Father's in trouble

In the evening when Martha and George came home, they were greeted by the fascinating aroma of the food made by Alex.

Dinner was already placed on the dining table, while Alex was in the kitchen making soup. George needed some special soup after dinner.[ George has some digestive issues, I guess].

"Why are you making dinner today? You must be tired". Martha asked, " Wasn't Mrs Flores supposed to get the dinner ready?".

"Not really, since I was back in the afternoon, I insisted on making the dinner". Alex replied as he untied the apron he was wearing.

"Why don't you guys freshen up, I am almost done with the dinner". Alex said.

Martha and George went to their room, and after about fifteen minutes, the family was sitting around the table, having dinner.

"Delicious as usual". George said as he took the first bite, "No one can possibly match your cooking skills. Your wife will be very fortunate".

"How did the interview go?" Martha asked.

"It was fine". Alex replied, but his tone was a bit weak.

"Then why do you look so gloomy?" sensing the gloominess in his tone, Martha asked.

"It's nothing".

"Tell us, maybe we can help". Martha urged him to open up to them.

Alex opened his mouth to say something but could not find the right words to explain, " Leave it, I will figure it out on my own".

"Let me get the soup". Alex said as he stood up to go to the kitchen.

"Let me get it". Martha said.

After dinner, Alex was watching television while Martha and George were doing the dishes. Alex and George were supposed to do that, but Martha insisted that she needed to talk to his father.

"Something is wrong". Martha whispered to George.

"Yeah, I could feel it too". George nodded.

"Can you think of something?" Martha asked.

"I have a few possibilities in my mind". George nodded and said.

"Tell me".

"I think the amount of black pepper in the soup was more than usual". George said as he nodded to his own assessment.

Martha looked at her husband weirdly.

"What? Do you think there is another reason?" George asked his wife.

"I am not talking about the soup here, I am talking about Alex. He looks gloomy". Martha scolded her husband in a low voice.

"Is that so?" George looked at Alex in the living room, " Now that you mention, I think so too".

"Did something happen during the interview?" Martha pointed out a possibility.

"Could it be, they asked about academic proof, and he thinks it will slim his chances?" George said, pointing out the possibility.

"Could be" Martha agreed, " Why don't you have a chat with him".

"Sure, why not". George agreed.

Nodding towards George Martha began wiping the plates.

George glanced towards Alex, he found that Alex was busy watching the television. He stood behind Martha and applied the foam on his gloves on her cheeks.

"What are you doing". Martha was taken back by surprise, " Are you out of your mind?" she scolded him, but didn't yell out loud. She did not want Alex to look at them.

"What? We rarely get a chance to spend time together" George justified his actions.

"Alex is right there," Martha said as she pointed in Alex's direction.

"Don't mind me, I am going out for a walk". Alex said and grabbed his hoodie. He walked out of the house leaving the two of them behind.

Martha looked at George to which the latter could only give her a sheepish smile.

* * *

Alex strolled around for a while before sitting in the park. He was enjoying the night sky when he was called out from behind.

"Alex, is that you?"

'God not Margaret!' Alex regretted coming out. He didn't want to face Margaret, not today at least.

"Miss Cole, what are you doing here?" Alex turned around and asked in an over-friendly manner.

"I just came for a walk, but Alex, why are you being like this? Did something happen?" Margaret asked, she could feel that Alex was acting unusual since evening. Everything was fine in the morning.

"How am I acting weird? Pfft... you are just imaging things" Alex tried to brush things off.

"I can sense it, there is something you are not telling me".

"Nothing, everything is fine, ahh... I just remembered, dad asked me to run an errand for him. See you later, Miss Cole" Alex said and left her behind.

Without waiting for Margaret to reply, he disappeared from there.

"Something is fishy. I need to pay Mrs Rutherford a visit tomorrow". Margaret thought to herself.

Alex was back home. He was not sure why, but he felt like he needed to avoid Margaret for a while[ he might accidentally do something because of jealousy].

George and Martha, who were in the living room, saw the complex expressions on Alex's face were sure something did happen.

Martha eyed George to which he nodded. She stood and said that she was tired, after that she went to her room. But she did not close the door, she was peeking, and wanted to hear what those two were going to talk.

"Alex, why don't you accompany me to a drink?" George said as he offered a can of beer to Alex.

"Well, I am fine with coke, you can have the beer". Alex grabbed a can of coke from the fridge and sat opposite George.

"Tell me about 'Theation', is it like people describe it?" George asked. If he wanted to figure out what is wrong with Alex, he needed to know everything that happened today.

"Dad there is so much to tell, what should I tell first? Let's see the cafeteria is so elegant, food is great, the equipment they use are all advanced, they are not just focusing on one work, multiple works are going on simultaneously, and..." Alex kept on telling him what he saw at the company excitedly.

When George saw how excited Alex was when he explained about the company, he was pretty much sure that there was no problem with the anything that happened in the company.

"Did you got to see Jessica?" George asked.

"No, dad. I don't think she would pay any attention to the recruitment of PR individuals" Alex said.

"Well, that's not what I have heard. From what I know, all the individuals that are recruited have to be screened by Jessica once".

"That may be the reason why her company emerged as one of the best in just a few years, unlike certain someone who just hire his employyes based on their appearances". Alex said, with a bit of sarcasm towards his father.

"Shsssh... don't say that out loud. I have been doing all that because of you. I am not at all worried about your brother, I am pretty sure that when he will be back this time, he would bring a girl to introduce to us. So I am doing all this so that once you join the company, you will have the time of your life". George put all the blame on Alex, he was certain that Martha should be listening their conversation. He might end up pretty bad if she takes it to her heart.

"Ohh... really?" Alex asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Well, leave that aside. Did you encounter any beauty in the company?"Listening to his father's question, Alex mind involuntarily drifted in thoughts of the PR head whose name he still did not know.

Seeing that Alex was in thoughts, George gave a meaningful smile. He stood up, patted Alex's shoulder bringing him out of his thoughts and said, "As long as you are having fun, everything his fine".

Alex was left embarrassed, alone in the living room.

In the room, Martha was waiting for George, as soon he entered she asked, "So how was it? Did you find anything?"

"Well, I don't think it has anything to do with the company. It might be something trivial, I guess he will figure whatever is going on with him on his own".

"That's good to hear".

"Let's go to sleep". George said and walked towards the bed.

"By the way, I heard something about the requirements to join your company". Martha said

George froze where he was. Only one thought was going through his head, 'Alex, you really got your father into deep trouble'.

* * *