Impress Me Not: The Handyman

Chapter 40

He couldn't get that song out of his head. The song that Solomon had played. Even if he had the radio on, that melody would be in the back of his mind, looping endlessly. And, every time he remembered it, he saw him playing it. It had been two days since he had seen it, but it played in his mind as vividly as it would if he were right there in that moment.

He had actually cried in the middle of it. Niko had been to plenty of events, even musical ones. But he had never seen a musician get emotional as they performed. And, as he did, the song changed. It went from a happy song to a sad, melancholic one. He swore he could feel the pain that Solomon showed while he played.

He really loved that man, the one that passed away. Niko could tell from that song, and the way that he collapsed into him when he hugged him. Solomon always came off as someone who was strong; someone who had gone through a lot, but had always been able to come out of it with a smile on his face.

Seeing him like that was new. Niko wished he could know more. He wanted to know the story behind the pain that was that song. He hadn't played the piano in a while, but he still had a passion for it himself. He just never wanted to continue it when he became an adult. There were too many other things that he had to focus on.

Playing with him gave him a new love for it. It was like he was connecting with him through the music. He had meant what he said when he told Solomon that he hadn't ruined the night. It truly was something that he would remember forever, no matter what happened in the future. He would always remember that moment, and that song.

He wanted to tell him that. He wanted to keep him in his arms forever. But Solomon seemed too upset. He wanted to take him away from all of it, but he knew that he wouldn't leave Maya by herself. And they all had work and school the next day.

He would have easily played hooky with him if he would have agreed with it. Taking one day off from work wasn't going to kill him. And it definitely wasn't going to hurt the company either.

But Solomon didn't want to do that either. Niko hated to leave him in that state, but he didn't really have a choice. Solomon told him that he would be alright.

So, instead, he just made sure to call him when he got home. He would always call someone when he was feeling too bad and he was all alone. Talking to people helped in most cases. They talked for an hour or so about little things. He wanted to make sure that he knew he wasn't alone at least.

He had been calling him as much as possible after that. He didn't want to seem pushy, but he didn't want the man to stay as upset as he was that night. There was something about that song that struck home with him. Solomon had something that Niko never did. He had someone that he had loved more than anything. It was easy to tell in the song that he played.

Niko never had that. He never even had a family that would do anything for him. He always had to prove himself. Solomon at least seemed to have friends and a sister that cared for him. Niko had always just been alone in the world.

That's why he was so close to Angel. Angel always stood up for him when he was climbing up the ladder of the company. When his father would find the smallest thing to complain about of his, Angel was the one who would tell him all the good that he had done. He was always there when he needed him, through all the low points of his young adult years.

And Riko was a fun person to talk to. He helped take the stresses from work and throw it away. No matter what was happening, he always had a fun story to tell and a positive outlook. Niko supposed that was how the guy got so good at his job. He never gave up on what he really wanted.

But that was just work. The rest of the time he was by himself. It was up to him to learn how to do everything in life. The minute he turned eighteen his parents kicked him out of the house that he had known his whole life and told him that it was up to him to figure out what to do next.