The Secret Shopper Affair by Kate Harrison

Author:Kate Harrison [Harrison, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Modern fiction, Fiction, Literary
ISBN: 9781409107354
Google: 5RMmFBEdKC4C
Amazon: B004N62CHG
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2011-03-17T00:00:00+00:00

June

CHAPTER 17

Grazia

I appear to be living a triple life.

The first is my old life, with a little embroidery on the side, when I have the time. The second is that of a courtesan: all caviar and champagne truffles and caresses from my lover.

And the third …

‘So, does your generation think that snogging counts as infidelity, Grazia?’

Daisy, fifteen and eleven-twelfths, is my new best friend, though she is testing the limits of our friendship quite forcefully.

‘Snogging is such an ugly word, I think.’

We are viewing a rather sweet photography exhibition at the town’s art gallery, featuring pictures taken by children to represent their own lives.

‘Yeah, but that girl looks like she’s trying to swallow that boy’s entire face.’

She is right – the photo features very young teenagers engaged in a kind of kissing that could almost qualify as an Olympic sport. I walk towards the next picture, of a child’s pet kitten.

‘What about blow jobs?’

I turn back to Daisy. Her voice was deliberately loud, so now the other visitors are looking on curiously. ‘What about them?’

‘Well, you wouldn’t answer my snogging question.’

I lack the experience to know how one responds to such questions. When I was her age, I was already out of control, and too jaded and smart to listen to any adult. But even though today’s teens are supposed to be so knowing, there is still a freshness about Daisy, underneath the pretend world-weariness.

I check my watch. Another half-hour before we have arranged to meet Joel and Alf, who are having quality time in Mumford’s premier sports shop. Joel hopes that by suddenly developing an interest in football he can bond with his son, not to mention help the boy shift the extra pounds he is carrying.

‘Teatime, I think.’ I need to buy myself time to decide how far to go.

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