All is not quite settled yet for Ricky and Laura. Sometimes you just need to get it all out in the open.
- - - - - - -
The cab beeped outside and Ricky called up to Laura to tell her to hurry up. She appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Do I look alright?" Ricky didn't need to answer, the grin on his face told her all she wanted to know.
"If the bed is covered in different clothes you've tried on when we get home tonight, you are in trouble," he informed her as she came down the stairs.
"What you going to do, spank me?" she kissed his lips, before licking hers seductively, picking up the present she bought for Sarah and left the house laughing.
The mood had lifted since the afternoon. They'd showered together whilst getting ready and the stress of the day had eased away. Though Laura was sure there was still too much that had gone unsaid.
The cab took them to Simon's house. As Ricky paid the driver, Laura looked down the road to see Peanut making his way towards her.
"Hi there," Laura said giving him a hug, "How are you?"
"Hi.Tired," came his reply, "Hi, Ricky."
"Still getting over the tour?" Laura asked as they headed towards the front door.
"I've slept all day, so I shouldn't be jet lagged." Peanut tapped on the glass of the door.
"I don't think you get jet lag from flights to Germany," Ricky said snidely. Laura elbowed him in the ribs.
"You know what he means," she said shaking her head at him.
Simon opened the door and welcomed them all in. Sarah appeared and birthday wishes were given by all before they were ushered in to the kitchen where Whitey and his wife were sat. Laura noticed the distance between them straight away.
Since living in London with Ricky, Laura had got to see a lot more of the band. She had become close to the other halves, meeting them for coffee and taking shopping trips with them. They had even been out together whilst the boys had been on tour, with Laura's best friend Katie, for a meal and to the theatre. She appreciated that they understood, to some extent, her relationship with Ricky. As everyone began chatting, Laura went to offer Sarah a hand.
"Should you really be cooking since it's your birthday Sarah? We could have all gone out somewhere." Laura said knowing she'd not want to cook on hers.
"I like it, having everyone round. And it's easier. No autograph and photo hunters. We get them all to ourselves. No, I don't mind at all." Sarah moved some dishes around to create more room.
"It smells delicious. Is there anything I can do?" Laura asked as Simon placed a glass of wine in her hand, making her smile.
"Oh yes please. See those tortilla chips, empty them in to that dish and grate some of that cheese on top." Laura found the tortillas and set to work. Then Sarah passed her a separate, smaller dish and a different pack of cheese. "That's for Ricky."
Laura looked around to see Ricky wasn't in listening distance, "I've not missed that these last few weeks. I could buy whatever wanted!" she giggled.
"I bet it's a nightmare." Sarah agreed. "Sssh, he's coming." They giggled again.
"What's so funny? Ricky asked, putting his arm around Sarah and kissing her," Happy birthday!"
"Thanks, nothing really, girlie stuff." She turned away and busied herself at the hob.
"Ok?" Ricky asked swigging from a bottle of beer.
"Yep," Laura said no more, concentrating as she was on her given job. Ricky leant over and grabbed a chip, but after having his hand slapped, he went away grinning to find someone else to talk to.
Eventually, Laura, Whitey's wife Karen and Sarah brought the starters to the table. They had waited as long as they could for Vijay and his wife, but Simon had received a phone call to say their daughter was ill and they'd rather not leave her with the babysitter.
Everyone took a seat around the table, Laura ending up at the opposite end, but on the same side as Ricky. Before they began, Sarah wanted to make an announcement.
"Well I'd like to thank you all for coming, particularly since half of you would probably rather be in at home after being away for two weeks." There was a round of coughs and disagreement. "Yeah, whatever. Thank you for my gifts and well, enjoy the food." Her guests gave her a round of applause and a few whoops for good measure, before they tucked in to their meals.
The conversation flowed, stories of their latest tour were shared. Then a particular one about Ricky and some women caught Laura's interest.
"Oh don't, she was fucking frightening!" Ricky protested.
"She was when she near enough had you in a headlock!" Whitey could hardly speak for laughing. Simon and Peanut too were nearly besides themselves. Not being able to share the joke, the woman merely smiled.
"Guess you had to be there," Karen muttered to noone in particular. The laughter subsided, to the sound of Whitey tutting.
"Here's the humour police!" He'd leant forward, looking down the table as he made his remark. The awkwardness was felt in the room.
"I'll just go and see if the main course is ready," Sarah tried to change the subject but the atmosphere had already changed.
"I'll give you a hand," Laura got up to help, catching Ricky's eye, her glance saying 'I'll hear that story later'. From the other side of the kitchen, the quarrel could still be heard, though Simon, Ricky and Peanut attempted to talk over it. Just as Sarah picked up the chilli to take it to the table, she saw Whitey push his chair back and disappear out in to the garden. She looked across at Laura who rolled her eyes. As Laura sat down, Karen excused herself and followed him out, leaving empty seats between her and Ricky. He looked across at her, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.
"Alright?" Through a simple word, he tried to reconnect with Laura. She smiled awkwardly, not really sure what was going on. Still feeling strained from the atmosphere, they began to eat their meal, momentarily stopping as raised voices were heard outside.
"It was like this when they were away Simon told me," Sarah said, spooning more chilli on to Simon's plate.
"Was it?" Laura didn't know, Ricky hadn't told her anything. She glanced across at him. Something else to talk about.
"Apparently they were arguing on the phone most nights!" Sarah continued.
"Sarah!" Simon was shocked by her need to gossip.
"What? It's what you said." She smiled at Laura. "It's times like this I'm glad we're not married with kids!" Laura could feel Ricky's eyes on her, but choosing not to look at him, she put her head down and continued to eat. Sarah changed the subject. "Simon tells me you're in talks for another panel show Ricky. That must be exciting." At hearing this revelation, Laura put down her knife and fork and turned her body towards Ricky, eager to hear his response to yet another fact she knew absolutely nothing about. An evening of revelations!
Laura kicked her shoes off in the hallway and walked into the lounge, flopping on the sofa. She heard Ricky lock the front door and put the keys in the bowl on the table. Putting his head around the door, he asked Laura is she wanted a drink.
"I'm alright thanks," she told him, not lifting her head from the back of the sofa. Laura listened to him, knocking about in the kitchen. They had hardly spoken in the cab home. After a few minutes, he returned with a glass of whisky and sat in an armchair swirling the ice around the glass.
"I think I might go up to bed," Laura moved to the edge of the sofa.
"I didn't mention Whitey today..." he paused. Laura stopped in her tracks, ready to listen. "I didn't get chance, but I didn't think you'd want to hear. Hardly a great advert for marriage." He drank from his glass.
"I'm not bothered Ricky. They've obviously got marriage problems," she thought about whether to carry on or not, "but you don't need to be married to have problems!"
He looked shocked, "We haven't got problems!" Laura once again got ready to stand up.
"A new panel show?" Her head was tipped to one side.
"That probably won't come to anything. It was just an email, fuck knows why Simon mentioned it to Sarah in the first place. I didn't think it was worth telling you until I knew more about it. I mean I would have told you..."
"But you didn't get chance. Ricky, we've hardly had a civil conversation since you got home." Laura stood up. She had no energy to argue tonight.
"I've only been home a day and you spent most of that with Chris!"
"I'm sorry, I did what?" she asked sarcastically, knowing full well what he'd just said. "I'm not allowed to spend time with a friend now?"
"Who's friend?" Ricky threw back the rest of his whisky.
"Yes Ricky, he was your friend first if you're being childish about it." She shook her head at him feeling remarkably calm considering. "What's got in to you? Is this what I have to look forward to everytime you come back off tour? Did Lesley used to have to suffer your mood swings too?" She walked out of the room and up to bed not waiting for his reply.
It was at least an hour later that Ricky came up. As he got into bed beside her, Laura could smell the alcohol on his breath as he climbed in to bed next to to her. They lay back to back. Laura couldn't sleep. Thoughts of what else Ricky hadn’t told her flying round her head. She told herself she was being stupid. He had only been home a day; how could he have shared a tours worth of conversations with her. She didn't expect to know everything, but an offer of a job, his friends marriage falling apart. They were pretty major things.
But no more words were shared that night, as minutes after laying beside her, Laura knew Ricky was asleep.
The mornings were getting brighter; blackout blinds were definitely something that they'd have to consider. Laura opened her eyes slowly, just making out the time on her alarm clock. 8:16. Just over an hour and Ricky would have to leave for the radio station. She sighed inwardly. She'd prefer him not to have to go. Nothing from yesterday had really been resolved and sitting about the house all day on her own brooding was not going to help. A chat with Chris was obviously out of the question. It was times like this that Laura's lack of immediate family played on her mind. As close as she was to James, he wasn’t one for a real heart to heart. She wondered if Katie would be free, but then remembered they were at Tom's parent's for the weekend. No, she'd busy herself getting the house in order. They had spoke about a house warming party; she expected Ricky might not be in a party mood.
Laura sensed Ricky was awake. His breathing pattern had changed, then she felt his legs stretch as he turned into the middle of the bed. She looked over her shoulder, smiling weakly at him, gauging his reaction as to what sort of conversation to engage in.
"Morning," her glimmer of a smile mirrored by his. She wriggled on to her back. "You been awake long?"
It was going to be small talk, Laura guessed. "A little while." She looked to the ceiling, "You've got to get up soon."
Ricky looked at his watch,"Yeah. I could do without it. I should have done a prerecord." He yawn and stretched his arms before laying them behind his head. "What are you going to do today?"
"Sort out a few more boxes I guess," she didn't sound particularly enthusiastic.
"Shall we meet for lunch?" He turned his head towards her. Laura's gaze didn't leave the ceiling. If they were going to talk, as she knew they needed to, then a meal out publicly was not the answer.
"I'll do us something here. I went shopping after work on Friday." She felt his eyes on her, so she gave him her attention, "I'll cook."
Her head was so close, yet she didn't feel she could or even should move any closer. There was something in his eyes that she didn't understand.
"You don't need to," he actually looked away from her.
"I want to. Anyway, it will be easier to talk at home." She heard him sigh.
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, irritated.
"Anything. The tour, this house, decorating. What's the matter? Have you turned into a teenager in the middle of puberty who doesn't want to talk about anything?" She was trying to raise a smile. But none was forthcoming.
"No! Ok, I'll come straight home. I'll be back by three I guess." He sat up and got out of bed.
"And I'll have dinner on the table like a good little wif..." Laura stopped herself mid-word, the foolishness of what she was about to say washing over her. If Ricky had have realised what she was saying, he didn't respond. Leaving him to have a shower, she headed downstairs to make coffee.
Ricky had left just after nine, wanting to be early to catch up on things as he hadn’t been in for three weeks. Laura unpacked a couple more boxes, then began to prepare lunch. Her heart really wasn’t in it. She tried to think of other things than Ricky, but somehow her thoughts always came back to him. What did she want to talk about? The panel show was one of the things and Whitey and Karen. There had to be a story there to be heard. The female headlocking stalker? No, she'd give that one a miss.
The radio was on in the background, but she was only half listening. She didn't hear his dedication to her or the conversation with his producer about how tired and out of sorts he was after the tour and how he'd found himself being a dick to people around him.
It was just before three as Laura was checking the meat in the oven and turning the heat down, that she heard the front door shut.
"Hiya!" came his shout from the hall.
"Alright," Laura shouted back, suddenly feeling nervous about his arrival. She saw the flowers before she saw Ricky, the bouquet being so large. They brought a smile to her face immediately. Appearing from behind them, Ricky came straight up and planted a kiss on her lips that took her breath away. His free hand tickling the back of her neck sending shivers down her body. When he finally pulled away, without letting go of her neck, he simply said, "Sorry."