Part 1

Opening the front door of her expensive home, Connie dumped her handbag and keys on a table by the door, wearily kicking her shoes off as she did. It had been a long, emotionally draining day and she was shattered, longing for the warmth and comfort of her bed. Heading for the sitting room, she sighed as Michael walked out of the kitchen, clearly in a bad mood, clutching an unopened bottle of wine in one hand, a wine glass in the other.

"Nice of you to grace me with your presence." He said, cuttingly as he passed her.

"Thanks." Connie smiled at him sarcastically, grabbing the wine from his hand and taking it into the kitchen to pour herself some. Following her and taking it back, he went off into the kitchen, muttering sarcastically that she should help herself as he did. She heard him turn on the television, and rolled her eyes, taking a large sip of the wine before walking over to the fridge. "Have you eaten?" She called, rummaging around inside. Michael ignored her. Her appetite suddenly lost, she closed the fridge and wandered into the lounge, sitting down on the sofa opposite Michael. Pulling her feet up onto the chair and wrapping her arms around her legs, she sighed again, frowning slightly at her husband who was engrossed in some programme about current affairs. Cradling her wine in her hand she spoke quietly. "The silent treatment. Just what I need after a long day."

Michael looked up at her briefly. "A nagging wife…just what I need after ten years of marriage." He said, rolling his eyes and looking back at the telly.

Suppressing a smile at her husband's dry wit, Connie pulled a sarcastically surprised face at him. "That was pretty quick for you Michael." She quipped, smirking to herself and sipping her wine again. Once more Michael ignored her. "What's wrong Michael?" Asked Connie dryly, all the amusement gone from her voice. "PA blown you out?"

"No Connie. Take the hint. Piss off." Sipping her wine, Connie suppressed another smile. Michael seemed more wound up than usual that evening, and this amused Connie slightly. She gazed across at Michael and drunk her wine.

Michael silently stared at the screen, outwardly appearing blank but inside he was fuming. This was a man close to breaking point. He was sick and tired of having a wife who was for the most part not at home, and during the brief time she did spend with him would insist on cajoling him into an argument. He couldn't put up with it for much longer; he wanted the Connie back he used to know. Not the impertinent ice-queen who sat opposite him. He looked up at her in irritation as she sighed loudly, and got up, walking into the kitchen to order a pizza, before sitting down at the breakfast bar with his head in his hands.

The doorbell rang, and Michael got up, expecting it to be the pizza delivery boy. Opening the door, he rolled his eyes at the man standing in front of him. "Her fucking work even follows her home…" He spat.

"Sorry if I'm intruding." Professor Zubin Khan stood there, nervously shuffling the papers he was clutching in his hands. "Is Connie in?"

Hearing her name mentioned, Connie got up from the sofa and walked out into the hall, smiling as Zubin looked at her apologetically. She frowned slightly, watching as Michael shoved past Zubin out into the front garden, before smiling warmly at Zubin and ushering him inside. "And to what do I owe this honour?"

Before Zubin could answer, Michael stalked back into the house, thrusting a pizza box into Connie's hands. "Present." He said, coldly, before walking up to Zubin, glaring frostily at him. "And yes mate, you are intruding. We were just about to have dinner." He said, before stalking off into the kitchen with the second pizza.

"Please excuse my husband, he's been in a foul mood most of this evening." Connie said, shooting Michael a look.

Zubin held up the files in his hand, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire between Connie and her husband. "They're for the enquiry meeting tomorrow."

Connie's face fell. "Oh." She said taking them.

"I'll just go." Zubin's voice was hushed, and he looked at Michael worriedly as he walked back out into the hall and stared at the two of them stood at the front door.

"Yes do." He called, biting into a slice of the pizza.

Connie placed her pizza down on the table. "No stay for a drink, we can go over these." She said, indicating the papers, knowing that her invitation to Zubin would irritate Michael. "Ignore him. I do."

Zubin looked nervously at Michael as Connie dragged him into the kitchen. "Well…if you're sure…"

Michael sat down on the stairs with his pizza box, grinning to himself as he remembered who the man in the kitchen was. "I thought you said you hated Professor Khan anyway dear." He called out to Connie, sweetly. "I thought you said he was a paedophile and an irritating bastard."

Connie visibly bristled at this, feeling her cheeks turning an irritating shade of red as Zubin stared at her in horror. "I was referring to you darling." She called back, trying to shut him up.

"Yes. Because you always call me Zubin." Michael said sarcastically, getting up and walking into the kitchen and standing directly behind the professor. "Just the other night we were in bed and she was screaming your name." He whispered.

Zubin stood up quickly, and made a beeline for the door. "I'll…"

Connie however, had stood up by this time and was glaring at Michael with her hands firmly placed on her hips. "Oh please."

Michael crossed the room to Zubin, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Look at her." He said, disgustedly. "She'd gagging for it. Is it only Ric Griffin and Mubbs Hussein she'd had at work, or you as well?"

"Erm…no…she hasn't." Zubin stuttered, horrified.

"Good." Michael stated, squeezing Zubin's shoulder a little more tightly than was necessary, and causing Zubin to wince with the pain.

"Zubin, I think you should leave. I'll see you tomorrow." Said Connie calmly, whilst glaring at her husband.

At this, Michael guided Zubin to the front door, keeping his grip on his shoulder. "Good evening Professor Khan, it's been nice meeting you."

Zubin merely nodded as the front door was opened for him. "Sorry for my husband…he was born an arrogant wanker." Connie said apologetically, coming up the hallway behind them.

"Better to be an arrogant wanker than a dirty slut eh darling?" Said Michael cuttingly, shoving Zubin out of the door and slamming it shut. Zubin stood on the doorstep for a moment, staring at the front door in shock before hurrying up the drive as fast as he could.