Impress Me Not: The Handyman

Chapter 72

"I'm glad we could finally make an agreement with you," Niko shook their hands. Thankfully the lunch hadn't taken too long. After him threatening to cancel their contract altogether, they both seemed pretty keen on agreeing with him.

It was nice coming to this little restaurant again. He hadn't been there in a while. Granted, Mr. Pith and Courtney weren't exactly the people he would have wanted to bring here again. But, nonetheless, it was a nice lunch. And, he could be happy in the fact that they had finally settled on something.

Which meant that he would be able to hang out with Solomon more for the rest of the week. Maybe, after this contract was officially signed and everything, he would take a few days off and just enjoy it with him. It would be fun having a whole day with him again. They hadn't had that in a while.

"I'm so glad everything is settled," Courtney smiled as she shook his hand. He was surprised that she didn't try anything when they were eating. Thankfully she was nothing but professional with him. "Would you walk me to my car? I'm afraid my father has gone off somewhere."

Probably to the bathroom. Knowing her father, he was going to take a millennia in there.

"Don't you want to wait for him?" he asked her.

"Oh no," she waved the thought away. "I need to spread news to the office about the agreement we made. We've been running a bit behind on some work. My father understands if I leave without him."

"Alright," he looked at the time. If he got to the office now, and really pushed through all of his paperwork, he could surprise Solomon by coming home early. Niko smiled at the thought.

What he hadn't been expecting when they walked outside, was the paparazzi. They haven't followed him around since the dinner party. Why would they want to bother him now of all times? He wasn't at a party or anything. He was doing business. Who even told these guys that he was going to be there?

Courtney had latched onto his arm while they stood in front of all the reporters. He was trying to scan the area to find a way out. This was absolutely ridiculous! Why was there this many of them here?! They all looked like roaches with how much they swarmed the area.

He was so distracted trying to find a way out that Courtney caught him completely by surprise. She somehow managed to turn him around and kissed him right on the lips.

He pushed her away, but not after at least a thousand pictures were taken of them.

Of course, she hadn't changed a bit. This was all just to try and get him to be with her. This was all just to try and get a little more fame. He knew just how much she loved being on the front cover of these gossip magazines. The fact that she used her own company to do something like this was absolutely ridiculous.

And he wanted to throw up after kissing her.

After pulling her off from him, he scanned the area again for a way to get out. It only took a second for him to realize that it wasn't just the paparazzi who had seen Courtney kiss him.

Solomon. He had never seen those hazel eyes look so hurt before.

As soon as their eyes met, Solomon started running.

No. This couldn't be happening. Niko ran after him, shoving past everyone who was in his way. He had to catch up to Solomon. He had to tell him what had really happened.

"Solomon!" he yelled after him. They wove through the small streets and alleyways that the downtown had. "Solomon, please! Wait!"

Much to his surprise, the man finally stopped. When he caught up to him, he was so out of breath, he could barely talk.

"It wasn't what it looked like," he finally said. Solomon had turned around, eyes looking like he could set his tears on fire.

"Oh really?" Solomon asked. His voice sounded thick, but there was still a lot of force behind it. "How is you kissing her 'not what it looks like'?"

"She kissed me," he tried to tell him. "Solomon, I would never-!"

"You know, I understood when you told me that you didn't want to tell Matilda about us," he interrupted him. "I understood when you were saying that you weren't a good father. I understood when you said that you had to work long hours and that it wouldn't be too much longer. I understood all of that," he sniffed. "What I don't understand, is why, after all that we have been through, and with how much I opened up to you, you would throw it all away for some bimbo with fake tits?!"

"I don't want to throw it all away, Solomon! I-!"

"Then why did you do it?" he asked. His arms were crossed and his face was getting redder by the minute. "Why would you even allow that to happen? What? Did you want to still keep your reputation up with the gossip magazines? Are you afraid of them knowing that you're dating a man? Because if that's the case, and all you want me for is some shadow that you hide with in your bed, then I'm not going to be a part of it."

"Solomon!" Niko didn't want to hear all of this. None of this was true. He shouldn't have done this lunch, and he shouldn't have gone outside with Courtney alone, or at all. He should have just given this case to Angel. He would sell his soul if it meant that he could go back in time just a few hours and change what he had done.

But he couldn't say any of that. All that would spirt out of his mouth, as he looked at those hard eyes with desperation, was "I'm sorry!"

"Yeah," Solomon said. "Me too," he turned to walk away. Niko couldn't stop him. He felt like he had just been stabbed with a knife. "I'll bring all of your things back to your place," Solomon said. His voice low. "They'll be on your doorstep."

"Wait, Solomon, I-!"

"Just stop, Niko," Solomon shook his head. "I'm not going to be a part of whatever you're trying to do. Whatever you wanted to call us, we're through."

Niko stood there and watched as Solomon ran away again. He didn't know what to do. For the first time in his whole life, he didn't know what to do. All he knew was that he had never felt such pain before. It felt like there was a hole in his heart. The man that had given him so much happiness. The man that had shown him what family truly was, and what happiness truly was. The man that he had first loved with his whole being.

He was gone.

Author's Note: I'm crying! I knew these two chapters were going to be painful to write! Was Justin right about these two? Was their love destined to fail? Or is love like theirs too good to end?

Thanks for all the votes and comments! We'll get to see where Niko and Solomon are tomorrow!

-Saturn