Lorelai was eager to keep her anxiety at bay, so she hurried back to the kitchen to fetch more food.
She felt a pang of sadness, knowing she didn’t deserve the attention, yet she was puzzled by the absence of the usual tightness in her chest when men showed interest in her.
Normally, she’d feel a strong need to escape and retreat to the safety of her home, but these two men didn’t trigger that reaction.
When the officers’ order was ready, she collected their food and some extra treats for the dog on a tray and made her way to their table.
She carefully placed the food in front of the men, then bent down to pet Thor and offer him more biscuits.
“Need anything else, Officers?” she asked, a hint of shyness in her voice after she stood up.
They both assured her they were fine, and Lorelai nodded, promising to check on them again in a bit.
Aaron watched her retreat before digging into his meal.
“You planning to just keep staring at her or are you going to do something about it?” Steve asked.
“I want to ask her out, but there’s something about her that makes me feel…nervous, almost skittish, you know?”
“I get that vibe from her too. Just tread carefully, Aaron. I know it’s been a while for you, but you don’t know her story.”
Aaron took his best friend’s advice to heart. “I will… Speaking of it being a while, I ran into Hannah at the gym last week. She’s expecting again, due soon.”
Steve detected a hint of pain in Aaron’s voice. “How’d that go? Did she say anything?”
Aaron shrugged and took a bite of his burger. “She said hi, I said hi back. She said I looked good, I congratulated her on the baby. She thanked me and I was about to walk away when she apologized to me again.”
Steve offered a weak smile. “Well, that was nice of her, I guess. You okay?”
“Yeah, it was strange seeing her pregnant with another man’s child again, but it is what it is.”
The men returned to their meal, and Lorelai brought them another round of drinks. After Aaron paid the bill, leaving a generous tip, Steven excused himself to the restroom.
She returned to the table to clear it, pocketed the cash and the slip of paper, and began to gather the dirty dishes. She froze when she heard footsteps behind her and sensed someone’s presence.
She tensed, bracing for the fight or flight response to kick in.
“Lorelai, I was wondering if you might want to go out sometime…” the handsome cop asked her.
She slowly turned to face him, waiting for her palms to start sweating and her mind to race with irrational fears.
“Ah—go out? Like on a date?”
He smirked at her. “Yes, that’s usually what that means.”
Lorelai realized she was staring at him again when Thor’s whine snapped her out of her thoughts. “But you just met me today…”
“I know. But I’d like to get to know you better, that’s why I’m asking you out.” Aaron gave her an endearing smile.
Lorelai bit her lip, mulling over his request, wanting so badly to say yes.
Aaron could tell something was holding her back; it was becoming more apparent that she was hurt or scared of something. He was about to suggest an alternative to going out alone when she spoke again.
“Um, I just met you today…but what if we run into each other again, then I will have met you twice, and then I can say yes. Is that okay?”
Aaron grinned and raised an eyebrow at her, about to agree when her expression changed.
“That’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard, isn’t it? Oh God, I’m sorry. I understand if you want to just forget it. I am such an id—”
“Lorelai, stop, I get it; I think it’s a good idea. Next time I see you, I’m asking you out again and you have to say yes,” Aaron reassured her, his smile broad.
She nodded and gave a shy smile as he turned to leave with a wave. Thor brushed against her leg briefly, then followed his owner out of the patio. Lorelai watched them climb into the marked SUV and drive away.
She knew she needed to check on her tables again, and as she was stacking dishes on the dishwashing counter, the reality of what had just happened—or not happened—struck her.
She didn’t have a panic attack, her heart didn’t race in the way that made her want to flee, and she agreed to go out with him. Sort of. She didn’t know what to make of it and knew she needed to talk to someone about it.
She glanced at the clock and saw she had about an hour left before she could leave and seek out her rock, her best friend. She returned to her duties, trying to switch off her brain as she wrapped up her shift.
With seventy-eight dollars in tips for her ‘adventure jar,’ she hugged Uncle Lou when he came in. Then she left, rushing to her destination. She knocked on the door as she opened it and called out, “Hey guys!”
Alex poked his head out of his office and smiled. “Hi sweetie, how was your shift?”
“Confusing.”
“Why?” Alex asked, his brow furrowed. “Did something happen?”
“Yeah… Can we talk?”
“Of course! Let me get JJ,” he said and called down to the basement where JJ was in his office.
Joel heard his husband call for him to come up, and he jogged up to see his best friend from kindergarten in the living room. He scooped her into a big bear hug. “Hi Lor! What’s up?”
“She needs to talk, something happened at the restaurant,” Alex said as he sat on the couch.
Joel looked concerned and guided her to the couch between them. “What happened? Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine, I think… It was just weird. There was this guy—”
“WHAT GUY?” Joel asked, his voice a growl.
“Calm down, babe! Jeez!” Alex scolded as he rolled his eyes. “Let her talk.”
Grateful for his support, she patted his knee and continued with her story of meeting the attractive cops. After she finished the story, Joel and Alex exchanged hopeful glances.
“So, no freak-out? No clammy hands or bolting for the door? No hyperventilating into a paper bag?” Joel asked, trying to piece together the puzzle in his mind.
“No, none of that! I mean, my heart was pounding, but it was more excitement than fear. What do you think that means?”
“I think it means you’re healing, Lor! I think all the sweat and tears you’ve poured into the last four years are finally showing results. Did you talk to Dr. McCormack?” Joel asked.
“No, I came straight here to share with you guys. Do you really think I’m improving?”
“I do, Lorelai. This is a huge step forward! I’m so proud of you, we all are! I bet your parents and Evelyn will be over the moon!” Alex said, giving her hand a comforting squeeze.
“What are you going to wear? For the date, I mean,” Joel asked.
Lorelai let out a soft laugh. “This is a big city, JJ, do you really think I’ll bump into him again to even say yes? I’m just glad this happened. Now, if anyone ever asks me out again, I’ll be ready.”
“So, you don’t think you’ll cross paths with the cop again? What if he drops by the restaurant and you’re helping out?” Joel asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know when I’ll be there next, but we’ll see.”
