Brian could detect the shuffling inside the room from where he stood outside. There was some type of ruckus happening.
"Don't you dare!" he heard Mandy shout falteringly, as the door opened.
Ah…the normalcy was not distressed. The very wrinkle of this situation ensured Brian that nothing had been tinkered with. Mandy, with a few buttons of her plaid shirt unfastened and her mauve lipstick subtly smeared, stood dignified beside a corner of the wall. Shannon, with her blazer ajar and hung uneasily over her shoulders, had half an arm perched on the built-in bar and her head hung low.
Looks like another fight. Looks like another victory for Mandy. Brian had to pretend again.
"What's going on here?" he asked, finally addressing the two.
"I…can't believe you've kept her for this long, Brian!" Mandy answered indirectly, pointing a manicured finger at Shannon.
"Yes, yes, everybody knows you hate Shannon. But really, what's going on?" Brian inquired again, including a hint of annoyance in his tone.
"Well, if you're not considering that, then…nothing." his wife concluded, somewhat dumbfounded.
"Well then." Brian said tiredly, making a little gesture with his head. "I'll leave you two." He paced out of the room in a weary gait, mentally recording the event for the umpteenth time.
Mandy and Shannon stared into each other in silence, awaiting the opportune moment to speak.
"I'm convinced that I settled for more." Shannon started, disrupting the temporary stagnancy of everything.
Mandy grinned unsurely and pointed to herself, all the while developing a questioning look. She cocked an eyebrow as she walked to the carved metal door with some unneeded stealth. She pressed closer to it, but pushed away softly once she was satisfied.
"When are you telling Brian?" Shannon resumed the conversation.
"When are you telling Brian?" Mandy threw the question back.
"As far as he's concerned, I'm a hopeless devotee with a job that's better than I am." Shannon reasoned. "Why should I do it?"
"Alright." Mandy said, placing her hands on her hips. "Let's fight for it. You like fighting, don't you?"
She had the final say, but they both had the final laughs.
And as Shannon's blazer lay on the bar counter anew and more of Mandy's shirt buttons were undone, the latter grew a smile…a smile that was hard to wipe away.
FIN