Activity

Roger saw the wisdom in Steve’s thinking. He stopped texting Meg. He reflected on the details of their first encounter, in case he should get another chance to achieve sex with her. She had responded most positively when he did not speak, when he simply focused on inserting parts of his body into h…

“Sure, sure,” Genevieve said. “I mean, no judgment.” She said this without apparent irony; Genevieve was the most judgmental person Meg had ever known. Without her usual eyeliner, Genevieve looked like a child, her round face puffy, lips swollen from sleep. She was not conventionally beautiful, but…

Meg decided the only way out was through. She asked Roger to summarize one of the books he’d been reading, and tuned out during his rigorous synopsis. She wanted to ask him what his deal was—what was wrong with him—but didn’t know how to phrase it in a way that wasn’t hurtful. It was possible, she …

Linda draws me into the house, which has the vibe of a Billabong store run by teenagers. In the living room, speakers blare the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I match each family member to Ruben’s description. Uncle Skip, a bachelor who makes his living volunteering for dangerous medical experiments, perch…

Karl no longer fantasized about naked women in his bed, bodies gleaming with moisture. He could not spare the lotion even in his imagining. The house needed all of it, every drop.