A Reckless Bedtime Story
by MKT
Scene: Alexis's apartment, about 10:00 at night. Alexis and Ric have just gotten married at the courthouse earlier in the evening by a judge to show the court that she has a stable home life so that Sonny won't win custody of Kristina.
Viola is sitting on the couch leafing through a magazine when the door opens and Alexis and Ric come in.
Alexis: Hello, Viola. How's Kristina?
Viola: Just fine. She had a nice dinner and went to bed about two hours ago. And, by the way, congratulations on your marriage. (During this exchange, Viola has been collecting her purse and sweater and has been walking to the door.)
Viola: See you in the morning, Ms. Davis.
Ric: (with a mischievous smile) Mrs. Lansing.
Alexis: (turning to glare at Ric) Ms. Davis.
Viola just looks at them like they're crazy, or maybe like she's not sure one of them is going to still be alive in the morning. She closes the door behind her quickly.
Alexis: (to Ric) I'm going to check on Kristina.
As Alexis leaves the living room, Ric takes off his suit jacket and tie and sits on the couch. He slips off his shoes, puts his feet on the coffee table and turns on the TV, flipping through ball games and all news channels. Alexis comes back in.
Alexis: (snippy) Get your feet off my coffee table!
Ric: Guess the honeymoon's over. (Takes feet off coffee table)
Alexis: (exasperated) I am exhausted. I'm going to bed.
Taking off her suit jacket, she heads for the bedroom.
Ric: Good idea. (He jumps up from couch and heads for the bedroom also.)
Alexis: (turns around to stop Ric dead in his tracks) Wait a minute! Where do you think you're going?
Ric: To bed. I'm exhausted, too. We both have to get to court early in the morning.
Alexis: Well fine. Wait here. (She goes to a sideboard/cabinet and pulls out a pillow and a throw blanket, which she shoves at Ric). The couch is quite comfortable.
Ric: You don't expect me to sleep on the couch, now that we're married?
Alexis: It's a marriage of convenience. You agreed.
Ric: (in a bit of a whiney voice meant to purposely drive her crazy) But I've got a bad back.
Alexis sighs with impatience.
Ric: (now in a softer, more charming voice) Besides, we need to keep up appearances. Viola gets here pretty early in the morning. What will she think if she sees me on the couch, on our wedding night? It might get out that our marriage isn't real and Sonny could use that against us – you – for custody.
Alexis: (indignant because he actually makes a good point) Fine, fine. But no funny business. Sleep only!
They go into the bedroom. Alexis and Ric both instinctively start to undress but then look at each other uncomfortably. With a huff, Alexis grabs some clothes out of a dresser drawer and goes into the bathroom.
(Commercial break)
Alexis emerges from the bathroom in baggy, men's style, red plaid flannel pj's. Ric is standing by the bed clad only in some black silky boxers.
Alexis: (a bit taken aback and trying to avert her eyes) Where are your pajamas?
Ric: (looks down at his boxers) I always sleep in my skivvies. (Points to her pj's) And might I say that ensemble is quite stunning.
Alexis: (indignantly) It's a little chilly in here.
They both hesitantly get into the bed.
Alexis: Just stay on your side.
They roll away from each other.
Ric: Good night (sing song-y sweetly)
Alexis: Good night! (Agitated)
They have their backs to each other, but eyes wide open. She sneaks a peek at him over her shoulder, then turns back. He sneaks a peak over his shoulder, turns back.
Fade to commercial.
Scene: Next night, back in the bedroom. Ric is standing next to the bed wearing his own red-plaid flannel pj's. The bathroom door opens and Alexis comes out in a long black satiny nightgown with lace bodice and spaghetti straps.
Ric's eyes bug out and he whistles softly.
Ric: Wow. Is that for me?
Alexis: (indignant on the outside, thrilled at his reaction on the inside) Will you stop? It's just that it's a little warm in here.
Again they hesitantly get in bed, and say good night. They roll away from each other, but then turn back and look at each other. They go in for a kiss when…Kristina starts crying. Alexis starts to get out of bed.
Ric: No wait. You stay here. I'll go check on her.
Ric climbs out of bed and leaves the room to check on Kristina. Alexis, with a small smile on her face, snuggles into the covers and closes her eyes. Ric comes back in the room.
Ric: Her Lamby just fell on the floor…
He realizes Alexis is already asleep.
(Commercial break)
Scene: The next night. About 10 p.m., Ric comes into the apartment. Alexis, in sweats, is sitting on the couch with legal papers spread all over the coffee table, sipping a mug.
Ric: Hey.
Alexis: (not looking up from her papers) Hey. (Beat) If you're hungry, there's some microwaveable chicken soup. You just pull off the top and zap it for a minute. It's quite remarkable.
Ric: No thanks, I'm fine (but inside he is really touched that she thought to make him, or at least offer him, something to eat.)
Ric takes off his suit jacket and tie and sits on the couch next to Alexis. He picks up the remote and turns on the TV.
Alexis: (looking up at him through the top of her glasses) Do you mind? I'm trying to concentrate.
Ric: I just wanted to check the news. (Clicks the TV off. Looks around.) How's Kristina? She all tucked in?
Alexis: (again, not looking up from her papers) Oh, Kristina is spending the night with Emily and Nikolas.
Ric: (eyes widen) So we're alone?
Alexis: (still looking at her papers) Yep.
Ric pauses for a second, then takes the papers out of her hand and puts them on the coffee table.
Alexis: (half-heartedly protesting) Hey! I was reading that.
Ric takes off her glasses and puts them down on the coffee table. They look at each other for a few seconds.
They start to kiss, hesitant at first, then with more passion as she starts to unbutton his dress shirt.
They look at each other and then, in unison, toward the bedroom. They stand up and while wildly kissing and groping, they kick off shoes, sending them flying across the room. She yanks off his shirt, perhaps before it was completely unbuttoned and propels it to the floor. He unzips the little cardigan she had on over her tank top, yanks it off her, nearly taking her arm with it, and tosses it unceremoniously across the room.
Cut to the bedroom as they burst through the door (think Desk Kiss!) They fling the covers back, sending decorative throw pillows sailing, and then fall on the bed, kissing and groping. The camera pans to the floor in front of the bedroom door where navy dress pants and gray sweatpants land in a heap, followed by a white tank top and black silk boxers, and, finally, two balled up navy blue socks.
Dissolve to Ric kissing Alexis's neck and shoulders, lots of passion, her eyes closed, just a lot of hmmm and moan, when all of a sudden in the throes of passion, Ric whispers…
Ric: God, I love you.
Alexis's eyes fly wide open in panic.
(Commercial break!)
Cut to the "finish" as Ric rolls over and they lay side by side, Alexis clutching the sheets to her chest. Ric's breathing a little hard.
Ric: Wow.
Alexis: That was wow all right.
They lay there for a second taking it all in. Then Alexis speaks hesitantly.
Alexis: Did you mean what you said there, a little while ago when we were…uh…what you whispered to me.
Ric: (pretending not to know what she's talking about) What? (Rolls over on his side to face her) Oh, 'yeah you sexy thing, yeah that's the way…'
Alexis: (taken aback and somewhat embarrassed) No, not that!
Ric: (teasingly runs his finger across her cheek) You love the dirty talk, don't you?
Alexis: What? (Annoyed) No. The…uh…other thing.
Ric: Oh, you mean when I said (whispers as he comes in for a kiss) 'I love you?' (Kisses her.)
Alexis: (trying to catch her breath) Ah, yeah, that.
Ric: (rolls back over on his back, looking up at ceiling) Yep. I mean it. I love you…Ms. Davis.
Alexis: (pause) I love you, too. (Another pause) And that's Mrs. Lansing, to you.
End of scene.