Complementary Colors (21 page)

I held up a hand. “I’m…” My throat squeezed tight. “…fine…”

“You’re not fine.”

“…panic…” My inhale whistled in my lungs. “…attack…” It had been years, and I’d taken the gift of air for granted. Black spots danced in front of my eyes. “…happens…” A tingling throb touched my lips and spread to my chin.

I leaned forward, putting my head between my knees. The vise in my chest eased enough for me to draw a mouth full of air. Then my throat relaxed, and I could swallow.

I found myself timing my inhale and exhale to the slow rhythm of the Roy’s hand as he rubbed my back.

In.

Out.

In…

The bubble popped, and I sat up, sucking in bouts of cold air. Snowflakes melted on my cheeks, cooling the fever burning inside me.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

I nodded.

“How often does this happen?”

“Often enough, but…” I rested my elbows on my knees. “But it’s been awhile since I’ve had one that bad.” I wound up leaning against Roy. He continued to rub my back.

Up.

Down.

Up…

The residual fear drifted away. Freed from its hold, I still didn’t want to move.

“Are you seeing a doctor?”

“Hmmm?”

“Are you seeing a doctor?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you need me to call them?”

“No.” I would’ve rather had another attack. “No, I’m fine. I am.” My legs were still weak so Roy helped me stand.

“There’s a bar around the corner so there should be a cab.”

“I told you, taking a cab means getting home too fast.”

“I don’t think walking would be good for you right now.”

I nodded. “Okay. We’ll get a cab.” He put his arm around me. “But let’s at least take the long way around.”

I insisted Roy stay in the cab and let me go up alone. It had nothing to do with my pride and everything to do with the fact he’d never come inside with me. It wouldn’t have been a problem if I could refrain from asking.

But I could never refrain from asking.

The cab didn’t pull away from the front door until I reached the elevator.

I took off my scarf and unbuttoned my coat. I was going to be lucky if I could make it up the stairs to my room. There was always the sofa, but it was too short to be comfortable. With my muscles dripping off my bones, it probably wouldn’t have mattered.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in.” Gregory sat draped in one of the lobby chairs with his ankle over his knee. A king on an upholstered throne.

“What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.”

“Well, now you can leave.” I hit the call button on the lift. His reflection grew on the brass plated doors.

“So was your date business or pleasure?”

“Why are you here?”

“I couldn’t stand the anticipation of a week with you in my house.”

“Until you pay for the work, there will be nothing to anticipate.”

“And I’ll pay when I get another test drive to make sure you warrant the investment.”

The doors opened, and Gregory followed me inside. I pushed the hold button. “Get out.”

He met me toe to toe. “So did you fuck him?”

“Get. Out.”

“I hope so, it will save me the prep work.” He shoved me into the corner, and the doors closed. Gregory swallowed my threat. I yanked my mouth away, but he jerked me back by digging his fingers into my neck.

He forced my mouth open, and I sank my teeth into his lip.

Gregory let me go. “You fucking son-of-a-bitch. You bit me.” He spit a glob of red saliva on the floor.

“You shouldn’t have tried to stick your tongue in my mouth.”

He pressed the back of his hand against his bottom lip. I reached to open the doors, and he got in the way. “I don’t think so. Not after this.” He dabbed away another trickle of blood. “After this, your ass is mine.” Gregory made another grab. I blocked him, but it left me open for a punch. The impact left my head ringing and my face throbbing.

I lost my balance.

He seized my arm and twisted it behind my back. I have no idea how the hell he got his belt off so fast, but it was around my neck before the static quit buzzing in my skull.

“You want rough? I can give you rough.”

Everything darkened.

The boy reached out to me while he lay in the dirt, and I crouched behind a wooden crate. He begged me with his eyes to help him. The pig of a man grunted, and the rabbit ran circles in its cage, faster and faster until it shook and its feet were raw.

But like the pig, it wouldn’t stop.

Gregory had let go of the belt so he could unbutton his chinos, and a high-pitched tone tolled in my ears as the confines of the elevator came back into focus. I pushed up only to be shoved back down.

Gregory threw my coat up over my shoulders. “I told you I was going to teach you a lesson or two about respect. Bite me? Fucking bitch. You want blood, I’ll give you blood.” He felt around the front of my pants to unbutton them.

I pulled my knees up just enough to give him a few inches of space. The crook of his arms pressed against my side. When his ragged breathing was close to my ear, I shoved my upper body off the floor. The back of my head connected with his face, and he howled.

Gregory tried to stop me from getting to my feet by grabbing my coat. I shrugged free, and without the tension, he fell back. His bloody face left a red streak on the wall.

He flailed until he got to his feet. “I’m going to fucking kill you for that. I’m going—” Gregory was silenced by the thump in my chest. Rage twisted his features into something inhuman. I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t angry. Whatever I’d been had gone away, leaving me empty.

Gregory dove at me, and the cold stillness inside me shattered.

I countered his punch with my forearm, and he went for my throat. A slight turn to my left forced him to overextend, sending him off balance. I grabbed his thumb.

He tried to twist free, but I cranked the digit back until it popped. The flush in his face went white, but before Gregory could scream, I jerked him off balance by his hair. On his way down, I guided him into the wall. But once wasn’t enough.

“Please stop.” He clawed at my wrists. Whatever he said next was drowned out by the whoosh of air I stomped from his ribs. Gregory wailed, and tears burst from his eyes. He curled up in a feeble attempt to block my next strike.

As quick as the rage had risen, it flickered out. The second kick knocked me to the side, and I slumped against the wall.

I was close enough to the panel to open the doors. A sticky trail of vomit and blood traced Gregory’s path as he made an escape out the elevator. He got to his knees about the same time I regained my balance.

I walked behind him as he crossed the threshold and planted my foot in his ass, shoving him into the lobby. He landed facedown. Then he rolled on his side, bawling like an infant.

Bill came from the direction of the men’s room. “Mr. Duvoe?”

I held up a hand. “I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding.”

“It will wash.”

He looked at Gregory who slid around in his own piss.

“Do me a favor and throw that bag of shit in the alley.”

“I think he needs an ambulance.”

“Yeah, well, he’s got a cell phone and nine working fingers. If he does, he can call one.”

“What about you?”

“I told you, it will wash.”

I managed to stay on my feet until I punched in the floor code for my apartment.

A terrible hammering noise cracked open the festering wound behind my eyes.

“Paris?” Alice.

I tried to shoo her away by waving my arm.

“Are you in there?”

Another round of banging forced me out from under the covers. A thin stream of sunlight lasered a path across my room, and bright shards of broken color exploded around me.

“Paris.”

The doorknob rattled.

I croaked out a “What?”

“It’s three o’clock.”

“So?”

“Don’t you think it’s time you got out of bed?”

“What for?”

“Your friend has been calling you all day.”

Friend?

“He said his name was Roy? Is that the guy you’re dating?” She rattled the doorknob. “It’s not polite to ignore his phone calls. Did you two break up? Is that why you’re hiding in your room?”

“No…we didn’t….goddamn it.” I tried to sit up and wound up sliding off the bed and onto the floor. My elbow hit the nightstand. The clock tripped off the edge.

“What was that noise?”

“Nothing.”

“Something fell. I heard it. Paris, open this door.”

“Not now, Alice. Please. Just…just leave me alone.”

“Are you drunk? You sound drunk. If Julia calls, you won’t be able to talk to her. You know how ill she gets when you’ve been drinking.”

“Fine. I won’t talk to her.” I reached for the side table and knocked off the lamp.

“What are you doing in there?”

“Redecorating.”

“What?”

“Just go home. The dishes can wait or dinner or whatever.”

“Are you sick?” She beat on the door.

“Please stop. Just…” I rolled to my side.

“If you’re sick, I need to call Dr. Mason.”

“No, no, I’m fine.” Anyone but him. “It’s just…the flu, I think.”

“Are you sure you’re not drunk?”

“Does it matter if I am?” I got my arm on the edge of the mattress and was able to pull myself to my feet. “Are you still there?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not calling Dr. Mason, are you?”

“You said not to.”

I nodded.

“Paris?”

“Yeah, yeah. I did. Just… thank you.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

The dark red blotch on my side had turned an ugly purple. “I’m fine.” It hurt when I pressed my fingers on it, but not as bad as it did when I crawled up the steps.

“Okay, if you’re sure you’re all right, I’m going to go home.”

“I’m sure.”

“I won’t be here tomorrow. I’m supposed to go back to the museum and help with that charity event, since Julia isn’t here.”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay. Charity event.”

“So you may have to call the doctor yourself if you can’t get me.”

“I will.” My bladder clenched, and I took several wobbly steps in the direction of the bathroom.

“Paris?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Alice. It’s okay. I promise. Go to the event. I’ll be fine.” I stepped over the trail of clothes I’d left on the floor and stumbled into the bathroom. I barely made it. To stay upright, I had to prop my shoulder against the wall.

I left my boxer briefs in front of the toilet and turned on the shower. Even though I made sure to dial down the pressure, the water stung like a blast of superheated needles. I forced myself to stay there until the worst of it eased enough for me to wash.

The aches and stiffness flowed away with the water, and when I finished in the shower, I was able to take care of the basics. By the time I was done brushing and shaving, I was too tired to bother with getting dressed, and put on a robe. Besides, coffee was more important than clothing.

While the coffee percolated, I dug through the containers on the counter looking for the bread. Toast would be safe to eat. I hoped.

“Damn it, Alice. Where did you hide it?”

There was a wooden box on the other side of the kitchen near the stove. It didn’t match any of the appliances. The word ‘bread’ had been carved into the front.

How the hell had I missed that?

It could have been new. Knowing Alice, she probably changed out the food containers on a weekly basis. I stuffed two pieces into the toaster and ate a third slice out of the bag, then went on a search for the aspirin.

There was a half full bottle in the cabinet on the condiment wheel. I kept it there so when I woke up in my studio with a hangover I didn’t have to make it all the way to my bedroom to get it. Sometimes Alice would move it. Thank God she hadn’t.

I poured a few in my hand. Was two enough? Was six too many? I took four and washed them down with water from the tap.

The toast popped up. It barely had a chance to cool before I crammed a piece in my mouth. I was still chewing when the coffee finished. It was going to take it forever to cool, and I needed to wash down the crusty lump of dough stuck to the roof of my mouth. I got an ice cube from the dispenser and dropped it in my cup.

The intercom in the living room beeped. I drank my coffee. It beeped again. I went over to the elevator and pushed the talk button. “Who is it?”

“Paris?” Roy’s voice was even strong over the tinny speaker.

“Yeah?”

“Are you all right?”

“Fine.”

“Will you let me come up?”

I laid my forehead against the wall. “Now’s not exactly a good time.”

“I called you last night on the way home to make sure you got in okay. You didn’t answer. You didn’t answer this morning either.”

“I’m okay.”

“You don’t sound like you are.”

“I’m just…” I sighed.

“Please let me come up.”

I punched the send button. “Elevator’s on the way down. Top floor.” Julia was on the first floor, Alice had the third. Or maybe it was the fourth? I made my way back into the kitchen to drink the rest of my coffee.

The elevator doors opened. “Paris?”

“In here.”

Roy walked past the partition. “Are you sure you’re… Jesus, what happened to your face?” Then he was right there. Cradling my head, stroking my chin, my cheek, my throat. I closed my eyes until he stopped. “Did Julia do this to you?”

“What? No, no, she’s not even in town.”

“Then how did this happen?”

“It’s not as bad as it looks.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I had a disagreement with a client who couldn’t take no for an answer.” I stepped away.

“Did you call the police?”

A fresh cup of coffee from the pot was still too hot to drink. I got another ice cube. “Do you want some? I just made it.”

“Did you call the police?”

“For what?”

“Someone beat the shit out of you, that’s for what.”

“He was the one who had to crawl out of the elevator.” I drank. “Believe it or not, I can take care of myself. Now do you want some coffee?” I took out another cup. “Goddamn it, will you quit looking at me like that? It’s just a few bruises.”