"You all know my youngest son, Thomas, he'll be joining us today for educational reasons." My Dad explains to his colleagues in the meeting. He doesn't want to tell anyone here I'd been suspended, I think it embarrasses him.
Everybody smiles at me and I return it, from my position at the end of the large table. My Dad narrows his eyes as a warning not to mess around and embarrass him. He'd already given me the speech on behaving and the consequences if I don't, like I hadn't heard it all before.
"Firstly, have we had all the contracts signed by Herington Communications?" My Dad asks them and they all look at the table.
"Well have we?" He asks louder with a glare. Jeez, he's even more intimidating at work. I thought that look was reserved for me when I'd really pissed him off.
"I tried my hardest to get him to agree Sir, but he's still asking for more time." A middle aged man with greying hair admits quietly. My Dad's face turns to stone and I kind of feel sorry for the guy.
"Dad I'm bored, can I go and wait in your office?" I ask taking the attention away from the man. He looked relieved and I feel better for a second, until I see the look of hatred being sent my way.
"No you cannot, you can sit there and learn something." My Dad growls loudly, clenching his fists.
I scoff. "Learn how to scare the fuck out of my employees? No thank you." That was a risky thing to say, especially considering the language I used.
He stands up and walks over to me. Oh shit he's going to strangle me, he's actually going to kill me.
"Watch your language and stop being a little smart ass, or you will find yourself in serious trouble." He hisses at me. Leaning down so we were at the same level, he grabs me by the arm. I lean back on my chair trying to squirm out of his grip but he's too strong. "I want you to shut up and listen, understand?"
I nod and he releases his grip before walking back over to his chair opposite me. Fuck me, he's in a bad mood today.
"Let's continue." He begins glaring at me "I want the Herington contract signed by 9pm tonight, no excuses."
The middle aged man gapes and splutters. "But Sir, that won't be possible,"
My Dad shoots him a glare. "Make it possible, I want it done."
I sigh impatiently and start to whistle to myself. I'm feeling rather defiant today. My father slams his fist against the table in frustration. Suddenly all eyes are on me. "Thomas if you're going to be a cocky, little fuck then get out of here! Go and sit on the chairs outside this room. Do not go anywhere else." He yells angrily. The other people in the room watch in fear. Obviously, they aren't used to seeing him all riled up, but luckily I am an expert at it.
I actually planned on giving my Dad an easy time today by doing everything he asked, and being the son he wanted – another Theo – but watching him becoming frustrated just makes me want to push him either further. It's not like he thought any better of me.
I smirk over at him, not moving. Instead I cross my arms behind my head and lift my feet up to rest on the table. "But I want to stay and watch you shout."
His face hardens and his eyes blaze. The signature 'Christian Grey freak out' face. I'd seen it on many occasions. "Thomas!" He shouts loudly.
"Yes Dad?" I feign innocence with a grin.
This is it, he is going to explode. He jumps out of his chair and storms over to me. He reaches an arm out to me and I think he's going to hit me but instead he flings me over his shoulder.
"Dad! Put me down!" I protest trying to squirm out of his hold but this only makes him tighten his grip, he walks towards the door.
"Not such a big shot now are you?" He hisses and I can tell he's got the tight lipped expression on which he'd mastered so well over the years.
He places me on the floor and then pushes me into a seat outside the meeting room. He kneels down in front of me, and he's either going to propose to me or lecture me. I don't know which is worse.
"You're going to sit here and you're not going to move." He threatens "I am sick to death of you and your stupid games, we will be having a long discussion when my meeting is over. So take this time to come up with the best apology you can muster."
He stands up again, glares at me one more time before walking back into the room with a slam of the door. I flinch at the noise. Quickly I pull out my blackberry and ring the only person I know who can help me in this situation.
I lift the phone to my ear and listen to the dial tone as it rings. On the third ring a voice answers. "Thomas sweetheart, is everything okay?" My Mom asks down the phone, worry evident in her voice.
"Mom, I'm fine but I've really pissed off Dad, like big time pissed him off. I need you to come down here and calm him down before he kills me or something." I explain quickly down the phone.
I hear my Mom giggle. She is laughing at me, her son is about to die and she's laughing. "Honey, your Dad would never hurt you, although I think he sometimes wishes he could." Seriously she's trying to make a joke. In a situation like this.
"Mom, please come down here, Dad always listens to you." I plead and I hear her sigh.
"Fine, I'll be down there in ten minutes but I don't really understand why." She hangs up the phone and I breathe in a sigh of relief. Dad will be longer than that, and then my Mom will calm him down and he won't hurt me.
15 minutes go by and my Mom isn't here. I start to panic and then the door opens and out walks my Dad. He still looks angry, he looks like he's going to shout at me but instead he pulls a confused face and gazes behind me.
"Ana, what are you doing here?" He calls and I turn to see my Mom walking towards us.
"I've come to protect my son." She replies with an amused expression and a raised eyebrow aimed at my father.
"Protect him from what? Is everything okay?" He questions pulling me close to his body. I try to move out of his hold but he won't let me.
"I'm here to protect him from you, apparently he made you very angry and he was scared you were going to kill him, so he called me for protection." My Mom explains smirking the entire time. My Dad chuckles softly and then looks down at me with an amused expression.
"Did you seriously think I would ever hurt you Thomas?" He asks me and I shrug my shoulders.
He leans down to my height and puts his hand on my shoulder "There is only one way I would ever lay a finger on you, Thomas," He states with dark eyes, and I look at him with raised eyebrows.
"What way?" I ask completely and utterly confused.
"This way," He responds with a grin, pulling me towards him and attacking my sides and ribs with his fingers. I laugh and try to pull away but he holds me tighter.
"Dad! Get off me! I'm serious!" I hiss trying not to cause a scene but I'm laughing so people are already looking. I want to hide in a hole and never come out.
"Are you kidding me?" He asks laughing himself as he continues his assault. After a minute I manage to squirm out of his grip. I'm breathing heavily and I glare up at My Dad but he simply grins in return, ruffling my hair.
"Come on my boy, let's go home." He says putting an arm around my shoulder and then slipping his other around my Mom's waist. He turns to me with a smirk. "Don't think this means you aren't in trouble because you are."
I'm lying on my bed on my MacBook when my door opens and my Dad walks in. He's no longer in his suit, but a pair of jeans and a grey Henley shirt. He moves over to sit on my bed next to me, looking at my laptop screen he raises an eyebrow when he realises I'm talking to a girl over Facebook. I quickly close it and smile up at him innocently.
"Yes Dad?" I ask with a grin.
He doesn't say anything but pats the space next to him on my bed. I move next to him, shoulder to shoulder, so our legs are dangling off the side of the bed.
"Thomas, I'm not going to lecture you on why your behaviour today was completely out of order because I think you know why it was, and I also think you behave in that way on purpose to try and get a rise out of me," He begins, his voice was soft unlike normal and I look up at him with an anxious smile.
"I understand that as a person you like to test the limits, but a lot of the time, you shouldn't. Your behaviour isn't acceptable anymore, and your Mom and I are becoming very fed up. I want to see improvements in your attitude and behaviour over the next few weeks, or there are going to be severe consequences. Do you understand me?" He finishes on the question, looking at me expectantly.
"Sure," I mumble. Yes, I understand, but that doesn't mean I'm going to do as I'm told. Where is the fun in that?
He smiles relieved, and clasps my chin in his hand. "Just remember no matter what happens, we're always going to love you and nothing is ever going to change that." He tells me and kisses my head. I look up at him with a blank expression. I don't even know what to say but I don't think he wants me to reply because he gets up and leaves. As he turns to go out of the door he grins at me.
"Don't stay up too late talking to that girl," He teases before his face hardens again, "I want you in bed by 10pm and no later."