Free Violet Chain by J Kahele

all.” He smiled coolly. Friends? Was this guy delusional? I had no problem being cordial to Harrison; it was the right thing to do, since we worked together. But I had no desire to maintain a relationship past that and I most definitely didn’t want to be his friend. Friendships and relationships to me required the same thing, trust, something Harrison was not capable of. I shook my head hard.
    “Come on, Violet, I really want to try to work things out, you know, start as friends and see where it goes from there?” There was no working out anything. What was wrong with Harrison, what did he not understand about ‘I don’t want you!’ How much clearer did I have to be? I was really starting to grow tired of this man and his failure to acknowledge that our relationship was done.  He really needed to move on.
    “Look, Harrison, I don’t mind working with you, I’m fine with that, but past that, I have no desire to be involved with you.”
    “You don’t mean that, Violet,” he continued.
    “Oh yes she does,” Vince said as he walked into the room. He pressed his finger against Harrison’s chest. “I’m going to tell you this just one time: leave my sister alone or you’re going to find yourself out on your ass…you understand?” Vince threatened. Harrison pushed Vince’s finger away.
    “Violet is old enough to make her own decisions, Vince, so stay out of it,” Harrison retorted. Harrison might be a small man but he was not afraid of my brothers or anyone else.
    Vince moved until he was nose to nose with Harrison and I knew if I didn’t do something soon, this was going to get ugly. I stood up and walked over to where they were, sliding in between them.
    “Come on, guys, this isn’t the place,” I murmured to them. I turned to face Harrison. “Harrison, you need to leave me alone. If you don’t I will go to my father. Now if you don’t mind, I would like you to leave.” He grunted then turned and stormed out of the office.
    “That guy just doesn’t get it, does he?” Vince asked me.
    “Vince, he is right. I am old enough to make my own decisions, I don’t need my brother coming to my rescue all the time,” I told him. I loved my brother and I knew he was only being protective, but I was tired of him interfering in my life.
    “I’m just looking out for you, that’s all, sis.”
    “I appreciate it, but it’s not necessary, I really can take care of myself.”
    “Sorry, I keep forgetting that my little sister is a grown woman,” he responded with a smile. I was touched by his words.
    I grinned. “I still need you, you know that.”
    “I know. And I need you too.”
    A voice floated in from the hall, calling Vince.
    “I got to go, that’s Jackie.” Jackie was his secretary and the way they acted towards each other sometimes made me strongly suspect she was also his part-time lover.
    “Okay, I’ll see you later,” I responded. Vince nodded and then left. I sat back at my desk and continued looking over my report.
    ***
    The work day ended and I was happy when I was able to lounge on my couch and watch old movies. I’d had my television for three years and I believed this was the first time I had ever really used it. Harrison didn’t like television, he believed that the stations sent hidden encrypted messages through their commercials, trying to hypnotize you into buying things they were selling. At the time, it made sense, but I realized now he was just paranoid. It was funny how much I was starting to realize about Harrison.
    I was beginning to doze off when my cell ringing woke me.
    “Hello,” I said groggily as I placed it to my ear.
    “Violet, it’s Callie, what are you doing?”
    “Lying around.”
    “You want to hang out with us? We were going to get some dinner and maybe go to a club after or something.”
    “Who is we?”
    “Me, David and his friend Phillip.” It was apparent to me immediately that Callie was trying to set me up with one of David’s friends and