Chapter 38: Colleagues and brothers

Mark's eyes shot towards Glen, even though there was only air where he had been a moment before. Keira had roughly shoved him backwards. When he surfaced, Glen's smile was gone. He was on the brink of saying something angry but finding his wife directing a stern look at him he swallowed whatever he had been going to say. Shrugging at Mark apologetically he stated somewhat gruffly, "I meant, I'm gonna change into dry clothes, giving you two a little more privacy to – discuss dragons. Plus, that'll put an end to the husband-bashing."

"I'll come with." Keira climbed out of the pool. "Don't do anything we wouldn't do."

"And maybe don't do anything we would do, either." Glen's grin had come back.

"We'll remember. We'll come up in a few minutes", Mark replied dryly.

"Take your time. Just remember we want dinner tonight." With that Glen and Keira left the room, immediately starting to chatter softly among themselves.

"So you ok with us having dinner with them? I can always say we decided we want to be alone." Mark looked at her questioningly.

Ann let herself sink back in the warm water, holding on to the edge of the pool, paddling with her feet. "I like them."

"Glad to hear that." Mark joined her.

"Even though she'll kill me if I ever misstep my way with you."

"Did she say that?" Mark seemed somewhere between amused and annoyed.

"Not in so many words. They love you a lot." She smiled at him.

"They were the one's who were there for me after the accident. Kinda not a time of my life people want to remember. I pretty much went nuts."

"That bad?"

"Worse. I don't know how they managed." He shook his head. "Glen is sort of like my brother, you know. Every time I – did something crazy and he was really pissed he would just say: 'Man, you're out of your mind. I'd love to beat the crap out of you. But you're my brother and bros stick with each other.'"

"Colleagues and brothers, that's neat."

Mark focused on her intensely. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, Keira told me you and Glen met at work."

"Did she now."

"Shouldn't she have told me?"

"It's true, so there is no reason not to tell." Still he sounded like something was wrong.

She shook her head. "You like being mystery man, huh? I'm gonna believe you were some kind of mafia boss or something." That earned her a grin at least.

"No, nothing like that. It's an interesting line of work though. Maybe I should have tried it out." He grinned. "Come on, they'll be waiting for us." Mark pushed himself off the pool wall and swam towards the shallow end. Ann followed him slightly irritated. He had told her so much already, what was the secret behind his former job?

She went over to the deckchair, drying herself off. Mark went back to the gym to change into his street-clothes which he had left there. Ann swiftly slipped into her clothes. She would have to think through all the information she had gotten this afternoon when she was home. Puzzles, in her opinion, were always there to be solved.