"You really live here?" Daniel asked as they pulled up to an old world fancifully tall building with Romanesque columns and lions heads near the top. It looked like the stereotypical bachelor bad of a brooding millionaire to Daniel, and he almost laughed at the irony of it. 

Mr. Palmer sounded in agreement as he and Daniel exited the chauffeur's car. Daniel looked back to the building in awe. It was the kind of building that he dreamed of when he thought of New York. Not necessarily new sparkling skyscrapers, but a lot of older buildings with more character: the mark of one of the oldest cities in the country. 

They entered the lobby of the building and Daniel stopped to look around and marvel. Unlike the lobby of the office building, the apartment building was elegant. It almost looked like the lobby of a plaza hotel with large gently spiraling stair cases and shiny marble floors.

"Daniel." Mr. Palmer said firmly and the boy looked down sheepishly, electing to keep his awe to himself and board the elevator with his boss.  

Mr. Palmer's apartment, like his office, was on the penthouse level and the small elevator took a long time to get up there.

"So...." Daniel began.

"You seem to have sobered up a bit." Mr. Palmer said plainly. 

"Yes, sir." Daniel mumbled. With the lack of alcohol, many of his previous inhibitions were returning. He was struck with the gruesome picture of his actions. Not to mention that he was acting completely unprofessionally and might have just ruined his chances at keeping his job, but he didn't really know Mr. Palmer. There were certainly many eccentric billionaires who took unknowing drunks back to their apartment and killed them. Daniel could have just stepped into his very own horror film.

"You.." The man paused as if considering his words. "You don't really have to call me 'sir' while we're not at work."

"Yes, sir" Daniel responded before internally cussing himself out for such an awkward response. "I mean... yes... not sir." 

Mr. Palmer made another noise of agreement and the ride continued as it'd began: in silence. Daniel ran his hands nervously over each other. He was really ruining his whole life over one night. Why hadn't he just stayed to look for Xavier? Why had he left with his boss? Why had he been hanging on his boss before downing seven baby water bottles in the back seat of a limo? 

And why did he suddenly have to use the bathroom so badly?

The elevator came to a stop and opened right into Mr. Palmer's living room. The room matched up to the formality of the rest of the room, appearing to only be used for show and not for living. It had a dark wooden kind of interior with deep blue walls and white accents, a color scheme Daniel guessed Mr. Palmer must have enjoyed from his choice in suits.

"This is your house?"

"Kind of." Mr. Palmer gruffed. "This is my apartment. I only spend time here when I'm working."

"When aren't you working?"

"I'm always working." His deep voice explained. "So I'm usually here." 

"This part of the city is nice... very different from where my apartment is. I suppose when I pictured NYC I always just saw a homogenous blob of city, but I guess that's naive."

"I sometimes feel the same... it's strange when you find yourself down an alley or turning a corner to see everything change." Mr. Palmer stated, firmly, then disappeared off down a hallway with his coat. Daniel looked around the room in more awe. It really was a grand apartment, and there was a large fireplace on the back wall that made Daniel suddenly realize how cold he was. "You can turn it on if you want."

Daniel jumped at the sudden sound, and stepped back from the fireplace, worried he may have looked too nosy.

"You startled me."

"I'm sorry."

"I.. could I use your bathroom?" Daniel asked sheepishly.

"It's the first door down the hallway on the left."

"Thank you" Daniel mumbled in response before excusing himself to the bathroom. When he returned he saw Mr. Palmer sitting on the sofa in front of the fire he'd started. Perhaps for himself, perhaps for Daniel. In his hand was a fresh glass of scotch which he'd gotten from the glass cart storing any kind of alcohol imaginable. "You're drinking again?" Daniel attempted to tease. 

"I'm sorry. It's a habit." He stated, taking a prolonged sip from his glass. "Would you like something?"

"No.. I'm alright. But thank you for offering."

Mr. Palmer nodded slightly, before treating himself to another sip. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed. 

"I hope you don't feel uncomfortable around me, Daniel." Mr. Palmer said after a moment. Daniel didn't need to wonder why Mr. Palmer figured he was uncomfortable seeing how he'd yet to sit down or really formalize any sentences. "I understand I can be a little intimidating, but you shouldn't worry."

"I'm sorry..." Daniel mumbled. "I wish you didn't have to see me like this... I only went out to drink tonight because I wanted to meet people.. I'm not usually a drinker, I promise, I won't let it interfere with work again."

Mr. Palmer nodded slightly adding nothing.

"I mean... I've really never even been-"

"Would you like a drink now?"

"Oh God yes" Daniel responded, desperately glad to have been put out of his misery and stopped from continuing to blab on to his boss about things the man clearly didn't care about.

"What do you usually like?" Mr. Palmer stood up swiftly to meet the cart. 

"Uh.. I'm not sure" Daniel stated, looking in awe at all the different choices. "Whatever's cheapest."

Mr. Palmer nodded grimly and poured the glass with an amber colored liquid from a different bottle. Scotch, Daniel decided upon smelling the substance. He drank it politely in quiet, going to meet Mr. Palmer on a separate seat around the coffee table.

"You don't have to sit so far away."

Daniel's eyes widened slightly and he stood up again, closing the gap and sitting on the sofa. Albeit he sat as far away on the sofa as he could manage, but it was closer than the chair he'd otherwise selected. 

Each man sat in awkward silence sipping his respective drink and wishing the other would say something of value and start a deeper conversation. Each man also neglected to say anything of the sort. 

Daniel was confused, perhaps reasonably, as to what he was meant to be doing. He didn't know how long they were meant to wait awake before going back to sleep. At first Daniel had thought he would catch a cab home when he was less drunk, but Mr. Palmer had offered him another drink, so clearly the man expected him to be staying, but how long?

How long was too long?

Daniel took another sip of his rum. Cheap, Mr. Palmer had called it, but it didn't taste cheap. It tasted like it would cost more than his rent. If he kept drinking he'd get drunk again. He wagered, though he was feeling less high, that his blood alcohol content had remained at a level unsafe to drive, and drinking more would only serve to re-engage the lightheadedness of the earlier portion of the night. He wasn't sure if that was what he wanted. He wasn't sure if that was what Mr. Palmer wanted. 

"You've finished your drink." Mr. Palmer said plainly. 

"Oh?" Daniel responded, not having even realized he'd gotten the last drop. Mr. Palmer must have been watching him intently, because as far as he was concerned, if the man hadn't said anything he would have brought the empty glass to his lips a thousand more times without realizing. 

Mr. Palmer responded no further, but stood, topped off his own drink, then poured Daniel another full size drink. Daniel raised his eyebrow in confusion. Certainly if Mr. Palmer wanted him gone--- which his demeanor seemed to suggest-- he should want the boy to stop drinking, not encourage him to drink more. 

"Are you ever lonely here?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry" Daniel frowned. 

"Are you frightened of me?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry." Mr. Palmer paused to take a prolonged drink from his glass. "I have that effect on people."

"You're my boss" Daniel attempted a good-natured smile. "It's okay for me to be afraid of you."

Mr. Palmer nodded, but said nothing. 

"Do you often drink?" Daniel asked after a moment. Mr. Palmer frowned, forcing Daniel to realize his mistake. "I didn't mean to suggest-"

"That I'm a lonely alcoholic?" Mr. Palmer snorted.

"Yes... that."

"I only drink at home when I have company."

"How often do you have company?"

"Never."

"Oh I'm sorry."

"I like drinking though." Mr. Palmer swirled his glass and looked into it before taking another sip. "It takes the edge off. I've got a few sharp edges."

"It does" Daniel agreed. It was his second drink after being drunk earlier in the night and he could feel the warmth very quickly spreading over his body. "I think this might have been counterproductive to getting me home... I'll be as drunk as I was at the bar if we keep drinking like this."

"We can stop if you'd like." Mr. Palmer stated, but made no move to quit drinking. "I'd still feel better if you stayed the night regardless. It's not the safest area."

"It seemed like a very nice area" Daniel frowned.

"The wealthier the tenants the more likely there is to be theft." He stated and Daniel nodded. He supposed that was true, but he would never venture to say that the area they were in wasn't nice. It very clearly was. "I want to keep drinking... if you'll keep drinking with me." Mr. Palmer whispered. 

"I.. If you're sure."