch, prepared for an evening full of Audrey Hepburn and pizza when the telephone rang. It was Rory. She told me that they had a problem with the heating system, so she would come home for the night because it was to cold in their apartment. She also asked if Paris could also come. "No problem, hon", I said. This was the first big mistake in a line of big mistakes this evening, but how should I know? Paris was staying overnight in this house before. So I started the first movie and waited for the frozen Yalies. Just at the moment when George Peppard said: "I love you," and Audrey Hepburn replied "So what?" and Peppard answered "So a lot," the doorbell rang.
"Hey, come in," I said, not really aware that I was already in pyjama. This was possibly the next big mistake of the evening.
Paris surveyed me in my pyjama and said: "Hopefully we’re not disturbing you."
I waved jovially. "Oh it’s just me and Audrey tonight." I saw into Paris puzzled face and heard the protesting voice of my beloved daughter.
"Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Mom, you shouldn’t watch it without me. It’s a classic."
"True, hon. Now what do you think a lonely mother is doing, in an empty house, with a lonely heart, on an empty sofa, empty except herself lonely person. Sweet innocent Audrey and George-killer-blue-eyes-Peppard are the right champignons for such a pitiful mother." I grinned in advance.
"And there she is, drama queen Lorelai Gilmore." I couldn’t see my daughter because she was in the kitchen, but I could imagine her, rolling her eyes in mild annoyance.
"I’ll go to bed mom. See you tomorrow. Good night Paris."
"Hey you’re just arrived. I have lots of pizza," I protested.
"Night mom. I need to sleep, think I’ve got the flu already and tomorrow we need to leave early to be in time in New Haven, for the first class."
"What about Paris? It’s your guest," I tried again.
"I think you can handle her."
I sighed. "Ok, see ya tomorrow." I went back to the couch and muttered: "This is my daughter, always rationally, must be a gene from Emily, that had skipped me."
Right, there was Paris. She was still standing with her cloth on and stared at me.
"Take of your cloth, come near, and don’t be so stiff all the time. You haven’t changed lots since Chilton, don’t ya "
"I’m not stiff, I have manners," Paris blurted.
"Al right," I smiled to her to make her feel more comfortable. "You can have the couch. I’ll finish my pizza in the kitchen. Wait a minute and I’m going to bring the bedding."
"I’m not tired yet." With these words Paris Gellar sat herself on the couch.
"You have some films," she stated.
"Yeah, I always rent them for the whole week, cause I’m to lazy to bring them back the next morning."
Paris was grabbing a film. "Showgirls?" she looked at me in disbelieve. It was to late to hide my rented film collection from her. It must have been the next big mistake. "Bound? I didn’t expect you to watch this kind of movies."
I folded my arms. "I don’t like the way you stretched the word this." Paris just stared up to me.
"Hey today is the Audrey Hepburn day and tomorrow was supposed to be the Gina Gershon day."
"And the day after tomorrow? Is it the Ellen de Genres day or the Mariel Hemingway day?" Paris answered with a slightly amused smile. It was the smile Rory has already told me about. This enigmatic smile, that always makes her angry.
"Hey, no problem Lorelai. I wont tell Rory anything, o.k.?"
"There is nothing not to tell anybody," I snapped. I sat down on the couch, beside Paris Gellar. Suddenly her facial expression changed.
"Uhm, thank you Lorelai, for letting me stay here. You know, the heating system of our hall isn’t working for three days now. It was getting colder and colder in the rooms. We couldn’t stay there any longer, but my parents are in Europe, so our house is also cold and empty and…"
"You’re welcome." I smiled at her warmly. "Rory’s friends are also my friends."
"So you and Audrey tonight?" Paris started. "You have only one film for the Audrey day but two films for the Gina Gershon day?"
"See Paris, if you would have manners you wouldn’t keep on at Gina Gershon. In fact today is the Audrey day and the Peppard day, so I rent the best film of Audrey and the best film of George Peppard. And since it happens to be both Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I only need to rent one film and watch it twice."
"You’re a real weirdo Lorelai, however a kind weirdo. What do you think? Can we watch the end of the film together? I love the scene with George, Audrey and the cat in the rain."
Paris and me watched the film, but I paid no attention, not even to the supernatural blue eyes of George Peppard. My mind was wandering about Paris Gellar. I knew her since Rory had changed High School from Stars Hollow High to Chilton. Last time I saw her just a couple of weeks ago, but only now I realized how much Paris had changed since Chilton. She had put on weight, which makes her looking a lot more mature and womanly.
"What you are staring?" Paris demanding voice brought me back to reality.
"Oh nothing Paris. I’ll go and bring the bedding." I jumped to my feet and went upstairs, quickly.
When I came back Paris was standing. "Thank you Lorelai. I can prepare the couch myself." I threw the sheets and blankets on the couch and turned to Paris.
"Night Paris, have a nice sleep." I smiled and for the first time this evening she returned the smile.
"Thank you again, Lorelai. Your house is so full of warmth and love, it is so nice to be here."
I took a deep breath. I learned from Rory how lonely Paris was, how much she was searching for the love her parents couldn’t give her. I also know myself what it means to be lonely. I was feeling it, sometimes, when I’m coming home into my empty house.
Suddenly I felt the impulse to kiss Paris on her forehead. Without further thinking I bent forward and brushed her temple with my lips lightly, probably like a mother would kiss her child good night. Oh yes, this was naive and the major mistake of the evening. Before I could step back, Paris came even closer and kissed my, on my lips. By the soft warmness of her lips, by the yearning wet touch of her tongue I could not think, just feel. I responded her kiss before we both stepped back and stared into each other eyes.
I swallowed hard. "What was this Paris?"
Self-confident Paris Gellar smiled her enigmatic smile. "It was a kiss Lorelai, a good kiss."
I shook my head, not knowing what to say.
"Hey Lorelai, wanna talk?" Luke’s voice brought Lorelai’s thoughts back into reality, into the Diner.
"What?"
"I thought you might want to talk what is spoiling your normally super human appetite. You have not even tried the coffee."
"Just as I said, to much pizza yesterday."
Luke was still standing at the table and looked down at her with the can in his hand. "Must been a large pizza."
"Bet on it."
"Strange, this morning Rory was buying some coffee here. So she was staying with you overnight. Two Gilmore Girls in the house normally means no pizza is large enough. And this Paris also seems to have a healthy appetite."
"What this has to do with Paris?" Lorelai snapped.
"Uh, nothing. Rory brought five doughnuts for herself and Paris, five doughnuts for two young ladies. It’s a lot, it’s a gilmore’ish amount of food."
Lorelai glared at him.
"Fine if you don’t want to talk, don’t talk. In my Diner nobody needs to talk, you can even order with pointing on the items on the menu." While Luke was talking he bent forward and waved furiously with the menu.
"And which sign I have to make that says shut up?" Lorelai retorted. Luke slammed the menu down on the table, turned around and went.
To be continued…
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