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Thin Skin

Emma Forrest
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Cast of Characters
  7. Part One
  8. One
  9. Two
  10. Three
  11. Four
  12. Five
  13. Six
  14. Seven
  15. Eight
  16. Nine
  17. Ten
  18. Eleven
  19. Twelve
  20. Thirteen
  21. Fourteen
  22. Fifteen
  23. Sixteen
  24. Seventeen
  25. Eighteen
  26. Nineteen
  27. Part Two
  28. Twenty
  29. Twenty-one
  30. Twenty-two
  31. Twenty-three
  32. Twenty-four
  33. Twenty-five
  34. Twenty-six
  35. Twenty-seven
  36. Twenty-eight
  37. Twenty-nine
  38. Thirty
  39. Thirty-one
  40. Thirty-two
  41. Thirty-three
  42. Thirty-four
  43. Thirty-five
  44. Thirty-six
  45. Thirty-seven
  46. Thirty-eight
  47. Thirty-nine
  48. Forty
  49. Forty-one
  50. Forty-two
  51. Forty-three
  52. Forty-four
  53. Forty-five
  54. Forty-six
  55. A note on the Author

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

An Original Publication of MTV Books/Pocket Books

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POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

Copyright © 2001 by Emma Forrest

Originally published in Great Britain in 2001 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

MTV Music Television and all related titles, logos, and characters are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-8844-3
ISBN-10: 1-4165-8844-2

POCKET and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster Inc.

Dedication

To my parents

who, other than this acknowledgment,
are too supportive and wise
to write about in a novel.

Acknowledgments
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I was encouraged to write this book by two amazing women: Alexandra Pringle of Bloomsbury UK and my agent Felicity Rubinstein. Jim Fitzgerald found its U.S. home—with Jacob Hoye, who has, in his office, the same Thelonious Monk poster as I do. Chris Potter hung my poster and straightened out a lot of other things in my life too. Thanks to Rachel Resnick, Bonnie Thornton, and Sarah Bennett. Thanks also to the staff of the Chateau Marmont where much of this book was written.

Hilary, I have so much to tell you, mostly that you should still be alive.

Cast of Characters
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Ruby(a fuckup)

Liev(a lost love)

Rachel(a grown-up)

Sean(an auteur)

Aslan(an empty vessel)

Sebastian(a beauty)

Scott(a mistake)

Cyrinda(a roommate)

Part One
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One

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How it ended

I muttered “Mother” under my breath, but the bartender thought I was saying “another” and brought me a fresh vodka tonic. I used to say it all the time: “Mother,” “Mommy,” “Mom.” As a mantra, sometimes, when I couldn’t think. “Quit it!” she’d giggle. “You’re making me nervous.” She was the only mother I know of who really giggled: “tee hee hee hee” she’d honk, like a Frenchman in a comedy skit. She was the only mother I know of who said “motherfucker”—not often, but when she did say it, listening to a politician on the radio, or surveying the poor workmanship of the man who cleaned our windows, it was with barely suppressed delight.