Claim: Press Gang (Kenny Phillips) - #35 Lucky Break, Table 5
Title: Lucky Break
Author: lost_spook
Claim: Kenny Phillips
Prompt: #35 Lucky Break
Fandom: Press Gang
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 999
Summary: Kenny’s been reunited with the girl who may be the (accidental) love of his life. Too bad he’s only got one hour to make an impression - and the rest of the news team seem determined to get in the way…
Notes/Warnings: S3/4 (Technically, this follows on from a previous ficlet Love, fate & destiny.)
***
“Isn’t going to Australia a good thing?”
Kenny held the door of Czar’s open for Kelly - his long lost wrong number - and thought about how soon he was leaving, and about Lynda. “It’s complicated. And it just got worse.”
“Coffee, then, and you can tell me.”
“Got an hour?”
“Just.” Kelly gave a smile. “Shoot.”
Who were they to argue with destiny?
*
“So?”
Kenny sat down opposite her. “There’s Granddad. He says he’s fine, but I don’t know.”
“But that’s not it?”
He lifted his head. “My best friend isn’t exactly happy. The timing’s rubbish, and I’m her Assistant Editor.” He shrugged. “She leaves me snippets from the Encyclopaedia Britannica in my in-tray. Things that can kill you in Australia, with stuff about agonising deaths underlined. It’s sort of endearing. For Lynda.”
She rested her chin on her hands.
“What about you -?” Kenny stopped, aware of someone standing to the side of him. He turned his head. “Frazz?”
“Kenny,” said Frazz, sitting beside him. “Lynda wants you.”
Kenny scowled. “Frazz. I’ve finished. I’m off to the airport in less than twelve hours. I am not going back to the newsroom under any circumstances. If Lynda wants me, she can tell me herself.” He leant back. Lynda had refused to speak to him until he changed his mind about this, so he was safe on that front.
“Kate’s threatening to resign,” said Frazz. “Here’s the phone. Up to you. No skin off my nose.”
Kenny eyed the mobile with his yellow arrows still stuck to it. He glanced at Kelly. “Sorry.”
As he got up, Frazz said, “I didn’t know Kenny was seeing anyone.”
“Kate,” said Kenny, into the phone. “Come on - be reasonable…”
*
“So, did you ever see her again?”
Kenny started. “Uh. Who?”
“Oh, only the girl who broke your heart that one time.”
“Jenny? No. Not since she told me I was too boring to exist. How about -?”
“Kenny, can I come with you?” asked Sarah Jackson, storming into the café. She stopped at their table, giving Kelly a surprised look. “Oh. Hi.”
“Sarah, it’s not a good time -.”
“She’s already terrorised Brian into leaving, and he’s only been Assistant Editor for five minutes. And see this article?” Sarah waved the sheet of paper in front of Kenny. “You tell me what’s wrong with that! But she’s scrapped it and told me to start again.”
“Not much I can do, is there?”
Sarah sighed. “Can’t you stay?” Then she looked again at Kelly. “Oh. This is a bad moment, right? I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”
“I’m not. I mean -.”
“I should go, shouldn’t I?”
*
“So,” said Kenny, “you’re back with the gorgeous Michael?”
“No. I told you. He’s a rat.”
“Someone else?”
Kelly smiled. “No one. Is that okay?”
“That’s more than - hey, Tiddler, this is private!”
Tiddler squeezed in beside Kelly, and swiped Kenny’s remaining biscuit. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Yes, I do, actually. Tiddler -.”
The younger girl gave a cheeky grin, and shoved a sheet of paper at Kenny. “I need my holiday card signing for my grandparents’ big anniversary do. You know Lynda, she’ll never agree, so I thought I’d ask you. Sign it, and I might even write to you once you’ve gone.”
“That a threat, is it?” asked Kenny, obliging. “Now, can you go?”
Tiddler looked at Kelly. “Hi. I didn’t know Kenny was seeing anyone.”
“I’m not!”
*
“Is that everyone?” asked Kelly. “I don’t know how you can say you’re boring.”
“Oh, I am,” he said, cheering up. “As boring as they come. I just have an interesting life.”
The waitress arrived at their table. “Kenny Phillips?”
“Yes?”
“Phone call for you.”
Kenny glanced at Kelly, who gave a nod. “You’d better,” she said, and then smiled again. “If it’s a wrong number, don’t be too long, or I’ll get jealous.”
*
“Mystery caller going to great lengths, or Lynda phoning up to not speak to me one last time.”
“Yeah,” she said, struggling not to laugh. “Boring. That’s right.” She leant forward. “Maybe you need the break? It might not be such a bad thing, leaving.”
“Maybe. Except - I wish it wasn’t now.”
“Write,” she said. She smiled again, slowly. “It is odd, isn’t it? Meeting like this.”
Kenny raised his head, and was about to reply when someone put a hand on his shoulder.
“Kenny,” said that someone, “kid, you are going to love this -.”
*
“Colin!” That was it - his time all but up, and he got Colin.
“Hey - if I didn’t know better, I’d think you weren’t pleased to see me!”
Kenny dragged him out of Czar's and faced him against the glass front. “Colin. I’m not interested in whatever this is. Get lost!”
“Kenny, I’m hurt. Cut to the very heart -.” Colin looked down to check he had his hand on the correct side of his chest.
“I’m going to Australia tomorrow!”
“Well, that’s a bit extreme. I haven’t even explained yet.”
“Colin, you were at my leaving party.”
“Hey, was that what that was about?”
Kenny shoved him back against the glass. “Colin. I’m leaving in twelve hours, Lynda’s mad at me, Fate is being all ironic - and then, at the worst possible moment, you turn up!”
“You’re one seriously mixed up kid, Kenny,” said Colin. “I’ll ask Spike instead.”
Kenny opened his mouth; then shut it again, and watched him go. Colin was probably never going to figure out about Spike and America.
“Kenny,” said Kelly, at his side, as he sagged back against the window. She had her jacket on; bag hanging over her shoulder. “I have to meet my friends.”
“Yes,” he said. “Sorry.”
Kelly paused. “I’ve got a minute. Just one.”
Kenny turned his head.
“Fate, destiny, you know-.”
“Yeah, we can’t let the universe down,” he said. The leaving thing must have gone to his head, because he got it right this once, and kissed her.
***
Author: lost_spook
Claim: Kenny Phillips
Prompt: #35 Lucky Break
Fandom: Press Gang
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 999
Summary: Kenny’s been reunited with the girl who may be the (accidental) love of his life. Too bad he’s only got one hour to make an impression - and the rest of the news team seem determined to get in the way…
Notes/Warnings: S3/4 (Technically, this follows on from a previous ficlet Love, fate & destiny.)
***
“Isn’t going to Australia a good thing?”
Kenny held the door of Czar’s open for Kelly - his long lost wrong number - and thought about how soon he was leaving, and about Lynda. “It’s complicated. And it just got worse.”
“Coffee, then, and you can tell me.”
“Got an hour?”
“Just.” Kelly gave a smile. “Shoot.”
Who were they to argue with destiny?
*
“So?”
Kenny sat down opposite her. “There’s Granddad. He says he’s fine, but I don’t know.”
“But that’s not it?”
He lifted his head. “My best friend isn’t exactly happy. The timing’s rubbish, and I’m her Assistant Editor.” He shrugged. “She leaves me snippets from the Encyclopaedia Britannica in my in-tray. Things that can kill you in Australia, with stuff about agonising deaths underlined. It’s sort of endearing. For Lynda.”
She rested her chin on her hands.
“What about you -?” Kenny stopped, aware of someone standing to the side of him. He turned his head. “Frazz?”
“Kenny,” said Frazz, sitting beside him. “Lynda wants you.”
Kenny scowled. “Frazz. I’ve finished. I’m off to the airport in less than twelve hours. I am not going back to the newsroom under any circumstances. If Lynda wants me, she can tell me herself.” He leant back. Lynda had refused to speak to him until he changed his mind about this, so he was safe on that front.
“Kate’s threatening to resign,” said Frazz. “Here’s the phone. Up to you. No skin off my nose.”
Kenny eyed the mobile with his yellow arrows still stuck to it. He glanced at Kelly. “Sorry.”
As he got up, Frazz said, “I didn’t know Kenny was seeing anyone.”
“Kate,” said Kenny, into the phone. “Come on - be reasonable…”
*
“So, did you ever see her again?”
Kenny started. “Uh. Who?”
“Oh, only the girl who broke your heart that one time.”
“Jenny? No. Not since she told me I was too boring to exist. How about -?”
“Kenny, can I come with you?” asked Sarah Jackson, storming into the café. She stopped at their table, giving Kelly a surprised look. “Oh. Hi.”
“Sarah, it’s not a good time -.”
“She’s already terrorised Brian into leaving, and he’s only been Assistant Editor for five minutes. And see this article?” Sarah waved the sheet of paper in front of Kenny. “You tell me what’s wrong with that! But she’s scrapped it and told me to start again.”
“Not much I can do, is there?”
Sarah sighed. “Can’t you stay?” Then she looked again at Kelly. “Oh. This is a bad moment, right? I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”
“I’m not. I mean -.”
“I should go, shouldn’t I?”
*
“So,” said Kenny, “you’re back with the gorgeous Michael?”
“No. I told you. He’s a rat.”
“Someone else?”
Kelly smiled. “No one. Is that okay?”
“That’s more than - hey, Tiddler, this is private!”
Tiddler squeezed in beside Kelly, and swiped Kenny’s remaining biscuit. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Yes, I do, actually. Tiddler -.”
The younger girl gave a cheeky grin, and shoved a sheet of paper at Kenny. “I need my holiday card signing for my grandparents’ big anniversary do. You know Lynda, she’ll never agree, so I thought I’d ask you. Sign it, and I might even write to you once you’ve gone.”
“That a threat, is it?” asked Kenny, obliging. “Now, can you go?”
Tiddler looked at Kelly. “Hi. I didn’t know Kenny was seeing anyone.”
“I’m not!”
*
“Is that everyone?” asked Kelly. “I don’t know how you can say you’re boring.”
“Oh, I am,” he said, cheering up. “As boring as they come. I just have an interesting life.”
The waitress arrived at their table. “Kenny Phillips?”
“Yes?”
“Phone call for you.”
Kenny glanced at Kelly, who gave a nod. “You’d better,” she said, and then smiled again. “If it’s a wrong number, don’t be too long, or I’ll get jealous.”
*
“Mystery caller going to great lengths, or Lynda phoning up to not speak to me one last time.”
“Yeah,” she said, struggling not to laugh. “Boring. That’s right.” She leant forward. “Maybe you need the break? It might not be such a bad thing, leaving.”
“Maybe. Except - I wish it wasn’t now.”
“Write,” she said. She smiled again, slowly. “It is odd, isn’t it? Meeting like this.”
Kenny raised his head, and was about to reply when someone put a hand on his shoulder.
“Kenny,” said that someone, “kid, you are going to love this -.”
*
“Colin!” That was it - his time all but up, and he got Colin.
“Hey - if I didn’t know better, I’d think you weren’t pleased to see me!”
Kenny dragged him out of Czar's and faced him against the glass front. “Colin. I’m not interested in whatever this is. Get lost!”
“Kenny, I’m hurt. Cut to the very heart -.” Colin looked down to check he had his hand on the correct side of his chest.
“I’m going to Australia tomorrow!”
“Well, that’s a bit extreme. I haven’t even explained yet.”
“Colin, you were at my leaving party.”
“Hey, was that what that was about?”
Kenny shoved him back against the glass. “Colin. I’m leaving in twelve hours, Lynda’s mad at me, Fate is being all ironic - and then, at the worst possible moment, you turn up!”
“You’re one seriously mixed up kid, Kenny,” said Colin. “I’ll ask Spike instead.”
Kenny opened his mouth; then shut it again, and watched him go. Colin was probably never going to figure out about Spike and America.
“Kenny,” said Kelly, at his side, as he sagged back against the window. She had her jacket on; bag hanging over her shoulder. “I have to meet my friends.”
“Yes,” he said. “Sorry.”
Kelly paused. “I’ve got a minute. Just one.”
Kenny turned his head.
“Fate, destiny, you know-.”
“Yeah, we can’t let the universe down,” he said. The leaving thing must have gone to his head, because he got it right this once, and kissed her.
***