Objects of My Affection Read Online Free PDF

worries. So how’s it going so far?”
    â€œWith Marva?”
    â€œYeah. I brought all three guys with me today figuring by now you’d have stuff for us to haul out.”
    I look at my watch—it’s almost six o’clock. There’s no point in lying. I’ve blown the whole day. “I didn’t get anywhere. Marva sent me out to buy Post-its, and then she locked herself in her office.”
    â€œPost-its?”
    I explain to him my organizational system, and how Marva thought the colors should be different, and green should be represented, and you know these artists, how temperamental they can be, and the best thing is to humor them so they believe they’re getting their way and … and …
    Niko is laughing.
    â€œWhat is so funny?” I ask.
    â€œMan, she saw you coming.”
    â€œAnd what exactly is that supposed to mean?”
    â€œIt means she played you.”
    â€œShe did not!”
    â€œYou spent your day buying office supplies.”
    â€œThose Post-its happen to be an integral part of my organizational system.”
    â€œWhatever you say.”
    I’d like to hit him with a snappy comeback, but I’m haunted by the image of Marva walking away this morning as I was too cowed to say a thing, and I slump in defeat. “You’re right. I let her totally manipulate me.”
    I want to cry—it’s Ash all over again. It’s Ash, telling me some elaborate story about how it wasn’t his pipe or his stash or his pills—he was only holding them for this guy he hardly knows. And me being a sucker and believing it, time and time again, because I didn’t want to think about what the truth would mean.
    Niko slides down so he’s on the couch, facing me. “Don’t feel bad. None of us have been able to get her to do anything for weeks now. Her own son couldn’t do it. That’s why he had to bring you in.” He pauses. “This was only one day. You’ll get the hang of it.”
    â€œThere’s just so much .”
    â€œWe could wipe out everything in that house in less than a week if it weren’t for her. It’s only a big job because she’s making it that way. As much as she wants it done, she doesn’t want to do it.”
    â€œWell then,” I say, putting on my brave-girl face, “I’ll have to use my awesome powers of persuasion.”
    His mouth pulls up in a smile. “I look forward to seeing that.”
    Niko leaves to join the crew in the basement. Out of sheer stubbornness, I’m tempted to stay and wait Marva out—even if it takes all night—but I have to be at Heather’s son’s birthday party in half an hour. Instead of skulking out defeated, I screw up the courage to go to Marva’s office, where on the door is taped a note: Do not disturb. The blocky forward-slant of her handwriting seems aggressive enough that I hesitate. When it dawns on me that I’m such a pushover that I’m even intimidated by this woman’s writing , I make myself knock.
    I hear Marva call for me to come in. As soon as I open the door, it’s as if I’m walloped by a cyclone of color. The walls are covered with paintings of every size, and canvases are stacked up against them,pulsing with such intensity that it’s overwhelming. “Wow, are these yours?”
    â€œWhat is it you need?” Marva asks. She’s sitting in front of a desk, making some sort of notes in a book that’s set on top of a pile of papers. “Are you finally ready to get back to work?”
    Me? Finally ready? I want to pull one of those paintings off the wall and clobber her over the head with it.
    â€œI thought you didn’t want to be disturbed.”
    She doesn’t glance up. “That being the case, why are you willing to disturb me now?”
    A red painting with orange and yellow swirls exudes a sense of violence, plus it looks real heavy.