Skin by E. M. Reapy
Author:E. M. Reapy [Reapy, E. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General
ISBN: 9781789540932
Google: fah0DwAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1789540941
Goodreads: 47887512
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Published: 2019-08-08T00:00:00+00:00
The Lepidopterist
Kim and Pete decide that itâs time I seek a love like theirs.
Weâre sharing a lazy Saturday meal, sourdough loaf, mackerel curry and a big bowl of mixed Russian salad. Pete pours us a glass of merlot each. February light spills through the open window and after the grief-stricken winter, the succulent plant on the sill shoots new bright green leaves in all directions. Birdsong harmonizes with the cityâs din; a far-off pneumatic drill cracks the stone of a footpath, lunchtime traffic accumulates at lights, kids laughing and crying and shouting, eighteen moods a minute.
âGo on an app,â Kim says enthusiastically.
Pete adds, âDonât overthink it.â
Kim asks him to play a song. He plugs his phone into the speaker and puts on a Drake playlist on low volume. He nuzzles her neck and they sway together to the beat.
I take a sip of wine and hold it on my tongue, consider things. Itâs not that theyâre smug in their comfortable four-year-strong relationship, in their letâs-stay-in ways, their muffling groans lest I hear them through my box room wall â they just want me to be happy. As happy as they are.
âFind yourself some action, Natalie,â Kim says. âWhy not, itâs 2016 after all. Canât a woman seek a willing man in the cyber world? Hook ups. Netflix and chill. Itâs all the rage.â
She says sheâd be at it too if she hadnât Pete. He says heâd be at it too if he hadnât Kim.
A chill breeze rolls in through the open window, lifting the net curtain in the kitchen. I rub the goosebumps on my arm. Pull my sleeves down.
âI suppose it would be nice to meet someone,â I cede. Itâs been a long time since I had any semblance of a romance.
âYou canât beat it,â Kim says and kisses Peteâs head. He gives her a swift smile.
Before we finish eating, I download an app on my phone and open my laptop on the kitchen table to trawl through my social media account for decent pictures. Kim gathers the dishes and scrapes the leftover curry into Tupperware. Pete doles out two scoops of mint chocolate ice-cream into bowls for each of us.
âI suppose Iâve to make it look like Iâve a wonderful and varied lifestyle,â I say and scratch my head.
âUse that one as your main picture,â Kim says, pointing at a portrait of me laughing. âItâs beautiful.â
âI look like a loose heifer in it.â
âDo you know how insulting it is when you wonât take a compliment?â
âSorry.â
I add a group picture from my cousinâs wedding, one where I wore a navy jumpsuit and hair piece and stood in the back row.
âDelete that, Nat,â Pete says.
âWhy?â
âItâs too hard to tell which one you are. Your family looks alike. And you need to put in a full body one.â
âWhat? Why?â
âSo thereâs no surprises. Trust me. A bit of cleavage would go a long way too.â
Kim slaps his hand playfully. He loads the dishwasher and Kim wipes down the counter and the table.
I scan through the app.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Come a Little Closer: Men of the Misfit Inn Book 4 by Kait Nolan(1020)
Edenton 02 Carolina Isle by Jude Deveraux(936)
The Unwanted Marriage: Dion and Faye's Story (The Windsors) by Catharina Maura(751)
This Changes Everything by Jennifer Ashley(737)
Hidden Truths: A Broken Hero Mafia Romance (Perfectly Imperfect Book 3) by Neva Altaj(722)
The Guest by Emma Cline(697)
Wait for Me by Samantha Chase(662)
Bad Uncle: A Taboo Story by Natalie Knight(630)
Vital US #2 by Unknown(583)
The Tycoon's Marriage Exchange by Elizabeth Lennox(557)
Playground by Richard Powers(487)
Highest Bidder by Sara Cate(484)
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld(432)
The Escort Book 1 (BILLIONAIRE BROTHERS) - a HOT erotic menage short (The Invitation) by Jordan Lucia(429)
Reason to Believe by Rebecca Yarros(423)
Deadline by Metsy Hingle(415)
A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson(408)
The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi(396)
Love Like That by Amanda Hill(378)
