TOO CLOSE TO HOME
Chapter 24
Charlie quickly headed downstairs before his father could call him a third time. Placing his textbook and notebook on the dining room table, he headed for the kitchen to sit down at the table. "What's for supper?"
"Chicken noodle soup," Alan replied, placing a bowl in front of Charlie.
Charlie looked at it and then at Alan. "You didn't happen to get a call today from a Professor Lyndell?"
"Who's that? One of your colleagues? Now what would they be calling me for I wonder?" He looked at Charlie suspiciously. "All right, Charles Edward, what are you not telling me?"
"I don't tell you lots of stuff," Charlie replied, trying to sound flippant and failing miserably.
"I don't mean about what you and Don do together. Or the consulting jobs. It's the other things you don't tell me that I start to worry about."
"Don't be. Hey, look I can take care of myself," Charlie protested.
"Well, I can see you don't always do the greatest job at it," Alan replied, setting the crackers on the table and going to fill his own bowl.
Charlie began to eat his soup in silence. He sighed, hoping the subject could be dropped completely.
"So tell me, who is this Professor Lyndell?" asked, taking his seat?
"Grace Lyndell. She teaches biochemistry this year," Charlie replied.
"All right, Charlie, I know you're not telling me everything. But since you're not telling me, there's nothing more I can do except sit up all night and worry," Alan said eating his own soup.
Charlie weighed his words carefully, trying to tell some story to get his father to drop the subject. "Professor Lyndell and I, um, had sort of had a disagreement. I just wondered if she'd called here so I could call her," he said hastily. He wasn't very good at lying and hoped it sounded somewhat believable.
"Oh, you want Professor Lyndell to call here so you can apologize," Alan said.
"Yeah. Something like that," Charlie answered.
"Well, if she calls here tonight, I will certainly let you know."
"Okay. I'll be working upstairs in a little while.
"Don't forget it's your turn to load the dishwasher."
"I won't. What do you want me to do with the leftover soup?"
"Put it in the fridge," Alan answered. He finished his soup and then went to go turn on the TV.
Charlie nodded, relieved that his father's attention had shifted away from him.
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