The Coffee Date

Chapter 7 - Meet The Boss

He could practically feel his father's eye twitch in aggravation. If there was one thing his father hated more than Nathan being cocky, it was Nathan being more popular than he was in his own company.

The older man turned allowing one eye to graze the table before resting upon his son. Nathan sat calmer, not nearly as angry now that he knew how to play his father like a guitar. Nathan didn't even need to look in the direction to know that his father was studying him.

Deciding to save both of them some time he stood, circling the table and taking his glass of water along with him. Maybe explaining his brilliance could help his father follow his intelligent train of thought.

"Hazel is the only hope we'll ever have at solving this case." He swirled his cup around in his hands, allowing a low growl to begin to form in his throat. "To think, you just want to throw an innocent girl away who not only is looking for answers herself, but could provide us with answers we need to solve this case." He forced back the bitter taste on his tounge of not calling his father a foul name, but resumed his calm stance. The only way to intimidate his father with anything was with brains and composure. "Unless you want to spend months, dare I say even years on this, I suggest you let in an insider to help figure out what happened that day."

Silence loomed in the air as the two minds churned in their skulls. Each with their own hopes of what would follow. After an eternity of blaring silence, the shuffling of clothing fabric broke Nathan's still stance.

"I'm going to make a compromise,"

Nathan forced back a scoff. His father's idea of a "compromise" was making his decision slightly less strict yet not including a word from anyone else's input. Despite this, Nathan nodded his head urging him to begin.

"I need to meet her."

"How exactly is that a compromise?"

He smirked. "To decide whether or not she can be let in as an asset."

"As a detective." He strained. Good Lord was his father hard to bargain with. Nathan stood and worked in a hurry, almost immediately after the words had left his mouth. "She's a genius, an honor student in high school. She knows plenty that the police won't and haven't ask her about. Maybe even things she didn't know she needed to give. They're holding the bodies hostage until they're examined so she can't plan the funeral." He continued to growl his list on his way to the door, mentally cursed his father and ripping his coat from the closet.

His father chuckled, snatching his beverage and bringing it back up to his lips slowly, as if trying to taunt his son hurriedly getting ready at the door. "I'll be by at six."

Nathan stopped as he buttoned up the centre of his jacket and turned. "What?"

"For dinner obviously." He must have captured the skeptical look. He continued. "How else do you expect me to meet this girl?"

"Not at all, preferably." Ripping the door open, Nathan digs around in his pocket before fishing out his car keys. His father was an idiot if he thought he was going to bend over backwards to please him and his odd need to destroy any hope and salvation he had in his life. His father, more than anything, needed to get lost.

"I'd prefer chicken." He called just as the door slammed shut with a rattle of the door lock.

But then again, he also knew Nathan would do anything to solve this case. That's why he was his star employee.

-------------

He had gotten home not even fifteen minutes after their talk had ended and was already madly cooking away, cursing himself the entire time. He wasn't sure how his father always managed to get into his head, but he applauded him for his maddening talent. The talent and power that always seemed to work against him.