Something Else

Chapter 11 - Sorting Out

Claire let ten, fifteen, twenty minutes slip by, and when there was no sign of Lee coming to find her, she made an excuse to go through to the kitchen.

The moment she walked in, the deep conversation Lee and Bob were having stopped dead, and the pair of them looked up, and if she wasn't mistaken, kind of smugly. She bristled.

'Don't let me interrupt you,' she muttered, not trusting either of them by the way they looked.

Bob opened his arms to her. 'You're not interrupting anything,' he told her, 'just boys talk.'
She turned her nose up, avoiding Lee's eyes, feeling suddenly quite intimidated by him and found herself a glass.
'You venturing into some alcohol?' asked Bob, with a tut and a shake of his head.
'I'm up to here in lemonade!' she said, tapping herself on the forehead.

Lee covered her hand with his as she went to lift the scotch bottle. 'What're you doing?'
'What's it look like?' she replied, defensively.
'Well, do you think you should? It's a bit early for it to be a pisshead, don't you think?'
She pulled her hand out from under his, keeping a good grip on the bottle. 'I'm allowed at least one,' she muttered stubbornly.

'Then make sure that's all you do have,' he told her in a way that made her stop and challenge him.
'I'll have as many as I want, if you don't mind!'
'I'm being serious, Claire.'
'Yeah?' she questioned, narrowing her eyes. 'Since when ...'
'Since spending ten or more hours on the road unable to think of anything else.'

His voice took on an unnaturally gentle tone, and she looked at him, seeing in his face a look of genuine concern she'd never seen before, and it threw her. Was he being serious, or was he taking the piss? Either way, it made her think, and she found herself backing down a little and poured herself a small one. 'Well, I'll just make it a little one, alright?'

He smiled at her with a nod.
Bob bit his lip, hiding his grin, seeing just what control he had over her. 'I bet you're happy now he's back,' he remarked, nodding towards Lee with a wink. 'She really missed you last night,' he then added, irrespective of the glare she then shot him. 'See, mascara all over my shoulder!'

Claire put the bottle down rather heavily on the sideboard flashing him another look.
'What?' he asked, playing ignorant.
Claire held his gaze, not wanting what she'd told him last night broadcasted – to Lee especially.
'What's up? I'm only telling him how upset you were, that's all?'
'You're talking crap!'

'Talking crap? Jesus Christ!' he then exclaimed. He turned to Lee with a mystified look. 'What is it with these birds, eh? They spend half the night blubbering on your shoulder telling you their problems, then the minute you think you're helping 'em out, like doing 'em a favour, they jump down your throat denying it!'
'Just shut it, Bob,' said Claire, almost daring him to say another word. She glanced at Lee turning her nose up. 'Don't listen to him, he's talking crap.'

Lee shrugged it off, not caring either way, and Bob went on to defend himself.

'Give us a break Claire. You were in my ear half the night. What's the big deal now that you're both ... '
Lee dug an elbow in Bob's side, shutting him up.
'Now that we're both what?' she wanted to know, pouncing on that unfinished comment.
'Hold on, Claire,' said Lee, giving Bob a look. 'I haven't told her yet - she doesn't know.'

'Oh,' he said, covering his mouth guiltily, 'I'm sorry, I thought she knew!'
Claire narrowed her eyes, refusing to stand there listening to what she considered more of their shite. 'Listen. I don't know where you two get off winding me up, but go and wind someone else up for a change - I'm sick of it.' She turned to march off, but Lee stopped her.

'Hey, calm down, no one's winding you up. I told you before I wanted to talk to you. Give us another few minutes. I haven't finished talking to Bob yet. Just go back through there, and I'll come and get you when I'm ready, alright?'