“Excuse me?” he whispers darkly. A cold chill has drifted into the room.
I take it back. The weight is back.
“I told you it was going to sound crazy.” My head lifts and I can see the wild look running through his eyes. Fuck, he thinks I’m lying or indeed insane. “I would have told you sooner if I knew who you were. I only knew your first name and…”
He holds up his hand to stop me. "Are you fucking serious? Is this some fucking joke to you?"
"No, of course not," I stutter and take a deep breath. “And can you watch your tone in front of Matty?” Matty might have headphones on, but he tends to hear everything.
His lips press together in a hard line. “Convenient. You just show up out of the blue and want to claim a child on me? Seriously? How much money are you looking for?"
"What? None. I swear."
“How can you even be sure he's mine? Or you just going down a list of potential fathers hoping someone bites?"
“Because unlike you, I don’t sleep with everything that walks,” I bite and rise from my seat. Fuck him. He doesn't have to believe me, but he doesn't have to basically call me a gold digging whore. “Listen, I never thought I would see you again. The fact I ended up here, working with you still blows my mind. When I saw you the other night at the bar, I knew from your eyes alone who you were and that's why I went into shock." I point over to where Matty is sitting on the couch. "He looks just like you."
He stares at me, and I watch his eyes glint over to Matty. The only sound in the room is coming from Matty giggling at whatever he is watching. Liam loosens his tie and moves around to his desk and falls into his chair.
I don't know how long he stares at me, with that look Matty gets when he's pooping. All scrunched up and serious. I feel silly myself. I should have done this better.
Though, I wouldn't have known how other than just to yell it out like I did.
"I guess I should go." I stand, tucking my hair behind my ear and feeling a rush of disappointment in the events. I make my move towards Matty, wanting to run and hide and most of all forget.
"Wait!" he calls out, just as I reach for Matty, who is still blissfully unaware of the events going on around him. "I…don't know what to say." He yanks on his hair and throws his head back.
"I get it's a mind trip. It is for me too."
"I'd say.” He huffs out a laugh. “Can you sit back down?” I nod and take my place back in the ugly brown leather chair in front of him, I hope to replace. “I see how he kinda looks like me and my brother at that age, but…" His words wander off and his eyes widen like he’s had a Eureka moment. "Wait. Are you sure you didn't sleep with my brother? We are identical twins."
"Is his name Liam too?"
He narrows his eyes. "No." Then his lips curl into a smile. "No, but when we were kids we would change names to fuck with people. Then again, he has been with the same girl since high school." He glances over at Matty. "I'm just finding this hard to believe. Yesterday you were my Red…" He closes his eyes and pulls hard on his hair again.
His Red?
"And today you're saying all this." When he opens his eyes again, he looks so—lost.
"I understand what this all looks like. I honestly never thought I would be here telling you. Much less years later be working for you. "
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I didn't know who you were. You didn't exactly leave me with any parting details like a last name or a phone number. No, I got a note that said, Thanks, had fun.” I snort and he cockily grins, making me want to kick him. "I didn't have much to go on to hunt you down. I ended up moving to Tampa when I was four months pregnant, so you can see where my tracking skills went downhill. I did happen to have a picture of us you took before we left the bar. It's long gone though. It was on my old Motorola and I washed it. But I ingrained your face into my memory and I look at the smaller version of you every day.” I point over to Matty who at that moment looks up from the screen and smiles.
“Hi, Mama.” He gives me his toothy grin.
“Hi, baby. You doing okay?”
He nods.
“Okay. Keep watching while I talk.” Matty glances back at the screen and I turn back to his dumbfounded father. “Listen, I never thought a drunk man, down on his luck dressed as Thor would be a CEO of a company either."
“You sure about that?” His eyes flare with accusation.
“I’m sure,” I hiss. “We didn’t exactly talk about our jobs that night.” I fall back in my chair and watch the fire burn out of his eyes. “I’m not sitting here, shaking like crazy in front of you for the fun of it. It was one night I wouldn’t change for the world, but I always told myself if I ever found you, I would tell you. Even if Matty was over eighteen. You have a right to know because you're his father. I don't want anything. I'm not looking for a handout. I'm sure that's running through your mind. This is in your court with what you want to do. Either way, you decide, but no judgment if it's not your thing."
He's silent for what feels like a lifetime as he stares over at Matty, who thankfully, is once again lost in his little world.
"I want a DNA test."
"Of course. I figured as much."
"Alright, good." The tension in his shoulders drops slightly. Did he really think I was going to fight him? "Then we can go from there?"
"Yes. Yes of course.” I breathe.
“Alright. I’ll get it set up. I don’t want any issues or you to be able to falsify the tests.”
Falsify?
What kind of person does he think I am?
“Has that happened before?” I blurt out.
His eyes grow cold and he runs his hands over his face. The awkwardness of the silence fills the room and it also says everything.
I think it’s time for me to dig deeper into the life of Liam Morgan.
He continues not to say anything and goes to pick up a pen on his desk. I no longer feel welcome in his space. I glance over at Matty who isn’t bothered by the sudden chill that has filled the room.
“I guess, now I should go.” I jab my finger behind me and step back.
Get me out of here before I freeze over.
“Go where?”
“I dunno. Home. I’m sure you wouldn’t want someone you think is trying to pull something over on you working here.”
“I didn’t say that, did I, Miss Jenkins?”
Oh, I’m Miss Jenkins, again. “No, I just assumed you would want me gone.”
“Well, assuming is what gets people in trouble,” he says and he stands from his chair, buttoning back his blazer. “You honestly think I'm the father?"
"Yes. One hundred percent sure," I say confidently, pushing my shoulders back.
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?” I blink at him, confused as fuck.
“I probably shouldn’t do this, but there is something about you, Re—” he pauses catching himself before he says his nickname for me. “Miss Jenkins. So I’m going to put my trust in you till everything comes back. I need my building finished, so please stay. Work."