I’ve had an inkling that the guy I’ve been dating is more traditional than he’s been letting on. He says he loves how free spirited I am yet seems concerned when I do free spirited things. Like being naked in my garden, for instance. No one could see me unless they were to climb over my tall hedges, but he doesn't like those odds. I just love feeling the balmy warmth of the sun’s rays on my skin like mother nature intended. And I thought sending him a cheeky photo of me being an amateur nudist would make him hot. I mean, come on, it most definitely did. He’s a tricky one to pin down, one moment he’s telling me to wear the sexiest little number I own, the next he never wants to see it again. I have to admit, feeling the material of an outfit that someone has chosen for me caress my skin makes me feel as though they’re teasing me all day, unbeknownst to anyone I interact with.

Whenever we were together he would hold me close and be suspicious of any man who showed an ounce of friendliness towards me. Whereas whenever I saw women check him out, I’d feel flattered and show him off. I guess this difference between us should have prompted me to reevaluate whether I should continue pursuing a relationship with him. At the moment we’re still casual so I guess there’s still time to figure out if his behaviour is just cutesy, or if I’m being totally delusional. Time will tell.

We met at a club. I liked the way he talked to me, no tactics, no gimmicks. We exchanged numbers and parted ways. I had completely forgotten about it, as I usually do, weeks going by until my phone got a text from an unfamiliar name, Mo.

“You remember me?” it read.

We chatted for a while but never met. I wasn't too bothered as I had work to do and friends to see. But a sequence of serendipity was taking place. He kept popping up at the same events I was attending. Weddings, birthdays, barbeques. And no, he wasn't stalking me. He had recently become friends of a friend of a friend of mine, so now we were in one another’s outer circles. We’d smile at each other from across the room, maybe have a little small talk, but nothing more. He was reserved, possibly introverted, and very careful not to make a fuss of anything. What was he doing being interested in a loud mouthed gal like me? No one seemed to know much about him except that he was set to inherit his parents’ lucrative business, but that didn’t tell me anything important. It was getting to a point that our stolen glances were so obvious and often, others started to notice.

That was a preview of Slipping Under. To read the rest purchase the book.

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