Skin by E.M. Reapy

Author:E.M. Reapy
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781789540949
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The Lepidopterist

Kim and Pete decide that it’s time I seek a love like theirs.

We’re 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 city’s 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.

‘Go on an app,’ Kim says enthusiastically.

Pete adds, ‘Don’t overthink it.’

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. It’s not that they’re smug in their comfortable four-year-strong relationship, in their let’s-stay-in ways, their muffling groans lest I hear them through my box room wall – they just want me to be happy. As happy as they are.

‘Find yourself some action, Natalie,’ Kim says. ‘Why not, it’s 2016 after all. Can’t a woman seek a willing man in the cyber world? Hook ups. Netflix and chill. It’s all the rage.’

She says she’d be at it too if she hadn’t Pete. He says he’d be at it too if he hadn’t 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.

‘I suppose it would be nice to meet someone,’ I cede. It’s been a long time since I had any semblance of a romance.

‘You can’t beat it,’ Kim says and kisses Pete’s 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.

‘I suppose I’ve to make it look like I’ve a wonderful and varied lifestyle,’ I say and scratch my head.

‘Use that one as your main picture,’ Kim says, pointing at a portrait of me laughing. ‘It’s beautiful.’

‘I look like a loose heifer in it.’

‘Do you know how insulting it is when you won’t take a compliment?’

‘Sorry.’

I add a group picture from my cousin’s wedding, one where I wore a navy jumpsuit and hair piece and stood in the back row.

‘Delete that, Nat,’ Pete says.

‘Why?’

‘It’s too hard to tell which one you are. Your family looks alike. And you need to put in a full body one.’

‘What? Why?’

‘So there’s no surprises. Trust me. A bit of cleavage would go a long way too.’

Kim slaps his hand playfully. He loads the dishwasher and Kim wipes down the counter and the table.

I scan through the app.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
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.