solution that I think will benefit you greatly in the long run. Think of it as a… a…”—his father stumbled over the words, which made Alex sit up straighter because if his father seemed to think Alex would hate the idea, then it must have been a real doozy—“a sabbatical of sorts.”
Alex raised his brows because what the actual fuck? A sabbatical from what exactly? Excessive drinking? His liver would probably be thankful, but he swore to God if that was a fancy way of saying rehab, he was out of there.
“Judge Renner has ordered community service.”
“I’ll pass.” Alex leaned his head back so that it was hanging over the backrest of the chair and closed his eyes. It didn’t look like he was leaving this office anytime soon, so he might as well try and get some shut-eye while he was at it.
“It’s not up for negotiation.”
Alex opened one eye and peered at his father. “I’m not negotiating.”
His father seemed to be at a loss for words for a few moments there. “Do you even know how easily I can end this cushy lifestyle of yours? Need I remind you that you’re solely dependent on me? Your car, the fancy apartment, trips abroad, private schools, money—I can make that all go away.”
Alex shook his head disappointedly and looked at his father. “See, you were doing so well, and now you’ll go and ruin it by throwing around clichés. That’s just lazy parenting, by the way. The no-more-money-for-you thing has been done to death. Jeez, I kind of figured you had a little more imagination. I’m mildly disappointed.” Alex perked up at the thought. “Hey, is this how you’re feeling about me right now? Aww, look at us, bonding. Quick, let’s call Jeeves back so he can take a photo of this moment for the family album. We can also use it as our Christmas card. Man, I’m frugal all of a sudden. Getting cut off really does wonders for your thinking patterns.”
His father looked at the ceiling and muttered something unintelligible.
“I think we’ve already proven quite effectively over the years that prayer does not help,” Alex remarked. “Unless you’re praying to the wrong gods,” he added thoughtfully. “May I suggest you try Dionysus—he seems like my kind of a guy, what with the fun and wine, so he might listen. Maybe. Well, probably not, but you go ahead and give it the old college try.”
“Until now, I never got the appeal of excessive alcohol,” his father said, which made Alex gape at him.
“Did you make a joke?” he asked, just to clarify.
His father ignored him as he started rubbing at his temples. Alex almost felt sorry for the man. Almost. Alex knew better than anybody that he could be—oh, who was he kidding—that he was a handful. Contrary to popular belief, you could be a total fuck-up, but you could be a self-aware one, and Alex took pride in the fact that he was. Self-aware, that was.
“If only that were true,” his father muttered before he walked to the cabinet by his desk. He pulled the doors open and took out a decanter with amber liquid and a glass. He then proceeded to pour himself a healthy glassful and downed it in one go. His shoulders lowered an inch as he put the glass away and closed the cabinet doors. Then he walked back to his desk and took a seat.
“Huh,” Alex said. “I make people drink. That’s another skill for my resume. Good to know.”
“Oh? Were you planning to actually get a job this summer?” his father asked innocently.
Alex shrugged. By now, he had to work a bit not to let his real feelings show. They were more alike than either of them wanted to admit, his father and Alex himself, weren’t they? Only when his father used a stony façade to hide his real feelings, Alex used jokes and the illusion that he was nothing more than a rich kid with no worries and problems.
“You never know,” he finally said. “I might want to branch out at one point, so you better start writing that recommendation letter.”
“You do know that you would actually have to show up if you found a new job? Considering that your problematic behavior has quite considerably narrowed down your options for college, you might face the prospective of actually finding a job as soon as next summer.”
Alex gritted his teeth before fixing the smile back on his face. “Thank you, that’s the