To the Winner the Spoils

About twenty minutes later, Oliver was not entirely convinced that this was how he should have tried to distract Shane. She had a look of determination that he generally only saw when she was coming up with some new search protocol, or attempting to get away with something of which he was bound to disapprove. Oliver grabbed his wine glass and took what for anyone else would be a gulp.

Another twenty minutes later the scores were close. Oliver had just reached 346 with 'zippy' for 21 points. At some point since the game began, he decided that he was playing to win just as much as his wife was, and so he thought a little distraction might be in order. Shane was sitting with her legs extended under the coffee table, roughly pointing in his direction. As she concentrated over her tiles, he reached for her and ran a finger along the top of her foot. She cast him a definite look. He wasn't absolutely sure she didn't kick him! Shane played 'muted' on a triple word and double letter for a score of 27 which put her in the lead at 347. Well, this was getting interesting.

'Askance Oliver, really?' Shane asked.

'It seemed oddly..providential,' he replied.

'Quips, Shane? Also appropriate."

'And on a triple letter and a double word too!'

'Is that smugness I hear Miss McInerney?'

'Just quiet confidence Mr O'Toole.'

The game continued apace, with the combatants trading clever word play, both on and off the board. Finally it was over. Oliver had scored a very respectable 407 points, and Shane 405. However, Oliver had a 'G' that he had not placed when Shane went out, so he had to deduct the 2 points. The scores were even.

Shane exclaimed, 'A tie!"

Oliver smiled, then looked at her with a quizzical expression.

'Are you sure Shane?' he asked.

'What do you mean Oliver? Of course it's a tie. I scored 405, and you scored 407 but lost two points for the tile you didn't play.'

'Would you like to check the rules, Miss McInerney?'

Shane grabbed her phone and googled ties in scrabble.

"No, no, no, no, no!'

Oliver began packing away the game, his shoulders shaking with mirth. Shane sat back with a 'humpf' of disgust.

'Best of two?' she asked, not wanting to be beaten, even if it was by a technicality.

'At 10:30 on a school night Shane?' he enquired, clearly enjoying her horror at the result.

'Surely you can't mean to take that as a win? Only because of some arcane rule that no one has ever heard of! Not sporting, O'Toole.'

'Miss McInerney, there are so few opportunities in my life to get the better of you that I will take it, and the bragging rights that accompany it, and will seek to remind you of my victory often. To the victor, the spoils.'

He finished clearing away the game and returned it to the bureau. Shane placed the cushions back on the couch, and picked up the wineglasses and bottle, taking them to the kitchen. Upon her return to the living room, she saw Oliver was seated on the couch and so she sat beside him, turning his face towards her so that she could look at him as she spoke.

'I know I was in a terrible mood, Oliver. Thank you for distracting me. A woman would run through fire and water for such a kind heart,' she laughed.

'The Merry Wives of Windsor,' he stated. 'Is that the game now, guess the quote? How about, My love is deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, both are infinite.'

'Romeo and Juliet? A little depressing surely?' Shane replied. I think, I do love nothing in the world so well as you- is not that strange, is more appropriate?'

'Too easy, my dear. Much Ado About Nothing of course. How about, let's go hand in hand, not one before another.'

'She looked at him, puzzled. I don't think I know..'

'The Comedy of Errors,' he laughed.

'Fitting. How about, I would not wish..' she began.

'… any companion in the world,' he continued.

Together they said, But you. '

The couple sat quietly together, content. That was until Oliver remarked, 'I am not sure Timon of Athens is a great choice either.'

Shane took one of the carefully replaced cushions from the sofa and threw it at her husband.

'Goodnight, Oliver.'

And she walked upstairs to the sound of his laughter.