Inanimate Read Online Free PDF

name.”
    “ Well, it is on the cup” remarked
Andy.
    The two shared a smile at the coy
comment.
    “ I’m Beth.” The young lady said,
oblivious to the fact that it was written on her nametag in pink
chalk marker.
    Andy couldn’t help but feel
completely at ease around her, she was very pretty, with a very
natural smile. There was a pause, Andy was not used to interacting
with women anymore.
    “ Oh, I’m sorry; this is my son,
Connor.”
    Beth extended her hand to Connor
who reluctantly shook it.
    “ Nice to meet you
Connor .”
    “ Hello .” came the response.
    Beth looked at Connor and
smiled “He’s
very handsome…just like his father.”
    Andy was instantly smitten. Amongst the
warm colors and ambient sounds of espresso machines and jazz; Beth
and Andy clicked. Her sharp blue eyes had an allure which Andy was
unwilling to break himself from. All Connor could do was sit there
and accept it.

CHAPTER 4

    “ Where’s your friends loser?” Beth stood in
the doorway of Connor’s bedroom, high on a combination of Gin and
Valium. “Did you hear me you little faggot? I asked where all your
shitty little friends were!”
    Connor sat with his back to her, playing
with Basket. The house seemed darker now, dirtier, with less
color.
    “ You just going to ignore me
like you do every girl you little homo?”
    Pointing a b ottle of “London Dry” at the boy
she continued her abuse
    “ You’re going to end up a loser,
just like your father!”
    A single angry tear streamed down the
child’s cheek. It reached his mouth and he tasted the salty
bitterness. Stewing, he thought back to when things got this
bad.
    For over a year things were good again in
the Williams house. Andy had been drinking less and Beth was
bringing in a second paycheck. Connor was even warming to the fact
that he had a mother figure in the house again. Something he craved
but never talked about was finally becoming a reality. Connor
remained much the same in his attitude towards school and friends,
(namely that he didn’t believe either one was worth much) but he
did start to enjoy being out amongst other people much more. When
the three of them would go out to the circus for real, Connor would
take Basket and imagine he were the one performing death defying
acrobatics. Or when the fair came to town Connor would go along and
play the carnival games; even though he would always refuse to take
any toys that were won from them. Time seemed to pass quickly in
this period and before he knew what was going on; Connor was
another year older. It was just after Connor’s ninth birthday that
things started to go decidedly sour.
    Still in her early thirties Beth was a
definite looker. Family roots entrenched deep in Scandinavian blood
gave her a light complexion complete with long legs and a naturally
generous bust. She held a good job as an aesthetician at a trendy
salon in the city brining in a decent paycheck every fortnight.
Positions for this job were scarce and thanks to every little city
girl who got through life based solely on her looks, there was
never a shortage of candidates to fill the few positions available.
Still, with her experience and strong repeat customer base she was
never short of work. She would often supplement her income by
giving manicures and facials from the home she now shared with
Andy. One Tuesday afternoon Beth managed to get away from work
early. The long weekend had just finished so a lot of customers had
their hair done the previous Thursday before they left town for the
holiday. This meant business was slow so she left early trying to
avoid the rush hour. Andy could not get away early to pick her up
so she headed for the train; which Beth didn’t mind doing. Popping
in her ear buds and heading out the door she waved goodbye to her
colleagues before heading into the windy street outside. The train
from downtown was still fairly busy, though not as it would have
been had she left an hour later. As the pop music pumped