Chapter 4 4

Tyler Smith

"It's about my great-grandson, Robert."

"Your brother's son. Your nephew."

I had become so busy with my life that I totally forgot about him. I cursed myself for forgetting about the only remembrance of my only brother, Alfred Smith, who died in a car accident five years ago when his son was only six months old.

"Wh...what about him?" I couldn't help but stutter. I couldn't meet her eyes because of the guilt I felt.

"He needs you." She said

"I don't understand." I replied

"Your parents do not have time for their grandson so they want to send him to boarding school."

"No way in hell!" I responded in rage as I stood up from the couch in rage. "I'm not going to let that happen. They pushed me away from themselves. They pushed me into loneliness. I know how it feels like to be alone. I can't let Robert feel this way. I can't let him suffer what I have suffered."

I then offered for him to stay with me.

"What is the need of taking him there when you won't have time for him? And let me remind you, Tyler, I've never given him under anyone else's care. I have been looking after him by myself and I will not let you hand him over to strangers because I can assume that you will just leave him with a baby sitter." She rebuked as if I had said something terrible.

"But grandma..." I met her eyes but the intensity of disagreement in her eyes made me avert my eyes. I sighed. "I'll take off for a week if that's okay with you."

She raised her eyebrows. "And you think you know how to look after a child?"

Goodness, why is she being so tough?

"Grandma, I've friends who know how to take care of a child. I'll ask them for guidance."

"Hmm, that makes sense." She nodded her head.

Phew! Finally, she understood.

"But your friends won't be with you 24/7 to guide you which means you'll be alone with Robert. What if something goes wrong? What if there's important work you have to attend to? What will you do, leave Robert alone?"

"Goodness, grandma why are being so difficult?" I groaned.

"I'm just listing the certainties."

I couldn't understand what was wrong with her? I needed Robert to be out of this house, I needed to keep him under my watch so no one could harm him or send him to boarding school. I had already been ignorant enough, I didn't want it anymore. I knew I would get busy with work and won't come up with a solution if he stayed away from me. That's why I needed him in front of my eyes. I had to make grandma understand but she wasn't agreeing to any of my suggestions.

I kept staring at her, thinking of ideas and suddenly an idea popped into my mind. She won't come live with me then why not lie to her? A small lie wouldn't hurt, right?

"I don't live alone, grandma. I have someone living with me all the time."

She crossed her arms across her chest giving me an intimidating look. "Who? Another man? Housemate? Do you think he'll be able to do what you can't? All men are the same, Tyler, they tend to create one or the other problem. And a child needs a womanly touch to be comfortable."

"You didn't hear me completely grandma. It's a woman who lives with me."

I cursed myself for my desperate need to keep the kid with me when I heard a loud gasp that came from grandma. She stood up from the bed and rushed to me with excitement in her eyes.

"You have a woman living with you and you never told me? Who is she? What's her name? What is she to you? For how long has she been living with you? Is she your girlfriend? Is she good with kids?"

The interrogation! Ugh! Now, what new lie should I come up with? What should I tell her about the woman living with me who actually isn't living with me?

So much for playing safe, Tyler.

What have I gotten myself into?

I was going to spill out another lie but before I could answer I received a phone call from Miss Martins.

"Hello," I said as I picked up the call.

"Sir, I have done proofreading the document you asked me to and have mailed it to you. Please review it so that I can convert it into the hard copy for you to sign."

"Okay, I'll check it when I'll get back home." I hadn't even hung the call when grandma bombarded me with questions.

"Home? Was she on the call? You still haven't told me who is she?"

"Yes, it was her. And P.A. she's my P.A," I said absent-mindedly as I cut the call.

Shit! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Why Miss Martins? Why did you call me?

"Your P.A? Are you in a relationship with your P.A?"

"No! I'm not in a relationship with my P.A. She is not my girlfriend." I said in a heartbeat. I didn't want misunderstandings.

"Then why is she living with you?" Her doubtful eyes held me nervous.

Well done, Tyler. Clear the coast now.

I was almost on the verge of telling the truth when an idea struck me. I could use Miss Martins's name to lie to grandma. Miss Martins won't know about it and grandma would be happy to handover Robert to me.

"Ahem, she...she umm, she needed a place to live. Yeah, that's the reason, she needed a place to live for some time as she had no home so I gave her a room in my house to live in. And before you conclude anything, we only share a professional relationship and yes, she is good with kids."

What the actual fuck did I spurt out?

She looked at me skeptically which forced me to avert my eyes. Please accept the lie. Please, please, please.

"Why did she chose your house? There are tons of houses to live in. Hotels?" Another logical question. Damn! Why didn't I think of it?

"Ahem. I...I...She wasn't getting any place to live. She shared her concern with me and even said she wanted to resign just because she couldn't find a house and I couldn't let that happen as she is an efficient employee. So I let her live at my house till she finds a good place for herself."

Fuck! I had no idea what was slipping off my tongue. Those were not my words. I swear. It was someone else speaking for me.

"Very well then." She said in a clipped tone and gaped at her. Did she believe in my lie? My skeptical gaze remained on her for a while but when she didn't give me a reason to blurt more lie I sighed in relief and wiped the invisible sweat from my forehead. Finally!

"I'll have someone pack my and Robert's clothes. We'll come live with you for a week. And the week starts from tomorrow."

Her reply had me shocked to the core.

Say what?

"W...we?" My head tilted automatically in confusion. My eyes had turned wide.

"Yes, we. What did you think I'll leave Robert alone with you? No, my dear, I'll be staying with you too. Adding to that I'll get to know the woman living with you. And will see how much of professional relationship you share." Her smirk told me that she had it all planned. She intentionally roped me into her trap.

Many questions were swirling in my mind because I knew my stupidity had pushed me into huge trouble.