Totally Clueless

Chapter 21

Three eventfull weeks rushed by.

It was the very monday after Josh had asked Horace so politely for his approval to date his daughter, that Horace had boxed him into a corner. Josh pretended not to be intimidated by him but the truth is, he was. To him, Horace not only radiated wealth and brilliance, but also power and Authority. Qualities he may be willing to use if he felt he or his daughter were being threatened in anyway.

"So... Chrisy told me you guys had a good time on your date..."

"Yes we did."Josh Smiled as he reminisced.

"Well I'm glad you had the good sense enough to not eat anything she cooked...dont worry that's all she told me about..."

Josh finally released the breath he held when Horace finished his sentence because his reminisce had taken him to the intimate moments they had shared.

Horace was silent for a second. His mind had wandered.

Then, out of the blue....

" What are your intentions with my daughter Josh?" He asked, eyeing Josh over his glasses that hung low on his nose.

"My...intentions?" Josh stammered in dumbfounded shock. "...we've only had one date..."

" Well I can count...that doesn't quite answer the question now does it?"

"Well, my intention...right now... is to go out a seconds time...if she'll go" he responded logically, not trying at all to be a smart Alec. Horace stifled a grin. How did he expect Josh to answer such a question after just one date? Never the less he could not let Josh think he found his answer amusing, it was too important that he continued to portray a certain image.

"Well.... whatever those intentions are, I hope you realize their are things you need to tell her..."

" and I will...soon"

"Good."

But Josh couldn't help but think of how Chrisy would react. The last thing he wanted to do was lose her.

Josh didn't take Horace's words simply. Every other sentence that came out of his mouth seemed to Josh to be a warning...You better not hurt my daughter or else.

Chrisy had tried to explain that her father was only trying to mess with his head but Josh never told her everything Horace had said to him. Instead he told Reid.

"You remember Tony?" He asked Reid.

"From the mall? How could I not? You put him in the hospital."

"For the last time ....I didn't. I hit him once..."

"The question is ...How'd you hit him...?"

"How does that matter....the point is, I think Horace put him in jail."

"Jail...That's crazy...for What? How do you even know that?"

"Mr H. told me....saturday night when I waited on Chrisy."

"Of course he'd tell you that. Don't you see, he's keeping you in check...So you will think twice before hurting his daughter...."

"That's what I thought so I looked into it myself... he's at California State...."

"California State prison? For what?"

"Possession, assault and battery, rape....among other stuff....he's never getting out."

"But...I never heard anything...you can't just send somebody to jail because they made your daughter cry. There is a procedure to follow, there are rules...."