You Never Said - Part 3 To The Producer (A Ricky Wilson Fan-fiction)

Lunch and Dinner

Laura took the flowers from him, "Thank you," her words no more than a whisper. She busied herself finding a vase from under the sink, Ricky didn't move, but watched her fill the found item and begin to arrange the flowers. 

"Did you listen this morning?"  he asked. She noticed already that his tone was different.

"The radio was on,  but I was busy, you know." She stepped back to look at the flowers,  before moving some of the greenery round more to the side.

"Did you hear me talking about what a dick I'd been? Not in so many words obviously,  Neil wouldn't let me." Laura shook her head, dropping her eyes to the flowers then back to Ricky. He came towards her and stood between the flowers and Laura,  taking the rose she was holding and putting it down. He breathed in deeply as if a long speech was coming.
"I've been a prize shit, I know I have. You didn't deserve my outburst yesterday.  It was just thinking about weddings and..." His hand was in his hair, "While we were on tour,  the last gig we did, we had a request by some bloke." Laura tilted her head as she listened to him,  Ricky's fingers touching her cheek in response. "He wanted to come on stage and propose to his girlfriend. It's not the sort of thing we do but the promoters wanted us to." His fingers dropped away as he shrugged one shoulder. "She said yes and it pissed me off. It wasn't him, it was because I wanted to be him."

"Ricky,"  Laura began.

"No, hear me out. You are right. It is too soon. But like I said and despite how drunk I was, I do remember. I will ask again."  His arms were around her waist and he gently pulled her in towards him.

"And Whitey and Karen haven't put you off?" she asked, looking up in to his eyes, trying to read him.

"Oh that. That was awful while we were away. I didn't think you'd want to hear about their misery on my first day home.  I wasn't keeping anything from you." Laura played with the button on his shirt.

"I know you weren't.  It was just last night,  everyone seemed to know more than me. I felt like I was in the dark. I need to turn the carrots on." Laura reluctantly pushed herself away from him,  going round to the hob. But Ricky followed her,  his hands finding her waist again as he stood behind her.

"Don't think that." She felt his hand  move the hair from the back of her neck. "I am worried for them." He kissed her neck.

"Has something happened?" Laura took a sharp breath at the touch of his lips.

"No," kiss. "They're just," kiss. "Not getting on," kiss. She turned round to face him.

"It'll be about ten minutes,"  she moved away from the cooker.

"I wouldn't need that long!"  Ricky looked at his watch.

"Ricky!" she was shocked at his suggestion. She returned to the flowers.

"Sorry." He sat down on a stool at the breakfast bar. "And as for Chris..."

Laura shot him a look, "Are you working your way through some type of list?"

"I've had a journey to and from work to think about it." He played absentmindedly with his watch as he spoke. "I know you are friends with Chris and I have to hand it to him that we are back together. If you want to talk to him,  go for it."

"I'll try not to." Laura had picked up the vase and was taking it to the table. "It's a conflict of interest." She placed it down,  turning it slightly. "Katie should be my first port of call. But if you're not being an arse, I won't need to talk to anyone!"  She returned to the cooker to turn down the other vegetables. "That just leaves one thing on your list... This panel show!" She held his gaze. She saw his shoulders rise before he began to speak.