a media studies grad, he’d come even close to.
Still, it was good of the guy to think of him, so he got back to him saying thanks and they should get together soon, and was just about to click on to his brother’s page when he noticed that Thea Cox, a girl he quite liked and who, so all her mates said, had a mega crush on him, had posted on his wall last night.
Didn’t realise you had a famous dad .
Going off her in an instant, he reached for his mobile as it started to ring. Seeing who it was, he clicked on saying, ‘Hey, is that my famous dad?’
‘Very funny,’ Russ retorted. ‘Did you get my message?’
‘Yeah, and sorry, I should have texted last night.’
‘Don’t forget next time. Where are you now?’
‘At Alfie’s. Where are you?’
‘On my way home. I’ve just been to see your mother.’
‘I know, I was there, but I thought it was best to let the two of you get on with it.’
‘So you know what’s happened?’
‘I do. Is it going to be OK? Does Angie want to go to the police?’
‘Thankfully, no. I’ll pay for the repairs and we’ll just have to hope it doesn’t happen again.’
Oliver’s expression became strained as he swivelled the chair away from his friend. ‘We have to do something about her, Dad. We can’t let her just go on you know ...’
‘I wish I knew what to tell you, son, but we’ve been to the meetings together, so you know as well as I do that until she’s ready to help herself there’s not much we can do.’
‘So why don’t you let her come home for a while? At least then we’d know where she is and what she’s doing.’ Did his dad know about the blokes his mum was picking up in bars and taking back to her flat at night? If not, Oliver didn’t want to be the one to tell him.
With a sigh, Russ said, ‘It’s true, we would, but letting her come back to Clyde Court isn’t the answer. She needs professional help, at a clinic where people know how to handle her sort of problems. Much as I’d like to, I’m afraid I can’t force her to do that.’
‘But you can let her come back.’
Sighing again, Russ said, ‘Look, I realise this is your mother we’re talking about, but she’s also my wife. The way I deal with what’s happening between us has to be between me and her.’
‘So what you’re actually saying is that you don’t really care what happens to her?’
‘No, Oliver, that isn’t what I’m saying at all, and you know it. Now let’s drop this till you get home, shall we? Can I expect to see you today?’
‘I don’t know. What’s going on?’
‘I’ll probably be in the office until about four. Angie and Graham are already there finalising a pitch we’re making in London tomorrow.’
‘So you work Sundays now, too?’
‘That’s what happens when you work for yourself, I thought you’d at least learned that by now.’
Stung, Oliver said, ‘So really there’s not a lot of point me coming home, if no one’s going to be there.’
‘I shall be fifty yards away, in the stable block, and with any luck I’ll be through around four. If you can make it, I have some news for you.’
Oliver was immediately wary. ‘What sort of news?’
‘It looks as though we’re going to get the commission for another series of Living Houses . If we do, Paul Granger’s keen to have you on board again.’
Oliver’s scowl didn’t lift. ‘But he’ll pay me this time, right?’
‘Oliver, in your position you should be thankful to be getting some experience ...’
‘I’m twenty-one, I have a 2/1 in Media Studies, I need to earn a living and my father is telling me to work for free. Way to go, Dad.’
‘If you don’t want the job there are plenty out there who do ...’
‘Not for nothing, they don’t.’
‘I haven’t said you won’t be paid, I’m just saying that it hasn’t been discussed and you shouldn’t make it a condition. Now, this conversation has to be over. Try to be home by five.’
After ringing off
Still, it was good of the guy to think of him, so he got back to him saying thanks and they should get together soon, and was just about to click on to his brother’s page when he noticed that Thea Cox, a girl he quite liked and who, so all her mates said, had a mega crush on him, had posted on his wall last night.
Didn’t realise you had a famous dad .
Going off her in an instant, he reached for his mobile as it started to ring. Seeing who it was, he clicked on saying, ‘Hey, is that my famous dad?’
‘Very funny,’ Russ retorted. ‘Did you get my message?’
‘Yeah, and sorry, I should have texted last night.’
‘Don’t forget next time. Where are you now?’
‘At Alfie’s. Where are you?’
‘On my way home. I’ve just been to see your mother.’
‘I know, I was there, but I thought it was best to let the two of you get on with it.’
‘So you know what’s happened?’
‘I do. Is it going to be OK? Does Angie want to go to the police?’
‘Thankfully, no. I’ll pay for the repairs and we’ll just have to hope it doesn’t happen again.’
Oliver’s expression became strained as he swivelled the chair away from his friend. ‘We have to do something about her, Dad. We can’t let her just go on you know ...’
‘I wish I knew what to tell you, son, but we’ve been to the meetings together, so you know as well as I do that until she’s ready to help herself there’s not much we can do.’
‘So why don’t you let her come home for a while? At least then we’d know where she is and what she’s doing.’ Did his dad know about the blokes his mum was picking up in bars and taking back to her flat at night? If not, Oliver didn’t want to be the one to tell him.
With a sigh, Russ said, ‘It’s true, we would, but letting her come back to Clyde Court isn’t the answer. She needs professional help, at a clinic where people know how to handle her sort of problems. Much as I’d like to, I’m afraid I can’t force her to do that.’
‘But you can let her come back.’
Sighing again, Russ said, ‘Look, I realise this is your mother we’re talking about, but she’s also my wife. The way I deal with what’s happening between us has to be between me and her.’
‘So what you’re actually saying is that you don’t really care what happens to her?’
‘No, Oliver, that isn’t what I’m saying at all, and you know it. Now let’s drop this till you get home, shall we? Can I expect to see you today?’
‘I don’t know. What’s going on?’
‘I’ll probably be in the office until about four. Angie and Graham are already there finalising a pitch we’re making in London tomorrow.’
‘So you work Sundays now, too?’
‘That’s what happens when you work for yourself, I thought you’d at least learned that by now.’
Stung, Oliver said, ‘So really there’s not a lot of point me coming home, if no one’s going to be there.’
‘I shall be fifty yards away, in the stable block, and with any luck I’ll be through around four. If you can make it, I have some news for you.’
Oliver was immediately wary. ‘What sort of news?’
‘It looks as though we’re going to get the commission for another series of Living Houses . If we do, Paul Granger’s keen to have you on board again.’
Oliver’s scowl didn’t lift. ‘But he’ll pay me this time, right?’
‘Oliver, in your position you should be thankful to be getting some experience ...’
‘I’m twenty-one, I have a 2/1 in Media Studies, I need to earn a living and my father is telling me to work for free. Way to go, Dad.’
‘If you don’t want the job there are plenty out there who do ...’
‘Not for nothing, they don’t.’
‘I haven’t said you won’t be paid, I’m just saying that it hasn’t been discussed and you shouldn’t make it a condition. Now, this conversation has to be over. Try to be home by five.’
After ringing off
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