Chapter 3 - Phone
McClane stared down at the young man and wondered what would happen if Matt showed up to work half-beaten to death. "So you want to – to date my daughter? You want to take the thing most precious to me and ruin it?"
"Not like that," Matt protested. "She likes me, and I like her, but I'm not going to ruin her. Nothing could ruin Lucy – she's pretty and fun and man, when we kiss, it's like –"
"Finish the sentence and die," McClane growled.
"We're just dating – nothing more," Matt protested.
"That's too much as it is," McClane argued. He grabbed the front of the kid's shirt, pulling him to his feet.
"Oh, come on, man, I was just kidding. I not going to try anything – Lucy would kick my ass if I went too far . . ."
Matt stared at McClane, scared and wide-eyed, looking about two seconds from peeing himself in terror.
McClane searched the young man's face and then stepped back and began marching down the hall, pulling Matt by the front of his shirt.
"Oh, no, man," Matt pleaded. "Don't really beat me. I'll go!"
"Shut up," McClane ordered. He pulled the kid into the spare bedroom and pushed him so hard that Matt stumbled back to sit on the bed.
"You got five minutes," McClane ordered. "Get into whatever superhero pajamas you wear and get into bed. I'll be back."
Matt opened his mouth, probably to protest that it was too early. But he nodded, and McClane stomped out the door and shut it.
He glanced at his watch: 8:35. Yeah, it was early, but he was damned if he was going to let Matt hang out and watch TV with him. The kid wanted a place to sleep – fine. But they weren't getting all buddy-buddy.
Five minutes ended; McClane barged back in the bedroom without knocking. Matt sat on the bed in a tee shirt and boxers, but McClane held his hand out, demanding,
"Your phone."
Matt reached into his backpack and handed him his cellphone.
McClane scrolled down to the right number. The line rang twice.
"Hey, Matt."
"Hey, Lucy," McClane said into the phone.
Matt made a movement to stand, but McClane snapped his fingers, and Matt froze.
"Dad?" Lucy sounded incredulous. "Dad, why do you have –"
"Matt's phone? Oh, well, he stopped by, and we had a little chat," McClane told her.
"What did you do to him?" Lucy demanded. "Dad, if you hurt him, I swear I'll –"
"He's not hurt . . . yet," McClane gave Matt a side glance. "But he told me some interesting news about the two of you. And he was under the impression that I knew about it."
Silence came from the other end of the phone.
"Lucy?" McClane was deep and stern.
"I know how you are and how you get about the guys I like," Lucy protested. "If I told you, you would have hunted Matt down and beat him up."
"Well, he found me. He wants to stay here because his computer friend kicked him out."
"I chose to leave the Warlock," Matt objected. "I could have stayed."
"Let him stay there tonight," Lucy asked. "Tomorrow, he can come stay with me."
"Over my dead body," McClane gripped the phone tighter.
"Dad," Lucy sighed, "we're moving in together once I'm done with school. He told you that, right?"
"No," McClane looked down at Matt ominously, "he didn't."
Before she could speak, McClane hung up the phone and turned to Matt, ready to break the phone over the kid's head.
"Not like that," Matt protested. "She likes me, and I like her, but I'm not going to ruin her. Nothing could ruin Lucy – she's pretty and fun and man, when we kiss, it's like –"
"Finish the sentence and die," McClane growled.
"We're just dating – nothing more," Matt protested.
"That's too much as it is," McClane argued. He grabbed the front of the kid's shirt, pulling him to his feet.
"Oh, come on, man, I was just kidding. I not going to try anything – Lucy would kick my ass if I went too far . . ."
Matt stared at McClane, scared and wide-eyed, looking about two seconds from peeing himself in terror.
McClane searched the young man's face and then stepped back and began marching down the hall, pulling Matt by the front of his shirt.
"Oh, no, man," Matt pleaded. "Don't really beat me. I'll go!"
"Shut up," McClane ordered. He pulled the kid into the spare bedroom and pushed him so hard that Matt stumbled back to sit on the bed.
"You got five minutes," McClane ordered. "Get into whatever superhero pajamas you wear and get into bed. I'll be back."
Matt opened his mouth, probably to protest that it was too early. But he nodded, and McClane stomped out the door and shut it.
He glanced at his watch: 8:35. Yeah, it was early, but he was damned if he was going to let Matt hang out and watch TV with him. The kid wanted a place to sleep – fine. But they weren't getting all buddy-buddy.
Five minutes ended; McClane barged back in the bedroom without knocking. Matt sat on the bed in a tee shirt and boxers, but McClane held his hand out, demanding,
"Your phone."
Matt reached into his backpack and handed him his cellphone.
McClane scrolled down to the right number. The line rang twice.
"Hey, Matt."
"Hey, Lucy," McClane said into the phone.
Matt made a movement to stand, but McClane snapped his fingers, and Matt froze.
"Dad?" Lucy sounded incredulous. "Dad, why do you have –"
"Matt's phone? Oh, well, he stopped by, and we had a little chat," McClane told her.
"What did you do to him?" Lucy demanded. "Dad, if you hurt him, I swear I'll –"
"He's not hurt . . . yet," McClane gave Matt a side glance. "But he told me some interesting news about the two of you. And he was under the impression that I knew about it."
Silence came from the other end of the phone.
"Lucy?" McClane was deep and stern.
"I know how you are and how you get about the guys I like," Lucy protested. "If I told you, you would have hunted Matt down and beat him up."
"Well, he found me. He wants to stay here because his computer friend kicked him out."
"I chose to leave the Warlock," Matt objected. "I could have stayed."
"Let him stay there tonight," Lucy asked. "Tomorrow, he can come stay with me."
"Over my dead body," McClane gripped the phone tighter.
"Dad," Lucy sighed, "we're moving in together once I'm done with school. He told you that, right?"
"No," McClane looked down at Matt ominously, "he didn't."
Before she could speak, McClane hung up the phone and turned to Matt, ready to break the phone over the kid's head.