Runaway Slave

Connection

"Dad I didn't expect you so early," says Alexander.

"I wanted to surprise you son, but I wasn't expecting such a lovely lady here," says his Dad.

"I rescued her about two months ago," says Alex.

"You have been dating for two months?"

"No, dad she's been helping me liven up the house a bit."

"It looks colorful but what is going on with the kitchen?"

"It's a chessboard pattern,sir. Your son has a chess board in his room," says Claire.

Alexander's father looks up smiling turning to Claire. He tells her how beautiful the place is and that he gave Alexander that chess board in his room. He was surprised that Alexander still kept it as he was angry with him for a long while. The two eat breakfast and Claire gets invited to join them.

"I don't know if that is appropriate, sir," says Claire.

"Nonsense! Also call me Max, I found you snuggled up with my son that's as close as family can get," says Max.

She smiles at that before joining sitting down with them. They have a wonderful breakfast together. While Claire goes to cleaning up the place, Alexander and his father goes into the office after Alexander warns him that the office hasn't been decorate yet. Max didn't mind knowing that it will be spruced up soon. He sits down in the big brown chair that takes up the majority of the room rifling through some papers. He has been gone on business trips for a while. Alexander sits in the chair opposite of him getting as comfortable as he possibly can get. The two sit in silence for a couple minutes before Max starts off.

"You aren't decorating my room are you, son?"

"No sir, just decorating the house itself..it felt depressing with no colors in it."

"How did you know she could decorate it well?"

"I didn't I took a shot, I didn't want a complete stranger to decorate my house."

"OUR house, not yours you don't own it yet son, I'm still alive."

"I didn't mean it like that, dad. I just meant that I'm in it more is all. Business has been booming so I wanted to take advantage of that by spending some time at home. I have a business meeting in the fall."

"What meeting?"

"A meeting on profits and how to put 20% raise to 50%"

"Have you made any personal cuts?"

"No, I don't want to lose people if we don't have to."

"This Claire girl, is she special to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you care for her? Do you like her? Does she mean the world to you?"

"Honestly...I want to explore how far this goes but I want to go slow she's had a rough past I notice the slower movements the ache and pains. I don't want to cause more of them."

"Very well then. I'll see you in a week. Be sure to iron out your Sunday best."

"It's her anniversary, Father...are we doing something different?"

"If you are serious about this Claire girl, very much so. I expect this office to be different when I return in a weeks time. Claire, my coat if you don't mind!"

Claire grabs his coat leading him out the door. He asks her to watch out for her boy and she promises to do so. He leaves with a smile and encouraging nod. Alexander leads Claire to the office to get her opinion on the place and his father.