Impress Me Not: The Handyman

Chapter 65

It might have been best to just give Matilda the number to the business and stay at work that day. It was fun being able to hang out with Jay a little and seeing Solomon at work. He was still as serious as can be when he had his mind set on his job. It was always fascinating to watch him work. Him and Matilda actually got along pretty well, too. He was happy knowing that they were quickly making great friends with each other.

He was.

Until the moment where he had both of them looking at him in shock.

"Niko," Matilda's voice was stern for once. He hadn't heard her use that voice in a while. They demanded his attention as he looked over at her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that you invited a complete stranger to help you watch over our kid?"

"I'm – uh- sorry?" he was so in the dog house. "It wasn't really planned, it just kind of happened." He felt like a teenager trying to explain to their parents why he had snuck someone into the house without permission.

There was some tense silence as she just stared at him. Oh, how he wished that he had never been born at that moment. He could handle all the death glares and awkward encounters in the world. That stuff was easy. But dealing with a woman who was concerned for her son and with whom Niko forgot to tell her the truth of what happened? That was ten times worse than all of this.

Okay. Maybe 'forgot' wasn't the right word.

"So, you let a stranger come into my house," Matilda finally spoke. "Without even telling me?"

"Maybe I should go," Solomon said. He looked awkward standing there. Jay was still hugging onto his legs, completely oblivious to just how much trouble Niko had gotten himself into.

"Actually," Matilda looked over to him with a softer expression. He guessed the stern one was specifically just for him. "I'd really appreciate it if you stayed. Perhaps you could help me figure out what had happened."

"Matilda," Niko got her attention. He really didn't want her to wrap Solomon into all of this. "You know that I wouldn't bring anyone dangerous to see Jay."

"It's still the fact that you didn't tell me," she crossed her arms. "And how would I know?"

"Seriously?" he raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Matilda. There's a reason why he's never met my parents."

Matilda shivered at that.

"Does your dad hate kids?" Solomon asked him.

"Out of bedlock," Niko said. "Let's just say that my parents weren't the happiest when Jay was born."

Solomon's face fell as he looked down at Jay. He looked so sad at that moment it threatened to break Niko's heart.

"That's horrible," Solomon shook his head.

"His mother was the worst," Matilda sighed. "She tried to threaten me so much so that I would abort him."

"I haven't met his mom yet."

"You don't ever want to," Niko told him. "She likes to criticize everything that I've done and will ever do."

"Here," Matilda sighed. "We should all get out of this heat. Solomon, how about I treat you to a cold drink?"

"As long as I can still drive afterwards," Solomon joked.

"I would never even think about making one of those drinks while someone was going to drive home," she laughed and motioned them inside. "They drill that into our brains in school."

Niko grabbed up Jay and they all proceeded to walk into the cool house. Whatever part that Solomon replaced really helped get the unit back in motion. It was working like it was brand new. Matilda brought them all to the kitchen table and motioned for them to sit while she grabbed some drinks.