BITTER - Michael Gray.

TWENTY NINE.

♛

"For one man that doesn't really do much all day, this room's a pig sty Michael." Liv placed the various bottles back into the cupboard.

"Not just me though, you've essentially moved in." He remarked, not looking up from his work.

"I'm not on... Morphine?" She tried to read the label on the dirty container.

"I wonder sometimes."

"Michael. Olivia." Tommy burst through the door, armed with files and paper.

"Excellent. Just what we need." Olivia sarcastically spoke under her breath.

"Sit down you and shut up." Tommy sat down next to Michael.

Olivia shoved the rest of the bottles into the cupboard, pushing the door closed so nothing would move. Something dropped inside the cupboard, but it was suddenly no longer her problem. She sat herself down on the other side of Michael, resting her head on his shoulder. The three of them sat in silence, a very awkward one at that.

"So, you two-" Tommy gestures between the couple.

"Hmm. Yeah." Michael smiled as Olivia drifted in and out of a nap.

"Nice." Tommy nodded. They continued to sit in silence as Tommy lit up a cigarette.

Thankfully, the door opened to reveal Polly, Lizzie and Ada.

"Sorry I'm late." Pol placed some flowers on Michael's bed.

"Where's Arthur?" Tommy noticed his absence.

"Do I look like his fucking mother?" Pol shut him down as the girls took their seats. Ada gave Liv a smug smile as she saw their arms interlinked.

"Let's get on with it. Right, before we start this extraordinary general meeting of the board of the Shelby Company Limited, I'd like to note the absence of the deputy vice president who has not yet arrived. We will continue without his presence." Tommy handed slips of paper round the table. "Item number one. The reinstatement of the Shelby Company Limited treasurer. The board welcomes back the treasurer with generously improved terms and conditions." Tommy rambled on.

Olivia was bored. She didn't really need to be at the meeting but she couldn't walk up and out of the room halfway through. Michael was also bored but trying his best to stay focused on the pointless meeting. She rested her hand on his leg as he sighed.

"Item number two, during the absence of the company accountant, due to ill health, all responsibility for the keeping of the accounts pass to the head of acquisitions." Tommy nodded to Ada.

"Hang on Tom, why can't I do it?" Olivia sat up in her seat annoyed that her job had been fobbed off to Ada.

"You're busy here. Item number three-" He curtly answered her, she slumped back in her seat and squeezed Michael's leg in frustration. "- the company treasurer-" Tommy carried on.

Olivia stared out of the window. The sun was beaming down onto the grass outside, the trees bare but beautiful. Her mind travelled to her family and John. John was probably up in heaven with Sam having competitions on who can polish off a bottle of whiskey the fastest. If they were still alive today, what would they all be doing? No doubt Sam would've joined the Blinders, becoming the fourth Shelby brother. Her dad might work in the factory. Who knows what her mother would be up to, probably baking bread for all the families in the streets. She always loved baking, and always got Liv involved so the boys had something for when they came home. Liv made bread all throughout the war, just in case someone came home. But they never did.