This Is Us || Jess Mariano

8

Lorelai, Charlotte and Rory were stood inside Doose's looking at baskets on display. "This one?" Charlotte asked.

"Hmm..no." Lorelai said.

"Why?" Charlotte asked.

"It's too big, it raises expectations." Lorelai pointed out.

"Like there's actually a home-cooked lunch in there?" Rory nodded understanding.

"Instead of whatever is leftover in our refrigerator, exactly." Lorelai nodded.

"Ok, going back on the pile now." Charlotte said.

"Oh, it really is quaint, isn't it?" Lorelai grinned. "The women gets to make a nice lunch basket, the men get to bid on it, and the world rotates backwards on its axis."

"I think it's fun." Charlotte grinned.

"That's because you have a boyfriend to bid on your basket." Rory pointed out, jokingly, although Charlotte could see the sad smile on her sister's face.

"Did you tell him to eat lunch first?" Lorelai joked.

"Hi, I love him, of course! Hey, I'm gonna look in the back." Charlotte smirked.

"Alright, I'll hit the front." Lorelai nodded, heading towards the front of the store with Rory. They bumped into Miss Patty there. "Hey Patty. Shopping for baskets?" She smiled.

"Oh please, I bought my basket weeks ago." Miss Patty said.

"Always prepared." Lorelai joked.

"Well, I'm getting that itch again." She admitted.

"Oh no, Patty, you don't actually need another husband."

"Well, need...no...but want...well that's a different story. Listen darling, do you happen to have change for a dollar?" She asked.

"I think so." Lorelai said looking in her purse. "Here you go." She smiled.

"Oh, thank you so...urgh!" Miss Patty said dropping something out of her wallet.

"I got it." Lorelai smiled bending down to pick it up.

"Oh no, that's okay." She said quickly.

"This is a picture of me." Lorelai said, giving Rory a look as her daughter stifled a laugh.

"It is?" Miss Patty said innocently.

"Yeah. Why do you have a picture of me in your wallet?" Lorelai asked confused.

"Oh...well, it's a very nice picture..."

"Thank you. Why do you have a very nice picture of me in your wallet?"

"I'm a stalker?"

"Or?"

"Or when, in my daily travels, I run across a nice single guy..." She admitted.

"Oh god!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Shut up." She elbowed Rory who was laughing.

"I like to have a visual aid to help me with the wonderful build up I give you." Miss Patty said.

"Patty, I appreciate the gesture but I don't need you to try to set me up." Lorelai sighed.

"You're such a beautiful girl and you deserve a nice guy." Miss Patty said.

"I'll have a nice guy, but let me find him, okay?"

"But you're no good at finding him." She said sadly.

"Patty..." Lorelai sighed.

"Oh, alright." She sighed.

"Thank you. I'll keep this if you don't mind." Lorelai said taking the picture. She gave it to Rory. "Burn it." She said.