Harrowing by S.E. Amadis Read Free Book Online Page A

whistle.
    “The son-of-a-bitch. And he’s whistling! I bet nothing ever rocks his pleasant little fucking world. What I wouldn’t do...”
    I didn’t realize that I’d clenched my hands into fists by my side. Romeo only ogled at me. Calvin took off in a rush.
    “What are you doing, Calv?” I cried out, remembering what he’d said he would do if he ever met Bruno.
    Bruno, all unawares, disappeared calmly into the Queen Street subway station. Calvin tackled him as he walked through the door, spilling coffee and the contents of Bruno’s man-purse all over Bruno’s camo outfit. With an obviously fake smile, Calvin bent down and helped Bruno retrieve his personal effects from the floor. He returned humming with a smug grin.
    “So. His name’s Bruno Jarvas, is it? And he works at the Herbert and Mons Clothing Company on Bay Street. Some sorta Vice President? How many heads did he wrangle off to get that position?”
    I gaped at him. He passed his arm soothingly around my shoulders.
    “Cool off, babes. That’s all I wanted from him. Just wanted to get his name.”
    He smiled at me. Piously. He waved a gold-embossed business card before my eyes, then snatched it away before I could read it.
    “What are you going to do now that you know his name?” I asked warily. It was clear to Calvin that I didn’t trust him one whit.
    “Nothing. Okay, maybe I’ll send him a greeting card.” He smiled again. “But that’s it, hon. I swear. That’s all I would do.”
    He kissed me on the top of my head. I stood there fuming, helpless. Lindsay glanced from one to the other of us as if watching a dazzling tennis match.
    “I dunno what’s going on, you pair of idiots, but you could enlighten me,” she said.
    I toed the ground again.
    “Nothing, Linds. Just a mean boss I had once at one of my temp jobs,” I said, at the same time that Calvin burst out, “That’s the frigging bastard that fucking raped Annasuya.”
    Of course, Calvin was the one that Lindsay paid attention to. She grasped me by the cheeks and stared into my eyes.
    “Is that true, Ann?”
    I didn’t say anything. Lindsay shook my face between her palms like a scruffy puppy dog.
    “Is that true?” she screamed.
    I pulled at her arms.
    “Calm down, Linds.” It was the only thing it occurred to me to say. “Calvin’s exaggerating.”
    Romeo tugged in alarm on Lindsay’s arm.
    “Lindsay. You’re hurting my mimi,” he said. “Aren’t you friends?”
    Lindsay tried to smile at Romeo. It looked like a scowl.
    “We’re just fooling around, Shakes.” Trite though it might seem, she always called him Shakespeare Child, or sometimes Shakes. “Don’t you fool around with your friends at school?”
    Romeo nodded. But he still looked dubious.
    Lindsay seized me by the arm and shook it firmly.
    “Don’t worry, Shakes. I’m just holding your mother,” she said when she caught Romeo eyeing her with mistrust.
    Romeo scowled and moved away, but he didn’t take his eyes from her. Lindsay loosened her grip on me.
    “Okay, Annasuya. Out with it. Calvin can’t be exaggerating. How can you exaggerate about someone raping you? Either he did or he didn’t. So what happened?”
    I lashed at her angrily.
    “Are you my fucking shrink or something, Lindsay? Just leave me the fuck alone.”
    I started towards the Queen Street subway entrance.
    “Where are you going?” Lindsay called. “Are you planning on going after him too?”
    I shook my head.
    “I’m going home,” I said.
    Romeo ran after me.
    “I’m coming with you, Mimi.”
    I patted him on the cheeks, on those chubby, rosy, perfect apples that only pre-adolescents have.
    “No, honey pops. You go with Calvin and Linds and ride on the streetcar. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
    Romeo scuffed his running shoe against the earth.
    “Yeah, Mimi, but not without you. ”
    I stroked his hair and kissed him.
    “Go on. Calv and Linds will take good care of you. Mimi just wants to be alone for a