The (Non) Date (Ricki)

[Milo Chevalier]

It made life a lot easier for Milo to live in London, since it was close to work and to Joe's. Here lately things had been going the way they always did. He was frustrating himself even more by not telling Ricki how he felt about her. Joe had given him advice on what to do, but Milo couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want to handle the rejection. In fact, he couldn't handle the rejection, not from her. He knew that there wasn't going to be anyone else and he knew that Katie would tell him to just go for it, but he couldn't. Milo couldn't see that Ricki was just as crazy about him as he was her. He was far too blind although it was highly apparent to everyone else.

Today Milo spent a lot of his time cleaning up his apartment making sure that things were in order. A few days before he even went out to buy new dish and silverware. He had plenty of glasses already. Tonight he was cooking for Ricki. Some might have seen it as a date, but Milo thought of it as just a little get together. Sure, it was just the two of them, but she was his partner and the only other person he worked with. He liked cooking for her, so instead of taking her out he decided that he could cook something just as good if not better. Plus, it would give them time away from work.

He was making his best Cajun Chicken Pasta. There was a light kick to the chicken but it was delicious. After he cooked his chicken, Milo changed into a pair of dress pants and a nice button up shirt. He thought that it would be appropriate to look his best for Ricki.

Making sure that every piece of hair was in the right place, Milo returned to the kitchen to finish up dinner. Ricki would be there at any moment. He already had a soft symphonic record playing lightly in the back ground that he enchanted himself. The dinner table was set perfectly with the new dishes and a couple of candles on the table. Of course this was just a friend dinner, not a date. He picked out two glasses and poured wine in them just as he turned back to the chicken to make sure that he was perfectly seasoned as a knock was heard on his door.

[Ricki Crawford]

Maybe it was weird and irrational to spend so long getting ready to have dinner with someone she saw all day, every day, and who only thought of her as a friend and work partner, but Ricki didn't care. One of these days, she reasoned, he was going to notice how good she looked and he would realize that they belonged together. Or maybe she was insane for repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting different results.

Nevertheless, Ricki had actually gone to the salon to have her hair cut and styled in fresh waves around her face. She wore a little extra makeup as well, to enhance the blueness of her eyes. And of course, she wore her best little black dress--the one that fit her perfectly up top, showing just enough of the "girls" to be enticing but not look like a slag.

Yes, she looked good. And she knew it. But would Milo notice?

It wasn't a date, of course... Ricki knew that. It was just dinner with a friend. Milo liked to cook, and he knew that Ricki did not like cooking. So he invited her over. That was all it was. But it didn't stop Ricki from acting as if she was dressing for a date, and from feeling an inexplicable quiver of nerves in the pit of her stomach.

She reached the door of his apartment and paused to smooth out the pleats of her dress and check for any stray hairs or spots of lint. One more quick swipe of lipstick--extra glossy, to make them seem more "kissable"--and she finally reached up to knock on the door.

[Milo Chevalier]

The knock was on cue seeing as how it was right on time. Milo smiled knowing that Ricki was always on time. If she was ever late he would think that something was wrong. Once again making sure his hair was perfectly in place and that there was nothing on his shirt or pants, he walked the few steps to his door and opened it.

Ricki was a vision that was for sure. Milo always made sure to give her compliments, but tonight he was honestly slightly stunned. He had seen Ricki dressed up before for their other non-date, just friend dinners. She always took his breath away, even in just every day wear she could do that. Milo smiled at her. "You look gorgeous," he said. It wasn't really out of the normal for him to notice her. He stepped out of the doorway to let her in. Milo could tell every detail about her. She had her hair fixed, her blue eyes seemed bluer, and her dress, well her dress fit her very nicely.

"Dinner is almost complete. I also just poured you a glass of wine just before you knocked."

[Ricki Crawford]

Ricki smiled at the compliment. She knew she looked good, so she didn't think anything more of it or what he might have meant by it. If he hadn't said anything, she might have suggested he get his eyes checked.

He looked very handsome as well, but then, Ricki always thought that he did. She loved his strong chin, his bright smile and... well she just loved him. Not that she would admit it, even to herself.

"Thank you," she said, handing him a box of chocolates as her host gift. She knew just the kinds that he liked and always picked out the specific ones at the local candy store. "You look very handsome yourself. If I didn't know better, I'd think you got all dressed up for me."

[Milo Chevalier]

"You're too sweet and you spoil me," he said as he took the box of chocolates she had given him. Milo smiled at her and then at her last statement, for the first time in a long time, he faltered a little. Maybe it was a little noticeable, maybe it wasn't, but Milo knew the truth, he did dress up for her. Of course it wasn't a date date, but it was still a friend dinner. He liked dressing up for her every once in awhile. Oh he could hear Joe teasing him now.

"I,I could say the same for you," he said regaining his composure. "I don't think I've ever seen you wear that particular dress, although I think you have one similar." Naturally Milo remembered everything about Ricki. He also remembered that not too terribly long ago, she went on a dinner date with another man, but he was not going to bring up the past to see if they ever went out again. Not tonight.

Milo handed her a glass of wine after he set the chocolates on the counter. "Here you go. I remember the kind you liked so I bought a couple of bottles. Thought I'd keep them on hand. There's also brandy available if you would like some of that after dinner."

[Ricki Crawford]

She liked the little catch in his voice when he complimented her dress. It felt good, even if she knew it didn't mean anything. It was just nice to know that she could still make a man get flustered when she dressed up.

"Oh, this old thing?" she answered breezily. "I found it at the back of my closet and thought I'd wear it tonight."

That was a blatant lie. She had bought it, specifically for this night, just for him. It was money well-spent, she decided. And he didn't need to know about it.

She smiled as she accepted the glass of wine from him. Her fingers lightly brushed his and she felt herself growing warm without even having a sip of her wine.

"Thank you," she said, pausing to inhale the wine's bouquet. "Oh... this is that Italian wine I said i liked, isn't it? I can't believe you remembered?"

[Milo Chevalier]

If only Milo had the courage to tell Ricki how he felt without fear of rejection. The brush of their fingers caused goosebumps on his arm and he was glad he was wearing a long sleeve so she couldn't see. He wished that he could be brave enough to do that. He knew that he was in love with her. Everything about her drove him crazy, but she obviously didn't feel the same way.

"Of course I remembered. I have a pretty good memory when it comes to certain things." Like you ,he finished in his mind. Milo smiled at her. "Besides, I can rarely ever say no to good wine." He took a sip out of his glass and finished up the meal. "I also have your favorite dessert for after the meal if you are still hungry that is." Tonight, ironically, was mostly about her. Milo didn't think that he ever made his Cajun Chicken Pasta for her in a long time, so tonight was a great night for that. If she would pick up on the fact that he picked out her favorite wine and dessert, at least should tell her something about how he felt.

[Ricki Crawford]

But Ricki remembered everything about him, too. She remembered how he liked his eggs, his favorite drinks, his favorite desserts. She remembered the cookies that he liked, and had even once read a books simply because he said he liked it so much. But her knowing these things didn't seem as obvious because her attempts at cooking and baking usually turned out disastrous. But on his birthday, she always liked to take him out to his favorite restaurant

"I'm telling you, Milo, one of these days, you're going to make some lucky woman very happy," she said in a breezy tone.

Like me, she thought to herself. If only...

Taking s ip of the wine, she smiled, then smelled the air around her. "Mmmm... smells like your famous Cajun Chicken Pasta..." she said. "It may not be a meat pie or a blood pudding, but it smells pretty amazing!"

She loved to tease him about some of the more unappealing-sounding British dishes, knowing that he wasn't find of British food.

[Milo Chevalier]

"Well right now I am making one woman happy, so I am perfectly fine with that for right now. You know you're the important woman in my life." Of course that had double meaning. She was important to him because she was his partner, but yet she was also important to Milo because she meant a lot to him. After all, he was in love with her.

At the mention of meat pie and blood pudding, Milo raised an eyebrow at her. He knew she was teasing of course. "You Brits and your foods. I don't understand how some of those things are any good. Somethings yes, but others," he stopped for a small shiver to add effect. "I thought since I haven't made it for you in a long time I would." Milo grinned and finished up the pasta. He pulled down two bowls, new bowls that he just bought just to attempt to impress Ricki. Pouring pasta into each bowl, he made sure to make a great presenation with everything.

"Now it's time to go sit at the table." He smiled at her and offered his arm to her. "May I escort you to your seat?"

[Ricki Crawford]

"Oh, stop," Ricki teased. "You're going to make me blush if you keep saying things like that."

She actually was blushing, however, and she took another sip of her wine so that she could use the heady effects of the wine as an excuse for her pink cheeks.

If only he knew how such compliments made her feel! It wasn't even that she didn't hear those kinds of things from other men. She dated quite often, and had lately been seeing one particular gentleman on a pretty regular basis. But when Milo said those things to her... well, it meant more to her than she ever knew how to express to him.

As he offered his arm to her to lead her to the table, she laughed. "Well, aren't you quite the gentleman? Honestly, if not for your preference for coffee and your lack of appreciation for blood pudding, I wouldn't even believe you were American. Perhaps we're finally rubbing off on you?"

[Milo Chevalier]

"You're blushing right now," Milo said with a half grin, half smirk. He was aware of the fact that some compliments made her blush, but naturally Milo figured that most females blushed when they were complimented.

"You Brits rubbing off on me? I doubt that," he said with a smile. "Americans do have a sense of manners, just not all of them use them." Milo walked around the wall that separated the kitchen and the dining area. The candles were still lit and the room was almost dark, with the exception of the candle light. He had honestly gone all out for this non-date. If someone would have come in they would have thought the mood was romantic, which in a way it was. Of course Milo just figured he would have dinner like this with Ricki because he knew females liked to be treated like they were the best things in the world. If only Ricki knew that she was the best thing in his life...

Milo reached out and pulled her chair out for her. "Once you have a sit and I push you up to the table, I'll grab more wine and our plates."

[Ricki Crawford]

For the first time, Ricki felt a twisting in her stomach. As clueless as she tended to be around Milo, even she couldn't deny that he'd gone all out for this dinner. The beautifully set table, the candlelight... it was very romantic. The only thing missing was some romantic music. If he started playing music, Ricki was very much in danger of giving in to the feelings she had for him... which would surely not be returned. She found herself wondering what it was like when Milo was really taking a girl on a date.

"Wow," was all she could say for a moment. "This is... it's beautiful. Honestly, you didn't have to go to so much trouble for me."

She caught his eyes in the dim candlelight, and for a brief, terrifying moment, she felt a spark between them, as though he was feeling the same way. But he couldn't. He didn't. Right?

She could barely breathe as she moved over to the chair and sat down. She didn't break their gaze, and sat sideways in the chair, looking back at him. She opened her mouth as if to speak... and then thought better of it. This was crazy....

Quickly she looked away, turning back to face the table and allow him to push her chair in.

"You've really outdone yourself, Milo."

[Milo Chevalier]

For just a moment, Milo wondered if Ricki was going to make a move. For the moment their gaze was met, Milo felt like leaning in and kissing her. He couldn't do that, however. She would for sure reject him and run out. He could not accept her rejection. On the other hand, it seemed that there was something there. Maybe he was reading to much into it, but Milo could have sworn the way Ricki was looking at him, she half expected and wanted him to do something. Maybe Joe was right.

The moment faded a little when she looked away from him. No, Joe could not have been right. The quickness in which she looked away had to be a wonder of why he was seemingly staring at her. However, the feeling Milo had every time Ricki was around did not fade. He wanted to pick her up, hold her, and kiss her, but he couldn't. The fear of rejection and the knowing that she did not feel the same way, or did she.

"I thought you would like it," he replied pushing her chair in. His voice was almost a whisper and unguarded. There was a hint of affection there, but Milo highly doubted she would have the same feeling.

"I'll be right back." Milo disappeared into the kitchen taking in a deep breath. Grabbing both bowls, he put one on his arm, held the other in his hand, while holding a bottle of wine in his other hand. Returning to the dining area, he placed the wine bottle on the table and carefully placed Ricki's bowl in front of her before putting his own bowl in front of his place at the other end of the table. He refilled her wine glass and smiled before going to his own seat.

Milo picked up his napkin and placed it in his lap. "Well, I hope you enjoy dinner tonight. I figured we could watch movies later on."

[Ricki Crawford]

One day, Ricki would look back on this moment as one of the biggest missed opportunities between them. There was something heavy in the air, and there was no way she could possibly miss it. But it couldn't be what it seemed. It couldn't be that. The wine and the candlelight must have gone to her head. It was the only possible explanation.

She was also impressed that Milo had gone to so much trouble for her, but she still didn't pick up on the message he was unconsciously trying to send her. He was a good friend, that was all. He was trying to make her feel special. And she did feel special. How could she not?

"It was really sweet of you," she said, smiling warmly at him.

When he went into the kitchen, though, Ricki took that as an opportunity to take a few deep calming breaths. She had to get a grip. She knew Milo just thought of her as a friend... a very good friend. That was all this was. She'd seen him with women he was interested in, and he didn't act that way with her. If this were a real date, he probably would have hired violinists to serenade them at the table or something. The candles were just... just candles. He probably knew she had always hated that harsh overhead light of his and thought she'd like the candles.

Her breathing had returned to normal by the time her returned. The moment had passed, and everything felt normal again.

"I'm sure I will. Everything smells amazing. What kind of movie did you have in mind?"

[Milo Chevalier]

The fact that Ricki had seen Milo date other women should have been a key factor in her figuring everything out. He treated her differently than he did any other woman. That should have been a huge flag right there, but Ricki either failed to see it or she just honestly didn't think of him that way. Either way, it was proving to be difficult. He felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He couldn't tell her for a few important reasons. One, they were business partners and if he happened to confess his love for her then that could mess things up there especially since she probably didn't feel the same. Second, Milo didn't want to lose her at all. He liked working with her, he liked talking to her, and joking around. If he happened to tell her, then more than likely that would stop because obviously the feelings weren't returned.

Once Milo returned, he noticed everything returned to normal. He needed to do something, he wanted to do something, but he was scared to. He took his seat and slid up to the table.

"Well, I have a few that we can always pick from. I have more American movies, but I do have a few British ones in there as well. There's always James Bond, Audrey Hepburn, and a lot of others in there. I did categorize them according to genre and then by alphabetical order." Milo gave a smile. "I couldn't sleep one night."

[Ricki Crawford]

Ricki began to laugh at the idea of Milo sitting up at night, arranging his movie collection in alphabetical order. It wasn't something she had ever really imagined him doing before. It wasn't that he was disorganized, but he wasn't quite the neat freak she tended to be. More often, he was teasing her for being so neat and organized. It was something she would have done.

"Really? By genre and alphabetical order? Merlin's beard, I really am starting to rub off on you, aren't I? I think I'll need to see your movie collection just for that."

[Milo Chevalier]

"Yeah. I just couldn't sleep, no matter how much I tossed and turned." He gave a chuckle when she said she was rubbing off on him. "I suppose you are, just a little." Milo was not completely disorganized, he actually kept things clean. The night that he rearranged his movies was the night he couldn't stop thinking about her. Of course, that was every night and every day, but this particular night he couldn't stop. It was the night that he knew she had a date with a new guy. He wasn't going to tell her that though.

"I'll let you pick out the movie after dinner." He smiled. "Oh, I did forget something. Give me one second." Milo got up from his chair and walked up to a wooden brown box. He opened the lid and started the record player. The record player was enchanted. There was a soft classical piece playing and he returned to his seat. "I meant to change the record just before we came in here to eat." Milo smiled again as he placed his napkin in his lap.

[Ricki Crawford]

Milo was absolutely killing her tonight. It wasn't a violin player, but classical music on an enchanted record player was the next best thing. For the first time, Ricki began to wonder if Shelby and Aislinn were right when they told her that Milo liked her as more than just a friend. He was certainly sending out all the right messages tonight. But if it were true, wouldn't he just say so? Why didn't he ask her to dance, or tell her that she was the most beautiful woman in the world? Just something, so that she wouldn't feel so uncertain...

Ricki wasn't used to wondering how men felt about her. The men she dated always made their intentions clear. She wasn't shy around them. But Milo was the only one that really mattered. And if he would only say the word, she'd fall into his arms. But she didn't have the nerve to tell him how she felt.

"Setting the atmosphere, are you?" she said teasingly, raising an eyebrow at him. "It's lovely."

She was very carefully testing the waters, still trying to keep things light and playful. But she was afraid of the answer, so she took a bite of her pasta as a distraction.

[Milo Chevalier]

If only she would just give him a sign! Well, actually, Ricki had already given him a lot of signs but Milo, in all his male glory, had completely missed it. For a moment, Milo felt as if tension grew between them again, but not the fighting tension. Maybe he was just reading way too much into it. Surely Ricki would be dating someone, but then again if she was, why would she be here? Milo then replied to himself that of course she would come here for dinner, they were friends after all. He never once thought that it was actually possible she could have feelings for him too.

Although her look was teasing, Milo swore he saw something else. Could Joe be right? Could Ricki really feel the same way? Naturally, he felt that the odds were against him. Right now, he thought he was testing it, just to see her reaction. "Thank you. As for setting the atmosphere, I thought playing it would be appropriate." Even though Ricki was teasing, there was a little hint of seriousness. He gave her a smile and then looked to his pasta as he reached for his glass of wine to take a drink.

[Ricki Crawford]

There was still something very strange hanging in the air, and Ricki had no idea how to handle it. The moment felt heavy somehow. As blind as she often was where he was concerned, she couldn't completely deny that there was something there. It all added up: he had invited her over, he had cooked for her, he dressed up for her, he bought her favorite wine, he had candlelight, and he had classical music playing...

Oh, Godric, what if this really was a date?

Or worse, what if she tried to test that theory and it turned out to be wrong? That this was just a friendly dinner and that he didn't feel the same way about her that she felt about him?

She was glad for the food in front of her, because she could at least use that as a diversion. Just concentrate on eating. Yes, this was a dinner, so she should eat dinner. That made sense.

But she couldn't just shovel food in her mouth and not talk to him at all. How rude would that be?

So, after a few bites, she smiled up at him, looking for all the world as if everything was completely normal. "Everything is delicious," she said. "I wouldn't mind if you cooked like this for me every night."

The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them. It suggested too much, and if this wasn't a date... it might give the wrong impression. But if this was a date, surely he would pick up on what she was saying? She smiled sweetly at him, then patted her mouth with her napkin, watching for his reaction.