George sighed and looked at his wristwatch. Fred was late, and he couldn't help wondering why? Yeah, sure, they had been drinking the night before – a lot – but that wasn't a reason not to come to the shop the morning after. He sighed again.

Suddenly the door opened and his twin brother entered the shop. Fred had the widest grin George had ever seen – and he didn't seem to notice that he was walking towards one of the shells.

"Fred!" said George irritably. "Would you mind focusing on what you're supposed to do?"

Fred looked up with a surprised look upon his face.

"I'm sorry I'm late, George. I had too much to drink last night."

"You don't say?" George said ironically. Fred raised an eyebrow.

"What's the matter with you today? Did you have too much to drink you too?" George sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry, Fred, I'm just a bit irritated because one of the deliveries is late."

"Oh." George turned around and started sorting papers.

"Where did you go last night?" he said. "I didn't see you leaving."

"I left with Angelina." Fred answered, with his head down in one of the drawers looking for ink.

"What!" Fred looked up at George, who was staring at him.

"Yeah, I was so drunk that she offered to help me home."

"But… my Angelina?"

"Your Angelina? What, do you own her?"

"No, I mean, it's just that… we were kissing last night", George said a bit lame.

"Well, I don't know about that, but we're going out tonight."

"Going out?"

"Yeah." Fred hesitated. "She's my girlfriend, George."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't… I'm sorry."

"It's just that… you're such unlikely lovers."

"What make you say that?"

"Well, you're not the… you know, loving kind", George said with a strange smile. "You've never had a girlfriend that's lasted longer than two weeks."

"Not you either."

"I'm your twin. Of course we're like." George gesticulated.

"I'm going to date her, you know", Fred said with a frown.

"So? Do you think I care?" George turned his back on his brother and continued sorting the papers.

"Wait a minute", Fred said angrily, "tell me what you meant with 'such unlikely lovers'." George sighed.

"Do you want to know the truth? I dated Angelina before, when you were dating Alicia. And she's not that easy to handle, you know."

"Don't talk rubbish about my girlfriend!" Fred spat out. "You're just jealous because I got her in the end and not you!"

They stared at each other for a few minutes. Then George put down the papers and walked quietly towards the door.
"George, wait!" Fred said regretfully. "I'm so sorry, George, I didn't know what I was talking about, George, wait!"

But his brother closed the door after himself with a slam that shook the whole shop. Fred sank down on a chair and stared at the closed door.