Drawing Blood

Chapter Thirty-one

When Annie re-joined us, I could see she was frustrated. It meant I was in for an uncomfortable few minutes.

"Tell me why you couldn't have dealt with that," she scolded Adam, slapping him on the arm. "You could have answered any one of those questions." When he feigned being hurt, she slapped him again. "Serves you right! You've been preoccupied, all morning!"

"Annie, you forget, I can hear everybody in this town," Adam reminded her, tactfully. "You tell me how to put a stop to that, and I'll do it."

I saw her frown, but that didn't stop the pair of them begin to have words with each other. I watched them, and I did so with some envy. Will and I never fought like that, I thought to myself; so clean and natural. When we fought he was dirty and childish, always making sure my feet were left bloodied and bruised by the eggshells he'd forced me to walk across. When that failed to work, the silent treatment was used until I waved a white flag in surrender. When these two sparred, it was different. It was like watching a piece of choreography, a hypnotic dance full of carefully constructed moves designed to allow each other the spotlight. Adam would say something, and Annie would follow that up with a retaliation of her own. While some of it could be tough to observe, what struck me the most was that Adam appeared comfortable being the subordinate to her bossiness. It was as though he was too confident in his own masculinity to fulfil the need to prove a point. He didn't need to sink to a level that was beneath him, in order to get his message across.

"Just because things are okay at the moment, that doesn't mean it's going to remain that way," I heard him explain. "Would you rather I relax and let the worst happen?"

"I'd rather you do you job," Annie said.

I remained silent. To be honest, I knew which view I preferred. It wasn't my place to say it, however. Even if Annie had a point - which she did - without Adam none of us would be free to go about our business in peace. I was certain they would resolve their conflict without my interference. In fact, I knew better than to get involved. The last time I had taken sides, I had ended up being cannon fodder. Annie had apologised, of course; and I had forgiven her. But I had learnt a very valuable lesson, that day. I would let that lesson come into play now. I would stay there and be quiet until they resolved this. I would let him continue to be sensible and protective, and let her continue to wrap him around her little finger until she won.

"I haven't seen Rose since we left Brighton," he was saying now. And it was then, I acknowledged they had moved beyond the original argument. "It's not like I can pop in and see her, is it? It's alright for you and Mitch - mum and dad like him. Not to mention, you live with him."

"Get your head back in the game," Annie fired at him. "You and Rose can always get a place of your own if it bothers you that much. But until that happens, you're on my time. I can't deal with all your brooding, and moodiness...."

"Me and Rose shacking up would go down well with Will, wouldn't it?" said Adam. "Can you imagine what he'll do to me? Have some consideration, will you."

"I'll be sure to play to play the violin." She hit him again when he tried to give me another kiss, and I winced; embarrassed for him. "Go and make yourself useful, for crying out loud!"

Ignoring his protests, she began pushing him down the aisle, ordering him to keep an eye out in case anybody we knew came in. It was the final nail in their conversation, and hers was the last word. When she came back to me, her charm had somehow made a reappearance. "I hope you know what you're letting yourself in for," she commented, throwing him a backwards glance. "You'll need to put a muzzle on him."

"I'm sure I can manage."

She shook her head, as though erasing what she had just seen, as though someone could dare challenge her authority like that; even if it was her own flesh and blood. "If it's not Chris stressing me out, its my own brother," she muttered. She paused, taking a deep breath. "Anyway," she carried on, and I could tell then, their spat was over. "Did I tell you where Mitch was taking me for our holiday?"