Amber by Heather Burnside (great novels of all time .TXT) 📗

his insensitive comment. It seemed like he’d totally missed the point that she was the victim, not a willing participant. Then the conversation was over, and they carried on watching the music channel. The only time the silence was broken was when one of them passed comment on the music or to discuss the state of their drinks. But the conversation was stilted, and she no longer felt relaxed.

Amber could sense the change in him after her revelation. It felt as if he’d turned the blame from her abuser to her. Perhaps it was one thing for him knowing she was a prostitute who had been molested as a child but another matter to be confronted with the stark details.

She recalled him telling her that she was different from the other girls. Maybe he had built up some sort of ideal in his mind, which was now shattered. Because now he realised that she was no different from all the other girls who plied their trade to earn a living so that people like him could turn a profit and live in relative luxury.

From that moment onwards Amber feared that she’d lost his respect, and her supposition was confirmed by the scene that had taken place tonight.

41

December 2015

Amber was relieved that she’d managed to remove most of the curry from the sofa by the time Kev returned to the flat quarter of an hour later carrying a takeaway pizza. Avoiding the damp patch, he plonked himself down next to her without speaking, the hostile expression still on his face. Then he took hold of the TV remote control and switched channels from what she was watching.

Once he had opened the box and begun eating the pizza, he turned to her. ‘You getting ready for work or what?’ he asked.

Amber was about to argue that she had been going to finish watching her TV programme first. But then she thought about his attitude earlier and thought better of it. ‘Sure,’ she said, getting up.

‘Hurry up then. I’ll be ready to drop you off once I’ve eaten this.

Amber got ready quickly then returned to the living room where Kev was still sitting down with the discarded pizza box beside him.

He nodded at it. ‘Shift that, will yer?’

Amber did as she was told, noticing that there were a few crumbs on the sofa too and scooping them into her hands before depositing both in the kitchen bin.

They made the twenty-minute trip to Manchester and Kev dropped her in the red-light district. It wasn’t until he was about to drive away that he muttered, ‘See you later.’

Amber took up her usual spot at the mouth of the tunnel, relieved to be free of Kev for a while even though her usual trepidation at the prospect of a night on the beat swiftly returned. With customary caution she glanced around her and noticed that another two girls were also out plying their trade tonight. They were standing a few metres away from her and seemed deep in conversation.

Amber recognised the two girls who regularly worked this beat and nodded at them. They returned her greeting enthusiastically and Amber preened realising for the first time that her status among them had become enhanced since she’d been seeing Kev. Despite the way he had treated her tonight, she was still happy to be with him and hoped that by the time she saw him again he would be in a better mood. After all, he wasn’t often like that; he was normally great fun to be with.

It was later that night when Amber was faced with another problem. The other street girls were no longer there, and she was alone apart from a man who she could see in the distance. She watched him as he approached. He was young, only around mid-twenties, and had a cocky swagger. Amber saw the way he was looking intently in her direction and knew that he was heading for her. Instinct told her this wasn’t going to be a friendly confrontation.

‘Alright, love?’ he asked once he had reached her.

Amber nodded and waited to hear what he had to say.

‘How much for a blow job?’ he asked.

Amber gave him a price and he reached into his pocket, withdrew a twenty-pound note and waved it in front of her face. Then he grabbed her by the arm. ‘Come on then. What you waiting for?’ he said, pulling her inside the tunnel.

‘Hang on! You sure you want to do it here?’

‘Yeah course, it’s darker down there. No one will see owt.’

He let go of her arm and she followed him into the tunnel. Amber felt relieved. She had expected abuse but maybe the man only wanted a bit of business after all. And this should be quick and easy cash. She wouldn’t even have to leave the area. But then he stopped and turned around, making a display of tucking the money back inside his pocket. He stepped up to her and grabbed her arm once more but this time he was rough, clenching it in a vice-like grip.

‘Ouch,’ she yelled, trying to tug her arm free. ‘There’s no need for that.’

‘Shut the fuck up! Do you honestly think I’m gonna pay for it? I want a fuckin’ freebie.’

He lifted his other hand and grabbed her by the hair, letting go of her arm while he undid his flies. Then he pulled her head viciously down towards his crotch.

‘Come on then. Get on with it!’

Amber struggled, trying to pull away from him but he tightened his hold on her hair, digging his fingers into her scalp. If it was just a matter of doing it for free, then Amber might have acceded to his wishes to avoid a beating. But there was no way she was doing it without a condom. It just wasn’t worth the risk.

‘Let go of my fuckin’ hair,’ she yelled while she continued to struggle, and her scalp screamed out in pain.

For a few seconds she fought