Luke was racing around the diner, trying to get orders filled as fast as he could. The Friday morning crowd was in full swing. I really should look into offering feeding troughs, he thought for what must be the thousandth time. It never ceased to amaze him the amount of food people ordered. He had always prided himself on maintaining a relatively healthy diet, full of fruits and vegetables. It made his stomach churn when customers ordered fried food on top of fried food, like the grease would help eliminate the spare tire that had taken up residence around their waists.
"Luke, I'm ready to order if you have a minute."
"Coming, Kirk." Luke arrived at a table by the window, presently occupied by one of the town's most interesting residents. Kirk was known for his array of odd jobs, each more outrageous than the last.
"I'd like two buttermilk pancakes with a side of sausage. No, ham. Wait, do you offer a small sampler of breakfast meats, with the exception of bacon?"
"No, Kirk, I do not. You'll have to pay full price for whatever side or sides you order."
"But I won't eat a full side of each. Two sausage links and a small cut of sugar cured ham would be great."
"Like I said Kirk, I don't offer a breakfast meat sampler."
"But it's wasteful for me to order multiple sides of breakfast meat with my pancakes!"
"Most people wouldn't have this hard of time deciding which part of the pig they want to eat, Kirk."
"Pig? You mean, they're all made from a pig?" Kirk looked appalled.
Luke tried to decide if Kirk was serious. "I'm not sure how to answer that."
"I'm not a monster! Petal, I didn't know! I swear I didn't know!" Kirk jumped from his seat and bolted out the door, continuing his screaming fit all through the town's square.
"Lunatic," Luke mumbled to himself as he moved back behind the counter to grab the coffee pot.
Andrew gestured to Luke that he wanted to order breakfast. Luke made his way over and listened as he ordered enough food to feed a family of four.
Luke moved back toward the kitchen to give the order to Caesar. Seriously, feeding troughs.
*****
Odette looked across the desk at the private investigator who was based out of a small southern suburb of New York City. Curiosity got the better of her and she discreetly contacted him to request his services in tailing her fiancé. The investigator, Morris Tatum, promised that Logan would have no idea he was being tailed.
Morris left word with Odette that he quickly found information regarding Logan and wanted her to come to his office to discuss the case further. That is why she booked a flight from Paris to New York City for early the following morning.
Sitting in his office, she listened as Morris told her what he had found. "Logan has been in Stars Hollow, Connecticut. He has been visiting a private residence currently titled to a Lorelai Gilmore. When attempting to find a connection between Logan and Lorelai, I discovered he was at Yale University at the same time as her daughter, who happens to also be named Lorelai but who is referred to as 'Rory". Rory, I learned, was Logan's college girlfriend who rejected his marriage proposal the year following his graduation. She has written spec pieces for several big newspapers and magazines but has fallen off the radar of late." Morris reported this information, not embellishing or speculating on the turn of events.
Odette listened to the rest of Morris' report with a detached interest. It didn't seem real. Even though she suspected something was going on—and had even gone far enough to hire Morris—it was disheartening to find her fears were justified. She recalled finding old articles written by Rory Gilmore. Finn and Colin mentioned her in passing. It was apparent she meant something to Logan, even after all these years.
Knowing her next move, Odette thanked Morris and paid the bill. She climbed in her rental car but didn't immediately pull out of the parking lot. Instead, she reached for her cell phone and searched for driving directions from her current location to Stars Hollow, Connecticut, hoping that the approaching darkness would not hinder her plans.